As I was surfing the Slowtwitch forums, I came upon a thread about someone wanting to lost 15 lbs by September. I was bored so I decided to read it and see what people were saying. In the thread, a person mentioned this cool iPhone app that they were using that helped them a lot. Hmm...I figure why not give it a try just to see how many calories I was consuming every day.
The app is called LoseIt and it's totally awesome. It lets you input your current weight and then your goal weight plus how much you little you want to eat er I mean how many pounds you want to lose each week and when you want to be your weight. I punched in all my information and at first thought why not the default of a pound per week but well I would only get to eat like a pittance of food. I dialed that back to a 1/2 pound per week.
Just lounging around and doing nothing I get to eat 2000 calories a day and the more exercise I do the more I get to eat. Some cool things I found it is I only eat about 800 calories of rice a day. That's awesome as I thought it was more like 1200. A cup of broccoli is only 20 calories...how awesome is that. I'm definitely buying a bunch during the next Costco trip. I can really fill up on broccoli and perhaps cut down on my calories weakness for after dinner snacks.
A family bag of Doritos is 4500 calories and last night I was so hungry I thought about eating some. Instead, I went to sleep. Sleep is the best diet assistant I've found. I'm in Oregon next week so we'll see how well the calorie intake goes. I wonder how many calories a Dutch Baby from the Original Pancake House is.
If you're just trying to maintain or keep an idea on calories, this app is the greatest and definitely keeps you honest.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Fourth Discipline
It's almost like the sixth sense where if you fail to execute it properly on race, you will see dead people and in the end could end up like Bruce Willis and be the walking dead. Race day nutrition.
You really have to figure out what you can stomach for the 10+ hours of exercise. It's pretty daunting to think about. If I started the Ironman at the same time you arrive at work, I'm still exercising by the time you go home for the day. Constant movement and you need to figure out what you can stomach during the bike and run. During the swim, you're basically dry for 65 or so minutes except for the mouthfuls of lake water.
The bike is the easy part of the whole thing when it comes to nutrition. You can easily carry all sorts of stuff and since you're stomach is pretty much in the same position you can eat anything. There are all kinds of stories of people eating hamburgers, pb&js, cookies, muffins, bagels, and the obvious stuff.
For me, I use Infinit Nutrition. I built a custom formula in 2008 and it worked great so I'll be using that again. The website lets you dial in everything and basically become a mad scientist.
The run is totally different story. I'm very picky when it comes to the run. It's taken a long time to really find the perfect nutrition plan for the run. I do a 25mg caffeine strawberry banana Powergel every 4 miles. Caffeine on the run is awesome. Of course in order to make it feel like an illegal PED, you have to abstain from caffeine leading up to the race. For you hardcore coffee drinkers out there, it may be tough to do but man you can really feel awesome if you do.
Speaking of abstaining from caffeine, let's talk the daily diet. I'm a total junk food junkie with my biggest vice being chips. I absolutely love chips especially Doritos. I can easily down a whole bag of Doritos post dinner. Chips are complete empty calories so I cut all chips leading up to the Ironman. I still down lots of calories but no chips. In addition to no chips, I cut all alcohol. So no beer. Sure it sounds like the diet is no fun but it works for me. Of course, post Ironman all this goes out the window.
Here's my current list of food I'll be gorging on November 21st:
You really have to figure out what you can stomach for the 10+ hours of exercise. It's pretty daunting to think about. If I started the Ironman at the same time you arrive at work, I'm still exercising by the time you go home for the day. Constant movement and you need to figure out what you can stomach during the bike and run. During the swim, you're basically dry for 65 or so minutes except for the mouthfuls of lake water.
The bike is the easy part of the whole thing when it comes to nutrition. You can easily carry all sorts of stuff and since you're stomach is pretty much in the same position you can eat anything. There are all kinds of stories of people eating hamburgers, pb&js, cookies, muffins, bagels, and the obvious stuff.
For me, I use Infinit Nutrition. I built a custom formula in 2008 and it worked great so I'll be using that again. The website lets you dial in everything and basically become a mad scientist.
