Ironweek 6

Good grief...it's been a while since I've posted an Ironweek report. Probably because I've not been pleased with the way training is going. No change for that this week either.

Swim: not as far as I'd have liked. 2x in the pool, 2k and 3k - woop-tee-do!

Bike: got in an early week century which was cool. Then I busted my chain, and my knee, which made the weekend really blow. 123 miles total. Not great, but I did get the long one done. Check.

Run: Crap. 2x on the road. 6 miles and 11 miles. A psudo long run. Made the most of my banged up knee, and probalby shouldn't have run as far as I did.

Total training time: 12 hrs.

It is what it is. Will I tear up CdA? Not likely. Will I finish? Damn skippy. Will we have a blast with all our bloggy peeps? You betcha.

I've extended my training cycle one week in order to attempt a 15+ training hour week so that I feel at least somewhat worthy of being ready to do this event. At least no one can accuse me of being overtrained for this puppy!

Ironweek 11

You know what that means? Only 10 weeks until CdA! Can I get a big HOLY CRAP? A giant WTF? Where did all that time go? The 30 week plan is now down to a measly 10 weeks, and of course, I don't feel even close to ready. These next 10 weeks will be insanely fun as I ramp up to all new levels of misery and exhaustion in an effort to do the impossible: feel ready for your first Ironman.

And, from the spreadsheet (for anyone still paying attention) you can see my crazy hard 10 hr week (note: sarcasm) that I punctuated with a hilly Century ride yesterday. Yea. So the majority of that 10 hrs was on the bike, which is important because it is ALL ABOUT THE BIKE. Hence my 3rd Century in 4 weeks. And you know what? I'm feeling better and better after mile 80, which is the goal: be strong after 80.

Unfortunately, the "hilly" ride was only about 3k feet of elevation gain - half of CDA - but it made for some good training. Which I needed since I barely swam and hardly ran. Gosh it was a crazy hard work week last week. We've been getting crazy rain and really warm weather for Tampa this time of year, so the grass is growing, and I've been very busy with my biz. A good problem to have, but it takes away time and energy from training.

In case you didn't know, we published Episode 7 of the TacBoy and Bigun Show. We talk to some influential people in the world of blogs and podcasts in this episode...well, actually, we don't. We leave messages on their answering machines. Episode 8 will be out pretty quickly, since we have some great interviews with TriSaraTops, Momo and Lana already done and ready to go.

You also may have noticed repeat files for each episode in I-tunes. In an effort to allow folks with MP3 players and who don't have I-whatevers, we publish a copy in MP3 format and a M4A format - Tac still likes to play around with pictures and the M4A is the only format that supports the chapter building and pictures with his...hush...Mac. Unfortunately, I cannot "block" the mp3 version from I-tunes. So us I-Tunes users must select one, delete it, and enjoy the other. Sorry for the trouble, and just so you know, we do have quite a few folks who download the mp3 version and also listen on the streaming video from the website (that's another reason for the MP3 - the "Audio Player" only supports MP3's).

So enough of all that technomumblejumbo - enjoy the show, again,

CRIMENY! 10 FRIGGEN WEEKS!!!!

Strawberry Century (Ironweek 13)

I learn't my lesson yesterday at the Strawberry Century - keep the HR down, or pay the price!

The event itself was very similar to last year's - same course, same SAG's, pretty much the same windy end as well. So you can look to the link of the description of the '07 race to get the picture. The difference was...my race-buddy Excel Man showed up this year.

If you don't already know, Excel Man is the consummate over-distance trainer. 130 mile weekly bike rides are nothing to this guy. This Century - yawn... So I was a little bit apprehensive as to what he was going to do to me on Sunday, and all I can say is, well, he done it. Yes, I will blame him for my woe's.

We started out in the realm of sanity. HR was under 140, actually in low 130s some, and we were not drafting at around 19 - 20mph. Cool. Then we get to the first SAG at around 19 miles, and we are all alone for a while. I say a while, cause in a couple miles, along comes this train of 20 riders hauling serious butt. Curt jumps on and I tag along for the ride.

These yahoos were cranking along at 23 - 24mph, in a fairly organized draft line. The problem was that this course has many, many 4 way stops, Rail Road crossings, and major intersections with street lights - so lots of slowing (to like 19) and then mad sprints to bring the line back together. The accordion effect was insane! Every time the sprinting would ease off, and we'd get into a draft rhythm, with my HR back into the low 150's (yea, I know, way too high even), we'd find another track or turn or stop sign and do it all over again. This was my world from mile 20 to mile 63. By the time we got to that SAG, I was TOASTed.

