With water being some 800 times denser than air, form is the most important aspect of swimming. That said, preparing your muscles to propel you along can help you maintain good form for longer periods and faster turn-over for faster times.

There is more to improving your swim times and swim abilities than countless hours in the pool. Although, like it or not that is required to reach your full potential. Increasing strength and muscular endurance in the gym will go a long way in helping you reach your goals in the pool or open water.
Here are some swim specific strength exercises I use for my triathlon training. These exercises are not designed to add bulk to your frame so don’t worry about getting bulky and adding drag or reducing range of motion. When done correctly, these exercises, performed with lighter weights and higher repetitions of (10 – 15) will tone and balance primary and stabilizing muscles to improve performance and prevent injuries.
Core Muscles: Strong core muscles are critical for good hip and body rotation through the water.
Supermans: Lay flat on your stomach with your arms stretched out over your head. Slowly lift both legs, your head and both arms. Pause about six inches off the ground (you should look like Superman in-flight) for 3 to 5 seconds, then slowly lower everything and pause before repeating. Start with 1 or 2 sets and work your way up to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. You should feel this in your lower back. Listen to your body and be careful not to over extend.
Shoulders: This is one of the exercises I use to keep the containment muscles strong and prevent common swimming shoulder injuries.
Up-out-in-down: Use medium to light dumbbells for this exercise (3 to 10 pounds) and start with your arms at your sides, palms facing your hips. Lift the dumbbells straight up in front of your body to shoulder height. Spread your arms out to the side of your body (keep them at shoulder height), bring them back in together and then lower them back down to your sides. Repeat this motion 12 to 15 times, rest, then do a second set. Work your way up to 3 sets.
Back: This exercise promotes power in the Latissimus and Pectoral muscles in a way that is relevant to swimmers. It’s a slow moving exercise similar to the motion of the crawl stroke.
One Arm Medicine Ball Throw: Lay on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place the appropriate weight medicine ball in one hand and position it up and slightly behind your head. In a smooth but forceful motion, throw the ball over the opposite knee to a partner. You won’t be able to through the ball far if you have the correctly weighted ball. Do 12 to 15 with each arm.
Hips: These exercises mimic the upwards and downwards phases of the swimmer’s kick action. To perform these exercises you need a low pulley machine with an ankle strap attachment or you can use resistance bands. Each leg is worked independently to increase the specificity for swimming, and the weights used should be relatively light so you can kick with a speed similar to your kick in the pool.
Hip extension: Stand facing the low pulley machine, with the ankle strap attached to one leg. Lift this leg off the floor, taking up the slack of the cable, and place your balance solidly on the other leg. Hold onto the machine’s frame with your hands to stabilize your upper body and check that your back is straight, with shoulders relaxed. Pull the cable back dynamically by extending the leg backwards until you feel you need to lean forwards, then bring it back in a controlled manner to the start position, retaining good posture. Continue pulling the leg back, focusing on the gluteal muscles and hamstrings.
Hip flexion: Stand with your back to the low pulley machine or station that the band is attached to, with the ankle strap attached to one leg. Lift this leg off the floor, taking up the slack of the cable, and place your balance solidly on the other leg. Position yourself so you can hold on to the station for support  and check that your back is straight with your shoulders relaxed. Pull the cable dynamically by kicking the leg forwards. Pull the weight, using your hip flexor muscles at the top and front of the thigh, until your leg reaches an angle of about 30° or you start to lean back. Smoothly return your leg to the start position, retaining good posture, and continue.
Perform sets of 12 repetitions at a fast speed and build up to sets of 20 or 30 for power endurance of this movement. Start off slow and with less resistance than you can handle until your hips are used to this motion and resistance. Stressing the hip flexor or hamstring can set you back in your swim routine so listen to your body and be smart.
These are just a few exercises I do while training for Ironman competitions or open water swims. They are excellent for all swimmers. As with any workout, form is critical to avoid injury and this routine should be started slowly and built up. If you are swimming competitively, speak with your swim coach before starting such a program.
I hope this blog is of value to you. Your questions and comments are always welcome.
That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S
Personal Fitness Trainer

Race Week

Wednesday August 26th.

4:00AM

The alarm goes off. Not just one, but two. Mine and Amanda’s went off in stereo. I feel sick and need coffee stat. Poor Amanda! She’s driving me to the airport.

Smooth sailing to Salt Lake City, Utah.  I ordered A breakfast beer and some eggs and toast. It’s airport time so it’s OK to have beer in the morning. After a short lay over, I caught my connecting flight to Spokane, WA.

I’m looking forward to getting to Canada. I do not feel mentally attached to this race. I know I did the training, but still, it doesn’t feel quite real yet. I haven’t been feeling well for a few days and there is lots of life going on. It is important to be connected to the race. It is a long, rough day full of doubts and pain. Connected equals mental strength. Mental strength equals forward motion.

I hooked up with my Forward Motion friends Janet and Chuck at the Spokane WA, airport and off we went. It was a 6 hour ride to Penticton, BC but it went by fast and Janet got us there safely. Good driver!

The home we rented is really nice with a great a view of the city of Penticton and Lake Okanagan. I love over looking the city and lake. It allows me to visualize race day and picture the always daunting mass swim start. There are 5 of us in the house and it’s a good group with good energy. There are 3 first timers with us. Their nervous energy is great.

Thursday: Up at 5AM, ate, stretched and went for a short run. The body feels better than it has for weeks. Not perfect, but pretty good. After everyone got their run in, we headed to the Ironman Village to register, pick up our goodie bags and spend money at the merchandise store. After a Safeway run, we retreated to our palace for some relaxation. We had abeverage and some chips around the pool followed by a great barbeque and an evening dip in the spa. I capped the evening with some Face Time with Amanda and off to bed. Good day.

Friday: It’s Friday morning. I got up around 6AM and ate, made coffee and sat by a fire pit while I typed this bit of the blog. I am relaxed and getting fired up. I finally have the feeling that I have been looking for. A beautiful  blend of fear, defiance and competitive spirit. As I type this paragraph, there is a feeling welling up inside of me that I can’t put into words. But it’s awesome. I’ve been having some stomach issues and get tired easily, but I’m sure I will be fine by race day.

When I do these races, the course and event itself takes on a life of its own in my mind. It is a being. Like a wild animal that must be respected or even revered. It has no malice or agenda, but if not respected, it will bite you. Think I will go make some eggs.

Are you alive? How does it feel to be alive!

Friday night: Well, despite a good start, not a great day. Still a bit under the weather and today was bad. I was exhausted all day despite three hours of naps. I have made way too many bathroom stops. I skipped the athlete dinner and opted for rest and quiet time.

Favorite Nap Spot

Saturday: Today was better. My stomach is better as is my energy. We took care of dropping our bags off at the transition area, got some pasta and such to cook for dinner and headed back to our personal Ironman Cottage.

I have very little anxiety regarding tomorrow. This is a first. The energy in the house is great and the day went very well down to me stopping at a bike shop for a quick derailer adjustment. I took a swim, ate dinner, jumped in the spa and now at 9:30, it’s lights out.

Sunday: It’s 3:45 AM. Really, I am typing this at 3:45 AM. I was up at 3:00. Damn Hydrating. I have never been up this early and felt so awake. No burning eyes, no sick to my stomach feeling. In fact, I’m hungry. I’m ready for my Ironman day.

When I started these blogs I had 6 months to race day. I now have 3 hours.

I’m back at the house.

The morning was awesome.  We were all up and ready to roll. This is a great group of people. The morning was perfect and my stomach seemed fine. I ate a bagel, 1/3 of a yam, a banana and a Vitamin Water. Good to go.

Ironman race mornings are amazing spectacles. 2600 Tri-geeks scurrying about, 2600 bikes racked side by side and an crazy energy. We all did what we needed to do, then met at 6:30 so we could go to the beach start together.

With about 10 minutes to go, I left the group for a quick warm up swim and selected my starting spot. After the Canadian anthem, the countdown began. Bang! It was go time.

The start of an Ironman distance triathlon is different than any other triathlon distance.  It’s a mass start as opposed to an age group start. Other distances separate the start into age groups so there’s usually a hundred or so people per wave. At Ironman events , all 2600 athletes start at the same time. It’s elbows to the head and feet to the face for the first mile or so. About 100 yards into the swim I got kicked square in the nuts. The left nut to be precise. It was a physical first mile and then it got a bit better. Good enough for me to shave 5 minutes off my best 2.4 mile swim. Out of the water in 1:15:00 ish. A fairly quick change and off on the bike I went.

