Ironman Training Update - 25 weeks down, 5 weeks to go!

Yesterday, I completed week 25 of my 30 week Ironman training program for Ironman Canada.  5 weeks until the race (8/28)!!!  It can't come too soon, I'm ready and frankly wish it was tomorrow.  At this point, I feel like my fitness is ready for the race.   The problem is that I have to train for about 1 more month....I'd much rather race tomorrow than train for another 5 weeks.  Ugh!! 

When I signed up for an Ironman, many of my friends that have already done an Ironman told me "it's a lot of training".   Having exercised between 12 and 17 hours a week for the last 25 weeks - with at least 2 days a week and often 3 days a week of "two-a-days", a workout in the early morning and then another workout after 9pm, I now have a first hand understanding of this. First and foremost, I exercise to stay healthy and so that I can eat whatever I want. My fitness is the best it has ever been. I've become an endurance athlete (something I never expected) and am enjoying it. When I started Ironman training in January, my weight was around 199. I don't weigh myself often.  I can usually guess my weight by how my clothes fit. Lately, my waist size has gone down to 34 (what is was in college) and I've noticed that my shirt size has gotten smaller (usually to a medium). So, a few weeks ago, I weighed myself, assuming that I lost a lot of weight (I was guessing 193-195), but when I got on the scale I was 204!  I was shocked, but I have noticed that I have built a little extra muscle in my legs (from biking) and my chest and arms (from swimming). I'm told that muscle weighs twice as much as fat, so despite the shrinking in my waist and sizes, I've gained weight. That's good weight to gain, I guess. Most importantly, I feel great and my Crohn's has been completely in remission.

The weather in New York has been brutal over the last week (over 100 degrees and the heat index hit 115 one day).  Training has been hot!  Hopefully I will get a cool day for the race.  I'm told that the temperature in Penticton, Canada could be in the 80s or it could be as high as 100 on race day.  Huh?  In Canada?  I signed up for this race because I assumed it would be cool.  Shame on me for not checking.  I've met a number of people that have done the race and they all same the same thing.  It could be very hot!  Luckily, Penticton, which is about 5 hours east of Vancouver, Canada, is in the desert, so hopefully it will be dry.  I can handle hot, but I struggle with humidity.  I've been really focused on the dew point lately after I found this article in a running magazine lately (see the picture).  Basically, it says that the dew point is what to watch, not just the temperature and humidity.  The dew point was in the low to upper 70s last week, which is oppressive!

My training has been going really well. I'm 100% healthy (including my knees and IT bands) and feel great. My training has been balanced - usually 3 runs, 3 rides, 2 swims, and 1-2 strength workouts per week. The cross training has kept me from running too much, plus I run on the Central Park bridal path, which is a softer dirt/sand surface. I've been able to squeeze in all of my training in early in the morning or late at night (usually on the bike trainer). Long weekend runs are usually done by 930-10am. For me, the tough time commitment is the long bike ride. I've been riding 5-6 hours every Saturday or Sunday for 5 weeks (only 3 more long rides left!). This is time consuming, and even though I leave by 7am, I'm usually not home until around 1-130pm. Luckily my family is very supportive and realize that it is only for 8 weeks.  It still takes less time than playing 18 holes of golf (someday I'd like to become a golfer).  I'm definitely ready for my long rides to be over. Last weekend I rode for 5 hours and 37 minutes (85 miles), the weekend before 90 miles, etc. Plus, I ride over the GW bridge and ride on an extremely hilly bike course (usually around 6,000 feet of gain). Ironman Canada is hilly, so I need the practice.

For the next 5 weeks, I am completely focused on race nutrition. I've been working hard at this - what to eat before the race, and most importantly, during the race. For me, my goal is to not BONK on the bike (i.e., crash so hard that I lose my energy) so I can feel good when I start running. This requires drinking and eating on the bike. I take water, Gatorade (for the salt and electrolytes) and heed. I also eat gels during the ride. Still experimenting, but I made improvements last weekend. Despite 100 degree weather, I felt like I could run at the end of my ride.

After a 15 mile long run on 7-25-11 - soaking wet!!  Kaiya (2) holding the door.  Check out those curls!!

Before a long 5 hour, 37 minute bike ride in 100 degree weather - 6:45 A.M.

Here is a summary of my training last week with the Garmin bike file

Training week 25 ended 7/24/11 - total training time 16.5 hours

Monday - morning - swim 2 miles (1 hour 19 minutes); Monday night - strength training (45 minutes)
Tuesday morning - 8.17 miles, 8:51 pace, 152 average heart rate, 1 hour 12 minutes; Tuesday night - bike trainer - 60 minutes, 17.5 miles, average heart rate 129
Wednesday night - bike trainer - 60 minutes, 18.5 miles, average heart rate 130; Wednesday night - strength training (36 minutes)
Thursday morning - 8.03 miles, 8:49 pace, 151 average heart rate, 1 hour 11 minutes
Friday morning - swim 2 miles (1 hour 18 minutes);
Saturday morning - bike 5 hours 37 minutes,  85 miles, average 15.3 mph on extremely hilly 9W roads in New Jersey - did hill repeats..rode with my friend Jarrod for the first 3 hours..5,800 feet of elevation gain, average heart rate 142, temperature near 100 degrees for last 3.5 hours.    Bike Garmin File - click here
Sunday morning - run 2 hours 28 minutes,  14.74 miles, 88 degrees, 80%+ humidity, dew point 72.  Felt miserable, pushed through but ran really slow and stopped for 30-90 seconds per mile for water and to run through a sprinkler on a hill!  Average pace 10:05 (moving pace 9:39), slowest long run ever, average heart rate 150.

Came across this picture of me running hurdles my junior year in high school.  I won this race!