The run is totally different story. I'm very picky when it comes to the run. It's taken a long time to really find the perfect nutrition plan for the run. I do a 25mg caffeine strawberry banana Powergel every 4 miles. Caffeine on the run is awesome. Of course in order to make it feel like an illegal PED, you have to abstain from caffeine leading up to the race. For you hardcore coffee drinkers out there, it may be tough to do but man you can really feel awesome if you do.
Speaking of abstaining from caffeine, let's talk the daily diet. I'm a total junk food junkie with my biggest vice being chips. I absolutely love chips especially Doritos. I can easily down a whole bag of Doritos post dinner. Chips are complete empty calories so I cut all chips leading up to the Ironman. I still down lots of calories but no chips. In addition to no chips, I cut all alcohol. So no beer. Sure it sounds like the diet is no fun but it works for me. Of course, post Ironman all this goes out the window.
Here's my current list of food I'll be gorging on November 21st:
- Nacho Cheese Doritos lots of Doritos
- Cheese puffs
- Mini Reese peanut butter cups
- Pretzel M&Ms
- Ruffle chips
- KC Masterpiece BBQ chips
- Salt & Vinegar chips
- Sour Cream & Cheese Lays
- Numerous Egg Nog Lattes
Monday, May 30, 2011
Once a runner always a runner
The 3rd discipline of triathlon, the run. Since last year's entire run focus, the run has been going well plus on top of that, I've finally got a plan to stay as injury free as possible. I don't do any speed work at all. My body just can't handle the speed anymore. I keep my miles in high 20s to mid 30s per week and just go easy if I feel like it or sometimes I just get some tempo miles in if I feel good.
As the cycling increases, I'll ease back on the run a little bit knowing I brought a decent base from the winter. The miles and miles in sub 30 degree weather with snow on ground this winter are paying off. The legs continue to feel fine as I tick off the miles. I can tell the legs aren't ready yet for the 26.2 but I felt the same last May in the preparation for Baltimore. Soon enough as the training continues, 10 milers will seem easy and not even a warmup. I wonder how long before that conditioning starts to deteriorate with age where it's always tough no matter what. At least as I approach 40, that's not happening.
This summer on July 31st all my running PRs reset. That's my plan I get to set new PRs since I don't think I'll ever see my 10k or 5k PRs again. The saddest thing about my 10k PR is back in late 90s there really wasn't a lot of 10ks to compete in and now there are tons. I only got about 2 10ks per season to lower my PR and never could quite get a perfect day on a perfect course to break 34. I really wanted a sub 34 10k PR but oh well I'll get a new one next year.
I've been trying to figure out a goal for the Ironman marathon split. At Canada in 08, I ran a 3:25 and didn't feel in peak marathon shape. I had battled a bunch of injuries in the lead up. The Arizona course is an easier run course so that with more experience and even more run base, I came up with a good number. 3:05 which would put my split in past couple of years, right there close to best in the over 40 men splits. In last years, an ex-pro ran a sub 3 split being over 40. So assuming no ex-pros, I'm shooting to have the fastest run split. A 3:05 is just right around 7 minute mile pace...so the training commences where if I'm completely dead 7 minute pace should still feel easy.
Stay tuned for the last discipline of the Ironman, nutrition.
As the cycling increases, I'll ease back on the run a little bit knowing I brought a decent base from the winter. The miles and miles in sub 30 degree weather with snow on ground this winter are paying off. The legs continue to feel fine as I tick off the miles. I can tell the legs aren't ready yet for the 26.2 but I felt the same last May in the preparation for Baltimore. Soon enough as the training continues, 10 milers will seem easy and not even a warmup. I wonder how long before that conditioning starts to deteriorate with age where it's always tough no matter what. At least as I approach 40, that's not happening.
