Ironman Arizona 2013

I've been training for this one day for 13 months!  Andrea and I arrived in Phoenix on Thursday afternoon, we went to Ironman Village to check-in and made sure my bike arrived safely with TriBike Transport.  I received my bag, number, chip, and all kinds of other great things.  We walked around the transition area and looked at the big lake that I would be swimming in on Sunday morning.  I continued to watch what I ate and drank plenty of water these last few days before the race.

(Saturday - Gear Bags/Bike Check-in)

On Friday I took my bike out for a quick 12 mile ride and then ran 2 miles.  The rest of the day I tried to stay off my feet, Andrea and I went to go see a movie and went to bed early.  On Saturday morning I got up and did a practice swim.  (IMAZ opened up the lake for 2 hours)  I definitely took advantage of this time getting my wetsuit on and seeing how cold the water was...  The temperature of the water was right at 64 degrees and with my wetsuit on the water really didn't feel that cold.  After my swim I checked in my gear bags and moved my bike into transition.

I slept good on Saturday night, woke up at 3:30am on Sunday and ate a small breakfast, my normal - Kashi Shredded Wheat and a Odwalla Berry drink.  I arrived at the park at 5am when transition opened.  I took my Hammer Nutrition Amino Acids and Race Day Boost around 5:45am.  I filled my bottles of Sustained Energy, HEED, and Fizz with water and placed them back on my bike.  I then went to the Athlete dressing tent to put my wetsuit on and get mentally focused.  Scott (my coach) and I said a quick prayer together before heading out to the start at 6:45am.  Here goes nothing...

The pro men started at 6:45 and the pro ladies started at 6:50.  Then everyone else got in the water for the 7am start.  Scott and I started off in the back of the pack and the canon went off right at 7am.  There wasn't much swimming for the first 1/4 of a mile, it was more like survival swimming...everyone was on top of each other and there really wasn't room to stretch out and swim.  It was stop and start and just letting people get out of the way.  

(The insane swim start)

I tried swimming in and out of the pack and trying to make a clear path but really didn't have much luck.  I swam as well as I could despite the craziness.  I finally made it to the turn-around, looked at my watch and saw 37 minutes.  My goal for the swim was 1 hour, 20 minutes...I knew I just needed to stay calm and finish well.  After being punched in the face, legs and ankles grabbed numerous times, people swimming on top of my back, getting kicked and more, I was ready for this leg to be finished.  I made it out of the water in 1 hour and 25 minutes.

(After the swim heading to transition)

I went straight to the "strippers" who strip the wetsuit right off of you, grabbed my bike special needs bag and headed to the changing tent.  I put my bike shoes and helmet on and got on my bike to start the next 112 miles.

(Bike Transition...eating some calories)

The bike course was great!  I really pushed it the whole time without getting too tired.  It was a 3 loop course, going out was up hill, coming back was down.  I sipped on my pre-made bottles every 15 minutes.  Then every hour I took in a little gel (out of the flask) and took one perpetuem tablet.  At about 2.5 hours I would eat a bonk breaker bar (peanut butter chocolate of course), they are good and it's a little over 200 calories in just 1 square bar.  I had practiced this nutrition and this is what worked for me.  At about mile 94-95 my bike started feeling weird and I noticed my back tire was going flat.  I pulled over to the side and started changing my flat. Almost instantly a volunteer ran across the road with a bike pump and changed the tire for me.  I had about 4-5 thorns sticking in my tire, we cleared those out, changed the tube and off I went to finish the bike leg.  Then about 8 miles later my back tire went flat AGAIN!  I wasn't sure what I would do because I didn't have another spare bike tube.  I tried to ride on the front of my bike to see if I could ride a little longer on my flat knowing I only had about 7-8 miles left.  I had already planned to walk my bike in the last 7 miles if I had too...I was going to be an Ironman and this wasn't going to stop me (maybe only slow me down).  Finally a bike sag vehicle stopped and helped me once again.  They changed my tube and sent me on my way again.  This time, the air held and I made it back to transition.  I was mad because I would have had a 6:30 time (without the flats).  I was still pleased with my 6:50 time on the bike...but it was time to move on and finish with the big marathon.

(This was mile 4...I was still feeling good)

My goal for the marathon was to run (jog) the entire marathon.  I felt pretty good at this point, my nutrition was right on and I was ready for the marathon.  Around mile 13-14 I was tired of drinking the same nutrition drink and eating gels.  At this point I listened to my body and sipped water when needed and drank warm chicken broth at each station, it sounds nasty, but it was so good (maybe I was just really hungry).  The chicken broth really seemed to give me the boost I needed.  I ran until I reached mile 21-22 and walked for about 1 mile.  I kept watching my overall time and knew I could probably end up with a sub 14 hour time (my goal was 14-15 hours) but I needed to start running again.  When I reached the 23 mile marker sign I knew I only had a 5k left.  I decided to fight through the pain and start running.

