Gone With Z Wind?

To Z-Pack or not to Z-pack, that is the question. It's been roughly a week since I got sick and I'm really starting to see signs of improvement.  For instance, I ran a fairly easy 9.25 miles in just under 1.5 hours this morning, the first 20 minutes at an especially mild pace with Stephanie.  While I continued to cough junk up, it wasn't as frequent even as yesterday.  Same went for my third pool workout in as many days.  This time I had a strong 3,100 yard swim filled with 300s at descending T-pace times.  If only I had felt as good at Wildflower in the water as I did today!  I even clocked a 5:03 300, which is pretty solid for me.

I survived my first real double workout day since before the Half-Ironman.  No pain, no aches, no real feelings of illness.

However, tonight at my sister's condo I made the mistake of coughing and my parents freaked.  They think I absolutely need to crush what's left in my system with a Z-pack -- the medical congestion equivalent of an antibiotic nuke.  My doctor originally told me that a Z-Pack should only be used if I wasn't seeing improvement.  However, I've clearly been getting better day by day.  My folks (and Stephanie) think that I could suffer a setback given I'm back to pushing myself on training.

Not sure whom to listen to here.  I can't afford to miss more workouts, but am I compromising my body's own ability to heal naturally with unnecessary drugs?  I just don't know.

I'll sleep on it tonight and decide tomorrow.

49 days and counting.

Carpe Diem?

Day five of not working out. I'm at home, while Fortius swim practice is occurring just down the street.  Instead, I ate a full Cinco de Mayo meal alone in my kitchen, enjoying the silence like Depeche Mode.

There hasn't been much quiet in my life the past several months, and it's really my fault.  I added the responsibility of writing for Lava Magazine Online onto my schedule while knowing I'd be training for a second Ironman, while knowing I'd be helping oversee the launch of two game titles this year, while helping my fiance finance and plan a wedding.

I'd ask, "What the hell was I thinking?!" but the answer is simple: I wasn't.

And so here we are.  Recovering from what my doctor says is a trifecta of an upper respiratory/sinus infection and allergies.  Tired physically and mentally. Wanting to work out again, but not really having the energy or the willpower to clip into my trainer bike literally five feet away from me.

I'm sure you've had that feeling before too.

So I turned on the TV instead, something I've done a lot of the past couple days.  Something I haven't done with regularity in many months.  I've caught up on some garbage movies, including Green Zone and Rambo III.

And then I saw Dead Poets Society playing on HBO.

This movie came out either right when I was a senior in high school or early in my college days. I knew it was brilliant then and yet I think it's even better now, as I'm older and can appreciate youthful exhuberence from a different perspective.  I got choked up several times as I remembered the kid I was when first seeing Robin Williams preach "Carpe Diem!".  I think what got to me was the realization that I've forgotten my own Carpe Diem from time to time -- and I've certainly lost track of my YAWP lately.

It's easy to get caught up in routine.  Wake up.  Work out.  Eat.  Shower.  Work.  Work out again.  Eat.  Work.  Home.  Quality time with fiance.  Stretch.  Bed.  Repeat.  But WHY do we do it all?  WHAT are we seizing here?  HOW are we seizing the day?

I must say I've enjoyed the quiet and lack of workouts the past few days. I wouldn't have taken the days off had it not been for being sick.  But being on my ass a lot has forced me to slow down and reflect.  My motor was running too high, something one can only realize after it's been forcefully shut off by someone or something else.

Maybe I hadn't forgotten about Carpe Diem, but have been trying to Carpe Diem too much?

At the same time, I know this is the final push, the final 50-something days until Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  The final month until E3 (the Super Bowl of video games shows).  The final few weeks before our wedding website launches, invitations go out, caterers get paid and bachelor parties get planned.

It's all coming to a head soon.  I can either run from it or take it head on.  Either way, all these things are going to happen anyway, so there's only one answer.

Carpe Diem.  Time to get back into the pit once more.

YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!

52 days and counting.

PS: For those who encouraged me to try Newtons and take the Newton Challenge, I finally got around to writing down my thoughts for Lava Magazine.  The article is live as of today, so please take a peek.  Thanks for your encouragement and support throughout that process.  I never would have even tried if it wasn't for you.

