I am an IRONMAN!

I did it!  I completed 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running...all in one day!

Race day went well overall.  I had my best swim of the season, with a 1:43 time.  My goal was 1:45.  I mention that because swimming was my biggest challenge in doing an Ironman race.  I have come a long way since training started in January.

As you can see, I was excited about my swim.  I was also excited because Ellen and our support crew were there to cheer me on.  I headed to T1.

I got to the transition area and changed clothes to get ready for the bike.  As I was heading out of transition to the bike, I noticed that I had a flat rear tire.  Crap!  Fortunately, there was a bike tech who was in transition, and he changed my tire for me...what a blessing, and in a faster time than I would have changed it.

So, I headed out on the bike for my 112-mile bike.  The weather was going to hit 90 degrees for the day, so I knew that I had to hydrate well.  I felt good about going out on the bike, as I had ridden the course twice before and the familiarity with it was a relief. 

I felt good through two loops and about 80 miles of biking.  The heat started to bear down and I started to get tired.  I was glad to have Ellen and tri friends along the bike route to cheer me on, especially the second time. 

There were many people who had gotten off of their bikes due to flat tires or for a break from the race due to the heat.  I found out later that 14% of the people who started the race did not finish the race.

Unfortunately, someone had thrown tacks out on part of the bike course, and 30 athletes' bikes got flats from that.  I was glad to have avoided that. (apparently, there are people who do not like the Ironman event and the "inconvenience" it produces for them getting around on race day).

I made it through the last 32 miles and headed for T2.  I knew late in the bike that I would not have the legs or the energy I thought I might have for the run.  I sat in transition and changed clothes, getting ready to go out on the run.  My thought was, "crap, I have to go out and run a marathon!" 

The funny thing about that is, the marathon is all that I used to do.  On this day, I had swam 2.4 miles and biked 112 miles, and now ALL (emphasis added) that was left  was a 26.2-mile run. 

It was still hot outside, even though it was 4pm.  For perspective, I started my swim at approximately 7:05am, so I had already been in my race for 9 hours. 

I felt okay for the first three miles and then it got tough.  It was great to see my friend Ron at the beginning of the run (he had come down to watch me race and finish). 

I realized on the run that my energy was low and nutrition was off due to the heat.  I needed to eat, but gels did not sound good...I didn't know what to consume.  So, I had to experiment with some items that were at the aid stations (oranges, bananas, pretzels, and various drinks such as ice water, Ironman Perform, Coke, and chicken broth). 

In the meantime, I had to draw from past experience in a marathon when I was not feeling well.  I walked for awhile and then would run for awhile.  That is what I did for the first half of the marathon.

When I came to the halfway point, I could see the finish line, but that would have to wait for another lap.  Fortunately, I saw Coach Sean and then Ellen and my tri friends, who encouraged me to finish the rest of the marathon. 

I started feeling better as I made the turnaround for the last loop of the marathon.  My goal had been to run a 4:20 marathon; my goal now was to complete the second loop of the marathon and become an Ironman.  My strategy now was to run to the next aid station, walk through it and take in nutrition, and then run to the next aid station. 

I was able to see some of my teammates along the way during the run, which was good.

With three miles to go, it really sunk in that I was going to complete my journey and become an Ironman.  With about a mile to go, I caught up to my teammate Joe, and we ran the last 1.2 miles to the finish line.  When we made that last right turn, we could hear the crowd loudly cheering.

After visualizing the finish line and having a picture of it on my phone, I got to cross the finish line.

I got to hear, "Vince Auten, you are an Ironman!"

Here is a picture of me and Joe at the finish line.

Here is a picture of me and Ellen after the race.  I was SO glad that she was there the entire race to cheer me on and support me!

I was glad that my good friend Ron was there to experience the race and see me finish.

It was great to see Carla Happel (who completed IM Louisville in 2011) at the finish lne as well.

What a celebration!  The atmosphere was electric at the finish line.

I am very proud of my accomplishment of training for and becoming an Ironman.

Congratulations to my teammates Ginger, Joe, Raj, Whitney, and Polly for completing the race as well and for Mark, who had a good race but went out on the run.  I enjoyed training with them and going through the journey with them.

A big thank you to Ellen and my daughters for their support and encouragement along the way, and putting up with me being gone a lot for training, especially on the weekends.  Thank you to Coach Sean and Jackie Dikos for helping me coach me on my training and nutrition for the race.  Thank you to my teammates for being there and supporting me, and for the fun we had on our training days and races (and for being there with me to endure the tough training days, when we would rather have been doing something else).

Thanks also to my friend Ron, who supported me throughout the entire process, with encouraging texts, phone calls, and emails.

Thank you to our support crew on race weekend.  Kendra, Rachel, Sam, Dru, Ross, Hank, Brooke, Brenda, Ashley, Shawn, for being there along the course.  (I apologize if I missed anyone).

What is next, I'm not sure.  I do know that I will need to do something, as I want to maintain the fitness that I have gained.

It was strange yesterday to not have to get up and do a long training day.  I slept in until 8:00am! 

I told Ellen and some friends that I would get a tattoo if I completed an Ironman.  Now, I am deciding what to get. 

Thank you for reading my blog.  I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much I as I have had writing it.

It's Race Time!

We have less than 5 days until RACE DAY!!!  A week from today, I will be an IRONMAN!

As of the time of this writing, I have been packing for race weekend.  I think that is more stressful than thinking about the race! 

There are 5 different bags that have to be filled with various things for the race, including pre/post-race things, bike gear bag, bike special needs bag, run gear bag, run special needs bag, each having a color.  You have to turn these bags in prior to the race and they magically appear at various places during and after the race (kind of like your bags when you got to Disney, except you don't get a few of these bags and their contents back after the race).  The special needs bags are given to you at the halfway point of the bike and run.  It is for things that you might need or think you might need, including band-aids, CO2 cartridge and bike tube, potato chips, chamois butter for your bike pants, etc. 

You have to plan all of this before race day and have it ready. 

