Tale of the Tape: Week Thirteen

Monday morning weigh-in

Starting Weight: 208 lbs

Last Week’s Weight: 196.0 lbs

Current Weight: 194.7 lbs

Weekly Difference: -1.3 lbs

Total Lost: 13.3 lbs

All right, I know I initially said I wasn’t going to write down my food intake or count calories, mostly because it is a pain in the butt; however, I decided that if I’m going to be serious about my training, I also need to be serious about my diet.  I was also tired of being stuck around 195 for the last three weeks.  I hate being stagnant!!! That being said, I’ve started to record all intake and keep track of calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  I hate it, but honestly it’s really the only way for me to be discipline with what I eat and see where I'm going wrong.  I had a really good week keeping the protein on the high side and eating good, clean food. I had a little slippage on Saturday and Sunday night, but nothing to horrible.  That being said, I averaged around 1300 Kcal a day.  That’s pretty low, but I never really felt hungry; probably because I ate a lot of protein and cut down on the carbs.  Simple carbohydrates contribute to insulin spikes and results in hunger and eating more crappy carbs (i.e. chips and sodas).  Protein on the other hand keeps you feeling full longer… YEAH steak!

So… based on my great week of training consisting of nine total training sessions at an hour or more a piece, one of which was three hours long (a total of 7,000 Kcals of exercise), coupled with an average of 1300 Kcal a day of food, plus just everyday calories burned from living and breathing, how in the world did I only lose one pound?  It would seem physiologically impossible… well, apparently it’s not.  I just did it.

This is why losing weight can be so infuriating.  However, there are a few factors to consider when jumping on the scale.  On any given day you can fluctuate several pounds, due to several different reason, one being water retention.  Also, muscle weighs more than fat weighs. So, best case scenario is that I was retaining water this morning and gain some muscle over the week(s).  Who freaking knows… the reality is that I believe my body truly hates me and enjoys in making me suffer through workouts and eating “clean” food, only to reward with losing one freaking pound. 

I’m going to continue to fight the good fight.  I’d like to see another week of healthy food and  another 100% on the training. One day at a time…

My body will submit to my efforts!

Week 12 Complete: Back on track!

Know that at least one person called me on missing last week’s posts and I apologize (thank you Nate for keeping me honest).  It was just one of those crazy weeks.  The weather was crappy, I didn’t get all my workouts in, and my weight was just stagnant.  I didn’t feel like I had much to write about that didn’t make me feel worse than I already did.

 

 

So, now that the pity party is over, let’s get down to week 12. I had a great week of training. I was able to hit all my workouts for the first time in weeks.  One of the more challenging things about the “build” phase is the addition of a third swim workout.  But I got them done and even swam 3,000m straight freestyle for the first time… ever.  I felt good and I even felt like I could have continued on.  My speed isn’t overly great, but at least I got the laps in.  I had an extremely tough ride on Saturday.  It started out as a 2:30 ride, but turned into a 3:00 ball buster.  The 1:15 on the way out was awesome.  I averaged very close to 20mph. However, on the turnaround I hit the most ridiculous headwind.  It felt like I was pedaling through mud for the next 1:45.  For you mathematically challenged folks out there, it took me an extra 30 minutes to get back.  All motivation from the first half was gone within 10 minutes and I cussed aloud for the remainder of the ride.  It sucked!!!  But I got through it, even though the thought of calling my wife to pick me up did cross my mind… at least once.

Monday
Rest Day

Tuesday
S -500m warm up, 8x50m drill, 200-300-400-500 @ 45sec, 8x50m drill, 300m cool down
R - 0:45 Z2 (at 0:10, insert 5 min Z4)

Wednesday
B - Trans: 0:45 Z2 (QC)
R - 0:15 Z2

Thursday
S - 500m warm up, 8x50m drill, 7x125 @ 20sec, 7x75 @ 15sec, 8x50m drill, 300m cool down
B - 1:00 Z2 (at 0:15, insert 5 min Z4)

Friday
S - 3,000m straight
R - 1:00 Z2 (at 0:45, insert 5 min Z4)

Saturday
B - 2:30 Z2 (QC)
R - 0:15 Z2

Sunday
B - 0:30 Z1 (100+ RPM)
R - 1:00 Z1 to Z2

Total Hrs: 11:00
S: 3:00
B: 4:45
R: 3:15

This next week is similar to last.  Speed work continues to be added to all runs and rides, which makes for an interesting workout.  I definitely need it, but they are challenging. Nothing worse than doing sprints in the middle of a long run, knowing you still have miles to go afterward.

I'm getting close to the halfway point of my Ironman training.  I have a feeling that the race is going to be here sooner than I know it.

Tale of the Tape: Week Eleven

Monday morning weigh-in

Starting Weight: 208 lbs

Last Week’s Weight: 202.0 lbs

Current Weight: 195.1 lbs

Weekly Difference: -6.9 lbs

Total Lost: 12.9 lbs

I think I finally got all of the bad stuff out of me from my week and half in Texas.  I’m back down to 195 lbs.  It’s amazing how one week of being off the right path gets you in to so much trouble. I figure I wasted two weeks total.  The first week of basically eating and drinking whatever I wanted, followed by another week of kicking myself in the ass just to recover.  Imagine if I stayed disciplined the first week and was able to loss a couple pounds, followed up with a kick ass training/diet week.  I’d probably be around 190 lbs, if not lower.  Instead I had to make up for the damage done.  What a waste.

