Mileage and sugary-goodness

He's a post to keep my meager group of follows satiated with an update of sorts. There isn't much going on lately. Just running off Thanksgiving still. While the word 'diet' really isn't in my vocabulary, you might say I'm attempting to be on one this week by just watching what I eat.

This means not plunging my face into the bowl of home-made whip cream or eating 3 chocolate-peanut butter cookies after dinner. Damn you sugary-goodness.

I'm working on my mileage this week - actually, consecutive miles. I'm trying to run more consecutive days in a row to ensure I'm building both mileage and endurance. 8 miles on Monday followed by 10 miles on Tuesday. 13 miles on Thursday followed by 15 miles on Friday. This will certainly test your resolve but also your commitment to pain.

While I did fine at Pass Mountain a couple weeks ago, I'd really like to finish far better than 8 hours at McDowell Mountain on December 10th.

Thanks for checking in!

Soon, the real challenge begins

If you're married and/or have kids you know that finding the time for training can be difficult. At any given time there are activities, classes and carpools all layered with anything related to life or your wife (mine teaches after-school art classes, volunteers, etc)...so needless to say, planning a training schedule each week has been a constant in my life for some time. You might say it's like working out a T1 plan for the family...ha!

I bring this up because as challenging as it can be sometimes to make time for all the things in your life as well as this little thing called an Ironman, you make it work. We don't have the option to just train all day at the expense of our sponsors, so we make do and do what we can.

This mindset is important because I realized this morning that June is basically here - and that means my training schedule just got a bit more interesting. Let me tell you why -

1. We leave for Disneyland on June 8 through June 10 (we won the trip, imagine that). Three days and two nights of magical bliss with my wife, her sister and child along with their mother and my own 2 kids. Happiest place on earth? That depends on how well the mini bar is stocked...
2. June 21st we fly to Rapid City, SD. We'll be staying for about 2.5 weeks until...
3. July 5th, we drive from Rapid City to Minot, ND to visit my family for a couple weeks.
4. July 18th, we drive from Minot, ND to Cour d'Alane, ID for my family's grand reunion that starts on July 21 through July 24.

I'm exhausted just writing it all down.

First, the good news - I'm taking my bike and every piece of gear I own so that training does not fall behind. I'm looking forward to the scenery of western South Dakota and getting in some rides with my old college buddy. It will be slightly more challenging to find interesting scenery in North Dakota, but at least it won't be as hot!

So what's the big deal you might ask? I have no doubt that I'll get in some workouts - it's not the frequency, it's the quality. I have yet to figure out when and how often I'll be able to do long rides or bricks. Slogging to the local YMCA for swims  We're talking about small towns with fewer resources than Phoenix metro...compound that with the likely diet that comes along with being away from home. Let's just say I can already see the dietary temptations that lie before me - something I must resist and conquer.

Lake Stevens 70.3 is August 15 - just enough time to get back from travelling, bust out one last brick and then taper. It will take every ounce of strength and mental fortitude to stay on track - making time to train and eat right. The workouts themselves will be the easy part.

You are what you eat

Last year about this same time, I had gotten into a mindset that my triathlon training permitted me to eat anything I wanted without remorse. I mean really - you could burn upwards of 3,000 calories a day during the week and anywhere between 3,000 to 5,000 on the weekend. In some instances, knowing I could pig out on ice cream or brownies at the end of the day was my only reason for getting up at 4 am.

What a difference a year makes. Older and wiser, right?

As many of you will attest, our ability to shed pounds gets a bit harder year after year - even if you keep the same level of activity. This has certainly been the case for me this year. Which means that eating right and watching (the right) calories has been a renewed focus during my training.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not starving myself or participating in any ritualistic-cult-tofu-diets or anything. Yes, I am still motivated by beer but it's really just back to the basics...eating in moderation, eating more frequently throughout the day (to prevent over-eating) and eating (more filling) snacks in between meals.

I'm not a vain person. Losing weight (for me) is not about self-image (which isn't a bad side-effect!) but rather, an internal barometer for how I'm feeling. It goes without saying that when you feel good on the inside, it will translate to how you feel on the outside - you project confidence, happiness and self-worth.

Peak race season last year I clocked in at 160. At the bottom of my off-season, I had gained 10 pounds by  being sedentary and not focusing on beer-drinking rather than working out. Fortunately, that number is on it's way down these days. The obvious goal being to get back to my 'fighting weight' of 160 (not only is your stomach flatter, but you can run faster when you don't weigh as much!)

BTW, if you have an iPhone/iTouch - download a free app called "Lose It". It allows you to track both calories and activities. I question some of the caloric values but it has a huge database of both over-the-counter foods as well as brand name food or restaurant foods. There is no better way to be accountable to yourself than to keep a journal of what you eat. Try it - you'll be amazed how quickly the calories add up.