O.R.F.

History has repeated itself...again. Friday John stuck it to Saturday John. You see Friday John had a scheduled day off from training and work so he decided to take advantage of this rare occurrence by playing golf with Cork and Chris and then heading down to the Phillies game (with Chris and Cork) and meeting up with Mull, Kern, Bill and Mike. Of course multiple adult beverages (and hot wings) were consumed. What would a round of golf and a ballgame be without them?

The weather was generally crap (off and on rain) so the round of golf was cut off after the 16th hole the ball game was marred byu rain delays but luckily the game is only part of the Citizens Bank Park experience. We opted instead to wait out the rain in McFadden's with the rest of the Phillies faithful. After the rain let up we headed out to our seats (3rd row right field). The fans were really giving the Braves right fielder (Diaz?) a hard time. Around the 8th inning we headed back in to McFadden's and celebrated another Phillies win. This team is fun to watch.

Due to the rain delays etc and traffic I didn't get home until midnight. I woke up Saturday and I wasn't feeling too great (I probably won't follow this routine the night before IM Florida). I thought I was fortunate in that Missy had some errands to run early Saturday morning so I could put off the 1 hour 45 minute run until around noon. I was able to get out around noon but man did I pay the price. The temperature was 85 F with 75% humidity giving it a real feel temperature of over 90 F.

I think I have to alter the real feel equation a little. This current calculation is limited in that it takes into consideration only actual temperature, humidity, amount of clouds and wind speed....while omitting to key variables the number of beers and hot wings consumed the day before. Factoring in all of these variables and you are left with an "Orsini Real Feel", let's just call it an ORF, of 105 F - 110 F.

This ORF took its tool on me today and I was fortunate to clock a 12.5 mile run in 1 hour and 45 minutes...not quite the 13.125 (8 min pace) that I was hoping for but it is close enough.

Looking forward to taking my training to the Outer Banks for the next two weeks. The car is packed and family is shoving off around 4:30 am. With a little luck I'll be relaxing on the beach by mid-afternoon. Our annual Outer Banks vacation really is the highlight of our year and this year is no exception. Looking forward to relaxing and spending some quality time with my family and extended family.

Threshold Swim

I made it to the gym by 5:00 am for the first time in what has to be a month. Could it have something to do with my 17 day vacation that starts Thursday at 5pm...who am I kidding more like 3:30pm on get-away-day? I think so.

Today's workout began with 30 miles on the dreaded gym bike trainer. Not even worth going into detail on this one. I did it and that's it. After the bike ride I rode my wave of energy over to the weights and got in a solid 30 minutes of upper body work. Perfect way to tune up for a high intensity swim. I always seem to swim better following a strength training session.

The swim workout seemed innocent enough at first. 20 lap warm up followed by 30 sets of 50 yards (2 lengths) with a 10 sec break in between. But the purpose of this swim was to tax your anaerobic threshold....all out for 30 sets of 50 (1,500 yards). The first 15 sets went well, my stroke felt good and I averaged 40 secs per 50 yards. I really felt my pulse increase and my muscles burn as I approached the last 5 or so yards of each set but was able to quickly recover in the brief 10 second break. My body is really dealing well with high stress (race like) conditions.

This pace continued through the next 10 sets (25 overall) and then I began to really feel it. The temptation to take it easy was strong but I resisted and powered through. Over the last 5 sets I averaged a much slower 45 seconds per 50 yards. As I have said before...I won't beat myself up over this one. The intent was to push my anaerobic threshold and I did just that. Plus a 41 second (50 yard pace) average pace isn't bad for a hack swimmer like myself. An easy 25 lap cool down and I called it a day. Nothing like 3 hours at the gym before you get to work?

Looking forward to when this race is over and I can workout like a normal person again. You know about an hour a day 4 or so days a week. Can't wait....only 74 days from IM Florida!

For now I have to take it one day at a time....tomorrow is an even tempo 70 minute run followed by a 100 minute bike ride. For those keeping score at home that is a 2 hour 50 minute workout:(

Kick, Push and Splash...Punch?