The crowds were awesome in Penticton. Everything I had been told was true. This city likes its Ironman. The first 40 miles flew by. A slight downhill for most of the way. I was determined to take it easy so I tried to keep the heart rate down around 135 to 142 or so.  Even with that my first split was around 20 MPH. Fast for me.

After a sharp right we began the climb to Richert Pass. A challenging but fair climb. As I began the climb, I immediately  had to go to my easiest gear. This was not the norm for me for a climb of this difficulty. Within minutes, I began to get passed like I was standing still and my leg muscles began to twitch. I had nailed my fluids and nutrition to this point so cramping this early into a ride was very odd. On the downhill section of Richert Pass, I stood and flexed my quads as I always do to stretch out. They both immediately cramped. This combined with my slow climb was more than a bit concerning.  After a long 45mph downhill, there were “rollers”. They were a bit long to be considered rollers in my book. By this point I was 60ish miles in and new I had problems.

I felt weak and my stomach was not happy. With the training rides I had done, this “shouldn’t” be happening. By mile 70 I was in real trouble. I stopped several times to try and collect myself. Each time I felt worse than the next. I new that my time was limited for Ironman Canada but I was not giving up.

I kept telling myself “Just get to the transition and see what happens. But the cramping got worse and I began to lose my equilibrium. I caught myself swerving several times. I stopped again to regain. But the writing was on the wall. I was not completing much of the run even if I completed what was now the last 22 miles on the bike course. There was a lump in my throat and I felt as if I was going to break down in tears. Much had gone into this day. I stopped the bike and got off. I was pissed. But after a few minutes, I  instinctively got back on my ride and rode off again. I think I had forgotten that I quit.

At mile 85 I veered the road into the dirt shoulder and nearly went down. I realized that my eyes had been closed when this happened and I wasn’t sure how long they were closed. I laid my bike down and took my helmet off. I was done. As I sat there, a competitor broke down right next to me. Her chain came off and got wedged in between her frame and inner ring and she wasn’t strong enough to dislodge it. It took a minute but I got it out and set her up. She was stoked and told me I would be part of her Facebook post. It gave me cause to laugh.

Across the street was a spectator. Collin Campbell. He crossed the street to check on me and immediately said “You don’t look so good”. Another spectator came over to see what was up. He was giving me the “you can make it speech” and I was thinking “actually, no, I can’t”. Collin offered me an option that I could not turn down. “I’m heading the direction you’re riding in twenty minutes. Give it another try and if you can’t make it, I will see you on the side of the road and pick you up”. I knew it was a long shot, but it also meant that I could give it a try with little risk. Besides, I was at the top of a hill and there was a nice downhill coming up. So back on the saddle I went. I made it two additional miles and began to tremble and become disorientated again. This was my last try. I was not completing Ironman Canada.

True to his word, Collin came by and picked me up after an official checked me over. Not only did he pick me up, he took me back to the house we had rented. Prior to him showing up I had slammed my helmet down in anger. I imagined what this looked like (understandable or not) and it changed my outlook.

I did the work, I made the sacrifices, but things just didn’t work out. I decided not to let it ruin my trip or even my Ironman Canada experience. The Ironman experience is just that. An experience. It’s not one day or week, it’s six months. And for me it’s been 3 I.M races in 2 ½ years. I have made new friends, pushed myself to new limits and realized potential that has set me on new paths in life. I have had amazing accomplishments and devastating failures. It is part of who I am and changed who I will become. It’s been a life changing experience and it is not over yet.

Thank you all for being part of my journey. As always, questions and comments are welcome.

Are you alive? How does it feel to be alive!

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S

week 25

I did a short run and constantly had to slow myself down. I have more than one speed when I swim. I don’t immediately go to my “granny” gear when climbing. The taper is working its magic.

I didn’t complete my run on Sunday and it’s OK. Less is truly more for me regarding the taper.  I was beat up. My feet don’t hurt when I get up in the morning. Nor do my Achilles or knees. Feeling stronger at this stage is a great confidence booster. I feel like an athlete again. I didn’t realize how tired I was until the healing began.

But there are new pains. Hamstrings are tight and a bit sore. My low back and neck are stiff. Amanda calls these” Taper Pains”. New, random pains that pop up while inactive during the taper period. I don’t know if they are real or just paranoia.

The workouts are short and mellow. Mile swims, 40 mile rides, 6 mile runs. I’m finding them enjoyable and relaxing. They are so small compared to the race distance, it almost seems pointless. But I can feel the benefits. The combination of rest, stretching, Trigger Point and “short” low intensity workouts is really helping with my ROM. I feel pretty good and I still have a week of this tapper stuff left. Dare I say I’m enjoying this taper!

My nutrition concerns have not really materialized. My appetite has slowed during my taper and I have maintained a decent diet with no added pounds to report. Next week will be more regimented with regards to what and when I eat. Can I bring sweet potato to Canada? I think not.

It just came to me that I have no idea what the town of Penticton has to offer. Or is it a city? Ignorant American! But I can tell you the water temp, air temp, mileage of major hills on the bike course where the water stops are and when I get my special needs bags stuffed with things I won’t want.

Race week is here. Where did the weeks go? Thanks for following my blog. I hope it provided you with something of value even if it was just a smile. My final of this series will be post race. I will provide the good bad and ugly of my week and race.

For those that wish to follow my splits, my bid number is 955. The www.Ironman.com  site will have an athlete tracker on race day. You can also have splits sent to your phone.

“Are You Alive? How Does It Feel To Be Alive?” James Hetfield.

Gotta pack.

That’s all I got, Im out.

Eric S

Week 21

If I could start my Ironman “career” (haha) over again, I would do it differently. I would start by not making triathlon the focus for the first year. I would spend an entire year dedicated to running and lifting weights. If I was smart, I would take two years and “Run Forest Run”.

Mileage, or lack thereof, is the limiting factor for most beginner endurance athletes. I consider anyone that hasn’t done at least 4 to 5 years of consistent training and racing to be a beginner in endurance sports. I certainly consider myself new to the endurance world. There are real physiological changes that take place when you train for endurance sports and they take time to develop. In my opinion, logging base miles is the key to improving your distance race times for the first few years. Not pace runs or tempo runs or hill repeats; just boring get’em done miles.

Mileage equals experience. Experience for your mind, legs, Oxidative pathways, Gastrointestinal, etc. As a triathlete, time and energy is shared among the 3 disciplines. For the average person, this means that you’re not getting enough running miles in to maximize the physiological changes and gain the leg strength that you only get from running. This is why I would like to go back and just run for a year or two before beginning my Ironman training. It would have been a big advantage to get my mileage up before I would have to share my time and energy with swimming and biking.

Of course there is more to good training than just running as many long slow miles as you can. To reach your potential, you need speed work, hill runs, running drills, etc.  At some point, you will reach a weekly mileage threshold where running more will just tear you down. But it could take several years to get strong enough to get to that max mileage. For the experience runner or triathlete that has been logging 50 – 60 – 70 miles per week, then yes, quality not more quantity.

For Ironman Canada, I have averaged around 28 to 32 miles of running per week at the peak. While that is plenty of running to stay fit or train for a 10k or ½ marathon, it’s not really enough for marathon training and that is what I will be running after the 112 mile bike ride. Most marathon programs that are a step above beginner, can schedule 45-50 mile per weeks. With that in mind, on days where I’m too sore or tired and have a tempo or pace run scheduled, I may not do the scheduled run but I will always try to get the miles in. Mileage is still king for me and will be for at least a few more years.

Here’s last week’s efforts:

Sunday: 13 mile run. SLOWWWWWWW. I was a bit beat up.

Monday: 2 mile swim with a two mile walk after.

Tuesday: mellow 15 mile ride – 1500 yard pool swim – 15 mile ride at near max pace (brick)

Wednesday: OFF

Thursday: 5 mile run. Also Slow. My body is tired and stiff.

Friday: Missed swim (sore shoulder)

Saturday: 60 mile ride at a med intensity – 3 mile run

3 weeks left, let the taper madness begin!

Summary: I got it done but I feel slow and sore. I have a foot pain all of a sudden and my hip is not 100%. Massage time!

Mentally: Hot and Cold. I’m done training and my body hurts. I really do not know what to expect come race day.

Nutrition: Much better. More veggies and less crap. Much more disciplined this week. My pants appreciate it.

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S

I was texting my girlfriend last night regarding her new swimming venture. She’s a runner and more specifically, I would say, she’s a marathon runner. She decided to begin swimming for a cross training activity and now she is looking to do run/swim bricks on occasion. She has found it difficult to find time to pair the two activities together and commented on the “juggling act” that it takes to train for a multi-discipline sport . She actually said she would hate the juggling act!

