Recovery Week

Recovery week was well needed. The 9 mile run during week 3 along with the 54 mile bike ride put my hamstrings in a "tight" position for two days.  The cycle we are on calls for a recovery week every 4th week.  The idea is after building your workouts for 3 weeks the body needs rest so it can effectively gain throughout the 20 week process.  

On Tuesday my training partner had a blow out.  It was only the second time he had rode his new bike, so it was a big disappointment.  Luckily I had my phone on me.  I gave my sister-in-law a call, and then she woke up Hilary who was able to pick us up.  We decided to do a celebration dance when she pulled into the parking lot.  These dance moves ended up on Facebook.  

Today's bike ride went well. I am finding it easier to maintain a 20+ mph while I'm cycling, which is a good thing this early into the cycle.  No significant updates thus far.  God Bless! 

Week 3: GAINS!!!

Week 2 went well.  Had a productive brick workout (where you follow up your bike with an immediate run) on Saturday.  The week consisted of 97 miles biking, 20 miles running, and 4.2 swimming.  My freestyle form continues to get better.  I contribute this to the catch-up drill, and the one-arm stroke drill--this drill is similar to the catch-up drill...instead of cycling through with both arms you focus on the stroke of one arm for 1 or 2 lengths of the pool.

Today we had a 1 hour bike ride.  I was able to notice improvement in my cadence at a particular gear today, which is a real improvement from where I was during week one.  The power in my stroke continues to become more efficient I hope this doesn't stop.  Biking is probably the most significant leg in triathlons, so if I can become a good cyclist that will help tremendously come November 13th.

Additionally, I began to run with Newton's this week.  They are a shoe company based out of Boulder, Colorado.  They help runners get away from landing on their heel, which can cause injuries to your IT band, knees, hips, back, etc.  I definitely recommend these shoes for anyone that is already a mid-foot/fore-foot runner.  I have always landed on my midsole (except when exhausted) so the switch to Newtons has been rather easy for me.  Furthermore, Newton's have a action/reaction technology that you can actually notice when you run, which helps your speed.  Thus far, every run I have completed in my Newton's has been faster than my typical times with "normal" running shoes.

Tomorrow, three of us are heading out for a 50-56 mile bike ride early in the morning!  I will definitely let you know how it goes.  Pray for no blown tires!  Other than that the training has been going well.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask!!!  Remember a moment of pain is worth a lifetime of GLORY!

GOD BLESS!!!

Half Ironman Training Week 2: Thanks 7-11!

I have decided to write one entry per week on this blog.  That way each entry is filled with substantive information and doesn't become boring.

Last week's training went really well.  After Wednesday's run my right hamstring was tender and tight, but I took a couple of Epson salt baths, and then on Friday I took an ice bath.  Everything was good to go for the weekend. The workout plan that we are using calls for heavy doses of training on the weekend.  This Saturday a 40 mile bike ride was scheduled with a 30 minute run as well.  During mile 26 we hit a heavy South Florida thunderstorm, and were rescued my a man named Shane aka the white knight!  He took Mike and I back to the YMCA, which was a 20 mile drive from where we were.  At the Y we finished up the ride on a stationary spin bike.  

Sunday's swim went well.  I'm really beginning to feel my form come into place, which will definitely help come race day.  On Wednesday's run I was saved once again by 7-11 when nature called.  I am known to the cashiers at every 7-11 in Naples as the sweaty man that comes in to use the bathroom.  We finished the week with just over 100 miles of biking, approximately 17 miles of running, and about 4 miles of swimming.

This week will call for more of the 3 events, so our base will continue to grow.  The legs feel great in the early stages of this week compared to last, so that's nice.  I look forward to the coming weeks, and especially to week 5 where more speed work is incorporated into our work out.

