Infinite Runners

Start Again

The headline probably isn't really accurate because being sick last week (with a cold) didn't force me to start over as much as stop me for a few days. I had 2 or 3 days where I literally felt like I could not make it home from work without stopping to rest. Lets just say it really wiped me out.

I'm now back to a full training week and going strong. My swimming has been the consistent thing with the effort and intensity all staying pretty high. My biking is only about 2 days a week right now of about 25-40 miles depending on my work load. My run is only about 8-10 miles  (all easy) as I try to take it slow and ease back in.  I think the easing will come to a stop next week as I need to start logging some 5-7 milers to feel like I am accomplishing anything. My friends are running the Flying Pig Half Marathon and want me to help pace them. I will make a go/no go call as it gets closer. The one thing I learned with Ironman Training is don't just race to race because you can screw up a few good workout days in the process.

Here's my current schedule:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Swim / Run
Tuesday - Bike / Run
Wednesday - Swim / Run
Thursday - Bike / Run (Optional)
Friday - Swim / Run
Saturday - Run

My real Ironman training starts in March and will take me right up to the race. I will post those workouts/weeks as they happen.

Swim Solid - Run Improving - Bike Needs Work

Had a pretty good workout today at the YMCA. Swam about 2000 yds. and then ran 3.5 miles. My swim consisted of 10 warm up and cool down laps with 10x100 as the main set. I took about a minute break between each 100 to let my heart rate come down a touch and drink some water if necessary. I averaged about 1:40 with the last one in 1:31. It was a gradual improvement on each one with negative splits. It was hard and yet I didn't feel wiped out which was good.

My run was an easy 3.5 miles on the treadmill. I say improving in the title as it was smooth and nothing hurt. I am looking forward to start ramping up my miles in the very near future.

I had about a 23 mile bike ride down on the Newtown Trail on Friday and it was just okay. My total time was 1:23:12. It was a cold day and I did feel cold riding the second half but managed to keep a solid pace. I am going to need about a month or so before it starts to click like last summer when I was riding.

Relax and Breath. Simple, Right?

It has been about one year since I have done a lake swim and I am very glad I decided to do one today. Kristin, Braden and I headed up to Ceasar Creek State Park to do just that - well, at least me anyway. Kristin and Braden watched me swim, played and enjoyed the day. I had no apprehension about doing the swim so it was a little surprising that I got nervous when I started. The plan was that I was going to swim out to the farthest left buoy and then swim to the farthest right and loop back and repeat until I reached a total time of 45 minutes. I would then hop out and go for a 35 minute run.

As mentioned, the last time I swam was at the East Fork Triathlon in August of last year. I went up the day before that event to register and do a practice swim in the lake and had the same reaction as today - an unsettling feeling. My first few strokes I had some anxiety and was trying to double breath and generally didn't feel good about it at all. I had to come up and stop twice on the way out to the buoy. I finally realized I just needed to relax and try to get in an almost meditative state. basically, close my eyes as I  turned my head into the water and open them when I breath and create a comfortable rhythm to it. The muddy water (due to the rains) was causing me some anxiety I am sure. This approached worked very well but it did take me a good 5-10 minutes to settle into a very good stroke. I was very glad I decided to try and get a lake swim in before leaving as it really makes me feel much more at ease about the swim now. The cold water in Lake Coeur d'Alene will be challenging enough.

I then did about a 36 minute run on the park roads. It was a hot day but not too bad.

I am very tired however so I think some of the big workouts from this past week have caught up with me. Off to get some rest.

It's Hard To Believe This Is A Taper.

One would think that a taper is when you wind down with your training and relax. That's just not the case when you have to prepare everything for the trip, have family matters to tend to and have work stuff to complete.

Tuesday -
As I was getting ready for work on Tuesday morning my back had another pretty good muscle spasm. It's that locking feeling that makes you stop in your tracks and try to breath. The workout was an hour swim and an hour run and I thought then that there would be no way I could do it. I ended up taking some ice packs for my back with me in the car and into the office and that seem to help my back.  I started the swim very easy to see what would happen and it was okay. I covered 2 miles and then ran about 7 miles. I was glad to get the workout in and have it behind me. That night I did get other one so I tried to take it as easy as I could.

