The Tri Car

The top tube length is too short to accommodate
the width of the bike rack arms.

I ran into issues with the new bike fitting on my existing bike rack because the rack arms are too wide for the narrow opening in the bike frame.

The bike rack.

So, what's a guy to do?  The only reasonable thing to do is take my wife's 2001 Honda Civic, which she so graciously traded with me for my much newer and nicer Trailblazer, and turn it into my rolling triathlon training-mobile.  If I can't fit the new bike on the outside of the car, I guess I'll just have to fit it on the inside.

Let me give a little background information.  I never, never have anybody ride in this car with me.  When we go somewhere as a family (her, me and The Furricane) we always take the Trailblazer.  The Honda is my little good-gas-mileage-scoot-around-towner, which is usually littered with running shoes, swim stuff, bike gear, etc.  So I thought to myself, what would be a good solution to haul all of my gear around while keeping my bike safe?

The Dilemma:  The bike is made of carbon, therefore it's both expensive and fragile.  So, I can't just cram it into the trunk or throw it in the backseat.  It needs to be stable and secure with little to no pressure applied to the frame.  Also, the constant chore of transferring my bike stuff from the house to the car one day, then my run gear the next, followed by my swim stuff--back and forth, to and fro, repeat, repeat, repeat was getting to be a bit annoying.

The Solution:  Tri Car

Bada-Bing

I removed the front seat to allow space for the bike. This has multiple benefits, including some unforeseen.   Benefit 1:  My bike can go with me to train.  Kind of important.  Benefit 2:  The person sitting in the backseat on the passenger side has more leg room than on a first-class flight.  If Shaq ever needs a ride, we're good to go.  Benefit 3:  Norman can now ride comfortably in a car he once battled relentlessly in pursuit of stable transport.  The distance between the floor and the ceiling of the car is absolutely perfect for the bike to gently wedge itself in.  Better lucky than good.

Bada-Boom

Speaking of better lucky than good,  the front bolts that once held the seat are in the perfect location to attach a ratchet strap.  Boom. This little puppy's going where?  Nowhere.

Not something you normally see.

There is one major problem with this setup.  Every time I back out of my driveway or a parking space, I reach for the passenger seat, and it's not there...and it feels weird.  I don't like it.

Ignore the leaves, it's fall.

I also upgraded the trunk and the dilemma of traipsing back-and-forth with different gear everyday is no longer a hassle.  The bin on the left is swim gear, the center is bike and the right is run.  Swim, bike, run--just like a triathlon.  I have to keep it in that order or else I'd be screwed.  You'd see me running beside my bike wearing fins and goggles if I didn't keep the system simple.  The two bags on the left contain cold-weather gear and yoga clothes.  The tray in the bottom right corner is where I put sweaty stuff because it's an elevated grate that allows air circulation.  The car of a triathlete can get a little stinky.

Norman, a.k.a. The Furricane

Starting the Program

So, yesterday was the first day of my half-iron distance training program.  I ran about five miles of intervals with Mel and my running group at the YMCA.  For those who don't know, intervals are periods of fast running followed by periods of slow running.

This is what Wikipedia says about interval training:

Interval training is a favorite of coaches because of its effectiveness in cardiovascular build-up and also its ability to make more well-rounded runners / riders. However, it is also applicable to exercisers as it helps improve exercisers’ aerobic capacity to exercise longer at varying intensities (Mayo Clinic, 2009).

This is a basic  interval training chart

Interval training can be an effective means of enhancing an athlete's lactate threshold. Lactate threshold has been shown to be a significant factor determining performance for long distance running events.

This method of training may be more effective at inducing fat loss than simply training at a moderate intensity level for the same duration. This is due to the metabolism boosting effects of high intensity intervals.

This is where I swim, minus the kids.

The running went a lot better than I thought it was going to.  I felt pretty good after taking so many weeks off and eating whatever I wanted.  However, I did feel some discomfort in my left ankle, so, I'll have to keep an eye on that.

I also got back in the pool today.  The wrist is not ready for swimming; it hurt to pull backward and I couldn't really put any power into my left arm.  I decided to do some kicking drills and also use my fins.  With the fins, I can still use my left arm to work my shoulder and back without needing to depend on power from my left arm to propel myself forward.  Hopefully the wrist will heal quickly because swimming is my favorite part of training. 

Tomorrow is a bike day.  Sweet.

Not Broken

Ortho Carolina looked at the x-rays and they say it's not broken. Yay!  This means I can start my training as planned this Monday, I just can't go all out.  This is a short post meant to update my status.  Sorry there's no picture.