I remember seeing blogs and Facebook posts last year with IM participants who posted pictures of all of the food and gear...I thought it was crazy...not so crazy now.

I am nervous and excited for the race.  I have been visualizing doing the race and completing it, going over all of the things that I will be experiencing.  I am sure the atmosphere will be electric!

I have been receiving emails, phone calls, and texts this week from friends and family, including friends who have completed and Ironman race.  I appreciate all of the love and support...keep it coming!

We are in taper mode right now, as we have been for the past few weeks.  While the length of my training has gone down, the intensity has still been there. 

Taper is needed for the body to rest and recover and get ready for what lies ahead on race day.   The hardest part for me is the mental aspect...I am having a hard time concentrating on anything and feel my mind is going all over the place.

I am glad I am able to share my feelings with my teammates and coach, as they are going through it with me.

Since we last spoke, I completed a 2.4-mile swim in the Ohio River with my Personal Best teammates on Saturday, August 11.  It was great experience for the swim portion of the race, as that is the river where we will do our Ironman swim.  Half of the course was against the current, while the other half was with the current.  I successfully completed the swim in less than 2 hours!  Yeah!  That gave me confidence that I will take with me to race day. 

I need to get going, as I need to get as much rest as I can this week.  I am hydrating, carbo-loading, resting, and visualizing (and packing).

I am excited to be going down to Louisville to complete the Ironman with my teammates Ginger, Mark, Joe, Raj, Polly, and Coach Sean (and coach Whitney, who is also doing the race). 

Thank you also goes out to Jackie Dikos, who has been a great help in helping me dial in my nutrition for race day!  Wish you could be there to see us race.

I have heard from various friends that they will be there on race day to cheer us on.  That will be awesome!!

My journey began on January 2, when I started training for Ironman Louisville.  Now, it is less than 5 days from race day. 

I look forward to celebrating the completion of my journey on Sunday, when I swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon.

A HUGE thank you to my wife Ellen for supporting me in all aspects of my journey.  Without her support, this would not have happened.  I love you!  She will get to experience the journey with me on race day, as she sees me cross the finish line and become an Ironman!

Has it been worth it?!  Absolutely!

140.6, here we come!

It's Taper Time...4 Weeks To Go!

I am writing this on a rest day from training.  Four weeks from today, I will doing Ironman Louisville!  I am  excited and nervous about the race.  I now know I can successfully complete the race.

Yesterday, we had our long training day.  Raj, Polly, and I swam one hour, biked for five, and then came back in the evening to run for two hours.  We had three hours between finishing the bike and the run.  Although we will not do that on race day, Coach Sean wanted us to focus on recovering after the swim and bike and be ready to run.  The run went well and I felt good.  After training in 100+ weather, it seemed easy to run in 80-degree weather last night.  Another reason for running in the evening is that we will be running during the evening on race day.  While we were in Indy doing our training, Joe, Ginger, and Mark were riding the IM Louisville bike course. 

Thank you to coach Sean and Sam for kayaking for us during our swim! 

I feel comfortable with my pace and being able to complete the swim on race day. 

During the bike, we rode by Culvers and other restaurants, as well as by houses where people were grilling out.  I definitely wanted a hamburger.  So, after we completed the run, me and my Personal Best Triathlon teammates went out for burgers and fries (Joe, Rachel, Sean, Kendra, Raj, Polly, and Sam).

One of purposes of the long training is to practice race-day nutrition (drinking and eating).  I have been working on that a lot lately.  With the help of nutritionist Jackie Dikos, we have come up with the plan of eating every 30 minutes on the bike and run.  It's amazing how much energy you require during a race, especially an Ironman.  While some may think it pretentious to have a nutritionist, I am so glad I did.  Jackie has been a big help to me in determining what and how much to eat and drink and when to do them.  I've heard it said that nutrition is the fourth leg of the triathlon.  It is true.  (Thank you, Jackie!) 

When I last posted, I was getting ready to do Muncie 70.3.  Due to the extreme heat and humidity, the race was reduced to a 1-mile swim, 30-mile bike, and 10-k run.  While I was disappointed with not being able to do the entire race, I was glad they did that.  The temperature was 91 degrees when I finished the race at 10:15am.  The water temperature was 88 degrees!  I had a good race overall, and learned things to take into my next race. 

Some of my teammates had signed up to do Cardinal Harbor 70.3 the following weekend instead of Muncie 70.3.  Since I wasn't able to do the complete distance at Muncie, I decided that I wanted to complete the half iron distance before race day.  (thank you, Ellen, for allowing me to do another race!)  Another reason for doing the Cardinal Harbor race was we were going to swim in the Ohio river and bike on the IM Louisville bike course.  Due to issues with police and course coverage (we would have had to stop at stop lights in Prospect, KY, because police would not be stopping traffic for us...really?!), the race was moved about an hour away from Louisville (Taylorsville Lake).  While I was disappointed to not be able to swim and bike near and on the IM course, the race we completed was hilly on the bike and run, which was good preparation for race day.  We had a good race.  Congrats to Ginger, Raj, Mark, and Polly for completing the race as well!

You've heard me say that I continue to learn every day (which continues to this day), I recently learned that I need to wipe down and lubricate my chain regularly.  It took an hour for me, Mark, and Ginger to get my chain unstuck, due to the "gunk" on my chain and gears.  Lesson learned! 

I continue to work on my swimming.  Mark has been helping me focus on pace and rhythm in open water.  I swim faster in the pool...it's easier...no sighting, clear water, can see the lane lines, etc.  It's now a matter of practicing in open water as often as possible 

Speaking of open water, the latest issue we have come across is the algae issue in the lakes, due to warmer water and lower lake levels.  Fortunately, we were able to do the swim portion of our long training day yesterday.  The water level is down several feet in Lake Kesslerwood.

Last weekend was brick weekend, consisting of a 60-mile bike/15-mile run on Saturday, and 40-mile bike/5-mile run on Sunday.  The challenge was not only the long brick workouts, but also to recover after Saturday's workout and be ready to do it all over again on Sunday.  I have found out how important it is to focus on recovery after hard workouts, so as to be able to successfully complete the next workout. 

