How to Start a Fire!

       I was happy with the way last week went. I had a good 10.5 mile run on Thursday, followed by a mile swim on Friday. The weekend was nothing short of excellent. Saturday was a 15 mile ride followed by a 3 mile run, then a 30 mile ride followed by a 6 mile run. Sunday, Chris, Charlie, and I rode with a spinning instructor from Charlie's gym. I think I averaged about 18 mph... we did about 45 miles. Later that day Chris, Gina, and I had a 1.2 mile open water swim in the lake. This was the first open water swim for Chris and I. It went better than I expected. Swimming with a wet suit is really easy. It helps with keeping your body very buoyant. We really lucked out because Sunday was a beautiful day and the water was calm. I expect my next open water swim to be a little more intense and I hope to see some bigger waves just in case the water is not that calm for race day.This week is another week filled with three bricks and a long run tomorrow. Next week is the last week of intense training before the race. I look forward to finishing the Half Ironman so I can continue training for the next shorter race, the 5150 series. 

"catching the fruits of our labor
Holding our hearts in our hands
Waiting for you to sound a prayer in the form of an anchor
Reply by holding you up in a ??
Lets set this city ablaze
We'll learn to start a fire" - further seems forever

       

So last week I did not make a post. It was a really boring week filled with a little burn out and a week of solid active recovery. This week has turned out to be quite the opposite. I just started a new phase of training. This week consisted of a 1.25 mile swim on Monday. Wednesday was another 1.25 mile swim and a 60 minute bike. Thursday I rocked a 10.5 mile run at a really good pace. Friday was a 1 mile swim. Today started with a 15 mile bike immediately followed by a three mile run. After I repeated another bike of 30 miles and then ran 6 miles after. So I was out for four hours today biking and running. Needless to say, I am a little sun burnt and tired. Tomorrow, Chris and I will meet Charlie at the Levee for 8 am and ride 50 miles. Then we will grab our wet suits and meet Gina at the Lake for our first open water swim.....! How exciting! I am tired, sore, sun burnt to a crisp, hungry, and loving every second of it. My awesome girlfriend and I are gonna meet some family tonight for some delicious wild game. Then cruise over to say hello to Blaine for his B-Day party.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

Here it comes again!

         Last week consist of some pretty intense workouts. Friday was a 12 mile run, Saturday was a 2 mile swim, and Sunday was a 20 mile bike and 3 mile run repeat 3x .... I only was able to complete two repeats because Natalie and I threw a party for the St. Patrick's day parade. Last week was intense. It left me feeling a bit tired and a little burnt out. I need to get with it and get back to a good mental state. Things are getting to be a little tough..... managing work, family life, hunting dogs and a triathlon is getting to be too much to handle. I don't think I have played guitar in weeks and I really just want to spend a weekend taking time to just relax. It's a good thing this week is an active recovery week. I have the whole weekend off and light workouts Tuesday through Friday. I brought my bike to the shop to get a tune up. The guys face didn't look to good when I showed him how my crank has been wobblin from side to side. I really hope I don't have to spend any more money on it. I am gonna go broke soon. Tonight I am gonna hit the gym do a core workout and spend sometime on the stationary rowing machine. I am doing my best to gain some mental stability this week while I try to maintain a healthy diet.


“The hardest thing you can do is smile when you are ill, in pain, or depressed. But this no-cost remedy is a necessary first half-step if you are to start on the road to recovery.”

Can you say?????????

      Last week was pretty awesome. My diet has been very good and my energy level is super high. Friday afternoon I ran 6 miles and introduced a new type of speed work that I had read about in Triathlete magazine. I modified it a little. I ran 2 miles at an all out pace I repeated this twice and then did a two mile cool down. Saturday morning Chris and I met up once again for a big swim. It felt as if we swam... and swam... and kept swimming for about 2 hours. Sunday it got a little cold so I had to do my bike run brick on the trainer inside my parents house. ( Bike 15miles, Run 2 miles immediately after bike) repeat 3x) These repeats really start to kick your ass after a while. This week is the last week in the endurance phase of training. I have a big week to get through and next week is a rest and recovery week. I am really not looking forward to resting. I know that my body probably needs it.

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.” - Buddha

The End of Another Month.... tic toc tic toc tic toc!

The endurance phase doesn't give you much time to live on the weekend. These days I spend most of my weekends swimming, biking, and running. After work on Friday I pushed myself out of my front door and hit the street running. My run on Friday consist of mostly speed work........I ran 2 miles at a pretty fast pace for my warm up. That was followed by 3 to 4 200's and 3 100's of mind blowing sprints! I finished with a one mile cool down. Saturday morning Chris and I met up early and swam... and swam.... and swam some more! I felt a little bit water logged the rest of the day to say the least. Swims are usually fun. They are typically a variety of distances at different intensity levels. I think the total distance we swam was probably about 1.75 mi. Sunday began with a nice breakfast with my beautiful girlfriend and was interrupted by a phone call by a text from Chris stating that he wanted to get rolling. I hurried home packed my bike and running gear and headed over to the Homer residence. When I got there Chris immediately came outside ready to roll with bike and full tri attire. We got on our bikes and rode for about an hour and a half. When we finished the ride we put our running shoes on and ran 6.5 miles with a fartlek series after the first warm up mile. Fartlek is just another way of working on your speed. It is really just interval training.... fast, slow, fast slow. You get the point! I was a bit dehydrated after we ran. It took until Monday morning to start feeling better. I need to remember to drink as much water as possible. I lost about 6lbs during that day. It got pretty hot on Sunday!

