The IronBaby

Yes, I am insane

I got up on Saturday morning with the intentions of punishing myself more than ever before in my life.

Went to the pool at about 7:30, did 42 laps in 46 minutes and felt pretty good about it. Paid attention to style and breathing.

Then I went home, got on the bike and started pushing pedals from Westminster towards Boulder. It was cold and windy, I dressed up warm, winter gloves, skull cap (yes, I do learn from past), 2 layers of clothing with a windbreaker jump suit on top. After my nutrition research I decided to switch my food supply to energy gel packs instead of energy bars. The bars have protein and I do remember after my 90 mile bike ride of two weeks ago that those bars were sitting in my stomach like bunch of bricks.

I bought a few Gu and a few Beestinger (made with honey) gel packs. The cashier at Whole Foods suggested Enervitene, and I also found Carb-BOOM on the web. I got something to experiment with. I took it easy on the bike ride, stopped to eat every 45 minutes - the Gu and honey gels are pretty good, stopped at gas stations a couple of times to warm up and have a cup of hot tea with honey. I did 56 miles in reasonable time without being exhausted, changed into dry clothing and proceeded with the run.

I was told that the bike/run changeover is the hardest part of triathlon. No kidding. It took a while to get moving but after a couple of miles I was OK. I was well dressed (1 layer with a windbreaker) I got some reasonable rhytm and started making plans for maybe running 12 miles. How far can I make it? My legs felt a bit tired but didn't hurt, I was really paying attention to my step and to my knees, I was running from my hips (as told by my rolfer Duffy). Things were good for an hour (about the first 6 miles) until I recalled someone stating on the web that you can function out of your reserves for about 45 minutes.

Holy crap, it hit me hard. I could hardly move my legs and the last 3 miles took about 45 minutes. I should have had some Gu with me. I made it home totally exhausted, drank a large cup of hot water with honey and cinnamon, then followed up with a full dose of Hemp organic protein. Went to see a movie with Nancy, periodically feeding myself with oranges, Lara bars and ample supply of water. I cooked chicken with spinach after we came home and consumed quite a bit of it. I stayed away from carbos for the most part.

When I woke up on Sunday morning my legs hurt pretty bad, but I felt them healing. I took the whole day off and consumed mostly protein foods, some vegetarian (tofu, hemp), others animal based (eggs, meat). Treated myself to several hot tub sessions, too.

Lessons learned

1. Carbos before and during workouts. This is not a weight loss exercise anymore. This is about endurance. When I was going for weight loss in the spring, systematically starving my body was a good way to drop some weight (well, not starving but maintaining an energy deficit). This does not apply anymore.
   
2. Proteins immediately after. Apparently my body can do some magical things with proteins. Today is Monday and I was able to run 4+ miles with guys at work. No problems, with only one day of rest after a grueling IronBaby. I am beginning to believe in plant based proteins such as hemp. I also started consuming hemp and olive oils. Other than protein, hemp also provides omega-3 oils, amino acids and all that good stuff. I have never recovered this quick (I am 46 years of age) so I have no choice but to attribute my quick recovery to the hemp protein. Of course all this stuff is organic, natural, etc.
   
3. I can do this. I know I can. The idea right now is to complete, not to compete
   
4. Take a few gel packs with me on the run that takes more than an hour.
   
5. Don't get hurt.

I wanted to see how far I can make it and how bad really is the change from bike to running. It is pretty bad but it's doable. I was taking my sweet time between the discipline changeovers but still managed to finish this in about 8 hours. Which is encouraging. And I ran further than ever before in my life. After 4+ hours on the bike. Not very fast but further!

Training goals

1. Sustain swimming a lap in under a minute. Currently it's about 1:05 - 1:10
2. Sustain 112 miles biking at 18mph @ 155 abpm.
   
3. Sustain 26 miles running at 6.5 mph @ 155 abpm.
4. Do it all in one day.
   

I think all of the above are quite challenging from where I am now. I may need to back off, but I would prefer not to.