Nice...those 63 mile roadies went in to get some chow, most of them done for the day. Curt gave me that look - like, "you aren't really gonna quit on this century, are you?" - honestly, if he wasn't there, I probably would have called it a day. 38 miles to go, already wasted, was not the day I was looking forward to. With stops, we had averaged 19.8 to that point - it felt a LOT faster.

Nicely, the wind picked up and it was pretty lonely out on the course for the final part of the ride. I tried to lead out, but after 5 miles or so, Curt got tired of my slowness, and jumped ahead of me. Of course he didn't say anything, but I wasn't arguing either - I was grateful for the wheel! I'm admitting for the world to hear - I sucked that wheel for the rest of the ride - had I not, I may still be out there! 101 miles total and with stops we averaged around 17.5 mph. So, lesson learned, by all means, keep that HR down below 150, heck even the low 140s for the Ironman ride, no matter how good I feel! Hey, it's done, as is IronWeek 13.

Speaking of Ironweek 13 - I had my highest training volume week ever this past week, with a total of 14hrs and 40 minutes of swimming, biking and running. The only negative was some serious knee pain on my "long" 9 mile run on Saturday. It didn't hurt when I ran, only after, and hurt it did - enough to wake me up a few times that night! I was fine to bike in the Century the next day, but it does give me cause for concern for future long runs.

As March comes to a close, I think I also had my biggest bike volume month ever, with over 500 miles logged. I'll have to look to confirm, but going into St. Anthony's I feel pretty good about my training for a change. Top 10 - it could happen!

Ironweek 14

This week had the makings for a great week. Instead, it was so-so. I swam. I biked. I ran. I guess that's all you can ask for, when you are OLD, like me (turning 44 today - crap!)

I capped the week off with the Clean Air Century on the Withlahoochie Trail. Picture an old rail-road line paved over with lots of wooded areas covering the path. Flattened for the train, the trail is cut and raised through the rolling hills of Central Florida. It passes through a couple of really small towns but for the most part, it goes 46 miles from top to bottom in the middle of nowhere. The hardest part of the ride were the 8 miles off the trail that went up and down the hills on normal roads...that was the Central Florida I was used to!

I showed up to the Clean Air with an un-charged Garmin. Of course, I took it off the cradle when I left the house, so how it was uncharged remains a mystery. 100 miles on Perceived Effort is kinda cool - but I still would have rather had the data. I did it in 5:54 - no records were set in the posting of this blog. My first SAG stop was at least 10 minutes - the bathrooms were set back off the trail in a park that we had to walk back to...I really really had to go! I stopped at two other SAGs just for water and cookies - mmmm....cookies.

I guess I went out pretty slow, and came back in even slower, but actually felt like I could run afterward if I had to - and that was a first for me on a century. I also did zero pack-riding; another first. For $25, I got a t-shirt, a medal, 3 aid-Stations (for 6 possible stops...) some food before we left, and some good chili, hot dogs, and drinks (no beer....oh well) at the finish line. It was worth traveling 50 miles one-way for this one!

So...I got a longish run of 10 miles in - and that was it for running. 2 swims for a whopping 4483 yards - but the water is becoming my friend again. Lots of bike this week - 174 miles - for a total training time of 12:52. Coming up I've got the Strawberry Century on Saturday, The B-Fit Birthday Challenge on Tuesday, and some training in-between. It will definitely be a good swim week (what with my 4-mile swim tomorrow...jeesh), and a good bike week (44 on Tuesday, 100 at the Strawberry, plus...) and I'll be sure to get in 20+ on the run. Only 13 weeks to go!

Ironweek 15

Leaving this blank would just about do this post justice. I got an ear infection, probably as a result of the heavy waves at my first Tri of the season, which manifested on Thursday. Friday was a bust. Saturday's Long Ride....nope. Sunday - nothing.

So, all I managed was a 5 mile run, 62 miles on the bike and 2625 yards in the pool. 1 run, 2 bikes and 1 swim for nearly exactly 5 hrs of training. Lets put last week behind us - between the ear infection, the CdA house falling apart, and crummy training week, Ironweek 15 is one I'd like to forget.

