Surf Nipple Vs. Runners Nipple/EPIC training

WOW....A whole week in the 50th state of our union...HAWAII. (they love that fact btw.) IT WAS EPIC. What a great time. I met some family of dear friends, saw some breathtaking sights, and got some EXTREME mental imagery as far as training goes. Since this is a training blog I will concentrate on the training. Here is how it went down:
Thursday (7/23/09)-travel day
Friday (7/24/09)-Long swim not timed or measured but it is approximately 2000 meters. It was done at Waimea Bay beach park. It is where they have the big wave contests in the winter. Today it is a virtual pond. Breathtaking. Easy to train there.
Saturday (7/25/09)-Long day at the beach. Surfed for the first time and even got up. GO ME. Ive got the nipple carnage to prove it. I also got a surf board burn and even a sun burn on top of that. I have had runners nipple and its got nothin on surfers nipple. Sorry no pics of that. I kayaked, body boarded, and swam. Surfing is one awesome shoulder and core activity.
Sunday (7/26/09)-Long run. OK this is the type of run that sets it all off. 9 miles from turtle bay past sunset beach all on the Northshore. Here is a picture of the sunset @ sunset beach where I ran. It was slow and I stopped a bunch to take it all in and because of the humidity. Here in Vegas it is hot but dry there, not so much.




Monday (7/27/09)-Travel day. Went to Kailau-Kona on the big island. This is the holy grail among triathletes. I rented a bike. I rented a much nicer bike then I would ever buy for tuesdays long ride along queen K.
Tuesday (7/28/09)-Long Bike. I was hoping for 40 miles. What I got was way more than that. As absolutely gorgeous as it was it was difficult. May be that why they do it there. Its hot, hilly, muggy, desolate, rainy, windy, and cold. Huh? Here is the map:
The red is what I rode. The pink is the rest. The bottom-most or southern tip of the pink is where the swim start is, where the transition area is(T1 and T2), and where the finish is. I didnt ride that part. I rode 30 miles at the northern tip (the red) from Hapuna Bay to the city of Hawi where the turnaround is. As you go north you gain over 700 feet and the climate is remarkably different. Hot/muggy to cold and windy. The terrain changes from hot volcanic rock to grass land. Boy my legs felt it. Up and up and up. Then when I turned around it felt still up. And yes the wind DOES go in your face in both directions (I thought that was overdramatic by ABC's part but its true). Here are some other pics:

While in Kona there was also a bunch of IRONMAN gear. I couldnt help myself. Here is a pic of all the gear I got:
from the number on a clock here is what everything is: 1 o'clock=cycling jersey of LONO the Hawaiian god of war. Plumerias all around...very cool cycling jersey. 5 o'clock new cylcing sunglasses. Super cool. 7 o'clock cheapy IM t shirt to train in. 9 o'clock official ironman program. 10 o'clock a hat to run in IM-style. Middle middle is a post card I will use as a reminder of this weekend at work.

Right outside the swim start on illi'i drive there is a shop. The owner of the shop is a finisher of multiple IM. His name is also Ron and a really cool guy. His buddy made this statue. It is a huge replica of the original IM trophy. It sits outside the shop. Here is me with it.

I usually end with a quote but today I am not going to. Rather I am going to end with a definition. Although I have made life long memories this last week, what I take away most is an idea of what living with aloha is about. (sorry I cant figure out how to remove the underline)

“These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaii. Aloha is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. Aloha means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. Aloha is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. Aloha means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable. “

http://www.volcanogallery.com/alohaspirit.htm

Heading out...

I just wanted to do a quick post before I head out. This week has gone by very quickly. Both at work and on the training schedule. Here is how my training week went:

Monday-Long swim. 1500 meters (30 laps) and I wondered how many 250 meter chunks can I do in under 6 min? the answer is 3 here are my splits: 5:49, 5:54, 5:50, 6:01, 6:06, and 6:03. For a total of 35:46, ave pace 5:57. WOW. Some 3 min faster than the last time I went this distance. My speed work is helping. Not tired, no cramping (used to get toe and calf cramps with long swims), and faster. Nice.
Tuesday-Easy recovery run in 28:00, 3 miles. Here in Vegas a gorgeous morning. Rained the previous night and was about 75 degrees. The kind of run that makes you say...."oh yeah thats why I do this..."
Wednesday-Recovery swim. 750 meters slow and easy. 19:25. Pushed my bike to this am since I thought I would have more time. Got to bed waaaay to late and changed today to a rest day with travel.

