Out the door

I've had a few people email me recently to tell me how they appreciated to hear that other people (for instance - me) had problems keeping motivated all the time.

Well if hearing that I have problems getting motivated to go run or swim or bike helps make someone feel a little better about their own motivational issues - I'll go one further. I have trouble getting motivated to get out the door most of the time. In fact, as I'm typing, I'm trying to psych myself into running tonight. My legs have been sore lately and we have a family movie night that we like to do on Friday's. It would be easy just blow off the run.

However, I'm going to try to get it in. Here are a few of the tricks I use to get out the door. Hopefully, one of them will work tonight.

1. Just start getting dressed – without thinking, just start putting on your workout clothes. It's easy to call off a ride or run if you're slumped in your easy chair after work or lying in a comfortable bed before. However, pride won't let you skip out of your daily run if you're already dressed for the occasion.
   
2. Tell yourself you are only going to workout for 15 minutes. That shouldn't seem too hard. You'll be surprised how better you'll feel after ten minutes and when you do, it's easy to go a little bit longer.
   
3. Think about all the work you've put in so far. If every day off decreases your fitness level – it'd be a shame to let all that time you've put in go to waste.
   
4. Change up your pace for a few seconds. Whether it be running, biking or swimming, unless you are a competitive athlete, you probably rarely do intervals. But intervals not only help speed you up, they also help with the monotony that can drag you down in training for marathons and triathlons. So every ten minutes in your workout – go hard for 15 or 30 seconds. It'll be uncomfortable and it'll hurt a bit, but you'll be surprised how quickly the session will go. Plus, you'll probably find you'll get a little faster after a few weeks of this.
   
5. Mp3 players are not a bad thing. I used to fight against using music when I ran – it didn't feel "pure" and I felt it took away from my "me" time. But training for the Ironman, I needed something other than just my thoughts. A good play list can do wonders for a long monotonous run. I use one most of the time now and even bike while listening on "low" in one ear.
   
6. Go buy some new equipment. Shallow I know, but I've guilted myself into running or biking many times by purchasing some new shoes or gear. The motivation being if I'm not using my new gear, I'm wasting money. This is a great way to try out cool new stuff and reinvigorate your workouts (It's also a good way to get in trouble with your significant other by spending too much money on your hobby, but that's another issue entirely).
   

All that said, the best motivator I have is thinking about the sense of accomplishment I know I'll have after I complete the workout and the sense of loathing I'll have if I don't finish it.

Out the door

I've had a few people email me recently to tell me how they appreciated to hear that other people (for instance - me) had problems keeping motivated all the time.

Well if hearing that I have problems getting motivated to go run or swim or bike helps make someone feel a little better about their own motivational issues - I'll go one further. I have trouble getting motivated to get out the door most of the time. In fact, as I'm typing, I'm trying to psych myself into running tonight. My legs have been sore lately and we have a family movie night that we like to do on Friday's. It would be easy just blow off the run.

However, I'm going to try to get it in. Here are a few of the tricks I use to get out the door. Hopefully, one of them will work tonight.

1. Just start getting dressed – without thinking, just start putting on your workout clothes. It's easy to call off a ride or run if you're slumped in your easy chair after work or lying in a comfortable bed before. However, pride won't let you skip out of your daily run if you're already dressed for the occasion.
   
2. Tell yourself you are only going to workout for 15 minutes. That shouldn't seem too hard. You'll be surprised how better you'll feel after ten minutes and when you do, it's easy to go a little bit longer.
   
3. Think about all the work you've put in so far. If every day off decreases your fitness level – it'd be a shame to let all that time you've put in go to waste.
   
4. Change up your pace for a few seconds. Whether it be running, biking or swimming, unless you are a competitive athlete, you probably rarely do intervals. But intervals not only help speed you up, they also help with the monotony that can drag you down in training for marathons and triathlons. So every ten minutes in your workout – go hard for 15 or 30 seconds. It'll be uncomfortable and it'll hurt a bit, but you'll be surprised how quickly the session will go. Plus, you'll probably find you'll get a little faster after a few weeks of this.
   
5. Mp3 players are not a bad thing. I used to fight against using music when I ran – it didn't feel "pure" and I felt it took away from my "me" time. But training for the Ironman, I needed something other than just my thoughts. A good play list can do wonders for a long monotonous run. I use one most of the time now and even bike while listening on "low" in one ear.
   
6. Go buy some new equipment. Shallow I know, but I've guilted myself into running or biking many times by purchasing some new shoes or gear. The motivation being if I'm not using my new gear, I'm wasting money. This is a great way to try out cool new stuff and reinvigorate your workouts (It's also a good way to get in trouble with your significant other by spending too much money on your hobby, but that's another issue entirely).
   

All that said, the best motivator I have is thinking about the sense of accomplishment I know I'll have after I complete the workout and the sense of loathing I'll have if I don't finish it.

Things I learned on the way to completing an Ironman

Little things I found out while training for an Ironman Louisville -

Swimming:

People have varying opinions about whether or not shaving your legs makes you a faster cycler, but the consensus is that it does help your swimming. In doing my first Ironman – I went all the way and shaved. It didn't make me feel any faster, but it did make me awful uncomfortable as the hair grew back. It itched everywhere.

Wetsuits really do help you float. It's like wearing a bunch of inflatable floaties all over your body. It's hard to sink. As such, I can understand why some feel that wetsuits can take away from the grueling experience of completing an Ironman. On the other hand, I'd hate to swim in 75 degree water without one. They do keep you warm.

Pam sprayed on the ankles right before you put on the wetsuit, really does make it easier to take the suit off layer.

In the Ironman, it's about form, not how quickly or hard you swim.

Biking:

You don't wear anything under the cycling shorts – wearing underwear or something else could cause chaffing. Feels weird at first but you get used to it.

Cycling is a very expensive sport.

On the long Ironman course, most don't stop to use the restroom. They just use some of the water on their bike to wash off afterwards – if you know what I mean.

Aero bars can really make it easier to ride long – but they are not easy to get used to.

Clipping off your peddles (before you fall) is a learned skill. And by learning, I mean you have to fall a few times before you get the hang of it.

It doesn't matter how much you train, if you can't find nutrients that your stomach can keep down – it's going to be an even longer and more painful event than you imagine.

Unfortunately, the only way you can find what nutrients your stomach can handle is by doing 5 or 6 hour bike rides, while experimenting with intake, and then going for a little run afterwards.

Running:

You should put on the triathlon suit and model it for your kids and just let them get the giggling out of the way (same thing for cycling gear).

How well you can run a marathon, has nothing to do with how well you'll be able to run a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112.

Rejuvenation

When I finished Ironman Louisville last August, I hurt physically – a lot. However, while I may have been exhausted, I could tell I had finished without injuring my body. But I found out the hard way that the Ironman is just as much mental as physical and it wasn't until months later that I could take a look back and realize how much the race had taken out of me psychologically.

The grueling schedule of training for a full Ironman, training to do it from scratch in 6 months and all the while trying to also be a good parent, husband and worker took a chunk out of desire to do any physical activity at all. Two months after the event, I was still mentally spent. Nothing was less interesting to me than going out for a quick run.

I ate. I watched some t.v. I gained at least 10 pounds.

So when the desire to get back out there slowly started to creep back. When my psyche began to heal – my mistreated and ignored body wasn't ready to heed the call. It had only been about 4 months, but the extra weight and lack of physical activity and the fact that I'm now over 40, made it difficult to maintain consecutive workout days – it became (and still is) a real struggle. Simply put, it's been a real pain to run.

But what has helped me through thus far is the same thing that always does - I picked a goal to achieve and now I'm going after it. This one is fairly small in comparison to my last (thank goodness). There is a "Triple Crown of Running" here in Louisville. It consists of racing a 5K, 10K and ten mile race all run at different dates in the month of March. It's just something to keep me running through the cold winter months. Beyond that, I'm shooting for a marathon in the fall – yet to be determined. Hopefully I can qualify to go back to the Boston Marathon next year – the most exciting and enjoyable race I've ever ran.

I'm going back to my basics - running. I'm not going to stop doing triathlons. I'll drop into them every now and then and incorporate biking and swimming into my workouts. But I need to recapture the enjoyment I get out of exercise – of appreciating the blessing of being capable of simply going for a run. Truth be told, I rushed into the Ironman and I wasn't able to take pleasure in it because I was stressing out trying to learn too many new disciplines while balancing the rest of my life. The next time I do one (and I probably will) I want to be able to enjoy it more. And the way to do that is to get in the right frame of mind, get in the proper shape and choose to do one at the proper time in my life. Who knows, it might be a decade before I do another full. But I'll darn sure do it better.

Until then, I'm going to relearn the joy of running.

8 out of 9

My house is located at the bottom of a long steep hill. This means that all of my runs begin with a long slow and somewhat painful climb. This morning it was particularly painful. My legs were sore from running 8 out of the last 9 days. But it was a beautiful misty fall morning and, despite the pain, I had a good run and it wasn't because I went fast or felt light on my feet – it was a good run simply because I was running.