I did really enjoy my time with friends and family, so I guess it was worth it.  That was the last time I’ll be able to do that until the summer. Maybe I needed to get it out of my system before the real training begins.  My current place of residence is lacking in all departments: good friends, good family, and good food.  I look forward to leaving this crap hole of a town, where I can at least enjoy things in moderation, instead of bingeing like someone finding an oasis in the desert, every time I visit civilization.  Sorry Leesville, LA, but you really do suck.

Although, it would seem that the lack of... well, "everything" here in Leesville, will be a distinct advantage to my training and weight loss program.  So, I guess I should appreciate where I'm at, but thank the Lord I'm out of here in July!!!!  YEAH!!!! 

 

Week Ten Complete: A Solid Week of Training

Coming off of the Christmas holiday I really needed a good training week.  It wasn’t perfect, but at least I completed all my workouts, in some form or fashion.  Friday’s swim and run were a bit lackluster and I didn’t finish them completely.  My body just wasn’t feeling it; so, I finished about half of each workout.  That being said, I did complete my three hour ride on Saturday, which was a bear I must admit.  Hour one was golden.  I felt good and the bike felt great.  Hour two, I started to get a bit tired, but nothing horrible. Hour three sucked.  By 2:30 my legs were jelly and it was all I could do to spin my way home.  The wind was completely obnoxious the entire ride, but I blame the lack of legs on missing some of my long rides over the last month.  Talk about biting you in the butt, or the legs to be specific. I knew it would eventually catch up to me.  All in all, I finished the ride and was able to knockout an eight mile run today, which wasn’t fast, but I got it done.

Monday
Rest Day

Tuesday
S -300m warm up, 8x50m drill, 1x300 @ 40sec, 3x200 @ 30sec, 1x300 @ 30sec, 8x50m drill, 200m cool down
R - 1:00 Z2

Wednesday
B - Trans: 0:45 Z2 (QC)
R - 0:30 Z2

Thursday
S - 2500m

B - 1:15 Z1 (100+ RPM)

Friday
S - 2500m 1200m
R - 1:00 Z2  0:30 Z2

Saturday
B - 3:00 Z2

Sunday
R - 1:30 Z1 to Z2

Total Hrs: 11:00
S: 2:00
B: 5:00
R: 4:00

This next week starts the “Build Phase” of my training.  That means continuing to increase the training hours, an additional swim session, speed work, and two additional brick workouts, for a total of three. Brick: biking and then running, with minimal rest between.  Bricks are good training and preparation for the actual triathlon race. Those additional bricks will be challenging because they occur on my long ride and run days… like they’re not hard enough as is!

This should be a challenging week of training and hopefully I’ll be able to hit all my workouts.

Have a great week!

Tale of the Tape: Week Ten. The evil that restaurants do

Monday morning weigh-in

Starting Weight: 208 lbs

Last Week’s Weight: 195.0 lbs

Current Weight: 202.0 lbs

Weekly Difference: +7.0 lbs

Total Lost: 6 lbs

OUCH!! Remember when I mentioned that my body wanted to gain weight… well it did.  Granted I did spend the last ten days in Texas with friends and family and I didn’t hold back very much.  Here’s the thing, I still got in five cardio workouts that all lasted at least an hour.  I honestly can’t imagine that I actually gained seven pounds… maybe a few, but not seven.   We’ll have to see what this next week holds to get an accurate gauge on how much I really put on.  Not a lot to do but work out and recover from Texas.

What I can tell you is that we ate out a lot and I’m pretty sure restaurants and all of their deliciousness were my downfall.  Ten days, eleven restaurants... the horror!

Whataburger: Whataburger with cheese
Cousin's BBQ: Smoked turkey and baked beans
Blue Crab: Halibut with a lobster tamale (Holy crap this was good!) *
Grace's: Risotto "Paella" (Great restaurant, but the this dish needs to come off the menu.) *
Uncle Julio's: Tacos carnitas *
Joe T Garcia's: Enchilada, rice, beans, lots of chips *
Texas Roadhouse: Steak salad *
Rodeo Goat: Cowboy Murrin Hamburger *
Whataburger: Cheese taquitos with potatoes
The Woodshed: Rib meat tamales *
Ice Cream Parlor - Ft. Worth Zoo: Strawberry ice cream

All places with an "*" denotes that alcohol was consumed (beer, wine, and/or champagne) to some degree.  We also had some unbelievable home cooking, which also deserves an asterisks as well.

I haven’t been to this many restaurants in the last three months, much less in ten days.  So, watch those restaurants… they’ll ruin you!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year’s.  I'll be enjoying my celery and water!  ;)

Cheers!