          So... we are about 7 weeks away from race day. I feel comfortable, healthy, confident, and my mental state is good. This week is similar to the last. Today is a short swim day, tomorrow is a 40 mile ride, Thursday is strength training and rowing, and Friday is speed work which I  might replace with a distance run. (8 miles) The weekend gets a little crazy with a 2 mile swim on Saturday and three consecutive bike run bricks on Sunday...... and a whole lot of parading. The biggest thing I need to work on is my eating habits. New Orleans and the way we were raised to have a good time makes it hard when you are trying to do a big race. Happy Mardi Gras! 

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some Things to Never Forget

      This weekend was jam packed with craziness! It started on Saturday morning. Chris and I got in the pool at about 7:15 am and swam about 2500 yards. We did a ladder workout. That is short distances to larger distances then back down the ladder ...all at a pretty high intensity. As soon as we were done we got packed up for our 35 mile bike ride and got on the river where it was super foggy. We started riding and my legs were immediately not cooperating because of the speed work we did on Thursday at the City Park track. I pulled it all together and we ended up banging out the bike averaging about 17.2 or so mph. (I have to check the garmin to know for sure.) I got to be really tired and cranky on Saturday night.
       Sunday, I got up at 6 am and got ready to meet Hard Inc., Charlie, and Chris at the run clinic with Nate Singleton from the San Fransisco 49ers. I got there a little early and was able to get in a 3/4 mile warm up on the track. Soon after everyone else showed up and we got to work. Nate showed us many agility drills, proper running technique and form. He was also VERY VERY motivational. He spoke about attitude, confidence, negativity, and hard work. He stressed that you need to believe in yourself, and bring a confidence with the way that you present yourself that makes everyone notice. He told us that it is very important to not let negativity on any level into your head. He used the example of training on a really hot day. The second you start to tell your self its really hot out is the second that you allow negative thoughts to develop in your mind. Everything Nate said was very informative, and I am sure that I will use every bit of his training for as long as I can use my legs for running.
       Later that day Chris, Jonathan, and I met up at the park to do some bike run bricks. We ended up only having enough daylight to finish two of the three bricks. We rode 15 miles then ran two right after and repeated it twice. My little cousin Jonathan came along and rode the first 15 with us and ran as much as he could after. He did a great job! I really was impressed with his work ethic. He has come a long way with his knee injury and is now getting really interested in this madness of a sport. Chris kicked ass as usual..... he made everything look really easy. He is improving tremendously in his running. It is awesome to watch someone get better and better every week. I feel myself getting stronger in every aspect of the three disciplines. We have been training really hard and it is starting to really pay off!

GET OFF MY PORCH! You can't be up here!

          This weekend is gonna be tough. Tomorrow is a 2100 yard ladder swim followed by a 30 mile bike. Earlier this week Charlie invited Chris and I to a  Nate Singleton from the 49ers is doing with Hard Inc on Sunday morning. After the Clinic I am gonna try to push out a 15 mile bike and a 2 mile run and repeat it 3 times( Total of  45 mile bike 6 mile run) That is one huge bitch of a weekend workout. Things are getting a little tough to say the least. Wednesday, I rode 38 miles. I think I averaged about 17.5 mph. Yesterday, was speed work on the track : One mile warm up then 4x 200 meter sprints followed by 400 meters at a 5 sec slower pace... repeat 4x! Ouch that shit sucked! I love running but sprints hurt! Today is an off day. I think I am gonna go run the dogs when I get off work.  What an awesome challenge for this weekend! This should be fun!

"Pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse." - Eminem

Setbacks and Worries

       Last week was a rest and recovery week. Not too much to say about that. It was nice to spend some extra time with friends and family. This week started the endurance phase of training. I got this nasty infection on my stomach that has been holding me back a little and on top of that I think I may have a hernia. So I really need to go see the doctor. I swam 2,000 yards yesterday after work. It was a little hard getting back into training after having the whole weekend to rest. Today is a ride day. 45 miles on a Wednesday! FUN! Tomorrow is running .... speed work! Friday is a rest day and this weekend is craziness! I am REALLY WORRIED that this bump on my lower abdominal muscle is a hernia. I really hope that it doesn't mess me up with any training time. I am gonna call the doc today to see if I can make an apt. to get it checked out.

“Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.” - LES BROWN

HARD INC SATURDAY RUN / SWIM - 45 MILE SUNDAY RIDE

    I can not keep up with this blog every day so........ I will begin to write for two to three days at a time. Charlie called me on Friday to see if I wanted to run with his team on Saturday morning. I jumped at the opportunity. I called Chris to see if he would join me and we went out to the city park track early Saturday morning. We met up at 7 am and it was about 33 degree's outside. We started by doing a little warm up run around the museum. That was followed by a tempo run. I think I averaged a 7:45 sec mile for 20 minutes. That was followed by a fifteen minute cool down run. I think we cooled down at an 8:45 mile. Total we did about 6.1 miles. Later that evening Chris and I met up at elmwood and swam. It was a lot of fun doing a little training with a real TRI team. Chris and I had a lot of fun and it was a great learning experience. The people of Hard Inc are beastly!
    Sunday was a endurance ride day. Chris and I rode 45 miles. I think we averaged about 18 mph on the way out and coming back I probably did about 15 to 16. Chris kicked my ass. He was about a mile in front of me. The wind was killer coming back. I am not really sore today just a little tired. I ended up blowing a tire at about 42 miles in. I had an extra tube so I fixed my tire and got back to the car. I am starting to feel a lot more confident about the Half Iron Man! I think the hardest part about this sport is the discipline it takes to get up every day and train. We are training when we are sick, when it is really cold, when we are hurt, when we are sore, when we are not emotionally up for it, and when we should be spending time doing other things in our lives that are probably more important.  I can not wait to race on April 17th. This is starting to get to be a lot of fun! The harder the challenge the more I love it.

"We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Maryanne Williamson

Work= Change, Change= Heroes= Heroes= Inspiration, Inspiration= ?

   Have you ever been so confident that you knew that any test you took, you could pass, or any problem that had confronted you, you could solve? Laying in bed this morning I began to think about April 17th. I started to think about the finish line, and the day after I cross the finish line. I though about  how much I have changed since the day I started training for the half iron man and how much I will have changed by the time I cross the finish line and how crossing the finish line will effect me. We all think about a lot of things as we lay in bed. CHANGE is what I think about the most. When I get up to put my contacts in and brush my teeth I see a young man in the mirror who strives for something bigger than what he ever thought he would be. I see a young man who strives to love the right ways, a man who strives to forgive, and a man that tries his best to be less selfish and care for others. Although I fall short of the expectations I have for myself every day, I still try. I believe that WORK does equal CHANGE. If a young man like me can do a half iron man, imagine what we as people can accomplish in a lifetime with a little hard work.
     My Dad called me the other night asking me to watch a program on Tim Tebow. He said he trained hard and  thought it would interest me. Soon after I turned on the television and started watching. I was amazed by Tebow's work ethic, he truly is an amazing athlete but the thing that I thought was inspirational was not anything physical nor was it how hard he worked. There was a part in the documentary when Tebow went to visit a kid that was playing with a gun with his friends and accidentally shot himself in the head. I found it kind of strange that he went to visit this kid in the first place.... but I kept watching. Tim met the child and his family who was in a wheel chair with a big bandage on his head and spent some time hanging out with them. The thing I thought to be the most amazing was when Tebow asked the family if he could pray with them. To me that was inspirational.    

Today's workout= warm up 10 min - 8 mile run- cool down 10 min.

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” - Gandhi

Slacking with the Blog

      It is getting really hard to keep up with this blog. I know some of these are really uninteresting. Monday was an off day. Yesterday, I gave my legs a rest from strength training. I worked my core and rode for 50 minutes on the trainer in front of the television. Todays workout is a swim. I believe it is about 2300 yards. I am gonna hit up the gym as soon as I get out of work. I have been really busy at work trying to get a bunch of stuff done. The weather is really getting me down. I can't wait for spring. I have a 8 mile run on Thursday again hopefully its not too cold out. I have a really tough weekend filled with a 45 mile endurance ride and a nice swim on Sunday. Next week is a rest and recovery week. I am looking forward to rest my body. I can feel it getting a little more tired every week. It seems as if I am falling asleep earlier every night. Through this training I am learning how important it is to rest. 

“Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.”

Another Sunday Run/ Rest Monday

Yesterday's workout was a 8 mile run. With a ten minute warm up and a ten minute cool down. I ended up running a total of 10.40 miles. I blow the whole idea of a cool down everytime I run. The last mile and a half I usually puck up speed and run rhe fastest. When running races it is best to always finish strong. It is beneficial for me to train my body and my mind to push hard when there is almost nothing left in me to give. The thing that I find the most suprising is the harder you push and the faster you go there is sometimes a burst of energy that you get that always gets you to the finish line even faster than you ever thought you would go. My legs are very tired today and are in need of some rest! Thank God for rest days. Time to rebuild.

"Lucky Charms and Soymilk"

Today started with Mr. Squeeennnoo waking me up puking at 5 am in the morning. Natalie the great mother she is got up gave him meds and fixed him an egg. Around 8:00 am I started packing my bike and swimsuit for my workout. I got to elmwood at about 8:30 am and swam 2000 yards. After, I changed clothes into my riding gear and took off for the river. It was a bit chilly when I started riding. My car said it was 56 degrees. It warmed up really quick once I started riding. I rode 25 miles and averaged about 18 mph. The wind provided a really intense workout.
Furthermore, it was my first time riding outside in a while. It was so nice to test out all the new gear I purchased for my bike. I am really comfortable now in the saddle and look forward to my next ride. Tomorrow I will be up early in the morning again running 8 miles. My body is really sore tonight and I am physically exhausted. I have a date tonight with tiger balm, icy hot, long compression sox, and a tempurpedic matress. Goodnight New Orleans!

