The Training Truly Begins

 (The formatting will be fixed later!  Some of us don't work on this during work hours... cough... Gina.. cough)

It seems so long ago now. The world was still fully in summer's fair grasp. September 1^st. And with youthful fervor, training for the Raleigh Ironman 70.3 began.

(What October probably looks like in cold places right now.)

Now October descends. Smiles and sunshine have been replaced by grey skies self-doubt as raceday quickly approaches (I'm being dramatic, the race is 8 months and it was 84 just a couple days ago). Not that I was smart and wrote down the events of September, but if memory serves, pretty much all I've done are A&W workouts.... that is not a reference to Rootbeer (though real beer probably didn't help), but rather Atrophy and Wither through inactivity.

I've done endurance events like this before. Marathons, Halfs, long bike ride events, and sometimes a combination of a couple whether on the same day or on consecutive ones. If I do say so myself, I'm quite good at formulating a flexible training plan in my head and sticking with it. Generally that plan consists of doing:

1. A long run/ride on weekends that stretches in distance each week until meeting or exceeding race distance
2. Staying active during the week with short runs, spinning classes, yoga, circuit training, etc. Things like house painting and helping friends move count, too. (Only once did I also incorporate swimming into the regime, and as I sit here reflecting, I realize that preceded my current PR in the half marathon. This further cements the ultimate point of this post, which I swear I'm getting to, keep reading.)
3. Rest. No matter how good you feel, take two days off a week, one preferably the day before your long distance workout. And then listen to your body. Feeling worn out, sick, sore, etc? Lighten the load that week. Right now I'm killing it at this phase of the training.

This “seat-of-the-pants” training schedule has served me pretty well in the past. A few times I'd try to chart out specific distances on a calendar or loose-leaf sheet of paper that would invariably end up getting lost, thrown out, or ignored.

“Failure to plan is planning to fail”

-somebody

But nothing I've done in the past compares to the caliber of next June's undertaking, and as I've proved to myself this last month, aimless wandering just is not going to get this done. This required drastic measures. But first, a quick aside:

Things that do not help when training for an Ironman 70.3

Being swimming timid - Stupid pool, stupid goggles, stupid hard to do breathing. Get me a snorkel.

(Beasley's.  There aren't enough words.)

Football season starting – And all the barbeques, tailgating, and Monday/Thursday night games that go with it.

Beasley's - “Hi, my name is Justin”.

“Hi Justin.”

“It's been five days since last eating Chicken and Waffles. It's a constant battle every day to avoid the delectable combination of crispy and sticky, salty and sweet, southern wonderfulness at my go-to spot downtown. Hmm... Actually come to think of it... I have... somewhere I'm supposed to be... if you need me I'll be near Martin Street.”

(and honorable mention to Chargrill, Cookout, Tyler's Tap Room, and $2 Busy Bee Beers)

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia reruns – What would I rather do than go swimming? Anything really, but high on the list is grilling at Conrad's and watching morally bankrupt people compete with one another to hilarious results.

(Always Sunny.  Conway knows what I'm talking about.)

 Being a Picasso of the frozen yogurt stand - Cappuccino yogurt base layer, topped with raspberries and maple walnut sauce. Then a peanut butter yogurt layer topped by a Snickers and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup conglomeration. Finally a coconut yogurt layer and finished with cookie dough, blueberries, and strawberries. Tremendous, but probably packing around 2400 calories.

(My yogurt architectural abilities is both a gift and a curse.)

Oktoberfest! - The Germanic portion of my heritage demands observance of this sacred holiday through the consumption of Marzen lagers, pumpkin ales, and anything else with alcohol in it.

 

(Should of saved the gore for a Halloween post)

Grapefruit sized ankles/Soccer – Truly, the primary culprits. And continually re-aggravating said ankle due to an inability to sit still.

It is time for excuses and lack of discipline to be damned. This is a two pronged attack.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce what will be my second-Bible for the next 8 months. “Be Iron Fit – Time-Efficient Training Secrets for Ultimate Fitness”

Next up is the less glamorous student planner. Conveniently segmented to begin in August 2012 (taunting me of when I should of started getting in the pool) and concluding in June 2013, just enough to encompass race day. Here I'll meticulously keep track of workout distances, durations, frequencies, perceived effort level, heart rate, calories burned, and whatever other data I'm supposed to be tracking. Or at least I'll try really hard to because I'm seriously not at all that anal.

