Runny Buddy

I awoke 45 minutes earlier than usual for my morning workout. After a long year of training alone, you'll do that in order to meet up with a training partner.  My friend and co-worker, John, is training for the Surf City Half Marathon, his first.  John and I have been training together for years now, starting off in the old temporary gym at our office complex.  During the past couple years, John has caught the running bug, and it's bitten back.  He's found the podium on more than one occasion for several 5k and 10k races, and is now preparing for his longest distance yet.

So, every Wednesday morning from here until Surf City, John and I will be meeting at 7 a.m. at Griffith Park to run the many trails and hills.  I couldn't be happier about that.  Despite two creaky knees and flaming IT bands, I kept up for the most part, though I think John was being gracious.  We talked about life, work, racing and training.  As John pointed out, the miles and minutes melt away when you have good humor and good conversation.

My legs fared better today than they did on my first trail run post-Ironman.  However, I'm not sure I could have done much more than the seven miles we covered in roughly 1:15:00 over hilly terrain.  I'm encouraged that my fastest mile seemed to be my last, though I couldn't tell since I didn't run with a heart-rate monitor.  Technically, I forgot it, but I'm glad I did. I truly am enjoying running for its own sake, though really the company and conversation made the biggest difference.

Unfortunately, as I type this tonight, my legs feel like garbage.  The muscles in my hips and groin are tight and stabbing me with pain.  My IT bands are locked.

In other words, I am not in a good place physically right now.

That may also be attributed to visiting Shannan, my trainer, following the morning run.  I realize that in order to improve my performance in races I need to strengthen my muscles.  Shannan immediately pointed out some deficiencies in the alignment of my knees, showing that my right knee especially droops inward when I put all my weight on it.  This is evidenced by many running race photos I've seen where it seems like my legs are collapsing inward (almost like an AT-AT Walker being lassoed by a Rebel fighter on Hoth) upon their own weight.  Shannan designed an anatomical adaptation regimen for the next four weeks to help me restore some balance and strength in my legs, glutes and core.

I did parts of that workout following the trail run though, which may be contributing to my soreness/pain this evening.

Still, I don't regret that at all.  I know I should probably be tired mentally but I'm completely fired up to be back training again. I've caught fire emotionally and mentally. I am confident the physical side will catch up in time and plan to keep training as best I can.  One lesson I'm learning so far is that I can indeed run through IT band pain if I need to.  I wonder if I panicked a bit unnecessarily at IMAZ when my IT band locked up.  With some pain gel, some walking and stretching on my own I might have saved a lot of time. Hard to say though.

Starting tomorrow, I'll have a lot more time to train over the next week.  I'm officially off work until January 4.  Done for the year!  I really can't believe it.  I've now been at Insomniac seven years!  I'm going to really relax and enjoy my free time as well as my training.  Part of my day though will be spent at an Active Release Therapy clinic in Brentwood, where my legs will get some much-needed sports massage work.  I know it will be painful. Probably as painful as at IMAZ.  But if my body can catch up to my brain and heart right now, it will be worth it.

188 days and counting.

One Mile at a Time

Lately a lot of folks at holiday parties or social gatherings have asked me about my Ironman experience.  To be honest, I've been shocked by the outpouring of interest. I thought people would be sick of it by now, with the blog, my Facebook/Twitter updates, etc.  Heck, I'm sick of it!!!!  It's gotten to the point where I'm almost ashamed to speak about triathlon in front of Stephanie because I'm sure she's sick of hearing it over and over even more than I am feeling. But my friends (and even people I rarely keep in touch with) want to know how the race felt, what the training was like, how I persevered through the weather and the pain on race day.  What crossing the finish line felt like.

Despite feeling inspired or excited, every conversation typically ends with the other participant saying, "That is insane.  I could never do that."

They're right.

And I think it's just as insane to not even consider it if you have the desire to try.

With that kind of attitude they never will complete an Ironman, or any triathlon for that matter. Or the metaphorical equivalent.  It's amazing to me these folks have accomplished much at all with that approach.  And the thing is, they've all achieved so much whether it's in their careers, their education or some other personal activity.

I don't blame anyone though for saying it's seemingly impossible.  If you look at Ironman solely as a singular achievement, a mammoth destination without the journey that comes with it, it can look like an Everest.  But, as I try to tell my friends, if you look at Ironman the same way you look at going to school -- taking a step forward every day, learning something new every day, improving incrementally and expanding your capabilities -- it's not quite as intimidating.