At least the ear is now all better. I think the CdA house will sort itself out - it looks like a combo of hotel rooms and friends with folks who backed out of the race will be the answer for us. I started this week out with a 10 mile run on Monday - so the week begins with a bang. Time to get off the computer and get to work!

One last thing. I know the Tacboy and Bigun Podcast usually comes out every other Tuesday. That's tomorrow. Um. Yea. I don't think that's gonna happen. Wednesday, at the earliest, could be Thursday. Sorry Commadore, and all our other faithful die-hard listeners. You all are the best, and we here at the TB'nB production studio are working diligently to provide you with quality programming and a humorous show. I'm sure, however, you would not want to hear the 2 hrs that currently makes up Episode 6.

Ironweek 17 (again)

Yes, you read that right. Today, Monday, there is just under 16 weeks left until CdA - 15 weeks and 6 days. So last week, then, had to be week 17, right? So, as usual, I've been messed up in my posts all along and must make a correction. A course correction perhaps.

My impression of me last week:

Gol-dang I'm sore!

Gosh I'm frigging hungry!

Holy-Moly, every thing's sore!

Hey Di, you gonna eat that?

I now blissfully enter a recovery week, one that I feel I desperately need. This week will put the Marathon completely behind me, and let me soak up these last two weeks of good training volume and intensity. Ahhhhh. Normally I go three weeks on, then take my recovery week, but before all these joint aches become pains and injuries, I'll listen to my body and relax a week.

Speaking of Marathon: Kudo's to Johnny Tri who finished his first Marathon with a 5:14 time! Hip-Hip....Hooray!

So...I got in 12.5 hrs of training last week, consisting of 145 miles of biking, 21.6 miles of running and a whopping 1760 yards of swimming. Yea, you read that right - 15 laps was all the pool time I could muster last week. I know! I need to fix that ASAP! The LONG BIKE was up to 83 miles with some hills thrown in the middle for good measure. Jetpack came out and met me for the last 10 or 12 miles of it which was way cool. He gave me a little grief for giving him guff in our Podcast, but that was to be expected.



Thanks for all the Clydesdale/Steeplechase jokes - you folks are the bomb! Di has graciously allowed me to forgo the day at the track (reality - our free tickets never materialized) and we signed up for the Florida Escape to Alcatraz. Please know, I have no intentions of somehow qualifying to go to San Fransisco, in fact, I registered in the Clydesdale Category, in which the "real" race does not even have - so I'm just going to have fun with Excel Man and Green-Eyed Lady and TriSherpaDi, put my speed cap on and see what I got.

Ironweek 17

Time now for another boring edition of Ironweek....

Wow - has everyone gotten that flu/cold this year or what? These things seem to get harder and last longer every year. Peeps are gonna start die'n from this one of these years, I'm afraid to say. To all of you trying to train through it, I can only say this, "be careful".

A week after my Marathon, my HR's are back in the normal range for a given pace...pre-marathon normal that is. I made it a point to hold back a little on my running last week, just to give my legs one more week of recovery. So while I only did 16 running miles in 3 runs, the "long" run on Sunday of 8 really felt good. I'm ready to get back into the necessary volume! (yes - that's my weak, early-Monday-morning attempt at "Blue Steel" )

Biking was fun this week. I got in 3 bikes (for 136 total) for the first time in ages. Again, where I could still feel the fatigue of the Marathon on Tuesday's 25 miler, Saturday's 74 miles were a breeze. Except for the 3 hours of rain. I actually thought of all of my bloggie peeps in Northern states, cooped up inside on trainers and instead of bailing with my soggy shoes, I finished the ride. Thanks, guys and gals!

Only 2 swims. Short ones. Seriously way under the standard. Those were the first two swims in nearly 4 weeks - no wonder I felt like someone tore my arms off and beat me with them. Week 16 will be a much better swim week. Actually, it would be hard for it to be any worse...

On the horizon:

This Saturday's long ride will include none-other-than Jetpack! He tells me he's quickly assuming the shape of a pear, and desperately needs to get out and ride. Coolness! I'll have some good company for 82 miles as I share some quality time with a fellow blogger, podcaster and Triathlete.

Meetup with my 'ol College roomie and stud Ironman Wisconsin Finisher-Triathlete -TA- on March 5th - he and his boy are running a marathon up in Cheesehead country and while he's here at Disney, he'll humor me with a run. I say humor me 'cause he goes about a buck thirty soaking wet, so our run velocities are sure to have a high Delta. If my memory serves, which it usually doesn't, TA may be the originator of my "Bigun" handle.

