The Last Tri

Tapering is normally the hardest part of training. Always itching to sneak out the door and continue the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed over the previous 9months. However, this week should be easy.

Not only am I looking forward to the end of the season, with a nice relaxing Triathlon, in a local setting, without all the hope of the Ironman - a race I have done before and really enjoyed - but I am also aching. The back was reintroduced to cricket on Friday night and did not agree with my choice to play. Felt great during, but after the 15mile run the next day, it began an ardent protest against the world yesterday. Struggling again today, the back has been introduced to the foam roller a number of times and will hopefully respond. Thus tapering should be a breeze.

It has been quite the season. My first Ironman. My second stand alone marathon just a few weeks away. Getting my first specific triathlon bike. A lot of fantastic treats thus far in 2012.

My wife has been the true saint. Tending to obsess on certain things, our conversations have not been the most stimulating for her this year, trending along the lines of triathlon, triathlon, triathlon. This is something i must work on next year. She has stood by (I only caught her rolling her eyes two or three times) patiently putting up with all of this. The off season is eagerly anticipated with a few trips planned, that do not involve running, biking or swimming. Can't wait.

The body I'm sure is ready for some rest. Although, I think sometimes it is hard to break the cycle. I think the key is to keep yourself busy with other projects, of which there are plenty to do since none were done this summer! A new word for the vocab - relaxation!

Really looking forward to the enjoyable Tri this weekend. Time to smile and not take it all so serious, although you can never completely wipe away the competitiveness, right Napoleon?? . What's amazing is that this time last year was when I effectively started the fist step towards Ironman. Now being back has brought it all full circle and concludes this chapter. I am very happy that life is affording me this opportunity.

Bring on Square Lake and the end to the 2012 season.

Good luck to us all!

If

My post today is simple and straight forward. A quote from my favourite poem by Rudyard Kipling, IF

"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son!"

Olympic week

It is the week of the XXX Olympiad in London. It has been a very proud week to be British. Yet, it also makes one that lives out the country a little homesick. How I would love to be at home right now, with the opportunity to get to an event. In particular the Triathlon event in Hyde Park.

However, without that opportunity, we headed out this morning for a swim in Cedar Lake. It was another glorious morning for such a thing. Although the early mornings are sometimes reluctant in bearing their qualities, once you get swimming, the water is fantastic. They have cut back the weeds in the lake as well, which makes the experience less stressful. Ever since being stung by the jelly fish during Ironman Nice, I have found my courage lacking in the open water. Hoping that my continued practice of yoga will help with that. There is no doubt that the qualities which are promoted during yoga practice that are then subsequently put to use in a stressful environment are very helpful. This is particularly useful in large open water without a leg to stand on.

The training is certainly more relaxing and enjoyable now that the main event is out the way. There is now more time for enjoyment of being out there and the opportunities to push myself a little, albeit smartly.

This week provides a good opportunity to accomplish a good bit of training with a concert thrown in for good measure.

Good luck to us all!

Recovery, the fourth discipline

Since I last wrote, I have allegedly been "recovering" from the Ironman race, which was about a month ago now.

Recovery from such an event is unique in itself. One feels that, traditionally, as long as the legs no longer hurt, the recovery is complete. However, the minute I walked out the door for a short run about two weeks later, it was clear that recovery was far from over.

We raced about 3 weeks after the Ironman, but was in fact slightly slower than the year before in the same race. The race was the most fun I had had with triathlon for a while. No self imposed pressure. Just the enjoyment of triathlon which I hadn't experienced for a while. Having been caught up in all the training and racing, I hadn't truly felt the smiles and enjoyment of a race since the last hundred yards of IM Nice.

Since that race a couple of weeks ago my legs have been heavy and although I have been out the door training, I have always had to force myself out the door. This all culminated it getting sick last night after my 40miles of riding and subsequently being hold up inside, completely spent, facing two more days of recovery. It's like they say, recovery is the fourth discipline of triathlon. How true they are this week.

Napoleon's birthday on Sunday should finish off the recovery nicely.

Good luck to us all!

More to come

It's has now been a week since we competed in Ironman France. Can't believe that this time last week we were all completing an epic journey through the sun and hills of Nice. The only lingering recovery signs from that sunny day is the continually repairing and itching sunburn that still leaves a peculiar pattern on my back.

When those that have competed in Ironmans describe to me the symptoms that follow such a long endurance battle, it takes on the guise of "ironman depression". I can certainly see how this develops. Even during the week following the race, as my legs begin to return to normal, there is an itching, almost a restlessness, to get out the door and fully enjoy a run, or bike ride, or swim, knowing that you can go out there without purpose, to simply enjoy it for what it is. For me, this feeling then turns in to the question of how I may be able to improve on past performances. This could certainly be described by some as a sickness! A mental one. An inability to be fully content with enjoying an outdoor activity without a specific goal in mind. At least as this applies to me, I find it to be true. I need some form of structure, not to simply go out and do "something". Which has led me to enter some additional races for the season. Not nearly as time taxing as the Ironman training was. There might actually be time for house and garden work and even socializing!

There is the Olympic distance race for the triathlon team in two weeks. The next race following Lifetime triathlon in Minneapolis will be a revisit to Square Lake. A half Iron distance which was significantly smaller and a lot more fun, albeit hot, than the mass pandemonium of the start to Ironman. Then, for good measure, I thought I would see how my stand alone marathon time would fare at the Twin Cities marathon in October.

So, should keep me busy enough to maintain the fitness I have gained and enjoy the summer. At least once this burn repairs itself. There will be updates from time to time, but I will try and challenge my boredom elsewhere, so it does not impact yours so much.

Time to get back to the day job.

Good luck to us all!

Almost there

Tomorrow is the big day. Drove part of the windy hilly course today. There were many beautiful vistas on display that, despite my stress levels of today, will no doubt trump any tiredness that we may feel at the time.

Napoleon is very relaxed. This is his third Ironman! Constitution is in the middle with me bringing up a stressful rear. Napoleon cooked us a fantastic pre-race meal this evening. Just the job and will fuel us well for tomorrow. Now all that is left is for a short, but hopefully solid night's sleep in the noisy downtown that is Nice. This is not helped by the fact that France play Spain tonight in a very important football game. Here's hoping the French lose which should make for a quiet end to the night!

Tomorrow is due to be warm and sunny. Only 77degree F, but with the humidity the heat will be the main challenge of the day. We all know we can cover the distance. We have trained well and intelligently. The heat is the only factor that is somewhat unknown to myself and Constitution. Napoleon lives for it. Let's hope it does not get in anyone's way.

Here's looking forward to the finish line and what lies beyond it. It's been an amazing journey with one very jubilant party to finish it all off.

Good luck to us all!

They think it's all over. It is now!

Victory, Constitution and Napoleon all crossed the finish line at Ironman Nice yesterday.
Nothing we could have done, besides actually practicing on the course itself, could have prepared us properly for this feet.
The swim is one massive adult sand pit. Bodies everywhere, seemingly swinging punches and kicking out in all directions. A mass of sea spray and foam is all that awaits a potential Ironman upon the binging of the race. Not for the claustrophobic or those with a fear of drowning! The salt water did make a difference. Irritating the back of my neck, where the wetsuit joins the skin.
To Ironman Nice's detriment, what makes this swim so hard is that you can't see the seemingly enormous red buoys when you are in the water with even a small swell. This is then exaggerated when everyone finally spots the buoy and heads straight for it and causes a reenactment of the start at each turn. And even if you try to be smart and get out wide, you cause your own reenactment of the start. It's an exact reflection of how cows feel being herded!
Now, just as I was in the finishing stretch, already very tired from this underestimated swim, I had a coincidence with a jelly fish! I didn't even see it coming. I had thought it was the guy next to me who had scratched me in the face, but as the sting set in I realized that my worst fear for the swim had come true. Thank goodness for googles, as I would have had serious problems with eye sight had they not been there.
Not to be discouraged, although quitting then and there after that swim and that jelly fish was very tempting, I plugged on to the equally maniacal transition area. Threw on my bike gear and headed out for a brutal bike ride. Stinging face and all the chamois cream I could muster.

