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.

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 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 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!

Half Marathon Training - Week 10

Another horrible week. Aside from a few strength sessions, I got in zero running and zero cardio. I had closing for my new house and my cat had a bunch of ER visits. Barely got any sleep either. Fortunately my eating wasn't too terrible, although I didn't log anything due to other higher priorities.

Swimming
No sessions.

Cycling
No sessions.

Running
No sessions.

Strength
I didn't have time to get in any structured workouts, but I made sure to do my stretches for my back and did core work almost everyday.

Nutrition
Overall I ate pretty well, even though mostly at maintenance calorie levels. I got very little sleep all week, however, and felt pretty awful and sluggish all week.

Final Thoughts
Not feeling too confident right now for a good time due to the amount of training I have missed. I know I will complete the half marathon, but I am not sure I will come anywhere near the time I wanted. However, life events were far more important, so I'll just have to make due and try to have a decent Week 11 if possible.

Half Marathon Training - Week 9

Not a good week at all. Many rush trips to vet hospital and a couple ER visits. Didn't really have time for any workouts. I was able to get in a ride though, and am feeling confident to handle the 80 miler, assuming my dad definitely decides against the 100 miler. Close on my house next week so I won't be getting a lot of training done then either. I am not expecting a great time for my upcoming half marathon, but at least I know I will be fine completing it.

Swimming
As usual, not time to swim.

Cycling
I got in my long ride and it felt really good. The weather was perfect and aside from saddle soreness, I was fine for the whole 3.25 hours. I am feeling pretty confident for the upcoming century, or 80-miler, depending on how my dad feels.

Running
I have no time to run, which was very frustrating, but family first.

Strength
I didn't get in any formal strength, but managed to do my stretching exercises on a lot of the days.

Nutrition
I didn't have time to log almost anything, and overall I did not eat the best. I wish I could get over stress eating.

Final Thoughts
Overall a very emotionally draining week. Next week will be just as draining, for good reasons at least. I just hope I can get more workouts in.

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 2

I started off the week well, but I think my body is far from being used to this level of fitness activity. So, starting Thursday, I had to take 2 days off. I was hit with some severe allergy issues which were causing my chest to constantly hurt and be short of breath, even after taking allergy medication. I really didn't like missing a run and 2 strength sessions, but I am pretty sure I am better for it right now. On a good note, I have these two training weeks under my belt now, plus the prior weeks of running, so I now have a good idea on paces for training. They aren't the paces I want, but all that matters is I have baselines now so I can start tracking my progress more accurately as well as making planning a lot easier.

Swimming
I didn't have time for swim sessions, but plan to resume swimming during Week 3.

Cycling
I didn't have time for cycling sessions, but plan to get a long ride in during Week 3.

Running
I got 4 out of 5 runs completed. Fortunately, I only missed an easy run day. I just wish I could have done some other sort of cross training in its place; but my allergies prevented me from doing anything at all. I was finally alright to run again Saturday, which went really well. However, my Sunday long run was not as great. Although I completed my 6 mile long run, my hips and lower back were excessively tight, even despite my efforts to stretch earlier before the run. My last 2 miles were really tough since my left hip was in pain. The final mile I was concerned I might have to walk since I was struggling to keep good running form. Fortunately I was able to keep proper form and finished out the run. My hip is still a little tight and sore, but nothing is injured and I feel great otherwise.

Strength
I only got one of my three strength sessions in this week. As I already noted, wasn't feeling well. I will be extra vigilant not to miss my strength during Week 3, as I need to keep building muscle and work on keeping my muscles loose to prevent any running injuries.

Nutrition
I didn't bother logging anything this week and my nutrition was healthy, but portion sizes out of control again. After my long run Sunday and feeling bloated and weighed down, I am getting my act together and starting logging and watching my calories in going forward.

Final Thoughts
I hit a new long distance record since I have been back from injuries. Aside from muscle tightness and the resulting hip pain, I am feeling great and will be adding additional stretching to the mix. I look forward to some hard training and a 5k time trial this upcoming weekend. It will be a time trial since I was too cheap to pay an entry fee for a 5k race.

Half Marathon Training - Week 1

I completed my first week of half marathon training. I am extremely pleased to say that I not only got in all of my runs, but I felt pretty good during and after each of them. I am having considerably more back tightness than usual, so I will definitely need to dramatically increase my stretching. I also need to be extra vigilant about getting my strength sessions done. I felt amazing 2 weeks ago when I got in all of my strength sessions; a primary reason I think I felt so well overall this week.

Swimming
I got in 2 relaxing swims. Both were at a much slower pace than I would like, but I didn't push myself either since the whole purpose of the swims were to loosen up my muscles from running. And these two sessions did just that. It felt great!

Cycling
I rode stationary after one of my runs. I went at a fairly easy cadence and resistance in order to help "shake-out" my legs. This worked out well, but not as good as swimming.

Running
I got in 5/5 of my runs; 2 easy, 1 interval, 1 tempo, 1 long. Although my easy runs were at a more relaxed pace, they were still challenging since all but one run was outside and with hills. I'll definitely need to be starting to bring water with me on most runs, but I was able to manage with no hydration for my runs under 5k. Also, I really love using Nuun Energy or Hydration when I run, but I cannot use my small belt bottles for a tab. So, I need to figure out a solution for this.

