Just a quick update here to those interested. Last night some new running shoes came in that I think might help me handle the knee pain for a few more miles during the Kona marathon. They're Hoka One One's and are kinda like platform shoes for runners, with super thick cushiony soles. I know better than to go for a run, but I wanted to at least see if I could run in them just down the street and back. I got four houses down the street and something popped rather violently in the back of the knee. I had to limp home in pain. I actually was looking for a neighbor that might be outside to give me a ride home......just 4 houses away.
I immediately went home and texted my orthopedic PA friend and he said it could be a burst Baker's Cyst, and that a it might heal up with rest and ice. At least there's hope.
I'm going in to see him with literally a back door clinic visit in a few minutes and see if there's anything else he can do, or at least get the okay to continue on with this. I certainly don't want to damage anything beyond repair.
As of now I can't walk. The Ironman run course rules say you can make forward progress by "running, walking, or crawling." At this point I've already crossed out two of those. October 12 is going to be a very humbling day for this guy, if I even get to start.
Thanks for the support.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Not the Meltdown I Was Hoping for…But It’s All Good!
When life hands you lemons, your lemonade’s gonna pretty much
suck if you don’t have any sugar to add to it.
Over the last couple weeks I’ve been adjusting and
re-adjusting my Kona goals. To be honest, last week it got pretty depressing
trying to figure out how to salvage what I could out of things given this bum
knee (torn meniscus) I’ve been dealing with. I won’t bring you down with all of
those thoughts, but after a stellar training week (even without a run) I seem to
be bouncing back and coming up with a plan to make the most out of my first shot
at Kona.
Posting a picture on Instagram while riding a bike isn’t that
hard. You just have to know how t……..
At this point, my race goals are shaping up to
be:
1. Swim – Just get through
it. It won’t be my best swim, but I’m not in terrible swim shape. I’m a little
bit more nervous about this one given that ALL the swimmers are good swimmers
and we’ll likely all be on top of each other. I might have to duck a jab or two
and I hope I don’t get too claustrophobic swimming in a mosh pit of 2500
folks.
2. Bike – I’m in great
bike shape so I hope to do well on the Queen K. My training hasn’t been as
specific or focused as it was for Ironman Florida, but I’ve put in the mileage
and done some hard interval efforts. I just hope to have fun and that the
fabled winds coming back from Hawi don’t throw me off my bike.
3. Run – I’ll be going
into the marathon with nearly zero run mileage. Part of me has been able to derive some motivation out of taking part in the experiment of seeing how far I can run on race day with no
mileage underneath me but I’m pretty certain the knee pain will flare up pretty
soon after leaving T2 and I’ll be resigned to tucking my tail between my
legs and walking. I’ll have to take it as it comes I guess.
Notice no time goals. It would have been tough to predict
even on two good legs.
Goose loves to be the center of attention amongst the Kona inspiring decorations.....
What I intended to do, and pictured doing on race day for
almost a full year since I qualified is this……….of course I wanted to come into this race
in top shape (like what I considered I was at for IMFL last November) firing on all
cylinders. If the race went perfect than outstanding! But if things went south
when the island’s heat, humidity, and wind broke me down I wanted to melt
and melt spectacularly. I wanted to go from feeling the wind over my skull with a
trail of fire behind me thinking I was unstoppable to, “Why am I doing this? I
just want to take my ball and go home.” There’s something about showing up in
Kona for the first time ready to roll just to end up detonating in epic fashion.
Mark Allen. Chris McCormack. Marino van Hoecantspellanocker. Julie Moss. To me, that’s
the legend that the Ironman World Championship in Kona is. You always want to crush it all the way to the finish, but to really squeeze out every drop of
respect from Kona it has always been the implosion of the mind and body simultaneously in
one great big heat-exhausted melt-down that has drawn me to this
race. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting I've gotten myself around that. I'm sure I'll get all the suffering I want out there, just maybe not to the design I had intended.
This has been my twice daily routine as of late and will be up to race day. TENS
sessions really work and the best part is it gives me 30 minutes of looking
pitiful and having Angie wait on me while I’m confined to my
chair!
I still intend to put everything out there on the bike and
that may be enough to finish me off right there. But it’s unknown if after that
I’ll be able to find that part of the run where my mind tells me to give up or if my knee will do
that for me right out of T2. At any rate, a glorious day of suffering is inevitable for me on race day, October 12.