Things that will work for me in Florianopolis:

1. Altitude. I am training at 1600 meters above the sea level. Let's see. More oxygen concentration at sea level translates to more oxygen in my blood (my red cells are quite used to living in thin air, therefore binding as much oxygen as they can), which translates to slower heart beat at the same energy output. I think anyway, the reality may be different. One thing I am pretty sure about is that it is not going to work against me.
   
2. Wet suit. Apparently any amateur can wear one. I should probably learn how to swim in it first.
3. Humidity. Two-edged sword. If it's too hot, it may just kill my stamina. Overheating must be one of my concerns. On the other hand, training in the arid Denver area is kind of hard, too. Hmmm, definitely something to keep on my mind.
   

I should probably aim at doing a full test triathlon sometime towards the end of March. That would give me almost two months to recover and improve my endurance. Other than that, I still don't have a training plan. It seems to be kind of materializing. Probably not an ideal situation, but to put it in the words of the wise (rolfer Duffy): "Listen to your body, grasshopper".


What's next?
Take it easy this week, focus on running. Running is my weak spot. I did manage to run for some 45 minutes at 6.1 mph at 155 abpm today. That is very encouraging. I may go swimming once or twice. The plan is to go skiing on Saturday, and to take time off on Sunday.

My weight fluctuated from high of 188 (bad boy) of about 10 days ago to low of 174 on Saturday night.

First two weeks

Today is Monday, January 30th. I still don't have a very good idea about a training schedule. The initial feeling in my gut is to ramp up for two weeks to some monumental task and then take a week to recover. Well, this is what I did in past 2 weeks.

1. Saturday, Jan 14th: bike 90 miles
2. Sunday, Jan 15th: run/walk about 4.5 miles
3. Monday, Jan 16th: left work early, fever of 102 F
4. Tuesday, Jan 17th: feel a bit better, sweated through the night, woke up in cold sweat a few times.
5. Wednesday, Jan 18th: drank beer heavily to kill my sinus headache
6. Thursday, Jan 19th: no workout - got rolfed, session #4
7. Friday, Jan 20th: swimming, 20 laps in 30 minutes. I suck.
8. Saturday, Jan 21th: walk with Nancy, 8 miles total. My right Achilles hurts when I walk. Great. Hmmm, it doesn't hurt when I run. Interesting.
9. Sunday, Jan 22nd: try to go for a walk again, turned back in 1/2 mile, the right foot does hurt. Took a day off.
10. Monday, Jan 23rd: swam in the pool, did 35 laps in 45 minutes. I still suck.
11. Tuesday, Jan 24th: went to see my doctor, got my physical. See below.
12. Wednesday, Jan 25th: day off
13. Thursday, Jan 26th: swimming, 35 laps a little better than 45 minutes.
14. Friday, Jan 27th: ran 49:35 @ 6.3 mph, 5.125 miles, 165 abpm (average heart beats per minute)
15. Saturday, Jan 28th: did an IronBaby. Swam 42 laps (1/2 ironman) in 45:59, biked 56 miles in 3:36 and than ran 8.9 miles in 1:41:18 at 160 abpm. Woohoo.
16. Sunday, Jan 29th: I can hardly walk
17. Monday, Jan 30th: run 45:16 @ 6.1 mph, 4.669 miles @ 155 abpm

The details
I was sick as a dog the first week of my training, so to make it even worse I go drinking. Really smart. The beer did taste good. Fat Tire is a good beer. I had six 25 oz beers but I was not hung over next morning. I also was in no shape to even walk that evening so friends took me home. I do seem to have a couple of memory frames missing. Not a good first week of training of aspiring ironman. At least I didn't smoke.

I felt a bit better the next week but having problems to walk for 8 miles does concern me. It looks like my legs prefer running. The problem with it that if I can't finish the run, I have no walking backup plan. That would suck.

I went to see my doctor on Tuesday and got my physical that was 3 months overdue. My cholesterol stats compared to November of 2004:

		11/03/2004	01/20/2006
Total		244	192
LDL		164	112
HDL		57	63
Triglycerides		116	83

I am really winning this game. I am pumped, this is phenomenal. I am very motivated.

The bad news is that I also have a urinary tract infection (the damn cold bike ride 2 weeks ago) and I am on antibiotics. Well, it's getting better now.

