After my strain last week, I decided to take Monday and Tuesday off completely. Wednesday, I was back in the pool for my regular workout. Wednesday was my birthday and the original plan was to ride with the same group I did last week on Wednesday but storms were going through the area and I opted to do a Spin Class inside instead. The spin class was also taxing on the calves and so I rode with almost no resistance on the bike. Any time my calves began to feel like they were heating up, I would take off more resistance.
Thursday, I went to see Cody and instead of doing weights, Cody did some Muscle Activation Therapy on my calves. It was very aggressive and pretty brutal. I came home very sore.
Although I had hoped to catch up on a workout or two on Friday after missing Monday and Tuesday, I was simply too busy at work to be able to work in a workout. So it was beginning to feel like a lost week.
Saturday, I rode the Horsey Hundred (although I did the Horsey Sixty.) After all of my issues this week and attempting a longer distance, I was a little nervous about this. The ride started and ended at Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY. It rode through the horse farms around the area and around Lexington with a stop at Keeneland race course along the way. It was really beautiful and the weather ended up being perfect. Although there was not a lot of socialization, it was nice to being riding with a group for a change. It turned out to be a terrific ride. I had very few issues with my calves during the ride other than some fatigue.
Sunday morning, I went to the pool before church to swim 2100 meters. It seemed like it took forever but in reality I was done in less than an hour. I have settled into alternating 100 m of breast stroke with a 100 m of free style. Besides the fact that it is just a little easier, one of the things I like about it is that I don't lose count of my laps so easily.
Sunday afternoon was the real test. I was back to run for the first time. I went to the park to run 11 miles. Overall things felt much better. I was taking it easy going very slow and stopping regularly for water about every 2 miles. Things were going along very well but at 7.5 miles, it felt like things were trying to act up again. I stopped and walked a mile. At 8.5 miles, after some food and fluid, I decided to try to give it another go, and started a slow jog. After a very short distance, maybe 0.1 mile or so, my calves began to really hurt so I shut everything down again. I still felt like I could walk and I really didn' think that I had injured anything, so I walked out the rest of the 11.5 miles.
I would have liked to have been able to finish the entire 11.5 miles but I feel like I made progress over the previous week.
Finishing out Memorial Day weekend, I got up early this morning and swam 1500 m (with 16 - 50 m sprints). Then this afternoon I rode about 14.5 miles on the bike. The swim interestingly was easier than expected while the bike was harder than expected. I guess I am still a little fatigued from Saturday's ride.
I thought about going to the gym to do some weights (which I really need to do) but I guess I just hit a wall. After 2 pretty good workouts and I think 3 showers for the day, I really didn't want to get sweaty or dirty again. So, I promised myself to get in a weight day tomorrow.
One more week down and I think I am now 13 weeks out from Ironman. However, now there is another milestone to reach. I signed up for the Half Ironman in Muncie for July 13. I am also looking into possibly doing an Olympic Triathlon this coming weekend but I am still not quite committed on that. (Worrying about water temperatures and wet suits, in addition to concerns about my ability to finish)
Anyway, that about wraps up last week. Wish me luck for the next week!
I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend.
David
Monday, May 27, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
A Good Week but a Hard Day
After the cramping in my calf last week, Cody gave me a Muscle Activation Therapy session on my calves and feet last Monday. I was really sore and although I had planned to go to spin class that afternoon, my calves were cramping at the slightest stress. So I decided it would be best to skip that session.
Tuesday, my calves were cramping all day long on their own with little or no stress being applied, so I skipped the scheduled run for the day and took Tuesday off.
Wednesday, I was back in the pool for my regular workout, which went great. Wednesday evening, I went on a group bike with about a dozen bikers for 23 miles. Although those guys were taking it easy that evening, it was quite a stretch for me. But I managed to keep with them over all and felt great afterwards.
Thursday, I was nervous about starting to run again but I got my 45 minute run in and felt great. Cody did weights with me and check out my calves and they seemed to be doing very well.
Friday, I kept my day off. I considered using Friday to try to catch up for missing Tuesday but in the end, I decided it best to keep that time off in preparation for the weekend activities.
Saturday, I did a 46 mile bike through St Matthews, the Highlands and Seneca and Cherokee Parks. At the end of that ride, I felt great. I knew that I was having some fatigue because my thighs would burn when I was riding up hill but I felt good overall and felt like I could have kept going if I wanted to.
After the bike on Saturday, I decided to wait until Sunday to do my run. Actually, this is how it has been scheduled all along. I have been doing both on Saturday primarily because I just have more time available on Saturdays than Sundays. Part of the reasoning here was that I have been wondering if some of my calf problems are due to too much demand too soon on one day. With a 46 mile bike, I am pushing a little more than 3 hours on a bike. A ten mile run is another hour and a half to two hours.
This morning I got up and did my swim before church (1800 m / with a 800 m time trial (18 minutes 20 seconds)). Again I felt great.
This afternoon, I went out to do my run. I had 10 miles scheduled for today and my calves felt better than they have in weeks. It was about 84 degrees and my main concern once I got running was dealing with the heat. With the heat considerations and the calf considerations, I was going at a very nice albeit fairly slow and steady pace. I felt really good too. Parking in the Park was kind of goofy today which led me to choose a spot where I could do 3 three mile loops. Then I could finish out with a 1 mile run around the soccer fields.
A couple of miles into the run, I could feel something in my left calf heat up a little but it did not feel like a major deal. I slowed a little to see if I could comfortably run through it and I did. Although there was a warm sensation in the calf, it was not really painful and I thought that as long as I was not overtaxing it, that would be good for it.
At about 2.5 miles I stopped for water and walked for about 5 minutes again to deal with the heat and to allow that calf to stretch out a little before resuming the run. I started the run again and felt very comfortable in the run. About 3 miles later following a hill, my calf was feeling hot again and I again slowed down. About that time, I was crossing a street and a car stopped to let me cross and I tried to speed up to cross and when I did, my calf cramped up big time and I had to stop.