"They turned on the fountain today at logan circle and I felt something in me change" - The Wonder Years

BARK BARK BARK!

     Wednesday, I went straight to Elmwood to swim after work. Something about the swim being the first sport in a triathlon really wakes you up. It may be that every time I jump into water its cold water. That is of course unless I am at Heritage...in that case the pool is so hot that you sweat in the water and continue to sweat when you get out the water. Although I feel like my swimming continues to grow stronger I still continue to be conscious of my technique. I am continuously practicing to make my freestyle better and better. Thursday, I did some running. I warmed up a little by doing a mile and a half with Natalie. She is really becoming quite the  runner.  She had a hard time running outside yesterday because of the dry air with her asthma. I have to give it  to her...... she is pretty tough! It is not easy to stick to a consistent regiment of running five days a week. Especially when you have never run more than a mile in your life. I had a really hard time when I began running. My breathing was really poor, I was really fat, and I used more tiger balm than an old man! Being big was really hard on my lower body. Running is not easy for ANYONE! It is really hard on the human body.  You will never be in GREAT shape until you begin to run. My warm up was followed by a 4 mile run and a variety of sprints. (4sprints @200 meters ) This was my first introduction to speed work in training for the Half Iron Man. Yesterday's workout was really hard. I woke up this morning feeling pretty stiff. I need to stretch as soon as I get done writing this blog. I can imagine that my boss thinks I am pretty strange when he has caught me doing yoga and stretching multiple times in my office.
      Today, I have core strength training and a small 30 to 50 min cardio workout. Saturday is a Swim/ Bike day. Sunday is an 8 mile run. I look forward to this weekends workouts. My training buddy will be in Dallas so it looks like I am riding solo this weekend. Unless someone wants to swim 2000 yards and bike 25 miles with me on Saturday. Any takers?
       Lastly, I often still ask myself why I feel the need to kick my own ass so much. I read a good article in Triathlon life that this dude Matlow wrote. The article is titled "Tiredathlon". He writes about how demanding this sport is on your life, your mind, and your body. Then goes on to describe some psychological reasons why we do it. Stating " Maybe some of us feel that stretching out limits is where true growth happens" and concludes by writing " Maybe being tired is not the result of the sport, but the actual purpose of it" He explains that only when we are totally exhausted we feel as we have accomplished so much. Just something to think about.

Strength, Wetsuit, Goofball



HAHA



    My wetsuit came in the mail yesterday. I had to try it on and act like a goofball! That's just what you do when you get a brand new wetsuit. It makes you feel strong, fast, lightweight and kinda like batman! I even did a little flexing in the mirror just to make Corey laugh.  I hit the gym yesterday evening after work. There I did lower body and the elliptical for 30 min. When I finished I went home and did some p90x. Today is a swim day. I think it is 1800 yards at a variety of intensity levels.

       Furthermore, I get the pleasure of hearing about everyone elses  progress for the CCC in April. Natalie, Brian, Kristen, and Christine are all training to do the Classic for the first time. I am really excited to hear about the weight loss and the fact that running does get easier the more you do it. It was just last year that I did the CCC for the first time. The CCC website has a training plan that some of them are following. That is a really good way to train for that race. It is so cool to see people excited about progress and meeting there next big goal. Keep trucking guys!

    “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Churchill

    

It's all in Your Head

      Monday was a much needed off day. I probably ate a little more than I wanted to but will make up for the extra calories today. I weighed myself on Sunday and I was 156.4 lbs. I am down about 4 from Christmas. That means I am averaging a little less than a pound per week. My diet is okay to say the least. I need to stick to my plan a little better but I struggle a lot with food. Today's workout is core and lower body strength training with an optional 50 minute elliptical or row. My plan is to do about 30 minutes on the elliptical then do legs and core. I should be in the gym for a little over an hour. My confidence level is high and I have stopped obsessing as much about the small details. I am trying to train my mind to stop sweating  the overwhelming challenge of a half iron man. Training my mind to be positive about my workouts and not overloading my mind with negative thoughts seems to be just as big a struggle as the long runs, swims, and rides. I take everyday as a small challenge instead of looking a week or two forward and worrying if I will ever be able to accomplish some of the longer endurance bricks. If there is one thing I have learned about the human body is its incredible ability to adapt and grow. The more you put it through the more it can handle. Above is a picture of my little cousin Garic at his birthday party. I found it to be really cool that he tried to climb the ladder in the space walk and shortly after failed. He then looked at me and said " I can't" I then said back to him "yes you can, I am right underneath you in case you fall" .... to make a long story short by the end of the party he was climbing the biggest ladder in the place by himself. I snapped this photo because I thought it was one of the most inspiration thing I have ever witnessed. The power the mind has over the body should never be over looked!