Wednesday -
Only an hour bike ride and It actually felt pretty good. It was a hot day but I prefer that over cold anytime.

Thursday -
My last MAJOR workout before the race. I was suppose to have a much easier day today but I had to drop my bike off to be transported to the event on Friday. The big workout was scheduled for Saturday and I wanted it to be on my tri bike so I switched the workouts. Therefore, I ended up doing an hour swim, 2 hour bike and an hour run. The workout was a very hard one again as it was hot and I had not had as much rest (or easy days) in between big workouts as scheduled. The hardest part on all my brick workouts has been the run as your body has to switch gears and then the overall workout time just starts to catch up with you. It is good training as I constantly have to talk myself through the hard times. I can only imagine what mile 24 of the run will feel like in the race.

Friday -
Off day. Well kind of anyways. I had to think through and prepare what I was going to ship with my bike to the event. I headed out to Wheelie Fun (same place I purchased my bike) to drop off my bike and a gear bag today. I just happened to pick when the downpours started and what should've taken me 45 minutes to get there took about 1:20. I then drove to get my haircut and be race ready. I already feel a good 10 minutes faster with the cut. I would've said 20-30 minutes faster but I don't have that much hair to begin with.

The workouts up until race day are all now pretty easy. I may even try to get a lake swim in at East Fork Lake tomorrow or Sunday just to help prepare mentally for  the race. We will be leaving Tuesday for Couer d'Alene and I have a lot of work to wrap up so it will be a busy few days coming. Oh, and my back got another spasm - the fun never stops.

6 Hours of Burn

Sunday was one monster workout as it was a 1.5 hour swim, 3 hour bike and a 1.5 hour run. And it was hot, hot, little wind, hot and did I say hot. I can only say it was good practice if we get a hot day for the race. Here's how the day went.

1:00 pm  - The workout begins.

1.5 Hour Swim - 2.4 miles
This was hard but not too bad as the water felt really great in the outdoor pool. My first mistake was that I did not put any suntan lotion on as I thought the swim lanes would be in the shade but they were not. They had been shaded the previous couple times but that was a little later in the day. Needless to say I would feel that burn when I finished. My wife Kristin and son Braden came up and hung out in the lane a bit and then got into some serious play in the kids pool. I calculate that I covered the 2.4 in about 1:13:50. My left shoulder hurt just a little bit like the kind caused from repetitive use.

I immediately left the pool and drove down to the Newtown Bike Trail as I wanted to ride where it was for the most part uninterrupted by stops. I swung into Walgreens and bought some sunscreen as I just knew I needed.

20 minute ride to trail.

3 Hour Bike - 58.4 miles
My bike was hard. The workout called for taking it out easier the first half and then harder the second half of the ride. That's what I did and just simply biked out 1.5 hours and then turned around. I made it about 29.2 miles which was 4 miles past Morrow. I did see a turtle, snake and two fawns on the way which was cool. I really focused on trying to keep my miles per hour above 20 the whole way back and was successful. It was a hot ride and stopped once for some extra water. My nutrition was a turkey sandwich, salted cashews, snickers, half of a PowerBar, Gatorade, and about the equivalent of 5 water bottles. I did get a pain in both feet as I had before but rode through it. The picture below is of me getting ready to start the run. I was a bug catching machine on the ride as the sunscreen worked as a glue for any and all flying bugs - you can see them on my arms. I even had a Cicada hop on for a ride until I flicked him off.

1.5 Hour Run - 11 miles
I felt decent getting off the bike. Of course I was hot but thought that if I just stayed smooth and hydrated I would be fine. I wanted to run about 8:10 pace or slower and missed the mark. The first mile I clocked I was at 7:45 and I stayed under 8s up through the turnaround at 5.5 miles. I then was going to try and run faster the second half - that didn't happen. I had GUs to add some calories at the start, 30 minutes in and 1 hour points of the run. I also carried some Gatorade and water which was very good. My 5.5 mile run back was agonizing. It was everything I could do to just run and push through any pain. I considered walking a few times to gather myself but kept thinking that this isn't even the Ironman - you can do it. I did do it but boy was it hard. I reached the 10 mile point and there is a water fountain. I did stop for water and drenched my head for a minute. That felt awesome and rejuvenated me some. I finished it up and then sat in my car for a minute with the door open. I changed shoes/socks to find that I have a big blood blister on my left index toe, the same toe that I almost lost a toenail on when I did the Columbus Half Marathon last year.