I can't describe the feeling I had when crossing the finish line.  I knew how much effort I had put in the last 13 months (6 days a week) and I was finally crossing the finish line.  It was a great moment to know and to hear, "Jason Millsaps, you are an IRONMAN".  I was now a part of an elite group of people (1/10 of 1 percent of the world who have completed an Ironman).

(Post race...I was a little out of it)

After the race I ate pizza and french fries (I hadn't had french fries in a year...they were so good).  Now I'm back home and feeling great!  I was a little sore and stiff on Monday but now I'm feeling a lot better.  I worked out this morning and rode the bike for a few minutes.  I'm doing a little post race taper and then getting back to the training as I get ready for my next race.  

I'll never forget jumping in the pool for the first time swimming 1 lap and thinking, wow...this is going to be hard.  But I would have never known I could do it if I never jumped into the pool, never got on a bike, never ran that first mile.  It was that one decision, the one decision to do this big race that changed everything for me.  Mark Batterson said this in one of his books,

"A 1 percent change, given enough time, can make a 99 percent difference in your life.  But you cannot leave change to chance.  You've got to go for it.  Cut up your credit card, register for the marathon, apply for the graduate program, take the mission trip, set up the counseling appointment."

Sometimes that first step is always the hardest.  A little over a year ago I wanted to get healthy and I set a goal (a high goal) of finishing a full ironman.  I took that first step and I'm so glad I did.  A verse that I say often and I quoted often during the race is Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I'm already planning which Ironman races to do in the near future.  My next race will be the REV3 Knoxville Half Ironman in May.

My official Arizona Ironman Times:
2.4 Mile Swim -- 1:25:03 (2:12/100m)
Transition 1 -- 10:10
112 Mile Bike -- 6:52:29 (16.29 mph average)
Transition 2 -- 4:42
26.2 Mile Run -- 5:21:51 (12:17/mile)

Race Time: 13:54:15

Finish Strong

I've put in many miles and many hours of training this year for this one race.  It would make no sense for me to just drop out now and not attempt to run the race (and finish the race) in November.  It's the same in any sport, why would you lead most of the laps in the beginning and then just simple drop out?  2 weeks ago I had an 18 mile run and after the run my back hurt more than normal.  Throughout my training there's always been a little pain, so I'm used to it, but this was different.  I knew something wasn't right.  After hurting for a week my coach suggested I see a physical therapist.  First, I rarely go to the doctor...let's just say, the last time I went to a doctor was when I had to get a physical before I got married (it was required and I really wanted to marry Andrea)....that was 11 years ago.  When I have to fill out paperwork for an employer and it asks 'who's your family doctor', I really should just put Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil.  Anyway, after finding out that a good friend of mine at church was a physical therapist I decided to give him a call and see what was going on.  Come to find out my SI joint was out of whack (from the intense training) which was causing my back pain.  So after a few treatments and exercise/therapy I'm feeling much better.  

How many times in life do you hit what seems to be 'road blocks' or 'road construction' that seems to really slow you down?  Any hardships?  Paul talks about this in the Bible - 2 Timothy 4:5, "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  I love the last part with the word, 'fulfill'.  You must finish strong!  Starting strong is important, but finishing strong is even more important!

I read these 4 things today in a devotion:
"1. Keep your eye on what you are doing
2. Accept the hard times along with the good
3. Keep the message alive
4. Do a thorough job as God's servant"

I have 4 weeks to a race that at one point in my life seemed impossible (who knows it still might seem impossible half way through).  This will be my first Ironman and I hope not my last.  I love the triathlon sport and I love my new healthy lifestyle.  I've never felt any better.  

I keep telling myself it's only 140.6 miles in one day.  This year alone I've swam 211,000 yards, ran 660 miles, and biked 3,200 miles.  To put that bike mileage into perspective...It would be like me getting on my bike here in Athens pedaling to San Francisco, turning north and going another 7-800 miles to Seattle, Washington.  So, 140.6 miles doesn't sound too far now.  I'm sure I'll have a different story on Monday following the race.

Whatever hill you're climbing or valley you may be going through, remember (as a friend of mine says) "God's hand is a lot bigger than your circumstance".

Endure...Finish strong!


1 Month, 1 Day until Ironman Arizona 140.6 

One Year

It's now been one year since my first triathlon.  I remember thinking how hard the swim was (200 yards) and now I normally warm up in the pool 300-500 yards.  I've been training real hard for a year now as I prepare for my first Full Ironman coming up in November this year.  I've lost a little over 50 pounds and I've never felt any better.

Last week I had one of my fastest swims, 2 miles in 55 minutes.  It's amazing what consistent training and healthy eating will do!  Yesterday I had a Beast Brick workout (115 miles on the bike with a 15 minute run to follow).  This was my longest ride before the Ironman.  I have one more 100 mile ride in a couple weeks before my Ironman race.

