Totals 11/21/10-11/27/10

I hit the road this week to Oshkosh, WI for Thanksgiving at my GF's brother's place. My workouts were kind of frontloaded this week, and didn't get too much swimming in. It was a great time though so I'm not at all unhappy about that, besides it's always good to get a little break in. I'll probably hit it pretty hard until Christmas to keep my wieght in check, then it'll be time to start base building for next season.

Swim - 3500 yards
Bike - 2 hr 35 min trainer
Run - 21.65 mi
Strength/Core - 1 hr 30 min
Walking - 1 hr

2010 Total:

Swim - 349,337 yards
Bike - 45 hr trainer, 3521.89 mi
Run - 1011.94 mi
Strength/Core - 113 hr 10 min
Snow Shoveling - 5 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 57 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 65 hr 20 min

Totals 11/14/10-11/20/10

Pretty non-memorabe week of training for me, just did a decent amount of running, and had a really solid 3200 yd. swim on Saturday. I got my tri bike back finally, so I plan to start my winter cycling power improvement plan this upcoming week...while trying not to let holiday eating season get the best of me.

Swim - 7800 yards
Bike - 40.09 mi
Run - 22.82 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hr
Walking - 1 hr

2010 Total:

Swim - 345,837 yards
Bike - 42 hr 25 min trainer, 3521.89 mi
Run - 990.29 mi
Strength/Core - 111 hr 40 min
Snow Shoveling - 5 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 57 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 64 hr 20 min

Totals for the last few weeks

So I haven't been keeping this up to date lately, here are the last few weeks. I've been battling a cold and just got my tri bike back, so not a ton of biking, but I have been doing a decent amount of running. Should crack 1000 mi for the year next week!

10/25/10-10/31/10

Swim - 5200 yards
Bike - 29.83 mi
Run - 6.6 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hr 15 min
Yardwork - 2 hr
Walking - 45 min

11/1/10-11/7/10

Swim - 7000 yards
Bike - 10.92 mi
Run - 21.49 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hr
Yardwork - 1 hr
Walking - 45 min

11/8/10-11/14/10

Swim - 4800 yards
Bike - 22.49 mi
Run - 14.10 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hr
Yardwork - 1 hr
Walking - 45 min

2010 Total:

Swim - 338,037 yards
Bike - 42 hr 25 min trainer, 3481.8 mi
Run - 967.47 mi
Strength/Core - 108 hr 40 min
Snow Shoveling - 5 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 57 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 63 hr 20 min

Adding in January and February Training for Yearly Total

So I thought I would convert this over to the totals for the calendar year, so I'm adding January and part of February to the list...

January and February 2010 Training:

Swim - 40,800 yards
Bike - 22 hrs. trainer
Run - 127.03 mi
Strength/Core - 24 hr
Snow Shoveling - 4 hr
Walking - 7 hr 30 min

Training total:

Swim - 321,037 yards
Bike - 42 hr 25 min trainer, 3418.56 mi
Run - 925.28 mi
Strength/Core - 99 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 5 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 53 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 61 hr 05 min

Totals 10/17/10-10/23/10

Well I got a year older this week, and ran a marathon and a 15k cross-country race to celebrate the occasion. Overall, I feel decent, finally starting to feel recovered overall from the ironman, other than this lingering sinus problem. I'm also excited to report that I am back in the pool! Well at least once...I narrowly averted disaster with my swim jammers ripping, so I had to pick up a new pair before I could go again.

Swim - 1,700 yards
Bike - 6.94 mi
Run - 35.95 mi
Strength/Core - 2 hr 30 min
Yardwork - 1 hr
Walking - 2 hr 30 min

Training total:

Swim - 280,237 yards
Bike - 20 hr 25 min trainer, 3418.56 mi
Run - 798.25 mi
Strength/Core - 75 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 53 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 53 hr 35 min

Totals 10/10/10-10/16/10

Kind of doing a mini-taper for the Des Moines marathon this week, plus I had some shin issues the one time I did run, so I just took it very easy this week. I did get in a couple of fun mountain bike rides though! The tattoo is finally healed so I'm pretty pumped to get back in the pool next week.