To say I was in a bad mood would have put it mildly. For the first 20miles all I could think of was whether someone would pee on my face to relieve the stinging. Ruling that put swiftly, I was immediately distracted as the hills began. I was just not ready for what lay ahead. Not rolling hills and wind like in Minnesota, just he longest climbs that I will ever do, ever! One section so steep it was described as 12%. Nothing could be as draining on body and mind as trawling along at 6miles an hour for almost 90 minutes, knowing that when you make it to the top, not only aren't you done, but you have over half the course left and at least two more climbs. That was the Col d'lecre.

Luckily, Napoleon caught me not too long after and gave me the boost I so dearly needed. He was a gent and stayed with me for what ended up being miles of fun downhill to ease off on the legs. It was a welcome respite. Although, as Constitution pointed out, the toll a long decent takes on your body is unexpected. Even though you are coasting, the fatigue on the upper body with the constant breaking and bending and the particular toll on the mind having to concentrate when already spent, is much more impacting than I had thought.

Finally, back out of the mountains, 7 hours and 9mins later the bike was done. How I was going to muster the strength to run a marathon was beyond me.

I knew I had to run slowly. Very slowly. The training kicked in at that point allowing me to keep the heart rate low and keep on plodding along. The first lap was really quite enjoyable. That was the last time that happened. The struggle began at the end of lap 2. There are four 10.2k loops for the marathon along the sea front and the last two were sheer pain and suffering. Nothing can describe the thought process going on just to push you around the course. Compounded by people falling like flies around you and medical sirens going off in all directions.

However, the final lap came and with everything in my locker I pushed to the finish. It was so relieving and welcome I can not put it in to words. I was an Ironman!

This journey has been unique in every way. I like to think I can predict a lot of things, but not one time to my expectations prepare me for any part of this. Training and racing. The people who kept us gunning for the finish were our wives, families and training partners. This was a journey that I will never forget and was a fantastic experience. Now, just like the hungover one always says, I AM NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! :)

Good luck to us all!

Bikes assembled

Bikes are back in one piece! It was nervous for a while. Constitution's bike went AWOL with Air France, but was delivered just in time today. We spent the after/evening putting each part back on the bike, readying it for racing. Just a few tweaks left tomorrow after we take them out for a while and see what we missed.

Tomorrow my parents arrive and the whole support crew will be in place. Then just 48hours to race time.

Went to the expo today and received our race packets, with bib numbers and race instructions. Picked up a little Ironman merchandise and felt the nervous excitement sneak up a notch.

Went for a practice swim this AM and coincided (by at least 20yards) with my first few jelly fish. Far away and not threatening, but certainly a shock at first, but a good swim nonetheless and a lot clearer than Cedar Lake.

Tomorrow, off for a ride in this bloody humid environment. Worried about that, but unavoidable.

And now on to the celebration of my wife's birthday! A trooper and I am so lucky to have her with me on this journey!

Good luck to us all!

Bike back together

The bike is back together and hopefully we are in business. Will try it out tomorrow when Dereck's bike arrives. Also, registration starts tomorrow. I'll be there!

Good luck to us all!

We have landed

Made it!

We have landed. Went out for a quick jetlag run of twenty minutes along the humid host to our run on Sunday, Le Promenade des Anglais. It was a grounding run which really brought home the reality of this weekend.

Good luck to us all!

On our way!

And we're off! So, when this arduous journey began across the sweat laden peaks of the bike saddle, through the salt dried dunes of the chaffed chest, in to the jelly fish ridden wetsuit clad swim of the open water, I made the dubious decision to use my privileges that the airlines have befitted me with and travel on standby to Nice.

Having now augmented my travel plans a number of times, due to high seat demand on various routes, I now sit at gate E9 in Minneapolis Will Chamberlin World Airport, awaiting the news as to whether our first leg of three will be successful. This one is the hardest of the day, with the promise of a kind reservation agent in Sweden that the next two would be fine. However, this is standby travel we are talking about!

The bike was checked with success (and without charge!), thanks to my friend the gate agent (Chris, you are a life saver!). Now, the sincere hope is that we shall see it again in Newark, in order that me may walk across, in the unwelcoming humidity of Jersey, from Terminal A to Terminal B and have equal success with SAS. Odds are low, but I hear they are very nice :))))

In theory, 22 hours from now, we shall be in a hotel in Nice, Cote d'zur, WITH MY BIKE, and relaxing, taking in the Mediterranean Sea (it's a Sea, not an Ocean - said on a stern French Accent ;))

Good luck to us all!

Bike is packed!

The day hath arrived for "My Boy Blue" to be packed up and readied for travel. Below I have broken down the process in pictures. However, suffice it so say, that every piece that came off and was delicately packed by Chris the master mechanic, was a step closer to the start line. Now, with just a classy logo to be spray painted on the side of the case, we are only a few days away from heading out. Shame Lance won't be there!

 All that's left is a nice sprayed on logo!

The finished article ready to go.

Protecting the frame against itself as much as possible. 

Laying in to the box. Careful now

 Have to rubber band the brake levers to save on space.

Off comes the stem

 The Box itself, a little weathered admittedly.

A little spring cleaning!

Wheels off!

The packing begins

The reality has arrived (odd sensation in my bowels) that Ironman Nice is just around the corner. Time to begin the packing. This takes on a similar feel as to when preparation begins for a long ride. The key question is "what would I need in this situation?". The packing then proceeds to get out of control and once phase 1 is complete, phase 2 involves removing the ridiculous stuff, that you simply do not have the room for. So far, phase 1 is still in process.

Now, fortunately, in our group, we have Mr Organized. Constitution (aka Radcliff) sent out his packing list last week, we gave great pause for reflection. It was long. The good news is that it made my list easy. I simply picked items off of his list and added them to my anorexic one. Thus, completing my rather good looking packing list.

I'm sure my packing inventory will change a number of times before we actually get on the plane next Monday. However, the base has been set and I suspect mine will be the lightest pack of them all. Getting increasingly excited for the race, like the excitement a dog shows at the anticipation of the ball being thrown! Let's hope I don't drive my wife mad by race time.

Good luck to us all!

First/last group ride

Our final long group ride

The countdown has begun

T-minus.....

....18 days to race day. The tapering has finally begun. Crumpled lists are being drawn up for packing. Suitcases are being dusted off. Work is being finished, so vacation can be started.

I'm sure there will be some tinkering with equipment. Last minute additions and maybe even some flogging to death, or over analyzing on my part. Most importantly, I just can't wait to be out there and relaxing on the beach before the race. Excited to step in to the Med for the first time and go for a swim with the jelly fish.

The apartment where we are due to stay looks fantastic. The beach looks pebbly. The local markets seem enticing. And most importantly, the group should be great fun. All we need is the flights to be slightly less than full and off we go.

We have received our pre-race briefing packet. The Ironman races certainly have a lot more strict, head teacher type rules dotting the landscape. They are indeed a serious bunch. Naturally, the length of the event will be the biggest difference, but the way the event is conducted will also be starkly contrasting of any race I have done before. Transitions look different with all you clothing and goods in a bag instead of being laid out carefully by myself before the race. Hence, the transitions will be slower than I am used to. Quite frankly, what's a couple of extra minutes on top of 13, 14, or 15 hours anyway?!

