Installed My Race Tires Last Night

It was a beautiful evening last night so I sat outside on the porch with my wife, had a beer and finally put my new Vittoria Open Corsa EVO race tires on my bike.  In addition it was good tire changing practice if I blow one out on race day.  I even went so far as to use my co2 cartridges and the tire levers that will be in my bag during Ironman.  Everything went smooth as silk and I am confident I can change a flat out in under 5 minutes (although in the heat and stress maybe a little longer).  My old Michelen Pro3's were still in okay condition so I'll probably put them back on after Ironman to use as training tires.  But there is no doubt my new tires are sweet and hopefully VERY fast......

I have one two hour bike ride on Saturday in which to make sure these new slicks have no issues and then just an easy trainer bike ride on Tuesday and that is it for cycling before Ironman.  If everything checks out I will be good to go!

Overheating

Whew....avoided catastrophe number #1.  This last week I notice my Honda Pilot SUV was running hotter than usual on the temperature gauge.  However, it was only running hotter when it was parked and sitting idle.  If I were driving, the temperature was in the normal range, but if I left it on while parked it kept getting hotter, and hotter and eventually to the red zone (and then I'd turn it off).  All I knew is that the car is 6 years old and I have not had one repair on it to this point, so it almost seemed way overdue for something.  I had a feeling something was wrong and didn't want an issue mysteriously popping up next weekend while at Ironman.  Good thing I listened to my instincts and took the car in for service at a local Honda dealer.  Turns out my radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced to the tune of $730.00.  Small price to pay to prevent an overheating disaster on 9/9 while Colleen is driving around the likes of Verona, Cross Plains and Mount Horeb chasing me around on my 112 mile adventure.

Now the only other thing I need to ponder is whether this overheating issue is some type of symbolism or foreshadowing of race day?  Perhaps it is a message telling me to hydrate more on 9/9?  Hmmmmmmm.  Let me think about that for a while.

Last 4:30am Wakeup Call???

Today I woke up at 4:30am to run 9 miles.  Looking at the rest of my schedule before the race (less than 9 days), it looks like today was the last time I will need to wake up at some ridiculous hour way before sunrise!  Of course I will still have to do that on race day, but that comes as no surprise and by then I will certainly be able to catch up on any lost sleep.

I'm noticing a lot of "lasts" this week and it's a bit of a bittersweet feeling.  In many ways I won't miss getting up at 3-4am, but other things like the TriWI rides, the long rides with friends, and group swims in the lake are all things I will miss and I probably won't see again until next year.  I always dislike this time of year for exactly this reason.  However on the flip side, I still have the ultimate crescendo and reward from all this work in less than 9 days.....IRONMAN WISCONSIN!  Definitely getting uber-excited!!!!

End of Season Tri Wisconsin Ride

One of my favorite workouts throughout my training has been my Tuesday night Tri Wisconsin ride.  It's a great social opportunity with some great cyclists and a challenging route throught some good hills.  I believe riding in a group makes you a better cyclist and I credit this weekly ride with making me a stronger, better cyclist.

However, last night (8/28) was the final ride of the season and I am sorry to see it end.  It's always amazing and somewhat depressing how quickly the summer passes by.  It was a great conclusion to the year which also had the third and final pasta dinner post-ride party (I am proud to say I made it to all three pasta feeds this year).

Anyway, if nothing else I wanted to throw out some kudos to Tri Wisconsin for being such a great organization with a ton of awesome people.  The Lannon ride was truly one of my favorite workouts throughout Ironman training and I am thankful to have been part of it and meet so many great people.

Less than 2 weeks

So last week was the first of three taper weeks which will see gradual reductions in workout times each week.  Today as I write this, I am done with the first week and basically have two more to go until Ironman.  I must say that this last week really didn't feel too much easier because most of the weekday workouts were about the same in distance and intensity.  However the real noticeable difference was the sizable reduction in the LONG weekend workout.  On Saturday I "only" did about 4 1/2 hours of endurance work whereas the prior couple of weeks had Saturdays in the neighborhood of 8-9 hours of work.  My workout this past Saturday was a 2 hour and 20 minute bike ride, a 1 hour run, and a 1 hour swim.  Then, the real treat was on Sunday when I had no workouts at all.  I believe I have had workouts on both days (Saturday and Sunday) every weekend since May so this was definitely a treasured treat.