This summer on July 31st all my running PRs reset. That's my plan I get to set new PRs since I don't think I'll ever see my 10k or 5k PRs again. The saddest thing about my 10k PR is back in late 90s there really wasn't a lot of 10ks to compete in and now there are tons. I only got about 2 10ks per season to lower my PR and never could quite get a perfect day on a perfect course to break 34. I really wanted a sub 34 10k PR but oh well I'll get a new one next year.
I've been trying to figure out a goal for the Ironman marathon split. At Canada in 08, I ran a 3:25 and didn't feel in peak marathon shape. I had battled a bunch of injuries in the lead up. The Arizona course is an easier run course so that with more experience and even more run base, I came up with a good number. 3:05 which would put my split in past couple of years, right there close to best in the over 40 men splits. In last years, an ex-pro ran a sub 3 split being over 40. So assuming no ex-pros, I'm shooting to have the fastest run split. A 3:05 is just right around 7 minute mile pace...so the training commences where if I'm completely dead 7 minute pace should still feel easy.
Stay tuned for the last discipline of the Ironman, nutrition.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
It's not about the Bike
Well that's definitely right. The engine on top of it is out of shape. I'm a fair weather cyclist so during DC winters I don't get any miles on the tri bike at all. The last outdoor ride was in October and the first outdoor ride this year was in March. I was also just a bum knowing that the Ironman wasn't until November so I didn't even hook the bike up to the indoor trainer but perhaps 3 times.
The one thing I do ride is the spin bike. I ride it like 2 or 3 times a week but it's really not the same. That first outdoor ride is a total shock to the legs. No heavy flywheel momentum to keep things rolling sucks. The position is totally different and so the back is sacrificed early on and even the ass is telling this seat is pretty hard and uncomfortable.
The bike is plan is just to do a gradual build until August. In August, start doing more structured workouts and using all the base from the early summer to really speed up. I'm struggling on just maintaining a nice easy slow workout pace when the weather is so nice. Going fast on the bike is so much fun especially when you can keep up with cars in 25mph zones. Patience is key or I will be totally burnt out by November.
The other key is to get the body ready to handle constant aero position for 5 plus hours. The Arizona course is almost pancake flat so most race reports talk about struggling to stay aero for that long. In normal, riding through town and stuff you're always stopping, standing, etc with hills and lights. I've been scouring Google maps looking for a smooth, safe stretch of road that I can do loops or out-n-backs on.
I thought I had found one, the Clara Barton Parkway. It's a 4 lane road with not much traffic early morning on the weekends and it's flat with 8 miles out and back. The speed limit is 50mph but the cars have a whole lane to pass and plus there's shoulder here and there. Well I had successfully put in two 50 mile plus rides on the parkway when I was ending my 3rd 50 miler last weekend, I was stopped. Not totally stopped but enough of a police stop to tell me bikes aren't allowed on the parkway. Luckily, I didn't have to play the I just moved here card which so far has been successful in getting out of a "blowing through a stop sign in a park" ticket. Sure it's been over 3 years since coming out to DC but technically, I moved here just 3 years ago.
Anyway, back to Google for so more searching and then scouting on the bike. My back has definitely been a problem but hopefully it will get it's act together by November. Now the legs are slowly getting used to some outside miles and are coming around. My pace on the bike is getting a little easier but I still haven't done any intervals or tempos just yet.
In the back of mind, I think I can average 21mph for the Ironman bike portion with race wheels and aero helmet. It won't be a walk in the park but it won't be redline. This puts my goal bike time at 5:15. So the plan is do some serious bike training as the months close in to make 21mph feel like a ho-hum pace.
Stay tuned..
The one thing I do ride is the spin bike. I ride it like 2 or 3 times a week but it's really not the same. That first outdoor ride is a total shock to the legs. No heavy flywheel momentum to keep things rolling sucks. The position is totally different and so the back is sacrificed early on and even the ass is telling this seat is pretty hard and uncomfortable.
The bike is plan is just to do a gradual build until August. In August, start doing more structured workouts and using all the base from the early summer to really speed up. I'm struggling on just maintaining a nice easy slow workout pace when the weather is so nice. Going fast on the bike is so much fun especially when you can keep up with cars in 25mph zones. Patience is key or I will be totally burnt out by November.
