I'm about 2 weeks into my base training load, so I thought now would be as good as time as any to post my 2012 race schedule, outline the category of the race for me(A, B, C), and the purpose of it. Having it out in cyberspace helps hold me accountable and it may spark some ideas for your upcoming season. It will be here before you know it.
2/11 - Red Flannel 5 Mile Race
Category - C
Purpose - The primary objective of this race is to get a benchmark of where my run training is, open up the legs a little bit, put myself in the 'hurt box' for a while, and shoot for a PR which would be anything under a 7:35/mile pace - I think this is very doable.
4/28 - Drake Half Marathon
Category - B
Purpose - One of my goals this year is to improve my overall base and this early season race will be a good benchmark to see how I'm doing. I kind of fell apart toward the end of this race last year, so hopefully I can finish strong. This is also another opportunity to mentally 'embrace the pain' for a longer period of time. A PR would be nice as well which is to improve on the 8:35/mile pace.
5/20 - Bluff Creek Oly
Category - C
Purpose - This was a terrible race for me last year as I just don't do well in cold temps. With that being said, I'd like to go back and prove to myself that I can do much better on the course than the first go around. Doing this race will also allow me to work on race situations, transitions, and everything that goes along with race preparations.
6/2 - Dam to Dam
Category - C
Purpose - Dam to Dam is just a fun race to do and one that I try and incorporate into my race schedule every year. This will not be an 'all-out' type of race for me as the following week is one of my 'A' races of the year.
6/10 - Kansas 1/2
Category - A
Purpose - This is my 'A' race of the year - the purpose of this race is to put my 6 months of training to the test and reap the rewards.
7/14 - Lifetime Oly
Category - B
Purpose - I really like this course and I had a good time when I did it a few years ago, so I'd like to give it another go - aka, just for the hell of it.
8/3-8/5 - Mock IM Louisville - Day 1: 2.4 mile swim, Day 2 : 112 mile ride, Day 3 : 2.5 hour run
Category - A
Purpose - To evaluate current training plan, have a strong base going into next year's 2013 IMLou, and understand what adjustments(i.e. limiters) will need to be addressed.
9/2 - Hy-Vee Oly
Category - A/B
Purpose - Hoping the recovery of the mock IM is fairly quick since it spans over 3 days so I can get back to 100% for Hy-Vee. This is a local race and I regretted not doing it last year.
10/21 - Des Moines Marathon
Category: B
Purpose - I've never done a stand-alone marathon so I think this would be a great opportunity. I'll have some pretty good running fitness carried over from the Mock IM - the key will be not losing too much of it during Hy-Vee prep.
Should be an interesting year with a lot of opportunities for growth and, more importantly, a good time of racing. The key to being able to go into these races feeling fresh is having a solid pre-season plan, and planning recovery accordingly.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
10 Quick Hits for Weight Loss
Here are 10 things that you can do every day to lead to weight loss:
1. Eat breakfast - this is the single, and simplest thing to jump start your metabolism
2. Take the stairs
3. Park farther away - a couple hundred yards away from the door will burn more calories and will only take a fraction longer than it normally does - plus, it will protect your car from dings and scratches from others.
4. When you wake up in the morning, do some push ups, sit ups, and squats. Performing these exercises will wake you up and burn fat due to your empty glycogen stores.
5. Cook your meals, don't eat out - I can pretty much guarantee that home cooked meals are going to be healthier than eating out in most circumstances
6. Take an evening walk - Taking an evening walk after dinner with the family is a great way to wind down after a day's work, connect with your family, and burn calories
7. Eat a big breakfast, fairly large lunch, and a smaller dinner - basically the opposite of what most families do today. You'll need the extra calories during the day and won't need as many at night when you're sleeping.
8. Get off the couch. You won't burn any extra calories watching TV, and people tend to eat more while watching TV then eating with the TV off.
9. Drink water - sometimes feelings of hunger are misinterpreted as dehydration - be sure to drink plenty of water during the day. The best part - water has 0 calories!
10. Cut down on one bad habit a day - if you have 2 pops, drink 1. If you have a Caramel Latte, get it with skim milk and sugar free sugar.
Doing the little things on a consistent basis with turn into healthy weight loss in the long run.
1. Eat breakfast - this is the single, and simplest thing to jump start your metabolism
2. Take the stairs
3. Park farther away - a couple hundred yards away from the door will burn more calories and will only take a fraction longer than it normally does - plus, it will protect your car from dings and scratches from others.
4. When you wake up in the morning, do some push ups, sit ups, and squats. Performing these exercises will wake you up and burn fat due to your empty glycogen stores.
5. Cook your meals, don't eat out - I can pretty much guarantee that home cooked meals are going to be healthier than eating out in most circumstances
6. Take an evening walk - Taking an evening walk after dinner with the family is a great way to wind down after a day's work, connect with your family, and burn calories
7. Eat a big breakfast, fairly large lunch, and a smaller dinner - basically the opposite of what most families do today. You'll need the extra calories during the day and won't need as many at night when you're sleeping.
8. Get off the couch. You won't burn any extra calories watching TV, and people tend to eat more while watching TV then eating with the TV off.
9. Drink water - sometimes feelings of hunger are misinterpreted as dehydration - be sure to drink plenty of water during the day. The best part - water has 0 calories!
10. Cut down on one bad habit a day - if you have 2 pops, drink 1. If you have a Caramel Latte, get it with skim milk and sugar free sugar.
Doing the little things on a consistent basis with turn into healthy weight loss in the long run.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Setting Yourself Up for Success
If I had my way I'd wake up to the waves crashing against the beach, a morning full of training, an afternoon with the family, and plenty of time to enjoy my hobbies of cooking, writing, and guiding other athletes to success. All this, plus a heavily padded bank account. Life is good.
But that is not reality at this point. In the words of my favorite artist, Dave Matthews, 'We'll make the best of what's around'. This brings me to the topic of my blog, Setting Yourself Up for Success.
1. Eliminate negativity in your life. Negativity has a way of dragging us down and not allowing ourselves to be at a higher level to reach our potential. Turn off the news, be careful what you're reading on the Internet, and take a look at the people in your inner circle. Also, be careful of your 'inner voice' - replace the negative with the positive.
2. Set goals - I realize I beat this to death, but I think it's instrumental in achieving success. Here's an blog post all about goals
3. Evaluate your time - Is watching 2-3 hours of sitcoms going to help you achieve your goals? I'm going to guess no. Just be careful that your time is not spent avoiding work vs unwinding.
4. Keep Going - In order to be successful you need to keep going and be consistent day in and day out, whether you're training for a race, creating a business, or striving for your dream. The journey is the best part.
5. Never Give Up - There are times when quitting is going to seem like a good option, or the easy option. Why not just "settle' for average? It took Thomas Edison over 10,000 attempts to invent the light bulb - an inspiration for perseverance.
6. Get Uncomfortable - We don't grow standing still, we grow by going beyond our perceived boundaries, both in athletics as well as in our lives. Get our of your comfort zone and stretch yourself. Don't be held back by your perceived boundaries.
But that is not reality at this point. In the words of my favorite artist, Dave Matthews, 'We'll make the best of what's around'. This brings me to the topic of my blog, Setting Yourself Up for Success.
1. Eliminate negativity in your life. Negativity has a way of dragging us down and not allowing ourselves to be at a higher level to reach our potential. Turn off the news, be careful what you're reading on the Internet, and take a look at the people in your inner circle. Also, be careful of your 'inner voice' - replace the negative with the positive.
2. Set goals - I realize I beat this to death, but I think it's instrumental in achieving success. Here's an blog post all about goals
3. Evaluate your time - Is watching 2-3 hours of sitcoms going to help you achieve your goals? I'm going to guess no. Just be careful that your time is not spent avoiding work vs unwinding.