Commitment, Determination, Consistency, Endurance...set your mind to something, keep working on it, and you will accomplish it.  I would have never dreamed I could have accomplished what I have already accomplished this past year.  I would have never known I could do it if I never got into the pool a year ago to swim that very hard 1 and 1/2 laps...

Last 2 weeks training:

Sept. 1
Sunday - 2 mile swim (55 minutes - PG)
Monday - 80 min indoor bike / 1800 yards swim
Tuesday - 2 hour run
Wednesday - 80 min indoor bike / 45 min easy swim
Thursday - 1 hour run fartleks / workout - weights
Friday - Race Simulation: 30 min swim, 4 hour ride, 1 hour run
Saturday - Rest

Sept. 8
Sunday - 1 hour run / 3600 yards swim
Monday - 80 min indoor bike / workout - weights
Tuesday - 2.5 hour run
Wednesday - 80 min indoor bike / 45 min easy swim
Thursday - 1 hour run fartleks / 1 hour swim
Friday - The Beast Brick: 115 Mile Bike / 15 min run
Saturday - Rest

2 months, 2 days til Ironman Arizona 140.6

Wet 100 Mile Ride

Yesterday was my long training day.  I woke up at 5:45 and heard rain...most people would turn the alarm off and go back to sleep (it did cross my mind).  I went ahead and got up and fixed my normal breakfast.  Coconut Flax Seed Granola w/ unsweetened almond milk, a thin whole wheat toasted bagel with peanut butter.  

I'm trying some new supplements from Hammer Nutrition which seemed to work great and I could really tell a difference yesterday with my nutrition and ride.  I always take my normal: Race Caps Supreme and Endurance Amino.  Yesterday I added to the mix, Anti-Fatigue Caps and Energy Surge.  I also took 1 Perpetuem Solid at 3 hours, 4.5 hours and 6.  Hammer Nutrition says these "minimize lean muscle tissue cannibalization" but they also have about 35-40 calories in each tablet.  It's a huge horse pill that you chew up, but the flavor is pretty good and it feels like you're eating something (I was already starving around 3 hours into the ride.  I also had 2 bottles of water with FIZZ and 1 bottle of HEED which I only drank about half. 

I started out the ride around 7am (I was waiting for a little daylight) and it was a steady rain and about 65 degrees (It was pretty cold).  I did a familiar route through Watkinsville and rode a 20 mile loop 2x which at that point I was drenched and needed to go to the bathroom. I looped around back to my house and then it started to downpour.  I ran inside, used the bathroom, through my bike shirt in the dyer and put my bike on the trainer and continued pedaling.  I pedaled for about 10 miles and then the rain let up a little so I went back outside to hopefully ride the last 50 miles.  I was feeling great and really tried to watch my nutrition especially not over doing the nutrition which in my case leads to feeling sluggish.  I remember at mile 90 feeling great and thinking only 10 miles to go, this isn't too bad.  I miscalculated coming back home so I ended up riding 104 miles total and my time was slower then I wanted but I didn't go as fast with all the rain and wet roads.  It took me about 7 hours total to ride.  Today I woke up with only my neck and shoulders sore with being in the aero position for 7 hours.  

I'm actually looking forward to doing the Beast Brick in a few weeks....120 miles with a Run to follow.

The past 2 weeks looked like this:

Sunday - 3100 yards pool, 60 min run

Monday - 80 min bike trainer, 1900 yards pool

Tuesday - 2 hour run

Wednesday - Lift weights, 1600 yard swim

Thursday - 30 min run 

Friday - Race Simulation (30 min swim, 4 hour bike, 1 hour run)

Saturday - Rest 

Sunday - 2000 yards pool, 60 min run
Monday - 80 min bike trainer, lift weights
Tuesday - 2 hour run
Wednesday - 80 min bike trainer, 1600 yard swim
Thursday - 1800 yards pool, 30 min run 
Friday - 100 mile bike ride
Saturday - Rest 

2 Months, 30 Days til IM Arizona 140.6

Run with Endurance

On Friday I rode 75 miles on the bike and Saturday was suppose to be a rest day, but I wanted to try to meet another personal goal.  I have set goals throughout my training of becoming an IRONMAN and last Saturday evening another goal was met.  My personal goals (that are achieved) give me a little boost and gives me confidence that my training is definitely working and paying off.  However when goals aren't met, I get up again and try even harder.

