Big Daddy's IronMan Blog

Panama City Rocked!

2006-07-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Had good trip over to the course in PCB. I had the best run I have had to date and a great ride on the rollers. I had forgotten just how many there were over in that area. Here is a map of where I was in relation to the course:
Got in a little latter than planned - imagine that! Met a friend for a late lunch across form the hotel and had a good time chatting and catching up with her. Let lunch settle and then went out for a run. I have got to get some mace and was pretty dumb for not thinking of this beforehand. I got chased by 1 dog on my run and after fending him off, got picked up by 3 little wiener dogs shortly after. I will have my mace on the next trip.

I found a dirt road that was perfect for doing some repeats on - 3 of the 4 lengths were dirt. As took my first lap on it (located in the North-East section off of HWY 231) each of the 2 blocks had loose dogs on it. So, that changed the plan up. I actually saw a 9:xx pace on my watch for several of the repeats I ran. Was very encouraging to see that. Just had a great run and the area I ran in was flat - so not running on the actual course was not that big of a deal. I actually have more undulating roads to run on here at my house. I ran around 6:30pm and it had to be in the 90's still with the humidity. Gotta love FL!

The next morning, I loaded up the bike and headed for the corner of Hwy 77 and Hwy 20. I drove in on Hwy 20 and then took Hwy 77 to my hotel, so I got a good look at where I wanted to ride. I haven't been back on the course since 2003, so it was good to get a little preview. Hwy 20 to the West of Hwy 77 was pretty flat and seemed to have a good bit of traffic on it. Hwy 20 to the East of Hwy 77 is where the nice rollers are and has virtually no traffic on it. So that was my choice ride for the trip.

Really have some improvements to make on my power and cadence distribution. I am looking forward to seeing these improvemnets on future files and rides back on the course. This file should be much much cleaner. Always room for improvement!

So, coming off a great run, I was pretty excited to hit the rollers and see where I was at. About 15 minutes into my ride, I hear barking and think "Oh SH*&!". Now, there are only a few houses on this stretch of road and not many cars. Surely there was a fence holding these hounds in. And, it sure didn't sound like the wiener dogs from the night before.

Already having sweat on my glasses, it was hard to focus into the tree line and see what was coming my way. All of the sudden I see 2 chows coming after me just a bark'n. My threshold power is 210 watts. I looked back at my file and held 796 watts on my fight or flight - I chose flight :) Peaked out with 908 watts during the chase. So, thanks to those stupid dogs, I now have a new peak 5seconds, 10 seconds, and 20 seconds wattage. Man, it seemed like they were on me for 5 minutes - not 20 seconds.

So, I ride about 32 minutes out and turned around to head back. Only was riding for an hour today and was feeling the run and the rollers and figured it was a good point to turn back. I hit the rollers coming back and get to the last 'hill' to climb before the flat the dogs were on. I stop at this point, hit my HammerGel drinks and flip the coin on what to do about the dogs. Stopping and thinking about it meant the decision was already made. I am in the South, and knew someone would pull over and let me hitch a ride back to my car that was just up the road. About 5 minutes of contemplating was all I needed and a lady pulled over to see if I was okay. I told her I was fine, but there were a couple of chows between me and my car. She told me to throw my bike in the back and hop in. All i could think about was the time lost in training from the broken toe and the 3 weeks down from the staff infection. All I needed was to get eaten on by a couple of dogs at this point.

Note: get some mace before heading back to Panama City.

Met Veronica for some lunch and then headed back home. Good weekend of training and looking forward to heading back when I can. Big thanks to Rick, a buddy from TNO that lives there, for giving me some ride info and helping me out with the logistics!

6.28.06 - 40 lbs down and kicking some #$*

2006-06-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

First off, I have to start with the topic of the lady in my Pilate's class tonight. Strategically positioned directly in front of me and wearing what appeared to be stripper shorts - the only thing she was missing was the clear heals. Now, to set the record straight - I could only imagine that strippers would wear shorts like these and have heard that they are partial to clear heals. I have no personal, first hand knowledge of this. And, I have no SO, so I am allowed to look and even gaze :)

However, Pilate's was way more fun tonight than it was on Monday night. I shant be missing a class and will pray each night that she wears those exact shorts to class. Oh, and the workout was great too!

Got up this morning and hit the pool for a good Master's workout. I squeezed out 1450 again with little to no effort. Concentrated on a lot of kicking drills today with long sets. Form is feeling better and it was great to feel my back muscles and lats involved in the mix.

Had a 40 minute cadence workout today. 10' warm-up 20' @ 105+ RPMs with a 10' cool down. Once I settled in on the warm up, I set the calibration on the CompuTrainer and started my cadence work. As I kicked up the cadence, and I could feel the fat on my back bouncing, I figured that was a good place to back off and settle in - or at least try to. Still don’t have a smooth cadence but was staying higher than I ever have. And, most of this workout was done in aero - which would not have ever happened before my fitting right before my injury and illness. Still amazed at the difference a few tweaks here and there make. Was nice to see the majority of my distribution was in the 90s to the 109s. Even during my cool down my natural selected cadence was 85-90, which is a huge improvement. I did take 2 breaks to shift things on the saddle during the 20'spin, so I laid in a couple extra minutes for coach to make up for that. Plus, I forgot to tighten my trainer and had to get off during warm-up to fix that before I went down again.

Power file is looking much better! The blue is where I highlighted my 20 min session in Cycling Peak's WKO+.

Heart rate held up great here and I didn't feel like I was dying. I pulled up a report in my TrainingPeaks account to flag the past workouts I had done like this and found one, with HR data from March. 100% of my time was spent in zone 1. This time it was much better distributed.
Another great day of training. I did move my walk to tomorrow and will get an extra spin in as I am heading to the IMFL course in Panama City Beach in the morning for a couple of days. Will be my first ride back on the rode as I can actually get a helmet on my noodle again - finally! Looking forward to some ocean swims and runs and rides on the course.

In closing, all I can say is 'Man, Pilate's class rocked tonight!"

6.27.06 Coming together!

2006-06-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

I only had a ride and a strength workout for today - and it included core. Since I did my core in my new class at the gym Monday, I did my strength workout and took an extra 30 minutes to hop up on the treadmill and turn the legs over for an extra workout.

It was so nice to not feel rushed going from strength to core. And, I feel like I got 10 times the core workout in with the class as opposed to doing it on my own. That makes the class so well worth it.

I did move my bike to Wednesday and that may force me to shuffle a 1:15 Zone 2 walk on Wednesday to Thursday. Since I am taking some time off from work and heading to Panama City to get some swim, bike and run course training in, I should have some extra time for everything.

Tomorrow I do have my morning swim, a 40 minute cadence specific drill ride, the walk and Pilate's. Don't see getting all that in with work, church, and edging the yard. Bumping my walk to Thursday should make for a hectic, but doable schedule.

Hallah is off spending the night at a friend’s house. So, that frees me up just a tad as well.

I got called today for a meeting to help put on a Tri and Time Trial here in the area. So, it looks like a lunch meeting is in order tomorrow as I head to PC Beach. Thankfully, we are meeting by the bay and it is right on the way anyway. I hope they aren't wanting to do this anytime soon. Certainly don't have the time to add this to my plate right now. But, I will go and see what they are looking for.

Felt great today and felt like I am back on track. A shuffle of a workout or 2 doesn't bother me. It happens and is almost expected. So it is all good.

Oh, and I just realized what I am passing everyday as I head to and leave Masters swimming. I refer to it as Mecca and sometimes Heaven. The challenge continues!

6.26.06 Back in the pool finally!

2006-06-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Went down to swim with Grace this morning. Closer to home and a more flexible schedule where I can work around Hallah than where I was going with Steve out at the local Junior College.

Was able to pull out 1450 back in the pool and felt pretty good about it. I was definitely feeling it, but it was a good feeling!

