It has been a long season. I'm sure that I've said it before, but I'll say it again: starting your training in November and ending in October makes for a long season of big training. Sure there was the month after Ironman Arizona that I didn't do too much, but with the World Championships looming in the future it's hard not to sneak in a 3 or 4 hour ride here and there.
Mentally, I'm ready for Kona, physically, there are still gains to be made in the pool, on the bike, on the run, and in nutrition. There is a lot of work to be done, and only 6 weeks and 5 days (counting today) to get it done. What that translates to is a week of recovery, 2 more weeks of hard running, 3 more weeks of hard riding, and 4 weeks of hard swimming to get through. The reason for varying weeks from sport to sport is that I tier my taper depending on the sport. This is a method that 6-time Ironman World Champion (Kona) Mark Allen used and a method that I've been practicing for me and all of my Ironman clients the past few years - it works.
I am getting a little nervous. Leading up to Ironman Arizona I never had an issue with nutrition during my long rides. This time around I've had maybe 2 rides that have gone without a hitch. I'm not sure why this is happening; I haven't changed any aspect of my nutrition. It could be that I've been riding a bit harder during my long rides, it could be my taste buds getting angry, or it could be something else. All I know is that I have a backup plan if all goes wrong; slow down and start boozin'...High Life anyone? On a very positive note, my shoulder has been holding up to some of the longest swim workouts that I've completed since training for Ironman...Lake Placid...8 years ago. So that's a big plus and I'm just hoping that it can make it through the last month of hard swimming. Once that taper hits, I'm cleared for a fast swim. On the running front, everything is holding up. My foot constantly hurts, but it hasn't been getting worse. I've been running a few 1.5hr runs here and there, so now the test is going to come with the slightly longer runs. I'm hoping to tag one 2 hour run prior to the beginning of the run taper (in 2 weeks). I won't be too upset if that doesn't happen as I've ran marathons on much less training, although it would be nice to have some additional miles in the legs.
Overall, I'm excited about racing in Kona. Besides being a life goal of mine, I've been training at altitude, riding longer and harder rides at a faster tempo, and my shoulder is tolerating some yardage. Also, I have a huge support group joining me in Kona: my mother, my uncle Bob, my uncle Frank, my aunt Mary Ann, my cousin Michelle, and my Phoenix friends Sandie and JT. Luisa's parents are also joining the crew, which brings the support crew to nine; that's huge. There's nothing like being shit deep in pain and hearing your family and friends cheering you on, it's great.
Back to training.
F
Monday, August 25, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Rain, rain go away
It's been raining for two straight days. Yesterday I woke up at 6:30am and looked at the temp, then looked out the window, and went back to bed. There was no way that I was going to do a 3 hour ride in 53 degree weather and rain. In addition to the ride being tossed out the window, I wasn't able to swim either. The University of Denver pool which I usually swim in is closed for maintenance and the city pools that are open are outdoors. Well, the city pool canceled lap swim due to the weather. So yesterday turned into a rest day.
Right now there is a thunderstorm going on outside. Nice and dark, steady rain, and claps of thunder with a bit of lightning. It's not too violent of a storm and usually I'd just go and run on the treadmill on a day like today, but with a 1.5 hour ride on the agenda there is no way that I'd last on a treadmill. An hour, yes, I can do an hour on a treadmill; I can't do much more than that.
If in a few days I'm writing about how I'm sick, you know why...it's time for my run and I can't skip this one.
Right now there is a thunderstorm going on outside. Nice and dark, steady rain, and claps of thunder with a bit of lightning. It's not too violent of a storm and usually I'd just go and run on the treadmill on a day like today, but with a 1.5 hour ride on the agenda there is no way that I'd last on a treadmill. An hour, yes, I can do an hour on a treadmill; I can't do much more than that.
If in a few days I'm writing about how I'm sick, you know why...it's time for my run and I can't skip this one.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The planning
I just finished outlining the rest of my training along with getting a vague idea of what my taper is going to look like. Planning for me is always difficult and always very optimistic. I'm not one to skip workouts if they have already been planned out and written down. Unfortunately, I do skip workouts if I just go day by day without a schedule. The hardest part of training is the inevitable frustration that will occur.