Heartbreak

I took the new bike out yesterday for her maiden voyage on a slower paced group ride I usually do on Saturday mornings.  The bike is amazing!  It's incredibly fast, light and aerodynamic.  I could feel the bike wanting to go faster, and the faster I rode it, the better it performed.  It's incredibly sleek, so it slices through the wind with little resistance.

Everything was going great until I had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing into a woman who turned too sharply in front of me.  In my effort to avoid crashing into her, I pulled too hard on the front brake and flipped forward over the handle bars.  My first thought was, "Oh no, I just wrecked my brand new bike on it's first ride."

After scraping myself off the concrete, I put my rear wheel back into position (the impact was so hard, the rear wheel popped out) and gave my bike a quick look over.  Everything seemed to be in order with no major damage to the bike, but my wrists hurt.  A minute or two later, my left wrist really began to hurt.  I clipped back into my bike to put a little weight on my wrist to see if I could continue the ride.  No bueno, the left wrist was done.

Luckily, the wreck couldn't have happened at a better spot.  The ride is 42 miles in distance and I went down at the spot about as close to my house as possible--just one mile away.  I hopped back on my bike and limped home.  Shannon took me to the ER for x-rays and sure enough: It's broken.

The bone to the outside of the wrist is broken.  Notice the emblem in the top-right corner of the x-ray.  It looks eerily similar to the Ironman logo.  Coincidence?

They put me in this splint until I see an orthopedic specialist this week where I'll have it casted.  The ER doc said he thinks I'll be in the cast for 6-8 weeks.  This incident throws a major wrench in my training for the White Lake race on April 6.  I feel confident I'll be able to run and cycle with a cast, but the swimming and weightlifting is out of the question.

I'm not going to let this injury stop me from training and completing White Lake.  I'll have less time to train, but that just means I'll have to train much harder after I've recovered.

Holy SHIV!

I finally did it.  After months of research and test rides, I bought my first Tri Bike!  And not just any bike, a Specialized SHIV.  A nasty beast of aerodynamic perfection fit for Ironman world champions!  O.K., let me pump the brakes on the excitement level.  The version I bought is kind of the stripped down, working-man's version, but, nonetheless it's an amazing piece of engineering badassness. 

I can't believe I have one of these.

After test riding it for about an hour, I knew this was the bike for me and the timing couldn't have been any better.  One of my local bike shops had it on sale (which never happens with this bike) and also gave me one year same as cash (which without, I wouldn't have been able to afford this bike). 

I find myself going out of my way when I walk through my house just to look at my new bike.

2013 Schedule

Got these Asics Fuji Racer trail shoes yesterday.  This is a $110 trail shoe, but with discounts through various race registrations, I only paid $41 for them!  They're super-lightweight with amazing feel.  I haven't had a chance to run them yet because of the disgusting, rainy, 39-degree weather this morning.  I think I'm going to test them tomorrow morning at one of my trail spots, Colonel Francis Beatty Park.

White Lake is super shallow with crystal clear water and
a white sand bottom.   It is only 9 feet deep in the center!

This past Wednesday I met with my tri coach (who I'll refer to as Mel) and devised a training plan and race schedule for 2013.  Much to my approval, we decided to forego any marathons and strictly focus on a couple of half-ironmans, the full ironman and some Olympic distance races sprinkled in here and there.

I'm going to do the White Lake half-ironman April 6th in NC.  White Lake is a pretty famous race that everyone seems to love.  I'm super stoked for it because I feel like the half-iron distance is going to be my favorite distance.  A half-ironman consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and ends with a 13.1-mile half-marathon.  The half-marathon is my favorite running race distance, so I'm hoping my love for this distance converts to triathlon.

I've already registered for White Lake.  The other half-ironman Mel wants me to do is called Patriots Half and is in Williamsburg, Virginia.  I'm not 100% sold on doing this race because it is on Septmeber 7, 2013--which is only 7 weeks before the Beach 2 Battleship ironman.  I'm a little apprehensive about doing a half-ironman that close to my full ironman.  I would be devastated if I get injured during a race just 7 weeks before my goal of the full ironman.  I'm going to wait a few weeks before I make the decision to register for Patriots.

Patriot Half swim course.

The cool thing about the Patriot Half is the swim takes place in the James River and the run takes place next to the Jamestown Settlement.  The run is flat and fast with no hills.  I'll probably end up doing it with the frame-of-mind that if I feel anything weird going on with my body I'll drop out.  The purpose of the half-ironman races and whichever Olympic races I decide to do are all for training.  I'm not going to "race" them, I'm going to "do" them.  There is a huge difference.