4. Keep Going - In order to be successful you need to keep going and be consistent day in and day out, whether you're training for a race, creating a business, or striving for your dream. The journey is the best part.
5. Never Give Up - There are times when quitting is going to seem like a good option, or the easy option. Why not just "settle' for average? It took Thomas Edison over 10,000 attempts to invent the light bulb - an inspiration for perseverance.
6. Get Uncomfortable - We don't grow standing still, we grow by going beyond our perceived boundaries, both in athletics as well as in our lives. Get our of your comfort zone and stretch yourself. Don't be held back by your perceived boundaries.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Workout Scheduling
I love schedules. I'll make a schedule to create a schedule - well, probably not that far, but you get the point. I will methodically plan out my workouts around my family life(wife and 2 kids), work schedule, my daily clients I have for GettingFitness, and various other endeavors I have going on at the particular time. On my schedule I block off time for swimming, biking, running, and weight training with no in-depth specific workouts, but I do include if it will be easy, long, race specific, tempo, etc. I then share the plan with my hopefully approving wife to get the 'OK'.
Awesome, I have a plan and am ready to get to work. Here's the kicker - I bet I've stuck to that schedule about 5% of the time! Things always come up - kid's activities change, spur of the moment commitments, doctor's appts, client's schedule changes, work, etc. Almost weekly, I need to make key changes, but there are rules that I follow to mitigate the possibility of injury and ensure that I have enough recovery to put forth a good effort for the next workout. These are the rules that I follow:
- don't do back to back speed or interval run sessions
- keep a few days between long bike and long run (except when approaching a race - it's good practice to run on tired legs every once in a while
- If I have to skip a workout, I'll skip weight training - it's not as important as swimming, biking, running
- if doing a big brick session, a recovery day should follow
- if my energy is drained I'm OK with bagging a workout for recovery purposes - one easy/recovery day is better than suffering through an entire week of below average workouts
- never do back to back weight training sessions - I do full body weight training in one day
- I try and have one easy and one harder workout each day(easy bike, big ring bike ride)
- most importantly, family comes first
When I have to throw my schedule out the window I manage to keep track of these workouts in my head and log them into a spreadsheet. The most important thing is to figure out what works for you, which takes time, experimentation, and trial/error. If you're questioning what you should do, go easy.
Awesome, I have a plan and am ready to get to work. Here's the kicker - I bet I've stuck to that schedule about 5% of the time! Things always come up - kid's activities change, spur of the moment commitments, doctor's appts, client's schedule changes, work, etc. Almost weekly, I need to make key changes, but there are rules that I follow to mitigate the possibility of injury and ensure that I have enough recovery to put forth a good effort for the next workout. These are the rules that I follow:
- don't do back to back speed or interval run sessions
- keep a few days between long bike and long run (except when approaching a race - it's good practice to run on tired legs every once in a while
- If I have to skip a workout, I'll skip weight training - it's not as important as swimming, biking, running
- if doing a big brick session, a recovery day should follow
- if my energy is drained I'm OK with bagging a workout for recovery purposes - one easy/recovery day is better than suffering through an entire week of below average workouts
- never do back to back weight training sessions - I do full body weight training in one day
- I try and have one easy and one harder workout each day(easy bike, big ring bike ride)
- most importantly, family comes first
When I have to throw my schedule out the window I manage to keep track of these workouts in my head and log them into a spreadsheet. The most important thing is to figure out what works for you, which takes time, experimentation, and trial/error. If you're questioning what you should do, go easy.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Setting Expectations for Clients
As a coach, it’s very important to set expectations of what you’ll do as a coach as well as what you expect from a client. The coach-client relationship is essential for reaching a milestone and getting the end result. If there is not enough information shared, communication lines broken, misunderstanding, or a lack of commitment from a client it makes things more challenging to accomplish the common goal. Most of the responsibility lies with the coach in this situation by asking the correct questions, engaging the client, and being proactive about feedback with a results-focused mindset.
At times, it is out of the coach’s control, which is why it’s important to set expectations for your clients and what is expected out of them. Below is a list that I use:
1) 100% effort - I’ve been in this business long enough to tell when I’m getting 100% commitment from a client, and when they’re just ‘going through the motions’. The 100% effort doesn’t necessarily pertain to the physical aspect of an all out, about-ready-to-pass-out effort type workout, but more about the mental toughness to get through a 2 hour Zone 2 controlled effort trainer ride in the middle of winter. This effort is 100% focused on staying in Z2 while keeping good form, proper nutrition and hydration.
2) Follow the Plan - When I create a plan, it’s important that it’s followed. I create specific training plans for clients based on their needs, goals, schedule, strengths and limiters. With that being said, my expectation is that plan will be followed. I understand that ‘life’ happens and that some days will be switched around, and other times some workouts won’t get done. My expectation is that a client won’t do something totally different in regards to exercise, intensity, or time from what’s on the plan – the plan is created with a purpose and a point. On the grand scheme of things, if you follow the plan you’ll get the results you want.
3) Ask questions/provide feedback - It is my responsibility to provide a routine or plan and also to explain the “why”. If the explanation is not clear or doesn’t make sense I encourage questions to make sure my clients understand the reasons why we do certain things. Providing feedback and asking questions about anything will help make the workout(s) more enjoyable and foster better communication and relationship.
4) Open communication - My expectation is that clients will be open and honest at all times. What I’m referring to is how they’re feeling overall, stress level, eating habits, straying off the path, or how the training is going. An open dialogue can help resolve many of the concerns, and advice can be given to get a client back on track and re-motivated to get back to work.
Setting expectations on both ends will provide a much more enjoyable experience for all parties involved and allow us to focus on the task at hand. What do you expect from your coach?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Mid-Day Workout Relief
Today was a picture perfect day for running - sunny, light breeze, and high around 80 with low humidity. After a week of little to no exercise due to a stomach bug I was anxious to get out for a 5 mile run. I plan my weekly runs over my lunch hour for a few reasons.
- It breaks up my day. Instead of sitting in cubicle land for 8+ hours a day, I get a nice reprieve about 4.5 hours in the day. This makes the afternoon fly by and I come back with more energy and motivation to finish out the day.
- Stress relief – my mornings don’t seem to be overwhelming stressful, but when they are the mid-day workout is a perfect release of negative energy. I can almost feel the stress leaving my body with each foot hitting the ground.
- Solving the problem – if I’m stuck on a problem, whether it is work-related or otherwise, my running session allows me to sort through the issue much easier than using Google or sitting in my cube performing somewhat random code changes to make something work.
- Me time – Running allows me to be on my own for a 1 hour time block for some “Matt time”. I use this time for my workout and to sort out what’s going on in my head. No phone, email, or other technology to distract me except for my Garmin that’s spitting back HR, pace, and a beep for my mile splits.
- Creative outlet – 99% of my ideas are created during training sessions, most of them from running. Swimming and biking require more attention to avoid hitting the wall in the pool or being hit by a car on the bike. Running allows you to think without actively thinking. I let my mind wander and ideas start to fester, which engages other ideas and I can capture that idea and add context to it. Thus, an idea is burn. Whether or not it comes to fruition is a different story.
My problem now is that some of those ideas get lost or forgotten in between my workout, the shower, and my cube so I can write down my latest and greatest idea - luckily I remembered today's which turned into this blog post.
My problem now is that some of those ideas get lost or forgotten in between my workout, the shower, and my cube so I can write down my latest and greatest idea - luckily I remembered today's which turned into this blog post.
- Re-motivate – I tend to start every day motivated and with a positive attitude. By the time mid-day comes around, I need to add a little kindling to the fire, and a training session does that for me. Some of this is psychological, in that I feel like I got some real work accomplished and the other is chemical, the wonderful release of endorphins that sparks up a ‘feel good’ attitude.