I know my body very well, I know how I will feel after a hard day of riding, running, swimming, or any combination of the three sports. It is a learning process, but over 20-some-years of sports I've learned what my body can and can't do; until there is an injury. When injuries come my workouts aren't a matter of what my body can do, but what my body can tolerate before it gets hurt. Muscle fatigue and the associated burn is a feeling I enjoy and look forward to. That sensation that you are pushing your body to its limit, then saying "Fuck You" to that limit as you push harder; that is why I love sports. Injury pains are something I'm not very good with, and I'm currently dealing with two.
My shoulder and my foot. Junior year of high school was my first encounter with a true sport injury. My previous injuries, pulled muscles and strained whatever, were healed with a little time off and a little bit of care. Junior year I felt a good pop in my shoulder as I was hammering hard during a swim workout. The pop happened at the end of an interval as I was finishing in from the flags (the last 5 yards). As I attempted to continue with the set, I had no strength and a high amount of pain. That injury, whatever it is or was, has stuck with me and has never gone away. Ice, heat, ultrasound, doctors who know everything, magnets, massage, more doctors, acupuncture, lifting...anything that I can think of helping, I've tried. Rest is the only thing that truly helps the healing process, and still, that is only temporary. After 6 months off from the pool, I get about 3-4 months of solid, smart training before it returns. My right shoulder is the most frustrating aspect of training for triathlons. I have forgotten how to enjoy the pool since the pool causes so much consistent frustration.
My foot is a relatively new injury in its current form, but ever since picking up running I've struggled with injuries. Years ago, while training for my first Ironman, I was able to have a whole season without a running injury. Since that year, 2000, I have not had a full season of running without encountering an injury eventually. In 2000 I ran more than I ever had and ever would. Each week I was consistently hitting 40-45 miles and I was fast. Since then it's been the shins, ankle, foot, or shins. Currently it's plantar fasciitis. The plantar fasciitis hit in the two months prior to Ironman Arizona and did not go away afterwards. Apparently it takes a few months of complete time off from running in order to get rid of plantar fasciitis, good thing for snowboarding season.
So in scheduling my training plan, it's not about what I want to do, but what I can do before an injury becomes intolerable. I push the limits of my injuries in hopes of them standing up to the challenge. So far the foot is okay, it's the shoulder that really worries me. When it comes down to Ironman Hawaii I will finish the swim regardless of my swimming fitness, but I want the fitness to finish the swim feeling better than I did at Ironman Arizona. Starting 112 miles of biking in the scorching heat feeling worn out from the swim, is not how I run a good marathon.
Spread the word... http://3monthstokona.blogspot.com
I know my body very well, I know how I will feel after a hard day of riding, running, swimming, or any combination of the three sports. It is a learning process, but over 20-some-years of sports I've learned what my body can and can't do; until there is an injury. When injuries come my workouts aren't a matter of what my body can do, but what my body can tolerate before it gets hurt. Muscle fatigue and the associated burn is a feeling I enjoy and look forward to. That sensation that you are pushing your body to its limit, then saying "Fuck You" to that limit as you push harder; that is why I love sports. Injury pains are something I'm not very good with, and I'm currently dealing with two.
My shoulder and my foot. Junior year of high school was my first encounter with a true sport injury. My previous injuries, pulled muscles and strained whatever, were healed with a little time off and a little bit of care. Junior year I felt a good pop in my shoulder as I was hammering hard during a swim workout. The pop happened at the end of an interval as I was finishing in from the flags (the last 5 yards). As I attempted to continue with the set, I had no strength and a high amount of pain. That injury, whatever it is or was, has stuck with me and has never gone away. Ice, heat, ultrasound, doctors who know everything, magnets, massage, more doctors, acupuncture, lifting...anything that I can think of helping, I've tried. Rest is the only thing that truly helps the healing process, and still, that is only temporary. After 6 months off from the pool, I get about 3-4 months of solid, smart training before it returns. My right shoulder is the most frustrating aspect of training for triathlons. I have forgotten how to enjoy the pool since the pool causes so much consistent frustration.