Again I tried to walk through it. I walked about about a half mile and drank some gatorade and had some food. When I tried to start up again, I was having pain even with a walk. I still had 4 miles to complete my run. I started off to walk that last 4 miles but the cramping was severe enough with just a walk that I was concerned that I would really injure myself. So at 6 miles, I aborted the rest of the run.
I think that was the right decision. My concern now is that I am 14 weeks out and I have been having this recur for about 4 or 5 weeks now. If I don't get things under control, I am concerned that 14 weeks will not be enough time to build up to marathon distances for the run.
There is so much to learn. Right now, I am thinking that I need to add an Olympic distance triathlon and a Half Iron Man to my program to prepare. I am also trying to decide if the best thing I can do to get back on track is to skip the next 2 or 3 days of training. And at this point, I have no idea how to do all of this at the same time.
Guess I'll have to let you know what I decide. Wish me luck.
David
Tuesday, my calves were cramping all day long on their own with little or no stress being applied, so I skipped the scheduled run for the day and took Tuesday off.
Wednesday, I was back in the pool for my regular workout, which went great. Wednesday evening, I went on a group bike with about a dozen bikers for 23 miles. Although those guys were taking it easy that evening, it was quite a stretch for me. But I managed to keep with them over all and felt great afterwards.
Thursday, I was nervous about starting to run again but I got my 45 minute run in and felt great. Cody did weights with me and check out my calves and they seemed to be doing very well.
Friday, I kept my day off. I considered using Friday to try to catch up for missing Tuesday but in the end, I decided it best to keep that time off in preparation for the weekend activities.
Saturday, I did a 46 mile bike through St Matthews, the Highlands and Seneca and Cherokee Parks. At the end of that ride, I felt great. I knew that I was having some fatigue because my thighs would burn when I was riding up hill but I felt good overall and felt like I could have kept going if I wanted to.
After the bike on Saturday, I decided to wait until Sunday to do my run. Actually, this is how it has been scheduled all along. I have been doing both on Saturday primarily because I just have more time available on Saturdays than Sundays. Part of the reasoning here was that I have been wondering if some of my calf problems are due to too much demand too soon on one day. With a 46 mile bike, I am pushing a little more than 3 hours on a bike. A ten mile run is another hour and a half to two hours.
This morning I got up and did my swim before church (1800 m / with a 800 m time trial (18 minutes 20 seconds)). Again I felt great.
This afternoon, I went out to do my run. I had 10 miles scheduled for today and my calves felt better than they have in weeks. It was about 84 degrees and my main concern once I got running was dealing with the heat. With the heat considerations and the calf considerations, I was going at a very nice albeit fairly slow and steady pace. I felt really good too. Parking in the Park was kind of goofy today which led me to choose a spot where I could do 3 three mile loops. Then I could finish out with a 1 mile run around the soccer fields.
A couple of miles into the run, I could feel something in my left calf heat up a little but it did not feel like a major deal. I slowed a little to see if I could comfortably run through it and I did. Although there was a warm sensation in the calf, it was not really painful and I thought that as long as I was not overtaxing it, that would be good for it.
At about 2.5 miles I stopped for water and walked for about 5 minutes again to deal with the heat and to allow that calf to stretch out a little before resuming the run. I started the run again and felt very comfortable in the run. About 3 miles later following a hill, my calf was feeling hot again and I again slowed down. About that time, I was crossing a street and a car stopped to let me cross and I tried to speed up to cross and when I did, my calf cramped up big time and I had to stop.
Again I tried to walk through it. I walked about about a half mile and drank some gatorade and had some food. When I tried to start up again, I was having pain even with a walk. I still had 4 miles to complete my run. I started off to walk that last 4 miles but the cramping was severe enough with just a walk that I was concerned that I would really injure myself. So at 6 miles, I aborted the rest of the run.
I think that was the right decision. My concern now is that I am 14 weeks out and I have been having this recur for about 4 or 5 weeks now. If I don't get things under control, I am concerned that 14 weeks will not be enough time to build up to marathon distances for the run.
There is so much to learn. Right now, I am thinking that I need to add an Olympic distance triathlon and a Half Iron Man to my program to prepare. I am also trying to decide if the best thing I can do to get back on track is to skip the next 2 or 3 days of training. And at this point, I have no idea how to do all of this at the same time.
Guess I'll have to let you know what I decide. Wish me luck.
David
Monday, May 13, 2013
Run Walk or Crawl
15 weeks and counting to IM Louisville.
Weekends are becoming difficult to organize. My schedule this weekend included a 40 mile bike ride, a 9 mile run and a 1700m swim. I usually do 2 of the 3 on Saturdays because I have more time. Sunday, I usually do the swim early in the morning to get it out of the way.
As I go along, I am more and more impressed with the people who have already done this. I knew that this wasn't going to be easy but I am already struggling to juggle everything and I'm still 15 weeks out. I can't even imagine how I will manage this things when I am doing double and triple the distances that I am currently.
I misjudged the weather and my schedule on Saturday. We had a cool front coming through and I expected the temps to be near their highs in the morning and dropping all day. Because of this I rearranged my schedule to do a 3 and a half hour spin class at the gym in the morning. (When I am doing a spin class, I usually assume it is the approximate equivalent of 15 miles for every hour) I really need to ride outside if possible but with possibility of cold and rain, I decided it was better to make sure I got the workout in.
In the afternoon, it turned out to be fairly warm and sunny after all. In fact it would have been better to have done the run in the morning and the bike in the afternoon. But I dutifully went to Seneca Park to get my 9 mile run in.
Two miles into the run, my left calf started cramping. As I have mentioned before, one of the dilemmas I am always facing is when to quit to prevent an injury. I scaled back a little and tried to run through it. Things seemed better for a while but it started cramping again, so I slowed to a walk for about a half mile. Things calmed down and I started a slow jog which felt pretty good for about a half mile, then - more cramping. I slowed again and thought things would be okay but then my right knee started to cramp up as well.
I was about 1 mile from the car and about 5 or 6 miles short of the workout I needed to do. With both legs now acting up, I decided not to risk injury, so I stopped the run. BUT I also knew that I couldn't skip the workouts and expect to be able to do this race in August. So I went with middle ground. My calf was tight but I didn't think it was injured, so I walked the rest of the way to complete my 9 miles.