Went to what was to be a yoga class at the gym, but the instructor is out for a month and they had a Pilate’s instructor taking over for that time. I was all about getting my core done with a group as I just suck doing it on my own with weights. So, I was staying.

I confirmed that I have the flexibility of a 2x4 - still. My hips were soooo tight. Hope after a few weeks of this that will improve. I can so see the benefit on the bike and running from the ball work. Best core workout I have had since I have been doing core.

Being the only guy in the class, one of the ladies came up to me afterwards and said she hoped I would come back on Wednesday night and there would be a couple of guys that come on Wednesdays. I simply told her I was here for the ladies and didn't care if another guy was there or not :) She just smiled. I think she knew that was a joke.

Tomorrow is weights and a ride. Going to get a good, extra walk in after weights. I tried to get one in today, but it was 8:30pm when I got off my Deere and finished up my yard work. And, I was tired. No trouble passing out and going to bed last night and slept like a baby!

In the words of Ice Cube - Today was a Good Day!

6.25.06 Summary of the week - the path to Hell is paved with many good intentions...

2006-06-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

You know, I was excited last week about getting a few workouts in and about being able to get back on the road since I could wear a helmet again. Really looked forward to this week. But, looking forward to the week does not cut it.

I got a well deserved and very nicely put ass chewing from Mike about over-extending myself with other priorities. To my fault, I have always had about 10 more irons in the fire than I should at any time and continue looking for more to throw in there. Volunteered to head up the presidency at our local tri club, which is above and beyond the duties I volunteered for last year to coach this year's training group for 16 weeks. I think that was the final straw with Mike :) I also work way too much - a fault of just simply enjoying what I do - coaching and my day job with TrainingPeaks. Donavon, our CEO, has talked to me about this a couple of times over the past 3 years as well. You think when your boss requests you to cut back a bit you would. So, I am making a very concentrated effort to manage my time better, take full care of my work, and also get my training back in the priority list where it should be. Having the 6 weeks off with the broken toe and the nasty staff infection has made it tough to get back into a rhythm.

Then, to top things off, a friend of mine from high school was in town, called, and we met up. Not meaning to close down the world famous McGuire’s Irish Pub - we thought we were 18 again and did just that Thursday night. It was a much needed break from life in general to throw something in the mix and get out on the town and do something - which I do not do - ever. Had a blast, but paid for it through the rest of the week from just being exhausted. Had a call with a coach first thing Friday morning and it felt like I shut my eyes and the alarm went off and there I was on the phone with the coach. I was worthless through the weekend! Regrets – none, I think the mental break was well needed. But, gotta keep that in check.

So, I think I am heading to Panama City Beach to stay a night and get Saturday's workout in on IM FL course. Looking forward to riding back over there again and maybe spark some memories form the '03 race.

I did manage to get a couple good bike workouts and runs in this week. But, being pretty much all healed - with the exception of being able to get back in the pool last week - I should have gotten a lot more in.

Doc released me to the pool for now. Will miss another week as I have to let a surgeon cut on the back of my head and clean some tissue out and sew it up. So, stitch time will force me back out for about a week coming up.

We will see how I do with my new concentrations. Now I have to add to my schedule an additional 21 days of the Tour de France viewing starting Saturday as well. Thank God for Tivo! Only about 19 or so weeks away - it is past Go Time!

6/12-6/17 Catching up last week

2006-06-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well, has been super crazy here with one of the guys out on vacation and me covering for him. Plus my regular duties and then starting up the Mere Mortals training group here. Just not enough time in the day.

BUT - I did get back out last week and got my step test done for LT and Power on the CompuTrainer, another bike ride in on the trainer and a couple of walk/runs - mostly walks :)

The step test was pretty cool. I had Hallah sitting with me recording my HR and RPE as I started at 100 watts and did two 1 minute intervals increasing the wattage by 20 watts after the 2nd minute. We recorded data for each minute. I think I threw a lung around the 2nd minute of 240 watts. Tough test, but cool to do. Hallah had a lot more fun than I did. Man how their attention fades at 11. Glad she was there to help out. I was in no shape to write anything down since I got into it.

I actually was able to get a little jogging in on my runs for the first half. Any fitness gains seem to be lost from the 5 or 6 weeks I was down. Can't get back into the pool just yet. Hoping the week after next is go time for the swim. I need the running work more than anything.

I actually was able to get a little jogging in on my runs for teh first half. Any fitness gains seem to be lost froom teh 5 or 6 weeks I was down. Can't get back into the pool just yet. Hoping the week after next is go time for the swim. I need to running work more than anything.

6.12.06 Back on the bike and dusted off the Computrainer!

2006-06-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get my extra walk for an hour in like I planned. But, I did get my step test done on the CompuTrainer. David at Gulf Coast Cycle Fit gave me some advice after our fit session about getting my bars up and out just a bit. I took him up on it and Robbie over at Bikes Plus was able to get me where David suggested.

Doing my first ride after bout a month or so off with the broken toe and that nasty infection, I was pretty stoked to get back on the bike and see how the new adjustments felt. I went down shortly after getting my new fit with David, and now with the newer changes, I wanted to see how it all pulled together.

Couldn't believe how comfy I was on the bike with the total package in place now. Great job by David and Robbie to pull this all together. I hope to see some great improvements as I get my fitness back.

Got a ride, weights, and that walk to get in tonight. Tivo'ing the game, so I should be able to hit the gym and skip the commercials when I get back :)

Hope Shaq shows up tonight to play!

6.12.06 It is good to be back!

2006-06-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Going out for a lunch time run and have some testing on the CompuTrainer tonight. I will have to dust that puppy off since I broke the toe and then got the staff infection right when it was delivered. But, I did manage to get it all set up and hooked to a scrap dedicated PC I built before I went down for the count.

Started working with our local group, Mere Mortals, where our tri club trains for 16 weeks with mostly newer triathletes in the area to prepare them for our local sprint race and help them grow in the sport. I am fortunate enough to get to write the training plans and work with the group at our training sessions each week out at Pensacola Beach. Getting up at 5am is a challenge on Sunday, but well worth it.

Hope to check back in tonight with 2 workout updates. Not able to hit the pool just yet. Still have some stuff running out of my noggin - so I don't think anyone would appreciate me getting in the pool with them just yet. May go see a surgeon this week to get this thing cleaned and packed. Hope to be in the pool next week!

6.2.06 I can't even begin to describe the pain I have been in

2006-06-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

For the past 11 days, I have been huddled up in the fetal position in my recliner. I developed a staff infection at the base of my neck and I tell you, in 37 years, this has been the most excruciating pain I have ever had to endure. Past the pain of the infection itself, every muscle in my neck and back feel torn and twisted.

I started growing a knot on the back of my noggin and once it hit the size of a softball and hurt bad enough that I could not put any pressure on it, I thought it might be wise to see a doc about it. It got to that point after a day, so i didn't wait too long. The doc said they couldn't drain it since there was nothing to drain - it was hard as a rock. I figured it was just an ingrown hair that got infected or something.

I will spare you the gory and gross details of this fun event. Yesterday, I went back to the doctor for a 2nd draining and to get my culture results. As I was on my stomach with my wound uncovered, the doc walked in and all I heard was 'Ewwww'. I couldn't help but think, "that ain't good!".

He wanted to go ahead and send me to a surgeon to get the area really cleaned out and remove any bad tissue in there. He started to do the draining and decided to hold of on a visit to the surgeon for now. The lab results showed that I didn't have the staff infection that would require them to remove my neck to get rid of it - I call that bonus! So, we switched from the $100 antibiotic to a $17 10 day cycle and more pain pills to help manage the pain.

I asked if he could give me something a bit stronger for the pain as I told him what he prescribed was like giving a tic tac to a whale. I am not all about taking medicine and stuff, but I was not bearing the pain very well.

