Taper Time, It's Taper Time!

Crap, it's taper time. I hate the taper, although I know it is a much needed time. I spent this labor day weekend finishing my long workouts. Friday was a 4000 yard swim, Sat was my first century ride and Monday morning was suppose to be a 12-15 mile run, which turned out to only be 11 miles (but, I am OK with that).

I feel like I have had some strong workouts in July/Aug. I have been peaking in other words. Here are my July/Aug numbers:

July
Swim-  20,400 yards
Bike-  283.84 miles
Run- 54.88 miles

August
Swim- 19,100 yards
Bike- 359.59 miles
Run- 60.91 miles

My biggest month's by far. So Am I ready?

 

 

I mean, I believe I am. My only goal is to finish. I feel good about the swim. I feel good about the bike and eating on the bike, and I feel OK about the run/walk. I have a plan in place that I want to execute to get me to the finish line. So in other words, I think I am prepared. I am prepared for:

1. It's going to be a long day.
2. I am prepared for what I want in my specials needs bag on both the bike and the run.
3. I am prepared for it to be painful.
4. I am prepared for me to want to stop at some point.
5. I am prepared for all the awesome ideas I know I will have out on the course.
6. I am prepared to know I have no set time goals on any segment.
7. I am prepared to get an IV at the finish line!
8. I am prepared to represent my God, my  family, the G.I. Jess Warriors team & my friends well.
9. I am prepared for the satisfaction of completing the race.
10. I am prepared to find out I am not as prepared as I think.

I am excited. The hard work is done. It's time t not go crazy for the next few weeks. It's time.

I can't wait!

Oh Yeah, There Is A Run Involved!

This may be a rookie mistake, but I have been so focused on my biking for Redman, that I feel like I have neglected my running. This is not to say that I have not been running, I mean I hit almost 60 miles last month, and will probably go over that mark in August. What I am saying is that my longest run to date has only been 11 miles!!  And that is starting to concern me.

My concern is this: I wanted to be so ready for the bike because I know bike fitness is very important on the run. No bike fitness, no run finish is the way I see it. So I have really been concerned with my bike miles and time on the saddle. Worse case scenario is that I end up walking a majority of the run. This is not what I want.

Now I plan on walking some, I am not in an unrealistic state of my fitness. I just want it to be a planned walk rather than I hafta walk. So I figure I have 3, maybe 4 weeks of training left before taper and here is what I want to accomplish.

1. 100 mile ride on my Specialized Transition Elite
2. 15+ mile run in my Brooks Glycerin
3. 4500 yd swim with my Zoggs goggles
4. medium bike/short run brick using my Timex Global IM Trainer

This is all doable, and when I hit these marks, I know I will feel more confident at exactly the right time going into Redman.

***I have a couple 4000 yd swims done already, I have an 11 mile run and a 71 mile run already under my belt, so don;t worry about me going to far too fast***

This Ironman Stuff is Tiring...

I admit I have not been blogging much lately and that is because I have been early to bed, early to rise lately. I have all these great ideas I want to blog about and they always come to me out on the run or bike, but by the time I get back to the house, blogging is not a top priority. Here is just a sample of things I blog about in my head while I am running:

• July was my biggest training month this year, but I expect August to be bigger!
• The other day some random dude pulled up on my wheel while I was out riding without even letting me know. If I had not looked back, I do not think he was going to say anything. Not Cool
• The rain, we have had lots of rain lately and it makes it sticky hott here in Memphis.Many times I have said "screw it", I am running even though it is raining, only to have it stopped raining and get miserable, but I can't imagine running 9 miles on a treadmill now.
• I have determined that if I walk when I see people and run when there is no one around, I will get a lot more running done.
• An hour swim is nothing anymore, I already have hit over 4,000 yds in the pool, and while boring, it's not a big deal.
• My confidence is growing, not growing to the point of being on the podium or anything, but growing as in I can do this.
• I automatically wake up at 5:05 AM now days.
• It's weird that I am feeling leaner, but not really losing any weight, I am staying around 183.
• We dumped Direct TV and got U verse for cable TV recently
• School starts at 7 AM for my boys this year, that's a big change
• I am learning to become quite the mechanic. Me and a buddy have changed out a fuel pump and I recently learned to change my oil. Auto repair places are there to overcharge you, and I am not giving them any money anymore!
• I really want to look into an athlete tracker for my wife to use to track while I am racing.
• 6 weeks to go!!!!

So see, while I have not been putting things down on the blog, there is still a lot going on, but all I want to do is eat and go to bed. So don't forget me blogosphere, I am still around!!!

On the Road Again...