As far as training goes, just a few more rides and runs and this will all come to a close. I expect there will be plenty of exercising going on after Ironman France, just not to the extent that we have been doing. Don't think I will hang up my riding and running spurs just yet, but I will be taking a well earned few weeks off. This experience certainly has been rewarding and challenging all at the same time and I can't wait get to the Finale.

Bring on Nice!

Good luck to us all!!

Morning juicing

Pears, apples, lemon and parsley. Yum

Last, Last long ride

Yesterday, a somewhat unseasonal, almost odd day. Wind light, but just enough to be a pain. Sun indecisive, peaking out periodically like it was spying on us. Air temp somewhat cool, but just a suggestion it would heat up at some point. This was the last last very long ride. Whereas last week was deemed the last long ride, subsequent discovery lead us to realize that the United Nations Ironman Team Training calculations fell one week too early. Thus we decided that we should repeat a week and begin to taper the training next week. Disappointment was apparent.

Never the defeatists, we set out on another century ride. A ride consisting of at least 100 miles. The bike course in Nice is hilly. Therefore, a hilly course was planned and it did not disappoint. Although we do not have the picturesque, long brutal climbs of Nice, we do have some "hills" of which we head out in hope of finding and climbing. They were there. We found them. It was the toughest mental ride of the training so far. To think that you were finished only to be told that a mistake was made and one more was needed was very discouraging. Thus, it took a great deal of effort to get back on the bike knowing there was another 100 waiting for you.

A positive for me personally, was to overcome the gnawing desire not to complete the transition run after the bike. I did manage to convince myself to complete it, even if it was only for 40mins. The first few steps are always the hardest, but after a mile I found a rhythm and Maggy (the dog) and I cruised along nicely, with a well deserved dip in the lake after.

The recovery was distinctly tougher, with a lot of fatigue involved. Very sluggish, but I felt it was down to dehydration more than any other nutrition. Who knows how Napoleon went out and pulled an 8 hour shift in the kitchen.

Anyway, it really is time to taper this time. Just a long run today with the Queens Jubilee celebrations tomorrow.

Good luck to us all!

Discovered a slight snafu in our planning this week. The emphasis is on week and that we started one early. Thus, we are repeating last weeks plan. Joy. Almost to the taper. Almost. 

A nice six days off are ahead of me and I can't wait to relax around the house and train with some structure. Plus, it's the Queen's Jubilee and we are going to the races on Saturday. Should be fun. The goal is to get all the training done before then.

Looooong Ride

Yesterday served as our longest ride of the training, that has been conducted over the last 6 months. 7 hours was committed to (should have been last week, but that has been hashed out already). I tried to compile the hilliest route I could find within the State of Minnesota (at least close to Minneapolis). It was deemed very hilly. Not being a good climber and with Constitution whose constitution was likely mostly beer, we were doomed. We set out well. Hit the main hills and felt that the first 80 were quite satisfactory. However, the last 34 were, simply out, a killer. My nutrition wasn't quite right and with the legs already tiring, we turned a corner to find yet more hills in our future. However, the  ride was concurred, albeit with slightly wobbly legs to finish. Constitution was a champ, completing the transition run of 55 minutes after the ride. I was unable to finish/start the run.

The next day brought a very tired wakeup at 6am for a lake swim. Turned out it was a great wakeup. With a light breeze and gentle water (albeit with savage attacking thick weeds) the swim was a great way to start the day. Napoleon joined in and we carved through the gentle water. Felt really good in the water.

The rain belted down all day. I saved the 1hr45min run for later in the day. It went surprisingly well and there was some great self discovery. I often have a very busy mind whilst running. I found focusing on settling the mind and rhythm lead to a lower heart rate and a higher pace. It such a shame that it took me so long to realize that something as simple as a them the Budhists religion promotes was a potential promotion of a faster running pace. I wonder whether I will be able to keep that up in Nice.

Good luck to us all!

Cold and sweats

This week has been training contrasts. First the cold, wind and rain of Sunday's not so long bike ride. Now the heavy heat and humidity of Fort Walton Beach, FL and the key run.

It was very tough today. A lot had to do with the lack of water I had with me. Should have brought additional water bottles for the fuel belt. Either way, I still would not have been able to keep my heart rate down. It was quite interesting, in a nerd like way, to see how my heart rate climbed so rapidly with such a slow pace. Allowing my hydration to to slow and allow my internal heat climb so quick significantly slowed my pace which did defeat the purpose of the key run. I anticipate a slow marathon during the Ironman if the heat keeps up (it should be noted that the lack of sleep and two beers with my crew the night before was not exactly ideal prep for such a hot run!)

This will all be over soon and I won't have to worry about any of this malarkey and realize the fun that is going out for a swim/ride/run just for the hell of it.

Good luck to us all!

Wet and Windy, not to mention freezing

What a ride yesterday was! Constitution has retold of his long rides on busy highways after getting lost, caught in the wind and the rain and lost on the open road. Having not ridden along side him before, I simply put it down to bad luck and timing. Not so!

Yesterday, we headed out knowing that all week it had been 80+ degrees and sunny skies, only to find that that day was chilly, very windy and raining. Perfect for riding, right?! Well, it started off fair enough. First forty miles were somewhat cold, but manageable. Then we leave this well known town out near the Mississippi river and not more than 1/4 mile down the busiest stretch of road that we were to ride on that day, flat tire number 1!

Not only was it the most unfortunate flat I have seen - we were dodging a huge puddle that motorists were aiming at us. Constitution was coming off our detour back on to the rode and a puddle was obscuring a ditch of some kind and smack! Ssssssssss. And there we were on a small side of the road with cars pelting by and the rain lashing. Now, these things happen. I accept that. However, Murphy's law does dictate that things must happen at the worst of times. We move on.

He fixes said flat in record time under great subconscious pressure from me peering over his shoulder, willing him to fix it so we can keep up the core temps.

We're off and of course, it stops raining! The road dries up and we get on to a nice quiet section of road and the mood begins to improve. All goes well until we get to Prescott, Wisconsin. At that point, mother nature decides we are good for another soaking and she throws in a brutal wind from the Northwest that does it's best to knock us off our bikes. It is good to note at this point that the entire rest of the remaining 40miles is due in to this howling wind. And then came flat tire number two.

Littering is one things. Smashing a glass bottle on the side of the road is a step too far! I dodged it. My riding buddy did not. The main plus was that we were on our way in to a town and the flat was discovered in the center of it. Trigger rain sequence number three and a bad reflate cartridge and the ride was at an end. The irony was that we had only just finished talking about why I would bring two spare tires during the race. Need I say more?

We called in the rescue brigade at this point and accepted our position and found a coffee shop to warm up in. Hopefully next weekend will end if a 7hour bike ride successfully.

This is the final week of hard training and then "taper" begins. That means we must be getting close. Exciting/terrifying. The good news is that the lakes are warm enough to swim in now and open water practice is under way. Looking forward to getting a swim in when I get back from this trip.

Good luck to us all!

Not just us

There is more than just one person that makes an Ironman. It is easy to forget those around us that enable us to make the leap to complete an Ironman distance. Without them we would not be as successful as we would aspire to be. Wife, mother, father, brother, friends all contribute to keep you honest and on the straight and narrow throughout this long process.

When we are cranky and fatigued from hours and upon hours of training, week after week, they are the ones who tolerate us and slap us back in to shape. Allowing us to realize that it's not simply all about...well, us.

It is easy to forget that the Ironman is about more than just one person. It is about a menagerie of different people, enabling those attempting this distance to complete the task at hand. At the risk of repeating myself, without them we wouldn't truly become Ironmen. All we would be are lonely lunatics out in the open by ourselves.