The other key is to get the body ready to handle constant aero position for 5 plus hours. The Arizona course is almost pancake flat so most race reports talk about struggling to stay aero for that long. In normal, riding through town and stuff you're always stopping, standing, etc with hills and lights. I've been scouring Google maps looking for a smooth, safe stretch of road that I can do loops or out-n-backs on.
I thought I had found one, the Clara Barton Parkway. It's a 4 lane road with not much traffic early morning on the weekends and it's flat with 8 miles out and back. The speed limit is 50mph but the cars have a whole lane to pass and plus there's shoulder here and there. Well I had successfully put in two 50 mile plus rides on the parkway when I was ending my 3rd 50 miler last weekend, I was stopped. Not totally stopped but enough of a police stop to tell me bikes aren't allowed on the parkway. Luckily, I didn't have to play the I just moved here card which so far has been successful in getting out of a "blowing through a stop sign in a park" ticket. Sure it's been over 3 years since coming out to DC but technically, I moved here just 3 years ago.
Anyway, back to Google for so more searching and then scouting on the bike. My back has definitely been a problem but hopefully it will get it's act together by November. Now the legs are slowly getting used to some outside miles and are coming around. My pace on the bike is getting a little easier but I still haven't done any intervals or tempos just yet.
In the back of mind, I think I can average 21mph for the Ironman bike portion with race wheels and aero helmet. It won't be a walk in the park but it won't be redline. This puts my goal bike time at 5:15. So the plan is do some serious bike training as the months close in to make 21mph feel like a ho-hum pace.
Stay tuned..
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Let's talk swim
I figure why not just go discipline by discipline until it's all caught up. The swim...my nemesis..my Achilles' heel. It was reason it took me so long in the first to even attempt to do triathlons.
Sometime early in 2010, I finally figured out what all the swimmers meant when they said "high elbows". I applied this "ah-ha moment"(in memory of the Oprah show) and immediately my swim started getting faster. It's still been a slow process but my times keep getting slightly faster.
Just last week I swam my fastest 2400 yards ever in the pool and a month before that I swam 3000 yards in the pool at my 2008 Ironman wetsuit pace. Both these were big time for me. Perhaps, if I can slowly keep improving I can get out of the water at Arizona and not have to deal with the massive crush of swimmers in the transition area and to start the bike. At Canada, there was so many people in transition after my swim my toe got stepped on by someone's cycling shoe. It was one big bloody mess post marathon.
Today was a different story. I struggle to even come within 3 minutes of my PR in the pool. I just felt blah. When you feel blah on the run or bike, you can basically just trundle along but swimming it feels like you're a steel anchor just wanting to sink to the bottom of the pool. I was going so slow my flip turn timing was off and a couple of times was barely able to get any push from the wall. That's another part of my swimming improvement, I started doing flip-turns post Baltimore marathon and have been doing them ever since. I was surprised at how easy they were. I wish I had tried them before because they really help you keep some momentum.
Overall, I've made my goal at Arizona to be a 65 minute swim. This is 1:32 per 100yards. It will be a wetsuit swim which is good for at least 5-10 seconds per 100. You take away that and add sighting and battling the mass start swim with 2100 other folks and it's about right.
Coming soon the bike and who doesn't want to hear about my diet or as I call it Dorito-less.
Sometime early in 2010, I finally figured out what all the swimmers meant when they said "high elbows". I applied this "ah-ha moment"(in memory of the Oprah show) and immediately my swim started getting faster. It's still been a slow process but my times keep getting slightly faster.
Just last week I swam my fastest 2400 yards ever in the pool and a month before that I swam 3000 yards in the pool at my 2008 Ironman wetsuit pace. Both these were big time for me. Perhaps, if I can slowly keep improving I can get out of the water at Arizona and not have to deal with the massive crush of swimmers in the transition area and to start the bike. At Canada, there was so many people in transition after my swim my toe got stepped on by someone's cycling shoe. It was one big bloody mess post marathon.
