Duck fat and registration

Last night was the big registration day. We thought we would make an evening of it and had Chef Napoleon rustle up some lovely dishes for us. This involved lots of duck fat and a fine spread. A very French evening to fit the occasion. Very nice!

There was a lot of nervous excitement, particularly from myself and Constituion- the first timers in the group. But, with a little help from Mr Amex, we were registered in short time. I wish the race was as quick!

The arms are particularly sore today after a vigorous strength training session with Coach D. One of the tougher ones I have done there.  We were doing all sorts of body weight exercises with rings and bars and weights. All told, it was about an hour and 15 mins of non stop push  push push. This is the time, however, to become strong in preparation for the long season ahead. And let me promise you, it will be long!

Today has about an hour run in the future. A good time to have a gentle run and wear the dog down a little. It will be gentle based on the pain and suffering it takes just to get out of bed this morning. "Pain is your friend!" as a particular Frenchman likes to say.

Good luck to us all!

Home time and Fartleks

Get to go home today after a long four day trip that ended with a lot of flying today. Mother nature always seems to show up towards the end of my work week.

Still, managed a good Boxing Day Fartlek. Got on the treadmill in Cedar Rapids at the hotel and bashed out a decreasing set of miles - 9, 8:30, 8:00, 7:45. Heart rate was nice and high toward the end, so decided to cut the workout short at 4 miles. Had originally planned on 6, but the warm up on the bike was a little vigorous and perhaps took a little out of me. Or it could have been the outrageous non organic diet over Christmas! Either way, the heart was showing the strain on the increased and indoor heavy workout, so that was all she had Captain!

I'll be back out tomorrow for a ride on the rollers I think. Haven't been on the bike for a week or so and I miss my new toy. Normally, I am a little run down on my first day after work, so a bike sounds about right. Especially, seeing as official Ironman training starts on Jan 4th! I'm as excited as a dog waiting for it's favourite treat.

Good luck to us all!

Happy Christmas and an Ironman filled New Year

Just another quick note to wish all a Happy Christmas. I am off to work for the next four days. Normally, I would be used to this, but this year it's tough to leave the family. Going to be a little down this year on Christmas Day. I can always just go out for a run to take my mind off of things.

Still quite tired from the last two days of workouts, but that was the point. Some recovery is in order!

Good luck to us all and Merry Christmas.

Pre-Christmas Run

Just a quick note. Very tired when I woke up today. Recovering from the massive swim yesterday.

Went for a run with the dogs and Napoleon. He's house sitting with one, he has two and Maggy was with as well. I wonder what the house owner's neighbours were thinking watch our group run through their neighbourhood!? Started to snow at the mid point of the run, which added to the Christmas feel of it all. Bloody cold though. With the wind chill, it was probably close to 0F for the temperature, but after the first mile or so you don't notice it.

One thing I love about running, is that you see things that other won't see just driving in their cars, whizzing by without time to take it all in. For example, today we saw a man who had groomed his own speed skating track, practicing on the lake we were running around. It was fantastic to watch and had you not been on the path we had chosen this day, you would have missed him.  It was great to watch. Apparently, the ice is just about thick enough!

I now need to hop in the shower before Marie and I head off for a Christmas skate of our own. However, not before 20 minutes of rolling the legs and back out!

Good luck to us all!

12 Days of Christmas swim

So this is what you hand looks like after you have swum in an indoor pool for 5850 yards (2.5hours).

I had seen an article in Triathlete magazine and decided to give this massive challenge a shot, in order to free up some calories for the forthcoming holiday.

The premise of this workout is similar to the song. You have twelve "days" (75 yard swims) which are broken up in to various swim styles and drills. Then just like the song, you swim along gradually working you way up to the 12th "day".  5,850 yards later I was done. Let me just say that the final stint in the pool was a great mental challenge. You are physically spent. You arms and shoulders feel almost numb. Willing yourself to complete "days" 12-1 is likely similar to the will power I might need to finish of this Ironman task next year. Just keep plugging at it and the end will always get closer. The concentration was an interesting task in itself. Once Napoleon was forced to stop at "day 8" (time constraints for work) I was by myself. Being able to continue to focus on your technique and which day was next was a constant challenge.

I think nutrition would have been a smart plan. All I had was some water and what I had consumed for breakfast - nutella on toast!

I am very glad I did it. This will be a major psychological boost for the Ironman swim. It was about a mile longer than the swim in Nice and, albeit without savage jelly fish, I managed to finish it all off within the max time allowed for race day. What a great result!

Now for some much needed recovery nutrition and perhaps a nap!

The rolling hills of Madison and some endorphins!