My foot is a relatively new injury in its current form, but ever since picking up running I've struggled with injuries. Years ago, while training for my first Ironman, I was able to have a whole season without a running injury. Since that year, 2000, I have not had a full season of running without encountering an injury eventually. In 2000 I ran more than I ever had and ever would. Each week I was consistently hitting 40-45 miles and I was fast. Since then it's been the shins, ankle, foot, or shins. Currently it's plantar fasciitis. The plantar fasciitis hit in the two months prior to Ironman Arizona and did not go away afterwards. Apparently it takes a few months of complete time off from running in order to get rid of plantar fasciitis, good thing for snowboarding season.
So in scheduling my training plan, it's not about what I want to do, but what I can do before an injury becomes intolerable. I push the limits of my injuries in hopes of them standing up to the challenge. So far the foot is okay, it's the shoulder that really worries me. When it comes down to Ironman Hawaii I will finish the swim regardless of my swimming fitness, but I want the fitness to finish the swim feeling better than I did at Ironman Arizona. Starting 112 miles of biking in the scorching heat feeling worn out from the swim, is not how I run a good marathon.
Spread the word... http://3monthstokona.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Redemption...The Return to Mt Evans
129 - 8:30 - 9409 - 15,652
As the alarm spits out some hip-hop, I have no desire to get out of bed at 6:45am. My legs are tight, my room is dark, my desire is low, but it's Mt. Evans day. I peel off the bed glue, do my morning thing, eat breakfast (plain bagel w/fake butter, Fierce Grape Gatorade, and some electrolyte tabs), and get into my gear.
Luisa and I are riding at 7:50am. We head south down the Platte River bike path, until we can head west on some side roads. An hour of warm-up and we are at the edge of the foothills, climbing up through the town of Morrison and past the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Luisa's plan is to ride to Echo Lake and then head back home, rocking off 95 miles and about 10,000 vertical feet. As we ride through Evergreen toward the turnoff for Echo Lake, I find myself going a little harder than I desire; Luisa is in the process of dropping me up some of the steep hills on Highway 74. Luckily, the crest the hill is near, I power through 5 or 6 huge pedal strokes and accelerate fiercely to catch up on the downhill. You see how I accentuate the power of my pedal strokes, when in fact it's just the extra 60 pounds that I have on Luisa that lets me get back on her wheel...she is one hell of a rider.
We ride nice and steady up CO-103. The grade is good, the traffic is low and my legs feel great. For the most part we ride side by side, dropping back to single file as cars approach, chatting and just enjoying the beautiful Colorado mountains. Sufficient water, good nutrition, and good pacing made the ride to Echo Lake quite uneventful, for once.
After a stop at the souvenir shop for more fluids I say my good-bye to Luisa and start the 14.4 mile ride up to the end of the road near the summit of Mt. Evans. 14,000 feet...I've never ridden a bike to this altitude before, and really, I've never done much of anything at this altitude before. The highest altitude that I've ever experienced, not counting flying in a plane, was when I was visiting my sister in Bolivia a few years back. We headed to the Salar de Uyuni and the areas beyond where we hit an altitude of 18,000 feet or so; I was pretty useless at that altitude.
The climb starts off serious, a solid grade finds me in my easiest gear, a 39x25 just working to stay at 8mph. This grade doesn't let up, I pass the 4 mile mark and am now above tree line, at the 5 mile mark I'm along the side of the mountain with amazing views to the east, at mile 8 the grade lets up at a false flat. After that false flat I get my first breather, about 1/2 a mile down to Summit Lake on some really shitty roads; at least they are paved. Then it's back to business.
Once above about 12,000 feet I am no longer able to just enjoy the ride. Instead I focus on the road in front of me, and not riding off that road. As the oxygen in the air decreases, my focus increases in order to keep progressing. Narrow roads, switchbacks galore, steep and rocky drop-offs, a plummeting temperature and here I am riding drunk, 5 hours into a ride, just trying to stay on the road. It's a great feeling.
I pass the 13 mile marker and know that I'm close. Mile 14 cruises by and I spot the observation tower that sits on the peak, almost there. Rounding the final switchback I keep pedaling with complete tunnel vision through the line of cars and people who are "summiting the mountain"; lazy fucks. To say that you've summited a fourteener by driving up to 14,100 feet, then hiking a little path another 100 vertical feet to the top is just plain absurd. But I digress, I've made it. 5 hours and 30 minutes after leaving home, I'm at the end of the road at the top of Mt. Evans.
