Only 36 days until Vineman Ironman 70.3. It is Friday night and I am sitting here trying to motivate myself to get up in the morning to do another Olympic Distance Tri in the morning. I am reflecting on all of the early mornings, running in the cold rain this past winter and spring, working out many hours by myself, the fact that I haven't had any alcohol for the last couple months, and I wore through a pair of road bike tires. The fear is starting to set in. I am pretty comfortable with the swim and bike, my biggest concern is still the bike to run transition and being able to run 13 miles without cramping up. I still wish I had a couple extra months to prepare. But since I don't, I better get up early and put in another good training day. How in the world did I end up here?
It all started with a phone call I received sometime in Febraury 2009. A good friend of mine said they were getting married on Maui in May and wanted for us to attend. Immediately after hanging up I thought to myself, I better start exercising or I am going to look ridiculous sitting around the pool at the Westin with a sweatshirt on. Having managed to accumulate more than two pounds a year since college (I've been out for 20 years - you do the math), reality was beginning to set in that I did not actually look like I imagined myself in my head. So I decided it was time to take immediate action (vanity does serve a purpose). I had motivation to exercise and start losing weight, and I had 2.5 months to do it. I figured if people could lose 5-10 lbs a week on The Biggest Loser, certainly I could shed a couple pounds a week. What I hadn't counted on was the fact that I am now over 40 and my metabolism had changed since my 20's and 30's when a few extra pounds used to melt off pretty quickly with exercise. I also didn't realize how out of shape I really was.
I started out with walking in the evenings after work. I then moved to walking with 1 minute increments of running, followed by more walking. Then I was able to run 1/2 mile without stopping, then it was a mile, then it was two miles. Before I knew it I was running 3 miles, 3-4 times per week by the time our trip came around. I didn't lose 40lbs, but I did shed a few pounds, but more importantly I started to develop a new positive habit. I continued running while on our vacation in Maui (for fun believe it or not).
When we returned from Maui, I decided to do a 10K (6.2 miles) in May with my wife and brother and his girlfiend. This was the longest I had run and I lived to tell about it. The seed was planted. If I could run 6 miles, I could do a triathlon again. It had been 8 years since I had done an athletic endeavor such as this, and running had always been the most difficult leg, and now I even had a new road bike.
Event # 2 for 2009 was a sprint distance triathlon in July (.5 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 3 mile run). This gave me a goal, and a reason to keep exercising. Having successfully completed this and having been insired by watching the Tour de France, I decided I needed a new challenge.
Event #3 for 2009 was something I hadn't done before - an Olympic Distance Triathlon (.9 mile swim, 25 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run). I tackled this in August of 2009 and the bug was planted. Mentally a half Ironman was achieveable.
September & October was inconsistent effort for conditioning. Finally, November rolls around and registration opens for the 2010 Vineman Ironman 70.3 (aka Half Ironman). This has been a goal of mine for years, but now was the time to stop thinking and start acting. So I registered, and for the first few days I was a bit dillusional. I was happy and wanted to order stuff, like vineman shirts, Ironman hats, triathlon magazine, books on training, etc. Then about a week later, reality began to set it and I started to panic. I only had 8 months to prepare, I needed to start doing something. I decided it was important to develop a sustainable and reasonable goal and plan of attack.
The first phase was to get through the holidays without gaining weight and without losing what little conditioning I had. So I ran a little and biked a little, and tried to put a little more control over my eating. I figured January would be a good time to really start hitting it consistently.
Event #1 for 2010 was a New Years Duathlon (run - bike - run). I did this with Amanda, Zach, and Jordan. It was a good way to kick off the year. Then continued with a lot of base training of running and biking through the rest of winter and spring.
Event #2 for 2010 was a half marathon in May.
Event #3 for 2010 was a 10K and 2 mile obstacle course in May.
Event #4 for 2010 was an Olympic Distance Tri (.9 mile swim, 24.8 mile ride, and 6.2 mile run) in June.
It is strange to reflect on these facts. When I look backwards I realize how far I have come in the last year, and I draw strength and confidence from this. I went from not being able to run a mile without stopping, to being able to run a half marathon. However, when I look forward to the upcoming Ironman 70.3 I begin to get concerned whether I really trained hard enough. Time will only tell, but for now I should get up in the morning and do this Olympic Distance Tri for another training run.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
May Training Log
Total Days of Working Out = 23 days (4 days with double workouts)
Miles Running: 54 miles
Miles Walking: 2 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 279 miles
Swimming: 7200 yards
Rock Climbing: 2 Days
Starting Weight: 189.5 lbs
Ending Weight: 187 lbs
Overall a good month. Very consistent workouts and relatively injury free. Feeling very confident all month until my run following the 50 mile ride. Very tired and lower back spasms during the entire run. One more full month of working out. Still can't believe how much working out I have done, changed my diet, haven't had any alcohol since April 15, and still only lost 2 lbs during the month.
Saturday (5/1) - Run 13.1 Miles (2:03:22)
American River Parkway Half Marathon
Pre-Race Nutrition: Almond Butter & Honey, 2 scrambled eggs, greek yogurt, bannana, and coffee. (Worked well, plenty of energy, no stomach problems during the race, drank only water to hydrate during the race.)
Mile Split Times:
(1)- 10:13 (2) - 9:24 (3) - 9:22 (4) - 9:18 (5) - 11:06 (included 1:45 bathroom stop)
(6) - 8:48 (picked up the pace over the next two miles trying to catch Michelle.)
(7) - 8:42 (caught up a little past the 7 mile aid station)
(8) - 9:12 (9 ) - 9:26 (10) - 9:26 (11) - 9:15 (12) - 9:03 (13) - 9:06 (.1) - :53
Sunday (5/2) - Ride 13.5 Miles (57:08)
Recovery Ride - Average Speed 14.1 MPH
Monday (5/3) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:37)
100 Yard Split Times (1:36,1:46,1:46,1:48,1:54,1:51,1:51,1:54,1:56,1:53)
2 Mile Walk with Zach in the evening.
Tuesday (5/4) - Ride 20 Miles (1:14:45)
Average Speed 16.1 MPH
Wednesday (5/5) - Run 4 Miles (38:21)
Friday (5/7) - Ride 16.5 miles (1:12:52)
13.7 MPH Average Speed
Saturday (5/8) - Run 3 Miles (29:24)
Sunday (5/9) - Run 6 Miles (51:36)
Split times:
3 miles - 25:51
3 miles - 25:44
Sub 9 minute mile. First time for any kind of distance.
Monday and Tuesday (5/10 & 5/11) : Hip too Sore to exercise. Must have pushed a little too hard on Sunday.
Wednesday (5/12) - Down hard with food poisoning or the flu. Up half the night worshiping at the porceline alter.
