As promised the following is a retro post for Monday June 1.
My good friend Scott Green is entering his third year as offensive coordinator for the Garnet Valley High School football team. In early March he called me with the following proposal. Would you be interested in coming out to our spring minicamp to watch practice as an invited guest and then deliver a motivational speech to the team and coaches at its conclusion? My first reaction was to be incredibly honored and my next was to wonder why anyone would want me to deliver a motivational speech, let alone an incredibly successful football team.
The logic behind this decision was that since I am training for an Ironman Triathlon it would be valuable for the team to hear what I am doing to accomplish my goal. Did I mention that I am not very bright? He had run the idea past head coach Mike Ricci and based on Scott’s recommendation he was on board.
I graciously accepted the offer and made plans to attend the first scheduled workout of the spring minicamp on June 1. Over the next several weeks I spent some time thinking about how I would structure my speech. All the while wondering, how can I make training for an Ironman relevant to a group of 15-17 year old football players? The following is the speech that I delivered that afternoon….
First I would like to thank Coach Green for inviting me and Coach Ricci for having me here today. I have had the pleasure to follow your football team over the past several years and have been impressed, not only with the success your team has had but the manner with which it has achieved its success. Your team plays hard on every play and carries itself with dignity in both victory and defeat.
As Coach Green mentioned I am in the process of training for the Florida Ironman Triathlon. The race is scheduled to take place on November 7th of this year. For those of you unfamiliar with the event an athlete will complete a 2.4 mile ocean swim, bike 112 miles and then finish the race by running a marathon (26.2 miles). The winner will finish in just over 8 hours and I just hope to finish with in the seventeen hour time limit. The race begins at 7 am and the competitors are given until midnight to complete the race. If they haven’t finished in that time then the race doesn't count.
I have trained for the last two and a half years to prepare for this moment and am currently in the midst of a thirty six week training program. During this program I will bike over 5,000 miles, run 1,000 miles and swim 200 miles or 14,000 laps in the standard 25 yard pool. Training takes place Monday to Thursday from 5:15 am to 8:15 am and then another 4 – 8 hours on the weekend. The race is incredibly demanding and the only way to prepare for it is through incredibly demanding training.
Many people like to attribute a person’s success to natural ability. They claim that ability is something that you either have or you don’t. I do not subscribe to this theory. In my experience the people who succeed are almost always the ones that have worked the hardest along the way. They have sacrificed to achieve their goal.
I have heard people throughout this process say, “you were are always a good runner” or “you are just naturally good at this stuff”. But I know the truth. I know that when I jumped in my buddies pool a few summers ago that I couldn’t swim 4 laps without having to stop. I know what it feels like to wake up at 4:30 am each day to get to the gym by 5:15 am to swim 2 miles, run 8 miles and then hit the weights for another 30 minutes and still get to work by 9 am. I know what it feels like to be on mile 10 of a 15 mile run and want to quit, feeling incredible fatigue and just wanting to hang it up for another day. Why do I push on? Because I know what I want to achieve and the only way to achieve this goal is through hard work and practice.
If I complete this Ironman in November it will not be because of natural ability or because I was able to “rise to the occasion”. I don’t believe that we “rise to the occasion” but rather fall to our level of training. My path to success is being paved each morning that I choose to do something. Each morning that I choose to put in the work necessary to achieve my goal.
Over the course of my training there have been ups and downs, good days and bad. What gets me through these days is the goal. More important than any running, biking, swimming or lifting, is the act of doing of overcoming. I believe the most important part of training is training yourself to overcome fatigue, injury or whatever comes your way. There are few guarantees in life but there is one thing that I can guarantee. I guarantee that at some point during the Ironman on November 7th I will be hurting, I will be tired, I will be exhausted. It is at these most trying moments that your true self is revealed.
In life it is easy to compete when everything is going right, when you are up by 28 points heading into the 4th quarter. But how will you carry yourself when things aren’t going your way? When things aren’t so easy? When you are on your own 10 yard line with a minute and a half to go down by 5 points, when the other team needs a yard and you know they are coming your way because the guy over you outweighs you by 50 lbs. You learn a lot about yourself and your teammates when you are out there on the edge, pushed to the brink. Will you push on or will you turn back? The true measure of a man comes at these times.
You see adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it. Character is built each day that you choose to put in the work rather then taking the easy way out. More so then the extra 25 lbs on your bench press or the 0.1 seconds shaved off your forty yard dash time, it is your work ethic and your desire to succeed that will be the difference on this field on Friday nights this fall. You are learning the value of preparation, teaching your body how to push through those difficult moments. Sure the training is building strength an increasing speed but more importantly it is building character, the character that you will need when times get tough. And they will get tough. Entire seasons come down to a few key moments. How you will respond in these moments is being determined today, during each workout this spring and summer. How prepared will you be?
Winners overcome obstacles in their path. It is amazing how often people quit at the first sign of adversity, instead of pushing through. Adversity is put in your way to challenge you to raise your performance to a whole new level, a level never thought possible. I am working everyday, everyday so that when that moment comes I will be able to realize my full potential. Are you willing to do what it takes? Good Luck Guys.
Preparing for and giving this speech was a turning point for me in my quest to achieve my Ironman dream. At this moment the Ironman became bigger then a personal goal for me. Now that I have delivered this message to this group of young men how can I quit? If I were to quit now I would not only let myself down, I would let the team down. I believe strongly in being accountable. I have challenged this team to raise its level. To work harder then they thought possible to achieve their goals. I must do the same. I have to be accountable for my words by following them up with actions.
I mentioned during my speech that there are no guarantees in life but “I guarantee that at some point during the Ironman on November 7th I will be hurting”. There is one other thing that I can guarantee. I guarantee I will work my absolute hardest to prepare myself for that day and I will push myself as hard as a man can push himself that day to achieve my goal, no matter what. Ultimately I may or may not be successful in my quest to become an Ironman but that will not matter. So long as I know that I have given my all then that will be enough for me.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
...the one who endures that the final victory comes
The alarm went off a 4 am this morning and I popped out of bed. Today is Missy's big day...the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon. She has been training consistently for the last year and half for this day and religiously for the last 20 weeks. The cars are packed, the kids buckled in and we are off.
We arrive at Fairmount Park a little after 5:40 am and the place is bustling. There is an energy in the air that is difficult to describe. There are literally 2,000 or athletes milling about waiting for their heat to go off.
We select a prime location near the bike and run transition area and settle in for what is sure to be an exciting day. The kids are besides themselves as they reel off a series of 50 yard sprints. Its as if they have both slugged a 20 oz coffee when I wasn't looking. My Mom and Dad join Missy's Mom Helene, myself, John, Emily and our cousin Florence for today's festivities.
The racers have been bused over to the St. Joseph's boathouse on the other side of the river and we are left to await their arrival on the other side. This is definitely the most anxious time for me as I stand and wait to see Missy come out of transition after a 1 mile swim.
Dad and I spot her coming into the transition area and alert the others to her arrival. We join together to cheer her on as she prepares to mount the bike and begin the 26 mile ride. I speak from experience when I say there is nothing like the adrenaline boost that you get from having the people you love cheer you on (Missy confirmed this after the race).
Missy stays with in herself and knocks out the bike leg in an hour and forty minutes. This is her first attempt at a race of this distance and it is important not to over do it on the bike portion (it is not how you start its how you finish). She comes out of transition and she looks good...but how will her knee hold up on the unforgiving blacktop of West River Drive?
Our good friend Jess and her kids Shane and Kylie arrive to help us cheer Missy on to the finish. As she passes the halfway point she looks good but just to be safe we dial up a little extra cheer for her. We hustle over to the finish line and wait patiently for her to cross the line. As she is coming down the last quarter mile straight away you can see the strain on her face and slight hitch in her stride (the knee flared up). But there is nothing that will stop her now. She crosses the finish line realizing in that moment a year and half's worth of hard work. I hustle through the crowd (feeling a lot like Adrienne in Rocky...I can't get away from this movie) and make my way to her for a victory hug.
Missy didn't win the race, far from it, and I wouldn't have been more proud if she had. It is hard for me to explain the feeling that you get when you watch someone train so hard for so long to achieve their goals and then they do it...it is the best. Missy was victorious today in her quest to get the most that she possibly can out herself. Her success can be attributed to hard work, didication and her desire to succeed. Tomorrow there will be pain as she recovers from the three plus hours race and in the coming weeks more training for other races but today we celebrate. Congratulations Missy!
"Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes" Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta
We arrive at Fairmount Park a little after 5:40 am and the place is bustling. There is an energy in the air that is difficult to describe. There are literally 2,000 or athletes milling about waiting for their heat to go off.
We select a prime location near the bike and run transition area and settle in for what is sure to be an exciting day. The kids are besides themselves as they reel off a series of 50 yard sprints. Its as if they have both slugged a 20 oz coffee when I wasn't looking. My Mom and Dad join Missy's Mom Helene, myself, John, Emily and our cousin Florence for today's festivities.