Took the training a little bit outside of the box today. Allow me to elaborate...the Florida Ironman is unique for more then its extreme distance (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) hot temperatures and rough ocean swim. The mass start of the swim...over 2,000 athletes enter the water and start at once. (http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ironman+swim+start&hl=en&emb=0&aq=1&oq=ironman+swim#q=ironman+florida+swim+start&hl=en&emb=0) To say that the swim will be chaotic would be a huge understatement. The competitors can expect to be kicked, pushed, dunked...you name it.

This is where my outside of the box training comes in. This morning I had my favorite training partner (missy) join me in the pool. We swam about a dozen laps or so to warm up when I unveiled my plan to her. I wanted her to first swim in front of me so that I could get accustomed to swimming directly in someones wake. She did so making sure to kick as hard as possible throughout. Each time my hand got close to her foot I paid the price.

Following this I asked that she follow me but with a caveat. She needed to smack and grab at my feet while swimming. Not a problem. Finally we swam next to each other while she elbowed, kicked, splashed and generally abused me. She seemed to take particular pleasure in this part of the workout. At one point she cracked me in the eye practically knocking my google off my head. Upon reaching the side I thanked her for making the swim as realistic as possible... but she seemed to be taking a little too much pleasure in roughing me up so I decided that I would quit before I ended up with another injury.

Completing the swim leg of the race will be more about demonstrating mental toughness and focus then it will be about swim endurance. I have demonstrated many times in my training the ability to go well beyond 2.4 miles...but whether I can do it while being kicked, pushed and splashed is another story.

Fri, Sat, Sun Catch up

Not much to say about Friday except I punked out. I am just not feeling these Friday workouts. Going back to taking Friday as my day off and getting in the pool on Monday. That worked for me the first 20 or so weeks of the training so I am going back to it.

Typically Saturday is my long bike / short run day but I switched up this week because of the weather....didn't want to be 35 miles from home and stuck in a ridiculous downpour. I was ready to hit the road around 7am on Saturday but there was a steady drizzle so I decided to wait it out. By 8am it hadn't changed so I decided to just man up and get it over with. The rain was relatively light the first 25 minutes then it opened up for around 5 minutes...just enough to soak my feet. Rain on race day would be a disaster! There is nothing worse then running in soaking wet soaks...blister city. The positive of the rain is that it kept the air cool and clean. Wet feet and all I knocked out 15 miles in a little over 2 hours. After the run I hopped on the bike and took down another 17 miles in 55 minutes.

I'd like to say that I rested the rest of the day but no such luck. After eating and cleaning myself up I hustled down to center city to help my buddy mull move into his new place. Talk about a sweet joint! Forget the name of the building but it is around 16th and Arch Street. His place is on the 19th floor and has spectacular views from every room. A quick flight of stairs up and you are on an absolutely amazing roof top veranda. Looks like we know where we are celebrating new years this year.

Sunday morning means that it is long bike day. I got off around 6:15 without a hitch. Trouble ensued at about the 30 minute mark when my gps decided to call it a day. Nothing worse then riding without a sense for how far or fast you have been riding. Oh well if it happens race day there will be nothing that I can do about it so I might as well make due? Got back from my ride at 10:50 (today's ride was scheduled for 3 hours 45 minutes)...looks like I over did it a little. So much for my mental clock. Quick transition after the ride and out for a brisk 4o minute run and finished with a 5 minute walk. Including the walk I covered a total of 5.1 miles. Not a bad pace considering my 4 hour and 35 minute ride.

After I cooled down from my workout I mapped out my ride on gmaps click here to check the route (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3123972) and was fired up to find that I had biked 81.2 miles! Considering the hills that I conquered on this ride I am feeling pretty optimistic about my chances in Panama City.

Another Day

Nothing eventful to report today...just another day of training. Woke up at 4:20 this morning with out any problems. Made it to the gym by 5:10 and knocked out my 90 minute moderate intensity bike ride (distance unknown) and followed it up with a 60 minute low - moderate intensity run (7.2 miles).

After the workout I hustled over to my 8:30 follow up appointment at the podiatrist and am happy to report that he is pleased with my progress though I am not out of the woods yet. The bone spur is still there and won't go away without surgery but the area is no longer inflamed...which is a good thing. Just have to continue to take care of the area on a daily basis. That list seems to be getting longer with each passing week:

• neck (herniated disk)
• both knees
• left Achilles
• right foot

Hopefully that is it....but knowing my history I wouldn't bet on it.