7:28 pm - workout ends. 

Workout summary:
This one was very hard and I can see why many people don't do Ironman distance events. It is not so much the one event that is the issue as it is the last 6 weeks of training when you are doing the equivalent of a marathon, century ride (100 miles) or a half Ironman or more every weekend. It now starts to get easier until the race which is a good thing. I had Monday off and surprisingly my body bounced back pretty well. I even went out and cut the grass after work in the 95 degree heat.

Planning:
I have now rented a full blueseventy wet suit for the race, pictured below.

My blueseventy socks and skull cap arrived today as well. You'll recall I am preparing to swim in water that will most likely be below 60 degrees. Both Braden and I tried the cap on. He is real big into doing anything and everything I do right now, which is cool. He even set up water and Gatorade stations around our house so that when we do our in-house triathlons we can stop and get hydrated. It is a lot of fun and he always manages to beat me. I guess I still need to do more speed work.

Few Miles Shy of An Ironman

I was dead tired last night and it was a direct result of a very hard weekend of workouts. Also, the family activities start to add to the already tough days. As I have said before, If all I had to do was train for an Ironman then this would be easy. Here's the rundown.

Saturday
Run
3 Hour - 20 Miles
I woke up early to try and get my run done and be back home by noon. I checked the weather and it was a 30-50% chance of thunderstorms today. So I drove to Lunken as that course seem to work well with being able to get water and nutrition as well as leaving anything I didn't want to carry. When I started around 8:30 am I thought there would be no way I would even make it around the first 5 miles before the downpour hit. The clouds looked dark and wicked (to the west) and I even contemplated running just a mile up the road and back in case of the lightening. As for anyone who has seen Lunken knows that you are elevated and out in the middle of nothingness around the Airport - not a good combination with lightening around.

Loop 1 - 5 Miles - 38:08
After I reached a mile I decided to press on around the loop as I saw other runners and figured - heck, if they don't mind then I don't mind. My first mile was a 7:07 and I think a little fast as the adrenaline was pumping from the coming storm. I was tired already and knew this was going to be a tough run so I tried to settle down the pace but it just didn't work. I was surprised that I covered the first loop without being hit by a drop of rain and ran 38:08 or 2 minutes faster then my last run like this.

Loop 2 - 5 Miles 37:47
I started again and now had the feeling that today was just going to be overcast but it was hot and getting hotter. I ended up taking my shirt off for this loop as it was too hot to leave on at this point. My first mile of this loop was also fast in 7:17. I knew I had to slow down and I kept telling myself "easy" and "smooth." My talking didn't work as I kept hitting under 8 minute pace, which is good and bad. It's good that this pace feels easy but bad as I know that it can do me in much later in the run - especially in hot weather. Now the sun is peaking out and it just feels hotter. I finish this loop and start thinking maybe I just call it a day after the next one. That is a bad, bad thought as the Ironman is all about time in training and not so much about distance.

Loop 3 - 5 Miles - 39:06
I set off and now I am really telling myself to slow down if I want to have a shot at completing 4 loops or 20 miles. This one I finally got right time wise but now I am hurting and know that the last loop is going to be brutal.  I also had purchased an Amphipod water belt last week just to be prepared. I threw it on around my waist for this loop as I knew I would need to extra water on the loop as well as a GU. I held the pace pretty well but was still faster then any one of my loops last time and my pace fell off more at the end so I knew the last one would hurt. I convinced myself on this loop that I was doing 4 no matter what and would take my time to complete it without walking.