And this time, the only person grading you is yourself!  The only tests you take are the ones you assign, or maybe they're from a coach that you hire.

One day at a time.  One mile at a time.  One lesson at a time.  One test at a time.

If you focus on that and not the destination itself, you'll find you've arrived a lot quicker than you anticipated -- and maybe a little faster too.

Certainly a little wiser.

An Ironman is not out of reach. It is within all of our grasps ... if we want it bad enough.

189 days and counting.

Back in the Saddle

You know it's been a while since your last bike ride when you have to think hard about what to pack in your gear bag beforehand. And you get out of the car at the meeting spot with your teammates realizing you forgot your helmet.

That's how my morning started with a few folks from the Fortius team (Mike, Tom, and Yolanda) in Northridge.  Fortunately, Tom lived nearby and was kind enough to retrieve a back-up helmet.  The only thing is, Tom is about 6"5 and weighs nearly twice as much (which I mean in the most respectful way, Tom!).  So, his helmet size is a wee bit larger.  I had to borrow a hat from Mike and tighten the helmet straps all the way to keep it remotely close to snug on my head.  My shadow image made my head look like a mushroom.

I needed the helmet to be as tight as possible because the winds heading out to Santa Clarita Valley were nearly as punishing as Ironman Arizona.  What a way to return to outdoor cycling for the first time since the race. I certainly had a few flashbacks as I got tossed from one side of the bike lane to the other from the nasty crosswinds. At one point, my makeshift helmet blew backwards, causing my hat brim to blow upward and almost right off my head!  It was a sorry sight to see.

Mike and I rode with Tom for the first hour of his scheduled four-hour journey. Yolanda headed back a little early.  Since Mike ran the CIM marathon last week, our pace was leisurely at best. We meandered through 26 miles in around two hours, though that included lots of elevation and a few breaks.  I didn't wear my Garmin watch since I just wanted to enjoy the ride. I'm trying to find that happy place where the training is "fun" again, and one way I'm planning to do that is through taking a bit easier on analyzing all the data for the time being.  I know what I need to do to recover, and a big chunk of that process will involve simply smiling and joking more during workouts instead of staring at my watch as often.

That said, I had a thought during an especially long, windy, uphill climb this morning.  I should have trained in poorer weather conditions more often this past season.  Granted, that can be easier said than done in pristine Southern California.  However, I think my psyche was HOPING for great weather in Tempe rather training as hard as I could have to account for less-than-ideal conditions.

How do you walk the line between enjoying your training and finding nasty weather to improve?

I made a pledge to myself this morning that I will hunt down wind, rain, cold and heat more often this coming year.  It's sort of a training resolution.  Though I have great respect for Mother Nature, I'm not going to be afraid of her.  I think that mentality, along with a worry about my ability to fix flats on my own, kept me from reaching my full potential this past year.

No more.

Training smarter, in this instance, may mean training harder.

And while the results on a per-workout basis may not be pleasant to view, it may pay off in Idaho this summer.  I'm not sure what the race conditions will be there, but whatever they are, I want to be ready for them.

After Mike and I returned from our ride, I drove to Simi Valley visit my parents and to meet my dad for an impromptu lunch at my favorite barbecue joint not located in Austin, Texas.  As you can see here, my appetite continues to grow.  I've now gained about seven pounds post Ironman, with no end in sight.  Both my parents commented that I look much healthier and less gaunt.  Too bad most of these pounds are probably garbage weight from one too many helpings of cookies, steaks, shakes and cupcakes.

Shhh, it'll be our little secret.

Tomorrow, I have my first week of officially scheduled IM CdA training workouts.  The real work begins again.  No more "do whatever you want" workouts. My three-week training holiday is drawing to a close.  I'm sad about that on one hand.  I've gotten a glimpse back into the good life of spending lots of free time with Stephanie, sleeping in late and generally being lazy.  On the other hand, I can feel my body changing for the worse.  My legs are tighter.  I've been a little moodier the past few days as well.

So, back in the saddle, again.  With a renewed sense of purpose (become a better, smarter triathlete), a new goal in mind (beat my IMAZ time), a new plan in my head (have more fun this season, but push myself a little harder), and a lot more confidence (I know what it takes to be an Ironman).

