The first week

This first week of training I'm discovering just how challenging it's going to be to find a balance between life, weather and the time I need to spend on the trails.

What the hail?!

If I wanted to artificially inflate my weekly miles, I'd include the Mesquite Canyon 50k last Sunday...but I won't. Reality can be cruel.

If my week goes from Monday to Sunday - then I logged 35.81 miles (24.13 running, 11.68 cycling). Had I gotten in my long run yesterday, my total running miles would be closer to 37. Mother nature wasn't having it though. As you can see, hail combined with rain and wind pretty much crushed any hope of making it outside.

The silver-lining of the week is that I dusted off the road bike, laced up my new shoes and started riding again.

Hello, cross-training.

Let's hope Week 2 stays on track.

Week 2 expected miles = 54

Trevor is an Ironman - Part II

I was originally worried that it was going to be cold coming out of the water preparing for the bike. Truth is, it wasn't an issue. Adrenaline combined with the warmer air temperatures (the impending storm clouds kept in the heat) made the jog/walk through the chute rather enjoyable while taking in the crowd energy and cheers. BTW, the chute from the swim exit to the bags and bikes was one of the longest transitions ever. It's laid out well for traffic control, but man it's long.

After grabbing my bike bag and heading to the changing tent, it was clear that the real estate there was not adequate for the number of warm bodies trying to dry off and get changed for the bike. I found a picnic table outside the tent, sat down and started changing. Though I had a full wardrobe of warm clothing, I chose to only put on my arm warmers, helmet and sunglasses for the bike.

T1 = 8 minutes

Heading out on the bike was the point in the race when I knew I'd finish. The energy from the crowds and my overall excitement to be done with the swim was difficult to contain as I headed out the bike chute. Though I knew the wind would be a factor as soon as I woke up that morning, it was readily apparent heading east on Rio Salado that any pacing strategy or mile-per-hour goal would need to be tempered accordingly to adjust for the northerly winds. So while the first 25 miles heading north were a piece of cake (note, awesome tailwind) the return journey back into the wind was not so great (estimated 15-20 mph wind speed). I have never been so small and aero on the bike before but I know it made a difference to cut down drag. I was able to keep my speed around 16 (down to 13 at times) without over-exerting myself.

Just to make things interesting, it started to rain during the second lap. Being an AZ-local, I knew that the rain would be short-lived. There were others however that were clearly distraught about both the rain and wind. Sure, it was annoying and cold but I kept my head about things, maintained perspective and continued to keep my level of effort as flat as possible. There was one point however where I could see a wall of dirt blowing towards me. Some chose to stop. I put my head down and just kept riding.

(It is still uncanny that the bad weather chose to show up on the day of the race. The 2 months leading up to race-day had been perfect).

Overall, I felt really good about my nutrition and hydration - never did I feel hungry or get the 'vurps'. Miles 0-35, I stick with water and Powerbars. Miles 36-60 I move over to Perpetuem, Snickers and bananas. Miles 61-90 I hit the water, Roctane and more bananas. Starting mile 105 I grab another Snickers followed with more Roctane shots and water.

Though the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, there were a handful of things that stuck with me -

1. Getting passed by Chrissie Wellington. I was doing 21 mph but I might as well been standing still. She rocks.
2. Feeling the pain and disappointment for the fellow next to me after watching his bike seat break off.
3. Being reminded and humbled knowing that even amongst world-class athletes, accidents still happen. Rain coupled with 40 mph gusts makes Arizona roads extremely treacherous.

In retrospect, I'm kind of glad it was windy. It forces concentration and a reassessment of your goals to ensure a conservative pace that would eventually help see me through the run. I was also happy not to have any mechanical issues.

Bike time = 6:28 (17.3 mph average)

T2 and run summary tomorrow.

Ready. Set. Wait...

It should be a glorious time now that the hardest parts of my training are complete. Should...


I say that tongue-in-cheek because all I want to do is race and get this knocked out. While it's been a very quick year of training, I have a feeling that these last couple weeks are going to (seemingly) take forever.

Don't get me wrong - I'm still as stoked to be taking on this challenge and making one of my most significant life goals become reality. I just wish it would get here and be done with.

After a massive brick yesterday, I am feeling great. Ready to rock it.

