Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!


For the past 6 mos my goal has been to get into shape for the three sports.  I believe I have accomplished my goal.   I feel confident in running 6-8 miles, biking 25-35miles, and swimming 2 miles.  Over the next two weeks I will need to develop a plan of attack for June 26, 2011.  Either a 24 week plan or increase my base training and then a shorter training plan.  I have information on a 13 week plan and a 24 week plan.   I hope to pick up a copy of the Triathlete training bible and add this to my data base.   I used a weekly training plan for my marathon in 2009 and it worked for me.  I have acquired a used treadmill, an indoor bike trainer and a membership to a local pool.  My family and friends are behind me.   My wife bought me my first touring bike, and my wet suit I hope to acquire in Feb or March.

I'll write more starting January 1st, 2011.......countdown to Couer d alene Ironman 20111!

Day 171

Two days until Christmas.


I am still having pains in my left ankle with running in my new inserts.  I could only run 5 miles yesterday.  Not sure what to do.  Knees and hips are better.  The ankle feels better after being out of the shoes for some time.   No lactic acid pains with holding my pace at 9 min miles.   It is a great pace for  feeling like I can run forever.   Amazing how dropping to 8:30 mile pace can make me ache afterwards.

Today I rode the stationary bike for 7 miles and lifted weights for 45 mins.  Felt good to get away from work and listen to some good music.

cheers

Day 170

Wow.  There was a lot of very experienced swimmers at the pool yesterday.   They say that all of the returning veterans will be starting their regular training in January.   I found myself trying to keep up as the passed by me in their lanes.   I swam for 60min.   I tried to hold a 50 second 50 yard pace.  That would put me at 2.25 miles.   My shoulders are a little sore today.  I felt pretty good after the workout.   Could I hold that pace and still ride 112 miles and then run a marathon?  We will have to see.   I am pretty sure I can hold that pace, but along with 3,000 other swimmers?   I hope that this summer I can meet up with some other swimmers and practice some congested area swims. 

I still don't have a formal plan.  I will wait until after Christmas to purchase any sort of plan.   Just in case my wife has bought any books.    I am hoping to get a plan and then tailor it to my needs.   I would like to get at least a dozen runs and dozen rides in on the course.   Especially since the course is so close.  Outdoor biking will be rare until March.

Today is my long day at work.....so back to the Treadmill I go after work.   I will try to run 6 miles..

Day 160 something:-)

Good morning:

Well I am closing in on the 6 month mark before the Coeur d Alene Ironman Triathlon.  For those of you still following my blog, please view the video/cartoon on YouTube called "I am training for an Ironman"   It pretty much sums up my insanity.   Warning, there is a few vulgar words in it.

Today is a swim day.   I am hoping to mix things up and use the kick board and hand paddles for the first time.  

Not real sure about this coaching thing.   Maybe I have not met the right coach.   Still looking into some training plans.


Cheers!

Day 166

Hello:


On Saturday I had a nice slow 9:00-9:30 pace jog on the treadmill.  I tried to keep my heart rate under 140 for the whole 6.5 miles.   I need to do some more reading on Lactic Acid Heart Rate thresholds.  Seems like this is the big topic in long endurance sports.   Keeping your body from utilizing your glycogen stores, and burning your fat more efficiently. 

On Sunday I did an easy 25 miles on the bike.  No hills as I am still worried about my left Achilles.   No calf pains for the entire workout.  I have been massaging my calf daily to keep it loose.

Today I will do some core exercises and some upper body weights.

Cheers

Day 164

Happy Holidays!


Another great work out yesterday.   One mile easy swim, followed by 4-100m sprints.   Then I rode the bike for 25 miles.   Just as I reached the 25th mile, I felt a pulling sensation in my left lower calf.   I have been pushing the simulated hills on the bike pretty hard the last few work outs.   I should have been just working into double days with straight bike, run or swim and not hills and sprints.   Especially since it is early in the training.  

So I am going ease up on my work outs for 14 days.   Add daily Nsaids, and massage.  Since it is my achilles...will avoid stretching and do a better job warming up before activity.

Cheers

Day 161

 Had a great workout last night.  One hour non-stop freestyle swim, followed by 10 miles on the bike.  My shoulders are a little sore, but otherwise feel fine.  Today I hope to run on the treadmill for some interval training.

It has been raining for about 10 days now and almost all of our low lying snow is gone.   Everything is soaked or flooded.  I even saw some bulbs poking up through the mud.   Well I am hoping for snow or dry weather as this 35 degree rain is depressing.   I need some sunlight!


Cheers.

Day 159

Good Day!