Within their pages lie the road map that'll lead from Jordan Lake, through the scenic roads of Chatham and Wake County, and finally triumphantly down the sparkling streets of fair Raleigh, America's best city. <Source: http://www.raleigh-wake.org/page/raleigh-ranked-americas-best-city>

October 1st will be remembered as the day the training truly began. Or, as another Iron Man said coincidentally enough in this summer's blockbuster the Avenger's:

Captain America – Stark, we need a plan of attack!

Iron Man – I have a plan. Attack.

(Yes, this will be getting taped to the front of my training log.)

Day 1 - JB Tries Not To Drown

Hi. I'm Justin. You might remember me from such well written and entertaining blogs as The Atwell Arsenal's Tough Mudder site(http://mudderarsenal.blogspot.com/). I'm one of the fools who's signed up for a long day of pain next June, to say nothing of the training that will go hand-in-hand with it.

This blog will serve as a chronicle and record of the journey to race day. Other people from our group will be contributing stories of their own training experience, recipes for post-workout meals, and maybe some ju-jitsu instruction from Conrad to fend off pesky hoodlums that might otherwise interrupt your run.

I can also say with confidence that I'm the worst swimmer in our group. I've done plenty of long bike rides and runs, but never had the guts to take on a triathlon on my own because I've never been brave enough to attempt the swim. If you're reading this and have always wanted to try a triathlon but were hesitant because of that whole water part, then you know exactly where I'm coming from, and hopefully this blog will serve as inspiration that you too can go from barely able to tread water to gliding effortlessly through the waves for miles at a time.

Conversely, if you suddenly see the updates stop you'll know that I drowned, in which case I'd encourage you to stay on land. Let's get to it.

Saturday, September 1^st. Day 1!

On Saturday morning I met up with Elyse at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. (http://triangleaquatics.org/)

Our group comes from a variety of athletic backgrounds, each of us with strengths and weaknesses in the various disciplines. Elyse is probably the group's strongest swimmer. She recently completed the Nuclear Mile in Harris Lake with a personal PR, and is a long time swim teacher and coach. Before we started, she reassured me that none of her previous students had ever drowned under her watch. She didn't say how they did once the lessons were over, and I didn't ask.

The facilities at TAC are gorgeous. They have two pools. The Olympic-sized competition pool was divided width-ways into 18 25-yard lanes to allow for more swimmers. We went to the smaller, warmer training pool with 10 25-yard lanes for our practicing.

TAC Competition Pool

Elyse led me through a number of kicking, paddling, and breathing drills. If I may brag for a moment, I have the rare ability to progress backwards while kicking with a kickboard. No, this will not help on race day.

After over an hour or so in the pool we called it quits. For at least the first several weeks I'll be considering any swimming session that doesn't require the lifeguard getting wet, CPR, or a life-flight to be a complete success. So for Day 1, mission accomplished. 280-some days to go.

Hurray!  No one died!

Raleigh Ironman 70.3 - The Beginning

On Friday August 31^st a handful of friends decided to undertake a new challenge. The Raleigh Ironman 70.3. http://ironmanraleigh.com/

Let's paint the picture. Race day in Raleigh dawns on a gorgeous June morning in far away 2013 (i.e. plenty of time to train! Sign up and join us now as an individual or with a relay team! http://ironmanraleigh.com/registration/general-entry/ ) , starting with a 1.2 mile swim in the serene waters of Jordan Lake. The normally calm Jordan is a raging rapid on this day as 2250 racers churn through the Baptismal waters of the inaugural Ironman Series race in Raleigh.

More than any other portion of the race, the swim is a time of solitude. Sure, you might be shoulder to shoulder with a competitor, or bump another swimmer as you pass each other, but the swim is about isolation. Your eyes and ears, mouth and nose and their associated senses are distorted and blurred by the water. There is only the feel of the water as you focus on your form, the constant search for breath, and between strokes looking to make sure you're still on course. Any other thoughts are superfluous.