Thank you to Ellen and my daughters for supporting and putting up with me during all of this training!  They have not seen me much on weekends due to training and races.  Rachel and Katie made me an Ironman poster that I have on my office door.  It is a daily reminder of why I am doing all of this training.  I love you guys!

While we are now going to taper (reduced training time and distance), we will still have hard intensity workouts.  This is the time to let my body rest and recover, so that I am at full strength come race weekend.  While I know it will be hard to not want to do more than is on the training schedule, I need to rest and recover.  The mental part is the hardest, as you feel you should be out there doing more.

I look forward to getting in to a pool this afternoon.  I won't be swimming a lap or wearing a watch to track my time.  I will be floating on a raft, having a few cold ones, which I am SO looking forward to.

What a journey! 

Hot, Hot, Hot!

As I sit here today, the weather is supposed to hit 99 degrees!  It looks like it will be next week before we break the 90+ degree weather.  It's been a very hot summer so far.

Speaking of hot, our group went down to Louisville to swim and bike the course last Saturday (Ginger, Joe, Raj, Mark, and coach Whitney).  The temperature went over 100 degrees!  We got the opportunity to swim the beginning leg of the swim course.  It was good to see and touch the water (for familiarity only, as the Ohio River is not necessarily clean).  We ended up swimming one loop of the course that was available to us and then headed out on the bike. 

I bought a hydration system that mounts to my bike.  I had it put on prior to Louisville, but did not have time to secure the hydration tube and it got caught in my front wheel, and down I went!  Fortunately, the bike was okay and I did not get hurt - the tube got cut and I lost one of my major sources of hydration for the bike.  This happened on mile 5 of 80.  Crap!  Fortunately, we stopped at the sag locations on the course to help my hydration.  You didn't feel the heat as much when you were on the bike, as there was a breeze from riding; you could really feel the heat when stopped.  I ended up pouring water on my head and putting ice down my shirt and shorts, all in an effort to cool down my core.  We were all trying to stay cool.

Mark had not had his daily Dr. Pepper, so we stopped at a gas station along the route and Ginger bought him a large cup of pop.  We decided that Dr. Pepper was a great fueling drink for Mark.  He had another one at one of the later stops.  At the sags, there was water, Gatorade, orange slices, bananas and even pulled pork (at one of the stops).  The fluids and food were a welcome sight! 

There were many people who said they were going to bike the entire 112-mile course, but the heat altered many of their plans. 

I learned during the ride that potato chips tasted good.  I even had two pieces of beef jerky after the bike; never had it before - it tasted really good!  I learned that my body needed even more salt than I had consumed, due to the heat. 

They will have what is called special needs bags that we will have available for the bike and run.  In these bags, we put things in them that we might want or need while on the bike or run (to eat or drink).  Volunteers will give them to us during the bike and run.  I am definitely going to put potato chips and beef jerky in there, among other things.  It is amazing what tastes good when exercising as hard as we are. 

I incorporated coach Sean's suggestion to pedal down the hills and not to coast to conserve energy.  It made getting up the next hill much easier with less effort.  That's why we practice and train. 

I am definitely glad that I was able to swim and bike the course.  I can now visualize it and know what to expect. 

I was definitely glad for our group on Saturday; we endured and succeeded together through the heat.  Mark and Raj jumped back into the river after the bike - they said it should be part of the Ironman event.

Ginger, Raj, Hank, and I did the 5k Morse swim.  Well...they did...I got through 4k before I had to get out.  I was disappointed that I did not finish the 5k in the allotted time, but was able to swim the entire Ironman distance (4k or 2.4 miles).  I had issues with sighting the bouys, as they were a considerable distance apart.  I am thankful that the Ironman swim course is not technical (it's pretty straight) and the bouys are easier to see and to sight.  As has been the case with other things we have done, I learned things that I need to know for the Ironman.  While I was pacing myself for the 2.4-mile swim, I needed to swim at a quicker pace in order to make time limit for the swim (2 hours, 20 minutes).  The other good thing that came out of the swim event was that I felt good coming out of the water and would have been able to get on the bike and ride. 

Our family went on vacation to Lake Geneva, WI last week.  While I was on vacation from work, I still had workouts to do for my training.  I was able to get a 15-mile run and an open-water swim in while we were up there.  I got in my bike workout before we left for Wisconsin.  I had planned on getting another swim in, but it was very windy and the water way too choppy to swim.  While I was disappointed to not get that extra swim in, I was glad for the rest.   

This Saturday is Muncie 70.3, which is a half ironman distance (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run).  We will have familiarity of the course, as it is located where Muncie Man Triathlon was held.  It is a good training event to help prepare for Louisville.  It gives us another chance to practice our transitions and nutrition/hydration.  Coach Sean and I discussed what we want to get out of the race.  I am going to focus on picking up the pace on the swim and to see what I can do on the bike, and then run well.  It is supposed to be in the upper-90's again, so hydration will be important.

Ellen got done with school on June 15.  It has been nice having her home.  She has taken some of the pressure off of me, as she is going to the store and she and the girls are making dinner.  I am thankful for that!  She has been a great support to me during this process.  It will be good to see her on race day.  My family has been a good source of support, and I am grateful.

Race weekend is getting closer and closer.  We are less than 8 weeks away.  I have been training since the beginning of January.  One of the things (not sure if it is good or bad) about training for an Ironman is that the race and preparation hang over your head all of the time...you know there is another training session coming the next day.  I have also learned that it is okay to skip a workout if I need to.  I do not like to skip workouts, but life and tiredness get in the way.  It is important to rest, so as to not get run down physically and emotionally.  That is definitely true this week, as we have been feeling the effects of our Saturday long workout.  I want to have good energy for Saturday's half ironman race. 

It will be good to see friends at Muncie on Saturday that are doing the race as well.  (good luck to Sam, Katie, and Carla!)

I continue to work on my race nutrition and am learning what is working and what I need to change. 