Sick Day

My body finally said "Enough is enough." I stayed home from work today, falling victim officially to what could be either a cold or an upper respiratory infection. Usually, when I stay home from work I sleep for a few hours and then rally to work remotely throughout the day.  Not this time.  All I could manage was to drink soup and tea in between three rounds of two-hour naps.

Coach Gerardo told me to take a couple days off from training.  As much as I don't want to, I know I must.  I'm hopeful my conditioning will allow me to bounce back quickly, but whatever I have at the moment feels particularly nasty.  It caught me with my immune system compromised heading into a taper.  Based on what I've heard from my friends at work who may have had the same bug, I might anticipate up to a two-week recovery process.

All I can do is take it one day at a time now, and try to give my body what it needs. I suppose it's the least I can do given what I put it through on an almost daily basis.

54 days and counting.

No Workout Monday

I'm not really sure why Coach Gerardo gave me a day off from training today.  Oh yeah, the monster ride on Saturday!  Well, I didn't have any time to compile my video blog yet so stay tuned for that.  Instead, my free time this morning was spent at the doctor's office for the annual physical and drawing of blood.  Whee!  My favorite. Physically, I feel fine today.  I could have worked out, same as yesterday,when I swam a hard 1,800 yards in 30 minutes and a light 45-minute run immediately following.  Shockingly, I could have kept going, which is very encouraging for Ironman training.  So much so that I started to flirt with the idea of forgoing Ironman Coeur d'Alene and tackling St. George instead.  But that just might be a bit too crazy given my already hectic schedule.  Then again, if I complete IM StG in early May, I'm essentially done with tri-racing for the year and can focus more on work, wedding, having a life, etc.  It's a tempting offer, but perhaps I'm underestimating the difficulty of the St. George course.  Further, I had a very hard time staying warm during the coldest portion of the Mulholland Challenge bike ride, shivering uncontrollably for minutes at the base of PCH upon leaving the chilly mountains.  St. George is supposed to be similarly cold, especially in the water.  Can I hack it?

I kind of want to find out.  Then again though, if I stay on my plan toward CDA, I can take the experience and strength I gained from this weekend and apply it towards a better result.  It's a great conundrum to face.

But the best conundrum of all is enjoying a rare Monday off-day.  What to do with the extra time?  Unfortunately, it was spent in a doctor's office, having a dull needle shoved in my arm.  Come to think of it, that's not too dissimilar from a hard day of training.

Both leave you feeling a bit woozy and needing sugar afterwards.

71 days and counting.

Quiet Day

Oh, how nice it was to sleep in late today.  I didn't get home until midnight from last night's basketbrawl at Staples Center, where the Lakers throttled the Dallas Mavericks by 28 points.  But once I finally crawled into bed to pass out, I really didn't move for almost nine hours. I needed that!

Today has been similarly slow. No bags to pack, no water bottles to fill.  No powder mess to clean up from the floor when I miss with my pour.

A real day off from training.  I tried to make the 6 p.m. deep stretch class at Black Dog Yoga tonight but I just had a little too much to wrap up in the office to feel comfortable leaving early.  So, I'll go home and try to really stretch well for an hour.

I need that as well.  I'm still sore from my strength training session with Shannan yesterday, which featured several sets of squats and plyometric jumping.  My hamstrings are displeased with me.

Not much more to say at the moment.  Just a nice day off from training to recharge the batteries a bit.  Got a lot to do this weekend, and won't be able to blog.  I'll be back on Monday though!

81 days and counting.

Still Recovering

Yesterday's Pacific Half Marathon took a lot out of me.  While I'm not in as much discomfort physically as I was after Ironman Arizona, I haven't been this sore in a long time.  After IMAZ, I could barely sit on a toilet without pain, let alone a concerted effort to get that low.  Tonight, despite a recovery swim and spin, I'm close to the same territory.  Getting up and down out of a chair is tough at the moment. I think that's because I raced at a harder pace on a tougher course than what I had been training for.  This really breaks the rule of proper training when combining proper intensity and duration.  I've been training at a lower heart-rate and lower speed for much of the year so far, then went out and blew that pace and heart-rate out of the water.  My heart-rate averaged closer to the 160s for much of the race instead of the high 140s or low 150s.