West Point Founder's Day on March 7th - the one year anniversary of our meeting Exel Man and Green Eyed Lady - if it weren't for the fact that we were both scheduled to do the same race later last year, we may have never became fast friends. Another reason why Triathlon is so cool.

1st Multisport event of the season, the Florida Escape to Alcatraz on March 9th. 1k swim, 15m bike and 5k run - it will be fun to go fast!

Dang, that week is going to be busy! TrisherpaDi just informed me that we may be going to a Steeplechase with horses and whatnot on March 9th instead. If that's the case, then there's a 7 mile bike Time Trial I can do on the 8th here in Tampa, and a 15k run on the 9th that may get me done early enough to enjoy the day with my favorite Sherpa!

Ironweek 18

It's been a while since my last Ironweek update - I feel like I'm starting from scratch! In that vain, I'll post my spreadsheet pic and just leave it at that. Week 18...zero's across the board.

I do feel great as far as my heart and my recovery from the Marathon last Sunday. I've gotten a short run in and a swim, and both went off without too much of a hitch. Tomorrow's bike will be telling.

This is all getting very exciting now. I just threw some workouts into my Training Peaks calendar, and with the races I have scheduled there is very little time left for training blocks. I think it's going to work out perfectly with rest weeks ending on race days, and the races are spaced out just right to cycle the training. At least that's the plan, barring any more setbacks, sicknesses, etc...

No, The Bigun's video submission didn't make the Evotri top 10 - like that was any suprise! I hope the next two skills tests don't revolve around technology and/or computer skills. Either way...I've been looking for a rear race wheel on e-bay (I know, left field...) and haven't been very lucky in my bidding. Folks think those HED Jet 90's and Deeps are worth more than I do - but that's the beauty of e-bay. I certantly haven't been shopping very victoriously.

Tacboy 'n Bigun Episode 4 - as of yet unnamed - will hopefully air tomorrow or Wednsday. It's way long right now (68 min), and we still have fun stuff to add, so the parring down process is difficult. Look foward to the interview with Blink and some great comments by some of your favorite bloggie peeps. Oh yea, and TriDummy...

Iron Week 21 - Peer Pressure

Oh...you guyz....you guys! I needed to bike on Sunday. It was 57 degrees. 3 below my "don't bike below 60" rule. Since the sun wasn't up yet, I figured it would warm up, and I was tired of everyone thinking I was such a big baby. Well I am a big baby, and should have stayed that way.

It never warmed up above 58. One lousy degree. Remember, I don't have toe warmers, leggings or some nifty hat that fits under my helmet. This is Florida. We don't need stuff like that here. Right. After 50 miles, I could not feel my toes anymore, and my body objected my riding decision so badly that it gave me this nasty cold/flu - thanks guys and gals - last night was NOT pretty!

So Iron Week 21 is dedicated to you - my bloggie peeps - this wonderful concept called peer pressure. HA! It's the same pressure we've come to rely on to get us out the door when we don't feel like training. It's the same comments and support we get for good workouts or races. It's the good natured ribbing and smack talking that keeps the competitive juices alive in each of us. I can't believe I'm going to write this....thanks for 4 trips to the bathroom last night! Sincerely. From the bottom of my heart, which, by the way, I think I flushed at 3am.

For your enjoyment, we took some video of the Fishhawk 10k:

Kind of a light week last week. Horrible swim - one time, 1500 meters. Just couldn't get into the pool last week, for whatever reason. Bike - not too shabby; two 50 milers and a 24 miler. All very "base". Lots of wind. The run - well, the Bigun PR'd this week at the 10k distance with a 50:08 - and just had that one other run of 11.6 that was preempted with a bathroom stop. Story of my life. 10.66 hrs of training total, with one week left in this base cycle. Feeling like I do now, it's hard to imagine that I'll get any quality training in - it's supposed to be a swim/bike week, tapering the run for the marathon in 2 weeks. We'll see.

Iron Week 23

A day late on my weekly update of all things Iron in the life of Bigun. Last week was a recovery week. An absorption week, as Greyhound so aptly puts it. Like a sponge, I sat around and did hardly a thing all week, absorbing all that good training I did over the prior 3 weeks and doing some "over-training avoidance".