Doing more than one discipline to your max potential is difficult. Doing four is nearly impossible for all but the pros.  This single reality is the essence, the challenge and allure of triathlon. The ability to be at least proficient in swimming, biking and running is something in its self. The ability to do them well and put them together is a real accomplishment.

I remember making my own training schedules when I was starting out with Olympic size triathlons.  I had no background in any of the disciplines so they were all difficult for me. Swimming a mile was not possible, biking 26 would wipe me out for the day and running 6 miles was at the long end of capability. And forget about doing it back to back to back. The adaptability of the human body is amazing. I would sit for hours trying to figure out how to spread the workouts out.

I would struggle fitting in 3 runs, 2 rides, 2 swims and lift weights 3x per week in just 7 days. And back then I definitely needed a day off every week so really I had six days. I couldn’t do too many bricks in a week without destroying myself and doing 2 a days was not even a thought back then. I simply was not in good enough condition to recovery in 24 hrs for my next workout.

Let’s see, I rode last night so no ride today and my legs are toast so I should swim instead of run but I need to do my long swim tomorrow so I will lift weights  today and then ….. you get the idea. The concern was over-training and injury. The reality was that I could only do so much. I wasn’t experienced enough nor fit enough to work hard every day.

So why is it no longer a big problem? Back then I was doing Olympic sized triathlons. Now I’m doing Ironman distances. What has changed?

Lots.

1. I’m stronger and more fit. I have thousands of base miles under my belt and I’ve conditioned my body to workout while tired. A long, hard ride on Saturday no longer means no run on Sunday. It just means it’s going to be a tough run.
2. I’m tougher mentally. My idea of effort, fatigued and pain are different now. As my body has gained strength, so has my mind. This is certainly the greatest attribute that triathlon training and specifically Ironman training has given me. I nurture this benefit and allow it to spread to the rest of my life. It takes time, but after 3 year of Ironman training I am beginning to see the results as this new attitude seeps into my daily expectations of self.
3. I train smarter. Not every workout is at a high intensity level. I understand that each workout has a specific goal. Some increase lactic threshold while others are simply base miles. Some work on speed and others power. some days I simply get it done and that’s all I have to give. This understanding has allowed me to do more on a weekly basis. If you’re sore after every effort or feel fatigued every day, you’re either doing too much or going too hard.

The bottom line is that I am a better triathlete. I have put in the work and figured  the puzzle out both for my life schedule and my bodies limits. Both of which are dynamic and require me to constantly change my workout schedule and adjust expectations. I look big picture and focus less on what I accomplish in a given day.

Like any goal we set for ourselves, Ironman training requires sacrifice. Especially the final 8 weeks of training.

Time sacrifice: Last week, I spent 17.5 hours training. That’s a part-time job.

Social sacrifice: I rarely see my friends right now and last weekend I was so wiped out I didn’t even see my girlfriend. I was mentally and physically fried after an epic ride and Saturday. All I could do was sit and watch the Olympics and rest for my 16 mile run on Sunday.

Life sacrifice: There is only so much we can do in a day. The 17 plus hours that I trained last week could be used for anything. I could market my business, work on an invention I have brewing, do charity work, spend more time with the people I care about. Etc, etc.

Others sacrifie: No man is an island. My decisions effect the people in my life. I sometimes forget this.

Every decision comes with a price. We can’t do it all. There are times, especially on a long, hard bike ride, I feel a foolish putting so much effort into something that can easily be viewed as a waste of time. I will never win an Ironman. I will likely never qualify for Kona. What am I doing out here? But I quickly remember what I get back from my Ironman training. Why it is so important to me.  I see the positive changes in me and think about how this work today will pay off for the rest of my life. It is changing my very being at a conscious level.  It allows me to grow and evolve. And at this age, that is saying something.

Just a few weeks of juggling left. I already miss it!

Here’s how I spent my training hours last week.

Sunday: 6 mile Wharf to Warf run (I planned on running 13 miles but a rib was killing me every step of the way so I did 6 and had a beer with a friend in Santa Cruz)

Monday: 2 mile swim at Del Valle/ 3 mile transition run

Tuesday: 2 mile run/walk. My body hurt so I shut the machine down for the day.

Wednesday: AM- 2200 yard Pool Swim    PM-18 mile Del Valle Ride

Thursday: 4 mile hill run

Friday: 2 mile swim

Saturday: 107 mile (epic) ride/ 3 mile run

Summary: Not a great running week but I wanted to focus on the swim and bike. I feel much more confident regarding both those disciplines after this week.

Mentally: I’m in a good place. I’m just tired all the time but that is the deal at this stage. Rest is near.

Nutrition: I have tightened things up. I am still eating a ton but got back to more veggies and less junk. I had become a sugar junkie. My stomach appreciates the change. I will continue to focus on nutrition and if it works out, I would like to drop 3 pounds by race day.

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S

I ‘m two weeks into the 3rd Mesocycle of my Ironman Canada training. This is the meat of the program. Resistancee training loads increase, long runs and rides get longer as do my swims and transition runs. Currently, my weekly totals are 3 to 5 miles of open water swimming, 130 miles of riding, 25 to 30 miles of running and strength training 2 times per week. This will increase over the next 5 weeks.This is a tough schedule but by no means is this considered an advanced training program. Nor is it a high volume of weekly miles for someone training for an Ironman. But for me, it’s a lot and my body reminds me of this especially on Monday mornings.

This is my 3^rd consecutive season of Ironman training and in my grand periodization  scheme of things, the last two years are now base miles for this race. I am more experienced, better informed and take better care of my body during the 6 months of training. Identifying pains and addressing them quickly is important for me.

I am amazed how little time it takes to keep a new ache from becoming  a limiter to my training. I use Trigger Point, ice, stretching/ROM, rest and IBU as my tools. Most of the time ice and trigger point are all I need. I have learned that the quicker I address a new issue, the less costly it is.  I take time to identify sore joints or try to find tight muscles that haven’t started complaining yet. I will give it a two-minute massage or use a roller on it for just  a minute or two. If I pay attention to the frequent and not so subtle signs from my body, I can identify a potential precursor to an injury. Often, just minutes of care per day can make a big difference for me.

Most of my pains are basic repetitive motion issues and mild strains. Some inflammation, a tight muscle or muscle group, back spasms, a quad strain, things like that. Triathlon is a very linear sport with all of your energy spent propelling you in one direction for hours at a time. This is a perfect setup for repetitive motion injuries. If you ignore warnings, they can suddenly stop you from training for weeks at a time. It is much easier to use one of the tools at my disposal and address the problem before something breaks!

A quick ITB rolling session or a 2 minute hamstring stretch, Icing while you watch TV, some range of motion movements while standing in a line. Spend 1 or 2 minutes on something every hour or so throughout the day.  Sitting and stretching  2x a day for 20 minutes at a time just isn’t realistic for me. But taking a minute or two several times a day is and it quickly becomes routine. Driving, standing in line, watching TV are all great opportunities for you to stretch or put some pressure on a trigger point or rotate that stiff ankle, wrist or neck. Putting your joints and muscles through their complete ROM is a great way to work out kinks and prevent them from causing other problems. My classic scenario is when my Glutimus medius and maximus get tight they pull on my back. If left untreated this can put my back into severe back spasm, stopping me in my tracks for a week or more. If I pay attention to the signals, I can stretch or roll the tight gluts and save myself a lot of grief. I have learned to look at how the body is put together and follow pains to their source. At this point, I generally get the same pains time after time so now it’s easy to identify and address a weak spot before it’s an issue. Listen to your body and show it some love.

Hers is last weeks workout schedule:

Monday: 10 mile Del valle trail run. I wanted 12 but it was hot so turned back early.

Tuesday: AM: Weights (3 sets per exercise. Reps = 10, 10, 8. Heavier weight.  PM: 15 mile hard time trial ride/ 1 mile transition run.

Wednesday: OFF (active rest. Walked for a few hours)

Thursday:  AM: Weights.    PM: 6 mile trail run at Lake Chabot.

Friday: 1.5 mile swim

Saturday: 76 mile ride up Mines Rd a few miles pass The Junction. I stopped in on my way back for some sports drink. Great ride.  2 mile transition run. Should have been 5 but my dog (Kito) flat out stopped 1 mile out and would not go further. This was a first. It was like 100 degrees out and the path must have been cooking his little paws.

Sunday: 13 mile run around Lake Chabot. I used to ride this loop on my Mtn. Bike some 15 years ago. It was a tough ride so it felt good to be able to run it now. Kito made the journey with me. He’s an 8yr old Basenji and he’s is a running bad azz. He’s flat out faster than most dogs and he knocks out 14 mile trail runs with no problem adding a dozen or so 50 yard sprints up the side of a hill while chasing squirrels. He doesn’t bark and is afraid of snakes. Perfect running partner.