I did a lot of reading on how to train and how to eat. It confused the living hell out of me at first since everyone has a different story. However, this is what my body tells me:

1. Carbos before and during exercise, no proteins
2. Heavy proteins (plant based preferred) immediately after the workout, no carbos.
3. Stay hydrated.
4. Stay warm.
5. Did I mention Don't get hurt?

Ironman in training

I will train for Ironman Brazil to be taken place on May 28th 2006. As of today there are 450 athletes registered, I think I have a good chance to at least get registered.

I think I just enlisted my wife Nancy to be my partner in crime.

Yup, there are a few strings attached.

1. I will remain healthy - I am going to see my doctor in next couple of weeks, it's time for my annual physical. I am curious about my cholesterol. Don't get hurt training, stupid.
2. I can get time off work - I better talk to my manager since I don't have enough vacation to take 2 weeks off.
3. I will train for next 20 weeks - I should probably come up with some schedule first. Oh, this will be fun since I have no freaking idea.
   

So, off to the web I went and came up roughly with the following.

1. The young guns train hard for 3 weeks, then take a week off. The rest of us should probably do it on 2 weeks on, 1 week off schedule.
2. What the hell does it mean to have a week off? I can't just stop, can I?
3. I think I'd like to apply the above philosophy to the weekly schedule. Let's see, I'll probably do most of the 'proving the concept' - long bike ride and running - over the weekend. So, I should take Monday off (light activity), ride and run on Tuesday and Wednesday, take Thursday off (I am getting rolfed again), then ramp up on Friday to get ready for gruesome Saturday and Sunday.
4. I am dropping table tennis for next 20 weeks - I need more of a workout on Sunday and table tennis twists my upper back in funny ways.
5. I think I'd like to come up with some kind of a curve that will lead me to the final race.
6. I don't care about competing in the race, I want to be able to finish it.
7. I may enlist Boulder Center for Sports medicine to figure out what makes me tick. My oxygen consumption, my ideal heart rate, my lactic acid disposal rate. Those would probably be pretty good things to know.
8. This is going to be fun, maybe I'll write a book about it. "From Fat Man to Ironman - how to satisfy your male ego while severely punishing your body", Bantam Books, $9.95.

Hmm, maybe I should take an inventory of my equipment while I am at it.


The bike
Pretty decent, Specialized Allez, 27 speed, had it for 5 years, just got a new set of tires (Conti 4 season). I got re-fitted for the bike last week. I am considering to purchase a new set of pedals (Speedplay X2) since my left knee is trying to go in, forcing the heal out and I am about at the end of my lateral movement freedom in my clips. Bummer. I'll try to adjust it first.


Running shoes
I got setup by Fleet Feet with Saucony 3D Hurricane V about a year and half ago. They did really good, but I think they are responsible for my foot pain I acquired last week. Damn, these things are not cheap, but I think they need to be retired now.
I have relatively new pair of Saucony Trigon Ride (less than 20 miles on them). I ran in these today and my feet feel fine. I am pretty comfortable in them. I think I'll stick with them. And I saw a pair at Dick's sporting goods today for 'only' $79.95 today (on sale, regular $89.95). A bit cheaper than Hurricanes and they are a bit softer while still supportive.


Other - I use Timex GPS/HR monitor - pretty reasonable, started using conductive gel for the HR belt - works much better, especially on cold, dry days. Just put a new battery into the GPS unit today - it's annoying when it goes out in the middle of a bike ride.
I used to ride in running shorts, no padding. Just got a pair of shorts with pads. My butt is in heaven. Yes, it does make a difference.




Lessons learned so far

1. Wear something warm on your head while biking
2. Eat well - I discovered what I think are very good nutrition bars (well, my wife discovered these and passed on the knowledge) - Lara bar - all clean, unprocessed, uncooked. And they're made right here, in Denver. They are also chewy, so I can eat one while riding the bike, I don't even need my hands - they will not break or fall off. I ate six of them on yesterday ride, plus a banana.
3. Comfort is important - no point if you can sprint like hell if you don't finish the race because you can't sit on the bike for more than 30 minutes at a time.
4. I think I'd like to have my average heartbeat at around 155 on both the bike ride and the run. I'd like to be able to average 18 mph on a 112 miles course, 7 mph running and 5 mph walking if it comes to that. These are just guesses, I will need to experiment or go and get measured.
5. I need to create a training schedule and somewhat stick to it. There will be bad weather days when I need to stay in the gym - probably a good day to work on strength.
6. I should not neglect swimming - I should swim 2.4 miles at least once a week. In addition to other, shorter training swims - practice stroke, endurance.
7. Did I mention Don't get hurt?

