A little perspective

Granted, I know there are horrible things going on in the world that are far worse than the week I've had so don't think I'm ignorant to the fact that despite my issues, things could be much worse. Perspective is key and something I'm trying to maintain as I work through this rough patch.

The knee is still bothering me.

I went for a run yesterday morning (having not run since last Tuesday) expecting things to feel pretty good. Turns out, the same feeling cropped up at the beginning of my run. Determined to figure out what it is, I started messing with my running form a bit. Quicker steps rather than longer strides. Leaning forward just a bit more.

That go me through 4 miles nearly pain-free but obviously, the aches are more apparent once the run is over. I iced my knees for about 20 minutes to keep the swelling down. That felt good. I then put some e-stim on them for about 1.5 hours. I have to say, the pain subsided throughout the day and around dinner time, felt like I hadn't run at all.

That was encouraging going into my long swim workout last night. Except for one thing. I wasn't feeling so hot. You know how you get that feeling/sense in either your throat, eyes or ears that you're coming down with something? Throw in some achy shoulders/neck last night after dinner and I was fairly discouraged. I bagged my swim knowing that (a) it would not be a good workout and (b) even if I did get anything out of it, I'd be that much more likely to get sick.

Fast forward to this morning - my right knee is slightly tender. Not like I'm limping or anything. I can put my full weight on it. It just bugs the hell out of me more than anything. I am struggling with whether to take time off from running completely or to work through it with therapy and a modified running schedule.

I also don't feel great - not full-blown sick but I can tell that something festers. Discouraging to say the least. But with less than 60 days before the race, I guess it's better to get this junk out of the way now, deal and muster everything I can to finish (that ultimately was the #1 goal).

Thanks for reading.

Know when to fold 'em

In my last post, I mentioned a strange 'tweak' in my knee that cropped up earlier this week. I'm happy to report that it's feeling better but I'm still a little weary of how much time to give it before it starts to feel 'normal' again. I haven't run since Tuesday and suspect that the best thing to do is to stay off it for another couple days. I would rather lose a week of training than blow out my knee completely.

Setbacks like this put me in a weird place mentally for some reason. If you could see my piece of paper that maps out my training you might chuckle, but it's the one thing that helps me stay accountable to "The Plan". When I miss a training session, it gets an "X" - seeing a few X's this week because of my knee has put me in a little funk.

I know in the back of mind, it's the right thing to do. Heal. Be well. Fight the fight another day. I liken it to playing hold 'em poker. There are hands when you know you're beat. You REALLY want to call. The disciplined lay-down is the right thing to do however.  Fold and play another day, right?

So even though my runs didn't work out this week, the silver lining is that my swim mileage dramatically increased. I figure, if I can't put the mileage in on the road I might as well get 'er done in the pool. Overall, I've put in a bit over 4.5 miles across 3 sessions -

Monday - 2.1 miles
Wednesday - 1.5 pyramid drills
Friday - 2.1 miles

I'm pretty happy with that.

Long ride on tap for this weekend. I still plan to keep it shorter than planned to ensure there is no additional issue with the knee. Talk to you next week.

Aches and pains

When the body talks, I listen.

It has been a pretty tough couple of training weeks. Mileage, mileage, mileage. The distances keep getting longer and fatigue is definitely becoming an obstacle. Not only does it cause a mental and motivational barrier, it also manifests itself as aches and pains no matter how much stretching and icing you do.

Old age? Nah, I don't buy that.

The constant pounding of the body is only something time can heal. Right now, I just need some time to heal.

I'm not doubled over in pain or have anything I would consider serious but yesterday after my run, I had a strange feeling (notice I didn't say pain) around my right knee. I'd put money on it just being some swelling around my kneecap but swelling of any kind around a major joint is never something you just want to ignore.

After a bit of stretching, icing and electro-stimulation it felt a bit better. It still lingers in my mind knowing that a mere 10 miles can bring about this weirdness in my knee. I plan to watch it carefully over the next week, reduce my run mileage and have the chiropractor take a peek at it for me.