Friday (5/14) - Ride 20.09 Miles (1:16:23)
Morning Ride - Average speed 15.9 MPH
6 am - sun coming over the Sierra's in the background - riding over the new bridge at Folsom Lake while listening to Pato Banton song "Life is a Miracle" from the Step Into Liquid soundtrack. It was a worship experience. Glad to be alive and thankful for the opportunity to swim, bike and run. After hours of running and cycling to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Gin Blossoms, Nickelback, Stone Temple Pilots, etc., nothing really emerged as a theme song, until now. This certainly isn't an adrenaline pumping song that will push me through the pain to the top of the hill, but it does make me thankful for the opportunity to even try to conquer the hill, regardless of how fast.
Saturday (5/15) - Run 6.2 Miles (54:29), Plus 2 Mile Obstacle Course
Folsom Run with Nature 10K
New Course this year. Hilly Course compared to last years. Last years time was 1:03:23 (10:15 per mile pace). At least there is some improvement.
Mile Split Times:
(1 ) - 8:48, (2) - 8:35, (3) - 8:53, (4) - 8:28, (5) - 8:45, (6) - 9:15, (.2) - 1:44
Had a great time doing the Wild Way. This was a 2 mile obstacle course following the 10K. It included trail running, low crawling under army nets, push ups, tire drills, climbing fences, crossing mud pits, etc. Had a chance to do this with Jordan and Amanda.
Sunday (5/16) - Ride 23.5 Miles (1:34:42)
Average Speed 14.9 MPH
Riding into a head wind sucks. Hope there is no wind at the Ironman in July or the Gran Fondo in October.
Monday (5/17) - Run and Ride at 5:30 am
Run 3.2 Miles (31:39) - Cold
Ride 20 (1:31:16) - Average Speed 13.2 MPH. Riding into a head wind. What a pain. Plus cold. Didn't eat anything before the run or ride. Started feeling sick towards the end of the ride.
Tuesday (5/18) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:35) during lunch
100 Yard Split Times (1:37,1:50,1:52,1:53,1:52,1:53,1:54,1:58,1:45)
Wednesday (5/19) - Run 8.5 Miles (1:22:01)
Round Trip from our house to the top of Beatty Drive and back
House to bottom of Beatty 31:17
Beatty 10:08 up / 8:57 down (almost the same pace as going up on my bike)
Beatty back to house 31:36
Major mental victory. Very challenging run. Smiling the whole way back. Legs moved beyond pain and fatigue and became numb / just moving to the cadence I set as if on autopilot.
Thursday (5/20) - Swim 1200 Yards (20:15) during lunch
1:40,1:47,1:48,1:50,1:50,1:53,1:51,1:52,1:48,1:52,1:51,1:44
Saturday (5/22) - Ride 54.5 Miles (3 hours 44 minutes) Most of the Vineman Ironman 70.3 Course
Average Speed - 14.6
Start Temp - 42 degrees, Ending Temp - 57 degrees with wind at 14 MPH
Clothing: short sleeve shirt, longsleeve bike shirt plus wind breaker. Was cool at times. Need to figure out clothing options for Tri in July if Santa Rosa has a cold spell.
Food: Almond Butter, Honey, Bannana and Coffee pre ride. Clif Bar and Hammer Gel, plus water and watered down gatorade during the ride.
Parked at the Windsor High School (T2) and rode from their to Westside Road. From Windsor High School turned Left on Windsor Road, Left on Windsor River Road, Left on Eastside Road, Right on Wohler and Right on Westside. From the High School it is about 8 miles to Westside Road, and you come in at about the 9 mile mark on the Vineman Course. Follow the rest of the course back to Windsor High School.
Sunday (5/23) - Rock Climbing with Zach at the Gym. Good Arm Workout.
Monday (5/24) - Ride 20 miles (1:19:26) at 6:15 am.
Average Speed - 15 MPH
Cold (50 degrees) and wind at 14 mph. I can't believe it is May in Sacramento.
Wore long tights, 2 long sleeve shirts, plus windbreaker. Perfect temperature.
No Food before the ride. Only a cup of coffee. Started feeling it towards the end.
Tuesday (5/25) - Swim 1300 Yards (24:38) during lunch
Focused on form and technique and swimming efficiency, not speed. Slowed down stroke rate and focused on stroke length and rotation.
100 Yard Split Times: (1:43,1:52,1:51,1:52,1:55,1:55,1:54,1:53,1:55,1:55,1:55,1:56,1:55)
Wednesday (5/26) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:35) during lunch
Focused on form and technique again.
100 yard split times (1:41,1:49,1:50,1:53,1:53,1:55,1:52,1:52,1:53,1:51)
Thursday (5/27) - Run 5 Miles (52:34) at 7:00 am
Uphill Split - 26:07 / Downhill Split - 26:25
Windy on the uphill portion, a lot of difficulty breathing due to pollens in the air, slowed way down to compensate for lack of oxygen. Lower back very sore during the run, maybe from pushups, planks, and crunches. Didn't run with iPod. Need to start weaning myself off the music since Ironman will not allow music at their events and is grounds for DQ.
Saturday (5/29) - Brick Work Out - Ride 50.13 Miles (3:05:58) / Run 3 Miles (not timed)
Average Speed 16.1 MPH
Included hill route back to Beals Point and back over the New Folsom Bridge.
6:30 am ride, ate eggs, almond butter, honey, and coffee pre-ride. Ate 4 ounces of Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon, drank 2 bottles of water and 2 bottles with Nuun tablets. No intestinal issues, altough the Nuun tablets started having a bad taste towards the end.
The Run = Reality check. Not sure if you could call it a run. I barely passed a lady walking her dog. More like a shuffle. Legs started feeling better about 1.5 miles in. Lower back was cramped and had pasms the whole time. Stopped 3 times to stretch. Felt great during the stretch but didn't fix the problem. Couldn't run fast enough to even tax my aerobic system. Holy crap. I have to run 10 more miles on top of this. Need to add more bricks to my June workouts.
Sunday (5/30) - Open Water Swim (15 minutes ~ 700 yards)
Got to try out my new Xterra Wetsuit. Worked Great.
Cancelled my long run. Back was still stiff. Stretched throughout the day.
Monday (5/31) - Ride 41 Miles / Open Water Swim (20 minutes ~ 1000 yards)
Ride 41 miles @ 7:30 am, Average Speed 16, Time 2:34
Rode with a Phi Delt Fraternity Brother which I hadn't seen in a couple years. Great ride together.
Also went rock climing with Zach for 2 hours in the afternoon and then back to Folsom lake in the evening to do another open water swim workout and to give the wetsuit another try.
Miles Running: 54 miles
Miles Walking: 2 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 279 miles
Swimming: 7200 yards
Rock Climbing: 2 Days
Starting Weight: 189.5 lbs
Ending Weight: 187 lbs
Overall a good month. Very consistent workouts and relatively injury free. Feeling very confident all month until my run following the 50 mile ride. Very tired and lower back spasms during the entire run. One more full month of working out. Still can't believe how much working out I have done, changed my diet, haven't had any alcohol since April 15, and still only lost 2 lbs during the month.