Tomorrow's workout is a beast 1 hour swim followed by an ultra high intensity run:

10 min warm up
4 x 20 sec hard / 40 sec easy run ups

The beast

1000 yds intervals completed at the following HR (1 minute easy jog between each)

84%
88%
92%

6 minute easy jog

1000 yds intervals completed at the following HR (1 minute easy jog between each)
88%
90%
92%

Even in the early morning hours it is sure to be smokin hot at the track. I am sure to beat down at the conclusion of this workout.

It's official...I am old!

It's official...I am old! Not because of the way I feel or the way I look. Though I definitely look and feel much older then I did just 5 short years ago. I am old for an entirely different reason....I no longer adapt to change as easily as I once did to change.

Allow me to elaborate. I have belonged to my health club a little under two years. During that time I have spent close to 400 hours pedaling on one of 3 bike trainers that were lined in the back row in front of the fitness offices. These bikes were nothing special they were just your standard issue bike trainer that you can find at any gym across the country. They were no frills, just the basics but they got the job done. That is they provided a reasonable proxy to a regular bike and enabled me to stay off the road during those dangerous week day rush hours.

However, progress stops for no one let alone an exercise bike. You can imagine my disappointment when I came into the gym this morning to find that every bike on the floor had been replace with new "high tech" bikes. These bikes possess what I like to refer to as ridiculous novel technology. Again, allow me to elaborate...the bikes have monitors which feature animated bike riders on various courses that you follow during your workout. If this isn't bad enough the bikes have these oddly shaped handle bars which you must steer to stay on course (this may sound like fun but it is anything but).

This annoyances could be overlooked if the bikes were functional...which they are not. They seem to be geared towards accommodating obese people. Which is actually a good thing. I just don't think that every bike should be geared this way.

Anyway, I am done whining for now (though I can't promise I won't whine again in future posts). After wasting a solid 20 minutes trying to adjust the new bikes to meet my needs I gave up and hopped on one of the spin class bikes. You know the ones I am talking about....no mechanism to record time, distance, speed, rpm's etc.... no clue how far I went today but I got in my 75 minutes.

After the disappointing bike experience I regrouped and knocked out 15 minutes of pushups and sit ups and then hit my swim workout hard. The workout consisted of a 16 lap warm up followed by a 16 sets of 150 yards (6 laps) at max speed with 10 secs between each set. My speed for these sets fluctuated between 2 minutes and 10 seconds and 2 minutes and 25 seconds. I really began to fatigue towards the end of the workout but left the pool feeling good about putting in an honest effort. I must admit that my swim workouts have been lacking the last 2 weeks and I am looking forward to getting back on track.

Tomorrow's workout is a 90 minute bike ride followed by a 60 minute run. I hope that the new treadmills don't give me any problems....but I am sure they will.

High Noon -- 14 x 0

The alarm went off this morning at 5 am and I just about jumped out of my skin. Seems the little man was playing around with the alarm clock yesterday and thought it would be a good idea to put the volume on 10 and turn the channel just enough so that the music had a nice crackle to it. Not the best way to start the day but I'll get over it.

Today Missy competed in the Lum's Pond Sprint Triathlon 0.5 mile swim - 19.5 mile run - 5Kish run (not quite 5K). She improved upon her time from last year by 8 min and 39 secs. She knocked 3 minutes and change off her swim and another 5 minutes and change off of the bike and her run was equal to last years effort. This is a huge improvement from last years race and she is already planning out her assault on the course next year.

Emily couldn't have been more excited to congratulate her mommy after the race and Johnny well he was so excited that he dozed off about 5 minutes before she finished? Maybe next year.

We arrived home at about 11:45 and yours truly still had to get in a 2 hour 10 minute run and a 50 minute bike ride. Rather then wait until the early evening I decided to get after it right away. Running in the mid-day August heat...not one of my better ideas. I loaded up two 24 oz bottles with Gatorade plus four 10 ounce bottles in my hydration belt. 88 ounces of liquid should be plenty for a 130 minute run...not even close. The heat and the humidity were brutal to say the least. I was able to complete the entire run (14+ miles in total) but had nothing left in the tank for the bike.

