A few weeks ago, my family and I traveled to Texas so that my husband, Tim, could compete in his 10th Ironman—a triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run. Given that I had just completed my 10th Ironman in October 2016 and have been focusing on training for the 2017 Ironman World Championships, I opted to spectate rather than compete. Even though it is always hard for me to be on the sidelines instead of racing, I told myself that this would be a good opportunity to gain a different perspective on the Ironman.
In the last couple of weeks and days leading up to the race, Tim did what he and I normally do: we taper, we try to get as much sleep as possible, and we turn to the web to find and read others’ race reports as a means of gaining insights on the specific race and course we are preparing for. We have found that these are all great tactics to set us up for success—as much as is possible for a race of that magnitude, anyway.
On the day of Ironman Texas, I was eager to watch the entire race, but I also wanted to home in on observing what the professional athletes did at the front of the pack. I knew I would undoubtedly pick up a tip or two that I could then apply to my own racing tactics. The pros did not disappoint, and I ended up storing away a few pearls that I look forward to breaking out at my next race.
In a similar vein, the point of this cover focus is to better prepare you for your next encounter with the rock-hard nucleus. In the following articles, surgeons well-versed in the management of rock-hard nuclei describe how they prepare for and complete cataract removal in this setting. Just as I learned a few valuable things from the pros at Ironman Texas, I hope that you can all learn a few tips from the rock-star authors featured in this series.
—Laura Straub, Editor-in-Chief