Almost Ironman CDA Time!

It has been quite the long struggle with getting down from my 20+ pounds heavy weight from normal race weight since January. The most difficult thing has been paying attention to diet and sticking to it. Doing it the natural way instead (unless coffee doesn't count?) of unhealthy methods. There are a lot of eating disorders out there so I am not one to fall into that mode, but rather, through consistency in diet & exercise. After stepping on the scales yesterday I am happy to report I am near my high school weight (within only a couple pounds), but without all the baby-chubb! I'm sure there are a few pounds I could melt away yet but those reserves will be used for Ironman CDA in only one month.  Either way, I am likely entering 2012 race season at my lowest race weight to date, so it will certainly be interesting to see how that works out.

Race day is a completely different kind of story, one where the stats you may find on places such as Athlinks.com really don't matter. The numbers can't tell the story of the day in an Ironman, only passion after 140.6 and all you did leading up to that day from the previous 6-months will be able to tell (provided there are no mechanical or illnesses taking place!) It remains to be seen whether the obsession of getting rid of the extra chubb I'll need to carry will pay off or not. It may in fact hurt my chances of a good day due to loss of power--too light and there is less power on the bike. However, less weight means I have less to carry around so do I really need to worry about it--because the pay off in the long run is less junk to use my power for all day long right? It should help the run provided the calories get in the body and I stay on top of nutrition. Can't wait until the race is over because it isn't easy eating like a Monk from Tibet!

This is a clip from one of my long rides...so beautiful here in Colorado...I just love it!

With the spring in full swing the grass is still yellow and no matter how much water I pour on it--it's still yellow. Sprinkler system doesn't seem to be working right so moving a sprinkler around every couple days is the only way to sustain it for now. Last week alone I've managed to skip three days of training for Ironman CDA at the end of June in order to start moving on a major around-the-house project. Landscaping the front yard. After two days of cutting, digging, spraying, laying weed barrier and moving a few tons of delivered dirt--I'm half way there. Only three more cubic yards of dirt & three cubic yards of mulch, plant some rose bushes and dwarf pine trees, then pull or dig out some more metal posts out of the ground and I'll be home free on that project. It has been a good excuse to do a lot less training that is for sure!




After last season's 4.5 hour average total for swim, bike and run (which is a little more than an hour per week of each discipline), I managed a 38th place in USAT 40-44 AG rankings garnering an All-American status again. Funny how some years I just do a few workouts per week to keep the weight off and seem to race faster than when I'm serious with a serious goal. Given the less time available to train for Ironman races these days, my theory is that with all the base & experience from years of racing, there is no rush to rush. I'll do what I need to do--enough so I can attain a decent level of fitness by the end of June. Although likely to the degree I had hoped when I signed up for Ironman CDA...there have been some brief shining moments on some training days but definitely more non-shining moments that I hoped for.



About two more months left so maybe this next month I can fit in key sessions AND fit in some project completions. The fly in the ointment really is wrapping up the odds & ends of the "open projects" to free up some time so the stresses of an approaching deadline for being fit enough to handle an Ironman race while moving from start to finish. Here's hoping for the best in the coming two months...

Melting away the fat

Along with melting snow with the warmer days knocking down our door (as is the gale force wind), the fat finally is melting away from consistent training & nutrition. Not that I had a lot of fat to "melt" away in the first place, but it was not helping me carrying an extra 20 on New Year's Day. Those hills sure seem longer and steeper with the equivalent of a dumbbell adding to the already troublesome gravity issue. Either way it is nice to finally be single digits away from what I will call "race weight" or normal after today's ride in the mountains. So what if I was anaerobic barely holding the wheel of a weekend warrior with hairy legs on the way to Jamestown. So what if when I pulled for a couple miles hammering out some higher than within my fitness level wattage and still didn't drop him. The point is I didn't get dropped myself!

Early season riding can be frightening for an out of shape member of the pedigree of athletes who are more anal than any other sport around...triathlon. Especially when after half an hour of riding you feel like turning around and just bagging the ride like today. The legs, lungs & mind were not in it. However with Ironman CDA looming less than 4 months away, the excuses have to stop & it is time to march on. The tough part is certainly mentally staying in the game to do what is needed to perform on race day. The miles go by and all I see in front of me are wasted minutes with my family. Why not just stop all together? I have before. Cold turkey too. But it creeps back like an addiction--bad one. When you drive down the road and see a tri bike on another car's roof and get all excited checking out the components, frame, pedals, etc...there is more to it than simply not enjoying it. It is an addiction that when in the heat of battle (when racing or having a good training day), just feels so right and there are few places or things I would rather be doing at that moment. Including sleep or a big ol' NY Strip steak! 