The racers have been bused over to the St. Joseph's boathouse on the other side of the river and we are left to await their arrival on the other side. This is definitely the most anxious time for me as I stand and wait to see Missy come out of transition after a 1 mile swim.
Dad and I spot her coming into the transition area and alert the others to her arrival. We join together to cheer her on as she prepares to mount the bike and begin the 26 mile ride. I speak from experience when I say there is nothing like the adrenaline boost that you get from having the people you love cheer you on (Missy confirmed this after the race).
Missy stays with in herself and knocks out the bike leg in an hour and forty minutes. This is her first attempt at a race of this distance and it is important not to over do it on the bike portion (it is not how you start its how you finish). She comes out of transition and she looks good...but how will her knee hold up on the unforgiving blacktop of West River Drive?
Our good friend Jess and her kids Shane and Kylie arrive to help us cheer Missy on to the finish. As she passes the halfway point she looks good but just to be safe we dial up a little extra cheer for her. We hustle over to the finish line and wait patiently for her to cross the line. As she is coming down the last quarter mile straight away you can see the strain on her face and slight hitch in her stride (the knee flared up). But there is nothing that will stop her now. She crosses the finish line realizing in that moment a year and half's worth of hard work. I hustle through the crowd (feeling a lot like Adrienne in Rocky...I can't get away from this movie) and make my way to her for a victory hug.
Missy didn't win the race, far from it, and I wouldn't have been more proud if she had. It is hard for me to explain the feeling that you get when you watch someone train so hard for so long to achieve their goals and then they do it...it is the best. Missy was victorious today in her quest to get the most that she possibly can out herself. Her success can be attributed to hard work, didication and her desire to succeed. Tomorrow there will be pain as she recovers from the three plus hours race and in the coming weeks more training for other races but today we celebrate. Congratulations Missy!
"Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes" Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta
Big Bike Day
I eagerly hopped out of bed today in anticipation of my big bike day. To prepare for the ride I do the following
*check the air pressure in tires
*pack two spare tubes...for when I get my first two flats
*pack my cell phone to call Missy to come pick me up when I get my third flat
O.K. ready to go. I head south on highway route 13 to Downtown Wilmington. This portion of the ride is relatively flat and provides a good opportunity to warm up after yesterday's half marathon. related side note...hard for me to believe that I am at a stage where a half marathon is just a portion of a daily workout? From here I take a route 52 out to West Chester. This segment is riddled with numerous challenging up hills and fast down hills. Speeds during this segment range from 8 mph to 40 mph (scary stuff).
A quick right at the Brandywine Creek picnic area and I am racing down Creek Road. This road is almost completely canopied by trees and makes for an energized ride. I tack on some additional miles in Northern Wilmington and head home having booked a strong 52 miles in a little under 3 hours.
Once home I quickly change into my running gear and am out the door. The first half mile is a little rough...is this due to the 3 hrs on the bike? yesterday's half marathon or the two pancakes I wolfed down on my way out the door? like the Pyramids and Stonehenge some mysteries go unsolved.
The first two miles of the run are littered with hills making it difficult for me to find my rhythm. Once I successfully summit Highland Ave I settle in for 3 miles of a moderate intensity level run (70-75%). By this time the sun is high and hot but it feels good. I begin my decent wishing that I had grabbed another bottle of water for the run as the taste of syrup lingers in my mouth. My heartrate gradually lowers into the 60-65% range and I walk in the last third of a mile. My first 15 hour week is behind me and I am feeling good.
Post Workout Meal
one half dozen egg cheese omelet
two bagels
one banana
and 1 quart of water
Tomorrow is the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon, Missy's third race overall and her first at this distance. I am pumped!
*check the air pressure in tires
*pack two spare tubes...for when I get my first two flats
*pack my cell phone to call Missy to come pick me up when I get my third flat
O.K. ready to go. I head south on highway route 13 to Downtown Wilmington. This portion of the ride is relatively flat and provides a good opportunity to warm up after yesterday's half marathon. related side note...hard for me to believe that I am at a stage where a half marathon is just a portion of a daily workout? From here I take a route 52 out to West Chester. This segment is riddled with numerous challenging up hills and fast down hills. Speeds during this segment range from 8 mph to 40 mph (scary stuff).
A quick right at the Brandywine Creek picnic area and I am racing down Creek Road. This road is almost completely canopied by trees and makes for an energized ride. I tack on some additional miles in Northern Wilmington and head home having booked a strong 52 miles in a little under 3 hours.
Once home I quickly change into my running gear and am out the door. The first half mile is a little rough...is this due to the 3 hrs on the bike? yesterday's half marathon or the two pancakes I wolfed down on my way out the door? like the Pyramids and Stonehenge some mysteries go unsolved.
The first two miles of the run are littered with hills making it difficult for me to find my rhythm. Once I successfully summit Highland Ave I settle in for 3 miles of a moderate intensity level run (70-75%). By this time the sun is high and hot but it feels good. I begin my decent wishing that I had grabbed another bottle of water for the run as the taste of syrup lingers in my mouth. My heartrate gradually lowers into the 60-65% range and I walk in the last third of a mile. My first 15 hour week is behind me and I am feeling good.
Post Workout Meal
one half dozen egg cheese omelet
two bagels
one banana
and 1 quart of water
Tomorrow is the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon, Missy's third race overall and her first at this distance. I am pumped!
Back to Basics
First I would like to apologize to my loyal reader(s)? for the delay in putting up my next post (there are more then one of you out there right?). After Wednesday's post I decided to take a few days off and regroup...get back to basics if you will. Though I spend only 30 minutes a night writing this blog it still represents about 50% of my unallocated discretionary time each day.
Enough excuses, time for a quick update (thur and fri):
Thursday: I knocked out a solid 30 mile bike ride, hit the weights for 30 minutes and then finished up with a 2.1 mile swim. In my up and down world this represented a big up day for the kid. I felt as if I could have swam another 2.1 miles. I am not sure if it is the case but my swim workouts always seem better after a strength training session. If it's not broke then don't fix it.
Friday: As mentioned previously I took off from work today to accommodate my rescheduled Sunday workout. Today's workout is a BIG run day. I had planned to avoid the track today but much to my chagrin this workout is a scheduled track workout. The tough luck kid can't get a break. The run was broken into 5 segments that went as follows:
*Warm up for 15 minutes allowing my heart rate to gradually to reach 70% of my target max (~130 bpm) 1.5 miles
*2 mile interval sets...sprint the straight aways and jog the corners. Heart elevates to ~85% on the straights and back down to 75% on the corners. 15 minute total time.
*Back to back 2.5 mile segments run at a controlled 75% heart rate run in 21 min 15 sec and 21 min 45 secs respectively
*45 minute even paced run between 65-70% heart rate for an additional 4.5 miles
Total run distance today 13 miles. The conditions of the run on Friday can be best descibed as follows. Please read this section with Simon and Garfunkel's the Sound of Silence playing in the background....
Hello humidity, my old friend
You've come to run with me again,
Because the sweat was softly creeping,
Left me drenched while I was running
And the feeling of fatigue was planted in my brain
Still remains
While training for the Ironman
After the run I hop on the bike for a 65 minute (19 mile) moderate intensity run. I failed to mention that I incorporated Gu gel packs every 45 minutes throughout the workout and consumed two 24 oz water bottles and two 24 oz Gatorade bottles. This emphasis in taking on calories and the proper amount of fluids gets me through the workout feeling great.
Tomorrow is my first 3 hour bike ride of the program. Looking forward to a rain free ride
Enough excuses, time for a quick update (thur and fri):
Thursday: I knocked out a solid 30 mile bike ride, hit the weights for 30 minutes and then finished up with a 2.1 mile swim. In my up and down world this represented a big up day for the kid. I felt as if I could have swam another 2.1 miles. I am not sure if it is the case but my swim workouts always seem better after a strength training session. If it's not broke then don't fix it.
Friday: As mentioned previously I took off from work today to accommodate my rescheduled Sunday workout. Today's workout is a BIG run day. I had planned to avoid the track today but much to my chagrin this workout is a scheduled track workout. The tough luck kid can't get a break. The run was broken into 5 segments that went as follows:
*Warm up for 15 minutes allowing my heart rate to gradually to reach 70% of my target max (~130 bpm) 1.5 miles
*2 mile interval sets...sprint the straight aways and jog the corners. Heart elevates to ~85% on the straights and back down to 75% on the corners. 15 minute total time.
*Back to back 2.5 mile segments run at a controlled 75% heart rate run in 21 min 15 sec and 21 min 45 secs respectively
*45 minute even paced run between 65-70% heart rate for an additional 4.5 miles
Total run distance today 13 miles. The conditions of the run on Friday can be best descibed as follows. Please read this section with Simon and Garfunkel's the Sound of Silence playing in the background....
Hello humidity, my old friend
You've come to run with me again,
Because the sweat was softly creeping,
Left me drenched while I was running
And the feeling of fatigue was planted in my brain
Still remains
While training for the Ironman
After the run I hop on the bike for a 65 minute (19 mile) moderate intensity run. I failed to mention that I incorporated Gu gel packs every 45 minutes throughout the workout and consumed two 24 oz water bottles and two 24 oz Gatorade bottles. This emphasis in taking on calories and the proper amount of fluids gets me through the workout feeling great.