Saturday (5/1) - Run 13.1 Miles (2:03:22)
American River Parkway Half Marathon
Pre-Race Nutrition: Almond Butter & Honey, 2 scrambled eggs, greek yogurt, bannana, and coffee. (Worked well, plenty of energy, no stomach problems during the race, drank only water to hydrate during the race.)
Mile Split Times:
(1)- 10:13 (2) - 9:24 (3) - 9:22 (4) - 9:18 (5) - 11:06 (included 1:45 bathroom stop)
(6) - 8:48 (picked up the pace over the next two miles trying to catch Michelle.)
(7) - 8:42 (caught up a little past the 7 mile aid station)
(8) - 9:12 (9 ) - 9:26 (10) - 9:26 (11) - 9:15 (12) - 9:03 (13) - 9:06 (.1) - :53
Photo 1: Trying to chase down Michele between Mile 5 and 7. Photo 2: Michele and I crossing the finish line.
Sunday (5/2) - Ride 13.5 Miles (57:08)
Recovery Ride - Average Speed 14.1 MPH
Monday (5/3) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:37)
100 Yard Split Times (1:36,1:46,1:46,1:48,1:54,1:51,1:51,1:54,1:56,1:53)
2 Mile Walk with Zach in the evening.
Tuesday (5/4) - Ride 20 Miles (1:14:45)
Average Speed 16.1 MPH
Wednesday (5/5) - Run 4 Miles (38:21)
Friday (5/7) - Ride 16.5 miles (1:12:52)
13.7 MPH Average Speed
Saturday (5/8) - Run 3 Miles (29:24)
Sunday (5/9) - Run 6 Miles (51:36)
Split times:
3 miles - 25:51
3 miles - 25:44
Sub 9 minute mile. First time for any kind of distance.
Monday and Tuesday (5/10 & 5/11) : Hip too Sore to exercise. Must have pushed a little too hard on Sunday.
Wednesday (5/12) - Down hard with food poisoning or the flu. Up half the night worshiping at the porceline alter.
Friday (5/14) - Ride 20.09 Miles (1:16:23)
Morning Ride - Average speed 15.9 MPH
6 am - sun coming over the Sierra's in the background - riding over the new bridge at Folsom Lake while listening to Pato Banton song "Life is a Miracle" from the Step Into Liquid soundtrack. It was a worship experience. Glad to be alive and thankful for the opportunity to swim, bike and run. After hours of running and cycling to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Gin Blossoms, Nickelback, Stone Temple Pilots, etc., nothing really emerged as a theme song, until now. This certainly isn't an adrenaline pumping song that will push me through the pain to the top of the hill, but it does make me thankful for the opportunity to even try to conquer the hill, regardless of how fast.
In the beginning was the word
and the word was with God.
And God said: "Let there be life".
Life, oh life! Life is a miracle.
It's a miracle every time a mother gives birth
tell me who can say how much a child is worth.
A miracle living on this planet earth
rotating to the rhythm of the universe.
Life!
More precious than the rarest stone
More valuable than silver or gold.
Life!
The essence is invisible
to the scientific mind it's impossible.
Like the secret of the seed that grows into a tree
the starry galaxies remain a mystery.
Oceans and the seas the air we breathe.
God knows that I believe...
Life is a miracle.
So let's give thanks to our father above
For all of the wonderful things that he does.
Life is the ultimate gift of love.
God knows that I believe... Yes I do.
Life is a miracle. It's true.
Saturday (5/15) - Run 6.2 Miles (54:29), Plus 2 Mile Obstacle Course
Folsom Run with Nature 10K
Mile Split Times:
(1 ) - 8:48, (2) - 8:35, (3) - 8:53, (4) - 8:28, (5) - 8:45, (6) - 9:15, (.2) - 1:44
Had a great time doing the Wild Way. This was a 2 mile obstacle course following the 10K. It included trail running, low crawling under army nets, push ups, tire drills, climbing fences, crossing mud pits, etc. Had a chance to do this with Jordan and Amanda.
Sunday (5/16) - Ride 23.5 Miles (1:34:42)
Average Speed 14.9 MPH
Riding into a head wind sucks. Hope there is no wind at the Ironman in July or the Gran Fondo in October.
Monday (5/17) - Run and Ride at 5:30 am
Run 3.2 Miles (31:39) - Cold
Ride 20 (1:31:16) - Average Speed 13.2 MPH. Riding into a head wind. What a pain. Plus cold. Didn't eat anything before the run or ride. Started feeling sick towards the end of the ride.
Tuesday (5/18) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:35) during lunch
100 Yard Split Times (1:37,1:50,1:52,1:53,1:52,1:53,1:54,1:58,1:45)
Wednesday (5/19) - Run 8.5 Miles (1:22:01)
Round Trip from our house to the top of Beatty Drive and back
House to bottom of Beatty 31:17
Beatty 10:08 up / 8:57 down (almost the same pace as going up on my bike)
Beatty back to house 31:36
Major mental victory. Very challenging run. Smiling the whole way back. Legs moved beyond pain and fatigue and became numb / just moving to the cadence I set as if on autopilot.
Thursday (5/20) - Swim 1200 Yards (20:15) during lunch
1:40,1:47,1:48,1:50,1:50,1:53,1:51,1:52,1:48,1:52,1:51,1:44
Saturday (5/22) - Ride 54.5 Miles (3 hours 44 minutes) Most of the Vineman Ironman 70.3 Course
Average Speed - 14.6
Start Temp - 42 degrees, Ending Temp - 57 degrees with wind at 14 MPH
Clothing: short sleeve shirt, longsleeve bike shirt plus wind breaker. Was cool at times. Need to figure out clothing options for Tri in July if Santa Rosa has a cold spell.
Food: Almond Butter, Honey, Bannana and Coffee pre ride. Clif Bar and Hammer Gel, plus water and watered down gatorade during the ride.
Parked at the Windsor High School (T2) and rode from their to Westside Road. From Windsor High School turned Left on Windsor Road, Left on Windsor River Road, Left on Eastside Road, Right on Wohler and Right on Westside. From the High School it is about 8 miles to Westside Road, and you come in at about the 9 mile mark on the Vineman Course. Follow the rest of the course back to Windsor High School.
Westside Road around mile 13. Lots of rollers and a fairly rough road. Need to be aware of potholes during the race and sections where there is no shoulder, just a drop off into a big ditch. Running tires at 120 psi and thought my fillings were going to fall out. Also riding into a headwind which didn't help. Beautiful section of the ride but felt like a lot of effort to maintain 13-15 MPH.
Westside Road around Mile 13
Conditions improved some once I hit Dry Creek Road. Hooked up with three other riders for a few miles. Ended up passing them on one of the small hills and heading back out on my own.
Photo 1: Intersection of Kinley and Dry Creek Road. Photo 2: Dry Creek Road around mile 21.
Canyon Road was very scenic with a hill climb and a fast decent into Geyserville. Still feeling good at this point in the ride.
Canyon Road around Mile 28.