So the hours tick away and fat slips away, the race days near (closer than I care to think about), then there is that one snapshot in my mind that looks similar to me having my most ideal perfect dream race from start to finish. I have had those days. I seek those days still and despite being a Master's athlete (that sounds so OLD!)...reach for a goal of another perfect day. Surely those perfect race days are gone long ago, but I'm having difficulty convincing myself of that, mainly because the last person I really want to listen to is myself--because if I'm right, the snapshot will not ever really become a reality. I can dream though right? As long as you have a dream and keep on reaching for it, you will always tell yourself that you are melting those pounds away, clocking in more time out on the roads, trails & pools and ultimately, it is all worth it. Sounds like a pretty intense inner-battle with myself and I will not lie, it is. However, the best thing about it is no matter which scenario plays out in the end, I will be right. If anything the beauty of arguing with yourself is that you ALWAYS will be right in the end. One way or another.

Record snow!

Record snowstorm totals for Boulder from one storm for the month of February. Sure puts the ka-bosh on cycling when the main roads have 20 inches of snow on them. Either way it allows one to focus on getting in the pool if you're a triathlete & warm weather bug. Bike trainers can be miserably boring but a great boost to cycling with no downhills to coast on & having to continuously pedal.

If you're just getting into the sport of triathlon, now is the time to get all those equipment "things" taken care of. Now is the time for a new bike, shoes & taking care of what you have to eventually take care of anyhow. Bad weather outside can mean good times for taking up a new winter sport such as nordic skiing if you are in snow pelted areas of the world. There are also indoor strength improvement opportunities as well during this time. Just because precipitation is coming down does not mean you have to be inactive & "couch it" as we like to say. Get those rainy day activities done so when the sun comes out, you too can be out there without a huge laundry list of items. Time crunched athletes can open up some time by tasking out 1 or 2 things you MUST get done a day. We all procrastinate--so committing to getting 1 or 2 things done can really make you feel productive.

One of those things I have saved for a snowy/rainy day is a blog entry. So here it is with suggestions on what to do during stormy weather. Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking some time to watch the 2012 Super Bowl! However, you still can get those 1-2 things to do items off your list & possibly burn off some of those buffalo wings with some exercise.

Taking off the weight

Taking off 17 lbs since the (disaster-dly) marathon on December 4th is not insurmountable, but 17 lbs added on has made it one of the heaviest points in my life. Making better food choices & reducing calories by 500 per day will take a pound off in a week itself. Combine that with regular training/consistency, that should equal 3-4 lbs a week. Quite an easy task if you stick with it.

I do not believe in diets, in addition, you should have fun eating & making smart choices of common sense "good foods" daily. I certainly do not want to starve myself to lose weight, so I eat more frequently but use smaller and more regular meals. I find this helps my blood sugar levels and sustains my energy better throughout the day. If you are looking to lose weight, start looking at the labels and seeing what it is you are putting in your own body--it may scare you!

After the first week of exercise and smarter food choices, I have already taken off 3.5 lbs. My projected "ramp up time" is around 5 weeks before I am back at fighting weight. All things equal, this will be a great time to establish base miles for the upcoming season, allow the bad weather season move through the calendar, as well as allow me to work on flexibility and strength. By the end of February, it should be GAME ON!

The specifics of the build phase periodization will depend on progress of the transition phase from what many would call "off season" (to which there never really is an off season--just what I call a step back point in the season). It is important to let all systems, mentally, physically and for some spiritually, to step back each year to assess your life and race goals, while moving to a non-regimented schedule. This reduces stress that the focused part of the year brings on and allows for adaptation universally throughout all aspects of that which makes you a "whole person". What are those aspects? They vary from person to person so that is one you'll have to figure out yourself. Either way, this stepping back will bring you a new level at the start of each season and you'll be on meeting the challenges of the year knowing you are on board with whatever it takes to make those goals happen. Good luck & see you on the fitter side of life shortly!

Pacing Tips for Marathon

This past weekend I raced in the Cal International Marathon in Sacramento. Despite zipping through the 13.1 mile mark at 1:18:29, I found it would have been much better to run closer to a 1:22 in the long run. My pace after mile 20 drastically slowed. Additionally, I really needed to take in more than 4 gels and micro-sips of water during the race. Clearly I was in a state of imbalance nutritionally and became quite "bonkish" around 21 miles. The difference would have meant a 3rd place in my AG vs whatever place I actually ended in. The winner of the 60-64 AG was only 1 second behind--amazing! At age 62 this older fart was a lightening bolt.