This weekend was my last long workout before the Memphis in May Olympic triathlon  and if I am being honest, I was a little worried about my bike speeds. As you know, I have been doing a lot of work on the trainer this year for various reasons, so I was concerned about getting on the open road. I had reached out to several of my friends to ask their opinions on bike speed on the trainer vs. on the road, and most thought that if the trainer was used correctly, with the right amount of tension, then I could really see some gains on the bike. However, if I was simply using the trainer to spin my wheels and watch TV, then I might not make the gains I wanted. So yeah, I was curious and nervous.

So Sunday my workout called for a ride. I decided to break it up and get a brick session done. So my plan was to ride 10 miles on the trainer hard, then hop off, complete a transition and run a mile. then I would come back and ride another 5 miles hard, hop off and run a 1/2 mile, then I would take my bike off the trainer and hit the road.

And it was awesome!  A definite do again workout!

My run off the bike was great, I kept a 9:05 pace really easy, and I was faster on the second run ( I know it was shorter, but I felt great)

Once I got my bike on the road, I felt like I was flying. I was in the low 20's pretty fast and didn't seem to take a lot of effort to maintain it. This was a huge confidence boost for me. The trainer rides have average out to be around 16 mph. My ride (although only 20 minutes) average 18.9 according to my Timex, and that is with fairly busy streets. Thankfully MIM is a really flat course. We normally have a headwind going and a tailwind coming back, so I feel pretty good about where I am at today!

We Are That Guy/Girl...

This is a re/re/repost that I like to post prior to the start of every year. I think it is worth reading every now and again! It is always good for me to read before the season officially starts, which is soon for a lot of us. This is not something I wrote, but I came across it somewhere and I like it, so please, take the time to read it.

THAT GUY

That Guy. You know him. He can also be That Girl, and often is.

It is that guy (or girl) who you see at every race. He's at every one. Everywhere in the country.

He is always more tan than you are. He is usually a good bit thinner too. His calves have those mysterious vertical striations that define each individual muscle; as if to say, "I have spent hours training each individual muscle in each calf- each individual muscle fiber in fact."

He/she has triathlon clothing that is super cool that you've never seen before. You have no idea where it came from. If you were to ask him- if you mustered up the courage to approach him- you would get some vague answer like, "Ahh, well, I know Dave McGillicutty at Sweetass Trisports and he got these samples, prototypes really, that he….. blah, blah, blah…." And you just wanted to know where you could buy a pair of those cool trishorts he has. Maybe they would make your ass look like Michalangelo chiseled it too. Prolly not though.

So this guy (or girl): His bike is clean. It is also weird. It has parts you think you may have seen in a magazine and, is that what carbon fiber looks like? Half the stuff he has, no, all of it, is stuff you've either only seen in magazines or never even heard of.

He's wearing sunglasses. But he didn't buy them. They just kind of "got there". He drives a special car just for doing what he's doing now: Getting ready for a ride, a run, a swim workout or the triathlon you're at now. He has stickers all over it.

You know when he talks about "Hawaii" he isn't talking about the state as a vacation destination, but rather, an event that you've only seen on TV. He is either talking about getting into it, having already gotten in, or why his last race there wasn't as good as it should have been. It had something to do with some chemical in his body you've never heard of. "Too much polychondrotineospandoplasm in my maldochondriacts during the last ten miles of the run. I should have know better." Yeah, an obvious mistake for someone like that guy (girl). Another thing that guy knows that you don't. Polywhat in his maldowho?

So you get to the race and there is that guy. Setting up all his stuff in the transition area like he's done probably a thousand times before, or so it seems.

And that guy is the reason why so many people are afraid to give this sport (and many others) a try. Because you know you are not That Guy (or girl) and they will look at you and think "Oh, another novice athlete…." And maybe you are embarrassed by that. I know I have been.

That guy is experienced, dedicated, accomplished, fit, knowledgeable, well versed and respected in the sport. You are a beginner. So you are at the bottom of the food chain here. You may be the big woman or man at work and at home. But here you feel like the first day of kindergarten and you don't even know where the bathroom is but you have to go. It's been a long time since you felt like that.

And you'll feel embarrassed in front of that guy.

Consider this though: You are that guy. You are that girl. Don't understand? Let me explain.

On the hypothetical morning we're describing you got up early, loaded up whatever bike you have (the old mountain bike you've had since you were 16, that old ten speed from college, whatever), put the gear you scrapped together in your car and went to the race. You stood there in your sweats and registered, set up your transition area as best you could.

Welcome to the show my friend. You are walking the walk.

You made that monumental leap off the couch and into the realm of That Guy. And now you, to millions and millions and millions of people- you are That Guy.

The next time you go to work when the conversation comes up about what you did Sunday morning you will say, "Oh, ahh, well I did this little triathlon, my first one, I'm not really any good, I was nearly last…."