Workout Summary: Good efforts. I missed two swims but I had to move things around on Monday and did the best I could with it. I’m a bit tired and looking forward to the recovery week coming up.

Mentally: Better than previous weeks. My long solo ride reminded me of my first year of Ironman training. I rode up Mines road every weekend for months in preparation for the brutal bike course at Ironman St. George . This was my first time back since 2010. Good memories. What’s up Rusty!

Nutrition: Pretty good. No crazy binges and ate fairly clean. I didn’t log my calories though so I don’t know if my calorie intake was above or below my output. This is important to know at this stage.

That’s all I got,

Eric S

Week 14

As I slide into the 2nd half of my training, my attention shifts to 3 things, consistency, endurance and race nutrition. At this stage I’m a bit burned out. I’ve been putting in the work for 3 months, the weekend workouts are getting long and I have 3 butt kicking months to go. Fear will keep me consistent. I’ve said it before, Ironman Canada does not care if I train. She will put a physical and mental hurt on me if I don’t respect her. The endurance part will be taken care of by my schedule. I am using a modified schedule that I have used in the past but I have added some additional runs to it, increased my long runs and  replaced pool workouts with long open water swims. The latter is from a lack of discipline. I certainly will not improve my swim time by swimming slow speeds in the lake. But that’s fine. I will take my 1hr 20 minute pace and be happy with it. When the swim is my problem I will gladly put in the time to improve it. But shaving 10 minutes off my swim seems trivial when I need to take an hour plus off my marathon time.

This leaves race nutrition as the mental focus. This is as much an art as it is science. Actually, It’s all science, but figuring out the perfect recipe on race day is an art. It is said that nutrition is the fourth discipline in triathlon and I have not done very well in this area in the past. The way you find the right race day nutrition is to try different products during long workouts. My problem has been not planning ahead and just grabbing whatever, come Saturday morning. Sometimes the solids are Fig Newtons, Tiger Milk Bars, various other nutritional bars, Trail mix, Snickers, you name it. My fluids have ranged from just water to Citomax, Gatorade, Carbo- Pro and Smart Water.

One of the first steps is to understand what your stomach can handle under the stress of racing. I have learned that on the bike I can handle liquid and solid calories early on and then I am better off switching to all liquids once I am getting tired and only fluids during my run. The second part of this is how much. Many people can’t handle more than 250 calories per hour while racing while others can handle 400 or more. I find that I’m good for about 225 to 250 on the bike and maybe 200 on the run depending on how much stress my body is under. I’m 164 lbs. If you’re 200lbs, you will probably require more. The harder you’re working, the less your body wants to supply your GI system with blood to process calories. Too many calories too fast and you will feel sick, bloated, cramping or all of the above. Too few calories and your blood sugar will drop, you won’t produce the required energy (ATP) and you will be forced to slow or stop. I have experienced both during racing and workouts. It sucks and is difficult to recover from.

So I know how much and when and I am zeroing on what. I have the same issue many do. The simple carbohydrates required for quick fueling are very sweet. After a while, the gels, sports drinks, bars and various fuels make me sick and I can’t get them down. This has happened on both of my Ironman races. Somewhere around mile 10 of the marathon, the Gu and Cytomax that has served me so well all day gags me and fueling essentially stops. This is the beginning of the end. Blood sugars drop, liver stores have been depleted and there is simply not enough Glycogen stores or available Glucose to keep my going. I slow and feel horrible for the next 2 plus hours. By slow, I mean walk or make a running motion at a walking speed! This does not look cool in race photos.

My current solution to my race day nutrition is to use as many liquid calories as possible with just some solids early into the ride. Solid food is not needed in a race. You can fuel yourself completely on liquid calories. I take in solids because I feel hungry and my mind tells me that I need to eat. Feeling hungry doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re low on fuel. It means your stomach is empty and your gut is telling your brain “hey, send some food”. So one of my challenges is to just get over the hunger feeling and focus more on how “fueled” I feel.

My current mixture is Carbo-Pro, Coconut Water and either a Nunn Tab or a packet of Emergen-C. This provides me simple carbohydrates, Potassium, electrolytes and a host of other micro-nutrients and is far less sweet than sports drinks. I carry two bottles with me on the bike. Each bottle is 24oz and provides me between 240 to 280 calories depending on the mixture. If I want a bit of flavor and additional calories I will mix in some Cytomax. Two bottles at 240 calories per bottle would only last about 2 hours on its own and since I am on the bike for 6 hours I need additional fuel. This comes from Gu or Powerade gu’s.  One Gu is 100 calories and some caffeine. So every hour I take in 12 oz of liquid fuel and one packet of GU. This puts me at 220 calories per hour and about 12oz of water per hour. On warmer days I will take in additional water with no added fuel. If I take in solids early in the ride I will generally forgo the GU. But not always. If I feel I need more calories, I take the GU also. You have to listen to your body. For Ironman Canada, I will bring additional Carbo-Pro to mix on the bike using the water or sports drinks provided on the course and an 8oz box of coconut water or have some in my special needs bag.

I have not completely broken down this mixture to get the exact ratios that are recommended. How many grams of carbs, proteins, potassium, electrolytes etc. But now that I have this workable/palatable mixture, I will begin to fine-tune it and pass my findings on to you. The coconut water has been amazing both during and after my efforts. Not great tasting, but at least it’s not sweet.

OK, here is last weeks workouts:

Sunday: 65 mile ride (no transition run) Not cool!

Monday: OFF
(I was supposed to make up my Saturday run but didn’t. I felt beat up and maybe needed the break)

Tuesday: Weights (didn’t do a 60 min spin after. Just a bit burned out)

Wednesday:  6 mile pace run and a 1 mile swim (brick)

Thursday:  33 mile ride at med/hi intensity followed by a 3 mile run with drills.
(I will do a video of these drills for those of you that asked about them)

Friday: 1.5 mile swim
(missed weights)

Saturday: 72 mile ride and a 4 mile trail run

Workout Summary: Not bad but not perfect. I missed a weight workout again, a spin and a transition run. Now that I wrote it down it doesn’t look so good. I was tired and a bit sore. Not every week is a rock star week.

Mentally: I feel fairly confident in what I am doing. The long rides are feeling good and my nutrition on the ride is allowing me to have really comfortable transition runs after. I am also confident with my swim and know that I am ahead of schedule regarding my running. I have some aches but they’re manageable. I just need to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize. Whatever that is!

Nutrition: Much better. More meat than I wanted but still pretty good. I am back to tracking calories and macro-nutrients. I want to make sure I am getting enough of everything.This area could be much better but one thing at a time.

That’s all I got, I’m out!

Eric Soderlund

As always, questions and comments are welcome and encouraged.

The week coming off of my recovery week started out rough. After a great run in San Francisco on Sunday and much fun after, I found myself sluggish and lacking drive come Monday and Tuesday.

I took 2 days off in a row and lost all my fitness! Well, that’s how I felt on Tuesday. Like I was suddenly a slacker that wasn’t taking my training serious. I’m not sure if this is paranoia, signs of a training addiction, or maybe just a show of fear and respect for Ironman Canada.

Wednesday came and I was back on track and hit the training hard. I’m writing this on Memorial Day morning. I’ve been up since 5am, my legs feel like rubber from 4 intense days of running and riding  and I will hit the lake in 45 min for a 2 mile swim. So all is good, kind of.

In many of my blogs I discuss nutrition and fueling for workouts and briefly discuss my week of nutrition. Lately, my appetite has been off the hook. This why I got up at 5am today. I was way hungry and couldn’t go back to sleep. I have noted that my nutrition has been less than perfect lately. I just can’t eat enough veggies and nuts to satisfy my hunger and cravings. What I haven’t mentioned is that I have been eating huge amounts of food after my long rides and transition runs on Saturdays and shut down restaurants last Sunday at Fishermans Wharf after my run. My hunger is out of control on the weekends. I’m burning 3000 calories on my ride/runs on Saturday and then another 1200 plus on Sunday during my 12 plus mile runs done in the hills of Del Valle. My body is demanding large quantities of food. That is fine. What is not fine is my decision to indulge my hunger with crap on Saturday and Sunday after a week of good workouts and eating fairly well. I promised you the GOOD, BAD and UGLY of my training so here is some ugly. You can thank my girlfriend for this. She is the one that called me out and told me to keep my blog real and share this.