Been on a trip for a few days now and managed some nice chilly runs. Ran along the river in Bismarck for a nice, easy and pleasant run. Not that you would expect anything else from North Dakota, but I managed a sighting of a buffalo, mountain goat, donkey and a flock of migrating water fowl. Not bad for your average run (the zoo helped!)

Lots of 4am wake-ups which, after a workout the previous day, can require the equivalent of a forklift truck to prise me out of the hotel bed - that or the bed bugs normally do the trick! However, the body has bee recovering nicely, especially seeing as I forgot to pack a lot of my nutrition that I like to have along for and after hour plus long runs.

Today was a nice long 7.8 mile run and I decided that it would be hilly and that I would elevate the heart rate and "tempo", or raise the pace up the hills. It was a great feeling and I got to have a peak at how my heart rate is reacting as we progress towards the new season. I must admit that the Classic Power Rock that Pandora was blasting out did help a lot. I normally resist running with music, but some of these winter runs alone do require it. That, along with the huge endorphin rush I received for the body around mile 5, made this run a f-ing fantastic one! Dread to think what anyone watching me during that endorphin rush was thinking.

Tomorrow is home day, my favourite day of the week. Get to finish up the work week and fly back to Minneapolis to the family and celebrate our Christmas. My wife has no idea I bought her.....good effort!

Until next time, good luck to us all!

Motivation and Lunch

The reality of training and working, with the increased volume required of Ironman, is setting in. Last night, after a very dynamic and drawn out day at "the office", I had a dark, peaceful and quiet arrival in the early hours. I snuck in to the house to be sure not to wake anyone, but with the excitable Maggy Mae, this simply isn't as straight forward as it sounds. She bounced around like she was on springs. However, when morning rolled around, after only 5 hours of sleep, Maggy seemed to share my view point on training today. Should have gone to strength training with Coach Danielle, but just couldn't get up and going. Hopefully, I will be able to get in tomorrow for some pain and suffering.

This evening - Marie is headed out for the night for classes - will see me on the trainer again, this time for about another 20 miles. Then perhaps a run and a swim in the morning.

Hopefully, the abductor keeps calm and doesn't bother me. It's still sore from the run the other day and my concerns are mounting as to what the problem is. I am going to go on an aggressive course of ice, rolling and stretching in the hope that it improves soon.

Good luck to us all!

Chilly run in Denver

As with my previous post about juggling work and training, I've only managed one run so far. Although, I must say that my body isn't too upset. It was nice to give the muscles a couple of days off. Especially, with my nagging abductor injury I seem to be carrying on my left side. Flared up again this week. I think it's time to have it looked at. A lot of friends keep saying the word hernia, which excites me  about as much as seeing my beloved West Ham relegated.

It was a cold run in Denver - the kind of cold that reminds me of youthful Sunday mornings in January on the Football pitch. Only had shorts and it was 25f. I really enjoy this short run I have from the hotel. Justified I could handle Mr Jack Frost and headed out the lobby. Wasn't too bad. Legs looked like freezer burn when I returned, but did get a good run in and the altitude is always going to benefit my training in some way.

The downside is that the abductor is sore today and I've got a looooong day ahead of me today with all the unaccomodating weather in Chicago. And this is just the beginning.

I have no doubt we will get the job, aka training, done,but I may be looking at a few early mornings and more than a few long days. It's what it's all about! Can't wait. Now where's the Tylenol!

Back to reality/work

Flying to Chicago today, in order to begin a mentally intensive 12 hour work day. Bouncing around at high altitude has it's unique challenges. Whereas the majority of individuals striving to attain the monica of Ironman have to deal with figuring the arduous training schedule in to a 9-5 work week (on the ground with nutrition at hand), the schedule I will have to endure will be unpredictable, inconsistent and prone to poor nutrition and dehydration. That is certainly not to belittle anyone's efforts at simply training for this event - like "Napoleon" says, the training is the hard part - it is simply to say that flying for a living poses it's own challenges that one may not encounter elsewhere.

A story from last year. I had just come back from a trip and went out on a training run with Napoleon. It was hot, but the pace was reasonable and the run length was decent. However, I had failed to compensate for flying the day before for 8 hours and had not taken the time to consume the 3 liters I should have or eaten well. With simply 10 minutes left I could not go on. Legs done. Lungs done. Shaking due to poor nutrition. I pulled off and would meet my running partner back at the ranch.

This taught me that training and flying four days a week demands that nutrition and hydration be a focal point of my schedule. From my point of view (a questionably educated one) it's not a simple case of downing water while I'm flying. Not least, that would lead to an awful lot of cross legged syndrome. An amateur triathlete (probably an overly flattering self description) in this profession must focus on not only hydrating with water, risking "flushing out" our sytems, but improve such sources as protein and sodium intake. Nice in theory, right?