Shoulders, arms, and lungs aching, we stride triumphantly up the boat launch. The first (and for at least one of us, worst) of three challenges is behind us. Our bikes await in the biggest field of bike racks you've ever seen. Through the disorientation of still finding our land legs, we claim our bikes from where they've been carefully holstered the night prior. Helmets, gloves, glasses, shoes. Check. We hit the transition line and start sawing. Jordan Lake disappears behind us, though we'll still be dripping for a mile or two.

Jordan Lake

The bike course takes us through 56 scenic miles in and around western Raleigh. The route criss-crosses through such towns as Apex, Holly Springs, and Cary, up hills and past lakes great and small. Our bike tires eat away at the miles and terrain. The climbs are long and torturous, but the descents make it all worth it.

The sun is out now and we cast long shadows into farm fields, subdivisions, and still sleeping commerce. People have begun taking to the streets in front of their houses. They clap and cheer, holding signs and whistling encouragement. We see friends who've come out to cheer from the roadside before they can pick us from the crowd. After all, we're just another masked face of suffering in a long line of riders in mismatched helmets and jerseys.

The crowds are getting denser. There's now a police car at every intersection, stopping a growing number of backed up motorists wondering what is this madness that's stopping them from getting to Krispy Kreme and Wal Mart. Those sky scrapers are getting closer. The last mile is the most dodgey. Right-angle turns beneath the shadows of buildings. Our legs and arms are ready to be off these bikes, but mostly our asses are sick of these saddles.

We hit the second transition zone. Volunteers and race workers help riders by holding our bikes steady as wobbly legs unclip from our pedals and dismount. Another field of bike racks await. We find our station, holster our bicycles (maybe with a curse, or with a vow never to put butt to bike seat again), and pull on our running shoes.

The Approach Up To Raleigh

For some, the run starts slow. Cramping muscles and aching joints force some to stop and stretch. Our body tries to tell the mind we can't do this, submit, quit.

We tell our body to shut up.

Our feet find their rhythm and our stride evens out. The course takes us through the heart of downtown Raleigh. Stories and songs, memories both clear and hazy, fill our heads as we pass bars and restaurants that have served as post-workout incentive and reward for a training session well done.

Family, friends, co-workers, and complete strangers cheer us on from the sidelines. Our bib numbers are each printed with our first names so everyone can be considered your cheering section. The route takes us into the thick of NC State's campus. Blurry eyed students have “started the day early” and their cheers are some of the loudest. We smile, shake our heads, and remember those days. Hell, we may have re-enacted those days just a weekend or two before.

It's a steady climb as we put our backs to downtown. We call out thanks to volunteers manning aid stations, handing out water and bananas.

Finally it's time to turn. The run is half over, and we start to feel the surge of adrenaline as every stride brings us one step closer to the finish line. And now it's mostly downhill.

We cross the pedestrian bridge over I-440. We find our way back to Hillsborough Street. We shout or clap encouragement to runners still on their way out that may not be feeling as good as us. They'll make it.

The last few miles are a blur. We remember thinking “only a 5k left? I could do this in my sleep”, and we surge toward the finish line. Glory gets closer with each step.

And there it is. The banner announcing the finish. The culmination of 9 months worth of training. We prove to ourselves one more time that it's truly our minds that hold us back as we summon the strength to kick, pulling energy from reserves we didn't know we had.

Head and fists held high, we cross the finish line. It takes a moment for the for it all to sink in, to turn off the fight-or-flight part of the brain that's been activated since before the sun came up. The swim almost feels like it took place on a different day, it's so long ago.

A medal is put around our necks and a Finsher's shirt is pushed into our hands. We give our loved ones the most disgusting hug they've ever received. As stumble into the corral to collect our bikes. The adrenaline is rapidly wearing off, and we start to feel the extent of the fatigue in our bodies. Some of us (read: The Author) can only think of two things: Taking the most refreshing shower ever, and then eating anything that isn't a banana or energy gel.

And almost immediately, we start to wonder where and when the next challenge will be.

So, having said all that, I have one question...

Are you ready to sign up?! http://ironmanraleigh.com/registration/general-entry/