Highway 128 was fairly flat and fast with the wind at my back. The Road conditions seemed better and I was able to maintain 17-20 MPH pace. Passed a lot of cyclist going the opposite direction. A few on tri bikes.
Highway 128 past Geyserville. Around mile 34 and 38.
Chalk Hill Road begins to get narrow again and has some rough patches. The first hill pictured below took about 1 minute to climb. Not too bad at all. The second hill took around 6 minutes. By this time I was tired and my legs were starting to hurt.
Chalk Hill and Hwy 128 split. Around Mile 41.
Part of the 1st climb up Chalk Hill.
End of Bike. Transition 2 at Windsor High School.
Monday (5/24) - Ride 20 miles (1:19:26) at 6:15 am.
Average Speed - 15 MPH
Cold (50 degrees) and wind at 14 mph. I can't believe it is May in Sacramento.
Wore long tights, 2 long sleeve shirts, plus windbreaker. Perfect temperature.
No Food before the ride. Only a cup of coffee. Started feeling it towards the end.
Tuesday (5/25) - Swim 1300 Yards (24:38) during lunch
Focused on form and technique and swimming efficiency, not speed. Slowed down stroke rate and focused on stroke length and rotation.
100 Yard Split Times: (1:43,1:52,1:51,1:52,1:55,1:55,1:54,1:53,1:55,1:55,1:55,1:56,1:55)
Wednesday (5/26) - Swim 1000 Yards (18:35) during lunch
Focused on form and technique again.
100 yard split times (1:41,1:49,1:50,1:53,1:53,1:55,1:52,1:52,1:53,1:51)
Thursday (5/27) - Run 5 Miles (52:34) at 7:00 am
Uphill Split - 26:07 / Downhill Split - 26:25
Windy on the uphill portion, a lot of difficulty breathing due to pollens in the air, slowed way down to compensate for lack of oxygen. Lower back very sore during the run, maybe from pushups, planks, and crunches. Didn't run with iPod. Need to start weaning myself off the music since Ironman will not allow music at their events and is grounds for DQ.
Saturday (5/29) - Brick Work Out - Ride 50.13 Miles (3:05:58) / Run 3 Miles (not timed)
Average Speed 16.1 MPH
Included hill route back to Beals Point and back over the New Folsom Bridge.
6:30 am ride, ate eggs, almond butter, honey, and coffee pre-ride. Ate 4 ounces of Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon, drank 2 bottles of water and 2 bottles with Nuun tablets. No intestinal issues, altough the Nuun tablets started having a bad taste towards the end.
The Run = Reality check. Not sure if you could call it a run. I barely passed a lady walking her dog. More like a shuffle. Legs started feeling better about 1.5 miles in. Lower back was cramped and had pasms the whole time. Stopped 3 times to stretch. Felt great during the stretch but didn't fix the problem. Couldn't run fast enough to even tax my aerobic system. Holy crap. I have to run 10 more miles on top of this. Need to add more bricks to my June workouts.
Sunday (5/30) - Open Water Swim (15 minutes ~ 700 yards)
Got to try out my new Xterra Wetsuit. Worked Great.
Cancelled my long run. Back was still stiff. Stretched throughout the day.
Monday (5/31) - Ride 41 Miles / Open Water Swim (20 minutes ~ 1000 yards)
Ride 41 miles @ 7:30 am, Average Speed 16, Time 2:34
Rode with a Phi Delt Fraternity Brother which I hadn't seen in a couple years. Great ride together.
Also went rock climing with Zach for 2 hours in the afternoon and then back to Folsom lake in the evening to do another open water swim workout and to give the wetsuit another try.
Monday, May 3, 2010
April Training Log
Total Days of Working Out = 15 days (4 days with double workouts)
Miles Running: 65.8 miles
Miles Walking: 6 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 38 miles (Mostly Hill Training)
Swimming: 1400 yards
Snowboarding: 2 Days
Starting Weight: 191.5 lbs
Ending Weight: 189.5
Overall good month of training. Felt strong, continued to minimize fast food, sugars and alcohol. Focused mainly on running to prepare for the American River Half Marathon in May. Lost an entire week of training due to snowboarding crash, but better than any serious injuries. 12 mile run was the first time I have run that far in more than 14 years, it felt great to accomplish this. I was also reminded of how far I need to go to get ready for this Half Ironman. I will need to be able to run 13 miles following several hours on the bike. May and June will be big training months. With the sun coming out I am starting to get excited for the event.
Thursday (4/1) - Run 3.5 miles (~ 35:00 - no watch on)
Rainy and windy. Rolling hills running at Bodega Dunes Campground.
Friday (4/2) - Run 3.5 miles (34:02)
Rainy and windy. Rolling hills running at Bodega Dunes Campground.
Saturday (4/3) - Hike 3 miles along the Sonoma Coast. Great view of the Russian River and Coast from the top of the hill.
Wednesday (4/7) - 3 mile walk with Amanda
Thursday (4/8) - Run 4.5 miles (43:22)
No food , slow casual pace, 7:00 am, 48 degrees
Friday (4/9) - Run 3 miles (29:18)
7am, 45 degrees, No food
Friday (4/9) - Bike 10.25 miles (52:08) (Hill Training)
2 trips up Beatty Drive (8:39 and 9:41)
Saturday (4/10) - Run 8.1 miles (1:18:38)
No water on the run - overcast 50 degrees
Coffee, almond butter, honey and raisins and 2 eggs before the run
Saturday (4/10) - Bike 8.1 miles (Bike ride with Jordan to measure distance of morning run)
Sunday/Monday (4/10 & 4/11) - Very windy and stormy again - No exercise.
Tuesday (4/13) - Run 4.2 miles (41:37)
6:30 am, almond butter, honey, coffee and water pre run
Tuesday (4/13) - Bike 11.65 miles (52:31)
Average Speed 13.4 mph, Hill Training @ 6:00 PM
Costco Hill (6:44) - Hill Climbing
Beatty Drive (8:54) - Hill Climbing
Wednesday (4/14) - Run 8.1 miles (1:16:52)
Thursday (4/15) - Birthday
Played hookie and went to Northstar for a great day of snowboarding with the family. Lunch at the Ritz Carlton @ Northstar.
Saturday (4/17) - Run 9.4 miles (1:25)
43:22 (1st Half), 41:36 (2nd Half)
6:30 am, 47 degrees
Greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey,water and coffee Pre-Run. Felt strong. Twinge of pain and fatigue around 1:10.
Sunday- (4/18) - Last Day of Snowboarding at Northstar. Final Run of the Season - going fast - major wipeout - ripped out of bindings, hurt my hip and hit my head hard going down. Very lucky I didn't get really hurt. Just a major headache and very sore.
Monday - Friday (19th-23rd) - No exercise - hip really hurts - can't run or bike. Need to train, but need to take time to heal so I don't have any nagging injuries in July.
Saturday (4/24) - Run 12 miles (1:54)
Felt really good. Carried water bottle. Actually past runners on the trail.