A 117-mile bike ride followed by a 45-minute run was icing on the training cake and proof that I have gotten to a place, both mentally and physically, that I know I needed to be.

Ready.

Set.

Bring it.

Starting to sink in

Over the last couple days, the obviousness and closeness of the Arizona Ironman has become exceedingly clear. If it's not the ridiculously long bike rides, it's most definitely the appearance of my pre-race triathlon dreams (as-in, REM sleep dreams/nightmares).


Let's start with my unconscious and see what all the amateur Freuds have to say...


Typically, within a week or two of a race, I start having 'race dreams'. They are never at particular venues I've actually raced before so I'm not sure the location is very important. The recurring theme is these dreams/nightmares is my lack of organization and forgetfulness when it comes to race time. In order, here are the most frequent issues I have in these dreams:

1. I have misplaced my bike (neither with me or in transition)
2. I have forgotten every running/biking accessory (visor, shoes, race belt, etc) and am frantically running around the expo trying to buy or barter for it all
3. I'm standing in the water waiting for the swim to start and someone asks me, "Where is your wet suit?"

The fear of being under-prepared must be more prominent and worrisome than actually competing/doing the race. Maybe I should have finished that psych-major in college...

The second thing I FULLY realized this weekend is that I am in for one hell of a race. (I'm calling is race still because it is timed and you're competing against others, but mostly, I'm competing against myself.)

At mile 100 of my long bike ride this weekend, I wasn't feeling so hot - gluts on fire and my neck straining from 6 hours in the aero position. All I could think about was "how in the hell am I going to run a marathon after this bike ride?"

Surprisingly, between miles 110 and 112 I was feeling much better (Snickers is an amazing power food BTW!). When I got home, I still had the lingering question in my mind of whether my legs would take me another 26.2 miles. I know that running 26.2 miles even without a 112-mile bike ride is hard. I guess that's why not everyone does an Ironman.

At the end of the day, my pre-triathlon dreams and insecurities about being able to run post-bike ride are simply things I'll have to overcome. I've known that this was going to be hard. I've known that there is going to be pain. Up until this weekend however, I just did not have the perspective for how much.

Even still, I can't wait.

"Do or do not. There is no try."

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.

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.

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.

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...

Buggy

Cycling is a glorious sport. You go fast. You see new places. You are the master of your destiny.

You are also a big object hurdling through space, being bombarded with anything else that is occupying that space. Like bugs for instance. It's a simple formula really...

(Bugs + sweat) x miles per hour = HOT MESS

If you need that shot in a bit more detail...yes Virginia, those are bugs. The kids were completely grossed out.

Also, in other news Ironman race officials are looking at alternative places to hold the swim. Read more here.

Cut short

The remainder of the week turned out to be a strong one with cooler than average temps here in Arizona. Cloud cover mixed with a little rain has made training a bit more tolerable this week. Allow me to catch you up.

- Thursday -
Thursdays are long-run-day. The training calendar said 15 but I wasn't sure I had the juice for that. In my mind, I set 13 as the goal figuring I'd compromise for 11 or 12. Turns out, the temperature was slightly cooler and I found a way to push through to make that 13-mile mark.

I don't run with a headset or iPod so it gives me plenty of time to think. Miles 1-8 usually consists of various song lyrics going through my head or making mental notes for things I need to do at work or home. Miles 9-?? are typically about focus - form, stride, arms, speed and fluids. It's these miles I also marvel at how powerful the mind really is. Even though I feel like I can't go on, my mind says I must. So I do. Mind over matter really does matter.

- Friday -
Day off

- Saturday -
Long bike ride is normally scheduled for Sunday but even this guy has to prioritize a little fun over training. Poker night with the guys is tonight and there is usually beer involved so the long Sunday ride becomes the long Saturday ride.

Looking back, perhaps I should have kept the Sunday ride. I had this weird feeling last night that something was going to go wrong but what do I know? I'm not psychic.

Or am I?

Up to mile 40, the ride was fantastic. Then, pop! I ran over some sort of metal piece in the middle of the road that literally sliced the side of my tire open along with the tube (Exhibit A)

Exhibit A - The patch held for about 20 miles.