Good luck to us all!

Thank goodness for recovery week

It's been a long week. Definitely stepped up the volume. This week we managed about 164 miles of training. Seems a lot, because it is. Feeling it. Quite tired. Everyday life gets in the way or recovery and rest. Suppose thats why they have us on a recovery week next week. Most welcome.

Just finished the last workout of this week. A fantastic run along the banks of the Potomac river, with the backdrop of the National Mall. Really, quite a fantastic running environment. I even was able to geek it up off the end of the runway at the airport and watch planes take off. The ideal run.

Looking forward to the recovery week coming up. Then after that it is the final stretch. Two big weeks and then some tapering and then it's race week. Quite amazing how quickly this has all passed by. All that's left is to sort out how to get there and work on my bike transport skills.

Good luck to us all!

The Dark Side

I picture Napoleon as OB1, myself as R2D2 and Constitution playing the part of C3PO. No, I haven't quite lost it, but I see the "Dark Side" fast approaching. It is a phrase coined by Napoleon to describe the month prior to the Ironman when training volume increases a lot and fatigue with it.

Still not entirely recovered from the long bike and run set from the mid week. Along with the 3am wakeup this morning, the body is protesting. However, I believe, with the right fuel and rest, the body is in a good position to cope. Strength training and a good long swim are on the menu for this evening. Get to work out with my wife with our strength coach for the first time in a while, so that should be a nice change.

We seemed to have conquered the weather pattern for Minneapolis. Miserable and cold on the weekends, followed by improved weather on Tuesdays when we need it most for the supper long rides. Although, a little less sun would be greatly appreciated this week. Should give the sunburn time to recover.

The feeling - a peculiar and unfamiliar one - of uncertainty is ever present. It begins to grow when I reflect on this past weeks bike/runs. Getting off the bike after 6 hours and 100miles was welcomed, even to go to go to the extent that the first mile of running was welcome relief. However, the pace was slow and the fatigue quick to set in. That said, the ability to keep plugging away at the run was there. Yes, the muscles were like to lead weights attached to each leg, but they kept plugging away for me. My wife mentioned the use of "Mantras" when endurance racing. It proved an affective tool this week. The mind races widely like a heard of unpredictable elephants when in the middle of a large chunk of miles. It can get the better of you. Using a "Mantra" - a familiar and relaxing "place" - where you can return to in order to keep you mind in check, is a useful tool in the long distance, I am finding. Like Napoleon has been known to say, a large sizable chunk of this event is mental. If you can keep you mind in check toward the later part of the day, you should make it - ha...should!

Anyway, having been awake since 3, this entry is becoming rambling like an old grandmother telling stories. Thus, I will bid adieu.

Good luck to us all!

Long rides and the burn

Been a while since I have had an entry. We have entered the specific Ironman training phase. Meaning that our workouts are longer and very time consuming, not to mention exhausting.

Completed 90miles on the bike last week for the long ride and then ran 40mins, as an example. Needless to say, that will tire you out in a hurry.

I am still sticking to the Maffetone plan, although it is becoming more challenging to stay disciplined and not exceed the heart rate parameters. However, I am seeing the benefits already. My pace is improving for a given heart rate and tomorrow, hopefully I will survive our next 90mile ride, along with a one hour transition run this time around. Typing about it makes me sleepy.

Bashed out a couple miles in the pool with Napoleon today. Felt really good, but that tends to be the case in the morning workouts. My tough time of day is around 2pm (right about now). The time when I feel most tired and all I want to do is nap for an hour. Some say this is a diet related reason. I say it's a working out far too much thing.

.....didn't manage to publish this post before long ride. Just back from BIG session. 100miles of biking followed by 1hr of running. Biked with Napoleon who is a strong cyclist. I am much weaker and feel I am paying for trying to keep up right now. Last week rode 88miles in 5hr50. This week, 6hrs and 100miles. Too quick for me and he still dropped me!! But for me as an individual, that kind of pace needs to be reserved for the "big day". I also received a wicked burn on my left calf as a gift. Stupid. Sunscreen is a must for the British! Off now to buy some now. Long run tomorrow. Have to figure out how to run and keep the burn covered.

Good luck to us all!

Lesson number three hundred million.

Old man Napoleon made a good point the other day -a day quick forgotten due to the necessity to return indoors for a long bike ride. He accused me of reading too much. At the time I thought him a crazy old pro (ha!) However, thinking on it and reminiscing about last season, I remember completing the half iron distance with the ease of one training plan and a little self-discovery.
This year has been a little different and I found myself this morning asking why.

Upon reflection, the major theme reoccurring is the one of fear or, as I like to term it, a healthy respect! It's the classic fear of the unknown. The same way we sometimes increase the HeartRate a little when the movie heroin opens the bathroom mirror to get a comb in her unnecessarily under dressed state. Quickly closing it again to find the oddly dressed mass murderer lurking behind her. We know he will be there. He always is. Yet we still get "nervous". It is just like the Ironman distance to me. I know it's there. I know the distance values. I know there will be exciting views under the water as well as up the mountains. However, I haven't been there before. I have not tasted the undulating feelings that will be experienced during my time out on the course.

The natural reaction is to get educated. To read as many books and articles as possible to inform me as to how it will feel. That is where the problem lies. No one knows how I will truly feel. Not even me. I can read a hundred Triathlete magazine articles and learn all kinds of tips, but it is worse than being a pilot. All the stories we read in the sport is someone trying to one up someone else. It is an easy trap to fall in to. "listen to music to drown people out" "make sure you rack your bike right to not invade others space" "make sure when you finish your interval, you move out of the way in the lane"

It is so easy to get caught up in this hodge podge of wagging mouths and forget why I decided to do this crazy distance. The only thing I will hang on to is Maffetone's method. Everything else, as Napoleon has been known to say from time to time, is C'est la vie! The key is to learn from yourself. Learn your own mistakes and how to improve on them, so as to avoid in the future. We need to make some mistakes otherwise we will never truly learn and benefit from them. Don't read too much in to other's meal plans or race prep etc... Accept it as their individual preference. Nod in appreciation of the story and do something complete unique to yourself instead.

This is learning experience number three hundred million of this journey that is Ironman. Listen to yourself and don't get too caught up in others and the whole manic-ness of triathlon athletes. Enjoy the ride, so to speak. Relax. My father always says "it's a marathon, not a sprint". Sprinting through life is what I have been doing for thirty three years. Eating too fast. Walking to quickly. Flying too fast. It is time to ease back on the reigns a little and mosey along at a comfortable pace. Enjoy it, because before you know it, the journey will have passed you by.

Good luck to us all!

Long run!

Long run on the road in Tulsa today. Good conditions for it. Only just a little cooler than Nice will be in June. An hour and forty five minutes are on the schedule for today. I have lots of liquids packed, but suspect I won't have enough. It's hard to carry all your liquids as these runs become longer. You don't have the support crew you have during a race and there certainly isn't enough room on my fuel belt for everything. A good tip I received the other day was to plan your longer runs as two loops. Offering the option to refuel at the half way point. Example, I could run in to the hotel and refill my bottles.

Another challenge of the day is the fact that I brought my heart rate monitor watch, but forgot the chest strap. This will be an interesting challenge, as I will have to pace myself on feel and feel alone. Trying to estimate my heart rate. That is very difficult, as normally I would rely on the watch to scream at me when I was pushing too hard. I would expect this run to take a quicker pace. Sadly, what I will not be able to see is how my heart rate deals with that. I had been seeing a drop in HR for a given pace recently, but won't be able to judge on this long run. Bugger!