Before making the decision to bag the bike ride I went in the house and chugged a quart of ice water and felt marginally better. I hopped on the scale to check the damage and found that even after all of the water I drank (88 + 32) I still dropped 7 lbs on the run (166 lbs pre-run to 159 lbs post run). This seemed like an extreme amount of weight to drop in a short period of time so I decided against continuing on. Good choice. No sense in doing something to ruin the great weekend that I had (in spite of missing today's 50 minute bike ride).

To reward myself for doing the smart thing for a change, I ordered some hot wings, a large pizza and a cheesesteak (no I didn't eat all of it). Feeling much better now.

Total distance for the weekend: 70 mile bike / 21 mile run

Tomorrow: OFF!

70 x 7

Went to dinner last night with Missy and had a great time. We tried out a place in West Chester called Simon Pearce. We decided to change up the routine a little last night. We started out with soup, salad and a bottle of Pinot Noir. Vermont cheese soup and a Caesar salad for me and a baby spinach leaf salad for Miss. Instead of ordering entrees we decided to split 3 appetizers and then finished off the meal with a piece of lemon cheese cake and coffee. Overall I would say that the food was good, the ambiance was nice (a pleasing view of the Brandywine River) and the service exceptional. Simon Pearce makes the list of places we plan to go to again.

On to today's training. Clipped into my bike for the first time since experiencing bone spur related pain in my foot without any discomfort. The program called for a 3 hour and 25 minute ride today but I was feeling good so I decided to extend it out a little. I finished up the ride in a little under 3 hours and 52 minutes having pedaled a total of 70 miles for an average of 18.0 mph. My average heart rate for the ride was 72% of max though it touched 90% of several of the brutal climbs in Brandywine Creek State Park.

Following the ride I went out for a 1 hour run. The transition to the run seems to be getting easier with each passing week. Maybe there is something to this whole practice thing? After finishing a little over 7 miles I took a 10 minute recovery walk around the neighborhood.

I was originally scheduled to swim 30 minutes at the conclusion of the run but the pool is a solid 2o minute ride from my house so I decided to bag it.

The rest of the day looks like a lot of ice, ibuprofen and some cold beers at the Egee's pool party later this afternoon. Tomorrow the kids and I are headed down to Bear, DE to watch Missy compete in the Lums Pond Sprint Triathlon. After the race I have to squeeze in a 2 hour and 10 minute run followed by a 50 minute bike ride.

Friday Night

Squeezed in a quick 2 mile swim after work today. Now Missy and I are headed to Simon Pearce (http://www.simonpearce.com/CSTM_restaurantsWindsor1.aspx) for dinner. Looking forward to a relaxing night out.

Tomorrow:

3.5 hour bike ride
1 hour run
0.5 hour swim

...then its off to the Egee's for a pool party!

Anaerobic Threshold

Week two of the competitive season is all about raising the level. Taking the training to place never thought possible. The call for today is for an anaerobic threshold run(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_exercise) and a 1 hour swim. During the run ATR portion my heart rate should be between 84 and 92% of my max. Previous ATR's intervals were between 2 and 5 minutes. Today's called for 10 minutes...big jump.

After a 15 minute warm up and a series of 5 x 20 second run ups (20 sec fast 40 sec slow) I was ready to rock. During the first ATR I ran 1.6 miles in 10 minutes (6 minute 15 sec pace) with my heart rate peaking at 91% (average 87%). By minute 8 I was really feeling the burn and wanted to quit but powered through and was glad that I did. After the 7 minute easy jog I cranked it up again. This time I completed only 1.55 miles in 10 minutes for a 6 minute and 27 second pace. My heart rate peaked at 93% of my max and averaged 90% in total. I was on target to eclipse the 1.60 miles run in the first 10 minute block but I faded with about a minute and change to go. No worries, I think that I achieved the objective of today's run "continuing to tax your anaerobic threshold (AT)". Mission accomplished. Most importantly I came out of this workout healthy.

In total I covered just under 8 miles during this 1 hour workout. After the run segment I hit the showers and was to work. After work it was back to the gym for my 1 hour swim. Today I focused on my technique. Specifically on reaching out as far as possible with each stroke. This is supposed to allow me to maximize the power potential of each stroke. I have to admit that at times I felt a little awkward doing so but I am confident that with a little more practice I will get it down. In total I swam 130 laps (1.85 miles) in the 1 hour time period.