Pee break, water, talk to the Forest Ranger for too long (she just kept asking questions!), down I go...freezing my ass off, and I blame the ranger for that one. Just a mile downhill I'm shivering, trying to negotiate these switchbacks (still drunk on altitude), dodging mountain goats (seriously) and my hands are going numb.
After gaining feeling back to my fingers, the rest of the ride home went really well. Sure my legs felt a little heavy up the last few hills, but surprisingly, this was the best long ride that I've had here in Denver. I didn't blow up, I didn't bonk, I knew where I was going (first ride without a map), and I felt like I could keep riding.
I know that the morning is going to be rough after today, but it was a great day: 129 miles - 8hours and 30 minutes of ride time - 9409 calories burned - 15,652 vertical feet climbed.
I really need a job to keep me from doing these rides...so if you know anyone in the Denver area in need of a guy with HR, Training, and sales experience, just let me know.
Stay healthy.
As the alarm spits out some hip-hop, I have no desire to get out of bed at 6:45am. My legs are tight, my room is dark, my desire is low, but it's Mt. Evans day. I peel off the bed glue, do my morning thing, eat breakfast (plain bagel w/fake butter, Fierce Grape Gatorade, and some electrolyte tabs), and get into my gear.
Luisa and I are riding at 7:50am. We head south down the Platte River bike path, until we can head west on some side roads. An hour of warm-up and we are at the edge of the foothills, climbing up through the town of Morrison and past the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Luisa's plan is to ride to Echo Lake and then head back home, rocking off 95 miles and about 10,000 vertical feet. As we ride through Evergreen toward the turnoff for Echo Lake, I find myself going a little harder than I desire; Luisa is in the process of dropping me up some of the steep hills on Highway 74. Luckily, the crest the hill is near, I power through 5 or 6 huge pedal strokes and accelerate fiercely to catch up on the downhill. You see how I accentuate the power of my pedal strokes, when in fact it's just the extra 60 pounds that I have on Luisa that lets me get back on her wheel...she is one hell of a rider.
We ride nice and steady up CO-103. The grade is good, the traffic is low and my legs feel great. For the most part we ride side by side, dropping back to single file as cars approach, chatting and just enjoying the beautiful Colorado mountains. Sufficient water, good nutrition, and good pacing made the ride to Echo Lake quite uneventful, for once.
After a stop at the souvenir shop for more fluids I say my good-bye to Luisa and start the 14.4 mile ride up to the end of the road near the summit of Mt. Evans. 14,000 feet...I've never ridden a bike to this altitude before, and really, I've never done much of anything at this altitude before. The highest altitude that I've ever experienced, not counting flying in a plane, was when I was visiting my sister in Bolivia a few years back. We headed to the Salar de Uyuni and the areas beyond where we hit an altitude of 18,000 feet or so; I was pretty useless at that altitude.
The climb starts off serious, a solid grade finds me in my easiest gear, a 39x25 just working to stay at 8mph. This grade doesn't let up, I pass the 4 mile mark and am now above tree line, at the 5 mile mark I'm along the side of the mountain with amazing views to the east, at mile 8 the grade lets up at a false flat. After that false flat I get my first breather, about 1/2 a mile down to Summit Lake on some really shitty roads; at least they are paved. Then it's back to business.
Once above about 12,000 feet I am no longer able to just enjoy the ride. Instead I focus on the road in front of me, and not riding off that road. As the oxygen in the air decreases, my focus increases in order to keep progressing. Narrow roads, switchbacks galore, steep and rocky drop-offs, a plummeting temperature and here I am riding drunk, 5 hours into a ride, just trying to stay on the road. It's a great feeling.
I pass the 13 mile marker and know that I'm close. Mile 14 cruises by and I spot the observation tower that sits on the peak, almost there. Rounding the final switchback I keep pedaling with complete tunnel vision through the line of cars and people who are "summiting the mountain"; lazy fucks. To say that you've summited a fourteener by driving up to 14,100 feet, then hiking a little path another 100 vertical feet to the top is just plain absurd. But I digress, I've made it. 5 hours and 30 minutes after leaving home, I'm at the end of the road at the top of Mt. Evans.