Merle III left for Kona today! Here she is shortly before
she began her journey. I may regret going with the deep 808 in the front but
I’m hoping I can keep ‘er upright in the crosswinds out by Hawi. Thanks to Carl
and Julia Bonner for letting me use their sweet wheels!
I’m in a good place. It’s not how I wanted to roll, but I’m
thankful just to be participating in this amazing event! Thanks for
reading!
Monday, August 26, 2013
130 Miles of Pedalin', Blue Haired Bullies, and Aquajogging Fun
Well, I suppose I made the most out of that
weekend.
Saturday: 7.33 Hrs of Training
Long ride. My goal was to get in 130 miles with some Ironman
pace intervals thrown in, then perhaps 20 minutes of running if the knee could
hack it. Some good ol’ Ab Ripper X to finish it up and I would be
golden.
Phillip Rowan and Chuck Boulineau were both up for some
mileage. Phillip was being vague about how far he wanted to go, but Chuck was
good for a solid 110. And then the day before, Dave Mirra decided to throw in with us as
well, since he had a 3 hr ride planned with short intervals. So we all headed
out together and spun for an hour at a sorta easy pace and then hit Dave’s
intervals: 6 x 6 min at 280 watts with 6 min rest in between. Dave was the only
one with a Power Peter so he led us off and I got some practice at maintaining the minimum legal draft gap according to Ironman rules. Phillip and Chuck
tucked in behind me.
The intervals were fast and went great, but when we were done
I was ready to ease into a pace more conducive to Ironman training, especially
since I still had 3.5 hours to go. Dave asked what my intervals would be for
the rest of the ride and I said, “Oh, something like 22 to 23 mph for 45 min
apiece.” Then I looked down at my computer and saw we had been going that pace
for the last hour. So much for intervals.
After we split off from Dave we stopped by my place to
refuel. Phillip had enough fun so he took his ball and went home. Chuck felt
great and he stuck with me. It took me another hour before I started feeling
“great” myself. Right about then, Chuck began feeling “not so great.” We
stopped at a gas station at mile 100 to refuel again and both about bonked when
the guy in between us at the counter ordered a cheeseburger. Man, that would
have been great! I think as soon as we left he probably said to the cashier,
“Naaah, I don’t really want a burger. I was just saying that cuz those pansies
in the tights looked starving.”
I got stronger as the ride progressed. I was tired,
particularly in the quads, back, neck, calves, hamstrings, abs, biceps,
shoulders, chest, fingers, butt, and left temple…..but otherwise felt
great.
I managed 20 minutes on the treadmill with no knee pain,
nailed the ab routine and felt a mixture of exhaustion and elation the rest of
the evening!
After that long workout, I was somewhere between these two feelings all evening.....
Sunday: 2.33 Hrs of Training
Well, I knew there was no way I was going to get my 20 mile
run that I had planned. The knee just wouldn’t take that. But I opted to give
the treadmill another go and see if I could take an hour of that since it had a
softer landing than the pavement. I was feeling great, running like a champ
with no pain whatsoever, and even planning a second hour on the treadmill……all
the way until minute 41 when a shot of pain went through my knee. Dammit.
A few hours of ice, Tiger Balm, and nursing my bruised ego
and I was reluctant but ready enough to go for a swim and see about this
aquajogging thing. I snuck my sneakers out of the house with me so Angie
wouldn’t know and immediately started with the treadmill at the gym first. I
was surprised it didn’t hurt and was hoping I could get the 19 minutes I was
short of an hour from my morning attempt. I got 15 and then the knee flared up
again. Dammit.
I tucked my tail into my jammers and hit the pool for an easy
2000 yards, all the while trying to figure out how I could transition to
aquajogging without tarnishing the reputation I surely had with the cute
lifeguard for being the most athletic specimen she had ever laid eyes on. Hey,
it’s my story……I’ll tell it my way. So, I hopped out and asked her where the
aquajogging belts were and, without even looking at me (she must have memorized
every curve of my chest already), yawned and pointed across the pool. There
they were. And they were pink. As if that weren’t enough, they were at the
entrance to the girl’s locker room, almost daring me to test if my
invisible masculine neck collar would shock me by venturing that far out of the
range of the manly side of the pool.
At least I fit in the small size floaty belt. Sigh. As I
strapped in somewhat sheepishly and hopped in to the non-lap swimming side of
the pool I noticed a couple of the grannies doing water aerobics eyeing me with
that “fresh meat” look. “Aren’t you the guy that swims in the lane closest to
us and splashes up water that gets our hair wet?” Uh ooohh…….
