Hydrophobic

I think I'm afraid of the water.

I purchased a pass with twenty five punches to swim at a pretty darn nice facility. I bought the pass in October and I've got two punches. Ugh. I've got to find some way to just jump in.

Wait, maybe, I know what the problem is right now:

Inconsistency.

I have yet to establish a routine and that is a bit unnerving. So I guess that's my new Ironman resolution for now:

I want to be consistent, at least until September. I think I can do that.

Consistency.

Again.

Consistency.

Again.

Consistency.....

Head

What's the best way to start off a new year and a new season of training? How about come back from half way around the world with some serious jetlag. Then you top that off with a migraine that decides to shut your body down for days. Sad thing is: I slept for three days, I didn't eat for three days, and I still didn't lose any weight. Sigh...So my Week 1 turned into Week -2.

Restart...

I am back working with my coach from 2006. If you thought what I did in 2006 was, well different, that's because it was. Maybe things will look a little more "traditional" but knowing myself, don't bet on it.

This week is now Week 1. The results are mixed. The engine feels good, but my weekly routine... well I have no routine yet. And that worries me just enough to make me uneasy. As it is still January, there is no need to panic. So tonight after happy hour....yes after happy hour, I hope to dip my feet in the water for the first time since, ehhh, July?

Hope I remember how to swim...

On My Way Back

As I look back on 2007, my life was filled with changes. My training took a back seat to the everything else. The result was a lackluster and unfulfilled season. But remembering there is more to life than triathlons is a lesson I should learn sooner rather than later.

I might have lost all of you dedicated blog readers due to a long period of inactivity. There's not a lot of flair here, but hopefully I will win you all back.

I am making another attempt at Ironman. I could certainly use the support and camaraderie you gave two years ago. Things will, or rather are different now and the path I take to Madison will certainly be different from the last time.

Right now I am undertrained. Maybe even frustrated and lacking in motivation from my 2007 season. I may not even make it to the Lake Monona in September.

But I promise it will be a ride. Strap yourself in. I'm on my way...

Stage 15: Indians Fever

Race day is almost here. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I have a pretty good idea why my hip and knees were bothering me and it had something to do with some extracurricular sports. I have been silent for several weeks as I have angonized over continuing to pursue a Boston qualifying time.

I have decided to toe the line and just run however I feel. If I crash and burn at mile 13 then so what. If I decide to start walking at mile 6 so what. And if I somehow manage a PR well, then...I don't know, I guess I'll be really really dumbfounded and I guess elated.

At the start of the year I had a Plan B to get to Boston. That was to run the Rocket City Marathon in December. Well Plan B is no longer in effect as I have to start thinking about Plan A for 2008. A few of you may already know this: shortly after 12 noon on September 10, 2007, I registered for another go around at Ironman Wisconsin. So I was not about to continue my 2007 season into December and get going with 2008 in January. My brain needs to get a little more time away from training. And whether you like it or not, another season of sporadic blogging is in store from yours truly.

So that's some old news and some new news. And in the exciting news, has anyone been watching the Cleveland Indians? Because of them I am going to sleep later than I should, ingesting more bar food than I should, and consuming more rally beers than I should. But WOW what a ride!!! It's Tribe Time Now!!!

Stage 12: DNF, DNS, DNT

Let's make this short and sour.

Something was not right in my hip and so my Saturday run was cut short. I basically shut it down after five miles, but I still had to stagger another 3 miles to the car. It's Thursday now, and still a little sore.

I can't imagine any realistic scenario where I run a sub 3:10 marathon in a little over three weeks. As I see it now I have three options:

DNF - Did not finish. Go out and race. Give it what I can and if I blow up, so be it. But will I pay the price and be hurting for months?

DNS - Did not start. Shut down the running now. Rest up. Come back when the body and mind are ready to go again.

DNT - Did not try. Run the marathon but force myself to dog it. Ugh not sure if I can have that mindset.

Anyone have anymore options?

I don't know what it is. The marathon gods must really hate me. This is my fifth attempt at a marathon and my fifth time getting hurt within spitting distance of race day.

It's gone from SUCK to BLOW!!!

And I'm out....


Monday: 2.5 mile run easy run
Tuesday: No workouts
Wednesday: 3 x 1 mile, 1 mile warm up 1 mile cool down
Thursday: No workouts
Friday: Sand Volleyball cross training
Saturday: 8 miles
Sunday: No workouts

Weekly Totals:

* Swim: 0 meters
* Bike: 0 miles
* Run: 15.5 miles


Preview of Stage 13: Decision time?

Stage 11: Taking Inventory

I really don't know what's going to happen on October 21st. I'm lacking in confidence right now. A lot of it is a total lack of structure in my running "plan." I feel as if I am cramming for a final exam. While that might have worked in school, I can't think it will translate well in marathoning.

I ran somewhere close to 20 miles on Sunday. I'm not sure how to rate my run. I had some good miles in the middle of the run. I ran low on fuel at one point. Tried to run through a "side stitch" at another point. Had a bear of a time finding a porta-potty. I must have hit a few wrong buttons on my watch because not many of the numbers made sense. So I have no real idea about pace or even time. So that adds up to more negatives than positives huh.