Week Nine Complete: Holiday fun

Christmas week… what can I say? I did get most of my workouts in, but I also ate like a fiend.  The damage will be assessed tomorrow morning.  I’ve been in Texas for the last ten days, so I haven’t been able to swim. I feel like my run in coming along pretty well though.  Not necessarily in the speed department, but just being comfortable in my “running shoes”. I’ve started to relax a bit and actually have begun to enjoy some of my runs.  As I continue to lose weight, I know running will get easier.  It can’t come soon enough!

I’ve been riding the same Masi road bike since 1997.  It's been a wonderful bike and hasn’t changed a bit since I first bought it, a real work horse.  Its is a silver 60^th anniversary, diamond jubilee edition, steel framed road bike, with Shimano 105 components.  Only 100 were ever made.  I bought it in Columbus, GA, for $1200. I’ve dragged that bike to the four corners of the US and beyond. It's been through rain, sleet, and snow.   It’s seen sprint tri’s, Olympic distance tri’s, road races, group rides and of course, lots and lots of solo rides.

 I hated to do it, but with the Ironman coming up in May, I needed to switch to a tri specific bike to start training on and ride during the race. I purchased my first triathlon bike this week and was able to take it out on Saturday.  It felt awesome... and fast.  Changing to a tri bike allows for a more aerodynamic position while riding with the aero bars that are on the front.  Being in the “aero position” decreases drag and allows for increased speed. The angles on a tri bike are also different from a road bike.  The tri bike angles change muscle usage in the legs, and allow s for a better transition from the bike to run. During the race, I’ll want to stay in the aero position as long as possible.  It will take a while to get use to riding like that, but just like any other part of my training, the more I do it, the better I will get. 

Here she is:

 

Bike specs:

• Frame: Cervélo 2012 P2
• Fork: Cervélo FK26
• Seatpost: Cervélo aero TT
• Shift Levers: Shimano SL-BS79
• Front Der.: Shimano Dura Ace 7900
• Rear Der.: Shimano Dura Ace 7900
• Cassette: Shimano Ultegra 
• Chain: Shimano Ultegra 
• Brake Calipers: Shimano Dura Ace 7900
• Brake Levers: TRP Ultra Light Carbon 
• Crankset: FSA Gossamer (50/34)
• BB: FSA MegaExo
• Headset: FSA IS 2
• Stem: 3T ARX PRO
• Handlebar: 3T Aura Pro
• Aerobars: 3T alloy
• Saddle: Fi'zi:k Arione Tri2
• Wheels: Vision Team 30 
• Tires: Vittoria Rubino Pro Slick

Added:

·  Pedals: Shimano Ultegra PD-6800

Total Price: $2789.98

As with most things, price and quality are huge.  New triathlon bike prices range from around $1000 and can go up to $10,000.  It's obviously a huge investment, but fortunately, the bike will last for many years.  Like I mentioned earlier, I've been riding my Masi for 16 years, with no issues.  So, unless I turn pro (not likely), I see this as the first and last tri bike I'll ever need.


Monday
Rest Day

Tuesday
S -300m warm up, 8x50m drill, 3x125 @ 20sec, 2x175 @ 30sec, 3x125 @ 20sec, 8x50m drill, 200m cool down
R - 1:00 Z2

Wednesday
B - Trans: 0:45 Z2 (QC)
R - 0:15 Z2

Thursday
S - 300m warm up, 8x50m drill, 16x25 @ 10sec, 1x400 @ 60sec, 16x25 @ 10sec, 8x50m drill, 200m cool down
B - 1:00 Z1 (100+ RPM)

Friday
R - 1:00 Z2

Saturday
B - 2:45 Z2

Sunday
R - 1:15 Z1 to Z2

Total Hrs: 10:00 7:00
S: 2:00
B: 4:30 3:45
R: 3:30 3:15

This next week will be the last week for the base training phase and then I'll transition into the build phase.  The build phase is when I think things will start to get serious.  Nothing to it, but to do it!


 

Tale of the Tape: Week Nine

Monday morning weigh-in

Starting Weight: 208 lbs

Last Week’s Weight: 197.1 lbs

Current Weight: 195.0 lbs

Weekly Difference: - 2.1 lbs

Total Lost: 13 lbs

Well, it was extremely close, but I met my three week mini challenge of weighing 195 lbs by December 23rd.  195 lbs on the nosey!  My initial weight on Monday morning was 195.4 lbs.  Crap!!!! I don’t want to lose my hair!  I was very close, so I thought I do a quick run and then re-weigh.  As I was getting dressed, I wondered how much my shorts weighed and had to go back and check.  I dropped my shorts, stepped back on the scale, and BOOM!  195.0 lbs.  I’ll take that all day! I look forward to sharing my 25 year old scotch with friends and family. 

We’ve been in Ft. Worth since Friday, which means lots of eating out.  I barely pulled off the scotch challenge and have a feeling this week will be a challenge in itself.  Christmas week with the family, equals lots of great food and spirits. Moderation will be the key, as well as getting in my training, which will also be very difficult.

Nothing big for stats this week, so I’ll just leave you with a:

Merry Christmas! 

Don’t forget the military men and women overseas.  Keep them in your prayers.