I've decided to see how my body responds to a targeted effort at reducing weight for the purpose of getting faster at triathlon racing. This is part of my plan/goal to try to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman before I turn 50 (in 2020). This will take a huge effort to become a faster racer... particularly on the bike and the run. My current personal best Ironman time is 12:12:56 last year. I figure that in the 45-49 age group, I'll need a time of about 10:00:00 (depending on which qualifier I do) in order to qualify for Kona. That means I need to take 2+ hours off my personal best. Minimizing my weight will be key.
Current weight (post Denver Marathon): 195 lbs
Current Body Mass Index (BMI): 23.7 - toward the upper end of "healthy".
Goal weight: 180 lbs (high school graduation weight).
Plan:
Cut down on sugar and alcohol. Target specific calorie intake and modify according to calorie expenditure. Aim for percentages of calories from fat/carbs/protein at 25-30% fat/40-50% carb/25-30% protein.
I'm hoping to find the sweet spot where I minimize weight without sacrificing muscle, so that I can really build my power to weight ratio and become faster on the bike and the run. This should be interesting.