To make my Saturday even better, I had the pleasure of linking up with a couple of great Donkey Peeps who did Ironman Wisconsin last year (PCS602004 & DJDavey).  We got out on a nice bike ride as well as a ride.  I'm glad they invited me because it was good company and exactly what I needed to help break up the monotony of my traditional longer weekend workouts.  Not only did I get to ride and goof around with these fellas, but as a bonus I also got to do half of my brick run with DJ (I was doing 7 miles and he was going 15).  I always enjoy working out with others when the opportunity arises!

As I enter week 2 of taper, I will see further decreases in my hours and I suspect I might start feeling the taper blues.  I have a feeling this will cause me to think more about things like Ironman gear bags, the transition process, nutrition plans, hydration, bike set up, hotel logistics and all the other things that make an athlete stress over one of the hardest endurance events IN THE WORLD......

Me!!

Inspirational Thread

Just finished my TriWI ride tonight.  Rode just under 30 miles at an average pace of 19.3 mph through the hills.  I got home around 8pm and logged my workout details online in my Beginner Triathlete account.  I always have to laugh at the name of the site, because it is hardly a "beginner" group.  They really should consider renaming it to something more approrpiate.  Anyway, one of my favorite features of the site are all the forums and triathlon talk.  I've learned a lot from some very experienced members and I also like that much of the local Donkey contingent are also members of the site.

This year I have spent a lot of time in the "Ironman Wisconsin" forum which contains all sorts of chat related to Wisconsin Ironman and people post questions, concerns, & race issues.  People also like to talk about how their training is going or sharing stories from their long runs, rides & swims.  It's very nice having a place to go and chat with people who are also experiencing all the ups and downs and stress of this type of training.

Tonight as I was perusing the Ironman forum, I came across a post from a gentlemen who had seen this post several years ago in this same forum.  He like the posting so much that he saved it and pulled it out now because he is training for his very first Ironman at Wisconsin.  He thought it was very inspiration and wanted to share it with our group.  It really sums things up well and truthfully it kind of choked me up a bit.  It really makes me feel blessed to have been able to go through everything I have done in the last year while embarking on this great journey.  Here is the posting....

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Right now you are about to enter the taper. Perhaps you've been at this a few months, perhaps you've been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first IM, for others, a long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match.

You've been following your schedule to the letter. You've been piling on the mileage, piling up the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take until next year to erase. Long rides were followed by long runs, which both were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed by recovery naps that were longer than you slept for any given night during college.

You ran in the snow.
You rode in the rain.
You ran in the heat.
You ran in the cold.
You went out when others stayed home.
You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.

You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman summer, and now the hardest days are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming over the summit of the penultimate climb on an alpine stage, you've already covered so much ground...there's just one more climb to go. You shift up, you take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lies before you...and it will be a fast one.

Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with silent muscles, taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is something your body desperately needs, your mind cast off to the background for so very long, will start to speak to you.

It won't be pretty.

It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It will give you reasons why you aren't ready. It will try and make one last stand to stop you, because your brain doesn't know what the body already does. Your body knows the truth:

You are ready.

Your brain won't believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is foolish - that there is too much that can go wrong.

You are ready.

Finishing an Ironman is never an accident. It's the result of dedication, focus, hard work, and belief that all the long runs in January, long rides in April, and long swims every damn weekend will be worth it. It comes from getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from long, solo runs. From that first long run where you wondered, "How will I ever be ready?" to the last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go...knowing that you'd found the answer.

It is worth it. Now that you're at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The workload becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to quiet your worried mind. Not easy, but you can do it.

You are ready.

You will walk into the water with 2000 other wide-open sets of eyes. You will look upon the sea of humanity, and know that you belong. You'll feel the chill of the water crawl into your wetsuit, and shiver like everyone else, but smile because the day you have waited for so VERY long is finally here.

You will tear up in your goggles. Everyone does.

The helicopters will roar overhead.
The splashing will surround you.

You'll stop thinking about Ironman, because you're now racing one.

The swim will be long - it's long for everyone, but you'll make it. You'll watch as the shoreline grows and grows, and soon you'll hear the end. You'll come up the beach and head for the wetsuit strippers. Three people will get that sucker off before you know what happening, then you’ll head for the bike.