Intervals (run) tomorrow Hawaiian style, and the rest of the week we will see where the islands take us!


In other news I am going to do the push-up challenge that Charleston mentioned. Ok off to the airport and fun had by all! Oh here is a quote:

E noho iho i ke opu weuweu, mai ho`oki`eki`e.

Remain among the clumps of grass and do not elevate yourself.

Don't show off.
Don't get puffed up and big-headed.
Be ha`aha`a (humble),
which does not mean
timid, submissive, and spineless.
An inner self-confidence
which gives rise to quiet strength
is far more admirable than
self-importance, arrogance,
and egotism.

46 miles since last post and block review

Better rest, better nutrition, and better training. This block is going to be a lot better than the last training block. Just to reiterate: I am training for this 1/2 iron distance triathlon using a 10 day work week instead of the traditional 7. I left my schedule at work and I wasnt able to review my first block. So here it goes.

Block 1:
Swim-1750 meters
Bike-15 miles plus trainer
Ran-13 miles
Missed 1 run and a swim/bike brick so it was 1000 meters short on the swim and 25 mile short on the bike...Id grade that brick a C...good thing its only the first one.

Since the last post:
Friday-Intervals...it had been a few weeks with no speed work, which is probably why run had been the lesser of the 3 disciplines lately. Planned for 1 mile warm-up, 4 X 3 min on/off, 1 mile cool down and actually had 0.9 mile warm-up, 2 X 3 min on/off (on times were 7:42 pace and 8:36), and finished em up with 1.77 mile cool down. Total of 4 miles. Its amazing how much you lose if you dont do them.
Saturday-Long bike. I did the middle half of the Silverman course. Total of 33.66 miles in 2:21:29. Ave pace of 14.3 miles/hr. I think with more training I will be able to do reach over 15 mph. My legs got pooped on a mile and a 1/2 upgrade and speed was out after that. I did not include the 3 sisters which are going to be gnarly. Overall good ride. Beautiful ride out by the lake on Northshore.
Today (Sunday)-My first brick in a while. 30 min on the trainer in a moderate high gear with a high cadence. Slow transition to run and then 8 miles. It was slow but faster than last weeks on the same route. I walked some as I feel the soreness from yesterdays ride. Overall decent workout today.

The rest of this week is going to be a challenge to get my training done. I am going to be out of town for my first vacation in almost 5 years. I will be in Hawaii. I am hoping to have some swims in the ocean, runs near the beach, and there is a chance I make take a long bike ride on a long stretch of road. This long stretch of road is Queen K highway where they do this race every year. Yes it is the bike course for the IronMan. I may do about 30 or 40 miles of it for my dreams. Something to think about on boring rides, on the trainer, or in my dreams. I should be able to mobile blog so I am excited for new places to train. Quote:

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. -John Wooden

What can you do?

Thats more like it....and INFO

Ok now that more like it. A good week of sleep, training, and eating. Isnt it amazing how different you feel when those are priorities are in line? Here is how my week has gone so far...

Monday-Since I was pressed for time and my I spaced setting my alarm I went to the pool at lunch. 750 meters (15 laps) in 16:53 total. 250 yard chunks in 5:29, 5:41, and 5:42. Ave 5:29. My fastest 750 Ive done by 2:03 (was 18:56).
Tuesday-Again pressed for time but managed 2 miles on the deadmill and 9:31 pace and 2% incline as a recovery run and warmup for softball. Very hot 2 games about 110 degrees.
Wednessday-15.59 miles on the bike in 59:50. Ave 15.6 mph. Not faster than this loop ive done before but I felt so much stronger with less fatigue.
Today (Thursday)-Swim 1250 meters with intervals not including stroke drills. 3 laps stroke, 5 laps warm-up (6:03), 3 laps on 80% of what id consider max in 3:13, 3 laps off 4:11, 3:17 on, 4:30 off, 3:23 on, 7:05 cool-down. Total 31:45. Boy the water feels great. I am going to smash my swim for the Las Vegas tri. I am so much faster now than anytime this year.

