Weeks 31 and 32 of Ironman training – I know why

These past two weeks were the peak of my training effort, they included multiple 100+ mile bike rides and a couple of 18+ mile runs…I’m tried just writing it.  The best part about the last two weeks is that they are behind me and now it’s time to taper.  Tapering is reducing the workload as to allow your body to recover and get strong before the big race.  Tapering, as I need to keep reminding myself, doesn't mean I get to slack off until race day so I still have a little work to do over these last 3 weeks. 

My very first blog entry back in January of this past year was titled ‘Why the Hell’ as to mean why the hell am I doing this?  I’m not sure there is one clear cut answer as to why I’m doing it but I certainly can speak to one central source of motivation that has come to light over the past nine months, and that’s my wife Jessica.  Before you roll your eyes and think ‘sappy’, just hear me out.  At a time in her life when the spot light should shine solely on her and the baby she is carrying, she deflects the attention to me and my challenge.  She has heard me complain about being sore and tired, rather than firing back about the human she is carrying around with her, she offers a back rub.  She comes home from a long day at work, entirely on her feet, and cooks me a healthy meal with love.  She never complained when I went to bed at 8pm each night for the past 9 months, instead she prepared coffee (which she doesn't drink) and my lunch for the next day.  She wrote out 100 index cards with motivational sayings on each and places one on my dresser every morning.  She didn't complain when I was buying new clothes for training while she was trying to avoid having to purchase maternity clothes that would make her more comfortable.  Rather than being consumed with any baby showers she spent her efforts organizing who would be staying at our house on race weekend.  Simply stated she has not once, not for a single second, complained about all the attention getting paid to this Ironman challenge.  I know she will put as much effort and dedication into being a Mom as she has in getting me prepared for the Ironman and she’ll be one of the best ever for it.  She is my motivation, she is who I want to share the finish line with, she is my greatest fan, and I am hers. 

Weeks 29 & 30 of Ironman training – Doubt

Two more weeks closer to Sept 7th and the big day; just trying to hang on.  I'm currently in the midst of my peak training schedule which includes days filled with 6 hour bike rides and 3 hour runs, followed by eating, sleeping, and then repeating.  This week and next I'm told can be more difficult than the Ironman race itself in that I'll be tested mentally to keep up with the pace and monotony of the training schedule.  Jess is really earning her stripes lately by keeping me feed, being patient with my lack of help around the house, allowing me to complain as well as sleeping and resting on my off days.  For being 7+ months pregnant in the hot summer months she is a blessing and tremendous asset to me and this goal…I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to repay her (although somehow I suspect she’ll provide a few ideas of how I could try).

So this past weekend brought to town 100’s of athletes in the peak of their training schedules do participate in an organized training event Thursday through Sunday.  Some athletes rode most of the bike course (105 miles), Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then ran nearly 20 miles on Sunday.  I did not participate to the extent that some of the others did; my body simply could not take that much without breaking down.  Needless to say when you see your ‘peers’ performing to this level and you’re not it allows some doubt to start creeping into your head.  I’m told that this is not the last time that doubt will try to knock me off course.  I’m told the doubt will attempt several times on race day to derail my goal, it will tell me the swim is too crowded, the bike is too hilly, and there’s just no way to run the entire 26.2 miles all in 17 hours. 

Fortunately for me I have been preparing for the doubt, I knew it was coming and actually for a while I thought it would pass me by.  It’s here, I’ll swat it away this next week as I get back into my peak training schedule but I know it will be back again soon.  I’m excited for the challenge because I know the support that I have in place won’t allow the doubt to win.  My wife, family, friends and fellow Ironmen-in-training won’t let anything get in my way of becoming an Ironman and for that I thank you all!

Weeks 27 & 28 of Ironman training – Friends

Week 27 and 28 in the books and with it brought my very first half Ironman distance or sometimes called a 70.3 race.  The race comprises of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile run.  The race that I participated in was in Racine, WI this past Sunday.  We swam in Lake Michigan which last week had temperatures hovering around 55 degrees, on this past Sunday however it was 61 degrees...and thankfully very calm (last year's event was so rough that several racers were pulled during the swim).  The swim went well for me except for the first 300 yards or so as I was trying to catch my breath and get my man parts out of my throat because the water was so cold!  Onto the bike which got me getting passed by every sub 36 year old in the event.  I managed to make up ground during the second part of the bike and on the run.  The run also was uneventful for me which was a good thing, I just kept chipping away at the 13.1 and before I knew it I was crossing the finish line feeling great.  I'm sure I could have pushed myself much more and turned in a better overall time but I really wanted the day to be a dress rehearsal for the full Ironman in September and that means NO RACING!!  I really don't know what to expect on race day but this past weekend was a big confidence builder for me that I will finish the Ironman (so long as no outside catastrophes factor into the day).