Started hurting around with pain in the joints around (1:25)
Sunday (4/25) - Ride 8 miles with Zach in the morning. Stopped at Coffee Republic. Amanda and Jordan got back from Girl Scouts early and met us. Threw the bikes in the back of the truck and didn't get to ride home.
Sunday (4/25) - Swim 1400 yards (26:37) (evening)
100 yard Split times (1:41, 1:54,1:54,1:59, 1:56,1:57,1:53,1:55,1:57,1:52,1:55,1:59,1:50,1:47)
Tuesday (4/27) - Run 4.5 miles with Jordan (46:11)
Stretching, situps, pushups, two 1 minute planks.
Wednesday (4/28) - Run 5 miles (52:17) included hills.
Thursday/Friday: Resting up for the American River Parkway Half Marathon.
Miles Running: 65.8 miles
Miles Walking: 6 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 38 miles (Mostly Hill Training)
Swimming: 1400 yards
Snowboarding: 2 Days
Starting Weight: 191.5 lbs
Ending Weight: 189.5
Overall good month of training. Felt strong, continued to minimize fast food, sugars and alcohol. Focused mainly on running to prepare for the American River Half Marathon in May. Lost an entire week of training due to snowboarding crash, but better than any serious injuries. 12 mile run was the first time I have run that far in more than 14 years, it felt great to accomplish this. I was also reminded of how far I need to go to get ready for this Half Ironman. I will need to be able to run 13 miles following several hours on the bike. May and June will be big training months. With the sun coming out I am starting to get excited for the event.
Thursday (4/1) - Run 3.5 miles (~ 35:00 - no watch on)
Rainy and windy. Rolling hills running at Bodega Dunes Campground.
Friday (4/2) - Run 3.5 miles (34:02)
Rainy and windy. Rolling hills running at Bodega Dunes Campground.
Saturday (4/3) - Hike 3 miles along the Sonoma Coast. Great view of the Russian River and Coast from the top of the hill.
Wednesday (4/7) - 3 mile walk with Amanda
Thursday (4/8) - Run 4.5 miles (43:22)
No food , slow casual pace, 7:00 am, 48 degrees
Friday (4/9) - Run 3 miles (29:18)
7am, 45 degrees, No food
Friday (4/9) - Bike 10.25 miles (52:08) (Hill Training)
2 trips up Beatty Drive (8:39 and 9:41)
Saturday (4/10) - Run 8.1 miles (1:18:38)
No water on the run - overcast 50 degrees
Coffee, almond butter, honey and raisins and 2 eggs before the run
Saturday (4/10) - Bike 8.1 miles (Bike ride with Jordan to measure distance of morning run)
Sunday/Monday (4/10 & 4/11) - Very windy and stormy again - No exercise.
Tuesday (4/13) - Run 4.2 miles (41:37)
6:30 am, almond butter, honey, coffee and water pre run
Tuesday (4/13) - Bike 11.65 miles (52:31)
Average Speed 13.4 mph, Hill Training @ 6:00 PM
Costco Hill (6:44) - Hill Climbing
Beatty Drive (8:54) - Hill Climbing
Wednesday (4/14) - Run 8.1 miles (1:16:52)
Thursday (4/15) - Birthday
Played hookie and went to Northstar for a great day of snowboarding with the family. Lunch at the Ritz Carlton @ Northstar.
Saturday (4/17) - Run 9.4 miles (1:25)
43:22 (1st Half), 41:36 (2nd Half)
6:30 am, 47 degrees
Greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey,water and coffee Pre-Run. Felt strong. Twinge of pain and fatigue around 1:10.
Sunday- (4/18) - Last Day of Snowboarding at Northstar. Final Run of the Season - going fast - major wipeout - ripped out of bindings, hurt my hip and hit my head hard going down. Very lucky I didn't get really hurt. Just a major headache and very sore.
Monday - Friday (19th-23rd) - No exercise - hip really hurts - can't run or bike. Need to train, but need to take time to heal so I don't have any nagging injuries in July.
Saturday (4/24) - Run 12 miles (1:54)
Felt really good. Carried water bottle. Actually past runners on the trail.
Started hurting around with pain in the joints around (1:25)
Sunday (4/25) - Ride 8 miles with Zach in the morning. Stopped at Coffee Republic. Amanda and Jordan got back from Girl Scouts early and met us. Threw the bikes in the back of the truck and didn't get to ride home.
Sunday (4/25) - Swim 1400 yards (26:37) (evening)
100 yard Split times (1:41, 1:54,1:54,1:59, 1:56,1:57,1:53,1:55,1:57,1:52,1:55,1:59,1:50,1:47)
Tuesday (4/27) - Run 4.5 miles with Jordan (46:11)
Stretching, situps, pushups, two 1 minute planks.
Wednesday (4/28) - Run 5 miles (52:17) included hills.
Thursday/Friday: Resting up for the American River Parkway Half Marathon.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
March Training Log
Total Days of Working Out = 14 days
Miles Running: 33.2 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 156.2
Swimming: 2100 yards
Starting Weight: 193 lbs
Ending Weight: 191.5 lbs
Overall it was a very good month. Felt much better than February. Very frustrating that all that work only led to 1.5 lb weight loss. Need to get in more days of training. Should only be doing 1 or 2 days of rest per week. Goal for April should be 20 workout minimum.
Wednesday (3/3) - Run 6.1 miles (56:38)
3 mile warm up with uphill 30:38
3 mile downhill with flats 25:58
6:30 am, temp in 40s - light rain. Forgot to eat. Slow start warming up. Felt pretty good on the hill climbs. Started tiring a bit during the last mile.
Friday (3/5) - Run 7 miles (1:05:28) 6:30 am
3 mile split 29:27 (warm up / uphill)
3 mile split 26:08 (downhill to flat)
Saturday (3/6) - Bike and Run
Bike 34 miles (2 hours 8 minutes) Average Speed 16.0
Run - 2 miles (19:38) very painful. Like running on two telephone poles.
Sunday (3/7) - Bike 14 Miles: Casual ride with kids to coffee republic for lunch.
Monday (3/8) - Swim 1000 yards total.
Warm up - 75 free, 75 breast, 50 kickboard, 100 free
2 x 300
1st 300 with 100 yard split times - (1:47, 1:54, 1:49)
2nd 300 with 100 yard split times - (1:46,1:52,1:54)
100 yard free cool down.
Tuesday 3/9 - Run Approx 6 miles (56:33)
6:30 am, temp 38 degrees, ate a banana and peanut butter with 1/2 cup coffee and water. Other than being cold, it felt good to run a flat course at a slow pace.