In short, for 11 days, I was either in my recliner, trying to find a comfortable position or in the shower running hot water over the area to clean the discharge. No where in there was sleep time. If I was lucky, the pain medication knocked me out for maybe an hour each night.

So, you have to find a silver lining in all of this stuff. I lost another 20 lbs - 6 of which I gained back from being down on the toe. And, with the law of averages, I should be golden from here until race time with no more mishaps... knock on wood!

I talked with Coach Mike yesterday and told him I thought I could get back to running and biking on Monday. I can finally use my CompuTrainer that has been sitting in the garage since I bought it :) Not sure how soon I can get a helmet on or get into a pool. But, I can at least walk and run and ride the trainer. I am hoping in 7 to 10 days I am back to normal - and normal is a relative term :)

Hallah asked me the other day how my toe was doing. I asked her what she was talking about. She said, "You know, your toe...you broke it, remember?" I was like, oh yeah; toe is fine honey, thanks! I totally forgot about that. Funny how your focus gets sifted....

So, looks like a 3 week break and still time to get back and come back strong. Keeping up with the nutrition and hoping to come back strong! It's all about the journey!!!!

5/23/06 - Still Down and out...

2006-05-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

So, it has been about 9 days and I put a pair of shoes on for the first time yesterday. Man, that did not feel good. The actual toe feels okay - it is the gash and the missing nail that is still pretty tender.

Pulled the rest of the nail off my toe Friday and forgot to medicate it after doing so. Got a little infection there and that just made things worse. Been putting some ointment on it the past couple of days and it is feeling better, but still a little red.

Thank God I have my John Deere to ride around the back 40. But, today, I may try and get back out there and edge. That should be interesting. I am really hoping to be back on the bike by Friday/Saturday and walking by then as well. I am good if I don't have any shoes on right now. So, I hope I can get the skin healed up good enough to start putting pressure back on the toe again.

Up 6.5 pounds during the lay off - not good. that is just total lack of effort on my part and being lazy. Gotta re-focus and move on. Less than 6 months away. Plenty of time, but it will be here fast!

Little toes aren't really important....'till ya break one of 'em

2006-05-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Friday night I was walking into my bedroom to turn on the TV, set the sleep timer, and hit the bed. I was attempting a David Blaine like stunt and was doing this with no lights on. The stunt went array as I approached the TV and forgot that I had recently re-located a sharp-edged sub-woofer in between my dresser and armoire. Do guys have armoires?

I took a full stride into the corner of the sub with my 2nd to smallest little pig. That little piggy ain't going anywhere for a while! Gashed my toe, broke it , and had the nail standing straight up. I did the man thing and just turned on the faucet in the tub and ran some water over it to clean it and then rubbed some 'tussin on it. Tussin is good for anything ya know.

Let's flash back to '02. After a tri, I was walking through a parking lot and was distracted by a mind-blowing set of boobs. Ahhh, I still remember them both! I took a full stride into a parking block wearing flip flops and broke 2 toes then.

Again, in '04, I was walking through my living room that was filled with boxes after just moving back to Picola. As though I was trying to kick a 50 yd, game winning field goal, I took yet another stride into a box of hardback computer books from grad school. Still not sure why I kept those things. Broke my little pig then too.

So, the other night I had the option of heading to the emergency room and waiting for probably 8 to 10 hours (no kidding, I did that last hurricane season when I laid open the back of my hand, enough to see the bone running from my middle knuckle half way up my wrist, as I took a full swing into the corner of a brick column trying to start the generator so we could have electricity. I don't think I will be manning the generator this season). Seeing that injury as being far worse, I didn't feel like sitting at the hospital all night and paying them 3 bills just to tell me to take some aspirin and tape it up. Tussin is much cheaper. Now, unless I got the smoking hot doc that stitched me up last year...

Needless, to say, not much working out. I did get the weed eating on the back 40 done. My entire body is sore from adjusting my weight. I guess that counts for something...

You know, my pigs have enough pressure on them, literally, with having the responsibility of carrying my fat ass around all day, every day. They don't need to be taken out of action. Re-working the schedule with Mike and moving forward. Still going to try and get a swim in tonight and just push off with one leg. Can't wait :)

Catch up - Golf makes you drink...

2006-05-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

Well, my dad fell Friday and had a pretty good fall. So, that meant my Saturday morning ride had to be ditched to go over and help take care of some yard work for the rents. Then, I was off to Destin for the day to meet with one of my coaching clients, his wife, and one of his new coaches coming on. Dave and I met at a couple of clinics last Nov. and Dec. and he is from Kentucky. So, he called me up and asked if I could swing over for a visit since they were only going to be an hour away. Had a great time and it is always good to see my clients.

Couldn't ride Sunday as I was in a golf tournament after church and wouldn't be home until dark-30. Good time just forgetting about everything , playing for a great cause, and hanging with my boys. The tournament was for 2 Coke employees whose children were dating one another and were killed in a car accident. I owned a grocery store in a previous lie and knew both families - one of which happened to be a good customer of my store. We knew a lot of the Coke employees and my roommate wound up working for Coke for several years before he and his family moved to Alabama. So, 2 old employees of mine, one of which was my best man in my wedding and my old roommate got together for the tournament and simply had a blast.

I am not ever much of a drinker, but there is something about golf that just drives you to drink. It couldn't have hurt my game... much :) All in all we had a great time and helped contribute to some scholarships this event was raising money for to the local college in the two kid's name. It was definitely worth it.

Been back on track good this week with some walks, 2 great swims (2500 yds in an hour - volume is coming up) and playing with my CompuTrainer.

Sorry for the delay in getting things posted. As always, we are hammered at work with some big releases and just staying very busy with new clients and taking care of our existing folks.

Today we run...ugggh. It is yucky and dreary outside - the day fits the excitement of the workout today :) But, it won't get any better if I don't keep drudging along.....

5.5.06 Can you get addicted to the numbers????

2006-05-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

To catch up - Wednesday was an 1800 swim and a missed walk, argh! Nothing too exciting.

So, Thursday I had a run and easy zone 1/2 bike. I could tell I lost some fitness over the past couple of rough weeks I had. I was supposed to do 3 minute interval runs and only did 3 and not for the right duration. Got a note back to Mike about dropping then down and maybe increasing the intervals to get back to where I should be. But, got a good 1:10 of a walk little run in.

I took to the trainer last night and was just amazed at the difference in my cadence and how I felt on the bike. All during the ride I was thinking - "Man, I can't wait to see this file and check out the numbers." I was comfortably hitting in the 80s on my cadence and had no bounce. And, I was even pedaling the whole time. This was a bragging file to send to Hunter Allen as redemption is due from the earlier files of mine he has looked at with me.

I get in and upload from my Ergomo and don't know what happened, but I had a file from like Dec of 2000 on my computer and it was all chopped up. Wound up clearing my Ergomo and lost my ride from my bike fitting - where I also have a Computrainer file to compare the accuracy between the 2 devices. I am sure it is/was something I did or missed. But, man, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see my numbers. I was so looking forward to seeing my cadence chart and all the other goodies in Cycling Peaks. Oh well, just have to have a good ride in on Saturday and admire those numbers.

Made a little adjustment to my seat pitch and think I dropped the nose a tad too much - or I am still getting used to the new position. Good reason to get some time in on a position before changing things :) Overall feeling very good on the bike, just have to dial that seat pitch in just right.

