Hello Everyone,
I know that the tag line and byline for some of you may seem a bit ludicrous. And for some of you, it may seem like I am being a bit crazy. Even the thought of “how can this random woman take the acronym for a Doctor of Philosophy and bring it down to this?!” Well… first of all, I have a practice doctorate….and I am an actual candidate for a PhD in nursing. So I may have a twisted sense of humor..but by no means am I ever belittling the years of blood, sweat…and oh, so many tears (at least in my case), that it takes to get a PhD. But as my very clever older sister once said as I explained the amount of work and sacrifice it takes to get a PhD, “Em, a PhD can also stand for, “Poor, hungry, and Desperate.” Which for any of you who have gone through the process, it is a fair assessment.
So what is the point of this blog? Well, often a perception of triathlon is that the more money you throw at it, the better you may be on race day. This is not entirely true. Better equipment can improve your performance, but getting to the podium takes lots of training time, proper nutrition and lots of hard work….oh and definitely some talent as well. But for many of us, myself included, throwing money at something does not solve the problem. As a nursing professor and PhD student, mom and wife, money does not exactly fall from the sky in my life. But I still wanted to do an Ironman before I turned 40. And there is some consensus that getting a PhD is actually harder than training and competing in a full Ironman. So fuck it, why not? Why not finish my PhD while training for my first Ironman…and…why not try to do it using a little amount of money as possible. Maybe even have some friends from my tri team contribute to this blog to give other perspectives. I mean, not everyone is a professor…we come from all walks of life…teachers, students, bookkeepers, court clerks, paralegals, nursing assistants, secretaries…the list goes on and on….
So first things first…what is the Ironman I am aiming for?? Well, it’s in Canada. As a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S., I think this is only fitting. Second, an Ironman is almost $800, IF I have to pay the entry fee rather than raising money (which I may do if the opportunities arises), it is the most I am spending for the entire training cycle. My budget for the entire Ironman including entry fee, training, lodging, and gas, is $1500. If I can get on Team IMF (Ironman Foundation), which is a very good cause that supports local charities in the areas that hold the event, then my budget shrinks to $700 total.
Since this event is scheduled for August 2020, $700/12 months =$58.33/month
If no team INF, then the budget is $1500/12= $125/month
That’s it…. and to put this in to perspective, when I take my 10 year old and my husband to the movies, the cost is a minimum of $75. So my goal is to accomplish my training/entry/lodging by spending less than the cost of a night out at the movies with my family per month. Or…at least, less than the cost of 1.5 nights out at the movies if I have to paid that registration fee.
I know I sound crazy….well, I am about to sound a little more nuts for you veterans. Everyone I have ever spoken with has said that you should never do a long distance triathlon without a coach…and I would agree…if you are a new person to the entire sport. I had a coach. She was wonderful but she was expensive and as much as she is a wonderful human being, we were not a good fit. I have an autoimmune disorder and I did not fully understand the magnitude of the stress that an intense training cycle can put a person under. I admit I was not always able to complete my workouts and this was due to the severe fatigue I felt on a daily basis.
So rule number 1 for this triathlete…. Quality training weighs more than the quantity.
Rule number 2: Consulting a coach for advice is OK, hiring a coach who does not specialize in women triathletes with autoimmune disorders is forbidden.
Rule number 2 also supports the budget. Again, this entire premise may seem foolhardy but heck, keep reading my blog for pure entertainment on how this actually turns out. It may surprise you…hell, it may even surprise me. 😉
Instead, I am pulling together my own plan, which I do plan on posting. It is a hybrid of sorts based upon the idea Coach Matt Dixon has put forth regarding high quality workouts for people with little time.
And for those of you who may say “have you LOST YOUR MIND?!” My answer is, nope, but I am a healthcare professional, who has completed one 70.3, many sprints and olympic triathlons…and 5 marathons….including 2 Boston Marathons (as a charity runner, I can BQ when I’m 80.) And more importantly, I know my own body, and I know that quality workouts work. I PR’d at the Ottawa Marathon doing just that. I ran less, but did more high quality workouts, and I did well. I did hit the wall, but I understood that my nutrition needed work. Now I believe I have figured that out. Part of this journey is to understand how all of us with a limited budget can do an Ironman using things that we find around our every day grocery store. So in some ways, there are some experiments going on…but do not worry, it’s only my body I’m putting at risk…if you so wish to mirror what I am doing, you do so at your own peril.
So if you are here for entertainment, or advice, every journey starts with the first step….. so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride…. 
Me after a nice ride outside….
Ironman for the PhD (Poor, hungry, Desperate) 