Tomorrow just a quick 45 minute swim and some strength training before my big weekend.

Theme Week

The theme for the week is oversleep. My inability to get out of bed the last two days has really put me behind the eightball this week. This morning I was able to get my full 95 minute bike ride in but had to cut the run from 65 to 30 minutes so that I could make it to work on time.

This meant that I had to run 35 minutes when I got home from work tonight...what a drag. My legs just don't respond well after a 2 hour 5 minute morning session, followed by a 9 hour day in front of a p.c....with an extra special one hour ride home from work. To top it off my car stereo has been out of commission for the last 4 weeks and I haven't gotten around to having it fixed.

Needless to say the run wasn't pretty but I got it in...and that's what counts. They can't all be gems. Anyway, I am looking forward to tomorrow's high intensity run:

15:00 easy jog, gradually raising your HR to 70%
6 x In & Out 100's
2 x (2400m / 10:00) @84-92% w/(1200m / 7:00) easy jog after each
Go straight into your cool down, bringing your HR back
under 50% during the final 2-3:00.

....that should be a bear. I plan to get my 1 hour swim in after work.

Overslept...again

I hit the "snooze" button this morning when the alarm went off at 4:20am...at least I thought I did? Must have hit the "off" button instead...didn't wake up until 5:45. At this time there is no chance that I can get my entire workout in this morning. Normally I would split the day up and get my swim in after work but Miss works tonight so the isn't an option.

No sense in getting worked up about it. I rushed out of the house and made it to the gym by 6:15. Still plenty of time to get in my 80 min bike ride and then squeeze in push ups, sits ups, lounges etc... The bike ride was intense! 10 minute warm up then into 20 sec run ups 40 sec normal tempo to get the heart rate up to the 80% range. Once there I had 2 sets of 20 minutes at 84-92% intensity. It is a strange thing really, when outside can hit and sustain this level of effort with relative ease, however, it is a different story inside on the bike trainer. I think that it is the lack of air movement on the trainer. When I am clocking along at 22 - 23 mph on the road I have a nice breeze on my face to cool me down...even on the hot days. In the gym when putting out the same level of effort there is no cooling breeze to be found. After 30 or so minutes on the trainer I am sweating like Doc Holiday in Tombstone. Luckily the gym has a towel service or there would be some real problems.

In total I biked a little over 31 miles during the workout with an average heart rate of 78% (includes 40 minutes of warm up and cool down). As I sit here typing this post tonight I can already feel tightness setting in on my calves and quads. Not exactly looking forward to a 65 minute run followed by a 95 minute bike ride tomorrow morning. Thankfully tomorrow is a moderate intensity day (75% heart rate) so it shouldn't be too bad. If I can get out of work on time I may try to make up my missed swim workout. Hopefully I get out of bed on time?

Week 24

Tomorrow begins week 24 of my 36 week training program. At the conclusion of this week I will be 2/3 of the way through. The 36 week training program is broken down into 4 phases:

weeks 1-2: Orientation - low intensity / low duration training
weeks 3-22: Base Building - begins low intensity / low duration increasing to moderate intensity and long duration training
weeks 23-34: Competitive Season - mix of low - high intensity / moderate to ultra long duration
weeks 35-36: Tapering - Decreasing work load in preparation for the race

The following is the schedule for my workout tomorrow. The workout is a combination high intensity swim and bike, followed by 30-4o minutes of strength training, depending on how I feel. Looks like I am going to have to get to the gym at 5am sharp if I am going to squeeze this one and make it to work on time.

SWIM 0:45

WARM UP
4 x 200 increase 20 sec rest between sets- increase intensity from 50% to 75%

MAIN SET
16 x 100 w/10 sec rest after each
#1-4: increase intensity from 60% - 85%
#5-16: Each one should be high quality @88-92%
-- record your average on the last 12 for future comparison

COOL DOWN
100 Swim - 100 Kick - 100 Pull - 100 Swim

BIKE 1:20
Give yourself about 10:00 to get into it, letting your HR rise gradually to 65-70%
INTERMEDIATE SET
4 x 20 sec relaxed "bursts" of speed w/40 sec easy @100rpm after each
MAIN SET - BIG TARGET!
2 x 20:00 @84-92% w/15:00 easy spinning @60-70% in between
COOL DOWN
Continue spinning, bringing your HR down slowly until it's under 50% by the end

STRENGTH TRAINING 0:40
Focus upper body power and lower body stability and flexibility exercises

Total Time: 2:45

Good Weekend!

