Ironman Frank: Week 9

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Hello fellow athletes training has been going well this week. I have been taking this week to focus on my swimming skills. The heat will slow you down, even with being in the water, so make sure to keep plenty of fluids in your system like sports drinks or water is the best way to keep hydrated.

The swimming I believe will be my hardest of the three endurance events that are contained within the triathlon competition. I am going on vacation next week to Fripp Island, a flat island in South Carolina with very clean beaches to run on and some good roads to ride on. I will concentrate on riding then running this coming week at the beach. Just because you take a vacation with family for friends does not mean that you should take a vacation from training.I hope to keep up the three F's: family, fun, and fitness throughout this vacation.  The beach will provide a change of atmosphere that might make the training more interesting and challenging. I will let you know how it went when I get back next week. So, keep training hard switch us your regular course and training if you find yourself getting bored. Remember that the Ironman is right around the corner on September 24^th.

 As always I’d like to thank my sponsors, Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Augusta Swim Supply, Rick’s Paint & Body and Trucks & Moore.