I challenge you to try a mid-day workout for 2 weeks and see how it transforms your day. Don’t have access to showers? Most employers will allow flexibility to allow you to take an extended lunch to drive to your gym, get in a workout, and get back in plenty time.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sweat Doesn't Equal True Weight Loss
Nothing feels better than finishing a hard workout dripping in sweat - it feels like I did some real work and got something done. For me, sweat is a by-product of accomplishing a great workout and a true sense of accomplishment.
A question for you: Considering all things equal, will I burn more calories if I go for a 5 mile run in 90+ degree temps vs if I go run the same 5 mile route in 50 degree temps?
I will burn the exact same number of calories. You sweat in order to keep your body cooler so you don't overheat. Sure, if I weight myself after I run after the 90+ degree run I will weight less than if I'd weighed myself after the 50 degree temp run, but the only thing I've lost is water weight.
It all comes down to the calorie; you burn calories by doing the work, not how much you sweat. In fact, everyone has different sweat rates. Some people sweat more than others and at a higher sweat rate, but I will cover this in a different post.
Do the work and you'll reap the rewards.
A question for you: Considering all things equal, will I burn more calories if I go for a 5 mile run in 90+ degree temps vs if I go run the same 5 mile route in 50 degree temps?
I will burn the exact same number of calories. You sweat in order to keep your body cooler so you don't overheat. Sure, if I weight myself after I run after the 90+ degree run I will weight less than if I'd weighed myself after the 50 degree temp run, but the only thing I've lost is water weight.
It all comes down to the calorie; you burn calories by doing the work, not how much you sweat. In fact, everyone has different sweat rates. Some people sweat more than others and at a higher sweat rate, but I will cover this in a different post.
Do the work and you'll reap the rewards.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Ironman Hangover
After savoring the flavor of finishing an Ironman and the aches and pains subside, you feel some emptiness inside, loss of motivation, and just feel blah or letdown - hence the name, Ironman hangover. You've spent months training, devoting all your free time to this one coveted event, and sacrificing family time, hobbies, and other interest in the name of Ironman. Months of excitement, anxiety, and anticipation comes to a screeching halt after the race. While training you think it will be nice to finish Ironman and then go back to your "normal" lifestyle, but in reality you miss that nervous excitement.
After my 1st Ironman I had a pretty big Ironman hangover, but this 2nd one hasn't been too bad. My guess is after a week in relishing in finishing the event I went back to the drawing board and made new goals and signed up for more races. I also went right to work on some home improvement projects that needed to be done. That void or emptiness of not having anything left on plate for the season has been resolved and I can go back to training. The volume won't be near as much as Ironman, but it will be enough to fulfill my need to continue training.
How to Overcome the Race or Big Event
- enjoy completing the event, but not for too long
- set some new goals - these don't have to be in sports, but rather in other areas of your life
- hit the reset button and figure out what you want to do next
- try something new and different
- go back to doing some things that you have had to sacrifice not doing during training
For instance, I've set up some shorter races for the upcoming months and a marathon for the end of the season, started putting more focus into spending time with my family and my business, and re-acquainting myself for my love of cooking.
Any other tips for getting over that hump after finishing a major event?
After my 1st Ironman I had a pretty big Ironman hangover, but this 2nd one hasn't been too bad. My guess is after a week in relishing in finishing the event I went back to the drawing board and made new goals and signed up for more races. I also went right to work on some home improvement projects that needed to be done. That void or emptiness of not having anything left on plate for the season has been resolved and I can go back to training. The volume won't be near as much as Ironman, but it will be enough to fulfill my need to continue training.
How to Overcome the Race or Big Event
- enjoy completing the event, but not for too long
- set some new goals - these don't have to be in sports, but rather in other areas of your life
- hit the reset button and figure out what you want to do next
- try something new and different
- go back to doing some things that you have had to sacrifice not doing during training
For instance, I've set up some shorter races for the upcoming months and a marathon for the end of the season, started putting more focus into spending time with my family and my business, and re-acquainting myself for my love of cooking.
Any other tips for getting over that hump after finishing a major event?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ironman Couer D'Alene Race Report
Ironman Couer D’Alene was my 2nd Ironman, and the 1st one I’ve done in about 3.5 years. I had some high expectations coming into the race from a PR perspective, and although I wasn’t close to hitting my marks, I was happy that I preserved through a tough day and finished the race. This race was really well organized, the city was beautiful, and the volunteers were awesome. I would highly recommend this race to anyone interested in doing Ironmans.
Swim:
The swim was a 2 loop counter-clockwise course with a 10 yard run out on the beach after the 1st lap before heading out for round 2. Coming into the race I knew the water was going to be COLD, as in 54-57 degree cold. In preparation I purchased a neoprene cap and swim socks to help mitigate the cold factor. The day before the race I got in the water for about 15 minutes and I described it as “tolerable”. Having a sleeveless wetsuit certainly didn’t help my cause either. As all 2400 people entered into the water it became a human washing machine for the 1st 800 meters which is to be expected. After a lot of going, stopping, face kicks, and swim-overs I found somewhat of a ‘groove’ and began my way around the course. There was somewhat of a chop and I was taking in a lot of water so I had to turn my head up directly to the sky to get air every other stroke. It wasn’t a big deal but I’m sure it didn’t help my time too much. Another issue I ran into is my hands got stuck in a closed fist in the first 400 meters so I was essentially doing fist drills for the 2.4 mile swim, so that made the swim a bit more difficult. The rest of the swim was fairly uneventful and I was certainly ready to get out of the water.
T1:
As I got out water the wet suit strippers took off my wetsuit and handed me my bike gear bag. I was disoriented, still couldn’t open my hands, and shaking uncontrollably so I was directed into the warm tent to warm up and re-group. I wasn’t able to buckle my helmet or snap in my race belt so a volunteer had to help me get my gear on. I finally started to feel decent after 20 minutes in the warm temp and off I went on the bike.
Bike:
We had the opportunity to drive the bike course on Saturday so I knew what I was getting myself into for the race. It is described as a two-loop course with some rolling hills. The first loop felt great. My nutrition was going well, I held an average speed of about 17 mph throughout the course, and didn’t go barreling over a cliff which in my mind is a success. The 2nd loop was a different story. At about mile 70 the miles were catching up to me. My hydration was off and I was starving. I was eating bananas and energy bars and switching between Gatorade and water between aid stations to try and play catch up. The course is relatively flat except for about 20 miles of the aforementioned “rollers”. Being an Iowa flatlander may have swayed my interpretation but there were some tough hills. A lot of them had a steep downhill portion and a sharp turn then had you going uphill, or a downhill with a flat portion before going back uphill which slowed down your momentum. There weren’t any daunting hills, just a lot of them. By the time I got out of hilly portion and heading back into town I was spent. I had no energy and I coasted back into town with literally nothing left in the tank.
T2:
As I entered the changing tent a volunteer saw me and didn’t think I looked very good so he led me over to the medical tent. I was checked over and asked if I needed to stop. I refused to quit and after a little rest and some sugar water I was out of t2 and onto the marathon.
Run:
Well, I don’t know if I would call it much of a run, more of a walk, shuffle for the 1st 6 miles of the run. My priority here was getting myself together and getting some quick carbohydrates and sodium into my system. This included flat coke, cookies, chips, and sports drink. After the 1st 6 miles I was able to do some running. I would pick out a spot ahead of me, run to that point, and then walk. I continued this throughout the rest of the run and crossed the finish line.
