Disappointingly educational

I am still stewing over my run today. I try never to be too hard on myself when things don't work out the way I expect because, well, not only could it happen in a race but also, that's life!

Today was one of those (for lack of a better word) incidents where perhaps a little over confidence and lack-of-preparation got the best of me. Though I am slightly disappointed with how the run went, it was very beneficial to come to grips with the reality that running in warm (dare I say hot?) weather is very different than running in cooler weather. Though that might seem slightly obvious, it is most relevant to having (and adjusting) your hydration strategy come race-day.

Having switched over to afternoon runs as of last week, I took today off to ensure I got my long run in under the Arizona sun. Of course, today just happened to be the hottest day of Fall thus far (high of 92).

(Queue lack-of-preparation)

Having dismissed the 'heat' I would be running in, I obliviously thought that preparing my water bottles and Perpetuem a few hours in advance would make them cold enough to withstand the Arizona sun. Wrong.

(Queue over-confidence)

Having performed quite well in my last couple (shorter) runs, I started this run like I was attacking a shorter run in cooler weather. Starting my run at 9:30 should be cool enough to keep an even pace for 3 hours. Wrong again.

When you put those two together, nothing but bad ju-ju happens - just like it did today. When you don't respect the heat, it will take you down in a big ball of scratchy salt.

So while the run itself was disappointing, it was a great reminder that long-runs - whether in the desert heat or not - must be respected.

Lesson learned.

Respect the run, respect the heat.

Check.

Just keep swimming...

I've blogged several times in the past that swimming is probably my least favorite of the three disciplines. In reality, the logic escapes me for why I continue to have such a disdain for the sport - it's the least impactful on the body, requires little to no gear and is one of the best cardio workouts you could ever get. I think it's mostly the chlorine.

Some people have a gag-reflex with yogurt (my wife) others with cottage cheese (my wife)...for me, chlorine. It's not that I'm drinking it on purpose. Towards the end of my 4,500 yard swim today (2.5 miles), I was getting lazy/tired and not twisting my body enough to get my face fully out of the water to take a breath. Chlorine ingestion commenced and I had to stop to clear the pipes...still can't get that taste out of my mouth. Ugghhh.

Someone asked me what I think about when I'm swimming (it seems people are very curious about that goes through the mind of a triathlete when swimming, biking or running these crazy distances). Truth-be-told, for the first 2 miles, I am concentrating on a smooth stroke, trying to alternate my breathing and keeping my body balanced so my legs don't drop too far. Between 2 and 2.5 miles however, I replay the scene from Finding Nemo where Dory and Marlin are on the edge of the dark precipice considering swimming down into the dark abyss to find the diver's mask.

Dory delivers the classic "Just keep swimming..." line and it repeats over and over in my mind during every race and swim session I do. May sound childish and insignificant but when your shoulders are about ready to burst and your lungs are about ready to pop out of your chest, it is the one thing that keeps me going.

With less than 4 weeks to go to Ironman Arizona, that is all I can do is just keep swimming. Later.

Can't complain

This morning, I was planning on writing about my brick workout yesterday. I was going to tell you about how tough it was. I was going to mention that my butt was bit sore and that my neck hurt a bit from riding aero for those 4.5 hours on the bike.

After reading Rajesh's story, I think I'll suck it up.

These are the types of stories that inspire me.

Stories about people who, in almost every way, redefine what is possible. Stories that make you realize that your aches, pains and troubles are insignificant. People like him bring clarity to what is "hard" or what it really means to persevere.

Happy Sunday and have a great week.

A great time in AZ

For those of you following that don't live in Arizona, you should know that as of last week, summer has finally 'turned off' and the temperatures are hovering around 80 pretty consistently. It really is a fantastic place to be this time of year. Close to what Arizonans call chilly. Laugh if you want but after 3.5 months of 110+ temperatures, 75 feels cool. In fact today was the first day the kids wore jeans and long-sleeved shirts to school.

