Training Update

Its been a few weeks since I last posted and the training has been going well.  Following my plan as best as I can but there have been a few interuptions but that happens and I'm not going to worry about it.  I did take a few days off last week because we went to the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Tournament in Omaha.  It was a great time and too bad the Cyclones didn't have a better tournament but they finished strong and ended up with a 3rd place trophy.  Getting back on the training was tough after drinking 16 oz Budweisers for 3 days!!!  This week is a run focused training week for me so the bike segment is a little down as well as the swimming.  My swim yesterday was terrible and I just didn't feel comfortable in the water.  It was another speed work day and I have come to not like those as much...I am not a fast swimmer and I think trying to be really throws my stroke mechanics out of whack.  I did an interval based run yesterday for an hour and the speed work "was" a nice change of pace for me as I typically just run at a certain pace for a certain time.  During my 6 minute intervals, I managed to start at 8:30 and work my way down to 7:30 by the end.  Legs were tired from the swim that day but overall it was a good training day and ended on a positive note.  Speaking of positives, I finally had a swimming breakthrough today.  My plan called for 2x1200 but the pool doesn't open early enough to get that amount in, so I thought I would swim for a mile if possible.  Once I got in the pool, I was still a little panicky from the day before.  I finally settled into my stroke after about 200 meters and was smooth sailing after that.  Once I got to 2000, I wanted to go further but I was starting to get to the end of my time limit, so I had to get out and get showered and head to work.....breakthrough day for me in the pool today. 

Today's swim is giving me confidence that I can complete the swim in the Kansas HIM that is still 10 weeks away.....hopefully that carries over to the other areas as well. 

Good Week of Training!!!

Its been a great week of training this week.  After the long layoff of wrestling season, this has been a really great week of training.  Got in some good runs on the treadmill and a couple of good biking sessions.  The one thing that I am really happy about is my swimming.  I got in the pool twice this week and it was great to finally get my stroke back.  It means getting up at 4:30 am but that means I don't have to miss family time to get my swims in.  I think this is shaping up to be a great tri season this year and I am looking forward to more training and getting some quality races in this year. 

Early Morning Swim......ugggh!!!

Well I decided the only way for me to get my swimming back was, well.....to get back in the water.  Since we live in the middle of nowhere (swim wise) I decided to join the YMCA in Red Oak, about 25 miles from home.  My plan is to be at the Y at 5:00 am, get in the pool by 5:15, workout done by 6:00, shower and on the road to work by 6:15, this should put me at work around a little before 7.  Well day one was yesterday and my alarm went off at 4:15 am and my wife was a little than less than impressed.  I finally got up around 4:30 and on the road by 4:40.  I got to the Y and much to my suprise there were already half dozen cars in the parking lot.  Well all in all, there were about 12 people swimming laps at the same time.  It was very busy but it was nice to get the swim in.

Once I got back to work, I could barely keep my eyes open all day long.  It was a long day and hopefully that will get better once I get used to my swimming schedule.  To top it off, I got in an hour bike ride at night when the kids went to bed.  My legs felt great and it was the best I have felt on my bike in a while.  Once I finished I showered and was wide awake.  It was amazing that I couldn't keep my eyes open all day but after another workout, then I was good to go.

Starting to get used to my tri training again and am at the point that I am enjoying every minute of it.  Can't wait for race season to get here so when you can see how much you have improved.

End of Wrestling Season = Get My Butt Training!!!!

Well we finished off wrestling season last weekend and ended up having a State Champion and a State Runner-up at the Iowa High School Championships.  We took 3 kids up to state and finished in 7th place overall, with just a couple of points out of the top 5.  Overall, it was a great year and I will miss this year's seniors as they graduate and move on with their lives.  It has been an enjoyable 4 years watching these kids grow up and have the success that they have achieved.  With everything, all good things come to an end. 

Now that wrestling season is over, my training for my Half Ironman must get into full swing.  I have been steady riding my bike since November at least once or twice a week on the trainer.  Now I have to be diligent about getting in at least 3 rides per week, as well as, 3 runs and probably 3 swims.  The swimming is going to be the most challenging, just because of timing and scheduling.  I am working on being at the YMCA at 5:30 am to get my swim in, then showering and getting to work by 7:00 am.  So I am still working on the logistics for that, so there should be more to come.  As far as my running goes, I hadn't done any running since Thanksgiving.  Last week, I decided to go for a run and ended up going 7 miles on the treadmill........bad, bad decision.  As a future lesson, don't run 7 miles when you haven't done anything for 3 months.  My legs were so sore that I couldn't even get out of bed in the morning.  Since then I have done a couple smaller runs and my legs and cardio seem to be fine.  I have a 7 mile run to do tonight, so I am curious to see how my body / legs respond to that.  I am ready for this winter to get over and start getting outside for my run training.  The temperature doesn't bother me as much as the ice does on the roads / streets.  It has defnitely been a long winter and I am looking forward to spring!!!

Official Training......Almost Ready!!