Yesterday, on a 10 mile run, I felt like Sweetness beat my legs with bats and Tri-Dummy had jumped on my back - it was rough! Hopefully it was just me getting the cobwebs out.

In short, I swam once for 2k meters, biked twice for 25 miles each, and ran once for 6 miles. Just under 4.5 hrs of total training. Yay.

On a fun note, in case you haven't been to the land of the Big Bike lately, we did release our first episode of the Tacboy 'n Bigun Podcast. Today will mark it's first week in existence, and we should go over 100 total downloads, which is pretty darn cool. Episode 2 is in the works...I doubt this will ever turn into a weekly deal - but if we can put one out every 3 - 4 weeks, we'll be doing great. Thanks to everyone who's listened and given words of encouragement - and as far as my CdA peeps - everyone will get mentioned: that first go around was very disorganized. We promise to get a better take on our CdA update for the next show.

Iron Week 25

Merry Christmas - that about sums up Week 25 on the countdown to Ironman. Pools were closed, Mrs. Bigun was off of work, excuses, excuses. But, we all get Christmas Bye's this week - hope everyone had a gluttonous week like me. Now I'm ready to throw away all the cakes, brownies (no! not the brownies!) banana breads and other most excellent treats and get back to eating healthy.

My short term swim goal is to do a 4 x 500 meter set (in a 50m pool) with each 500 under 11 min. I came close this week, coming a total of 57 seconds over the 4 intervals from getting it. The swim coach at my pool offered to film me a little on Monday to see what form tweaks we can make. Only swam a total of 4100 meters this week, but with the pool closures, I can't hardly complain.

I actually got 2 bike workouts in this week for a total of 100 miles. My long ride of 62 miles was the longest I'd been on a bike since October, but at 17.5mph average, it was a nice ride. Well, I made it a little bit challenging by staying in my 12 gear for the whole ride, even when the wind picked up. I stayed in the 'base' heart rate range for over 3 hrs, so the ride really was a complete success.

Running this week was not as good as prior weeks. I felt slow and heavy all week, my longest run being a 10 miler. I bricked on Sunday trying to make up for my lack of mileage, and tacked on 8 miles to the long bike...but my total of 23.5 miles is short of my "over 30" goal.

One more hard week in the cycle, then a welcome easy week coming up. I'm gonna make sure I get my running in - only 6 weeks until the Marathon!

Iron Week 26

Yee Ha! Hope everyone had a great Christmas...at least as great as the Bigun! You may remember that my Garmin 301 was giving me fits. It wouldn't take a full charge anymore, the HR strap no longer worked, even with a new battery, it wouldn't take splits for a while, then it wouldn't even stay on - I reloaded the software and tried to breath life into the old dog, but it shut off 3 times on my last 13m run...I was getting very tired of it!

Santa to the rescue! Got's me a nifty new Garmin 305 - I couldn't be more excited. No, it won't make me run any faster, but it will take the hassle factor down immensely!

Speaking of hassles...my base bar broke last week, and by the time I got the new one installed it was late on Sunday, and I failed to get in a single bike ride. Booo. But, really....it's the holidays, and I've enjoyed spending a bit of time with my favorite Sherpa. So sue me.

I felt like a runner last week with 30 miles of running, capped with a 13m long run at a 9:32 per mile average pace. That's more like it for the Bigun. I swam pretty decent too...upping my long swim to 3k, with a 3 by 1000 meter workout, and a total of 7k in the pool last week. A little under 8 hrs total training time for the week - it was not a bad a week for not biking.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas - and have a great training week!

Iron Week 27

Ahhhhhh. Deep Breath. Big Sigh. This was an easy week. Recovery. And it felt great. I cut my volume in half, only working out a total of 5 hrs. In the beginning of the week, the workouts felt heavy...I was in serious need of some rest. On Sunday, I did a "base Brick" - an easy 37 mile bike (18.3 mph average) and a really easy 4 mile run (10:45 pace), and it felt great! All the heaviness was gone, and I had to hold back a few times as bikers on "o" bikes zoomed passed me for some ungodly reason.

Isn't it funny, kind of off- topic, how someone will pass you, and then about 15 seconds later, when they are a few hundred yards up the road, they settle in to just about the same pace you're doing? Must be something about a big, fat guy on a bike that makes folks want to pass me. Not that I was going that fast. But it was a silent, secret victory to hear these dudes breathing heavy as they passed, while I was in my "barely breathing, hardly sweating keeping it conversational" zone.