I don't know what the experts would tell me, but the way I see it, the training isn't just a matter of increasing the endurance and the distances. It is also a learning experience. Let's face it, these are intense races and things can go wrong. While it would be nice to have everything go perfectly, I think these challenges help me learn what options I may have on race day and how I might proceed.
In August, I hope I don't find myself cramping up or having knee issues, but if I do, I have dealt with that before and I have some ideas about how to cope. It may not be pretty but the final goal is to cross that finish line and if doesn't matter if I run, walk or crawl across it.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Side note: I am a newby at this and can in no way be considered an expert. Still, I have done a couple of marathons and I am learning all the time. If you have any tips, stories, or info to share, I would love it. Also, while I am not any kind of an authority, I would be happy to answer any questions. Just leave me a note.
David
Weekends are becoming difficult to organize. My schedule this weekend included a 40 mile bike ride, a 9 mile run and a 1700m swim. I usually do 2 of the 3 on Saturdays because I have more time. Sunday, I usually do the swim early in the morning to get it out of the way.
As I go along, I am more and more impressed with the people who have already done this. I knew that this wasn't going to be easy but I am already struggling to juggle everything and I'm still 15 weeks out. I can't even imagine how I will manage this things when I am doing double and triple the distances that I am currently.
I misjudged the weather and my schedule on Saturday. We had a cool front coming through and I expected the temps to be near their highs in the morning and dropping all day. Because of this I rearranged my schedule to do a 3 and a half hour spin class at the gym in the morning. (When I am doing a spin class, I usually assume it is the approximate equivalent of 15 miles for every hour) I really need to ride outside if possible but with possibility of cold and rain, I decided it was better to make sure I got the workout in.
In the afternoon, it turned out to be fairly warm and sunny after all. In fact it would have been better to have done the run in the morning and the bike in the afternoon. But I dutifully went to Seneca Park to get my 9 mile run in.
Two miles into the run, my left calf started cramping. As I have mentioned before, one of the dilemmas I am always facing is when to quit to prevent an injury. I scaled back a little and tried to run through it. Things seemed better for a while but it started cramping again, so I slowed to a walk for about a half mile. Things calmed down and I started a slow jog which felt pretty good for about a half mile, then - more cramping. I slowed again and thought things would be okay but then my right knee started to cramp up as well.
I was about 1 mile from the car and about 5 or 6 miles short of the workout I needed to do. With both legs now acting up, I decided not to risk injury, so I stopped the run. BUT I also knew that I couldn't skip the workouts and expect to be able to do this race in August. So I went with middle ground. My calf was tight but I didn't think it was injured, so I walked the rest of the way to complete my 9 miles.
I don't know what the experts would tell me, but the way I see it, the training isn't just a matter of increasing the endurance and the distances. It is also a learning experience. Let's face it, these are intense races and things can go wrong. While it would be nice to have everything go perfectly, I think these challenges help me learn what options I may have on race day and how I might proceed.
In August, I hope I don't find myself cramping up or having knee issues, but if I do, I have dealt with that before and I have some ideas about how to cope. It may not be pretty but the final goal is to cross that finish line and if doesn't matter if I run, walk or crawl across it.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Side note: I am a newby at this and can in no way be considered an expert. Still, I have done a couple of marathons and I am learning all the time. If you have any tips, stories, or info to share, I would love it. Also, while I am not any kind of an authority, I would be happy to answer any questions. Just leave me a note.
David
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Aborted Workout
My plan today was to run 10 to 12 miles this morning and then bike 25 miles this afternoon. My Ironman training schedule only required 5 or 6 miles but I am signed up for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini- Marathon in 3 weeks and I planned on more mileage in preparation for that.
Normally the day before a long run and the morning of the run, I do several foot and calf exercises to prepare. But I omitted those yesterday and this morning. I didn't think much about it. I felt really good and the weather was great. The run started off great as well.
At four miles, I still felt really good and stopped for some fluid and a gel pack. When I resumed the run, I was having some minor problems with cramping, and shin splints and the like but with some adjustments to my form and my speed, I seemed to compensate for all of those issues. At five miles I again had some minor discomfort which again seems to be okay with a few adjustments. Finally at six miles, my right ankle started feeling very uncomfortable. I tried again to compensate but after running another half mile, it was still hurting. At that point I decided to abort the rest of the run.
I don't really know if that was the right decision. On one hand, these endurance events are difficult and there is a certain amount of suffering inherent in the training. To be able to complete them, you have to get the miles in. On the other hand, if you sustain an injury, it could be a game ender. If you need several weeks to recover, you may be unable to participate in your event.
I feel good about my decision. After about a half mile, if things aren't going well, I'm not sure I want to risk an injury that might occur if I were to go another 6 miles. When I started walking, I discovered that not only was my right ankle hurting, my right knee, and right calf were also acting up. I think that the 2 mile walk back to the car was good for me and I do not think that I sustained any significant injuries.
I still think I will be able to do my 25 mile bike this afternoon. I guess that remains to be seen but I feel good about it. In the mean time, I plan on doing my lower leg exercises to see if I can get that right ankle, calf and knee back in shape before the next run.
Wish me luck!
BTW - If you have an opinion on this, I am definitely interested. I feel like I did the right thing but I am still learning how to manage all of this. I would be grateful for any insight or tips. Thanks!
David
Normally the day before a long run and the morning of the run, I do several foot and calf exercises to prepare. But I omitted those yesterday and this morning. I didn't think much about it. I felt really good and the weather was great. The run started off great as well.
At four miles, I still felt really good and stopped for some fluid and a gel pack. When I resumed the run, I was having some minor problems with cramping, and shin splints and the like but with some adjustments to my form and my speed, I seemed to compensate for all of those issues. At five miles I again had some minor discomfort which again seems to be okay with a few adjustments. Finally at six miles, my right ankle started feeling very uncomfortable. I tried again to compensate but after running another half mile, it was still hurting. At that point I decided to abort the rest of the run.