Sometimes, with a long, taxing 16 hour day, hydration and training get left behind and the pillow is my best resource. Starting January, it will remain to be seen how the increased training volume can be coped with. There is no choice but to hold an increased focus on the nutrition side of things, particularly if workouts are getting moved around, with the time precious and the highlighted need to be meaningful and productive.

I'm going to be test running some food and nutrition over the next couple of weeks. And by that I mean my will power (or lack there of at times), to see if I have any or enough to say no to certain items when I know I need to be fresh and rested the next day.

Good luck to us all!

Making friends with winter

It was a "long" morning run slated for today. Not quite the long run you would imagine of the ironman training program. However, I must rebuild my base from last year and this one was just over an hour.
Drug my father in law out of bed at 8am for a 3f run (dread to think what the windchilll was!). We went out for a gentle jog for about 6 miles. It was so cold that he even had sweat-cicles running down the side of his hat!

Now for the broadcast of the Ironman World Championship on NBC. Inspiration please!

Long Roller Ride

After discovery of the aero position potential on the bike whilst "rolling" yesterday, it opened new windows as to just how long I could stand the indoor trainer for. The different positions allows one to continually roll without having to break for "numbness" of the nether regions. By being able to switch back and forth, I could maintain the blood flow without having to get off and walk around. Although, stopping is still needed for the purpose of hydration. With the only airflow coming from my fan, it does heat up quickly on the indoor trainer.

I was alone in this training session today. Still just base building and keeping the heart rate nice and steady, leaving plenty of time in the new year to get serious and lengthy with the workouts.

I proceeded to "PR" on the rollers. Awesome! Managed 20 miles in a little over an hour. And didn't even fall once. However, soon I fear I will run out of good movies to watch and we shall have to descend on to Constitution's house for better movie entertainment!

Anyway, I need to roll the legs out before the evening begins. Adios for now.

Aero Rollers!

Just a quick note. Not much today. Woke up in a fowl mood, which is probably the result of too much training. Going to take a few days off and recharge. However, not before some roller fun.

Rollers are considered the hardest indoor trainer. You simply spin on aluminum spindals that are 1.5ft wide. Many a rider have fallen from grace and their bikes whilst attempting rollers. Today, for Napoleon and I, we accomplished the coveted aero position whilst on rollers! Very exciting. Perhaps just to us.

Anyway, time for a nap.

Flat tires and coffee

Not much to report on training today. More and more base training. Trying to set "a base" from where to work for the rest of the season. It is essential to establish this base, as it allows us to find the foundation for our summer's hard work. Typically, we would swim, bike or run purely based on our heart rate, or some others like to chose RPE (Rate of Perceived Effort). Either, the biggest obstacle at this stage is yourself. The temptation of "I don't feel like I have really worked out unless my heart rate is up and I'm sweating." Attitudes similar to this are a good way to "burn out" before you even get started. By keeping you heart rate aerobic and maintaining this early discipline will serve you well in the future.

Today was a workout just as I described. A steady, easy swim of about 1200 yards. Nothing too fast or exuberant. Although, it was very relaxed for Napoleon as he started the day with a flat tire and didn't make it to us in time. Conveniently, he did eventually show up, and provided coffee as needed.

We joked about the tough 730am start time and then it quickly dawned on me that come April and May we shall be starting much earlier, as the workouts will be much much longer. Good times ahead,

Nap and an Espresso and you get an 8 mile run!

So, this morning waking up was the equivalent of waking a groggy teenager! I just could get it of bed. Even Maggy (my lab) didn't fancy it. Thus, I designated today as off day. At least until I had an Espresso and a nap (not in that order).

A local tri shop that is a few blocks from me posted a group run for tonight. That was like dangling a large bar of chocolate in front of a 3 yr old. Curiously irresistable.

Off I went expectin a short 5 miles at most. That was the second time I had been wrong today! Not to mentioned the -1f windchill outside - see inserted pictures. 8 miles later and Maggy and I were done. I may well regret it in the morning, but sometimes it just feels good to go outside and run.

Master Blaster Disaster

The was a vibrant game that my best friend from the Uk and I used to play, along with his little brother, that would frequently end in something breaking. Normally, it involved a small Football (soccer) and his hallway, much to his mother and father's displeasure. We called it Master Blaster. Much as to the name suggests, this game involved lashing the ball down the hallway and attempting to score it passed whomever was in goal. This of course had complete disregard for anything that happened to be in the hallway at the time.

Now the trouble with this game was inevitability of something breaking shortly after the game was started - parts of us, or parts of the house. Some 25 years later, that inevitability seems to have come back to haunt me.

