The Good, the bad, and the ok…

Starting with the good, I finished the GW Parkway Classic (10 miler) on Sunday in 1:31. That’s a 9:03 average minute per mile pace, which puts me ahead of schedule for my running goal of 9:00 minute miles (for 13.1) by the end of May. I owe Sunday’s time to my training buddies, both during training and on race day.  Thanks ya’ll. You rock!!! Hopefully, if I can keep knocking down the time, I’ll be at 8:00 minute miles by mid-summer and 7:30 or better by the end of the summer. Only time and training will tell.  

Jumping to “the ok”, my training schedule was intentionally light this past week; however, it got even lighter as the week went on. I missed my two swim days, one because I slept in and the other because the lifeguard didn’t show up.  I did do some swim specific strength training with thera-bands and some much needed upper body work and stretching. I really needed to get some pool time in, especially since I’ve got a tri on Saturday. Fortunately, it’s only a 1500m swim and I can muscle through it.

And for the bad… I gained two pounds. I’m hoping it’s the carb loading and all of the water and Gatorade I drank all weekend in preparation for the race and post-race. If that’s the case, I should at least get back to 198lbs; if not, I just need to keep buckling down. Beer is a carbohydrate, right?

For this week’s training schedule, I’ll be back to a pretty regular schedule. I’m not going to taper very much like I did for the 10 miler. I’m treating Saturday’s triathlon like another training day and am not going to allow myself to use it as an excuse to “rest” beforehand, or eat food I don’t normally eat.  It’s only an Olympic distance race and I should be done with it in about three hours (finger’s crossed).

I enjoyed my rest day today and look forward to crushing it this week.  Have a great one!!!

Cheers,

Scott

April 18 - 24

Monday
Rest Day

Tuesday
AM - Weight Training/Core
R - 1 :00

Wednesday
S - 2500m
R - :45
B - 1:00

Thursday
AM - Rehab/Stretch
R - Track (Speed Work)

Friday
S - 2500m

AM – Swim specific strength training
B - 1:00

Saturday
R - :30 (easy)

Sunday
R - GW Parkway Classic (10 miler)

Total Time - 5:45 4:45
S - 2:00
B - 2:00 1:00
R - 1:45 3:45

Training Sponsored by the Letter "L"

What a great first week back...

Last week’s training was sponsored by the letter “L”, as in: sore Legs; Lots of hills; Lack of off-season riding; Lamentation of the women (no wait, that’s Conan the Barbarian), Lamentation about my sore Legs... and LOVING IT!!!

Over all, I’m happy with last week’s training, besides the aforementioned lamentation. I was a couple hours short of my projected training goal, but I still got in some great training. Highlights include my first outdoor ride on my bike since November, repeats at the Masonic National Temple (gnarly hill training) with my running buddies, and finishing the week with a ride in the beautiful, but chilly Prince William National Forest. Lowlight… an eight and half mile run the day after enjoying a wonderful evening with the neighbors (good wine and champagne). The run was brutal, but I got it done. I’m getting too old for those kind of shenanigans.

Based on last week I’ve made some tweaks to the schedule and will continue to do so as I work my way up to Eagleman in June. My goal is to get two swims, three rides, and three runs in each week. Additionally, I’d like to get in one weight training session and one rehab/stretching session. That being said, this week’s schedule is tailored down a bit in preparation for the GW Parkway Classic 10 miler (Sunday). I’d like to have some fresh legs for the race and hopefully pull off a sub 95 minute finish time.

I hope everyone has a great week. I'm looking forward the GW Classic and the post run BBQ... but mostly eating!

Cheers,

Scott


April 11 - 17

Monday
S - 1500m
B - 1:30 (Brick)
R - 1 mile (hard)

Tuesday
R - 1:00

Wednesday
S - 1500m
B - 1:00

Thursday (Speed/Strength)
WT/Stretch- Back, shoulders, chest
R - National Masonic Temple stair repeats (x7)

Friday
S - 2000m
R - 1:00 :30

Saturday
B - 2:00 (Brick)
R - :30 1:30

Sunday
B - 1:00 (Brick)
R - 1:30 1 Mile (hard)

Total Time- 10:40 8:20
S - 1:40 1:00
B - 4:30 3:30
R - 4:30 3:50

At It Again...

