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