I don't really know if that was the right decision. On one hand, these endurance events are difficult and there is a certain amount of suffering inherent in the training. To be able to complete them, you have to get the miles in. On the other hand, if you sustain an injury, it could be a game ender. If you need several weeks to recover, you may be unable to participate in your event.
I feel good about my decision. After about a half mile, if things aren't going well, I'm not sure I want to risk an injury that might occur if I were to go another 6 miles. When I started walking, I discovered that not only was my right ankle hurting, my right knee, and right calf were also acting up. I think that the 2 mile walk back to the car was good for me and I do not think that I sustained any significant injuries.
I still think I will be able to do my 25 mile bike this afternoon. I guess that remains to be seen but I feel good about it. In the mean time, I plan on doing my lower leg exercises to see if I can get that right ankle, calf and knee back in shape before the next run.
Wish me luck!
BTW - If you have an opinion on this, I am definitely interested. I feel like I did the right thing but I am still learning how to manage all of this. I would be grateful for any insight or tips. Thanks!
David
Friday, April 12, 2013
Countdown begins - 19 weeks and counting
Last week I got my 20 week workout schedule for the Ironman. So the countdown has begun. With one week behind me, I have 19 weeks to prepare for the big day.
This past week was actually a little lighter than I have been doing for a while but it ramps up pretty fast. Over the course of the training, there will be adjustments. Right now, I am doing more than it suggests because I signed up for a half marathon in 3 weeks. So tomorrow, I will probably run 10 to 12 miles to ramp up for the half marathon instead of the 5 miles on my training schedule. I also need to work in a few smaller triathlons as part of the training.
There is so much to learn about all of this. Last night I went to my second Louisville Landshark social (which was a blast.) Barry Stokes and Mike Jotautus of Barrys Coaching graciously offered some training tips. Mike's tips on swimming were particularly enlightening. Mike explained the beginning swimmers often take 20 - 24 strokes to swim 25 meters. However, elite swimmers swim that same distance with only 7 or 8 strokes! That was a huge revelation. I have been telling people that when I see good swimmers swim, it looks like they are barely even moving. It is almost as if the water is moving them. And they look like they could swim like that all day. At the end of last summer, I was able to swim about a mile and a half but it was not easy. It absolutely wore me out. After long swims like that, I would often come home and take a 2 or 3 hour nap.
A lot of the triathlon training information I see is geared toward people improving their times. That is great but at my level, I am not concerned about my time. I am concerned about my endurance. A lot of the swimming videos and tips prior to this were about swimming faster. I have largely been ignoring those because I am not sure that I need to swim any faster. At my current speed, (assuming I can maintain it for the entire distance) I will be out of the water in plenty of time to continue the race. However, I do not want to expend all of my energy in the water. So faster isnt really that imprortant to me. BUT if I can do the same distance with much less energy, that could be very important for me.
After the presentation, they had a PT test. When I saw it on the FB page, I thought that they were just joking around but I am learning that I should know better than that. We did a little test, as many sit-ups as possible in a minute, as many push-ups as possible in a minute, and finally a plank for as long as you could hold it. On the sit-ups and push-ups, I held my own, especially considering that I am one of the oldest guys there. I managed to do 42 sit-ups and 48 push-ups. But on the plank, I was completely outmatched. I did about 1:15 while the overall best plank was a whopping 6:00! Initially, I thought that the test was a little extreme but actually it was a lot of fun.
Today is my off day and I am really enjoying it. I am learning how important rest is. It is critical to take a day off and it is critical to get enough sleep. Like I said, there is a lot to learn.
Tomorrow 10 to 12 miles to run and about 25 miles to bike. Hoping for good weather.
Have a great weekend!
David
This past week was actually a little lighter than I have been doing for a while but it ramps up pretty fast. Over the course of the training, there will be adjustments. Right now, I am doing more than it suggests because I signed up for a half marathon in 3 weeks. So tomorrow, I will probably run 10 to 12 miles to ramp up for the half marathon instead of the 5 miles on my training schedule. I also need to work in a few smaller triathlons as part of the training.
There is so much to learn about all of this. Last night I went to my second Louisville Landshark social (which was a blast.) Barry Stokes and Mike Jotautus of Barrys Coaching graciously offered some training tips. Mike's tips on swimming were particularly enlightening. Mike explained the beginning swimmers often take 20 - 24 strokes to swim 25 meters. However, elite swimmers swim that same distance with only 7 or 8 strokes! That was a huge revelation. I have been telling people that when I see good swimmers swim, it looks like they are barely even moving. It is almost as if the water is moving them. And they look like they could swim like that all day. At the end of last summer, I was able to swim about a mile and a half but it was not easy. It absolutely wore me out. After long swims like that, I would often come home and take a 2 or 3 hour nap.
A lot of the triathlon training information I see is geared toward people improving their times. That is great but at my level, I am not concerned about my time. I am concerned about my endurance. A lot of the swimming videos and tips prior to this were about swimming faster. I have largely been ignoring those because I am not sure that I need to swim any faster. At my current speed, (assuming I can maintain it for the entire distance) I will be out of the water in plenty of time to continue the race. However, I do not want to expend all of my energy in the water. So faster isnt really that imprortant to me. BUT if I can do the same distance with much less energy, that could be very important for me.
After the presentation, they had a PT test. When I saw it on the FB page, I thought that they were just joking around but I am learning that I should know better than that. We did a little test, as many sit-ups as possible in a minute, as many push-ups as possible in a minute, and finally a plank for as long as you could hold it. On the sit-ups and push-ups, I held my own, especially considering that I am one of the oldest guys there. I managed to do 42 sit-ups and 48 push-ups. But on the plank, I was completely outmatched. I did about 1:15 while the overall best plank was a whopping 6:00! Initially, I thought that the test was a little extreme but actually it was a lot of fun.
Today is my off day and I am really enjoying it. I am learning how important rest is. It is critical to take a day off and it is critical to get enough sleep. Like I said, there is a lot to learn.
Tomorrow 10 to 12 miles to run and about 25 miles to bike. Hoping for good weather.