As I posted before, it's been tough getting motivated in the past few months. Ironman Louisville left me with little both physically and emotionally and the Disney World Triathlon took what was left. I had no desire to run, swim or bike. A couple weeks ago I realized that my fitness level was decreasing and my waste size was increasing. But it was my mental state that finally got me back on track.

I'm not the same person if I'm not running or exercising on a regular basis. I worry more – I'm more easily stressed. I can't sleep very well at night. I'm irritable. But worse, I don't feel like myself. I'm a runner (and part time triathlete) and I've been one for most of my life. It's a part of me.

I can't say that I suddenly sprung from the couch and started running with a new passion or that it was some sudden realization. I didn't and it wasn't. Actually, I went out the door 9 days ago without feeling much desire to run at all. But I felt it was my responsibility to do it – as a father, husband, boss and worker. I'm just not as good at any of these occupations if I don't get out and run.

So my promise to myself was simple; string together 4 or 5 days (no matter how uncomfortable) of running and then see how I felt. I struggled through a week of running, but during it I rediscovered a little of my passion for running. Now, after nearly two weeks, I'm building on it – enjoying it a little more each day and fearful of stopping and going backwards. I feel like I'm on my way back to enjoying running again (cycling and swimming hopefully to follow).

It hasn't been magical

About four weeks after doing Louisville Ironman, my family and I went to Disney World. We spent a week walking the parks and generally having a good time. At the end of the week, I participated in the Disney World Triathlon. I thought it’d be a fun way to end the vacation. I was wrong.
It was hot, humid and I hadn’t completely recovered from Ironman (not to mention walking around Disney in the heat and humidity and staying up late all week). It was miserable and not a very good experience. I ended up dehydrated and hanging out in the med tent again. Immediately after the race, I never wanted to ride a bike, swim or run again.
So now here I am, nearly two months later, and I’m running a few times a week, not swimming and thinking about biking every once in a while. In the mean time, I’m eating plenty and gaining a few pounds. “Uninspired” is what best describes me right now.
But this is normal, after taking on such a big goal like Ironman, it’s hard to find inspiration in the normal run or bike or swim. In the immediate future, taking on something as large and time encompassing as an Ironman – is out. So I have to set my sights lower.
I want to do a marathon and qualify to run Boston, but with all the slow long distances that I did training for Ironman, I’m in no shape to run close to a qualifying time. And the thought of running fast doesn’t excite me either.
I will say that when I do get my ever expanding butt out the door, I enjoy it. But right now it’s really hard to get up off the couch. It’s like my batteries need recharged – sometimes I think I’m ready to go back at it hard. I have a good run but then the next day, I have no interest in hitting the road.
I know it’ll come – that desire to run or do the triathlon again – I just hope it’ll be soon.

My Louisville Ironman Finish

What to do

It's been about a week and a half now since I completed Ironman. I feel pretty normal - the only noticeable residue from Ironman being that I fatigue quickly in workouts or yard work. It'll probably take a month for that to completely go away.

After completing such a lofty goal as an Ironman, often times there is a let down. You've been training for months and sometimes years with this main objective in mind. You complete that objective, there is a few days of joyous satisfaction and then – well what then?

People who take on these crazy physical feats are naturally dreamers and/or goal oriented (and I guess that includes me). When the goal has been accomplished there is often a period of uncertainty and even melancholy. What do you do to top that experience? I had this problem after I accomplished qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I had dreamed about running Boston for over a decade. After I did it, it became difficult to train for marathons – the reason I had supposedly ran and trained for them in the first place was to qualify for Boston. I had lost my motivation. Then along came Ironman and I plunged into training so I could accomplish the goal of finishing.

The good news for me is that I have a lot of improving to do in the sport of triathlon. I have to admit that at first I was a little disappointed in my finish at Ironman Louisville. I had hoped to have a better time (my legs were fine but my stomach was not – it was frustrating). But I've become satisfied with my accomplishment. Doing an Ironman is not just a 17 hour challenge. It is a 6 month or year or more effort and it takes extreme determination and discipline during that time frame. I did that and I'm proud of it.

So now I have the opportunity to take on a new sport in which I have the ability to get better at. Unlike running, I don't have to compete against my personal records that I set when I was 18. I've never competed in triathlons so my "personal record sheet" is clear. That helps me in rebounding from the accomplishing the lofty goal of finishing Ironman. There are other triathlon "mountains" to conquer out there for me.

Next up for me will be Disney World – after a week in the parks, I'm doing an Olympic distance tri put on by Disney (I really wanted a triathlon shirt with the mouse on it). I plan on being slow and enjoying every stroke, peddle and stride.

I think I'll keep posting about my experiences trying to learn this sport. I'll probably change around the format a bit and make the Ironman Louisville accessible in one area (people seem to want to know what it takes to do one of these things).

Where does it hurt?

It's now been 4 days since completing Ironman and I still get the question – how do you feel? Surprisingly, I feel o.k. In fact, other than being a little fatigued, I've feel surprisingly good.

The day after Ironman, I could have physically gone to work. I was sore and chafed. Going up stairs or getting out of a chair was a little difficult, but overall physically I was o.k. I was pretty tired mentally though and I decided to take the day off and relax. My wife and I went to lunch, bought a "finisher" shirt and then went to our son's ball game. The next day was much the same. I went to work, was sore and found I wasn't as mentally sharp as normal.

Today, I feel like I could go for a bike ride or run. It wouldn't be pretty, but I could do it. I'm not going to because I probably need to rest. However, I probably will Friday. I've felt a void (a welcome one) in my everyday schedule. I am not rushing off to go swim or trying to figure out how to get 3 hours in on the bike before the end of the day. It's nice. But I am already starting to feel like I need to get out the door and either run or bike – just not in the extremes that I had been doing.

Yep, I’m an Ironman

I rushed down the finish line shoot, pumping my fist and feeling like a conquering hero – what great feeling. Fifteen minutes later, I was shivering under a blanket wondering why I ever wanted to take on an Ironman.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The day started at 2 a.m. As planned, I got something to eat, and went back to bed for a few hours. Everything had been laid out the night before, so when the alarm went off again at 4 a.m., all I had to do was grab food bags from the fridge. My wife had to wake up our sleepy kids and put them in the car (they were great and supportive on a very long day).

We arrived at the transition area and I set up my bike. Then, I got my numbers drawn on me, said good bye to the wife and kids and started walking to the swim start (the start was adjusted to almost a mile away because the current was too hard).

I was nervous – worried about the bike ride (my wife says it's the most nervous she's ever seen me). I'd never biked more than 80 miles and was usually pretty darn tired after those rides. I had confidence that I'd make the entire 112 miles, but wasn't too certain what I might have left afterwards. I have to admit it kept me from completely enjoying the morning.

Unlike the typical Ironman start, we were lined up single file for the swim. We entered the water around two at a time by jumping off a dock. As a result, it wasn't very congested at all. I swam to the outside and rarely was in contact with a body. The swim was relatively easy and I did pretty well considering that I didn't exert myself. I came out of the water feeling pretty good and ready to take on the ride.

The transition area at Louisville seemed pretty long. I didn't mess around and it still took me 7 minutes from swim to run and 14 minutes from bike to run. You really have to go a while to get to the bikes and change tent.

After changing as fast as I could, I jumped on my bike and headed out. Initially my heart rate was high because of the swim, but eventually it calmed down and I settled in. Thirty minutes went by and I started to think – "geez I still have 6 ½ hours of this – how am I going to do it. How am I going to stand it?" I made myself only think about that moment. However, throughout the day – it was a constant battle to not think about the enormous amount of miles that lay ahead.

Two hours later, as we headed into the LaGrange festival, I saw my first ring of salt appear on my shorts. For me, it meant that my body was working a little harder than it should and I needed to get more salt in me. Even though my heart rate was low, I had this sense that my body was fatiguing more quickly than it should. I really was trying not to think about it, but I started then to worry about how I was going to take on the challenge of the marathon.

It was also around then that I saw people start to pull over after cramping up (or to throw up). I don't enjoy someone hurting – but it was oddly encouraging to see that others were having a harder time of it than me.

The bike ride is fairly solitary. There are spectators but they are spread out and you whizz by them. What you are left with are the cyclists around you who usually grunt "to your left" or make a quick comment about how a hill is hurting them. As the day progresses, cyclists grow even quieter, putting their head down and simply watching the road in front of them.

But going into LaGrange was different (we went through twice), folks were lined up on the street cheering. It's uplifting and you had to smile as you went by. Unfortunately, you go by quick. I barely saw my wife and saw her on only one of the trips through. Then it was back to the road and your thoughts.

My thoughts were growing more concerned (of what thoughts I could process). Once I made it around the first loop of LaGrange, I knew I'd complete the bike ride. But the big question was at what price? I'd never gone beyond 80 miles in a bike ride and I found myself incurring problems that hadn't come up in training. My head was starting to swim and despite my planning, the nutrition wasn't going well. My stomach was beginning to get upset and I could tell I needed more salt in my system. My feet started to get numb and sore from the pedaling. I was very uncomfortable and every minute on the bike seemed to creep by. I wanted off so badly. I saw people walk up hills with their bikes – it started to look like a good idea.