Swim – 0 yds
Bike – 25.04 mi
Run – 5.84 mi
Strength/Core – 3 hr
Yardwork – 45 min
Walking – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 278,537 yards
Bike - 20 hr 25 min trainer, 3411.62 mi
Run - 762.3 mi
Strength/Core - 72 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 52 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 51 hr 5 min

Totals 10/3/10-10/9/10

This was the first week after the ironman that I actually did some focused training. The GF is doing the Des Moines marathon on 10/17/10, so I signed up to do it on a whim. I think it will be a have fun kind of race, if I break 4 hours I'll be very surprised. My shins and quads have been bothering me and I'm not in the greatest shape right now so it might be a painful day. The tattoo is finally healing up so I'm hoping to be able to swim again soon...

Swim – 0 yds
Bike – 45.25 mi
Run – 24.33 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr
Yardwork – 1 hr
Walking – 1 hr 30 min

Training total:

Swim - 278,537 yards
Bike - 20 hr 25 min trainer, 3386.58 mi
Run - 756.46 mi
Strength/Core - 69 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 52 hr 10 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 50 hr 5 min

My Ironman ink!

Got my Ironman ink while I was on a work trip to Detroit with my buddy Tom, who did the race with me. We both got the same tattoo at Eternal Art Tattoos in Livonia, MI. Doug, the artist, has done tattoos on LA Ink and was pretty awesome.

Totals 9/5/10-10/2/10

Haven't updated this for a while but I think I'll continue to, I think it would be interesting to get a year-end total (minus January).

9/5/10-9/11/10

Swim – 6000 yds
Bike – 36.09 mi
Run – 3.1 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr
Yardwork – 0 hr
Walking – 4 hr

9/12/10-9/18/10

Swim – 6112 yds
Bike – 134.66 mi
Run – 26.2 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr
Yardwork – 1 hr
Walking – 2 hr

9/19/10-9/25/10

Swim – 3200 yds
Bike – 0 mi
Run – 6.48 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr
Yardwork – 45 min
Walking – 1 hr

9/26/10-10/2/10

Swim – 0 yds
Bike – 1 hr trainer
Run – 24.61 mi
Strength/Core – 30 min
Yardwork – 1 hr
Walking – 2 hr 30 min


Training total:

Swim - 278,537 yards
Bike - 20 hr 25 min trainer, 3341.33 mi
Run - 732.13 mi
Strength/Core - 67 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 51 hr 10 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 48 hr 35 min

Well I finished it!

So I haven't updated this in a while, but I did finish my Ironman, in 12:54. I was on pace to finish in 11:30 or so, but at mile 15 of the run I became extremely dizzy and my heartrate increased rapidly, due to dehydration. I had to walk about 7 miles to get hydrated and feel ok to run again. It was a disappointing finish, but I'll be back next year at Ironman Wisconsin! Check out my thoughts on the day here...

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=227030

Totals 8/29/10-9/4/10

So the 2nd week of taper was interesting. The volume is way down this week, but there were some pretty high intensity workouts mixed in. I ran before work on Thursday, it was dark, and I stepped on a curb awkwardly and twisted my ankle. It's been sore ever since, and the one time I ran on it was pretty unpleasant. I'm shutting it down (running at least) until the race, so hopefully I get healed up. An awesome massage did help it out a lot, so I think it'll be great. Other than that, I've been feeling great, rested, calm, and at peace. It's a good feeling and I think I just know that I've controlled most everything I can control to have a great race, so now what happens happens.

Swim - 7500 yds
Bike - 82.23 mi
Run - 18.1 mi
Strength/Core - 1 hr 30 min
Yardwork - 45 min
Walking - 35 min

Training total:

Swim - 263,225 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 3145.97 mi
Run - 671.74 mi
Strength/Core - 63 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 48 hr 25 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 39 hr 5 min

Totals 8/22/10-8/28/10

So this was the first taper week, which was nice to have a little extra free time, but it feels like I did almost nothing. Also, my IT bands have picked a pretty lousy time to get tight and feel generally crappy again. But it'll be ok, I'll get all healed up and ready to go the next 2 weeks. Mentally and emotionally I'm feeling great, I know I've done all I could to have a successful race, so I'm good with whatever happens. Also lots of other good stuff happening in my life the past few weeks, so that definitely helps!

Swim – 11100 yds
Bike – 120.96 mi
Run – 14.45 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 30 min
Walking – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 255,725 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 3063.74 mi
Run - 653.64 mi
Strength/Core - 61 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 47 hr 40 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 38 hr 30 min

Totals 8/15/10-8/21/10

Yes! Last week of hard training before the ironman and it went really well. I felt strong throughout most of my workouts and got in a pretty good 20 mile run Thursday night in pretty hot and humid conditions. Now I get to enjoy my 3-week taper, a chance to heal up some minor aches and pains.

