Monday, May 17, 2010

Ironman Weekly Workout

I've settled on a training plan and over the past two weeks began training for Ironman Arizona (IMAZ) which is November 21st. You can find my training plan here
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/ironman-workouts/ however as I post my workouts you will notice that I'm not completely following the plan. I always want to give priority to my God and ministry, my wife, my daughter and then training. With that in mind my training has to be fluid and what I've found training for a Half Ironman is you can cheat on the hours per week as long as you give more intensity to a shorter workout. My goal is to finish an Ironman not qualify for Kona and I have no aspirations at this point to do more than one Ironman event. At this point I don't have a particular time goal however I want to finish strong meaning finishing is never in doubt. I do have some deep personal reasons for doing an Ironman which I will discuss later. Here is what last weeks training looked like. I'm in a base building phase so these workouts are lower intensity (aerobic zone only).
Monday - Day Off
Tuesday - BRICK. Bike one hour with hills, Run 3 miles.
Wednesday - Swim 1,000 yards, Run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 1:15
Friday - Swim 1,000 yards
Saturday - BRICK Bike 48 miles, Run 3 miles.
Sunday - Run 9 miles followed by :50 minute easy bike.
Unfortunately after this weeks workout I've come down with a virus that I feel is due to lack of sleep and rest. All of the Ironman advice I read says be sure to get 8 hours of sleep and rest your body. Something I neglected to do last week.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Ironman Life

Its been three weeks since my last post and although I've enjoyed not having to be committed to doing or finishing a workout its time for me to begin my training for Ironman Arizona (IMAZ). What most people don't realize is the time it takes to train for Ironman and the potential for collateral damage to others due to missed commitments or lack of quality time with God, family and friends all for the sake of doing a workout. Instead of eating a family dinner with my wife and daughter they eat while I bike and then run. Sometimes I get back from my ride and as I start my "transition" in the garage, I look and see my wife and daughter sitting at the kitchen table eating and talking...its where I want to be...and I miss them, but then I focus... Ironman is the goal! As I start my run away from the house, the warm kitchen, the love inside, for a very breif moment I wonder...at what cost?
My wife wrote me this wonderful letter as I was competing at the Oceanside 70.3. I'm so blessed.

To my awesome husband, 3/27/10
Look at you swimming, biking, and running – who would have ever thought!
I am so very proud of you for doing this Ironman event. Never mind that it’s half the distance, you are an Iron Man to me! Having done two of these crazy races, I know what it takes – the long hours of training, the endurance, the motivation (especially trying to convince myself to go for a swim!), the fear of the unknown, but most of all the excitement and anticipation of knowing what a huge accomplishment it will be to cross that finish line. You are such an incredible man and I know you can do anything you set your mind to do. If you want to complete the full Ironman, you can and you will! I will be with you every step of the way, even if it means giving up a workout of my own, cooking dinner every night, going to bed early, riding my bike next to you while you run… or running with you – whatever will help you the most! Just to see you cross that finish line, knowing your heart and how you did it to give glory to God and not yourself, would be worth it all. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God. - 1 Corinthians 6:20. I know your heart is in the right place, and you show that you live this quote, even just by saying that you want to. I am so proud to be with such an awesome man. Thank you for who you are!
Love,
Liz