Loop 4 - 5 miles - 45:21
You can see a noticeable drop off in time but this loop was pretty satisfying as I did everything I could to run through the pain. My legs hurt. By now it seem like the sun was out to stay and just pounded down on me on the open trail. If I would not of had the water belt it would have been ugly out there. I literally ran mile to mile and just focused on getting to one and then the next. It worked and finished. It was hard - did I say that already.

Home
I arrived home to have breakfast and was able to eat some but not my normal amount as I think the sun/heat had got to me. I tried to eat what I could throughout the next 3.5 hours as I knew I had a big swim coming and needed the fuel. Played with Braden up until the swim.

Swim
1.5 Hour - 2.5 Miles
We made it to the YMCA just before 4 so that I could do my swim workout of 1.5 hours. Kristin and Braden came along to swim and have some fun and watch me. I was able to swim outside which was great as the water felt great and it was pretty sunny outside. I swam 5 intervals of a half mile (33 laps) each. This just made me more tired then before but it actually helped my legs feel a little better after the long run in the morning. I then played Basketball in the Gym with Braden while Kristin swam some laps.

To top the day off we went out to eat and to the mall where Braden and I played in the play area and we walked around. Once we got home I had to plot my next workout which was the long bike ride for Sunday. There was a surprise birthday party for my dad at 2:30 at my Uncle's House in Centerville (near Dayton). So, I had to figure out how to ride up there and get 100 miles as well as be there on time.

Sunday
Bike
6 Hour - 100 Miles
I woke up at 7:00 am and was able to take care of things and leave the house by 7:40.  The plan was to bike from my house to the Little Miami Scenic Trail and take that up beyond Xenia and come back to Waynesville, where I would then hop on the streets to get to their house. It was an absolute prefect day for a ride.  The nutrition I took with me today was a peanut butter sandwich, cashews, PowerBar, Snickers Bar, Gatorade, 2 GUs, and 2 big waters. I also stopped down in Newtown for an Orange Juice before hitting the main trail.

I made it up to Morrow (35 miles) and took a 4 minute break to eat the sandwich and stretch my feet out. I then ran into some traffic around mile 38 as I forgot the Morgan's Little Miami Triathlon was going on today and I had to ease my way past many runners on the trail. I also had to laugh as I saw a sign towards the end of the run that said "This way to the Killer Hill."  The hill they refer to is a path that is quite steep and in areas it is common for competitors to pull themselves up by grabbing exposed tree roots.

I was then cranking along by mile 42 and had a small casualty as I lost the tiny mirror I had on my helmet. I went back to look for it but no luck - oh well. I continued on all the way up and through Xenia and think I was just outside of Yellow Springs as I hit 70 miles and needed to turn around. I took another small break at the turn around to stretch my feet again as they were starting to hurt like before. It helped and they felt much better. I keep wondering if I will need to do this in the race and feel that one time will probably be necessary. I then covered about 20 miles back to Waynesville where I was to pick up OH 73 to get to the party. When I got there I realized there was no sign for 73 so I asked a couple for directions. When I said I wanted to get on 73 they said "That's a busy street and it's all uphill." The wife then said "We could take you a back way." Which I gently declined as I didn't want to get lost or add any extra miles to what was becoming a monster weekend already. So cycling 3 miles of uphill from Waynesville later I started to think the back way may not have been half bad. I then just hit a few more streets and arrived just after 2 pm and was the first one there (and the only one without a car).

The party was great and I even played a little baseball with the kids. A little hard to run but manageable. We got home late and I ended up getting to bed around midnight and was out. I sometimes tell my son Braden a story of a fish named Bloater (the blowfish). I told 2 Bloater stories and on the second one I fell asleep mid-way. This weekend was physically exhausting but I know I am getting as ready as I can be for the Ironman in 3 weeks.

Below is a map of the trail without the Newtown section and of course none of the travels from my house to the trail or to my uncle Gerry's house off the trail.

Need For Speed + Details

Yesterday was a double workout with an 1:15 swim and an hour run. I was tired and still somewhat drained from the weekend (even with Monday off). So today was only a scheduled 1.5 hour ride and I was curious as to what it would bring.

