Posts
I mentioned a few posts back that I have an ideal race weight and body fat. I hope to get down to 155 and 7% body fat. This begins with cleaning up my diet (I say that as I eat five cookies). For the most part, I am achieving this objective. Fruit and vegetables fill my diet when my schedule is consistent. And I like it. A normal day looks like this for me:
6 am: Banana or granola bar
8 am: Kashi cereal with fat free milk
10 am: Fruit (grapes, strawberries, apples)
12 pm: Turkey sandwich, carrots, fat free yogurt
3 pm: powerbar/clif bar
7 pm: granola or snack
8 pm: dinner (burrito, pasta, chicken and beans)
10 pm: chocolate milk
I am not going to be obsessive about this number it is more of a goal. For me, I think it just forces me to clean up the diet and become a bit more conscious about what I am putting in my body. My plan is to weigh myself on a daily basis for arguments sake. But I will record consecutive days every two weeks so that I can chart any progress.
I will admit that this idea hasn't come into fruition as I initially anticipated. First, I have been running for the better part of two months. Base running is one of the best ways to cut fat. Second, as a result, I initially weighed in at a very low number. I am almost not certain that these numbers will budge much. However, when I drop weight lifting in the next few weeks then the weight might drop as the bulk leaves the body.
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1/14 164 lbs 8.0% bf
1/28 163.4lbs 8.0% bf
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Body Transformation Challenge
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Jan 28-Feb 2
I am starting a two week taper for Mercedes which allows me to step up my training in my other disciplines.
Mon: Swim 2800 (2600y)
Tues: Spin class,weights, 50' LT run (yoga, 32' run)
Wed: S: 2500 (2500y/ core work)
Thurs: weights, 90' run (strength training)
Fri: S: 2500 (2500y)
Sat: B: 120 easy, R: 45' easy (85' run)
Sun: R: 40'(2h bike)
Good workouts this week!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
In Pursuit of Perfection
Is it ever enough? Is it too much?
I was posed this internal question tonight as I watch the movie Spirit of the Marathon. The movie is a documentary on the evolution of the marathon and chronicles 5 athletes in their pursuit of various goals in the Chicago Marathon. The athletes varied in experience, age and abilities. The common theme was that they all faced the same demons we all do....Am I doing too much? Is it ever enough?
Watching movies like this, in a theater of athletes nonetheless, forces you to think about your own training. You compare yourself to the athletes. You empathize and sympathize. You watch them deal with injuries and wonder if it is finally time for you to concede to the idea that you are injured. You can't for the life of you understand why HE can Boston qualify with a 3:10 and you struggle on a 2 hour run.
In this sport, you are often asked and ask yourself why. Why do you force yourself outside for a 15 mile run when it is 12 degrees. Why do you push yourself for 80 miles at 6 am on a Saturday. What is the ultimate goal? To finish? To beat a specific time? To podium? To qualify for world championships? Is it ever enough?
I asked an elite triathlete the other day about her experience this past year and what it was like to FINALLY qualify to race in Kona. This was a long dream of hers. To make it to Kona. So what's next? She wants to go back and prove that she is faster than she demonstrated in October. Is it ever enough?
I sometimes wonder if I am too OCD about training. Do I take it too seriously? This is supposed to be a hobby but it has morphed into a lifestyle. Is that a positive thing? While I know this sport brings out the best in me at times, I know it brings out the worst too. I stare at numbers all day. I obsess about the Ironman and how fast I want to go this season. I analyze my workouts looking for signs of improvement. I look at others training and wonder why I am not going faster. Is it ever enough?
This sport is all about the pursuit of perfection...having and executing the perfect plan on race day. You need a number of things to go your way. You need to adjust to all the unforeseen problems. And even then you still need an amount of luck. Say at the end of the day you beat your goal. You baste in your triumph and glory. You awake the next day and ask yourself, can I still do it faster. Is it ever enough?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
How to make a triathletes day
This sport is expensive enough on its own. The things you don't factor into your budget often include hydration and nutrition for your long rides/runs. It amazes me how a quick trip to the bike store costs $75 in food. And all I got was three things!