Friday-Run intervals, Saturday long ride of about 35 miles, and Sunday brick of short bike and long run.

INFO---Since this week I couldnt think of anything to research I decided to write a little bit about injuries. Since I have been exposed to the blogging world and I am in touch with many endurance athletes, I am alarmed at the unnecessary amounts of tedious injuries around. If we are in proper "condition", if we are properly rested, if we are properly nourished, and if we have a healthy game plan we should be able to do all this work WITH NO PAIN. Thats right I said it NO PAIN. What if I have pain then what do I do? Well my friend at redhead has the perfect idea. See a physical therapist. It was just a funny coincidence that I was going to blab about this topic I just read happed to read her post for today. The fact that her PT has NO EXPERIENCE with running is alarming. (For what is worth, I would suggest she finds one that does). Afterall, the informed consumer gets what they are looking for. Sorry redhead I dont think shes your gal. Here is my diatribe on PT: According to the American Physical Therapy Association, PTs are trusted health care professionals with extensive clinical experience who examine, diagnose, and then prevent or treat conditions that limit the body’s ability to move and function in daily life. (APTA). Your therapist should give you a thorough evaluation and if you are a runner then they should analyze your running. Every session you should see THE PT who evaluated you and he or she should be progressing and managing your program to fit your improvement every visit. Your treatment should also be EFFECTIVE. You should notice a significant change right away with regard to pain, strength, motion, or function. Patients have every right to find a PT who is trained to handle this population of people. Call places and ask the front desk person if any of the PTs there are an endurance athlete and if they claim to be ask them some questions. As far as redhead is concerned how long a marathon is a good question. (I am embarrassed by my colleague by the way) They can be very effective in your training. Some of them may even be a coach as well. Whew ok, no research today but a little info anyway.....

"Believe in yourself, know yourself, deny yourself, and be humble."
- John Treacy's four principles of training prior to Los Angeles 84

If you need help....find a PT near you!!

challenging week and award

I suppose this blog thing would not be honest without some crappy weeks. So I am writing an entry to fulfill my obligation to be true to myself and write an entry with a poor week. I don't have any excuses. I was certainly excited to begin the push to silverman but I let life get in the way.
Tuesday-Easy recovery run 3 miles in 29:00.
Wednesday-My friend and colleague had a very interesting discussion. He said that he could do a sprint triathlon anytime he wanted. Now granted Art is a good runner and he is in good shape. He hasnt swam in 15 years though. He has a history of excellent running times and says that at one point or another he was a great cyclist and swimmer. My question; What have you done lately? I said "I think you could do the bike and run without a problem...fast?....without soreness or fatique? No but I dont think you can do the swim. #1 its open water, #2 you havent swam a lick. His answer I could do it. Really?! He said name your stakes and lets bet. I thought since its water lets bet a seafoood dinner on it. DONE he said. Here is the bet: 500 meters (10 laps), cant touch the bottom, and you cant stop, all in 20 min or less. HE LASTED 1 1/2 LAPS! I win. Dinner will be in a week or so. I got off late in the first place....horsed around at the pool with Art and then got to my bike trainer. I warmed up 10 min, started some intervals and I was dead. Legs heavy, heart/lungs not interested. I had 4 planned I finished 2 and the cooled down. Lack luster at best.
Thursday-scheduled day off to attend a friend function my wife had me work into my schedule and it ran really late. Got to bed way too late.
Friday-When I wrote my schedule I had the knowledge that I was playing in this softball tournament tonight but It didn't occur to me to figure out a way to train around it. I played in a "midnight madness" tournament. IT LASTS ALL NIGHT. Here are my game times: 7:40, 9:00, 3:00 AM, 4:40 AM. I was dead. No training on Saturday. I was getting home when I should be arriving at the pool for my first brick in a while.
Today (Sunday)-8 miles....lethargic, slow, and labored. Got the miles in though.
I am not upset. I am not happy about it. I just know that this is one of those weeks that make the awesome weeks more enjoyable. We just cannot have awesome weeks every week. Next week will be much better. I will eat better, I will sleep more, and I will train better