   “The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free.” - Swindoll

Weekend Workouts

Friday night was a good break from the tri mindset. Chris , Lauren, Natalie and I went out for dinner and Ice cream. We ate a bunch of food... then ate more, and more. The next morning I woke up ready for the days workout. It was an hour and ten minute bike ride at various intensity levels and a six mile run. The bike felt way more comfortabke than my last ride, and I felt way stronger. The workout was not a brick but I decided to get it all done in the AM. I ran about 20 minutes after I finished biking and felt awesome. I believe I averaged 8:45 mile for 6 miles. The rest of the afternoon I was really hungry. After burning about 2500 calories you get pretty hungry.
Today, I went hunting in the morning then swam in the afternoon. I swam 1700 yards pretty quickly. The intensity should have been medium according to the training plan. I felt like a fish. I ordered my wetsuit on friday and look forward to some open water swimming next month. While riding to church on the northshore Saturday evening I was looking out across the lake thinking about how much fun its gonna be to get in the lake with a wetsuit. Way too much fun!

The Weekend!

    Chris and I had a swim workout yesterday evening. Today is a core strength training day. I will probably throw in a light cardio workout also. I went kinda crazy yesterday eating everything in sight! I think my metabolism is running at a million miles per hour because I walk around everyday feeling like I could eat a whole farm! Or like an elephant or something really big! Hah! Saturday is a hour ten min. bike and a 6 or so mile run. I need to get some good rest tonight.

MY ASS DID SOME HURTING!

     Yesterdays workout sucked balls! I only rode for an hour and five minutes. My ass was killing me. I have not rode on my bike since this summer. The spin bike has me way too comfortable. I was a bit discouraged last night. Nothing in this sport prepares you better than actual getting off the treadmill and running outside, off the spinning bike and on your own bike saddle, out of the pool and into open water. Training in the elements and in the same fashion as you would on race day is very important. Saturday I hope to make up for yesterday. I will ride hard and be tough. It will be a big day. Today is a swim day. Gonna hit the pool as soon as I get off work.

TRI AND KEEP TRYING....

 Yesterday, I was a little tired after running @ 4:45 in the morning but I hit the gym a little while after I got off work to do some strength training. My focus is excellent. My training is going really good but my personal life is getting a little crazy. I have a lot on my plate between work, family, friends, girlfriend, half iron man, hunting, training dogs, and just free time. I got a call from Charlie last night. He told me he got an email with a good deal on a wet suit. Kinda funny because the same day Chris sent me another email with an inexpensive wet suit. Looks like its about time to spend more money. Today's workout is just a 90 minute ride at a variety of intensity levels. I am excited about riding but I would really love to get outside and get some quality ride time in. It is just really boring riding your ass off and not going anywhere. One hour feels like three when your on a trainer and your not moving. Tomorrow is a swim day.

“If at first you do succeed, try something harder” - Proverb

Go Get Some

Yesterday was my off day. I got some bike parts in through the mail and took a bunch of time out to fit myself and make adjustments and modifications to my bike.  On my way home, I stopped at East Bank to look for a new seat. There I met this dude named Jonathan who was very helpful with explaining to me more about my riding position and being comfortable on the bike so when it comes time to run your legs core and upper body are not so fatigued. He then let me take home a test seat to try and use for a couple of days to see if I liked it. We ended up bullshitting a little more about triathlons, swimming, and what I should expect in my first triathlon. He then gave me his phone number and told me that I could join him and his buddies for some open water swims next month. He explained to me that a bike/run bricks are the most important thing to do while training. He also said that it is very important to get into the lake to swim before not only because of the waves and the sighting but because the current can make you sea sick. Jonathan explained that sometimes when you get out of the water it is hard to regain your bearings. I consider myself a sponge when it comes to learning about anything I am interested in doing well in. So far I have found triathletes to be extremely helpful. Any questions I ask I seemed to get bogged down with loads of information about anything and everything I need to know. The passion surrounding this sport and the athletes that complete are some of the nicest people I have ever met.

Furthermore, I feel very comfortable on my bike after I completed the set up. Today's workout is 10min warm up 10 min cool down and 4 miles running at L2 pace. I woke up at 4:45 am and ran. I will hit the gym to lift tonight for some upper body and core strength training.

Today's workout: Run 4miles @ L3 pace

Cool down 10 min @ L1

Upper body and Core strength training

NOTHING GREAT IS EVER ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT PASSION!



Face to Face

I just finished running 5 miles. Then I Slowed my pace down for another 15 minutes to cool off. I ran the five miles a lot faster than my training program suggested. I just felt really quick when I started running this morning. Somedays I throw on the headphones and my running shoes hit play to jam some Face to Face and take off like a rocket. Today was one of those days. I had a Blast. I am feeling the most incredible changes in my conditioning. My body feels like a beast or machine, or some kind of monster. It is truly amazing what hard work, time and persistance can accomplish.

5 miles @ 7 to 8:30 mile
2 miles @ 10:30 mile to cool off

"Do we expect these things to change by waking up and suddenly there they are when all I need is a starting place.... Nothing ever seemed so hard" - toad the wet sprocket

The will to prepare!