Support a triathlete...send food and drinks before s/he evaporates from burning too many calories. Here is a perfect example of a triathlete care package:
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It is just that simple. Your triathlete is happy, no longer hungry and can keep training!
www.performancebike.com
Monday, January 21, 2008
Core Strengthening
After months of PT, I was told that I need to strengthen my core. The core muscles are probably the most overlooked and undertrained part of the body. However, in this sport, they are essential. And training them means more than just some situps when I visit the gym. I am using this post as a place holder for the following two videos that provide a number of exercises for strengthening the core.
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Jan 21-27
MON: 30' recovery run/ 2500 swim (30' run 1800 swim)
TUES: Spinning class/upper body weights/45' LT run (60' spin, weights)
WED: Morning yoga/20' run (yoga 45' LT run)
THURS: Spinning class/arm weights/ 45' run (off)
FRI: 2400y swim (1550, massage)
SAT: 40' speed run (possible bike) (off)
SUN: 120' run (123' run)
Again the focus of the week will be hitting my 2h run this weekend. I was able to suffer through 12 miles last weekend with virtually little pain...mainly irritation. I will monitor the hip/leg throughout the week and attempt to minimize further irritation.
Running in the colds is something else. I ran on Wednesday right when it began snowing. It made things interesting. My run on Sunday was blissful. It was 22 degrees with a windchill of 13. Not fun. But I did manage to have a good run
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Lactate Threshold Run
Wednesday night I engaged in my third LT run in as many months. Typically, you want to repeat these runs every 4-6 weeks and track them to determine progress. The idea behind an LT run is to condition the body to train near your LT thus stressing the body and training it to flush out the lactate acid from your muscles. That way, when you are racing, your body knows how to recover from this area.
Here are my results.
11/21 20:01, 2.50 miles, 8:02 pace
12/20 20:01, 2.71 miles, 7:23 pace
1/16 20:00, 2.74 miles, 7:19 pace
That looks like improvement to me. I was a bit shocked to see improvement from yesterdays run. Since my run volume has been suffering I thought my LT might slip a bit. Also, I know I went out too hard yesterday (first mile was about 6:45). I still need to work on building UP to LT instead of hitting it and hanging on.
Overall I am happy with the results. I think with a bit more strategy, I can get that pace down to 7:00/mile. That is one of my goals. Plus, I have plenty of time. And I am going to stay with base building going into Mercedes. That way I can switch to speed work in preparation for ING.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Swim T-Pace
Saturday I did my first ever T-pace swim. These are conducted about every 4-6 weeks in order to track progress. T-pace is your threshold pace or the pace that you want to maintain during your workouts. For swimming, the pace is a way to judge intensity. Your workouts are structured to revolve around your t-pace (ex. 4x200 at t-pace + 10s).
The process for conducting a t-pace is simple. A solid warmup and then an all out 1000y time trial. You take the 1000y time and divide it by 10 to determine your pace per 100y. In the pool I typically swim between 1.35-1.45 for the shorter distance intervals and drift between 1.45-1.50 on the longer sets as my form breaks down. Ideally, I think I want my t-pace to be around 1.35-1.40. Hopefully this is where Masters classes will help me.
I have also began tracking my swim times in a spreadsheet. Since swimming is the most constant of the disciplines (terrain doesn't change), I can analyze my swims from session to sessions. I also added a workout that I did back in May during my peak phase of IM CDA so that I can look at long term progress. For blogging purposes, I am just going to focus on my T-pace.
1/21 1000y TT 18.01 T-Pace 1.48/100
That's about on par with where I thought it would be. I have less than 10 swim workouts under my belt this season and swimming a continuous 1000y was the longest interval I have done thus far. This should give a solid benchmark for improvement.
Now on to my LT run this afternoon....
