1 down, 11 to go

I've finished my first month of Ironman training, and I'd say everything went well. I believe I gained some fitness, but most importantly I learned a few things. Here they are:

- Stretch. Increase (or at least maintain) your flexibility. If one muscle is tight others overcompensate and that's when injuries happen.

- Get a professional bike fit. I went to Crono Metro and got a bike fit the other day and they made quite a few changes. I can tell a big difference already in my pedaling efficiency. I still need to get a new stem to put my handlebars in the ideal position so my bike isn't perfect yet. The stem I need has a 17 degree rise and I'm going to have a hard time putting a stem like that on my bike. I'd rather buy new forks and add more spacers so I don't have a stem that looks like it came off a comfort bike. They said I'm really stretching the limits of my frame so I think I technically need a larger frame.

- Form is king. Swimming, running, cycling. It doesn't matter. Good form will make you faster and prevent injuries. I actually learned this a long time ago when I raced motocross, but it was reinforced this past month. Always work on improving your form. It's a never-ending process.

- Have a plan. Don't just go through the motions. Have a plan for every workout. You'll progress much quicker.


Month 2 has me throwing in a few more interval workouts so it's definitely going to be a tough month. Hopefully, everything will go well and I'll gain some strength and endurance. I'm looking forward to it, that's for sure.