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It’s hard to believe that a week has passed since Ironman Lake Tahoe was canceled minutes before the cannon. Admittedly, I’ve tried my best to keep a good head about the situation knowing that it was for the better, and completely out of my control. In my mind, the culmination of a very hard training cycle should be a celebration – whether that’s in the form of a well-deserved PR, a delicious meal, or an enjoyable, well-executed race. Instead, I was left with a belly full of frozen waffles (from my carb-up) and a reporter interviewing me for the evening news – not exactly the happy ending I had in mind for Ironman Lake Tahoe!

Not long after the event went up in smoke

Not long after the event went up in smoke

So – what’s next? In a perfect world, I would be racing another Ironman before the end of the year. World Triathlon Corporation released between 50 and 250 slots for a handful of slots for Tahoe participants, and I hoped to get into Ironman Arizona – I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. Instead, I made the tough decision to cut my losses for this season and shift my focus to trail running. As Taylor mentioned, we just registered for Skyline to Sea marathon, and I will be gunning for an improvement on my current 4:11 PR.
2015 is not as straightforward. Both Taylor and I will be racing the Berlin Marathon as an A-race. I have guaranteed entry into Vineman 70.3. Everything else is up in the air at this point.
Putting my "finisher" shirt to good use on the Dipsea trail

Putting my “finisher” shirt to good use on the Dipsea trail

As of now, my plan is to make my decision around Thanksgiving. When IMLT was cancelled, WTC made the 50 Kona slots available through a lottery. If anyone registered for IMLT 2014 decides to register for a 2014 or 2015 race, they’ll have ~1/16 odds in the Kona lottery. In the off chance I get picked, then my decision is made – I will find a way to race both Berlin and Kona. My calendar would look like this:
February: Kaiser Permanente 13.1
March: Way Too Cool 50K
May: Wildflower Long Course
July: Vineman 70.3
September: Berlin Marathon
October: Kona
New cube decoration

New cube decoration

If I don’t get picked, the only Ironman that would realistically fit into my schedule and provide enough recovery time is Coeur D’Alene. My tentative calendar sans Kona would be:
February: Kaiser Permanente 13.1
March: Way Too Cool 50K
May: Wildflower Long Course
June: Ironman Coeur D’Alene
September: Berlin Marathon
Either way, my big goals remain: sub 5-hour 70.3, and a BQ – one day. Although the cancelation was a big disappointment, I’m proud that I registered for one of the most difficult triathlons in the world and toed the line injury free. It’s been a great season and it’s not over yet.