So, I got a sneak peak at the new version of CyclingPeaks WKO+ Very cool stuff! I always have to remember to go back into my regular CP software for screen shots so I don't get i trouble for posting out of the unreleased software just yet ;) I was looking at a new feature - the Power Profile. Essentially it looks at a selected range of rides and builds a bar graph against 'other riders - example of what it is doing here. So I IM Gear and ask him if the Power Profile section is turned on in my beta copy? I asked because I put in a long date range, that has rides, and could not get any graphing. Now, I didn't expect to see the bar graph go up to Elite, Cat1, and all that stuff. But, I did expect to see something. Gear replies with, "Yes, it works just fie. Are your numbers good enough?" So, I change the setting to a female cyclist and bingo! I get an itty bitty little mark on my graph for one ride where I am equal to a very out of shape female rider. Man, i hated IMing Gear back to let him know it was working just fine. Son of a....

Like I don't have enough things to work on and a now shot ego :) Another check point added to the list. I hope to get a bar or two in the MENS section - even if it is compared to men that really suck. Jeesh. talk about the truth hurting :)

But, it is all good. Time to keep plugging away at it and making it happen. Computrainer arrives Monday! Excited about that!

5.2.06 Great hill workout on the trainer...

2006-05-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

So, I supposed to do 45 minutes and just flat faded after 30. I am sure some of it had to do with the down time last week and some with adjusting to the new fit. Could feel my hip flexors a bit more and quads were feeling some new points on the 'climbs' as well.

Was to 8 to 12 3x30" climbs maintaining 70 to 80 RPMs and gearing up after each 30" with a 90 sec RI. Nice workout. I wanted to shoot for 12 but settled for at least 8. It was tough but the file sure looks nice. You will notice my last 2 efforts were starting to fade a tad.

Overall bike setup felt great. only the first ride and we will have to keep an eye on how the future rides go. Happy that for the first time my hands didn't fall asleep and I didn't even have my gloves on. And, I wasn't sitting up and stayed in the horns. Aero comfortability test this weekend!

5.1.06 Bought my CompuTrainer today - oh and swam...

2006-05-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Talked with Chuck at RacerMate and got my CompuTrainer ordered. Will be here this coming Monday. Can't wait to get that thing hooked up and dialing in some issues. Another pretty cool part about getting the CT is that we (TrainingPeaks and CyclingPeaks) have some real cool software that comes with the CT - found here. So, just as an added benefit to having the Ergomo and learning about power and CyclingPeaks software, I will now have the opportunity to learn about our other products. So, that just makes it all good.

Back in the pool for an easy 1650. Felt stronger than I ever have for some reason. Guess the break did me some good. My massage therapist corrected a pain I was feeling on my pull in my elbow. Talked with her yesterday as I was getting my weekly massage and she showed me some stretches. Felt great swimming today!

Good to be back. On the bike tomorrow!

4/31/06 Bike Fitting - I'm not only fat, have a terrible cadence, but my pedal efficiency sux too. SWEET!

2006-05-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Met a another USAC coach while doing my New Leaf test over in Mobile, AL. David seems to be a great guy and very knowledgeable when it comes to bio mechanics and training with power. We had lunch after my test a couple of weeks ago and plan on helping each other and pool our resources together. After all, we are like the only certified USAC coaches from Texas to Tallahassee, Birmingham to Atlanta. So, a little help is always welcomed.

Made some great changes to the bike. I was shocked to see my SpinScan results as I pedaled away during warm up. It was in the 50s as I would only be producing power on the down stroke with each leg. I tried to convince David that I was such a strong cyclist, that I didn't need to be producing power all the time when I pedaled. Don't think he bought it. I have a ride on Tuesday, so I will get to feel the results of the fit. One major thing we found was that I was at 0 degrees at 6 o'clock - not good. Could explain a lot of things. I don't think i got shorter legs since my last fit 3 years ago...but who knows. It was nice to see that after the fit I was just spinning along at a cadence of 80 without even thinking about it. Good stuff!

Got my first taste on a CompuTrainer and really understand why Mike (my coach) was pushing me to get one. The SpinScan alone will be a huge training tool. Now, if I can just rig that thing up where I can take it on my road rides :)

The good thing about finding out more bad info about skills is that it gives you a benchmark and plenty of room to improve. All that turns into focus and good motivation. So, with that, I say Bring It!

Ending April

2006-04-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the last couple of weeks were tough with me getting a tad sick and just feeling blah. Only got back out Saturday for an hour and a half walk and was looking forward to my bike fitting Sunday.

Weight dropped to 290 form around 315 or so...when you are that big, a pound here or there doesn't really matter. So, another good boost to the weight loss - just gotta keep with it and keep at it.

We will see how the rest of the week goes. Feeling much much better!

Weight is down and my Vo2 sux - so they say...

2006-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Now back to posting as it seems my issues with getting to my blog are resolved... Sorry for the absence.

So, last Friday I went for my Vo2 Max test using a New Leaf machine so that I could get a metobolic assesment along with my Vo2 max data. I had to drive to Mobile, AL (1 hour away). The hospital there is the only facility that does this test in about a 200 mile radius of Pensacola. Imagine that.

By the way - the hot chic on the bike in the pic is not me :)

In short, the test analyzes the volume of oxygen consumed (VO2) and the volume of carbon dioxide produced (VCO2). This data is gathered along with heart rate readings and along with your Vo2 max data, you can know exactly where your 'fat burning' zones are. So, basically, the testing tells me what percentage of energy expended at HR of 'X' is coming from fat and what percentage is coming from carbs. It is pretty cool to see the relationship of my heart rate numbers and where the energy expended is pulling from charted out on paper.

My Vo2 max was 32.5 - which is on the low side of Poor. Now all I needed them to tell me was that I was fat and it would have been a great day :) However, I have lost 12 pounds since the test - and body weight directly impacts your Vo2.

What was even more interesting was the fact that they let me do the test on my bike and with my trainer. So....that means I captured a power file to also add to this data. It looks like Hallah (my 11 yr old) will be busy this weekend copying about 225 data points (13 columns of different measurements) so I can come back with my raw data file from my Ergomo Pro and add a 14th and 15th column with my true wattage and kilojoules.

So, let's see what we can do with this information now going forward. I will be back for another test in 5 more weeks and hopefully about 15 or 20 pounds lighter as well. Here is a copy of my power file from the test. We increased the workload manually - by shifting gears all while trying to maintain 75 RPMs through the entire test. While I pedaled the entire time - it was tough trying to nail one number on cadence and keep it there. But, man, this is the cleanest file I have captured and was thinking about framing it. Now, if my long ides would look this - at a steady HR of course :)

Week Ending 4/16/06 - The Dreaded Time Trail

2006-04-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well, had a pretty uneventful week leading up to my first Time Trail. Stupid mistake of not talking with Mike before doing the TT - and I paid for it.

Note to TT Race Directors: You may want to consider having a kid weighing more than a buck 10 holding up us fat guys up on the ramp. Possibly 2 kids would help. I started from a standing position as I watched the other big boys in front of me almost fall off the ramp.

Nasty wind conditions going out and worse coming back. We had a bridge pretty early on in the course that crossed the bay. It was a nasty section since there was absolutely no blockage of the winds.

I think I did what most people do and just went out too hard. I avg'd 232 watts in the first 10 minutes and avg'd 174 watts for the rest of the 1:23 I was out there. I paid for going out too fast, too quick and was just waiting to get off the bike before I even hit the turn around. A sure sign of a bad day and poor execution.

As I went over the first climb of the the bridge, I had some stupid thought creep into my head that this was not a triathlon and I did not need to save my legs. So, I shifted down into my big ring and just mashed the rest of the ride - well, when I was pedaling, I was mashing. I spent 15 minutes (around 12% of the ride) not pedaling or producing any power. Not good!

I sat my HR right under or at my zone 3, so I was pushing good the whole time - just wasn't real effective. I dropped the cadence, speed, and torque out of my CyclingPeaks file so at least some information can be made out. My file looks like about 10 people having heart attacks the way all the lines are all over the place. So, hopefully it is a bit better with some of the info dropped out.

