My Trek to an Iron Man

I have a “tramp stamp” now because Saturday I rode for 3 hours with no sunscreen.  My riding jersey slipped up my back and here are the results.  Yes it hurts like a son-of-a-bitch.  It looks more like a whale tale.

The first triathlon of the year at Clermonte was fun.  My goal was to be faster than last year.  And get my t-shirt, of course.

Pre-Race

Relaxed,  I got a great parking spot and had plenty of time to setup and psych my self up.

Swim

For the swim I focused on not becoming winded and keeping a steady breast-stroke pace for the 1/4 mile in warm water.  I got kicked a couple times but did a good pace.

Bike

The transition was good, but I lost 30 seconds trying to get clipped in.  The exit of transition started immediately up hill and My aim was off.  But I got clipped in and headed up the hills.  My pace was steady, but I did not want to really push until the middle of the 10 mile distance.  I knew a good portion of the road course and where I could gain speed.  Once past the first two miles I pushed down the flats and got into a good cadence, with a smile on my face.  I love the bike.  They added hills to the route that I wasn’t expecting.  I didn’t try to muscle up them, but I need to do some more training on hills to be competitive next time.

Run

The path for the run was different with a hills in the beginning.  The first mile was fine, at a 9:40 pace.  But the second mile was hard.  It got very hot real quick, and I dehydrated.  I thought I had drank enough, but I did start to sweat a lot.  That was the brick wall.  The second mile was a run-walk combo which hurt y time.  The final mile was a jog and I finished in 1:29.

After Race

I met up with a couple people I know and socialized a little more.  Most importantly I got my t-Shirt.  I love my tri-shirts.

Things I Learned:

I need to start training during the day to get used to the heat.  I usually run at night.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate  I need to increase how much I drink during the bike phase and carry a bottle with me on the run.

I love doing Triathlons.

Next one in 30 days.   I am on target to do my iron man in October.

After reading a couple good articles on barefoot running it comes down to form.  The argument comes from what is natural for the foot to do vs what the shoe shapes the foot to do.  So I want to run with the form of a barefoot runner with the protection and comfort of a sneaker.

The heels of running shoes are made to take a good impact and absorb that shock before it enters the rest of your body.  But the more correct form is to land between the arch and the front of the foot. (I’m not a DR, just relaying my experience)  So on my next run I changed the way that I landed on my foot and took smaller steps.  Longer strides made my heels land first.  I needed to create more of a light stomping motion when I landed and use more muscle than heel.  It took a little to get the pace right, but the steps felt good with my feet and shoes.

I ran for 5.6 miles this way and I felt a difference.  Not a huge one, but I could definitely feel a difference.  My pace was steady and most importantly, no muscle or bone pain.  I have very very flat feet which I worry will prevent me from running as fast as I want to.  The “Light Stomp Running” I was doing seemed to work well and I felt no pain in my low low arches.  The next day, my muscles were a little sore, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I have an 8 mile run this weekend, and I will keep the same stomping going to see if it make a difference in my speed.

I am working to make my body do what it does naturally, with shoes.

The first Triathlon of the year is a week and a half away and I can’t wait.  I love the vibe at the events and it is a good time for all; first timers, second timers, and pros.  It’s a great time.  I’ll be doing the 4 Triathlons at Clermonte, FL this year. Then a full Iron Man in September and Disney Marathon as the season closer.

Going faster this year:

After last year, I know what my base line times are.  This year, my ultimate goal is < 1 hour for the Sprint Triathlons.  With my new fancy Cannondale 9 and improved training, I am well on my way to getting there.

New Training; Make it simple:

1. Yoga and stretching everyday.  5 Basic exercises that cover the whole body and keep limber.
2. 120 push ups and 30 chin ups every other day.  Great overall strength exercises and simple to maintain. (My chest and abs look great too)
3. 100+ miles a week on the bike.  I get up at 4:00am and ride all the way to Clermonte and back twice a week.
4. 1 long distance run a week (2+ hours), with 2-3 interval sprint sessions (<1 hour).
5. Steps: Once a week I do 150 – 200 steps (Per Leg) on my 2 foot tall ottoman.  To hell with expensive gym equipment.

I know my body a lot better now; most importantly how not to hurt it.  The stretching is vital and it allows me to go faster.  Overall I am more relaxed about training and doing better this year.  Hell, I did a marathon this year, and now I want to go faster.

No posts for a long while, but still training.  Been busy with work, kids life job etc.  Lots of updates to come.  Lots of new parts for the bike and I have changed the training regiment with good results.  Goal this year is a 4:22 for the Disney Marathon.  (Already Registered) http://bit.ly/atnT8z

They are lettine people vote for the medals this year.  This is the one I like.

But its nothing like the first one I got:

Special thanks to Katy Widrick for the mention and inspriring me to get back blogging.