Swim – 11500 yds.
Bike – 205.88 mi
Run – 35.17 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr
Yardwork – 45 min
Walking – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 244,625 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 2942.78 mi
Run - 639.19 mi
Strength/Core - 59 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 47 hr 40 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 37 hr 30 min

Totals 8/8/10-8/14/10

I had been feeling pretty run down in recent weeks, but Saturday's awesome long workout has definitely a big pick-me-up. One more week of hard training to go and one more long Saturday before it's time for a 3 week taper to rest up, heal up, and get ready to go!

Swim – 11300 yds.
Bike – 206.61 mi
Run – 37.81 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr
Yardwork – 1 hr 30 min
Walking – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 233,125 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 2736.9 mi
Run - 604.02 mi
Strength/Core - 57 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 46 hr 55 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 36 hr 30 min

Pittsburgh Tri recap

Check out my Pittsburgh Tri race recap at the link below, it was a good race and it was great being home and seeing family again!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=221744

Awesome day

Yesterday was a big pick me up, I was definitely getting beaten down lately with all the training, but I had a great day. I swam 4000 yards in 1 hr 10 min with breaks, which I've never done, then biked 120 mi in 5 hr 55 min and was able to hammer 21 mph miles at the end, then had a nice 1 hr run that felt pretty easy! I needed a day like that confidence-wise...

Totals 7/25/10-7/31/10 and 8/1/10-8/7/10

Light swim week both weeks, I was in Pittsburgh visiting family and for an Oly tri and didn't have access to a pool. Had a pretty rough long ride on the 7th, I had to cut it short because it was very hot and I dehydrated quickly and lost most of my calories when they bounced out of my back pocket when I hit a bump hard. Hoping for a little better effort this weekend, but I'm TIRED. The training is really starting to catch up with me. The Oly tri I did in Pittsburgh was as bad as I've felt physically in a long time, but still managed to PR (something to be said for mental toughness I guess).

7/25/10-7/31/10

Swim – 5650 yds
Bike – 126.19 mi
Run – 21.95 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 30 min
Walking – 2 hr

8/1/10-8/7/10

Swim – 5250 yds
Bike – 149.53 mi
Run – 24.25 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr
Walking – 8 hr

Training total:

Swim - 221,825 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 2530.29 mi
Run - 566.21 mi
Strength/Core - 55 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 45 hr 25 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 35 hr 30 min

Ironman 70.3 Racine - 7/18/10

Check out my race recap for Ironman 70.3 Racine. It was a tough day with the heat and humidity, but I was able to PR (5:04) by almost 20 min!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=218496

Totals 7/18/10-7/24/10

Another heavy week of training, including the first time riding the full race distance on the bike. Definitely starting to feel tired more often now, although I think it is more lack of sleep than anything, with the cleanup from the basement flooding keeping me up pretty late a few nights.

Swim – 13050 yds
Bike – 223.41 mi
Run – 25.82 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 45 min
Disaster Cleanup – 3 hr
Walking – 2 hr

Training total:

Swim - 210,925 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 2254.57 mi
Run - 520.01 mi
Strength/Core - 54 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 45 hr 25 min
Disaster Cleanup - 30 hrs
Walking - 27 hr 30 min

Rochesterfest Olympic Tri race recap

Check out my Rochesterfest Oly tri race recap here:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=213985

It was one of my better efforts and a new PR for Oly distance!

Totals 6/27/10-7/17/10

Hello again blog, long time no see! It's been a busy few weeks for me, between long hours at work, my mom coming to visit, and a flooded basement. So this is the last few weeks combined into one succinct post. Not too much working out last week, kind of a slight taper for Ironman 70.3 Racine and also basement cleanup.

6/27/10-7/3/10

Swim – 5550 yds.
Bike – 130.86 mi
Run – 29.41 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 30 min
Walking – 2 hr
Yardwork – 45 min

7/4/10-7/10/10

Swim – 13600 yds
Bike – 166.73 mi
Run – 18.14 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr
Yardwork – 1 hr 30 min
Disaster Cleanup – 12 hrs
Walking – 45 min

7/11/10-7/17/10

Swim – 8225 yds
Bike – 46.47 mi
Run – 18.71 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr
Yardwork – 45 min
Disaster Cleanup - 15 hrs
Walking – 2 hr

Training total:

Swim - 197,875 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 2031.16 mi
Run - 494.19 mi
Strength/Core - 51 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 39 hr 40 min
Disaster Cleanup - 27 hrs
Walking - 25 hr 30 min

