1 Week to Number 3...

Tri number 3 is a week away. I feel ready, although I just realized that the swim is .4 miles and not 1/4 mile. This is almost double the distance. Oh well... Gonna take it a little slower and not burn out, but I am sure I can do it. Also, the bike is only 9 miles and not 12... I like that! Ha... Now if the run was a drive we would be all set...

Woke up at 6:00 a.m. today and got on the bike. Hit the Hook by 7:30 a.m.. What a perfect day. Hit a South wind coming back, but I was able to peddle through it and hold my form. I took it a little slower today and worked the soft gears keeping my cadence up in the 100's. I just felt like spinning my legs... I am going running then hitting the gym in a bit... We joined another gym- this one is much closer and cheaper. I can get my strength training in now at least... I am keeping my other gym membership because they have a really nice pool and I don't want to stop swimming and compromise my overall training... In essence it is costing me about 50% more a month to maintain the 2 memberships. I feel like this is a small price to pay, so I will until it becomes cost prohibitive, I give up on all this or I realize I am nuts...

Here's a tip of the week... You can't do this or anything unless you obsess over it. Depending on what it is, the obsession can last a lifetime, a year a month or even a moment... Regardless, unless you dedicate the time to whatever it is you are trying to accomplish you won't finish. Make the time! Plan ahead! Insist on doing it for you!

Long Branch Tri #1

Well, this was supposed to be my first, but I only completed 1/3 of the race. The waves were pretty big on this beautiful Saturday morning, and after making it to the buoy and back I thought I was good. As I got close enough to shore to stand up, I got hit by a wave from behind which filled my goggles with water. Not too big a deal unless you wear contact lenses like me. The water in my goggles washed the lenses from my eyes and I was done for the day (somehow I left the spares at home). Not to worry, because the SI Flat as a Pancake was the real race I was training for and I would have extra lenses there.

It's Here!!!

Well, tomorrow is Tri-1. I know the Flat as a Pancakes is supposed to be #1, but I jumped in for the first of the Long Branch Tri Series with the Sandy Hookers. My bike is tuned up and ready to go, I got my sneaks and some GU packets. Can't forget the body glide or wetsuit either. Guess I am more anxious than nervous... I want to see how I will do and how much all the training has helped and if it will continue to pay off. Guess we will all know more tomorrow...

Training vs. ...

There is a great difference between training and going for a run, ride or swim... At least, this is something I believe I found out for myself this weekend even though you may disagree with what I say below.

On Saturday, I awoke with a purpose; I was going to swim, bike and run the distances of my upcoming sprint triathlon. My goal was to complete all the challenges in the same morning with the least amount of time required between each (i.e. driving from the pool home to bike and run) while noting the things my body was requiring. This is training!

For Sunday, I planned on going for a ride with a friend. I originally took this as my training for the day, but as the plans quickly deteriorated I got ZERO training in and no exercise at all. This is unacceptable!

My point is that you must train regardless of what your plans for a beautiful sunny day may be. Taking a 12 mile leisure ride is not the same as training for a 12 mile sprint in a tri pack of bikers.

Everything I read and am learning on my own is real- you must plan your workouts. Have a purpose, reason and goal for the training session. For me:

My Purpose is The Flat as a Pancake and then whatever event(s) follow(s).

My Reasons for training a certain way are set before each workout. For example, I will complete 3 strength circuits with a run or ride for as long as I can go at 70% at least 3x this week. I am doing this specifically to gain strength. I feel very comfortable with the endurance portion of the race and am comfortable completing all the required distances. Therefore, I will ride and run, but not at the expense of strength training.

My Goal for training this week is to scare off my last 7 pounds and get stronger, leaner, bigger muscles. If I get stronger my performance will benefit and this is what I want to happen.

Great workout...