My sleep was not great last night and I was still tired just driving to the Newtown Bike Trail. Well, the tiredness stayed with me for the first 10 miles of the ride. I only managed to average 17.9 mph on the way out. I was hoping to go faster coming back from Loveland (my turnaround). The last 2 miles before I hit Loveland I started to feel much better and it was a nice day which mentally helped. I took a minute break at Loveland to regroup, refuel and get ready.

I left Loveland and knew immediately that I was going to crank it — I had the need for speed. The only thing that was going to slow me down were the 6-7 street crossings. The course back is a very slight downhill which helped. I seemed to get progressively faster as I was around 21-22 mph the first few miles and then I was hitting 23 to as high as 26 mph at times the last few miles. I clicked my computer at the end of the ride and realized I averaged 21.7 mph back. It probably would've been around 23 if not for those street crossings. It was a hard ride but felt really good to bust it out.

If training, preparation and nutrition are not enough to handle then they throw logistics and event details at you. A couple items I can check off the list:
- My bike is scheduled for its final tune up on Thursday.
- I have organized with TriBike Transport to have my bike shipped to the event.
- Via an e-mail today I am an official entrant into the race and setup for their number selection process due to happen June 6, 2008.

Things still to do:
- Rent a wetsuit for the event
- Confirm/Purchase and practice in an outfit I will wear in the race (IMPORTANT)
- Check into a car rental for the event
- Determine what gear to ship and what will go in my luggage
- Check on new tires for my bike for the event
- Figure out what all to take

Glen Update:
Glen will not be competing in the event this time as his job had him traveling quite a bit and it destroyed any kind of continuity he could build for training. So it will be just me.

Looking Ahead:
This weekend is going to be tough as I have an hour swim on Saturday along with another 3 hour run. I then have a monster 6 hour bike ride on Sunday. It's going to be a fun one.

Cool Water. Great Day. Hard Workout.

I guess I should first bring all of my loyal followers up to speed with this past week's workouts before I explain today's brick workout. All of these workouts went and felt as expected.

Monday - Off - Much needed and felt great.
Tuesday - 1:15 Swim & 1:00 Run
Wednesday - Bike 1:30
Thursday - 1:15 Swim & 30 min. Run
Friday - 30 min. Bike. It was actually on Friday that I realized many of my previous weeks were similar to this week in terms of the week getting slightly easier day-to-day before the weekend workouts. Now I know why.

That brings us to today - Saturday. I now can not avoid cutting into family time as I am at the mercy of the YMCA's pool (lap) schedule. Working with my wife we decided that it be best to start my workout around 2:30 today, which is when the lap swimming starts. So I had a great big pancake and sausage breakfast thanks to Kristin and played with Braden up until it was time for me to go workout.

As mentioned before many times, the preparation that one must do is huge and extremely necessary to do well. I do not want to forget anything and possibly destroy a very good and long workout. Today was a brick that consisted of a 1:30 swim, 1:00 bike and 1:30 run for a total of 4 hours. So I actually started getting all of my stuff together around 1:30.

I arrive at the Y to see the outdoor pool open and what appeared to be no one in it - weird? I thought I'll do my swim workout outside today. After changing and drinking some water I had to ask the Guard outside if it was even open as there was only 4 people and no one in the pool. She said "Yes," I said "Awesome." I had the whole pool to myself on this beautiful day - 68 degrees (I think) and sunny.

BRICK
> Swim 1:30
For some reason I thought this workout today wouldn't be as bad as last Saturday's 3 hour run and 1 hour swim. I was wrong - a different hurt but just as bad. The swim was by far the best part about today's workout as I just logged lap after lap. I did one mile (66 laps), 3 minute break, 1 mile (66 laps), 3 minute break and then 1/2 mile (33 laps). That brought me up to about 1:30 and covered 2.5 miles so I was happy and didn't feel to bad. The water was cool (78 degrees I was told) but felt invigorating in the sun. I did duck into the shade (lane over) for part of the swim as I didn't have any sunscreen on and didn't want to burn. I did eat a PowerBar when I finished to start to put something back in me.