This is what I had after a 65 mile ride and short transition run on Saturday: My buddy and I went to Chilis and I was starving. I reviewed the menu and saw there was really very few healthy choices. The food there is tasty but mostly fried and or topped with sugary crap. I’m embarrassed to tell you what I had but here it is. I ordered the 2 for $20 meal. It’s meant for two people. It’s an appetizer and 2 entrees. I had a bacon cheese burger, fries, chicken strips, salad with blue cheese dressing, and Jalapeno onion rings. Now to be real, I didn’t finish the fries or rings, didn’t eat the top bun and used very little of my dressing.  I logged the meal and here are the totals:
Cal: 2100, Fat grams 109, Carb grams 150, protein grams 90.

I burned over 3000 calories during my workout so no big deal, right? Wrong. This is a big deal on several levels.

First: I waited too long after my 5hr workout to eat. I was starving so I made a bad decision in where and what I ate. I also missed the 30 minute window to get my carb/protein mix.

Second: I ate crap: Heavy in saturated fats and sugar. I gave no thought to what my body needed to properly recover and reap the benefits of my effort. I just wanted to fill my pie hole.

Third: It shows a lack of discipline and respect for my body and my training. Making these types of poor decisions tells me that my head is not where it should be. This is the 2nd weekend in a row that I did this. This is no different than bailing on workouts. It is counter productive to my life and Ironman goals.

So why did it happen? I think there are several reasons and these reasons could easily be applied to why people over eat and eat poorly and make overall bad decisions on a daily basis.

It comes from not eating enough before and during my workouts and not planning the meal after. This is no different than not eating breakfast before going to work, then going out and eating a ton of crap at lunch that bogs you down and makes you feel bad physically and mentally. The time to decide what to eat is not when you are sick with hunger.

I felt entitled. I train very hard. I sacrifice a lot of time and put myself through discomfort on a daily basis so I justify my bad decisions with the classic “I worked hard all week, I deserve the extra desert, drink, serving, time in front of the TV”. What I really deserve after busting my butt all week training is healthy food with a little treat. What we all deserve is to make choices that serve us well and help us live a healthier and happier life. Not self destructive decisions that we then regret later.

So there it is. My ugly, weak moments of eating. My mental breakdown where I went against what I know I should do, didn’t keep my eye on the prize and was basically self destructive by not being conscious of my decisions or how they affect my life.

Maybe not a huge deal in and of itself but making bad decisions can be a slippery slope that can snow balls. There is a book I read called         “The Slight Edge”. The basic concept is that your minute to minute decisions either work for you or against you. No one decision is generally that consequential but over time they either put you far ahead or far behind. The decisions can range from career, to financial to health to relationships. Stay conscious of your thoughts and decisions. We all deserve to make decisions that serve us well and give us that “Slight Edge”.

Here’s my workouts for the week:

Sunday: 12 mile run in San Francisco. There were some serious hills on this run.

Monday: scheduled day off

Tuesday: flaked

Wednesday: Weights and a 30 min spin

Thursday: 6 mile pace run

Friday: Bay Swim and 7 mile run (brick)

Saturday: 65 mile ride/3 mile run (brick)

Workout Summary: Considering I missed a day it was pretty good. Quality efforts. Missing a day cost me a swim and a weight session.

Mentally: All is good. Better balance than the last few weeks.

Nutrition: Well except for the weekends, I ate well. I had some chips during the week but lots of veggies and some good protein. Mostly fish and eggs.

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Week 11

I’ve had several really good weeks of training in a row. I feel great and my body is responding well to my efforts. This is my 3rd year of Ironman training and for the first time I feel as if my body recognizes that it’s ”been here done that” and knows what to expect as well as what’s expected. I have a better relationship with my body than I have in the past. I realize it has strengths and weaknesses and I’ve learned when to push hard and when to back off.

When to back off? Obviously you back off when you’re injured or exhausted. Well ya, duh, but if that is the only time you back off or “recover”, you’re going to be injured or exhausted more than you should be. The body is a machine, and like any machine it needs to be cared for in order to keep in running smoothly. Thus the need for recovery weeks.

Recovery weeks are Micro-cycles within a Meso-cycles within a Macro-cycle of a periodization workout schedule. They are critical in any strength or endurance program. During the course of my I.M training I am constantly pushing my body and mind to new limits. My swim, bike, run workouts are constantly increasing in duration and intensity and I’m still lifting weights 2 to 3 times per week. Currently, these workouts total  14 to 16 hrs per week burning an additional 9000 plus calories.

There are physiological and physiological effects of this type of training. Some good, some bad, some ugly.

Good:
•    My metabolism is revved up. I’m burning calories at a much higher rate than prior to my training.
•    I’ve lost body fat and gained lean muscle mass. I’ve dropped over 16 lbs and my body fat has gone from around 20% to 15%.
•    I’m physically stronger.
•    My cardiovascular and muscular endurance has greatly improved.
•    I have more confidence and feel good about myself.

Bad:
•    The constant tearing down and rebuilding of muscle is a lot of extra work for the body and fatigue can result.
•    Soft tissue such as muscles, tendons and ligaments are constantly being tested and something is always a bit sore.
•    The time it takes to complete these workouts for 24 weeks becomes mentally taxing as well. Knowing I have to go to bed early so I can get up early to spend 5 to 8 hours of my Sunday training becomes mentally taxing.

Ugly:
•    Much like a car, the body burns fuel to create energy which creates waste products. These waste products can build up in your system and create a toxic environment.
•    Too much focus on this type of training for too long can burn you out. Turning something wonderful into something you dread.
•    Over training can leave you susceptible to illness, infections, disrupt your blood chemistry, interfere with sleep and lead to depression.

Avoiding these problems is what the recovery week is all about. Most programs will include a recovery period every 3 to 4 weeks. This doesn’t mean that you sit on the couch, eat crap and watch TV all week. It’s a week where you back off say 20% and spend some additional time taking care of yourself.

This week I took and extra day off and backed off of my long weekend workouts a bit. This gave my mind, body and soul a chance to take a breath, clean up and heal.  The results of your recovery week  will be obvious. You will be re-energized mentally, stronger physically and refreshed emotionally. This will allow you to train even harder for the next 3 weeks or so.

Over training is one of the biggest mistakes strength and endurance athletes make. Fearing they will lose fitness they keep pushing harder and harder until they get sick, injured or experience a reduction in performance. Below is my week 11 recovery week schedule.

Workouts:
Sunday: 10 mile hill/trail run at Del Valle. This is where I took the pic at the top of this page.

Monday: 6am Lake swim.

Tuesday: 22 mile med intensity ride with some hills.

Wednesday: Hike. Active recovery day.

Thursday: AM: 1.5 mile swim PM: weights / 3 mile run.

Friday: OFF. Total rest day.

Saturday: 43 mile ride and a 4 mile transition run.

Summary: Good recovery week. I feel refreshed and ready for the next push.

Mentally:  I’m feeling confident. This was a good week. I believe that what I am doing in working. The extra running seems to be helping.

Nutrition: Fairly good. I’m still struggling to eat as well as I did in the beginning of the program. I am really hungry and constantly fighting cravings for high fat foods. I need to figure out what my body really wants. I’m sure it’s not fast food or processed crap but I am sure craving it.

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S.

It’s best to eat 5 times per day. Three standard meals and two small meals or snacks. Ideally, you want to space these meals out every two to three hours or so depending on how long your day is. This has multiple benefits:
1.    If you are trying to lose weight, eating many small meals throughout the day will assist in speeding up your metabolism. The body has a constant source of energy to burn which keeps it revved up and it has no fear of famine. This tells you system that times are good so use up the calories. Now this assumes you are getting enough calories. Except in extreme situations a calorie deficit should not exceed 500 to 800 calories as a general rule. Any more than that and you can actually slow your metabolism. Your system thinks that times are bad and hoards calories. Don’t  guess at how many calories you need. There are simple ways to figure this out. (Hmm, I smell another blog topic) If you are seriously obese or have health issues such as diabetes, speak to a nutritionist and your doctor before you start any dietary changes.
2.    Eating throughout the day will also give you energy for your strength and cardiovascular training. Which of course you are doing if you’re trying to lose weight or stay fit. RIGHT!
3.     On top of those great benefits, you will be much less likely to binge eat or grab fast food if your never really that hungry. This is good for everybody regardless of your goals.
4.    You get to eat more often. WIN WIN BABY.

Next, think about your day and divide your calories accordingly. If you have a busy work morning or early workout, make sure your breakfast provides enough calories and includes some complex carbohydrates and fiber. This will keep you full longer and provide you with the energy you need for that presentation or workout. Of course different workouts will require different fuels. And that’s what food is, fuel.

If you workout after your work day  eat a sensible lunch and a hardy snack  2 hours before your workout. This will help insure you drive to the gym after work instead of a drive-thru or home because you’re tired and hungry.

