I'm starting to figure out that triathlon training is approximately 80% mental, 50% physical, and 30% selective memory. Mental toughness is more important than physical ability when it comes to endurance sports. Everyone gets tired, but once you become absolutely certain that you will finish your workout, the rest is just going through the motions. The selective memory part is necessary so that you can hold on to the good workouts and feelings of success while automatically deleting any memory regarding muscle pain, cramps, and tiredness.
I've had an extremely busy week, and have really dreaded most of my workouts. I had a tightly scheduled work week, and once have been running behind ever since mid-week. If all things go as planned, I will be completely caught up by the end of this weekend. The pool has been closed all week for work on the drain. It is supposed to be open Monday, so that will be a help. I tend to be more productive throughout the day if I get up early and get a workout in. I just don't seem to have the ability to get up early and run or bike on my own.
*** Thursday night (planned 35 minute run) I ran 3.91 miles in 33:15 (8:30/min avg pace).
*** Friday was another off day. Hopefully the pool will be ready to open back up next week. I need to get back in the water.
*** Saturday (planned 70 minute long run) I ran 7.33 miles in 1:08:15 (9:18/min avg pace).
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Small victories. . .
Well, the purpose of this training blog paid off last night. I got home from work late, ate dinner, went to Petsmart to get dog food, hung out with Bryce a little, and completely convinced myself that missing a short bike trainer workout wouldn't be a big deal. But then I relized that I would have to document my failure to complete my training plan. Obviously, it didn't bother me at first, but when I sat down on the couch and started to turn on the T.V. I realized that "following through with things" is the purpose of this entire ordeal. Anyway, I don't really have anything to say today other than. . . I did what I said I would do even though I really didn't want to, and I feel pretty good about it.
*** Last night I did 1:10 on the bike trainer. 20 minute warm up, 20 minutes moderately hard, 10x2 min easy/hard, and a 10 minute cool down. Tomorrow night I have a 35 minute run.
Bye.
*** Last night I did 1:10 on the bike trainer. 20 minute warm up, 20 minutes moderately hard, 10x2 min easy/hard, and a 10 minute cool down. Tomorrow night I have a 35 minute run.
Bye.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Looking for my Chi -- Have you seen it?
Yep -- It is inevitable that I title one of my posts Chi Running. I've been trying it for the past couple months and talked about it with a few people. Everyone I have explained it to so far has told me that it is the dumbest thing they have ever heard, except for the people that have actually tried it (isn't that strange). The Chi Running method which was developed by a guy named Danny Dryer, and incorporates ancient Tai Chi principles into endurance running. The idea is to put your body in a position to run naturally using your Chi, which you keep in your core just below your belly button (I'm still learning). The book contrasts two types of running, Chi Running and Power Running.
Power runners use their muscles to run. They pump their legs up and down and swing their arms forward to help propel them. This works if you are Michael Johnson sprinting 100 meters, but is not very energy efficient and generally results in over-striding and more pounding than necessary. Using that type of energy and muscle power just isn't practical when running long distances (especially after swimming and biking when you just don't have that type of energy and power).
Chi Running, on the other hand, is based on the principle that proper body position and mental focus will basically allow your body to work the way it was intended. The Chi Running method was developed with the idea that the less "power" you use, the more ground you can cover with less energy use. You certainly won't win a 100 meter sprint, but this type of thing can really come in handy in long-distance runs and triathlons. The main idea, leaving out all the hokey Tai Chi stuff that most of you are probably not interested in, is that if you keep the proper posture and body alignment, lean forward at your ankles, and relax your body, you will rely less on muscles and "power" and more on the ligaments and infrastructure of your body to provide your forward motion. I know, it sounds a little out there, but the book provides a much more thorough explanation than my few poorly worded sentences.
Which brings me to another point. This blog is something that I am doing before work every day. I sit down at my desk, grab a cup of coffee, and write out a quick post before I start my day. Anyway, each of these posts are written quickly and informally. I don't reread what I have types and I certianly don't edit them. I don't figure there are near enough people that will ever see this to warrant that type of effort. So, enjoy the posts if you elect to read them, and I apologize, in advance, for the litany of typos, grammatical errors, and general incoherency running rampant throughout this blog. Welcome to my world. . . .