Had a great workout Tuesday night after work. There was no pressure to be anywhere and I was driving so there was no boat schedule to contend with either. Got out of work around 6 p.m. and went straight to the gym. I used on of the new Star Trac spinning trainers with the digital display. It was a great bike workout. The seat adjusts both vertically and horizontally and the handlebars just vertically so you can get down into the aero position and really simulate a ride. I got through 12 miles in about 28 minutes (not bad)... I then moved directly to a treadmill and started at a slow jog with the pace set to about 3.5 mph. My legs were a little stiff so I used the slow pace to loosen them up I then increaded to about 6.0 mph and realized my legs were hurting and I was out of breath. My heart rate was spiked at 90% - way to high, so I slowed to 4.5 - 5.0 for the rest of the run and was able to keep my heart rated steady at about 81%. The total run took about 38 minutes. I am happy with this as well.

From this week on, I am focused on splitting my workouts during the week between bricks on Tuesday and Thursday and strength on 2 of the remaining weekdays. On the weekend I will hit the pool hard and do full body workouts including riding and running outside.

The weather is getting nicer and I was up at 4:30 a.m. today... It was perfect outside for a run although I need to be at the office so I had to pass. The temperature was about 51 degrees and the sun was starting to break. I hope to start morning training soon.

It's Done!

I enterered the Patanella's Flat As a Pancake today... This will be my first USAT sanctioned event. With 67 days to go will there be time to get ready?

A long update...

I have been spending a lot of time at the gym and running outside. I am little worried about running after the bike though. Reason being, I caught a cramp in my right calf earlier this week while training. This is what happened...

I did not have much time, so I was doing a 15 minute sprint on a spinning bike, then I stretched a bit followed by moving directly to a treadmill for 15 minutes at 6.6 mph. About a minute into the treadmill I had to jump off to stretch again thanks to a shooting pain in my calf. I worked out the cramp and there remained a dull pain, but I was able to run through it and finish my 15 minutes.

Lesson Learned: Sometimes, when pressed for time, something is better than nothing- but not at the expense of hurting yourself.

I have also gone back to weights, but focusing on machines vs. free weights. While I prefer the free weights, it feels like I get a better more rounded workout using the Express Line at the gym which provides a nice full-body circuit workout... I enjoy doing my strength training as a circuit workout as it keeps my heart rate up and seems to enhance endurance vs. straight strength training with the typical reps/sets.

This week at home I focused on doing more core exercises and pushups than usual. Regardless of whether or not I exercised earlier in the day I did my situps and pushups before going to bed. I didn't even bother counting - I just went until I started feeling a little tired and then stopped so as to not get the heart going to much before bed.

Monica and I have been getting outside running together. This week we got outdoors twice and she is now runing a mile non-stop. At this rate I will have he doing triathlons with me next season.

Diet was offf this week with a few days of cheating, but I have been able to beat back the pounds and cravings again. I am at currently at 178 lbs. and would like to get to a steady 170 by May 1. Some things to note gentlemen, losing 30lbs. will cost you about 4 pants sizes. I have gone from a 40 inch waist to a 34, but I am sure that if I hit 170 I will be buying new jeans again. Not to mention shirts, t-shirts, shorts and bathing suits... Essentially, I am in the process of replacing my entire wardrobe because everything I own is way too large.

As always, I have updated my Trimble Trip info in side bar to the right... You really should check out their site and see if your phone will work with the application. If not - GO BUY A NEW PHONE! I really like getting outside and using my phone to track my speed, elevation changes, time etc. Quite simply, it works and it's easy...

Well, the counter says the race is 60 or so days away. I am sure I can finish, but I want to get stronger. I am focused on endurance: longer, steadier runs, more biking and lots more swimming. I am managing my pace by watching my heart rate and it really makes a difference. Seems like my optimal pace falls with my heartrate at about 60-70%. In this range I can just keep going... If I need to sprint and my heartrate hits 85-95% it is ok as I am able to get back down pretty easily through controlled breathing and slowing my pace. My posture running is totally relaxed and I have shortened my stride which makes running much easier. Today I hope to bike and swim, but not too sure as I have not been feeling well this weeked... We'll see what happens...