The voices, the cowbells, and the curb-to-curb chalk giving you a hero's sendoff can't wipe the smile off your face.

You'll settle down to your race. The crowds will spread out on the road. You'll soon be on your bike, eating your food on your schedule, controlling your Ironman.

You'll start to feel that morning sun turn to afternoon sun. It's warmer now. Maybe it's hot. Maybe you're not feeling so good now. You'll keep riding. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep moving. After all, this is just a long training day with valet parking and catering, right?

You'll put on your game face, fighting the urge to feel down as you ride for what seems like hours. You reach special needs, fuel up, and head out.

By now it'll be hot. You'll be tired. Doubts will fight for your focus. Everyone struggles here. You've been on that bike for a few hours, and stopping would be nice, but you won't - not here. Not today.

You'll grind the false flats to the climb. You'll know you're almost there. You'll fight for every inch of road. The crowd will come back to you here. Let their energy push you. Let them see your eyes. Smile when they cheer for you - your body will get just that little bit lighter.

Grind.
Fight.
Suffer.
Persevere.

You'll plunge down the road, swooping from corner to corner, chaining together the turns, tucking on the straights, letting your legs recover for the run to come - soon! You'll roll back - you'll see people running out. You'll think to yourself, "Wasn't I just here?" The noise will grow. The chalk dust will hang in the air - you're back, with only 26.2 miles to go. You'll relax a little bit, knowing that even if you get a flat tire or something breaks here, you can run the damn bike into T2.

You'll roll into transition. 100 volunteers will fight for your bike. You'll give it up and not look back. You'll have your bag handed to you, and into the tent you'll go. You'll change. You'll load up your pockets, and open the door to the last long run of your Ironman summer - the one that counts.

You'll take that first step of a thousand...and you'll smile. You'll know that the bike won't let you down now - the race is down to your own two feet. The same crowd that cheered for you in the shadows of the morning will cheer for you in the brilliant sunshine of a summer Sunday. High-five people on the way out. Smile. Enjoy it. This is what you've worked for all year long.

That first mile will feel great. So will the second. By mile 3, you probably won't feel so good.

That's okay. You knew it couldn't all be that easy. You'll settle down just like you did on the bike, and get down to your pace. You'll see the leaders coming back the other way. Some will look great - some won't. You might feel great, you might not. No matter how you feel, don't panic - this is the part of the day where whatever you're feeling, you can be sure it won't last.

You'll keep moving. You'll keep drinking. You'll keep eating. Maybe you'll be right on plan - maybe you won't. If you're ahead of schedule, don't worry - believe. If you're behind, don't panic - roll with it. Everyone comes up with a brilliant race plan for Ironman, and then everyone has to deal with the reality that planning for something like Ironman is like trying to land a man on the moon; by remote control; Blindfolded.

How you react to the changes in your plan will dictate your day. Don't waste energy worrying about things - just do what you have to when you have to, and keep moving. Keep eating. Keep drinking. Just don't sit down - don't EVER sit down.

You'll make it to the halfway point. You'll load up on special needs. Some of what you packed will look good, some won't. Eat what looks good, toss the rest. Keep moving. Start looking for people you know. Cheer for people you don't. You're headed in - they're not. They want to be where you are, just like you wanted to be when you saw all those fast people headed into town. Share some energy - you'll get it right back.

Run if you can.
Walk if you have to.
Just keep moving.

The miles will drag on. The brilliant sunshine will yawn. You'll be coming up to those aid stations fully alive with people, music, and chicken soup. TAKE THE SOUP. Keep moving.

You'll soon only have a few miles to go. You'll start to believe that you're going to make it. You'll start to imagine how good it's going to feel when you get there. Let those feelings drive you on. When your legs just don't want to move anymore, think about what it's going to be like when someone catches you…and puts a medal over your head... all you have to do is get there.

You'll start to hear the people in town. People you can't see in the twilight will cheer for you. They'll call out your name. Smile and thank them. They were there when you left on the bike, and when you came back, and when you left on the run, and now when you've come back.

You'll enter town. You'll start to realize that the day is almost over. You'll be exhausted, wiped out, barely able to run a 10-minute mile (if you're lucky), but you'll ask yourself, "Where did the whole day go?" You'll be standing on the edge of two feelings - the desire to finally stop, and the desire to take these last moments and make them last as long as possible.

