Less than Two weeks and...

...tragedy strikes!

Training has been going fine, some great days, some average days, some crappy days....'it happens'.

I have been fortunate enough to get on the IMOO course twice, the first time the beginning of August which ended up being a 108 mile ride.  Things went very well that day.  I was comfortable, nutrition and hydration were spot on, and I was able to get a feel for the course....and those hills.

No doubt it's a tough course, but after finishing, I know I can do this IM thing.  The run may not be pretty, but I'll get it done.

Other work outs have been fine, nothing outrageous.  My body and mind are certainly fatigued, which they should be this month with peak training.  I almost go into a robot like trance, and just go about the business and not really think about.  Yes, I have skipped a couple workouts, typically the swim, maybe a short run, usually in the interest of more sleep, which I think is the right call at this point.

This past weekend I competed in the Madison Open Water Swim (MOWS), which has several races.  The most popular is the 2.4 mile Wetsuit legal race.  This is essentially the 'dress rehearsal' for IM for almost all folks that enter into this, as it is on the IMWI Swim Course, 1.2 mile x 2 loops vs. the current 2.4 x 1 loop IMWI course.  I had a good swim, finishing in 1:07, which was good enough for 4th in my AG and 24 overall.  I can honestly say I felt sluggish, I was not on my A game that day, however being at peak training, it was anticipated.  What does this mean for my anticipated IMWI swim split?  Wow, not really sure.  1.  I would expect to feel more fresh with a good taper, however, 2. Do I really want to push hard in the swim to save myself 5 minutes in the day?  I'm not really sure what will happen.  My gameplan is to be solid in the swim, stay efficient and try not to push to hard.  I believe in doing so, my pace will be good enough to keep a 1:10 overall time.  Of course, if I catch a good draft, I may be able to knock a few minutes off of that, but I'm more concerned with having a clean swim vs. saving myself 5 minutes or so.  By clean, I'm looking for open water, not much in the way of bumping, pushing, dunking, goggles coming etc.  So my plan is to start on the outside, take the long angle to the first turn buoy and then find a draft and go from there.

So anyhow, this past Saturday, after finishing MOWS, many of us head out to the bike course and get some miles in. The plan was to start at Fireman's Park, and ride 2 loops on the course, which would be about 84 miles.  Off we went, and I was with a group that's a bit faster than me, so be it.  They were kind of enough to stop every so often to let me catch up (yeah, that makes a guy feel AWESOME).  First loop was uneventful, and in fact, felt rather strong on the hills.  We stopped to reload on water and headed out on the second loop.  By this time, the heat had crept up on us, and it was a reported 91 degrees....and we were wilting quick.  The breeze had picked up a bit as well, so fatigue was setting in for all of  us, and we were looking to get done.  We made our way through the second loop, and as usual, the rest of the group had pulled ahead, not a big deal, I'll see them later.  I came up to the first of the 3 Bitches, Old Sauk, which is a long windy hill, not the steepest, but the longest, so time to hunker down.  I made my way up the hill, doing okay, and crested.  As I began heading down the flat immediately following the hill, shifting gears (in small ring, advancing rear cassette gears), I hear a long bang and all heck breaks loose.  My rear time is locked tight and I'm in a skid.  I manage to maintain control, unclip my left foot, and come to a stop.  As I unclip my right foot, and dismount, I look down and see my chain around the rear fork, and the deraileur is looking meek.  Yep, the cage on the dera broke.  Crap....now what?  I had a phone so started calling another guy in our group, who ended up getting the message and called back.  In the mean time, I continued my investigation, as many other bikers stopped and offered to help any way they could.  Well, remember I told you about that chain on the frame, well there was an abrasion of sorts on the fork, which, left me wondering what it was.

Long story short, an incredible  lady had stopped and offered to drive me back to my car, about 16 miles away.  She was a fellow IM, and was simple awesome.

Monday I take my bike into the shop to see what's going on.  Turns out...the frame is cracked....the carbon fiber rear fork cracked on two sides, and we are thinking from the impact of the chain, as there is no other explanation.  The theory is that something got stuck in the dera or the spokes which caused the chain of events to occur.  Trek unfortunately deems this an "accident" and thus, will not cover anything with their warranty.  They will however, sell you a frame, a 9 series speed concept, to the discounted tune of $2600.  That isn't going to happen at this point.