Something that really helped me not push too hard this weekend was the fact that I knew so many people at this event.  I was constantly talking to others or looking for others on the bike and run portion that I never had time to take things too seriously and get caught up in competing against other racers.  I met a lot of these people through an Ironman WI Facebook group which has been a tremendous source for knowledge and camaraderie.  These people are from all walks of life and each has their own story for getting here, whether it's their first or their 20th Ironman, they all have been helping me out on this challenge.  Taking advantage of the opportunity to meet new people has been probably one of the greatest take-aways for me throughout this training.  I mentioned in a previous post that misery enjoys company and that rings true for any challenge we face.  I would challenge you to find others that are going through the same challenges you are facing and lean on them to pick you up and help carry you over any obstacles that stand in your way.  In the end you are the only one that can accomplish your goals, but it's nice to make some new friends along the way that can support and cheer you on your way.

Weeks 25 & 26 of Ironman training – Lessons Learned

Weeks 25 and 26 of training brought me to my very first triathlon event.  I participated in an Olympic distance tri in my current city of Verona.  For those not familiar with, the Olympic distance is a .93 mile swim, a 25.5 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run.  I completed all disciplines without incident in a just under 3 hours and took away a few nuggets from the experience.  1) The swim doesn't bother me at all, I'm calm, fast, and relaxed in the water and the crowd.  Now I'm told this can change at any moment but I don't imagine a scenario where I really panic as I can always roll to my back and float in the buoyant wet-suit until I settle down.  2) I'm slow on the bike, I seem to make up for it on the up hills but on the straight-a-ways I'm getting passed by Ms. Daisy.  I let this get into my head a few too many times during the race.  3) I need to focus more during the transition.  I left the transition from the bike to the run still wearing my biking shorts.  Now this is fine for a short 6 mile run, but this could be problematic during the 26.2 mile run as the bike shorts have considerably more padding in them which makes running uncomfortable.  4)  I'm letting my competitive nature get the best of me and I start racing the event.  This is bad, very bad as the full Ironman (the first time around) is not about racing against others or for a particular time, it's about finishing the race in the allotted 17 hours.  It doesn't matter if you come in 2,500 out of 2,500 so long as it's by 16:59:59.  If I don't come to terms with this I could have a disastrous day on September 7th risking going out way too hard and bonking at some point during the event.  I have one more practice event to get my pace under control at the half Ironman in Racine on July 20th.  This will truly be a dress rehearsal for the big day in September.  I want to have the correct pace to easily make the finish line feeling like I could continue going if necessary.

I guess you should do as I say and not as I do in your own training, even if you're not targeting any events to demonstrate your fitness.  There are lessons to be learned from each workout you do, in the form of what clothes to wear, how far to go, whether or not to pack toilet paper, what you should eat before/during/after, etc.  Store these little nuggets away and don't let anyone tell you differently about what you've learned personally about your body.  You will, over time and given enough opportunities, become an expert in what it takes to get you to your goals.  Keep after it!

Weeks 22, 23 & 24 of Ironman training – Affirmation

Three more weeks of training behind me and now only 11 weeks until we lace them up for the real thing!  The last three weeks saw a well needed increase in outdoor activities, including several open water swims (swimming anywhere but the pool).  It is vital getting comfortable in open water as to not totally loose your sh*t on race day when the cannon fires and 2,500 people start swinging arms and legs.  With this in mind I participated in an 'aquathon' race this past week to get just that experience.  The race had a little over 150 people and it consisted of a 1,000 meter swim followed by a 5K foot race.  I started the swim right in the mix because I wanted to get bounced around a bit and to my surprise it wasn't nearly as bad as described by others.  I was grabbed a couple of times and thankfully with my football background was able to throw a few shoulders and haymakers myself.  Eventually I got back to the beach and ran a fast race and was able to get across the finish line feeling affirmed that my training has been making a difference.

I think it's incredibly important when setting a goal, to occasionally seek out some reassurance that you're doing the right things and a difference is being made.  Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a certain mileage, feel better, have more energy, or fit into some piece of clothing, you need to 'check-in' along the way to determine if you're on the right track.  I'm not talking about winning a competition or stepping on the scale each week and seeing another 10 pounds dropped, I'm talking about much smaller victories to keep you motivated.  So maybe you didn't drop any weight this week, but instead you fit into a piece of clothing or you have more energy, that's a win and that's affirmation that your hard work is paying off.  You may not have been able to run the full 2 miles, but if you ran a few blocks further today than you did last week then again it's a win because your training is paying off and making a difference.