*** Last night I ran 5.39 miles in 49 minutes. I felt o.k., but my shins were really tight for the first couple miles. I started focuing on some of the main Chi Running checkpoints, really tried to loosen my legs up, and was able to get the tightness worked out within a mile. The rest of my run felt great. Maybe it's a bunch of bunk, maybe it's not, but if it works . . . I'll certainly give it a go.
Later.
Power runners use their muscles to run. They pump their legs up and down and swing their arms forward to help propel them. This works if you are Michael Johnson sprinting 100 meters, but is not very energy efficient and generally results in over-striding and more pounding than necessary. Using that type of energy and muscle power just isn't practical when running long distances (especially after swimming and biking when you just don't have that type of energy and power).
Chi Running, on the other hand, is based on the principle that proper body position and mental focus will basically allow your body to work the way it was intended. The Chi Running method was developed with the idea that the less "power" you use, the more ground you can cover with less energy use. You certainly won't win a 100 meter sprint, but this type of thing can really come in handy in long-distance runs and triathlons. The main idea, leaving out all the hokey Tai Chi stuff that most of you are probably not interested in, is that if you keep the proper posture and body alignment, lean forward at your ankles, and relax your body, you will rely less on muscles and "power" and more on the ligaments and infrastructure of your body to provide your forward motion. I know, it sounds a little out there, but the book provides a much more thorough explanation than my few poorly worded sentences.
Which brings me to another point. This blog is something that I am doing before work every day. I sit down at my desk, grab a cup of coffee, and write out a quick post before I start my day. Anyway, each of these posts are written quickly and informally. I don't reread what I have types and I certianly don't edit them. I don't figure there are near enough people that will ever see this to warrant that type of effort. So, enjoy the posts if you elect to read them, and I apologize, in advance, for the litany of typos, grammatical errors, and general incoherency running rampant throughout this blog. Welcome to my world. . . .
*** Last night I ran 5.39 miles in 49 minutes. I felt o.k., but my shins were really tight for the first couple miles. I started focuing on some of the main Chi Running checkpoints, really tried to loosen my legs up, and was able to get the tightness worked out within a mile. The rest of my run felt great. Maybe it's a bunch of bunk, maybe it's not, but if it works . . . I'll certainly give it a go.
Later.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
T.V. makes you stupid.
I had a busy day at work yesterday. I came straight home to a good dinner and played with Bryce until he went to bed around 8. Then I got my bike set up on my trainer (read: the trainer I borrowed from Jon and have no intention of returning) and rode for 1:10. I don't use any fancy equipment when I spend my time on the trainer, last night I didn't even have my heart rate monitor on. I just sat on my bike in a dark room, listened to a podcast, and spun away to get a good sweat going. It's strange, but I really can't think of anything more relaxing.
As a lot of people know, I really think that extreme amounts of television watching can substantially reduce your thought process. This doesn't mean I don't watch t.v. On the contrary, I have reached my conclusion through years of scientific study sitting in what some would consider a television induced coma. It makes me cringe everytime I see Bryce so fixated on the idiot box that he can't even hear you call his name. But he does pretty good -- he would rather play legos and choo-choo than watch t.v. most of the time, unless the Backyardigans or Spongebob are on (but who can blame him).
A few months (or maybe a year, time is speeding up) ago I went two full weeks without watching T.V. It was probably the most productive two weeks of my life. Say, for example, you generally watch T.V. from 8 to 10 every night (which is about normal for me), it ia absolutely amazing what else you can get accomplished during that time. Anyway, the craziness of my current schedule has necessitated a prioritization of my time and attention, which I think couldn't have come at a better time. I won't make a list of them here, but I can assure you that T.V. is way towards the bottom.
*** Last night I rode the trainer for 1:10. High cadence, low resistance. Tonight I have a 50 minute run.
See ya.