I aquajogged for the other side of the pool as fast as I
could, but the propulsion one gets from running in deep water surprisingly isn’t
enough to even keep up with the pubic hair I saw floating away from
me.
Once I had arrived safely out of the territory of the pride
of water aerobic grannies I settled into a rhythm jogging back and forth. Every
now and then I checked on the lifeguard to see if she was checking my moves
out. Nope, still asleep. But I had caught the hang of this thing. I knew I
had probably upset the record for longest aquajog session ever accomplished in
the Greenville Aquatics and Fitness Center and checked my stopwatch. A minute
twenty seconds. You gotta be kidding me! Back and forth, back and forth, jog
jog jog, turn on a dime, back and forth, back and forth, check out the cute
lifeguard, jog jog jog, turn on a dime, back and forth,…….
I lasted 45 minutes before I couldn’t stand it any longer.
All told, I had at least accumulated over 2 hours of aerobic activity for the
day, escaped an angry hoard of grannies, and my knee felt okay-ish. It was at
least enough to keep me from a fit of depression over not being able to run.
One day at a time. Suffer today so you don’t suffer race day.
Thanks for reading.
Friday, August 23, 2013
An Update on My Knee
15 years ago I was a young, know-it-all engineer for Yamaha
Waverunner division and thought I could pull off a fancy trick on one while
playing in the surf off of St Augustine, FL. I stuck the trick, then stuck my
knee into the deck of the Waverunner. It swelled up, turned purple, and hurt
like hell. Within a few weeks I was having arthroscopic surgery for a torn
meniscus (that cartilage between the joint that lets those bones move on a
cushiony bed). The surgery did the trick, and so began my affinity for cycling
which was recommended as rehab post-surgery (I thought it was a gay sport when
the suggestion was made).
It’s funny that ever since then I’ve been blessed without
injuries. Sure, I’ve complained about a pain here and there, but I’ve never
really been sidelined before. When I started taking triathlon seriously I gave
myself a rule that if I ever felt any pain in a race or training I would just
stop. I’ve never run through any sort of pain that I thought could cause
injury, and I think that’s been a big reason why I stay off the disabled list.
I suppose, for all of us though, it’s just a matter of time
til something breaks down. And an Ironman every year is probably a good way to
accelerate that.
So it seems all these years, evidently, my meniscus has been
wearing down some more. And sometime after Ironman Florida last November I
began to feel a slight pain behind my right knee particularly the day after a
run. I backed off the running – besides, Kona was months away at that time so
it wasn’t like it was a big deal. In June, I had it looked at and sure enough
the meniscus was a bit frayed. Another round of arthroscopic surgery is probably what I need, but this is hardly the time. A cortisone shot would probably do the
trick though, at least until after Kona, and if not I could always get another one
before the race. So I did, and it was instantly better.
Training went well through July and most of August until a
couple weekends ago I was on a short run after a 115 mile bike ride and darn it
if that pain in the back of the knee didn’t come back. I immediately stopped
and went home to ice it, hoping that it was a minor flare up. But it came back
the very next day on my long run stopping me dead in my tracks. The injection
had worn off way sooner than I had hoped. I’ve been struggling ever since to
even complete the shortest of the runs on my training plan. I've been spending more nights with Tiger Balm and an ice pack on me then I wish. Even the cats ask for a blanket when they lay anywhere near my lap while I chill with my leg in the air.
I’m not eligible for another cortisone shot for 4 more
weeks. I have an appointment with the doctor on Sept 9 and will explore
alternatives to get me to that point, but I’m likely out of commission on run
training. I’ll try again on the treadmill this weekend if I think the lesser
impact it gives will be enough to let me get some mileage, and if not it looks
like the elliptical and deep water running will have to be my alternatives. I’m
also looking into therapeutic options such as A.R.T., glyceryl trinitrite
patches, synvisc, voodoo and any other witch doctor shit that might be out
there.
If I get the second cortisone shot and it works, I’ll be 3
weeks out from race day which is essentially my taper period. So I will have no
way to prepare myself for the marathon with the kind of run mileage I feel I
need but at least that would (hopefully) mean no knee pain during the
race…….which would be really convenient so I can concentrate on the pain from
the heat and humidity, the soreness in my legs and back, and whatever other
pains creep in during the long day that an Ironman is on the
body.