I think it's much easier to set a goal and achieve it if you have check-points along the way that reassure you that the hard work and dedication is making a difference.  Your goals are personal to you and should never be compared with anyone else's, and the same about the grandeur of your check-points.  Don't get down on yourself because someone lost 5 pounds and you didn't loose any, be honest with yourself and find the silver lining in what you accomplished and did to make yourself better that day.  Keep your head up and get back to work on achieving your goals!

Weeks 19, 20, & 21 of Ironman training – Enough already!

I had no idea that I slacked off this much; I looked at the calendar today and realized I let a week slip by without a blog entry.  I’ll blame it on the holiday weekend and throwing my schedule for a loop.  Weeks 19, 20, & 21 are in the books and I’m still upright and making progress.  For many in my network of fellow competitors my week 20 marked the halfway point for their same 30 week training programs (remember I started my training 5 weeks early), so it’s a cause to celebrate…even though the most difficult training lies ahead.  Week 19 concluded with a great bike ride with a bunch of people I met from a Facebook group I joined, week 20 was my first trip of making two loops around the Ironman bike course, and week 21 was capped off by a 2 mile swim with the assistance of my Dad paddling next to me in his kayak (not exactly great Father-Son bonding time but thanks Dad!).

The point of this blog was twofold, 1) for me to document my journey so I could look back on it should I ever consider doing something so dumb again and 2) for me to express myself about training without having to annoy everyone with constantly talking about training.  I’m finding though that writing it down here is not enough to satisfy the urge to constantly talk about my training…and now I’m annoying!  The fact is that Ironman is dominating my life right now and it’s the only thing on my mind so naturally it’s the first thing out of my mouth when someone asks what I’ve been up to.  Every morning when my alarm clock goes off at 4:20 the first thought in my head is about the Ironman race.  I want to share my experiences with those that I see so that they can maybe be inspired, but at the very least learn from any of my mistakes. 

I appreciate when others tell me about their accomplishments or post them online.  It’s a badge of honor that you should be able to wear with pride and not have to worry about it getting compared to others.  I remember my first running race and each one of my training days I ran another distance that I had never run before, 3 miles, 5, 10, 15, etc. and that was exciting to me to reach a little further with each effort.  So I say bring on the bragging people!  If you walked a mile or ran 100 and you’re proud of the effort and time it took to accomplish this then tell those around you.  If you hear someone talking about their accomplishment, don’t compare it to anything just congratulate them and go about your day.   So please forgive me for the rest of the summer when I’m talking about training for the Ironman, I truly don’t want to sound smug or arrogant, it’s just my focus right now until September…then I’ll be talking about my new son or daughter!

Weeks 17 & 18 of Ironman training – Getting Lucky

Week 17 was a recovery week and week 18 was getting back into the swing of training.  My recovery weeks basically mean that I’m doing slightly less than I did the week before and not increasing the time and/or effort it takes to complete my workouts (remember all my workouts are time based and not distance based).  Then the week right after a recovery week is a slight increase to what I did the week before my recovery week.  It can get confusing, that why I've got it all written down and planned out beforehand.   I’m making progress and feeling stronger and faster mostly every day.  There have been a few more days lately that I’m not feeling ‘it’ and I need a little kick in the butt to get my engine started.  All in all, my spirits are up and I’m still excited about the training and the races ahead of me.  So far I've been extremely fortunate to have the support of Jess for this adventure and she takes great care of me so that I can concentrate on training and not get distracted. 

I've also been very lucky thus far in my training to not suffer any physical or mental setbacks…come on now people get your heads out of the gutter; what did you think this entry was going to be about?  Every now and again you hear someone say ‘I don’t believe in luck’, or ‘I make my own luck’.  I can’t help but think how much luck is going to play into whether or not I cross that finish line on September 7^th.  I can take precautions to help alleviate something bad happening to me, but in the end I can’t wrap myself in bubble-wrap until race day. 

I can buy the right equipment and rest when something gets sore, but I can’t totally prevent an injury from occurring; I have to get lucky.  I can have my bike checked over by a professional and take good care of it up to the race, but I can’t prevent blowing a tire on race day; I have to get lucky.  I can practice some open water swims and do all of my swim workouts, but I can’t prevent someone from kicking me in the face and ending my day early; I have to get lucky.  You’re starting to get the point about how many different variables are at play during this 17 hour race day: weather, equipment, strategy, nutrition, other racers, allergies, etc.  I've been lucky thus far and I need to continue getting lucky all the way through race day.  One could easily get consumed by how much luck you need on your side to complete anything in life, but as my brother Jeff told me a long time ago, ‘worrying is a useless emotion’.  All you can do is prepare for the things you can control, and roll with the things you can’t.