As a lot of people know, I really think that extreme amounts of television watching can substantially reduce your thought process. This doesn't mean I don't watch t.v. On the contrary, I have reached my conclusion through years of scientific study sitting in what some would consider a television induced coma. It makes me cringe everytime I see Bryce so fixated on the idiot box that he can't even hear you call his name. But he does pretty good -- he would rather play legos and choo-choo than watch t.v. most of the time, unless the Backyardigans or Spongebob are on (but who can blame him).
A few months (or maybe a year, time is speeding up) ago I went two full weeks without watching T.V. It was probably the most productive two weeks of my life. Say, for example, you generally watch T.V. from 8 to 10 every night (which is about normal for me), it ia absolutely amazing what else you can get accomplished during that time. Anyway, the craziness of my current schedule has necessitated a prioritization of my time and attention, which I think couldn't have come at a better time. I won't make a list of them here, but I can assure you that T.V. is way towards the bottom.
*** Last night I rode the trainer for 1:10. High cadence, low resistance. Tonight I have a 50 minute run.
See ya.
Monday, February 23, 2009
When does the fun part start?
Well, I went to Oxford yesterday to ride with Jonny. He pretty much smoked me the entire day. It was very cold and very windy. 40 degrees isn't too terribly cold when running, but it is a bit chilly on the bike. Luckily, Jon had an extra pair of really manly tights that he let me borrow. I had a lot of trouble getting my legs going, which I think was partially to blame on my Saturday run. I felt comfortable and my heart rate was staying at an appropriate level, but I just didn't have a much power when I told my legs to GO. I make a lot of small guy jokes to my buddy Jonny. Unfortunately, it is hard to make fun of a guy's build when he is scampering up mountains because gravity has no effect on him. I can say that Jon looked extremely small most of the day, but that was because he was so far ahead of me I could barely see him.
I think part of my general fatigue stems from the amount of training I've been doing the past few weeks. This brings me to the good news -- today starts a RECOVERY week. My biking and running schedules are slightly reduced, and my swim classes (even though they are still on my training schedule) are cancelled due to pool construction. I will replace my swimming workouts with light bike trainer and running sessions, but really concentrate on eating well and catching up on some much needed rest this week.
I mentioned "fun" in the title of this post. My question is. . . is this process even supposed to be "fun?" is my idea of "fun" just different than most people's idea of "fun?" does the "fun" part wait and kick in all at once? should I be doing this at all if it isn't "fun?"
I think the answer is a little bit of each. Take into account my ride yesterday -- I almost froze my unmentionables off, was tired and fairly weak feeling the entire time, sat on a bike seat for over 40 miles, and by most people's standards really didn't have any "fun" at all. But the second we pulled back into the driveway, I felt great about myself and was completely glad I had done it. Maybe that feeling of accomplishment is the "fun." Maybe the fun comes before and after the workout, with just a few little periods of enjoyment during (if you are lucky). Maybe the fun is in just knowing you did it. Maybe the fun (at least for nerds like me) is in reading magazines, books, and catalogs in search of the newest fad that promises to make all of this easier.
All in all -- except for the exhaustion, hunger, crankiness, and soreness -- I really am having a lot of "fun" with this. At least there are only 11 weeks left.
*** Yesterday, I rode 40.8 miles in 2:37:15, a 15.6 MPH average speed (This data is from Jon and I can not verify its accuracy since I am too stupid to remember to turn my Garmin on for a substantial portion of the ride.) Tonight, I have a 1 hour session on the bike trainer.
Later.
Danny.
I think part of my general fatigue stems from the amount of training I've been doing the past few weeks. This brings me to the good news -- today starts a RECOVERY week. My biking and running schedules are slightly reduced, and my swim classes (even though they are still on my training schedule) are cancelled due to pool construction. I will replace my swimming workouts with light bike trainer and running sessions, but really concentrate on eating well and catching up on some much needed rest this week.
I mentioned "fun" in the title of this post. My question is. . . is this process even supposed to be "fun?" is my idea of "fun" just different than most people's idea of "fun?" does the "fun" part wait and kick in all at once? should I be doing this at all if it isn't "fun?"
