Analysis and looking forward

I’ve done some thinking about the Ironman and moving forward:

This year:

1. My cracked rib limited my ærobic work.

2. That meant I was doing the bike course’s many hills with my muscles.

For next year:

3. I need to bring my time budget down. My budget for into T2 was 9:45; if the race official had let me continue, I would’ve been more than an hour past that. If my budget had been, say, 9:00 (swim 1:45 + T1 0:15 + bike 7:00) I might have made it even with the cracked rib.

4. I need to get stronger for that course. Even with my 9:45 time budget and a cracked rib, I might have made it if the hills hadn’t trashed my legs so badly. On two hills of the 2nd loop (Old Sauk Pass and Midtown) I had to walk for a few minutes because my quads were cramping.

That means:

5. I need to improved my swim technique. Just that should take a lot of time off the top of my swim.

6. I need more bike training, especially in the Oak Ridges Moraine (which is very like the IM Wisconsin bike course).

7. I think I need more strength training.

At least, that's what I think.