Today was a different story. I struggle to even come within 3 minutes of my PR in the pool. I just felt blah. When you feel blah on the run or bike, you can basically just trundle along but swimming it feels like you're a steel anchor just wanting to sink to the bottom of the pool. I was going so slow my flip turn timing was off and a couple of times was barely able to get any push from the wall. That's another part of my swimming improvement, I started doing flip-turns post Baltimore marathon and have been doing them ever since. I was surprised at how easy they were. I wish I had tried them before because they really help you keep some momentum.
Overall, I've made my goal at Arizona to be a 65 minute swim. This is 1:32 per 100yards. It will be a wetsuit swim which is good for at least 5-10 seconds per 100. You take away that and add sighting and battling the mass start swim with 2100 other folks and it's about right.
Coming soon the bike and who doesn't want to hear about my diet or as I call it Dorito-less.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Time to get back to it
I figured it's a good time to update the old blog. The blog definitely helped me document all things Ironman training the last go around so I better get back at it even though Facebook has really made spouting off thoughts easier. No history though and it's good to have a detailed training blog. I'm super anal...er analyzing person so having a detail of how and what really lets me dial in the preparation for this upcoming Ironman. For example, I remember the Ironman marathon wall coming at mile 18 in my head. I went back to my race report and it read, "Mile 14 and the wall, WTF!". It's amazing on how my brain had already made the Ironman not so bad and why not do another one. Crap. See now I know that I got do a better job on my running training than last time and hey being 3 years older isn't going to matter, right.
The background is after last year's resounding success at welcoming my best friend Eric into old age(he turned 40), I knew my 40th was bearing down on me like a pre-teen wanting a Bieber autograph. What should I do to celebrate my 40th birthday and then it came to me, I'll run the prestigious Boston marathon and do an Ironman as well when I'm 40. It will show even old guys can still get stuff done.
The Boston marathon required some planning since you just can't sign up, you have to use another marathon time to qualify. So last March, I started training for the local Baltimore marathon in October. This way I could get my qualifying marathon out of way and use all of 2011 as training for an Ironman once I turn 40 in July. Luckily, I was successful last October and qualified for Boston. Now I just have to fight the internet hordes on sign-up day and hope I get in for April 2012.
The 2nd part was finding an Ironman post July 30th 2011. Ironman Arizona seemed perfect. The temperature is usually warm and Elena's grandpa(Amber's dad) lives in Arizona. The Ironman is right before Thanksgiving so the whole family could come and cheer me on and then we'd stay and celebrate Thanksgiving with grandpa. In order to guarantee myself an entry, I decided to travel out to the race for signup. Elena hadn't seen her grandpa in awhile so I brought Elena with me to sign-up and celebrate Thanksgiving with her grandpa. Elena had a blast and I got to sign up for an Ironman.
So 2011, I'll turn 40 and hopefully if all the training goes well I'll complete my 2nd Ironman. Stay tuned...
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Meat and Potatoes
The real training for the Baltimore Marathon is just starting for me. We're just under 3 months away and it's time to start getting some specific long runs and tempo workouts done.
Last week, I was able to run the first 12 miles of the actual marathon course. Falls Road Runners store put on a training run with 3 water stations on the course. It was great to get a preview of the course. The first miles are a gradual up followed by a gradual down. It's going to be imperative not to overcook these first 8 miles.
The marathon course runs right through some of the neighborhoods featured in the Wire HBO series. I just started watching it and it was based on Baltimore. It's cool on one hand as you can see some of streets where D and Stringer were doing their dealings but on the other hand it's not like being in the same area as let's say the MTV show The Hills. It's only for a few miles and the race starts at 8am so hopefully any potential drive-byers will still be in bed.
Speaking of the Wire, I've been trying to catch up on old TV series that I missed but now the networks have decided to have a summer TV season. WTH! So I've got to watch Hell's Kitchen, Rescue Me, Leverage, Mad Men and of course Jersey Shore. The first Jersey Shore episode was great. It's harder to tell if it's an act because of all the stardom but they based on the first season I'm guessing it's not too far off. Watching Snooki getting into a monster Cadillac SUV and crank the seat up for what seemed like 5 minutes was classic.