Now, off to look up the route I will be taking. Likely, along the river here in Tulsa.

Good luck to us all!

Long ride to come

It can now be confirmed that I am happily back to the Maffetone's way of training and feeling all the better for it. This last week was a heavier week for training, logging about 12hours. Using Dr Phil's (not that one) method I have remained aerobic and subsequently recovered from workouts in a much more positive manner. Although the allergies that I am experiencing make me somewhat subdued, the workouts are noticeably less taxing and noticing a slowly improving performance for a given HR.  Running remains a concern for me. My pace is significantly down compared to biking for a given HR. This can be expected in some cases. However, it might be a couple more weeks before I get a good handle on whether this will be a problem for the future. I know if I am patient and stick to the formula, performance will improve without the baggage of injuries and illness. Constitution is suffering at the moment. It's a tough couple of weeks for him, by the sounds of things. For me, it's interesting to hear about. Having avoided overtraining for the most part -luck having most do with it - and now having read a lot more to do with Maffetone's methods, to see Constitution and hear about what has lead him to this point does go a long way to illustrating and justifying many of Philip Maffetones approaches to endurance training.  Now, more than ever, I have become a firm believer in this approach to endurance training. Tomorrow is the long ride for the week. Coming straight from work in to the ride. Need to wrap up warm and fuel the tank well. Going to bed early tonight, ready to put some miles on the clock tomorrow with Napoleon. Five hour ride followed by a 35 minute run. Should be interesting. Good luck to us all!

To Granola and beyond.

Make Your Own Granola Bar

Recovery - the key to preventing overtraining

As I sit here, taking a time to recover from my long run (albeit in a recovery week), I find myself preaching to my running partner of the day. My father in law, who graciously accompanied me on the run.

Having been ill this week and struggled, stressfully to force in all the training that was due, in the short space of time I had available, it gave me pause to think back to last season. It was a very enjoyable one, without illness or injury. I had just discovered Dr. Phillip Maffetone. He is well known in the endurance world and even trained a few horse successfully (they have a similar ability for endurance as humans). He trained Mark Allen, who famously was a relaxed person after spending time with the Doctor.

Dr Maffetone is famous for preaching about balance and ensuring overtraining prevention. He believes that even reducing your recovery time, i.e. not affording enough sleep, will lead to overtraining, even if you seemingly have a balanced active training schedule. It was indeed, in my opinion, this reasoning, or lack of, that has lead me to the illness and injuries that have occurred this season. Admittedly, the ankle was the result of falling, but arguably would not have occurred if i had not been trying to push the training (and run in the dark).

I am currently re-readining his book - The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing - and rediscovering the training methods that lead me to an enjoyable season last year and, most importantly, an injury free one. Balance is everything. From training, to recovery, to diet and so forth. That is the attitude I am re-adopting and firmly believe that will set me well in the future.

I have also decided to run the Twin Cities marathon in October. That is all!

Good luck to us all!

Tough two weeks of travelling

The last two weeks have caught up with me this morning. </p>
<p>It's been a mental challenge, flying, jetlag, holiday, then straight back to work. Irregular diet intake and sleep has all culminated in not being able to finish the swim this morning . More mental burn out and fatigue than anything. It was to the point that I was almost falling asleep during my kick lengths. Not a great sign. Therefore, in honor of the Philip Maffetone approach I favor, I called it a day early on the swim and decided to shell out for a proper breakfast. I think another contributing factor was the late night run and lack of subsequent nutrition prior to swimming. It is sometimes quite hard to maintain the right nutrition on the road when I do not have my own food with and have to rely on the crap for sale.  Frustrating!

However, to try and be positive is to view this as another pain in my ass, why can't everything just go as planned, learning experience in the crazy (or nuts) journey that is Ironman.

Good luck to us all!

Ps the ankle is improving. Shame about the abductor!

Bit of fun

How I feel sometimes in the pool!

English country garden

Out in the UK, trying to enjoy my holiday and still maintain some training. Managed to get a short sharp ride in today with an ok rental bike from a local shop. The weather was misty and overcast with some wet roads, but was fantastic. Very few cars, lots of quadriceps scream inducing hills and peaceful English countryside. Wish I had brought my own bike to enjoy it all more. There is something very special about cycling in the area one grew up in, looking out over the rolling countryside (albeit, breathing very heavily and legs screaming at you) and just taking it all in. Allows any stress involved with the training to melt away and allow the shear enjoyment of training to return.

I wish the ankle would improve a little more so I could partake in some more runs as well. Off to swim in the pool I learned to tomorrow morning. This time in the public lanes, whilst the school swim club, with the weary, tired eyed school children who are less than impressed that their parents made them get up so early, are swimming in the lanes next door. They have not updated it since then, it would appear. Thus, a sense of deja vu will be strong.

It looks as though I am, however, missing out on some great biking weather back in Minneapolis. Can't wait to get "my boy Blue" out on the road when I get back. Should be fun.

Good luck to us all!

It's been a while

A lot has happened since my last post. Currently, my ankle is still in rehab. Still swollen and struggling to get a running in. Subsequent to that there is a lot of swimming going on and biking. Unfortunately, only managed 1hr 15mins of my long ride on Thursday as I had to pack for my trip to the UK. Along with ankle injury, I feel that I have fallen short on my training this week and with my trip I feel that next week will be a challange to stay up with training. For example, right now, we are sitting in a hotel in Chicago waiting for our flights. We did not managed to get on a flight to London yesterday and the luggage went missing. Thus, I have an 8 hour window to train, but with no equipment to conduct any. Very furstrating, as this will be the second day in a row without any training. Admittedly, it won't kill me, but as anyone training for an Ironman might tell you, you get a little fidgety and nervous when you sit around so much. My hope is that the English countryside will provide a fantastic backdrop for some running and swimming (and with some luck, a few bike rides). This blip in training is a real mental test for me. I have decided to embrace it and accept the challenge. That isn't to say that I will be a success at the challenge for 100% of the time it is testing me. However, it will hopefully mentally and physically rest me and allow me to come out stronger and better off for it. Good luck to us all!

Sometimes you've got to accept it and say F@#k it!

Today has been just one of those days when you have to say....well, you understand. The fact that we are on a recovery week is becoming obvious. Foul moods, low motivation and cranky paddy pants down syndrome are prevalent. Today, Napoleon and myself we attempting the key swim. 900 yards in the phrase "f#@k it, shall we just go and get a coffee?!" The response was an emphatic "yes". There are just the training when you are not in the right frame of mind. Better to let the workout go and revisit it again another day. There is even a professional triathlete who retired due to burn out and adding to her family. She is now out of retirement, but only trains if her mood is right. I can see myself adopting that mentality if the future. It's not a case of skipping a workout when you are tired. What it specifically refers to is one's mood. "Am i in the right frame of mind to complete this workout?" Answering that question ensures that the most can be gained by your forthcoming workout.

Tomorrow brings the long ride workout starting nice and early. Bring it on! Mood adjusted!

Good luck to us all!

Bump in the road

Well, the. Long run did not quite go as planned. I was having a fantastic run in the dark in Denver and I came upon a 200ft stretch that wasn't lit. I had a lot of ambient light and thought I would tread carefully. There wasn't an official path and th on coming car lights made it difficult to see. I was bopping along with my music on and then it all went wrong. Down I went, like the ground was disappearing below me. I had fallen down a wash. Not just a concrete one, but one that had jagged rock, with the uneven edges akin to the front range of Denver. My momentum may have saved the chronic pain, but the damage was done. A 4inch gash on my left knee quickly began clotting and the knowing feeling from someone who has rolled many ankles in his lifetime. The right ankle was not in good shape. I kept running in the classic macho "this doesn't really hurt" mentality. However, the reality was inescapable. I had rolled my ankle yet again. I made it to the next light and pulled in to the 7Elevem and found my Pakistani night in shining armor. What a nice man! He lent me his phone and chatted to me about cricket while I waited for the hotel van to come and pick me up. It was lucky the hotel van came when it did, as he was beginning to share how much money he had made betting on the cricket world cup. This is not something you want to hear from a Pakistani cricket fan. Google it! Anyway, Red Alert is panicking and hoping desperately that this will not effect my crushing of Napoleon and Constitution in Nice!! Ha! Good luck to us all!