I hope you'll continue to go on the journey with me.

191 days and counting.

Benefits to a Late-Season Race

I am learning that the holidays are the perfect excuse for an extended hiatus from training. It's not that I don't want to train.  I do, legitimately.  In fact, I swam a whopping half-hour, ran three miles and spun for a little more than an hour this week.

Of course, I used to do that as a warm up in Ironman training, but hey, let's not be too harsh right now.  I have a delicate ego at the moment.  Steph teased this morning that she found lint in my belly button (TMI?), and the only thing that ran through my mind was, "That means there's a belly now large enough to have lint again!"

We triathletes are a messed up bunch, aren't we!?

But thank goodness for the holidays.  The timing for Ironman Arizona really couldn't be much better.  You run the race, you recover, you eat a lot of turkey, you catch your breath, light some Hanukkah candles, light some birthday candles (happy birthday, Stephanie!) and BAM!  Christmas is around the corner, along with all the year-end holiday parties.  So, with such a schedule to keep, it's easy to let training fall by the wayside a bit.  Could you ask for a better excuse?  Our significant others, friends and families have put up with so much crap from us for the rest of the year, a year-end race has a built-in recovery period that forces other priorities to take their rightful place atop the life podium.

The holidays also provide an opportunity to socialize with our spandex-clad warriors in arms sans swim, bike or run gear.  Last night, for example, Fortius teammate, friend and massage therapist David co-hosted a 1920's themed birthday party in Los Angeles.  Several teammates and LA Tri Club members showed up, the vast majority sporting period-appropriate costumes.  We looked uniform, as usual, but with a different flair and lighter attitude.  It was nice to unwind in a different setting, and it actually helped boost my training batteries indirectly since it's obvious other folks are going through a bit of the Winter Training Blues like me.

So, if you're considering which Ironman to sign up for, I'd definitely recommend a late-season race.  Don't make me cut you.

Trust me, you're going to need the recovery period no matter what.  Might as well make it a merry as can be.

192 days and counting...slowly.

PS: With two birthday parties, an awards show and a company holiday party, there's no working out today -- for two days in a row now.

Lava Man

I have a little secret to share with you. In fact, you're the first to know.

Starting at the end of this month, I'm going to be writing monthly columns for Lava Magazine's website. As you may know, Lava is the official magazine of Ironman, and I'm beyond honored to become a small "official" part of the Ironman experience. My column, which will be called "Mind Games," is going to focus on the mental parts of training for an Ironman.  As I trained for my first Ironman, I found the spiritual, mental and emotional journey to be far more powerful (and useful) than any physical gains made from my training regimen. "Mind Games" will be devoted to exploring the many issues we all face as triathletes and looking to pros, sports psychologists -- and each other -- for answers and support.

I hope you'll continue to read my blog, and if you're so inclined, to join me at Lava Magazine's website for a monthly visit as well.

And if you have any ideas for columns I should consider, I'm totally open to hearing them!

***

In other news, I can summarize my day in the following manner, which could encapsulate my lifestyle the past few weeks:

-- Spun on the bike trainer (45 minutes)

-- Iced my legs

-- Ate all day (mostly decent food)

-- Fit in a full day of work

-- Downed a massive burger for dinner with a pint of beer

-- Lying on couch blogging and watching Lakers game

I do not feel like an Ironman, and I'm beginning to wonder if I no longer look like one either. I've gained six pounds now since November 21, with no slowdowns of that trend in sight.  I feel like a bear that's stuffing himself to build up fat for a long hibernation period.  I can't stop eating!

195 days and counting.

The In-Between State

I can officially start planning for Ironman Coeur d'Alene now. Why?

Because now I can actually get there.

Last night I booked my (expensive) airfare into and out of Spokane, Washington.  I'm arriving mid-day Thursday, June 23 and leaving on Monday following the race.  A few weeks ago I booked my hotel, the Ameritell Inn,  after realizing that all the "good" locations were rapidly vanishing.  Same goes for the airfare.  If you're registered for or volunteering at IM CdA and haven't booked your travel, I strongly recommend making those arrangements now.  I was planning to confirm flight arrangements a week ago and since then, airfare has gone up around $80 for roundtrip between Los Angeles and Spokane.