I ran in the Retro 5k Run here in Watkinsville on Saturday and made my mind up that I was going to try to run it under 22 minutes.  (The last 5k I ran I finished with a 24:50 time or something.)  I warmed up with about a half a mile jog with some stretching and then went to the starting line to begin the quick race.  I first noticed at the starting line about 15 high schoolers from an out-of-state track team and I knew they would be quick.  I wanted to keep up with them or at least always be able to see them in front of me.  We started the race and I gave it my all.  I never looked down at my watch I just stayed right behind the track team.  When we passed the first mile, one of the volunteers was yelling out times and he told me my time was 6:40...I was then feeling really good!  I knew I had a shot of achieving my goal if I could just keep up this pace.  I gave it my all (never caught the track team) but I crossed the finish line with an official time of 21:07 (6:49/mile pace) which put me in 2nd place in my age division and 23 out of 226 overall.

The entire race I kept my eyes on the track team in front of me and my focus was to beat my goal!  This reminded me what our Christian walk should be - Hebrews 12:1-2a says "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,"  Just like this race with my eyes fixed on that track team, we must run with endurance if we plan to finish well as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus.  Paul said in Philippians 3, "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

This week I read some great quotes from Michael Jordan:
"If you put in the work, the results will come"

"I am better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I will be tomorrow."

"In sports you don't get what you wish for, you get what you work for."   

My training continues as Ironman Arizona gets closer.









This past week's training was:
Sunday - Pool (50 laps); Run (60 min)
Monday - Bike Trainer (75 min); Pool (2250 yards)
Tuesday - Bike Trainer (80 min); Run (1 hour 45 minutes)
Wednesday - Weight lifting, Swim (45 minutes) 
Thursday - Bike Trainer (80 min)
Friday - Outdoor Bike (5 Hours - 75 miles)
Saturday - Rest and 5K Race (21:07)

Chocolate Peanut-Butter Energy Bars

My assistant made me some great protein bars the other week and after I ate them all, I had to make some more.  I normally do not "share" recipes or even talk about it but I thought I would share this one...(please don't judge me).  I made some changes to the recipe...they are pretty stinkin' good.  Here's the adjusted recipe:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT-BUTTER ENERGY BARS
1/2 Cup Whole-Wheat Flour (w/ flax seed)
Add some Chia Seed - I guessed, around a 1/8 cup
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. ground cinnamon
1 Cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup of chunky peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 teas. of pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 350, spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon in one bowl (I added Chia Seed as well).
3. Mix together the other ingredients in another bowl, then combine both bowls.
4. Spread in the pan, bake 20-25 minutes, cool, then cut into around 24 bars.
5. Mine do not look like the picture, but were still good...

I had a great week of workouts this week:
Sunday - 1.2 Mile Swim / 90 Minute Run
Monday - 2250 yard Swim / 80 Minute indoor bike
Tuesday - Strength Training / 75 Minute indoor bike drills
Wednesday - 1000 yard swim / 1:45 Hour Run
Thursday - 80 minute indoor bike
Friday - 4.5 Hours outdoor bike ride 
Saturday - OFF

3 Months, 28 Days until Ironman Arizona 140.6

Determination

I read a great quote today, "The distance between dreams and reality is action"...that's so true, many can think about doing something like an Ironman, but it's something about a person you takes action to really make it become a reality.  It takes lots of dedication, determination and commitment to make it happen, but wow, what a payoff it will be when that day comes for me in 4 months.  To see my body physically changing for the better is one thing, but knowing what all goes into becoming an Ironman and doing it is another thing.  I had a great week of workouts and I continue to improve at all 3 sports.

Here was my workout this week:
Sunday - 1.2 Mile Swim, 90 Minutes Run
Monday - 60 Min. Run, 80 Min. Bike on trainer
Tuesday - 2250 yards Swim Drills, 80 Min. Bike on trainer
Wednesday - 60 "Fartleks" Run, 80 Min. Bike on trainer
Thursday - 90 Min. Bike on trainer (w/ one leg drills), 2500 yards Swim Drills
Friday - 4 Hour Bike Ride
Saturday - Off

Peachtree Road Race

Atlanta is the host of the largest 10k in the world...the Peachtree Road Race with 60,000 runners.  My goal in running this race was one, being a part of the race for the novelty part of it and the other was running it under 50 minutes.  It was a rainy day and oh...I decided to wake up at 3:30am and get a quick 1 hour ride on the trainer before heading to Atlanta...it was still very humid and sticky with all the rain.  I ran hard and weaved in and out of all kinds of people through the entire race.  It was up and down with hills, but not too bad.  I finished the race in 48:34 with a race pace of 7:44/mile.  I was very pleased with my results.  I plan to run again next year.


