Skinny People

I've always been the "warm" one.  I've skied in shorts.  I never owned a "parka" (just a shell).  I rarely got cold and HATED the summer humidity since I could never seem to cool off.  In fact, I remember during an army training exercise in Texas the training officer asking me if I was OK since I was pouring sweat and we weren't really doing anything...

Yup.  I've always been the warm one.  So why the frick am I always cold now???  My only theory (besides the fact that I'm getting older) is weight loss.  I guess I've been carrying those extra pounds for years.  Although I'm sure it wasn't healthy... I was like a seal in the winter.  Not mental enough for those polar swims, but I'm pretty sure I did my fair share of drunken naked snow angels in college (and maybe afterwards...)

Well, I'm down over 30 lbs and going which makes me feel GREAT.  But damned if I'm not always cold.  I've been turning on the heat in my office, wearing thicker coats... Nobody warns you the side effects of getting in shape!!!

Yet, its worth it.  Need to see if I can find a USAT Snuggie now...

Ski fast.  Take chances.

423,000 lbs.

423,000 lbs.  That is the amount of weight you must lift in a 4 hour marathon for every 10 lbs of additional body weight you carry.  How did I get there?

Simple:

My hopeful marathon time:  4 hours (240 minutes)

Hopeful cadence:  90 (180 steps per minute)

240 minutes x 180 steps x 10 lbs = 432,000

So the human body actually lifts almost a half-million pounds of weight per 10 lbs of body mass over a 4 hour marathon at a typical race pace.  That is a freaking LOT of weight!  Now it makes PERFECT sense why fast people are so skinny!  That is also an awful lot of stress on your bones and knees.

So the way I look at it, I have a couple of options:

a. Run faster (which will reduce my total minutes on the road and fewer pounds)
b. Lose more weight (which will probably result in the above)

Option B seems to make the most sense, since the more weight I lose, the less stress on my body and the faster I will be able to run, which exponentially decreases stress on my body since I'm on the road for less time... Ow.  I think I hurt my brain.  Kind of like thinking about the butterfly effect with time travel.

In any case, I'm down from 218 to 186.  Considering I'm currently a slow runner (10+ minute miles for distance) that puts me down over 1.5 MILLION LBS I won't be carrying through the marathon part of Lake Placid.

Pretty amazing when you consider the numbers.  So the way I look at it, I only have another half million pounds to go!

Run fast.  Take chances.

Happy 2011!

Well, here I am finishing week 7 of my training plan.  I've definitely had a few setbacks trying to keep on schedule throughout end of year and the holiday period.  I probably missed 5 workouts or so during this time, so hopefully that won't affect training too much.  I did have to use my "off day" on multiple occasions to reschedule my workouts, but luckily there is some built-in flexibility.

I feel like I've made some significant progress in the past 7 weeks.  While I struggled to complete a 5K at the beginning of the plan, now that is the warmup for most of the run workouts.  The swim workouts are also starting with 500-1000m "warmups" before the main set and the bike has some longer interval training and drills.  I can't wait for warmer weather to work out more outside as I can't help but feel trapped with running on the dread-mill, biking in my basement, and the dreaded lap swim.  I know that I desperately need some open water training!

To start off the year,  I'm off to head into my basement for a 90 minute ride.  the good news is that Universal Sports is playing recaps of Ironman World Championships dating back to 2001, so that should give well-needed motivation!

On the list for 2011?  Well, I made the mistake of looking ahead into my training plan.  Word of advise - DON'T DO IT!  I have at least a couple of half-iron distance "trainings" in the spring and whereas they are months away, I'm certainly not at that level yet!  My biggest change for 2011?  I really need to start following my nutrition plan which I have NOT been following this fall.  Yes, I can blame it on the holidays, but there really is no reason I shouldn't be more dedicated to it.  I need to drop another 10-15 pounds before July and feel that is entirely within my grasp.  Just keep those freaking' holiday treats away from me!

