Week 7 of Ironman Training - Rise and Shine!

I wrapped up week 7 of training and so far one of the only significant gains I'm seeing are on the scale, which makes little to no sense but that's a separate blog topic altogether.  I guess the other gain that I'm seeing is my tolerance for boredom on the bike trainer and treadmill.  Even though I've setup a TV and stereo in my workout room I still just can't get used to indoor workouts.  Jess is able to throw on a good TV show or movie and hit the treadmill for hours, but I'm overwhelmed after 15 minutes.  I need to get outside!  The problem to overcome is the lack of daylight so early in the morning...speaking of early mornings.

The book I'm using to facilitate my training dedicates some significant print space to time management and the importance of it while training for an Ironman.  Last week's post focused on breaking down the hours in the week, which came directly from the book (Be Iron Fit by Don Fink).  One of the main points of this book was that in order to dedicate the necessary amount of time needed to train for an Ironman, you have to get your workouts done in the morning.  I cringed when first reading this, much like all of you are right now.  The book describes all the scenarios at play throughout the day and how each of those will inevitably impact your ability to workout in the afternoon.  The concept is simple; commit to getting up early and working out to start your day for 1 month.  No excuses, every day for a month get up and first thing you do is knock out today's workout.  Then at the end of the month, it will become a habit if you can appreciate all the benefits.

I have taken this approach to my training and I have to admit it's spot on.  Don't get me wrong, there are more days than not that I don't want to do it, but I do.  I sleep better at night (out before my head hits the pillow), I'm wide awake when I'm done with the workout (saves money on coffee), I feel much less stressed at the end of my workday because I don't feel annoyed that now I have to squeeze in a workout (Jess appreciates this).  Start little and build some momentum, wake up 30 mins early for a quick run.  After time you can build that up to 1 or 2 hours early to get in a larger workout and even get some other things done before heading off to work.  If you're reading this blog hopefully you're open to learning a thing or two from my experiences and this would be a great takeaway for you, trust me.  I hated the idea at first but have really grown to appreciate (not love) the morning workouts.

Week 6 of Ironman Training - Who has the time?

Week 6 is behind me, and speaking of behinds holy hell was mine hurting this week.  This was the first week I was back on the bike since last Fall.  This past week marked the first week of my full ironman training schedule which is basically 3 sessions of biking, 4 of running, and 2  of swimming.  I learned very quickly the value of training aids, of the specific uses I won't go into detail, "butt" some are essential for long bike rides.  A big thank you to Melanie Gray who gave me a tri-training care package that had several helpful items.

Melanie completed her first Ironman last September (I say first because I suspect she's going to make a habit of these).  I was able to watch Melanie first hand on race day and had the honor of being the first to congratulate her when she RAN across the finish line.  Being an Ironman finisher is an amazing accomplishment for anyone and especially for a busy mom like her.  Melanie has 4 boys to look after, I'm lumping her husband Jeff in that count.  Her days are filled with sporting events, school activities, refereeing fights, feedings, and managing lives.  All of that alone is a full time job for any person, but on top of that she threw in training for an Ironman.  Ask her and I'm sure she will tell you that she made some sacrifices along the way but I'm willing to bet they were at her own expense and not her family's.

My point is that we all have the ability to create some time in our schedules to achieve the goals that are most important to us, we just need to prioritize and make some sacrifices.  The math is simple, there are 168 hours in a week.  Let's say you work 50 of them and another 5 hours commuting to and from, down to 113 hours.  Take out another 56 for 8 hours of sleep (this is a necessity for a major athletic undertaking) and you're down to 57.  Let's say there's another 10 hours a week doing things around the house (grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, etc), now you've got 47.  Say another 21 hours of family activities and you're left with 26 hours.  26 hours each week to do with whatever you want:  get in shape, expand your education, volunteer, learn a new hobby.  I realize my math makes some grand assumptions and that everyone has different demands of their time, but if you do the exercise yourself I think you'd be surprised at how you're currently using your time and that maybe you can make some adjustments to take on a new challenge.

Don't get caught up in the excuse that you hear from everyone that there's not enough time for this or that.  Evaluate your schedule and understand where you are spending these precious hours and then use any left over time to go out and do something you've always wanted to do.  You may have to make a couple of sacrifices but in the end you'll be amazed at what you did with what little time you have.

Week 5 of Ironman Training - From within

Week 5 was dialed back a bit due to the injury suffered last week.  My calf and knee just felt a little bit 'off' this past week so I took it pretty easy.  Stuck to both of my swim workouts, did some lighter P90X workouts and then did my long run on Saturday, so in the end I was still making progress.  The good news is that the leg feels good and I'm ready to dive into the full training plan.  

