That was then, This is now

I am in my 3rd week of training for my November Ironman. I stress at my ability to fit everything into my schedule. For the first 13 weeks of my training I am following a plan for a Half Ironman distance. At the end of the plan I should be ready to do that race. Instead at the end of that I will be switching to a 13 week plan for a full Ironman. The progression seems to be appropriate between the two plans. Still, I have been concerned about being able to do the scheduled training so that I can finish a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and finally a 26.2 mile run.

Then I looked at my preparation for the Half IM in 2009. Other than having a long runs being longer (a 12 mile long run compared to a 7 mile long run currently) a few weeks prior to the event, I am already doing what I was then. My weekly training total was probably 10 hours on average for that event and this week I will hit the same amount of time.

I would say that I was probably under prepared for that event and still it went fine. My workouts for the 2009 event were very loosey-goosey. It seems like I just threw in weekly runs or swims when my work schedule allowed for it. I have been much more regimented this time, again mainly out of fear. My plan has helped calm my fears because I have faith that if I train as specified in them I won't die out there (figuratively, not literally). Fear is a good motivator for me. But seeing that I was able to perform adequately enough to finish the Half Ironman on such a half-arsed training plan has given me some additional confidence.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in November.

Week 3 begins

Today is the beginning of the 3rd of 26 weeks of training for my November Ironman. I am still tring to work out the specifics on how best to integrate the training regimine, work and family.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and was at the gym at 6am but that just barely allowed me enough time to swim for 45 minutes, change and drive to the Sunset Transit Center and find a spot to park. From there I catch the MAX into downtown Portland. I have learned that all of the parking spot are pretty much gone by 7:15AM. I was there at 7:10 and there were only about a dozen spots left. This means I gotta get up earlier so I don't have to stress about it

Today's work out was 45 minutes of swimming and 45 minutes running. I'll do the running during lunch today.

This week is not that hard of a week. I'll bike to work and back tomorrow; hour swim and hour run on Wednesday; bike to work and back on Thursday; 75 minute run on Friday; an hour swim and 2+ hour bike on Saturday. Off Sunday. However eventually my long days will be quite long. 6 hour bike rides... 90 minute swims with a 3+ hour run....

It isn't too hard now to get up with the long days, but I am sure it will be challenging to do so this fall. Anyway, the adventure continues....

How is it that I can sleep for 8 hours and still feel so tired. It is not that I have been doing tons of training. I rode for 3 hours on the weekend. Rode an hour yesterday. Ran for an hour the day before that....

I suppose I am still catching up from my lack of sleep over the weekend when I drove out to Utah with my oldest son Ryan. Good trip. Not much sleep.

Am I just getting old?

Portland Blues

Or maybe it should be the Portland "greys" with the near constant cloud cover the past months.

I was in Utah over the weekend for just a quick trip to pick up some stuff of ours. While there I went for a ride with Dave and Fish. It was marvelous. In three hours I got a nice burn on my legs. I had put sunblock on my arms, face and neck. I have been riding all year in Oregon and I was totally white up until Saturday. And now that I am back I am ready for some better weather in Portland. I think I saw the sun for about 5 minutes when the clouds got lazy. Yesterday, I ran at lunch and admittedly the cloud cover was a good thing, it made for a nicer time. But right now it is raining. Sick of this wet stuff.

In about 10 days Bridget and I are doing the 100+ mile Reach the Beach ride. I haven't been able to spend longer than 3 hours in the saddle yet this year. I am not sure that is going to happen anytime soon. Oh, well. I am good at suffering, I am sure I will be fine. My butt my not be.

I crashed pretty good a couple of weeks ago and I feel pretty much back to normal now. I am glad to be back at it because I gained some weight back. Most of it was probably driving to and back from Utah. I eat like crap when I travel. Plus, while in Utah I had to eat at In N Out Burger now that they are there. I felt good that I only ate a single...in the past I have been known to eat more than a Double Double. I can pound that stuff. I am drooling just thinking about it.

In two weeks I officially start my Ironman training plan. I wish I could say that I was excited.

Time to start again.

Life has just gotten in the way of keeping up this blog. I am busier than ever and so cuts had to be made. One of casualties was this blog. I am trying to balance life with a wife and four kids (2 of them have substantial activities), my job at the firm, training (soon for an Ironman) and my wife's training for this and that. There just isn't enough time in the day.

Nevertheless, I feel it important to start writing again both here and on our family blog.

First a few updates.

I am a fatty again. Not horribly so, but a good 10 pounds over the maximum I'd like to weigh and about 15 pounds over what I would like to weigh.

I am riding quite a bit, but mainly to work and back. I have started leaving home earlier in the morning and lengthing my ride. I have been able to take off on a few lunchtime rides which as been awesome. However, our weather here in Portland has been colder and wetter than I think Spring conditions should be so these rides haven't happened as often as I would like. Brianero and I went on a killer 75 minute ride through the West Hills near Portland. Nearly 2000 feet of climbing during that time. A great ride it was.

My training for the Ironman officially starts the end of May when I have 6 months until the triathlon begins. I have not been in the pool much. And I am dreading it. My running has been off and on. I am not as worried about the running because odds are that I will be so toasted by the time I get off the bike that I will end up walking at least half the 26.2 miles. I have been running up to an hour at a time once or twice per week. I will add more running miles at the months progress. In the end, my goal is simply to do the damn thing in under 17 hours.

In the short term I am doing the 100 mile Reach the Beach ride next month with Bridget. That will be a nice no stress ride. In July I am going to check off the ultimate "Fred" ride around here, the STP or Seattle to Portland. I will be doing the one day option. That will hurt. Mainly my rear end, but it will still hurt. 200 miles is a long way in a day.

With regard to bikes, I have a new one coming down the pipe from Neil at Cernitz bikes. But I won't talk about that one just yet. As a result my Lapierre carbon cross frame will be going bye-bye. It just didn't fit me the way I like. Neil has my likes dialed in now, and I expect it will be a stellar frame as usual.

Well that's it for now. More to come soon.