(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 1st.
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sunshine have been replaced by grey skies self-doubt as raceday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:
- A long run/ride on weekends that stretches in distance each week until meeting or exceeding race distance
- 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.)
- 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.) |