Sleepy Triathlete

It's been another interesting week in the world of Ironman Training.  Efficiency reigned during my only 2 days off of the week (a period of time that seems normal to most people, but in the business of being away for such long periods of time, two days just is not sufficient). I managed to complete the important swims and the 3.5 hr indoor bike ride. However, due to the go go attitude of those days at home, rest suffered and that was apparent as I returned to work. Woke up very irritable and frustrated about returning to the road so soon. Even though I had completed the workout, I failed to rest enough. Subsequently, passively overtraining.  Often, in the real world of amateur triathletes who work a normal job and train in addition to their work schedule, we fail to rest appropriately, or even find the time to do so. There are those who are able to function and behave "normally" on little sleep. I am not one of those people. My body, I have discovered, demands extended resting and good sleep patterns. As I discovered this week with the lack of rest I allowed myself and the subsequent negative attitude it resulted in. At the same time, one must acknowledge the need to still function as a family member and contribute to such things as running of the house and shopping etc.. The danger is not contributing at all and simply coming home and training and resting, with nothing else being done. That does not promote a pleasant living environment, as it shouldn't.  Thus, as I will discover again this week (only another 2 days off) that us amateurs must find a balance. Certain training does need to get done, but not always at the expense of rest or contributing to our everyday lives. Sometimes, rest is best and the workout just will not get done. That's ok. Not all the time, of course, but occasionally.  I think I will truly be presented with this challenge in my upcoming trip home to the UK where I will have to balance revisiting and touring and still get some workouts in. I simply have to accept that they won't be as long as I would want and they won't be as frequent.nthis is quite often a touch thing for an Ironman triathlete to accept. I will do my best. Back home tomorrow, everything going to plan. Going to miss my favourite Oscars. Also need to plan my week of training coming up. Can't believe it's week 9 already!!! Good luck to us all!

Strength and Length(!)

Today has, so far, been productive and promises more. Completed a pretty hard working and intense hour of strength training this morning. There is definitely a lot to be said when training in a group, you being the only man in the bunch. For me, it pushes me far harder than with other male trainers. I think the reason lies in the mentality, more specifically, the male testosterone fueled bravado, of not wanting to seem weaker. The ladies today were all very motivated and at least one had done an Ironman before (athletes who are privileged enough to have completed this distance tend to wear as much clothing bearing the statement as possible, as will I!) and were pushing themselves to the max possible. A good, solid and enviable mentality, especially when you are paying the coach to push you.

With all this male bravado going on, I actually ended up pushing myself as well and having one of the most productive strength sessions of the year so far. Albeit tiring, yet quite pleasing.

Now, the downside of all this productive and motivating strength training is that one hour from now I shall be on a bike pedaling for three more. Holy bat sh@!t. That, at least, is the technical phrase. I suspect that by the end of the very long, yet somewhat spring like, day I shall be quite tired. Fortunately, along for the ride tonight is Constitution along for the 3 hours of biking. That at least should make it fly by and be a little less painful. Well, that and the excessive amount of cycling derrière cream I shall have on.

Off to work for four days tomorrow. Have a  nice long run planned along Lake Toronto. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, along with the airline schedules.

Good luck to us all!

The hard part is the training

I've run in to a number of people this week who have, in some form or another, entered in to an endurance race for 2012. Lance Armstrong just finished 2nd in his first half ironman (at least for some time) and raised a few eye brows in doing so.

There seems to be a commonality when entering these forms of endurance racing. Be it a marathon, all the way up to an ironman distance event. The traits are that the majority of participants, certainly first timers, focus on the race itself, failing to see that the true challenge is the training leading to the race.

For example, presently, as I type, I sit desperately trying to delay getting on my indoor bike setup to complete a 70 minute workout. Ultimately, I do not have to get on that bike. I do have to do the Ironman France which we have each paid $600 to enter. There's a date for that. An termination. A definite. However, I the world will not end if I do not get on that bike. THAT is the challenge. Summoning the will power to get on the bike, or step out the door to finish the run, or even submerge in to the pool to begin the swim. THE TRUE CHALLENGE IS COMPLETING THE TRAINING. The race is the easy part.

That said, off I will now go to start the bike, despite the almost irresistible urge not to! Luckily, The Departed should keep me comfortable.

Can't believe we are beginning week 7 of training.

Good luck to us all!

Waiting on a plane

I thought whilst I awaited, from row 32, for everyone to get off my ride to work, that I would update.

Completed the "key" swim today, which was a good challenge. Self discovered a little more of how to improve my freestyle stroke whilst counting the number of strokes. I found, although recommended to be minimal, that I was grossly under using the legs. A slight increase led to a decrease of two strokes per 25 yards. Fascinating stuff right! Well, after 3000 yards of anaerobic swimming it's like getting a $10,000 raise!

It was a good effort after a hard strength training last night. The Pellicanos kicked my butt, quite literally. A lot of work on the glutus maximus and quadriceps. All of which is gradually making itself known as we sit in the not-so-spacious coach seat.

Looking forward to one of my favorite road runs in, of all places, Peoria. It's an amazingly rural run, with some tasty hills, which will serve to enliven my long run on Friday. Such a fascinating life I lead in this sad sad world of triathlon.

Constitution sent out a funny Ioutube video this week. "sh#t triathletes say". It reminded me to check the seriousness of it all and remember that the reason we three fools entered in to this endeavor was, oddly enough, for the enjoyment of it all. We didn't get caught up in all the sportiness of it all and enjoyed it for the pure fun of it. Not constantly trying the one upmanship game that happens so often. Not caring who knew what or whether the other knew what the component of the bike was called. Simply heading out and having a good ole time was enough. That is what I will endeavor to remind myself of this week - to enjoy while I beat the sh#t out of my body!

Good luck to us all!

++ remember, proof read rarely. Takes too long +++

Long swim and off to work

Well, the. Long run did not quite go as planned. I was having a fantastic run in the dark in Denver and I came upon a 200ft stretch that wasn't lit. I had a lot of ambient light and thought I would tread carefully. There wasn't an official path and th on coming car lights made it difficult to see. I was bopping along with my music on and then it all went wrong. Down I went, like the ground was disappearing below me. I had fallen down a wash. Not just a concrete one, but one that had jagged rock, with the uneven edges akin to the front range of Denver. My momentum may have saved the chronic pain, but the damage was done. A 4inch gash on my left knee quickly began clotting and the knowing feeling from someone who has rolled many ankles in his lifetime. The right ankle was not in good shape. I kept running in the classic macho "this doesn't really hurt" mentality. However, the reality was inescapable. I had rolled my ankle yet again. I made it to the next light and pulled in to the 7Elevem and found my Pakistani night in shining armor. What a nice man! He lent me his phone and chatted to me about cricket while I waited for the hotel van to come and pick me up. It was lucky the hotel van came when it did, as he was beginning to share how much money he had made betting on the cricket world cup. This is not something you want to hear from a Pakistani cricket fan. Google it! Anyway, Red Alert is panicking and hoping desperately that this will not effect my crushing of Napoleon and Constitution in Nice!! Ha! Good luck to us all!