Training Schedule this week:

Monday - 2250 yard swim (WU: 200 swim; drills= 200 fist; 200 catch ups; 200 finger tip drag; 200 swim, Main: 250 yds regular; 250 yds 30 sec faster; 250 yds regular; 250 yds 30 sec faster CD: 250 easy) // Indoor trainer - 80 minutes
Tuesday - Indoor trainer - 80 minutes // 60 minute run
Wednesday - 2250 yard swim drills // 1 leg interval training, 60 min. on bike
Thursday - 1 hour trainer (added) // 10k race
Friday - 3 hour bike (10 min in Zone 4-Hard, 2 min recovery, repeat)
Saturday - Rest

Ironman Florida 70.3

My family and I traveled down to Haines City, Florida on Thursday morning and hung out for a few days before the big race.  I went to the park to check-in, get my grab bag, buy some merchandise, go to a pre-race meeting and see the "dreaded" lake where I would swim.  I was very impressed with how everything was organized.  I slept really good on Friday night and then on Saturday evening I went to bed at 7pm and finally fell asleep around 9:30.

RACE MORNING:

I got up at 3:30am and fixed my normal breakfast (bowl of granola cereal w/ almond milk; yogurt; 2 whole grain organic waffles, and lastly my "green" juice - Odwalla, "Superfood").  I had packed my bike and bag the night before so I wouldn't stress out the morning of and forgetting something important.  We left the hotel at 4:10am and arrived at the park at 4:40am (I wasn't sure how long checking in and getting body marked would take).  I went to the transition area, showed my wrist band, they wrote my age and race number on me and that was it.  I racked my bike and got all of my things out of bag and placed them exactly how I wanted them.  I mentally went through my transitions and it was then 5:15am...maybe.  I walked around just taking it all in and visited the bathroom about 12 times.  

SWIM:

At 6am everyone was to head down to the beach in front of the lake.  I was getting pretty anxious, nervous, excited, pretty much all emotions running wild inside.  FINALLY, we all stood and sang the national anthem and we all watched the Pros take the water.  This was a wave start, which I liked a lot.  I was already fearful of the lake swim since my last and first lake swim was pretty much a disaster and it was only a sprint race.  This was my 3rd triathlon and I was taking on the Ironman 70.3.  At 7:30am my age group with the florescent pink caps (I didn't get a say so in this) was called to the water.  I got in, the water was a nice 83 degrees so it was like lukewarm bath water, there was no initial 'cold' shock.  They let us swim around for a big 4 minutes so I took advantage of that time getting my face in the water, breathing slowly, getting used to the lake, etc.  I was in no hurry with the swim, I just wanted to exit the water alive, so I placed myself in the back of the pack of about 100 swimmers in this particular wave.  Right at 7:35am the air horn went off and my race officially started.  I stayed to the far outside, waited for the other guys to start swimming and then I jumped head first and started to calmly take my long strokes, breathing normally, just like all my training.  I tried to look up to get a sighting of where I was about every 10 strokes.  Of course, this was pretty 'new' to me since you really don't need to worry about this in an indoor swimming pool.  I found myself swimming and drifting to the left so I would have to intentionally swim back to the right.  People were swimming to the buoys and canoes to either rest or fix goggles and I just kept swimming.  I was feeling great!  The swim is in the shape of the M Dot so you have multiple turns, which I didn't care for, but it's a cool concept.  However, looking at my swim route from Garmin, you can't really tell it's an "M".  I think I was going more for a M written a calligraphy style....I just had to laugh looking at it.  

I really felt like I was swimming fast, staying away from most people.  There was one time I caught up with someone and my hand hit his back (I didn't see him until I was write upon him).  I could finally see the swim exit in near sight and I was getting pumped.  I made it to the swim exit and my watch was at 48 minutes.  I really was surprised, I thought it would be around 38-40 minutes, but I was still very pleased with my time and more for the face that I felt like I could have swam more.
I ran up the sand hill to transition to get ready for the bike portion.   My T1 time was 5:05.

BIKE:

I had sunscreen put on and put my shoes, helmet, glasses on and was off on my bike.  The bike portion really wasn't that bad.  There were a few hills but it was mostly flat.  I kept my nutrition just like I trained with...sustained energy, HEED, Fizz, water, and GU Gels.  I made sure was taking in fluids every 10-15 minutes.  I started the ride with water and a GEL, then went to my Fizz Bottle for the 1st hour.  After that I went to the HEED bottle.  At mile 40 I experienced major pain in my big toe.  This was due to me cutting my toenails the night before...never again will I do this.  I was just trying to be courteous for the swim portion where I wouldn't claw anyone with my eagle talons.  Anyway, this stupid hangnail was slowing me down drastically.
I was then thinking about the run and wondering how I was going to run with this toe problem.  Also at mile 40 was when the heat was really starting to get to me.  The humidity was terrible and it was getting hot!  I finally made it back to transition with a bike split of 3:16:55 (17.06 mph, average HR was 140, max speed was 30.02, average cadence was 76).  My T2 time was 4:47.