Totals 6/20/10-6/26/10

This was one tough week! Lots of volume in all three disciplines, and two 4+ hr. rides this week. Saturday in particular was a pretty epic training day. It started with a 3000 yd swim, followed up with 5 hrs. 20 min. on the bike, then a 1 hr. run. Not impossible, but what made it pretty tough was the weather. One of the banks I passed around 4 in the afternoon had the temperature at 102 degrees! With some pretty nasty humidity on top of that. I think my nutrition strategy worked ok, I could maybe use a few more calories, but hydration was not effective in that weather. I drank about 200 ounces on the bike and was still substantially dehydrated for the run. I think I did not take in enough electrolyte, but it is hard to carry enough on the bike during these long rides. I’m planning to supplement with endurolytes so hopefully that will help.

Swim – 10800 yds
Bike – 217.55 mi
Run – 33.09 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 1 hr
Walking – 45 min


Training total:

Swim - 170,500 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 1687.1 mi
Run - 427.93 mi
Strength/Core - 47 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 36 hr 40 min
Walking - 22 hr

Totals 6/13/10-6/19/10

Light week this week, I took a couple days off prior to an oly race Sunday in Rochester, MN. It was worth it, I set a new Oly PR, 2:17:08. Gotta pick it up from here though, 4 weeks until Ironman 70.3 Racine, and only 13 weeks until the ironman.

Swim – 7800 yds
Bike – 72.13 mi
Run – 23.82 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 2 hr
Walking – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 159,700 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 1469.55 mi
Run - 394.84 mi
Strength/Core - 44 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 35 hr 40 min
Walking - 21 hr 15 min

Pigman tri race recap

Check out my Pigman tri race recap here...

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=211902

Totals 6/6/10-6/12/10

Another week of training, another solid week on the bike. Got in some good mileage and I'm finally feeling a little stronger. I had a pretty solid result at Pigman on Sunday, 27th overall and 4th in age group. I also learned a lesson about wearing sunscreen even when it's cloudy (see exhibit A...my sunburned back). Another race next Sunday in Rochester, MN, an Oly so the first longer race of the year for me, hopefully I do alright...

Swim – 8400 yds.
Bike – 157.1 mi
Run – 23.62 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 4 hrs.

Training total:

Swim - 151,900 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 1397.42 mi
Run - 371.02 mi
Strength/Core - 42 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 33 hr 40 min
Walking - 20 hr 15 min

Totals 5/30/10-6/5/10

I've been getting in a good amount of 30-40 mile rides after work the past few weeks, and finally starting to feel stronger on the bike. Unfortunately I've bagged on a lot of runs lately, so that has suffered a little. One of these days I'll have time to do it all...

Swim - 8000 yards
Bike - 130.73 mi
Run - 13.34 mi
Strength/Core - 1 hr
Yardwork - 8 hr
Walking - 45 min

Training total:

Swim - 143,500 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 1240.32 mi
Run - 347.7 mi
Strength/Core - 40 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 29 hr 40 min
Walking - 20 hr 15 min

Totals 5/23/10-5/29/10

It's been an eventful week, had the first race of the year, put in a ton of bike volume, including a painful 6 miles back to my house on a nearly flat tire. I've had some neck and lower back pain on the bike that I think is just due to the increase in volume. I've also been doing lots of landscaping, just making me more tired...

Swim – 9450 yards
Bike – 214.58 mi
Run – 20.23 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 6 hrs
Walking – 1 hrs

Training total:

Swim - 135,500 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 1073.59 mi
Run - 334.36 mi
Strength/Core - 39 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 21 hr 40 min
Walking - 19 hr 30 min

Bluff Creek Sprint Tri race recap

So my first tri of the year was Sunday in Ogden, IA, probably about 30 miles west of Ames. It was a tough day out there, with high heat and humidity, lots of bugs, and a pretty hardcore headwind on the bike, but I ended up finishing 8th out of 208. Not a bad result for the first race of the year. Check out my race recap here:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=209538

Totals 5/16/10-5/22/10

Wow haven't posted on here in a while, it's been a hectic few weeks with work, and I had my first race of the yeah Sunday (more on that in a separate post). The weather was kind of lousy, a couple days were total washouts. So it kind of became a mini-taper week for the race.