Random thoughts...

I need to get to the pool. I haven't been in the water in over 2 weeks... The race is only 70 days away now.

I have also been looking at the costs for becoming a triathlete as well as continuing on with the sport long term. Bikes are expensive. They can run from a few bucks at a garage sale to thousands if you go all out. If you intend on swimming, a wetsuit can easily run $200 plus and running shoes can also go for a cool $100 plus. So don't be surprised... If you want to do this long haul, take your time accumulating your gear. My plan is to wait and buy as I can afford some better quality entry level stuff instead of just grabbing at anything I find that "may" fit the bill. I have been looking at the bikes on bikesdirect.com and they seem to have some great prices... I always suggest research, research, research... Also, with this type of gear I am big on "try before you buy" as comfort will make or break you.

Training, A Reace in Brooklyn and Some Helpful Tips...

So here it is. I have been away from writing for a bit, but I have been working out. Mostly running and cardio as well as really focusing on my calories and fat consumption. Seems like my body fat is going up while my weight is staying pretty level along with muscle. Not sure what this means, but I am sure I can find an answer on the web somewhere... Also, I am loving my Trimble Outdoors AllSport application on my Blackberry... I use it everytime I run or walk... If I am exercising outdoors I am using it! I really recommend you check them out at trimbleoutdoors.com. If you need help or have questions just drop me a comment here... The folks at Trimble have been great to work with...

Anyway, on April 5 I volunteered at a biathlon in Brooklyn at Prospect Park. The event was sponsored by NYTRI.org. It was a great experience. I really got a great understanding of how an event works and what transition areas look like. I was fortunate to be working security at the entrance and exit to the transition area so I saw all the gear folks had. There are tons of cool triathlon accessories out there like hydration packs and aero bars and the bikes! Wow! It was fantastic to see the multitude of brands from Specialized, Cannondale, Kestrel, Blue, Aegis, Cervelo, Litespeed and more... And they weren't all triathlon bikes either; folks were riding road bikes and mountain bikes or anything with peddles... There were even 2 blind folks being led by guides on tandem bikes- these are the people I admired the most... nothing stopping them... At the end of the event a team from West Point (the US Military Academy) really dominated. The race was finished in about 46 minutes by one of their cadets (2.1 mile run-12 mile bike-2.1 mile run)...

I finally broke down and bought some new running shoes also. I went with the Asics. I had been running with New Balance which I love, but was told that the major difference is that ND is using air vs Asics using gel for cushioning. I think the comfort level is all a matter of personal preference and where you are running, because some days I prefer the Asics and others the NB... I suggest trying on a lot of running shoes and only buying the ones that feel right otherwise pass until you find what you want.

I think I am back in the groove...

Took Saturday off to rest from Friday's run and ride and hit the gym on Sunday (3/29/09) for some more strength training. Monica has been really supportive and seems to really be kicking into high gear with the running and interval training on the treadmill. She is completing 5k in about 37 minutes which is great I think... Yay Mon!

I ran along side her and topped out at 3.4 miles in about 30 minutes. I was pleased and it felt great. Hamstring is still acting up, but not so that bad it stops me. I then hit the weight stacks and focused on gathering my 1 rep max numbers for a number of core, large muscle exercises.

All in all I completed about an hour of lifting and focused on the techniques I read in Strength Training for Triathletes.

If I get out of here on time, I may go for a run or walk tonight... Time will tell.

Perfect day!

I now know why we are here on this planet, it's to appreciate it. This morning I took the day off to catch up with myself. I needed some time to get my rythmn back. I turned on some tunes (I highly recommend Pandora.com) made my morning smoothie (10 ice cubes, 1 cup Tropicana OJ, 1/4 cup no sugar added pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon no fat greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons flax seeds, 1/4 banana, 1/4 cup no fat half-and-half and 2 tablespoons of craisins)and got ready to work out. I dropped Monica at the boat, kissed her goodbye and hit the woods for a 3.4 mile run (tracked it on http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ using my Blackberry). After the run I went home and changed and grabbed the bike for a ride (also tracked using http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/).