I think the answer is a little bit of each. Take into account my ride yesterday -- I almost froze my unmentionables off, was tired and fairly weak feeling the entire time, sat on a bike seat for over 40 miles, and by most people's standards really didn't have any "fun" at all. But the second we pulled back into the driveway, I felt great about myself and was completely glad I had done it. Maybe that feeling of accomplishment is the "fun." Maybe the fun comes before and after the workout, with just a few little periods of enjoyment during (if you are lucky). Maybe the fun is in just knowing you did it. Maybe the fun (at least for nerds like me) is in reading magazines, books, and catalogs in search of the newest fad that promises to make all of this easier.
All in all -- except for the exhaustion, hunger, crankiness, and soreness -- I really am having a lot of "fun" with this. At least there are only 11 weeks left.
*** Yesterday, I rode 40.8 miles in 2:37:15, a 15.6 MPH average speed (This data is from Jon and I can not verify its accuracy since I am too stupid to remember to turn my Garmin on for a substantial portion of the ride.) Tonight, I have a 1 hour session on the bike trainer.
Later.
Danny.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
LSD has blown my mind!
Sorry, but this post won't be as exciting as the title makes it appear. I'm not talking about Woodstock, or anything interesting for that matter, but the LSD in the title is a reference to a certain type of training run. My schedule includes 4 types of runs: tempo runs, fartleks (tee hee!), LSDs (long, slow distance), and recovery runs. Each run has a purpose, and the purpose of LSD is to spend time on your feet, keep your heart rate under control, and increase your endurance. During a LSD, you are supposed to run them much slower than anything else, which is what I have a lot of trouble actually doing. Today was a beautiful (but very windy) Saturday afternoon. I ran just before lunchtime and there was a good bit of traffic out. I couldn't just let all those people see me running slowly. They could have thought I was tired or weak or something.
Last week I got a Garmin Forerunner 305 and have really enjoyed it so far. For those of you that aren't familiar, it is essentially a GPS enabled watch with a built in heart rate monitor. If used properly, the information provided by a Garmin can be invaluable to the development of a training plan. Hopefully, I will learn how to use it someday. Before my Garmin I ran by feel like always, and scheduled my runs according to time and just guessed at distance later. I would run 30 minutes and call that 3 miles (which used to be pretty close to correct). However, my Garmin has shown me that I actually have been running a lot faster than I thought, especially on my shorter runs. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not fast and never will be, but maybe someday fast-ish could be a fair description.
This afternoon I left the house telling Jessi I wanted to run super slow (my goal was 10:30 min/mile). A few minutes later, I ran back home to get the Garmin I forgot to take with me. I left again with a goal to run slower than 10 minute miles, as was still my goal 25 minutes later when I realized I still hadn't turned my Garmin on.
I have been listening to some strange podcasts lately which are focused towards endurance training and nutrition. One in particular is centered around applying Zen ideas and philosophies to triathlon training. A lot of it is a little out there, but I believe that there is real merit in the simplicity of the Zen school of thought. Easy training days are meant to be easy, while hard days are meant to be hard. Training moderately hard every day will not provide the benefit that mixing up your effort levels will do. Everything has its own purpose, which is kind of the point.
I have two Zen quotes that have been bouncing around my head most of the day:
1. "Eat when Hungry, Sleep when tired." -- Our bodies, and life in general, is not nearly as complicated as we make them out to be. This is especially beneficial to a overplanner like myself and hopefully I will be able to incorporate it into my daily schedule a little more. I will only eat when I'm hungry (which is all the time lately), and if I ever actually get tired, I plan to go to sleep.
2. "When washing dishes, just wash dishes." -- O.k. the dishwashing subject of this one really makes it easy to overlook, but there is some real benefit to this statement if you can get past the dishwashing craziness. Focus on what you are doing when you are doing it. It will always result in your best work. That is all there is to it.
*** Today, I ran 85 min. 13 sec. and went 8.73 miles. Tomorrow, I am heading to Oxpatch and riding 40-45 miles with my good buddy Jonny. He drug me all over Abbeville a couple weeks ago, I can't wait to see what he has in store for tomorrow. He did tell me earlier tonight that "active rain cancels my appearance." He has always been a little bit of a diva. He also claims to have Lance Armstrong's time trial bike, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. Anyway, I don't expect rain tomorrow and I'll try and check in . . .
