Reminiscing About the Start

Today is not an anniversary of any sort. It just happens to be the day I recalled my initial foray into the sport of triathlon. While my first race was not until the spring of 2011, I started training in earnest in October of 2010.

I’ve been good about saving every workout to Garmin Connect ever since so when I want to see what was going on, I can.

For example, on this date (November 10) in 2010, I ran for 3 miles which took me 32:43 or 10:54 per mile. My heart rate averaged 147 BPM and maxed at 158! I did not keep any notes (as I do now in Training Peaks) but I recall how hard these runs were. In fact, when I started, I did a few of only 2 miles because I was just too gassed to do much else.

If nothing else, looking back at those early workouts gave me some good perspective on how far I’ve come. Perspective can be easy to lose when you’re thinking about how much needs to be done in order to be Ironman-ready.

Anyone who might be reading this wondering whether or not they can enter the sport might take some motivation from it. While my first advice to anyone (especially if you’re over 40 or have had any health problems) would be to check with your doctor first, this sport can become not just something you do but a lifestyle. It helped me lose over 40 pounds and has me looking and feeling better at 45 than I did through all of my 30s.

Thanks for reading and have a great week of training ahead!

Suffering

I’ve lately begun to openly discuss my desire (probably) to compete in Ironman Boulder in 2015. I’ve even gone so far as to volunteer at this year’s race and get a higher priority registration slot.

My mention of this usually draws a reaction of either you’re crazy (or something to that effect) or merely the question of “Why?”

It’s not an easy question to answer but a quote from the book Iron War probably sums up why I want to complete the 140.6 distance in particular and why do triathlons in general:

“…it can be better to feel anything—even pain—than to feel nothing. Sometimes pleasure and pain are derived from the same source. There is no pleasure in doing triathlon, but it metes out a kind of suffering that is satisfying in the context of our soporific modern existence with its all infernal conveniences.”

Until recently reading that book, I’ve had a hard time articulating why I do what I do. Before I started training for triathlons, soporific was probably as good an adjective as any to describe my life. I had run and trained, but it had fallen off and I was more or less sedentary.

Of course, while suffering has its utility, it can also be destructive. Indeed, for most people, using the term positively probably seems odd if not completely masochistic.

My own recent training experiences have helped me find a way to suffer, but to manage it in a way analogous to the way one manages their intake of hydration and nutrition during a race.

About a month ago my coach “bumped” (his word) both the volume and intensity of my weekly training. Two weekly swims have become three, 20 miles running have become over 25 and cycling has been based on power zones. In a non-recovery week, training hours are around 12. That eases back to 8 every third week when I get to recover. In short, I’ve had ample opportunity to suffer.

Last week, I was assigned a series of interval workouts in which the distance descended and the pace ascended. The last interval in each of the two sets was 200 meters at a more or less all out speed (or what I could manage by that point). A day later, I was riding my bike up a hill for over a mile to push my heart rate into Z5. I had to do that five more times before getting to warm down.

Like anyone who has committed to train, I’ve accepted a certain level of suffering as part of the price to be ready come race day. Each of us has variation on the mantra “It’s worth it” that helps us get through the tough workouts.

What seemed different about these most recent efforts, however, was my ability to keep the suffering of my body separate from the suffering of my mind. While I knew I was hurting, my brain was really showing no more emotion about it than the needles on a dashboard that tell you your engine is getting too hot or that you’re running low on fuel. That’s not to say that I didn't feel mentally miserable at times as well, just not all the time.

When I did my first multi-sport event (a triathlon turned duathlon) the most significant memory I took away was how miserable I was as I moved from bike to run. Leaving the transition area, I felt almost overwhelmed by my high heart rate and shortness of breath. This despite multiple bricks in practice. That feeling crept in a few times during my track and bike workouts, but it never really took hold.

Have I discovered a secret to training and racing even when my body feels terrible? Probably not. More likely it’s one more tool in the belt.

More to come on training and the specific steps I’m taking to prepare for the first race of the season.

In the meantime, have a great week and thanks for reading!

The Decision

I was going to call ESPN and see about setting up a special broadcast to let the world know whether or not I’ll be competing in a 140.6 event next year. But I figured they were too busy covering the All-Star game.

So my only venue for this important announcement will be the blog.

And the answer is…no, not next year.

To be sure, I was attempted. About a week ago I got an e-mail from Ironman offering me a priority place in line since I had registered for this year’s Boulder Tri Series. That alone would probably have assured me a spot.