I just finished abot 10 miles of peddling and I am sitting on a wall listening to and watching the waves crashing in. There is no better place in the world right this second.

Interestingly, I am not really hungry although I thought I might be. I did drink water, but not as much as I thought I would need.

My bike needs adjusting. Seat feels low and too far forward and the handle bars, being mountain bike bars, really give my arms and pecs a workout.

Ouch!

So I finally made it back to the gym yesterday and remembered something I read... "...after 2 days your body goes back..." Well, if feels like I regressed months. Hitting 5k on the treadmill was painful and biking was horrific (only went 4 or 5 miles tops). My legs felt like two stumps with zero flexibility. This is really disheartening, so my plan is to go all out once again. I am back in the gym tonight and will be there again Saturday and Sunday. I plan on taking tomorrow off and will see about Friday although I may go and do some light weights just to stay loose. I also feel like I am adding fat to the body even though my weight is stable. I have to admit that I have been indulging a bit much still and partaking in red wine isn't helping. Hopefully I can get back on the horse...

Reality Kicking In

The hardest part of traiing is that it needs to be consistent. Maintaining that consistency while battling the world around you is something I feel only few peopl ein the world have mastered without them becoming professionals... Point being, I only made it to the gym on Saturday for an hour or so. My legs are stiff and when I finally got on a treadmill to start running it took about 10 minutes for me to get warm and loose. Good news is that the hamstring is feeling better, maybe because I have been off it for over a week. Not really sure. Anyway, I am hoping to get back into my routine beginning tomorrow with a solid workout - bike, run and weights. All indoor, but I need to get back on track.

Personally, I am feeling great. I sleep fantastic and have been able to indulge in some old vices like wine and champagne and even food, but all in proper moderation without going overboard. It's actually pretty nice to go out, eat and drink and not feel full or weighted down, but at the same time be more than satisfied... Well, let's see if I can jump back onthe horse tomorrow... The "Pancake" is coming up quick.

The best laid plans...

This is really starting to become tough. Missed planned gym days twice this week already. I am eating well, eventhough I did indulge a bit on St. Paddy's Day, I kept my control. Weighed in at 178 today. First time I have broken 180 in longer than I can remember. I am hoping to get at least a run in today, but I don't see it happening. I am hitting a chiropractor tonight for a check up. First time using one and I am looking forward to it.

Well, the weekend is almost here and my plan is to work out hard for the next 3 days regardless. I need to hit the weights and focus on lower body strength as well as some core routines.

Where to begin...

Well, I blew it Friday and took a break from all training and had a few glasses of wine and a little celebratory dinner with Monica. I guess I can't just work and train and forget to play all together... Today is Saturday and I woke at my usual 5 a.m. I couldn't fall back asleep so I got up and did some house chores. After the chores, Monica helped me stretch my hamstrings and quads. The stretches are pretty simple, I lay on my back on the floor and lift my legs straight up. Monica then helps support them and pushes them slowly backwards towards my head giving me a great stretch. I do 2 legs then 1 leg at a time. She then drove me to the bike shop to pick up my bike. I had new road tires put on, a basic tuneup and the fork needed some oil, but other than that it needed little other work. I spoke to one of the sales guys about road vs. mountain bike pedals and clipless vs clips... The prices for road pedals and shoes seem reasonable and as I continue to ride I will decide on the way to go. I am still trying to sort out if it is better to be wearing your running shoes and just using the baskets. Anyway, I rode the 7.6 miles home and made it in about 27 minutes. Heart rate was steady at 70% and I wasn't really pumping it at all. The ride is flat so it mimics the Staten Island triathlon bike route pretty well.

I wanted to get to the gym to swim today, but did not make it. I may get up and go tomorrow morning just to get my laps in, and then Monica and I are running in a 5K charity fun run. It should be fun...