So here's to health, happiness, and success to all in 2011!  May it be a great year!

Run fast.  Take chances!

Ironman training has survived Thanksgiving

Well, it's been quite a while since I posted on what was supposed to be a weekly blog.  In any case, it has certainly been an eventful two months.  I kept up pretty well with my off-season training but admittedly let it die off a bit towards the end of October, when we took our first trip to Disney with the kids and I had a software conference to attend to which always ended up with me drinking more than I care to admit each night (hey... open bar... can you blame me?)  One of those days, I did wake up early to join a small group of hungover people for a morning "fun run" which was a 5K around the hotel complex (3 laps).

In any case, my "formal' Triathlon Dominator training plan started on 11/15 and I have been pretty religious about it, though not as much as I would like to on the nutrition side.  I have tried to keep eating fairly healthy though.

At this time, I am already in better shape than I have been in since I graduated college.  I've read some posts that seem to bash the plan, but they are from people who never tried it.  All I can say is that it is kicking my ass, but I feel great (though very tired at night...).  It seems like almost every day I am doing the equivalent of a full sprint triathlon.  A solid 90 minutes plus of full training.  I'm trying to work it in during the day but we have been crazy busy at the office and it is sneaking into an after-work thing.  I really need to get into a split morning/lunch type of routine.

My "typical" workouts generally involve two regimens.  It could be a "brick" workout (two of the triathlon disciplines) or just one followed by high-intensity weight training.

Bike workouts are never less than one  hour and vary from sprint-type spins to hills and interval training.  Run workouts are 3-5 miles with the same variance.  Swim workouts are starting at 2000-2500m (about 1.5 miles) and are also composed of drills and endurance training.  All the weight training is circuit-based where you go from one exercise to the next with little rest, then do a cycle of 5-6 exercises 3-4x through.  Pretty intense.

I'm still not sure I calculated my Lactate Threshold adequately.  This is the heart rate at which your body starts to build up lactic acid and is kind of a "peak" rate you don't want to to over.  In fact, aerobically I am supposed to be racing at least 20 beats below this.

So... I survived my first Thanksgiving two weeks into the training (made that my "off" day) and improvised a 5 mile run the day after, which actually felt pretty good (well, as good as a 5 mile run can feel).

I do feel my fitness is improving drastically each day and am really looking forward to seeing progress each week.

Swim fast, take chances!

Fat clothes

Ok, so I've been slacking in my September blogging. Kids are back in school, work kicked back up from the summer, soccer on weekends, apple picking, etc...

In any case, my biggest change this month is my clothing.  Aside from my shoes, NONE of it fit any longer!  I'm talking about pants, shirts, suits, jackets. NOTHING.  This fitness thing is getting to be an expensive proposition.  I went from 218+ to about 205 between November of 2009 to July of 2010.  Since then I've dropped to 189, and quickly.  Most of this seems to be from my off-season training in August.  I think between the change in diet and the daily workouts, metabolism in my body changed in a very short timeframe, and as a result weight started melting off!

This is my pile of clothes, which actually close to tripled by the time I was done.  In all, over 60 pairs of pants, 100 shirts, 8 suits, 4 sport jackets, 10 coats, and countless other sweatshirts, jerseys, etc..  Seriously, where the heck did I get all these clothes?  I think I'd be out somewhere and see dress pants on sale and just think "I could use another pair of pants."  Maybe in was because I'd leave things at the dry cleaners for weeks on end and forget about them, and think to buy more shirts.  In any case, I had far too many clothes as it was.  All now going to be donated to a great charity whose proceeds go to the Massachusetts Humane Society.

The problem is that I've had to buy new clothes.  If you are a woman, this is not a problem, but as a guy I do most of my shopping at Home Depot and Best Buy.  I don't like the dressing room thing.  Luckily, my wife has been a great help and just picks stuff out.