You'll hit mile 25. Your Ironman will have 1.2 miles - just 2KM left in it.

You'll run. You'll find your legs. You'll fly. You won't know how, but you will run. The lights will grow brighter, brighter, and brighter. Soon you'll be able to hear the music again. This time, it'll be for keeps.

Soon they'll see you. Soon, everyone will see you. You'll run towards the lights, between the fences, and into the night sun made just for you.

They'll say your name.
You'll keep running.
Nothing will hurt.

The moment will be yours - for one moment, the entire world will be looking at you and only you.

You'll break the tape at the finish line, 140.6 miles after starting your journey. The flash will go off.

You'll stop. You'll finally stop. Your legs will wobble their last, and suddenly...be capable of nothing more.

Someone will catch you.
You'll lean into them.

It will suddenly hit you.
YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

You are ready.
You are ready.

Grand Finale - Peak Week #17

Saturday was designed as the BIG day for me in my training plan.  The race is just 3 weeks out and this test will surely give me a great feel for everything related to race day.  This was the meant to be the training day that would most closely represent Ironman and I was definitely looking forward to it because I knew it would help me figure out pacing and race strategy and refine any nutrition or hydration issues that may still exist.

The SWIM:

Lake Monona on the morning of my swim.

The day began at 8:30am at the Madison Open Water Swim event.  This is a chip-timed race which is put on by the Master's Swim Organization.  They provide two distance options of 1.2 or 2.4 mile swims in Lake Monona.  Me and my training partner, Brad were both doing the full 2.4 mile swim option.  The course layout is pretty much the identical course that will be used in Ironman.  I also liked the fact that this was a mass start which will very closely mimic what I will experience in 3 weeks.  I would guestimate that there was probably 200-300 people in our start wave and I purposely positioned myself up towards the front and middle where I thought there would be the most contact and struggle.  I am not an extremely fast swimmer, but I am a strong swimmer so I knew people might swim over me, but this is what I wanted.  I needed to experience the washing machine effect and all the physcial contact to see how I responded.  I didn't really ask Brad if he minded where I was positioning us, but he has done Ironman before and seemed to be okay with wherever I wanted to start.  So that is where we waited for the starting siren.

When the siren started there was a ton of contact and I was pressed for space.  I got whacked a bunch of times by arms and legs and I'm sure I whacked a bunch of people as well.  I did not get hit in the head, so that was good.  If I learned nothing from this swim, I definitely reaffirmed the importance of putting my goggles on underneath the swim cap.  I can very easily see them getting knocked off in all the excitement of a mass swim start.  The contact and "action" finally subsided somewhere close to the first turn buoy (maybe 700 yards or so).  After that point, it was easy to get in a rythmn and swim smoothly.  My goal was to swim a comfortable pace and try to find a speed that left me with plenty of energy for the rest of the day.

I ended up finishing in 1 hour and 22 minutes (Finisher results found HERE).  Most importantly I got out of the water feeling pretty good and not very fatigued.  After a 2.4 mile swim, that is a good sign.  I will certainly position myself differently for Ironman because I am not going to get in the way of the faster swimmers just for my selfishness.  In addition, I also found that I used up more energy than is needed in those first 700 yards when the contact and stress is greatest.  In the context of Ironman, I am looking to minimize expending energy and hope to position myself where I am amongst similar speed swimmers to keep the contact and fighting to a minimum.  We'll see how that works out for me.

Brad finished the swim very shortly after me and had a good solid effort as well.  Unfortunately he wasn't as lucky as me and took a fist or elbow to the forehead and had a pretty nice golf ball sized bump growing on his head.  In the scope of things, that was the only carnage amongst the two of us, so we survived pretty well & were ready for our bike rides.

The BIKE:

We decided to drive our cars out to Verona and do two loops of the course (appx 84 miles) and then Brad was calling it a day.  I would have loved to also call it a day at 84 miles, but of course my plan had me doing a 6 hour and 30 minute ride so I knew I had to ride longer and further than the 84 miles.  I ended up riding 98.5 miles and averaged something in the 16 mph range which would be a good target goal come race day.  The hills of this course really beat you up and after 100 miles one cannot help but be at least somewhat fatigued.  I can't stress enough the difficulty level of this course and there is a reason it is consistently considered the hardest in Ironman.  I did finished the bike tired, but not completely spent because I knew I had about an hour run to complete.