RUN:

I put my bike on the rack, started putting my shoes on and I saw my family standing by the transition wall cheering me on.  It was a huge motivator and got me going again despite the heat.  I started the run and the first thing on the run was a huge hill that went straight up....everyone was walking up it!  I started to get a huge cramp in my thigh (which I've never experienced) but I knew it was no big deal to stop running, go to the side and stretch.  I took a couple of minutes to do this and the cramp went away. This was a 3 loop course and the first loop went o.k. but I just didn't have it in me to run fast.  I think a lot of it had to do with the heat and humidity.  I was drained!  I did more of a trot and walk thing.  I kept watching my heart rate and when I went below 130 I started jogging again.  I kept up with my overall time and I knew I wasn't going to make my overall goal of under 6 hours.  At this point I just wanted to finish well.  I decided I wasn't going to kill myself and just pace myself and get through this run.  I took advantage of the water stations at every mile and took in ice, a little water, and gatorade.  There were also great people throughout the run course (which was mainly neighborhoods) who sat at the end of their driveways with water hoses spraying down the runners.  This helped for a couple of minutes but it was still hot.  I finally made it to the last loop and could hear the crowds from around the corner.  I made my way down the victory lane and to hear my name being announced was better than any feeling to describe.  It was the final mark on all the hard training, the many hours, the getting up at 3:30am 6 days a week, the huge personal goal that I finally reached.  My run split was 2:37:31 and I had finished my first Ironman 70.3 in 6:52:17.

You can't describe the feeling you have when you cross the finish line.  The amount of training hours, dieting, sacrifice and more that goes in to this had paid off.  This was an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  I had come so far.  A little over a year ago I decided to get in shape and set a personal goal.  I've now lost 48 pounds and I was getting in the best shape of my life.  I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to walk but I felt pretty good considering what I had just finished.  I account this to my training and a great coach, Scott Bennefield with GEC training.  

I'm already trying to figure out my next 70.3 so I can beat my 6 hour or less goal!  There are definitely areas I know I need to improve on before Arizona, but I could never improve on those things if I had not been in the race, done the training and been willing to change myself.  It's hard to become a triathlete by sitting on the couch.  And just like all the training day in and day out, it's hard to be like Jesus without praying, reading God's Word, and spending time with God everyday.  This is simply how you get better...at anything!  We've all heard the statement, "practice makes perfect"...I had a vocal coach that said "Practice makes permanent" and it's always stuck with me.  The only way to become a better triathlete is to spend time in training and the only way to grow closer to God is to spend time with Him.

I'm coming out of my post-race "taper" training and it's less than 6 months til Ironman Arizona 140.6.  I'm looking forward to accomplishing this next goal of becoming an (Full) Ironman....I guess I'm only half ironman now...  

Goals Met!

It gives you some motivation and encouragement when you achieve a personal goal.  At the beginning of the year I wanted to run 7 miles in less than 60 minutes.  On this run in particular I was feeling great at the start and made my mind up at the beginning of the run that today was the day I would conquer this goal of mine.  I kept a close eye on my watch and felt more confident in achieving this as the miles were completed.  I finished strong and met one of my goals!

Friday, May 3, 2013
7 Miles - 55:00 minutes (7:51 pace)
155 bpm average

Great training day!

John Tanner Sprint Tri - (First Lake Swim)

I knew I needed to get a lake (open water) swim in before my IMFL703, so I chose the John Tanner Sprint in Carrollton, Georgia about 2 hours west of our house.  I woke up about 3am and ate my normal breakfast I double checked my list of things I needed for the race (I packed the night before) and then I hit the road.  I arrived at the park right at 6am, checked in and did the body marking.  I walked around, went to the bathroom about 6 times and looked at the 'big' lake.  My nerves were already going wild.  To help my nerves all the volunteers were telling everyone that lake temp was 68 degrees and you could use your wetsuit.  Well...no wet suit for me, just my trisuit.  The water was freezing!!  I tried to get my legs in the water and my face wet, but nothing prepared me for when the gun went off and the mass craziness began when 200 people jumped in, waves going wild, people hitting, splashing, I'm not really sure how you were suppose to "swim".  Anyway, my lungs were in shock when I hit the water.  I couldn't breathe, I swallowed lake water, it was almost like I forgot how to swim.  Someone hit my back, my arm, and then grabbed my ankle.  I'm sure it was the temperature and the anxiety, but I was pretty much freaking out.  Needless to say, the swim for me that morning was terrible!  I finally made it all 600 yards, got out of the lake and went straight for the bike.  It was hard for me not to think...I have a 1.2 mile lake swim in 2 weeks...how in the world am I going to survive it!?!?  The bike portion was much better, I felt good with my mph average considering the hills.  Then off to the 5k run portion.  This was definitely one of my quickest times in a 5k.  So minus the swim, I felt great about this triathlon.  I feel I have improved tremendously but still more work to be done.

