Week #5 - Feeling the Rythm

5 weeks down... and only 25 more to go! I'm happy to say, I am injury and sickness free, and feeling strong.

This week, the Iron Fit program again increases my training volume to a total of 9 hours and my body seems to be adjusting well to the increase. I can feel improvements in my biking endurance, run pace, and especially in my swimming. 

Last Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to get in a nice long swim session before work, and ended up tallying over 2800 meters... nearly ¾ of the IM swim leg!  I can feel my stroke coming together, fluidity improving, and as Coach Gene at Westside would say, I feel like I’m “walking in the water”. As I’ve wrote previously, I really feel comfortable in water and can see why people get hooked onto the sport once they build up the courage to get into the pool. I definitely encourage anyone who’s looking to start exercising, but may be intimidated by gyms or fitness clubs, to think about swimming as an alternative. Just about every community pool and YMCA offer both child and adult swimming classes and the majority will have a  Masters Swimming program, which is open to swimmers of all levels.

Taking some advice from a friend, I’ve started using a  cadence sensor on my bike. By tracking my cadence I can measure the RPMs of my pedals, which aims improve my cycling efficiency. A higher cadence requires less force per pedal stroke and places less stress on my joints and muscles, which reduces the risk for an overuse injury. The optimal cadence range occurs when your body balances the best combination of muscle force and muscle speed. Too low a cadence and too many muscle fibers get recruited, while too high a cadence also results in too many muscle fibers getting recruited. The best cadence is individual to each person and depends on a host of factors including type of event, duration, and intensity. Most riders will have a range of cadences that are all equally effective but, for triathletes the recommended range is 85-100rpm. For Ironman triathletes specifically, that range is narrowed to 88-92rpm. Luckily my Garmin GPS/HR monitor easily syncs with the sensor so, I can see my cadence in real time.  

This weekend, a 2 hour bike ride and 1 hour run is in store for me and I've slowly embraced the consecutive days of long training. In the past, when I was running marathons exclusively, I would never stack two days of long runs on top of one another. The risk of burn out and injury is just too high. But with triathlons, training two portions of the race on consecutive days, if not within minutes of each other, is paramount. Thus, the consecutive days of long rides & runs are a key to training for IM Louisville and a crucial element of the Iron Fit program. Like I said, I've slowly embraced this new concept but, my body may still need a few weeks to get into rhythm.

Here’s a look at last weekend’s bike ride… .

Motivation - Week #3

Motivation

Finding motivation to accomplish something can be a taunting task. The motivation to get a job done, change a bad habit, or simply to get out of bed can elude us all from time to time. We all find motivation in different ways and for many different reasons throughout our lives. As I have wrote, my motivation to become an Ironman starts with my Dad and his battle with cancer. To be frank, I’m training for this race because my Dad can’t. 
  
My Dad can’t be there to feel the nerves run up his back before the race, he can’t experience the sensation of 140 miles of pain, and he won’t ever be able to cross the Ironman finish line. My Dad can’t do any of these things because of cancer but, I can. I can and I will complete this race for my Dad. The thought of my journey being dedicated to my father, instead of a personal accomplishment, motivates me every single day I train; it motivates me beyond anything imaginable. That motivation fuels my long runs, intense spin sessions, and technical brick workouts. It keeps me accountable to the fact that this journey isn’t about how fast I can run or how strong I may be. I’m accountable to the reality that I must be smart, diligent, and meticulous during all 30 weeks of my training because this race is bigger than me. 

My journey bears a heavy weight that I am willing to accept. I have dedicated this race to my Dad and his memory but, I’d like to also include the load of a greater cause as well: all those of have lost the battle or who are currently battling cancer.  Millions of people are diagnosed with cancer every year and many of those people will never have the chance to complete an Ironman, just like my Dad.  

My father was a humble, unpretentious, and never too outspoken person. He mostly kept a quiet demeanor and was rather modest. I feel that the thought of his son completing an Ironman just for him would undoubtedly make him extremely proud but, to some extent it would also make him feel somewhat ostentatious. He wasn’t into grand extravagant things or being in the spot-light and, I don’t think he would want this Ironman to just be about him when, there are so many other people affected by cancer as well. That is why I have decided to expand the dedication of this race beyond my father’s memory; to include the motivation of others who have lost the battle with cancer and will never complete an Ironman Triathlon. 

If you are reading this blog, and have someone close to you that has passed away from or is battling cancer now, and would like to add their name to my list of motivators…Please comment below and I would be honored to dedicate my Ironman training to them. 
  
Week #3 Update

Tuesday morning's swim workout.

This week kicks off Week #3 of my Ironman training! In total I will be putting in 8 hours of exercise, which will be a very gradual increase from Week #1's mere 6 hours. Over the next 7 days, the 8 hours of training will consist of 2 hours of swimming, 3 hours biking, and 3 of running. A large portion of each week’s training throughout the program will wrap up with a long bike ride and a long run on the weekends. This Saturday and Sunday, the regimen calls for a 2 hour ride and 1 hour run.

For my long bike ride I have 2 options:  Either bundle up & hope for decent weather to ride outside in the freezing cold or set up my bike on the indoor trainer and stare at the wall in the warmth of my living room for 2 hours! Last week, I weathered 40° temperatures on a ride with a friend of mine and seemed to fare quite well so, I may try and take another stab at it this Saturday. While I realize that a meager 40° may not sound very cold to most of you however, when you are biking at 20mph with the wind in your face for 2 hours, it is quite cold! Trust me.

A far as I’m concerned for my long run this coming weekend, I will most likely try running outside at Heritage Park near my house or along the Swamp Rabbit Trail in downtown Greenville. Although, if the weather does create any problems, a 1 hour run on the treadmill is much easier to tolerate than 2 hours on the bike trainer!