The difference

This is going to be a few brief thoughts on what will make the difference between 2011 and 2014.

First is the goal - it's no longer about finishing an Ironman. It's about getting to the top of my AG and qualifying for Kona. But I can't just focus on outcome based goals. I need to instead focus on things I can control and let the outcome be what it may.

So, what will make the difference?

I hope it's just attention to detail. Simple as that. As a former co-worker who I really admired used to say, "take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves."

What does that look like day-to-day?

- Going to the pool with a workout in hand rather than just winging it. And doing the whole workout! - which is a big problem of mine. In 2011 I did way too much "oh it's fine if I just do 2500 yards today, I'll make it up later in the week" and then I wouldn't make it up...

- Spending LOTS of time on the bike. I have 3 now, so there's really no excuse. I also cut a lot of rides short in the base phase of my training. The new training program is calling for a 3 hour ride as early as February 15. The bike is the "easiest" place to see major improvements and it's no secret that more time on the bike makes you faster.

- Adding striders to the end of my runs to focus on form and leg turnover. Just 5-10 short 20 second sprints with full rest have been shown to make runners more efficient without breaking down the muscles as much as a full track workout. Again, it's the little things.

- Strength sessions twice a week during my base phase. Not killing myself in the gym (or at least not all the time), but just adding some stability and core work. Hopefully this, as well, will pay dividends in my overall performance.

The underlining theme is focus on the little things. And as easy as it is to write down, I know it will be hard to put into practice. Especially when I get tired, things start to get cut short. And it could be my body trying to tell me that it's working too hard. But I hope I'll be able to tell the difference.

So bringing this into the New Year, I guess those are my resolutions... pay attention to the details. We shall see how it goes.

Happy New Year all! And thank you for reading.
DO GREAT WORK!