Tomorrow is my first 3 hour bike ride of the program. Looking forward to a rain free ride
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Something has to give
I am beginning to feel as if I am part of some cruel experiment. Kind of like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, minus I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher blaring out of the alarm clock. The alarm goes off. I stagger around the room for a while. Grab my stuff, head out the door and then somehow I end up at the gym? The most interesting part of the routine is when I look in the gym bag to see what I have packed? Today I forgot my pants (luckily my saint of a wife ran me up a pair). Yesterday it was a brown belt to go with my black pants (good look). It is always something and I beginning to feel like, something has to give.
At work today my friend Jeff asked, "what is the hardest part of the training"? I think he was looking for a specific answer like, the swim is the hardest or something like to that effect. I answered that the training...the swimming, biking, running is the easy part. The hard part is everything that goes into making the training possible. Waking up at obscene hours to get a workout in before work. Constantly reviewing my schedule to ensure I've allotted adequate time to get in the workouts for the week. Force feeding myself so that I don't waste away to nothing. This is a losing battle for me at this part. I typically weigh around 175 lbs but in recent weeks I've noticed that my pants, shorts etc...seem a little bigger (o.k. a lot bigger). I weighed myself after Sunday's run and to my surprise the scale said I weighed 159 lbs (I haven't weighed this much since I was 18 or 19). A lot of this had to do with just finishing a workout but still....with all of the money spent on tri equipment and the trip to Panama City Beach for the race I can hardly afford a new wardrobe. It may be time for me to head over to Mom and Dad's and dig up some of the old school early 90's gear? Bum Equipment and Z-Cav's...wonder how that would go over at Morgan Stanley?
All of these factors result in me having this feeling of constant exhaustion. This is where I am going to have to make some changes. I am thinking that I will split my swim/run and swim/bike days into two-a-day workouts. Run or bike in the morning before work and then hit the pool after work. This will allow me to get an additional 45 minutes to an hour of sleep each day. Mathematically the difference between waking up at 4:15 and 5:15 may be an hour but for me it seems more like 2 hours. At 5:15 I have a fighting chance? At 4:15...forget about it.
Tomorrow will be my first attempt at the two-a-day. 105 bike in the am followed by a 60 minute swim after work.
At work today my friend Jeff asked, "what is the hardest part of the training"? I think he was looking for a specific answer like, the swim is the hardest or something like to that effect. I answered that the training...the swimming, biking, running is the easy part. The hard part is everything that goes into making the training possible. Waking up at obscene hours to get a workout in before work. Constantly reviewing my schedule to ensure I've allotted adequate time to get in the workouts for the week. Force feeding myself so that I don't waste away to nothing. This is a losing battle for me at this part. I typically weigh around 175 lbs but in recent weeks I've noticed that my pants, shorts etc...seem a little bigger (o.k. a lot bigger). I weighed myself after Sunday's run and to my surprise the scale said I weighed 159 lbs (I haven't weighed this much since I was 18 or 19). A lot of this had to do with just finishing a workout but still....with all of the money spent on tri equipment and the trip to Panama City Beach for the race I can hardly afford a new wardrobe. It may be time for me to head over to Mom and Dad's and dig up some of the old school early 90's gear? Bum Equipment and Z-Cav's...wonder how that would go over at Morgan Stanley?
All of these factors result in me having this feeling of constant exhaustion. This is where I am going to have to make some changes. I am thinking that I will split my swim/run and swim/bike days into two-a-day workouts. Run or bike in the morning before work and then hit the pool after work. This will allow me to get an additional 45 minutes to an hour of sleep each day. Mathematically the difference between waking up at 4:15 and 5:15 may be an hour but for me it seems more like 2 hours. At 5:15 I have a fighting chance? At 4:15...forget about it.
Tomorrow will be my first attempt at the two-a-day. 105 bike in the am followed by a 60 minute swim after work.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
What time is it?
The alarm went off this morning at 4:25 am. I can't believe that it is time to get up already? I lay there in a confused state trying to figure out why my alarm would be playing at this strange time. After several moments I realize that I have to get moving if I want to get to the gym by 5. I say moments because it is impossible to tell how long this took...is it seconds or minutes?
I get dressed, brush my teeth, grab my bag and am off. I vaguely recall listening to the radio on the way to the gym. I think that it was KYW news radio but I am not positive? I drop my stuff at my locker and head up to the fitness floor to begin my 85 minute bike workout. After a minute or so I become aware of the clock and it reads 5:25. 5:25? How can this be? I should have been to the gym by no later then 5 or 5 after 5 at the latest. After several minutes of thinking about it I decide two things. I must have dozed back off after the alarm went off and I am definitely going to bed early tonight.
I have an uneventful workout from here forward knocking out 30 miles on the bike, hitting the weights for 30 minutes and then an easy 5.5 miles in 50 minutes with my heart rate at 65-70%. 2 hours and 45 minutes of training and off to begin my day of work.
I plan to move my 70 minute Thursday run segment to tomorrow and tomorrows 105 minute bike ride to Thursday. This is done to avoid running 70 minute and 115 minutes on back to back days. The knee feels good but I do not want to take a chance at this stage.
I get dressed, brush my teeth, grab my bag and am off. I vaguely recall listening to the radio on the way to the gym. I think that it was KYW news radio but I am not positive? I drop my stuff at my locker and head up to the fitness floor to begin my 85 minute bike workout. After a minute or so I become aware of the clock and it reads 5:25. 5:25? How can this be? I should have been to the gym by no later then 5 or 5 after 5 at the latest. After several minutes of thinking about it I decide two things. I must have dozed back off after the alarm went off and I am definitely going to bed early tonight.
I have an uneventful workout from here forward knocking out 30 miles on the bike, hitting the weights for 30 minutes and then an easy 5.5 miles in 50 minutes with my heart rate at 65-70%. 2 hours and 45 minutes of training and off to begin my day of work.
I plan to move my 70 minute Thursday run segment to tomorrow and tomorrows 105 minute bike ride to Thursday. This is done to avoid running 70 minute and 115 minutes on back to back days. The knee feels good but I do not want to take a chance at this stage.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Big Week
Today's workout marks the beginning of Week 17 of my Ironman training program. This week I will train for over 15 hours for the very first time. The week started off with a 45 minute swim followed by a 45 minute bike ride. This 45 minute bike ride is new for a Monday and quite difficult considering the heavy load placed on my legs this weekend.
Tuesday through Thursday I will train in the triathlon specific disciplines an average of 2 hrs and 20 minutes a day. In addition to this I must find time to work on my strength training at least two days. My strength training has fallen off since I herniated a disc in my neck while lifting in early May. Ironically the risk for injury will increase if I don't start strength training on a more regular basis. I just have to stay with in myself and not over do it. This is extremely difficult for me as I tend to be an "all in" kind of guy once I decide to do something.
The week finishes with a 3 hour run/bike brick on Friday and a 3 hour 40 minute bike/run brick on Saturday. Friday emphasizes the run (2 hours) followed by a short bike ride (1 hour) while Saturday stresses the Bike (3 hours) followed by a short run (40 minutes). For the week I scheduled to swim 5.0 miles, bike 155 miles and run 34 miles for a total of 194 miles. This represents by far the greatest distance I have covered in any 1 week of training.
For the fourth week in a row I will miss my Friday day off...and couldn't be happier. I am moving my Sunday workout to Friday to free up my schedule for the big day on Sunday. My wife Missy is competing in the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon in Fairmount Park. This marks her third race overall and first at this distance (1.o mile swim, 26 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). She has trained diligently and is ready to conquer this challenge.
It really is amazing to see how far she has come in such a short period of time. While pregnant with our son John in the spring of 2007, she developed a pinched sciatic nerve and was relegated to bed rest and a walker for the last 3 or so months of the pregnancy. The recovery from the sciatica and subsequent c-section delivery was slow. She did not begin training in earnest until March of 2008. At the time a quarter mile in the pool or a 2 mile run was a huge challenge. Now in less then 1 weeks time she will complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon! Though she down plays it, this is a tremendous accomplishment and I couldn't be more proud of her.
Tomorrow's workout is a 85 minute bike and a 50 minute run followed by 30 minutes of strength training. I am going to have to get to the gym a little early tomorrow. Looks like I will be standing with the 10 or so lunatics that literally wait outside for the gym doors to open at 5am. This is crazy...this is crazy.
Tuesday through Thursday I will train in the triathlon specific disciplines an average of 2 hrs and 20 minutes a day. In addition to this I must find time to work on my strength training at least two days. My strength training has fallen off since I herniated a disc in my neck while lifting in early May. Ironically the risk for injury will increase if I don't start strength training on a more regular basis. I just have to stay with in myself and not over do it. This is extremely difficult for me as I tend to be an "all in" kind of guy once I decide to do something.