The rain finally stopped around 9:30 am so I stuck with the original plan and ran around my neighborhood. The focus of today's run is my heart rate. My heart rate is not to exceed 70% at any point during entire run. According to the plan it is critical to vary intensity levels of training on various days to maximize my training efforts. Short duration / high intensity track workouts
are to be offset by long duration / low intensity weekend runs.

70% is easier said then done. Believe it or not I find it much easier to run between 75 and 80%. Especially through my area, there doesn't seems to be a stretch of more then 100 yards that I will classify as flat (+/- 1% grade). This makes it difficult to keep my heart rate below 70%. In fact many times during the run (calling it a run is a reach) I was forced to walk. My average pace for the run was 10 min and 30 secs. Talk about slow...but I have been following the program pretty much to the letter to this point and don't plan to stop now.

Following the run I took Missy's bike out for an easy 12 mile ride (45 min) to cool down after a demanding weekend of training.

On a positive note my foot is feeling pretty good. Still not 100% but not far off. Hard to believe that at this time last Sunday I could barely walk...and today I put the finishing touches on ~74 miles on the bike and another 16 miles of running, plus a mile in the pool. After much angst it ended up as a pretty good weekend.

If the rain holds off I am scheduled to take Emily to her swimming lesson? Tomorrow is a scheduled day off. Looking forward to sleeping past 6 am for a change. Hope that Emily and John cooperate.

Rain...ugh

The foot is a little sore this morning but nothing to be too concerned about. I was hoping to have gotten my run in by now but it has been raining steadily all morning. Normally I would run in the rain, as I have to be prepared for any conditions that may come up on race day, but not today. I plan to hold off on running in the rain until the foot is 95-100% or another week. Which ever comes first. If the rain doesn't stop by 10 am then I will have to go to the gym and run on the treadmill or maybe the indoor track? I am leaning more towards the treadmill at this point...at least I can watch sports center. Though I dread the thought of running in place for 110 minutes..ugh

One Down

After much deliberation I decided that it would be in my best interests to avoid the road and take my act to the gym today. Basically it came down to this...I didn't want to be 25 miles from home and have my toe injury flare up. I know that I would probably push through and really set myself back.

This decision meant 170 minutes on a bike trainer...put a big check mark in the mental toughness category. I hammered out 61 miles during this high intensity ride. My average heart rate of 80% was at least 10 percentage points higher then what I plan to do on race day but I had no choice. Riding the bike trainer at a moderate level of intensity for almost 3 hours will make even the most sane person on earth go nuts. The only option is to crank it up, push yourself to the edge and watch the time slowly tick by.

At the conclusion of the ride I gingerly hopped off the bike and made my way over to the treadmill. To my surprise the toe feels good...but the run will be the real test. Turns out it wasn't a test at all. I knocked out a smooth 5 miles in 40 minutes. Looks like the new sneakers are paying dividends.

After the run I hit the showers then its over to the pool for a 1 mile swim. It felt good to get the upper body moving after 3.5 hours of lower body work. After the workout I head home to "pumice" the toe, ice the knees and ankles, eat my usual half dozen eggs and toast and relax with the kids.

Everything feels good so far...what a relief. I hope that there aren't any surprises when I wake up tomorrow...another big day on tap. 2 hour 20 minute run followed by a 50 minute bike ride. One down...one to go.

Motivation

Good stuff...

http://www.ironmancenter.com/index.php?dir=MiscVids&vidname=FordMotivationalVideo-high&playtype=mov&w=480&h=400

The Struggle

I've mentioned in previous posts that the actual training is the easy part of the process. It's everything else that goes into it that is difficult. I mentioned things like preparation, time management, eating etc... These items are non issues when compared to dealing with an injury this close to race time (92 days and counting).

It is not so much the physical pain associated with the injury, of which there has been plenty. But more so the daily psychological struggle that goes along with it. The first days with pain and uncertainty. This was followed by what I'll refer to as the ego period. The ego period goes something like this....I have been through all of this there is no way I am going to let something as little as a toe slow me down. This period took place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. I powered through workouts and hobbled around the rest of the day.

