Distances

Joel reminded me today, in his gentle way, that Iron-distance and Olympic-distance races are different.

• Iron-distance races are 140.6 miles (226 kilometers)
1. 2.4-mi (3.8-K) swim
2. 112-mi (180-K) bike
3. 26.2-mi (42.2-K) run
• Olympic-distance races are 31.93 miles (47.4 kilometers)
1. 0.93-mi (1.5-K) swim
2. 24.8-mi (40-K) bike
3. 6.2-mi (10-K) run

The difference is marked. Pro women are finishing Iron-distance races (select Ford Ironman Florida, select 2008, select SHOW ALL FINISHERS, select Total Time next to SORT BY, and click Get List) in around 9:07 and change. My fastest finish in an Ironman is 12:51 and change (select Ford Ironman Wisconsin, select 2007, enter Acheson in LOOK FOR, select Last Name, and click Get List).

Pro women are finishing Olympic-distance races in just under 2 hours. My fastest finish in an Olympic-distance race is 2:31 and change.

Now that I look at these numbers, 31-32 minutes seems a lot more attainable than 3 hours and 44 minutes. Plus, I think I do better in shorter races. Maybe I really do need to re-evaluate where I want to go and what I want to do. Perhaps I will need to put on hold my goal to complete all the Ironmans in North America (Florida, Wisconsin [check], Lake Placid, Coeur d'Alene, Hawaii, Canada, Louisville [check], Arizona, and Utah) (and all the other Ironmans: New Zealand, South Africa, China, Australia, Spain, Brazil, France, Austria, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Mexico, Austria, and Malaysia). Oh, but I have a few other huge long-distance goals, too!

I guess the positive thing is that I'll probably have an easier time gaining entry to Olympic-distance races! They're not as highly sought-after as Ironmans are.