You can see around 33 minutes into the ride a nice power spike up to 324 watts and my HR spiking at 165. That is where I had some big dog after me :) Talk about adding some excitement to the race....

I learned a lot and made some real dumb judgements in my first Time Trial. It can only get better from here! Looking for another one to do in a few more weeks. I have a sub-goal added to the list now!

Trying to resolve posting issues

2006-04-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

hang in there with me - all I needed was one more thing to deal with :) Not sure what is going on, but my posts are not posting. So, i guess I can't call them 'posts'!

Testing to see if this one takes....

Thursday 4/13/06 - Feeling the pain

2006-04-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

I had 2 hr run walk scheduled and got 2 intervals in and my back was not having any of it today. Since I signed up for a 40 Time Trial for this weekend, I figured it would be best to not go too nutz and push things. Might have over done it on the strength stuff earlier in the week too. My legs were still a bit sore.

Had a cadence spin to do today, so i waited until the evening to knock it out. Tough spin doing 4' at 100, 3" at 110, and 2' at 120 RPMs. I quickly found out that I wasn't making it to 120. So, I adjusted down 10 RPMs on each interval and hung much better.

Wednesday 4/12/06 They lifted the tent!

2006-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

The outdoor pool has a tent over it during our 'winter' months from November to April. While the tent provides some great warmth, it is a bit dark and gloomy feeling in the pool. I slept in today and skipped masters with the thought of hoping into the newly uncovered pool at the gym.

What a difference it is when the sun is on your back and shinning right on through the waters! Nice, easy swim today getting in 1450 yds.

If my gym was not a senior citizen mecca, the chicks laying out at the pool would have been a nice addition to having the tent removed. I was forced to concentrate on my workout :)

Tuesday 4/11/06 - the Man berries are all good now, Thanks for ask'n....

2006-04-13T06:05:00.000-07:00

It is amazing the difference you feel down yonder when you set your front wheel on the right size in the riser block. Simply amazing. I have had nothing but problems on the trainer and was close to changing the aft of my seat. I looked down at my riser block and realized I have 3 heights - don't know why I didn't think of this before.

I reset my block up and man what a difference that made. Saw some huge improvements on the cadence side of things as well. I will consider the numbing of the nether regions being fixed a bonus.

Nice cadence drills tonight. So, the fix was right on time. A little different than I am used to as both shoes stayed clipped in, but concentrated on one leg at a time.

I was able to get 65% of the drills in at 70 to 80 rpm - a huge change over the past rides on the trainer. And, was able to hold a cadence of 155 for a few seconds.

As you can see at the end of this file, I pretty much left my legs out there on the first of 2 spin outs. Opppps

Monday - 4/10/06 - Ahhhh, the rest week begins!

2006-04-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Been waiting for this week to come. Felt great getting the pool this morning. Good night's sleep and woke up ready for the pool. Nice 1450 easy set in the pool this morning and then off to the gym for 35 minutes of weights and core.

Nothing too exciting except that I felt rested and good for my swim. Luckily, our masters coach had us on a lite set today to match up with what Mike had me doing too. Nice!

Sunday 4/9/06 - Summary

2006-04-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to get out and make up my 3 hour ride (which I only got an hour in yesterday due to weather) and 2 hour walk. I so was not feeling this today. My back and legs were killing me from laying sod all day and I just wasn't in the mood either.

So, I rationalize that I can just sit on the trainer for 3 hours and then go walk. Yeah, like that will ever happen. I did this once a few years back as I was watching IMLIVE and it wasn't a whole lot of fun then. But, you know how we talk ourselves into things. I should have known i was doomed from the start.

I didn't even get an hour in. I think I made it 53 minutes and I was done. Back and legs were just not there and I will have to scratch this one up to just being tired and interrupted by weather on the scheduled day.

Funny, the sun stayed out long enough to lay sod for 5 hours on Saturday.

I didn't even attempt the run due to the way my legs were feeling and my attitude. I have a 2 hour massage scheduled Tuesday - can't wait!

Didn't make goal of getting every workout in and probably missed the most important 2 of the week. I see next week is a recovery week and it has come right on time.

Saturday 4/8/06 Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!!

2006-04-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Fudge! Back from my ride this morning and check the weather (might ought to have done that prior). I made it about 30 minutes out before pulling over at a convenience store and trying to wait out the the thunder storms. As I type this, it is nice and sunny this afternoon now.

I have an old high school buddy staying with me that lost his place in New Orleans during Katrina. He headed out to visit some friends in New Orleans yesterday and my parents were tied up and I had nobody to watch Hallah early this morning. So, I got out late once again for my ride. What should have been the last hour of my ride turned into the first hour along with the Heavens opening up.

To add to my frustration, my Ergomo Pro was on low battery and decided to go into sleep mode - so no data from even the 1 hour I got in today. That was just plain my fault. I am still getting used to the recharging time of my Ergomo. On the good side, that means I am using that puppy and am on the bike. Just need to be a bit more attentive and recharge the silly thing after uploading my data.

So, now I will have to play the shuffling game of schedules. It is time to lay sod, and the day is pretty much shot as far as training goes. If it is going to rain bad enough to pull a ride - at least rain all day so I don't have to do the yard work too!

Going to look at moving some days around and try to get today's workout in tomorrow and maybe even get that run workout in as written. I have a 2 hour massage scheduled Tuesday evening, so I am going to see about moving tomorrow's day off to Tuesday and flipping some stuff around. Gotta look at things as a whole and not wreck the week by making changes.

Should be fun!!!

Friday 4/7/06 Legs are feeling good...

2006-04-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Woke up and hit the pool today stressing over how my legs would feel after my 9:30pm trainer ride last night. I hit my Recoverite after the ride and figured I would see in the morning. Legs felt great in the pool and was happy with the results. Recoverite made the cut and will be my post workout drink from here on out. I think with the success of the E-caps.com products and the great customer service provided by Kellie, the have earned a hard link on my Blog now.

Easy day in the pool. Knocked out a 1500 yd swim. I was a tad bit late getting there and it seems like all of us in my lane were slow today.

I did not make it to the gym for my 2nd strength/core workout - but there is still Saturday and Sunday left to try and squeeze it in.

I had moved an 1:45 walk/run - intervals of 2:15 runs thrown in on 5 minute walks to today. But, after further thought, I didn't think that was the right thing to do since I had a 3:15 ride scheduled for Saturday and a 2hr walk following. It was a tough enough workout last week on semi-fresh legs and I didn't want to be suffering on Saturday's workout. So, I changed it to a 50 minute walk after talking with Mike at D3.

Hanging in there this week and slowly getting adjusted to the time change. I think when it is getting darker later, it is just tough to adjust to moreso then the actual times of the day. I remember I loved the time changes back when I was playing golf all the time. Funny how things change....

Thursday 4/6/06 - tough cadence work

2006-04-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Today's workout was pretty interesting. I had to move my 1:45 minute run to tomorrow. Just too much going on with taking Kona to get her coat thinned, picking up Hallah from school, and a long day at work. So, I just couldn't get the run in today. Going to knock it out after my masters workout in the morning and see how it effects my Saturday long bike and walk/run.

So, tonight I had a little 35 minute cadence workout. 15 minute warm up, 2(3 mins @100 rpm, 2 mins @ 110 rpm, and 1 min @120 rpm) with a 10 minute cool down.

I was like, "Yeah, let me go knock this little workout out, take a shower, and hit the bed." Uh, yeah - no. Getting to test out my Revoverite from E-Caps.com tonight. Interested to see how I feel when I wake up and hit the pool in the morning.