All of this has affected my outlook going into the last 7
weeks of training adversely. I’m no longer as gung-ho to show up as lean and
mean as I can once I get to Kona, and I’ve let myself have a few “free” nights
to enjoy a little wine or a gin and tonic or two or nine or four rather than hit the sack and give up
the fun in the evenings for better training in the mornings. I’m preparing
myself for the fact that the Kona marathon may be a bit of a stroll for me
rather than a race, and that’s okay. Cuz if you’re gonna go for a 26.2 mile
stroll, I suppose along the coast of Hawaii is probably a darn good place to do
so.
Thanks for reading, folks!
Fat Loss Tricks Anyone Can Do
We are starting a new weight loss program at work and it got me thinking about some of the things I try to do to watch mine. Here are a few tricks that have worked for me if you're looking for any nuggets.....and you don't have to be into this Ironman stuff to do them. Anyone can use these!
1. Weigh every day. Every. Day. It keeps you close to fluctuations in your weight so you can react quickly. If you wait til next week to weigh, you might have gained 3 pounds without even seeing it coming!
2. Weight loss is the wrong term. We’re in this to lose FAT. Cut fat and the pounds will come off.
3. Do it for yourself. Take yourself out of the group of 10 and focus on yourself and your goals.
4. Make small goals for yourself along the way. This isn’t Begin with the End in Mind, this is What can I do Today to be on Target for Tomorrow.
5. Stay on a routine. Plan your meals and hit your weekly workouts when you’ve scheduled them.
6. There are no “cheat meals.” I’m really sorry about that. Fat loss, fitness, health – it’s a lifestyle change and a commitment. Save Thanksgiving dinner for Thanksgiving.
7. Bring your lunch to work and the snacks you need to get through your day – including your workouts – but no more. The snack machine is NOT your friend and it is not there to bail you out. There is nothing in there that is helpful to fat loss.
8. There are no magic pills. It’s very simple: fat loss equals work put out and fuel put in. Exercise. Eat right. Each of those is a step in the right direction, but neither will get you where you want to be without the other.
9. That said, ALL food is energy IF you use it by completing your workouts. Otherwise, any excess eating you did in the day becomes fat.
10. Protect your exercise time. This is a commitment to yourself. Don’t give in when someone tries to steal your exercise time!
11. No food after 8 pm. Try to get dinner done in the early evening. Your metabolism is slowing down at night, and a late meal will settle more as fat while you sleep since your body is too inactive to use the meal as energy. If it can’t be used, it has to be stored…..and we are all built with wonderful spots on our bellies and butts to store fat.
12. I have one exception to that last rule. Have a couple spoonfuls of lowfat cottage cheese right before bed. Cottage cheese has a high amount of caseine protein, which releases over time. So, it’s a good way to get protein over the hours that you sleep.
13. No calories from drinks. Drinks are for hydrating not eating. If you must, choose a drink rich in nutrients and down it when it counts most – orange juice in the morning, chocolate milk after a workout (a good muscle rebuilding protein source). But absolutely no non-diet sodas (includes lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, etc.). If you do anything, cutting out non-diet sodas is perhaps the biggest step you can make!
14. Energy drinks like Gatorade are not going to help with fat loss. They are for getting you through a 2 hr + workout and that’s all. If you’re not doing that, don’t drink ‘em.
15. Fat loss isn’t the only goal worth focusing on. Key in on strength increases, being able to go farther or faster, your belt size, more energy during the day, etc. Use them all, cuz there will be plateaus and you’ll need the other accomplishments to get you through!
16. Eat like a rock star for breakfast, a career dude for lunch, and a poor college kid for dinner. A big breakfast fills you up longer (and when your metabolism is at its best!) so it actually helps you lose weight! If you don’t have time for breakfast, use a meal replacement shake on the go.
17. Not “No Carbs.” Just “Watch Carbs.” Keep them early in the day when your metabolism is working double time and can convert the carbs to energy, and make dinner more protein based when your body needs to recover from the day’s activities. You need some carbs to have energy for the exercise you’ll be doing.
18. Get the bulk of your carbs from fruits and vegetables. Try not to eat breads at night at all.
19. Get your protein from lean meats like chicken, fish, and turkey. You can also get them from legumes (beans) and tofu, if you can hack that stuff.
20. Healthy meals are easier when the family gets with the program. Try to get them to do this with you. And there are LOTS of fun tasty ways to eat healthy.
21. Understand when you’re hungry, what is it that you are hungry for? Satisfy THAT need. Need energy? Fruit, not a non-diet soda or candy. Need salt? Nuts, not chips. Beef jerky is actually very satisfying and high in protein!