Todays swim was 1700 yards followed by a 70 minute bike ride. I killed the swim and struggled a little with the biking. I bought a bike trainer and the lowest resistance I can put it on was kicking my ass. I Kept pedaling until I hit about 65 min then had to get off the bike. I could have easily pushed through it but my ass was hurting from my bike seat so bad I could not take anymore. I stopped with 5 min left and chalked me not finishing up to the extra shit ton of laps I did in the pool. I was a little upset with myself for that five minutes. My legs are usually pretty tired come saturday morning. Otherwise, I thought the workout was successful.
This evening I stopped by Charlies. I had a couple questions to asked mostly stuff about the training program that I have been following. He took a look at it and thought it looked good. He asked if I could do the required 1300 yard swim workout on the intermediate level in my training guide. I quickly and proudly responded that I did over 1700 today freestyle and he was quite suprised. The only other tips he had was to make sure I cut back my weight training to two days a week. One day lower body the other upper just as I have been doing. He also said to make sure I leave 24 hours between running workouts. We talked a little about swim drills and techique then I left feeling pretty happy about my progress over the last couple weeks. I am pretty tired tonight.I hada healthy dinner catfish, squash and zuchini) that filled me right up.

Brick bomb!

My workout yesterday consist of a 6.5 mile run. My pace varied throughout the run. I really despise treadmills but it was so outside I caved into the temptation. I think next time I will just stick it out and run in the 35 degree weather. I really hate running indoors.... Sooooo boring. I did not complete the drills required on my schedule because of the weather. I really just need to suck it up next time and just do it!
Today was upper body and core strength training. Typical stuff! I usually incorporate working the same muscle group with different exercise on my final set. Tomorrows workout is a small brick. 1700 yard swim with a 70 minute ride following right after. Should be fun. I am gonna try to get to the gym first thing in the morning. My body is a little achy! My knee is sore and I am really tired because I did not sleep as much as I should have last night because of the show. My weight is good. I cut about two more lbs. I am down to 155.4lbs. Tonight, Natalie and I are going to dinner with some friends. We have been together for 5 months today. Should be a good time! Gonna try not to eat too much.

A little off subject but Sunday I need to make it a point to go to church before I go to work out. I have way too much to be thankful for.

RUN, BACKHAND, DONE!

      Yesterday's swim was lacking. I just didn't feel like my form was correct. I then made more adjustments and tried to slow down even more and concentrate on my stroke. I notice that when I swim faster my form is a lot better and I feel more fluent propelling myself through the water. I believe it is harder to swim freestyle slow because when you do not kick hard enough you don't make enough wake to breathe correctly. This sacrifices my form because I am more concerned about getting air and I forget to concentrate on what I am doing. This weeks swim felt no where near as good as last weeks until the end when I did some speed drills. I am gonna try to hit the pool a little off schedule this weekend and next week to work on some form related issues. Just like a beginning runner needs to jog and build up to running... then build on that to sustain more endurance for long distances. Swimming is the same way. This evening is gonna be crazy. I got this Backhand show at 9pm. I have to get in 7 miles running and some drills before that. It should be a long fun night! I have been looking forward to this show for a long time!

"My friends say I'm not the same, they say that I've really changed and all cus I met a southern belle they say I've been actin strange"- Backhand (Justin R) - The pic above is Paul, Brian, Justin, and I at Cypress hall in 2001. Feels like it was yesterday. Time goes by so fast!

Balance

"Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning  And I find myself careening
Into places where I should not let me go.  She has the power to go where no one else can find me And to silently remind me Of the happiness and the good times that I know, got to know" - James Taylor

    Yesterday's workout was a success. I did legs, core, then did the elliptical for 30 minutes. I feel strong mentally and physically. I still have the remnants of this cold. Mostly just a runny nose. Today I will hit the pool as soon as I get off of work. The swim consist of a variety of drills.
     Furthermore, I have this problem letting my goals consume a huge part of my life. All I do is think about this race. If I know anything about myself I know that when I want something bad enough ........I will do everything it takes to get to where I want to be.  This is an asset, but it causes problems in my personal life and my relationships with my friends, family, and co-workers. No one wants to hear about a triathlon every time they see me. It is obvious to everyone where my passion lies. I just need to work on finding a balance.  I think my girlfriend is noticing a side of me that she really doesn't understand yet. She is doing a great job of bringing me back down to normalcy. I just get so overwhelmed with everything going on in my life it is sometimes hard to relax. That's what the James Taylor quote is about. It just reminded me of Natalie when I heard the song on the way to work this morning.
      Tomorrow is a run day.

Mental Strength

     I believe that endurance sports require at least 100 % mental strength, and also 100% physical strength. I am slowly realizing the effects this training is having on me mentally. A lot of my energy goes into training, learning, and research. As much as I would love for triathlons to be a team sport, they are really not. We pretty much train by ourselves. I have no coach and no team mates pushing me to run harder or longer. No one telling me whether or not my freestyle is correct, and no one to set up my bike for me or change my tire. We are fighting the elements, our own minds, and stretching out physical ability to the max. There are many days that I do not feel up to the required days training. No one makes me do it but me. Keeping myself motivated in itself is demanding. I feel like everyone and everything is being pushed aside because of this recent endeavor.
     Yesterday was an off day. Today I will work my lower body and core. I will most likely throw in 50 minutes or so of some form of cardio also.