I am enjoying reading all of the training blogs that I am reading. Its a funny "other" world. One of the budding friend blogs has bestowed up me an award. It is called the Seven Traits Award, where I list seven things about me, and pass it along to 7 more blogger s. What If I don't have seven others to share it with? I will pass it along in a few days after I learn the rights and privileges associated with this award. Here I go:
#1--After a mountain of personal growth and self work I am actually relieved that my wife and I cannot have a child. I never realized how much I let the people around me influence what I think about myself. I don't think all people should be parents. This world might be a different place if only the appropriate people breed. This allows me the chance to train, travel, and work with more passion. The energy I would spend on kids I use to treat my patients. Its the most rewarding thing in the world. I am happy to be just husband and wife.
#2--I dreamed when I was a kid about doing the Ironman at Kona but I NEVER even considered it a possibility for me. I was a offensive/defensive end in football, a power hitting outfielder, and a power forward in basketball but an endurance athlete? That is not for me. I CANT DO IT. I am a power person...can I hit it far? In the last few years I have worked tirelessly to dissolve boundaries from my mind. What heights can I reach with my fitness and training? I am happy to quietly and realistically chase this dream of finishing the Ironman at Kona.
#3--I am obsessed with music and movies. Not just any movies or music but music/movies that are unique. I don't want to be spoon fed. I am constantly searching and researching for music and movies that are creative and passionate. I am a passion junkie. Any time I find a person who sells out to what they love I gain instant respect. I love that. I am happy looking for my passion fix at a movie or listening to music.
#4--I am on a quest to make sure health is not the reason someone cannot chase their dream or passion. I love helping a drummer drum or a runner run or a painter paint. With more experience and knowledge I am able to be vehicle for change for people who don't even know they need help. Sometimes a minor to major injury is a wake up call to change your life. I am happy to be a person who helps people reach their maximum potential.
#5--I am a "communication" challenged person. I have spent a great deal of time and energy learning about my communication skills and how they interact with others. I believe that 90% of interpersonal problems can be fixed with adequate communication. I am striving every day to communicate better, sometimes I am successful and sometimes I am not. I am happy to be a person striving for better communication.
#6--I LOVE DOGS. I am the proud owner of 2 dogs and since my brother lives with me, so does his 2. Thats 4. I almost took a pair of dogs that were looking for a home. 2 labs who were trained and well behaved did not find their way to my home. My wife said no. We dont have a big enough doggie door or back yard for those dogs. I want a wiemeriner sooooo bad. My 2 are small but I love em anyway. I am a big dog person though. I am happy when there are dogs around.
#7--I love Jeeps. I love the top down. I love the open air. I love that I can go where you cant. I love not washing my jeep since they SHOULD be dirty. I carry my bikes on it. I carry my kayak on it. I love how versatile it is. I am happy when I am in the Jeep.

Whew there are my seven things. That was strangely therapeutic. Thanks choco! I will pass it along with I get some ground rules.

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle -- victorious. - - Vince Lombardi

A weekend to remember

If you think running 30 miles continuously is an achievement Id say your on to something. If you think that running 30 miles continuously at around a 8:00 min per mile pace was impressive I would also say that you are on to something. What if I told you that I witnessed a guy do that and that wasnt even the most impressive thing I saw all weekend. The most impressive thing I saw all weekend was a guy who handles himself with such confidence and grace. He made 30 miles look easy. It wasnt just the run. He had people run or ride with him, 28 to be exact, from all over the country. If half those people came out I would have called that a success. He made everyone feel welcome, old, young, runner, biker, fit, and not fit. He just wanted to have people around him when he completed this feat. He handles himself with patience, kindness, confidence, and grace. He is a better father, husband, and friend than a runner. This guy ran 30 miles in 4:08. The marathon split is 3:35 without "racing." Not just that but you wanna know how breaks he took? NONE. He didnt even look tired. I watched all 30 miles. ( I rode 31.74 miles or so.) He never wavered. I was honored to be a part of his accomplishment and even more honored to carry his water. If you would like to see pics you can see his blog which is attached to mine or read clays blog.