As I am near vomiting in the shop with this news, and pondering what in the world is going to happen...such as....how the heck is IMWI going to happen now, as I'm just 2.5 weeks out, with no bike, the owner starts a discussion, which ended up continuing the next day on the phone.

Emery's Third Coast Tri in the Falls (other shop is in Milwaukee) is being incredible with this.  We have done a LOT of business with them, and we refer people to them all the time.  Ben, offers to provide me with Cervelo P2 Ultegra as a loaner to finish my training and to race with at IMWI.  Once I'm done with the race, we will work on a gameplan to fix my bike vs. getting a new frame, but he doesn't want me to worry about that right now....stay focused on IM.  I was literally ready to call it quits, ask my wife (she wasn't happy), and just chalk it up to 'it happens' and try to do this in a couple years again.  With this offer, I could actually breathe again, and I'm gaining confidence that everything will be okay.

So today hopefully, I will get fitted with the P2, and this weekend get a nice ride in on it and get a feel for it.  It's funny, because when I first started this Tri thing, and I was googly eyed by all the 'fancy' bikes, I always told my wife I wanted a Cervelo P2.....and now it looks like I get a chance to ride one.  Destiny?  Perhaps, or dumb luck.  Either way, I'm counting my blessings that this opportunity was provided, and I will try to 'pay if forward' to others any way I can.

I think I"m ready for this.....I think I am going to be an Ironman.  I know it all comes down to one day at this point.  I've put in the miles, now it's just time to believe, and to execute the plan.  The plan you ask?  Well, I have a plan, and a back up plan, and a back up plan for that.......and then, as hard as it is for me, I know I have to be open minded that day, and roll with the punches.  Game day management, like the game of golf, is going to be vital.  Will it be hot, or cold, or windy, will my stomach get angry with my Infinite early on....lots of stuff can happen.  It comes down to making decisions on the fly, that will impact me an hour later.  17 hours is a very short long time.

PS:  I also wanted to mention the incredible support from my wife and Donkey's when news spread of this bike issue.  I had offers to borrow bikes left and right, and I can't tell you how awesome it was to know I had that kind of support.  Incredible people in my life, and I am thankful for that.

Half Way There

Yep, that's right, 10 weeks to go until 'go time'.  It's rather hard to believe that, first, the training plan is half done, and second, race day is now less than 10 weeks away.  Yes...nerves have started to kick in a bit thinking about it.  Little stuff, that I probably shouldn't worry about, is making me question a lot of my raceday prep.  Tire repairs levers, how many tubes to carry, how many to keep in Special Needs, how much fluid and nutrition to pack, wrenches to make any emergent adjustments.....that kind of stuff.  I suppose once I put it down on paper it will all make sense....I hope.

Training is going pretty good.  Tuesday and Thursday mornings are swim mornings, so up at 4:30 on those days.  My swim training is going well, as I've been maintain a 1:40 - 1:44 per hundred yard average in the pool.  I 4000 yard time trial last week end up being 1:10.  So I am guestimating at this point, with the addition of the wetsuit, and probable drafting (hopefully) I think my IMWI swim of 2.4 miles will be about 1:05 to 1:10, depending on how the day goes.  I really do not want to blow out in the swim, as it's a long day.  I do think I could be about an hour, or even under a hour if I really went for it.....but that's poor strategy for the day. 

This past Saturday I had a nice 60 mile ride which felt pretty good.  I did a nice brick run off of it, and was going WAY to fast.  For some reason, my legs are crazy fast when I do a brick run.  Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of.

Running, things are going pretty well there too.  Last Sunday, I ran 13.1 miles (was supposed to do 12), and I PR'd.....best time ever. 

I have missed a couple workouts here and there, the smaller onces, which I'm okay with.  I have officially gone down to two swims per week, as I just wasn't finding the benefit of the third swim.  A bit more rest is certainly worth it.