The learning never ends.  I am okay with that, as I want to be as prepared as possible for race day.  Thank you to my teammates and everyone that has shared information and support!

Time to go do my swim workout and then relax and enjoy the rest of my 4th of July.  Happy 4th of July everyone!

Getting Closer

I am sitting here, not having to train tonight (as I trained early this morning) and looking at a rest day tomorrow...what a great feeling! [Thursday night post]

I have learned how important rest and recovery is in the training process. 

One of the tough parts about the training is how long the training is to adequately prepare for race day.  Another part is having the stress of the upcoming race always in the back of your mind.  That's why I have kept the mantra, "one day at a time" at the forefront of my thinking...so that I don't look too far ahead and drive myself crazy. 

The countdown until race day is 70 days!  Wow!  I thought it was going to be a long time until we got close to the race...it is getting close.

I am now 6+ weeks post-surgery and I am feeling good overall!  I still have days and workouts where I feel it in one way or the other, but I have been able to do the training.  I still listen to my body and how it feels and am being smart about my training.

I had a great success last Saturday.  I completed the Muncie Man Triathlon, consisting of 1.89-mile swim, 38-mile bike, and 9.3-mile run.  I was to treat it like a training day, with numbers to focus on.  I was able to exceed those numbers and finish in 4:48.  Considering I did not sight one of the yellow buoys during the first lap of the swim, I am sure I swam 2 miles...2 miles!!!  I have never swam that far in my life!  2 1/2 years ago, I didn't know how to swim!  That gives me great confidence for Louisville and the 2.4-mile swim.  I am going to get to swim the opening portion of the actual swim course on June 30th, as we are going to swim and bike on the course. 

Thank you Ron Stohler, for waiting to see me finish the race! 

Congrats to Joe, Ginger, and Raj for completing the Muncie Man as well! (and Hank and Ron on the Olympic distance!)

We were able to wear wetsuits during the swim.  Because of the water temperature that will most likely be present on race day, wetsuits will not be race legal.  I feel more confident in my swim to be able to swim without a wetsuite on race day.

Ginger, Raj, Hank, and I will be doing a 5k swim on June 23.  Yes, 5k...3.1 miles of swimming...yikes!  I would rather run that distance than to swim it.  While I am nervous about swimming this far and within 2 1/4 hours, it is another confidence builder...right Ginger?! 

I am still having issues with downloading pictures that show right side up (I am not automation challenged, really!)  It appears that I need a Ph.D in Graphic Design in order to correct photos that upload sideways

On May 26, I went down to Louisville and biked with the iAmTri group.  The roads were open, but there were sag stations with drinks and food (gels, bars, water, Ironman Perform, bananas, orange wedges).  The day I was there, it was 94 degrees...can't imagine it could get hotter than that on race day.  I biked the entire course except for doing the "LaGrange Loop", a 30-mile section of the course that we will bike twice during the race.  I biked 78 miles.  It is hilly...the hills don't stop.  The only section that is truly flat are the first and last 10 miles of the course.

[I'll post the pictures from my first Louisville trip when I figure out the photo editing thing]

The iAmTri community has been helpful, as over 500 IM Louisville participants ask and answer questions about the race and doing triathlons in general.  While a lot of emails fly around, I pick up good information.

I learned that I need to pedal down the hills to keep momentum and to make the next climb easier with momentum, as well as how important that nutrition will be throughout the race.  I got to experience the feeling of the thought process about getting ready to complete the bike and get ready to run a marathon...a marathon!  I have completed 9 marathons...but that was all that I was doing that day.  This time, the marathon will come after a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike.

There is SO much to know and learn.  I am thankful for the many sources of experience and knowledge, from Coach Sean, Nutritionist Jackie Dikos, to my IM teammates (Mark, Ginger, Joe, Raj) and many others.  It is quite a steep learning curve.  I learn new things almost every day.

I am focusing a lot right now on my nutrition for the race.  I met with Jackie last week and we discussed my pre-race, during, and post-race fueling for Muncie Man.  Now is the time for me to practice, so that I can see what works and what needs to be adjusted. 

This past week, I did my first sweat test, to determine how many ounces of fluids that I need to consume during the race, based on several factors, including how many fluids consumed, weight before and after the training session, temperature, and duration of the session.  It is going to be critical for me to take in the right amount of food and drink so that my body can perform at its best.

I learned from Coach Sean that I need to make sure that I have the fluids and food with me on the bike so that I do not have to rely on the sag stops for my nutrition and liquids (as I could miss the one I need and have to go without).  I am going to be focusing on what I will put in my special needs bags for the race (food and drink that are put in bags and given to me during the bike and run that I can access and consume).  An example of what I just learned.

I also learned that I need to pedal down a hill so that I keep my legs going and avoid them cramping up.  When I was at Louisville, I was using the downhill to rest my legs.  I knew from past experience that you want to pedal on the way down so that you have momentum for the next hill...I was trying to save my legs as much as possible, since I know I have a marathon to run after the bike.  Another example of what I have learned.  (again, thanks coach for that information/reminder!)

A big milestone in my training occurs tomorrow...I do my first 100-mile bike!  Yikes!  We will be riding to get the saddle time in for being on the bike for that long, as well as to practice hydration and eating.  I recently learned that I like Nuun (a flavored electrolyte additive for water).  I am all about mixing it up and having variety in what I eat and drink during the race. 

What do you think about my new running shoes?  They make me look fast!  I think they are cool!  

I have this picture on my iPhone...the Finish Line!  That is the goal!  I will be running down that carpeted chute and complete IM Louisville on August 26th!

One day at a time, one training session at a time, I will get there (and so will my IM teammates)!

Recovery

I am 3 1/2 weeks post-surgery to repair my hernia (I have pictures of what it looks like if anyone wants to see it.).

Doctor's orders after the surgery - no activity for a week - can walk after a week and then see how it feels after that.  No swimming for two weeks. 

This is a process that normally takes 4-6 weeks to heal.  "I don't have that kind of time; I have an Ironman to train for!" I said.  My body said otherwise.  It was slow going one week post-surgery.  My brain said that I needed to get out there and catch up.  The soreness and pain said otherwise. 

