My Journey to Ironman - Build Phase

The next 10 weeks are now complete. They were pretty rough, mainly because I was very sick twice. I missed out on a lot of long rides and due to missing so many workouts from being ill, I sadly was forced to re-evaluate my training plan for the final 10-week phase.

Overview
Just like the other phases, the Build Phase is 10 weeks in length and includes workouts for swimming, biking and running. As usual, strength and any other cross-training are not in the plan.

This phase focuses on starting to add intervals into the workouts. This really helps build up your speed, as well as still helping to boost your endurance. I have mostly done the intervals with running, but no as much with cycling. Swimming is still it's own animal, with almost every workout being some sort of interval session; however the addition of using my pull buoy is in more workouts now.

My Opinion of Phase II of the Plan

Overall I think it's a really solid plan, and if I had been able to do all of the workouts, it would have built me up really well; both endurance and cardiovascular strength. My typical gripe is that there are no strength sessions placed in here.

How I Did
As I already noted, I did not do well at all. I was sick twice, with my latest bout being the flu and killing over a week of training. One of the big issues of this training, as well as from my Disney training, was how often I have been getting sick. My nutrition is pretty good, but my sleep has always been all over the place, with my range being anywhere from 5 hours to 8 hours. However, most of my sleeping has a lot of restless sleep, so my quality of sleep is horrible.

Sadly, I have noticed that I have been having constant allergy attacks at work, and ONLY at work. I am not sure if it's all just a coincidence or if my sleep is contributing to my immune system being so out-of-whack that it would have happened anyway, but I definitely don't have as severe issues at home or even when I am outside. I think this has been possibly the largest contributor to me getting sick. I'll be getting blood work done this week, so hopefully I can find out what's really happening.

With that said, I still have a plan C, which I have already mapped out. Basically, I'll be following a much lighter load which is part of the "Just Complete" plan, but still trying to keep my swims the same, but at only twice per week instead of three times. Swimming has really just kept beating me up like crazy. On one side, this makes me think I need to keep the 3-per-week since I'll have an even longer swim for the actual event. However, this drain in energy is causing me to skip or dramatically shorter my other training sessions. This means I am missing out on important doubles to build my overall endurance.

Even though I feel confident right now I'll be able to complete the entire race, I am not sure I'll be doing any sort of decent time. However, given all of the issues I have encountered, I am alright with that. My focus is to be able to finish the race and not hurt myself.

Notes for Improvement
As I noted, I'll be doing following the "Just Complete" plan, with still using my current swim routines. In addition, some of the longer rides and runs I plan on keeping or only slightly decreasing. I will also be focusing on getting even more sleep to hopefully offset the health issues I am having.

I don't expect to have my blood results back and a plan from my doctor in time to really help my training, but once I complete this race, I'll be able to implement whatever plan from my doctor and I'll also be taking off time to completely rebuild my strength as well as get back to a proper weight.

Speed Development for Running, Biking and Swimming

A fellow MFP member recommended I write about speed development. I was pretty excited at this suggestion, as it's something I am currently working on right now for myself. As a note, even though speed work is used in speed development, speed development is not speed work. With that, enjoy!

What is Speed Development

Generically speaking, speed development is improving your max speed that you can go in a given sport; I'll focus mostly on running and cycling, but it can probably apply to many other sports, but I don't do them, so I am only able to speak to what I know.

I was originally a sprinter, so speed development was what I ate, slept and lived. When you are sprinting 100 meters or heading down the runway for the long jump, you need to some serious speed. You need your fast-twitch muscles going at full blast. And there are tons of workouts, both cardiovascular and strength, to build this. However, my focus here, as with most of articles, is on endurance sports. The concept is still the same, but the execution is a bit different.

Slow-Twitch and Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

Everyone has at least some slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers. Some people are genetically lucky and have large amounts of one or the others; hence Usain Bolt and his outrageous fast-twitch fibers. For the rest of us, there is typically more of a balance, with each person leaning more on one side or another.

Slow-twitch muscle fibers contract slowly but allow you to sustain an activity for a longer period of time. Conversely, fast-twitch muscle fibers contract quickly allowing for powerful bursts of speed, but fatigue quickly. This is why you won't be running that marathon at the same speed you just ran down the basketball court on a break-away. If you are, then you probably aren't reading this and are winning lots of marathons.

As an endurance athlete, you rely heavily on your slow-twitch muscle fibers. There are many instances where you need to use your fast-twitch though, and most endurance athletes focus too much on their slow-twitch. As a quick note, there are technically two types of fast-twitch, but I am just going to focus generically on fast-twitch.

The Key in "Fast"

So, with all of that said, the goal is to force an endurance athlete to engage the fast-twitch fibers more often and for longer duration. The generic running plan will have mostly easy and long runs, with hopefully some tempo and interval work included. However, these plans still don't really force you to use those fast-twitch fibers. Most training is designed to make sure you can handle the load for the duration of your event, so the plans focus on slow-twitch fibers.

But if you want be faster, you need those fast-twitch built up. There are many ways to do this, but cardiovascular training is where we focus. There are strength routines to help build your muscles so you can sustain the load and have that extra "umph" of power.

But why is speed work not speed development? Well, quite simply, speed work is running a certain pace for a set period of time. Yes, it can force you to improve your overall time, which does mean you are going to get faster. But that isn't speed development, that is just improving your overall time.

Speed development is all about being able to engage your fast-twitch fibers when you need them. It's also about having your body functions coordinating at all levels; metabolic, cardiovascular, mechanics, etc. This coordination conditions your body to be more efficient at higher levels of energy expenditure, which translates into great speed gains because you can now engage and sustain longer.

How to Build - Start with Your Core

If you are coming off injury or typically just run. bike or swim just for the sake of doing so, then you may be lacking the muscles you need to do the workouts for this. For example, tossing in hill work on your run or ride is huge, but you need strong glutes, lower back, hamstrings and quadriceps. Basically your high impact support muscles, or core, needs to be well built. If it's not, you are easily prone to injury and you MUST build them up FIRST!