Almost forgot, today's bike ride went really well, but was filled with a sad moment.  We decided to veer off our regular route, so we could hit a bridge over I-75.  In Florida these bridges are our only hills.  After the bridge we headed toward Bonita beach road, and ran into a stray puppy.  He was mixed with some pit, and ran right up to us from across the street.  He smelled my shoes and ankle as I crossed the street (prolly some Bitty or Rocky scent he smelled :).  The pup continued to chase us until we were out of sight.  I almost had 4 dogs after that encounter.  :)  Hope he was just lost (poor guy).

Well, take care and enjoy the rest of your day.

Half Ironman Training: Day 1 of Week 1

It is crazy to think that I began a cardio lifestyle last July.  I am closing in on a year and have seen massive improvements in many areas of my life.  The most intriguing thing about a life of fitness is the thought of how efficient and fast one can become.  I have yet to hit my ceiling, and I hope I am a long ways away.  After my first Triathlon in May I decided to do another one.  I don't know if I like triathlons more than running, but I definitely like the diversity that the sport brings.  It is easier on the body, which helps during tough training weeks.  Additionally, my passion for fitness has grown tremendously from the inspiration that I receive from my wife.  She believes in me and is the reason I continue to surprise myself.  If you live in the Naples area and need a trainer she's the BEST!

Yesterday my wife and I purchased a juicer.  From all of the research I am thoroughly convinced that our lack of vegetables is the main reason why our society feels that "two" o' clock drag.  With this juicer it will help us receive all of our nutrients and phytochemicals--these are similar to regular nutrients that have been linked to reduce cancer and are anti-inflammatory.  I hope this daily practice of having a glass or two of vegetables will help me achieve results in the pool, on the bike, or on the track.

I have chosen to compete in the MiamiMan Triathlon, which is in?  You guessed it Miami, Florida on November 13th.  The idea of extending the distance to a half ironman from an olympic distance intrigues me.  This time around I plan on taking my training and diet more serious.  Doing this is the only way to discover how fast and efficient my body can go.

My training partner for this competition is Mike Horn.  He is a triathlete that has done many competitions.  It will be nice to know that if you don't get up in the morning you are leaving a man behind--knowing this it is hard to put that head back on the pillow.

The training schedule I use is from a book published by Triathlete Magazine and written by Matt Fitzgerald one of their senior writers.  He is a triathlete and has picked up training methods from the pros from years of journalism.  I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Day 1: We rode for 1hr 15 minutes on the bike.  Naples has long bike lanes, so it makes it easy to cover many miles.  Riding on the tri bike rather than the stationary bike is something I will do this time around.  We covered 23.14 miles with an average pace of 3'13" per mile.  After the ride we hit the pool.  All laps are done in freestyle or drills to help our freestyle form.  Swim Workout: 200 meter warm-up; 12x25 drills (catch up drill, finger-tip drag drill, and the one arm catch up drill); main set: 6x100 meters w/5 sec rest (I used hand paddles to improve shoulder/stroke strength for 3 of the sets); 12x25 kicks with the kick board; 200 meter cool down.  If my math is correct that's 1600 meters.

I hope you gained a fitness tip here or there from this entry.  Wish my training buddy and I well during our 20-week training cycle.  Additionally, my buddy Matt Tripodi is contemplating on whether to compete in the MiamiMan olympic distance, if you have access to his FB wall throw him a word of encouragement to sign up.

Glory to God!

Disney Marathon

With finals and other obligations I became too busy to blog often about my running, so I apologize.

Marathon Weekend was a fun time, however, "fun" can't truly define the experience.  Completion of my first marathon was a exhilarating experience...one that will last forever.  The mental challenge that was connected to the body was an incredible feeling and to have my wife, family members, and a special friend share that moment with me made it that much better.  If you are reading this and you have the slightest hint or intuition that you could physically run a marathon then do it.  It will be an incredible experience that you will always hold on to.

As for the race and the connection to my training everything went well.  It actually couldn't have gone any better.  I ran a 3 hour and 29 minute marathon, and my goal was a 3:30.  I believe I was able to run where I wanted, because my legs were fresh.  My tapering weeks (last two weeks) went really well.  I was injury free decreased my mileage, but still kept my interval and tempo training to make sure my fast twitch muscles received a workout. 