Later. Danny.
Last week I got a Garmin Forerunner 305 and have really enjoyed it so far. For those of you that aren't familiar, it is essentially a GPS enabled watch with a built in heart rate monitor. If used properly, the information provided by a Garmin can be invaluable to the development of a training plan. Hopefully, I will learn how to use it someday. Before my Garmin I ran by feel like always, and scheduled my runs according to time and just guessed at distance later. I would run 30 minutes and call that 3 miles (which used to be pretty close to correct). However, my Garmin has shown me that I actually have been running a lot faster than I thought, especially on my shorter runs. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not fast and never will be, but maybe someday fast-ish could be a fair description.
This afternoon I left the house telling Jessi I wanted to run super slow (my goal was 10:30 min/mile). A few minutes later, I ran back home to get the Garmin I forgot to take with me. I left again with a goal to run slower than 10 minute miles, as was still my goal 25 minutes later when I realized I still hadn't turned my Garmin on.
I have been listening to some strange podcasts lately which are focused towards endurance training and nutrition. One in particular is centered around applying Zen ideas and philosophies to triathlon training. A lot of it is a little out there, but I believe that there is real merit in the simplicity of the Zen school of thought. Easy training days are meant to be easy, while hard days are meant to be hard. Training moderately hard every day will not provide the benefit that mixing up your effort levels will do. Everything has its own purpose, which is kind of the point.
I have two Zen quotes that have been bouncing around my head most of the day:
1. "Eat when Hungry, Sleep when tired." -- Our bodies, and life in general, is not nearly as complicated as we make them out to be. This is especially beneficial to a overplanner like myself and hopefully I will be able to incorporate it into my daily schedule a little more. I will only eat when I'm hungry (which is all the time lately), and if I ever actually get tired, I plan to go to sleep.
2. "When washing dishes, just wash dishes." -- O.k. the dishwashing subject of this one really makes it easy to overlook, but there is some real benefit to this statement if you can get past the dishwashing craziness. Focus on what you are doing when you are doing it. It will always result in your best work. That is all there is to it.
*** Today, I ran 85 min. 13 sec. and went 8.73 miles. Tomorrow, I am heading to Oxpatch and riding 40-45 miles with my good buddy Jonny. He drug me all over Abbeville a couple weeks ago, I can't wait to see what he has in store for tomorrow. He did tell me earlier tonight that "active rain cancels my appearance." He has always been a little bit of a diva. He also claims to have Lance Armstrong's time trial bike, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. Anyway, I don't expect rain tomorrow and I'll try and check in . . .
Later. Danny.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Winter makes me SAD and lazy.
Jessi was speaking with a friend last night, and apparently the conversation turned to trying to figure out the motivation behind some of my more curious behaviors (the outcome of which is never really good, but that is what counselor types do). Apparently the subject last night was my endurance type events. When we found out Jessi was pregnant with Bryce, I was training for a half-marathon. When Bryce was born, I was training for a sprint triathlon. And now, when we found out about #2, I am in training for a half-iron distance triathlon. First of all, let me say that I am not nearly as complex or complicated as Jessi and her friends give me credit for being. But, in an effort to hopefully satisfy them, and maybe even clarify the purpose of this for myself, I thought I would write down a few of the reasons I am doing what I'm doing.
1. I really hate wintertime. Not necessarily because of the cold weather, which I can handle, but the short days really get to me. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. My energy level drops and I am not very fun to be around. The two things that I have found to really help this are good diet and exercise. Unfortunately, I have never been able to keep up an exercise schedule just for the sake of exercise, and I have a well known tendency to overdo things. But the extra motivation that comes with being "registered" for something that I am currently unable to do really helps me stay focused (and/or slightly panicked) and helps get me through the winter. It makes the short days easier on both myself and everyone that has to be around me.
2. I think family does have something to do with it. I never really understood how it could happen, but something about knowing that you are about to become a father really makes you think differently about things. It made me think so differently that I signed up for a half marathon without being in shape at all. That may have been a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but I think it is important to set a good example for the kiddos. I don't want laziness to creep in and infect them while they are young. My dad always ran when I was growing up, it didn't necessarily make me want to run then, but maybe it has something to do with the way I am now (hopefully not too much to do with it). I do want to stick around and take care of my peoples as long as possible, and maybe this exercise thing will be just enough to overcome some of the less beneficial habits that we all know I possess.