As I have mentioned before, a simple way to build core that I use is NTC (Nike Training Club app) workouts. However, you can do whatever you prefer to build up your core. But once you have a good base, you are ready to start developing your speed.

Intermittent Intervals in Longer Workouts

One of the easiest methods to implement is adding burst intervals into your activities. For example, for a 2-hour bike ride, you might have a segment in the first 30-minutes where you do some very fast intervals of going at a certain power level, cadence or heart rate for short bursts, say 5 x 1-minute with some short rest between each interval. Then at 1 hour 45 minutes so that again. For an hour run or ride, you might do this once at the early part or latter part of your activity. I personally steer clear of pace-based anything, as I believe it restricts your potential, both physically and mentally. This is my opinion however, and many coaches, plans and books out there will focus on a pace.

However, you MUST switch this up. Don't always do your intervals at the beginning or just at the end. Yes, it's nice to build that kick in your run to cross that finish line looking like an Olympic sprinter, but we are working on building your speed, not just finishing strong.

The Hills Pay the Bills

Do you love running on that flat path with the pretty nature? Me too, but that isn't going to develop my speed. Just doing hill workouts isn't going to either, although it's going to make me one strong runner. Adding hills (up and down) into a longer duration workout is key. For example, you might do an hour run, where the "flats" you keep a consistent and relaxed speed, keep a consistent but fast pace downhill (I emphasize CONSISTENT because it really forces good muscle control and form), and then do gradual increase in speed for the uphill. As a note, I am not recommending doing super long hills in this scenario. Also, if you are in a hilly area with very steep grades, then you will need to adjust accordingly.

Other Information

I could write about this forever, and in a lot more detail. However, I like getting people interested in concepts. If you are looking for more specific workouts, Runner's World is always a good place to get some workout ideas, as is just going to a search engine and searching for Speed Development.

There aren't many new books I like, but some decent one I have used in the past are as follows:

• Developing Speed (Sport Performance Series)
• Developing the Core (Sport Performance Series)
• Runner's World The Cutting-Edge Runner: How to Use the Latest Science and Technology to Run Longer, Stronger, and Faster
• Explosive Running: Using the Science of Kinesiology to Improve Your Performance - Mostly have this book here because it has great dynamic warm-ups
• Runner's World The Runner's Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer, and Faster

My Journey to Ironman - Base Phase

The first 10-week phase of my Ironman training is complete! It had a lot of ups-and-downs, as well as some hurdles for me to get over, but overall I would say it was successful. I feel it has me mostly prepared for the build phase; "mostly" because I couldn't do the first three weeks and started off too aggressively.

Overview
As I previously noted, the phase is 10 weeks long and has workouts for swim, bike, and run. There is a weekly brick workout to prepare you for the ever-rough transition from biking to running.

In addition to a good volume of workouts, you get a fixed rest day, which is very nice. All workouts are also duration-based, aside from swimming.

Swimming has a variety of 2500 yard / meter routines that alternate throughout the weeks. It definitely feels like the author put some thought into the order of the swims, because they seemed to really progress in a way that I was able to handle.

My Opinion of Phase I of the Plan
Overall this is a solid base plan for Ironman training. Even though I missed the first three weeks, since I had a good base for running at least, I was able to jump in with only skipping some of the doubles, and was able to eventually build to get most of the doubles.

One of my pet peeves with this plan, as with most plans out there, is the lack of strength training. I have yet to find a book, coach, or triathlete who says doing zero strength during training and competitive season is a good idea. Sure, the type of strength training will be different, with more full-body focus and fewer sessions, but you still need it. And yes, many strength suggestions are for functional and core strength, but again, you see the theme here; you need strength training.

With my ranting over, I want to note that it's ideal to have an off-season of strength training, which I have mentioned before. Unfortunately for me, I was in the middle of Disney Dopey training during what should have been my off-season. So, I am at a disadvantage in that area. And there is no such thing as playing catch-up. Therefore, I have opted for the next best thing, or so I think, and doing NTC (Nike Training Club) workouts. I have always been a big fan of Nike's approach to this training. And therefore, I am using it with this plan to keep myself loose and gain a little strength along the way.

How I Did
I already noted how I skipped the first three weeks due to other activities. If you want, you can send me a friend request on Strava and follow along with all of my workouts. Or you can read the rest of this section for an overview.

Swim
Much to my excitement, although not my skin's, I made all of my swim workouts! Now, just to be clear, my first few swims were not 2500 yards. Before this training plan, I have swam 2500 yards twice before; once in training and then again at a race. Therefore, 2500 yards is the farthest I have ever swam. I wanted to make sure I eased into it.

Surprisingly, I ramped up the 2500 much quicker than expected. However, this was at a cost. Many of my swim days were so taxing on me that I was not able to do the additional run or bike, usually bike, workout. This was a choice I made because I needed to make sure I could handle 2500, as the next phase of training jumps to 3k yards / meters three times per week, which is a dramatic bump.

Bike
I have no good excuses here; I did very little riding. I have an awesome "pain cave" set up, and it's perfect for riding indoors. I just don't like riding that much, especially inside. And I much rather be running. Therefore, I had unlimited excuses on training days to skip my rides.

Phase 2 will cover the rest of March, all of April, and the beginning of May. Therefore I plan on getting much more riding in, especially later in April since I'll be biking to work.

Run
Aside from missing my runs for my brick workouts, I hit almost all of my runs. Like I always mention, I love running. I would probably run 7 days a week if I didn't do triathlon. All of the runs this phase were straight-duration. This means no intervals or speed-work were mixed in. I pretty much kept at a certain HR zone (level 1-2) for most of my runs. I did change things up a bit when I did hill runs, since my HR would usually get to Zones 3 and 4.

Bricks
I got in a few bricks, and skipped the rest. With how tired I was getting, I chose to use my brick days as additional rest days. From a recovery standpoint, this worked out really well. However, from a conditioning and "base" standpoint, this definitely hurt me and it will provide additional challenges in the Build Phase.