Injuries....about the only thing is left foot Extensor Tendonitis which flares up after my long Sunday runs.  Ice has done wonders, and my training plan allows for essentially three days until my next run, so everything seems in sync.  Hopefully the injury bug stays away. 

Next up, more training day ahead.  Door County Half is coming up in three weeks.  My wife is getting anxious for her taper to begin, but pretty normal there.  She has crushed her training plan, and assuming she does okay in the swim, she is going to have a very very good day in Door County.  I believe the plan is to do the bike and run together, which will be fun.  The swim, I'm still pondering jumping into the elite way and seeing how fast i can do the course with no one else in front of me to dodge around.  Unfortunately, my T1 will be excessively long as I way for my wife, but a little chilling, and we'll get on the bike and go from there.  As much as I want to PR myself, which I think I can improve on last years race, I'm more excited for my wife and finishing together....I think that will be an incredible experience.   People that aren't into the sport of Tri's simply do not understand the time, effort, emotion that goes into this.  Absolutely it is a physical strain, but the mental and emotional aspects are equally important.  This will be a huge day for her....can't wait!   Also will have a massive Donkey contingent tat weekend, so it should be incredible to cheer everyone on, both Saturday and Sunday. 

Well summer is offically upon us...enjoy, God Bless and Happy 4th of July!!!

And Training Continues

It's early to mid June and the weather is really getting into a perfect groove.  We have had some awesome days out there, not too hot, and in fact, the mornings have been perfect.....nice and cool.

My training has continued well for the most part.  Our schedule has, as expected, full, so I have had to miss a couple workouts here and there, but never missing the long rides and runs.  I was out of town for a week with work, and had to make due, but it will be fine, not a big deal.

To date my longest ride is 50 miles, which I followed up with the next day with an 11 mile run.  Neither felt great, as I was coming off the week I was gone, but I got them done.  The pace on the bike was crummy, same with the run, but again, I guess I'm just not worried about it anymore.  I want to be fast....I'm just.....not fast.

My weight, especially after eating little the week I was gone, as drifted near 200, which is the first check point I was shooting for.  10 more pounds and I think I will be at that IMOO race day weight, give or take. 

It's funny, I look at the rides coming up, 50, 60, 70, 100 mile rides, and I get excited.  Excited because I know I can do it, be smart, have a plan for nutrition and hydration, and I know my legs will cooperate.  Scary weird to think about.  Same with the run.  I know if I stay within myself, my legs will just keep churning, almost without thinking.  This past weekend, the 11 mile run, I struggled for 3/4 of it, but for some stupid reason my legs woke up at the end.  Go figure!

Lots of crazy schedule stuff coming up, we'll get it figured out though.  A big shout out to the Donkeys that have already started racing....they are knocking it out of the park for these early season races!   Keep up the great work folks!   Oh, and nice freaking jerseys too!
Oh yeah, one last thing.  I once was asked, when I mentioned the idea of doing IMWI, why I would want to do that?  That 'it' was "stupid".  At the time I simply said, because most of the people would even try to.  But, that very same person and husband decided to take up spectating this year at IMOO and have their hotel room booked.  Hmmm, this Tri thing must be intriguing!  You can't beat the atmosphere of IMOO, and I am confident they will absolutely be floor by the weekends events. 

Well folks, enjoy the summer, keep it awesome, keep working, and love every second of it! 

My First Taste of a Recovery Week

Well I'm four weeks into 'the plan', and things are going pretty darn good.  It's a recovery week, so the workouts are a bit shortened, which is nice, I guess.  My body probably appreciates it, but mentally I'm just sticking to the plan, and trusting everything will work out.

It's been a juggling act the past several weeks, with family activities and so forth.  With my wife actively training for a 1/2 Iron, two of my children kicking off Little League, both of which I am assistant coaching for, and spring has officially arrived, complete with all the yard work trimmings.  Truth be told, the schedule has been tolerable.  My wife and I are diligent about reviewing our schedules, and making adjustments on the fly.  Yes, small workouts have been missed, which I believe I have missed a total of 3, but all in all, I'm not bothered with that. 