A lot of things went wrong during the race, but one thing that stood out for me was my ability to keep a positive inter monologue, upbeat mentality, and a ‘no quit’ attitude. I took away a lot of lessons that will help me in the future. I truly couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my wife and my family and I am forever grateful for them. I’ll take next year off from Ironmans, but I’ll be back the following year!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Ironman Taper
The long, hard training sessions are over. Any drawn out, challenging, or long-distance based training now will not help or improve performance, but will leave you susceptible to injury and/or showing up on race day tired. Taper is kind of a hard pill to swallow because you cut down your workout load significantly (50%-75%) and so you have more energy than you normally do and that energy can be spent on nervous energy as you get closer to race day. I try and take it in stride and use that energy for spending time with family and mental preparedness.
The important thing to remember is that you need to trust your training and human physiology that a 2 week taper before an Ironman is the right thing to do. The next 10 days will be spent doing shorter, higher intensity work to keep fitness levels high, allow my body to fully recover, and ensure my glycogen stores are full when I line up at the start line.
I'm coming to the end of a long journey to my 2nd Ironman, the hard work is done. The Ironman is just the opportunity to showcase what I've accomplished over the past 5 months. I'll line up at the swim start with my current fitness level and confidence, and cross the finish line with a tired, smile on my face. Now, if I can just fast forward to June 26th.
The important thing to remember is that you need to trust your training and human physiology that a 2 week taper before an Ironman is the right thing to do. The next 10 days will be spent doing shorter, higher intensity work to keep fitness levels high, allow my body to fully recover, and ensure my glycogen stores are full when I line up at the start line.
I'm coming to the end of a long journey to my 2nd Ironman, the hard work is done. The Ironman is just the opportunity to showcase what I've accomplished over the past 5 months. I'll line up at the swim start with my current fitness level and confidence, and cross the finish line with a tired, smile on my face. Now, if I can just fast forward to June 26th.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Ironman Race Strategy
I'm about 2.5 weeks out from my Ironman, so I think it's about time to think about race strategy. I could go a few different routes here. One option is to go as hard and fast as I can from the start, but I'm pretty sure that is not going to bode well for me and I'll end up getting a ride to shore from one of the nice people on the jet skis due to exhaustion.
The name of this game is patience. The swim is going to be a warm-up for the bike, the bike is used for hydration and food for the run, the first 20 miles of the run is saving the legs for the real race, the last 10K of the Ironman.
Let's get into a little more detail here.
Swim - the plan for the swim is to start off easy. When I say "easy", I mean a little more effort than casual. Once I re-enter the water for the second loop I plan on a slight increase of effort, but still very comfortable. After all, the swim is just a warm-up. I'm pretty confident most of the 1st lap will be a human washing machine so it's important to stay cool and calm and let it play out. The rest of the swim will be about finding some feet and coasting to T1.
Bike - A lot of people will be so excited to be out of the water they will start off on the bike with too much effort and pedal mash the initial part of the course. I, on the other end, will start the bike in upper Z2 zone and focus on a smooth, relaxed cadence, nutrition, and hydration. Those pedal mashers will fall apart on the 2nd loop and/or on the run. My plan for nutrition is a PowerBar every other hour(1,3,5) and 'Sustained Energy' drink every other hour(2,4,6). This comes out to about 250-300 calories per hour. Hydration will be intermixed with water and Gatorade with drinking every 15 minutes. This will also depend on the course conditions. On the 2nd loop, based on how I'm feeling, I intend to pick up the effort and negative split the 2nd loop.
Run - The run is going to be about putting one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles. Nothing fancy or complicated here. I'll eat what I feel like eating and drink water/Gatorade at each aid station. I imagine toward the end of the race I'll be taking in flat Coke and put every ounce of effort I have to crossing that finish line.
Keep in mind this is merely a plan and there are many things that are simply out of my control on race day. I will control the things I can, and not worry about the things I can't. I may follow the plan to a T, or I may have to throw it out the window. Hopefully it's not the latter.
The name of this game is patience. The swim is going to be a warm-up for the bike, the bike is used for hydration and food for the run, the first 20 miles of the run is saving the legs for the real race, the last 10K of the Ironman.
Let's get into a little more detail here.
Swim - the plan for the swim is to start off easy. When I say "easy", I mean a little more effort than casual. Once I re-enter the water for the second loop I plan on a slight increase of effort, but still very comfortable. After all, the swim is just a warm-up. I'm pretty confident most of the 1st lap will be a human washing machine so it's important to stay cool and calm and let it play out. The rest of the swim will be about finding some feet and coasting to T1.
Bike - A lot of people will be so excited to be out of the water they will start off on the bike with too much effort and pedal mash the initial part of the course. I, on the other end, will start the bike in upper Z2 zone and focus on a smooth, relaxed cadence, nutrition, and hydration. Those pedal mashers will fall apart on the 2nd loop and/or on the run. My plan for nutrition is a PowerBar every other hour(1,3,5) and 'Sustained Energy' drink every other hour(2,4,6). This comes out to about 250-300 calories per hour. Hydration will be intermixed with water and Gatorade with drinking every 15 minutes. This will also depend on the course conditions. On the 2nd loop, based on how I'm feeling, I intend to pick up the effort and negative split the 2nd loop.
Run - The run is going to be about putting one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles. Nothing fancy or complicated here. I'll eat what I feel like eating and drink water/Gatorade at each aid station. I imagine toward the end of the race I'll be taking in flat Coke and put every ounce of effort I have to crossing that finish line.
Keep in mind this is merely a plan and there are many things that are simply out of my control on race day. I will control the things I can, and not worry about the things I can't. I may follow the plan to a T, or I may have to throw it out the window. Hopefully it's not the latter.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Mental Toughness
You're at the point of your race, workout, or life where you come to a crossroad and have a few choices
- fight through the pain and finish strong
- dog it and just finish
- quit
The easy choice, is to quit. The physical pain will subside quickly and you'll walk away feeling disappointed. The emotional pain won't go away easily and it will linger in the back of your mind. Clearly, this is not the best choice.
Another option is to half-ass it the rest of the way. You're not quitting, but you're not giving it your all. This is the point where excuses start to run through your mind. "what am I doing here"?, "why did I sign up for this"?, "why do I subject myself to this misery"? "I'm not built for this type of thing"? You start to unravel and become unfocused on what you're trying to accomplish. You'll make it to the end, but you're not going to be fulfilled with the outcome.
The best option, but the hardest, is to fight through the pain and finish strong. This takes focus, the ability to harness the pain as strength, and true grit. Some people are really good at doing this, and some have opportunities for improvement. You need to put away the distractions, the "noise" in your head that is telling you to quit, slow down, or back off and continue to hammer away. Focus all your energy and visualize that end goal or finish line. Finish 1st or last, you've won. You had the ability to overcome your perceived limitations and defeated your biggest competitor, yourself. By leaving it all out on the course you'll have instantaneous gratification and a high that can't be replicated by any drug.
The best part of it all, is that you can apply this to every aspect of your life.
- fight through the pain and finish strong
- dog it and just finish
- quit
The easy choice, is to quit. The physical pain will subside quickly and you'll walk away feeling disappointed. The emotional pain won't go away easily and it will linger in the back of your mind. Clearly, this is not the best choice.
Another option is to half-ass it the rest of the way. You're not quitting, but you're not giving it your all. This is the point where excuses start to run through your mind. "what am I doing here"?, "why did I sign up for this"?, "why do I subject myself to this misery"? "I'm not built for this type of thing"? You start to unravel and become unfocused on what you're trying to accomplish. You'll make it to the end, but you're not going to be fulfilled with the outcome.