So here we go headlong into a bike-focus week. My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to maintain the run volume achieved in the previous training block (at least 30 miles per week) and add 3 bike sessions to it, steadily increasing the volume during the 3 week training block. The first week will be a "feeler" - I'll do two 40's and my long bike on Saturday will be 80. We can re-assess from there, seeing how I feel next Monday!

I've re-vamped my training outline for CdA - I've decided to keep in my 16m runs, since I feel like I can actually recover from them in my off weeks; that will be my longest run, but if there are any signs of injury, of course, I'll back off of that distance, and only run that far before a recovery week.

I've added a couple of things. There's a 10k in January that a local run club sponsors. I'm feeling the need for speed, and possibly a 10k PR....

I also put the 12hrs of Sebring on the calendar. Excel Man is going down to hit that race, and I think that Moonpie had hinted of it at some time as well. I'm concerned that it's a week after the marathon...so we'll see, but since IM is all about the Bike, I may just have to HTFU.

You also may notice a difference in my weeks leading up to CdA - the newest issue of Triathlete Mag has training phase advise, and stresses a 4 week taper, done in 15% increments. I'm an absolutely horrible taperer, so any taper plan will look good to me. I tend to not start tapering early enough, so this will force me into a taper in what looks to be the "right" sort of way, with a gradual recovery to the big show. I like it.

Iron Week 28

Paradigm shift. Well, not a shift...a remembrance. A while back, I thought hard about the things that make a big Clydesdale different from other triathletes. Then I got to reading about training for a marathon, and in a panic, forgot some of the things I believed in, and made pretend I was a skinny little runner. Ehem....I'm not - I'm a big, un-skinny triathlete. Training for an Ironman, not a marathon.


That being said, Hard The "F" Up, Bigun. Only 27 training weeks to go, and I know, now, that I've a long road to haul.

My long run this week was 16 miles. I ran all of the first 12, at an average of 10:50, then stopped for water and limped on in for the last 4 miles. Those 4 really, really hurt! I had forgotten how much a long run hurts.

I got in 3 weeks in a row over 30 miles and managed NOT to hurt myself, which is a good thing. My hamstrings were screaming at me on this last run, hence all the walking, but I'm sure that's a function of the long run.

I only biked 38 miles this week in one session. I've nailed my training route, it's got some decent rollers in it, and with 3 loops will be a great long ride, with over 2200 ft. of elevation gain. Just like the week before, in week 28 I was making sure my legs could handle the increase in run volume before I tacked on the bike mileage.

I had one good Swim session early in the week, but then tuckered out for session #2, and then bailed on #3. No excuse for not swimming - although I gotta say, I've had some persistent fatigue that I'm hoping to shake next week on my "easy" recovery week.

So now for the paradigm shift. You've got to realize that all this running is a big, albeit necessary step for the Bigun. I'm fine with slower paces and walking here and there, and even the lapse of training on the swim and bike - the goal is to get used to this much running (and then some...over 40 miles per week soon) without getting hurt. The marathon puts a short-term, run specific goal out there for me - quickly forcing me from my comfort zone of bike, bike, bike.

But Ironman is all about the bike. I needed to be reminded of that - thanks Bolder. It's time to get back to the bike. It's in addition to the running that I've gotten used to, but not so much long run as long bike. Will my marathon suffer? Sure...but I'm not training for a marathon, I'm training for an Ironman. So don't think me crazy for not doing that 18 or 20 miler in the next few weeks (I'll need to fix my training spreadsheet). I'll be turning the pedals.

Iron Week 29

You know there's something special going on when the Bigun's run mileage exceeds his bike mileage 2 weeks in a row! It's called MARATHON, Baby!

I find myself wondering what happened to that guy who ran his PR half Mary in 1:57? Where is that guy?

The big deal for the next 10 weeks (only 10 to go...jeesh) is Run Volume. Since I'm in uncharted territories here, I thought it wise to back off on the bike for a couple more weeks to make sure my wheels get used to the run volume first. I'll do a whole 3 week cycle before getting back on the bike hard again. My knees will thank me.

Weight: 251lbs. I suck at losing weight. I like to eat too much.

I also did some 100 meter sprints in the pool...5 to be exact. That was some shit. I need to do more of that...way more.

Bottom line for Iron Week 29 - good run, bad bike, decent swim. Bad Weight. Turn the bad's into goods, and the goods into greats. That's the ticket.