Monday, January 14, 2008
Workouts Jan 14-20
MON: AM Yoga/ PM 3000y swim (2500y)
TUES: AM Weights / 40m LT run (50' spin class, 4 mile run, 30mins weights)
WED: AM Yoga/ 20m run/ Spinervals (40' LT run)
THURS: AM Weights/ 45m run (50' spinverals)
FRI: AM Yoga/ 2500swim (2300y)
SAT: 2h long run (45' on the trainer, 60' weights, play in snow)
SUN: 35 mile ride in the mountains/ 30m run (12 mile run)
Focus this week is hitting my 2h run on Saturday. I really need that. The ride for Sunday is in question due to temperature concerns. No way I am riding in the mountains if it is 20 degrees.
Something is off
Mentally and physically nothing is clicking right now. I am down and out on training. I was so excited about the new year and tackling new objectives. My run was coming together and most importantly I was having fun. That is the case no longer
There is no motivation in the body right now. I don't want to train. My runs are not going well. I am carrying a lot of stress about the upcoming season. I should be psyched that I am racing in a month but I'm not. I have even considered pulling out of the race.
I can recall only a few times that I have ever let the negative mental demons beat me down. Seems like they are winning right now. All I want to do is stay at home, act lazy and eat really bad. I never want fast food and I was craving it all weekend. And pizza too.
I took off most of the weekend. I didn't run this weekend after my miserable run Friday afternoon. Right now, I am going to take a few days off from running and focus on the other disciplines. Hopefully that will re-engage me a bit. I really need to get these cobwebs out of my head.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Time to get moving
So I got a bit derailed last week by the bubonic plague and it forced me to sit out a few days. As a result, I postponed the official start of training. But come Monday, I am back on track. I also just bought a scale so the weight and body composition challenge is on. I think official weigh in will be Saturday or Sunday. I also plan on posting a picture.
My idea is to weigh in 2-3 times a week but definitely record the data every Monday morning. I doubt I will post the information more than monthly as it won't be all that exciting to watch for the next 44 weeks.
I will also try to post my weekly workouts and develop some level of accountability. BT goes a great job with the monthly and annual totals that those will transfer over without a problem.
The upcoming half marathons throw a bit of a wrinkle into my triathlon training plans. Yesterday marked 20 weeks until the Triple T. I know I have this listed as an "A" race but my training will not be quite on par for an "A" race. This is really because I don't know what to expect from the race. Honestly, I don't know how to prepare for the race. It is 140.6 miles over a couple of days. So my thinking is to jump onto a beginner ironman plan and modify it a bit. I will aim to complete about 75-80% of the workouts. This should have me over prepared for the event but not overtrained. Plus it will allow me to stress a bit less about training knowing that I can shirk it a bit.
Monday, January 7, 2008
I need some LSD on my LSD
Bottomline--I am not hitting my long runs. I am at a loss for what is going on. I don't buy the idea that I am ramping up too quick or going out too hard. My training during the week is typically dead on. But that long slow distance on the weekend is killing me physically and mentally. I have already dropped out of the early season marathon to take on a half mary. But now I am concerned about that too. I feel like I should be peaking. And I am....if I want to race a 10k. Here are my last few long runs--
12/8 12 miles 1h 50m HR 146
12/21 13.75 miles 2h 09m HR 149
12/29 12.16 miles 1h 53m HR 149
1/5 12 miles 1h 53m HR 149
Something is not working. I have run out of excuses. I have lost my long run mojo. This is a frustrating time. I think I need to go back to the drawing board and figure out what is happening.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
2007 Season Totals by Month
Goodness I love BT. A couple of clicks and done. Now I have 2007 training totals by month!!!
Can you tell when I was peaking and when I was injured? :)
2007 Season Totals
Well I would say that I trained a bit more this year than the previous one, lol. For those that are not mathematically inclined, I helped you out a bit.