Update to follow later in the week.

Family first

Everyone training for or supporting someone who is training for an Ironman knows that "sacrifice" is *THE* most often used word in our vocabulary.

Work. Early mornings. Weekends. All of it at the mercy of long rides, extended stretching/icing sessions and multi-hour runs.

We ask a lot of our families during this time. I'm sure for my wife, it's like being a single parent on the weekends. Getting up earlier than she'd like, making breakfast for the kids and then cleaning up a house that I am probably the most guilty of making a mess of. I will publicly acknowledge that she is the Iron-wife who takes care of us all.

That's why this weekend, I won't be riding. A prior commitment means that I will be taking care of things Sunday morning (Can't you ride later in the day, you might ask. Not really - it's 105 outside). Clearly not a hardship for me to be there when my kids get up to make their favorite waffles and eggs for breakfast but nonetheless, a gap in my training. Will it make a difference? I doubt it.

I'm happy to take an extended weekend actually. The rigors of this last week have taken a bit more recovery than usual and I'm happy to get a little extra recovery time. Despite everything I do each week for training, nothing comes close to the responsibilities of taking care of our home and family. It's actually harder than training for an Ironman - but it's a challenge I'm happy to take on.

Setting 'em up, knocking 'em down

Today was another banner training day both mentally and physically. Given that last week's long run was 17, I had a sneaky suspicion that going 20 was going to be a stretch goal but still a milestone I needed to hit.

In case you don't want to read any further, here are the stats for the run.

On top of the distance, I tried a different nutrition plan for today's run. I've been having GI issues with longer runs lately so I figured it was time to devise at least a skeleton strategy I could live with knowing how I've performed at other distances. I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say, it worked out really well and I'm excited at the prospect of not only finishing strong but not wanting to toss my cookies at the end of the run.

Miles 1-10 felt good. I was able to keep at race pace through that distance. I remember feeling pretty good between miles 11 and 14 too - I recall thinking, "This second half feels much better than the first half. Maybe I can have a negative split."

Psshh. Crazy talk.

The effects of my over-confidence showed itself on mile 14. I got some cramps in my calves that needed to be walked off. After that however, I was able to loosen up an bit and continue on my way.

Miles 14-17 didn't feel so good. For some reason, those miles just felt like they took a long time. Not to mention that during this swath of mileage, I could feel the bowels churning. The combination of a poor lunch selection the day before, Roctane and Perpetuem were just the right combination to induce a "pit spot" on mile 17.

If you've ever run [this kind of] distance before, you know that stops or pauses in the upper 1/4 of your workout is almost like death. Pausing to go to the bathroom allows things to settle, relax and get comfortable with the idea that your body is no longer in motion. It was either stop and take care of business or clench for the next 30 minutes. I opted to stop. Yes, starting again hurt like hell.

Miles 17-20 were all gut - nothing more. My water was warm, the Roctane was gone and all I had left was the commitment to get the miles done no matter what. I won't lie. The last 3 miles hurt too. Less so than miles 14-17 but they were still hard.

It's still hard to believe that I'm able to put in this many miles a week. It doesn't seem like very long ago I struggled to run 100 yards while recovering from plantar faciitis. Each week, each goal and each success brings more and more strength, determination and mental power to my training. Setting 'em up and knocking 'em down - traithlon training at its best.

Thanks for reading.

Solid, tough week

This week has been one of the tougher weeks of training so far - it's that point in training where the desire to achieve this magnanimous goal trumps everything...doubt, fear and uncertainty. Each morning starts with a conscious decision to lace the shoes up or put on the helmet. As race day gets closer, it's that same thing that goes through my head on a long run or ride - "You've come so far, there's no way you can quit now"

The week started on Sunday with a long ride through the hills of Usery Mountain and Lake Saguaro. Beautiful day too - cloud cover, slight breeze and NO FLAT TIRES!!! Somehow I broke the curse and did not have a single flat over the 80 miles. Check out the ride here - note the elevation as well. A few steep grades and a loooong climb up the back of Usery Mountain.