Strength
I wanted to start out with incorporating strength, but I did not. This hurt me big time, as my first week my muscles couldn't handle the load, and I ended up bonking the following week on almost everything. So, I took a large segment of the training to get back into my stretching routines to get myself to a point where I wasn't hurting before and after my workouts.

Once I achieved that, I switched to NTC workouts. My focus is on body weight routines, with an emphasis on flexibility and balance. For the most part I did pretty well sticking with the routines; but when push came to shove, my IM items took precedence over the strength, which is something I will make sure is not an issue in the next phase.

Notes for Improvement
In regards to consistency, I did pretty well on swimming and running. However, my biggest areas for improvement are in strength and biking. As I mentioned, with the weather getting warmer in another month or so, I'll be biking into work whenever I can, so that will help a lot with saddle time.

I have my strength routine mostly figured out now, so strength training in the Build Phase should be a bit easier to handle.

The major issue I had in the Base Phase, which I am hopefully going to start improving on in Build, is sleep. My horrible sleep routine causes me to crash by the weekends. Therefore, I missed many Saturday and Sunday long workouts, which I cannot afford to miss in Build. With things finally starting to normalize at the house, I think getting a better sleep routine shouldn't be too bad.

See you in 10 weeks!

My Journey To Ironman - The Plan

I am getting to this a bit late, as I am already starting my second phase of training this week, but I like to document my races so I can have a historical look at what I was thinking, doing and how I handled a specific race or training plan. Plus, if I help someone out along the way, it's an added bonus. With that long-winded intro out of the way, here we go!

I signed up last year for Ironman Lake Placid, which will be my Ironman race. My ultimate goal is to qualify for Kona, but this race will be a good gauge to see how realistic that is.

The Training Plan

The training plan I will be using is the Intermediate Plan from Be IronFit: Time-Efficient Training Secrets for Ultimate Fitness by Don Fink and Melanie Fink. Due to my Disney Dopey Challenge and timing of the Ironman and this plan, I had to skip the first three weeks of the plan. However, I figured with all of the running, I would at least have that base covered.

The plan has three parts; Base, Build and Peak. The program is 30 weeks long, with each phase being 10 weeks long. All of the programs in the book are 30 weeks.

The Base Phase focuses on building up your cardiovascular endurance. I do want to note, however, Intermediate assumes you have a certain amount of base in each of the three disciplines; swim, bike, run. There is a "Just Finish" program which is actually pretty good if you just want to complete an Ironman.

The Build Phase works on building you up to the duration and intensity for your training. Since the workouts, aside from the swims, are time-based, you might not hit the distances you would typically get in distance-based training programs. However, it's more important to condition yourself for duration then a distance, as only doing distance can be limiting for long endurance races.

Finally the Peak Phase is where you get into the fine-tuning of your training so that you have not only the endurance to complete the entire race, but can complete it with a decent time (for you).

Estimated Times

With this being my first Ironman, and only one official 70.3 race under my belt, I don't really have a lot to base my goal times on. To make it even more difficult, my Disney training was only about completion since I spent a lot of time getting pictures with characters and taking in the sites. Plus I wasn't doing any riding and virtually no swimming, so I didn't have a good base to work from either.

Regardless, I have used my times from Disney, my first few weeks of training in the Base Phase, and what I feel would be good times for me, and tried to come up with a base time. For the swim, which is 2.4 miles, I am looking at 1 hour 45 minutes, which is about 2:30 per 100 yards. Sadly, compared to most swimmers, I am extremely slow. And with the Ironman, I don't see myself having enough time to really make huge speed improvements. For the bike, which is 112 miles, I am looking at 7 hours, which is about 16 MPH. This is rather slow given historical performances, but with the lack of bike training I have for my base, plus the amount of rides I have missed in Base, I do not expect to be around my usual 18 MPH. For the run, which is 26.2 miles, I am looking at 4 hours 30 minutes, which is a 10:19 per mile pace. With a generous 10 minutes per transition, I am looking at a base time of 13 hours 35 minutes 36 seconds.

Preparation

In a perfect world, I would have been doing a strength training program with swim/bike/run cross training during "off-season" and then hop into Ironman training raring to go. However, I had some races last year and due to Disney, never had an off-season. Plus I just haven't really done enough strength training at all for this. With that being said, I decided to start doing some NTC workouts to increase my mobility and flexibility during my Disney training, as well as just keeping up with my stretching. During Ironman training I will be incorporating NTC strength routines to help me out.

Time Commitment

I won't lie, the amount of time required to Ironman training is not light. Even the "Just Finish" program requires 8-10 hours per week. If you include strength training with this, add another hour or two per week. In short, it's almost like having a part-time job while having a full-time job and a family / life. However, I have a very supportive wife and have figured out how to incorporate training into my daily life, so I should be set.

I'll be posting overviews and recaps of each training phase after I complete them, as well as doing a full review of the Ironman Lake Placid when the time comes. Good luck to everyone out there with their training and races!

Disney Training - Week 14

This was an excellent recovery and building week for me. Despite my late injuries, I focused on getting some strength sessions in, as well as being consistent with stretching. In addition I got in a swim for some cross training as well. I felt 100% for my Sunday run!

Swimming
I was able to get in a nice thirty minute swim. It actually felt amazing to get back in the water. Although my pace was slow, it did wonders to help loosen me up from my prior day's strength session.

Cycling
I had tried adding a cycling session in after my one strength session, but my back was not having it. So, I hopped off my bike after five minutes and called it a day. Smartest move I could have made. I felt much better the following day.

Running
I was able to get in my "long" run on Sunday. This basically is taper time anyway. After consulting multiple sports medicine and PT's, I decided to not run with my orthotics. It turned out this was the right move. I had no issue during my run, and I felt fine after, as well as the following day.

Strength
I got in two strength sessions. They focused on all of my weak areas. It was amazing how weak my muscles have gotten, but it was good to catch this now and I will keep on working at improving this. This will be imperative for my Ironman training.