Day 3 of IM CdA training featured my first swim in a few weeks.  And you could barely call it a swim since I was only in the water for around 30 minutes.  Though I enjoyed those 30 minutes even more than I expected.  It felt great to get back in the water, although I swam so slow that I'm sure the senior citizens in the lanes at the pool's far end could have throttled me in a race. But, my training instructions indicate to swim for as long as I want while staying within heart-rate zone 1.

Based on all the holiday junk food I'm eating, I should be training harder.  I'm not sure about you, but training during the holidays is almost a lose-lose situation.  No matter how much (or in this case how little) training I do, I'm going to be packing on the pounds from all the cookies, cakes and muffins floating around the office or at the various parties that come up throughout the next several days.  Then again, I could use the extra weight.  I'm beginning to feel "normal looking" after shedding what seemed like an unhealthy amount of weight over the last six months.  I haven't really liked how I've looked in photos, especially in my face where I truly seemed emaciated.  So if I indulge (err gorge) myself with a few extra cookies, now you know why.

I think I'll be taking training a lot more seriously starting next week, and hopefully I can control my appetite a little more then.

For now, I'm in that weird in-between state of enjoying the holidays and trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

The holidays are winning so far.

196 days and counting.

Achey, Breakey Legs

It is the end of a long day. Eight hours of focus groups just wrapped. Now I'm home, I'm trying to blog and Steph, G-d bless her, is in the other room singing her heart out while watching Glee. I'm a little distracted.

That's sort of how I feel about my return to training.  I'm eager to begin working towards Ironman Coeur d'Alene, but I can't help but wonder what's going on with my legs.  Both IT bands feel like taut elastic, like the fat resistance bands at the gym. I spun for 30 minutes on my trainer this morning to loosen them up and even stretched extensively for another 20 minutes.  Yet tonight, after sitting for a full day, my legs feel as if I ran a half-marathon.

I'm worried.

I feel fortunate that I got through most of my Ironman Arizona training injury and illness-free.  Maybe I'm paying the price now.  Or maybe I'm being a tad melodramatic, which is far more likely as Stephanie would tell you.

I'm going to look into Active Release Therapy, which blog reader and friend Robyn recommended based on her own experiences.  Ironically, I received a note just this morning from the LA Tri Club email list with an offer for discounted ART therapy.  It's a sign.  If my insurance policy covers ART then I'm going to take full advantage of it.  I underwent some ART at the Ironman Expo the day before the race so I know what to expect. I'll try just about anything at this point as I don't want to miss out on any training yet yoga, ice bags and foam rolling aren't making my legs feel better.

I'll be honest, my mind is starting to run away from me thinking about what could happen if my legs decide that distance running just isn't my thing.  I feel like I'm just getting started!  I've found something I really love and don't want to think my body isn't cut out to handle the rigors of Ironman training.  Rationally, I know I just need to be patient and I'll be fine.  But when injury is an issue with an Ironman on the horizon, rationality seems to fly out the window.

I'm tired.  I'm a little frazzled.  And definitely a little distracted.  That combination is probably causing me to stress out a little more than usual.  So I'm going to take a deep breath and log off for now.  Tomorrow, I'm planning to swim for the first time post-IMAZ.  My training for the week calls for a mere 30-45 minutes of light activity per day in heart-rate zone 1, so maybe a gentle morning swim will be just the tonic I need to calm down and let my muscles restore themselves.

I certainly hope so.

197 days and counting.

PS: Here's my blog post from a year ago.  It's funny that one year ago today, I was jumping back in the pool for the first time in two weeks.  History is about to repeat itself tomorrow.  Here's to hoping I can drop the stroke count from 43-46 strokes a minute to something closer to 42-44 strokes.

Back to Work

Today I hit the Refresh button, literally, on my Ironman training. After a brief moment of reflection, I reset my countdown clock on the blog to Ironman Coeur d'Alene.  It's time to look ahead and move forward.  I basked in the post-IMAZ glow for two weeks, and now it's time to get back to work. Of course, that's easier said than done -- especially after not exercising since the race.  So, I added a little motivation on my bathroom mirror.  Something I'll look at every morning when I get out of bed.  I still have "Remember THIS Day" and "It's the journey, not the destination" scrawled on notes stuck to my mirror as well.  But this note is smack-dab in the center.  Staring me in the face.