It's Official

This morning was a good, no great one... Monica and I got engaged last night so I can officially say my fiance. Can't wait to get on my bike and ride with that in my mind... I can't be happier. Anyway, tonight I am hoping to get my bike professionally tuned up. I have a Cannondale F-600 mountain bike. I love the frame, it fits me great, so I figured I would give it a try on the road. I am changing out my off road tires for some road slicks and looking at changing my peddles too. Right now I have the shows that clip onto the peddle, but I think I like them more for leisure than racing. Having to transition and change shoes seems a bit much, remember I still have a little lazy in me. I don't know the answer now, but I will let you know how it turns out...

Headed home...

I found out today that you can just email your blog to update it so here it goes. I just left the gym where I worked out for about 40 minutes only. I was rushing and made more mistakes than you can shake a stick at.

First of all I left some very important equipment home, my briefs. Now this may not seem like much, but it's the worst feeling when you're trying to run 5k in 30 minutes. So tip- always make sure you have all your gear before leaving home.

Next, I have been having this tingle in my left hamstring. It's more annoying than anything else, but it started acting up during my bike ride so I cut that short at 5 miles and hit a treadmill. On the treadmill I walked/ran only a mile. Hammy kept tingling so I figured time for a rest from cardio. I decided maybe a little light weight to stretch it would help and bam! On the third one leg set of leg extensions CRAMP! That's right ouch. Now, here is another tip. If you get a cramp in a muscle you have wrapped, WAIT FOR THE PAIN TO STOP before unwrapping it. I did not and let me say I felt the blood rushing in and I couldn't move my leg for about 4 minutes.

So, my workout was cut short due to plain being dumb. I should have moved to my upper body and just left the lower half alone.

My First Ah-Ha's...

Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week by Eric Harr is the name of the book I mentioned in my first blog entry. The book is great and a good foundation for a beginner. I took yesterday off from training as I was and still am a little tired, but I intend on hitting the gym tonight.

As promised, I would share some of my ah-ha moments with all, so here is one. The book I am reading now is about strength training for triathletes (see second blog entry for title). It is great and has a number of different exercises all described along with great illustrations. One new twist I learned today on an age old exercise is on the incline bench press. In this exercise you generally start with your hands in front of you, above your head with your palms facing your feet (while lying on a bench at 45 degrees, feet flat and all that other good stuff of course). Instead, change your palms so they face each other (twist the weights) and start/fininsh in this position. The idea is that from this position you mimic your racing posture more closely as if you were leaning down on your bike. When riding, you would push off your handlebars using your arms and support yourself with your core while continuing to peddle. Changing the position of the weights mimics this push... I will let you know how it works... Next... for the last 2 weeks or so I have had this pain in my left hamstring. It is this dull, annoying pain. I figured I hurt it or strained it working out. I think I finally figured it out. It is my gym bag and brief case - they have me all out of wack when I walk. Before my commute, the gym bag stayed in the car and I walked a few yards with my briefcase only - very little strain. Now, I walk approximately 1 mile combined with all this stuff hanging from my body. So, I need to figure out how to downsize ASAP.

Last thing... Get a good feel for your 1 rep max weight. As you strength train, understanding and documenting this will make a real difference...

Hitting the Outdoors

Grabbed the bike this morning and hit the park. Did 3 big loops at 1.3 miles each (combined up and down hill and some flat) as well as 15 or so small loops (flat and only .4 miles each). Both loops are paved. I rode home and changed then walked back to park and ran the small loop 6x in about 30 minutes. My whole workout, with the transition, stretching and walking home to cool down was 1hr and 27 minutes long. I felt ok during the run part and was doing 30 second sprints for the last 3 loops. These got me a little winded and my heart rate was at about 87% and one time it measured at 92%, but my body catches up really quick and I recover within a minute (I am paying attention to this).