Patience, patience, patience.  I have learned that I have to listen to my body and what it will allow me to do.  I had to remember to try and heal so that I don't cause further injury.  Thank you to Ellen and my tri friends for telling me to ease back into things and to enjoy the rest so that I am ready to come back and start training when it's time.

I appreciate that coach Sean has been patient with me and working with me (including listening to me whine about my soreness).  I was concerned that I wasn't going to be able to do the race.  While it would not have been the end of the world if I wouldn't have been able to come back, I would have been really disappointed.  I have appreciated the texts and emails I have received from friends, asking me how I was doing. 

Mother's Day morning, Ellen and my friends Jeff and Cathy Smith, walked and jogged with me.  Woo hoo!  Progress!

Two weeks ago today, I walked briskly (i.e. 12:30/mile pace) while my daughter was at soccer practice.  Tonight, I was able to run 6 miles at an 8:45/mi pace...speed work...some soreness...was careful.

While I feel I kept most of my endurance while I was off, I could feel that I needed to get some back after biking intervals with Joe and Ginger last night and running intervals tonight while Katie was at soccer.  I am grateful to be back at it.  I'm starting to feel tired again, so I know I am ramping up my training. 


I took a picture of my biggest supporter, Ellen, and tried to upload it...it's sideways.  Once I figure out how to turn it, I will post the picture.  She is wearing her "Ironman Support Crew" shirt that I got her last year at Steelhead 70.3.  I bought it for her because she supported me as I trained for that race.  Little did I know that she would be supporting me as I trained for a full Ironman race.

Next up...Louiville on Saturday, to ride 60-71 miles on the actual bike course.  It is an "out and back" course, with two loops of 30-miles.  I am going so that I can get a feel for the course so that I am more relaxed about race day.  I have joined a group called "iAM TRI".  It is a group of people that are doing IM Louisville.  This group sponsors group rides along the course, as well as a group swim of the beginning of the swim, and runs on the run course.

I am learning good things from the posts on this website/blog.  There is a lot to learn.

Upcoming events for me include MuncieMan Tri on June 9 and a possible 5k swim in Morse Lake on June 23.  I am nervous about the latter, as that is a LONG swim! 

I was able to do my first open-water swim this past Monday.  I actually swam well and was excited about that! 

More to follow.  I will tell you about my experience from the ride in Louisville.

We are about 3 months away from race day!  I am nervous and excited.

Thanks for reading!

Halfway There!

As I write this update, I am at home recuperating from hernia surgery.  Yes, you read it right.  I got a hernia.  Not sure how.  I am focusing on healing and recovering and being able to get back to training.  I am going to use this time to heal and rest and be ready for what lies ahead with my training.

I cannot do any running or biking for a week and no swimming for two weeks.  I will work with Coach Sean to work through this and be ready to train again. 

As such, my streak of 13 straight Mini Marathons will come to an end.  Also, I am not going to run the Geist Half Marathon like I always do on the day before that race.  I am really okay with those two races, as they really don't help me per se' with my Ironman training. 

This past Sunday, I rode 70 miles.  On Saturday, I rode 30 miles, followed by an 8-mile run (a Brick workout).  A good learning experience in a few ways.  I got to experience some fatigue from the Saturday workout as well as realize that I did not take enough nutrition on Sunday on the first half of the bike.

We biked the 36-mile Nebo Ridge bike course.  While it was windy on the course, I did not have the energy I needed.  I was ready shut it down for the day and chalk it up to a bad training day.  Thanks to Ginger for talking me through it.  I ate and drank when I got back to the car and was able to bike two more 17-mile segements, so as to get in 70 miles.  I felt like a different person for those two 17-mile segments.  Still working on the fueling mentality needed to have the energy I need to power through the long training sessions I am going through.

Support has been a big theme lately.  Thnak you to my Personal Best Training teammates for riding with me on the long bikes!  (especially Joe, Ginger, Mark, Hank, and Ross).  Thank you to Ron Stohler for all of the encouraging calls and texts!  It has been great to get encouragement from friends on FB who have been reading my blog.  Thank you!

Four months and 17 weeks worth of training in the bank.  I continue to learn a lot.  I learn something almost every time I go out to train, whether it be about nutrition, pacing, or the mental aspect of training for an Ironman triathlon.

We are going down to Louisville this month to ride a significant portion of the bike course that will be part of the Ironman event.  I want to be as familiar with the race as I can, so as to reduce race weekend stress and settle in and enjoy it as much as possible.  [I am sure there are many of you wondering how one can enjoy swimming, biking and running 140.6 miles in one day]

Thank you to Ellen for her continued support of my race and all that is involved with the training and preparation!

Along with the increase in mileage and duration of my training, I will start doing open water swimming.  I want to be able to relax in open water like I have been able to do while swimming in the pool.

More to follow.  Stay tuned.  Thank you for reading and for your support!

I look forward to race weekend and completing a successful Ironman race, and hearing my name being called out as being an Ironman!

Three Months in!

Wow!  Three months of training in the books already! 

A lot continues to happen with my training journey.

Right after my last post, I had a swimming session at LA Fitness, a portion of which was timed.  I was able to come in under the times listed.  A few things ran through my mind...either I am getting more efficient with my swimming that I am able to swim faster, Coach Sean had set the bar at a reasonable level, or the pool was not 25 yards long. 

I couldn't shake the feeling of what was wrong.  So...I went back to LA Fitness and measured the pool length myself...twice!  Yes, it is 25 yards!  Whew!  If you know anything about me, I am not a slacker and I don't like to not do the required distance.  I AM getting faster!  That is exciting to me! 

This is the most I have ever swam in my life.  I am swimming three times a week, with an average of 3000 yards of drills, timed distances, and more drills.  Believe me, I need the drills!  Keep 'em coming!

...my wife Ellen was sitting here while I was writing the blog...I told her that she didn't need to read it...she is living it with me!  (she tells me to not use so many exclamation points...I'm type A, what can I tell you?).