The last part of the ride is flat and coming back into Louisville. It was an easy stretch and it gave me time to try and get my thoughts together. I knew that once got off the bike, I could walk the entire way and still make the cutoff. However, I wondered if my body was going to be capable of doing even that. I had this feeling that if I pressed it, things would just start shutting down.

I came down River Road and into the bike finish. I was happy yet reserved. I was anxious to see what I had left. Stepping off the bike, I could feel I had a blister under one of my feet. My stomach was nauseous and my head was in a fog. The good news was that I felt I could at least walk to the finish. However, I'd have to be careful not to push it too hard.

The bike to run transition at Ironman Louisville takes forever (it took me 14 minutes). It's a long walk to the tent (some of it done with a bike) and a long walk (and I was definitely walking) back. Despite the slow time, I didn't mess around too much, talked briefly to my family, got some sunscreen put on me and had to go back to get my sunglasses – then it was out to the run.

I forced myself to run the first mile of the marathon – and my legs felt pretty good. But my stomach was in pain and every step made me want to throw up. I started to walk. I walked the next 4 miles. My stomach didn't feel any better. I started to think how crappy it would be if I walked the entire Ironman course. I didn't feel like that would be very "Ironman" of me. I needed to run a decent portion of it, otherwise it would cheapen the experience – this was my rational as I started to run after mile 5.

It was here that I discovered the oddity of my stomach issues: If I ran, the stomach pain and dizziness would go away. As soon as I stopped, it returned. So I would run to an aid station and stop, feel sick again and spend the next half mile or so trying to convince myself to run because it would feel better (which was a hard argument to win because it didn't make sense). This head battle went on for most of the race while I also started to put food in my stomach that, from past marathon experience, I knew worked for me.

Around mile 20, my stomach was starting to feel better. My legs were still not too bad and I started to run from station to station.

Walking in the Ironman is pretty common – particularly in the latter stages of the race – more people than not are doing it. Competitors are just tanked. As I picked up the pace in the last 4 miles I evidently stood out from the spectators. They started calling out my number and telling me I was an Ironman and that it was awesome that I could finish as strong as I was. This of course encouraged me and I picked up the pace even more. Rather than walk through stations, I grabbed water and kept running. I could feel the finish line coming. I could hear the crowd and music. I was going strong. I was doing 7:30 miles for the last 3 miles. I was going to finish this thing.

You turn a couple corners onto 4^th Street and it's there that you hit the crowd. They are loud, close and uplifting. I pretty much sprinted to the finish. "I did it. It did not beat me. I was strong enough." were my thoughts as I ran down the shoot pumping my fist. Then I hit the line and the volunteers grabbed me and put a medal around my neck. They propped me up and told me my family was yelling at me, posed me for pictures for them and then got me something to drink.

After they took me to get my picture taken for a finisher shot, I told them I thought I was ok and they left. My family then came around and congratulated me. They had flowers and presents. They were probably happier than I was.

And that was because I could feel that I was fading. I've done plenty of marathons and never felt this tapped out. I knew that I needed to refuel quickly or I was going to be in trouble. We walked to the food area and I tried to get some pizza in me. Despite knowing I had to eat, I couldn't. Things started to get fuzzy and I told my wife we needed to get me to the medical area. It was there that an hour with an IV stuck in me allowed me to gain my senses.

I felt good enough to gather my bike and take it home. Doing this usually simple task was my last show of "will" of the day. When I got home to bed, I was in a deep sleep in a second – too tired to reflect on the day.

So it's done. Two days later I'm still tired but feeling pretty good. I've gone through many emotions from pride, to wanting to do better, to never wanting to do it again to thinking about doing it again someday. It'll take some time to sort out.

For now, I'm going to enjoy not having so much of a hectic schedule. Tonight (although it'll hurt really bad) I'm going to play catch with my son and not work out. That sounds pretty good right now.

The day before

Today I've got to prepare for tomorrow, watch my son play a little league game (while trying to keep cool) and then drop my bike off at the tranisition area. Then, that's it. I sit around the house and try not to climb the walls.

I'm not anxious because I'm worried about time or a certain aspect of the race (ok maybe a little of cycling). I'm more anxious because I don't know how much effort and pain this is going to take and I don't know how I'm going to handle it.

Walking around this weekend amongst the new triathletes and the expereinced ones – you'll see many shapes and sizes. Most are in pretty good shape, some look like they have no body fat whatsoever and some – well you worry about their safety trying to take this on. I certainly have body fat to lose but I haven't felt out of place – probably self concious because I've never done something like this.

I've been honored by the amount of folks that have wished me well. It means a lot to hear that people may want to go for a goal or try to get a little more healthy by reading what I've gone through. It's why I started writing this journal and for the KHF magazine. Thanks to everyone.

I had some bumps in the road but by and large, I've accomplished everything I've wanted to do except the event itself. I guess we'll get to that tomorrow.

You can't get to this point without some tolerance of friends and family and their help as well. I'm grateful to have people that put up with my eccentricities such as these.

I've put a picture of my new jersey with my number up – if you see me – give me a hollar. Most of all, just come out and give all the contestents some encourgement. Believe me, they deserve it.

It’s here

I've spent the last few days enjoying the preparations for Ironman – it's been nice having it in my backyard.

Thursday, picked up my packet of stuff soon after registration opened. Registering for Ironman is like registering at the emergency room. They sit you down; describe what each bag, sticker or flyer means. Then they have you sign the waiver and send you over to the scales so that they have the right weight - should you fall over from dehydration and they need to know what you weighed before you started.

For a newbie like me, it got "real" quick. It's really quite a sobering experience.

Nice goodie bag though – hat, shirt and cool Ironman bag.

The expo was nice - but not large. Nothing like you would see at a major marathon. Still, I usually have to shop on line to find triathlon stuff and it was nice to see it in person.

A week ago I swam in the Ohio and found it to be fairly tame. This morning I swam in a completely different Ohio River.

Rain has been pretty heavy up river (but not here) and the current has really picked up. As a result, they've altered the course to keep it closer to the shores on the trip up – presumably making the course much easier. I heard some athletes grumbling that they felt like they were cheating if the course was easier – only triathletes could feel this way.

They had a practice swim this morning – what a wild swim. If you head out into the current and away from the shore –it's like swimming on a treadmill. I saw good swimmers stroking away going just inches at a time. I headed fairly far out toward a bouy and as I approached it – the last 3 yards must have taken three minutes. Then – as I went around it – I felt the rush of the current and I barely had to move as I rushed down the river. My greatest difficulty was making sure I didn't overshoot the stairs in. I saw a couple people miss it and it looked like they were having a difficult time getting back.

On race day, this may make a huge difference in time. One guy said he went upstream for 16 minutes and came back in 1 minute. If the upstream isn't too bad because of the altered course and the back is in the current – I might break an hour (and that's not because of any skill on my part!)

Tonight is the dinner banquet and then – the day before.

Hey look I’m on tv

The folks at Ironman asked me to be the example of the average competitor in Ironman – so I got to address the media (which is funny since I'm kind of a member of the media) at the unveiling of the finish line yesterday.

They got my last name wrong (as a guy in newspapers I suppose it's payback) and it felt a little weird to have cameras pointed at me – but it was a fun experience and hopefully it'll get some people out to see the spectacal.

Click here for the broadcast.

Take me to the river

By far, I've heard the most worry over the swim in the Ohio River from participants and spectators. I was a little skeptical myself. Yesterday, my coach, Nancy McElwain of Train Smart arranged a "wet run" for her clients.

About five of us met a little farther up the river than the actual swim, but I believe the conditions were similar. We took off at 7:30 and did about half the distance of the actual race. I have to say it was fairly anti-climatic. The water was lukewarm (doesn't look good for the folks hoping for wetsuit conditions) and the water was very smooth. It was only treading water waiting to start that I noticed the current. When actually swimming, you don't feel it and because we really didn't have anything close to site, we couldn't tell we were going any faster or slower than normal. But we were going slower – it took us about 26 minutes going out and about half that going back (and I it easier going back).

At around 8:30 the waves started picking up a little and it got a bit rocky. I'd think more than an hour of that type of movement would affect your equilibrium. But other than that short bit of time, the swimming conditions were great – no guarantee on race day though.

I did go down to the river and take some pictures of the Great Lawn for folks that read this and are out of town. Here you go:

Single digits

Today marks 9 days till Ironman Louisville. It also marks the first day that the weather is forecasted (10 day forecast that is). It's becoming more real every day – which is causing me increasing anxiety – which is making me grumpier. I can tell you that my wife will be happy when this is over.

As of today, the forecast for Ironman Louisville is a high of 90 degrees with some chance of rain. After the recent heat wave, 90 degrees seems almost winter like. Of course this far out, that can change quickly. But the heat is what I'm most worried about – to me, short of a crash, it's the only thing that could keep me from completing the event. I think most of the anxiety comes from the knowledge that I don't know what I'm about to encounter. The unknown is always a bit scary and despite logically knowing I should be able to at least waddle through this – I'm still apprehensive about what the day will bring.