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. – Epictetus

"Somethng I already had"

     Ever since I can remember I have been swimming.  Today's workout was a 1600 yard swim. When Natalie and I arrived at the gym Chris was already swimming.  I shared a lane with him and got to kicking. I went a little overboard. I finished at a little over a mile. Probably about the same distance I will swim in the half ironman. I feel very comfortable in the water.  I spend a lot of time researching the correct way to swim freestyle, I listen to tips by my peers, and I ask many questions. I then go practice what I have learned. This seems to be working because I feel like a fish!
    This morning I woke up feeling a whole lot better. I think I am finally kicking this cold! AWESOME! Tomorrow is an off day that I am looking forward to. This week starts a new phase of training. It is called the aerobic phase. Work outs get a little longer, paces get a little faster, and more blocks are introduced. I am looking forward to more challenges in my training. My body feels very healthy and strong. My upper body is a little sore but that is typical when lifting weights. My weight today was 157.1 and my attitude is good. My confidence is high and I feel like the hulk. ;) This week is gonna be a lot harder than last.  I look forward to training harder.

 "I swim for brighter days despite the absence of sun choking on salt water... I'm not giving in!..... Swim!"- Jacks Mannequin

Hunt and Run

      Friday's workout was nothing special. Just some typical upper body strength training. Today started with the sound's of dogs screaming and guns blazing! Josh, Andrew, and I hit the woods with Scout and Arrow. We finished this evening with five rabbits and a ton of memories that I will never forget. My cold has gotten a little worse. I was able to run my five miles today with no problems. I look forward to getting some much needed rest tonight. Tomorrow I will hit the gym for a long swim and many drills. Monday will be an off day that I am looking forward to. My family and I are going out to dinner tonight for my Mom's birthday. I am really tired!

Breath, Sweat, Struggle, Pain, Endurance, and Love

       Getting out of bed this morning was really hard. I feel really worn down. My legs feel like dead fish and YES I still have a cold! I am on Zyrtec and mucinex to try to suppress the cold symptoms. I am taking more vitamin C than I think I should. I rode for 65 minutes yesterday. I had originally thought it was an 80 minute ride but I was wrong. I rode 40 minutes at light intensity, 20 at a very high resistance, and did 5 to cool down. Overall, it was a good workout. Natalie kept me company spinning also for a full hour. I am proud of her! I really need to start using the bike trainer and make the necessary adjustments and modifications on the bike I will be using for the race. I need to get a lot of seat time on my own bike in order to be as comfortable as possible come April.  Today, I am finally able to rest my legs. I have upper body and core this evening.
       Mentally, my focus is good. My attitude towards training is good. I ask myself the question a lot " why am I doing this?" I sometimes push myself to find an answer to that question and come up empty handed. I think I like a good hard challenge. My Dad makes jokes about me saying "What is Ron gonna do next?" Like whats next on this kids list. I guess I get really bummed out by people who live there lives not really living at all. God gave me a body, a mind, a heart, and a soul. In being alive we experience a multitude of feelings and emotions. Breathe, sweat, struggle, pain, love, and endurance are my main focus for the next 3 months. Everyone has their own addiction and their own way to define what makes them feel alive. This is mine. Some kids can say they watched all the episodes from Jersey Shore in 3 long nights, some can say that they beat the 13th level in Left for Dead III, some can say that they drank 12 shots of tequilla took 6 oxtcodone's and still lived to see the next day, some can even say that they had sex with 24 girls! I challenged myself to live a better life as of June 2009. I never ever wanna look back. I know that sometimes I will do wrong by certain people. I know that sometimes I will fall short of my goals along the way but I believe our true strength is measured upon how we get back up off the ground and try again, and try again, and try again. Hard work always pays off!

     “Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

The Swim the Body Fat the Bike



Chris and I at Ole Man River H.M.



   Yesterday's workout felt great. I swam 1550 yards freestyle and completed all the required drill sets. I practiced reaching further out with my arms to acquire more of a pull through the water. I did a drill I found online that tells you to swim freestyle with your hands making a fist. This felt really strange but it is supposed to show you how your important your arms are in propelling your body through the water. My legs are sore today and my congestion is getting a little worse. I have been going to sleep early every night to ensure that I get the proper rest needed for my body and mind. I hope I can kick these cold symptoms soon.

        Before my workout I had a body fat assessment at the gym. As of this moment I am 5'-5" tall 158 lbs with 15% body fat. The print out they gave me says that if I get to 153lbs I will be at 12% body fat. My goal is to be in between 8 to 12% body fat come race day.

        As I was leaving the gym yesterday my cousin Chris was just getting there for his swim. He is really my only training partner.  It keeps me motivated to train with someone who has the same goals as me and a great work ethic. I know that when it gets warmer and it comes time to cycle he will always be pushing me to go a little faster and to be a little bit stronger when it hurts the most. His strong suit is biking! The kid is a beast on wheels! I feel more comfortable when my feet are touching the ground. Today is a ride day. I think I am supposed to do about 80 minutes on the bike at a variety of intensities. It should be simple. I just get a little bored riding indoors. I might text Charlie to see if I can borrow the trainer I found in his workout room so I can get some seat time on my bike. If not, Pandora and I will be rocking a spinning bike at the gym in a dark room all by myself.