2007 totals
Bike: 145h 05m 31s - 2503.62 Mi (+783 mi)
Run: 115h 48m 49s - 753 Mi (+382 mi)
Swim: 60h 05m 07s - 174789.3 Yd (+75,277 yd)
Total: 320h 59m 21s - 3355 Mi
2006 totals
Bike: 99h 50m 08s - 1720.09 Mi
Run: 55h 10m 29s - 370.65 Mi
Swim: 42h 20m 21s - 99512 Yd
Total: 255h 20m 58s - 2146 Mi
That is 70 hours more or 1200 miles....nearly 56% more training. And this log is actually absent of any strength training (~40 hours) and any additional cross training. I would actually like to look back on my training logs and put together a month by month evaluation. I mentioned my yearly goals a few posts back. I bet I surpass 500 hours on the year in 2008.
Goals for the Year
In my last post I described some of my more general training goals. But it is time to get more specific. I typically refrain from trying to predict finish times in long races as it is impossible to control the number of variables in the equation. But I do have some very specific goals for the season.
1. Stay injury free
2. Rest and recover properly
3. Clean up my diet
4. Learn to train with more intensity
5. Chattanooga in 2:40
6. Break 1:45 in a half mary
7. Top 10 AG in sprint races
8. Beat my Powerman Alabama time
9. Have fun in a few races
10. Rock Ironman Florida
Some of these goals are race specific and others are out of my control. One of the goals that is 100% in my control is #3. I really want to clean up my diet this year. Last year, at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, I weighed in a 159 lbs and 7.8% body fat. By many standards this is great and I am definitely not complaining. When I step on the scales for Ironman Florida I want to be sub-155 and sub 7% body fat....a lean, mean, endurance machine!
While this isn't a primary goal, it is an important secondary one. I don't necessarily believe in dieting. I tend to follow the notion that I train in part so that I can eat what I want. I just need to make better decisions. I need to ween myself off processed food. Living a bachelor lifestyle makes the microwave and boxed dinners an easy option. That practice needs to end. I have already taken some action this winter to stop purchasing particular foods....some baked foods and chips. This is a start but I still have a ways to go.
I have never been one to think that my diet was bad. Sure there are some things that aren't exactly nutritional but I am not one to often splurge. Most of my snacks are in the healthy range. My diet consists of granola everyday. I don't buy many snacks...no cookies or chocolate. When friends come to stay, I recommend that they go to the store for themselves. However, I need to become more aware of my little guilty pleasures and vices...'no thanks, I will pass on the breakfast brunch for my yogurt.'
My goal is for my diet to become really colorful and lean. That means more salad and fruit. That means more lean meats and whole wheat pasta. The focus will be eating foods that rate low on the glycimic index thus prolonging the fat burning when I workout. It will get expensive at times but it is the right move. I believe that as long as I can clean up my diet and still recover properly, then I will become a better athlete. I will never be one of those who shops exclusively at Whole Foods or is called a food snob. I love pizza, burgers and burritos too much. I won't put down my chips and salsa but I will no longer reach for doritos on a snacking binge. I will still utilize Moe's for post training meals but I will skip the random blue cheese burger (mmmm)
The other part of my diet that needs work is to eat less at meals. I have long loved to eat and eat I do. It goes back to the notion of smaller portions. I know I overeat at meals. I just hate food to go to waste. Dinner is really the only time this happens. I have a very structure diet for breakfast and lunch. And I do snack throughout the day. My goal is to do a better job after workouts to put food back into the body prior to dinner. I believe that if I go into dinner a bit full it will cut down on the calorie consumption and not cause insulin spikes at night.
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The other big goal on the season is to learn to train with more intensity. Last year I plunged into the world of heart rate based training. I learned to listen to my body and taught it to respond accordingly. However, during most of my training sessions I would sit down in z2 and not labor myself. This proved to be a great philosophy as I built a huge running base that was able to take on 15-20 mile runs at a comfortable pace. It served me well last year. But this year has different objectives.
When I learned to live in zone 2, my body was in its comfort zone. I knew that so long as I continued fueling the body that I would remain in the fat burning zone. When the heartrate went up my body started working harder. Zone 4 and I weren't not friends. The HR crept up and the body rejected the notion of working harder.