On weekends, avoid eating a giant breakfast full of animal fats and sugars. This will bog you down for the rest of the day and leave you with too few calories to fuel yourself with later without over eating. I fell victim to this last week after a long run and ended up only eating two meals that day. Not a good call.

One tool you can use to make sure you get all of the required nutrition and don’t over or under eat is a food log. Log your food on one of the many websites designed for tracking calories. Most are free and also offer an upgrade with additional features for a monthly fee. I use www.Fitday.com and opted for the free version. This serves me in several  important ways.

1. Track calories.
2. Track nutrition such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats , vitamins and some minerals. This makes it much easier to keep a balanced diet.
3. Maybe most importantly is that it keeps me in touch with the reality of my diet. When you actually see how many calories are in that burger, beer, ice cream etc, it makes saying no much easier. Knowledge is power as they say.

Be conscious of what and when you eat. You will feel better for it. OK, now on to my workouts for the week. It was a pretty good one.

Workouts:
Sunday: 9 Mile trail run at Shell Ridge.  I planned on going a bit longer but this run had a lot of steep hills and it kicked my butt. I also heard the rattle of a rattle snake on 3 occasions which freaked me out.  I am going to get back to doing most of my long weekend runs on trails. I have found that this keeps my long run slow (which is what I’m supposed to do), is easier on my body since I’m running on dirt and the hills force me to change up my stride. I believe this keeps me from getting repetitive/over- use injuries. There are also added strength and cardio benefits but it is important not to push the hills too hard. This could lead to an injury.
Monday: OFF. Complete rest day
Tuesday: 60 min Turbo Spin and a 3 mile run

Wednesday: 6 mile pace run/ 1 mile open water swim

Thursday: AM: 90 min ride. PM: Weights.

Friday: Open water swim/3 mile run. I need to either make these swims longer or get in the pool. I’m not putting enough yards in. I can’t just finish the 2.4 mile swim on race day. I have to finish it feeling fresh.
    
Saturday: 53 mile ride and a 4 mile transition run. I will be lengthening the transition run each week. I believe one of the reasons I struggled in the Marathon portion of Ironman Arizona it that I shortened or skipped many of these runs. It is tough to go run after 4 to 7 hours on the bike. But I am committed to them this time around.

Summary: Really good week. The one negative is that I only got one weight session in. I need to plan better. I find it tough to keep hitting the weights as the workouts get longer and more intense in each of the 3 disciplines. It is crucial that I lift 2-3 times each week for the next 6 weeks. Overall strength is key in an endurance event that lasts 12 to 13 hours (And that’s if I do really well).
Mentally:  I’m feeling confident. Well, more confident than before. This was a good week.
Nutrition: Well I definitely ate enough this week. My appetite is off the hook right now. I need to plan my meals mores carefully and not get caught out without snacks. “Healthy” bars or the fig bars from Trader Joes work well or an apple or banana. I’m am getting really hungry fast and this is causing me to eat larger meals during the day instead of 3 meals of say 700 calories and 2 or 3 snacks 200 or so calories depending on my workouts for the day. This is also making it hard to eat healthy and get all of the nutrition I need to fuel my training efforts. In addition, I am having wild blood sugar dips which make me feel horrible. My girlfriend likes to say I wilt!
That’s all I got, I’m out.
Eric S.

Week 8 is in the books. That went too fast. This was a good week of training. Several “two a days”, consistent efforts and I’m beginning to feel like a triathlete again.

Two a Day Workouts

Two workouts per day? Seems a bit excessive. Well ya, it does. But in the world of triathlon and other multi-skill sports, it’s necessary if you want to excel or simply succeed in the case of an Ironman distance event.

In nearly every training program whether it’s swimming, biking, running or weight lifting, the minimum number of workouts per week is going to be 3 and most will recommend 4 for a beginner level and 5 or 6 efforts for intermediate programs. So let’s do the math. 3 swims, 3 bikes, 3 runs, 2 – 3 strength sessions.  That’s 11 or 12 workouts in a 7 day week. Really, a 6 day week since you need a day of rest.

So the solution is to do bricks and two a day workouts. I won’t speak of bricks today. I need something for next week. I still have 16 of these to go! Two a day workouts are just what they sound like. Two workouts in one day separated by several hours.  These days are taxing and should not be done until you are felling strong with working out 6 days per week 1x per day for several months. There are also ways to schedule, prepare and recover from these efforts. Here are some things I find helpful to get the most from 2 a day efforts.

Spread them out:  Ideally you want 6 to 8 hours between the workouts. Since most work days are 8 hours long this works well. If you can’t get at least 4 to 5 hours between the workouts you might want to consider a brick workout instead.

Work different muscle groups: I like to do a swim in the morning and a run or ride in the evening. Or I will do weights with an easy stationary spin and then a swim or run later. It’s OK to do a run / ride day also but don’t go too hard.

No double long efforts or intense workouts: Don’t do your long run and long ride on the same day and don’t try to do really intense efforts on the same day. This will either cause an injury or hinder workouts the next day and maybe for the rest of the week.

EAT: If your workouts are 1 ½ hours each and are performed at medium intensity, you are going to burn serious calories. I will need an extra 1000 calories on these days. Calculate your estimated calorie burn and make sure you add calories to your diet. Also, plan when you will take in the extra calories and what they will be. You will need extra carbohydrates before the efforts and a protein/carb mix after. If you don’t eat enough your workouts as well as your work day will suffer. This is not a day to be in a large calorie deficit.

Listen to your body: Your body will tell you if doing 2 workouts in one day is beneficial or just exhausting. If you are sore or tired from the AM effort, skip the PM workout or take it really easy. If you tear yourself down too much you won’t recover in time to have a good effort the next day.

Start slow: Don’t go from 5 or 6 workouts to 10 or 12 in 1 week. Add one 2 a day per week and space them out as many days as possible.

Listen to your body: Ya, I know, I already said that. So make sure you do it!

Doing 2 workouts per day is a great way to get all your efforts in but it is also a great way to exhaust yourself both physically and mentally. Be careful you don’t burn yourself out.

Here are my week 8 workouts.

Workouts:

Sunday: Two hour ride. My legs were trashed from the Saturday trail run. Way more hills than I have been doing so I just took it easy on my ride before I headed off to Santa Cruz. It was fricken cold at the beach but still relaxing.

Monday: AM: 6am open water swim at Shadow Cliffs with a short walk with Kito after. PM: Circuit Strength Training. No spin after, my legs were still really tired.

Tuesday: Long Hike. This was an active rest day. Everything was tired so I just did a nice hike at Del Valle.

Wednesday:  6 mile run at ½ marathon pace/1.2 mile open water swim immediately following  the run. BRICK.

Thursday: Weights. I am switching from my circuit routine to a more traditional weight routine done as Super Sets. I want to add some lean mass and I am getting plenty of cardo work. I was going to do a 45 min spin after but I was not feeling it and bailed. I’m not really cool with that because it was a lack of focus, not a case of being physically tired.

Friday: Am: 1 hour trail run/walk. Kito found a Rattle Snake. PM: 35 mile ride at 17.5 mph avg. Good pace for me.

Saturday: 1.2 mile open water swim. This was all I did today. I had a ½ marathon the following day and didn’t want to be completely wiped out for it. Not an important race but hey, I have my pride. We will discuss racing during training another day.

Summary: I feel good about this weeks efforts. Pushed myself with 9 workouts but stayed smart regarding intensity. My ankle is really improving but I need to stretch and use my Trigger Point system more.

Mentally: Pretty good but I let some life items slip a bit. I need to make sure I stay balanced. Until mid-pack triathletes can get sponsored I need to focus on my current and future business endeavors.  That said, I just realized that week 8 means I’m 1/3 of the way through my program. That puts a little fear in the belly! I need to keep my efforts turned up while making sure I stay injury free.

Nutrition: Pretty good. My diet is not nearly as clean as it was when I started my training but not horrible. I Logged my food and added  Met-Rx Protein Plus. This is a Whey Isolates, Casein Protein powder. It will provide the needed amino acids and additional protein without significantly increasing calories and fat. I have fond it difficult to get the roughly 100 grams of protein I believe I require when I severely limit my animal protein intake. Taste pretty good too. I have done quite a bit of reading on protein but did little research into this particular product. I needed something and it had both Whey and Casein Protein which is what I wanted. This is not a product endorsement but I will give it a review in a month or so.

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S.

Wow, another rough week. My Boston trip split 2 weeks up so I missed workouts last week and this week. It looks really bad on paper and it is. I missed 4 days while in Boston then another the day when I got back. Doooh! Ironman Canada does not care that I went to Boston. It will put a hurt on me if I do not put in the work.

