Endurance Wealth

I’m a “Toughman,” “Tinman,” and soon to be Musselman and Ironman… Holy $hit, it is getting confusing remembering what I am these days. With my last race before IM Louisville right around the corner, I must be sure my pacing and nutrition plan is dead on.

The plans on paper, and theoretically make perfect sense. But theory and what my emotions dictate are completely opposite. The hours spent on the bike will be the determining factor of how well I do. It will dictate a 2:00 half marathon or an 1:40. My hope is to be able to give a few minutes on the bike to gain several on the run.

Nutritionally I will be working with Gu, shotblocks and Gatorade. The target is 350 calories per hour on the bike. I had a thought to use cliffbars a well, but as Coach David suggested it may be a bit much to digest during the ride. I will however consume one, an hour before the race starts.

The Gatorade will come in three forms, 1 bottle- 2/3 water : 1/3 Yellow Smack Gatorade. The next bottle will be a 50-50 mix, sorry Curtis not using vitamin water. The final bottle will be strait yellow drink, and the most concentrate. The idea is to start with the bottle with the most water and as we go through the 90km progress to the hard stuff.

The run will include strictly Gu and Heed electrolyte replacement, provided by aid stations along the course.

Pacing will be a bit of a challenge and I will rely strictly on perceived exertion. My power meter has not yet been delivered by Santa and my Garmin is too useless to rely on for HR. We rolling old school for this event.

My time last 70.3 was 5:43, I plan to improve 3-4 min on the swim and 15minutes on the run. I am hesitant to predict the bike because I don’t even want to imagine a fast time, that’s when I blow up. My t2 will be a little longer because I will be wearing bike shorts on the ride and changing for the run. Normally I would not do this but I am preparing for ironman and there is no way I will be riding 112 miles in a double wide maxi pad.

Prediction!!!
Ambitiously I would like a time of 5:20; :30 swim, 2:55 bike, 1:40 run… Well that still leaves 15 min for transitions? Ok than let’s bump that estimation to 5:15…

Looking forward to Sunday, can’t wait to see my results.

I’m a “Toughman,” “Tinman,” and soon to be Musselman and Ironman… Holy $hit, it is getting confusing remembering what I am these days. With my last race before IM Louisville right around the corner, I must be sure my pacing and nutrition plan is dead on.

The plans on paper, and theoretically make perfect sense. But theory and what my emotions dictate are completely opposite. The hours spent on the bike will be the determining factor of how well I do. It will dictate a 2:00 half marathon or an 1:40. My hope is to be able to give a few minutes on the bike to gain several on the run.

Nutritionally I will be working with Gu, shotblocks and Gatorade. The target is 350 calories per hour on the bike. I had a thought to use cliffbars a well, but as Coach David suggested it may be a bit much to digest during the ride. I will however consume one, an hour before the race starts.

The Gatorade will come in three forms, 1 bottle- 2/3 water : 1/3 Yellow Smack Gatorade. The next bottle will be a 50-50 mix, sorry Curtis not using vitamin water. The final bottle will be strait yellow drink, and the most concentrate. The idea is to start with the bottle with the most water and as we go through the 90km progress to the hard stuff.

The run will include strictly Gu and Heed electrolyte replacement, provided by aid stations along the course.

Pacing will be a bit of a challenge and I will rely strictly on perceived exertion. My power meter has not yet been delivered by Santa and my Garmin is too useless to rely on for HR. We rolling old school for this event.

My time last 70.3 was 5:43, I plan to improve 3-4 min on the swim and 15minutes on the run. I am hesitant to predict the bike because I don’t even want to imagine a fast time, that’s when I blow up. My t2 will be a little longer because I will be wearing bike shorts on the ride and changing for the run. Normally I would not do this but I am preparing for ironman and there is no way I will be riding 112 miles in a double wide maxi pad.

Prediction!!!
Ambitiously I would like a time of 5:20; :30 swim, 2:55 bike, 1:40 run… Well that still leaves 15 min for transitions? Ok than let’s bump that estimation to 5:15…

Looking forward to Sunday, can’t wait to see my results.

It is pretty wild to think that less than a year ago I was preparing for a 70.3 and the very thought of the distance was daunting. Fast forward 10 months and I am completing the same distance as a tune up? Looking at this weeks training, there is not much different than prior race tapers. continue reading…

With almost 60 days left to Ironman Louisville things are really beginning to get nutty. Questions are starting to be raised which I truthfully can’t answer. I want to believe I am ready but truthfully have no clue, I have never done this before.

This Sunday I am scheduled to race in the KIC IT Stamford Olympic Tri, my 3rd Olympic and 5th race this year. When planning my schedule I felt scheduling several races would benefit me. I have been training since December I mean come on, seriously? It has been seven months of nonstop training I needed to mix things up.

Was this to much? Did I sacrifice to many weekends to racing and not leave enough time to build proper form? Did the taper to many days and miss out on integral workouts?

I feel I did do something correct in scheduling a 70.3, July 11th. This will truly be a test of my progress and overall fitness. If I am able to focus on pacing and nutrition I think I have the base fitness for a personal best. If I am correct I will be very encouraged going into the final stretch to Louisville.

And if not…. RUT ROH!

Damnit! I know, I was the guy who was a proclaimed self trained athlete, but that is flipping difficult. The planning isn’t terrible, but it is very easy to lose structure and start, “wingin it”. Something I saw myself starting to do and slowly the volume slipped.

Ironman is 4 months away and I am starting to feel the pressure. This is a huge distance and walking away august 30th with a DNF is not OK with me. Life happened and it has been difficult to plan weeks and follow up to record performance. Two factors that must be evident to perform at the ironman level.
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The dreaded Treadmill workouts, how I despise you. Before, during and after, not one aspect of these treadmill workouts has me eager to make the trek to the gym at 6:15am. Tuesday mornings provide the time for these treadmill workouts, the Rec Center in Long Beach is the place and the why and the how may remain forever unanswered. With all my negative feelings towards this mouse wheel for humans, there are definitely benefits for utilizing the treadmill workouts in preseason, especially those of you in the northeast.
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So test week turned into a light training week with multiple days off. The importance of recovery can be the difference maker in a season. This turned out not a terrible decision considering it is not even February yet, and it is freezing outside. My Thursday morning training session was met with resistance and ultimately leaving early.  I arrived at the gym at 6:45 hesitantly, and stayed for about 15 minutes, completed 4 sets of squats and a few mixed sets. After one set of step ups I knew something was wrong, I had little energy and could not focus. I could have pushed through and completed the workout half-assed, but truthfully I believe to have gained better long term fitness walking away. continue reading…