This proved to be a limiting factor in my races. I feel like I trained with a threshold that I would never bump up against....essentially leaving unrealized potential out there. It was most noticeable on the bike where I could maintain a competitive speed at a reasonable heartrate. The question is, can I train harder on the bike and thus train faster?
Of course this theorem is a double edged sword. The hardest thing to do in a race is to find that threshold on the bike where you can push it 100% and STILL have enough in the tank to run. Too often you see people blow up on the run because they pushed the bike too hard. So part of me thinks I have always held back on the bike in fear of blowing up. And it is a reasonable notion...the race is nearly always won or lost on the run.
The year has already started with a great amount of intensity training. I am hitting my tempo and strength runs. Not shirking them for extra base miles. And I have already seen proven results. My mile repeat times have dropped. My zone 2 base pace has dropped. Hopefully, these are just the beginning of numerous running improvements that will serve me well for the next 11 months.
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So there is it. Two huge goals that I can control. Sounds simple, lol.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Day 1 - New Year New Challenge
So today starts a new year and with it brings a series of resolutions, goals and determination. For many the day marks a new beginning--a change in lifestyle, diet or behavior. For others, the day marks the beginning of triathlon season. The brash winter serves as a constant reminder that the time is not quite ripe for hardcore training. Instead, the turning of the clock reminds us that races are only X days away.
In the world of a triathlete there really is no off-season. There are periods of recovery, light training and striking a balance in other parts of one's life. However, the sport never really fades. You trip over your running shoes in the bed room. Your bike, with its shine from the post season tune up, glares at you. If you are like me, you hide the goggles and swim cap because technically you can swim indoors year round.
So what does a triathlete do in his down time between seasons? Well, you plan your next season. You spend hours scouring websites, blogs and race reports to gather information on potential races for the next season. You generate a list of 20 or so that seem intriguing. You pare it down by putting them all on a calendar and analyzing your ability to train, recover, train and race again. If you haven't already, you identify your top "A" races. For those new or unaccustomed to the sport, much of this happens 6-12 months out as races sell out that far in advance. You build your season around these top races.
You then develop training goals, training plans and budgets. You scour over your previous season and determine what went well and what did not go well. What were your limiting factors? Do I need more long runs? More intervals? More time in the pool? Should I start my program earlier? Did I do too many races? Not enough? Do I need to hire a coach? How much will that cost? If I am doing X races at $X a pop, how much will this season cost me? How many boxes of power/clif bars do I need? And gu? And sports drinks? And? And? And? Ahhh....the life.
This promises to be an exciting season for me. I narrowly escaped injuries last season to produce a very productive and fulfilling season. This season has the potential to take that to the next level. I think I am just starting to realize my potential. Unfortunately, the following season, I enter the next age group and will quickly be humbled. So there is nothing like the present. It is now or never. Time to HTFU and have a kick ass season.
2008 Training Goals:
Swim: 200,000 yards (114 miles)
Bike: 3,000miles
Run: 750 miles
I think these are realistic and attainable goals. I am probably setting the bar a bit low, especially given my race schedule. However, given my progression through my first two seasons it is a safe bet. My prediction is that I will likely end up closer to 250k, 3500 and 1200 on the year
2008 Race Schedule:
2/10 Mercedes Half Marathon (r) - B
3/30 ING 1/2 Marathon - A
4/13 Powerman Alabama (r) -B
5/23-25 American Triple (r) - A
6/14 Buster Britton Sprint - B
7/4 Peachtree 10k - C
7/13 Chattanooga Olympic - B
9/14 Duke Liver HIM - B
11/1 Ironman Florida (r) - A
11/2 Take a f*cking break
It is clear that my season will revolve around two races--Triple T and Ironman Florida. The part that really sucks about the longer distances is that you are unable to race as much. Your weekends are comprised on long runs and rides. So the shorter races get kicked to the curb. Last year, I missed racing. I love the adrenaline rush. So this year, I built in at least two fun races with the potential to do a few more if I feel good. It promises to be a long season but with a bit of hard work and determination, it should prove very rewarding in the end.