Nutrition
I didn't do too well with nutrition, but I also didn't really gain much weight either. For now I am pretty much maintaining, which is something I will focus on changing after Disney.

Final Thoughts
As I completed this week I felt really optimistic about Disney. I am definitely ready and can't wait!

Disney Training - Week 13

This was an awful week. I wasn't feeling well, had lots going on at work, was exhausted almost all of the time, and when I finally ran, I somehow hurt my back. Not to worry though, I have a plan to ensure I will still be 100% for Disney.

Swimming
No sessions this week.

Cycling
No sessions this week, although I really wanted to. No idea what is my mental hurdle on this one. My trainer is all set up, my iPad and TrainerRoad are set up and work. I have done successful rides before. And to top it off, I have the TV mounted now with Apple TV hooked up, so now I can watch stuff while I ride. I need to get over myself and just ride!

Running
As I noted, I got in only a single run this week. It was supposed to be my last long week, but sadly next week will need to be my final long week. I did an easy 10-mile treadmill run, but had to cut it short at 7 miles because I was feeling horrible. My back really flared up after I got home and I was having trouble walking the following day. Even as I write this I am still in immense amount of pain. My theory right now is that since I corrected my running form, having a super high-arch orthotic that is extra stiff is causing more impact than is necessary since I don't have the roll-and-collapse that I used to have; I am not mid-foot yet, but have minimal heel striking now. To further this theory, the last time I ran my longest distance I had actually forgotten to put my orthotics into my shoes, and I felt fine and recovered quickly.

So, once my back is better, I am going to try running without my orthotics and see how I feel. I am pretty confident this will do the trick. Plus not having the orthotic in really makes me pay more attention to good form.

Strength Training
I got in some of my stretching, which helped, but not as much as I should have, plus I skipped all of my strength sessions. After reading up a lot, I think my initial strength plan was too generic and not good enough for what I need for Ironman training. Therefore, I just came up with a new strength plan I am going to try and execute starting tonight. I'll post the details later, as I am still finalizing it.

Nutrition
I snacked this past week like there was no tomorrow. Somehow I only gained half a pound. I think this is due to me having inconsistent meals (or missing meals completely). Definitely not a healthy trend, which I started correcting over the weekend.

Final Thoughts
This upcoming week is going to be really telling as to how well my body is going to hold up at Disney. I really hope I can get over whatever mental blocks have been keeping me from my usual motivation and I can get my workouts done. I know my mind and body will feel much better if I succeed. Wish me luck!

Disney Training - Week 11 and 12

With our other cat going through all of these medical issues with his kidney and us trying to keep him stable for surgery, I fell victim again to there just being no time for much of anything, as I was not around much. It will be like this for another week, but I will keep trying to get my long runs and other supporting runs in as much as possible. The end is in sight for training though, and even though it has not been to my liking, or very consistent or successful in regards to my goals, I know I am ready for the first three races with no problem, and I know I'll be able to complete the marathon without injury.

Swimming
Like the last two weeks, I had no time for swimming.

Cycling
Like the last two weeks, I had no time for cycling.

Running
Week 11 was not a good running week at all. Plus with no strength training, stretching, or cross training, my 5-mile run was a lot tougher than it should have been. In addition, I did my 20-mile long run, which was extremely difficult to complete. I was able to walk around after the run and my legs seemed to bounce back better than expected, but during the run was another story. I hit the wall around mile 16, and I struggled a lot until 20. However, with adding some walk breaks, I know completing 26.2 will be no problem.

Week 12 was another horrible week for running consistency. In addition, I ended up having some serious DOMS from my 20-miler because I never did enough proper follow-up stretching or cross training. I know, this is a recurring theme. Anyway, I got in a 4-mile treadmill run, which again felt tougher than it should have. I also didn't get my long run in, but at least managed to get in my 10-miler on Sunday. However, I should have stretched more before, but I was treadmill running at LA Fitness and was on a time crunch for their closing time. So, around mile 6 my back tightened up and I had trouble the rest of the time. As I write this up today, my back is killing me. However, I will NOT be missing my daily stretches. In addition, I will be adding core work to my daily routine, which I'll cover in the strength session below.

Strength
As I mentioned, I didn't get in my stretching or any other strength training. However, I have a plan going forward to help out with my back and legs. Starting Monday, I will be doing my usually daily stretches, plus I will be adding planks, push-ups, superman, bird dogs, and clam shells. I want to add pull-ups, but I cannot do them during breaks at work, so I'll be sticking with something I know I can accomplish during the short breaks I get.

Nutrition
Overall, I am still doing well with weight loss, despite not always eating some of the healthiest snacks. I did have an issue during week 12 though where I ran out of my usual snacks and found myself visiting the vending machine at work a lot, which did not help at all. I made sure to get out and get my snacks, so that won't happen again.

Final Thoughts
As I mentioned, I am not happy with how training has gone or progressed, but I content in knowing I will be able to complete all four races and that I will have a great base for running when I start my Ironman training 2 weeks after the races. Plus with my cat coming home in a week, I'll be able to have a lot more time to focus on my workouts.

Disney Training - Week 9 and 10

Week 9 was a rough week. My ankle and foot have been acting up, so I had to take some extra rest days. However, I was able to complete my 18-mile long run, which was a really great accomplishment. As usual, I had no time to fit in strength and cross training like I need, which isn't helping my recovery. Week 10 was even worse. Now another one of my cats just got diagnosed with kidney failure, and we spend most of the week at the vet hospital. I at least got two moderate distance runs back-to-back days for the weekend. Although my foot and ankle feel fine now, my legs are extremely sore because I need new shoes. Hopefully they arrive before my next long run, but probably not.

Swimming
I didn't get any swims in.

Cycling
I didn't get any rides in.

Running
Week 9 was plagued with ankle and foot issues. As I noted, I was feeling better towards the end of the week and was able to get in my 18-mile long run. It was pretty tough and I was extremely exhausted afterwards, but I still did pretty well. In addition, even with my foot and ankle giving me trouble, I still managed to get in a 7-mile run with a 3 x 1-mile repeats baked in, as well as a 9-mile run with 5-miles at marathon pace.