Cut my warm-up to 10 minutes and hit the first interval. First 3 minutes were okay and I crapped out about 30 seconds on the 2nd interval, and made the last 1 minute interval okay. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to rest in between any of these, but it was all I could do to do these on a 1 minute rest interval. Then I started on the 2nd interval and actually took the last 1 minute interval into the 130's. Not bad. However, on the 2 and 3rd intervals of each set - I discovered fat giggling that I didn't even know I had. I felt like I was going to throw myself over the bars on the 1 minute intervals.

Took my HR into Sub-Threshold on the last minute of the 2 minute interval as well as the full minute on the 3rd interval. I was hurting pretty good.

Hope we don't have a ton of kicking drills in the morning.

I changed my cadence display in CyclingPeaks to 10 piece increments instead of 20 as before. So, should have a bit more precise info to compare to going forward.

I am loving the fact that I have 2 power files in a row that I don't have to smooth in order to read. Getting there...

4/5/06 Nice and easy day today

2006-04-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

Had a 2K swim that I over slept and missed at masters. So, I just headed to the gym and knocked that out today.

Later in the evening I took an easy 1 hour walk. Nothing too exciting happened today.

Have an 1:45 walk/run tomorrow. Glad today was a bit easy. I will be paying for it tomorrow :)

Still trying to get used to wearing my CPAP mask at night. I think I actually slept the whole night without it last night - which isn't good at all. So, if I was still stopping breathing 45 times an hour, that means I really did not get any rest. And, believe me, I felt that way all day. Was pretty tired today.

4/4/06 Check out the Cadence!!!

2006-04-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Core, weights, and ride today. Had a good core and weight session at the gym this afternoon. Got on the trainer to get a little 1 hour ride in today. I totally was concentrating on my cadence and the HRs Coach Mike wanted me in. Just about nailed it as much as it could have been nailed. Can't get too excited since it is only 1 ride and not yet a trend.

BUT, I am pretty stoked about the improvement - even if it is just 1 ride. Now, if I can turn this into a trend. I gotta turn the blue part of the pie to grey - where my cadence should be at. One step at a time. I am still searching for my berries - I think they are still there, just can't feel them yet. Gotta figure out that issue too. Comfort is key :)

So, here are my last 3 rides and the cadence distribution and then my power file for the day...

Cadence from 3/11

Cadence from 4/1

Cadence from today

Today's Power file...

Monday 4/3/06 - My E-Caps order arrived..yea!

2006-04-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Nice swim this morning. Talked with Coach Mike for a bit and told him that I think the Monday swims are going to become recovery swims as we juice up the weekend volume and intensity. He is all good with that. Still a bit sore (lower back) but feeling better.

Knocked about 1500 out in the pool and made it back to the house to start working. Planned on hitting the gym and then a nice walk, but wound up just getting in a 50 minute walk around the neighborhood. So, tomorrow becomes gym day :) Shooting for no missed workouts this week!

Up 3.5 lbs - not good. I have not been watching my nutrition as I should. So, nobody to blame but myself. I got to thinking, after I got on the scale Monday morning and saw the rise, Saturday's effort was pretty much all for not. If I am going to be out there busting my rump with a long training day - why negate it by not watching my foods better? I have recommitted to really keep a better eye on choices and portions. It is crazy that adding all this training in has not created dividends on the scale as mush as it should have. It is crazy that I am not handling that part of my training!

On a good note.... you can't just go on the numbers of a scale. Body composition is getting better and I can see some good changes happening. So, it is not all for not - just yet.

Got my E-Caps order in today. Katey hooked me up and again came through with great customer service. Here is what I got in and can now begin building a nutrition strategy with: Recoverite, Perpetuem, Raspberry and Tropical individual packets and full bottles of gel, Hammer Soy, Heed, and Sustained Energy. Just can't say enough about the good customer service these guys offer! I had a good test run with my Heed and Perpetuem this past weekend. Anxious to give the other stuff a try as well now and get to figuring my nutrition out for the race. the sooner, the better!

Enjoyed the 50 minute walk after dinner. Good wind down that I usually never do. Still trying to get adjusted to this stupid time change!

Sunday 4/2/06 - Much needed Rest day and Summary of the week

2006-04-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I am just a tad bit sore today. That stupid garden still needs to get done. We had a 150 year old oak tree go down (into my neighbor's house, Thank God, instead of my office - I don't think my neighbor knows the link to my blog :) ) during Hurricane Ivan a couple of years ago. Found some freaking huge roots - I mean HUGE - that need to be dug up. Couldn't figure out why my cabbage wasn't growing like the other veggies in the garden. Know why now. I don't feel like swinging an ax today, but don't really have a choice. I am logging this as an official workout by God!

Nice volume increase this week - even with missing about 5 hours of training! Swim was a bit lite, but sure picked up the bike and run volumes.

I have a 2 hour massage scheduled for tomorrow. Can not wait for that. I may even take masters up a notch in the morning anticipating getting 'fixed' later in the day.

Slept like a little baby last night. I think i was too tired to mess with my mask last night. After finishing in the Yard, I hit the last 3 episodes of Band of Brothers- awesome documentary - and hit the bed. I sure could have used the time change giving me an extra hour to sleep instead of taking it from me :)

For the numbers junkies, here is my ride file in CyclingPeaks from yesterday. Goal is to eventually not have to smooth the file to make it readable. Slowly but surely...

Tomorrow starts anew. I think I will get my order in from E-Caps.com and have my Recoverite mix in to start using. Can't wait to try it out and the other goodies I ordered....

Saturday 4/1/06 What a long day...

2006-04-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I went to bed at 9:30 on Friday and woke up at 11:30 feeling like I had a good night's sleep. Looked at my BlackBerry and thought I may be in for a long night and made sure my alarm was still set for 5am.

5am came and went. I planned on being on the bike by 6am and back in time to plow the back 40. Finally left the house at 9am. Pulled my mask off a couple more times during the night and had another rough night of sleep. But, at least it was Saturday and I didn't have too much work to do.

How much more pumped can you get then when you get in your car, advance the CD changer, and hear Kelly Clarkson (I swear it is my daughter's CD). I feel like the Rock's character, Elliot in Be Cool when I listen this cd and sing along. But, I have to admit, she is my guilty pleasure. It's not like I don't have 5 other disks in the changer to choose from.

Got out to my spot and made up my bottle of Heed and Perptuem. I was excited to get to try them out and get my first feel for them in action. I had a 2:45 ride and 2 hr walk right after. So, I took 1 bottle of water, one bottle of Heed, and 1 bottle of Perpetuem, and one Raspberry Hammer Gel. I had a 32 oz mix of my Isopure Strawberry Protein shake waiting for me to recover and and fuel for the walk.

Nice head wind going out on the ride. That usually means that when you turn to come back West, a huge head wind awaits. This wears on the mind, but when I made the turn, it was not near as bad as it has been the past couple of rides.

We completely skipped Spring and wen straight to Summer. It was 91 by 10am and the slight drizzle and overcast skies were both gone by the time I got a couple minutes into the ride. Turned out to be a nice day. More and more cars on the road as people are flocking to the beach.
I wanted to see where I was over the first month of training and really look back at previous rides and compare them. I concentrated on my cadence and wanted a higher percentage of pedaling as well as higher percentages in the cadence ranges. I also was hoping to see that I bumped the intensity up up just a bit, feeling better after the ride. I did feel better when I was done and actually hit my normal turn around 10 minutes faster today with the heaviest headwind on me going out.

So, I was anxious to get home, crack open my CyclingPeaks, and see the results....
Cadence chart from 3/11/06

Cadence chart from 4/1/06

I was real happy to see the blue was much larger this go around. Still a lot of work to do, much much much improved in less than a month. I'll take it.