The next 6 weeks are very important. in this 2nd phase, I will continue to do strength work but the focus will start to shift to lengthening my swim-bike-run. The intensity will increase some but the main point of the next 6 weeks is to establish base mileage and prepare my body for the next phase of training.

BASE MILES

Base miles are crucial for any race training or fitness program. Many injuries can be traced to doing too much too soon. This is especially true with running. Shin Splints, knee pain, calf strains or the dreaded Plantar Facia problems can all be caused by not preparing the body for a training program.

Here is a classic example of how and why this happens. In 2010 I trained my butt off for 9 months for several smaller races and then one big race. In 2010 it was Ironman St. George (cool video). This was by far the most difficult challenge of my life and burned me out for a few months. Then, I get the workout bug and wanted to get going again. I usually start the season by signing up for a race and here is where the problem starts. I had been doing little for a few months but I was still fairly fit and now had this race date on the calendar. This time is was the 2010 CIM. I had given little thought to the time that I had taken off and started hitting the pavement. My legs were still strong and my cardio was good so all seemed OK. Well, have you ever heard of “the weakest link”? I began a fairly aggressive training program with someone that had been running and had base miles under her. Several weeks into the program I developed chronic shin splints that required weeks of physical therapy and took me out of running for nearly two months! Oh, and by the way, I ran the marathon against EVERYONES advice and had to drop out at mile 23! This was a disaster that affected my training in for Ironman Arizona in 2011! Not only that, I created a new problem area that didn’t exist before.

This is a scenario that plays out time and time again with athletes of all levels and races of all lengths. It is the classic “you don’t plan to fail, you fail to plan”. When you set you race schedule or choose a race as a goal, make sure you understand your current fitness level and more importantly think about how the training plan you choose relates to what you have been doing for the last 3 months. Injuries suck and if you’re new to fitness or racing they can discourage you from continuing. I don’t know how many times I have heard the story of someone attempting their first 10k and saying “I can’t run, my knee started hurting a few weeks into training. I have a bad knee”. With a few questions it is obvious that they were not physically ready for the training plan they choose and simply picked a race because their friend was doing it instead of putting a “big picture” plan together that would set them up for success and possibly a total change of lifestyle”. When I hear this, the person is almost always a bit heavy and they haven’t done any strength training for years. Running with extra weight and weak quads is almost always a disaster.

Get fit so you can race. Don’t race to get fit! (I just made that up. Not bad huh!)This doesn’t mean that a race can’t be part of your fitness goal but it takes careful planning and some knowledge.

Ok, on to my lousy week of workouts.

Workouts:

Sunday: 10 mile run on the Boston Marathon course. This was a great run on a great section of the course. I had a blast. The following day it was 10 degrees hotter and the heat destroyed most of the marathon runners. It was one of the most brutal Boston marathons in the 116 year history.

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: Missed

Wednesday: Missed

Thursday: AM=1200 yard swim (2nd swim of the year) PM=Circuit training. I got my groove back today!

Friday: 5 mile trail run at a nice pace. (nice pace means I forgot my garmin and have no idea what pace I ran.)

Saturday: 9 mile trail run around Lake Chabot. I did this run with a group of runners that pushed me. It was awesome. Kito (dog in picture) went with us. He is a Barney Badazz runner.

Sunday: 2hr bike ride. I took it easy since I had not done a real ride since I injured my quad. My legs were Jello anyway from the run the day before.

Summary: Well I failed on my trip but it put some fear into me and that has motivated me to focus and stay on track.

Mentally: I am certainly not in the Zen mode I was a few weeks ago but I feel as if I am back on track. I am focused on staying in the moment and not freaking out about a future that isn’t here yet. Easier said than done but realizing that it needs to be done is a great step.
Nutrition: As I said last week, I ate like a pig in Boston but I’m OK with that. I am back to little animal protein and logging my food. I am focusing on getting enough protein to support my muscle recovery post workouts and I am planning each meal with some thought to what I will be doing the following 3hrs.

That’s all I got, I’m out.
Eric S.

6 weeks in!

 This week poses some challenges which are great topics for discussion.

1: I injured my Vastus Medialis during my ride on Saturday.

2: I am traveling to Boston for 5 days and Ironman Canada doesn’t care.

Training through injury:

I rode too hard on Saturday, this is the down side of training with a superior athlete. It was my first real ride and my buddy Bruce was doing 23mph intervals for a mile at a stretch. I was drafting at times just to stay in contact with him. Although fun, this put too much strain on my Vastus Medialus and now I have inflammation at the very least.

So about working out through an “injury”. Now if you are truly injured, you need to rest the area in question. In my case, it is just a strain of the Vastus Medialis. This is a weak muscle/tendon connection for me and something I deal with on a yearly basis. The “secret” to working out during an aggravation such as mine is to only do what doesn’t hurt and devote real time to therapy. This advice comes from years of personal experience. If it hurts, you probably should not do it.

In my case, I simply cannot ride hard/push big gears until I heal. In the past I would have continued to work the muscle group as long as I could manage the pain. The theory being that if it doesn’t hurt worse, then it is not getting worse. Maybe, maybe not. The problem is that muscle pain generally equals weakness. After Ironman Arizona. I realized I couldn’t rise up onto my toes on the injured ankle. This effected my power output on the bike and limited my push off on the run. I understand time constrictions regarding an upcoming race, but many times the quickest way to getting back to training is RICE: REST-ICE- COMPRESSION- ELEVATION. Be smart. Your body is constantly speaking to you so listen.Training while traveling: This is a tough but very doable task. It’s all about planning ahead and being flexible. I will be in Boston Friday and get back on Tuesday evening, that’s five days and missing five days is not cool. Here are some tips to help you stay on track during travel.

1. Research the area you are going and see what gyms are available to you. Maybe the place you are staying has a gym.

2. Be flexible. I can’t always swim, bike, run when I travel but there are other ways of working out. Running is usually an option and even if I don’t have a gym I can do push ups, sit ups, squats, lunges etc. you can get a great workout in your hotel room if need be. Put together a circuit of 30 or so minutes. If you only do 4 exercises (such as pushups, sit ups, squats and lunges)then repeat them with little or no rest between exercises and 1 to 2 minutes between circuits. Doing this will make food and drink much more enjoyable later!

3. Find local groups. Most areas will have swimming, biking, running or hiking groups. Use that World Wide Web thing and contact some folks. May even make a new friend or two.

4. Just keep moving. Maybe you won’t get the ideal workouts in but by walking around as much as possible you might at least counter the food and drink!

How I did: I promised the good, bad and ugly so here it is. I had great intentions but I did not follow my own advice. I did one 10 mile run and walked a million miles but that was it. My travel training was a fail. My run was awesome though. I did the last 10 miles of the Boston Marathon route. I was well rested so it was a great run averaging 8:30 min/miles. It was no Boston Marathon but may be as close as I get! On the positive side, My Quad injury seems to have healed some. The rest may have been a blessing in disguise.

Workouts:

Sunday: 8 mile trail run. This was a butt kicker. Steep hills up and down and down and up. I ran with Kito and while he enjoyed the Easter run it tore me up. I won’t be running at Pleasanton Ridge for a while.

Monday:  1000 yard swim. Not very far but I got wet. This felt good. Swimming is a great way to stretch the body out and get a zero impact workout. The water at Shadow Cliffs has hit 60 degrees which means it’s time to do some open water swims there and at Del Valle.

Tuesday: 4 rounds of circuit training immediately followed by 45 minutes on a spin bike at a medium intensity

Wednesday: OFF (my ankle was sore from Sundays run)

Thursday: 6 mile pace run. Got up to 7:15/min miles this time.  Good workout.

Friday: Traveled to Boston. I planned a short run but failed. Sadly, this would be a theme for my trip.

Saturday: Walked 3 to 4 miles. So basically I flaked.

Summary: Started off well but I let my travel keep me from my training. This spilled into the following week. I did do a ton of walking at least and my quad feels better with all the rest. I also had a blast.

Mentally: Kind of bummed that I lacked the discipline to stay on track. Maybe it was a good thing. I can’t go back so I will let it go and move forward. Important to keep things in perspective. I’m no pro triathlete.

Nutrition: I ate like a pig. Not huge amounts but crazy foods. I was in Boston so grub was plentiful. Let’s see, Pizza 2x, Thai food, fries, veggie burger, fish sandwich, Sushi, calamari etc etc etc! There may have been a pint or two!

That’s all I got, I’m out.

Eric S.

One month in the books. That went fast. For the most part it has been good, but there are areas to work on.

.