The week finishes with a 3 hour run/bike brick on Friday and a 3 hour 40 minute bike/run brick on Saturday. Friday emphasizes the run (2 hours) followed by a short bike ride (1 hour) while Saturday stresses the Bike (3 hours) followed by a short run (40 minutes). For the week I scheduled to swim 5.0 miles, bike 155 miles and run 34 miles for a total of 194 miles. This represents by far the greatest distance I have covered in any 1 week of training.
For the fourth week in a row I will miss my Friday day off...and couldn't be happier. I am moving my Sunday workout to Friday to free up my schedule for the big day on Sunday. My wife Missy is competing in the Philadelphia Olympic Distance Triathlon in Fairmount Park. This marks her third race overall and first at this distance (1.o mile swim, 26 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). She has trained diligently and is ready to conquer this challenge.
It really is amazing to see how far she has come in such a short period of time. While pregnant with our son John in the spring of 2007, she developed a pinched sciatic nerve and was relegated to bed rest and a walker for the last 3 or so months of the pregnancy. The recovery from the sciatica and subsequent c-section delivery was slow. She did not begin training in earnest until March of 2008. At the time a quarter mile in the pool or a 2 mile run was a huge challenge. Now in less then 1 weeks time she will complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon! Though she down plays it, this is a tremendous accomplishment and I couldn't be more proud of her.
Tomorrow's workout is a 85 minute bike and a 50 minute run followed by 30 minutes of strength training. I am going to have to get to the gym a little early tomorrow. Looks like I will be standing with the 10 or so lunatics that literally wait outside for the gym doors to open at 5am. This is crazy...this is crazy.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Father's Day Run
Today is Father's Day and all is right with the world. The kids are acting as if today is Christmas, ah to be 2 or 4 years old again. A little thing like making a present for Daddy and keeping it a secret seems like the most important thing in the world. Emily (age 4) and John (2 next month) do a great job of keeping a secret, though I am pretty sure that John didn't know he was keeping a secret. They gave me my gift, a hand print mold with their names on it. They are both very proud of themselves...as well they should be. I am a lucky guy.
By the time we I get myself moving it is close to 8:30. It seems each workout is more daunting then the next. This is definitely one of my longer scheduled workouts thus far but will be considered a light day by the time the dog days of summer roll around. I tell Missy that I'll be home around 11:30 or 11:45 and she looks at me like I have two heads. I need to start getting out of the house earlier. If it ever gets hot this summer, I will pay a steep price running around the blacktop at 12 noon.
The sky threatens to open up at any moment but at this point I am indifferent. There is a workout to be completed and it will be regardless of the weather. To be safe I will not ask Chris for his weather forecast. I follow a similar routine as last week. Bike over to the local high school track, change into my running gear and pound out 50 or so laps. This will be the last week for me at the track but as a matter of convenience I was left with no choice. I simply don't have time to drive to a park to complete my training today.
I take it nice and slow at the start of the run today, running a 10 minute mile followed by a 9 minute mile. The legs are loosening up quite nicely so I decide to pick up the pace. I can't believe it but it looks like the rain may hold off? I run between 8 and 8 minute and 30 second miles the rest of the way and finish having completed 12.5 miles in 105 dry minutes (8 minute and 20 second average pace). Surprisingly, I feel strong and ready to tackle the 1 hour bike leg.
I transition quickly and begin my bike ride. The legs aren't feeling quite as good as I thought they were. I battle the urge to ride straight home. This urge haunts me during every long workout and is why I do all of my training in a single loop, out and back fashion. A lot of the books that I have read on training recommend completing multiple loops on a single course but this is not for me....to much temptation to cut the workout short
My legs begin to feel better after about 15 minutes on the bike. I focus my energy on an even cadence ride, keeping my bike in higher gears. This limits the additional pounding put on my legs and actually refreshes me. I finish the hour with a little over 16 miles covered and am ready for the rest of the day....a great afternoon with my kids and the best Dad the a guy could ask for...my Dad.
With the conclusion of this workout I am now 20 weeks away from the big day. This sounds like a lot of time but will pass in the blink of an eye. In this next stage of training I will focus on race day nutrition and heartrate zone training (more detail in coming posts). My next race will be the Delaware Diamondman Half Ironman in mid September. This race will be a dry run for the big day...a practice race if you will.
Tomorrow's workout is a 45 minute swim and a an upper body lifting session.
By the time we I get myself moving it is close to 8:30. It seems each workout is more daunting then the next. This is definitely one of my longer scheduled workouts thus far but will be considered a light day by the time the dog days of summer roll around. I tell Missy that I'll be home around 11:30 or 11:45 and she looks at me like I have two heads. I need to start getting out of the house earlier. If it ever gets hot this summer, I will pay a steep price running around the blacktop at 12 noon.
The sky threatens to open up at any moment but at this point I am indifferent. There is a workout to be completed and it will be regardless of the weather. To be safe I will not ask Chris for his weather forecast. I follow a similar routine as last week. Bike over to the local high school track, change into my running gear and pound out 50 or so laps. This will be the last week for me at the track but as a matter of convenience I was left with no choice. I simply don't have time to drive to a park to complete my training today.
I take it nice and slow at the start of the run today, running a 10 minute mile followed by a 9 minute mile. The legs are loosening up quite nicely so I decide to pick up the pace. I can't believe it but it looks like the rain may hold off? I run between 8 and 8 minute and 30 second miles the rest of the way and finish having completed 12.5 miles in 105 dry minutes (8 minute and 20 second average pace). Surprisingly, I feel strong and ready to tackle the 1 hour bike leg.
I transition quickly and begin my bike ride. The legs aren't feeling quite as good as I thought they were. I battle the urge to ride straight home. This urge haunts me during every long workout and is why I do all of my training in a single loop, out and back fashion. A lot of the books that I have read on training recommend completing multiple loops on a single course but this is not for me....to much temptation to cut the workout short
My legs begin to feel better after about 15 minutes on the bike. I focus my energy on an even cadence ride, keeping my bike in higher gears. This limits the additional pounding put on my legs and actually refreshes me. I finish the hour with a little over 16 miles covered and am ready for the rest of the day....a great afternoon with my kids and the best Dad the a guy could ask for...my Dad.
With the conclusion of this workout I am now 20 weeks away from the big day. This sounds like a lot of time but will pass in the blink of an eye. In this next stage of training I will focus on race day nutrition and heartrate zone training (more detail in coming posts). My next race will be the Delaware Diamondman Half Ironman in mid September. This race will be a dry run for the big day...a practice race if you will.
Tomorrow's workout is a 45 minute swim and a an upper body lifting session.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Epic Storm
The plan for today is a 2 hour and 20 minute ride. I am really looking forward to the ride today. Missy is off this weekend tapering for her Olympic Distance Triathlon next week so I have a little more flexibility in the schedule then usual. I sleep in to 8 am…I can’t remember the last time I slept this late? I get up and eat a light breakfast, throw on my gear and am ready to go.
Prior to leaving I shoot Chris a text telling him my plan and finish with a request for the rain to hold off. Chris reassures me that I have nothing to worry about. “The rain isn’t suppose to arrive until 1pm or so. You’ll be fine.”
With in 10 minutes the sky darkens as the storm clouds roll in. Another few minutes pass and I am peddling through an epic down pour. Good one Chris, I guess the joke is on me (hahaha). My initial thought is to turn back and wait out the rain. However, at the rate it has been going it may not stop for another week…so I push on. Besides I have to be prepared to deal with whatever comes my way on race day.
I power through the ride and am actually feeling pretty good, though the rain is pounding the air is clean and the temperature is nice. Today’s ride takes me up Route 52 to Route 1 and then down Creek Road along the Brandywine River. For those interested in a challenging ride along a picturesque backdrop this is the place for you. The canopied road provides numerous challenging climbs and smoothly paved road. This is definitely my favorite riding destination.
I have less then 5 miles to go on my ride when a familiar foe rears its ugly head. Another flat tire! I can’t believe this, my third flat tire in as many weeks. I am out of spare tubes so I am unable to fix the flat myself. Luckily I have my cell phone on me today. Missy to the rescue yet again, I don’t know what I would do without her? She has bailed me out on more then one occasion.
I am scheduled for a 45 minute run but decide to take pass. Having run a Zone 4/5 5 mile race last night I think it’s in my best interest to skip this one. Besides sometimes it is better to quit while you are ahead.
Tomorrow’s 1 hour and 45 minute run will be my longest of the program to date (between 12-13 miles). Following the run I hop on the bike for an easy hour then free to enjoy the best day of the year…Father’s Day.
Prior to leaving I shoot Chris a text telling him my plan and finish with a request for the rain to hold off. Chris reassures me that I have nothing to worry about. “The rain isn’t suppose to arrive until 1pm or so. You’ll be fine.”
With in 10 minutes the sky darkens as the storm clouds roll in. Another few minutes pass and I am peddling through an epic down pour. Good one Chris, I guess the joke is on me (hahaha). My initial thought is to turn back and wait out the rain. However, at the rate it has been going it may not stop for another week…so I push on. Besides I have to be prepared to deal with whatever comes my way on race day.