Weight - 193.5
Wednesday (3/10) - Bike 7.6 miles - Hill Climbs (Costco hill)
Banana, peanut butter and coffee before the ride
Thursday (3/11 )- Run approximately 3 miles (32:44)
5:00pm after work - ran with Jeremiah
Saturday (3/13) - Bike 62 miles (3 hours 52 minutes)
Average Speed 16.0
Ironman 70.3 Bike Distance (56.2, 3 hours, 27 minutes, average speed 16.2)
7 am ride - cold low 40's and ice on the bridges
Tuesday 3/16 - Run 6.1 miles (55:27)
3 mile Flat to Uphill- 29:02
3 mile downhill to flat - 26:25
6:30 PM
** woke up with pulled groin. Very sore to walk **
Thursday (3/18) - Swim 1100 yards
100 yard warm up free style
1000 yards (19:05)
100 yard split times = (1:45, 1;54, 1:51, 2:01, 2:00, 1:59, 1:55, 1:55, 1:58, 1:42)
** Groin pain moved to hip and lower back - still can't run **
Tuesday (3/23) - Walk 3 miles - back and hip still hurt
Thursday (3/25) - Bike 12.12 miles (51 minutes),
6:30 am - Average Speed 14.1
Saturday (3/27) - Bike 26.3 miles (1 hour 39 minutes)
4:30 pm - Average Speed 15.9
Miles Running: 33.2 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 156.2
Swimming: 2100 yards
Starting Weight: 193 lbs
Ending Weight: 191.5 lbs
Overall it was a very good month. Felt much better than February. Very frustrating that all that work only led to 1.5 lb weight loss. Need to get in more days of training. Should only be doing 1 or 2 days of rest per week. Goal for April should be 20 workout minimum.
Wednesday (3/3) - Run 6.1 miles (56:38)
3 mile warm up with uphill 30:38
3 mile downhill with flats 25:58
6:30 am, temp in 40s - light rain. Forgot to eat. Slow start warming up. Felt pretty good on the hill climbs. Started tiring a bit during the last mile.
Friday (3/5) - Run 7 miles (1:05:28) 6:30 am
3 mile split 29:27 (warm up / uphill)
3 mile split 26:08 (downhill to flat)
Saturday (3/6) - Bike and Run
Bike 34 miles (2 hours 8 minutes) Average Speed 16.0
Run - 2 miles (19:38) very painful. Like running on two telephone poles.
Sunday (3/7) - Bike 14 Miles: Casual ride with kids to coffee republic for lunch.
Monday (3/8) - Swim 1000 yards total.
Warm up - 75 free, 75 breast, 50 kickboard, 100 free
2 x 300
1st 300 with 100 yard split times - (1:47, 1:54, 1:49)
2nd 300 with 100 yard split times - (1:46,1:52,1:54)
100 yard free cool down.
Tuesday 3/9 - Run Approx 6 miles (56:33)
6:30 am, temp 38 degrees, ate a banana and peanut butter with 1/2 cup coffee and water. Other than being cold, it felt good to run a flat course at a slow pace.
Weight - 193.5
Wednesday (3/10) - Bike 7.6 miles - Hill Climbs (Costco hill)
Average Speed 14.2, 32 minutes
Cold and rainy 37 degreesBanana, peanut butter and coffee before the ride
Thursday (3/11 )- Run approximately 3 miles (32:44)
5:00pm after work - ran with Jeremiah
Saturday (3/13) - Bike 62 miles (3 hours 52 minutes)
Average Speed 16.0
Ironman 70.3 Bike Distance (56.2, 3 hours, 27 minutes, average speed 16.2)
7 am ride - cold low 40's and ice on the bridges
Tuesday 3/16 - Run 6.1 miles (55:27)
3 mile Flat to Uphill- 29:02
3 mile downhill to flat - 26:25
6:30 PM
** woke up with pulled groin. Very sore to walk **
Thursday (3/18) - Swim 1100 yards
100 yard warm up free style
1000 yards (19:05)
100 yard split times = (1:45, 1;54, 1:51, 2:01, 2:00, 1:59, 1:55, 1:55, 1:58, 1:42)
** Groin pain moved to hip and lower back - still can't run **
Tuesday (3/23) - Walk 3 miles - back and hip still hurt
Thursday (3/25) - Bike 12.12 miles (51 minutes),
6:30 am - Average Speed 14.1
Saturday (3/27) - Bike 26.3 miles (1 hour 39 minutes)
4:30 pm - Average Speed 15.9
Monday, March 1, 2010
February Training Log
Total Days of Working Out = 14 days (+ 3 days of snowboarding)
Time on Stationary bike: 4.25 hours
Swimming: 0 yards
Starting Weight: 195 lbs
Ending Weight: 193 lbs
Overall was a frustrating month with balancing work and family priorities, and trying to get in the workouts I wanted to. I felt like a lot of workouts were missed or significantly altered due to forces outside of my control or trying to be flexible with the intent of doing the workout later. Lesson learned - Prioritize workouts and try to get them in as early as possible to avoid other priorities from taking over.
Monday (2/1) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Tuesday (2/2) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Friday and Saturday (2/5 and 2/6) - Two full days of snowboarding: Great workout on the legs. However ate and drank too much with friends over the weekend.
Monday (2/8) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Wednesday (2/10) - Run 3 miles (6am)
Friday (2/12) - Run 3 miles (6am)
Saturday (2/13) - Run 3 miles (8am) - Ride planned - recieved word that my grandmother passed away. Headed to Santa Rosa to be with Mom.
Miles Running: 22.5 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 36 milesTime on Stationary bike: 4.25 hours
Swimming: 0 yards
Starting Weight: 195 lbs
Ending Weight: 193 lbs
Overall was a frustrating month with balancing work and family priorities, and trying to get in the workouts I wanted to. I felt like a lot of workouts were missed or significantly altered due to forces outside of my control or trying to be flexible with the intent of doing the workout later. Lesson learned - Prioritize workouts and try to get them in as early as possible to avoid other priorities from taking over.
Monday (2/1) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Tuesday (2/2) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Friday and Saturday (2/5 and 2/6) - Two full days of snowboarding: Great workout on the legs. However ate and drank too much with friends over the weekend.
Monday (2/8) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Wednesday (2/10) - Run 3 miles (6am)
Friday (2/12) - Run 3 miles (6am)
Saturday (2/13) - Run 3 miles (8am) - Ride planned - recieved word that my grandmother passed away. Headed to Santa Rosa to be with Mom.
Monday (2/15) - 25 mile bike ride with my daughter in the afternoon.
Tuesday (2/16) - Track and Speedwork (5:30 AM)- 800 warm up followed by Form Drills
- 3 x 800 with 2 min recovery (3:44, 3:51, 3:46)
- 6 x 400 with no recovery - with 100 yard drills (lunges, high skip, grapevine, backwards run, crossovers,etc)
- 800 cool down - (4:51)
- stretching and core work
Saturday (2/20) - Run 22 minutes - (2.5 miles) loosen up for Sunday's run.
Sunday (2/21) - Run 5 miles (48:23) at 9:00am. Ate a bannana, and a cup of coffee before. Spent the first 10 minutes going out easy to warm up. Worked well for smooth breathing and legs. This was the final 5 miles of the Vineman Ironman course. Feeling much more confident about the run course now. Just continue to train hills at home. The steepest hill took about 1 minute from bottom to top. Picture from Starr Road and Slusser Road below.