Good: I lost the desired weight quicker than expected. I dropped 16 lbs in 9 weeks by:

• logging food on Fitday.com
• Cut out dessert (for now)
• Removed most processed foods (can’t give up chips)
• Limited animal protein(two chicken strips in the past 4 weeks I did have some eggs)

I was by no means perfect. But you don’t have to be. Just eat less than you burn and log what you eat and how many calories you burn. If you don’t log, you’re just guessing and setting yourself up for failure and frustration. In weeks that I didn’t lose weight I knew exactly why; I ate more than my body needed! For the record, I loves me the food.

Bad: Too much intensity too fast.

• I get excited and expect to be in the same condition I was in when I was at my peak the previous year. This leads to injury or at least additional rest days

Ugly: Fries, potato chips and glorious cheese.

• I have cut back on these items if I want to be more balanced. When I have them in front of me they tremble with fear!

*I didn’t include beer in the Ugly list due to its medicinal and historic importance.

How Beer Saved The World.

Workouts:

Sunday: 10 mile run at a 9:30 pace. Slowish, but that’s what long runs are supposed to be. You should be able to carry on a conversation during these efforts. Running every effort at a high intensity is not the way to go. Pace runs, Intervals, long runs and recovery runs all serve a purpose. One of the most difficult things to do is ease-up when you feel strong. If you are following a program, trust in the program and look big picture. My reality is that I would kill to keep a 9:30 pace during the marathon portion of my Ironman. So really, a 9:30 pace isn’t slow. My goal is to not walk any of the marathon except for aid stations. I wanted to do this in Arizona but can you say FAIL.  I will be requesting some advice from some of the more experienced and higher level athletes from my FORWARD MOTION RACE CLUB.

Monday: Off. This wasn’t a scheduled day off but my shins and ankle were sore and I needed to chill. If I feel good come Friday I will do a four mile recovery run to make up the miles. If I’m tired, then I will just move on. No one workout is that important.

Tuesday: 4 rounds of circuit training immediately followed by 45 minutes on a spin bike at a medium intensity. This 90 minute workout burned over 1000 calories while I worked strength and cardio.

Wednesday: 5 Mile Pace run. This is my version of a pace run.

• I start off with a warm up mile.
• The pace is then increased by 30 seconds for the next 3 miles. In this case 8:30, 8:00, 7:30 min per mile.
•  The last mile is a cool down mile. I decrease the pace every ¼ mile by 30 sec per mile.
•  As a final cool down I walk for 5 additional minutes. The cool down is important. It allows my body to flush lactic acid from my muscles and return blood back to my organs. Blood gets diverted to the legs during a hard run. Good effort.

Thursday: NEW circuit!

• 5 to 10 min ez spin warm up
• Bosu Ball squats = 30
• Push ups with Dumbell pulls = 15-20: This is a modified pushup. I put my hands on dumbells instead of the floor (this is also easier on your wrists). Lower yourself as with a normal push up. When you reach the top of your push up, lift one of the dumbells straight up to your side focusing on using your latissimus dorsi or lats. Lift the other dumbbell the following rep and so on. This is also great for your core.
• Clockwork Lunges = 20: The sport of triathlon very linear. I need to work muscles laterally as well for overall fitness and muscle balance.
• Walking Lunges holding dumbells = 30. I’m not sure I’m going to walk up and down the gym doing lunges. I may just stay in place. I already feel a bit like a spectacle doing circuit training.
• Pull ups = 12: Use the assisted pull up machine until you can do 10 pull ups on your own. If this isn’t available at your gym, do lat pull downs instead. It’s the same movement and basically works the same muscle group. No, that isn’t me in I the demonstration.
• Abductor Leg Raises
• Core: Crunches, Leg lifts, Plank with abductor leg move movement, Plank with heel to butt, Oblique Side Plank with knee to hand, Oblique twists with ball (feet off ground)
• Spin: 45 minute medium intensity Spin: HR around 130 to 140.

Since this was a new routine I took it easier than normal. Again, looking big picture. Killing myself on Thursday won’t benefit me if I can’t do all of my weekend workouts because I pulled a muscle or aggravated my back. Be smart any time you are doing a new routine. Give your body a chance to adjust.

Friday: 4 mile run. This is the run I missed on Monday. I hated every step of it. Running at 5PM on a Friday sucks.

Saturday: 90 min spin. 10 min warm-up, 50 min intervals, 20 min med pace, 10 min cool down. It’s raining again so off to the gym I went. I really worked hard this workout.

Summary: I am really happy with my workout efforts this week. My ankle is improving and my long runs feel great. I am even starting to look forward to my rides. The strength training is great since I went to a circuit routine. It burns calories, works my cardiovascular system and is a blast. Things are going so well I may even go swimming at some point!

Mentally: All is good. I am keeping fairly balanced and not obsessing on any one aspect in my life. I’m finally looking forward to Canada.

Nutrition: Last week I said I was going to buckle down on my nutrition. I think I set myself up for failure. I will have to review my logs but I know I did not eat as healthy/clean as I wanted. I didn’t keep the frig stocked well which leads to hasty meal decisions. Off to Trader Joes I go!

That’s all I got, I’m out.Eric S.

This will be a series of short weekly blogs detailing my workouts and nutrition along with my emotional and physical state as I work towards Ironman Canada in August of 2012. These blogs are meant to be informative, inspirational and fun. I will share the good, bad and ugly of my efforts. I hope to inspire someone to take on a challenge that seemed unattainable.

The inaugural St. George Ironman in 2010 was my first Ironman and last year I competed in Ironman Arizona. I have been fortunate enough to finish both races in the allotted time. At St. George, 30% of the competitors did not complete the event. In a race that takes 6 to 12 months to prepare for and covers 140.6 miles, anything can happen. I hope you enjoy this series. Comments and questions are always welcome.

Workouts:

Well I’m off to a rough start. Ironman Arizona beat me up a bit and I am caring for a sore ankle. I should have addressed this 2 months ago. However, I thought sitting on my butt for some time would be enough. Actually, the problem is my Peroneus Longus. It’s a muscle that runs down the side of your lower leg and attaches to the ankle.  My rehab consists of Trigger Point therapy and no long or hill runs for a few weeks. I love Google.

Workouts:  I will l start off slow and steady building my base miles for a month or more before I begin adding speed work, increase distances past 10 miles or include Brick workouts. I will start swimming in a month and ride more then also. For now, my focus is strength training and running.

Week  1

Saturday: Mellow 25 mile bike ride. I feel slow. This was only my 2^nd or 3^rd ride since Arizona last Nov.

Sunday: 3 mile run. I feel slow and weak and my ankle hurts on every step.

Monday: Nothing.   Not good. I also ate like a pig and had some tequila while I watched NASCAR, I mean come on, NASCAR on Monday night. What could I do.

Tuesday: Circuit strength Training (I love this 35 minute non-stop workout I devised. Happy to share!)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: fairly intense 5 mile hike at Morgan Hill Territory

Friday: Flaked. Tired and stressed. I should have worked out. 6 months goes by fast.

Saturday: 3 mile run with Kito. Ankle felt better but my Plantar is showing signs of aggravation.

Sunday: 3 mile hike, my 25 mile ride turned into a 15 miler when I stripped my crank arm. That is going to cost me.

Workout Summary:

 Well if I was this undisciplined every week I wouldn’t make it out of the water come race day (I don’t think I have got in the water since November 20th).The ankle didn’t help but that’s just an excuse for not being ready to commit to the program. My efforts will pick up soon enough. I am quite aware that Ironman Canada doesn’t care if I prepare or not.

Mentally

I am not mentally committed yet. I don’t feel the sense of urgency or fear that I have in the past. There’s lots of life going on right now. I am not looking forward to the 90+ mile rides that are to come or having no unscheduled time. Unlike my first Ironman, I now fully understand the commitment it takes to accomplish my goal. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

 Nutrition

I gained nearly 15 pounds after Ironman Arizona. It seems to be my trend after these races. Not a good trend. I have lost about 8lbs and will lose another 9. I log all my food on www.Fitday.com.  I highly recommend using one of the many free sites to log your food if you want to lose weight. You will be shocked at the calorie count and where your calories are coming from. I don’t really use the info to analyze my nutrition but just logging my food puts me in a “don’t eat crap mode”.

I’ve moved away from meat proteins for the most part (for like the last two days FYI) I will eat lots of vegetables, (broiled asparagus and zucchini are my current favorites), some fruit, along with beans and peanut butter for protein. I am trying to maintain a 750 calorie deficit per day. I’m finding out that this is only possible on days that I exercise and stay away from places like The Hopyard and First Street Ale House! I want to drop this weight before I get to the part of my training where I am hungry all the time. In the past, I have gained a few pounds during training and have not lost it come race day.

That’s all I got, see you next week!               Click here for week two

Eric S