The RUN:

At this point we are somewhere around 6pm and dinner is starting to look really appealing.  This training day was quite physical, but it was also tough mentally because I really wanted to call it quits at this point.  I knew I could run, but I didn't really want to run.  So I am glad I had the toughness to suck it up and run close to an hour even though I really wanted a shower and some dinner.  I ended up running a nice little out and back which put me at 50 minutes.  I experimented a bit with my pace to see how things felt, but overall I kept it quite slow just to make sure I didn't stop or be forced to quit.  I averaged something in the 10 minute per mile pace and when all is said and done, I was happy with that.  I felt like I could have run faster, but I would be VERY content with anything in that 10 minute per mile pace range come race day. 

Post Workout:

Finished somewhere around 7pm.  I was definitely tired, but still not completely spent or exhausted.  This was a good sign for me.  I actually had enough energy to clean myself up by jumping in the lake in the park where I had started my run.  This was my shower.  After my shower, I changed into clean clothes while hiding behind a bush next to the lake.  I don't think anyone saw me, but at that point, I didn't really care.  I made my way back to the car and headed out of Verona looking for a place to grab a bite to eat when I saw a Taco Bell sign that got me really excited.  I made my way to the Bell and had perhaps the greatest steak Grilled Stuffed Burrito I have ever had in my life.  I am pretty sure people in the restaurant thought I was a bit odd as I sat in the corner moaning and groaning in excitement as I consumed my burrito in a very neanderthal kind of way.  But once again, I did not care.

And after the hour and a half drive home (and nearly falling asleep a few times), the day concluded at 10pm.  It was a long, tough, physically and mentally draining day.  However, I must keep it all in perspective that Ironman-day will be even harder.

And that closes the books on the hardest training week of the plan.  I consider it a success! 

BOOM....Week 17 complete!



Attack of the killer something or other

I meant to post this last week when this occurred, but time passed and I forgot. The good news is that "it" is finally going away!

Not sure what "it" was, but it itched like crazy, often hurt and had bothered me for about a week. Seems like insect bites, and I'm sure it's somehow related to run, swim, or bike. Or maybe all three?

All I know is hydrocortisone cream barely helped it and if it didn't get better after a week I was definitely considering professional (MD) help.  Let's hope it doesn't mysteriously reappear down the road!

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri

A fun filled couple of days and with the summary version looking something like this….

Tuesday - Tri Wisconsin group ride through the hills. I rode the 30 mile route with a couple of buddies and we capped the evening off with post-ride beers in the parking lot. That is always a fun way to spend a Tuesday night.

Wednesday – Early morning before work I ran what was the shortest run I have done in months. It was 30 minutes long with most of it spent running up and down a steep hill. That run also had the extra element of precipitation. Unfortunately it rained 20 minutes of the 30 minutes and then stopped raining for the rest of the day. Bad luck I guess. Also on Wednesday I dropped off my bike for a comprehensive Tune-up at Emery’s Cycle Shop.  This service for a little over $100 will give me a complete bike cleaning, wheels trued up, chain degreased and lubed, all pivot points lubed, brakes adjusted, shifting adjusted, Speedplay pedals greased, and the entire drivetrain taken apart, cleaned and reinstalled.  This should put the MadOne in great shape for Ironman.  The only other addition I will add is my race tires which I will install a week or two before September 9th.

Thursday – Took the day off again because of a fairly big workout day. Got up early and it was pouring rain so I was forced to run at the Petit indoor running track. Did 15 miles worth of running including some tempo work mixed into the middle of the run. Mid-afternoon I did about 2500 yards of swimming followed by dinner. After dinner I spent 2 hours at the Tri-Wisconsin “Ironman prep” clinic at the North Shore Wheel & Sprocket. This turned out to be a very informative and inspirational seminar covering virtually everything imaginable related to Ironman. They did a good job of going over all the logistics before race day as well as things to do during and after the race. That was well worth my time.

Friday – No workouts scheduled. I plan on picking up my bike after work and then heading home to get everything staged for tomorrow’s big training day in Madison!

Late Night Hunger Attacks

I've had some strange nocturnal incidents the last two nights and it all involves food.  Both Sunday night and Monday night I woke up around 3am and was completely STARVING.  This is something that never happens to me, so that is why it is strange.  Sunday night after waking up I really didn't feel like going downstairs to eat something at 3am so I disn't.  In addition I knew if I ate, I might not be able to fall back asleep quickly.  Sleep was really more important to me because of the long, hard weekend.  Interestingly, when I woke up Monday morning my appetite seemed normal.