The best option, but the hardest, is to fight through the pain and finish strong. This takes focus, the ability to harness the pain as strength, and true grit. Some people are really good at doing this, and some have opportunities for improvement. You need to put away the distractions, the "noise" in your head that is telling you to quit, slow down, or back off and continue to hammer away. Focus all your energy and visualize that end goal or finish line. Finish 1st or last, you've won. You had the ability to overcome your perceived limitations and defeated your biggest competitor, yourself. By leaving it all out on the course you'll have instantaneous gratification and a high that can't be replicated by any drug.
The best part of it all, is that you can apply this to every aspect of your life.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Bluff Creek Olympic Race Report
We arrived in Ogden, IA for the Bluff Creek Oly Triathlon on Saturday afternoon and found a great camping spot about 2 miles from the transition area. My wife, eldest daughter, and I were fortunate enough to ride up with my parents in the RV so we weren’t exactly ‘roughing it’. I pulled out the bike and did a quick 4 mile hard effort and 1 mile run off to get the blood flowing before the race. The rest of the evening was spent eating dinner and relaxing before the first triathlon of the season.
Race morning started off with almond butter on pita bread and a banana. I rode my bike down to the transition and set up. I was feeling really relaxed and didn’t have pent up energy that I usually have before a race which I thought was strange, but passed it off as nothing. I headed down to the bus that takes us to the swim start so I could test out the waters. The Oly swim had been cut short to only 500 meters due to the cold water temps of 52 degrees. I’ve swam in similar conditions before so I knew it would help to get in and get somewhat acclimated to the temperature before the start of the race.
Swim
It was a short swim with a small amount of people in my wave so it was pretty uneventful. I found a few draft lines but my main goal here was just to catch my breath and make it to shore. The cold water literally took my breath away and I just wanted to push through it and get out of the water. After reaching shore there was about a 2-300 meter run up to the transition zone. Total time: 12:40
T1
I had some trouble getting my wet suit off and kind of jacked around a little bit in T1 before I was finally off on the bike. Total time: 2:07
Bike
Starting off on the bike felt great with a tailwind, but after 3 miles we were in a strong crosswind or a headwind. At about mile 10 one of my aero bar pads fell off. I knew it was cracked before the race but I thought I could get away with it, I was obviously wrong. For the rest of the race I was not able to ride aero and relied on the horns to get me through the rest of the bike. I dropped my water bottle and failed an attempt to grab another bottle at the water station and had trouble getting my Gu packet to open so I bailed on that attempt. Long story short, no hydration or nutrition on the bike. I didn’t feel very strong on the bike and felt like I was missing the power and speed that I’ve developed during the off-season. Total time: 1:25:40, 17.5 mph avg
T2
I spent 2.5 minutes in T2 – I have no idea why I was in there so long, probably jacking around like I did in T1
Run
I headed out on the run with heavy legs and in need of hydration. My legs felt better after the 2nd mile but I was never able to find my rhythm throughout the entire run. I was able to push through and reach the finish line. Total time 53:22/8:36 per mile pace
I was pretty down after this race due to my performance and I had some time to think through it on my run Tuesday. Here’s what I came up with:
- Drive – I didn’t have much drive when I lined up at the start line. I think I can attribute this to my focus being on IM CDA in a month and this was more of a “tune up” for the big race.
Lots of mental mistakes during this race which inhibited my performance. It’s the first race of the year so I’m not going to invest too much stock in the results and chalk it up to a learning experience. I was able to take away some things to work on before my 1st ‘A’ race of the year and dive back into training with more focus and drive.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
7 Mental Keys to Weight Loss
The hardest part of getting into a routine or getting a workout done is we mentally talk ourselves out of it. Listen to your inner monologue and you'll hear:
- "I just don't have time today"
- "I'm too tired to work out today"
- "It's too hot/cold out today"
Here are 7 tips to get you to overcome the mental hurdles and get the work done:
1) Create Goals - I know this one has been ingrained into our brains, but it is a cornerstone to being successful. Make goals for the year, month, week, and the day. The daily, weekly, and monthly goals should align with reaching your annual goal. Keep them attainable, but require hard work and reaching. Post them where you can see them each day. Here is more information on setting goals.
2) Post Your Workouts or Planned Workouts on Social Media Outlets - This is a way to indirectly hold yourself accountable to others and lets your friends know what you're doing.
3) Educate Yourself - We tend to be more engaged and excited about doing something the more we know about it. There are a lot of good resources out there today on the web and on news stands near you.
4) Get Out of Your Own Way - This is one of the biggest inhibitors I see today. Making excuses, using false logic, procrastination and other ways we try and trick ourselves out of doing the work. Clear your mind of the negative self-talk replace it with positive self assurance..
5) Take it Day by Day - It's not what you did yesterday or will do tomorrow that counts, it's what you're going to do today. Refer to your daily goals. Consistency counts.
6) Avoid Instant Gratification - Today's society relies heavily on instant gratification. Information and feedback is so instantaneous that we expect that from everything we do. Getting the fitness and body you want takes time. You will get instant gratification of feeling energized and a sense of accomplishment after a work out and good nutrition, but be patient and the work will pay off in the long run.
7) Conquer the Foothills, not the Mountain Today - Starting off slow and hitting small milestones will guide you to more success than going full bore out of the gate. Build your confidence slowly and consistently.
Reaching your goals is 90% mental and 10% talent. You've got the fitness and nutrition knowledge, now it's time to conquer the mental roadblocks and meet your goals.
For more information and training plans, visit GettingFitness
- "I just don't have time today"
- "I'm too tired to work out today"
- "It's too hot/cold out today"
Here are 7 tips to get you to overcome the mental hurdles and get the work done:
1) Create Goals - I know this one has been ingrained into our brains, but it is a cornerstone to being successful. Make goals for the year, month, week, and the day. The daily, weekly, and monthly goals should align with reaching your annual goal. Keep them attainable, but require hard work and reaching. Post them where you can see them each day. Here is more information on setting goals.
2) Post Your Workouts or Planned Workouts on Social Media Outlets - This is a way to indirectly hold yourself accountable to others and lets your friends know what you're doing.
3) Educate Yourself - We tend to be more engaged and excited about doing something the more we know about it. There are a lot of good resources out there today on the web and on news stands near you.
4) Get Out of Your Own Way - This is one of the biggest inhibitors I see today. Making excuses, using false logic, procrastination and other ways we try and trick ourselves out of doing the work. Clear your mind of the negative self-talk replace it with positive self assurance..
5) Take it Day by Day - It's not what you did yesterday or will do tomorrow that counts, it's what you're going to do today. Refer to your daily goals. Consistency counts.
6) Avoid Instant Gratification - Today's society relies heavily on instant gratification. Information and feedback is so instantaneous that we expect that from everything we do. Getting the fitness and body you want takes time. You will get instant gratification of feeling energized and a sense of accomplishment after a work out and good nutrition, but be patient and the work will pay off in the long run.
7) Conquer the Foothills, not the Mountain Today - Starting off slow and hitting small milestones will guide you to more success than going full bore out of the gate. Build your confidence slowly and consistently.
Reaching your goals is 90% mental and 10% talent. You've got the fitness and nutrition knowledge, now it's time to conquer the mental roadblocks and meet your goals.
For more information and training plans, visit GettingFitness
Monday, May 9, 2011
12 Nutrition Keys to Weight Loss
Last week I touched on 5 Exercise Keys to Weight Loss and today I will cover the basics of the nutritional needs you'll need to accomplish weight loss. This is the hardest component of weight loss to deal with because of the constant temptations, the amount of misinformation out today, and it's really hard work. So, here's the tried and proven methods that will guarantee success.
1) DIETS DON'T WORK. Diets have a start and end time and, although you may have some short term success, 99% of the time people gain back the weight and more after they end the diet. Calorie deprivation isn't the answer either. The body is very smart and will compensate by using muscle as energy, store fat, and slow your metabolism.