Up to this point I was prepping for the training program as to maintain some gains made from last year.  I was running 3 times a week, swimming twice a week and doing P90X 3 times a week.  Now starting this week the real deal begins and I'm pretty fired up to get started.  My workouts will consist of a brick workout on Mondays (bike then a quick transition to a run), Tuesdays will be swim and run, Wednesdays will be a swim and bike, Thursdays are a  swim and run, Friday is a long run, and Saturday is a long bike.  The workout times start at 6 hours per week in the beginning and peak at 15 hours per week later in the summer.  Basically my life is going to be eating, sleeping, and breathing training until September 7th.  

I saw a very interesting news story this week about a former Olympic athlete from my town of Verona, WI.  They interviewed this man about his experiences in the Olympics, what he has being doing since then, and what impacts that experience has had on him coaching his kids who have just started in the same sport.  It was something he said when talking about the later that really caught my attention.  He said he doesn't push his kids to excel, he knows that his kids must push themselves if they want to be great; it must come from within.  It is such a simple concept but it rings so very true; no one else is going to do the work or motivate you.  Others may pick you up when you're down or help steer you back on track when you've strayed but it's up to you to get yourself to the starting line.  Others may inspire you to take the first step or cheer you along the way, but it's up to you to push yourself a little further.  Others might workout with you, or coach you in the proper technique, but it's up to you, it has to come from within.

Week 4 of Ironman training: Injury

Another week in the bag.  I did lower my temperature threshold this week and got outside for my long run, it felt good for being 10 degrees.  There is such a huge difference between the feeling of a treadmill vs the road.  I've read that you should set your treadmill at a 1 degree incline to simulate the resistance of running outside, but even with that I feel much more of a workout when I'm outside.  I keep a close eye on the weather report each week looking for a glimmer of hope that we're getting close to the downside of the winter weather.  If that damn groundhog is right we've got six more weeks...seems like close to 12.

As I'm writing this blog I've got a bag of ice on my calf.  I strained it during swimming this week using the swim fins (how sad is that?).  I've got enough experience with these types of injuries to know that if you don't deal with it right away it's going to get worse or hang around for a long time.  That was a difficult concept for me to accept when I first started running.  I for the longest time had the mentality to just tough it out and get through the pain.  My very first marathon I developed runner's knee and had to take a month off before it got any better.

I'm not looking to write a whoa-is-me post for the week.  This is a minor injury and what I'm sure is the first of many during my training.  My point is that when/if you develop a nagging discomfort somewhere on your body during training do not ignore it or tough  it out.  It has to be one of the most frustrating and difficult things to happen to anyone while training for some athletic event.  Frustrating in accepting that you're no longer invincible in your old age and that your body is something that can easily break down.  Difficult in that you are motivated enough to push your body to the point of failure, but now you have to 100% shut down and let it mend.  It is the only way to get better and get back to training full time, trust me when I say this, there is just no other way.  Accept it, put the same amount of dedication into getting better (ice, elevate, rest, stretch, etc), and be patient.  It also helps to have someone around to pull back the reins on your training and do some clear-headed thinking for you, in my case Jess is great at making sure I don't get back at it too soon.

So suck it up when you're out on the long training runs and feeling tired but shut it down when you feel something isn't quite right!

Week 3 of Ironman training: Competition

Much like everyone else in the state of Wisconsin, I'm not a fan of the weather lately.  I have the bar set at 20 degrees as far as going outside for a run and this past week I didn't get out once.  I either have to adjust my bar down a bit or find more crap to DVR to keep me entertained on the treadmill.  Groundhog's Day is just around the corner and I'm betting on an early spring so I should be outside in no time.  

I was down on Regent St. this past fall taking in the Badger Saturday festivities at a local watering hole and ran into several Mauston High School Alumni.  One of them played football at UWEC a bit after I graduated and he was asking me if I ever missed the game.  I've been asked this several times and my answer has always been no, now granted it's been 15 years since I played and I'd break a dozen bones if I actually hit someone, but my answer was no immediately following my tenure as well.  I've always said that I missed the camaraderie (not the bar on Water St. - but that one too) of the team more so than any game or practice.  My brother Mark played at EC before me and one of the many things he taught me was to give it everything you have when given the opportunity because those opportunities have an expiration date.  The point is I gave it my all for each and every game so there's nothing for me to miss or regret.  Then this guy asked me if I missed the competition, and that had me a bit stumped.

I guess in a way I did miss the competition and that's what is driving me to compete in marathons and this Ironman.  I don't miss competing against others, I did that for several years in those other sports and frankly that is a full time job in itself.  To compete against others you have to dedicate all your time to working harder than the person you're competing against...I don't have the time or the desire to compete against others.  Instead I now choose to compete against myself.  Can I work hard enough or long enough to drown out the voice in my head telling me 'that's good enough for today' or 'you can take a day off to rest'?  I'm less concerned about beating anyone else across the finish line and instead focused on pushing myself to do things I didn't think I could do.  Have you ever told someone that you participated in some kind of a fun-run race only to have them ask you what place you came in?  No, because that doesn't matter to others, they're only interested in hearing that you completed the race and achieved your goal.  