Iron Week 30

So here we go! 30 weeks to the big show, and the Bigun is on his way. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course. My first bite is the preparation for the marathon, and since the run is my weakest event - put first things first. Week one of my 12 week Marathon training program is done finished, and I'm happy to have completed all my run workouts. Even the long run, which is the most important.

Running over 30 miles in a week has been a challenge. Today, Sunday, is the first day I really feel sore however. Lets hope a good night of sleep fixes that, and the knowledge of only a recovery 3-mile run on Monday, and an off run day on Tuesday is great news.

I still wouldn't consider it an Iron-run Week. But its a great start.

I managed to have a decent swim week as well. 6k yards of swimming in days of yore would have been awesome, but with Iron training comes a unique perspective...and I'm a few yards shy of what will be soon be an Iron-swim week. I'm going to gradually increase the swim yardage weekly over the next 2 months, with an emphasis on volume and a goal of dropping my 500 meter set to below 11 min consistently. I'm swimming 11:30's now, so that is a feasible short term swim goal. One bite at a time.

The focus is on the run for the next 11 weeks, so the bike will take a back seat. Doesn't mean I'm not riding...just means a decrease in volume but an increase in frequency and intensity. I'm thinking hill repeats, fartleks and intervals, working on building strength. My little 20-miler marked the first time I rode in a month. It was good to be back in the saddle, even if there were a bunch of objections from various body parts.

Another similar, but marginally better week will be very cool. 3 quality weeks of training in a row...wow, that's something to really look forward to! Now I just need to find the time to get back in the dang-gum Metal Room...



Oh, and the weight...Sunday it was 249.

edit: Good swim on Monday...one out of three 500's was at 11:00....

Iron Weak 36

Well, I've played on your sympathy for too long now, that shot of my back burn got way too much mileage - but thanks for your comments and well wishes. I did not spell "week" incorrectly - it was a weak week.


Highlights: One swim for all of 2296 yards. Two runs, one 6 miler, and one 4 miler as a brick run. NOT a great run week. Two bikes, both 50 miles, and both over 20mph in windy conditions. That would be the highlight - the bikes, and even though one was the cause of my wicked new back scar-to-be, at least for one out of three events next Saturday, I'll be ready.


So what are we in store for at the Florida Challenge? Well, I'll be lucky to pull out a 2:00/100 yd swim pace, which will net me around 38 min. The bike will have around 2,500 feet of elevation, so I'm hoping to go about 18.5mph average for the 58 miles, giving me a bike split of 3:08 (yes, you read that right - the bike is an extra 2 miles due to some course changes). The the run...my long shot hope is to run 10:30's - for a 2:17 half. So that's a 6:04 plus transitions...not where I'd like to be, which is under 6 hrs. Those extra 2 miles on the bike will account for about 6.5 minutes, so I can take that into consideration.

The main goal is to run the half marathon, and get that 10:30 pace nailed. But since starting this lawn business, I've really not had the energy to train much - mentally or physically. So lets call this race a fun day, and use it as a benchmark for my train up for IMCdA.

Iron Week 39

Well, these weeks are ticking down...under 40 until the big show. The week had it's ups and downs...culminating in being head photographer for Excel Man's sprint tri this morning. Diana volunteered as part of the Kayak support, and I helped a little bit too...but mostly just took pics. It was also Excel Man's 47th birthday, so I loaded him up with pics, ran around the course to shoot him...no easy task in flip flops. It was a great, cool morning...I was wishing I was racing.

Swim: I thought I'd have a better week, but only got in the pool once. I upped my main set to a 3X700m build, with a 500m warm-up and short, 100m cool-down. I found I got used to the longer intervals (I've been used to 500m main set intervals) pretty quickly. But just under 3000yds for the week sucks.

Bike: Got two bike workouts in this week, a 50 miler and a long, long 112 mile bike with Trifeist on Saturday. She was doing her last long bike for IMFL, and needed some company. I was happy to help out. I didn't really need to go 7.5hrs on the bike this weekend, and it totally made for a bad attitude Sunday regarding my planned long run, but the long bike was worth it.

Run: Only 12 miles this week. Crap. Totally blew off the long run on Sunday. Lots of excuses. Lots of fatigue. Better luck next time.