Have a great weekend!
David
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Official Membership Day
I got my official USA Triathlon membership card in the mail yesterday! I was surprised how excited that made me feel. Somehow it made me feel legitimate.
I signed up as part of the sign up for the Louisville Ironman back in January but the card just came. Really I signed up because most endurance events require some sort of insurance for the day of the race. If you are a member of USAT, that covers their requirment and it saves you some money for the sign up. I figure it only takes about 4 events in a given year to break even.
I am also finishing what I am calling my 6 week prep training. There is nothing special about this other than it was sort of a ramp up for the main training program. The purpose of this 6 week prep was really nothing more than to work on getting my bases up for all three sports. I've been doing some sprint work both in the pool and while running and getting outside on the bike.
Distances are coming along but I am concerned a little about speeds. NOT that I expect to win anything. My main concern there is the time limit I have to complete the competition. If I do not finish by midnight, it does not count. Right now, my average speeds are just barely good enough to finish on time. Any minor setback could potentially prevent me from finishing. So there is work to do there.
This weekend is the Papa John's 10 miler in the morning. That afternoon I am supposed to do a 40 mile bike. With those distances, I am around 40% of the Iron Man distances. The weather is supposed to be awesome. Should be a great weekend.
Side note: You may have noticed that I have gotten away from reporting every workout every day. I could continue that I suppose but I got to thinking about this blog and it occurred to me that what was more important was really the trials and tribulations of the training. I am not a trainer and am really not qualified to tell people how to train. Also, it is not all highs. There are times I get really discouraged. It seemed like those were the things that were more important to share. If you find this blog and want to know some of that info, I am happy to share it but I didn't want this to become just a bulletin board of statistics and basically a "Rah, me!" site.
Have a great day!
David
I signed up as part of the sign up for the Louisville Ironman back in January but the card just came. Really I signed up because most endurance events require some sort of insurance for the day of the race. If you are a member of USAT, that covers their requirment and it saves you some money for the sign up. I figure it only takes about 4 events in a given year to break even.
I am also finishing what I am calling my 6 week prep training. There is nothing special about this other than it was sort of a ramp up for the main training program. The purpose of this 6 week prep was really nothing more than to work on getting my bases up for all three sports. I've been doing some sprint work both in the pool and while running and getting outside on the bike.
Distances are coming along but I am concerned a little about speeds. NOT that I expect to win anything. My main concern there is the time limit I have to complete the competition. If I do not finish by midnight, it does not count. Right now, my average speeds are just barely good enough to finish on time. Any minor setback could potentially prevent me from finishing. So there is work to do there.
This weekend is the Papa John's 10 miler in the morning. That afternoon I am supposed to do a 40 mile bike. With those distances, I am around 40% of the Iron Man distances. The weather is supposed to be awesome. Should be a great weekend.
Side note: You may have noticed that I have gotten away from reporting every workout every day. I could continue that I suppose but I got to thinking about this blog and it occurred to me that what was more important was really the trials and tribulations of the training. I am not a trainer and am really not qualified to tell people how to train. Also, it is not all highs. There are times I get really discouraged. It seemed like those were the things that were more important to share. If you find this blog and want to know some of that info, I am happy to share it but I didn't want this to become just a bulletin board of statistics and basically a "Rah, me!" site.
Have a great day!
David
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Enthusiasm
Now that I have been hanging with triathletes for a little while, I have discovered that they are an enthusiastic bunch. I suppose that should be no surprise. Often a conversation or response will start with "that would be awesome." Often things are "sweet." For example, I might say, "Looks like it is going to sleet when you were planning to ride on Saturday." They would reply, "That would be awesome!" or "SWEET!"
Recently, I was asking around about some of the other triathlons coming up because I really need to get a couple others in before the big one in August. One is coming up in late April or early May locally. I was advised that it was perfect because the water was getting warm (expected temperature is about 66 degrees.) I, on the other hand, am usually cold for at least 100 m when I jump in an 82 degree pool. Naturally, I am looking a little further south or perhaps a little later in the Spring for an event.
Don't think that I am trying to paint these guys as crazy and me as sane. Truth be told, I could do well to think more like them. That's one of the reasons these guys are able to do what they do. They are driven, enthusiastic, optimistic and positive about almost everything that they do. Nothing is impossible. They also luckily happen to be very outgoing, friendly and fun.
Whether I am a triathlete or not, it is good for me to hang out with eternally positive people. Crazy or not, I hope it is contagious.
Have a great day AND happy training (sleet or not)!
David
Recently, I was asking around about some of the other triathlons coming up because I really need to get a couple others in before the big one in August. One is coming up in late April or early May locally. I was advised that it was perfect because the water was getting warm (expected temperature is about 66 degrees.) I, on the other hand, am usually cold for at least 100 m when I jump in an 82 degree pool. Naturally, I am looking a little further south or perhaps a little later in the Spring for an event.
Don't think that I am trying to paint these guys as crazy and me as sane. Truth be told, I could do well to think more like them. That's one of the reasons these guys are able to do what they do. They are driven, enthusiastic, optimistic and positive about almost everything that they do. Nothing is impossible. They also luckily happen to be very outgoing, friendly and fun.
Whether I am a triathlete or not, it is good for me to hang out with eternally positive people. Crazy or not, I hope it is contagious.
Have a great day AND happy training (sleet or not)!
David
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Anthem 5K
This morning was the Anthem 5K here in Louisville. It was about 36 degrees and clear this morning and it was a perfect day for a 5K. I do not know the official count but it appeared to me that there were 10,000 to 12,000 who participated.
I happen to love these kinds of events. There are so many people and it is a party atmosphere. People of all levels participate. They do sometimes present a challenge though for your training program, which is why I skipped these events last year.
Since I am not planning on doing the marathon in April, I have a much lighter running schedule right now. Still it was a little bit of a challenge. I was supposed to run 5 miles today. The 5K is just a little more than 3. To try to make up for it, I ran about a mile and a half warm up lap before the race and then ran a short distance after the race.