I power through the ride and am actually feeling pretty good, though the rain is pounding the air is clean and the temperature is nice. Today’s ride takes me up Route 52 to Route 1 and then down Creek Road along the Brandywine River. For those interested in a challenging ride along a picturesque backdrop this is the place for you. The canopied road provides numerous challenging climbs and smoothly paved road. This is definitely my favorite riding destination.
I have less then 5 miles to go on my ride when a familiar foe rears its ugly head. Another flat tire! I can’t believe this, my third flat tire in as many weeks. I am out of spare tubes so I am unable to fix the flat myself. Luckily I have my cell phone on me today. Missy to the rescue yet again, I don’t know what I would do without her? She has bailed me out on more then one occasion.
I am scheduled for a 45 minute run but decide to take pass. Having run a Zone 4/5 5 mile race last night I think it’s in my best interest to skip this one. Besides sometimes it is better to quit while you are ahead.
Tomorrow’s 1 hour and 45 minute run will be my longest of the program to date (between 12-13 miles). Following the run I hop on the bike for an easy hour then free to enjoy the best day of the year…Father’s Day.
Reaping the benefits
I can’t believe I am at the gym for a make up swim workout on my day off? I definitely don’t want to be here today and of course the pool is packed. Typically I am very polite and sit and wait for someone to offer to share a lane with me…but not today. I walk directly over to the first lane that I see and inform the person swimming that I will be using his lane as well. In hindsight it was really a jerk thing to do…but we are all entitled to a bad day every once in a while, aren’t we?
In spite of my miserable mood I have a strong swim session. Again, I am surrounded by strong swimmers so I force myself to raise my game. It is a shame but I really do seem to swim up to or down to the level of those swimming around me on any given day. This could be bad news for me on race day. I must resist the temptation to swim fast. The saying goes that nobody has ever won the Ironman on the swim leg but plenty have lost it.
I finish the swim with a solid 1.5 miles, shower and head off to work. While at work I make a conscious effort to stay hydrated for the Media 5 mile race tonight. My plan going in is to take it easy but I am having troubling believing that this will happen.
I am running tonight with two of my best buddies Chris and Cork. A couple of other friends were scheduled to participate but were forced to back out at the last second due to injury in some cases and lack of conditioning in others. Fortunately everyone is in condition to hit the bar deck at Jocelyn’s post race.
The race is a two lap course through the borough of Media. It starts on State Street, takes you past the courthouse and then winds through the neighborhood. It seems the entire town is in out celebrating the race. Or maybe they are celebrating the first clear skies seen in this area in weeks? My guess is it is a combination of the two.
We start the race towards the back of the 1,200 person pack. This seemed like a good idea at the time but it was not. I spend the first 1.5 miles trying to get myself through the masses of people. This is nuts! I finish the first mile in about 7 minutes and 30 seconds. I dial up my pace for the rest of the race and finish with a personal best at this distance of 35 minutes even! I down play my time at the finish line to my friends Gary and Mike (there for moral support and beers) but can not believe the time I ran….7 minute mile pace over a 5 mile course. My surprise comes from the fact that the training for this program has been run at around a 9 minute mile pace. I never expected that my speed and stamina would increase so much while running at a slower pace. Who knew?
Post race we make our way back to Jocelyn’s and enjoy several ice cold coronas. There is nothing like a great race, cold beers, good friends and a beautiful night. It is said that life is a journey and not a destination; I am being to wonder if the same can be said about the Ironman? So far the Ironman training has reunited me with some old high school friends (Matt McCulley, Mike Breen, Chris Gussin and Dan Braodhurst), given me the opportunity to speak to the Garnet Valley Football Team at the request of good friend Scott Green (retro blog to follow) and motivated many others to start taking their health and fitness a little more seriously. I wonder what else this journey has in store for me?
Tomorrow calls for a 2 hour 20 minute bike ride followed by a 40 minute run, though I will most likely skip the run. I’ll play that one by ear.
In spite of my miserable mood I have a strong swim session. Again, I am surrounded by strong swimmers so I force myself to raise my game. It is a shame but I really do seem to swim up to or down to the level of those swimming around me on any given day. This could be bad news for me on race day. I must resist the temptation to swim fast. The saying goes that nobody has ever won the Ironman on the swim leg but plenty have lost it.
I finish the swim with a solid 1.5 miles, shower and head off to work. While at work I make a conscious effort to stay hydrated for the Media 5 mile race tonight. My plan going in is to take it easy but I am having troubling believing that this will happen.
I am running tonight with two of my best buddies Chris and Cork. A couple of other friends were scheduled to participate but were forced to back out at the last second due to injury in some cases and lack of conditioning in others. Fortunately everyone is in condition to hit the bar deck at Jocelyn’s post race.
The race is a two lap course through the borough of Media. It starts on State Street, takes you past the courthouse and then winds through the neighborhood. It seems the entire town is in out celebrating the race. Or maybe they are celebrating the first clear skies seen in this area in weeks? My guess is it is a combination of the two.
We start the race towards the back of the 1,200 person pack. This seemed like a good idea at the time but it was not. I spend the first 1.5 miles trying to get myself through the masses of people. This is nuts! I finish the first mile in about 7 minutes and 30 seconds. I dial up my pace for the rest of the race and finish with a personal best at this distance of 35 minutes even! I down play my time at the finish line to my friends Gary and Mike (there for moral support and beers) but can not believe the time I ran….7 minute mile pace over a 5 mile course. My surprise comes from the fact that the training for this program has been run at around a 9 minute mile pace. I never expected that my speed and stamina would increase so much while running at a slower pace. Who knew?
Post race we make our way back to Jocelyn’s and enjoy several ice cold coronas. There is nothing like a great race, cold beers, good friends and a beautiful night. It is said that life is a journey and not a destination; I am being to wonder if the same can be said about the Ironman? So far the Ironman training has reunited me with some old high school friends (Matt McCulley, Mike Breen, Chris Gussin and Dan Braodhurst), given me the opportunity to speak to the Garnet Valley Football Team at the request of good friend Scott Green (retro blog to follow) and motivated many others to start taking their health and fitness a little more seriously. I wonder what else this journey has in store for me?
Tomorrow calls for a 2 hour 20 minute bike ride followed by a 40 minute run, though I will most likely skip the run. I’ll play that one by ear.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Who will stop the rain?
I woke up this morning to the all too familar sound of a driving rain beating against the side of the house. At this point I am no longer phased by the rain. On the walk to the car I make no attmept to hurry or stay dry. I realize that I can do nothing to stop it, so I might as well embrace it.
I arrive at the gym at my usual time of 5:15 am. I am continually amazed at the number of people that exercise at this obscene hour. There must be 30 people here already? I hit the bike trainer for an even paced 70 minute ride. I've scaled back the intensity today to ensure that I am not overworked heading into the Media 5 miler tomorrow evening. I want my legs to be fresh for a little post race bar hopping with a few of my closest friends.
I am ahead of schedule for the second day in row (tying my longest streak of the program) so I hit a solid 20 minute ab/core workout. Still flying high as I head down to the locker to throw on my swimsuit and hit the pool. To my surprise I seem to have forgotten my swimsuit. I've sabatoged myself yet again. I am my own worst enemy.
For a moment I toy with the idea of swimming in my mesh workout shorts....but without a working draw string the risk of losing my shorts during the swim is high. Though I am quite comfortable with my anatomy, I not so sure how the other swimmers will feel about it? Though the potential for comedy is high I take pass on the swim for today and will make it up tomorrow. So much for sleeping in on my one morning off.
Unrelated randomness: My wife and I watched Gran Torino this weekend and I have to say it was fantastic. Has there ever been a more BADASS actor then Clint Eastwood? He has to be in his late 70's and he's still got it.
Tomorrow's scheduled day off becomes a two a day for me. 45 minute swim in the morning and a 5 mile race in the early evening. Just another day.
I arrive at the gym at my usual time of 5:15 am. I am continually amazed at the number of people that exercise at this obscene hour. There must be 30 people here already? I hit the bike trainer for an even paced 70 minute ride. I've scaled back the intensity today to ensure that I am not overworked heading into the Media 5 miler tomorrow evening. I want my legs to be fresh for a little post race bar hopping with a few of my closest friends.
I am ahead of schedule for the second day in row (tying my longest streak of the program) so I hit a solid 20 minute ab/core workout. Still flying high as I head down to the locker to throw on my swimsuit and hit the pool. To my surprise I seem to have forgotten my swimsuit. I've sabatoged myself yet again. I am my own worst enemy.
For a moment I toy with the idea of swimming in my mesh workout shorts....but without a working draw string the risk of losing my shorts during the swim is high. Though I am quite comfortable with my anatomy, I not so sure how the other swimmers will feel about it? Though the potential for comedy is high I take pass on the swim for today and will make it up tomorrow. So much for sleeping in on my one morning off.
Unrelated randomness: My wife and I watched Gran Torino this weekend and I have to say it was fantastic. Has there ever been a more BADASS actor then Clint Eastwood? He has to be in his late 70's and he's still got it.