On Saturday I went for a 6 mile Outdoor run.  It was cold and rainy, about 35 degrees.    My normal pace is 9min, but was able to hold about an 8:30 pace for the entire run.  Felt great to run outdoors.  I have new orthotics in for bilateral pronation, and I noticed my ankles where a little sore after the run.   Late tonight or early tomorrow morning I hope to ride the trainer for an hour or so.

For now appears the dogs are doing a great job keeping the coyotes away.....or maybe they are still full after eating the neighbors chickens.

Day 158

Hola!

I took two days off to rest my knees and ankles.    Weather is horrible here.   32-39 degrees and raining.
I would rather have 10 feet of snow, than cold wet rain. 

Eight of our nneighbors chickens were killed by a coyote.  We have been keeping our dogs out more often to hopefully deter them.   Hard to see them at night.  Cant poison or trap them without possibly hurting our pets. Too late in the winter to re-do the coup.  We will see what the next few weeks brings.

Today I mixed weights with aerobics for 1 hour.   Between sets if weights I would do one or two minutes of squat thrusts, jumping jacks, jumping toe touches, or other Billy Blanks boot camp exercises.

Cheers.

Day 157

Yesterdays workout was not easy.  Funny how some days you feel awesome after a good workout and others leave you feeling drained.   I swam 1 mile in the pool and then 24 on the bike.   Indoor bike setting was on Hills.   Calves are tight today. 

Met with Derek Garcia yesterday.   He gathered some data on me, and we talked about the pros and cons to speed workouts.   I plan to hire him for the first three months and he will help me develop a training plan.

Today is a rest day.

More later

Cheers

Day 156

Good morning:

Well we finally sold three of our lambs.   The buyers come tomorrow to pick them up.  That should help cut down on our winter feed costs.  The power went out in the chicken coup.   No lights so no eggs either.   Unless the Raccoons have been getting the eggs before me.  I will have to track down the cause of the power outage, and then set out some live traps.   The goats and sheep are eating the bark off some of the trees.  They must be missing some nutrients in their feed.   I will pick up a mineral, and protein block at the local farm store.

Yesterday I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill.   My pace was a minute per mile faster than my expected marathon pace.  Today I hope to swim a mile and bike 10-25miles.   Then meet with Derek Garcia triathlon coach.

Cheers.

Day 155

Good morning!

On Friday I rode the stationary bike for 1 hour.  On Sunday I swam one hour.  I am a little tired after my one hour workouts, but I seem to recover pretty fast.   I have reviewed some on-line articles, and approx 4-6mos prior to an Ironman, I should be working out 5-7 hours per week.   I feel pretty confident that I have met this goal.  I meet with the coach tomorrow.  It will take quite a bit of dedication to increase my workout time blocks starting in January.  Finding an hour here or there has been easy...but finding 2-3hour blocks of time will be difficult.  

Today I will run 4-6 miles.

Cheers.

Day 153

Yeah!.....no snow today.  I was able to repair the plow cable and sheer pins, and finish plowing the Drive way.   Both cars made it up to the house.  I was glad as it be will very cold soon and any snow around will freeze solid.  I moved another 1/4 cord of Wood into the wood room for the wood stove.  Since adding the light to the chicken coop, they have started laying again.  With all of this snow, the lambs have been using the small barn more, so I added fresh straw to the floor.

Yesterday I ran on the treadmill.   I slowed  my pace by 30sec per mile, and then ran for 1hour and 15min.  The last 15mins was tough.   I have been running 45 mins for a few months, and it is amazing how fatiguing it can feel adding a little more can be.   My medial(inner) knees are sore.  I may need to get new shoes to avoid any injuries.

Have a great day!

Day 152

Good Morning!

While Tuesday I seemed to have plenty of time for a workout, no so for Wednesday.  It is my long day of the week and work was busy to the end.  Then my son had a basketball game.   It was the first game they have won all year and he had some good steals and rebounds!   We ended up getting home later in the evening.  Then we got both cars stuck in our slushy driveway.   And of course my plow blade and cable broke down.  Sooooooo I decided not workout and just call it a day.

Today I hope to get at least 1.5 hours on the bike or a 1 hour run. 


cheers

Day 151

Good Morning

We had another 4-5 inches last night.

Well one more month of base training, then onto a training plan.   I will be meeting with Derek Garcia, a Triathlon Coach, next week to plot out my next 6 months.   Scary yet I am excited to start my count down to IM 2011.

Yesterday I swam 1600meters straight, then did 4-100m sprints and 4-50m sprints.   Then 10miles on the stationary bike.   Felt great, but for some reason I sweated like a sprinkler!  I think the Kroc center staff was considering flood insurance.

More later!