Swim – 7300 yards
Bike – 57.12 mi
Run – 15 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 30 min
Yardwork – 3 hrs
Walking – 2 hrs

Training total:

Swim - 126,050 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 859.01 mi
Run - 314.43 mi
Strength/Core - 38 hr 25 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 15 hr 40 min
Walking - 18 hr 30 min

My race setup

So my first race of the year is tomorrow, the Bluff Creek Tri, a sprint tri near Ames/Des Moines. I just got the bike setup to race, including my new race wheels, a Hed 3 front a0nd 0a Renn 575 rear. Check it out...

Totals 5/9/10-5/15/10

Another week goes by, nothing too eventful going on. The weather was kind of crappy, so that limited time on the bike. That and the fact that I got 3 flat tires this week. I need to check out my front wheel, I must have a spoke hole uncovered or something. I built a retaining wall around part of my house this weekend which was a total mofo, especially after being really dehydrated from the long Saturday workout.

Swim – 8200 yards
Bike – 113.15 mi
Run – 28.11 mi
Strength/Core – 1 hr 45 min
Yardwork – 7 hr 20 min
Walking – 45 min

Training total:

Swim - 118,750 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 801.89 mi
Run - 299.43 mi
Strength/Core - 36 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 12 hr 40 min
Walking - 16 hr 30 min

Totals 5/2/10-5/8/10

The season is really sneaking up on me. Only 2 weeks until my first race of the year, the Bluff Creek Tri over near Ames. I feel like my swim and run are right there, but my bike needs some work. It doesn't help that the weather has been crap lately. These 2-3 hour rides in 40 degree windy weather are not a lot of fun. Hopefully I can get a few decent rides in this week though.

Swim – 8000 yards
Bike – 80.51 mi
Run – 22.87 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 5 min
Yardwork – 1 hr 50 min
Walking – 45 min

Training total:

Swim - 110,550 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 688.74 mi
Run - 271.32 mi
Strength/Core - 35 hr 10 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 5 hr 20 min
Walking - 15 hr 45 min

Pictures of my baby

Some pictures of my Cervelo P2C all upgraded for the season ahead. I'll have to add a few with race wheels mounted a little later, picked up a Hed 3 front and a Renn 575 disc rear...

Totals 4/25/10-5/1/10

Still not sleeping well this week, so I bagged a couple training sessions. Still a fairly productive week, feeling strong other than the lack of sleep. Yeah, over 100,000 yards swimming total!

Swim – 11800 yards
Bike – 80.88 mi, 20 min trainer
Run – 32.04 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 20 min
Walking – 45 min
Yardwork – 1 hr

Training total:

Swim - 102,550 yards
Bike - 19 hr 25 min trainer, 608.23 mi
Run - 248.45 mi
Strength/Core - 33 hr 5 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 3 hr 30 min
Walking - 15 hr

Yeah new bike parts!

Currently in the process of upgrading my rig (2008 Cervelo P2C) with some new components. Included is new crank (finally getting rid of the sh*tty FSA Gossamer crank that came stock...going to Ultegra 6700), new chain, the new Ultegra 11x28 cassette, double wireless computer, and...race wheels! Hed3 front and Renn disc rear! Pictures coming shortly!

Totals 4/18/10-4/24/10

Another week goes by, and I'm really feeling tired. I haven't been sleeping well, I have a lot of life stuff on my mind lately. Not sure how long I can keep up training like this and not sleeping, so hopefully things get resolved soon.

Swim – 11000 yards
Bike – 109.72 mi
Run – 19.07 mi
Core/Strength – 2 hr. 10 min.
Walk – 45 min.
Yardwork – 1 hr.

Training total:

Swim - 90750 yards
Bike - 19 hr 5 min trainer, 527.35 mi
Run - 216.41 mi
Strength/Core - 30 hr 45 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 2 hr 30 min
Walking - 14 hr 15 min

Totals 4/11/10-4/17/10

Wow busy couple of weeks, haven't been posting on here much. Judging by my lack of followers, I'm sure no one has noticed heh. Lots of hours put in at work the past few weeks, combined with lack of sleep and it's starting to catch up with me. Not sure why I haven't been sleeping, but hopefully it'll stop soon.

Swim – 6700 yards
Bike – 111.69 mi
Run – 31.97 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hrs
Walking - 45 min
Yardwork - 1 hr 30 min

Training total:

Swim - 79750 yards
Bike - 19 hr 5 min trainer, 417.63 mi
Run - 197.34 mi
Strength/Core - 28 hr 35 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Yardwork - 1 hr 30 min
Walking - 13 hr 30 min

Totals 4/4/10-4/10/10

I was definitely no feeling very energetic this week, and on top of that my quads and hamstrings got progressively more sore and tight as the week went on. Not sure what's going on there, but hopefully it turns around soon. Lost a few days of training visiting family in Pittsburgh, so not too much biking or swimming this week...