Pee break, water, talk to the Forest Ranger for too long (she just kept asking questions!), down I go...freezing my ass off, and I blame the ranger for that one. Just a mile downhill I'm shivering, trying to negotiate these switchbacks (still drunk on altitude), dodging mountain goats (seriously) and my hands are going numb.
After gaining feeling back to my fingers, the rest of the ride home went really well. Sure my legs felt a little heavy up the last few hills, but surprisingly, this was the best long ride that I've had here in Denver. I didn't blow up, I didn't bonk, I knew where I was going (first ride without a map), and I felt like I could keep riding.
I know that the morning is going to be rough after today, but it was a great day: 129 miles - 8hours and 30 minutes of ride time - 9409 calories burned - 15,652 vertical feet climbed.
I really need a job to keep me from doing these rides...so if you know anyone in the Denver area in need of a guy with HR, Training, and sales experience, just let me know.
Stay healthy.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday Morning
Tomorrow is the big day, 130 miles, 12,000+ vertical feet, summiting Mt. Evans and riding back home. This will be the most challenging ride that I've ever attempted, and I couldn't be more excited to see how this body will respond.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Still Hurting
My recovery week has come about five days before planned. The past few days I've spent training, but without the training part. The day after my epic bonk, I laid low and ate. Yesterday I went out for a run and called it after 10 minutes as I was feeling really dizzy, on the verge of passing out. I then went to the pool for30min of frustration; this damn shoulder keeps pissing me off. Today I went out for a three hour ride that lasted an hour, then another 20min of splashing around in the pool.
I have been doing my best to hide the fact that I completely killed myself on Tuesday's 130 miler, now I'm realizing that I did just that. My original plan involved two big days of training tomorrow and Sunday, then a recovery week. Well, since I've been recovering since Wednesday I think it's best just to continue recovery and start up another bout of ridiculous long rides next week; along with some running and swimming of course.
I have decided that I will be attempting the Mt. Evans ride before my Ironman training is finished. Luisa has committed to the insanity as well; misery sure loves company.
I have been doing my best to hide the fact that I completely killed myself on Tuesday's 130 miler, now I'm realizing that I did just that. My original plan involved two big days of training tomorrow and Sunday, then a recovery week. Well, since I've been recovering since Wednesday I think it's best just to continue recovery and start up another bout of ridiculous long rides next week; along with some running and swimming of course.
I have decided that I will be attempting the Mt. Evans ride before my Ironman training is finished. Luisa has committed to the insanity as well; misery sure loves company.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Google Earth + determination = dumb
Once again on Monday night I found myself writing up another new training route for a long ride. This time I wanted some aerobar time, so the route was going to avoid the mountains. A few hours of planning and I had the perfect 5-6 hour ride.
I woke up kind of late due to not getting finished with my planning until 12:30am. This wasn't a big deal due to the mild weather forecast: mid to upper 70s with scattered t-storms. I topped off my water bottles and headed out. The route takes me north past Boulder, through Lyons, around Longmont, back through Boulder and then back to the city. My long planning session was time well spent. All of the roads had a bike lane or shoulder, which in terms of sanity is vital on a long ride.
I stop in Boulder to fill up my bottles, and so as to not run out in the middle of the farmlands, then continue to pedal to Lyons. The 70 mile mark flies by and the legs are feeling great. Then, suddenly, at mile 85, out of the fucking blue I hit it...a wall the size of Everest engulfs my body and everything is hurting. To this point I'm cruising, averaging in the 22-23mph range; now I'm spinning at 16-17mph and every hill hurts...I've bonked.
When the bonk comes there isn't too much you can do about it besides start over. Get in a lot of calories, rest a bit, hydrate, and wait. Once you get the calories down it takes about 30-40minutes for your body to react, if it reacts at all. You know that you've bonked when a few things happen: you suddenly slow dramatically (yup), your desire to continue the current activity is finished (sure thing), and the majority of your thoughts revolve around food (donuts, hamburger, and fries specifically).