> Bike 1:00
I got onto the bike and just wasn't really into biking today. I headed from the Y to Five Mile and then followed it down to the river and back to Ayers and biked through the Coldstream area and back to the Y. It was actually a hilly course and the one hill that jumped on me was Ayers hill off Old Five Mile. It is not that long but is quite steep - steep enough to make me question "I am going to have to get off my bike and walk?" I was breathing quite hard at the top and didn't have to get off the bike which was great. I have run up that hill many times and never thought it would be THAT tough on the bike. I ate a Lemon-Lime GU before the run to shoot some calories into my body that wouldn't cause a cramp. This along with Gatorade and water of course. I have been disciplined to drink a lot of water and that has seemed to help on these longer workouts especially.

> Run 1:30
As I started the run I could now feel the sun wanting to zap my energy. My game plan was to just run at a comfortable pace and make sure I could finish and feel somewhat okay for tomorrow's bike ride. I was also going to alternate drinking Gatorade and water every 10 minutes and have another GU at the run hour mark. I ran down to McNick High School on Beechmont and then over to Watch Hill and back through the area behind Anderson High School. The first 33 minutes were fine but then the rest of the workout caught up with me as I started to tackle the hills in Watch Hill. My legs just started to hurt and my upper body was even hurting a bit. The one thing that hurt last Saturday that didn't bother me today were my feet. So I had that going for me, which was nice. It felt like a long workout and the fact that only 4 cars were left in the Y parking confirmed that feeling. I immediately walked some, stretched and drank more water I had in the car (now refreshing hot water). I was out for a total of 4:20 minutes with the transition times.

In hindsight it is funny to consider anything over 3 hours let alone 4 hours a workout.  Speaking of over 4 hours, tomorrow brings another big bike ride in that I will be doing 5.5 Hours. I am pretty sure I will do the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail that includes the Newtown and Loveland trails. The goal will be be to go all the way to Yellow Springs and back. I am going to do the trail as it will be most like the race in that I can put my head down and just ride and not worry about cars.

I will leave you with this video about the Race Across America that covers 3,000 miles and over 90,000 feet of climbing, which is the equivalent of 3 Mt. Everests. Anytime I think I have it tough I think of one of the solo riders in this event. The winner has to average 21 hours of riding a day at an average speed of 20 mph. It's crazy!

6 Hard Weeks Ahead

My normal routine is to check my training calendar the night before so I know what I am doing next day. When I do this I rarely see much beyond that next day as I try to just take the training a day at a time. I decided to review the remaining 6 weeks as I need to start planning my pre-race bike maintenance, brick workout preparation, and work/life demands because I have some very time-consuming workouts on the horizon.

Below is a sampling of the next 6 weekends as far as workouts given in hours. Weeks 1-3 are going to be just plain hard and then it starts to taper off for the race.

Week 1 (this weekend)
Saturday - 1:00 Swim & 3:00 Run
Sunday - 5:00 Bike

Week 2 (next weekend)
Saturday - Brick 1:30 Swim, 1:00 Bike, 1:30 Run
Sunday - 5:30 Bike

Week 3
Saturday - 1:30 Swim & 3:00 Run
Sunday - 6:00 Bike

Week 4  (an easy weekend?)
Saturday - 1:30 Swim, 3:00 Bike, 1:30 Run
Sunday 1:00 Bike

Week 5
Saturday - Brick 1:15 Swim, 2:00 Bike, 1:30 Run
Sunday 1:00 Bike

Week 6 (Race Weekend)
Saturday - Brick 45 Min. Bike, 15 Min. Run (tune up)
Sunday - RACE!

An Easy Week

This week was an easy training week on the calendar and it could not have come at a better time as I needed a bit of a break. And work picked up which filled any possible free time so the timing was really good in that regard.

The one training highlight of the week happened today when I swam 27:48 for a mile, which I think is my fastest. It was a hard swim but I felt almost automatic as I clicked off the laps.

Next week picks right back up with a very hard week and I am eager to get going. But I know from my college running days that when you have easy or rest days you take them.

And if I am unable to post before Sunday - Happy Mother's Day! to all mothers. For the role of a mother is like doing an Ironman everyday.