Know that my training is winding down – I'm ready to get this over with.

Weight up

When I began to train for Ironman Louisville, I knew that I'd be pushing my body harder than I'd ever pushed it before. Naturally, I thought that I'd also see the benefits weight wise. The funny thing is that I weigh about the same as I did at the start of my training. I started at around 178 and I've finished around 176 – this despite training around 12 hours a week. If I had put in the same amount of time running over the past six months, I'd bet I'd weigh around 165 or less. The difference is that I've gained a bunch of muscle in my chest and arms. It's not that I suddenly look like a body builder. It has more to do that I had no muscle at all in my chest and arms when I only ran. So the truth is that despite my weight being about the same (it dipped down to 170 before heading back up), my body is much more tone and a little thinner.

The old runner in me pays attention to the weight a little more than most because I know that every pound makes it that much harder (and longer) to complete the marathon. At 176, this will be the heaviest I've weighed going into a marathon. But it's also probably the best overall shape I've been in – so who knows. I may run a marathon a month or so after Ironman to see how slow or fast I am with the added pounds.

What you need

I try to prepare for long rides the night before. I'm not a morning person and it's likely I'll forget to bring along something the next morning in my fogged rush to get out the door. While I prepare and load my gu, water, salt tablets, oatmeal and raisin bars, Gatorade and nutrient drink I'm struck on the difference between what we eat and what we need to survive.

What I load onto my bike is hardly gourmet food – in fact it's hard to call it food. It is more or less the stripped down version of a meal or the bare minimum of what you need to peddle a bike for 6 hours (in solid, liquid and pill form). While a couple of cheeseburgers could probably get you through a long ride – these nutrients have been consolidated and largely deflavorized for easy consumption. It's a sad commentary on what we devour on a daily basis versus what we need. It's no wonder the country has the weight problem it does. Of course that still doesn't stop me from having pizza, coke and breadsticks after a long ride.

With Ironman Louisville only three weeks away I biked a couple loops around the LaGrange portion of the course (over 80 miles) this past weekend. After that, I ran 40 minutes. By the time I got off the bike it was in the 90's. While I didn't speed through the workout, I was happy that I tolerated the heat as well as I did. The last two weeks have probably been the most extreme of my training – it's downhill after this. Could I be better prepared? You bet. But I think I'm ready to at least make an attempt.

Hot hot hot

Of course one of the advantages of living next to the Ironman course is that you get to train on the course and also train in similar conditions that might occur on Ironman Louisville race day. Right now I almost wished I didn't know what type of conditions might occur. Let's hope that temperatures on race day aren't similar to the last few days here in the Louisville area. It's been really hot. And not just really hot, but it hurts to breath hot. And it's humid as well. If you stand outside for more than two minutes – you'll start to soak your clothes – five minutes and you're going to need a shower and a change.

It's hard enough thinking about taking on Ironman, taking it on in these conditions would be downright scary.

Long Day

In doing marathons, I love the event – I hate the workouts, especially the long ones. I suspect the same will be true in the Ironman. Don't get me wrong, a regular day of running or swimming or biking is great, but there is nothing regular about training for a marathon or triathlon. Sooner or later it becomes extreme. That's the part I don't like.

In training for a marathon and a triathlon, the hardest workouts come about 4 weeks before the race. Well, it's four weeks before Ironman and I just had my toughest week yet.

I'd been dreading the week for a long time. The week consisted of a 2 hour and 45 minute run, a 2.4 mile swim workout and a 7 hour brick (2 hours on the bike, 1 ½ hour running – then do it again) I wasn't worried that I couldn't finish the week as much as I was dreading the pain. It's kind of like getting a shot – the anticipation is worse than the actual act. That was the case for me, I was irritable the entire week prior and during. I just wasn't looking forward to it.

I did my long (slow) run on Tuesday without a problem. I put in my 2.4 miles in the pool on Saturday and finished strong. That left Sunday's 7 hour (plus a little more for transition) workout.

Naturally, I overslept and didn't get started until 10:30 – making sure I finished and started in 80 degree heat. I really didn't want or need the added difficulty.

I went into this workout with dread. I was tired. Thinking of doing over 7 hours of continuous exercise was almost too much to grasp. I tried not to think about the entire day and just set off on my bike to do the first two hours. Things weren't much better on the bike (I felt sapped of energy) and I spent most of the time convincing myself to just try and finish the run and then we'll see if I could get back on the bike.

Surprisingly, after the bike ride and after a few miles of running, I began to feel a bit stronger. I didn't run fast but I was able to run without stopping the entire hour and a half – a good sign. I climbed back on the bike and figured if worse came to worse (after I'd finished the bike), I'd walk the last portion of the day.

Well that's pretty much what happened. I finished the bike o.k. and started to run, but I found that my stomach was pretty upset (it felt like I was carrying a bowling ball in there) and I kept trying to throw up to relieve my gaseous tummy. My theory is that I was taking too much nutritional supplements without enough water (I just drank Gatorade along with the supplement on the bike). Hopefully, I'll be able to fix that in the future because my legs weren't too bad – my stomach just wouldn't allow any more jostling than needed.

I finished my 1 ½ hours of running (more walking than running was done) and my wife and kids (who had been helping me through out the day) gave me a chair, towel and drink. We ordered pizza and I spent the rest of the evening slumped in a chair but satisfied that I'd completed the day.

Must rest

As mentioned in the prior post, I'm fighting a head cold. I thought I was going to be able to push through it, but facing a scheduled four hour bike ride today – I've decided to rest. It's the best decision but not one I'm happy with.

Last Friday, after a bike workout, my neck stiffened and I had a restless nights sleep. When I woke Saturday morning my neck was worse and my head was no better. I had a 2 mile swim scheduled and I somehow managed to work though that.

But facing the longest ride I've ever done – and on the Louisville Ironman course – I can't imagine struggling through the workout without doing myself long term damage to my immune system or neck muscles. So I sit today and rest – and whine to my wife about losing valuable time.

There is only 3 months left to Ironman. I have a week scheduled for vacation and there is always the ease up of workouts toward race day. In other words, little more than two months of decent training I can get in.

Workouts update

After more than a few weeks of procrastination, I've updated my "workouts" page. I've organized them by month so they are easier to understand. Disclaimer – don't follow this schedule – it was designed for me and worked around my family, work, races and bonking. However, it should give someone an idea of what to expect if they ever want to train for an Ironman. Click here to go to the workouts page.

Need fuel

I've about two more weeks of extreme training till I start to taper. Today I've got to do about an 18 mile run. Of course I couldn't get up early enough to get that many miles in (I'd have had to wake up before 4 am) – so I'm doing it after work. These are the dog days when you are more anxious about enduring the monotony and pain of the long workouts than the upcoming event. I experienced this a little when training for a marathon – but doing an 18 miler followed by a brick of 7 hours, 5 days later is a whole different level.

Lately I've been able to bounce back from these workouts. I was having some difficulty handling them but after trying out numerous ways to get the proper food and drink fuel – I'm getting better. I'm generally using nutrients found at www.hammernutrition.com. I'm using salt tablets, a drink I take during long work outs called perpeteum and a daily pill supplement. It seems to put some energy back into me and I'm no longer dragging through each day. I'm optimistic going into these last 30 days.

Ironman Louisville Bike Course Part II

Below is the Ironman Louisville Bike Course minus one loop – according to my gps. You'll notice a few things:

1. A big hill going up on the way up and the same one going down. You've got to take the good with the bad I guess.
   
2. A sudden drop and rise at around miles 20 and 25 – those signify a large hill that you come across twice at the short turn around in the middle of the course.
   
3. The course minus the loop is around 82 miles – beyond that my gps was picking up my 30 minute run.
   

Vacation

While taking a week off from training 2 months before Ironman probably isn't a good idea, I have to admit that I was really looking forward to it. After 4 months of increased training, my body and mind were ready for a rest. I labored through a 3 hour bike ride on Friday and then woke up at 3 am on Saturday to drive our family to Colorado – where my wife's family shares a cabin.

Of course because I pushed myself in the last few days (at work as well) before vacation, I was so exhausted that I could barely pull off some runs during the first days in Colorado. However, by Tuesday I was able to get in an hour and a half run (a day later and half hour shorter than I was supposed to).

The cabin is at about 9,000 feet and my favorite run starts at the cabin and descends into the little town about 10 miles away. It's a beautiful run and I always enjoy the mountain air. I also enjoy the decent. At first, because the air is thin, I struggle to simply run even though I'm going downhill. Then, as the air gets thicker, my pace quickens and I end up flying (for me) down the road. It's always a great run.

Running in altitude, it seems to me, is great mental training for the bike/run transition. Because when you start a run at 9,000 feet, you're gasping for air and your legs feel weird and heavy. After a while, you learn to cope but you have to talk yourself out of panicking that you can't finish the run – kind of like your first few miles in a triathlon.