On Monday night it was a different story.  Again I woke up at 3am and was STARVING again.  This time I succumb to my hunger and found myself downstairs in the kitchen stuffing my pie-hole with cottage cheese, almonds, a protein bar, and some water.  After about 10 minutes of feasting, I headed back upstairs and fell asleep.  When waking up Tuesday everything seemed normal again.

I am hoping this trend doesn't continue for the rest of the week because I need my beauty sleep!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

2012 Athlete Guide is up!

Excitement prevails around the my Triathlete forums and newsfeeds!  The 2012 athlete guide has been published HERE for Ironman Wisconsin.  It contains all the rules and information that the athlete's need to know for the big day.  It looks like it is about 25 pages long so hopefully memorizing everything won't be too challenging.  I haven't looked too closely at it yet, but on one of the first pages they clearly outline their "three stikes, you're out" policy.  Definitely important info.....

Slamming the door shut on week 16 (Thank God)!

Yes, I am glad that is over.  Saturday was a whirlwind workout extravaganza.  I am just happy it was relatively cool and overcast because sunny and hot would have completely demoralized me.

Saturday I arrived at Tosa WAC at 6:15 and there were about 10 people waiting in the atrium for the club to open at 6:30.  And I thought I was dedicated?  After they opened the door at 6:30 we all flew into the club to begin our respective workouts.  I have a feeling I was the only one in the group about to endure an 8.5 hour workout.  In fact, I would bet money that I was the only one doing that.

Began with a 3,900 yard swim in the pool.  Made a transition from the pool to the parking lot where my bike was securely attached to my vehicle.  Unloaded said bicycle and staged it with nutrition, hydration, one Iphone and all the normal cycling stuff (spare tubes, co2, etc). 

Off I went on a 106 mile journey taking me up to Holy Hill and points west.  Finished with a loop of Pewaukee Lake and headed back to the WAC.  Close to 7 hours on a bike and not much to report other than a sore ass and a very windy day which made the ride tougher and slower than I would have liked.  Also had some minor stomach issues which I am becomming better at managing.  Interestingly, I did have to stop at mile 90 because I was craving and NEEEEDED a Cherry Pepsi.  Strange, but I drank it and somehow it seemed to make the last 16 miles much easier (Keep in mind, I am NOT a soda drinker).

Got back to the WAC and made another quick transition at my vehicle.  Threw on my visor, running shoes and grabbed a bottle of water for the run.  Took off for 30 minutes of running which found me going down to Hart Park and doing four loops (1 mile) on the running track and then back up to the WAC.  This was surprisingly not as hard as I would have expected after a big swim and a big bike.  That is a good sign.

Finished everything up in about 8.5 hours around 4pm and I was pretty tired, but knew I still had to shower up, get home and go to a party being hosted by a fellow friend, Donkey and neighbor.  I told myself all day I wasn't going to miss this fun, and exciting party.

Lo and Behold, I got home, drank a protein shake and found myself immediately leaving for the party.  Not sure how I did it all but I managed to stay out until 10pm and polished off a handful of Sam Adams.  More importantly I ate quite a bit of food which is exactly what my body needed.  After getting home that evening, I slept like a baby.

Sunday morning came in what seemed like 5 minutes and I knew I had two more workouts to complete.  I dragged myself out of bed and after breakfast and some stretching I slugglishly got on the MadOne and rode for another 2.5 hours followed by another 30 minute run.  Although this day was a lot shorter in volume, it was equally hard on the tails of the prior monstrous day.

The one thing I know for sure is I am happy this weekend is over.  It definitely took a lot out of me and I am thankful for being able to complete it in one piece.  It continues to give me confidence that, hey, I may actually be able to complete an Ironman.

Anyway, next week is #17 and the highlight will most certainly be the Madison Open Water Swim on Saturday.  This will be the ultimate prep for Ironman because it swims the exact Ironman course in Lake Monona and is a timed event.  In addition, I will be riding the entire bike course afterward and following that up with a 1 hour 15 minute run.  This is the final BIG test of all my training and it will certainly be a doozy.