Thursday morning I woke up to find that the pain was almost completely gone. In light of this I decided to take the day off (50 minute bike and 45 minute swim) and give a little extra healing time.

This morning I had just a short swim of 45 minutes. Tomorrow the schedule calls for 170 min bike, 40 minute run and a 30 minute swim....the workouts are the easy part.

Should I go all out or should I hold back? Will the injury flare up during the workout? Will I handle the workout fine only to wake up Sunday with a serious problem (as I did last weekend)? Will the injury linger and ultimately impact my ability to train the rest of the way or even compete on November 7?

Keep in mind I am not saying that I am consumed with these thoughts but rather I fluctuate between moments of confidence and moments of extreme doubt. Time will tell what the future holds but in the meantime I look forward to my easy time tomorrow (the 4 hours of training)....it's the other time that I can do without.

Cool Stuff

For the beginner runner the following is a link for a run mapper provided by google:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

...just enter the starting point of your run and then click off your route to find out exactly how far you have run. For the more advanced runner and bike rider give this a try

....it is the Garmin 305 GPS. The unit is great for running and bike riding. Provides speed, distance time, heart rate, you name it. I think I got it for $160 online? At this stage of the game I can't run without it.

In addition to timing and measuring your run...no distance runner should be without a hydration belt:
the belt securely holds 40 oz of liquid and has two small pouches for carrying keys, cash or gel packs. A must have for long distance running in the hot summer months. The key to a quick post run recovery is to hydrate properly during your workout.

And last but not least an absolute must short running shorts..the shorter the better

...just kidding...I don't know how men run in these things. It is definitely a tough look to pull off.

Sleep on it

After sleeping on it last night I decided that it probably wouldn't be in my best interests to substitute swimming for running. No sense risking a shoulder injury to go along with my foot injury. Instead I decided that I would make some adjustments to my sneakers and see if I could push through the bike workout and maybe add a little time on the back end?

To help alleviate some of the pressure on my foot I did the following: removed the inserts from my sneakers, wore thin socks (iso my thick running socks) and loosely tied my sneaker. These adjustments definitely reduced the pain but did not eliminate it. I was able to go at about 85% (v. 60%) yesterday and as a result I extended out the my bike ride from 70 to 120 minutes for around 40 miles total.

I was in a fair amount of pain post workout and for the remainder of the morning but was feeling quite a bit better by the early afternoon. I guess sitting perfectly still in my cube has some benefits after all? The toe still swells if I stand on it for more then a few minutes but I am optimistic that I will be o.k....we'll see if I am singing the same tune if this is going on in 2 weeks. No sense in worrying about the unknown now though...all I can do is make the best of my current situation and take it one day at a time.

Word of my to be scheduled pedicure created quite a buzz around the office today...seems that some would undergo electro shock treatment before they would let someone work on their feet. I on the other hand am actually looking forward to it. Can't believe someone would work on these nasty dogs for only $35...is this a great country or what?

Bump in the Road

22 weeks into the training program and I have hit my second significant bump in the road. The first was a herniated disc in my neck around week 8. I was fortunate in that the injury was painful but did not force me to miss any of my workouts. After a few weeks of physical therapy I was back in business.

It doesn't seem as if I will be as lucky with this bump. It seems that everyday brings a new ache or pain. Pain is to be expected when training in excess of 15 hours a week...kind of comes with the territory. Recently I began to experience pain in my big toe on my right foot. I pushed through hoping that the pain would subside only this time it got worse. By Sunday night I was unable to put any weight on the area without significant pain.

Monday morning came and there was no doubt that I would have to see a doctor. Fortunately my wife's friend Jen was able to call in a favor and get me an appointment for Tuesday at a well respected podiatrist. X-rays came back negative for fractures or a break...thank God. However, I do have bone spurs on both of my big toes. These bone spurs coupled with the tight fit of my bicycle shoes seems to have caused some inflammation and swelling.

The Doctor doesn't think that surgery will be necessary as the spurs are minor. He recommends that I avoid bike shoes for a couple of weeks (and also that I get a new larger pair) and stay off of it as much as possible. Additionally I need to utilize a pumice stone to work off the callus. Finally he has also recommended that I get periodic pedicures as preventative maintenance. Looks like I'll be spending some time at the beauty shop with the girls.