After panicking a bit (seeing it was 6:30 am) and knowing that no one in their right mind would be carrying a spare tire, I figured I was FUBAR. Tubes I carry. Tires I do not. I texted a few friends to see who would be able to cart my sorry ass home first but no luck. Either no on wanted that responsibility or they weren't up yet.

After many generous offers of aid from fellow roadies, I started digging around in my under-seat pack for inspiration or anything else that might carry me the remaining 20 miles home. As luck would have it, I had forgotten about the patch kit that has been in my bag since 'NAM...after 15 minutes of wrestling with the tire, I managed to replace the tube and pump it up to at least support my weight.

Gingerly, I peddled my way home. I stopped every couple miles to check on the patch. I swear the patch seemed to be popping out a little more each stop. But it held. What was meant to be a 75-mile ride was cut down to 60. Still a respectable ride but not what I had planned.

The winds of change

Today was my last bike ride until we return home on July 26. Our summer odyssey across the Midwest continues on Friday as we pack up the church-sized van and make the trip to Idaho for my family reunion starting on July 21. It will take us a few days to get there and I didn't want to deal with lugging my bike around any longer than is necessary. Besides, I'm not going to ride it while I'm in Idaho so I figured I might as well ship it home now.

In a way, I'm kind of disappointed about that because taking 10 days off from anything takes you backwards just enough that you have to work 2x more to get back to where you were. On the other hand, no bike forces me to get my running back on track - my longest run thus far has been a 10K. Not going to cut it for Lake Stevens on Aug. 15.

Oh, on a sad note...my Garmin Forerunner 305 is officially dead. One too drops has rendered it a very expensive stopwatch.

R.I.P. 305

Goodbye to The Hills

Today is our last day in South Dakota. I truly have enjoyed being back in my old stomping grounds to visit with friends while rediscovering the Black Hills through my training.

A big shout out goes to my buddy ToddG - I have trained by myself for such a long time now that I forget what it's like to have someone to chat with on bike rides or haul your ass out of bed on those "don't wanna" days. Thanks for the motivation and awesome trail runs!!

I was reviewing my training log last night and realized that I have only been swimming once since we've been here. Not good. On the other side of that coin however, I have taken full advantage of the elevation and hills the last couple weeks and am riding and running stronger than ever. For example, my last ride with Todd was a scorcher - now, we had almost perfect conditions that day so it's no surprised but still...

That previous ride was part of a brick that I decided to do the night before-hand. Realizing that there are many more weekends left before Lake Stevens 70.3, I added on a 6 mile run over the very same hills we just got done riding (ignore the splits, just look at the time - my Garmin freaked out halfway through so I only have a few splits and total time). Not a bad run if I do say so myself. I haven't seen anything under a 9-minute pace for quite some time.

So here ends a chapter of training that I must say I'm very very happy with.

Howling prairie winds....you can suck it.
Steep hills & elevation....kiss my ass.

I'm coming for you Lakes Steven's (and you too Mikel!).

The highs, the lows

If you've been keeping up, my previous post about feeling awesome really did reflect the natural high I had after finishing a major milestone in my long road to recovery and overall Ironman Arizona goal. It was the cap to a challenging week and a performance that was inline with where my race season ended last year.

Hence, the high.

Enter the new week. I knew deep down that pushing a few extra miles on my Sunday run would probably have consequences...and of course, it did. My calves were knotted up pretty good and my hamstrings were really tight. Several nights of stretching didn't help provide any relief. Hell, I even had a massage on Monday and that only seemed to spread the soreness around to places that previously felt great!! Subsequently, I did not work out on Monday at all - between post-brick soreness and post-traumatic-massage-disorder, I opted to lay low on Monday.

Tuesday morning was another one of those "I need sleep more than another workout" mornings. I felt horrible about skipping that morning.It had been a while since my last swim and I really needed to get back into the pool. I was determined to get in a workout that day however...until I realized I was booked for a meeting at my normal afternoon gym time. Dammit.

Turns out, my meeting got canceled and I was able to bust out of my over-heated office and go for a bike ride. Normally, I try not to ride in the afternoons around here - hot Arizona afternoons don't bode well for the skin, respiratory system or water bottle temperature. Being that it was sub-90 and breezy however, I figured it would be fine.