Recovery Toys, Tools & Fun!

With a tough weekday workout planned today I decided to take the day off from work. I just didn't like the way 18 miles of running and a one hour swim sounded along with a full day of work. So I decided it would be more fun to skip work and do my workouts and get to watch day one of the PGA Championship live on television. A no-brainer.

Today's workouts were tough and laying on the couch watching golf certainly qualifies as rest and recovery between these workouts, but there are additional tools I use to help me recuperate. Interestingly I engaged in all of them today!

All the physical benefits of training also come with some general aches and pains.  And obviously the volume of training needed to do an Ironman puts a bit more stress on the body than is normal.  In order to do multiple workouts in a day and log up to 20 hours of training in a week, it becomes extra important to rest and recover between workouts.  Nutrition, hydration, and sleep are all big keys in recovery, along with some others that I have also found helpful.

We've all seen them before and I'm pretty sure we've all laughed at them before.  It's the compression sock/sleeve mania.  They aren't flattering in any way, shape or form and, well, quite frankly they look somewhat ridiculous.  That may be the reason I find myself preferring to wear them in the privacy of my own home after workouts and only ocassionally wear them while running.  They have become more popular and many people use them during long-course events.  I must admit that I have been tossing around that idea for Ironman, but not 100% sure yet.  The concept behind these attractive stockings is to promote blood flow to the calfs by compression.  They were originally created to help diabetics improve their circulation, and now they've become popular with runners and triathletes looking to boost blood flow and run faster.  I typically wear them after a run for several hours and I have found that they help my calves feel better and refreshed the next day.  Maybe they work or maybe the benefit is only psychological, but either way I'll take it.  Here are my attactive sticks sporting the hotness known as compression sleeves.............

Another one of my favorite recovery aides that I've been using for several years is the good 'ole foam roller.  When doing a lot of cycling or just a lot of volume (esp bike and run) I tend to get some tightness in my hips and iliotibial bands.  I tried traditional stretches which do work to some degree, but I have found that the foam roller works GREAT for me.  Not only does the roller work on IT bands, but it has also proven to be great at stretching my calves, gluteus, hamstrings, quadraceps and various points on the back (lower and upper).  I don't have video of me using this device, but check out this guy using the foam roller to strech his IT band!  And here is what my IT band laying out in the middle of our living room looks like (much to Colleen's chagrin).......

This list would not be complete without me mentioning the magical power of protein in aiding recovery. Tired, beat up muscles need it more than ever and if I learned anything from years of lifting weights when I was younger, protein helps rebuild muscle and eliminate soreness the next day. Lately, I have been using Whey Protein powder and mixing it with whatever type of juice we have in the refidgerator. Unfortunately, the powder seems to make any juice go from tasting good to tasting average. I used to mix the powder with water, but that really tasted awful. The juice at least makes things taste somewhat drinkable (but still not good). I find it funny we can put men on the moon, but we still have not found a way to make protein powder taste delicious. Curiously strange!

Looking for the crescendo of recovery tools?  You've come to the right place.  One of my favorite tools and perhaps the most exciting is of course none other than the famed ice bath!  I took my first ice tub about 4 years ago while training for the Chicago Marathon.  It is a proven medical fact that icing any type of inflammation aids in the recovery by helping to keep down the swelling.  I have used ice bags on all sorts of injuries over the years with good success.  So after an exceptionally long, stressful workout, why not submerge the entire lower body in ice?  Professional athletes (NFL, NBA, MLB) have been practicing this technique for years so one would think it has to have some value?  Other than being exceiptionally uncomfortable and unenjoyable, the after-affect seems to always be less stiffness and soreness the next day. 

It's simple to prepare as well.  I usually buy 2 or three big bags of ice at my local gas station, fill up my tub with cold water.  Dump the bags into the tub and hop in!  You only really have to endure the pain for about 10-15 minutes and it's really just the first couple minutes of acclimating that are annoying.  I'll spare everyone the picture of me in the tub, but here is the tub pre-me soaking.  Looks appealling, doesn't it?  Go ahead, give it a try sometime!

Update on Week 16

I decided since these two weeks are by far the hardest physically with the most training hours in the plan, it might be a good idea to attempt blogging every day (or close to it).  I think I've mentioned that this week is the largest volume week of the 20 week plan.  Next week (#17), is very similiar but just slightly less in total hours.  However, I am guessing it will most likely be a tougher week because it contains the largest volume DAY of the entire plan.  Saturday, August 18th will be close to 9.5 hours of endurance work in one sitting (ouch).

