just checking in with George Hamilton ????

2700m in the pool this morning. I truly love swimplan.com my swimming is now much more focused and I truly feel that I am going to reap the benefits of the drills and specific workouts that it gives me. Many times before in the past I would cut my workouts short or not go very hard and now, I am forced to just get out there and complete the workout it gives. I try my best to hit the times it gives me too. I like it so much that I get excited to see what it will give me when I wake up in the morning. Its like I wake up at 4:30 then go rub my little genie lamp (that is my computer on swimplan.com.) and it gives me a challenging workout.

Then I just did 26min on the trainer after work.

Here is a little insight to my training level intensity versus my race day intensity.

For my training intensity level, it goes like this... My running training for half marathons is one easy run, a week and a tempo run and my long runs 9-15 miles I run at a faster pace then my marathon long training. I would say 70-80% Come race day, I have learned this, There is only one way to find out what you truly have inside and that is fail. I failed in my last half marathon in the sense that I tried to pick up the tempo at mile 12 and I ran a 6:30 mile and I couldn't hold that pace through mile 13. While I didn't fail in the overall finish time I failed in maintaining that pace.

For triathlons, I go about 60-70% in the swim and then I try to go all out 100% on the bike and tell myself that I will deal with what the run gives me. My last olympic tri I went all out on the bike had a PR for that leg then also had a PR on the run. And thats why I am going for th e half iron now.

I expect to fail in my first HIM in the sense I will learn my current limit and be able to evaluate what I did training wise and how it paid off.

Tonight is a barbie and ken party with friends and I plan to go and have some fun. The goal of the night is not to get drunk so I can have a good workout tomorrow. The weather is going to be cool so I was thinking of just waiting till the afternoon and doing it then. I am planning a 30 mi ride and a 10mi run. I must make the committment to it now. This will be the big practice before my half ironman.

I sent in my application to become a Mentor for team in training the other day, and they received it today. It should be interesting to do that. It is really going to take a good time commitment from me. I will for sure have to rearrange my schedule to accomodate the workouts with the team. I really want to get involved and help motivate these first time triathletes. It can be hard for me to describe how passionate about the sport of triathlon and seeing other people become involved with it. This sport truly can touch your life and change it for the better. I have seen many people who it has done this to. Hopefully I can be a part of this process for other people.