Ellen has been a HUGE supporter of my training, for which I am grateful!

This week, we are on spring break...at home...I have training to do...plus, all of the races, equipment, etc,  it adds up...

I have been running a lot of long distance lately.  Since the last time I posted, I have run 18 miles twice as well as a 20-mile run.  I have another 20-mile run this weekend.  I feel comfortable with the pace that coach Sean has had me running at and have been able to settle into the pace and do the distance.  I have taken the time to work on my fluid and food consumption during the runs.

It's funny, I am running the Mini Marathon and Geist Half Marathon in May...that seems like an easy distance right now, compared to what I have been doing lately. 

[A selfless plug for the race I am involved in, if you have not done so, please sign up to run the Geist Half Marathon and 5k on Saturday, May 19.  All of the profits go towards the local schools for health and wellness initiatives.  www.geisthalf.com ]


The training has moved into the next phase, increased distance as well as brick training (biking, followed by running).  If you've never tried it, give it a try...your legs don't know what you are doing to them, until you have done it a few times.

Bike mileage is also increasing.  Last Sunday, the distance was 40 miles.  This weekend, it is 50 miles (yes, at one time, not for the week).

>>>As I hit these higher biking distances, I will be looking for friends and teammates to ride with.  If you are up for a 50-mile bike on Sunday, let me know.  eauten0914@att.net  or text me at 755-7905.

With the warmer months will come races and open-water swimming.  I want and need to get more comfortable with my open-water swimming.  I feel I am a better swimmer than I was last year...now, I need to just relax and swim like I have been training.  I will focus on sighting when we get out in open water.

For those of you who do not know what sighting is, it is looking up a regular intervals during swimming, to make sure you are swimming straight (usually towards colored bouys).  There are not any lane lines, markers, or ends of the pool to grab onto when swimming in open water. 

I am looking forward to doing some races coming up, to mix it up and to have things to look forward to.  I will be doing the Carmel Sprint this month (400 meter pool swim, 10-mile bike, 5k run).  While it is only a Sprint distance, the race will give me a chance to work on putting it all together, including transitions.  I see that I have an "EZ" 50-mile bike to do that day...all in perspective (compared to the 112-mile bike that is coming on race day).

3 months completed...5 months to go.  I am sure it will continue to fly by and we will be at Louisville, getting ready to do the Ironman.  Until that time, I will continue to swim, bike, and run and get ready for the race. 

Wow!  What a journey so far! 

A lot has happened since I last posted...

Today, I ran 18 miles...18?...already?!  I have never run this distance this soon in a season.  My understanding is that coach Sean is building up my endurance, so that something like 15 miles is "easy". 

Overall, it went well.  I was to run at a 10 minute/mile pace.  I ended up at 9:46/mile.  My endurance was good; it's my legs that got tight and sore.

Recent revelation - I need to stretch and have good flexibility. 

Stretching is something I need to much more of.  I need to spend the extra time, especially before and after a workout, to make sure I have stretched.  It has been easier to kind of stretch so that I can get a workout in.  I am to the point where I NEED to stretch, as I am way too tight in my legs. 

I have found my new best friend in the recovery area - compression tights.  They are REALLY tight and hard to get on and off...but, they REALLY work.  AND...I don't have to do ice baths to get the lactic acid out of my legs.  Lactic acid develops in your body as you are physically exerting.  In this case, it is my legs that produce lactic acid when I run.  After awhile, the blood cannot get rid of all of the lactic acid hat builds up, and it starts to build up in the system, causing soreness and reduction in ease of running (did I get that right, coach?).  I wear the compression tights for 3 or 4 hours after a long workout and my legs feel much better afterwards.  What I am focusing on is recovering so that I can do my next training session.

Tomorrow will be the end of my 10th week of training.  10 weeks already!  As I told Ellen tonight, I had to recover from my 18-mile run, how am I going to do the Ironman (where I will have swam 2.4 and biked 112 before getting on the run)?  That scary thought is why I focus on where I am today in my training and trust the process.  I will get there and will be ready.

One of the hard parts about training is that you wake up every morning six days a week, knowing that you have at least one workout to do (and sometimes two).  I was actually excited this week when I went to LA Fitness and the pool was out of order and I couldn't swim.  Not that I didn't want to swim, but that I got a break from a training session - I was kind of giddy about it.  That little bit of a break for my body was a welcome sight.

Balance continues to be the key word in my life - training, work, home, family.  I have learned to be flexible and to adjust when necessary, as life throws curve balls at times.  I do the cooking and grocery shopping - that is becoming more of a challenge, as the weekend workout durations increase.  Ellen has been very understanding and accommodating to my schedule and helps with the shuttling of our girls to their activities, especially when I need to get a workout in. 

Expenses - triathlon is an expensive hobby/sport.  Even if you are not trying to keep up on the latest technology, there are costs involved.  There is always something that comes up that you need to buy...the compression tights were NOT cheap, but worth every penny spent.  The costs of the races, energy drinks and foods, gear for the bike, etc, etc, etc.  I don't think I will get gifts for any occasions for awhile. 

Laughter - I can be intense at times, as I get focused.  While I need to take this training seriously, I need to not take it too seriously, as I want to enjoy the journey.  We were watching something on tv the other night and I was cracking up...I realized that I need to laugh more.  My 16-year old Rachel, says that I laugh at every commercial.  (I really don't, but there are some good commercials out there)

Support of family and friends - I could not do this without them.  First and foremost, my wife Ellen has been a HUGE supporter of what I am doing.  I am so grateful.

Nutrition - I met with nutritionist (and sub-3 hour marathoner!) Jackie Dikos.   I learned a lot from our session, especially that I need to drink more and eat more during my training sessions, especially the long ones.  It is about the right kinds of foods to fuel the body.  I realized that I need to eat and hydrate well before long training sessions  (and after the workout, so that I can recover well.  More to com on that, as my learning curve is high on that too.  Not that I don't eat well; but, I need to make better choices (what's wrong with a Pop-Tart from time to time?]