3. It gives me time to decompress. My job is a hard one to turn off after leaving the office. When I go home, I have a tendency to sit around and think either about what I did that day or what I have to do the next. Changing clothes and going running for an hour really helps me shift out of work mode and get a little better perspective on life.
4. It is just always fun to sign up for something I am obviously unable to do, and then figure out a way to make it happen. Actually, a perfect example of this is the time I registered for my first triathlon -- I didn't even own a bike. Everyone needs to push themselves every now and then. Sometimes you will really be surprised at what you can accomplish. All you have to do it tell your friends you are going to do something, and make sure they give you hell until you actually do it. If you have surrounded yourself with the right friends, there is absolutely no backing out.
*** Last night (2/19) -- I ran 5.1 miles in 44.01 minutes starting around 6:45. Today is an off day. My training schedule has all Fridays scheduled as "off days", but I never actually get to enjoy them because I have swimming on Fridays. Swimming has been cancelled this morning and all next week (pool maintenance), which is perfect because next week is a scheduled recovery week anyway (every fourth week in my plan includes a reduction in training to help prevent injury and exhaustion).
This weekend, I have a scheduled 80 minute run on Saturday morning and a 45 mile bike ride on Sunday. I'll try and check in after each of those.
Later.
1. I really hate wintertime. Not necessarily because of the cold weather, which I can handle, but the short days really get to me. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. My energy level drops and I am not very fun to be around. The two things that I have found to really help this are good diet and exercise. Unfortunately, I have never been able to keep up an exercise schedule just for the sake of exercise, and I have a well known tendency to overdo things. But the extra motivation that comes with being "registered" for something that I am currently unable to do really helps me stay focused (and/or slightly panicked) and helps get me through the winter. It makes the short days easier on both myself and everyone that has to be around me.
2. I think family does have something to do with it. I never really understood how it could happen, but something about knowing that you are about to become a father really makes you think differently about things. It made me think so differently that I signed up for a half marathon without being in shape at all. That may have been a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but I think it is important to set a good example for the kiddos. I don't want laziness to creep in and infect them while they are young. My dad always ran when I was growing up, it didn't necessarily make me want to run then, but maybe it has something to do with the way I am now (hopefully not too much to do with it). I do want to stick around and take care of my peoples as long as possible, and maybe this exercise thing will be just enough to overcome some of the less beneficial habits that we all know I possess.
3. It gives me time to decompress. My job is a hard one to turn off after leaving the office. When I go home, I have a tendency to sit around and think either about what I did that day or what I have to do the next. Changing clothes and going running for an hour really helps me shift out of work mode and get a little better perspective on life.
4. It is just always fun to sign up for something I am obviously unable to do, and then figure out a way to make it happen. Actually, a perfect example of this is the time I registered for my first triathlon -- I didn't even own a bike. Everyone needs to push themselves every now and then. Sometimes you will really be surprised at what you can accomplish. All you have to do it tell your friends you are going to do something, and make sure they give you hell until you actually do it. If you have surrounded yourself with the right friends, there is absolutely no backing out.
*** Last night (2/19) -- I ran 5.1 miles in 44.01 minutes starting around 6:45. Today is an off day. My training schedule has all Fridays scheduled as "off days", but I never actually get to enjoy them because I have swimming on Fridays. Swimming has been cancelled this morning and all next week (pool maintenance), which is perfect because next week is a scheduled recovery week anyway (every fourth week in my plan includes a reduction in training to help prevent injury and exhaustion).
This weekend, I have a scheduled 80 minute run on Saturday morning and a 45 mile bike ride on Sunday. I'll try and check in after each of those.
Later.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Post # 1 -- Plan and Purpose
As pretty much everyone knows, I am a bit of a dreamer. I have a tendency to come up with ideas and plans that seem exciting and adventurous, but usually turn out to be incredibly dangerous and just plain stupid (as I finally realized when I was climbing out of a frozen lake a few weeks ago). Generally, I have been able to convince some of my lower functioning friends to participate in my "plans" with me, but it looks like I'm on my own for this one.