This last week has seen a slight shift in training given the change in temperatures as well as my glorious rebound from a sinus infection that plagued me last week. For the past 4 months, long-runs were done in the morning well before the sun had come up - and even then, by the time you were done, the temperature bordered on 90+. Between now and race-day, all runs will be done in the afternoon under the warm and glorious Arizona sun. I'll leave the swimming for the early mornings...

Though last week looked pretty dark relative to the time left until race-day, I have successfully pulled out of the funk and focused on the quality of my workouts rather than the volume...I have to say, damn I feel good.

I was supposed to hit my long-run this morning but guess what? It was raining. Hard. I resolved to find time during the day to get in my 2 hours of running. I managed to break free of the desk around 11:30 knowing there were calls pending back at the office around 1. Although I accepted the fact that I would not get in a 2-hour run, I resolved to sacrifice the distance for speed.

I'll be the first to tell you - this is not my race pace. In fact, not even close. But again, quality not quantity right? I ran a solid hour at a pace that was challenging but not drop-dead hard. Check it out. It even felt like I was flying around the neighborhood. I can only imagine what Ryan Hall feels like running a 5-minute mile.

I'm looking forward to amping up my mileage on the bike this weekend. I may even throw in a short run after the bike just to make up for the distance lost today. The way I feel right now, I could take on the world.

Look out. I'm back. Ironman Arizona is going to be glorious.

Work to do

When I first set out on this journey almost 2 years ago, I don't think I grasped how much it would change me or how much I would learn about myself.

I have no coach.

I have no formal training plan.

I have only my determination and inner strength.

To spend countless hours by yourself - running, swimming and cycling - is a temporary inconvenience that must be fulfilled to reach the final goal. A goal I chose for myself.

If you can't tell, I'm at a very introspective stage in training. The last 10 days have been filled with just about zero training hours. What started as a rest weekend to go camping turned into travelling to Seattle for business and getting sick. I've run once in 10 days...AND THAT'S IT.

Suffice it to say, I'm a bit concerned about where that leaves me and under 5 weeks to go until race day. Even right now, I sit here at about 90% strength sipping mint tea and reflecting on how to give it my all yet not push myself over the edge, deeper into sickness or burning out.

I swam a mile this morning and it felt like 2 - shoulders and arms about to explode. Not the greatest confidence builder.

I think it's the times like these (which have occurred many times over the last couple years) when that desire to be the best really just takes over and continues to drive my actions and thoughts. It motivates me knowing how much I've done over the months and years rather than just the last 10 days.

I have a pretty good idea of what it's going to take to get to the finish line. It may not be pretty. It may not be the best possible time. But I'll be there. At the finish. Knowing I did my best.

Yes, there's still work to be done.

The Perils of Travel

I actually enjoy travelling (for work). Being a remote employee in Arizona, I like the idea of heading to the Northwest part of the country for some cooler weather and moisture. There is something calming and tranquil about Seattle when it's grey and cloudy - so long as it doesn't stay that way for 90+ days.

My team is based out of Redmond and I love having the chance to go up and see, interact and hang out with them (they keep me young!). The only part I don't enjoy is getting sick.

It never fails - travel, get sick. Get on a plane, get sick. This time was no different.

Our fiscal year ended last Friday and our sales team gathers once a year to not only celebrate the fruits of our labors but to also outline the focus and themes of the coming year. I flew into Seattle on Monday feeling pretty good. Coming off what could only be described as a 'slack' training weekend, I was fully prepared to get in a few runs and swim sessions at the hotel.

Tuesday morning, my buddies Erik, Steve and I went out for a run in downtown Bellevue. It was nice and cool (about 50) and full of hills. The run felt great and I was pumped up for the day.

That evening however, things began to fall apart - headaches, chills and sinus pressure. All these things are very familiar and it doesn't take long to recognize the symptoms.

I am still recovering and feel about 50% - training has been put on hold for a bit as I make my recovery and try to push through the last couple weeks before tapering.

Eureka!

After 2 weeks of trying to figure out what he heck is going on with my knee, it dawned on me this morning as I embarked on my long run (13 miles) that symptomatically, pain is not necessarily the location of the 'problem'. The body is funny that way - such a complex machine of muscles that extend and contract, it is no wonder the inside of both knees were hurting.