Tomorrow's scheduled day off becomes a two a day for me. 45 minute swim in the morning and a 5 mile race in the early evening. Just another day.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Today was a Good Day
Some days you wake up and the sun is shining and you just know it is going to be a good day. Well not in the literal sense. You see it is 4:30 am so the sun is not up yet and I do live in the Delaware Valley so it's raining...again. I think we've had like 4 days of sun this spring. But you get the idea.
Having worked out 99 of the last 108 days and literally 23 straight days it is rare that I wake up and feel like a human let alone great. It's days like this that make the hard work worth while. The achilles feels great, the knee problem seems to have gone away and the herniated disc in my neck feels like a distant memory.
What can cause the human body to heal in such a remarkable fashion? Is it the wholesome foods that I eat as part of the strict diet that I follow? Three cheeseburgers and a stack of cookies hardly sounds wholesome...check that one off. Maybe its the deep cleansing sleep that I get each night? Haven't slept more then 6 hours in who knows how long and I wake up a minimum of 3 times a night due to copious amounts of water I am drinking....check that one off too. Is it the carry over effect of yesterday's divine intervention? You know what I am referring to...Survivors "Eye of the Tiger"...again not likely. I will have to investigate this more thoroughly at a later time.
Today, for the first time in a while, I can't wait to get to the gym. I start off with a solid 7 mile run. My heart rate starts at 65% and gradually drifts up to 70% by the end of the hour. The endorphins are kicking and time is on my side so I decide to make up for Monday's missed strength straining workout. I hit the weights for a vigorous 30 minute session and am off to the pool.
The swim feels great today. Some days I feel uncoordinated in the water but not today. I have a strong swimmer in the lane next to me to set my pace against. This forces me to focus on my technique and cadence to keep up. It is a funny thing when this happens. Neither of us acknowledge each other but it is clear we are aware of each other and pick our tempo up accordingly.
I vary my breathing throughout alternating every 3rd, 5th and 7th strokes every 2 laps at a time. This serves to increase lung capacity and help my body process oxygen more efficiently. My focus is high, my stroke strong and my technique sound. I finish the swim workout up with a solid 150 laps (~2.1 miles) in an hour.
A 7 mile run, 2.1 mile swim and a strength session...it's days like these that make me believe that I will conquer the IronMan this November. Experience has taught me to cherish these days because they are few and far between. It is only a matter of time before the pain returns and doubt will again enter my mind. Enough about that for now. Today is a day to envision myself crossing the finish line.
Tomorrow's workout is a 70 minute bike ride followed by a 45 minute swim. If I am still riding this wave tomorrow I may go crazy and mix in a couple of sit ups?
Having worked out 99 of the last 108 days and literally 23 straight days it is rare that I wake up and feel like a human let alone great. It's days like this that make the hard work worth while. The achilles feels great, the knee problem seems to have gone away and the herniated disc in my neck feels like a distant memory.
What can cause the human body to heal in such a remarkable fashion? Is it the wholesome foods that I eat as part of the strict diet that I follow? Three cheeseburgers and a stack of cookies hardly sounds wholesome...check that one off. Maybe its the deep cleansing sleep that I get each night? Haven't slept more then 6 hours in who knows how long and I wake up a minimum of 3 times a night due to copious amounts of water I am drinking....check that one off too. Is it the carry over effect of yesterday's divine intervention? You know what I am referring to...Survivors "Eye of the Tiger"...again not likely. I will have to investigate this more thoroughly at a later time.
Today, for the first time in a while, I can't wait to get to the gym. I start off with a solid 7 mile run. My heart rate starts at 65% and gradually drifts up to 70% by the end of the hour. The endorphins are kicking and time is on my side so I decide to make up for Monday's missed strength straining workout. I hit the weights for a vigorous 30 minute session and am off to the pool.
The swim feels great today. Some days I feel uncoordinated in the water but not today. I have a strong swimmer in the lane next to me to set my pace against. This forces me to focus on my technique and cadence to keep up. It is a funny thing when this happens. Neither of us acknowledge each other but it is clear we are aware of each other and pick our tempo up accordingly.
I vary my breathing throughout alternating every 3rd, 5th and 7th strokes every 2 laps at a time. This serves to increase lung capacity and help my body process oxygen more efficiently. My focus is high, my stroke strong and my technique sound. I finish the swim workout up with a solid 150 laps (~2.1 miles) in an hour.
A 7 mile run, 2.1 mile swim and a strength session...it's days like these that make me believe that I will conquer the IronMan this November. Experience has taught me to cherish these days because they are few and far between. It is only a matter of time before the pain returns and doubt will again enter my mind. Enough about that for now. Today is a day to envision myself crossing the finish line.
Tomorrow's workout is a 70 minute bike ride followed by a 45 minute swim. If I am still riding this wave tomorrow I may go crazy and mix in a couple of sit ups?
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Eye of the Tiger
"When you fail to plan you plan to fail". This is a motto that I first read in "Body for Life" by Art Carey. It is one of the most quoted and least followed slogans in the Orsini household.
Experience has taught me that I am a zombie at 4:30 am. I sleep walk around the house knocking things over, dropping random objects and just being an inconsiderate nousance. This is not done intentionally. It just takes me a while to wake completely up in the morning. It is all I can do to remember my wallet, keys, gymbag and work clothes. Because of this it is imperative that I spend 5 whole minutes the night before packing up for the next day. If I attempt to do so in the morning disaster ensues. I can not count how many times I had to go to work with out one or more of the following items....belt, shoes, socks, undershirt/wear (yes underwear). It is quite embarrassig and has made me the butt of more then one joke around the office. As if another reason is needed?
That being said, last night I decided it would be a good idea to pack up in the morning. I am happy to say that I did not forget anything today though I wasted a good 20 minutes looking for my sneakers and work shoes. Good choice.
This puts me behind schedule and in a miserable mood. I get to the gym and onto the bike trainer and begin my 90 minutes of hell before my 40 minute run. 20 minutes in and I can't get going. I am lethargic, my legs are tired and I am ready to call it a day. At this point a higher power intervened and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor comes onto the Ipod. Being a child of the 80's and a sucker for a cheesey underdog movie my mood does a complete 180 by the third note. Suddenly I am powering through my workout with an intensity that I could not have imagined 5 minutes earlier. There is no telling what heroic athletic feats I am capable of when this or any song from the Rocky series is played. I am an unstoppable force of nature.
The rest of the workout is a breeze. I knock out 32 miles in 90 minutes doing a series of 65% / 75% / 85% heart rate intervals. I quickly transition to the treadmill and knock out another 4.5 miles in 40 minutes keeping my heart rate at 65-70%. Not particularly fast but impressive for considering I struggled to even jog at this heart rate in the early stages of the the training program.
Tomorrow is a 60 minute swim followed by a 60 minute run. I may just crank the Rocky Greatest Hits soundtrack on the way to the gym tomorrow.
Experience has taught me that I am a zombie at 4:30 am. I sleep walk around the house knocking things over, dropping random objects and just being an inconsiderate nousance. This is not done intentionally. It just takes me a while to wake completely up in the morning. It is all I can do to remember my wallet, keys, gymbag and work clothes. Because of this it is imperative that I spend 5 whole minutes the night before packing up for the next day. If I attempt to do so in the morning disaster ensues. I can not count how many times I had to go to work with out one or more of the following items....belt, shoes, socks, undershirt/wear (yes underwear). It is quite embarrassig and has made me the butt of more then one joke around the office. As if another reason is needed?
That being said, last night I decided it would be a good idea to pack up in the morning. I am happy to say that I did not forget anything today though I wasted a good 20 minutes looking for my sneakers and work shoes. Good choice.
This puts me behind schedule and in a miserable mood. I get to the gym and onto the bike trainer and begin my 90 minutes of hell before my 40 minute run. 20 minutes in and I can't get going. I am lethargic, my legs are tired and I am ready to call it a day. At this point a higher power intervened and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor comes onto the Ipod. Being a child of the 80's and a sucker for a cheesey underdog movie my mood does a complete 180 by the third note. Suddenly I am powering through my workout with an intensity that I could not have imagined 5 minutes earlier. There is no telling what heroic athletic feats I am capable of when this or any song from the Rocky series is played. I am an unstoppable force of nature.
The rest of the workout is a breeze. I knock out 32 miles in 90 minutes doing a series of 65% / 75% / 85% heart rate intervals. I quickly transition to the treadmill and knock out another 4.5 miles in 40 minutes keeping my heart rate at 65-70%. Not particularly fast but impressive for considering I struggled to even jog at this heart rate in the early stages of the the training program.
Tomorrow is a 60 minute swim followed by a 60 minute run. I may just crank the Rocky Greatest Hits soundtrack on the way to the gym tomorrow.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Swim Day
The plan for today was to hit the pool for 45 minutes then finish with some strength and core work. One out of three isn't bad? I made the pool but was not feeling up to the last two components of today's program. Experience has taught me that if I am not 100% into lifting then I should avoid it. I aggravated a herniated disc in my neck about a month ago and am just starting to feel decent again and I don't want to risk injuring it again. A couple of weeks of sleepless nights and physical therapy taught me to pick my spots when it comes to lifting.