Had I known in advance that the small loop was .4 miles long I would have kept going and toughed it out. Oh well - there's always tomorrow... Monica had a little lunch ready for me as she was right in thinking I would be starving when I returned - I was... I am now having a protein shake to accompany the great turkey burger I ate. Gonna sit and rest a bit before the housework begins...

Blog Day 1

Been working out pretty consistently since September/October 2008. Monica (my significant other and inspiration) did the 2 day NYC Avon Walk and trained for it by walking up and down the streets of NYC after work and on weekends for the better part of 5 months as her training. Watching her work out was inspiring and supporting her effort got me off the couch and out there too.

As I began to walk with her, I wanted to do more (go figure-inside joke) hence our joining the NY Sports Club. At first, I thought it would be a waste of money, but I now realize it was the best decision we ever made, especially choosing the passport membership. This isn't a commercial for NYSC, but rather a testament to how guilty you will feel shelling out the cash each month and not having the excuse "the gym is too far away to get to." In NY there is a NYSC on almost every corner, they're as bad as Starbucks... This convenience made it easy for me to get to the gym and now I use it more than Starbucks in both NY and NJ for my total workout - swim, bike and run as well as strength and endurance training. Point is to train for anything it needs to be convenient first. It can't interfere with your life, but instead it must fit in. Once this happens you are good as it will become part of your life and instead of squeezing in the workout, you will start to squeeze in life around the workout.

Over the last month, Monica has given up her apartment and we haved moved into the NJ house permanently. I knew I would look forward to this, but not for all the the reasons I oirginally thought. I thought it would be great to have the space and amenities of home, but instead I am finding that the commute is the part I am enjoying the most. Weird! Here is why... I am finding that working out and training for a triathalon is not as easy as an 8 week program that says do this and you will be fine. Ok, I am sure I will be - I am clocking in 5k in about 30 minutes and 12 mile bike rides in about the same time or a little more. Ok, so they are still indoor times, but 6 month ago most folks that know me would have laughed to hear me say this. Now, back to the original point - why commuting is good. I get to read. Sounds crazy, so I will explain...

When I started with this crazy triathalon idea I figured I would train a few hours a week and done. Well, Moinca got me a great beginners book for Christmas this year (it's upstairs and I am too lazy right now to go get it - haha!) but I will post the name next time. Point is, I read it last week while commuting. The first week in March. For the last 3 months I have missed out on all the good info the book had. I am now able to tweak my training a bit and hope to see new and better results geared more specifically toward my goal - My First Triathlon - The Staten Island Flat as a Pancake Sprint in June 2009.

I joined the USAT this past week (http://www.usatriathalon.org/) and hit the pool for the first time in 20 years yesterday - yep 20 years I said. I did swim in HS and was pretty good then, so while a little rusty I realized swimming is like riding a bike... Another great thing happened yesterday also, I bought 2 more books... The first one (it's right here next to me) Strength Training for Triathletes by Patrick Hagerman. Wow! I must say that while I was in the gym and I am feeling better than ever strength training for a tri (at least for me) is a bit different than training to look good on the beach...

I have found a new appreciation for sport especially the endurance part. The really great thing about this new book and my commute is that I am certain I will be incorporating the techniques by next weekend (I should be able to finish it this week while going back and forth to work). BTW, I don't do everything I read. I pick and choose:

1. WHAT I CAN DO


2. WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING

Not everything I have read makes sense for a 39 year old first timer. So, I am accepting what does work, adapting what I want to work and disregarding what doesn't work for me.

Well, I am done typing for today. My goal for this blog is to try and document my experience for myself and others. I will add what I learn as I go - my eureka moments as well as my how dumb could I have beens. I will add my workouts as well as times and other personal items. I will also add info from the books I am reading like: what is exercise volume and how to calculate it and the difference between endurance, hypertrophy, power and strength. I will do this because this is a great reference tool for me and maybe anyone that reads this.

Well, wish me luck and if you endeavor to complete your first tri or any goal remember one thing:

YOU ONLY FAIL IF YOU DON'T EVEN TRI. GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!