I'm slowly ramping up the cycling in preparation for the annual triathlon that Orion and I do together. The cycling legs have been slow to come around but I really have been more run focused so no big deal. I rode 85 last Sunday but only brought calories for 75. Major bonk during the last 10 as I was just trying to survive and get home. I was lucky that I went somewhat early because at around 3:30 we had a super big storm for this area. 60+ mph winds and massive rain. Tons of trees came down and kill power all around the area. We didn't have power for 2 full days because it was so bad.
Swimming is well swimming. I've gotten so extra speed by increasing my stroke cadence but that's it. Nothing super fast but I've only been doing consistent yards and no speed. It's just too painful. Ha! Of course all that will change come Nov. 21st when I signed up for Ironman Arizona 2011. I got plane tickets for Elena and I since her grandpa is in the area so we'll be staying with him. I also signed up for a volunteer position which is basically signing my name to the dotted line for an entry in next year's race. I can't believe I'm doing another one as it will be painful but what else should I do to commemorate my 40th year of living. I'm not buying a sports car because I'm too cheap so that's going to a piece of my midlife crisis.
Back to more fun things, running tempo miles. Yippee. Okay they're painful but a necessary evil to be able to complete Baltimore in a time to qualify for Boston. I ran just 6 of them today and was quite please with my times. I'm on schedule but in the 10 miles of tempo later are going to be painful.
Last week, I was able to run the first 12 miles of the actual marathon course. Falls Road Runners store put on a training run with 3 water stations on the course. It was great to get a preview of the course. The first miles are a gradual up followed by a gradual down. It's going to be imperative not to overcook these first 8 miles.
The marathon course runs right through some of the neighborhoods featured in the Wire HBO series. I just started watching it and it was based on Baltimore. It's cool on one hand as you can see some of streets where D and Stringer were doing their dealings but on the other hand it's not like being in the same area as let's say the MTV show The Hills. It's only for a few miles and the race starts at 8am so hopefully any potential drive-byers will still be in bed.
Speaking of the Wire, I've been trying to catch up on old TV series that I missed but now the networks have decided to have a summer TV season. WTH! So I've got to watch Hell's Kitchen, Rescue Me, Leverage, Mad Men and of course Jersey Shore. The first Jersey Shore episode was great. It's harder to tell if it's an act because of all the stardom but they based on the first season I'm guessing it's not too far off. Watching Snooki getting into a monster Cadillac SUV and crank the seat up for what seemed like 5 minutes was classic.
I'm slowly ramping up the cycling in preparation for the annual triathlon that Orion and I do together. The cycling legs have been slow to come around but I really have been more run focused so no big deal. I rode 85 last Sunday but only brought calories for 75. Major bonk during the last 10 as I was just trying to survive and get home. I was lucky that I went somewhat early because at around 3:30 we had a super big storm for this area. 60+ mph winds and massive rain. Tons of trees came down and kill power all around the area. We didn't have power for 2 full days because it was so bad.
Swimming is well swimming. I've gotten so extra speed by increasing my stroke cadence but that's it. Nothing super fast but I've only been doing consistent yards and no speed. It's just too painful. Ha! Of course all that will change come Nov. 21st when I signed up for Ironman Arizona 2011. I got plane tickets for Elena and I since her grandpa is in the area so we'll be staying with him. I also signed up for a volunteer position which is basically signing my name to the dotted line for an entry in next year's race. I can't believe I'm doing another one as it will be painful but what else should I do to commemorate my 40th year of living. I'm not buying a sports car because I'm too cheap so that's going to a piece of my midlife crisis.
Back to more fun things, running tempo miles. Yippee. Okay they're painful but a necessary evil to be able to complete Baltimore in a time to qualify for Boston. I ran just 6 of them today and was quite please with my times. I'm on schedule but in the 10 miles of tempo later are going to be painful.
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