Tuesday (2/23) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Thursday (2/25) - XXX bike - 45 min (6am)
Saturday (2/27) - Run 2 miles (19:20)
Sunday (2/28) - Beautiful day snowboarding at Northstar (picture below). Got home before dark, did a quick change and road 11 miles (45 minutes) to Beals point (rolling hills). Started out a little sluggish but finished strong. Felt great to get out on the bike.
Monday, February 1, 2010
January Training Log
Total Days of Working Out = 17 days (+ 2 days of snowboarding)
Miles Running: 21 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 30 miles
Time on Stationary bike : 7.25 hours
Swimming : 4500 yards
January 2nd – TBF Duathlon – 2 mile run / 7 mile bike / 2 mile run
• 17:40 (2 miles)
• 23 or 25 min (Avg spd – 17.2) with hills
• 19:50 (2 miles)
Felt loose and strong on the 1st run, bike was very congested, two way traffic, lots of passing on downhill corners on wet surface. Trying to push it – moments of rhythm - kept getting cut off and have to restart. 1st mile of second run was tough. Legs heavy. 2nd mile picked up the pace and felt good coming in.
Did a 23 mile bike ride in the afternoon after lunch.
January 3rd – 1700 yards swimming
• 300 yards warm up
• 1200 yards 25 min 25 sec (1:49, 2:04, 2:02, 2:11, 2:06, 2:08, 2:04, 2:15, 2:13, 2:11, 2:16, 1:59)
• 200 yard cool down
Weight 196 lbs– was 201lbs on December 11th at Dr’s Appointment. Have to drop weight prior to July or the run will be a bitch.
January 4th - Monday – missed my morning run. Caught 30 minute x-bike class after work and ran 2 miles. Ravenously hungry following the work out. Slept like a rock. Had trouble getting up as I felt like I had melted into the bed. Will need to prioritize sleep as workouts get more intense.
Tuesday – 1/5
Swim 1900 yards Total – Warm up drills, technique and cool down. 1200 yards (4 x 300 with 1 minute rest between). 100 yards timed splits.
1200 yard Time 22:33. 100 yard splits (1:52, 1:55, 1:53, 1:48, 1:53, 1:51, 1:47, 1:54, 1:53, 1:48, 1:56, 1:55)
Still can’t stay away from the chocolate at home. No will power.
Wednesday – 1/6
Awful Run. Legs heavy, cold and dark out side. 4 miles really slow (42 minutes). 1st 2 miles at 11 min pace (uphill), 2nd 2 miles at 10 min pace (downhill).
Still don’t like running. Necessary evil for the Tri though. So what Motivates Me? I keep replaying two scenes in my head. Scene 1: Coming into T2 – jumping off the bike, and heading out for the run. People clapping and cheering. Seeing family and friends, and being energized by the whole experience. Scene 2: The final mile to the finish. Knowing all the training is paying off. In less than 10 minutes I will be crossing the finish line and will be able to say that I have accomplished my goal of completing an Ironman 70.3. The energy from the crowd at the finish line. I have replayed these scenes over and over in my head a thousand times by now. Every run, over and over. Luckily I haven’t camped on the vision of the other 12 miles of agony, or I would probably not get out of bed. I also keep telling myself that I am running with an extra 40 lbs. That is an accomplishment in and of itself. The well trained athletes don’t have to go out an do their workouts with an extra 40lbs strapped on to them.
Thursday 1/7 - 45 minute XXX bike at the gym. Feel like a cold is coming on.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (1/8-1/12) : No workouts. Cold did come on - tired and fatigued. Mental battle going on. One side feeling the need to get out and do something, feeling like I am losing training days. The other side of me recognizing that to over do the training while sick could make me even more weak and prolong the cold for weeks. This weekend was also Zach's kid b-day party, overnighter, and family b-day dinner. Lots of chaos. So now I just sit and wait. Taking vitamins and drinking herbal tea.
Wednesday 1/13 - Went to the Performance Swim Training course at the gym after work. For the second time in a week the coach didn't show up. Did a lite workout coming off of a cold. 900 yards total.
Friday 1/15 - 45 minute XX-bike at the Gym (6:00 am)
Saturday 1/16 - Snowboarding :)
Sunday 1/17 - No Exercise - went to see ailing grandmother.
Monday 1/18 - Ran 6.2 miles (59:16) in the pouring rain. What is more challenging than running hills? Running hills, in the rain, with a 15-30 mph headwind. 3 miles into the wind, mostly uphill (31:08), 3 miles wind at my back, mostly downhill (26:26). Even in bad weather my legs felt stronger than they have in weeks. Maybe the day off and 9 hours of sleep last night did me some good.
Tuesday 1/19 - 45 minute XXX-Bike at the gym (6:00am)
Wednesday 1/20 - 45 minute XX-bike at the gym (6:00pm)
Thursday 1/21 - 45 minute XXX-bike at the gym (6:00pm)
Saturday 1/23 - 6 feet of new powder fell this week. Had to spend the day at Northstar on the board. At least my quads got a good workout.
Sunday 1/24 - No exercise. Should have gone out first thing in the morning when I woke up. Wishful thinking that maybe Amanda and I would go for a run or bike ride in the afternoon. Household chores took control, and before you know it, it is dark outside and raining again. Lessson Learned - Take advantage of the open spaces of time to exercise. Don't put it off.
Monday 1/25 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00am). Still cold and raining out this morning - decided not to run. Didn't get enough sleep and didn't sleep well. At least I did something.
Weighed in at 195 lbs. (Amazing that I have totally changed my eating habits and incresing exercise and I am not losing weight.)
Tuesday 1/26 - 45 minute XXX-Bike at the gym (6:00am). Not overly motivated during today's workout. felt like I was giving it about 80%. The real victory was the mental battle this morning while laying in bed. After my alarm went off I laid there for 15 minutes trying to convince myself that my body needed more rest and that my time would be better spent sleeping rather than getting up for another workout. I finally jumped out of bed when I faced the truth and stopped listening to lazy Keith and started listening to Triathlete Keith. I had to face the fact that 1 more hour of sleep really wouldn't change my day that much, but I would regret missing a workout. Believe it or not, all this time away from running and I am hoping it will stop raining so that I can go for a run soon.
Wednesday 1/26 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00pm), followed by 1.5 mile run on the treadmill at 8:00 minute per mile pace. Heart rate 159 following run.
Thursday 1/27 - Not a planned day off - Work/Life won today. No time slot to squeeze in a workout.
Friday 1/28 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00am), followed by 1 mile run on the treadmill at a 10 minute pace. Trying to get my legs used to the transition.
Saturday 1/29 - Full day of snowboarding.
Sunday 1/30 - Traveled to see grandma. No workout.
