Ryan Schneider's Diary of Ironman Training & Life in General
My Fortius Racing coach, Gerardo Barrios, texted the above to me last week after asking if I had finished my Bandit 30k Ultra Trail Run race report. I hadn't started it yet. It's easy to go with the "I'm busy" excuse even if it's true. But it's not like I didn't know what happened in my race.
Read MoreI promised my friend Ryan (not me, I promise) I'd send him an email about how I might prepare for Ironman Lake Tahoe based on completing the event. For Ryan and the rest of you considering IMLT '14, here's my advice.
Read MoreBewilderment.
That is what I feel three days removed from the physically hardest and most mentally draining sporting event I've ever completed. Of course, I'm talking about Ironman Lake Tahoe. And yes, I finished Ironman St. George in 2012, when I felt like the Wilson volleyball from Castaway during the tempestuous swim and bike portions. There is no debate for me -- Tahoe was tougher. I never wanted to quit in Utah. I'd sign up for St. George in a heart beat if the World Triathlon Corporation re-instated the full-distance triathlon.
Read MoreI had no idea what to expect driving to the Sierra Nevada range for the June Lake triathlon. Expectations got me in trouble for Ironman 70.3 Boise. I've since learned that when coming back from an injury of any type, expectations are fairly meaningless. Data can tell you one thing -- or maybe what you want it to tell you, but unless you're racing exactly where you train in the same weather conditions, anything is possible. Expectations just cloud the truth, which is this: Your body and mind are either ready to race...or they're not. I made a decision after Boise to stop worrying about how I'd race and just focus on the training. Focus on one workout at a time, that is. The upside of that is that every day brings a new chance for growth and improvement. The downside is that you can forget to see the metaphorical forest while you're lost amidst the trees. In this case, the very large pine trees near the Nevada border up at 8,000 feet.
Read MoreT1: Upon exiting the water, I ran to the carpeted ramp towards the bikes to have my wetsuit stripped. And was dragged along the carpet at least five feet by two teenagers who couldn't get the suit off my feet! I don't have particularly large feet either. The spectators roared with laughter and I did too. Hilarity amid total intensity. Perhaps this is the final sign though that I need to trim my wetsuit at the calves to make it easier to remove.
Read MoreIt's one thing to write about the Ironman Blues for triathlon websites. It's another to experience them in gruesome detail. Such were the past few days following what I had perhaps erroneously concluded was a disappointing Ironman 70.3 Boise.
When I define "disappointing," I mean failing to realize either an objective, an understanding or an achievement where all signs pointed to being able to do so. In the case of Ironman 70.3 Boise, the latter part of my definition is key, as you'll see. As a result of grasping that distinction, I'm no longer as bummed about Boise.
Read MorePerhaps I'll be writing a bit more. Besides, you know the old saying, "Those who can't do, blog."
It's Saturday night. Steph and I are home, blissfully crossing off longstanding to-do list items. Primarily the fun kind. Well, at least mine are. Write more. Read more -- just finished Tyler Hamilton's Secret War about the rampant corruption in cycling during the height of the Lance Armstrong Years. Visit more -- hung out with my buddy TJ and new neighbor Ruben at my favorite local bar.
Read MoreIf you're an avid triathlete or cyclist, I'm sure you've heard this phrase at least once on a group ride: "There are two kinds of cyclists; those who have crashed...and those who haven't crashed yet."
I remember the first time I heard that phrase. It was a group ride with the San Fernando Valley Bike Club, a crusty group of veteran cyclists who didn't have much interest in teaching a new kid like myself how to ride properly. I was mostly ignored...and dropped.
Read MoreA writer who's afraid to write ain't worth much. I've written blog posts for three months, except the only problem was that I my brain doesn't have a "tele-publish" button that sends my thoughts straight to this site.
In some ways, it's like training. You stop working out for a couple days, and next thing you know it's been a weekend. Then, it's a week without packing a swim bag, and from there...who knows. The hardest workout is the first one.
Read MoreThe good news with an Ironman marathon, when the race is going well, is knowing you can walk the damn thing and still finish before midnight.
That's what I thought as I walked toward the T2 changing tent from the bike dismount after my 112-mile ride. I couldn't pick my legs up enough to run, still trying to process the day's events to that point. The idea of running 26.2 miles in that moment seemed not just ridiculous, but cruel. It was 82 degrees with no cloud cover, which meant with the asphalt heat rising it would feel closer to 87.
Read MoreRyan Schneieder is the IronMadMan