But to the people at work, and your family, and your friends, and everyone else not there on Sunday morning (and some that were…) you are That Guy. The guy who does those endurance races. Who works out all the time (even if you don't). Who eats right (even though you don't).

Pretty soon it will get around work, what you did Sunday morning, and someone will ask you, "Hey, ahh, have you ever done that one in Hawaii?"

And then you answer, "Oh, Hawaii, no, I'm not that good. I've never done Hawaii…" And to you now it is just "Hawaii". You are That Guy. To someone out there you are That Guy.

Everyone has That Guy. He's better, faster, smarter, luckier. The interesting thing about That Guy is, to someone- you are that guy. No matter who you are, there will be That Guy. Don't let him bother you. Do what you do. Remember, to someone, you are that guy.

Weekly Ramblings and Winner Announced!

Alright, the winner of the Sync Hydration Belt from Profile Design is...

Big Daddy Diesel!!!!!

Congrats BDD! If you will email me at memphis2309@yahoo.com, I will send you some information about sizing and colors for you to choose your belt! Also if you are not familiar with BBD's blog, check it out by clicking here: TRI DIESEL

Thanks to everyone that read and entered! Profile Design makes a lot of great products, so be sure and support them in all your racing needs!

Other Ramblings:
I am making another change to my workout schedule, getting to tough to work it all in, so I am doing away with my Friday rest day. I am moving a swim over to Friday. Overall, I do not think this will make to much of an impact on my recovery days due to the way everything is spaced out.

Wednesday on my run, I was able to consistently hit a cadence of 90 throughout my run in my Brooks Glycerin 10s. I have been working towards a cadence of 90, and felt good to hit it. The run felt good and effortless.

This morning I wore my Timex Global Trainer in the pool for the first time. I know it says it is waterproof, but there is always that doubt in my mind. So, I tried it and it worked great. My next step is to try it in my swim cap so I can use it to chart distances.

Sunday, I am running the Germantown Half Marathon. This will be the third time I have raced this event. I am not sure how I will do because my focus has been the Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon training plan and my longest run has been 9 miles. My PR is 1:57 and last year I hit 2:07, so anywhere between those times will be great!

The kids were on Spring Break this week and it really made training harder. Normally I am up, done with workouts and back to take them to school by 7:20. Without the time goal of 7:20, I thought, well I do not need to get up as early as normal since I do not have to be back! WRONG!!! Stick to the plan JFord! That is what this Spring Break taught me.

Overall training is going well. My core workouts are really paying off also. I can feel the benefit of the crunches while swimming specifically!

Thanks to the new followers of Daily Trainings! Glad to have you!

Next week, Daily Trainings will have another awesome giveaway! This is definitely one you will want to be entered in!

My New Toys, Timex IM Global Trainer and Brooks Shoes!

Santa was good to me this year, as he always seems to be. It also seems that Santa is an endurance athlete, probably a Clydesdale, based on what he brought me. I got two triathlon specific gifts that will be used a lot in training this year.I got a new Timex Global IM Trainer and a new pair of Brooks Glycerin's! Sweet huh?

TIMEX IM GLOBAL TRAINER

This GPS/HR monitor watch is awesome. I have barely been able to tap into everything it can do for me, but there is a lot of data it will collect. I had been looking for a new GPS for awhile because my Garmin 205 would suddenly shut off on me in the middle of my run. I also wanted a HR monitor, and the 205 does not come with one, so I was having to wear a separate HR device on my other arm. That looked dorky. So I did a lot of research on different watches and the Timex IM Global Trainer seemed to have everything I wanted at an affordable price. The only concerns I had about it was that there were some early reports that it took awhile for the satellites to acquire, but recent reports said this issue was taken care of, and I have not had any issues on the runs I have done with it. It seems to acquire satellites as quick as my 205 did.

I am still learning everything it can do and also learning the Training Peaks website, which is where you can upload all your workouts. So I am still in the learning phase, but so far, I love it. It is waterproof, so I can swim in it and I can't wait to do that once it warms up. I will definitely blog more about this as I learn how to best use this tool for my training.

BROOKS GLYCERIN

Pretty aren't they? I have been a part of the Brooks Fanatics group for going on 3 years now and I love my Brooks shoes. There have been several different shoes that I have used (Pure Cadence, Adrenaline and Glycerin), but the Glycerin is my favorite shoe.It just seems to fit my foot and running style the best.  It seems like I am going through about three pairs of running shoes a season, usually putting about 300 miles on a pair of shoes before I retire them. Is there anything better than a new pair of running shoes to start a new season? I didn't think so!

I will soon finish up my race schedule for 2013 and begin training again. I admit that I have been missing it and I am looking forward to starting. I have been doing some running and swimming, but that is mostly to fight off all the holiday food I engulfed!