22. Drink lots of water. Flavor it and you’ll drink more! Seltzer water even has bubbles that make you feel full!
23. Alcohol. Hmm, tough one. Just try and moderate it. Here’s a good way to look at it: EARN your drinks. Get that workout done and you earn it. Skip the workout, you don’t earn it. Wine is probably the healthiest, beer and dark alcohols are the least healthy.
24. Did you know dark chocolate is okay (75% dark chocolate or more)? Give yourself a treat of a modest portion every day!
25. To burn fat you have to get your heart rate up. Cardio trumps lifting weights. Get most of your weekly exercise from aerobic cardio activity. Insert a little weight work to boost metabolism and stay strong and injury free, but curling dumbbells or laying on a bench doing presses is not going to burn fat at a fast enough rate.
26. It’s odd that “spot training” doesn’t burn fat in the spot you target. Go for a run and the fat doesn’t come off your legs. It comes off your belly, right where it settles. That’s just how it works. So, get that heart rate up and do your cardio.
27. Think cardio is boring? Find something you can do and a place to do it that makes it fun! Running, biking, swimming, soccer, tennis, basketball! We have a greenway, Boyd Lee Park, etc. And there are always groups of folks to do it with.
28. Exercising with friends is much easier than by yourself and you hold each other accountable when you commit to workout with them.
29. If you get hungry during the day and are about to eat something you hadn’t planned on, come see me first. Give me a chance to help you find something that will tie you over with a minimal impact on your calorie intake and a maximal intake on the nutrients you need before you dive for that Honeybun! Ask me about recipes, vitamins, anything. If I don’t know I’ll find out!
1. Weigh every day. Every. Day. It keeps you close to fluctuations in your weight so you can react quickly. If you wait til next week to weigh, you might have gained 3 pounds without even seeing it coming!
2. Weight loss is the wrong term. We’re in this to lose FAT. Cut fat and the pounds will come off.
3. Do it for yourself. Take yourself out of the group of 10 and focus on yourself and your goals.
4. Make small goals for yourself along the way. This isn’t Begin with the End in Mind, this is What can I do Today to be on Target for Tomorrow.
5. Stay on a routine. Plan your meals and hit your weekly workouts when you’ve scheduled them.
6. There are no “cheat meals.” I’m really sorry about that. Fat loss, fitness, health – it’s a lifestyle change and a commitment. Save Thanksgiving dinner for Thanksgiving.
7. Bring your lunch to work and the snacks you need to get through your day – including your workouts – but no more. The snack machine is NOT your friend and it is not there to bail you out. There is nothing in there that is helpful to fat loss.
8. There are no magic pills. It’s very simple: fat loss equals work put out and fuel put in. Exercise. Eat right. Each of those is a step in the right direction, but neither will get you where you want to be without the other.
9. That said, ALL food is energy IF you use it by completing your workouts. Otherwise, any excess eating you did in the day becomes fat.
10. Protect your exercise time. This is a commitment to yourself. Don’t give in when someone tries to steal your exercise time!
11. No food after 8 pm. Try to get dinner done in the early evening. Your metabolism is slowing down at night, and a late meal will settle more as fat while you sleep since your body is too inactive to use the meal as energy. If it can’t be used, it has to be stored…..and we are all built with wonderful spots on our bellies and butts to store fat.
12. I have one exception to that last rule. Have a couple spoonfuls of lowfat cottage cheese right before bed. Cottage cheese has a high amount of caseine protein, which releases over time. So, it’s a good way to get protein over the hours that you sleep.
13. No calories from drinks. Drinks are for hydrating not eating. If you must, choose a drink rich in nutrients and down it when it counts most – orange juice in the morning, chocolate milk after a workout (a good muscle rebuilding protein source). But absolutely no non-diet sodas (includes lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, etc.). If you do anything, cutting out non-diet sodas is perhaps the biggest step you can make!
14. Energy drinks like Gatorade are not going to help with fat loss. They are for getting you through a 2 hr + workout and that’s all. If you’re not doing that, don’t drink ‘em.
15. Fat loss isn’t the only goal worth focusing on. Key in on strength increases, being able to go farther or faster, your belt size, more energy during the day, etc. Use them all, cuz there will be plateaus and you’ll need the other accomplishments to get you through!
16. Eat like a rock star for breakfast, a career dude for lunch, and a poor college kid for dinner. A big breakfast fills you up longer (and when your metabolism is at its best!) so it actually helps you lose weight! If you don’t have time for breakfast, use a meal replacement shake on the go.