Week 10 was spent making trips back and forth from our house to the vet hospital. I just wasn't around enough to have any time to run. Fortunately, I got in back-to-back runs on the weekend, which was really great! I did an 8-mile easy run on Saturday, followed by a 14-mile run Sunday. This is one of the first weekends I have successfully gotten back-to-back runs in. My 14-miler was extremely tough, but I felt good overall and was really excited that when I was done, I knew I could have easily pushed out another 4-5 miles with no problem.

Strength
I didn't get any strength sessions in, but I was able to get a handful of stretching sessions done, which did help a lot.

Nutrition
Despite everything going on, I have been doing a lot better at watching what I eat and cutting out excessive snacking. An interesting thing I noticed is that even though my wife and I did a lot of baking and seemed to eat a lot of that stuff, like brownies, pie and pepperoni bread, by cutting out the typical snacking we do I lost some weight. I am not completely sure why, since I know they are higher calories than what we usually snack on. I'll hack to investigate to figure this out.

Final Thoughts
Overall a very rough two weeks and this week is going to be just as bad. I am not ready for Disney, but I have a 20-miler this weekend and if I can survive that, I will be lined up to do another 20 the following weekend. That should have me ready enough to complete the four races. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Disney Training - Week 8

What a week! I am really happy with what I achieved and overall felt great! I did not get my fifth run in, but my legs were extremely dead and I decided to play is safe and not risk injury. I did however get in swims, which helped me immensely. I am sure I could have done better with recovery, but I did not get in all of my stretches like I have been in prior weeks.

Swimming
I got in two swim sessions this week!!!! Both felt really good. Unlike my usual recovery swims, I actually did two swim workouts. Both consisted of varying interval drills. Even though my Garmin watch didn't capture a huge chunk of my first swim, I didn't really care. The results were my quicker-than-usual recovery.

Cycling
I had hoped to get a session in on Friday or Sunday, but I came up with excuses not to. I'll try to work on that for next week, but I rather get in swims.

Running
I completely four out of five scheduled runs; including my long run. Overall all of my runs felt amazing. I did have some strange pains in my left leg during my long run, but they were associated to not stretching enough, which caused my nerve damage and back issues to flair up, which causes issues in my left leg. But it was temporary and even though I was completely exhausted after my long run, I was still able to do tasks around the house afterward.

My pace for each run was consistent with my what have been training for. Even though slower than I want, I am right on track for my modified goals. All that matters is I keep proper form, stay injury free, and enjoy my runs; all three of which I am doing. I am hoping to have another successful week coming up!

Strength
As I noted already, I did not get in all of my stretches. I am sure some of my runs would have started a little better if I had done them. On a good note, I think I have figured out a generic strength routine I will be starting up this upcoming week. I wanted to start back to NTC, but I just don't have the time.

Nutrition
I definitely slipped a bit on nutrition. I snacked a lot more than I usually would, but overall still ate healthy. I was inconsistent with logging my food into MFP, and will continue to work on improving this.

On some other nutrition fronts, I have moved full swing into race fuel; before, during and after. Although I can't seem to get around the Nuun carbonation issue in my small bottles, I have it before and after my runs, specifically Nuun Active, and it's been helping my run and post-run out a lot. In addition, I have been using Honeystinger gels instead of Gu's and random snacks and my body has been reacting very well to them. For long runs I have also been including Honeystinger Chews, which I finally mastered eating and not getting them stuck in my teeth or accidentally falling out of the pouch when I open it. I also have been using Quest Protein powder for post workout for any big workouts as well, which has helped keep my insane hunger cravings at bay. I still have some tweaking, but I think I have found a really good fueling spot.

Final Thoughts
A great week and I look forward to many more. I realized during my long run this week that even though I am training for Disney Dopey, I am really base training for my Ironman later in 2018. It was kind of cool to think about it, even though a bit daunting. If I can keep this week's momentum going, I'll be right on track.

Disney Training - Week 7

The week kind of got away from me. More issues with my cat and battling some major issues with my house. I got in three of my five runs though, and finally got my long run in and completed. I was able to get in my stretches most days as well, which was a huge help. As usual, I didn't have time for anything else. Baby steps I guess; need to stay focused on running with Disney approaching quickly.

Swimming
No time this week.

Cycling
No time this week.

Running
As I noted, I completed three out of my five runs. I was able to get a short run, a moderate run, and my long run completed. I was pretty excited because my plan's long run mileage was only a few miles longer than what I completed. So, even though I have missed some weeks and a bunch of long runs, I still have most of my endurance. Granted, my legs were completely shot afterwards and extremely tired the following day (today as I am writing this). So, although I have my endurance, I don't have the strength needed to handle the impact and quicker recovery. I'll have to keep tossing in hills and hopefully some actual strength training to help this out.

Strength
Like the prior week, I got in all of my daily stretches, but no formal strength sessions. I will keep trying to stop coming up with excuses and get these in.

Nutrition
I logged almost none of my meals on MFP. I really need to figure out how to do this without it feeling like a chore. On a good note though, I am eating much better and the Halloween candy is gone. In addition we have Blue Apron three times a week, which has been helping due to the time constraints with everything else going on.

Final Thoughts
Life seems to always toss new challenges and try to get in the way. The key is to tackle things as they come and be able to quickly adjust. This is something I am always trying to work on. I have a good grasp of everything, so I am confident I will continue to see improvements in health, exercise and life in general. Have a great week everyone!

Disney Training - Week 6

I missed my long run, so I am not too proud with my week. I did get in a long run, but it was running my prior Sunday's long run on Monday. Technically I got in four out of five runs, but it was only three out of five that I should have done. My cat is having issues again, so I don't expect to get all five runs in this upcoming week, but I'll do my best.

Swimming
I got in no swims and suffered most of the week because of it.

Cycling
We have issues in our basement from water damage, so I couldn't get on my bike trainer at all. I'll shoot for a session or two next week.