Heart rate goals were met as I was able to bump things up just a bit and still felt better when I was done.
HR 3/11/06

HR 4/1/06

Bumped the ride up around 5 beats a minute - and on a longer ride. The numbers worked out to be:
3/11 -
54:45 minutes, 36.8% in zones 140-145
56:43 minutes, 31.8% in zones 145-150.
4/1-
1:22 hours, 49.7 % in zones 145-150
52:15 minutes, 31.7 % in zones 150-155

Can't complain about that. I owe it all to Kelly Clarkson for getting the day started right ;)

The 2 hour walk after the ride was a tough walk. It was nothing but hot and my knees were feeling the extra effort. I was trying to think of how in the world I would be able to run in November after coming off a 112 mile ride. But, we have plenty of time to prepare for that.

Great day over all. I was super excited to get back home and till my garden so I have some fresh veggies soon - NOT!

Fuel worked out great for the workouts and just enjoyed another nice day along the beach. I will be paying for this tomorrow, I know. But, it is a scheduled off day. I am not going to try and make up missed homework form Friday and wreck next week. Starting next week out fresh with the goal of getting everything in!

Friday 3/31/06 I need Duct Tape!

2006-04-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

Horrible night of sleep. I kept pulling my CPAP mask off during the night and was back to stopping breathing while sleeping. Didn't wake up for swimming and felt real tired when I did get up to take Hallah to school.

I am real close to duct taping this stupid thing on while I sleep. If that doesn't work, it is time to get my Office Space Swingline out and staple that puppy on.

I have found that if I miss my morning workout, it is getting harder and harder to squeeze the time out of the day to make things up. There aren't enough hours in the day once it gets started to recover and get things done. So, I gotta get this sleep thing resolved and get up before 'life' starts.

Sux because I missed my swim and a key bike workout. I can live with missing a strength/core workout - although you can't tell that by looking at my keg.

Hoping I can get this sorted out...

Thursday 3/30/06

2006-03-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying, "What I do for a run workout can't be called 'running'."

Went out for 1:40 run today doing 5 minute rest intervals and 2 minute run intervals. Got a good 10 minute warm up in and quickly found that the new route I was on was not safe at all. I thought there was enough room on the side of the road to run on, but was wrong. Cars were just too close. And, I was in a neighborhood I had not worked out in before and found that these rednecks over in this area don't leash there dogs. There was this one lady on her porch, probably chewing tobacco, trying to calm her dog down as I walked by. I heard her say, "Now, that young man is on the other side of the street and is not bothering anyone." The dog must have understood that logic since it yielded and did not attack. Then, some kid asks me if I knew where the Ice Cream truck was. All I heard during my run was that stupid ice cream truck blaring it's 'You have to come buy an ice cream from me' music. If I knew where the ice cream truck was, I would have been ditching the 2 minute interval idea and running after it!

As I turn the corner and get close to hitting a street that connects back to my neighborhood, I see a nice, big rottweiler laying next to a truck. At this point, I decide it is time to turn around and get back to more familiar ground. As I am making my way back, I have to pass Ma Clampett and her mutt on the porch. Thankfully, a kid on a bike was riding at mach 3 past me bringing a chasing dog my way. I quickly thought I could clothesline the kid and get away on his bike. And then I realized his bike was not a proper fit for me, so I spared him. I saw the dog realizing he couldn't catch the bike and setting his eyes on me. But, we were in front of Ma Clampetts at this point and her dog went after the dog in chase. I like that family and their dog now :) Might have to take a bundt cake over or something...

It was a relief to be back on that road that was too narrow and back to easing my mind with simple prayer that I don't get taken out by a Studebaker or something. Went back to my old route an finished up the run. Back was certainly feeling the 2 minute jaunts, but as you can tell from my HR file, I wasn't breaking any sound barriers. Got 5 miles in and actually felt the best I have in any run/walk workout so far.

Got back the the house and hoped on the trainer to do a 30 minute spin up session. that stopped after 10 minutes as I felt like I was about to tump again. So, I scratched things there since it was close to 8pm and figured I could do some technique work in my interval workout tomorrow. I reckon I need to pull out the instructions on my trainer and read them. I am sure it is more in my mind than anything. So, a nice 10 minute cool down on the bike is what that turned into.

We'll see how tomorrow goes!

Wednesday 3/29/06

2006-03-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

I really felt the swim I did yesterday in the pool this morning, as well as feeling the ride last night. My thighs were on fire! I cringed when I saw we had any backstroke or backstroke kicking drills on the workout in Masters today.

Wound up hanging in for about 1350 yds and had to break out of 500 yds of the schedule. Boy, I was hurting.

My sample order from E-Caps arrived today. I was talking with Mike about transitioning from Spiz as my main source of nutrition for the race and he suggested I give the Hammer products a try. Have to give props where props are due. I called Katey at E-Caps and spoke to her and she was just about as helpful as someone could be in explaining their products and helping me understand how to use them and what I needed. I felt like I was getting the same customer service I provide. So, my order of samples came today. Really interested to see how the Heed and Perpetuem work for my endurance rides and runs. The directions say to mix the Heed with your favorite juice. I wonder if it mixes well with Coca-Cola :0)
I went ahead and placed a pretty sizable order to get going with several of their products and should have that in the next few days. The samples they sent should get me through until then.
I will keep everyone up on how that goes. I think about 70% of Ironman is nutrition and mental strength. I already proved back in '03 that a fat guy in semi-shape can finish the race. Now, if I can have a finishing photo where I don't look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy because I over-fueled during the race and was flat out bloated. I had to be the only guy there that actually gained weight during the race. IM rookie mistake... Rich Strauss was at that race with me and when I showed him my finishing photo he said "Hang that up on your wall to remind yourself to work on race day nutrition". I think I have to work on anything that ties in with nutrition, period! Between Hammer's products, my coach, and some good testing while training, I should be good to go this year...

Took Kona on an hour and a half walk with me this evening. The time really passes when I have to keep getting onto her for wanting to smell every blade of grass along the way. I often forget she is still just a pup and curious about everything and anything. I think we have a 2 hour walk Saturday. Will have to bring Hallah and my fuel belt filled with water for her and Kona with me.

I was pretty tired when I got back home after my walk this evening. Finished up with church and when the bell rang, I was out the door for some steak! I have been craving steak the last couple of weeks more and more.

Tuesday 3/28/06

2006-03-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

banged out 2300 yards in 1:06 today. Huge improvement. If I didn't need so much technique work, I swear I would swim on my own all the time.

So, here is the funny part of the training day. You know how they say "There are 2 types of cyclist, those that have fallen and those that will..." Well, I didn't know that transcended onto the trainer as well.

I setup for a good ride - 1 1/2 with a Z3 HR in the middle 30 minutes. made it to minute 51 and *POP* Down goes Frazier. Of course, I fell to the left - which happened to be the hip wound from last week. Safe dismount...I mean landing and all is well. I was cutting the ride down to an hour as it was since my thighs were on fire and I had a tough time putting out enough effort to get into Z3 as I should have. Now, let's see how the ole legs feel in the morning for Masters....

Power files are looking soo much better. I still have a long way to go, but compared to my first files, my cadence is improving. Still in the 'suck' range but moved up to 'doesn't suck as much'. That is progress in my book. 2nd 30 minutes was just plain tough on the legs tonight.

Monday 3/27/06

2006-03-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, now that everything is caught up in weekly summaries, time to hit the Dailys and stay on top of things. Like I need 1 more thing to complete each day :

Great 45 minutes of core in this morning. I have been having trouble adjusting to sleeping with my CPAP mask on and again pulled it off while I slept last night. So, I did not get up for Masters this morning. Sleep Apnea sux!

I threw in an extra 30 minute walk after weights for good measure today. Went and got a massage and boy did that help. Hip wasn't hurting during weights, so I figured the time missed with only real easy walks and spins healed things back up.

Went ahead and anticipated a big week this week and scheduled a 2 hour session this coming Monday. Heading to the pool tonight or tomorrow to catch up on the swim.