17. Not “No Carbs.” Just “Watch Carbs.” Keep them early in the day when your metabolism is working double time and can convert the carbs to energy, and make dinner more protein based when your body needs to recover from the day’s activities. You need some carbs to have energy for the exercise you’ll be doing.
18. Get the bulk of your carbs from fruits and vegetables. Try not to eat breads at night at all.
19. Get your protein from lean meats like chicken, fish, and turkey. You can also get them from legumes (beans) and tofu, if you can hack that stuff.
20. Healthy meals are easier when the family gets with the program. Try to get them to do this with you. And there are LOTS of fun tasty ways to eat healthy.
21. Understand when you’re hungry, what is it that you are hungry for? Satisfy THAT need. Need energy? Fruit, not a non-diet soda or candy. Need salt? Nuts, not chips. Beef jerky is actually very satisfying and high in protein!
22. Drink lots of water. Flavor it and you’ll drink more! Seltzer water even has bubbles that make you feel full!
23. Alcohol. Hmm, tough one. Just try and moderate it. Here’s a good way to look at it: EARN your drinks. Get that workout done and you earn it. Skip the workout, you don’t earn it. Wine is probably the healthiest, beer and dark alcohols are the least healthy.
24. Did you know dark chocolate is okay (75% dark chocolate or more)? Give yourself a treat of a modest portion every day!
25. To burn fat you have to get your heart rate up. Cardio trumps lifting weights. Get most of your weekly exercise from aerobic cardio activity. Insert a little weight work to boost metabolism and stay strong and injury free, but curling dumbbells or laying on a bench doing presses is not going to burn fat at a fast enough rate.
26. It’s odd that “spot training” doesn’t burn fat in the spot you target. Go for a run and the fat doesn’t come off your legs. It comes off your belly, right where it settles. That’s just how it works. So, get that heart rate up and do your cardio.
27. Think cardio is boring? Find something you can do and a place to do it that makes it fun! Running, biking, swimming, soccer, tennis, basketball! We have a greenway, Boyd Lee Park, etc. And there are always groups of folks to do it with.
28. Exercising with friends is much easier than by yourself and you hold each other accountable when you commit to workout with them.
29. If you get hungry during the day and are about to eat something you hadn’t planned on, come see me first. Give me a chance to help you find something that will tie you over with a minimal impact on your calorie intake and a maximal intake on the nutrients you need before you dive for that Honeybun! Ask me about recipes, vitamins, anything. If I don’t know I’ll find out!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Go-To Swim Workouts and Why Snakes Are Lucky
I have a “go to” swim workout that I use as my fitness gauge going into a big race. I like to have it in my arsenal as a comparative tool so I know if my fitness is peaking relative to prior trials. And since swim workouts can get monotonous, inserting one frequently that contains a performance goal gives me something to look forward to.
Credit goes to Frank Fisher (his last name is rather appropriate – Frank is no joke in the water) for pointing me to this main set. For some reason it just stuck with me:
Warmup
Main Set:
5x200 on 3:00
100 ez
5x100 on 1:30
Warmdown
Today was the first time I attempted it this season (I have to psyche myself up!), and I’m by no means peaked out yet but I was extremely pleased just to be able to get through it. Really. When I started this set a couple years ago, puking was imminent. Today I got through rather easily, but nowhere near the times I am capable of. For the 200’s: 2:45 to 2:49. For the 100’s: 1:20 to1:23. By Kona, I should easily be able to do the 200’s in 2:35 and the 100’s in 1:14. For you fishes out there, this is probably quite laughable but for somebody as un-amphibious as I am I’ll take it.
So what’s your go to swim test? Those pool sessions get pretty mundane. Don’t let yourself get caught up in goal-less laps! Find yourself a goal and give it a whirl!
On another note, the cortisone shot that I had in my knee last June to alleviate the meniscus pain I experience when running seems to have worn off. The pain comes abruptly during a run and I never know at what mileage it will happen. Balancing on one leg to put on my drawers is out of the question. I’m back to square one it seems with only 8 weeks to go til Kona, and I’m not eligible for another shot for 5 more weeks (3 month minimum in between). I’m gonna have to get creative with how to keep the legs moving and the brain motivated through this period that I can’t train as much as I would like to. This does not put my mind in a good place. Not. At. All. Angie didn’t like the idea about going to a different doctor for a shot and not telling them I recently had one. Deep water running may have to be part of my training repertoire but I’m struggling with believing that it offers any better run simulation than cycling. ECU doesn’t have one of those new gravity-less treadmill thingies. I’m open to suggestions. Anybody know a good shaman?