Anyway -- For my next "project" I have decided to train for and compete a half-iron distance triathlon. When I first came up with the idea, I was able to calm myself by repeatedly thinking, "it's only a half" and "people do the full every day." Well unfortunately, I have now realized that a half is not a piece of cake, that people don't actually do the full every day, and that this race will take me a solid 6.5 hours to complete (assuming everythign goes well).
For those of you that don't know, a half iron distance event consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. The event I am signed up for is the Gulf Coast Triathlon which takes place on May 9, 2009, in Panama City Beach, FL (I think that is the correct city, I better double check that). I have been following a training plan for the past 12-13 weeks, but have not been keeping a proper log or doing anything that would actually hold me accountable to my training schedule (or my friends). Hence, the purpose of this blog.
The plan is for me to get on here every day and post what I have done and how I'm feeling about things. I know that these topics will be of absolutely no interest to anyone but myself, and I am o.k. with that. But, if you would like to keep up with my newest "project," you are more than welcome to follow along.
**** Also, let me take this opportunity to thank Jessi, my wonderful wife, for allowing me the opportunity to do this. It doesn't really seem like alot, but when combined with my work schedule, finding 7-10 hours a week to train really takes a toll on some of our down time and what I'm able to do around the house (not that I was terribly helpful to begin with). So, thanks Jessi, and hopefully this will teach me to make future projects a little less involved. After all, it's only 11 weeks and 2 days away (that sent a little panic through me).
O.K. -- so here goes. . . .
Yesterday (2/18/09) -- I went to my masters swim class at 5:00 a.m. for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (appx. 2000 yards). Last night at 7:00 p.m. I ran for 58:01 minutes -- 6.32 miles.
Today (2/19/09) -- I went to swimming this morning, arriving at 5:00 a.m. to find out that I failed to check my e-mail last night and swimming was cancelled for the day. I am of the opinion that I still get credit for this workout because I really hate getting up that early. I have a 40 minute run on my schedule for tonight.
Later,
Danny.
Anyway -- For my next "project" I have decided to train for and compete a half-iron distance triathlon. When I first came up with the idea, I was able to calm myself by repeatedly thinking, "it's only a half" and "people do the full every day." Well unfortunately, I have now realized that a half is not a piece of cake, that people don't actually do the full every day, and that this race will take me a solid 6.5 hours to complete (assuming everythign goes well).
For those of you that don't know, a half iron distance event consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run. The event I am signed up for is the Gulf Coast Triathlon which takes place on May 9, 2009, in Panama City Beach, FL (I think that is the correct city, I better double check that). I have been following a training plan for the past 12-13 weeks, but have not been keeping a proper log or doing anything that would actually hold me accountable to my training schedule (or my friends). Hence, the purpose of this blog.
The plan is for me to get on here every day and post what I have done and how I'm feeling about things. I know that these topics will be of absolutely no interest to anyone but myself, and I am o.k. with that. But, if you would like to keep up with my newest "project," you are more than welcome to follow along.
**** Also, let me take this opportunity to thank Jessi, my wonderful wife, for allowing me the opportunity to do this. It doesn't really seem like alot, but when combined with my work schedule, finding 7-10 hours a week to train really takes a toll on some of our down time and what I'm able to do around the house (not that I was terribly helpful to begin with). So, thanks Jessi, and hopefully this will teach me to make future projects a little less involved. After all, it's only 11 weeks and 2 days away (that sent a little panic through me).
O.K. -- so here goes. . . .
Yesterday (2/18/09) -- I went to my masters swim class at 5:00 a.m. for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (appx. 2000 yards). Last night at 7:00 p.m. I ran for 58:01 minutes -- 6.32 miles.
Today (2/19/09) -- I went to swimming this morning, arriving at 5:00 a.m. to find out that I failed to check my e-mail last night and swimming was cancelled for the day. I am of the opinion that I still get credit for this workout because I really hate getting up that early. I have a 40 minute run on my schedule for tonight.
Later,
Danny.
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