My official time was 1:35:52
22:02 - Swim (600m)
2:03 - Transition 1
45:36 - Bike (13.8 miles)
1:19 - Transition 2
24:52 - Run (5k)

IMFL70.3....less than 10 days away!

Ironman Florida Looks Shorter Now...

I just looked at my "Life Ticker" app and it's exactly 1 MONTH until Ironman FL 70.3!  I pulled up my training peaks account to look at my completed distance for the year so far and this helped ease my mind.  I've really been pushing it and I know after the half is over I'll be going even stronger to get ready for my Full Ironman in November.  I've made some strides in all 3 sports and I'm feeling more confident about the half, but still very nervous.  Looking at this helps ease my mind and makes the FL 70.3 look pretty short.  :)

#FloridaIronman70.3 in 1 month!

It's a Love Hate Kinda Thing

I've had 2 new run workouts for the week.  The first one is as follows:

Run on the treadmill. Warm up, then run 5 minutes at a pace that holds you in zone 3. Then, maintaining the same speed, do 7x (2 minutes incline 5%, 2 minutes incline 1%). Cool down.

I ended up going 5.7 miles for 54 minutes and sweating to death.  I did the last incline at 10% at a 7.0 speed.  When most people will get on the tread mill and jog at 5.0 speed for 30 minutes, this was a killer workout.  It really goes by quick since you're changing the incline every couple of minutes.

The other run workout (2-4-6-8-6-4-2) that was added was:


Warm up well--10-15 minutes.  Do the following sets in zone 4, each with 2 minutes easy recovery: 2 min, 4 min, 6 min, 8 min, 6 min, 4 min, 2 min.  Cool down well.


I did this one outside with a little humidity (welcome to Georgia) and felt really good about my run.  I warmed up for about 10 minutes and then started the sets.  I went 59:27 minutes total for 6.61 miles; That's a 9:00/mile average.

These are both great workouts to really build endurance, speed, and strength.  The second workout went pretty fast too since you have to constantly keep watching your HR, time, etc. for each set.  They're definitely not easy workouts, but effective.  I hated them both but really loved them...

Ironman FL 70.3 in 4 weeks, exactly 1 month....

Great Run / Hard Bike Ride

Yesterday I felt really good about my run.  This was much faster than I used to go 6 months ago.  I normally averaged 10 minute miles on a good day!  Yesterday, I went 11.47 Miles in 1 Hour and 44 minutes.  That's a 9:05/mile average.  On a side note I burned 1268 calories.

Today's long bike ride was hard!  I felt great starting out (it ended up being down hill most of the way). I felt like I was averaging 22-23 mph., I was moving!  By the way, this was a brand new route, I just looked it up on mapquest to get a new route and I never checked the elevation.  I rode hard for 2 hours and 15 minutes and then turned around.  The ride was pretty much up and down in the middle of the route.  I knew what was coming...that nice fast pace ride, I had to ride back UP that route to get home.  Talk about a workout!  I made it, but it was tough.

Today's ride was 4 hours and 37 minutes long.
15.5 Average MPH (that was due to the big hills...slow)
34.5 MPH Max
1969 Calories burned
HR Average 119; HR Max 148
67 RPM Average; 112 RPM Max

I'm still feeling good about my training but still have a ways to go before the big IRONMAN in Arizona.

Just 5 weeks until Florida 70.3!

Another month down...

Another month of training in the books.  This was a good month despite last week on my long bike ride that set me back with a flat tire....Oh, and I didn't pack a spare tube.  This month I focused more on bike riding and in the training almost everyday.  I finished the month out on a long 3 hours and 50 minutes bike ride.  I went 61 miles today.  

As you can see my totals for the month were: 

368 Miles on the bike

22,800 yards (12.95 Miles) in the pool

68.75 Miles running

(Many hours)

Looking at the numbers this way makes the Ironman look a "little" shorter in distance...(anything to help ease the mind).  Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow and leading worship on EASTER Sunday!    

7 weeks to Florida 70.3-

8 Weeks To Go...

     As I continue to train, I can't believe it's now less than 8 weeks to Florida 70.3.  One of my major changes over the past 4 weeks has been my eating and especially breakfast.  I really didn't ever eat before workouts.  Now, I try to eat around 700 calories before heading out to the gym or jumping on the trainer at home.  That means I'm getting up 30 minutes earlier (the alarm goes off at 3:29am).  It has made a huge difference in my sustainability and endurance in my workouts!  I have also added Chia Seed and Flax Seed to my daily diet.  I am riding almost everyday now as I will have a heavy dose of bike riding and then transition to more running.  The last thing before my race will be heavy swimming (which is less stressful on the body).
     Last Saturday I had a great outdoor bike ride.  I started in the morning around 7:30am right when it got daylight and rode for a solid 3 hours.  I ended up going 50.4 miles with an average of 16.5 or so mph.  I was really pleased with my time and distance.  I actually felt great after the ride and could have went farther.  This Saturday I am scheduled to ride 3:15 hours, then the next week - 3:30, and so on, all the way up to 4 hours.  After my bike ride I have to run around 30 minutes.  This was pretty difficult last Saturday as my legs were wobbly after being on the bike that long.  It took me a good mile into the run before I felt 'normal' again.  On Saturday's workout I took 1 bottle with 2 Fizz's and 1 bottle with Heed, this seemed to help.

