Be better than 12:18

I've had the above scene from Crazy, Stupid Love in my head today.

But instead of "Be better than the Gap" running repeatedly across my mind, it's Be better than 12:18.  You see, 12:18 was my finish time at Ironman Lake Placid last year.  The big victories of the day last year were getting through the race with no nutrition fails and not completing imploding on the run and mentally giving up (please see IM France and IM Wisconsin of the previous year where I basically did the opposite).  After a rough year in 2010 and trying to get the hang of the whole racing thing in 2011, I did see last year's IMLP performance as a bit of a victory for those aforementioned reasons.

But this year in 2012, I want more.  Please don't get me wrong - even if I don't get the result I want this year at Lake Placid, all of the hard work and training wasn't wasted.  I've met and trained with so many great friends this year, I've enjoyed every sweaty mile in the pool and on the bike and in my running shoes.  I'm putting forth the effort to make better food choices, to sleep more, to recovery better (I bought a foam roller, yeeee-haw!) and all of these things will serve me well after the race is over, regardless of the result.  I don't know what I am capable of, but when you work hard at something for another 365 days, you do want to see an improvement over the previous year.

So.  Be better than 12:18.  Be better than 12:18.  Be better than 12:18.