Well, that's it for tonight

Where am I today?

Hmmm, good question.
My stats as of today: 183 lbs (as of yesterday), quit smoking January 2nd. I am still eating well, although I did consume ample quantities of chocolate lately.

I tested the waters of my physical condition with a couple of bike rides and runs, this is roughly where I am at now:

1. Bike ride, January 2nd - 3:15:32, 14.3 mph, 158 bpm avg. 46.92 miles
2. Run, January 7th - 1:02:37, 5.8 mph, 163 bpm, 6.1 miles
3. Rollerblading a couple of times last week since my left foot hurt from running. Doh, go figure, didn't really run for quite a while and then do 6 miles.
4. Bike ride, January 14th - 6 hours on and off the bike (I stopped for food and get my seat adjusted), total ride was 5:18:41, 16.9 mph, 164 bpm, 89.85 miles
5. Run, January 15th - 24:29, 5.8 mph, 163 bpm, 2.38 miles, then walk 11:10 @ 3.8 mph, 128 bpm, .7 mile then ran again 6:05 minutes, 5.9 mph @164, 0.6 mile.

OK, to summarize the above, I suck. I think I can do the bike ride, I have already established that I can do the swim, running will be the pain in the ass (and other parts). The good news is that I am not hurt today, even after riding more miles in one day than I have ever done before. And then run/walk 3.7 miles the next day. I came home from the run and while I was very well dressed (long sleeve T, jump suit, hat, and I was pretty warm running), all of a sudden I just got these shivers and I was just so cold, it was really irritating. My head started hurting (I kind of had a tiny headache all day long) and I had to fill a tub with hot water (and sandalwood salt, um, smells sooo good) in order to shake the shakes. I think I caught a bit of a cold yesterday on the bike. I never wore a helmet before, yesterday was my first day with a helmet. Well, the damn thing is supposed to channel the air and cool you down and I think it did an exceedingly good job at it. And I didn't really feel it and didn't pay attention.

My average heartbeat sucks. Way too high. I thought that five months of smoking wouldn't hurt me. Hmmm, guess again. On the bright side, it never went over 179 even climbing the damn hill on Hwy 93 south of Boulder. I am shifting diligently.

I am baaaack!

It has been a while. We're in the mid January and my last post was from the end of July. Hmmm. Well, lets do the short and sweet so we catch up.
I started smoking on August 1st of last year.
I quit my job on August 14th (I think). Well, they gave me 3 months leave of absence instead. So, off to the West Coast I went on my big bike, spent 3 weeks riding up Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 along the coast, made it to Vancouver Island B.C, came back through Washingto, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. What a trip. I camped all the time, ate relatively healthy (had a restaurant meal 2x in six weeks), basically I just lived on cereal, granola bars, fruits, veggies, bread, cheese and coffee. Occasional wine (when I parked Pebbles for the night, of course. Pebbles is my bike - '96 BMW R1100RT), sausage over camp fire, etc. Came back from the West Coast trip weighing all of 166 pounds. That's early September. Spent a week at home (interviewing for another job among other activities) and left for the
East Coast Trip. The idea was for 3 weeks, too. I made it as far as Quebec (the city), then turned down south, saw New England area, Pennsylvania, down to Asheville NC via the fabulous Blue Ridge Parkway. Ran out of rubber in Kansas City, put on new set and came home on October 7th. Summary: 12500 miles in 6 weeks on a big bike. Awesome. Was about 175 pounds when I came back (I ate a bit more in restaurants and slept in motels quite a bit due to weather - it's cold in Vermont in mid September when it rains).

Started new job on the 17th and it was about time, since the company I used to work for closed their Colorado office on December 16th. Just in time.