Swim – 5600 yds.
Bike – 47.94 mi, 0.5 hrs trainer
Run – 17.16 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 20 min
Walking – 3 hr 20 min

Training total:

Swim - 73050 yards
Bike - 19 hr 5 min trainer, 305.94 mi
Run - 165.37 mi
Strength/Core - 25 hr 35 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 12 hr 45 min

Big thanks to Aevero

So at the start of the year I was looking for some new tri shorts to train with, and I came across this company named Aevero that has been getting some pretty solid word of mouth on one of my favorite tri websites (www.beginner-triathlete.com). They had a deal going for tri shorts with a free riding windbreaker for $32. So I picked up a pair, and the first time I wore them, the color bled out of them and stained my saddle, which is partially silver, purple. It really wasn't a huge deal to me, but I sent them an email suggesting they warn people to wash them before wearing them. They got back to me, and not only offered to replace my saddle, but also sent me another pair of shorts and offered to make me a custom jersey. That is definitely great customer support and the way to run a business right. Check them out here if you're in the market...

www.aevero.com

Interesting day today

Today was kind of interesting. A friend told me about a 5k he was doing yesterday, so I thought, what the heck, I'll do it. Haven't really done much speedwork the past few months, so I wasn't expecting much. I ended up finishing 4th in 19:17, not great, but I'll take it for my current level of fitness. I was supposed to bike 4 hrs., but I looked at the weather and it looked like it was going to rain until 5 PM or so. So I did other things until then, but it still looked ominous outside. I just said screw it and went, figuring if I get wet, I get wet. Well no more than 5 min. into the ride, the heavens open and I get soaked. I wasn't dressed warm enough, so it was pretty cold. The about 10 miles from my house, my front tire flats without me realizing it until I almost killed myself going around a turn pretty fast. Good times!

Totals for 3/28-4/3/10

I was off in Pittsburgh for a few days of this week, and didn't do a whole lot of training while I was there except for 3 runs and 1 swim. I did take my buddy Misha (mom's dog) for a bunch of walks though. It was good to have a little mental break and to see family and friends. Definitely need to get back into it, the start of my season is less than 2 months away!

Swim - 7000 yards
Bike - 82.42 mi
Run - 24.31 mi
Strength/Core - 1 hr 30 min
Walking - 3 hr 20 min

Training total:

Swim - 67450 yards
Bike - 18 hr 35 min trainer, 258 mi
Run - 148.21 mi
Strength/Core - 23 hr 15 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 9 hr 25 min

Off visiting family

So I've escaped Iow for a few days, visiting family here in Pittsburgh. It's been good to get away for a while and just relax a little. Not too much in the way of training, just a couple short runs and one swim, but a break in the training now and then isn't so bad. Plus me and Misha (mom's dog) love to walk and I've been helping out with some stuff around mom's house, so it's not like I've been sitting around anyway. Saw the Blind Side finally, which I highly recommend. But I definitely do need to work on the diet when I get back to Iowa...

Totals for 3/21/10-3/27/10

Pretty good week of training, I really like where I'm at swimming and running, the bike needs a little work but I'm sure I'll get there. I just need to get my diet right and get rid of about 10 lbs. then I'll be ready to kick some serious ass. Given I'm still almost 2 months out from my first race of the year, really happy with how things are going...

Swim - 10250 yards
Bike - 111.11 mi
Run - 22.92 mi
Strength/Core - 3 hr 50 min
Walking - 45 min

Training total:

Swim - 60450 yards
Bike - 18 hr 35 min trainer, 175.58 mi
Run - 123.9 mi
Strength/Core - 21 hr 45 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 6 hr 5 min