All of my L and XL clothes are down to Medium.  I'm pretty sure that I won't get to a small, since I'd need to be pretty tiny, so I'm hoping to be good here.  I'm down a complete pants size but am not buying too many pants, since I could well lose one more size by spring.

The most shocking part of this to me is how fast it all happened.  It was almost humerous trying on sport coats and looking like I was a kid trying to wear daddy's stuff.  They were that big on me.  I haven't been this size is almost 20 years and am loving it.

New toy!

I got a new toy!  My last bike was a 2008 Specialized Transition Comp I purchased from eBay last year.  I had sat on one in the LBS (Local Bike Shop) and it seemed to fit, but I didn't want to take up too much of their time to "fit" me for a bike since I knew I would be looking for a used one elsewhere.  The Medium frame appeared to fit me, but after a year of riding it is really a bit small (lesson learned - you really need to get fit for a triathlon bike since different brands have completely different geometries and some fit better than others).

Although I did have a professional fit done on the Transition (albeit after the NJ Triathlon) and it felt better, I was still a bit cramped during anything over a 25 mile ride.  I simply could not imagine being comfortable on it for 112 miles.  So I visited my LBS earlier this week to get an idea on my PROPER frame sizing (still planning on eBay shopping) and, low and behold, they had a beautiful 2010 Cervelo P2 Carbon on the floor in a 56" frame... We put some test pedals on it and, in my work clothes, I tried it out and it fit like a glove.

As it turns out, due to a soured relationship between this bike shop and Cervelo, they were no longer going to be a Cervelo dealer and were clearing out the three bikes they had left.  I had been browsing eBay for several weeks and these REALLY seem to hold value.  I ended up getting the bike brand new, a FREE professional fitting (over 90 minutes with a superb fitter) and a few accessories (xLab wing and bottle cages) for less than 2008 models were selling for in auction.  Sweeeet!

I had been watching the Cervelo P3 models as well, but couldn't justify the $1000+ difference in price for aerodynamics which, at best, would save a few minutes over the course of 112 miles.  In fact, I did a TON of research on bikes and components and it is pretty humorous how much marketing comes into play on some of them.  For example, you can spend $500 more for a component just because it saves you weight equivalent to a gel pack!  I guess if I were racing where seconds matter (and there was prize money to be found) it would make sense, but otherwise...

That brings me to my other thought... What if my bike is better than I am a rider?  There is a lot to be said for beginners or amateurs who feel like they need the best equipment, but the truth is that if you are a MOP (middle of the pack) rider, you can buy the best bike in the world and still be a MOP rider.  Plus, a lot of elite athletes think people are trying to "buy" an advantage using better technology rather than train for it.  Me?  I'm on the other side of the spectrum.  I like to buy good stuff because, well, I can. I've worked my butt off in my business for 20 years so that I CAN buy a better bike, good shoes, etc.. I don't have any preconceptions on whether or not it will make me faster.

In any case, I put my Transition on eBay and sold it within two hours, for $50 more than I paid for it used a year ago.  I basically had a free bike for a year!  It was a great day overall.

Now I'm looking forward to a nice ride this weekend on the new wheels.  I'm starting to look at riding distances to places we go to on the weekends.  For example, we are going to an annual family/friends BBQ on Sunday. 35 miles.  I'm going to plan on leaving an hour or two before my wife does and bike it.  I'll need to work off those beers I will inevitably have during the day (and then need to let my wife drive home as I'm sure I won't be in much shape to).

I could probably...

"Some people are like Slinkies... not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs."

You get interesting results when people ask what you are doing to lose weight.  I generally tell them I am getting back in shape after all those years of making my couch cushions uneven, but sometimes I'll mention Ironman training.  The most frustrating response is "I could probably do the bike and the run, but not the swim."  Or the variants "I can swim and bike all day, but the run would be hard for me."