I don't regret it though.

I do regret that my brick was scratched today due to weather. It was just too wet and nasty outside to go for a five-hour ride/run fest.  Instead, Coach Gerardo, Ray and I met to swim at VNSO Park.  Honestly, it was one of my all-time favorite swims.  Gerardo and I shared a lane, basically swam however we felt for most of our 45 minutes and then challenged each other to a game of swimming H-O-R-S-E that I highly recommend others try too.  We'd take turns coming up with challenges to see who could complete them first. For example, fastest 25, fastest 50 with a pull buoy and flip turn, and my personal favorite, fastest 25 while wearing a swim fin on one hand.

It's been so long since I've just had plain and simple fun while training.  Today was one of those days.  So while I regret not being able to get the intense training in, perhaps what I gained was even more important: Relaxation, rest, and some perspective.

86 days and counting.

Mind and Body Re-Unite!

It took me two days, but I think my head finally made it home from Texas, along with the rest of my body.  But it cost me a day of work to do it.  I stayed home today as I was utter trash when I awoke this morning. In fact, I slept straight through 10:15 a.m. and could have kept sleeping had it not been for the massive rumbling in my stomach.  After all, I dropped three pounds of water weight overnight!  I went to sleep at 137 pounds and awoke at 134.  No joke. Most of my day was spent in a hazy, exhausted fog. All I wanted to do was sleep. I felt like Ryan in Wonderland. Up was down, right was left.  I just didn't feel like my normal self.  Lethargic, to say the least.  And, for the third day in a row, I didn't train.  I just couldn't do it.  No energy.  No desire.

Tonight though, I had to drop my monthly coaching fee check off to Coach Gerardo. Normally, I'd give it to him right before jumping in the water for my Tuesday swim.  Instead, I was observing the team from above the deck.  At first, I was afraid that I had ZERO desire to be in the water with them.  But, in talking with Gerardo, he said what I was going through is normal -- especially for someone training for his second Ironman within a year.  "This is why I told you not to do two Ironmans in one year!" he said.

Hindsight is a bitch.

Gerardo added that I haven't lost any speed or fitness in the past couple days and to simply reset mentally.  Don't dwell on the lost workouts, or trying to make them up.  They're gone.  And it's not a big deal.  Focus on the workouts at hand.  Start from zero mentally.

I can do that.

By the time I was done chatting with Gerardo, I was smiling and starting to feel like my old self again.  By the time I got home, I was listening to the Rocky soundtrack, "Going the Distance," and ready to jump back into the ring again.

Tonight was one of those moments where having a coach really paid off.  Yes, it may cost a lot less to train on your own.  But when you run into mental obstacles like the one I faced the past few days, it's invaluable to have someone you trust tell you it's gonna be OK and adjust your workout schedule accordingly.

Thanks Coach.  I needed that.

Back on the bike tomorrow.  I'm back.

Let's do this!

98 days and counting.

Enough's Enough

First off, in case you haven't read it yet, here's my latest column for Lava Magazine Online.  This one's on self-coaching, which I'm sure some of you can relate to.  It's a common theme here for me on the blog, though I don't consider myself to be self-coached.  I consider myself to be a solo trainer quite often though.  Let me know what you think! http://bit.ly/dZ5H8o On to today.  From sun-up to well past sundown, I worked. Non-stop. It took a lot of willpower just to fit in a 45 minute recovery run starting around 7 p.m., but I got through it on the treadmill -- thanks to ESPN college hoops.  I was supposed to lift or practice yoga, but enough's enough today.  I'll have to save that for another time.  Some nights I realize that with one tush, I can't dance at everyone's ball.  Simple as that.

Not much more to say about today.  I'm really tired.  I've got wedding stuff to tackle (honeymoon work and wedding insurance research).  The night is not over yet.

But this blog post is.  More work to do.

106 days and counting.

Peeling Away the Past

I could write about my three workouts today -- morning run, lunchtime yoga or evening swim. The latter pushed me to the brink of nausea following some Indian-spiced lentil soup that repeated on me towards the end of one of the more grueling workouts I can remember. Instead, I'm going to focus briefly on doing something small that probably says so much more.