The first gas station I come across fails me, only prepackaged donuts and that's not on my list. Did I mention that you get stubborn when you've bonked? I keep riding with the alertness of a turtle, but somehow I spot it...a donut shop. I swing in and pull up to the door with 30 minutes to spare until closing time. The pickings are slim and I settle on a chocolate long john for $2; I wasn't aware that donuts could be so expensive but by the time I actually realized what I paid, the donut was already in my stomach. The donut lady kindly fills my water bottles with ice and water, which makes the $2 donut even more worth it. It's 3:40pm, I'm still 30 miles from home, shit.
Those last 30 miles were really slow and painful. The time on the bike did allow me to reflect on the day that had been and the mistakes that I made leading up to that day. Primarily an increase in training volume combined with a lack of sufficient calories. Starting off with a half tank makes a long day in the saddle a big challenge. It's not like I haven't been trying to eat a lot, it's just really hard to eat 5-6,000 calories a day. For example, my typical Chipotle burrito (standard burrito fare just without dairy) nets me about 855 calories. To get in 6000 calories I'd have to eat 7 burritos in a day. Imagine how rough you'd feel after 4 of those things in a day, now add 3 more; that's a lot of food. So you see that I'm fighting an uphill dietary battle.
Luckily on days that I ride long I know pretty well how many calories I need to get in due to my Garmin telling me the amount of calories that I burn during the ride. It uses my weight and height combined with my heart rate throughout the ride to calculate the approximate calories expended. On yesterday's ride-130 miles, 7hrs 15min of ride time, and over 8 hours out on the road-I burned 7891 calories or 9.23 burritos. It's time to eat.
I woke up kind of late due to not getting finished with my planning until 12:30am. This wasn't a big deal due to the mild weather forecast: mid to upper 70s with scattered t-storms. I topped off my water bottles and headed out. The route takes me north past Boulder, through Lyons, around Longmont, back through Boulder and then back to the city. My long planning session was time well spent. All of the roads had a bike lane or shoulder, which in terms of sanity is vital on a long ride.
I stop in Boulder to fill up my bottles, and so as to not run out in the middle of the farmlands, then continue to pedal to Lyons. The 70 mile mark flies by and the legs are feeling great. Then, suddenly, at mile 85, out of the fucking blue I hit it...a wall the size of Everest engulfs my body and everything is hurting. To this point I'm cruising, averaging in the 22-23mph range; now I'm spinning at 16-17mph and every hill hurts...I've bonked.
When the bonk comes there isn't too much you can do about it besides start over. Get in a lot of calories, rest a bit, hydrate, and wait. Once you get the calories down it takes about 30-40minutes for your body to react, if it reacts at all. You know that you've bonked when a few things happen: you suddenly slow dramatically (yup), your desire to continue the current activity is finished (sure thing), and the majority of your thoughts revolve around food (donuts, hamburger, and fries specifically).
The first gas station I come across fails me, only prepackaged donuts and that's not on my list. Did I mention that you get stubborn when you've bonked? I keep riding with the alertness of a turtle, but somehow I spot it...a donut shop. I swing in and pull up to the door with 30 minutes to spare until closing time. The pickings are slim and I settle on a chocolate long john for $2; I wasn't aware that donuts could be so expensive but by the time I actually realized what I paid, the donut was already in my stomach. The donut lady kindly fills my water bottles with ice and water, which makes the $2 donut even more worth it. It's 3:40pm, I'm still 30 miles from home, shit.
Those last 30 miles were really slow and painful. The time on the bike did allow me to reflect on the day that had been and the mistakes that I made leading up to that day. Primarily an increase in training volume combined with a lack of sufficient calories. Starting off with a half tank makes a long day in the saddle a big challenge. It's not like I haven't been trying to eat a lot, it's just really hard to eat 5-6,000 calories a day. For example, my typical Chipotle burrito (standard burrito fare just without dairy) nets me about 855 calories. To get in 6000 calories I'd have to eat 7 burritos in a day. Imagine how rough you'd feel after 4 of those things in a day, now add 3 more; that's a lot of food. So you see that I'm fighting an uphill dietary battle.
Luckily on days that I ride long I know pretty well how many calories I need to get in due to my Garmin telling me the amount of calories that I burn during the ride. It uses my weight and height combined with my heart rate throughout the ride to calculate the approximate calories expended. On yesterday's ride-130 miles, 7hrs 15min of ride time, and over 8 hours out on the road-I burned 7891 calories or 9.23 burritos. It's time to eat.
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