    Last night when I got home from the gym Natalie made me some grilled chicken with mixed veggies.What a Woman! She obviously read my blog about the struggle with my diet and my post dinner sweet tooth. She was even gonna make a low fat pie for me. I told her not to worry about the pie and she made me eat a small piece of fruit later that night when I got hungry. My diet is healthy. I eat a very balanced diet and try to stay away from any sweets and red meats. My rule is to always count calories and try to keep it natural. Veggies, Fruit, chicken, fish, pork, wheat breads & pasta, skim milk, low calorie cereals, oatmeal, and yogurts. What you eat is your bodies fuel. It is very important for me to stay focused on what I consume on a daily basis.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"- USMC

My Horrible Diet and being Efficient in the Water

Yesterday, I hit the gym right after work. I worked out my legs, core, and did a half hour of cardio on the spinning bike. I believe in this sport it is essential to work out your legs. I try to concentrate on the muscles I will be using to run and cycle with. I am throwing in a light run after my leg workout to get me used to running after exhausting the muscles in my legs. This simulates a similar condition that I will need to be used to come race day. After cycling 56 miles you can imagine that your legs would be very fatigued. My core workout is based off of about 5 or 6 p90x ab ripper x workouts. I try to up the reps to about 25 and do at least 3 sets of each. This shit burns! I am a little sore today but that is typical. I woke up this morning with a little post nasal drip. I think I am getting sick. My girlfriend Natalie has been really sick for the last two days.... I have been trying to do my best to take care of her and keep her company. I guess I can attribute the dizziness and stuffiness to her. Hehe!

I have been struggling a lot with my diet. It is hard to count calories when your always hungry. I think my biggest problem has to be my post dinner sweet tooth. I don't really have much more weight to cut but I am trying to get down to at least 148 lbs or so before race day. I wish I had a really high basal metabolic rate, and could eat anything I wanted. Not everyone is that lucky! Most of us have to work for everything we have. My basal metabolic rate is probably close to 1648 k cal daily. That means in order for me to cut weight I need to have a deficit everyday. TRUST ME! It is really easy to eat 1648 calories. To burn 1648 calories your looking at about at least two and a half hours of a pretty high intensity cardio workout. The human body is really brilliant, an incredible design. "God does not make junk" Furthermore, I have a body fat assessment today at the gym for 4pm. This should give me a better idea of where I am now and where I need to be. It's just another way to track progress. My weight as of today is 158 lbs.

Today is a swim day! (Swim 1550 yards and 4x100 yards of swim drills for example kick drills etc.)I have done a lot of research on swimming and using my energy efficiently. I have researched breathing techniques and I believe that my form is now correct. I made some adjustments and practiced my technique on Sunday and I believe come April I will have a good swim. I am a little afraid of the open water but I think with some successful open water swims in the lake I will get the hang of it. Charlie said I could swim with him in March leading up to race day. I am sure Chris, Gina, and I will take the plunge together a couple times also.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from indomitable will" - Gandhi

Explanation

FAT RON

I decided to start a blog to record my progress up to April 17th 2011. That is the date of the New Orleans Half Ironman. A Half Ironman is a 70.3 mile race that consist of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Recently, I have become quite the fitness geek challenging myself with a demanding training schedule and setting goals to improve my health and lifestyle.

Furthermore, a little background on myself is probably necessary to get and readers up to date on how I got myself into this mess. (not that anyone is reading this) Sooo.... to keep the story short; I went through a really nasty break up with a girl who I been with for a really long period of time. Afterwards, I was fat, unhealthy, and really depressed. Needless to say, I was determined to make some very important changes to the way I was living my life. So I did!

I have always been impressed by the way certain athletes can be inspirational to many people without any personal connection. For me the person that inspired me is an incredible athlete that happened to be my next door neighbor. Some people go through life living a certain way totally oblivious to the fact that there actions are inspiring many, and making small changes in the way that people love themselves and others.

SMALL RON- far left with Dad and Corey

I used to think it was really kinda gay that grown ass dudes would put on tights get on strange but cool looking bikes and ride 30 to 40 miles at a time. Yeah so.... this was Charlie my next door neighbor! Really lean dude with curly blond hair. Looked like some kinda of surfer dude from California more than a triathlete to me. Anyways, I had a huge gut, man boobs, and I couldn't run a block with out needing an ambulance. I decided to ask Charlie for some advice. He explained to me what I needed to do in order to lose weight... all the fun stuff that you don't wanna hear like cutting calories. Boo on that shit! Well, I had no other choice. I started by cutting calories, and swimming. Then I started running and lifting and in the spring I started biking, only because I got an old English racing bike from my Grandpa that he was throwing out of his boss's garage. I have lost almost 70lbs, finished my first Half Marathon in 1:54:26 and intend to complete my first Half Ironman in April! That's my story!

Today's Workout: - Legs and Core (strength training) Light Cardio

"Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord your God, he it is that does go with you; he will not fail you, or forsake you" - Deuteronomy 31:6