Hello Everyone,

I’ve been putting this off for over a month now. I didn’t do a blog last year and debated doing one this year as well. However, I decided in order to meet my (lofty) goals this year, I needed to do it. For various reasons, both known and unknown, I found that holding myself accountable for training last year was tough.  As a result, I slogged through three 70.3 races and dodged Ironman Maryland due to a hurricane. Two of the three 70.3’s were pretty painful. I’m really too dumb to know when to stop or quit… both a curse and a blessing.
Ironman training is difficult enough, but I’m sure as others will attest, training for a 140.6 mile race without a training partner, a coach, or a team can be even more challenging. This is especially true in the accountability department. It doesn’t take much to talk myself out of a five hour ride, in lieu of sleeping in or a nice glass <or two> of wine.

So why not get a training partner, a coach, or join a team? Good question, I’m glad you asked. I’m all about training partners. I do rides and runs with some phenomenal folks who really keep me going and help me push myself. However, finding another crazy person to do the amount of training required for an Ironman is another thing entirely. That being said, I’m ecstatic every week I get to run or ride with my training buddies. As far as coaches go, I guess I’m not ready, to get that serious. Maybe when I think I have a shot at a Kona slot (Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii), but until then I’m going to save my money. As far as tri teams go, I think they can be great. However, I don’t think a team is right for me, at least right now. I’ve found that many of those folks, who are great people, just take it wayyy to serious. I probably talk about tri stuff more than I should/want right now; so adding an entire social network devoted to triathlons would be too much.

So… what does that leave? I guess “blogging” (I hate that word) to the few folks that entertain me by reading what I’ve written. I seriously dread having to record missed workouts and bad dietary choices, especially if others are going to read it. Avoiding the dread of admitting to my “bad days” helps me stay on track, which in the long run will help me accomplish my goals.  I know there will be set backs, but that’s what life is about. Nobody is perfect, but staying the course and being accountable helps one make it through, no matter what the challenge.

This year I’ve signed up for three major races, two half Ironman distance races and one full. It’s going to be an exciting year of racing and I’m looking forward to it. To get the season started off right, I’m doing Eagleman 70.3 in Cambridge, MD. Following that, I’m super stoked about racing with my brother again, this time at the Superfrog 70.3 in San Diego, CA. Superfrog will be my ‘A Race’ this year and hope to smoke my previous personal record (PR) of 6:15 at Ironman Texas 70.3, by finishing under 5:15. Dare I say sub five hours? I’ve got lots of work to do either way. Finally, a month later I’ll be doing Ironman North Carolina (formerly Beach to Battleship) with some old Ranger buddies. This is the full meal deal, 140.6 miles, and I can’t wait to feel the pain with some old friends.

I’m going to wrap it up here.  I just wanted to get some thoughts on paper, get some folks in my corner, and get this year of racing kicked off. I look forward to hearing your comments, your cheers, your jeers… and of course the ball busting. More to follow...

Cheers,

Scott

10 pounds short? Just add carbs!

So, I’m currently sitting between 185-188 lbs. That’s just about ten pounds short of my 178 goal by race day. <Insert sad face here> I had some distractions the last couple of months and really couldn’t get back into the groove once I dropped below 190 lbs.  I’m not sure what those 10 lbs will equal on race day, but I do know the 20+ pounds I did loss should be pretty significant.

That being said, starting tomorrow I begin carbohydrate loading.  That means about 75% of my diet will be carbohydrates.  Unfortunately, that does not mean I can have a steady diet of Twinkies and Little Debbie’s, all though that does sound pretty good.  What it does mean is about 1 cup of Bulgar wheat, 3-4 times a day until the race.  I’ll also be supplementing the Bulgar with pasta to change it up a bit.  All said and done, it’ll be about five meals a day for a total of 600g of carbohydrates, about 2400 calories in carbs alone… ouch!  I wish some of those calories were Margaritas! No worries, I’ll still be getting my protein though.

