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!