The plan

I'm trying out something new for this (third) IM - a legitimate, day-by-day, published training plan.

For our two previous journeys down the IM path, my buddy Drew has graciously crafted an outline of sorts for us to follow - basically identifying the approximate training loads for each week in each discipline, broken down into separate training blocks (ie., three weeks of build followed by a step-back week). The day-to-day workouts were left to each of us to determine for ourselves.

This format worked very well, especially as newbies, but I think I'd like to attempt a more detailed training regimine, one which takes all the guesswork out of training and doesn't allow me to avoid tough sessions by simply not including them in the week's schedule. Not that I would ever do that (ha!).

So, I'm tentatively going with a plan that's detailed in Don Fink's book "Be Iron Fit." It's a 30-week plan that, if I did my math right, I'll formally begin the week of Feb. 15.

I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous about committing to a proper training plan - What if I can't do all the workouts? Shouldn't I just do whatever I did last time? Maybe I should just spring for a coach? - But maybe the fear is a good thing. This plan will undoubtedly force me to put in more miles (and laps) than I ever have before in IM training, but maybe that's what I need in order to really see what I am capable of at this distance. We'll see.

It should be an interesting ride.