Figuring it all out.

Apologies for being delinquent in my posts. I’ve been either working or at the gym. Getting a routine down and being able to keep moving without going into a coma or hitting the 2:30 daily bonk has been a challenge.

I’ve been trying to dial in the workouts, figuring out what are my priorities right now in my training and what do I need to do to make sure I’m not over doing it.

So, here has been the plan

Monday – rest day

Tuesday – (am) Master Swim. (pm) Lately it’s been rest but will soon be run or spin.

Wednesday – (am) Spin. (pm) Run with my friend Colin - easy run for him hard run for me.

Thursday – (am) Master Swim. (pm) Nothing right now but will soon be run or spin

Friday – (am) Total Conditioning and spin. (pm) Rest

Saturday – (am) 4 hour spin class. (pm) Rest

Sunday – (am) Spin/run or swim

It’s been fun meeting new people long my journey. What I’ve found is the sport of triathlon, especially Ironman, is such a small group. Everyone knows someone. Take for example, Michelle the master swim instructor, knows everyone in my Thursday/Saturday spin class and a few other people at the Maple Grove spin class and on my cycling team. I met her in Wisconsin this year at the Ironman. She was wearing a Hollywood Cycle jacket and struck up a conversation with her about her getting into cycling – although I didn’t now she was “The” Michelle everyone talked about for swim classes. Until her first class and she said "were you at Madison this year?"

There have been some interesting realization within the past couple of weeks. I might go as far as call them fun realizations. First, with swimming, you’re not only working on your technique but also your more or less working on your patients to learn that one little detail, apply it. Learn another little detail, apply it, etc. Over time those little details become progress. As for threshold for pain – pain is temporary. It may be longer then just a few minutes and seem like a lifetime you just have to keep telling yourself you’ll be ok once the task at hand is over. One other thing I’ve learn is no matter how tired you are as long as you are there mentally you can tell yourself to breathe and keep going. A key takeaway when at a group class when your getting told to do one more set but make it harder or faster is not to complain. Those trainers, although calm, likes to make sure you have respect for them and their training. 

Happy First Day of Ironman Training!

Today I’m officially training for the WI Ironman. I have no idea what that means or what that entails but for the next 10 months I’m “Training”.

This is no Ice Cream Parlor

Note of caution: this post is not for the weak of stomach.

Yesterday afternoon I went back to the gym to get in some “pool time” and to work on my breathing techniques – I would like to start Mater Swim classes this week so I have to get this thing down! Some days are better then others but this was not one of them water kept rushing up my nose which caused me to stop at each end of the pool to let it drain. You would think I was filling up a bucket and emptying it at each stop.

From the start I didn’t think the workout would get better. Stubborn as I am I wasn’t going to let a bad swim make me lose track of the goal for the evening which was to do 10 laps. As time went on it didn’t seem to get much better. How will I ever be able to swim with 2,600 people at once for 2.4 miles if I can’t get this under control and start learning faster techniques?

On my way back, on the 9^th lap, I turned my head and a rush of water came shooting up my nose like a title wave. What happen next only happens at Ben and Jerri’s or any local ice cream shops – I got a massive chlorine brain freeze!

Thank goodness for the floating lane rope because I almost went down the drink since the headache was so powerful. I knew at that moment my workout was done.

This morning I wasn’t going to let the night before discourage me and I had a better swim. Water still went up my nose but not quite as much. Someday this issue will be over – I just hope it’s sooner than later.

‎"If the goal doesn't scare you shitless...it ain't big enough" -Melanie Jones

Laughing at a zone 4

It seems light years ago I attended a spin class much less Chris's spin class. My buddy Joe and I were having an argument via texting if she was going to be there or if I was taking the chance to have the instructor I don't like as the sub. How can you argue with a guy that's on the upswing from caner? Hell, it's Joe - I argued anyways.

AND...I won!

I was excited to see her when I walked into the studio because she posted on Facebook she was going to be on QVC hocking her stuff tonight at 8pm. QVC doesn't pre-record anything. She said she was going to do her class jump on a plan go to Philly be on TV for about 10 minutes jump back on a plane and be back to teach her 9am class tomorrow.

I haven't been to her class in quite sometime and while I'm getting my ass handed to me I was laughing not at what she said but the fact that I'm loving every moment! Why haven't I been to her class in months? Oh yeah! It's summer and you're suppose to be on your bike OUTSIDE!

Running in a hurd

When I finished my last/first marathon I said I would change how I trained not only my plan but to also join a running group. I learned so many valuable tips while riding in a group. Although it sucked at times while I was getting my ass handed to me - I really didn't seem so bad because someone was keeping you entertained. Well, that's what I hope would happen if I was to join a running group. What I'm having a hard time getting over is the part you have to pay to be part of a running group. I never have to pay to be part of a riding group - only if I want to be on a team.

Today I met my friend at the Calhoun Beach Club - a high end gym which is so high end the gym (posh everything including TVs on every machine) was completely empty at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. What's up with that? If you walked into any of the gyms I go to - after you battled for a parking spot - you'd wonder if the whole city was in that one location.

