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!