My friends have been very encouraging.  I am appreciative that people have been telling me that they have been reading my blog to keep up on my journey.  I am doing the blog to chronicle my journey.  It's neat to know that people are following what I am doing.  Thank you, Ron Stohler, for the support today on the Monon! 

It is great knowing that I am not doing IM Louisvlle alone.  I am glad that I have teammates that are doing training too.  We try to train together when possible.  I got to see several of them on the Monon today as I ran...while I ran the second half of my run today, they went out for breakfast...I need their training plans!

I have been learning to listen to my body and what it will tolerate.  Coach Sean will adjust my training based on feedback that I give him.  I had a 15-mile run last Sunday and had a hard run set for Monday (6 miles).  I told him that I did not know if my body could tolerate a hard run the day after.  I ended up doing the run on Monday.  I was pleased that my body responded, but I do know that I could have changed the workout to another day or change the type of intensity if necessary. 

My learning curve is high...I continue to learn...almost every day.  I can honestly say that this is the hardest physical challenge I have ever put my body through. [I thought that completing the Goofy Challenge in 2009 was the hardest challenge I had ever done...half marathon on Saturday, followed by a marathon on Sunday]. 

I am keeping my focus on the goal, one day at a time.  What a journey so far!

Another Week Closer...

Week 8 of my training is complete!  This week was a recovery week, a welcome sight for me.  It is a time of less time training but still with sustained effort.

I need to get a photographer to go out and take pictures of when I am training, so I can post something other than words to my blog.  Here's a picture of something I have spent considerable time looking at lately, whether it be on my bike or on the run.  It has become an invaluable tool for me to track how I am doing. 

[I saved the picture the way it should look...for some reason, it did not come over that way]

I am going to have my daughter Katie put together a poster for me to put on my door, so that I can look at it to remind myself of the goal.  I had a poster on my door for Ironman Steelhead 70.3 last year that I looked at every day.  A good reminder, especially on days when I don't necessarily feel like getting up early or go do the second training session of the day.  I am going to put things on it to motivate and inspire me.

I recently moved my gym membership from the Y to LA Fitness.  It is less expensive, but, more importantly, it is closer to home.  Also, I rarely have to share a lane for swimming and they open early on Sunday.  It's all about timing and finding some of it to get a workout in.

I have enjoyed being able to ride a bike on a trainer this winter, as it is helping me get used to being on my bike and to get stronger.  I need to work on working the lactic acid out of my legs from running and biking.  I did a cool bath yesterday after my 10-mile run; it helped somewhat....can't do an ice bath...too cold for me and my heart.  I am considering getting compression tights to help me do this.  ...man, what an expensive sport! 

For those of you who want to see where and what I/we will be doing on August 26, here is a link to the IM Louisville website.

http://ironman.com/louisville#axzz1nWRXCbnL

While it is a long training period, I am glad for it, as it gives me time to get better and develop my endurance that I will need to successfully complete the race.

I am working on developing a calendar of races that I am going to do in preparation for the Ironman event.  Here's what I have so far:

April 15 Carmel Sprint Triathlon
May 5    500 Festival Mini Marathon
May 19  Geist Half Marathon
June 9    Muncie Man Triathlon - Olympic Distance
July 7    Muncie Ironman 70.3 - Half Ironman
Aug 26  Ironman Louisville

There are a few other events that I am considering, and will be working with Coach Sean to determine which ones are best to do.

One day at a time, one training session at a time, one week at a time...

Building The Base

Joe, Raj, and I ran 13 miles today.  13...already?!  It's only February 18th!  Don't question, just do it!  Trust the process.  I am glad to have people to train with, especially when we get to the long bike rides and bricks.  Good to have Ginger, Lu, and Shawn out running with us for a few today.

I do ask a lot of questions and get good feedback from coach Sean, which is good for me, as I want to learn.

It was a great day to run. 

This is the portion of the training where we are building our base of endurance so that we can be ready to hit the major training that is coming. 

My learning curve continues to be steep...lots to learn. 

This is the first time that I have ever done a bike trainer.  It's a great workout and not as easy as one would think. 

I am learning that I need to recover so that I can do the next day's workout.  That includes food and drink, stretching, and rest.  Also, I am thinking I need to do cool baths or get recovery tights so that I can work out the lactic acid out of my legs to reduce soreness the next day. 

I am finding that I am hungry more often now, so I need to eat more than I am used to.  

Tomorrow ends week 7 of training.  Next week is a step down week, to let my body recover from all of the training.  Intensity is still there; the duration of the workouts decrease. 

With having 16- and 12-year old daughters with active lifestyles, my wife, mother-in-law, and I are shuttling them to tennis and soccer and the rest of the things they are involved with.  Each day is full of activity, as well as figuring out when to get my workouts in...and work.

By the way, welcome to the IM Louisville team to Chad Sperry!...yes, Chad, I did mention you in a previous post...I wanted you to break the news to your wife, not me.  btw...get training, mister!

Adjusting on the fly...one day at a time...

I just completed week 4 of my training.  How time flies!

I am starting to settle in to a routine for my training (though the training is not routine).

I figured out that I needed another bike trainer, as the one I had been using is not working (or I have channelled my inner Lance Armstrong and all gears are easy).  Fortunately, Coach Sean is letting me use one of his trainers. 

I prefer to train early morning during the week, but that doesn't always work.  Also, when I travel, I will have to plan how and when I am going to travel.  My boss is supportive of my endeavor and allowed me to get out of a meeting in Chicago coming up (the meeting wasn't really necessary, in my opinion).

I'm sure some of you saw this You Tube video about triathletes and what they say.  Had to laugh, as I have heard most of them at one point or another. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTEgLKhjIw&sns=em

(I couldn't get the link to work...just copy and paste it into a separate page if you want to watch it)

I know it sounds corny, but that is how I am approaching this journey...one day at a time.  I know the mileage and workouts are going to increase as time goes on.  I am focusing on what I have to do today and let tomorrow take care of itself.  [Deep Thoughts by Vince Auten...it's true, though]

My learning curve is high right now.  Even with all of the other training I have done, training to complete an Ironman is totally different. 