I ran the Newhall Independence day 5K and I happy to say that I have a new PR. It just wasnt as fast as I hoped. I ran 25:53 according to my watch but I think the offical results were 25:48. (I will post a change if there is one) In February I ran 26:46. About a minute faster. I wanted to be sub 25 but my legs were pooped. I wanted to average 7:50. The first mile was 7:47, the second was 8:27, and 8:23. Of the people in our group there was 8 people with a new PR. Fun to run with such commited and talented runners. Nxt year I will hang with you guys.

In the big picture I am on the clock. The silverman clock that is. Officially started my schedule to complete the half iron distance silverman here in southern Nevada. After considerable research I have decided to take Karl's advice on the 10 day training schedule. I put it together and I think I have an excellent plan. I think the way triathletes go about the traditional training schedule might be some what of overkill. No wonder there is injury and illness. They are working for the sake of working. Lets work smarter. For every 10 day block I will include swimming, biking, and running progression including 3 days a block for each with a recovery day, a interval day, and a long day. Each block will have 1 brick and 2 full days off. The bricks will alternate betweet bike and run and swim and bike, while the long discipline will change each time. After all triathlon is about continuosly moving forward for the appropriate amount of time. I will be able to move in a forward direction for approximately 6 hours. Every third block will be a recovery block and I will train right through the disneyland half marathon and the las vegas triathlon. In that olympic distance tri I will put my new fitness on display and shoot for a 30 min PR on the same course as RAGE. Sub 3:10. The program then continues to Rock and Roll Phoenix Marathon in January including using the Las Vegas half as a training run. I am totally pumped.

Today-1000 meter swim not including 3 laps of stroke drills. I tried a new way of interval and admitedly it needs some tweaking. I did 5 laps of warm up at about 50-60% effort then 2 laps on 2 laps off X 3 of 80% effort. Then 4 laps of cool down back at 50% effort. Here are the splits:
6:03 warm-up
2:11 on
2:43 off
2:15 on
2:47 off
2:17 on
5:37 Cool down
23:54 total
I dont have the schedule on me for the rest of the block but I am ready for the training to pick up.

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

What are you made of?

Slight taper and literature review

Interesting literature search this week. I decided since the last time I looked for some studies that I don't have enough information on swimming training. Interesting thing is there is hardly any valuable studies done. The reason? Its hard to study with all that water, with everything moving, and with the amount of muscle activity going on what do you look for? For running you can plan everything around the treadmill. For biking a trainer works well. But you have to build a tank to study swimming. There is this concept of suspended swimming where they try to simulate swimming with tubing and then take VO2 max etc there. Uhhhhh what? No way can we use that information. Any way what I looked at was lactate threshold and interval training with swimming. Are there acceptible time frames for intervals? What speed should we be training at? Running is very specific why cant swimming be too? Of the several studies I read the answers are NO and it depends on the person. Since oxygen is flowing less freely, since there are so many muscle groups moving and working, and there really isnt a principle group working traditional interval times and principles may not apply. The topic for future studying is if you hold a pace of 60-80% of your maximum pace for a time from that is just longer than what you can easily accomplish you are making the necessary cardiovacular changes. So swim coaches across the globe have anecdotal experience with this, what works? The programs I read dont seem to jive....please post some workouts for speed on your blog or mine.

heres how my week went so far:
Monday- Swimming...changed my mind from long swim to shorter faster since I was pressed for time...(prompted interval review) I swam 3 laps of stroke drills, 15 laps (3 X 250...750 meters) where I sprinted the 1st and 5th of each 250, 6 fast and 9 slow active recovery type laps. Splits are 5:40, 6:24, and 6:34. Attempting to have fast laps under 55 secs, 250 meters in less than 6, and how many sub-sixers can I string together? Then 2 slow cool down laps. Total 1000 meters.
Tuesday-Running in am. slow recovery run ave 9:30 for 3 miles in front of a low speed hairdryer we call the Las Vegas wind. Softball in the pm. Heated games.
Wednessday- Bike intervals on the trainer. 10 min warm-up 4X4 min on/off, 10 min cool down. Does anything make you sweat more than the trainer? I dont think so.
Thursday-Rest
Friday-travel to CA, celebrate Karls real birthday
Saturday-5K PR can I run 24:30?
Sunday-Karls 30 miles on his 30th birthday ride...How long will I ride? I am support crew.

This weeks quote:
"Those who say that I will lose and am finished will have to run over my body to beat me."
- Said Aouita