I only had an hour for my ride so I decided to make it a good one. I was reminded of what a buddy of mine has always maintained, "The faster you go, the sooner your get home (in reference to his kids, wife, etc)". Let's give that a shot.

I couldn't be happier with my performance -  I was able to maintain a good spin, strong cadence and a relaxed aero position. I was hauling ass. In fact, my time (56:13) for 20 miles yesterday is a PR. It's great to see improvements in performance.

In my mind, I've negated all the previous 'lows' of the week and am focusing on creating new 'highs' - as small as they be. Everything counts.

I changed my mind

After some careful consideration, I've decided that this is the week I will start running again. Given my schedule in June and July, I felt that putting it off another couple weeks just didn't make sense. After all, I am still signed up to do the Lake Steven's 70.3 in August as my first race of the season. I need to get crack-a-lackin' for that...

Believe it or not, this is a big deal for me for several reasons - primarily, I'm afraid of what will happen when I start running again. Plantar faciitis is not just something that 'goes away'...I still feel the tightness in my arches every once and a while just walking up the stairs. So I'm not even sure if you'd classify this week's activities as even running but rather, a-very-tentative-and-cautious-attempt-at-jogging-at-a-faster-than-normal-pace-in-the-hopes-I-don't-hurt-myself...

Also, I am going to start using my new Newton shoes. Because I haven't run in over 6 months, I figured it was as good a time as any to re-invent my running technique and form. Newtons encourage mid-strike running which takes all the pressure off the heel and therefore should prevent any future flare-ups or pain because of my normal heel-striking. But then again, with all the pressure on the ball of your foot, you are still stretching the plantar facii area out which I'm sure is going to aggravate it. Which will then aggravate me.

Got back on the bike this morning which felt really good. First time in a week since "The Incident". I'm glad that the temps are going to start warming up again - I've been wearing my ear covers, arm warmers and gloves for rides the last couple week. Any time you produce more phlegm than sweat (like this morning), you know it's a chilly ride.

20 miles in 1:06 - a good start to a great week.

Road rash sucks

Both my pride and right side are a bit bruised this morning after a fateful decision to take a route on the bike that I normally don't take.

My morning bike ride started out just like any other but I've been thinking the last couple rides that I really should venture out and try new routes. Not that the scenario contributes all that much but when it's dark, I'm definitely looking for roads that have a good bike lane and are lit.

I took a left turn this morning that turned out to be exactly what I was looking for - nice bike lane, lit well and low traffic. After about 1.5 miles however, the construction signs start flashing in the wee hours of the morning. No big deal (usually) - just slow down, keep close to the curb and avoid the barrels.

You know how when a road is being resurfaced, they scrape the top layer off leaving a massively bumpy surface behind? This is the road I ended up on. And not just for a couple hundred feet...after a mile of being rattled so hard my water bottle was shaken lose, I decided that I needed to improve my position. Of course, the closest smooth location was the 1.5 foot section of the curb beside me.

Oh, one other thing to note - when they scrap the pavement away, it makes the road and edge of the curb uneven (e.g., the lip of curb is raised above the bumpy pavement). So if you try to swerve over onto the curb, your tires will meet the raised cement of the curb. If your body is leaning right and your wheels are caught on the lip of the curb, they will NOT move in the same direction. BIFF.

After laying there in the dirt for a minute trying to catching my breath and assess which part of my body hurt the most, I stood up and dusted myself off. Dammit that hurt. After a quick assessment of the bike to make sure I could still get home, I got back on and had to endure another .5 miles of the stupid bumpy road. Disoriented and still reeling that I crashed, I spent another 5 minutes trying to figure out where to go next. Nothing looked familiar. I'll just head east, toward the sunrise...

I made it home fine. I'll look over the bike this afternoon to make sure nothing is out of whack. Me, I'll be fine. My pride is probably bruised more than my body but I'll get over it.

Need some Zzzz's

I am honestly about to fall asleep as I'm writing this.

I have not been sleeping well the last couple of nights. My guess is that the combination of warmer weather (and temp inside the house) and the pillow I've had since 'Nam are putting the smack-down on my REM sleep.

Did I roll out of bed at 4 am today to do my bike ride? You're damn right I did. It was a good one too.

20 miles in 1:05 - Average speed of 18.5 mph

Looks like I'll try to hit the sack early tonight...and find a new pillow.