Monday is a partial rest-from-the-long-ride-day but still requires time in the pool to stretch and put in some water mileage. Monday swim mileage was 3,000 yards (1.7 miles)

Tuesday is both casual run day as well as long-swim day. "Casual" is equivalent to a 9:30-10 minute pace for about half the mileage of long-run days (Thursdays). Today I knocked out 7 miles on the road and another 3,500 yards (~2 miles)  in the pool after the kids had gone to bed.

An unscheduled rest day tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm feeling stretched a little thin - lots of stuff going on at work and the many hours training are taking its toll. I still have some time off that I might take to recharge briefly before making the final push throughout October.

Still have a big run on tap this week (20 miles) as well. We'll start things over again on Sunday with the same 80 mile ride through the hills.

Thanks for reading - good night.

Artful negotiation

I remember thinking about a really good blog topic on my long (17 mile) run yesterday morning but I can't for the life of me remember what the heck it was. I'm sure it would have been nostalgic, insightful and a pure joy to behold...if only my mind was focused on blogging and not the pain in my legs and calves.

I was scheduled to do 19 but around mile 15 I really wanted to stop and walk a bit. My mind was telling me to keep going but my legs and hips we're screaming at me to walk. Now I don't mind walking during a run, but experience has shown that after mile 13, the likelihood that my mind and body will both agree to continue moving  at the same pace is pretty unlikely.

So I resorted to some clever negotiation - I told myself that I could stop and walk a bit, BUT I had to finish the entire 19 miles. Option #2, was to keep running (even though I wanted to stop) and knock out 17 miles.

Monte, I'll take door #2.

I mean, really - will 2 miles make a difference in my overall training this week? Not likely. Do I feel any worse completing 17 miles rather than 19? Not really. My quads and calves ache just the same.

Cycling Sabotage

It's been difficult to ignore that in the last 2 weeks of training, I have not completed my long bike rides due to tire/tube malfunctions. Last weekend I made it 60 out of 75 miles due to a slashed tire and tube. This weekend, AGAIN, someone or something up there did not want me to complete my long ride.

I had a fantastic new route all planned out and was actually very excited to make that mileage mark after these long weeks of training. Again, just another barrier succumbing to my determination and fitness. You can view what the full route would have looked like here.

I knew things were trending downward about mile 8 when I got the first flat tire. Many of you are in-tune with your bike as I am and you instantly know the sound of a flat. It's that ominous 'thubbing' sound and the added vibrations of the handlebars or seat. I groaned and cursed a vulgar obscenity looking for a street lamp I could use to change my tire (it wasn't quite sunrise yet). After a delay of about 15 minutes or so, I was on my way.

The ride continued normally as I made my way though Usery Mountain and the Bush Highway. This was the part of the ride that was new to me so I was excited to see the new scenery and anxious to take on the elevation. The second half of this ride would take me down the Beeline Highway - the same road that will be used of the cycling portion of the Arizona Ironman.

A word of warning to anyone considering riding this road - on the safety meter of 1 to 10 - 1 being super unsafe and 10 be super-safe, this road was a 3. Riddled with debris (full tires, metal and bags of ???), covered in glass and flowing with traffic going 50-70 miles per hour (speed limit is 50) makes for a disaster waiting to happen.

Fortunately, the second flat tire hit me in a civilized part of the world (right at a gas station and casino). So I stopped to change my tire, grab some more water and sent a text to my wife that I had another flat tire and that I'd be delayed a bit more. At this point, I was recycling tubes. The tire I was putting back in was the one that had the hole at mile 8 earlier in the day. After finding the hole (which was hard enough), I patched it and pumped it back up as best I could with my hand-pump.