Change marks and unexpected perseverance

Just a quick note. Did not feel well after 30 mins on the bike with Napoleon. Had to stop. Possibly due to the smack in the head taken the day before. Slept a good hour. Got up. It was the super bowl. Watched that and with the great encouragement and inspiration from my good lady wife, I hopped back on the bike and half time and persevered on, watching the second half of the Super Bowl. And like every bike ride I do, there is always a chain mark to remind me of the ride completed. Feels good.

Good luck to us all!

Headaches and Long Ride

The long ride day has arrived. Completed my long run yesterday with not too much stress. Legs were a little tired. It was good to use the Fuel Belt again. Worked as advertised and allowed hydration the entire way round, which is something that I really rely on. Played around with the Hammer Perpetuum as well. Went straight out the door without breakfast, which typically leaves me under energized for a long run. Used the pancake like energy mix and felt strong throughout the run. Couldn't quite keep my heart rate as low as I would have liked. Lately, it always seems to spike when I run, much more so than on the bike.

I was tired enough yesterday, but managed to add to my woes when I knocked myself senseless walking to the basement. Must have been down those stairs a million times, but this occasion my head met the ceiling corner, hard! It hurt, a lot! For a second I didn't know what was going on. It appears that I don't have a concussion. The long ride today (3hours) should expose that theory. Looking forward to the ride. First, Man U vs Chelsea, then a long ride and then the Super Bowl. Seems like a well spent Sunday to me. ( A big thank you to my understanding wife!)

Today I will also try out the CyclOps training bra. Yes, that's right, my first bra. Such a milestone. Admittedly, it is more to hold off the sweat from corroding my bike than it is from supporting my moobies. Anything to prolong the life of my Boy Blue!
.

The game is about to start and I must pack a bag for the trip over to Napoleon's apartment for the ride. Need to pick out some good movies for this one. if i don't, I will have to listen to him bang on about the bloody French Rugby team the whole time. Nobody wants that! :)

Good luck to us all!

Painful morning

Ugh! The equivalent would be drinking too much and waking up regretting it the next morning. This scenario involved strength-ing too much and hurting too much. I feel like the old man who can't bend down to pick up the glasses he dropped. My hamstrings are very displeased this morning. Along with my shoulders.

It was a good session yesterday. Strength in the AM followed by swimming in the PM. However, today's wakeup was a struggle which is normally indicative of toooooo heavy of a training session the day before. Luckily, today I am off. Unluckily, I am off because of the length of the work day I have! It will be good to let the legs have a day off. Plus, the cockpit is like my own high altitude chamber, which apparently it's what the pros use. Perhaps it could work for me. I'll take anything!

It's now time to fly. I look forward to welcoming my bed tonight.

Good luck to us all!

Long ride

It's Sunday. I am at home. It feels odd. Not used to this.

I must say that being home on a Sunday is not motivating to get on the bike. Yesterday was very fatiguing. Finished the Pedal For Pancakes at my local triathlon shop and then went for an additional 1 hour run. For some reason that really took it's toll yesterday, despite what appeared to be the good use of nutrition. Had stomach cramps all afternoon and evening. Was able to soldier on at the bar, but suspect it was more down to some form of sickness I have carried all week. Body has been fighting it and with the long workout yesterday, it probably just wound me down.

However, today is better. A good nights sleep has helped and the plan is to remount the bike shortly in front of a movie and spin for 90 mins. Hopefully the legs oblige and the whole workout will be completed. Suspect that some foam rolling will be in order once this day is done.

Week 5 awaits tomorrow, with a long swim and strength training tomorrow. Time to get on the calender and adjust the schedule to match the work one. Could be a sleepy week.

Good luck to us all!

Grand slam tennis and Ironman

This morning I have awoken in Winnipeg Canada.  It's early, as ever, but late in Australia. As a result I am afforded an opportunity to watch And Murray on the semi finals of the Australian open. It's 30c (88f ish ). The players have just completed a marathon 3rd set and you can see in both their faces how far their bodies have taken them.  You can see Andy has hit the "wall" and quickly his opponent does the same.

It's now 5-1 in the fourth and both men are seeing the classic ups and downs associated with Ironman. From one minute you see then power a rally along, then the next they can barely get across the court to reach a shot.

I see a lot of my race in the TV screen I currently see. Not a negative point, but more of an acceptance of the amazing body that we live in. The difference is that the opponent that we will see in France with new the outside environment. It's return shots are random and whenever my body wishes to acknowledge it. I can stop if I don't want to return and walk. The two players on tv right now don't have that luxury.

I woke to thinking about Ironman because of the dream I had about the swim. A surreal dream swim with only us three racing and a very relaxed, almost casual feeling about it. The first time I have felt such a feeling about the open water part of this race.

As I leave  the hotel for work, I see two tennis players in the 5th stretch. The equivalent home stretch. Legs are still with them, like watching two sluggers bashing it out in the final round. That's how I imagine it will feel coming down the chute in France. Can't wait for that feeling!

Good luck to us all!

Back on the road

Blogging from the back of an aircraft enroute from Chicago to Bismarck, SD. Wishing very much that airports had gyms onsite. Only a handful do have them and they are mostly for employees only. A 3 hour break in an airport seems like a wasted opportunity to train.

Last week, www.airportgyms.com was successfully used at Washington Dulles airport. During a four break, I was able to get an hour bike in thanks to Rocko at Gold's gym. Although, it was at a cost. This week, I doubt I will be as lucky. Denver might provide some respite in their airport gym, but not set in stone yet.

The hours are beginning to increase. Can't believe it's already week 4 in training. I am becoming more inventive and more discovery is being made in to how I can get workouts done. By doing this, the schedule can be better adhered to.However, recovery always suffers, but isn't that what it's all about? The training is the true Ironman effort.

Glad also that I have a few weekends off approaching. Not only do I get some time at home like a "normal" weekend person, but I also get to attend some illusive group workouts, which are always fun. Allow me to introduce Peddle For Pancakes. Our local store, Urban Tri, hosts a free peddle at 9 on Saturdays, swiftly  followed by a batch of pancakes. I will also get to train with Constitution aka Radford and Napoleon. Completing all the workouts alone does allow such group workouts to be very much looked forward to. It will be nice to pass two hours on the bike with some good humored conversation. Now to just get through this trip.

Good luck to us all!

Sunday - it's long ride day

Returned from work last night. Getting up at 3am that day made for a long one which in turn made for a traditionally fatigued wakeup today. Quite often, even though 9 hours of sleep was achieved, after a long 20hour last day, no matter how well I sleep, normally I wake up still tired. The reason to take note of such a thing is that having a long workout due the next morning requires an awful lot of motivation to get it done. Today was a day like this.

Managed to get my new training tire on the rear wheel and make it on to the rollers by 9am. The abductor is still a little sore on the rollers, but it is showing signs of improvement. However, the true struggle was remaining on the rollers! Due to the slight fatigue still being felt, concentration was not the strongest. If you lose that concentration or become distracted, allowing your core to relax, the next thing you find is your bike wondering towards the edge of the barrel. This seem to occur numerous times today and was not helped by watching the Man U vs Arsenal game on TV (a good match).

Even with all those distractions, 30 miles came around reasonably quickly and I managed to complete the workout. The abductor is sore right now. Some ice and rolling is needed to recover it a little. That is the next order of the day.

Tomorrow starts week 4 already. Time seems to be flying by. Concern remains over my abductor and I feel that a doctor visit may well be fast approaching. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.

Good luck to us all!

Canada and training

This week is all concerning competing my training week with a recovering injury and bitterly cold temperatures in Canada. All my overnight stays are in Canadian cities, with gyms that are average at best. The need to be inventive in getting high. For example, $22 in cab fares was spent on finding a gym during my 4 hour break (sit) in Washington DC.