There is part of me that feels like it is not a big deal if I only do 3 miles today. But then I look down the road and in just 4 weeks, I am supposed to run 10 miles. Then just 3 more weeks to run a half marathon. When you skimp on the mileage, you might find yourself too far behind to catch up.
Anyway, one more in the books and it was a blast. But I am obsesssing a little over the fact that I didnt do a full uninterrupted 5 or 6 miles. Soooo, I might try to do that again tomorrow.
It is supposed to reach the 60's today! So, later this afternoon, I am planning on taking the bike out for about a 30 mile ride.
Hope you have a great day! Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or advice.
Thanks for reading.
David
I happen to love these kinds of events. There are so many people and it is a party atmosphere. People of all levels participate. They do sometimes present a challenge though for your training program, which is why I skipped these events last year.
Since I am not planning on doing the marathon in April, I have a much lighter running schedule right now. Still it was a little bit of a challenge. I was supposed to run 5 miles today. The 5K is just a little more than 3. To try to make up for it, I ran about a mile and a half warm up lap before the race and then ran a short distance after the race.
There is part of me that feels like it is not a big deal if I only do 3 miles today. But then I look down the road and in just 4 weeks, I am supposed to run 10 miles. Then just 3 more weeks to run a half marathon. When you skimp on the mileage, you might find yourself too far behind to catch up.
Anyway, one more in the books and it was a blast. But I am obsesssing a little over the fact that I didnt do a full uninterrupted 5 or 6 miles. Soooo, I might try to do that again tomorrow.
It is supposed to reach the 60's today! So, later this afternoon, I am planning on taking the bike out for about a 30 mile ride.
Hope you have a great day! Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or advice.
Thanks for reading.
David
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Little Setback
You can probably guess that there was very little training that occurred while I was in Costa Rica. I did manage to get in a few runs but biking and swimming just weren't going to happen. At least getting in the runs meant that I didn't lose an entire week's worth of fitness.
I know that may sound kind of silly and I imagine some readers might be thinking that I am some sort of ultra-human gung-ho crazed lunatic. But I promise you that as I said at the very beginning, I am not an elite athlete and never will be. I am just a normal guy who is working hard and is determined. The fact is that my trainer / buddy who is helping me get ready for this has told me that aerobic fitness begins to decline much faster than strength. A weight lifter can skip several weeks in the gym and notice almost no difference in strength when he returns. An aerobic athlete however will begin to lose aerobic fitness within about 48 hours.
Now that I have said that, I am going to contradict myself. While it is true that one begins to lose aerobic fitness, there is the problem of over-training that you also have to consider. To maintain a program of aerobic challenges, you have to build in some off time as well.
My buddy Cody more or less told me not to worry about working out at all while I was in Costa Rica. He felt like the time off would be healthy for me. I on the other hand am always worried about the unexpected things that will come up. There will be times when I have a project or meeting for work and have to skip a workout. There will be times when I am sick and will have to miss. There will be times when I have an injury. So, I am always worried about missing workouts when I am healthy and there are no complications.
When I got back from Costa Rica, I started up my program again and was feeling pretty good. I got my six month training program e-mailed to me. (That is another story) Cody told me that it was time to get started and I got my workout plan for the first 6 weeks. AND THEN that same night, I slipped on some ice in a parking lot and pulled something in my left hip. Adding insult to injury, I also came down with a back cold / flu and had to spend 3 days in bed. So I missed the next 4 days.
I ended up being sick for more than a week. After 4 days, I decided that I was well enough to go back to the gym. But it has been a rough week. Yesterday, I had to do some sprints along with my swim routine and then I had to do a spin class. I was so tired at the end of the day, I was in bed about 9:30. Today, all I had to do was run 4 miles, which I did on a treadmill (it was snowing). Once again, I am beat.
So, I am out of the gate but it is a slow start.
And that about brings you up to date.
Hope all is well with you! Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any questions, comments, or advice.
Take care.
David
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
People on Vacation are not a Triathlete's friends
Last week I was fortunate to be attending a Real Estate Conference in Costa Rica. It was the first time I have been and it was one of those WOW places. If you are interested in Costa Rica, I will have a piece or two in my Commercial Real Estate blog "Commercial Louisville" later but this blog is about triathlons.
I am learning when I travel to call the hotel and ask if they have a gym and a pool where you can swim laps. No gym, but there were three pools and one of them I was assured was a great place to swim laps. So, I packed my swim suit, my running gear and my resistance bands.
The big problem for the week was the swims. The pool hours were 8 AM to 8 PM and they were enforced. I tried to swim late one evening when the conference let out and was asked by security to get out of the pool.
During regular hours, of course, there are other guests by the pool. Most of them are sunning. But one day I was able to find the pool empty. There were several people around the pool but no one was in it. I waited more than 10 minutes to make sure that I would not be disturbing anyone and so I put on my goggles and jumped in.
Then an interesting thing happened. About 5 minutes into the swim, a young girl about 7 or 8 jumped into the pool and started boucing around. Of course, she decided to bounce around directly in front of me. So, I stopped and moved over about a lane's distance and continued. Then she moved over in front of me again.
This time, I moved over quite a bit more and started to swim again, only to find an adult couple decided to jump in the pool and stand together on the other end of the pool to block me from being about to reach the other side.
I moved to the complete other side which was still empty and resumed my swim. Not even two laps in, another couple jumped into the opposite corner of the pool from the first couple to block me again.
My total swim was only about 10 minutes and I decided to abandon the workout. A total of five people jumped into the pool, each time directly in front of me blocking my workout. When I finally gave up the swim, all of them splashed around for about 2 or 3 minutes and then got back out of the pool.
I'm not really sure what that dynamic was. Perhaps they just found it annoying to see someone swimming laps. Perhaps they felt it was wrong for someone to work out on vacation. I found it interesting that it was not just one person, there was a cooperation among people at the pool to discourage me from swimming.
Any way, there was very little swimming going on for me last week. So this week is catch up week again. Five hundred meters in the pool yesterday just to get wet and slip back into training and then a very relaxed pace for a 3 mile run on a treadmill yesterday afternoon.