2) Eating well is a lifestyle change. Add one of the bottom list items to your life each week and stick to it. Keep in simple and make it a habit. A habit will develop in 5 weeks
So, here's the list:
- eat 5-6 small meals a day (this will keep your metabolism high all day, keep you more
- energized, and keep your sugar levels in check)
- Eat protein with every meal.
- Eat breakfast
- Eat whole foods and avoid processed and manufactured foods
- Eat whole grain foods (this includes pasta, bread, rice, etc) – more fiber, keeps you full longer,
and better energy source
- Eat protein in this order – fish, chicken, turkey, red meat
- Avoid trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and wheat enriched flour (read labels)
- Eat good carbohydrates such as brown rice and pasta, fruits and vegetables – avoid sweets
- When shopping at grocery store, only shop the periphery – avoid isles (the outside will have produce, meat, and organic
When it comes down to it, it's pretty easy. There is no 'silver bullet' or secret weight loss method. Do it right now and reap the benefits forever.
1) DIETS DON'T WORK. Diets have a start and end time and, although you may have some short term success, 99% of the time people gain back the weight and more after they end the diet. Calorie deprivation isn't the answer either. The body is very smart and will compensate by using muscle as energy, store fat, and slow your metabolism.
2) Eating well is a lifestyle change. Add one of the bottom list items to your life each week and stick to it. Keep in simple and make it a habit. A habit will develop in 5 weeks
So, here's the list:
- eat 5-6 small meals a day (this will keep your metabolism high all day, keep you more
- energized, and keep your sugar levels in check)
- Eat protein with every meal.
- Eat breakfast
- Eat whole foods and avoid processed and manufactured foods
- Eat whole grain foods (this includes pasta, bread, rice, etc) – more fiber, keeps you full longer,
and better energy source
- Eat protein in this order – fish, chicken, turkey, red meat
- Avoid trans fat, high fructose corn syrup, and wheat enriched flour (read labels)
- Eat good carbohydrates such as brown rice and pasta, fruits and vegetables – avoid sweets
- When shopping at grocery store, only shop the periphery – avoid isles (the outside will have produce, meat, and organic
When it comes down to it, it's pretty easy. There is no 'silver bullet' or secret weight loss method. Do it right now and reap the benefits forever.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
5 Exercise Keys to Weight Loss
There is a lot of information out there today on weight loss and some of it is good, but a lot of it is not in your long term best interests, or more importantly, not healthy for you. I'm going to go over the REAL DEAL information that will guarantee you results. I'll cover 3 topics over the next few days:
1) Exercise
2) Nutrition
3) Mental/Emotional
So, without further ado, here we go:
1) Resistance/weight training is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Here's a quick explanation - weight training breaks down the muscle fibers which requires the body to repair them. In order to repair them your body needs energy, also known as calories. This raises your metabolism for at least 24 hours which burns more calories more efficiently. More muscles also needs more calories
2) Skip the slow cardio work and do HIIT or high intensity interval training. For example, hop on the treadmill or elliptical and after a quick warmup, do 5 sets of 3 minutes fast, 2 minutes easy or 3 minutes at a high level of resistance, 2 minutes of easy resistance. Same principles here apply as above. Don't forget to get in a 5-10 minute cool down
3) Work the big muscles! The biggest muscles in your body(glutes, legs, chest, back, shoulders) will require more energy to repair due to more muscle fibers so spend extra time working those muscles and do them first in the workout. If you have time go ahead and include abs, biceps and triceps but they are not priority.
4) Combine movements for more calorie expenditure. Grab a pair of dumbbells and while doing lunges alternate doing shoulder presses or do dumbbell push ups combined with dumbbell rows. This makes the workouts more challenging and is excellent for those that have limited time.
5) Aim for hypertrophy - hypertrophy is specific to defining/toning the muscles which is doing 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. This is going to be challenging enough to get the results you want.
A few extra tips
- perform weight training before cardio if training for weight loss
- while endurance sports help you lose weight, they are not the most efficient
- it takes hard work and dedication, there is no way around it
- for weight training ideas, check out http://www.gettingfitness.com
1) Exercise
2) Nutrition
3) Mental/Emotional
So, without further ado, here we go:
1) Resistance/weight training is going to give you the biggest bang for your buck. Here's a quick explanation - weight training breaks down the muscle fibers which requires the body to repair them. In order to repair them your body needs energy, also known as calories. This raises your metabolism for at least 24 hours which burns more calories more efficiently. More muscles also needs more calories
2) Skip the slow cardio work and do HIIT or high intensity interval training. For example, hop on the treadmill or elliptical and after a quick warmup, do 5 sets of 3 minutes fast, 2 minutes easy or 3 minutes at a high level of resistance, 2 minutes of easy resistance. Same principles here apply as above. Don't forget to get in a 5-10 minute cool down
3) Work the big muscles! The biggest muscles in your body(glutes, legs, chest, back, shoulders) will require more energy to repair due to more muscle fibers so spend extra time working those muscles and do them first in the workout. If you have time go ahead and include abs, biceps and triceps but they are not priority.
4) Combine movements for more calorie expenditure. Grab a pair of dumbbells and while doing lunges alternate doing shoulder presses or do dumbbell push ups combined with dumbbell rows. This makes the workouts more challenging and is excellent for those that have limited time.
5) Aim for hypertrophy - hypertrophy is specific to defining/toning the muscles which is doing 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. This is going to be challenging enough to get the results you want.
A few extra tips
- perform weight training before cardio if training for weight loss
- while endurance sports help you lose weight, they are not the most efficient
- it takes hard work and dedication, there is no way around it
- for weight training ideas, check out http://www.gettingfitness.com
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Pre Half Marathon Tips
With only a few days before my 1/2 marathon I thought it would be helpful to write out what I do the week leading up to the race and include some nuggets of information that may be helpful for you. This race is a 'C' race for me, meaning I will not taper or alter my training schedule too much for this race. Simply put, it's another training day, except at a higher intensity and with a lot of people. My goals for this race is to fine tune my pre race meal, breakfast, and nutrition during race and to get some good data from the race regarding my fitness. I also hope to negative split the 2nd half to the 1st half. Here is what I've done this week leading up to the race:
Sunday - 11 mile run - easy
Monday - recovery day
Tuesday - weights
Wednesday - 5 mile run(z2) and 2 hour trainer ride(z2)
Thursday - weights and long swim(z2)
Friday - swim and 2 mile run with some pick ups throughout the run to loosen up the legs
I will stay away with high fiber, high fat, and spicy foods on Friday and keep my diet pretty bland, but healthy, throughout the day. Saturday morning I will have peanut butter on bread, a banana, and sip on water throughout the morning. Not sexy, but it works for me. During the race I will have a GU chased by a water after the 1 hour mark. Some other tips:
1) Eat 2 hours before the race
2) Don't stray from what you've been doing in training or try anything new
3) It is better to start off easy and make up time at the end of the race then start off hard and suffer through the rest of the race.
4) Know your pace as indicated by your training. Magical speed won't show up on race day.
5) Thank the volunteers, they are out there to help make the race enjoyable for you.
6) Show up to the race site at least 30-45 minutes early to give yourself time to get situated.
7) Mentally break the race down into sections - don't think of it as 13 miles, break it down by 1 mile at a time or 1 block at a time. This make it much more manageable.
8) Toward the end of the race pick out someone ahead of you and try and pass them, then pick out someone else and pass them.
9) Have fun! Think of the race as a celebration of all your training and hard work.
10) Leave it all out on the course.