The swim workout was great today. I got some good feedback on my technique from Missy last week and I spent today focusing on eliminating the problem. Essentially my problem was related to bringing my hand to far down into the water. Imagine a windmill swinging around and that is what my arm looked like. This is inefficient and also presents the risk of injuring the rotator cuff.
I focused on having my hand enter the water at the proper position (just beyond the ear) and angle (thumb side facing down). I then reach as far as possible forward (to gain full extension). Once full extension is reached I pull back at the elbow and then down the side of my body as quickly as possible. The fulcrum of the arm (paddle) should be the elbow and not the shoulder. This greatly reduces the risk of injury while increasing my speed through the water. When utilizing proper technique I can cover 100 yds (4 laps) in about 90 seconds (2.25 mph). Today I covered 1.5 miles (106 laps) during the workout. Not quite Phelpian but I'll take it.
Random side note: I have noticed over the last several months more and more people wearing Ipods in the pool. Now I must confess that I do all of my running and stationary bike work with an Ipod. I can not imagine making do with out one. In case you doubt me try 2 hours on a stationary bike watching only CNN news without volume or closed captioning. As far as I am concerned forcing someone to do so should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.
That being said the thought of listening to an Ipod while swimming does not appeal to me in the least. There is something almost hypnotic about the sound of water passing by my ears. The popping of exhaled bubbles and the muddled sounds of people speaking on the deck of the pool in the background. I find myself so relaxed during my swim that it becomes virtually impossible for me to keep track of the number of laps I have done. There is something primal and basic about the rhythm of breathing on alternating sides every third stroke for 45 minutes to an hour. I can honestly say that it is one of the few times that I am able to truly clear my head.
Tomorrow's workout calls for 90 minutes on the stationary bike and a 40 minute treadmill run. Better make sure the Ipod is charged up.
The swim workout was great today. I got some good feedback on my technique from Missy last week and I spent today focusing on eliminating the problem. Essentially my problem was related to bringing my hand to far down into the water. Imagine a windmill swinging around and that is what my arm looked like. This is inefficient and also presents the risk of injuring the rotator cuff.
I focused on having my hand enter the water at the proper position (just beyond the ear) and angle (thumb side facing down). I then reach as far as possible forward (to gain full extension). Once full extension is reached I pull back at the elbow and then down the side of my body as quickly as possible. The fulcrum of the arm (paddle) should be the elbow and not the shoulder. This greatly reduces the risk of injury while increasing my speed through the water. When utilizing proper technique I can cover 100 yds (4 laps) in about 90 seconds (2.25 mph). Today I covered 1.5 miles (106 laps) during the workout. Not quite Phelpian but I'll take it.
Random side note: I have noticed over the last several months more and more people wearing Ipods in the pool. Now I must confess that I do all of my running and stationary bike work with an Ipod. I can not imagine making do with out one. In case you doubt me try 2 hours on a stationary bike watching only CNN news without volume or closed captioning. As far as I am concerned forcing someone to do so should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.
That being said the thought of listening to an Ipod while swimming does not appeal to me in the least. There is something almost hypnotic about the sound of water passing by my ears. The popping of exhaled bubbles and the muddled sounds of people speaking on the deck of the pool in the background. I find myself so relaxed during my swim that it becomes virtually impossible for me to keep track of the number of laps I have done. There is something primal and basic about the rhythm of breathing on alternating sides every third stroke for 45 minutes to an hour. I can honestly say that it is one of the few times that I am able to truly clear my head.
Tomorrow's workout calls for 90 minutes on the stationary bike and a 40 minute treadmill run. Better make sure the Ipod is charged up.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Tough Day
The focus of Sunday is running and is typically my hardest day. Today would be no different. As I mentioned in Friday's post I ran an extremely hilly 4 mile race on Friday night and am still paying the price. My right knee has been a problem for me since tearing my posterior cruciate ligament in January 2004 and it seems that any high intensity hill running only exacerbates the situation.
Today is what I will call a dig deep day. The knee is hurting and my body is just generally fatigued from 15 consecutive days of training. To get through today I will need to dig deep and get a little creative. When my knee is bothering me I try to avoid any prolonged road work. So I loaded up the backpack and pedaled over to the track at Chichester High School. I can think of a few ways that I would rather spend my Sunday morning then running around a track for 90 minutes.
The cushion of the track is a welcome relief to my aching knee but the monotony of running around a track 41 times creates its on mental challenges. As usual I battle to maintain my focus on keeping a steady pace. I have a real struggles when it comes to staying within myself on any longer distance run and today is no exception. When I come across others while on a run I have this tendency to want to pass them. This causes me to accelerate my pace and really it takes its toll on my knee. I end the run with what appears to be a comfortable 8:45/mile pace but in reality I have spent the majority of the run bouncing between a 8 and 9.5 minute mile. If I run this way in Panama City Beach my chances of finishing the race will be slim.
Following the run the knee is sore but not as bad as I thought. I quickly change my shoes and am off on a 45 minute bike ride. 45 minutes....this used to seem like an eternity to me but at this point it is like a walk in the park. I easily cruise through a 13.5 mile course focusing on breathing easy and keeping my heart rate at about 60-65% of my max. The purpose of this ride is to flush the blood from the legs and add a little low impact cardio bulk to my week. These miles will payoff in November...or so I'm told.
Tomorrow's workout is a 45 minute swim followed by an hour of lifting and core work. No bike or run. My knee loves Mondays.
Today is what I will call a dig deep day. The knee is hurting and my body is just generally fatigued from 15 consecutive days of training. To get through today I will need to dig deep and get a little creative. When my knee is bothering me I try to avoid any prolonged road work. So I loaded up the backpack and pedaled over to the track at Chichester High School. I can think of a few ways that I would rather spend my Sunday morning then running around a track for 90 minutes.
The cushion of the track is a welcome relief to my aching knee but the monotony of running around a track 41 times creates its on mental challenges. As usual I battle to maintain my focus on keeping a steady pace. I have a real struggles when it comes to staying within myself on any longer distance run and today is no exception. When I come across others while on a run I have this tendency to want to pass them. This causes me to accelerate my pace and really it takes its toll on my knee. I end the run with what appears to be a comfortable 8:45/mile pace but in reality I have spent the majority of the run bouncing between a 8 and 9.5 minute mile. If I run this way in Panama City Beach my chances of finishing the race will be slim.
Following the run the knee is sore but not as bad as I thought. I quickly change my shoes and am off on a 45 minute bike ride. 45 minutes....this used to seem like an eternity to me but at this point it is like a walk in the park. I easily cruise through a 13.5 mile course focusing on breathing easy and keeping my heart rate at about 60-65% of my max. The purpose of this ride is to flush the blood from the legs and add a little low impact cardio bulk to my week. These miles will payoff in November...or so I'm told.
Tomorrow's workout is a 45 minute swim followed by an hour of lifting and core work. No bike or run. My knee loves Mondays.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
No luck
My wife Missy and I are both training for upcoming races, myself an IronMan and she an Olympic Distance (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike and 6 mile run). As you can imagine both of us training takes up lot of time and makes time management a particular concern. During the week this is not a problem. My Mother-in-law stays with us Sunday - Thursday and watches the kids. This allows Missy and I to train in the morning before heading off to work. Due to the huge time commitment associated with training for these events, early mornings are the norm. My typical day starts at 4:30 am and Missy's 5:30 am. Following this grueling schedule we are both pretty tired by the weekend and cherish the chance to sleep in a little.
Saturday is my long bike day and thus I am the one stuck with the first workout. I try to get out of the house by 6am, though it is usually more like 7am by the time I leave. The early start serves two purposes, it is much safer to bike on the roads at that time and it allows us to both complete our workouts without completely destroying our day.
I spent a fair amount time trying to convince Missy to workout first this morning while I watched the kids (slept in). Without success, victory escapes my grasp yet again. At this point I have three things working against me:
1. the 4 mile race was a heck of a lot tougher then I thought it would be and I just know my legs will be sore tomorrow
2. I drank several more corona's then I planned on consuming. Though this should have been expected in the an energized post race environment with a good friend
3. I did not get to bed until close to 1 am
As usual I awoke before the alarm at around 5:45 am (damn that mental alarm). I laid there for several minutes trying to talk myself out of my workout today. Yes, you read that right, talk myself out of my workout. You know a funny thing has happened during my preparation for this race. Initially, I had to talk myself into going to the gym in the morning. Then I could just get up and go. Now I can't not go (if that makes any sense?). The guilt I would feel due to missing a workout would far out weigh the benefit of an extra hour or two of sleep and a day off.
I got out on the bike around 6:45 am and was pleasantly surprised by how nice the weather was. I eased my way into my ride and finished up with about 35 miles in just under 2 hours. Not bad for a sore, tired, mildly hungover guy. I'll take it. Tomorrow is a 90 minute run followed by a 45 minute bike ride.
Looking forward to having a few friends over for a cook out in the afternoon. Hopefully the weather cooperates.
Saturday is my long bike day and thus I am the one stuck with the first workout. I try to get out of the house by 6am, though it is usually more like 7am by the time I leave. The early start serves two purposes, it is much safer to bike on the roads at that time and it allows us to both complete our workouts without completely destroying our day.