The main training program will be starting in the next couple of weeks. Once that starts, I am going to have to figure out work arounds for the kinds of problems I faced last week.
So that was my week last week. I am interested to know if anyone else has ever had this happen.
Have a great day!
David
I am learning when I travel to call the hotel and ask if they have a gym and a pool where you can swim laps. No gym, but there were three pools and one of them I was assured was a great place to swim laps. So, I packed my swim suit, my running gear and my resistance bands.
The big problem for the week was the swims. The pool hours were 8 AM to 8 PM and they were enforced. I tried to swim late one evening when the conference let out and was asked by security to get out of the pool.
During regular hours, of course, there are other guests by the pool. Most of them are sunning. But one day I was able to find the pool empty. There were several people around the pool but no one was in it. I waited more than 10 minutes to make sure that I would not be disturbing anyone and so I put on my goggles and jumped in.
Then an interesting thing happened. About 5 minutes into the swim, a young girl about 7 or 8 jumped into the pool and started boucing around. Of course, she decided to bounce around directly in front of me. So, I stopped and moved over about a lane's distance and continued. Then she moved over in front of me again.
This time, I moved over quite a bit more and started to swim again, only to find an adult couple decided to jump in the pool and stand together on the other end of the pool to block me from being about to reach the other side.
I moved to the complete other side which was still empty and resumed my swim. Not even two laps in, another couple jumped into the opposite corner of the pool from the first couple to block me again.
My total swim was only about 10 minutes and I decided to abandon the workout. A total of five people jumped into the pool, each time directly in front of me blocking my workout. When I finally gave up the swim, all of them splashed around for about 2 or 3 minutes and then got back out of the pool.
I'm not really sure what that dynamic was. Perhaps they just found it annoying to see someone swimming laps. Perhaps they felt it was wrong for someone to work out on vacation. I found it interesting that it was not just one person, there was a cooperation among people at the pool to discourage me from swimming.
Any way, there was very little swimming going on for me last week. So this week is catch up week again. Five hundred meters in the pool yesterday just to get wet and slip back into training and then a very relaxed pace for a 3 mile run on a treadmill yesterday afternoon.
The main training program will be starting in the next couple of weeks. Once that starts, I am going to have to figure out work arounds for the kinds of problems I faced last week.
So that was my week last week. I am interested to know if anyone else has ever had this happen.
Have a great day!
David
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Kind of Terrified
I am now officially registered for the Ironman Louisville 2013. I signed up this afternoon and when I was done I was sort of terrified. Ironically, when I was signing up, I had some technical difficulties leading me to miss my afternoon spin class and Yoga class.
There were a couple of reasons I decided to sign up today. Norton Healthcare, which is one of the race sponsors, offered help with the training program if you registered before January 31. Also I felt a sense of urgency when I heard the Ironman Wisconsin was sold out today.
Now I am excited and a little scared. I have been doing sort of a maintenance program this Fall and Winter. Here in a couple of weeks, it will be time to start the program. But before then, I have a couple of weeks and a business trip to Costa Rica. So looks like I get a little respite before things start getting hairy.
Anyway, that is the big news! Wish me luck.
David (future Ironman in training)
There were a couple of reasons I decided to sign up today. Norton Healthcare, which is one of the race sponsors, offered help with the training program if you registered before January 31. Also I felt a sense of urgency when I heard the Ironman Wisconsin was sold out today.
Now I am excited and a little scared. I have been doing sort of a maintenance program this Fall and Winter. Here in a couple of weeks, it will be time to start the program. But before then, I have a couple of weeks and a business trip to Costa Rica. So looks like I get a little respite before things start getting hairy.
Anyway, that is the big news! Wish me luck.
David (future Ironman in training)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Just Can't be True - but it is
I mentioned a couple of post back that I had joined the local triathlon club, the Louisville Landsharks. It turns out that one of the activities in which they participate during the off season is competitions with other triathlon clubs. I am told that every year, December is swim month, January is bike month, and February is run month. Participants (you have to register) will record their workouts for the specific activity for the month and the clubs compete for the highest total scores. Louisville Landsharks reportedly won the swim competition for December.
Cool as that is, the unbelievable part of this is that several members did a swim "marathon" meaning they logged more than 26 miles in the pool for the month of December. BUT that STILL is not the unbelievable part. One member, (and I am afraid that I do not know her name) logged OVER 100 miles swimming in December!
Amazing. Just can't be true - BUT it is.
Have a great day! Off to swim about 800 meters here at lunch.
David
Cool as that is, the unbelievable part of this is that several members did a swim "marathon" meaning they logged more than 26 miles in the pool for the month of December. BUT that STILL is not the unbelievable part. One member, (and I am afraid that I do not know her name) logged OVER 100 miles swimming in December!
Amazing. Just can't be true - BUT it is.
Have a great day! Off to swim about 800 meters here at lunch.
David
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Running Group starts up again
My church running group started up again today and it was a blast!
Most of us will be running in the Spring races and probably the KDF mini-marathon at the end of April. The temperature this morning was about 19 degrees and it was sunny.
Before our group met, I drove through the park and saw tons of people running. (at least 50 and perhaps as many as 100) Not much of a surprise in that all of the local running groups have started up except for the cold. Doing that actually helps motivate me. It's easy to try to talk yourself out of doing the run when the weather is bad but seeing all those people running reminded me that if they could be out there, then I could do it too.
We started out lightly today. Just under 3 miles for our first run. We had turn around points for everyone, so that nobody had to do more than they felt they could handle.
The best thing about a running group is that it is just so much more fun to be running with others. In the marathon training and also for the triathlon training, I was training by myself most of the time. When the workouts are 30 minutes or so, that's not so bad. But when you are getting into workouts that are an hour or even several hours long, it can be really hard to stay motivated.
If you are local and interested in running, maybe even doing some of the Spring Races, come join us! We start on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Any level of fitness and any pace is welcome. Shoot me a message and I can offer more details.
Have a great day!
David
Most of us will be running in the Spring races and probably the KDF mini-marathon at the end of April. The temperature this morning was about 19 degrees and it was sunny.