Knees suck. Snakes are so lucky.
Credit goes to Frank Fisher (his last name is rather appropriate – Frank is no joke in the water) for pointing me to this main set. For some reason it just stuck with me:
Warmup
Main Set:
5x200 on 3:00
100 ez
5x100 on 1:30
Warmdown
Today was the first time I attempted it this season (I have to psyche myself up!), and I’m by no means peaked out yet but I was extremely pleased just to be able to get through it. Really. When I started this set a couple years ago, puking was imminent. Today I got through rather easily, but nowhere near the times I am capable of. For the 200’s: 2:45 to 2:49. For the 100’s: 1:20 to1:23. By Kona, I should easily be able to do the 200’s in 2:35 and the 100’s in 1:14. For you fishes out there, this is probably quite laughable but for somebody as un-amphibious as I am I’ll take it.
So what’s your go to swim test? Those pool sessions get pretty mundane. Don’t let yourself get caught up in goal-less laps! Find yourself a goal and give it a whirl!
On another note, the cortisone shot that I had in my knee last June to alleviate the meniscus pain I experience when running seems to have worn off. The pain comes abruptly during a run and I never know at what mileage it will happen. Balancing on one leg to put on my drawers is out of the question. I’m back to square one it seems with only 8 weeks to go til Kona, and I’m not eligible for another shot for 5 more weeks (3 month minimum in between). I’m gonna have to get creative with how to keep the legs moving and the brain motivated through this period that I can’t train as much as I would like to. This does not put my mind in a good place. Not. At. All. Angie didn’t like the idea about going to a different doctor for a shot and not telling them I recently had one. Deep water running may have to be part of my training repertoire but I’m struggling with believing that it offers any better run simulation than cycling. ECU doesn’t have one of those new gravity-less treadmill thingies. I’m open to suggestions. Anybody know a good shaman?
Knees suck. Snakes are so lucky.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Catching the Endurance Bug
When I was a goofy high school wiener back at Seoul Foreign School in South Korea in the late 1980's I found an outlet for myself in running. There wasn't a lot of that going on at the time there. We had a cross country team that I ran with, but I don't recall seeing random folks running through the city of Seoul or anything. Either there were no 5k's or marathons or such or I was conveniently sheltered from that scene being a migook-sadam holed up on a mostly American school compound on the top of a hill.
From my cross country days I had ran several loops on or around the school compound in Yonhi-Dong, and several that went a few miles out into neighboring Dongs and Kus. Once on a training run during my last year of cross-country I found myself ahead of the rest of the team as I approached the gates of Yonsei University......right as the students were getting ready to clash with the riot police over something like foreign policy, government corruption or maybe just to let out some pent-up steam and throw some rocks and molotov cocktails. To turn around would have meant a much longer run, so I went for it.....and probably ended up on the Korean news for being the stupid American that threaded his way between molotov cocktail wielding students and cops ready to fire their tear gas grenades. Coach Fuller was not pleased.
I later branched out looking for longer routes, and was able to convince my folks to let me run home from church on Sundays, which was about a 13 mile course that took me along the newly developed Han River park (which was kind of like a concrete recreational area stretched along the banks of the river that weaved through the city of Seoul). I remember trying to catch bikers in my Nike Air Huaraches, which were freakin' cool looking shoes back then but probably useless for support.
Eventually I decided to ramp my mileage up into running my own private marathon in a big loop within the city. I don't know why I never asked my folks if they would let me do a real one the next summer we were in the States, but I guess it never occurred to me to include them in this adventure or trouble them with the burden of supporting me or yanking them to some city that would even have a marathon. So, I mapped my own out and planned to do it on a weekend.
Now, this was right when spandex shorts had become popular. The previous summer I had bought a few cheap pair on a trip to the States. I remember one pair were red with black and white checkers down the sides. I took them for a spin the day I bought them, running from whatever hotel we were living out of in whatever state we were traveling through at the time. When I got back I realized the threads had busted in the crotch and my balls were hanging out - for how many miles I ran like that I don't know. But the run was strangely freeing.
For my Inaugural Seoul Marathon I had chosen a unique pair of spandex shorts I had found that had this weird patch of leather in the crotch. At the time I had no idea what it was for (and thinking back now it hardly seems like it would have provided any comfort whatsoever on a bicycle either) but it seemed new and cool so I went with it. I was just a dumb kid.