Running
As I noted, I got in my prior week's long run, as well as three additional runs. For the most part, I felt alright on my runs. However, I did a lot of treadmill running. Although I don't mind treadmill running at all, the treadmill area was in the mid to upper 80's, with no air circulation at all. This really taxed me hard, because I would be sweating heavy by mile 1 and could not cool down or stay hydrated enough. In addition, these conditions are not remotely representative of probable race conditions.

I ordered myself some awesome running lights, which arrived a couple days ago. I'll be fishing out my colder running gear and plan on using the treadmill as little as possible. Plus, I'll get way more hills outside. I have been doing all treadmill runs at 1% grade though, which I actually like a lot for treadmill running.

Strength
Although I got not strength sessions, which is common, I managed to do my stretches every single day. This is a huge win for me, and probably the only reason my runs went so well and I wasn't feeling so awful like I usually would on weeks I get little to no cross training.

Nutrition
Doing a little better with my eating and have lost some weight. Not much, but it's progress. I still need to get myself back into more consistency with logging my food into MFP.

Final Thoughts
Overall a rough week, but I got in four days of running, which was very much needed. I just need to somehow find the time to get in more runs. I'll worry about the rest after.

Disney Training - Week 5

Another well-intended week with house stuff getting in the way. I am definitely disappointed with my training, but we got a ton done at the house, and there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel now. Therefore, I will keep plugging away at house stuff. This upcoming week, however, I have set a schedule to make sure I don't miss any training workouts. I might miss others, but the primary training ones will not be skipped or shifted.

Swimming
I was able to get in one session. I had tried to use a planned workout, but selected the wrong options and although my swim went well, the tracking was messed up. That's a minor detail though, as the main thing is that I actually swam.

Cycling
I had intended to hop on my bike a couple times, but that never happened. I'll keep trying to get more consistent with that. I would hate my current efforts to fade away.

Running
Two out of five runs isn't that great, but it's better than nothing. On a really good note, I felt great on both runs. Granted my treadmill one was rather rough, but there is always so little to no airflow at the gym, so that was expected.

Strength
No formal strength sessions this week. However, I cannot even begin to count the weight I moved up and down over a dozen stair cases. In addition, I lifted countless boxes. I definitely got a good workout, just nothing formal.

Nutrition
I had healthier habits this week. I was able to cut down a lot of the portions. Plus with Blue Apron I have eaten very healthy for a few nights. I still snack way too much, but ever thought I don't have any chips or pretzels.

Final Thoughts
My focus of getting my house finished is still my top priority. I do have a plan in place now so I can get house stuff done and still have time for my scheduled workouts. The real test will be to see if I can get any other workouts in. Here's to a good upcoming week! Cheers!

Disney Training - Week 4

With my foot doing much better, I decided before I got running that I would work on some endurance and continued with my TrainerRoad program. I completed all three TrainerRoad workouts, although one did not go very well. I was pleased to end my week with getting in a run, which I will go into more detail below. I also got in a strength session, as well as a stretch and light cardio session, which really helped me out as well. Overall, an awesome recovery week for my foot that ended with me ready to get back into my Disney training.

Swimming
I didn't get any swimming in, which, as usual, bothers me and I need to improve on this.

Cycling
I got in three TrainerRoad workouts in. I can honestly say I have never been so taxed on riding my trainer before. This has really opened my eyes to structured indoor training and I love it! My Friday session did not go well though. It had nothing to do with the ride, but rather me. I had not slept well the night before and I consumed an insane amount of caffeine that day, which bit me hard for my ride. I was having severe shakes and my heart was going nuts. Therefore, I had to cut my ride short. Sunday went much better. I am not sure I'll be able to get all three sessions in each week, but I hope to get at least two.

Running
My foot was feeling good at the beginning of the week, but I didn't want to risk anything. However, by the weekend I felt 100% so I went out for a run. It was mostly hills and it felt amazing! For the first time in a long time I not only felt good during and after my run, but nothing bothered me; knees, feet, back, or shoulder. I am definitely ready to get back to my Disney training. Although, I will make sure to alter the distance to ease back into it.

Strength
I was able to get in one actual strength session. It was full body strength with a focus on core. It was challenging and I was definitely a bit sore the following two days. This is just further evidence I need to be getting in more strength sessions because I should not have been sore like I was.

Nutrition
I seem to continue to fight the nutrition monster; myself. Things are starting to get a little more normal with the move-in, and we have some Blue Apron meals planned for next week, so I am hoping to get my nutrition a little more on track.

Final Thoughts
A very good week as I mentioned. I know I have said this before, but I really need to get swimming again and must incorporate more strength training. In addition, I think I need to do actual strength workouts, not just HiiT-style full body workouts. I will probably continue with mostly body-weight strength, but it will be a lot more focused on specific muscle groups.

Disney Training - Week 3

Another busy week with moving in and getting situated. It seems I am more prone to injuries now with non-sports related activities. I hurt my other foot to add to the mix. Fortunately, it's nothing major and my other foot is starting to recover now. I finally got my trainer setup, so I got in a couple rides, which were tough but felt really good. I wanted to toss in some strength, but psyched myself out and I just didn't get any done. I will be working hard to get over this mental hurdle this week.

Swimming
I didn't get in any swims, which was really disappointing. Honestly, I was too lazy to drive to the gym to swim. I won't make excuses this week, that's my plan.

Cycling
As I noted, I finally got my trainer setup. I signed up with Trainer Road to have some structured trainer workouts this time around. In prior years, I primarily just rode on my trainer, with no real strategy, other than volume and some slight variability in resistance. Since my primary focus is still running, I'll be starting a cycling plan, but will be focused on building up my legs and building back my endurance. It will be very interesting to do training with power, even if it's estimated power. I have always just done cadence training and never really seen too many gains.