Ironman Louisville Bike Course

I've now done the Ironman Louisville bike course two and a half times (minus the 2^nd loop). The half of a ride was my first attempt at the course. I ended up getting a little lost, ran out of hydration and bonked. But I'm beginning to get a feel for the course and thought I'd write some of my observations – keep in mind these are the writings of an inexperienced cyclist and one person's slight incline is another's mountain:

Click here to see a google map of the course. Please note that this course is slightly incorrect. The course goes up L'esprit Road, rather than Cedar Run Road as the map indicates.

River Road, the start of the course, is flat. This road goes from concrete, to two lane black top with some bumps, to smooth black top and then back to black top with some bumps. It stretches for about ten miles until it hits a stop light on Highway 42. That is when you turn left onto the highway. Many cyclists ride on River Road and, while the road is always busy, motorists are generally aware that there are cyclists in thee area.

If you are going out for a practice ride, Highway 42 is the most dangerous stretch. Its four lanes for a while, but then switches to two lanes within a mile or so. The start of Highway 42 is also where you'll find the first long hill of the course. On race day you'll be able to gather some speed going up to it, but there are traffic lights that make it tough to gain momentum on practice rides.

I believe its about 17 miles from the start that you'll turn right on 1694 for the turnaround stretch. The entire turnaround is around 10 miles (5 miles each way). In both directions it runs flat for a little while and then descends quickly for a long stretch followed immediately by an equally long incline. When I say "immediately" – I mean there is about 20 yards between the finish of the decline and the start of the incline. One issue is that at this exact point there is a bridge that has a few bumps to look out for – nothing too bad but something to be aware of.

Coming back out of the turnaround, you head right toward the loop that starts on 393. It is here that you start to experience the rolling hills. On their own, not many are that difficult, for me the difficulty is in that they just keep coming. A good rule of thumb is that for every hill you go up or down is going to pretty much go the opposite way within a few yards. There aren't many long plateaus.

As I said, the loop that is circled twice starts on 393. This stretch is a lot easier to practice on – the traffic isn't too bad. The road is also pretty well paved. Again, it has rolling hills.

The left turn onto k-146 is a turn onto a busy two lane road that leads through a number of small towns – including La Grange that is advertised as a viewing area. This road is a mixed bag with some smooth and some rugged spots.

Coming down a long hill, you take a quick left onto a very narrow road – Ballard School Rd. This is a black top road with a series of small but sometimes steep inclines and declines. It's very remote and there is little to no traffic on it at all times.

You take a right onto Old Sligo and than another onto L'Esprit. These roads again contain rolling hills and are fairly smooth. While not as remote as Ballard School, you'll probably find as many horses as cars on these roads.

With a quick ride after you turn left onto 153, you are back on Highway 42 where you'll either head back to do the loop again or head back toward the river. The loop is about 30 miles (haven't measured it exactly).

If you're sightseeing during the event J, along the way you'll see a number of horse farms and fences that are synonymous with Kentucky. You'll also go through a number of small towns. The course is shaded through much of those first and last ten miles of the course on River Road and there are some patches of shade through the rest of the ride. However, for the most part, it's out in the wide open.

As I ride the course and notice other things or someone gives me better detail – I'll update this post.

Open water isn’t too bad if it’s shallow

I swam 2 miles in an open water event at a lake outside of Louisville today. I suppose I should have been a little more intimidated by it. Although my swim workouts are usually around 2 miles total, this was the farthest I'd swam at one time. But for me, this wasn't nearly as intimidating as the 1.2 miles I swam about 3 weeks ago in an aquabike race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike). That lake was pretty deep. This lake was fairly shallow and you could touch the bottom at the beginning of the ¼ mile loop and at the turn around. In fact, a number of people used it as a resting point – which was rather annoying to those of us who wanted to make believe we were in a deep lake or river.

There is something discomforting knowing that, unlike biking or running, you can't stop and take a breather. Usually in open water swimming, there is nothing under you or a wall to grasp; you have no choice but to keep swimming. But because I knew that in this event I could take a rest every 400 yards, it really wasn't that scary. Other than the murky water, it was like being in a long swimming pool. I fully expect swimming up and down the Ohio River to be completely different (and terrifying).

It was still a good experience though. After clearing myself of the crowd, I became somewhat comfortable in being able to keep my direction (despite the murky water) by sighting landmarks and swimmers to my side and in front of me. However, the 70 swimmers at this event doesn't come close to the over 2,000 swimmers at Ironman Louisville. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle over 2 miles of battling swimmers and a current and keeping my direction.

I also handled my first good kick in the face – didn't panic and kept swimming without breaking a stroke.

Also on the good news side – no goggle leakage and I came out of the water feeling pretty fresh (I don't think I smelled fresh though – probably smelled fishy).

Clarification

Earlier in this journal I wrote that the swimming portion of Ironman Louisville would be a straight shot down the river. Triathletes would be dropped off a barge and would swim down river for 2.4 miles. I was told (by an Ironman rep) that was the original plan. However, they changed their minds and it will be an up and back swim. In other words, we'll be swimming against the current for 1.2 miles and then heading back. You can see the course here.

I guess just going down stream wasn't "Ironman" enough.

Hopefully I'll have the chance to swim it before race day. If so, I'll post my experience.

Good goggles don’t leave marks

Lesson for the day – don't go cheap on the goggles. After continually having leakage problems and painful raccoon eyes after workouts (from tightening the straps to keep the water out), I finally broke down and bought a $20 pair instead of a $12 pair. I swam comfortably for an hour with clear vision and when I took off the goggles – no markings around my eyes.

After all the money I've spent on this sport in the past 4 months, you'd think I'd have no problem spending an extra $8 for a good pair of goggles. I guess I just thought the difference in goggles was only marketing. They looked the same in the package. But boy was there a difference.

Learning to ride a bike

On Friday, I went out on a ride with Marcus Moran – from Train Smart in Louisville. The objective was to figure out why I couldn't seem to have a decent ride. While running is something I've done my whole life and swimming has seemingly come naturally in the past 4 months – having a tolerable bike ride beyond a couple hours has been elusive for me.

I had always heard that if you can run well (which I can run pretty well), you can become a good cyclist. Despite spending no small amount of time on the bike, I still stunk.

Marcus is a long time cyclist and frankly way better than I'll ever dream of being. During our nearly 3 hour bike ride he provided me with loads of important information on cycling. I think I provided him with a nice warm up – I'm not sure he worked up enough of a sweat to shower.

Things I learned –

1. I never seem to bring enough liquids to consume and if I do, I don't consume them quickly enough. Bike rides are just plain sneaky. Because you don't exert as much energy as you do on a run, you underestimate the work your body is doing. As a result, you suddenly find yourself out of gas because you haven't hydrated or fed your body.
   
2. You can stick water bottles in those pouches on the back of your cycling jersey – told you I was a newbie.
   
3. Gears are there for a reason – I never realized how much you're supposed to use these things. I was kind of sticking to a favorite gear and using it regardless of hill or flat terrain. Turns out you can change gears multiple times just going up a hill.
   
4. Speed or pace isn't what you concentrate on in the Ironman – it is cadence and effort. I was trying to keep to a certain pace and I was tiring out my body too quickly as a result. Churning up hills at a higher gear, trying to keep some speed going - taps into the reserves. It's far better to keep the cadence going up the hills, with low resistance on the legs – keeping your heart rate down. From this point on, I'm not worrying about how fast I'm going.
   
5. Always keep your legs moving at an even cadence – even on downhills (if possible). This keeps lactic acid buildup from occurring.
   
6. You can get comfortable on the aero bars – particularly if someone is questioning your manhood.
   
7. Real cyclists obey the traffic laws – Marcus didn't appreciate my lack of appreciation for stop signs.

The long ride

Yesterday I went out on the Ironman Louisville bike course (or at least some of it). My workout was supposed to be about 70 miles. The distance would be the longest I have ever ridden and with my head cold and the hot weather, I was a little nervous and wondered how I'd handle it.

The answer: Not well.

But it wasn't necessarily the physical or the lack of preparation that did me in – it was the lack of fluids. I thought I had the course on my gps system. Unfortunately, even with it, I somehow got off course. So my planned water restock got scratched (I was supposed to have at least one bottle an hour). Somehow, I convinced myself that if I rode conservatively, I'd be able to get by on my 3 bottles of liquid and 6 packs of energy gu. I knew better. I knew that I'd end up cramping, dizzy and exhausted at the end of the ride if I didn't stop to find some water. But I didn't stop and I ended up cramped, dizzy and exhausted at the end of the ride.

So why didn't I stop? Probably for the same reason I do these types of endurance events – I believe, despite all common sense, that my mind and will can overcome the challenge. Can I run a marathon fast? Can I do an Ironman? Can I go a couple hours on a bike in the heat without water? My brain always says "yes" – but my body often times ends up winning the battle.

I'm not sure how many more times I need to learn that if I'm going to complete Ironman or a long bike ride, I'm going to need to drink and eat smart during the activity – hopefully it'll sink in before August 26^th.

The cold comes

Inevitably I was going to catch a cold with all this training – and so I have. There is nothing fun about having a head full of snot while trying to swim a mile in the pool or bike a couple hours. Everything feels off balance and I can't go a few minutes without blowing my nose or clearing my throat. I can cope with it at this stage but I always worry that I may overdo it. A head cold is one thing – driving myself into near pneumonia defeats the purpose of training. Obviously if you can't train, you go backward – and I don't really have any time to go backward.