Anyways, so I met my friend at the Calhoun Beach Club to go run with her and her running group. I wanted to see if they would be the best fit for me and my goals. From what she told me it sounded like an elate group of runners who have a number of people that complete the Boston Marathon and there would be a group running the St. Louis Marathon (the one I'm doing). BUT, we didn't run with them. We ran with a couple of her friends at a slower pace - which was fine with me but I would've like to see what the real group was like. Overall, I had a good time and we completed 7 miles while they (not me -I couldn't breathe) chatted the entire time.

I've ran around the lakes in the Uptown area before but have never noticed how trendy it is to run the lakes on a Saturday morning. If your a runner and have never ran the lakes on a Saturday morning - your missing out! Or better yet, if your single and you've never taken up running start and go run around the lakes.

I have a feeling with my already packed schedule I might be out of luck on running groups (there is one other group I would like to check out). Most running groups do their long runs on Saturday morning - I would like to go to Johnny J's 4-hour toucher session on the bike and run on Sunday's. I have an alt plan to run with another friend who has done an Ironman and has been researching the best forms of running. I have a feeling he might bet frustrated on my speed-walking pace.

I just need entertainment - running by myself is boring!

I have never…in 10 years

Had someone rudely interrupt me while I was lifting to discipline me on how to “correctly” do a Lat Pull down.

There is a code of ethics at the gym if a stranger has their earphones in you don’t go up to them to try to have a conversation. Period. I’ve had friends tell me they keep their earphones in even if they don’t have the music on just so they don’t get bothered. I know it’s rude also but if I’m at the gym I’m there with a propose not to socialize. (unless I’m in spin class)

I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal – but who was this guy to come up to me to tell me I was doing it completely wrong? If it was a trainer or a really buff guy I wouldn’t care but a complete stranger (who was quite stringing looking) is another thing. Yes, there are some years (this is not one of them - yet) I look much better then I do now - i.e. I know what I’m doing in a weigh room and have a few muscles showing – but after 10 years of lifting I would think I know the correct posture of a lat pull down.

All I’m saying is first don’t approach someone if they have their headphones on unless you know them and second if your going to correct someone’s form think twice before you do because they probably know a hell of a lot more then you do.

On the road towards being an Ironman

My good o’l buddy Joe has been on my case about updating my blog now that I’M SIGNED UP TO BE AN IRONMAN – that line still makes my stomach sink every time I or someone else says it. So, let’s not say it. Let’s say, ”I’m training for this dumb idea I signed up for” Yeah, that seems better.

Since my last posting I went to the East Coast to ride with my brother while he completed his first century! It was called the Salisbury Century – one of the flattest courses I’ve ever ridden. It started in Salisbury, Maryland headed to the coast where at mile 63 we stopped and put our feet in the icy Atlantic Ocean (my first time). It was a long day. 7 hours in the saddle but hell he did it! It doesn’t matter how long it took or how much coaching I had to do to get him to the finish line he made it and I was there to be part of it. I told my sister-in-law around mile 80 my neck started to hurt because I kept looking back to see where he was – he had the keys to the car so I had to keep an eye on him.

Last weekend I attempted to ride up to Duluth, MN from Andover, MN (about 140 miles). I got about half way (80 miles) when I thought I better pack it in when dreaming about Advil overtook my thoughts of food. For the last 50 miles we battled a relentless 25+ mph headwind with only brief, very brief, moments of shelter. Before I packed it in I knew I would do this ride again and formulated a plan to do it in June – seems like a beautiful time of the year to head north.

I’ve also been plotting my 2011 moves towards “The dumb idea I signed up for” – which means I signed up for other dumb ideas.

Here’s the plan as of right now:

• April 10th—St. Louis, MO Marathon <- I'm not kidding. I already signed up for this one. Let the bitching...I mean training...begin!
• June 11th—Liberty Tri (Olympic)
• July 9th— WI Insane Terrain Ride (120 mile 12,400 ft of climbing)
• July 24th—Chisago Tri (Half)

Road and TT races when I can fit them in.

I’m looking for one more tri. Let me know if you know of a good sprint or another Olympic course sometime between the end of May—mid-July?

One of my biggest obstacles I need to overcome is learning how to swim without the damn nose plug because when you go into battle you can’t have your opponents knock off your crutch or you’ll be out. In my case drowned. If you’ve ever witnessed an Ironman the swim IS a battle so I’ve been going to the pool to “figure it out”. I’ve heard the tips, you need to blow out of your nose underwater and you need to breathe in with your mouth. It’s not quite that simple. This past week I jumped in put the fear aside and figured out it wasn’t either of those tips I was doing wrong it was the fact that I wasn’t blowing out all of the air from my lungs so when I would go up to breathe I was pushing out and pulling in air and quite frankly I didn’t have enough time to do both. Now, I feel like I’ve taken a step backwards in my swimming endurance to work on this new technique. I’m determined to get it down and back to where I was because I’m not going to go into Master Swim Classes with my damn nose plug. Might as well be wearing arm flotties.

This weekend I’m going to be checking out a running group. My co-worker runs with them but after going to group rides that don’t have you pay to be in their group I’m having a hard time justifying paying to be in a running group.

So that’s what’s been going on. I’ll try to keep this blog updated daily. I’m going to have to scale back on the length of my posts so it can be more manageable with my training/sleeping schedule.