Carb loading saturates the muscles with glycogen (energy to the muscles) which helps keep you moving and preventing the dreaded “BONK!” which is one of my biggest fears for such a long race.  Fueling the body is critical and without the fuel, it could be a short day or a very, very long painful day.  This will also cause me to retain water, which means I’ll probably be even heavy at the start of the race.  Not a big deal since the first hour and half I’ll be swimming and the water in my muscles will slowly absorb as the day presses on.

As far as the last ten pounds, it’s not over after the race.  The goal will be to finish off the last ten pounds by the end of June.  I haven’t done any strength training since I started training for the Ironman and I am really looking forward to getting back into the gym.  Studies have shown that the best way to lose weight is combination of cardio, strength training, and a clean diet. So, I’ll hit weights, stay on the cardio, and keep it clean.   I’ll be shredded in no time!  We’ll see about that…

Wednesday is three days and a wake-up!

Week 30 - This Is The End

The End - The Doors

This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes, again

Can you picture what will be, so limitless and free
Desperately in need, of some, stranger's hand
In a, desperate land

Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane, all the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the King's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles

Ride the snake, he's old, and his skin is cold
The west is the best, the west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest

This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes, again

Can you picture what will be, so limitless and free
Desperately in need, of some, stranger's hand
In a, desperate land

Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane, all the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah
There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the King's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby
Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles

Ride the snake, he's old, and his skin is cold
The west is the best, the west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest

The blue bus is callin' us, the blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you taken us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall

He went into the room where his sister lived, and, then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door, and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother, I want to, fuck you

C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us

And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, on a blue bus
Doin' a blue rock, c'mon, yeah
Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill
This is the end, beautiful friend

This is the end, my only friend, the end
It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
This is the end

 

 

Week 28: Texas 70.3 review and some other stuff

Well it’s been a few weeks since Ironman Texas 70.3 and apologize for the delay.  I started a race review when I got back from Galveston… well, it didn’t make the cut. I noticed it was a long and drawn out account of my race, which seem overly wordy.  Not to mention I want out of town for a couple weeks, immediately after returning from the race. So I regret that the review kind of got pushed aside.

Here are is the Cliff Notes of the race:

What: Ironman Texas 70.3

Where: Galveston, TX
When: April 6, 2014
Who: Me and my brother
Why: Crazy?
How: Standard 70.3 race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run)
Finish Time: 6:15:16
Weather: Overcast, air temp 70’s, water temp 69 degrees

Details:  Overall not a bad race, considering it was my first half Ironman.  I finished at just over six hours.  The swim did not start off very well.  My age group was wave 13 of 20 and we started at 8am. I broke my wetsuit 15 minutes prior to entering the water and I decided to go without the suit.  The water was cold (69 deg F), but I’ve been in colder and didn’t think it was too bad.  That is mostly because I was concerned about the insane amount of chop that I was swimming headfirst into for the first 550 meters.  I made it out of the water unscathed, but a lot slower than I would have liked.

                                                                 Going in (one of the last)

 

                                                              Age Group Mass Start                                                             

 

                                                                         Donzo!!!

The bike went well.  The route was very flat and we had a tail wind on the way out and back (not sure how that happened, but it was nice).  I found an impromptu team mate and followed her for about 38 miles before I had to hit the port-o-john.  All said and done, I averaged 19.5mph for the ride and I don’t think I could have asked for anything better. 

A rough dismount

 

And I'm good!

 

 

To the run… it was very slow.  I pretty much committed myself to running everything, but to walk  the water stations.  They were about a mile apart; so, it was a good mental goal as I tried to finish up the race.  It was three loops with multiple U-turns... I wasn't a big fan.  However, the good thing about the three laps was you had lots of folks cheering you on the whole run.  Very cool.

                                                                      One more lap!!