Week 12 Ironman Training Update - a 13 hour training week

I just finished week 12 of my 30 week Ironman training (110 miles in total).  Overall, I feel great and 100% healthy.  My legs feel great, I rarely have twinges in my knees, IT bands, and shins, and my recovery has been great.  No doubt my new, softer, custom made orthotics have also helped me a ton.  I've only been running 3 days a week and definitely feel fresher as a result.  I've been trying to balance my workouts by doing 3 runs, 3 swims, and 3 bikes a week, with 2-3 strength resistance workouts thrown in.  This cross training really helps my legs to recover.  Plus, I've been running mostly on the Bridal Path in Central Park, which is a much softer surface than running on the Central Park loop pavement (although the Bridal Path is tougher to run fast on  - sometimes it feels like running on sand).  I also have been doing a lot of Epsom salt baths (and did my first ice bath this year after my 13.1 mile run over the weekend which definitely helps recovery).

I've had some time to reflect on my Miami Olympic tri and (what I consider to be) my weak swim performance.  When I finished the race, my first reaction was that having a bad swim was probably the best thing that could have happened to me, as I will work and train harder to improve this huge weakness.  I still feel this way today.  Given that it was only my third open water swim ever, I have room to improve.  Last week, I swam 3 times (between 2,500 - 3,000 yards each time (between 62-68 minutes, or 1.5 - 1.75 miles each time).  I feel stronger.  Where I need the experience is sighting in open water (meaning how to look up and swim straight).  That saps energy out of me, so hopefully as my fitness progresses this will become easier and less tiring.

I decided after my Miami race to find some local open water swims of at least 0.9 miles long.  I found a half ironman in New Jersey called Bassman and I decided to sign up.  The race is this Sunday 5/1 and the distances are 1.2 mile swim (in a cold, less choppy lake with a low 60 degree temperature - perfect for a wetsuit and not too dissimilar from the 68 degree water for Ironman Canada), a 58 mile bike (flat), and a 13.1 mile run (also flat).  I've only been training for 12 weeks, so one might question whether I'm ready fitness wise, but I'll use it as a training race and will listen to my body about how hard (or easy) to go.  I'm not at all concerned about my time or about dropping out of the race (if I have to).  I'm excited for a shot at redemption for my swimming and also realize that there is a chance that I won't make the 1 hour and 10 minute cutoff.  If that happens, I'll know where I stand.  If I'm going to fail, I'd rather fail now than a month from now.   My next race after this one is on 6/5, another half ironman in Middlebury, CT (the Rev 3 Quassy half).  This race is extremely hilly, so I'll need to get out to New Jersey on 9W and River Road for the rest of May.

A week after my Miami tri, I ran a 4 mile race in Central Park, my first running race since January.  I rode my bike for a bit before the race (my plan was to ride for 2 hours before and run an easy brick).  However, I got a flat tire (which I am glad about as I need the experience changing my tires), but that killed my workout.  I didn't bring enough CO2 (only 1) and ended up needing more.  Live and learn.  I got another flat tire in my apartment 2 days later and felt much more comfortable changing my tire (and faster too).  So, I decided to run the 4 mile race at 80% effort (pushing but not all out).  After mile 1, my split was 7:21 (a hard uphill mile), so I knew that the next mile was relatively flat, so I decided to keep pushing and ran a 6:59 second mile (6:50 for most of the mile).  Then I got to the west side hills (very hilly and tough) and struggled a bit - 7:42 mile 3 and finished with a 7:08 mile 4.  Very happy with my overall pace of 7:16 per mile.  I didn't go all out, definitely room to improve.  Best of all, no knee pain at all during or after the race!!!

Last week, I had a great week of training - 13 hours in total (11 workouts)
Runs - 3 runs (total 28 miles - 7 miles, 8 miles, and 13.1 miles).  Garmin Files:

4/19 - 7 mile run - 8:42 pace, avg heart rate 155

4/21 - 8 mile run - 7:40 pace, average heart rate 152 (my Garmin satellites were off for a bit, my actual pace was probably 7:50-8:00 per mile, still great for me given my heart rate)

4/23 - 13.1 mile run - 8:50 pace, avg heart rate 153.  43 degrees, pouring rain the entire run and very windy.  Ran negative splits, was running 8:20-8:30 pace during last 3 miles or so.

Bike - 3 bike rides (all on the trainer)  - total 77 miles - 60 minutes, 60 minutes, 2 hours 30 minutes.  I decided to ride the trainer this week (Sunday night) so I could be home on Easter morning when my kids woke up, which was awesome!  We had a great time watching them find their baskets and Easter eggs!

4/24 2 hour 30 minute trainer - avg heart rate 135, average cadence 87. 

Swim  - 3 swims - 5 miles - 62 minutes (1.57 miles), 62 minutes (1.63 miles), and 68 minutes (1.74 miles)

Strength - 2 resistance/strength leg workouts.  Feel more stable in my legs than ever.  No question improving my leg strength has helped me stay healthy.

Also found out today that I'll be able to do the Nautica NYC Olympic triathlon on 8/7, which is a perfect tune-up for Ironman Canada.  I'll likely add a few other races in between too!

Just got my 6 month cholesterol tests back (I started taking 2.5mg of Crestor about 6 months ago to get my cholesterol down a little).  My HDL (good cholesterol) improved up to 59 (from 43 in my last test).  My doctor said that 60 is "heart protective", so hopefully I continue to improve.  My LDL (bad cholesterol) was 88 (down from 124), a significant improvement (my doctor would like to see this below 70).  My overall cholesterol was 157 (down from 181).  I'm excited that the results are better.  My c-diff result (measures inflammation) was 0.6, also a great result.