Finally, after three months (almost to the day), I removed my Ironman Arizona bib number sticker from my Cervelo.  I was re-affixing my cleaned Speedfill bottle to the bike when I stared at the sticker and simply realized, "it's time."

I don't need the physical keepsakes to remind me of the accomplishment.  And there's so much more to look forward to, like more breakthroughs in training and my upcoming races at Wildflower and Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  Perhaps the only way to truly reach forward is to let go of what's behind.

I did that tonight, without fanfare (well, outside of a blog post!). Perhaps it's truly the final step in what has been a much longer recovery from an Ironman than I ever honestly expected. It's been far more of a physical and emotional roller coaster than even the original training itself.  At least with Ironman training it was consistent and I had a real idea of what to expect.  Even though Coach Gerardo told me that everyone recovers differently from an Ironman, I suppose I just had to experience it for myself.

But I think, with a long pause and some hesitation in my inner voice, I can close the chapter on the 2010 race season once and for all.  I truly can live in the here and now.

So while it seems like it's just a sticker, to me it's something bigger.

I've finally peeled away the past.

119 days and counting.

Weekend Wrap

Saturday, February 19: It never fails.  The less motivated I am to train but actually get out and do it, the more I surprise myself.  That happened not once but twice today, during a 1.5 hour trail run off the dirt Mulholland trail (where I was rewarded with this spectacular view of Santa Monica) and, more surprisingly, during my afternoon swim at rainy VNSO Park.

For the latter, I sat in my car while the sky poured down for 15 minutes.  I had no energy, no motivation, to leave that warm heated space.  I was still cold with dried sweat from my Under Armour compression pants.  Tired from eight straight days of training and business travel.  But, I had a contractor at my condo due to a leaky upstairs washer thanks to my lovely neighbor, Trudy.  So, I couldn't go home and enjoy a restful afternoon with all the clanging and banging.  What was left to do?

It took me about 20 minutes to find my happy place in the water. The rain had subsided.  The sky opened up with a few rays of sunshine.  My attitude changed.  I was going to make the best of this.

And ya know what?  In the last of my timed 15:00 time trials, I was on track to PR my 1,000 TT.  By 27 seconds!

I think this is the biggest mystery of training:  Why do I perform better when I least expect it?

I'm not even sure it's a mystery worth solving. The result is what matters.  And it all starts with the initial effort of getting out of the car and into the pool on a rainy Saturday.

Sunday, February 20: A day off.  A much needed day of rest and recovery.

At first, I really didn't like the idea of switching my off days to Sunday.  I felt like I was going to lose out on precious long training hours to help me bounce back into shape.  But I was losing much more -- a sense of closeness with Steph brought about by a lack of perspective on free time.

While I will resume Sunday training in my final three months of Ironman training, I am a new man when I hit the road now on Mondays.  It's a welcome change.  I feel like I have a weekend again, as odd as it may seem.  Training for an Ironman can often feel like a job even though it's what we do for fun on a weekend. Now, with some true Sunday fun day back in the mix, my perspective has been restored.

Today, my parents, Steph and I took a day trip up to Los Olivos to visit the key sites for our upcoming August wedding.  I don't want to spoil any surprises, but we are going to have a memorable weekend.  I can finally picture the flow of events and am officially excited for the big day.  Steph and my mom came up with some ideas that I think will cause our wedding to be truly unforgettable.

Fortunately, my parents loved the wedding venue, Firestone Vineyards.  We took a tour of the winery today, where we learned more about how wine is made, stored and aged.  I also learned that wine should be stored at 55 degrees Farenheiht in a fridge, and that 90% of all red wine should be drank sooner rather than later.  In other words, all that you hear about storing wine for long periods doesn't hold true for most of the wine on today's market.

I wouldn't have learned these things had I not gotten off my bike and stripped myself of my workout clothes on a Sunday.

As important as tri-training is, family time is even more important.  Today was fantastic.

And now I'm looking even more forward to my 4.5 hours on the bike tomorrow, a President's Day treat.

121 days and counting.