Following the appointment I went to the gym to give the bike trainer a whirl. I was able to pedal but only at about 60% effort before the pain becomes unbearable. Following this I knocked out 2 miles in the pool and felt pretty good.

Tomorrow I am scheduled for a 1 hour run and an 85 minute bike ride. My plan is to substitute a swim for the run and to see how the bike trainer goes. Beyond that I plan on taking it day to day.

With any luck I will be back to 100% soon but I will not push it with this one. The race is coming up very quickly and I can not afford to have a major setback.

Cork and Cheree' Wedding

continued from yesterday's post...

Hopped out of the shower, kissed wifey and hugged the kids and I am out the door. Feels as if the temperature has risen another 10 degrees since I finished my run. The plan for today is for the groomsmen to meet at Mull's around 11 to await the arrival of the limo bus at 12:30. The hour and half consists of Mimosa's, Corona's and ridicule. The teasing touched almost exclusively on the following subject's, (insert name) is fat, (insert name) is bald and (insert my name) is skinny or I can't wait until you get fat after this race. It's great to have a group of life long friends to keep you humble.

The bus arrives promptly at 12:30 and we are on our way. Things are going a little too smoothly...no problems with tuxedo's...limo is on time. We are just about to pull onto Route 1 when Cork realizes he forgot the programs. We knew it was too good to be true. No big deal we swing back around grab the programs and make it to the church by 1:25.

As I walked into the church I am thankful that the air conditioning is on and working. The rehearsal on Thursday night was done sans a.c. and it was brutal. I am not sure how the boys would have fared in our wool tuxedos? Cheree looked stunning in her long white gown and Cork not too bad himself in his tux.

The reception was held at the Union League in Center City....top notch all the way. Highlights of the night included but were not limited to the following:

*Butlered hors doeuvres (specifically kobe beef sliders and the shrimp cocktail) I've said it before and I'll say it again....I wouldn't mind if they skipped the sitdown dinner and just butlererd hors doeuvres all night long.

*The band...12 piece, horns, fantastic singers, awesome song selection...you name it.

*Gary's dancing... seems he wasn't a part of some danceathon at the bachelor party but rather he was conditioning himself for the reception. My man was a one man show for the first hour of the wedding and a consistent force on the dance floor the entire night.

*Patrick Corkery (age 6) joining the band for a song late in the evening and bringing the house down. The kids got game. Let's hope he doesn't peak too early like his Uncle Jim (cork).

I've been to a lot of weddings but this one has to rank as the all timer... a great time was had by all. Especially me. Perhaps maybe a little too great....

additional photos can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/johnorsini1/JimAndChereeSWedding?feat=email#

Quick Post

I only have time for a quick post today, heading out to Cork's wedding in about an hour. Today called for a 105 minute run but because of my packed schedule only had time to run for an hour or so. I went out through my neighborhood and in spite of the heat and oppressive humidity I was feeling pretty good. Here is a mile by mile break down of today's run:

mile 1: 8 min 3 sec
mile 2: 7 min 54 sec (huge up hill)
mile 3: 7 min 35 sec (feeling pretty good)
mile 4: 7 min 28 sec
mile 5: 7 min 48 sec (another huge up hill...still feeling good)

I am now thinking....I am at the halfway point and I am running sub 8 minutes on average and the big climbs are out of the way. Maybe I'll try to pick up the pace a little and see what happens.

mile 6: 7 min 13 sec
mile 7: 7 min 8 sec

My legs and wind are feeling really good. What is my personal record in 10 miles again...74 min 44 secs at the Broad Street Run in 2008? Do I have a chance at that? Maybe. I decide to give it a shot.

mile 8: 6 min 51 secs
mile 9: 7 min 8 secs

with only a long downhill left I realize I have my PR well with in my grasp. I cruise through the last mile in a very easy:

mile 10: 7 min 4 secs

...for my PR time of 1 hour 14 minutes 12 secs. Finished with plenty left in the tank. Time for a quick shower and then over to Mull's for Mamosa's before the wedding.

Tomorrow Missy is competing in the Sherox sprint triathlon in Fairmount Park. All in all an action packed weekend.