Tonight, Ottawa provides the challenge of completing a strength workout. Traditionally, running would be the order of the day. However, the injury is not quite up to par for a run just yet, so the room strength in order. There shall be numerous inventions with the resistance bands in my bag. Let's hope no one peaks through the window and finds me in all different kinds of contorted situations, tangled up in elastic!

The crux is that today would be a perfect winter run day in Ottawa - -20f and sunny skies. If only the abductor would allow it. It will require a lot of self control to prevent that from happening. The lack of winter clothing should help with that.

That's it for now. I wish Constitution and Napoleon a speedy recovery from their illnesses.

Good luck to us all!

The Dark Side

Greetings from Ironman training. This week has been a lot of ups and downs. All of the team has experienced some form of The Dark Side. This is our way of explaining the significant fatigue in the form of tiredness that many Ironman trainees appear to experience. There has definitely been days this week where each of us has felt very tired. Normally, one would hope to avoid this feeling until much later in training. However, each of us has coincided the beginning of our official Ironamn training with some very busy work weeks.

Constitution made some fascinating decision making whilst on a work trip, which involved a combination of drinking and running. This was very much felt the very next morning. Napoleon was been "hard at work" with long days in the "kitchen" and also upping the length of our workouts. I myself had a trip last week with numerous 4am wakeups with a workout planned on each day.

It all seemed to catch us up, like the tortoise and the hare. At least one day this week we have all just been cranky and tired - how I would imagine a typical Clint Eastwood character training for such a feet! Normally, I would associate this with over training. However, I would lean to point the finger at under resting. Certainly where I am concerned.

It is said that an athlete training for Ironman races should sleep a full 8 hours a night, minimum. However, the guy who wrote that clearly was the CEO of the company. In the working man world, to combine a profession and training, it's just not realistic, although equally not impossible.

I have noticed that many of the posts on this blog have remarked upon the tired state of the body. 8 hours a night will have to be striven for and no longer ignored or dismissed. Undertaking this task was a simultaneous acknowledgment that I would not be as much fun and just that little bit more boring. And so it must be (although not all the time! That would make Jack a dull boy!!)

The irony of this post is found in the fact that as I type it is 8:17pm. My wakeup is at 4am. Thus, already ignoring my own advice! Perhaps that can start tomorrow, which is, thankfully, a day off.

Sleep well and good luck to us all!

I rarely proof read and publish as is, so please provide me some latitude for the odd error.

Fatigue

Yesterday and today began and ended with fatigue.  I think a lot could be attributed to my lack of discipline when exercising each of the preceding days. I frequently allowed my heart rate to sore followed by a shortened cool down. If I am to make it to Nice without over training, I need to rediscover the discipline from last year. In 2011, I was very rigid in my approach to training, consistently resisting the urge to power on and maintaining my aerobic heart rates. 2012 has come with a brief repressing of that attitude, which had immediately lead to the current fatigue I am feeling (that and the 355am wakeup this morning).

I think it is more the draw of this immense challenge that is ahead of me. An odd impulse that I need to workout harder, or, to rephrase, longer to meet my goal. This is not true and I must reminds myself of that. Quality and aerobic. These were the keys to last year's success in the half ironman and they must be observed in 2012.

The reason I bring this up is because I don't want to just finish this challenge, but I want to enjoy the majority of it too. There will be downsides...mostly downsides in morale, more so than speed inducing boosts of energy/adrenaline. However, the true enjoyment will be gained knowing that I can do it before the date arrives. And the way to achieve that is to allow my body to make it. Depending on who you are, you need to get slower to get faster (stolen quote).

Now time for some rest. 4 am wakeup and not even for a run (I really miss running at the moment!)

Good luck to us all.

Climate change and granola bars!

The last few days have been tough with the abductor problems. It has been quite sore. What made this particularly tough was being in Florida and seeing all the triathletes on their bikes in the perfect training environment. 75 degrees Fahrenheit and clear skies, quiet roads and little traffic. The beaches were mostly empty and perfectly ripe for a short jog. The draw was too much and I succumbed to a short jog down the beach. It felt fantastic, like a dog being let off the leash in the park. And after some attentive stretching, things weren't so bad.

Now we are back in Minneapolis and experiencing record high temperatures. It's January. It's 50F!! I had a swim this morning and was due to go on the trainer, but felt it was sinful to stay inside. So, I hopped on the new bike - the first time I have been on the road with it - and set off. It was fantastic! The bike is a perfect fit and the best cycling I have had the privilege of experiencing. The "boy blue" was as reliant as expected and the power output was equally impressive. Even the abductor didn't complain.

Along with the swim this morning I am quite spent. What better thing to do than to make some granola energy bars. I nicked the recipe from Triathlete Magazine and so far so good. At least the pictures looked ok. I am awaiting the final result as I type.

Tomorrow will be a little puke inducing strength training with Coach Danielle and hopefully a two hour ride on the trainer depending on how the abductor feels in the morning.

Nice planning is coming along nicely. We are aligning our accommodations and should have them booked soon. Now if we could only figure out how to get the bikes to the race start without spending an arm and a leg.

Good night and good luck to us all!

Thresholds and swimming

The schedule of training and working certainly dawned on me this morning at 5am when I was awoken by my alarm, having only headed to bed 5 hours prior. I arrived home from work at only 11pm and didn't hit they hay until midnight. It was one of the more challenging wake ups I have had in recent times, yet I'm sure that the challenge of Ironman will far surpass this one. That is what makes you get up and go in the morning.

I arose before dawn to complete a threshhold workout. What this entails, is a good warmup followed by your maximum effort that you can stand for a defined period of time. This morning it was a 20min maximum effort. I crashed in on a regular bike class at Danielle Pellicanos. She is the coach we have for strength training who regularly kicks our behinds in to shape.

There were 7 weary cyclists this morning. All of us pushing it to "the max" in order that we may establish our heart rate zones for the bicycle. The goal of this is to allow for more effective training. Most notably, the prevention of overtraining. By knowing your heart rates, you are able to keep yourself in order and not allow yourself to push training sessions beyond what you should, thus allowing your body recovery when the schedule is busy. The irony- a threshold workout is complete knackering!

I am meant to be out swimming today, in addition to the threshold workout. With the chronic lack of sleep last night, I struggled to make it to the pool as of yet, but the day is young! Sleep dominated my day and I am a little frustrated with myself. I certainly had the time to do it, but was so fatigued that I chose the covers over the water. I can get away with it now, but not in the near future. This was a "key" swim and not to be missed.

Lunch was a good old fashioned beans on toast that should provide me with the energy to get to the pool this evening. 90mins hopefully achieved at the U of M pool.

Good luck to us all!

2 days in...

The start of training has coincided with a trip. I have already found a few new places on the road which will be effective places to train in the future - which had provided a positive start to the official Ironman programme.

First day was a long, 3500 yard swim in Bismarck. Although, "long" is now a relative term, with 2.4 miles the goal. Felt pretty good for the 90 minutes in the pool. The itchy skin syndrome notwithstanding.

Today was a short 60 mins on the stationary bike, which normally would be a dreaded prospect. However, the bike available to me in Charlotte was a nice new stationary. Time flew by and was actually a good experience.

Food during recovery, whilst on the road is a challenge. My Hammer whey protein is an essential to ensure the muscles get what they need. If I rely on the food on the road then I might be in trouble. The "road food" had about as much nutritional value as my left little finger. So, bringing my own food and hammer nutrition is a must. So far so good.

Tomorrow, I might try to set my heart rate zones and have a bit of a swim.

Good luck to us all!