A wonderful little gift of a cold cracked me in the chops last week....mean little bug.  But everything seems nearly back to normal now, so just keep pushing. 

Low Points:  Last week, my 10 mile run was not on par, as my legs just would not move they way I wanted them to.  But, 'get over it' seems to be the mantra, and keep pushing on. 

High Points:  My weight continues to tumble, and I'm about 5 lbs from lowest point I've been in the past decade.  Needless to say, it's exciting, but I want to be healthy and balanced throughout summer, so I'm not really sure where I will end up.

Goals in the next month:  Continue sticking to the plan.  Continue altering the plan to allow for other events.  I do need to improve diet a hair, as I've slacked a bit in the past week, but this isn't a huge concern. 

16 weeks to go.....time is a flying!

1 Month From Now.....

......my training plan officially starts.  And now that I have an impoved pc, I can actually continue to post on here. 

To say I'm not nervous to get going is completely untrue.  I'm more than ready to start the training plan, and more than ready to commit to an actual plan, but perhaps I'm still in shock and awe of the whole thing to begin with.  Time to get over that crap, right? 

So what have I been up to?  Well, winter weight was added over the holidays, as always.  So my plan, along with my wife's, was to improve diet, and get into a better routine with working out. 

Diet - Well we always loved protein shakes in the morning, and then real food in the evening.  So we took this a step further, and were introduced to a very clean organic whey protein, along with a 'cleanse' product (don't get the wrong idea), as the focus was to drop a few pounds before really getting into the meat and potatoes of the training.  And, we are really trying to avoid gluten!  That is very challenging to say the least!  We have had excellent results over the past couple months, and I am about 10 pounds away from the lowest I've been in all of my training the past 4+ years.  We are feeling great, and ready to roll.

My wife kicked off her training plan about two weeks ago, and so far so good! 

April 22nd, is the date for me.  So I am ramping up the workouts now, listening to my body and not over doing it.  There will be plenty of time to get bored with training this summer...no hurry on that.

Swimming:  I have been maintain 2 swims per week, averaging about 2500-3000 yards per workout.  It has been fun to mix up the workouts between long steady swims, and some interval sets.  This will continue once I get in the plan, of course with an increase in yardage.  I have noticed an issue with my right arm while swimming, as my hand and arm are extending down a bit more on my entry.  This is common on the breathing side, but something I am consciously working on.  In a 4200 yard swim, efficiency is the name of the game.  I have been doing some research on swim times for IMWI.  It seems like if a person can break an hour on the swim, they are in some pretty good company.  I think I could potentially swim that time, but I fear blowing out in order to do it, and that does not equate to a good race for the remainder of the day.  We'll see where the training takes me and some time trials.

Bike:  Well.....I got tired of my 1.5 in a 58cm, as I was not comfortable, very extended, and frankly, desperate for some help.  So...I did some shopping, and got a great fit on a new 2011 SC 7.5, all decked out.  I'm very excited to get this out on the road and see what 'we' can do!  In addition, I have continued to do the 20 week winter training through Emery's, our local bike shop.  My wattage has increased a TON.  It was an eye opening experience to know just how weak my legs were before.  Though clearly still a below average power cyclist, I know I have improved and will continue to in time.  It's been fun, 4 weeks to go, then onto the training plan!  Good times ahead!

Run:  Back in the Kayano's!  And loving them.  Sorry Newton's, my running form isn't going to change...that much.  I have been maintaining at least two runs per week, 1 of the interval/negative split variety over 3-4 miles, and the second is a steady pace 6-8 mile run.  Hmm, mixed feelings here.  I think as the weather improves, and I get outside more, I will feel better.  I'm nervous with how my running feels right now, but I am also comparing that to my marathon training from a year ago, which I was exclusively training for.  Big difference.

Other news:  The Donks have created and ordered new jerseys for 2014, which I had the pleasure of designing and taking on the ordering task!  It's been fun, but will be glad when it's all over.  Look out for the Crazy donkey jerseys....in bright new colors!

And because we don't have enough going on in our lives, why not add in remodeling of our house, which we are slowing getting done on our own.  It's been interesting, but I really hope to have this behind us before the plan kicks off, or I fear we won't finish.