Wow I need to work on hills

So I did my first longish ride of the year outdoors today. It was about 45 deg. and pretty windy when I set out, and I was definitely a little underdressed for the conditions. I especially regret not wearing my neoprene shoe covers. The first 10 miles or so were with the wind at my back on mostly flat multi-use trails. That was a lot of fun, but I knew in the back of my head thee would be a price to be paid for coasting at 24 MPH with very little effort. Then I get out in the wind-swept rolling hills of Iowa, on county roads north of the airport in Waterloo, heading into the wind for the first time. Holy crap that was tough, I haven't ridden in that kind of wind yet this year. There are also several pretty big hills in this stretch, and my legs are definitely not strong enough for those yet. Something to work on. Next was a turn toward Denver, with a nice crosswind trying to blow me over, and guess what, more hills. Once I got to Denver, I figured at least I would have the wind helping somewhat on the way back. Uh, wrong answer. The crosswind only intensified, and there were times I was struggling to stay upright. Finally I turn and get a couple miles with a tailwind, instantly up over 30 MPH, which is always a blast! But those last 10 miles against the wind were just brutal, a real test of mental and physical toughness. My toes were pretty much numb from the cold at that point. But I'm glad I got out there, these sufferfest types of days definitely help mentally come race day. 2 hour run tomorrow, hopefully my legs are feeling rested...

Totals for 3/14/10-3/20/10

This was a good week, I got in a lot of biking, and actually got outside on the bike 3 times, and I didn't totally suck, so that's encouraging. Not too much running this week though...

Swim – 7450 yards
Bike – 64.47 mi, 2 hr 30 min trainer
Run – 10.96 mi
Strength/Core – 2 hr 40 min
Walking – 40 min

Training total:

Swim - 50200 yards
Bike - 18 hr 35 min trainer, 64.47 mi
Run - 100.98 mi
Strength/Core - 17 hr 55 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 5 hr 20 min

My poor bike

So I was biking outside tonight, and the Cedar River has finally receded enough for me to get on the bike trails heading toward Cedar Falls. I thought, awesome, now I can ride without worrying about getting killed. So I ride all the way up toward George Wyth State Park, and bam all of the sudden I'm rolling through the thickest, nastiest mud on the planet. Within 20-30 ft. my bike was absolutely covered and mud was jammed into the brakes and all the drive components. So I have to stop, walk back through said mud, and try to clean everything out. The I try to ride, and I was pretty much going balls out to go 14 MPH because of all the drag from the mud. For 10 miles. What an awesome ride...

60s in Iowa in March!

So the weather the past few days has been awesome, I've actually ridden outside 3 times this week. So much better than the drainer! I made a few upgrades to the bike and tweaked my position on the bike quite a bit. It's less comfortable right now, but I am WAY faster now. I've picked up about 1 MPH from a similar level of fitness a year ago. It is a more aggressive riding position, so hopefully I can get comfortable with it...

Totals for 3/7/10-3/13/10

Kind of a light week for me this week, I was gone for 3 days to Detroit, where I used to live, for my buddy Tom's Euchre party (it's a Michigan thing).

Swim - 7900 yards
Bike - 2 hrs. trainer
Run - 18.95 miles
Strength/Core - 2 hrs.
Walking - 1 hr.

Training total:

Swim - 42750 yards
Bike - 16 hr 5 min trainer
Run - 90.02 mi
Strength/Core - 15 hr 15 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 4 hr 40 min

Spin class from hell

So rather than endure another thrilling session on my bike trainer, I decided to go to the spin class at the local Y tonight. I've been to it a few times and it's usually a decent workout but nothing too killer. Only tonight the regular instructor wasn't there and she was replaced by some kind of masochist. This lady decided to have the class ride at basically 90-100% resistance (including sprints at that resistance) for the entire hour. And it was really warm in the room, so not only were my legs trashed, but I was completely drenched on top of it...

Totals for 2/28/10-3/6/10

Another week into the training and I didn't really feel like doing much this week, especially on the bike. I just CANNOT get excited about riding on the drainer. I did get some decent runs and swims in though.

Swim - 8600 yards
Bike - 3 hr 20 min trainer
Run - 26.28 mi
Walk - 1 hr 20 min
Strength/Core - 4 hr 30 min

Training total:

Swim - 34850 yards
Bike - 14 hr 5 min trainer
Run - 71.07 mi
Strength/Core - 13 hr 15 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 3 hr 40 min

Lazy Sunday

Motivation has been a real issue the past week or so, especially biking. I hate riding on the drainer (not quite as much as I hate running on the dreadmill but still). Today I pretty much lazed around all day, I pretty much only swam 2000 yards and that's it. I usually hate sitting around doing nothing, so I'm not sure what's been going on with me lately. Anyway hopefully my motivation and desire to do...something will return in the week ahead.

Some goals for the season

So I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish this season, and I think I've got some ambitious goals that will take a lot of hard work to follow through on.