This is similar to training for a marathon – with all the miles that are ran - the immune system is weakened and you're bound to get sick. The tightrope you walk is determining how far you can continue to push yourself without making the cold into a full blown illness. Hopefully, I'm smart enough not to push it.

Open water

After a decent first attempt at trying the tri – my coach thought it a good idea for me to do an "aquabike." Evidently that's when you do the swim and bike portions of the race and then stop. So this weekend, I'm entering a half triathlon minus the 13.1 miles of running. It's an exciting prospect for me because I've never biked that far before (112 miles) and I've never swum in open water.

Of course as all things dealing with the triathlon seem to go – I was going to have to spend more money, this time on a wetsuit. I like the idea of swimming in open water – seems like it will be an adventure. But I am not looking forward to entering the water in a big black formed to body tire. However, that's what I'm going to do. I purchased the wetsuit over the internet – it's a lower priced suit from a company called Neosport – and it arrived yesterday. We'll see how it works. I'm going to test it out at a public pool tomorrow – I'm sure I won't feel self conscious at all (sarcasm).

Not enough time in the day

Well something had to give in the past few weeks – and it was this site. Between a million fires at work, a weekend vacation, busy kids with extracurricular activities nearly every night, a wife with a blossoming photography studio and increasingly long workouts – the posting was put on hold for a few weeks. I find I'm rushing workouts and squeezing them into my schedule when I can – but I am getting it done. The big day is only about 3 months away and I'm growing more and more excited about it.

Last week I completed my first sprint triathlon – a far cry from a full Ironman but a solid step toward it. You can read about it here.

Fitting

When I started out on this "Ironman journey", I knew the biggest learning curve would be the bike. Turns out I was right. It's darn complicated. While swimming and running experience can be attained by relatively easy. In swimming you need some trunks and a pool. In running you need some decent shoes and a road. Cycling, however, requires much more equipment and knowledge on how to use that equipment.

After spending much money on a bike, apparel, helmet, computer, shoes and more stuff than I want to think of – I had one more important cycling to invest in: The fitting.

I have to admit that I really didn't think that fitting would be that necessary when I started. After all, you buy a fancy bike – you'd think it'd be a pretty good in the first place. But once you've ridden on a bike right "off the rack" for over 30 minutes, you begin to become uncomfortable. Your shoulders may start to ache, your butt might hurt or you may just struggle more than you should going up hills. All this can be the result of a bike that has not been "fit" to its owner.

My new tri bike was no different. While I did have someone at the bike store help me adjust the bike to my size – it was obvious during my first ride that I needed my bike to be better fitted to my body.

I used Marcus and Nancy from Train Smart to get my fitting. The cost was $180 and it was money well spent.

The process of fitting is a combination of measurements and feeling. Naturally, they attempt to get the body angled so that the most energy can be expensed at the least effort. But beyond that, it's about how it feels – Do the shoulders hurt? Is comfortable to peddle? How hard is it to peddle? Bike training means a bunch of time in the saddle and your told that comfort is the key.

I'd compare fitting to getting glasses. You get on the bike and peddle for a while and you're asked how it feels. Then you get off and they tweak the bike. You get on again and they ask you if the new adjustments feel better or worse. Then you get off again and the tweak again and so it goes…

It took over two hours to adjust the many components on my bike. They even put plastic on the bottom of one of my shoes to make up for a leg discrepancy I have in my legs (my right leg is longer than the left). When all was said and done, my new ride felt like a new ride. While my body does need to adjust to biking and thus I do get sore muscles, overall I was able to ride pretty comfortably for a couple hours a couple days after the fitting. The first few hours of what I suspect will be hundreds more on the bike.

On pace

I've never been one to try to ease into a race. I like to pick a fast pace and try to keep it as long as possible. I realize this isn't necessarily a good strategy if I pick too fast of a pace. Just two weeks ago did a ten mile race in which I went out hard and died a horrible death.

In fact, the result was so bad that I worried that my triathlon training had ruined my ability to run a good race. I thought I'd be forever slow as long as I trained for the tri.

So, after ignoring the previous advice of my coach, I decided to listen to hear advice this time and do negative splits in last weekends half marathon in Louisville. The plan was for me to run off of my heart rate monitor and let that be my guide and not pace. I was to do about 75% for the first three miles and not go more than about 80% for the next 8. If I still had some left after 11 miles – I could run as fast as my legs would carry me.

As I understand it, completing an Ironman is all about using your energy wisely. Containing effort early on in the race will save a contestant from hours of walking during the marathon. I needed to start running based on effort (heart rate).

Starting out at the back of the pack drove me nuts. I had to keep reeling myself back in. I was constantly running into the back of the other runner's heals and trying to sidestep around them if they were too slow. But tossing out any expectation of going fast relieved some self applied pressure and I tried to enjoy the slow pace. It was a beautiful day – a perfect day for running. Eventually space began to clear and I ran at a very easy pace, with little stress. The start of the Louisville Derby Mini Marathon is flat for the first few miles but then goes into a hilly park. Running through the park, my heart elevated and I kept my pace down accordingly. I still felt really strong and began to grow some confidence that I was going to be able to pick it up as the race went on.

The last 6 miles of the derby are flat or slightly down hill. With every mile I increased my turnover and accelerating. I passed many many people. I have to admit it was fun. The last few miles I was actually able to push it hard – running a minute and a half per mile faster than my starting pace. While that pace would have been impossible to keep up for more than a mile longer, it really gave me some confidence in what I'd be capable of doing if my splits had been more even. More importantly, by steadily increasing speed during the race, I think I was able to determine what type of pace I can keep up for a long run. In the future, if I'm trying to do a fast marathon, I think I'll do a half marathon on negative splits as a tune up – so I'll know what pace to go out at.

I

New bike

It took some time, but I am finally the proud owner of a new triathlon bike – a Trek Equinox 9. I received it last week – right in the middle of an unseasonably cold spell. So after the long wait, I had to spend my first few rides on my new bike downstairs on the trainer. There were no advantages training inside on my new bike. I found that the only difference was that the new seat on my new bike made my seat hurt like it hadn't since I first started training.

I was able to finally go out for a ride on Sunday. I shouldn't have because it was only 40 degrees and the wind was really strong. But I couldn't stand another 2 hours riding inside and stationary – especially since I had the brand new bike.

So I bundled up – put tights over my biking shorts, wore some gloves, put my running vest on over a shirt and headed out the door. I can say unequivocally it was a miserable experience.

The cold and wind were bad enough (I felt like I was going to be blown over as I went past open fields), they made it difficult to stay balanced and I spent most of my ride tightly gripping the handles so it wouldn't veer off into a field.

But I had the most problems with the bars. Because it is a true triathlon bike, the gears are on the bars and the brakes are on the side (or hood as it is called). With the wind whipping my bike around and me not being used to my new ride, it was a bit scary to come off the hood and switch the gears. Thus, climbing hills (which there were plenty on my route) became difficult and I ended up struggling up many of them. I probably spent more energy being nervous than I did peddling.

I fell once due to not being able to unclip fast enough. This is like falling forward with your hands in your pockets. It's a helpless feeling as you fall slowly to the ground. You also feel really stupid. I'm looking forward to the day I master this seemingly simple act.

I managed to complete the workout, but it came with the realization that I have much to learn about the discipline of cycling.

Running nowhere

I must admit that I am directionally challenged. This is particularly so when I am running in city or course I am not familiar with. I've been lost in farmlands and big cities. It doesn't matter how long I've studied the map, eventually I get turned around.

I guess the positive side of this is that I get a few extra miles in, but I'm usually not looking at that silver lining during the run.

Last Saturday was par the course for me. I went out to run easy for an hour and a half after my one hour swim (it was, for me, my first really tough weekend). There was a nearby park that was near the pool. I'd never run in the park, but knew runners frequented it. I managed to get to the park from the pool with no problem. I even got through most of the run with my bearings. But when it was time to end the run and head back, I must have gone right instead of left. I ended up going on a road aptly called "Scenic Loop."

Eventually I figured out that I was lost and tried to figure my way out (it's a very large park and I really am directionally challenged). Being too embarrassed to stop somebody and ask them how I could get out of the park, I listened for traffic and followed the sound. I ended up finding my way back to the pool a full two hours after I began. The good news was that I felt strong (but not fast) during the run, the bad news was that I was pretty much toast heading into my long bike ride on Sunday (which also turned out to be an adventure).

A taste of open water…

I went for a swim today and found that they had set up a few of the lanes for 50 yard laps instead of the usual 25 yards. Now I could have done my workout in 25 yard lanes but I wanted to see how I did without the "push off."

I've always wondered how much help I was getting from the mini rest and push off the wall I was getting at the end of each 25 yard turn in the pool. It seemed to me I was kind of cheating. There certainly aren't any walls to cling onto when you're in a lake, river or ocean.

So I started my workout – which was not an easy one for me, it was around 2000 yards – in the long lane. There was a noticeable difference. On the positive side, I didn't feel like a tennis ball bouncing back and forth from wall to wall over and over again. That gets pretty monotonous.