Sunday - 11 mile run - easy
Monday - recovery day
Tuesday - weights
Wednesday - 5 mile run(z2) and 2 hour trainer ride(z2)
Thursday - weights and long swim(z2)
Friday - swim and 2 mile run with some pick ups throughout the run to loosen up the legs
I will stay away with high fiber, high fat, and spicy foods on Friday and keep my diet pretty bland, but healthy, throughout the day. Saturday morning I will have peanut butter on bread, a banana, and sip on water throughout the morning. Not sexy, but it works for me. During the race I will have a GU chased by a water after the 1 hour mark. Some other tips:
1) Eat 2 hours before the race
2) Don't stray from what you've been doing in training or try anything new
3) It is better to start off easy and make up time at the end of the race then start off hard and suffer through the rest of the race.
4) Know your pace as indicated by your training. Magical speed won't show up on race day.
5) Thank the volunteers, they are out there to help make the race enjoyable for you.
6) Show up to the race site at least 30-45 minutes early to give yourself time to get situated.
7) Mentally break the race down into sections - don't think of it as 13 miles, break it down by 1 mile at a time or 1 block at a time. This make it much more manageable.
8) Toward the end of the race pick out someone ahead of you and try and pass them, then pick out someone else and pass them.
9) Have fun! Think of the race as a celebration of all your training and hard work.
10) Leave it all out on the course.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Next 6 Weeks - Perseverance
According to Webster's dictionary, the definition of perseverance is: "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering." In other words, having an end goal and pushing, running over, or negotiating obstacles in order to achieve the end goal.
I was on my 4 hour bike ride this weekend and it was cloudy, cold, and windy. I could of easily bailed on the workout blaming the elements, but I knew I would feel better once it was done. I also knew that this was a key workout and it it going to boost my confidence from an endurance perspective and a mental toughness standpoint.
The next 6 weeks are going to be tough as I'm entering the final stages of training before IM CDA. I've got more 4, 5, 6 hour rides ahead, 5000 yard swims, and 2.5 hour runs ahead. This is the time I need to buckle down and get the work done as I knew it will pay off come race day. It's not the (1) 4-6 hour ride that matters, but the culmination of all the work done week in and week out that is going to get me to the start line healthy and prepared, and endure the 140.6 journey to the finish line.
I was on my 4 hour bike ride this weekend and it was cloudy, cold, and windy. I could of easily bailed on the workout blaming the elements, but I knew I would feel better once it was done. I also knew that this was a key workout and it it going to boost my confidence from an endurance perspective and a mental toughness standpoint.
The next 6 weeks are going to be tough as I'm entering the final stages of training before IM CDA. I've got more 4, 5, 6 hour rides ahead, 5000 yard swims, and 2.5 hour runs ahead. This is the time I need to buckle down and get the work done as I knew it will pay off come race day. It's not the (1) 4-6 hour ride that matters, but the culmination of all the work done week in and week out that is going to get me to the start line healthy and prepared, and endure the 140.6 journey to the finish line.
Monday, April 18, 2011
2011 Race Schedule Explained
Here is what I have planned as of right now, with my 'A' or 'most important' races that I will focus the most of my training on being Ironman CDA and Hy-Vee Oly. The other races really serve one of the following purposes:
- race simulation training
- fun
- experimenting in nutrition, strategy
Drake 1/2 Marathon - April 30th
Bluff Creek Olympic Tri - May 22nd
Dam to Dam 20K - June 4th
CDA Ironman - June 26th
Lifetime Fitness Oly Tri - July 9th (tentative)
RAGBRAI - July 23-26th - Iowa
Big Creek Oly Tri - August 14th
Pigman Half Ironman - August 21st
Hy-Vee Oly - September 4th
Des Moines Half/Full Marathon - Oct 16
I wanted to walk through the schedule a little more in-depth to explain why I chose these races, and the training changes that will occur over the season.
My 1st 'A' race of the season is Ironman Couer D' Alene, and has been the focus of my training over the past few months and will continue to ramp up until early mid June. The Drake 1/2 will help gauge my current running training and allow me to open up a little bit and push the intensity as the majority of my runs have been in lower z2. I will also test out running nutrition as far as water vs sports drink, gels, etc. The next race, Bluff Creek Tri, will allow me the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs of triathlon racing, work on transitions, and reacquaint my body to the feeling of going from the swim -bike-running. Finally Dam to Dam 20K race is something I've done about every year and will be more for fun and chalked up to a training day run.
Finally, IM CDA will be on the horizon which will mean no more racing and the taper will begin up until the June 26th race day! Ironman racing usually requires 4-6 weeks of recovery for amateurs, depending on the individual which is why I have the Lifetime Fitness Tri as tentative. This will probably be a 'week of the race' decision. Less than 2 weeks off and then back to high intensity racing is a probably not a wise decision, but we'll see how recovery is going before completely putting off this race.
RAGBRAI is going to be more about fun and getting in some solid riding. I am doing the 1st 3-4 days(which are the hilliest, and hardest) culminating with a century ride. My primary focus is going to be Hy-Vee, but I need to maintain my higher volume running and swimming for Pigman. I will also incorporate speed work during the week which should translate into positive results for the Olympic races. The long rides in late July will pay dividends in bike fitness for the Pigman.
I am not concerned about having Big Creek one week before the Pigman 1/2 because I'm confident I will be able to recover from that race pretty quickly and be ready for Pigman. I'll have 2 weeks between the 1/2 and my 'A' race - Hy-Vee Oly which may be a little aggressive from a recovery standpoint. I will have to take a look at my training/recovery data to see if doing Pigman is going to be an option this year. I'm guessing with a high volume of training of swimming, biking, and running throughout the year that recovery should be fairly quick as long as I'm proactive about taking the right steps to a quick recovery.
- race simulation training
- fun
- experimenting in nutrition, strategy
Drake 1/2 Marathon - April 30th
Bluff Creek Olympic Tri - May 22nd
Dam to Dam 20K - June 4th
CDA Ironman - June 26th
Lifetime Fitness Oly Tri - July 9th (tentative)
RAGBRAI - July 23-26th - Iowa
Big Creek Oly Tri - August 14th
Pigman Half Ironman - August 21st
Hy-Vee Oly - September 4th
Des Moines Half/Full Marathon - Oct 16
I wanted to walk through the schedule a little more in-depth to explain why I chose these races, and the training changes that will occur over the season.
My 1st 'A' race of the season is Ironman Couer D' Alene, and has been the focus of my training over the past few months and will continue to ramp up until early mid June. The Drake 1/2 will help gauge my current running training and allow me to open up a little bit and push the intensity as the majority of my runs have been in lower z2. I will also test out running nutrition as far as water vs sports drink, gels, etc. The next race, Bluff Creek Tri, will allow me the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs of triathlon racing, work on transitions, and reacquaint my body to the feeling of going from the swim -bike-running. Finally Dam to Dam 20K race is something I've done about every year and will be more for fun and chalked up to a training day run.
Finally, IM CDA will be on the horizon which will mean no more racing and the taper will begin up until the June 26th race day! Ironman racing usually requires 4-6 weeks of recovery for amateurs, depending on the individual which is why I have the Lifetime Fitness Tri as tentative. This will probably be a 'week of the race' decision. Less than 2 weeks off and then back to high intensity racing is a probably not a wise decision, but we'll see how recovery is going before completely putting off this race.
RAGBRAI is going to be more about fun and getting in some solid riding. I am doing the 1st 3-4 days(which are the hilliest, and hardest) culminating with a century ride. My primary focus is going to be Hy-Vee, but I need to maintain my higher volume running and swimming for Pigman. I will also incorporate speed work during the week which should translate into positive results for the Olympic races. The long rides in late July will pay dividends in bike fitness for the Pigman.