I believe we're all capable of more than we give ourselves credit for, so whether you're working towards a 2014 New Year's goal, running a 5k, or walking a mile without stopping, just keep competing against that voice in your head telling you to stop!  

Week 2 of Ironman Training: Sink or Swim

Another week down, only 33 more to go!  It's a bit early to start the countdown.  This past week was more of the same regarding the 'building phase'.  I'm running 3 days a week, with the longer run on the weekend.  I actually got outside on Saturday for my 5 miles as I couldn't stand the thought of another minute on the treadmill.  The other 3 days of the week I'm doing the P90X workout videos.  Then twice a week on Tuesday's and Thursday's I'm taking a masters swim course at my gym.

I started to venture into the swimming arena a couple of years ago.  I was running races and felt like I was in pretty good shape but after two laps I was practically drowning.  All the things I read about swimming is that it compares to a golf swing...it's all technique.  What I was doing in the pool at the time would be the equivalent of going to the golf course driving range and swinging as hard as you can at the ball...a lot of fun but just not getting you anywhere.  So I sought out some help from the only swimmer I knew; my mother (this was a humbling experience asking one's mother for athletic advise).  I won't list her age but I will tell you she gets a discounted ticket at the movie theater.  All joking aside her help made all the difference in the world.  She goes to the pool 3+ days a week and swims for over an hour each time, she's obviously doing something right.  She explained the technique to me - the proper way to breath and the timing of each stroke.  With her advice and coaching I was up to swimming a mile last summer.

With the progress I had made I debated whether or not paying for a masters swim course would be worth it. I figured what the hell it can't hurt, so I went out and bought the speedo and hit the pool (in the interest of full disclosure this speedo is more like running spandex in that it covers my quads).  I'm up to my 5th session this week and am starting to notice some differences, mainly how slow I am.  I mean for crying out loud I've got size 15 feet, I should be a damn dolphin!  It is getting better and starting to feel a little more natural with each class.  The key to the swim in the race is 1) don't panic and 2) conserve energy.  You jump into the murky water with 2500 other people and you're bound to get kicked, punched, and pulled a few times, I have to teach myself to stay calm and throw a couple of hay-makers to keep my position.  All the while over the 2.4 mile swim course I have to save my energy for the upcoming bike and swim and that's where the technique comes into play.  Thanks to my Mom, I should be able to stay afloat!

Week one of Ironman Training: Misery enjoys company

Today is the conclusion of week 1 training for the Ironman.  I'm really in a building phase at this point as the official training plan that I have covers only 30 weeks and I wanted to get started early, I'm sure I'll regret this decision come July and August when I'll be wanting it to be all over.  Jess and I ran a marathon in November so naturally by the time that event comes around you're in pretty good shape, I didn't want to take so much time off that I lost those gains, thus getting started now.

Week one in the books, pretty light stuff each day, the main goal in this phase is to get your body accustomed to working out 6 days a week and the mental and physical endurance that requires.  Everyone losses it mentally at some point, hopefully the support of family and friends as well as a 'Suck it Up' attitude keeps me on track.  Staying on track physically I'm speculating takes some experience and luck.  The experience first, hopefully the luck comes later.

I decided to run my first marathon shortly before Jess and I got married in 2007 (right, 2007?).  It was a means to get in shape for the wedding.  I don't particularly care for running but I've realized that once you're over the age of around 25, it's the fastest way of dropping pounds.  Before 25 I'd be in basketball leagues, lifting weights, softball, football, etc and had the benefit on youth on my side to help keep me in shape.  So I ran one, and then another, and another and so on and got caught up in the benefits of running (and frankly any exercise).  I dropped some weight, slept better, felt less stressed, blah, blah, blah...I'm not here to sell anyone on the idea of exercise, 7 marathons later it's still working for me.  There's just something about the simplicity for me, e.g. on day one run X miles, on day two run X miles...it takes all the thinking out of it.

One of the greatest enjoyments I experience from running, is seeing others sign up and run the races with me.  First my very good friend Greg McMillan signed up for Grandma's marathon in Duluth.  We had a great time training together and ultimately running the race.  The next year we recruited Smeltzer and Mueller as well as Greg's mom Tina to run the race with us.  Grandma's has a great party afterward and we certainly got our money's worth out of the races and after parties.  I'm most proud of Jess for joining me recently, she started with a 1/2 marathon and has graduated to her first full marathon this past May and followed it up with the aforementioned kick-ass marathon in November of this year.  I had the best seat in the house running beside her and beaming when she pushed herself across those finish lines.  I believe this saying comes from the Navy Seals but one of my college football coaches would also scream it during difficult workouts..."Misery enjoys company!"