That’s right. Stretch the arms up overhead, arch the back, and let out a little groan like you’re working out the kinks before a tough day of training. Blow the cobwebs off the big gears, lace up the trainers, and start the engine idling. Twenty weeks of Base training is officially behind us (well, me), and it’s getting to be about that time to smooth on the intensity like that pre-race bodyglide. In all, 258 hours and 29 minutes have been spent sweatin’ it out in the pool, on the bike, out running, and lifting since the 2007 competitive season started (last November, for the uninitiated). And while the past twenty weeks have been largely comprised of relatively long, slow and steady endurance-building training sessions, the high-end is about to be worked.

This past weekend marked the culmination of my Base building. I was aiming for 20 hours of training for the week’s total, but I came up a bit short on account of the weather. On tap for Saturday, I had a 5 hour bike/run brick planned, but with 20 degree temperatures, I was forced to ride the trainer in lieu of the sun-soaked rolling hills I had fantasized about the day prior. All was not lost, however, as one of my training partners, Christian, was good enough to join me for the indoor ride-from-hell. With company, time flies. And in all, I wound up with a solid 3.5 hours. But without taking the day prior off (as I usually do), my legs had about as much pep in them on Sunday morning as a can of de-fizzed Coke sitting out in the hot July sun. Bummer for me, but bonus for Liz, as I opted to run her entire long run with her. At just about 10 miles, it was a great way to not only cheer her on as she inched up near the double-digit mileage, but also to get in a good aerobic long run on Easter Sunday. We even carved out a new route together that I reckon might become one of my new summer-time favorites.

This week has been all about recovery… And all in good time. Monday I slumped around like my feet were giant anvils, each step an awkward, dragging, mess. My body was so sore from the previous three weeks of efforts that even the lobes of my ears felt fatigued. Calorie consumption wasn’t much of a problem; with a bag full of dark chocolate M&Ms from the Easter Bunny (no, not the little “here ya go kid, have some candy” sized bags, I’m talking about the giant, rock-salt-for-your-frozen-driveway sized bags) I pretty much ingested enough energy to light up the entire Capital District. Thankfully, by Tuesday I started to come around again. Feeling a bit looser and letting the appetite subside just a wink. Wednesday was my first day back in the pool since last week, where I put in a very simple, very easy 2 kards over the course of 45 minutes. Over the next couple days, I’ll slowly drift back into the workouts, and by the time Monday rolls around, it’ll be 110% game on for the next 14 weeks.

Fourteen. Fourteen weeks until Ironman starting this Sunday. Hard to believe, but even harder to think of it this way: I was 14 years old when I got my first serious bike. It was a mountain bike, a Diamond Back. It weighed about 50 pounds, had bottom-of-the-barrel componentry and was only better than my own two feet in the sense that it rolled when pushed. But push it, I did. I entered my first mountain bike race at 15, and simultaneously fell apart and fell in love. The feeling of pushing one’s self beyond their physical boundaries, I found, was also a means to push one’s self beyond their mental barriers. While the physical component was enough to leave me shredded, the psychological product was blissful. Fourteen is when it started, and fourteen years later takes me to today. To right now. Fourteen weeks and counting down to Ironman USA.

Base building is a great part of the annual training plan because it has always afforded me the time to really “enjoy” my workouts. By that, I mean that during the long, slow build-up of endurance, there’s plenty of time to smell the flowers and enjoy the sport(s) for what they are. I’ve never had a hard time finding motivation and staying enthusiastic during the Base phase. In addition to endurance, it’s surely a time to build character. The Build phase, on the other hand, is a different animal. Every workout is not only a critical building block to the overall structure of the athlete, but a measuring tool. There will inevitably be weeks that go better than others, and there will undoubtedly be races or breakthrough training events with unexpected results. I enjoy the Build periods immensely, but I know from experience how important it is to keep everything “in check” and to never forget the underlying joy behind the ability to simply participate in such a fantastic sport as that of triathlon. And as I read through the blogosphere about everyone’s “First Ride” of the season, or early race results, I hope that we can all help one another remember that we’re lucky we can have the health, the motivation, and the inspiration to live this lifestyle.

Cheers to the real start of the 2007 season, and thanks for reading.