On the bad side, I did miss those small rest periods and the push off. It does take a little more energy and time to complete the distance. Toward the end of the swim, I started to get an idea of how it may feel to be tired in the water without having an option of stopping or having a rest. A little concerning, but I think it'll be ok.

Now all I have to do is add some waves and muddy contaminated water, and I'll know how it'll be swimming down the Ohio River for Ironman Louisville.

First ride

While my bike is on order (and hopefully due next week), my coach loaned me her bike until mine came in. So with much trepidation and angst, I went out on my first bike ride yesterday. I had no idea where I was going – basically I thought I'd pick a road and go on that road for as long as it took me (which is essentially what I did). The bike wasn't a perfect fit, but it was far better than what I am using as a trainer downstairs.

My biggest concern (other than traffic) was getting in and out of my peddle clamps when coming to a stop. It turned out to be a valid concern as I couldn't get them off and fell twice. It's such a helpless feeling not being able to get your feet loose as you slowly fall to the ground. Although I got a few scrapes, I was more angry at myself than hurt. It really shouldn't be that hard to get off a bike. I felt like an idiot.

After more than a few minutes of nervous riding, I found that I was enjoying cycling. The cars generally were courteous and it was a beautiful day to be out. Cycling outside is much more of a workout than cycling on a trainer inside. I shifted gears constantly, trying to figure out how best to go up and down hills. Sometimes I did well, sometimes I found myself struggling to get to the top. My biggest learning curve will be learning to read and handle the hills, there seems to be an art to this.

In the end, it was a good first day. I went 30 miles in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I went as slow as 5 miles per hour and as fast as 35 (down a very steep hill of course). While I still have much to learn about cycling – I felt like I could eventually get the hang of it.

Not a good run

Yesterday I ran a 10 mile race – and it did not go well. I ran over a minute and a half slower per mile than I did at the same time last year (when I was only training for marathons).

Was it the result of training for the full tri? I think that's probably most of it. It was very humid and I'm not a good runner in the heat. Also - I probably didn't have enough rest in the last few days.

But because of training for the Ironman, I'm my running workouts are slow paced and I'm not running as much. As a result of this I'm not as intense during my runs and I'm not used to the pounding – mentally I gave up on the race not too long after the gun went off.

Oddly enough, I wasn't that upset after the race. Normally I would have been pretty disappointed. But while I was a little worried about how much the humidity hurt me (I've got a long way to go to prepare myself for the heat that is almost sure to be present at Ironman Louisville), I knew it was really only a training run in the middle of a long road to getting ready for the real race.

All dressed up…

For the last two months, I have routinely gone down to my basement every other day and "spun" on my old Bianchi road bike (it's around 20 years old). While I'm sure I've benefited from these workouts, I have been anxious about getting a real bike and getting outside and riding. The anxiety is based on the fact that I've really not done much outdoor biking – of the three Ironman events, it is my weakest.

I thought that I would have purchased my bike by now, but it has taken longer than I thought. It is an expensive purchase and one that I wanted to make sure I didn't make a mistake on. So I asked my coach, a bike expert and employees at the bike shop for their opinion (I'll go more into the process in another post).

Last week, I finally did make a decision on the bike – an Equinox 9 by Trek. Unfortunately, it seems that everyone else wants an Equinox 9. It's on back order. It may still take a few weeks to get my bike.

In the mean time, I've bought all the accessories that I need – helmet, cadence sensor, heart rate monitor, pedals (silly me, I thought they came with the bike – at least the wheels do) and shoes. I'm all dressed up, but I have no where to go but downstairs.

Yard work

I think that the hardest workout of the year is does not come a couple weeks before the race. I think it's the annual first day of yard work each spring.

Yesterday was the big event and I raked and pulled and chopped out some weeds, rocks and pieces of wood from our back yard. To top it off, it was hot and I was wearing sweats to keep off the bugs and thorns from the bushes. I was sopping wet within a few minutes. I came closer to dehydrating by pulling weeds than I did doing the hour and a half bike ride I did that morning.

I find that no matter how good of shape you're in, you still hurt after a hard day of yard work – particularly the first one of the spring season.

Rest not relax

In my training, I'm going three weeks of tough workouts, followed by one rest week so that my body can recuperate. This has been my rest week – and while I did do easier workouts – I'm worried that I did not really "rest" – I relaxed.

And when I relax, I like to eat a fast food burger. When I relax, I like to stay up late and watch movies with my wife. When I relax I like to read in bed until the wee hours of the morning. So last week I relaxed and didn't really rest enough. As a result, I'm not feeling as refreshed as I had hoped to be – even though I've been doing some relatively easy training in the last 5 days.

Now I'm at the end of my rest week and I'm trying to cram some real rest into the last few days – I'm going to get to bed early Sunday and Monday. Hopefully, I'll be ready to ramp it up by Tuesday.

I don't regret "relaxing" – I'll probably do some again in three weeks. You've got to give yourself a break every once in a while. You've got to mentally recover from the rigors of triathlon training. I just hope I didn't over do it and not allow myself enough time to physically recover.

If it weren’t for bad luck…

Most of the time, training for an endurance event is pretty uneventful – in fact it can be quite boring. You run or you bike or you swim for a long time and then you towel off until the next workout. It's really not that difficult just tedious. Starting is usually the hardest part.

But then there are days like today that make you wonder if you can handle any more days like today. I had not been feeling well in the past few days and to make matters worse, I had stubbed my toe pretty good on the way to the mailbox (whish I had a better story). When I woke up this morning and looked at the now swollen purple toe, I could tell I may have broken it. It was at least severely bruised.

The day was a busy day and I couldn't get out of work till late and by then the sun was out and the temperature was over 80. We're probably going to have to do the Ironman in above 80 degree temperatures, but I really didn't want to practice in the heat till later.

Still I put my 45 minutes in, grateful that the pain in my foot was minimal and hoping that I wasn't subconsciously messing up my stride (and putting myself at risk for further injury) by compensating for my injured toe.

I then jumped into the pool where I was told that I had about 45 minutes to complete my drills – just enough time. However, I had forgotten my goggles. So rather than give in to a day of bad karma, I went goggleless. I can tell you that right now I can barely see the monitor and it's been nearly 2 hours since I got out of the pool. Lesson learned.

These are the days when, once the goal is accomplished, you can look back with pride. At least that's what I tried to tell myself as I dragged my sorry exhausted butt home from the pool.

Progress

It's been about a month of training for the Louisville Ironman and its obvious I've got a lot of training to do if I want to have a good shot at finishing. But it's amazing how much progress I feel I've made. Last month it was difficult to do 200 meters of freestyle swimming without stopping and having to catch my breath. Now I'm doing swimming every other day and I'm doing about 1600 meters without much effort. The difference came in the swimming lessons and time in the pool.

1600 meters in a pool is hardly 2.4 miles down the Ohio River, but out of the three events, I feel less intimidated by this phase than the bike or run. Not that I'm going to break any records or anything – I just can visualize completing it without being exhausted. Not close to seeing that in the bike or swim.

I'm still on the hunt for a proper triathlon bike. I'm still spinning downstairs on my old road bike. Because the weather has been cold, there has been no hurry to get the bike. But spring is in the air and it's time to invest monetarily in a proper tri bike – not looking forward to the cost.

I do think the time spent spinning has helped me create a base. I can stay on the bike spinning for at least two hours – we'll soon see how that transfers to riding outdoors.

Down river

The latest word on how the swim portion of Louisville Ironman will be held is that we'll all be taken up the Ohio River on a barge. Then we simply jump off and swim for 2.4 miles. It should at least make for an interesting picture.

Currently, the river is pretty high and I can't help feeling a little intimidated every time I cross the bridge over to Louisville. Yesterday I saw a huge log bobbing up and down as it floated down the choppy river.

I did not take comfort in this. However, it served as an incentive to head to the pool.

It’s never easy

I hate infomercials that show models, without an inch of fat on them, using the newest fitness machine that is guaranteed to help you lose pounds effortlessly. Occasionally they'll show testimonials or pictures of individuals who have supposedly used the new machine (you can add diet pills into this mix as well). Ugly and fat before – they are now beautiful and trim.

Its crap and it's wrong to deceive people that losing weight and becoming fit is easy. It's not.

Most of the time it's uncomfortable at best and sometimes it's even painful. It means getting out and exercising when you don't want to. It means avoiding deserts and fast food. It means being dedicated to a lifestyle that says no to some of life greater pleasures.

I'm not a health nut, but I eat moderately and I exercise (even when I'm not training for a triathlon) at least 5 times a week. I work very hard to keep healthy – probably harder than 95% of the population. But even with all that exercising and eating right, I can assure you that my body doesn't look anything like the models on the infomercials. Those people are getting more help from their neighborhood plastic surgeon than they are the new machine they are hawking.

There is a great payoff for the sacrifices you make in diet and time spent working out. You'll probably live longer. Your clothes fit better. You look better. You can walk up stairs without being winded. It's a totally different way of living than most of the rest of the world. But it's not easy. It's hard. Don't let the infomercials fool you.

