To Race or Not to Race?

That is the question I ponder as I look to 2013's year (it's already April so I'm a few months behind). I've become a bit of a blog nerd lately, reading everything from training tips for Ironman, to crossfit endurance, to paleo diets, to after effects tutorials, to "really cool wedding ideas", to "learning new languages", to "how do I write" blogs, to blogs about how to teach your dog not to poop on the floor. If it all seems random and disjointed, well, you're powers of observation are astounding. I'm in search mode, questioning and trying to learn and absorb information, and I'll be quite honest, I have information overload right now. As I write this, there are 11 open windows on my 20" screen at my desktop... Focus, control, you must learn control... Thus my writing returns to the question of the day. Do I race something? Or not. Do I give myself a fitness project? Or not. A little about where I've been. 2 Ironmans, 16 marathons, several triathlons, half marathons, 10ks, the like. But as of the end of 2006, I've completed 2 marathons, no triathlons, and really haven't raced much. So, in true fashion, I've gained weight, lost my running zip, and become sedentary up until the end of 2012. But, on the positive side, I've met my soon-to-be wife, gotten engaged, planned a wedding (to be executed shortly), entered the amazingly fun world of television drama as a "script coordinator" - which I will delve into at some point, and had a pretty good existence in a post-Ironman/marathon/fitness world. So am I lacking? No. But do I want to accomplish something else? Y----yes. The thing is, I turn 40 at the end of this year. Forty. 4-0. Four-tee. Any way I look at it, it's one of those milestone ages that you can't ignore. By the end of this year, I will have: 1) Completed the aformentioned athletic activities/achievements 2) Had 4 careers - retail manager, financial advisor, sales rep, film maker 3) been married for 5 months +. For my last year of my 30's, I set a few goals that had been put off: 1) lose 10 pounds. I lost 20 through a "Paleo Challenge" I completed in January, February and March. 2) Write one script. I co-wrote one with my fiancé, and am writing another now. 3) Get married to the woman of my dreams... Soon... 4) Kickstart my new business ventures - video/documentary production 5) Develop a script and shoot a movie. And now, I'm adding "complete another marathon" to the mix and "train to get into Ironman shape". Let's be realistic, though. I'm nothing special. These are not goals of getting to Hawaii or getting to Boston again. I merely enjoy the feeling of being in the best condition I am capable of. So, what I have been doing the past few months is getting into Crossfit. Many people, when they look into CF, think of it as extreme, cult-like, all-or-nothing activity, but I have found that crossfit has struck the perfect balance for me. It's hard, for sure, but I don't feel at all like I am over-reaching or pushing myself too hard. For 1 hr/day, 5 days a week, I show up, work my butt off, try to get better, stronger, faster, and feel great at the end of each workout. I'm not naturally very competitive, but I find myself wanting to go that extra bit to do the exercise properly, and if I'm faster, stronger, etc. then so be it. It has also, as a benefit, made me feel like getting back into triathlon and marathon running again. I'm eyeing a fall marathon and, perhaps, a fall triathlon. I'm loathe to commit to anything before July because I am getting married at the end of June, so I want to keep my schedule as loose and free as possible. Too much? Crossfit and a marathon? One might think, until you realize that there are ways, if you're innovative enough, to develop the "all-round-athlete" approach to both. The thing is, I don't want to, nor expect to, be a 2:30 marathoner. I would LOVE to get back to around 3 hours, where I was in 2003. But I also want to be strong, recover quickly, etc. so the crossfit compliments that. So while I will train to get that marathon in, I will also strength train quite seriously. Here's my basic workout plan for the next 4 months: Crossfit 5 days/week 3-4 runs/week - focusing on skill and form development, running strength, and running nutrition Try to get in 1-2 swims for recovery (and to swim in the outdoor pool at Kits beach) per week This will take me to August 11 when, 2 months away from the Victoria marathon, I'll ramp up some of the running. The goal here is not to be bone crushingly strong or to be thin as a rail, but to achieve a balance of training, recovery, nutrition and see what the results bring. Oh, and try to do this on less than 8-10 hours of training/week. I'm looking forward to this journey into furthering my fitness aims, all while continuing my career and family life growth. Some people say you can't have it all, but then I look at people like Jefferson or, recently, Tim Ferris of 4-hour-chef, and I think, "maybe you can have it all, and even if you can't, you're better off for having tried then not having made the attempt". Yours in all things endurance! Anthony