I am not concerned about having Big Creek one week before the Pigman 1/2 because I'm confident I will be able to recover from that race pretty quickly and be ready for Pigman. I'll have 2 weeks between the 1/2 and my 'A' race - Hy-Vee Oly which may be a little aggressive from a recovery standpoint. I will have to take a look at my training/recovery data to see if doing Pigman is going to be an option this year. I'm guessing with a high volume of training of swimming, biking, and running throughout the year that recovery should be fairly quick as long as I'm proactive about taking the right steps to a quick recovery.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Skipping Meals = Weight Gain
During a lot of my initial client consultations one of the very first questions I ask a potential client is if they eat breakfast. Most of the time the answer is "no" and the reasoning is chalked up to:
a) not having enough time
b) don't like breakfast
c) not hungry in the mornings
One might assume that by skipping a meal and eating less calories would be advantageous in trying to achieve weight loss. That is not the case, in fact, most of the time the opposite happens - weight gain. Let's walk through what happens physiologically to the body.
The human body is incredibly smart and adaptable. When a meal is skipped, especially breakfast, the body goes into a 'fasting mode' and your metabolism (how efficiently you burn calories) slows down and your body uses protein as its energy stores - in essence it's using your lean muscle mass, and it is keeping your fat stores as reserve energy.
Typically skipping meals will result into cravings. When you cave into the cravings the result will be high blood sugar which causes the body to create triglycerides which convert directly to fat-storage. So the weight you are losing is going to be mostly water and lean muscle.
Once you do get a normal meal chances are high that you'll over-indulge. Your rate of metabolism is very slow and it will take a long time for your body to digest the meal which result in weight gain.
The long term effects include muscle loss, weight gain, poor energy levels, testosterone loss, depleted immune system, and decreased bone density.
Start the morning off right with something to eat. In this case eating something unhealthy is going to be better than not eating anything at all. I would recommend a protein shake, peanut butter on bread, or scrambled eggs mixed with veggies.
For more information on this article or weight loss visit http://www.gettingfitness.com
a) not having enough time
b) don't like breakfast
c) not hungry in the mornings
One might assume that by skipping a meal and eating less calories would be advantageous in trying to achieve weight loss. That is not the case, in fact, most of the time the opposite happens - weight gain. Let's walk through what happens physiologically to the body.
The human body is incredibly smart and adaptable. When a meal is skipped, especially breakfast, the body goes into a 'fasting mode' and your metabolism (how efficiently you burn calories) slows down and your body uses protein as its energy stores - in essence it's using your lean muscle mass, and it is keeping your fat stores as reserve energy.
Typically skipping meals will result into cravings. When you cave into the cravings the result will be high blood sugar which causes the body to create triglycerides which convert directly to fat-storage. So the weight you are losing is going to be mostly water and lean muscle.
Once you do get a normal meal chances are high that you'll over-indulge. Your rate of metabolism is very slow and it will take a long time for your body to digest the meal which result in weight gain.
The long term effects include muscle loss, weight gain, poor energy levels, testosterone loss, depleted immune system, and decreased bone density.
Start the morning off right with something to eat. In this case eating something unhealthy is going to be better than not eating anything at all. I would recommend a protein shake, peanut butter on bread, or scrambled eggs mixed with veggies.
For more information on this article or weight loss visit http://www.gettingfitness.com
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
What Happened to Hard Work?
When I think back to some of my accomplishments thus far in my career, athletic journey, or family life the most rewarding are often the most challenging and difficult. Greater effort = greater reward. I think one of the biggest components missing from today's society is the fact that what you want in life, career, and sport takes hard work. There is no other way around it. There is no silver bullet or magic pill that is going to get you to your goal without doing the work day in and day out.
A perfect example is this video of Miranda Carfrae running form analysis video. Miranda won the IM World Championship last year and is considered one of the best triathlon runners. When you watch her run it looks so easy and flawless. Her form is perfect and she looks so comfortable and relaxed - oh, and she was running between 6:05/6:13 miles.
My point is, it has taken her years and 1000s of hours of consistent training to be that good. (Genetics have played a role in her talent as well). She has dedicated herself to be one of the best in the world and now she is reaping the benefits of her hard work.
Find your passion in what you want to do and put in the hard work, that's the only way to meet your potential and success.
A perfect example is this video of Miranda Carfrae running form analysis video. Miranda won the IM World Championship last year and is considered one of the best triathlon runners. When you watch her run it looks so easy and flawless. Her form is perfect and she looks so comfortable and relaxed - oh, and she was running between 6:05/6:13 miles.
My point is, it has taken her years and 1000s of hours of consistent training to be that good. (Genetics have played a role in her talent as well). She has dedicated herself to be one of the best in the world and now she is reaping the benefits of her hard work.
Find your passion in what you want to do and put in the hard work, that's the only way to meet your potential and success.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Effects of Running in the Wind - Real Life Example
I had a zone 2 run today over lunch and it was particularly windy day. I was curious to what kind of effect it would have on my pace given the zone 2 effort so I set up my Auto Lap for every mile on my Garmin and off I went for a 5.5 mile run. Today's wind gusts are around 24 mph give or take and the temps in the lower 50s at best.
Keep in mind, this is not a scientific study by any means and there are conditions such as hills, traffic, etc that I'm not taking in account here, but this data will give you a rough idea of what kind of impact wind has on running.
Mile 1 - 8:23 - into the wind
Mile 2 - 8:14 - with the wind
Mile 3 - 8:42- into the wind
Mile 4 - 7:57 - with the wind
Mile 5 - 7:54- with the wind
Mile 6 - 7:46- with the wind
There is a pretty profound difference there. More research and info will be coming soon, but this is something to consider when out on your weekend runs. If your mile times seem off, see if wind is a factor.
Keep in mind, this is not a scientific study by any means and there are conditions such as hills, traffic, etc that I'm not taking in account here, but this data will give you a rough idea of what kind of impact wind has on running.
Mile 1 - 8:23 - into the wind
Mile 2 - 8:14 - with the wind
Mile 3 - 8:42- into the wind
Mile 4 - 7:57 - with the wind
Mile 5 - 7:54- with the wind
Mile 6 - 7:46- with the wind
There is a pretty profound difference there. More research and info will be coming soon, but this is something to consider when out on your weekend runs. If your mile times seem off, see if wind is a factor.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Throw Your Scale Out the Window!
After a long holiday break or weekend we always dread hopping on the scale wondering what crazy number is going to appear. The anxiety level goes up, the not-so-distant memories of all the food/drink we put in our bellies, and the lack of exercise we did enter into the equation as we look down at the number. Sometimes we’re surprised, other times we have a look of horror on our faces.
I tell all my weight loss clients to toss the scale out the window! OK, not really, but I make it a point to insist they don’t use the scale every day, and, if they do use it, 1 time a week is more than enough. Weight scales can give us pretty arbitrary numbers based on many different outliers. Here are a few of the factors that play into our actual weight:
- Time of day
- Level of hydration/dehydration
- Last time went to the bathroom
- Last time we ate
- How much salt/processed food we ate (retains water)
- Last time exercised(lost water weight in sweat)
- Clothing
- Muscle gain vs. body fat loss
I have found that a digital scale can offer completely different results each time I weigh myself, so I’m not completely sold on them. However, if you are willing to invest some money into one, reviews indicate they are reliable. If you have a digital scale that measures body fat, hydration, and weight be sure to weigh yourself under the same conditions each time so that you have a comparative baseline to work from each time you weight yourself. There are even some scales that can upload your data to your phone and/or computer. Here is a great review by DC Rainmaker. Same rules apply to your basic scale -same time, same scale, under same conditions.
I tend to advise my clients that instead of using a scale, base their weight loss on how their clothes fit.
- -Are your jeans fitting better?
- -Is that shirt a little tighter around the chest and more wiggle room around your mid-section?
- Are you able to fit into your ‘summer jeans’ easier.
These are great qualitative measures for success!
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