I spent a fair amount time trying to convince Missy to workout first this morning while I watched the kids (slept in). Without success, victory escapes my grasp yet again. At this point I have three things working against me:
1. the 4 mile race was a heck of a lot tougher then I thought it would be and I just know my legs will be sore tomorrow
2. I drank several more corona's then I planned on consuming. Though this should have been expected in the an energized post race environment with a good friend
3. I did not get to bed until close to 1 am
As usual I awoke before the alarm at around 5:45 am (damn that mental alarm). I laid there for several minutes trying to talk myself out of my workout today. Yes, you read that right, talk myself out of my workout. You know a funny thing has happened during my preparation for this race. Initially, I had to talk myself into going to the gym in the morning. Then I could just get up and go. Now I can't not go (if that makes any sense?). The guilt I would feel due to missing a workout would far out weigh the benefit of an extra hour or two of sleep and a day off.
I got out on the bike around 6:45 am and was pleasantly surprised by how nice the weather was. I eased my way into my ride and finished up with about 35 miles in just under 2 hours. Not bad for a sore, tired, mildly hungover guy. I'll take it. Tomorrow is a 90 minute run followed by a 45 minute bike ride.
Looking forward to having a few friends over for a cook out in the afternoon. Hopefully the weather cooperates.
Friday, June 12, 2009
4 mile hell
To complete the Florida IronMan I selected a 36 week training program sponsored by Trifuel http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/. By my standards (and most others) the program is extremely aggressive. The program does not allow for a significant amount of leisure time. To this point I have most enjoyed Monday's (45 min swim) and Friday's (off).
Though the "program" is officially 36 weeks, I have been training 5-6 days per week for the last year and a half. Prior to beginning the program the last event that I competed in was the Philly Marathon with my friend Jessica in late November. Needless to say, training for 5 or 6 months without a race can become a little monotonous. To break up the monotony I decided to enter a few events: Tri for our Veterans http://seaisletriathlon.blogspot.com/ a sprint triathlon organized by my high school buddy Matt McCulley (fantastic race for those interested) a 5K http://www.runthemonk.com/ in my parents neighborhood and the Media 5 miler http://www.media5milerace.com/media5milerace/site/default.asp.
I recruited several of my friends (with a little coaxing) to enter the media 5 miler. My buddy Cork thought it would be a good idea if we dropped in the Dub C 4 mile run in West Chester http://www.dubc4miler.com/DUBC.html between the monk and the media 5 miler. Now as I mentioned previously I treasure my Friday day off from training but I figure I got my boy interested in running...how can I turn him down? I can't, so I won't.
The race seemed innocent enough, 4 miles through the borough of West Chester, PA, with the promise of a couple ice cold coronas post race. I am training for an IronMan, 30 plus miles of running per week are the norm. What does a little 4 miler have for me? Two words, a lot.
Needless to say I underestimated the elevation changes present in this trendy college town. The race was a struggle to say the least. Before I go further I should mention that prior to the start Cork and I noticed a rather fit woman. It seemed she planned on pushing a baby through the race. She starts quickly, but me being the IronMan in training, I pass her in the first half mile or so thinking that I will cheer her on when she finishes (presumably several minutes after I cross the line). Not quite. She reappeared at mile 3.5. I pursued valiantly for the next 1.25 miles but I was no match. She pulls away from over the last quarter mile and beat me by 15 secs or so?
After crossing the finish line I promptly chug a bottle of water and congratulate my infant pushing adversary on a race well run. I quickly convince myself to feel good about my accomplishment against this woman. Clearly she is an elite runner and so what if she was pushing 30+ lbs of infant through the mountainous streets of West Chester? She still only beat me by 15 seconds.
It was only after the 2nd Corona at Kildare's that I mentioned how valiantly I raced against this this stroller pushing woman. It was at this moment that Cork mentioned how he too had passed her in the early going as she stopped for a couple of minutes to repair her broken stroller. Lesson learned.
Tomorrow I have 2 hours on the bike. I am now going to try to convince my wife Missy to do her 7 mile run first so that I can sleep in a little. Wish me luck.
Though the "program" is officially 36 weeks, I have been training 5-6 days per week for the last year and a half. Prior to beginning the program the last event that I competed in was the Philly Marathon with my friend Jessica in late November. Needless to say, training for 5 or 6 months without a race can become a little monotonous. To break up the monotony I decided to enter a few events: Tri for our Veterans http://seaisletriathlon.blogspot.com/ a sprint triathlon organized by my high school buddy Matt McCulley (fantastic race for those interested) a 5K http://www.runthemonk.com/ in my parents neighborhood and the Media 5 miler http://www.media5milerace.com/media5milerace/site/default.asp.
I recruited several of my friends (with a little coaxing) to enter the media 5 miler. My buddy Cork thought it would be a good idea if we dropped in the Dub C 4 mile run in West Chester http://www.dubc4miler.com/DUBC.html between the monk and the media 5 miler. Now as I mentioned previously I treasure my Friday day off from training but I figure I got my boy interested in running...how can I turn him down? I can't, so I won't.
The race seemed innocent enough, 4 miles through the borough of West Chester, PA, with the promise of a couple ice cold coronas post race. I am training for an IronMan, 30 plus miles of running per week are the norm. What does a little 4 miler have for me? Two words, a lot.
Needless to say I underestimated the elevation changes present in this trendy college town. The race was a struggle to say the least. Before I go further I should mention that prior to the start Cork and I noticed a rather fit woman. It seemed she planned on pushing a baby through the race. She starts quickly, but me being the IronMan in training, I pass her in the first half mile or so thinking that I will cheer her on when she finishes (presumably several minutes after I cross the line). Not quite. She reappeared at mile 3.5. I pursued valiantly for the next 1.25 miles but I was no match. She pulls away from over the last quarter mile and beat me by 15 secs or so?
After crossing the finish line I promptly chug a bottle of water and congratulate my infant pushing adversary on a race well run. I quickly convince myself to feel good about my accomplishment against this woman. Clearly she is an elite runner and so what if she was pushing 30+ lbs of infant through the mountainous streets of West Chester? She still only beat me by 15 seconds.
It was only after the 2nd Corona at Kildare's that I mentioned how valiantly I raced against this this stroller pushing woman. It was at this moment that Cork mentioned how he too had passed her in the early going as she stopped for a couple of minutes to repair her broken stroller. Lesson learned.
Tomorrow I have 2 hours on the bike. I am now going to try to convince my wife Missy to do her 7 mile run first so that I can sleep in a little. Wish me luck.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
How it started
Where do I start? As I write this first post tonight I am 149 days from attempting to complete IronMan Florida in Panama City Beach, FL. For those unfamiliar with the event, the IronMan consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. The pro's will finish in a little over 8 hours and I just hope to finish.
The road to this point has been an interesting one. It began when I ruptured my Achilles tendon in a touch football game in October 2005. The recovery process started with a modest goal, run again. This led to a half marathon with my buddy Chris in September 2006.
Though not a runner by any stretch of the imagination I was beginning to develop a liking for the sport. On a whim I talked a group of friends into training for the Pocono Marathon in May of 2007. Injuries reduced the group from five to two. My buddy Chris and I both completed our marathons in respectable time of about 4 hrs.
A note to any considering a first marathon, avoid running one in the mountains. It turns out that running downhill is just as bad (maybe worse) then running uphill. Consider this lesson learned, the hard way, a common theme for me.
Following the marathon I started to work in a little time in the pool and on the bike work. I completed my first sprint triathlon (0.25 swim / 15 mile bike / 3.1 mile run) in August of 2007 followed by a late season sprint in September and I was hooked! The rest seems like a blur to me.
When I get my mind set on something I tend to go all in...this would be no different. I started training in earnest in January of 2008 with a goal of completing a Half IronMan in 2008 and a Full IronMan in 2009. The first goal has been met and now onto the final leg of the journey
The road to this point has been an interesting one. It began when I ruptured my Achilles tendon in a touch football game in October 2005. The recovery process started with a modest goal, run again. This led to a half marathon with my buddy Chris in September 2006.
Though not a runner by any stretch of the imagination I was beginning to develop a liking for the sport. On a whim I talked a group of friends into training for the Pocono Marathon in May of 2007. Injuries reduced the group from five to two. My buddy Chris and I both completed our marathons in respectable time of about 4 hrs.
A note to any considering a first marathon, avoid running one in the mountains. It turns out that running downhill is just as bad (maybe worse) then running uphill. Consider this lesson learned, the hard way, a common theme for me.
Following the marathon I started to work in a little time in the pool and on the bike work. I completed my first sprint triathlon (0.25 swim / 15 mile bike / 3.1 mile run) in August of 2007 followed by a late season sprint in September and I was hooked! The rest seems like a blur to me.
When I get my mind set on something I tend to go all in...this would be no different. I started training in earnest in January of 2008 with a goal of completing a Half IronMan in 2008 and a Full IronMan in 2009. The first goal has been met and now onto the final leg of the journey
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