I also looked at coaching services. I happened to drop guitar lessons recently and low and behold, monthly coaching services were almost exactly the same price. In other words, I could have afforded it and if I ever do make the decision to be an Ironman, I almost certainly will have a coach.

I also am very familiar with the venue. I’ve done a total of three races in Boulder plus a handful of aquathlon events. I know the area where the run will be having biked and run it all through college and I have spent plenty of time on the back roads that will make up much of the bike course.

But all that is still not enough.

Physically, I’m coming off one of the more chronic injuries I’ve experienced. Other than foot surgery (a voluntary injury) I’ve never had to spend so long rehabilitating. That included some fairly intense physical therapy (if you don’t believe that, go get some dry needling treatment and see if you still feel that way), reduced running schedules and just a generally unmotivated feeling that comes with being in pain whenever you work out. My body might be ready for this, but it’s not exactly a sustained period of strength from which I’m coming.

The even bigger obstacle is a mental one. It’s not that I don’t believe I can do this. I know I could put my mind to it and probably get the whole event done within the 17 hour time limit. This is more about being properly motivated to do it right.

That means happily getting up very early six mornings a week, training for 15 or more hours a week and making some fairly significant sacrifices to my life for six months or so. If I had nothing else to do, no job, no marriage, no other interests outside of triathlon, it would be an easy decision. In the face of those things however, it becomes daunting.

For the next year I have three main goals.

1)      Finish up my remaining races doing as well as I can. Hopefully I can show some improvement at each one. I still have four so this will be a big goal on its own,

2)      Build a big base in the off season. There will be no marathon next year so I’ll be balancing my running, riding and swimming. I just want to have a steady, uneventful offseason where I make gradual improvements and enhance my overall fitness.

3)      Focus on a handful of races with an eye toward PR’s in 2014. I really had fun racing in 2012 and was a little sad to see my season end in mid-August. As a result, I signed up for 9 events this year and now I sort of wish there had been fewer. Next year I think I’d like to do no more than four events and focus on doing my best at each one. It was frustrating having a much slower time at the peak this year. Getting faster as I get older is going to be more difficult, but I think I still have a few more years of improvement left in me.

I think coaching remains on the table as an option. I won’t seriously look into that until next year but it might be worth it if I can be a better racer. For now, it’s focus on the Boulder 70.3 event, have some fun at Rattlesnake and TriRock and then focus hard on the Austin 70.3 event.

If I ever do make “the decision” I’ll think about calling ESPN. For now, thanks for reading about all my adventures (and struggles) here!

A Year of Accomplishments

I'm into my first week of doing nothing. That's right, not an athletic thing at all. It's been about a year in the works and I really think I deserved this one. I may ice down my knee and foot, but that's about it.

To get some appreciation, it helps to look back to where I was nearly a year ago when I decided I had given my foot enough time since the surgery and it was time to start exercising again. It was also when I decided--at least in the back of my mind--that I was going to attempt a triathlon.

There was a lot of inertia to overcome. Here's the summary from that first run:



That's right, all of two miles and at a blistering 11:00 minute pace. I also tipped the scale at 222 that day which was actually down a few pounds from a high of 225.

But as Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." So did mine.

In the twelve months that have followed, Ive put in a total of 467 miles including the 13.1 that I ran yesterday. I've also ridden the bike 1942 miles and swam just over 50. I've also improved my swim time from something like 2:40 per 100 yards to a fairly consistent 2:00 as of my most recent trip to the pool on Wednesday. I've also managed to shed about 32 of those pounds and feel confident I can loose another 10 or so before my biggest race next year. Well before if I can help it.

With any endeavor like this one, there's always the question of will I continue to stay with it. One year is great, but how about five....or ten. I do think that Triathlons have given me a new-found enthusiasm. It's not just pounding the pavement everyday. It's multi-sport and it's very engaging. That in itself is not motivation, but it helps.

The other helper: success. I knew I had run a pretty fast half marathon yesterday and in fact I went screaming into the finish thanks to being able to literally run down capitol hill. But it gets better. I PR'd! My new time of 2:06:51 (per the official results on the website) beats my previous best of 2:07:02. Incidentally, that was set on the same course five years ago.

My figurative journey of a thousand miles has really only just begun. I still consider myself a first timer because I keep finding new challenges. Now it's a 70.3. That's going to provide a ton of fodder for this blog and as always, hopefully it will provide readers with a chance to learn the easy way, what I learned the hard way.

Thanks for reading.