8 weeks to go and still feeling strong...at least at the moment.

Kicking my tail...

I'm still feeling great about my training.  We turned it up a notch on the bike workout with HR zones and this week, for some reason, the bike just kicked my tail.  My bike exercise was suppose to look like:

-Keep RPM 80+ (no problem)
-10 min Warm Up - Zone 2 (no problem)
-Next 2 hours and10 min in Zone 3 (this is where I struggled to keep it in Zone 3)
-Last 10min Cool Down Zone 2
(use gearing & resistance to see if you can ave 16 mph in Z3)

In about 30 minutes trying to keep my HR in zone 3 my legs were dead.  I felt like I gave it all I could in my first 30 minutes and I was suppose to ride 2 more hours!!  I slowed down a bit and tried to keep going but at 1 hour 15, I was well spent.  Although this was discouraging I know I need to keep improving in this area.  It only takes time...too bad my half ironman is in 2 months.

My swimming was great this week along with my running.  I definitely feel like those 2 areas just keep getting better and better.  My workouts this week were:

Monday: Run 45 minutes (Zone 3); Ride 1 hour (10 min warm up; 6 work intervals of 3 to 6 min duration; build to Zone 5a on each. Cadance is at the high end of your comfort range; Recover to Zone 1 for the same time as the preceeding work interval.)

Tuesday: Lift weights; Swim - WU: 200 swim; drills= 200 fist; 200 catch ups; 200 finger tip drag; 200 swim; Main: 250 yds regular; 250 yds 30 sec faster; 250 yds regular; 250 yds 30 sec faster
CD: 250 easy

Wednesday: Ride 1 Hour (60 min; 80+ rpm; every 5 min interval = first 30 sec sit up & drink; aero next 4:30; at 15/30/45 min mark, get out of saddle and dance on pedals for 60 sec); Run 1 Hour - Zone 3

Thursday: Lift weights; Swim - WU=200 regular; 200 catch up; 200 finger tip drag; Main= 8 x 50 yds (20 sec rest between each); 4 x 100 yds (20 rest between); 2 x 200 yds (20sec rest); CD= 4 x 50 yds easy (30 sec rest)

Friday: The 2 hour 15 minute bike "fail"

Saturday: Run 80 minutes - (WU zone 2 for 10 min; 4 x 15min = 60 min; in each 15 min segment, 1st 5 min in Z3, 2nd 5 min Z4, next 2 1/2 min Z5a, next 2 1/2 min recovery jog Z2. Hit your lap button for each set. CD Z2 10 min); Swim - 1100 yards (Nice 'easy' swim)

Sunday: Rest!

Looking forward to a great upcoming week!

2 MONTHS, 15 DAYS until Florida 70.3


  

A New Month...

January was a good month and I'm looking forward to starting another great month of training as I continue my goal of becoming an Ironman. 

I looked at my "LifeTicker" App today and I ONLY have 3 months and 17 days left before my Half Ironman and 9 months and 15 days until my Full Ironman.  I feel like I'm really making some strides and improving in all 3 areas.  It's a slow process but dedication, drive, persistence, lots of prayer and repeating "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" is the key.  


My training plan this morning (swimming) was:

Warm Up = 200 yards regular; 200 yards catch-ups; 200 yards finger tip drag; Main= 8 x 50 yards (20 sec rest between each); 4 x 100 yards (20 rest between); 2 x 200 yards (20sec rest); Cool Down= 4 x 50 yards easy (30 sec rest)

I was finished and out of the pool by 5:55am this morning (I got to sleep in since I only had 1 exercise to do today).  I came home and did the usual routine of fixing breakfast for the family and then taking my son to school.

Training Completed for January 2013

I had a great month of training for the month of January.  My training consists of "time" training but looking at the distances helps me mentally as I prepare for my first Ironman.  My swimming continues to improve and I'm getting faster on the treadmill.  Today I ran for an hour on the treadmill - 6.6 miles (9:05/mile).  I'm getting more comfortable on the bike as my rides are a minimum of 1 hour each.  I'm hoping for faster speeds on my bike as I continue to train.  I would love to be running 8-8.5 minute miles for long distance later this year.  Here are my totals for January 2013 Training:

January Training Totals

Swimming - 16,675 yards (9.47 Miles)

Running - 48.5 Miles

Bike - 180.79 Miles