Last but not least, our kids are kicking off the baseball season shortly, oh, soccer too, and silly me, I couldn't stay away from coaching, again.  This time, 2 teams.  Assistance status though.

Anyhow, glad to back on here, and looking forward to the days, weeks, and months ahead! 

Less than six months away! 

Whewww, where have I been???

Wow, sorry 'bout that!  I'm not really sure why I'm apologizing, perhaps it is to myself.

What have I been up to?  Well, I had a couple weeks off of work, which I did some other 'work' in the great state of Colorado.  It was a great experience and well worth my time.

While I was there, alone I might add, I had plenty of time to spend with the hotel treadmills in the evenings.  The first week I was there I had the very best intentions to run everyday, but that quickly ended after the first couple runs on back to back evenings. 

You see....my legs were ready to go, and my mind was ready to go, but for some reason my lungs decided they wanted nothing to do with this.  Time to clue in there buddy....it's call the Mile High City for a reason.

Yeah, needless to say I blew off the notion of higher altitude training as nothing more than myth.  My theory has been exposed, and gravely incorrect.  Let's just say the burning in my lungs was alarming and did limit my progress.

However, by week two, my lungs were feeling much better and thus my runs were doing better.

What else.  Let's see....oh yeah, our LBS is having registration night tonight for their 20 week winter bike training classes.  I'm exciting to go check this out and hopefully sign up, but nervous because there is no way I can commit to every Wednesday evening.  Either way I think it's a great idea to go bike with like minds/legs and get a good work out.

Otherwise nothing new.  My weight is down from my two weeks away, and I'm very motivated to keep it that way.  We are nearing the end of the year, so it's time to be sure I'm healthy, and my base training is where it needs to be.  My training plan is still a couple months off, which is good, because I know I can improve just a hair more before kicking that off.

Until next time folks.......chow!

Where has the Time Gone???

Jeez, what's my excuse now?  Yeah yeah, sorry 'bout that.  You know, recently my (said 'Our Family's) schedule has been your typical one with multiple things occurring.  That being said, workouts have continued to evolve, and typically have numbered at least 5 per week.

I have continued to do one swim workout per week, varying the work a bit.  Recently, I've been doing more Swim/Kick/Pull sets to mix things up a bit.  So, something like this:  500 warm up, building intensity the last 200.  Then 200 x 12:  Swim/Kick/Pull.  I will then do a 500-750 continuous swim, with the last 100 very easy, as a cool down.  Some other workouts I have been doing is:  400 warm up.  500 x 4, then a 200 cool down.  And another one:  500 warm up.  200 swim, 100 kick, 200 pull, 100 kick, 200 swim, 100 kick, 200 pull, 100 kick, 200 swim.  This set was brutal...just sayin. 

Biking:  I'm a wimp....too cold already to bike outside, so the bike is on the trainer.  It is making it easy to get on the bike and go though.  So, I have been averaging about 3 hours a week currently, just getting 'back in the saddle'.  For the past couple of weeks, I have really concentrated on going to the big ring, hardest gear, and standing and just pumping continuously for several minutes, followed by spinning it out, and repeats.  Good stuff.

Running:  Consistancy is the theme here.  I have been running 2-3 times a week.  Typically I will do 3-4 miles and then lift weights one night.  My next run will be an easy 4 miler, and finally trying to get in a 'track workout', which my wife and I try to do together.  so far so good.

Diet:  Again, my diet is better, but not what it needs to be next year when I kick the actual plan into gear.  that will be hard for me at the time, so mentally I need to prepare for this.

Overall:  I have noticed a fairly decent weight loss at this point, which is encouraging, but I do know I need to get a few more pounds off prior to starting my IM plan.  Stay the course and keep doing what I'm doing and I should be fine.  I have yet to step on a scale, and frankly it doesn't really matter anymore.  I know how I feel when my weight is right.  However, I can say that my legs are getting more muscular, and back side as well.  Clothes are fitting different, and I can tell a difference in muscle tone.  Lifting and biking, with some running has made progress!  Yippee!

Until next time folks...."just keep swimming, swimming swimming...."