People tend to trivialize the rigors of the actual race.  While you do get the occasional "I could never do that," inevitably you also invite the lack of respect to the actual distance from those who simply don't know better.  Given that I know people who have done several Ironman distance races and still have had the occasional DNF, it just pains me to hear.

So to those "I could probably" people out there...

1.  Swim 2.4 miles.  Do it with your eyes closed most of the way and either with 2600 of your closest friends or with a group of people beating you with pillow polo sticks along the way.  Pull your goggles off several times and, oh yeah, do it within a time limit max of 2:20.  Drowning is strictly frowned upon.

2. Bike 112 miles.  In a row.  Fairly fast.  Regardless of weather.  After you perform the above swim.  Try to eat/drink and mentally calculate how many calories, electrolytes, and how much fluid you need to intake based on weather conditions so you don't cramp up.  Pace yourself knowing that you need to bank energy for the marathon immediately following.  Wonder if your crotch will ever really be the same.  Give yourself a flat tire or two for fun in the middle of the course or have something just go wrong with your bike.

3.  Run 26.2 miles.  After the swim and bike.  Pray your nutrition intake on the bike was satisfactory.  Give yourself some blisters to make it interesting and add some chafing in random areas from the previous hours on end of movement.  Figure out how to make your legs move after they have been rotating from that many hours right off the bike.  Lock up a muscle or two for kicks and, oh yeah, finish before midnight or you are technically not a "finisher."

Hey, I'm not saying I can do ANY of the above yet, but I sure as heck have respect for what awaits me...  I'm just happy I have the support of my family in this quest.

My crotch thanked me

Got my new bike seat last week from Cobb Cycling.  After talking with John Cobb directly, he recommended the V-Flow Plus for my build and based on the description of my riding pains.  I was having some slight numbness in my left foot after 25 miles or so.

John spent some time on the phone with me and also gave me a few good suggestions (like lowering my seat a bit more).  The seat came with great instructions and an installation kit with a tape measure.  I ended up moving my seat backwards further than my fit and dropping my seat post a half-inch or so.  Did a 30 mile ride Sunday and felt 100x better than my stock Specialized seat.  Now my only concern is whether my 54" frame may be too small for my 6' body.  I feel compressed on the bike a bit, but the fitter says it looks okay, so at this point it is about feel.  I'm thinking for a 112 mile ride I need to stretch out a bit more for comfort, and the Cervelo 56" frame may be a better fit.  Need to do some fall hunting on eBay now.

 

I'm also starting to wonder if my training plan will be enough come race day, but I think it is something we all start to second guess at one point or another.  Since I'm techinically in "off-season" mode, I'm trying to build strength and get my body up to the rigors of full IM training come November.  In any case, I've certainly made some progress as I was down to 191.4 lbs this weekend (up to 193 by the afternoon though) which is 10 lbs less than last month (and 25 lbs less than last year), and I feel fantastic.  Goal is to get down to 175 by spring which I'm pretty confident of with proper diet and all this training.

I've also developed this addiction to reading everything and anything tri-related.  I lurk on several forums (Slowtwitch, Beginnertriathlete) since I don't have much to contribute, but learn a TON from other experienced people.  The best thing I've learned is that 20 great athletes do things 20 different ways, so I really need to develop what works for ME.  This ranges from nutrution, how to carry my mix, should I change clothes or keep on the Tri shorts, what size cassette to use for the Lake Placid hills, etc...  I read an entire thread last night about Chamois Butt'r and to date have had no need for it, but thinking this may be something that creeps up in longer rides.  I guess we all start and end off with diaper rash... Who knew?

And the journey begins!

So I started my first week into my Triathlon Dominator training this week and am two weeks into a new diet.  Well, I'm not on the full Dominator package quite yet, but rather on the off-season plan I had mentioned previously.  That is supposed to get me in shape and used to the full plan.

Well, I have a sneaky suspicion it is going to work.  Monday's workout consisted of an hour of interval training on the treadmill (just over 5 miles).  Tuesday was circuit training using weights and balance (tougher than I expected).  Today was an hour of interval training on the bike.

