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Training Routine Changed to Rest

As a husband and father with a full-time job and trying to stay in a good training routine the last thing you think of is rest (it is for me at least).  There's a story in the bible when Jesus feeds 5,000 people, but before the feeding the scriptures tell us: 

'The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.  And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while."  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves...'

Right before my Ironman race last November I had a problem with my SI Joint (basically my hip was coming out of place causing some serious back pain).  I went to see the best physical therapist here in Athens, Ken Wells, and he "popped" me back in to place and gave me some great exercises to start strengthening my core which would hopefully help this problem.  In December my SI joint started acting up again and instead of back pain I had major pain down my right leg, this was my SI Joint causing my sciatic nerve to shoot pain down my leg.  I tried to train through the pain, but it kept getting worse.  I went back to see Ken and he "popped" me back in to place.  It's been a struggling first 2 months of the year with this little injury, but I'm starting to feel great again.  One thing I needed to do was REST.  I took an entire week off from working out (which was actually harder then you think).  I really didn't know what to do with myself those mornings sleeping in til 6am, but in the long run, this was the best thing I could have done to help heal, rejuvenate, and refresh me so I could train even harder the following weeks.  No matter what you're facing in your season of life (or season of training), sometimes all God wants us to do is go away with Him and rest a while.  

It's not easy being an Ironman but the work, dedication and sacrifice is worth it!  Sometimes, you need to realize that the best thing you can do in your training routine is rest.  

I've done a few 5K's this year already with the last 5K placing first place in my age division (Habitat for Humanity - Won a Hammer!).  My next big race is the REV3 Half Ironman in Knoxville, TN this coming May.

Last week's training:

Sunday - 2 Mile Swim

Monday - Lift weights; 2 Hour Bike

Tuesday - 1.5 Hours Run

Wednesday - 2 Hour Bike; 30 Min Swim

Thursday - 1.5 Hours Run

Friday - 4 Hour Bike

Saturday - Rest

I always take Recoverite (Hammer Nutrition) after every workout!  My everyday vitamins I take Hammer Nutrition Premium Insurance Caps.  Click on the link to get 15% off your first order with Hammer. 

  

First Race of the Season

This was the first race of the year for me and excited to get back at it!  Today's forecast was unusually warm (55 degrees) and there was a tornado watch in effect for the area.  I arrived at the park 1 hour prior to race start and after checking in, they wanted the ones present and ready to go ahead and start at 8:30 instead of 9:00 just in case of bad or worse weather.  They had 2 more waves to follow the first one (8:45 and 9:00 weather permitting).  I went ahead and took one hammer nutrition gel (Huckleberry flavor) and chased it with a little water.
I then decided to go ahead and start at 8:30 with the first wave group.  The gun went off (actually it was just a lady on a megaphone yelling 'go') and I lead the pack for about 1 mile into the race.  (I ran the first mile in 6:49.)   I could hear a few guys coming up behind me who had a quicker pace and passed me slowly.  I kept up with my pace even with a few slight hills and off-the-pavement (gravel trails) on some of the course and kept the front runners in sight.  The course was extremely wet and windy!  At 1.5 miles into the race I noticed my shoe was untied completely.  My shoe was very loose and I considered ditching the shoe and running with only one shoe.  I decided to just curl my toes and keep the shoe on.  This slowed me down a little but I still managed to average 7:23/mile, take 1st place in my age division and 8th overall.    I not only was proud to come in first, but proud to wear my Hammer Nutrition shirt and hat for the first time as one of their sponsored athletes!

This Week's Training:
Sunday - 45 Min. Run // 1.2 Mile Pool Swim
Monday - 45 Min. Run // Lift Weights // 1 Hour Indoor Bike Trainer
Tuesday - 1 Hour Indoor Bike Trainer
Wednesday - Run (Fartleks) // 1 Hour Indoor Bike Trainer
Thursday - Swim 2200 Yards Step-ups // Lift Weights
Friday - 3 Hours (45 Miles; Indoor Bike Trainer due to weather)
Saturday - Rest (With a 5k Race)

Remember to click on the link on the sidebar to receive 15% OFF on your first order with Hammer!  

Only 1 Year

In 2012 I was just a husband/dad, who loved to eat (fries, pizza, etc.), work a lot, watch TV and exercise on convenience.  I decided in the fall of 2012 to stretch myself, get healthy and do something ambitious...become an Ironman.

I reached out to a personal and ministry friend of mine, Scott Bennefield, a USAT Level 1 Coach (www.ironmanpastor.com) with Grasky Endurance (www.graskyendurance.com), who helped me reach my goal.  I remember riding the bike trainer indoors for 30 minutes and thought I was going to die and well, my butt was killing me.  (Now, my normal indoor rides are a minimum of 80 minutes.)  I was then introduced to a company with great fuels, recovery, and supplements - Hammer Nutrition (www.hammernutrition.com).  Their products are great, the costumer service is outstanding and who would have imagined I would be chosen as one of their sponsored athletes for 2014!

Training 6 days a week was by far from easy to get to where I am now, but well worth it.  I love being a triathlete and living a new healthy lifestyle.  I have more energy and I feel better about myself.  However, this is only the beginning, I want to continue to improve in this sport and would love to one day qualify for the big daddy - KONA Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

As I look back at 2013 it's hard for me to realize that these are my statistics!  These might not be significant to you, but they are to me because I know where I started (I was a 35 minute average 5k runner, I could only swim 1-1/2 laps in the pool, and well, I had to go buy a bike because the last time I rode one I was 12 years old).

2013 Quick Review:

• Ran a 5k in less than 23 Minutes
• Ran 7 miles in less than 60 Minutes
• Completed my 2nd sprint triathlon w/ first open water swim in April '13
• Completed my first Half Ironman (Florida) in May '13
• Swam 2 miles in less than 1 hour (pool swim)
• Completed my first Full Ironman (Arizona) in November '13
• Swam, Biked, Ran more miles in one year than I would have ever dreamed...
• Swam 240,407 yards (137 miles)
• Biked 3,516 miles
• Ran 741 miles

It's a new year and time to set new goals and achieve them in 2014.  To leave you with some advice as the new year begins:

1. Make a training plan (I use training peaks online to keep a calendar and nutrition diary).  This really helps me stick with my goals and see where I'm going and where I've been.  I'm one that likes to "check things off" when I complete them, so this is perfect for me.  Get with a coach or someone who can help you and keep you accountable to your goals.
2. Go ahead and register for your big race of 2014.  Don't wait to register, sign up now!  I have a countdown app on my phone that keeps up with all my races and shows me how many days left until the big day (it's a motivator for me).
3.  Saving the best for last (I've been asked this the most) -- How do you train and have time for family and work?  I decided when I started my Ironman journey that I would not sacrifice family time to train.  I wake up around 3:30am to begin my training and I am finished around 6:30am in time to help my wife wake up the boys and get them ready for school, then head to work.  My long rides are normally Friday mornings when the boys are in school; I work half days on Friday so I go in the second half of the day; and my rest day is Saturday (which is our family day).  Having all this time in the mornings gave me plenty of time to meditate, reflect and pray while training, yes even while swimming.

I am just a husband, dad, full-time worship pastor, office-stare-at-a-computer all day long, loves to eat (more salads now) kind of guy who happens to be an Ironman.  Don't let your current circumstances or situations get in the way of your goals.  Sometimes, we just need to prioritize, move things around and focus.  Signup for that first 5k, marathon, or Ironman this year.  If I can do it, you can too!  Don't let your best in 2013 be your best in 2014...do better, strive more!  

My verse for 2013 was Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I give God ALL the glory!  

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