Anyway, lets not dwell on the future and instead focus on more recent events right now.  Yesterday early morning (before work) I ran 6.5 miles to start the day.  Then after work I met up with the TriWisconsin team for some cycling at 6pm.  I really like being part of TriWisconsin and really enjoy the Tuesday night Lannon Rides.  It fits nicely into my schedule and it provides a tough, challenging, hilly 30 mile course which is exactly what I need.  The other piece that I like about riding with this group is that there are some very good cyclists and that helps push me into riding harder and faster then I might do on my own.  Although I can rarely keep up with the fastest group (averaging 20mph), I fit in nicely with the medium-fast group and usually average somewhere in the 18-19 mph range.  I am happy with that kind of output on a hilly course.

Today will be an easier day where I will be doing an hour long spin to help loosen up the sticks a bit.  It is also designed to be easy because tomorrow I will be taking a day of PTO/vacation.  I might have been able to do this without PTO, but it would have involved a VERY early morning.  This should make it easier on me with having the day off.  Here is what the workout will look like tomorrow....

Morning - Run 14 miles
Afternoon - Swim 1 hour (3000 yards), follow that with a 4 mile run.

Enter week 16.....

Let us begin week 16. Officially the largest volume week in the entire plan (gulp).

Last "Easy" week wrap-up

I think I failed to mention that last weeks cramping incident in the pool caused extreme tightness, soreness and a general dull pain most of this week.  Biking was uncomfortable and running was difficult as well.  Monday & Tuesday I was a bit concerned that maybe I could have strained or worse, torn something in the calf.  I went to work on it by using my foam roller, massage & compression socks during the day.  It didn't seem to get better, so after some persuasion from a Mr. DJDavey, it was decided I take a few days off to rest things up a bit.  I took Tuesday, Wed & Thursday off and continued with my rehab.
 
I am happy to report that Friday was my first day back and I did an hour long run with some tightness in the calf, but nothing like earlier in the week.  Even better was that my post run had no issues with pain or tightness and it felt fine the next day.

So that brings us to the weekend!  Once again it should be a recovery/easy weekend, but over time these easy weekends have grown in volume and I officially declare them no longer easy.  On Saturday I avoided the Tosa WAC pool becuase of their horrific morning schedule and I drove out to the North Shore WAC and did a 5,000 yard swim.

WAC Glendale at 6:30 with me and about 4 other cars (that you can't see in this pix) in the massive parking lot.

It was a solid swim for me in which I felt good and had zero calf issues!  Following the swim I needed to do a 2 hour bike ride on flat terrain just to give the calf a bit more rest.  I ended up doing this ride on the trainer and once again I had zero calf issues.  After a nearly four hour endurance day and no noticeable leg issues, I would say I am 99.9% recovered and I am happy about that!

Sunday I was out the door at 7am for a nice 2 hour ride up to Lannon, Sussex and Menomonee Falls.  Pretty nonventful ride that finished with a 1 hour 45 minute BRICK run.  The run was a bit tougher with a couple 20 minute intervals in higher z2/low z3 which got the blood flowing pretty well.  But what made the run better was that Colleen joined me for the first 3-4 miles making the climb up to the water tower!  Running with someone even for just a few miles makes it a little less annoying IMO!  The run ended up being a bit faster than I wanted, but with a nice low heart rate which is always a good sign.

As I type this I am sitting comfortably in my leather chair wearing my compression socks and feeling pretty good about my "EASY" weekend.  Now I have to start worrying, stressing and thinking about the next two weeks which are going to be flat out NASTY mean on me.  It's just starting to get very exciting because I feel like I could do an Ironman now with my fitness level, so as long as I don't do anything stupid in the next five weeks I should make it to the starting line of Ironman Wisconsin!

By the way, here is what I was doing Sunday afternoon. Would that be considered stupid??

Ironman BIB numbers announced

I got word that the Ironman athlete bib numbers have been assigned today and they can be found here.  Looks like I am number 2154.  That sounds like a peculiarily high number to me.  Not sure if that is good or bad....hmmmmm?  If nothing else, this makes the big day feel closer to reality and that always makes me both nervous and excited!