Time to start again

Seems like I have been here so many times. Not sure why. I am back up to 207lbs... I feel gross, just like crap. I have been drinking and eating way to much. Don't get me wrong I love to drink beer, just having way to much lately. To be honest I have been following a blog Training Payne. The guy I find quite inspiring. I need to drop him a line and tell him so someday. Anyway, this guy was something like 220 back in 07. He has just qualified for Kona. Just awesome. He also drinks alot. Love that. Keep it up my man. Anyway, back to me. I figured if this guy can do it so can I.

I also had a visit from Eric Hodska this week. He came down to do some work on a project we have going together. He gave me a bit of a talking to. For some reason I listen to this guy. So he wrote up a training plan for the week. Nothing crazy just something everyday. Basically run or bike everyday. So I did it. Did something everyday. It was hard to get out there, but I did it. I'm quite proud of myself. His bike workouts were tough for me. I did them on my computrainer. Basically 10x2:00 @200 watts. First time I tried I could only do 6 at about 175 watts. Second time I did all 10 at 200 watts. It killed me, but I did it. I'm looking forward to doing this workout again in a few months and see were I stand.

So first post in about 2 years. Lets see if I can keep it going and get in shape this time.

Ironman Count Down

Thanksgiving Day

Let me start off by saying I am now down to 185lbs.  That's from starting out on this quest at 220lbs.  I want to be 160lbs by Lake Placid.  To be honest losing the first 35 wasn't that hard.  It was by basically stop drinking beer, stop eating and working out like crazy.  I think the next 25 will be a little harder.  I have the time though.  I'll get there.  I need to post a picture tomorrow. 

I am feeling a hell of a lot better when I run.  Not smoking fast, but I feel better.  When I started running again at 220 I felt like I was just crushing my body.  My knees hurt.... My back hurt...  Shit everything hurt.  Now I feel like I did two years ago.  That is not bad.  I can't imagine what it will feel like when I am at 160.  It's going to feel great.  I hope....

Well This week has been a lot better then I thought it would be.  Monday I ran 5.25 at 8:38 pace.  That was something I didn't think I would be doing right now.  But I did.  Tuesday I blew off because, well I reverted back to my old ways Monday night and had a few to many beers with the boys.  No looking back and beating myself up though...  moving on, it is what it is.  Wednesday night I rode 25 miles on the computrainer.  I actually felt pretty good.  Thursday, Thanksgiving I ran 10 miles in the morning.  I felt incredible.  It was slow, but what a day.  It was one of those mornings that made you glad to be alive.  Just awesome!!!!!  I ended up running what I call the two lakes run.  I have to lakes up in the woods behind my house.   Basically its 90% trails to go around both.  Its a beautiful run.  Here are my splits, not sure what happened on the later miles, but I don't think I was running that slow.  Oh well.

Well for now you'll have to trust me.  I can't figure out how to get my splits and gps images from the garmin site onto this damn blog.  I'll figure it out soon.  I'm new to this.  Still it's been a good week so far.

Good start to the week!!

I promised a couple of hockey dads I would ride with them on Sunday.  I was a little nervous about the ride.  This was the first ride on the roads in a long, long time.  I was also nervous about the weather.  When I woke up at 6am it was 25 degrees outside.  I couldn't believe it.  I so wanted to bail.  I was thinking, this is going to be miserable.  But I sucked it up and put on every piece of cold weather gear I could find.  Put the bike on the car and headed to the starting point.  When we rolled out for the ride it was 28 degrees.  The first five miles were pretty miserable, I have to admit.  My face felt like it was going to fall off.  But after the first five I started warming up and actually felt pretty good.  It turned out to be a great ride.  42.5 miles.  I was able to hold my own no problem.  The company was great, the day was sunny, it was a good day to ride.  I guess the Computrainer riding was working.  