Well my official training for the Half Ironman in June was supposed to start last week, but with wrestling season still in full swing, I will probably put that off for a few more weeks.  We are down to about 2-3 more weeks of wrestling season, then it will be time to switch gears and get triathlon training in full swing.  My body feels great but I really have only been doing my wrestling training.  I am trying to fit in a couple of days of my winter cycling plan to help keep my legs under me, but with meets it is getting hard to fit in.  So I will do my best here in the remaining weeks of the season to get in as much bike training as I can.  My overall fitness level is good since I practice everyday with the team, but it still isn't run, bike, and swim training.  I am contemplating what to do about my swim training.  I am thinking of joining a Y about 25 minutes from my house.  My plan is to swim at 5:30 am, then shower and get to work by 7 am.  This really won't be ideal for my longer swims but my schedule at work or training will have to adjust to make it work.  This really should only be just for a couple of days per week.  I really don't get to see my kids in the morning, so why not get my butt out of bed and head off to the pool and get it done with.  This will leave my lunch hour for my bike or run training, then I can come home at night and spend time with my family after work.  This is what I am thinking as of now, and I have a few more weeks to get that squared away.

I am really anxious to get my training started.  I think this will be an exciting tri season, as I have a season under my belt and kind of know what to expect......or at least won't be shocked.  I am looking forward to the HIM distance and the marathon in October....both distances are new to me, so that is fun and exciting.  I think my wife is going to get her training started in a few weeks for her half marathon in May.  She did such an amazing job last year and I think she wants to beat her time this time around. 

As for wrestling season, it has been and up and down year.  We have been bit a little by low numbers and injuries, so we have not yet had a full team at any event.  We have some great kids and it is going to be hard to say goodbye to this year's senior class.  Alot of memories with these guys and hopefully we can bring some championships and medals home from the state tournament.  It has been a grueling season with training and the weather, but these next few weeks are going to fly by.  Thanks guys for letting me be a part of your lives these past year and lets go get some hardware at the state tournament!!!

Freakin' Cold Outside!!!

What is up with this weather??  As I right this, it is minus 15 degrees outside right now at 1:18 pm....wtf!!!  It is supposed to get down to minus 30 degrees tonight and be the coldest day in like 10 years tomorrow....great day for riding a school bus to a wrestling meet!!  Oh well, no sense fussing over it as it isn't going to change anything other than my mood.  Wrestling season has been going well, the month of January is always a tough month for us with lots of matches, so we will see how the kids are mentally.  The season will be over in about 6-7 weeks, and I can't believe it has gone by this fast.  Hopefully, the snow and cold weather will be done by the end of February, so i can get my training for the Half Ironman started outside. 

Currently, I am riding my bike in the basement about 3 days a week for about an hour each session.  My cardio is fine with wrestling practice keeping me in shape.  My 20 week plan for my race is suppose to start on Jan. 11th, but I will be cutting some weeks off of that and will be starting it as soon as wrestling practice is over.  I am in week 3 of the winter cycling program and my legs are feeling tired, which I assume has something to do with wrestling practice, then coming home and jumping on the bike.....different type of brick workout, I guess.  My winter cycling program will take me to the end of march so hopefully the road and weather clears up so I can get my bike on the road.  I would like to start running again outside after wrestling is over as well.  I have finalized my race calendar for the year and it looks like this:

May 23rd - CB Half Marathon (Leisurely pace to get a race in before the big one on June 6th)
June 6th - Kansas 70.3 Half Ironman
August 1st - Omaha Triathlon (Olympic Distance)
August 16th - Pigman Long Course (Half Iron distance)
September 12th - Ironman Wisconsin (Volunteering this year.....racing in 2011)
October 17th - Des Moines Marathon

This is what I am thinking right now, and I assume there will be some smaller fun runs mixed in as well.  I am going to try not to do any sprint distance triathlons this year because that is alot of time to be away from the family, and I think I can get as much training in on a normal training weekend.  I haven't really set down and thought about time goals yet because most of my races are races I have not done before and the distance is new to me.  I am sure once the training gets underway and the race day gets closer, I will set some goals.  I would like to lose another 10 pounds or so as well this year but I can't seem to drop much this wrestling season, which tells me I am close to my natural weight.  I am not going to change my diet drastically, as I like to drink beer way too much to do that.  I am hovering around 192 right now and mid 180s would feel pretty good on me.  I guess we will see once I get my running going again, as that seems to drop my weight.

That is it for now.....hopefully your new year is going well.....set some goals and go achieve them!!

Christmas Blizzard???

Well the good thing about a blizzard this time of year is being stuck in the house and ample of time to get some riding in.  I completed Q3 of week #1 of the winter cycling program today and it feels really good to be back into the swing of things.  My legs and body feel great and my recovery time hasn't taken all that long.  Today I watched the 2005 Ironman World Championships that I received from my wife for Christmas and it was awesome.  Such and inspiring way to complete a workout.  Too bad those videos are only an hour long because it really passed the time and will surely come in handy on my longer rides.

All in all, I think we received over 12 inches of snow this time and this makes 2 blizzards in the month of December.  If it keeps this up, I think it will be a very loooooooong winter!!  Hope everyone had a great Christmas, as we did.  My kids are growing up so fast and they both enjoyed the events this year.  I think my wife is getting a little cabin fever being stuck inside with the kids going on the 4th day now. 

Have a safe and happy new year......set some goals and go achieve them!!!