                                                        With John (He finished 5:29:40)

All in all, not too many hiccups for the day. The wetsuit was obviously a big one. One minor mishap did occur prior to the start on race day.  Somehow we missed that the transition area was closing at 6:30am. I didn’t start unit 8am and John not until 8:15am; so, we were in not hurry as we arrived at 6:22am.  That’s when we heard the announcer say that all athletes had to be out of the transition area in eight minutes.  Needless to say, we had to run into the transition area, drop our stuff, get our swimming gear and get out, with barely a minute to spare.  So, neither of our transition areas were ready prior to the race.  That led to a very slow T1 time (7 minutes), but I wasn’t overly worried.  I was just trying to catch my breath and not forget my helmet as I got my bike gear together.  I also broke my bike computer sensor off at about 1/8 of a mile out of the transition area… not a good way to start the ride. However, it turned out well, so no biggie.

 

                                                                       Race breakdown

 

Only 19 days until the big race.  Am I ready... yes and no.  Yes, I'm ready to get that sucker knocked out.  But... no, I didn't get all of my training in and I'm going to pay for it.  However, because I know that, I'm that much more mentally prepared for the suck.  I can hardly believe I paid to do this!

 

So with three weeks until the race, I'm pretty much trying to get in the rest of my workouts and mentally prepare.  I don't have anymore work trips and my schedule is clear, thank goodness!  Here's to good weather. Cheers!

 

 

Week 24: Back from outer space... I will survive

Or at least, let's hope so. So my three weeks away was horrible for my training, both physically and mentally.  Obviously, I missed out on some pretty significant training, but psychologically it’s done some damage as well.  I’m seriously starting to worry about the race in May.  Only 45 days left!  Now don’t get me wrong, it is going to happen. Although it’s going to be a whole lot more painful than I would have liked.  One of my life rules is coming to mind: You can’t cram fitness.  I guess I’ll need to add an addendum to that rule: However, you sure as heck can try! (Safely of course)

So that being said, I had a pretty good week of training last week.  I got most of my workouts in, including the weekend long ride (60mile ride + 45min run) and long run (1hour ride + 2:15 run).  They weren’t all that fun and not quite where I should be at this point in my training; however, I didn’t think it was too bad considering the long break.  I also got some time in with the wetsuit, which obviously feels a little different, but isn’t too bad and very buoyant (bonus!).

I’m sure some of you are wondering about the weight loss.  Luckily, I guess, I stayed pretty steady throughout three weeks of hotel living.  This past Monday morning I weighed 189.6 lbs.  I believe the boat for the sub 170lbs by race day has sailed.  I’m not even sure what’s doable at this point.  I really just need to make it through the race.  Maybe sub 180, who knows?

This weekend I have the Texas 70.3 in Galveston.  It’ll be a good test to see how I am physically, but I also need to keep in mind that’s only half of a full Ironman.  However, things are not looking good for the race.  Thunderstorms are forecasted (99% chance of rain), starting in the morning and going through the afternoon.  I HATE RIDING IN THE RAIN!  What concerns me is the heightened chance of a crash, which could wreck my bike, wreck me, or any combination of the two.   Normally not a huge deal, but it’s getting really close to the big race in May.  So if you thought the weather was bad enough, who would have guessed that a barge would collide with a ship, spilling 160,000 gallons of oil in to Galveston Bay. Seriously?!? Sooo, is Someone against this race from happening? I’m still going, but when the frogs start dropping from the sky, I’m officially out.  As of now, the swim is still happening.  We’ll see how things pan out and hopefully it’ll be a go. 

So, the hits keep on coming.  I’m going on a trip for two weeks, starting next week.  I will have my bike and I don’t foresee having as much work to do as I did on my last trip; however, it’s still going to be a huge distraction.  The key is to stay focused and to keep my eye on the prize. Although, I can’t keep from feeling like I’m on a sinking ship.  Life vest anyone?

FYI, I've been humming this song for the last hour... you're welcome!

At first I was afraid I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights
Thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And now you're back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second you'd be back to bother me
Go on now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?

Oh no, not I. I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love
I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give and I'll survive
I will survive,
I will survive!