Word of advice - never look at the guy next to you to see what he is doing for speed and difficulty.  I was about 40 minutes into a pretty solid bike interval at level 8 and had to fire up the "hills" at the end (and drop my RPMs down to 50-60 range).  I got up to level 12 and my legs were burning.  I glanced next to me at the man who was easily 8-10 years my senior and he was cranking away at level 12 with much higher RPMs.  Must have either been a different bike or a side effect of his cialis, but he cranked away pretty well at that high level.

More interval training tomorrow followed by "yoga" on Friday.  I have no idea what Yoga is.  My gym offers classes which I can take for free, but unfortunately didn't plan the week out well.  Yvonne tells me there is Yoga on demand at home via cable.  That should be fun.  Nothing like trying to do yoga in my living room with multiple dog noses up my butt.

I guess it is supposed to help with strength and flexibility, so I'm sticking to the plan.  I haven't been on a scale this week, but everybody is telling me I'm looking slimmer, so that is a good thing.  11 more weeks of off-season training, trip to Disney with the family (coinciding with a business conference), and then a week break before I hit the real training 9 months out.  Holy crap that seems to be coming up fast.  My legs are burning after a one hour workout.  I certainly have my training cut out for me.

Well, at least I've registered and have a place to stay in Lake Placid...

Bike fast.  Take chances.

July 24, 2011. What the heck am I thinking???

Well, it's official.  I am putting it out there or the world to see to hold me to the grinder.  I am now a registered participant in Ironman Lake Placid for July 24th, 2011.  It has taken me two weeks to drum up the nerve to even start filling out the form, but then I REALLY started to question myself when asked questions about my medical history and whether it was okay to share my info with the medical staff on premises.

I think my biggest problem is that I read too much.  There are too many people posting reasons NOT to do it... that one should never advance more than two "levels" in a year, or that one should prepare for TWO years before registering.  Thankfully I'm stubborn and, quite possibly, stupid.  The general entry was sold out the day after the 2010 race, so all that was left were Ironman Foundation slots.  Hmmm... business expense and charitable donation?  Maybe I can pin my company name to my shirt underneath the resuscitation order.

The application otherwise was pretty straightforward, though there were several questions asking for my background, reason why I was entering, interesting facts about myself (for which I could not find many that were fit to print), and local media outlets (newspaper and TV).  The only question I felt prepared to answer (besides NAME) was about my training plan.  I researched a lot of plans and decided on the Triathlon Dominator by Ben Greenfield.  I researched as much as I could and simply could not find a bad review of the plan.  Plus, I needed something that had a heavy emphasis on nutrition as well as training.  The plan is based on HIT (High Intensity Training) and diet and goes back 9 months from the date of the event.  After an email to Ben as to what I should be doing prior to the training, he recommended the off-season plan he offers (and discounted that plan from $129 down to $29).  I've exchanged a few emails with him and am surprised as to how responsive he is personally.  It gives me great confidence knowing that he seems really interested in you succeeding, with the goal of not stumbling across the finish line, but finishing confidently since the training and nutrition has led to that point.

In any case, I am nervous as hell today, and I'm almost a year out!!!  I will be taking the next three months to revise my diet, build my "base" to the point I feel comfortable starting the plan (expectations are being able to run 5 miles, swim 1500-2000m, and bike for an  hour).  My run is still my weakest link, but that will also be my focus.

Also, last Friday I got a professional bike fitting done at Fast Splits in Newton, MA.  We made a bunch of adjustments that put me in a much better position on the bike and saddle and I feel more confident in avoiding overuse injuries by being set up in this manner.  Tilted the seat back and moved it rearward slightly, dropped the handlebars, and moved the cleats on my shoes around.  Also added some spacers on my forearm rests.  Now that I'm down 20 lbs it feels a bit more comfortable leaning over further.