I already am excited to get back to the cardio training.  I will rest for a couple of days, but then get back at it.  I am planning on competing in an Olympic Triathlon.  This will help me focus on speed with my running, so when I get back into marathon training in the summer my tempo and interval training will be more effective than it is now.  If you do read this blog I hope you find a way for it to inspire your workouts, or help you get to the point where you can run!  It has benefited me greatly.  My grades were the best they have been in law school, I'm eating healthier than I was before, and I'm more disciplined in my spiritual life, which is the most important thing...so if your experience becomes close to mine you can't lose!

Running Partner

Before I get into the last two runs that I ran, I would like to discuss the benefits of a running partner.  The physical gains are great, but the friendship benefits are outstanding as well.  My running partner is Mario Bird an unbelievable Catholic man that is married to a wonderful woman Theresa.  They have a son named Francis, and another child on the way.  Our conversations during our runs range from Catholic Theology to Husker football and anything else in between.  Mario ran cross country and track at the University of Notre Dame, so he pushes me physically every chance he gets.  So, if you're a runner and are stuck at a pace you can't break, or lack motivation on particular days I suggest to find someone that will run with you.  Additionally, make sure you two have something in common that way dialogue will help push you through the long runs.

On Monday we ran a little over 5 miles at a 7'40"/mile pace--Mondays are the days where I try to run at a pace that is 20-30" faster than my goal pace for the marathon.  I would like to keep a 8'-8:15 pace for my first marathon.  Our max pace for that run was a 6'31"/mile pace and I lost 794 calories.  I felt great after this run, which is usually the case after any run.  If I have any physical pain from running it's usually one of my calves, so if you have any suggestions for me please leave a comment.

On Tuesdays I run alone, which is a good time to clear my head.  My thoughts are usually on my wife, faith, school, husker football, or the run.  I slept in until 7:00am on Tuesday, so I didn't run until 4:00.   I ran 5 miles alone at a 8'27"/mile pace.  I run a slower pace on Tuesdays because Mondays and Wednesdays are the days where I open up my legs a little more, so I don't want to open up my stride too much on back to back days.  This run went really well.  I got a lot of thinking done, and it just felt great to leave the library and burn off some steam...even though it seemed my thoughts were on finals half the time.

I jut finished my Wednesday run, which is the hardest day of the week for me.  Wednesdays are interval days.  You should have seen what intervals consisted of just 2 months ago.  Mario and I would run 150-300 meters, and I would be spent after 4 of them.  My body has benefited from our training and now we are running 800s and mile repeats.  Today,we warmed up for a mile then ran a 800 in 3 minutes, after that we had a .5 mile cool down.  Then began the mile repeats our first mile we ran at a 6'30" pace, we had a .5 mile cool down, and then ran our second mile at 6'40'' pace.  After our .5 mile cool down we ran another 800 at a little over 3 minutes.  So we ended up doing 3 miles of intervals, which will be pushed up to 3.5-4 miles next week.

Well, I am in the library not and have to start my Wills memorandum.  I hope all of you have a great day!  

Inspiration

I never thought I would be the one to start a blog.  However, recently reading blogs about running has inspired me.  The fact that others (like myself) motivated me made me want to share my experiences and hope that maybe someone out there could be inspired.

I never ran for competition in the past, and never ran as a hobby.  However, my wife and her unbelievable drive for fitness got me to hit the road and hopefully never stop.  I have never felt better in my life.  I breath better, eat better, study more efficiently, and running has also helped me become a better Catholic Man, and husband.

I will post my daily workouts and experiences up to the Disney World Marathon and beyond.  I hope that these posts may help you on your journey.  If you have any suggestions please give them to me.  I began my running life in July, so it is short lived.  Thanks for your time, but I must hit the road!