Miles Running: 21 miles
Miles on Road Bike: 30 miles
Time on Stationary bike : 7.25 hours
Swimming : 4500 yards
January 2nd – TBF Duathlon – 2 mile run / 7 mile bike / 2 mile run
• 17:40 (2 miles)
• 23 or 25 min (Avg spd – 17.2) with hills
• 19:50 (2 miles)
Felt loose and strong on the 1st run, bike was very congested, two way traffic, lots of passing on downhill corners on wet surface. Trying to push it – moments of rhythm - kept getting cut off and have to restart. 1st mile of second run was tough. Legs heavy. 2nd mile picked up the pace and felt good coming in.
Did a 23 mile bike ride in the afternoon after lunch.
January 3rd – 1700 yards swimming
• 300 yards warm up
• 1200 yards 25 min 25 sec (1:49, 2:04, 2:02, 2:11, 2:06, 2:08, 2:04, 2:15, 2:13, 2:11, 2:16, 1:59)
• 200 yard cool down
Weight 196 lbs– was 201lbs on December 11th at Dr’s Appointment. Have to drop weight prior to July or the run will be a bitch.
January 4th - Monday – missed my morning run. Caught 30 minute x-bike class after work and ran 2 miles. Ravenously hungry following the work out. Slept like a rock. Had trouble getting up as I felt like I had melted into the bed. Will need to prioritize sleep as workouts get more intense.
Tuesday – 1/5
Swim 1900 yards Total – Warm up drills, technique and cool down. 1200 yards (4 x 300 with 1 minute rest between). 100 yards timed splits.
1200 yard Time 22:33. 100 yard splits (1:52, 1:55, 1:53, 1:48, 1:53, 1:51, 1:47, 1:54, 1:53, 1:48, 1:56, 1:55)
Still can’t stay away from the chocolate at home. No will power.
Wednesday – 1/6
Awful Run. Legs heavy, cold and dark out side. 4 miles really slow (42 minutes). 1st 2 miles at 11 min pace (uphill), 2nd 2 miles at 10 min pace (downhill).
Still don’t like running. Necessary evil for the Tri though. So what Motivates Me? I keep replaying two scenes in my head. Scene 1: Coming into T2 – jumping off the bike, and heading out for the run. People clapping and cheering. Seeing family and friends, and being energized by the whole experience. Scene 2: The final mile to the finish. Knowing all the training is paying off. In less than 10 minutes I will be crossing the finish line and will be able to say that I have accomplished my goal of completing an Ironman 70.3. The energy from the crowd at the finish line. I have replayed these scenes over and over in my head a thousand times by now. Every run, over and over. Luckily I haven’t camped on the vision of the other 12 miles of agony, or I would probably not get out of bed. I also keep telling myself that I am running with an extra 40 lbs. That is an accomplishment in and of itself. The well trained athletes don’t have to go out an do their workouts with an extra 40lbs strapped on to them.
Thursday 1/7 - 45 minute XXX bike at the gym. Feel like a cold is coming on.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (1/8-1/12) : No workouts. Cold did come on - tired and fatigued. Mental battle going on. One side feeling the need to get out and do something, feeling like I am losing training days. The other side of me recognizing that to over do the training while sick could make me even more weak and prolong the cold for weeks. This weekend was also Zach's kid b-day party, overnighter, and family b-day dinner. Lots of chaos. So now I just sit and wait. Taking vitamins and drinking herbal tea.
Wednesday 1/13 - Went to the Performance Swim Training course at the gym after work. For the second time in a week the coach didn't show up. Did a lite workout coming off of a cold. 900 yards total.
- 200 yard warm up
- 600 yards - 100 yard split times of (1:43, 1:52, 1:51, 1:49, 1:55, 1:49)
- 100 yard cool down.
Friday 1/15 - 45 minute XX-bike at the Gym (6:00 am)
Saturday 1/16 - Snowboarding :)
Sunday 1/17 - No Exercise - went to see ailing grandmother.
Monday 1/18 - Ran 6.2 miles (59:16) in the pouring rain. What is more challenging than running hills? Running hills, in the rain, with a 15-30 mph headwind. 3 miles into the wind, mostly uphill (31:08), 3 miles wind at my back, mostly downhill (26:26). Even in bad weather my legs felt stronger than they have in weeks. Maybe the day off and 9 hours of sleep last night did me some good.
Tuesday 1/19 - 45 minute XXX-Bike at the gym (6:00am)
Wednesday 1/20 - 45 minute XX-bike at the gym (6:00pm)
Thursday 1/21 - 45 minute XXX-bike at the gym (6:00pm)
Saturday 1/23 - 6 feet of new powder fell this week. Had to spend the day at Northstar on the board. At least my quads got a good workout.
Sunday 1/24 - No exercise. Should have gone out first thing in the morning when I woke up. Wishful thinking that maybe Amanda and I would go for a run or bike ride in the afternoon. Household chores took control, and before you know it, it is dark outside and raining again. Lessson Learned - Take advantage of the open spaces of time to exercise. Don't put it off.
Monday 1/25 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00am). Still cold and raining out this morning - decided not to run. Didn't get enough sleep and didn't sleep well. At least I did something.
Weighed in at 195 lbs. (Amazing that I have totally changed my eating habits and incresing exercise and I am not losing weight.)
Tuesday 1/26 - 45 minute XXX-Bike at the gym (6:00am). Not overly motivated during today's workout. felt like I was giving it about 80%. The real victory was the mental battle this morning while laying in bed. After my alarm went off I laid there for 15 minutes trying to convince myself that my body needed more rest and that my time would be better spent sleeping rather than getting up for another workout. I finally jumped out of bed when I faced the truth and stopped listening to lazy Keith and started listening to Triathlete Keith. I had to face the fact that 1 more hour of sleep really wouldn't change my day that much, but I would regret missing a workout. Believe it or not, all this time away from running and I am hoping it will stop raining so that I can go for a run soon.
Wednesday 1/26 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00pm), followed by 1.5 mile run on the treadmill at 8:00 minute per mile pace. Heart rate 159 following run.
Thursday 1/27 - Not a planned day off - Work/Life won today. No time slot to squeeze in a workout.
Friday 1/28 - 45 minute XX-Bike at the gym (6:00am), followed by 1 mile run on the treadmill at a 10 minute pace. Trying to get my legs used to the transition.
Saturday 1/29 - Full day of snowboarding.
Sunday 1/30 - Traveled to see grandma. No workout.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
On The Road to Vineman Ironman 70.3
November 1, 2009 registration opened for the 2010 Vineman Ironman 70.3 in Sonoma County. Amanda and I decided 2010 would be the year to tackle this challenge, so we pulled out the credit card and made the committment (or at least paid for it). During the months of November and December as I ran and biked I often thought I should write down what training I completed and record my thoughts and attitudes along the way. As January rolled around I decided create this blog for a couple reasons:
- Publicly record my training to keep me honest
- Create a history of the journey to look back on after successfully completing the event
- To encourage others who may be considering taking on a half ironman or any other challenge
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