Yesterday morning was another cold day.  I managed to get a 5.25 mile run in after I dropped the kids off to school.  What I've been doing is wearing my running close to drop the kids off.  Get my run in from the swim center up the street.  Then shower at the swim center after the run.  Its been working great.  I think the guy that works the desk at the swim center thinks I'm crazy.  I never swim when I'm there.  I walk in after the run hit the shower then I'm out of there.  $6.00 for a shower, but hell if I didn't do this I'm pretty sure I would blow off the run.

Anyway, the run was great.  The fastest run for me in 18 months.  I took it out easy then picked it up a bit on the way back.  Turns out I ran 8:38 pace for the 5.25.  I know this isn't smoking for most, but considering that back on 9/12 I ran the same course at 11:00 pace I was pretty happy.  

Anyway, I am starting to get in shape.  

The plan was to jump on the Computrainer last night but I ended up going out after work for a few beers.  Needless to say the ride never happened.  I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  Just look forward and make the rest of the week strong.

Back to the blog

Well.... Of course this is the only second post since starting the damn thing.  The good news is I have been training well, eating well, and the beer drinking is way down.  All this has contributed to a 30lbs weight lose since the first post.  I am about 185 right now.  This is the weight I think I did the 07 Ironman at.  Still way to heavy but I have made great progress.  My goal is to be 160lbs for this year in Lake Placid.  I can't imagine what training and actually doing an Ironman at that weight will feel like.  I can only imagine it will be awesome.

When I started really focusing on getting my weight under control and training again it was pretty depressing at the beginning.  I run this same 5.25 course about three times a week.  Back in August my pace for the course was 11:28 pace.  Horrible, but at least I could do it.  On Monday I wanted to do an easy run, the weekend was pretty big, I did the run in 8:45 pace.  I was pumped.  It felt great.  It was nice just to break 9:00.  Any way the goal is to keep consistant with three to four runs per week.  Along run on the weekends.  Three rides per week.  Lift two days a week.  This is the first time in my life that I have been consistent with the lifting thing.  Amazing how I can see and feel the differnence.   The trainers I have been working out with have been great.  Its a place called Fitness Together.  It's one on one training.  Just what I needed.  They are really into mixing it up.  It seems to be working.

I wanted to use this blog as a training log.  More for myself really.  So here is what I have been up to since last Saturday.

11/15  Long run.  Ran 10 miles of trails.  Felt great for the first 7 then fell apart.

11/16 Ride.  Rode for two hours on the computrainer.  

11/17 Run.  Ran my 5.25 loop.  8:45 pace.  felt great for an easy run

11/18 Lifted.  Very hard workout with at Fitness Together

11/18 Ride.  Rode the computrainer for two hours.  Got on the bike at 8:30pm after the kids went to bed.  I was pretty spent after that.

Today I havn't done anything yet.  Got dressed to run this morning, but my youngest son was sick so I had to put that on hold.  Hopefully I can get it in tonight.  

Anyway, starting to feel good.  Feel like the plan is working.  I just need to keep it up.

The Beginning..... A long road to Ironman Lake Placid 2009

So here I am 220 pounds over a year after completing Ironman USA.  I was around 180 back then.  This time around my goal is 165 by the Ironman.  Anyway, last year a literally hung my bike up and have not taken it down yet.  The thing still has the number on it from the race.  Look here it is.  Check out the GU still in the Bento Box. 

My problem is that I train (never very consistantly) then when the race is over I do nothing.  Usually the nothing only last for a few months.  This time it lasted over a year.  A full year of sitting around, not working out, eating like crap and drinking way to much beer.  I love beer.  It seems the older I get the two don't mix for me.  Beer and training for triathlons that is.

So a few weeks ago I said enough is enough.  I headed up to Lake Placid to watch the race then register for it on Monday.  So there I was at 6am standing in line with 3000 other people.  I couldn't believe it.  Crazy!!!!  But I got in.  Now it begins.

The plan is to get going now.  Start training slowly, start eating right, lose some weight and get back to a place where I can put in six hour rides and long runs.  Right now I am not near that, but I'll get there.  The idea behind this blog is to put it out there.  Use it as a training log and as a reality check for me.  I figure if I am putting it up on the net I damn well better train.  Tomorrow.  I'll start posting my training log and layout my plan.