Back on the road, I was making good time and feeling slightly fatigued yet ready to finish the remaining 50 miles I had planned out. About the time I was considering whether my tire would hold out, I heard the ominous 'thubbing' again...I simply hung my head in defeat and dismounted. I tried one last time to apply another patch to the tire but it was painfully obvious that no amount of patches would be saving my ride this day.

I pulled my phone out and called my wife. As if she was almost expecting me to call, she did not even hesitate. She asked where I was and said she'd be there as quickly as she could (which was about an hour away from our house). I made my way back to the gas station to hang out, wait and reflect on my ride for the day.

Whether it's just bad luck or my choice in cycling routes, I need to figure out some way to appease the cycling gods here in the near future. While I'm consistently getting 3 hour rides on the weekends, I need figure out how to extend these a few more hours (and miles). Perhaps I need to sacrifice one of my old jerseys or start carrying a small bike shop on my bike...

The mind of a triathlete

I did my long run today - 15 miles. Felt strong the entire way. Kept at race pace which was even better. When I got back to the house, my wife was getting the kids ready for school and having breakfast. Amidst the general commotion and yelling of children, she asked me how the morning run was. It went something like this:

"How far did you go?", she asked.

I told her, "15 miles"

"How long does that take you?"

"Just over 2 hours", I grunted while icing my feet and stretching on the floor.

"Good lord" she replied. "Did you take your iPod?"

"Nope", I replied.

"What do you think about that entire time?" she asked.

It's a great question and I honestly had to stop and think about it for a bit. I'm sure what goes through the mind of anyone participating in a triathlon or even a long run must vary immensely. Race day is much more focused of course but I thought it would be fun to think about my training run today and piece together my thoughts over those 2 hours.

These are in no particular order.

1. I someone doesn't steal my cooler of cold drinks.
2. Why doesn't that car have it's lights on (at 4:30 am)?
3. Relax the feet. Smooth motion. Don't tense up your shoulders.
4. Crap, I went to bed early last night and forgot to pay the bills.
5. What am I going to blog about today?
6. What mile am I on? I don't want to look 'cause it will only remind me of how much farther I have to go.
7. This damn fuel belt is starting to chafe.
8. Who is this creepy guy walking toward me without a shirt dabbing his face with a towel like he just got punched?
9. Oh, that was Andy in his new car. Didn't recognize him in that fancy new Acura MDX.
10. I wonder where I'm going to cycle this weekend for my long century ride?

Mind you, that isn't a stream of consciousness but random things that pop into my head. Most of the time, I'm in the moment and just focused on keeping the legs moving, good form and not getting hit by on-coming traffic at o-dark 'thirty in the morning.

Thanks for reading.

I can. I will.

I think it's fair to say that every triathlete has one Achilles heel when it comes to the 3 disciplines - one thing that they're just not as strong at. Often, strong runners are the worst swimmers and strong swimmers hate the bike (or the run).

Personally, swimming has been the one thing I've had to work extra hard at just to get to a solid base. I can truthfully say that I enjoy swimming - it can be a great low-impact recovery tool or an easy way to drown out all the other noise/doubts you might have in your head.

Up until recently however, I have always had this stigma about swimming any distance over 1.2 miles - it's been one of those mental barriers I have not been able to break down. In part, I think it's because I've had no formal coaching or plan on how to incrementally improve my distance.

So about 3 weeks ago, I made a concerted effort to build up my swimming distance over the next 80-ish days before Ironman Arizona. Until last night, I wasn't sure that plan was paying off.

I knocked out 1.5 miles and broke through that barrier. The first mile felt strong and smooth but the last 1/4 mile was not pretty. It's still amazes me that swimming is one of those sports where brut strength only accounts for a small portion of your success. Technique rules the water and I can say for sure, the last 1/4 mile in the pool last night was all brut strength and not very pretty.

But I did it. Up until last night, swimming 2.4 miles seemed like there was a lot of work to towards a long unobtainable goal. Not any more. I can and I will.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

P.S. 15-mile run on tap for tomorrow.
P.P.S. 100-mile bike ride on tap for Saturday.