1. Make it to the start line of my ironman injury-free and feeling well-trained and confident. This is always my #1 goal going into the season.

2. Finish both my sprint tris under 1:10 and place in age group in both.

3. Finish at least one of my 2 Oly races under 2:15. Both feature hilly bike courses, so my swim and run will have to be flawless to accomplish this one.

4. Finish Racine 70.3 under 5 hours. Based on my performance at Pigman HIM in the most brutal conditions I've ever raced in, this should be doable with decent weather conditions.

5. FINISH my ironman. No big time goals going into this one (except my super-secret goal I will tell no one about).

6. Run 5k under 18 min. I was only 20 sec. off last year and I was not exactly in great running shape then, so if I can drop a few pounds I should get there.

7. Have fun! Don't worry too much about results and remember that I do these to have fun.

8. Don't be too focused on training. I tend to bury myself in training at the expense of having much of a social life and I don't want to do that this year.

Fun fun

So I had to have a root canal today, actually part 3 of my root canal. It is not a fun experience, I wouldn't recommend it! But at least now it's done. I took the day off work, so I got a quick swim in and did a pretty hard 90 min. hill workout on the bike (on the trainer of course :(...). The good news is it's been sunny and above freezing the past few days, so the snow is finally melting. Spring is just around the corner! In honor of that I might have to go for a run today, even though my IT band has been acting up and my shins are a little sore from last night's run.

Tough day

I really did not want to get up early to swim today. I start work at 7 AM most days, so to get my swim in, shower, and dress, I'm pretty much up at 4:45 AM. Today definitely tested my motivation, but I did it. Special thanks to the 80 yr old guy I had to share a lane with swimming some odd combination of freestyle and breast stroke taking up 3/4 of the lane. Awesome. Later developed a massive headache at work, and finished my day off lifting and squeezing in a 40 min. run. Long day!

Totals for last week

So I thought I would keep track of my weekly training totals on here, maybe it will make me accountable and keep me from skipping. Sadly I'm already gimping around a little. Stupid IT band in my right knee is acting up again...

Run - 19.22 mi
Swim - 8400 yards
Bike - 4 hr 15 min trainer
Strength/Core - 3 hr 15 min
Walking - 1 hr

Training total:

Run - 44.79 mi
Swim - 26250 yards
Bike - 10 hr 45 min trainer
Strength/Core - 8 hr 45 min
Snow Shoveling - 1 hr 30 min (hey it's gotta count for something...)
Walking - 2 hr 20 min

Tris this year

So I've picked out (and paid for :(...) all the triathlons I'll be doing this year. Looks like I'll be hitting up all the major distances, so it should make for an interesting season. It's my last year before moving up to the dreaded 30-34 age group where the competition will be much tougher, so I'm hoping for a great last year in 25-29.

Bluff Creek Tri - 5/23/10 - Boone, IA - Sprint - 500m swim, 15 mile bike, 5k run
Pigman Tri - 6/6/10 - Palo, IA - Sprint - 500m swim, 25k bike, 5k run
Rochesterfest Tri - 6/20/10 - Rochester, MN - Olympic - 1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run
Racine 70.3 - 7/18/10 - Racine, WI - Half-iron - 1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13.1 mi run
Pittsburgh Tri - 8/1/10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Olympic - 1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run
Rev3 Full Cedar Point - 9/12/10 - Sandusky, OH - Ironman - 2.4 mi swim, 112 mi bike, 26.2 mi run

I may add another in that month gap in late June/early July but we'll see...

First blog post evah!

Hey, thanks for checking out my blog! Like the title says, I'm Eric, 28 years old, originally from near Pittsburgh, PA but currently living in Waterloo, IA (at least for a few more years heh...). So what made me decide to start a blog? I'm glad you asked, I guess boredom partially and also I'm doing a little thing called an Ironman for the first time this year. I'm a recovering 300+ lb. couch potato, I lost most of that weight a few years ago now and have been doing triathlons for about that long as well. For the uninitiated, triathlons combine swimming, biking, and running into one tasty, pain-filled race. Ironmans are the longest distance of triathlon, combining a 2.4 mile swim with a 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. Why would anyone want to do that? I honestly have no idea why I'm doing this, maybe just to celebrate my current fitness and challenge myself severely. Really it's just good to have something to do that you really enjoy. Which ever since I moved to Iowa has definitely been in short supply unfortunately. Anyway, this is just a little intro, I'll probably update this from time to time with training, racing, and life tidbits. Of course any suggestions to make this more interesting are welcome!