In hindsight, after spending Sept. 24-Nov. 2 with an injury that kept me from running, followed by 2 weeks of the flu, my total of 20 runs from Sept. 24th through Dec. 4th left me quite "out of shape and it is difficult to do a marathon on such little training. At least I can say I ran 2:49 (with a #2 pitstop at mile 14), on less than three months of training. Whatever the case, I feel pacing the first half considerably slower would have allowed me to comfortably finish under 2:45 without any issues. Remember that next time you run a marathon, race the first half as if it were more of a warm up!

2011 Boulder 70.3 Half Ironman Race Report

Wow what a difference a few weeks can make. Looking at the start list (2010 Ironman Hawaii & half ironman world champion) in the 40-44 AG decided to show up. Then last year's winner of the 70.3 Boulder race showed up, and my lungs & legs decided NOT to show up. I've had nothing but 1st & 2nd place finishes all year pretty much, except when I was sick for Oceanside 70.3 in April. Weeeell it struck again. I got my kid & wife's cold, conveniently yesterday, the day before the race. Shheeesh. What is it about half ironman races & getting sick? Bad enough it is my worst distance, but toss congestion & a runny nose in it & you can spell "subpar race" out easily. Which is too bad really, because I felt even on the 4-5 hours average training per week this year I've been getting (all three sports), I could still "bluff my way" to the line in at least 2nd place. Not today. No way no how, it just wasn't there.

There was a host of top area athletes showing up and somehow I managed to ward them all off but two. Last year's champion and the reigning world champion. Not bad place wise but really was disappointed with the lackluster horsepower from the legs. I suppose it is for the best, makes me realize that you can't always have a good day or have things go your own way.

Here's a recap...yesterday was about an hour of standing in the garage deciding to use the disk wheel or Corima 4-spoke. The 4-spoke has been the A choice all season and for some reason the disk came out the winner of the two. Don't think it really mattered actually--except mentally. Then in transition before the race, I must have moved my bike three time, trying to find the best place to park in order to have the fastest transition spot possible according to my strengths. Lots of indecisiveness for some reason. Then the swim went awful...zig-zagging all over the course, to the point where an old training buddy of mine that has been finishing behind me in swims the last few years by quite a bit, said to me, "You were zig-zagging all over out there!" I knew...and it certainly adds time onto the swim, but it is what it is. What do you say when you are only swimming 1-2 x a week? You get out of practice, so I'm fortunate to not have just swum in a big circle non-stop all day long. The bike...considering when I hit mile 30 and it was quickly approaching my weekly average long ride distance, the legs just cut out. Stopped pumping power to the pedals. Not much you can do but learn to train more I guess. On the run...here's where I had hoped to make up some time because the run had been spot on all season. Well...that didn't happen either. I ended up running with a pro named Brad Seng (who was on his final lap starting :30 min ahead in the pro wave). It was like the run was just a big joke...not only lacking the horsepower to push the pace, but lacking the desire. Methinks the only thing that could drain me like that were the following: 1) Lack of calories the last few days--been too busy around the house so neglected to eat properly or enough...maybe 1800 calories yesterday. 2) Ran out of calories on the bike because I ran out of Infinit & only had Gatorade to use for this race, with a NUUN tablet in it. 3) Lack of sleep averaged in around 6 hours the last 2 days 4) The almighty head cold which seems to be a little better than it was this morning. If if follows suit like the wife & kid, it should be gone tomorrow...like a 2 day cold.

Much could have gone better but so what? It happens, there were faster people showing up while it would have been best to stay home & nurse the cold. The result of 3rd place isn't horrible, especially with the competition involved, but it certainly was a slow time that I'm not really thrilled about Just one short 5K next weekend, a trail race in September, and marathon in December and it's a season!  Then a break and build up to "real" fitness levels for another shot at an Ironman race in 2012. Time to get off the but & start some "real" training. But sheesh, it sure is nice NOT doing all that training, amazing how much you really get done in a week without a 20 mile long run and 120 mile bike rides thrown in. Word of advice for any future half ironman racers out there...at LEAST train more miles & hours per week than the ACTUAL race. It was weird racing more in one day than I train all week long!  Except that 118 mile ride when my friend Sean was in town last month...but that was a one-off. Until the next update...sleep well.