In my youthful exuberance last night I was playing a not-to-dissimilar game with my black lab, Maggy. I was trying to school her on the finer points of Football. Although she didn't seem to be catching on as quickly as I would have liked, she did indeed perfect the art of the sliding tackle. Whilst trying to outsmart her (a foolish attempt with any dog who is that focused on a ball) i proceeded to kick the ball under our solid, oak dining room chairs. Whilst trying to demonstrate an exquisite Cryuff turn the chair got in the way of my fast traveling right foot, which sent me crashing to the ground like a foreigner playing for Manchester United. Whilst Maggy shamelessly took advantage of my predicament and ran away in delight at having won the ball back, I writhed around on the ground in pain.

This morning I awoke to quite a painful foot and a distinct hobble. I think running will be out for a couple of weeks and we shall see how biking goes. I suspect I will simply be secluded to the chlorine jungle for the next 14 days. Thank you Master Blaster!

Workout picture

Sweaty picture. No idea why I feel this should be published, but these are the situations and how we look during them.

Weekend Warrior-ing

This weekend was spent with two groups, with two different disciplines. Saturday's run with a group Napoleon knew was actually tough. My aerobic base seems to have left me like a hurricane leaves a city. We ran a pretty reasonable distance of 7 miles at 8:45/min pace, but I found the heart rate to be quite high. Looks like I need to go back to my favourite book by Dr. Maffetone, called Training For Endurance. Time for some controlled heart rate training to re-establish my base.

Woke up with some soreness, but that loosened up nicely with the sweaty morning spin. Span for a little over 1hr 40mins and we managed a nice 27miles. Initially, biking indoors looked like it would be the opposite end of fun. However, with a stage of the Paris-Roubaix race on the laptop and some fascinating chat from my fellow riders, we ticked off the miles and clock without realising. However, can I stand 3 hours doing that??

Went over to "Radford" aka Constituion's house to scope out the basement spinning area. The setup pretty impressive. I can see us spending some time squeezed in to the basement, riding away the winter hours watching some classics on the big screen. He even has it setup so you can email and work whilst running or biking! My favourite, however, has to be the part of the ceiling he has removed above the treadmill, so there is enough space for his head whilst running. Nothing as trivial as a ceiling will stand in the way of this Ironman!

All typos are natural and unavoidable!

Morning Swim - Ugh!

After an early morning wake for some dog sitting arrivals, "Napoleon" and I hit the pool. We swim at an "old peoples" home. It's mixed with a large childrens play ground, but in the week it's normally just us and an aqua aerobics class. The class leader has a good soundtrack so that makes the swim a little less painful.

Today was a rough swim for me, which is unusual. The swim is my strong suit, but today, probably due to the lack of breakfast and the early wake-up, I felt like a slug crawling along the bottom of the pool. However, gradually we sliced through the dry skin inducing, chlorinated water and climbed out 2200 yards later and dripped our way back to the 17f temperature awaiting us outside.

On a different note, looks like I misinterpreted the training schedule and after a "team" meeting over hoppy beers at the local, overcrowded watering hole, it was determined that we start January 2nd, 2012. Now, how's that for a fresh start to the New Year?!

Goal - France Ironman, Nice

Victory, Constitution and Napoleon are all famous naval ships from the UK, US and France respectively. They represent myself and my US and French training friends who will attempt IRONMAN FRANCE in 2012 - a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and, to conclude, a 26.2 mile marathon - 140.6!

This blog is to serve the purpose of outlet. To relieve the stresses of training for Ironman France in Nice, 2012. This is certain to be the most challenging undertaking of my life. Normally, when attempting a challenge, I am confident that, before I begin, I will overcome the task. This is will be the first time I simply do not know how it will end.

Triathlons have been a fixture for me since about 2004, after completing the first sprint triathlon in Lake Estes, Colorado. It's been downhill from there. There is always a longer more challenging event around the corner.

Quite frankly, I just want to finish- 15 hours or less is needed. Nice is unique in the fact that the course is very hilly and we swim in the Med. Sea. The sea element is distinctly concerning, as it took enough of an effort to swim through the weeds of our local training lake for the past few years. Having and exotic fish life visible and nearby will likely have an impact of the heart rate. Ideally, I would like to keep it low in the swim - my strongest discipline - in order to save it for the bike - my weakest.

Anyway, as "Napoleon" likes to say, the ........ is your friend (insert as needed).

Today, we drew up the budget. Having already spent $1000+ on a new bike this passed week, the budget was a brutal one. $600 just to get in to the race! I have established a training binder with a blatantly plagiarised training plan. Coincidentally, the plan is from 1999/2000 season and the days and dates almost match up. A sign, if you will.

That said, training starts Monday....