All the distance running and cycling has taken a toll on my IT band - something I'm not very good at 'stretching' (if there is such a thing). I have a foam roller at the house but it's not something I use very often. It was just a side-comment from my chiropractor the other day ("geez your IT band is really tight") that prompted me to really grind out the lactic acid and tension on/around my IT band last night.

Guess what? An amazing thing happened this morning - I ran 13.1 miles pain-free (negative splits as well). Hind-sight being 20/20, it is obvious to me that if the IT band is tight, it is causing tension on the outer part of my lower leg - which in turn is causing a different angle at the knee. An angle that creates additional pressure and swelling on the inside of my leg under the knee-cap. Duh.

So note to self - use foam roller more. Stretch IT band real good. Prevent knee pain.

Check, check and check. I'm back and ready to rock this mutha.

Fill the damn dam!

Well here we are almost 40 days before Ironman Arizona and already I am filled with a sense of accomplishment and anticipation...and I haven't even made it to the starting line yet!! So good news today however - let the dam filling process begin. Looks like Tempe Town Lake will be ready for the race.

Let me take you back to Sunday - long ride day. For the last couple weeks I've been tinkering with the notion of nudging my mileage up beyond the 60 or 80 miles that I've done for a couple weeks now. It was expected to be overcast and cooler so I threw caution to the wind and plotted a nice 100-mile ride that would avoid any kind of urban streets or traffic lights. I wanted to ride solid for 5 hours without hills or interruptions.

I personally am a little tentative riding a new route especially when you don't know the condition of the roads. With the number of flat tires I've had lately too, I was packed to the brim with extra tubes, bars, Roctane and a little cash to stop and get some food along the way. This route was excellent and I intend to use it again in the future. Spinning aero in the big chain ring for 20-40 miles at a time is exactly what I've been looking for to simulate the ride along the Bee Line highway come race day. I was also focused on nutrition and payed close attention to what I was putting in me, how often and what I was feeling at certain mileage markers - 30, 60 and 90 miles. I felt better after this ride was done than I have coming back from shorter hillier rides.

Since then, I skipped Monday swim drills, ran 7 miles this morning and then swam 2.4 miles this evening. It rained like the ba-jesus today so I don't think I'l be cycling in the morning (too much standing water and debris in the road). I'll probably wait until the afternoon.

The knee is still acting up, though not quite as bad as a few weeks ago. I think I'm resolved not to over-extend my mileage between now and race day. Max, I may try and put on 14-16 miles for long runs but honestly if I can't, I'll be fine with that. I don't remember where I saw the quote, but it always sticks in my mind during long runs -

"[A marathon is] 20 miles of hope, 6 miles of guts"

I'm sure we're going to find out. Cheers.

There is no easy way

This week has once again been a strange week in regards to both training and mental 'stability' (for lack of a better word). It's strange to me that training - and sometimes the lack of - makes one question their resolve, strength and mental fortitude. Still nursing the tweaks in my knees and feeling slightly off (like almost feeling sick) this week has tested my overall resolve to continue staying close to the training plan. While the running has declined, I have tried to continue with the swimming and cycling milestones.

During times like this, one of the things I always come back to are the key things I wrote down on recommendation of Joe Friel & Gordon Byrn, author of "Going Long". These are all hanging on my office wall but I realize that I don't stop to read them every day. They are good reminders of reality.

It's very easy to lose perspective after training for months on end - you forget that 12 months ago, you could barely run 2 miles or that a 20 mile bike ride seemed to take forever and made your ass sore for days.

I relish in the fact that I've come so far and that I have a great group of friends and family that are supporting me with this challenge. It's something that no matter how I feel week-to-week, I know that I'll finish and I know it's something that can never be taken away from me.

That said, here is a summary of the week:

Monday - 1.5 mi swim (pyramid drills)

Tuesday - 5 mi run (easy pace)

Wednesday - off (not feeling well)

Thursday - 30 mi bike time trial

Friday - 2.4 mi swim

Brick planned on Sunday - 80 mi bike and 30 minute run. We'll see how that feels to determine how best to ramp through October.

Happy training everyone.