I know this Post-It might seem harsh.  But I need to kick-start myself emotionally as well as physically.

That's what I attempted to do this morning with my Fortius trail run in Agoura.  Several of the usual suspects (Richard, Ann, Mike, Karen, David) were running the CIM marathon in Sacramento. But we still had a solid turnout on this crisp, cloudy morning, including a new teammate, Chris.  He volunteered at IMAZ near the first aid station on the bike route.  I'll look forward to sharing what I know about the course with him as he begins his own journey towards Ironman Number One.

The plan was to run for two hours today, but my IT bands wouldn't cooperate.  As you can imagine, my legs started tightening up around the third or fourth mile.  We weren't even doing much elevation today (600 feet total).  My left leg really started acting up around the turnaround point for us (just shy of an hour), the same burning, tingling sensation around my lower kneecap I felt at IMAZ around the eighth mile of the run.

Something is definitely not right with my leg.  I mashed my way through the rest of the run, taking brief moments to stretch my left leg and then my right -- which started acting up around the seventh mile.  The only bit of good news I can take from this run is that I was never winded or overly tired.  Fitness-wise, I feel fine. Once again, like at IMAZ, my body betrayed me.  But I'm not sure I can really write that in good conscience since I didn't stretch in two weeks, gained five pounds and generally did nothing constructive for my training.

I'll be fixing that starting today.  I've applied ice bags, rubbed pain gel, stretched, and even howled in pain from being overly aggressive with the foam roller.

Yep, time to start training again.

I also ran with a new pair of shoes today, the Asics 2160 trail shoes.

I bought them last night from Road Runner in West Hills, in a half-size larger as often recommended for running shoes.  This is my third pair of Asics trail runners, the 2140 and 2150 being the previous versions of the 2160.  It's too early to offer a legitimate review, but I can say that my heels were a little sore after the run, which is unusual, and the shoe was tighter than I expected last night when I wore them to a dinner party to break them in.  I've had nothing but great luck with my Asics so I'm confident this pair will eventually work out well.  While the Asics 2150s were a little on the heavy side (around the 11.5+ oz mark), I rarely had fit-related issues and after IMAZ my feet weren't sore.

So, on two wobbly legs I managed to run just over 10 miles in just under 1:45:00.  Not my best run, but for my first run back, I'll take it.

And, as my Post-It note implies, I certainly won't basking in that "accomplishment" for very long.

After all, Ironman Coeur d'Alene is nearly seven months away.

198 days and counting.

PS: Here's my blog post from one year ago today.  It's interesting to me that one year ago today was apparently the first moment in my training where I realized I could truly become an Ironman.  I'm really glad I wrote this stuff down!

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Training begins Sunday.  I'll be blogging again on Sunday too. Countdown clock resets on Sunday.

IMAZ fades into view on Sunday.

Game Face returns on Sunday.

Watch out.

Ironmadman Season 2: Help Wanted

OK, maybe I'm a little hooked on blogging daily.  Or at least almost daily. But I want to get better at it.  I want to offer more compelling content.  Better visuals.  A greater sense of community.

Above all else though, I want to get to know the people who read this blog.  I'm delighted to receive comments from all over the world from folks who seem to connect with what I'm thinking or feeling.  It means everything and it's a big reason I started this blog in the first place.

However, I wonder if there's value in connecting all of you together?  Why are we commenting back-and-forth on a one-to-one basis?  When we're all training together, in a sense?  We're all feeling the same things. Sharing the same disappointments.  Rejoicing in the same triumphs.  Wouldn't it be great to help each other with what we're learning along the way?  Or share an inspirational moment?  Maybe even find a training partner in a nearby city?

Because training alone sucks, let's face it.

Nothing would make me happier than if this blog helps a triathlete either discover the sport or realize that he or she isn't the only crazy one out there in the world.

So, for the first time in more than a year, I'm going to ask that you help me with something.

Please, if you have a minute or two, would you mind telling me what you like or dislike about this blog?  What can I do better?  What's missing?  Would you like to connect with other triathletes who read these posts?

Like the sport of triathlon itself, all I want to do is improve.  And I feel like there's a LOT of room for growth at ironmadman.com.  As I head into the holidays and gear up for my second Ironman countdown (Coeur d'Alene 2011), improving this blog is among my top priorities.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.