The marathon was a flamboyant disaster, and I shuffle-walked the last 10 miles or so in a zombie-like trance just to get it done and be able to say I did it. And I got a lot of odd looks from the locals. At the time, an American kid running through downtown Seoul in tight spandex shorts was more than a little odd. It was far more normal for me to stand there like a good little boy while Korean grannies rubbed my blonde hair saying "eggie epooda!" which I guess was something along the lines of, "what a cute little blonde headed weird looking kid." But I ran that damn marathon. I couldn't prove anything and nor did I care to, but I just wanted to own a marathon experience to entertain my own head. I think, at the time, my parents even thought I was a little weird. But I liked girls, came home before curfew, and didn't wear makeup so I think they were satisfied.
The leather patch was a horrible choice, as the rough side was the one against my nads which after 26.2 miles looked like they had been pressed against a belt sander. I bled in the shower like a stuck pig and the hot water felt like I was pouring alcohol on the wound.
But it was fun!
Anyway, that was my start at endurance sports. My participation came and went a few times through the college years and into my 30's until I refocused on cycling and finally triathlon, and I may come up with some other avenue before I settle into shuffleboard, golf, or panning for gold. But that's what got me this far. Thanks for reading!
Me and some of the guys from the SFS Cross Country Team. I think this is from 1988.
From my cross country days I had ran several loops on or around the school compound in Yonhi-Dong, and several that went a few miles out into neighboring Dongs and Kus. Once on a training run during my last year of cross-country I found myself ahead of the rest of the team as I approached the gates of Yonsei University......right as the students were getting ready to clash with the riot police over something like foreign policy, government corruption or maybe just to let out some pent-up steam and throw some rocks and molotov cocktails. To turn around would have meant a much longer run, so I went for it.....and probably ended up on the Korean news for being the stupid American that threaded his way between molotov cocktail wielding students and cops ready to fire their tear gas grenades. Coach Fuller was not pleased.
I later branched out looking for longer routes, and was able to convince my folks to let me run home from church on Sundays, which was about a 13 mile course that took me along the newly developed Han River park (which was kind of like a concrete recreational area stretched along the banks of the river that weaved through the city of Seoul). I remember trying to catch bikers in my Nike Air Huaraches, which were freakin' cool looking shoes back then but probably useless for support.
Eventually I decided to ramp my mileage up into running my own private marathon in a big loop within the city. I don't know why I never asked my folks if they would let me do a real one the next summer we were in the States, but I guess it never occurred to me to include them in this adventure or trouble them with the burden of supporting me or yanking them to some city that would even have a marathon. So, I mapped my own out and planned to do it on a weekend.
Now, this was right when spandex shorts had become popular. The previous summer I had bought a few cheap pair on a trip to the States. I remember one pair were red with black and white checkers down the sides. I took them for a spin the day I bought them, running from whatever hotel we were living out of in whatever state we were traveling through at the time. When I got back I realized the threads had busted in the crotch and my balls were hanging out - for how many miles I ran like that I don't know. But the run was strangely freeing.
For my Inaugural Seoul Marathon I had chosen a unique pair of spandex shorts I had found that had this weird patch of leather in the crotch. At the time I had no idea what it was for (and thinking back now it hardly seems like it would have provided any comfort whatsoever on a bicycle either) but it seemed new and cool so I went with it. I was just a dumb kid.
The marathon was a flamboyant disaster, and I shuffle-walked the last 10 miles or so in a zombie-like trance just to get it done and be able to say I did it. And I got a lot of odd looks from the locals. At the time, an American kid running through downtown Seoul in tight spandex shorts was more than a little odd. It was far more normal for me to stand there like a good little boy while Korean grannies rubbed my blonde hair saying "eggie epooda!" which I guess was something along the lines of, "what a cute little blonde headed weird looking kid." But I ran that damn marathon. I couldn't prove anything and nor did I care to, but I just wanted to own a marathon experience to entertain my own head. I think, at the time, my parents even thought I was a little weird. But I liked girls, came home before curfew, and didn't wear makeup so I think they were satisfied.
The leather patch was a horrible choice, as the rough side was the one against my nads which after 26.2 miles looked like they had been pressed against a belt sander. I bled in the shower like a stuck pig and the hot water felt like I was pouring alcohol on the wound.
But it was fun!
Anyway, that was my start at endurance sports. My participation came and went a few times through the college years and into my 30's until I refocused on cycling and finally triathlon, and I may come up with some other avenue before I settle into shuffleboard, golf, or panning for gold. But that's what got me this far. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)