Okay so a quick inventory of things.

I have another 20 miler planned for a few weeks. Maybe I will bump up the mileage on the long weekend runs in between.

I seriously need to do some tempo work asap. I want to be able to tell what 6:50, 7:00, and 7:10 minute miles feel like.

Maybe I can squeeze in a 10 mile mid week tempo run.

Oh so much to do. So little time.


Monday: 5 mile run up tempo in the am/4 miles easy in the pm
Tuesday: No workouts
Wednesday: 4 mile run easy in the am/5 miles with hills in the pm
Thursday: No workouts
Friday: Volleyball cross training
Saturday: No workouts
Sunday: 20+ mile run

Weekly Totals:

• Swim: 0 meters
  
• Bike: 0 miles
  
• Run: 38 miles

Stage 10: Calm Before the Storm

9/11. I know I'm a day late, but please let us not forget.




IM IW 07. Awesome job out there, athletes, volunteers, support crew. I'm sure it was an amazing day. I am inspired by all your reports.

This is going to be a quick post.

I decided to recover a bit. I remember the last time I was training for a marathon. Right about this time I tried to squeeze in as many training runs as I could and I ended up hurt. During my run on Friday, my legs just did not have it so I bagged the long weekend run and decided I would just gear up for four big weeks. This is what I hope to do the next six weekends:

Easy 20 miler
Solid 12-15, possibly after a ride
Race 20k
20 miler
10 miler
Marathon


Recap of Stage 10:

Tuesday: No workout
Wednesday: 5.5 miles easy on the track
Thursday: No workout
Friday: 6.5 mile run
Saturday: No workout
Sunday: No workout

Weekly Totals:

• Swim: 0 meters
  
• Bike: 0 miles
  
• Run: 12 miles

Preview of Stage 11: Let's get it on. Four big weeks till marathon taper. I can do this.

Stage 8 & 9: Conditioning

Just got back from the SF Bay area and a little R&R. August was a tough month at work and that break was absolutely necessary. So let's recap the workouts from the last two weeks.

Stage 8:

Monday: No workout
Tuesday: 6.5 mile run
Wednesday: 6.5 miles on the track
Thursday: No workout
Friday: No workout
Saturday: 2:45 trail run - 16ish miles
Sunday: 20 minutes on the bike trainer

Weekly Totals:

• Swim: 0 meters
  
• Bike: 6 miles
  
• Run: 29 miles

Stage 9:

Monday: 45 minutes on the bike trainer
Tuesday: 45 minute Zone 3 run - 6ish miles
Wednesday: No workout
Thursday: 2 mile easy run
Friday: No workout
Saturday: 8 mile trail/hill run
Sunday: No workout
Monday: 3 hour run trail -18ish miles

Weekly Totals:

• Swim: 0 meters
• Bike: 15 miles
• Run: 34 miles

So there's a lot of things that are keeping the hamsters running in my brain. (By the way, anyone remember the show Herman's Head? Back then I didn't think it was half bad.)

1.) Gawd has it been hot out there. After my last track workout, I took my socks off and wrung them out. While in California, I wanted to run a little more, but when the mercury hits triple digits, you have to respect that heat. I was staying in San Ramon, but one day I went out to Berkley. There must have been a 30 degree difference in temperature. Now I normally don't care too much about the weather - I actually like running in the heat, but I know on my marathon race day in October, I won't have heat. Chances are better for snow and I wish I could train and acclimate to that.

2.) I have thrown out my training plan and now I am pretty much winging it. Call my a heretic, call me nuts. Once again I am off marching to my own drum beat. I'm sort of okay with that. I will admit this improv training is a little nervous, but I need to trust myself.

3.) By the way I have recently turned off my watch. At my last track workout, I was running my quarter splits too fast and got my panties all bunched up. I ended up having a terrible and unproductive workout. So all my runs since, I have not cared about my pace, my distance, and to some degree my time. Yes I will turn the clock back on, but I needed to get a grip.

4.) My legs are in good shape, primarily from a lot of biking. But the rest of the body has not yet been conditioned to running long distances fast. I believe I have the ability to hit my mark, but if I don't it won't be because my legs aren't strong enough. As a matter of fact, I think my brain has been slowing me down. The last two weekends I have bumped up my long runs quite a bit. I've gone from 15 miles a week to 15 miles in one run. And all the little discomfort and fatigue that are associated with running long are sending too many signals to my brain. I need to condition the entire body and the mind. Seems like I do a lot of rewiring upstairs. Sigh... if only I could just flip my brain off for a little while and just run hard.

5.) IM WI 2007 will be here soon. This race obviously has some significance to me. I wish I could be there in person. Next Monday will be interesting. I hope I can break away from work to register online. Part of me is hoping I don't get in. That part of me is worried about the right heart rate zones, about miles per hour, about my run pace, about how many gels to eat, about being anal with the training again. That part doesn't care about the chills of anticipation in the water, about the uneasiness of flying down Garfoot Road, or the euphoria of seeing the golden statue on top of the capitol building. What to do.

So to all the IM WI racers out there (way too many to list here, but they know who they are)
Kick Ass!!!

Stage 10 preview: For this week's workouts, do I gear up for a 20 miler or recover? What about both?