Summary week of 3/20/06

2006-03-29T09:09:00.000-08:00

Rough week this week. I tweaked my hip on Wednesday helping a friend move some stuff around at his storage unit. Pretty much destroyed the whole week.

I was able to punch out 1750 on my first swim this week. Getting there, but a long way to go. I can only get so much yardage in in 1 hour. But, it is building and that helps getting up at 4:30 in the mornings worth it.

Turned many of the runs into straight walks, short intervals and made my way to the stationary bike at the gym for low pedaling.

Definitely heading in for a massage soon if this thing doesn't wok itself out.

Summary of Week 3/13/06

2006-03-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

The numbers are really coming together now. Been getting more and more training in each week and doing better about making the training happen.

Strength workouts are now more fun as I have adapted and am not super sore the next few days after working out. Swiss ball stuff is getting easier.

Actually got 1700 yards in at the pool in 1 workout this week. Sure is a Big change from the 800 or so I was turning in at the beginning of this fun :)

I got to do another repeat ride over the same course as last week. Wind was still nuts and I had way to many pedal stops. Some was me and some were due to the increased traffic in the area for Spring Break. A lot more cars on the road and turning in and pulling out. Always makes for fun...

Summary Week of 3/13/06

2006-03-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

6th week in and just now really getting a sense of balance between the IronMan training, work, and family. Haven't pulled a full week out yet with all training completed. But, working on it. Juggling some workouts around and trying to move them when I need to - again, without affecting other workouts to come.

Weight settled back in at 301. So from 314 to 301 isn't too bad. Should be more, but that is only my doings...

While we have not the first hill here in the Panhandle, we got wind and humidity. I was excited to get my Endurance ride in this weekend in hopes of seeing what we have built. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to fight the head wind coming back. However, it was a pretty tough ride.... It will be good to look back at this ride as I continue to repeat this course. There are 2 good bridges to climb and the ride is along the coast from Perdido Key, FL to Orange Beach, AL.

Here is a cut from my Daily log for that day.

We Got Power! Summary week of 3/6/06

2006-03-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

Well, got the ole Ergomo Pro in this week and took the bike down to my LBS to have it installed. Funny thing is, when you get a new toy, you try to max it out. On my first ride I was doing some good interval work and hammered a bit too hard on my second interval and pretty much finished my legs for the rest of the workout. And, only was able to swim about 350 yards the next morning. Not real smart....but fun.

I am still trying to learn what the data is telling me. I think it took me about a week to get eh speed sensor in a good place to read. That thing is sensitive! Cadence is still sucking.

Great week all around...

Summary Week of 2/27/06

2006-03-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

This week became a pretty much washed week coming back from Boulder and Colorado Springs. I returned late Monday night and just had more work than I could handle to start in on.

I did manage to get a 30 minute walk in with my dog Kona. This pic is a year old - gotta get some new pics...

Summary of Week 2/20/06

2006-03-29T06:51:00.000-08:00

20 lbs down - finally back under 3 bills. Not sure how long that will maintain since I know a lot of that came from being sick.

So, up to 1200 yards in the pool. Slowly getting up there. But, I am feeling much more comfortable in the pool. The only thing that is tough to get used to is balancing the training and gaining that fitness where one regular workout does not affect the others. I found that I am still pulling more with my shoulders than I am my lats. Weight training really emphasizes what you are using in the pool when it is sore

I headed to Colorado Springs and Boulder, CO to work the USAT Art and Science of Triathlon conference with TrainingPeaks. Needless to say, with the travel and working a conference, and then doing my 'day' job after the conference, I didn't get much done at all this week.

I did go out for a nice 1 hour walk the morning after I arrived in Boulder. man, it was cold! Snow on the ground and all. Pretty cool to see my HR sky rocket when I am walking at 5300 ft .vs the 115 ft above sea level I live at.

Got to meet Mike and the gang at D3. Was very cool meeting people that I talk to and email through work all the time, but never get to see a face. Had a great time, but just not enough time in the days to add the training in.

Summary for Week of 2/13/06

2006-03-29T06:38:00.000-08:00

Wow, how much fitness have I lost in swimming. Was barely able to squeak out 850-1000 yards in the pool this week. Gotta work on my form, the fitness will come.

Hoping back on the bike, I found my cadence went back to my natural grinding out of the big gears. About 5 years ago when I got back into tri, I had the same issue. Not too concerned as I know that the cadence and technique will quickly return.

Since we are working on weight, my runs are very much walks right now and we are building on that to help drop weight.

I was introduced back into strength training this week. I was nothing but sore and wrecked the rest of my week after Wednesday's workout. Got a massage on Friday and was about to cry when my girl hit my legs. But, felt good enough to get my long ride in on Sunday.

My Ergomo Pro has not made it in, so no Power data to work with. Can't wait to get it in!!!!

Summary for week of 2/6/06

2006-03-29T06:29:00.000-08:00

So, the first week sure didn't start off as planned. I began working with Mike this week and got pretty sick the weekend before training started. I had my flu shot, but man, I had something close to it.

This week became a wash...

Please read the Ingredients...

2006-03-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

So, you take 1 fat guy , a great coach, the best software for coaches and their athletes, an Ergomo Pro, and finally - the most extensive analytical software for working with power data....and what do you get? Well, we will have to wait until November to see.

But, man, it should be exciting. If I can keep driving past the Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop when that RED ***must turn away*** LIGHT ***can't stop car*** IS FLASHING, it should all be good. That was tough just to write. What we expect to come out of all of this is a super cool journey to IMFL, some great experiences for us all, and a nice chunk of time coming off the clock at the end of the day.

It all pretty much lies in my hands. Can't go wrong with the other ingredients. I am definitely being setup for success. Just have to hope life goes well, I can stay motivated, and be consistent with my workouts. This is just plain going to be fun!

Hope you enjoy the ride....

A little background...

2006-03-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

I started competing in triathlon back in '88. Nothing ever serious as I have never had the typical triathlete's body. I knew this, accepted this, and just enjoyed the sport. I took about 10 years off as I unexpectedly became a single father to a 1 yr old little girl. As you could imagine, life changed just a bit.

As I was graduating grad school, a buddy of mine was interested in competing in a triathlon and got me thinking about getting back into the sport. By this time, Hallah (Hey-la), was 8 and a bit less dependent on me. My folks had moved to South FL and was helping me take care of her. So, I really had no excuses. Plus, I had just plain let myself go and needed to do something to get back in shape. Back to tris it was!

In 2002, I started training again and signed up for Ironman Florida '03- weighing a slim 325+. In March of '03, I began working part-time with TrainingPeaks. For some reason, I didn't think that training for an Ironman was enough and wanted to take on this new venture with TrainingPeaks. The new job was a huge improvement to my life conditions and I knew it would be worth the effort if we could turn it into a full time job.

With plans of just crossing the line under 17 hrs, I completed Ironman Florida in 16:47. I was 13 minutes too fast some where on the course :) Now that I could concentrate on transitioning my part time job into a full time job, I pretty much took the next 2 years off from the sport in '04. I began working full time with TrainingPeaks and moved back to my home town of Pensacola, FL to slow life down for myself and my daughter. Thank God I moved back here just in time to get hit by hurricane Ivan. What a mess.

So, now with the move out of the way, settled in at work, and my measurements almost equating to a perfect circle, it is go time!

Enter in D3 Multisport, TrainingPeaks, and CyclingPeaks....

A word FOR my sponsors...

2006-03-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

I say 'FOR' my sponsors because this journey would not be near as full filling without them. TrainingPeaks, CyclingPeaksSoftware, and D3 Multisport have all teamed up to join me in my journey. Special thanks to Randy at Bicycle Power Meters for pitching in and helping out with a great deal on an Ergomo Pro Powermeter.

So thanks guys! This should be a fun ride!

2006-03-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

BD at USAT Art and Science Conference Feb '06