Running
As you know, my foot is still healing, so I am doing no running at all, even though I have just completed week 3 of training and am onto week 4. With how my foot is feeling right now, I expect to be back to some light running by the end Week 4, and back into a modified plan in Week 5. I definitely need to be careful, since I have lost a good amount of conditioning already. My thought right now is I will start Week 5 with a modified version of Week 2, and assuming I am fine from that, Week 6 I will do a faster ramp-up.

Strength
Not only did I not start my NTC strength plan this week, I didn't do any strength training either. I had one session of rehab work, which was just stretching and core. I am pretty disappointed in myself on this one, as I know the key to faster recovery, improvement, and injury prevention is to have my strength up.

Nutrition
Nutrition was a mixed bag this week. In most regards, I did pretty well with making sure I had less snacks and higher quality meals. However, my portion control was still very poor, I didn't log my food even though I set reminders with MFP, and I still snacked more than I should have. However, I am starting to cook more again, which aided in some of my better decisions this week, so I am going to keep focusing on progress.

Final Thoughts
This was definitely not one of my better weeks and I had a lot of excuses. I really don't take injury well and I need to get over that somehow. As usual I have a good plan, but let's hope I can actually stick with it. Good luck to everyone with the endeavors!

Disney Training - Week 1

This last week started my first week of sixteen for my Disney Dopey Challenge training! I cannot properly express how excited I am right now for this race. For anyone not familiar, the Dopey Challenge is 4 back-to-back days of running; 5k, 10k, half marathon, then full marathon. You run through the Disney World parks and there are tons of spectators and characters cheering you on non-stop. Supposedly during the marathon, there is a point you can hop on a roller coaster during the race. If this is true, I will definitely be taking advantage of this! In typical fashion, I'll be displaying my training in the same format I always do, but my focus will be on running.

Swimming
I had the Rock 'n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon the prior weekend, so I decided I would hop in the pool Monday to get the blood flowing and loosen up. This worked out really well, as the rest of my week for running went really well. I will probably be pushing to swim every Monday. If possible, I will be shooting for Fridays as well, since that is my other running "rest" day.

Cycling
I had the City to Shore Bike MS 45-miler on Saturday. I really wanted to get in my run as well, but my legs were pretty tired from that ride. I am not sure how much riding I will be doing over the next few months. My plan is to get my trainer set up once I am fully moved into my new house. Then I'll shoot for 1-2 trainer rides per week as some cross training.

Running
I had five runs scheduled this week. I completed four of them, with the fifth not being completed because of my bike ride. Although my body was still a bit tired from my half marathon, I still felt alright completing all of my runs. The only issue I had is that my pace was definitely a lot slower than I would have liked. Hopefully I can get in some more sleep, an extra swim, and some strength training to help loosen, strengthen, and speed up recovery.

Strength
I didn't get any strength sessions in. I am still working on figuring out where to put them into the schedule. I will definitely be doing 2 sessions per week though, since the last time I did endurance training and skipped strength, I got some serious injuries.

Nutrition
I was able to find the time to log all of my food five out of the seven days. Overall, I ate alright, but still lots of room for improvement and I need to get myself off of the mindless snacking. Even though I try and keep stuff out of the house, I find myself grabbing a bag of chips or cookies when I am at the food market without even noticing until I home again. I will keep working on this, as well as logging my food. I need to set reminders with MFP so I log at the end of every day.

Final Thoughts
Overall, a really solid first week of training. I just hope my body keeps the quick recovery pace so I can keep getting in all of these runs each week. Hope your training efforts are going well!

Half Marathon Training - Week 8

Another rough week, but I was still able to get in three runs and a long ride. So, I was pleased with my progression. I still am lacking consistency with getting everything done, but things are too hectic again for me to have the time.

Swimming
No time for swimming sessions.

Cycling
My goal had been to attempt to ride for 4 hours. My legs were extremely tired from the 10 miler the prior day. I still rallied up any energy I had to get in about a 2.5 hour ride. Overall I felt fine during the ride, but my body was so exhausted from lack of sleep and the run that I just could not seem to push myself any harder. I finally got to a point where I was so exhausted I could feel my muscles starting to actually hurt, so I called my ride.

The reason for this ride was to test my current cardiovascular endurance. I have a lot more training to go, but it was a great benchmark.

Running
I got in three of my five runs. For my weekend tempo run, I swapped it with my long run since I had to do a long bike ride on Sunday. My form is definitely holding steady and I am starting to be winded later in my run now. Very excited about my progress and hope to keep it up!

Strength
I didn't do any formal lifting sessions, but I did about 4 hours of super heavy box and furniture lifting. I also was able to get in a couple stretch sessions, which helped immensely.

Nutrition
I decided to quit chips and crackers cold turkey. This has proved to be amazingly difficult, because I guess I truly had an addiction to them. However, just cutting that out helped me lose a couple pounds in less than a week and overall, I felt a lot better throughout my day.

Final Thoughts
I have been struggling in dealing with my stress because I would usually binge eat chips or crackers. However, it feels awesome to have already lost a couple pounds just by cutting that out of my daily eating. I also find myself cooking more, which in turns has me more motivated to go workout. Sadly, life is majorly getting in the way and I am not able to get all of my workouts in that I want. However, as long as I can keep progressing, injury free, I'll take whatever time I can get. Have a good week!

Half Marathon Training - Week 6 & 7

And back to the cat not doing well again. What a roller coaster! Plus a lot of stuff in prep for closing for our new house. So, that's why I am behind on my training blog. Week 6 went alright, with me only missing 1 run and 1 strength session. Week 7 was pretty bad. I was able to at least salvage the week by getting in a training ride for my century event. I am not sure what new adventures this week will have in store, but as usual I will be doing my best to get in as many training sessions as possible.

Swimming
I did not get any swimming sessions in.

Cycling
I got in one training ride each week. Week 6's ride went well for the most part. There were amazing headwinds though, which I had to battle for over an hour of the ride. I was completely drained and exhausted, but wow was that a great training session. Yesterday I got in another ride, just under three hours. I will be shooting for a 4 hour ride this upcoming weekend as a benchmark for my endurance for my Ironman.