A day off

I ran 9.3 miles on Saturday and rode my bike (stationary) for an hour and a half on Sunday. It was truly the first "real" weekend of Ironman training in that I had two long workouts (for me).

As I contently lay in my bed Monday morning, my wife thought it was funny when she heard me say – "thank goodness today's a day off." She couldn't remember me ever saying I was happy to get a day of rest.

I usually have guilt when I don't work out – wasn't a problem today.

Coached

After feeling overwhelmed and floating aimlessly through training that I wasn't sure I was helping or hurting me, I finally determined that I needed a coach. Perhaps if I had two year to train for the Ironman, I'd have tried to figure it out myself – but with only six months to get ready – I couldn't experiment with my training. I needed an expert.

I'm 41 years old and the thought of having a coach seemed somewhat frivolous to me. After all, I'm not going to the Olympics or going for any records. Heck, the goal is to simply finish. But with my lack of time and lack of knowledge of the disciplines of biking and swimming, I couldn't afford to go it alone.

There are many triathlon programs that you can purchase on the web – they all looked very promising. You can get anything from a basic 24 week standard plan to a personalized plan that's updated weekly and email or phone interaction with a triathlon coach. That probably would have worked fine for me, but I felt I needed someone from the Louisville area that could personally see my skills (or more honestly – lack of skills) in swimming and on the bike. I needed advice from how to swim correctly to what type of equipment I needed for my bike. I felt a local and accessible person would be best for this.

I've secured Nancy McElwain of Train Smart (the reader may remember that she has already given me some swim lessons) as my coach. As I've mentioned before, she's an exceptional triathlete. We're still working on my training schedule (she's observed me working out a few times and given me a fitness test to see my fitness and skill level). I'm excited to get a schedule and happy to finally feel some solid direction in my training.

Running Easy

As a long time runner – someone who has run daily for most of my adult life – I'd grown accustomed to the pounding that my body took from my daily run. I'd been told that training for the triathlon would be easier on my body and I'm finding that to be true.

I'm currently running around three times a week and I can't remember when I've enjoyed my runs more. I feel strong and my legs aren't stiff and sore – I'm rested when I begin my runs.

Before starting to prepare for Ironman, I was having trouble staying motivated in my running. I still love the thought of running marathons. However, the monotony of running everyday and the toll that it took on my body during training was making me question whether or not I really wanted to continue running marathons.

So far, so good on triathlon training (though I have much much longer to go) – I can see training for and doing more triathlons (probably shorter distances) in my future.

Lessons

Today, for the first time in over thirty years, I had a swim lesson. Now I can swim, and I think if the casual observer saw me in a pool, he or she would probably think me a decent swimmer – I know I did.

But that illusion came crashing down when I started practicing for the Ironman. In comparing myself to other swimmers at my evening practices, it became apparent that I didn't have the stamina or the stroke to complete 800 meters (remember the event is about 5 times that). I knew that with time, I'd be able to work myself up to the distance – but the speed (or lack of it) and effort that it took to swim did not bode well for completing the Ironman. I needed help.

Help arrived today in the form of a group swim lesson – put on by Nancy McElwain of Train Smart (she is a triathlon coach and a darn good triathlete as well). Nancy instructs using the short version of a technique called "Total Immersion." Basically it's a series of drills that, teaches balance and streamlining. I'll go into the techniques in a later blog, but I will say that I went from doing around 23 strokes to get to the end of a 25 meter pool, to around 18 – all in a two hour swim clinic. Over the course of a 2.4 mile swim, that's going to save me a lot of strokes! Even better, it didn't feel like I was exerting as much effort to get down the length of the pool.

I doubt that I could have figured this out on my own by watching a dvd or reading a book. Yeah it cost some money for the lesson and I felt a little self conscious about getting a swim lesson at my age – but I think I just saved myself about two months of frustration. I can't wait to get to practice what I've learned at the pool tomorrow.

No Speedo Zone

Today I found out that it's hard to find a good swim suit in the middle of February. Being of modest swimming ability, I was looking for a modest pair of swim trunks and I searched all over Louisville.

I found plenty of the skimpy Speedo models. But I think everyone can agree that, unless you have the body of a Greek god (just to clarify, I do not) – these should not be worn. I found jammers (basically a short version of tights) – I can see wearing those but only when I lose the tire made of Doritos around my waste.

The only pair of trunks I found looked like they'd go down below my knees. I wasn't sure if those would help me float or make me sink.

Looks like I'm stuck with my old trunks till spring.

Warming up

Someone once told me that – no matter how bad you feel – you should never give up on a run until you've gone at least 2 miles or 15 minutes. For me, this has been one of the best pieces of advice I've been given about running.

I don't know how many times I've drug myself out of the house and started to run; feeling haggard and sore and thinking I needed to take a day off. However, nearly every time I've "found my groove" by the second mile. In fact, some of my best runs have come after heading out the door feeling like crud.

It seems the same way with swimming and cycling. In the past two weeks I've had workouts in which I wanted to pack it in after 10 minutes of agony. Yet I've stuck with it, worked through it and ended up completing the workout without being in too much pain.

Peddling in circles

Today I spent an hour spinning on my bike downstairs. I don't know how hard I went or how long I went. I do know that I was pretty tired by the end though. I had hoped that I'd feel o.k. enough to run a few miles after cycling but I was toast.

I realize I badly need to buy a bike or at least a computer, but I don't want to run out and buy a bike that won't be a good fit. These triathlon bikes aren't bikes you can pick up at the local Target – they are expensive. Some of these things cost more than a good used car, and that doesn't include all the add-ons that I'm sure I'll need. So, I'm researching as quickly as I can for the best bike for me – hopefully I'll have one within a few weeks. The weather outside is still too cold to permit any riding, so there isn't that pressure. But because my current bike doesn't have a computer on it (and because I don't want to buy a computer until I have my new bike) – I'm clueless about how fast, hard or long I'm going. It's very frustrating.

The one piece of good news – my rear end seems to be getting acclimated to the bike – no soreness or numbness - and that's a very good thing.

Super Bowl Sunday

After a relatively slow first day start to my Ironman training, I vowed to "kick it into gear" today. I kinda did.

It's Super Bowl Sunday and the home state Colts are playing…it was important to get the training out of the way so the family could watch the game together.

I decided I'd try to bike 45 minutes and then run for 5 miles. Because I had a recent knee surgery, I had been taking it easy and either running or doing some easy spinning. Today is the first time I put both together, one right after the other. Like yesterday, I received a stark reminder about how difficult it was going to be to attain this goal.

It took a while to get comfortable on the bike and minutes felt like hours as I peddled and watched the Super Bowl hype build. Eventually, my 45 minutes of biking were up. I was relieved and eager to get to the running aspect of the workout.

Not so fast.

The transition from bike to run was a shock to my body. My stride was off – I felt out of alignment. My knee started to ache. I limped on the treadmill. I started to worry that maybe I couldn't finish the five miles. I began to think that maybe I had taken on too much with the Ironman dream.

But I hung on and eventually, the ache went away and my stride became comfortable. It was never easy and I can't comprehend and don't want to even think about how I'll do a full Ironman.

Day two of my Ironman training is complete and I'll have to be satisfied with that.

Spinning

For the last few weeks, I've been tinkering around with my nearly decade old bike, putting it up on what they call a bike trainer. I bought the bike trainer a few years ago after watching Lance Armstrong win yet another Tour. I wanted to jump into some triathlons at that time and wanted a new bike. My wife wasn't convinced that I'd stick with it. We settled on a compromise – the bike trainer. If I used the trainer for a while, then we'd look into buying a fancy new bike.

Turns out my wife was right, I went back to just running and the bike trainer just gathered dust.

Well it finally came in handy when I wanted to get some quasi bike training or my version of spinning.

To be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing – I spend about 30 minutes to 45 minutes just pushing pedals. I think I'm pushing pretty hard at a decent turnover…but since I have no computer on the bike – I really don't know.

What I do know is that when you begin biking for the first time in a long time – stuff gets numb that you really don't want to get numb.

The last night and the first day

I received word on Friday that I’d been accepted to Ironman. My first inclination was to go out and start running or swimming or biking. Now that my entry had been accepted, I was overwhelmed by it all. Where should I start? How long should I swim? How hard do I run? What type of bike do I need? Do I have to wear those skimpy speedos or can I just wear trunks?
My wife’s inclination was to go out to eat with the kids and have one last family food binge before I started to eat right…I went with my wife’s inclination.
I ate very well. We had steak (except for my eight year old Seth – he’s still in the mac and cheese stage) and stayed up late and watched an old Hawaii Ironman to get inspired. It was a good time and late that night (or early morning) as I fell asleep, I couldn’t wait to get my training started.
Unfortunately, that emotion didn’t carry over to the morning. I was dog tired and the last thing I wanted to do was work out. But I did. I managed 5 miles on a treadmill (I usually run outside, but it was way below freezing). I was happy to get a workout started, but considering how tired I was after just running 5 miles – It came down hard that I had a long way to go before I could even think of running Ironman Louisville.