Before our group met, I drove through the park and saw tons of people running. (at least 50 and perhaps as many as 100) Not much of a surprise in that all of the local running groups have started up except for the cold. Doing that actually helps motivate me. It's easy to try to talk yourself out of doing the run when the weather is bad but seeing all those people running reminded me that if they could be out there, then I could do it too.
We started out lightly today. Just under 3 miles for our first run. We had turn around points for everyone, so that nobody had to do more than they felt they could handle.
The best thing about a running group is that it is just so much more fun to be running with others. In the marathon training and also for the triathlon training, I was training by myself most of the time. When the workouts are 30 minutes or so, that's not so bad. But when you are getting into workouts that are an hour or even several hours long, it can be really hard to stay motivated.
If you are local and interested in running, maybe even doing some of the Spring Races, come join us! We start on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Any level of fitness and any pace is welcome. Shoot me a message and I can offer more details.
Have a great day!
David
Friday, January 18, 2013
Drinking the Kool-Aid - All In
Looks like I am all in. Last night I attended the 2013 Kick-off event for the Louisville Land Sharks, which is our local triathlon club. I signed up last week and so I am officially a member.
I was suprised at how excited I was to go to the event and to join the group. A pasta dinner was provided at the event and the sponsors provided all kinds of prizes for the attendees. I was thrilled to get a club T-shirt (a really nice one) and a running hat with a club insignia. There is definitely a "coolness" element to the club.
I sat with 2 other new members. We were all inexperienced and sharing stories. I was by far the oldest at my table, probably 20 years older than the grade school principal and more than 30 years older than the recent Bellermine graduate. However, looking around the room, I was pleased to see that I didn't look like I could be everyone's father (or grandfather.)
Right now the workouts are going pretty well although it is unbelievably time consuming. I am back in a rhythm of sorts and have shed the weight that I gained during the holidays. I am also starting to feel hungry all the time again.
I was telling my buddy / trainer Cody about this and he suggested that I might need to eat a little more. Soooooo, I confessed that the previous night I had eaten a pint of ice cream.
Any way, looks like the old diet needs some fine tuning.
I for one am really excited for the new year. I think 2013 is going to be a great one. I am excited to have a new resource to learn about what I am doing, and also to recruit or participate with some training partners. I have big plans for the year!
Have a great day!
David
I was suprised at how excited I was to go to the event and to join the group. A pasta dinner was provided at the event and the sponsors provided all kinds of prizes for the attendees. I was thrilled to get a club T-shirt (a really nice one) and a running hat with a club insignia. There is definitely a "coolness" element to the club.
I sat with 2 other new members. We were all inexperienced and sharing stories. I was by far the oldest at my table, probably 20 years older than the grade school principal and more than 30 years older than the recent Bellermine graduate. However, looking around the room, I was pleased to see that I didn't look like I could be everyone's father (or grandfather.)
Right now the workouts are going pretty well although it is unbelievably time consuming. I am back in a rhythm of sorts and have shed the weight that I gained during the holidays. I am also starting to feel hungry all the time again.
I was telling my buddy / trainer Cody about this and he suggested that I might need to eat a little more. Soooooo, I confessed that the previous night I had eaten a pint of ice cream.
- "Wow!", he said. "Some frozen vanilla yogurt?"
- "'Fraid not. Starbucks, Jamocha Frappuccino Chip."
- "Does that have caffeine as well?"
- "It has everything - caffeine, fat, sugar, everything. The whole nine yards."
Any way, looks like the old diet needs some fine tuning.
I for one am really excited for the new year. I think 2013 is going to be a great one. I am excited to have a new resource to learn about what I am doing, and also to recruit or participate with some training partners. I have big plans for the year!
Have a great day!
David
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
2013 - The Year of the Triathlon!
The big year has started. After a pretty lazy holiday season where my training really took a dive, I got back to work. While I worried about being off of the training regimen so much during the holidays, I think that it may have been really good for me. I had settled into a pattern where I was doing the workouts but I really wasn't enjoying it much any more. I was doing them because I felt like I had to do them. Don't get me wrong, I am still enjoying the fact that I am in good shape and that I feel like I look pretty good as well but the actual workouts had become tedious.
When I started back last week, for the first time in quite a while I was excited. Part of that may be some changes I am making. My running group is coming together, which makes the runs much more fun. I got back in the pool after nearly 3 weeks without getting wet and while I was exhausted, it felt really good to be back in the water. Also yesterday, I joined the Louisville Land Sharks, which is the local triathlon club.
I have a lot on my plate this year as I make a run at a full ironman in August. Several runs, including some half marathons, a couple of 100+ mile bike rides, a couple of 1 or 2 mile open water swims, and a couple of triathlons all leading up to the big event. Then a possible marathon after that (largely because my sons have asked if we could do a marathon together).
I am excited and truthfully a little scared but no matter how it all turns out, I am planning on a great 2013. I wish the same for you.
Have a great day.
BTW - If you are a triathlete and have any comments or advice, I would love to hear it. I am still learning. Also, if you are considering triathlons or are a beginner and have questions or comments, I would love to hear those as well.
David (a new Land Shark)
When I started back last week, for the first time in quite a while I was excited. Part of that may be some changes I am making. My running group is coming together, which makes the runs much more fun. I got back in the pool after nearly 3 weeks without getting wet and while I was exhausted, it felt really good to be back in the water. Also yesterday, I joined the Louisville Land Sharks, which is the local triathlon club.
I have a lot on my plate this year as I make a run at a full ironman in August. Several runs, including some half marathons, a couple of 100+ mile bike rides, a couple of 1 or 2 mile open water swims, and a couple of triathlons all leading up to the big event. Then a possible marathon after that (largely because my sons have asked if we could do a marathon together).
I am excited and truthfully a little scared but no matter how it all turns out, I am planning on a great 2013. I wish the same for you.
Have a great day.
BTW - If you are a triathlete and have any comments or advice, I would love to hear it. I am still learning. Also, if you are considering triathlons or are a beginner and have questions or comments, I would love to hear those as well.
David (a new Land Shark)
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