Running
Week 6 I got in 3 of my 4 runs. All went pretty well. My back was a bit tight though for my long run, the day after my intense bike ride. Since I didn't stretch enough, this run was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. I still did fairly well considering though. I got in no runs for Week 7, which is definitely going to hurt my progress, but I will resume training this week and adjust accordingly.

Strength
I only got in one of two sessions for Week 6 and none for Week 7. My lack of consistency with strength is starting to show a lot in my training and day-to-day life. I will be incorporating daily strength sessions of about 5-10 minutes twice a day, in addition to my 2-3 strength sessions per week. I really need to build up my core to prevent injuries.

Nutrition
I tried logging my food as best as I could, but it was tough keeping consistent with everything going on. I did alright on nutrition overall though. I have a lot to improve on, which I will continue to make strides towards.

Final Thoughts
Overall a really rough two weeks. Week 6 was good overall from a training standpoint at least. In addition to everything else, I will be trying to my hardest to get more sleep, as my 4.5 hour average sleep time per night is really starting to weigh heavily on me. Good luck everyone!

Half Marathon Training - Week 5

What a rough week for training. So much going on with home searching and my cat being sick again. However, I have good news on all three fronts; 1) Found a house and made an offer!!!!!!!!! 2) Cat is improving 3) Still got in some good training last week and this week should be a good one.

Swimming
I wasn't able to get in any swim sessions.

Cycling
Because my legs were hurting my Sunday, I swapped my long run with a long ride. It wasn't really as long or intense as I would want, but I was riding with my Dad and I am trying to help build up his conditioning so we can do a century ride in late September. The ride felt really good, although my new bike shorts were giving me some issues in the nether regions because the chamois was really bulky. I am used to tri-shorts with the ultra-thin chamois. Oh well, another thing to get used to.

Running
I only got in one run early in the week. I wasn't feeling really well and was exhausted. I still got in the run though. At some points I had to walk for 30 seconds because I was having trouble breathing. I am not happy I had to skip my long run this week either, but I will be good this upcoming week.

Strength
I got in two of the three NTC sessions in. I literally was not around long enough over the weekend, aside from my bike ride, to get in the third session. I am kind of bummed, because it was one of my favorite NTC routines; The Descent. I will keep trying to force myself to get all of my strength sessions completed each week though. The more sessions I am getting the better I am feeling during cardio workouts and the quicker I recover.

Nutrition
I was able to get almost everything logged during the week. Even though I didn't log the weekend, I still did pretty well with portions and calories. Sunday I had two cupcakes from Wegmans though, but I have no regrets because oh man are the delicious! Plus I rarely eat them.

Final Thoughts
Basically family overrode my time for exercising, and that's about the only excuse I accept. I shouldn't have anything major this week and the weather looks to be great, although super hot, and I hope to get all of my workouts in. Have a great week!

Half Marathon Training - Week 4

A much better week overall from the prior week. However, I still had house hunting and other things comes up, so I did miss a few workouts. Overall a great week for nutrition and exercise though. I even got in more stretching, which I feel is what allowed me to achieve my Saturday and Sunday workouts.

Swimming
I got in a swim this week, which felt amazing. I was extremely tight from strength training on Monday and I felt awesome afterwards. Thanks to this swim I had no trouble with my run.

Cycling
I was excited to finally get in a ride this week on the SRT. I did a run-bike brick and cycling really helped me loosen my left hip after my run. I hope to start getting more rides in, but I'll take what I can get for now.

Running
I got three of my five runs in this week. Although the two runs I missed were easy days, they are still important days and I hope to not miss any for this upcoming week. Overall, each run felt pretty good.

So far it's looking like my easy pace is around 9:30 minutes per mile and my tempo is around 8:30 minutes / mile. This is fine for now, but I am really hoping I can run my Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in September around an 8:30 minutes / mile pace. That would put me around a 1:51 half marathon time, which would be awesome, especially since my best HM is around 1:40.

Strength
I only got in one of my two strength sessions. I loved my Monday session even though the DOMS was extremely bad. As a matter of fact, it was so bad I was having trouble walking on Tuesday. Sadly, I didn't swim or do any stretches, which I think dramatically slowed recovery. Thankfully I did a swim on Wednesday though. I had no excuse for missing the other strength session, since it was a short benchmark test. I technically had three sessions, but the third was too intense to fit in with my running over the weekend, so I pushed it to the following Monday. This isn't so bad since it was scheduled for Sunday anyway.

Nutrition
Overall I did pretty well with my nutrition. I still snack way too much, but crazy schedules don't really seem to allow me to get any sort of schedule. I did not do as well as logging either. I kind of wish there was a way to have MFP remind me to enter everything each night. I know I can set regular phone reminders, but it's just one of those things I wish an app offered but doesn't. On a positive note, I have added a reminder for this, just not via the app.

Final Thoughts
I think this was a pretty good week considering all of the life stuff trying to get in the way. I have been getting myself more active as well. I hope to keep this progression and to always work towards more consistency. Hope everyone else is doing well.

Half Marathon Training - Week 3

Had a pretty rough week. Cat was sick again and back in the hospital, so I didn't have time to exercise for most of the week. However, I still got some workouts in and felt really good from them. I'll be getting back on track this week and it will be as though I never missed a week!

Swimming
I didn't get to swim at all.

Cycling
I didn't get to ride at all.

Running
I only got in one of my four runs. Even though it was the only run, I still got in 3.5 miles felt really good. I definitely need to start working on figuring out a way to retain water better, because even on these short distance runs I am needing a lot of hydration.

Strength
I only got one of my three strength sessions in. I had really hoped to at least get my strength sessions in, but I did not. I am sure this week's strength is going to be extra tough because of that.

Nutrition
For the most part I did much better with logging my meals and keeping closer to my calorie limits. I still have a lot of work to do on myself, but I will definitely get there.

Final Thoughts
Overall a bust week, but family first. I still got in a run and strength session and will get back on track this week. I was really happy to progress with at least my nutrition, as that will ultimately help me out with my weight loss goals.