Strength
I only got in 1/3 strength sessions completed. The session felt really good and I am definitely mad at myself for missing two really important strength sessions.

Nutrition
I have been doing terrible with nutrition. I don't have time to log my food, let alone plan meals. Also, my portion sizes are getting out of control and I have been stress binge eating junk food. On a positive note, I am at least getting back to cooking more, and aside from 4th of July, every meal I have cooked has been super healthy and restricted portion size.

Final Thoughts
I will continue to get my runs in, as well as cross training. I really need to start getting more rides in as well, but I will not miss a run for that. I will also be making sure I don't miss strength training in addition to making sure I stretch more. Aside from that, I will worry about nutrition once I can get more consistent with cooking.

Half Marathon Training Starts

Although my Disney Dopey race is about 6 months away, I need to race a half or full marathon before October 3rd in order to make sure I am not put in the last corral, which would mean well over an hour or two delay for race start, which is no fun at all. So, I took the plunge and am signed up for the Rock 'n Roll Philly Half Marathon.

Training
My training plan starts today. I am coming off a full week of consistent exercise and mostly consistent healthier eating. To top things off, I feel GREAT! I was concerned that putting this much stress on my body would cause some issues, but none of them have surfaced. Therefore, I am fairly confident in my 13.1 training plan.

The Plan
I will typically be running 5 days per week. I know in the past I have expressed that you can get away with 3 days a week and have great results. However, I really need to start improving my speed if I ever want to make Boston before I am 40.

I'll typically be doing 2 easy days, 1 speed day, 1 tempo / pace day, and 1 long day. This type of plan is similar to what I used to drop my pace many years ago by over 2 minutes per mile over a 16 week training plan. I don't expect those kind of results here, but I am hoping for at least a 30 second per mile pace improvement in the end.

In addition to the running, I will still be working on 2-3 strength sessions per week, as well as fitting in some swimming and cycling. I don't really expect any gains or intense swimming sessions; although I will be using my swims to help speed up recovery.

Cycling is a different animal. I still need to be riding, but running for now will have to take priority. So the plan is that when I have time AND feel good, I'll go on for rides. However I won't be doing a ride before a run on that same day.

Final Thoughts
Overall I feel really confident with my training plan and I can't wait to continue this momentum of consistency. Good luck to everyone on whatever training or races you have planned.

The Road to Recovery and Changing The Plan

I was recently hospitalized with viral meningitis and "almost" pneumonia (doctors couldn't agree if I did or did not have it). But to make sure I had viral meningitis and not a worse form, like bacterial, I had to get a spinal tap. Sadly, even though the procedure went well, I was a rare case of severe spinal leakage. In short, this put me in the hospital for over a week with debilitating pain and headaches. Finally, I got a blood patch and took almost another week to recover.

During this time I was able to reflect on my 2017 and 2018 fitness plans and goals. Historically, I have not handled injury or sickness well, and it has caused me to fall of the wagon and perform terrible health habits, such as excessive gorging of unhealthy foods I wouldn't usually eat. However, I have been pretty focused this year on not repeating past injuries and other bad habits. Granted I have struggled with lack of time for exercise from the things out of my control, but I at least have made sure I have been eating healthier and have made sure not to gain anymore weight.

So, I didn't let this hurdle trip me up. This did cause me to have to re-evaluate my goals and plans though for this year and next. For example, I want to do my first Ironman next year. I am removing this from my list for now, since selling my house and this recent illness have caused months of setbacks in my training plans. Disney Dopey is set in stone for 2018, as is a century ride for MS later this year. Aside from that though, I have pretty much removed all other races and plans from my schedule.

What is the new focus on? Quite simply, strength and flexibility. Although I had put a good amount of effort into rebuilding my strength, when I got back into running again, I noticed that I was not as fast as I had hoped I would be. From reviewing my runs, I was able to determine that I still was too weak to handle the speed and cadence I wanted. This same issue also bleeds into my cycling, and especially my swimming. Therefore, I need still need to build even more strength and flexibility.

This translates into about 12-14 weeks of building my strength. The general idea is to have 4 strength sessions a week; 2 x Full Body, 1 x Lower, 1 x Upper. In addition to this, I will not be stopping my running endurance progression, which means running 3 times per week as well. The real change here is that initially, swimming is off the list and cycling is going to be mostly optional.

My plan is to do this for hopefully no more than 4 weeks as my body gets re-acclimated to the stress and recovery from strength training. Once that happens, I will be moving towards building my schedule back to doubles in order to get swimming and cycling back into the mix.

For the most part, this puts me at doubles everyday except running intervals for Tuesdays. I won't jump immediately to this schedule, but each week I'll add another activity or two until I get to this schedule. The plan will be to do this until it's time for my Dopey training plan, which starts in September.

As I mentioned already, I won't be doing or planning any other races, except for the MS century ride, a half marathon so I can have a qualifier time for Dopey to prevent from being in the last corral, and then Dopey to start off 2018. Aside from this, I won't be planning on any other races or goals. I am confident this schedule will allow me to get back into racing and ensure I won't be getting injured and will be remain as healthy as possible. Good luck to everyone and their training and racing goals!