I am learning lots of new things, like how to set up my bike, GPS, nutrition, etc.  I feel fortunate that I have teammates that I can ask questions of.  There is no way I would have taken this on had Ellen had not okayed me hiring a coach.  The questions will keep coming, Coach Sean! 

I am looking into getting compression socks...not to look like an elite triathlete...to help me recover.  I am realizing that recovery will be important, so that I can successfully complete my next day of training. 

When I first saw that I would have to do strength and core training, I thought, "oh great, that sounds like fun...not!"  I am realizing how important that will be to me being successful in my training.  I realize that I need to get stronger, especially to help my swimming.  I think part of my shoulder soreness is due to not having enough upper-body strength, which is probably why my shoulders have been sore.  I realized when I swam today that having a strong core will help me swim more efficiently.  Again, my learning curve is steep!

I always thought I was a pretty organized person...this training is going to take that to another level...another notch (as per chef Emeril Lagasse').  Balance is another word that is part of my mantra.

By the way, welcome to Dru Sexson and Chad Sperry to the IM Louisville team! 

The more the merrier

The list of people who have signed up to do IM Louisville is growing...that's exciting!

Joe Abiog, Ginger Kobliska, Mark Ahonen, Raj Danala, and Polly Weitzman

It will be great having a big group of people doing the race, including having training partners (especially on the longer rides and runs).

We also have our own photographer and historian, Rachel Abiog!

There is one other person who is thinking about doing the race, but I will leave his name anonymous until he signs up.

Last night, we had a group social for Personal Best Training.  There was a lot of talk about doing various events.  If you weren't careful, Coach Sean or someone else was talking you into do a race, including IM Louisville.

This is week 3 of my training.  Today, I swam for an hour and ran for an hour.  Due to the weather, I had to run on the dreadmill.  I was actually glad, as I have been dealing with what I hope is not turf toe.  I am learning that there will be aches and pains and to not get too excited, as it is a long season.

I am finding myself getting hungry more often.  That will be a challenge going forward...to find food that will fill me up and that is good for me to eat with my training.

As some of you may know, I am a newer swimmer.  When I signed up to do Nation's Triathlon through Team In Training in 2009, I took beginner swim lessons at the Y.  I am still working on technique and endurance.  Some days, I feel like I am making progress, while other days I feel I have a long way to go.  I trust the process and coach Sean.  I might go to Indy Swim Masters and swim with others. 

I am keeping my mantra of "one day at a time, one training session at a time", not getting too far ahead of myself.  It is a long journey, but one I am ready for.

We watched the video of Kona World Championship last night.  When they showed people crossing the finish line, that reinforced my reason for doing (and completing this race...one of many reasons)...I want to hear my name being called as being an Ironman! 

Behind the Scenes

I need to take a few steps back to explain how I got to where I am today with this journey.

Last year, when I was training for Steelhead 70.3, I toyed with the thought of doing an Ironman.  My wife Ellen said that she thought it was inevitable that I would do an Ironman event.  I told her that if I were to do an IM, I would need a triathlon bike.  When she didn't flinch at my comment, I knew I was on my way if I wanted to do it.

Back in November, Ellen and I talked about the possibility of doing an IM.  The top two issues came up next; time and money. 

I had heard about the time commitment needed to train, but there were things to talk about and do.  When Ellen approved my endeavor, the topic of expenses came up.  She already knew that it was going to take significant amounts of time to properly prepare and train for the event. 

Long story short, Ellen figured out how we could pay for a triathlon bike.  Some of you might be wondering, "why do you need a triathlon bike?"  I have 112 reasons why.  Since I am going to be on the bike for 112 miles, I need to be able to be aerodynamic, efficient, and comfortable (well, relatively comfortable).  I found out that I needed all of the extras for the bike, including spare bike tube, C02, speedometer, training tire for riding indoors, etc.  It all adds up fast!  The bike became my birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, etc presents. 

That's just the beginning...the entry fee for an Ironman event is $600! 

We discussed and Ellen agreed that I needed a coach in order to successfully train for and complete the event.  I joined Personal Best Training and hired Coach Sean Edwards to prepare me for the IM event.  More costs but well worth it.  Coach Sean will be putting together my training schedule and monitoring my progress, as well as meeting with me and monitoring my training. 

Fortunately, I already had a YMCA membership, which is where I will swim (and sometimes run, when the weather outside is not conducive to running). 

Another cost that I needed to incur was a triathlon watch to train with.  While the one I had was good for running, it's battery life was not sufficient for my long training sessions to come.  Cha-ching!  I used Christmas and birthday money to finance that.

So...we're in and highly committed to doing the race...and maybe should be committed! 

Where am I doing my Ironman event?  Louisville, KY. 

http://ironmanlouisville.com/

With the expenses already adding up and many 2012 IM events already full, I decided on Ironman Louisville, on August 26.  While the weather will be hot, the location is only two hours from home.  That will allow me to go down and ride and run the course so that I can get familiar with it.  

When my daughter Katie heard I was going to do an Ironman, she said "we're going to Kona!" [as in Kona, Hawaii, site of the Ironman World Championship...I wish...]  I had to laugh.

For those of you who are not aware of what is involved with an Ironman event, it is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2 mile run.  While I have completed nine marathons, I have never done them after swimming and biking those distances. 

Here we go!

I decided that I wanted to chronicle my journey towards becoming an Ironman, in words and pictures.

How and why did I decide to do an Ironman event?  I decided for many reasons.  A few of the top reasons was that it became a "bucket list" item, even though I do not have a formal bucket list written down.  Second, I wanted to hear my name called as I cross the finish line..."Vince Auten, from Indianapolis, Indiana, YOU are and Ironman!"

I watched Ironman Kona last November.  Amazing!  That is when I said I was going to do an Ironman.

My wife thinks I am crazy, but she is supporting me 110%...that's the only way I would be able to do this.

More to come.  I wanted to get my blog started.