Overall I got in 13 hrs of training in - which is one of my best weeks since '05. Training Peaks is neat in that it has shows how inconsistent I've been over the past couple of years, but also some of the bigger weeks that I'm capable of. This bike graph is in hours, but is just so revealing. My goal is to train at least 5 hrs of bike a week. That equates to around 100 miles a week. I need a nice thick block of red with the end over that 5 hrs line. Something to work on over the winter for sure. The run and swim graphs are even worse...I'll spare you.

Iron Week 40

Short update on the training front this morning, this Monday morning - in a word...mediocre. Work got in the way of any significant biking. My long run on Sunday was preempted by being a little hungover from the Jetpack's IM Wisconsin celebration Saturday night. Swimming was ok, really, nothing great.

This is the 3rd week in my current three week training cycle...somehow I need to make it a good one. I made some decisions last week: first, to run the Gasparilla Marathon instead of the half. Lets face it, I need to do it. Second, I purged my schedule of some ancillary races that I can just do on my own. Bike time trials, 10k races, and even Bike Across Florida - at $125 - don't help the Coeur d'Alene "fun fund".

On a good note, even hung over on Sunday my 6 mile run felt decent at a 10 min "easy" pace. I even stepped it up a notch for a mile and although that was my real signal that I wasn't doing 12 miles today, I felt fast without screaming my HR up to max (fast being around 8 min pace for me).

Ok! Enough of all that! Lets put a great week of training together this week! Spartans! (yea, I saw "300" last week...good movie!)

Iron Week 41

The Bigun was busy all day Sunday watching peeps perform. IM Wisconson. Fantastic! I needed to watch one...so I spent all day just watching (not entirely true - I got my long run in before the swim start, as I had never watched one, and HAD to be watching for that...) what I could on IMLive. I saw just about everyone finish - I just couldn't get to the camera on time for some of you. Sorry about that. My sincere and emphatic congratulations goes to everyone who toed the line and gave it their all on Sunday. It was an inspiration watching you do your thing! One of the folks I was watching was an old college roomate of mine, TA or Todd. He's in the video too, but he's not a blogger (don't be hate'n).



Iron Week 41 was a step in the right direction. The right direction for me could be many places, as long as I'm running to get there. The run is my Achilles. By June '08, it will not be.

Run:
I upped my run mileage for the week to 25 - a personal best for a week in a really long time. Also, I upped my long run distance to 11 miles. Time and pace...well, no matter really. Not yet. Put in the distance now, and those things will take care of themselves. It was not an "Iron run week"...but it's getting there. Once I'm over 30 weekly miles, I'll start to feel like it's worthy of the Iron Week label. Along those lines, I'm considering changing my Gasperilla Half Mary in February to the full deal. I'm shaking my head as I type this.


"The only Marathon I'll ever run again will be at the end of an Ironman" - Bigun


Bike:
The bike proved to be problematic for me this past week. Only one ride of 58 miles early in the week. Had to work Saturday morning, and by the time I got done swimming, I just, well, was done for the day. I just added the Horrible Hundred to my event list for this year...it's a killer, hilly bike ride up in Clermont, and any time "hills" and "bike" come up in the same sentence describing a local bike event, I'm in. I also just found the website for last years Bike Across Florida - 165 miles - that was held last April. Two months before IMCdA...sounds like a great deposit.

Swim:
I finally did the "4:15am, run 3 miles to the pool, swim for an hour and then run home" workout I've been threatening myself with for a while now. It's got the makings for regular, at least 3x per week occurrence. I'll go for 2x this week, and if I get 3x, well, that will just be gravy. My 5k of swimming consisted of all 500m sets. I'm getting locked into that distance, and while that's not bad, I should mix it up a bit more. I'm really just happy to get in the pool these days.

Overall I got in a little over 9hrs of training in. Not a bad week really. One more bike, and I'd have had a good week. Oh well, put that one behind us.

Watching the swim to bike transition of IMWOO was an eye opener. The early folks all ran bare footed and stuck their feet in their bike shoes at the mount line. I will work more on that in the coming weeks, and put it to the test in the Florida Challenge Half.

Jetpack and Texafornia have a new website - 140dot6 - there's a link in my sidebar. The concept has me intrigued, so much so that I'm constantly on the alert for a place to do a self-supported full distance swim, bike and run. I think I found a great spot, save for the pool swim, which is ok. My sick mind has me looking for a date to put myself through this bit of torture, the earlier the better so that I can continue with training for the big show. Jan 6th sticks out of the calendar for me. We'll see.