My 18-week half-iron distance training program begins December 3rd.  Until then, I'm going to continue to ride a little, run a little, swim a little and lift weights.  I'm also going to enjoy Thanksgiving and some Sundays with football and beer.  Cheers to the off-season!

Back in the Saddle

This past Thursday I got back on my bike after three weeks of nursing an injury.  It felt great to get the legs spinning, but damn I am out of shape.  I rode with 3 other cyclists at 8 a.m.--Bob, Bill and Carrie, all of whom are extremely strong and experienced riders.  The pace was mediocre at first, then picked up on the way back to our starting point.  The few weeks off really showed and I struggled to keep up in the last few miles. Normally I would truck along with no problems at the pace we rode, but this day I felt weak.  That 8 a.m. 15-mile ride was a little warm-up  before our 9 a.m. 35-mile group ride.  The group ride was easier than our 8 a.m. ride because there were more people.  This is because of the whole slipstream thing.  The ride went well until the last 5 miles.  I was spent.  My legs felt super-heavy and I was out of gas.  I managed to stick with the fast group and even pulled for a few miles but was glad to see our finishing point.  Although my first day back after the injuries was brutal, I could tell that I'll be back to shape in no time.

2 wheels in 3 days

I'm getting back on the bike in 3 days and I can't wait!  I almost went for a ride today, but decided against it because the rib is still pretty sore. I ride with a group of 15 - 40 cyclists on Thursday mornings at 9am.  The group starts together, then we usually separate into groups of different speeds.  I ride with the fast group up front and often find myself "pulling."  Pulling means you're in the front of the line.  On average, you work 30% harder when riding at the front because everyone behind you is in the slipstream.

Pulling is a great way to get into better race shape because it's a harder ride.  It also better prepares you for triathlon because drafting is illegal in most races.  If you're caught drafting in a race, you have to serve a time penalty.

Dave Scott and Mark Allen

Standing in a penalty box for two minutes can really change the outcome of a race.  The picture of the two animals racing shoulder to shoulder is of Ironman legends Dave Scott and Mark Allen gutting it out in what is now known as the Iron War.  This is just one of many instances where a two-minute penalty could ruin your race.  I once finished an international + distance race in 02:59:25--a two-minute penalty would have put me over the three hour mark.  Let me tell you, when you race, there is a huge difference between seeing a 2 in the hours column and a 3. In addition to falling two minutes behind your would-be finishing time, dismounting your bike and getting out of your cadence and coming to a full stop throws you off your game--both physically and mentally.

I'm super excited to get back on the bike and hopefully the rib and oblique will hold up.  I plan on sitting in with the middle of the pack in order to take it easy.  However, every time I say I'm going to "take it easy," I usually find myself doing the opposite.  I always want to push it hard.  One of the many things I need to learn is patience, both in training and life.

Injuries and nutrition

Not that kind of rib

This muscle

Three weeks ago I tore a left oblique muscle during a soccer game.  I continued to train hurt and even did a mini mock tri at the YMCA.  I'm the type of person who has trouble giving in to injuries--I figure they'll eventually work themselves out.  This was a bad idea.  Two weeks after my ab injury, I took a hit in another soccer game and bruised a rib--on the same side as the oblique.  Because of the two injuries, both on the left side, I haven't trained the past couple of weeks.  Honestly, it's kind of nice to have a break from the early morning workouts and it couldn't have happened at a better time because I have no races scheduled any time soon.

This morning's breakfast

The problem is, I haven't been eating properly either.  The combination of little-to-no exercise and eating whatever I want has taken its toll.  I'm tired in the middle of the day and I'm not sleeping well.  It's amazing how quickly cutting down on training and eating whatever I want has made an impact.  I have to rest these types of injuries or else they'll never properly heal.

Pulled pork burrito...yummy

I hope to be healed enough to get back to light training in 2 weeks.  Until then, I need to get my nutrition together so I don't fall too far behind.  But, not tonight, tonight it's Qdoba.

Introduction

I started this blog as a record of my latest endeavor.  Yesterday (Nov. 1, 2012), I registered for an iron-distance triathlon being held in Wilmington, NC on October 26, 2013.  It's called PPD Beach 2 Battleship.  An iron distance race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and finally a 26.2-mile marathon run.  The cutoff time to complete the race is 17 hours.  To some people, this sounds crazy, but thousands of people do it every year.  I want to do this because it's said to be the most challenging physical test on earth.  I want to do this to prove to myself that I can.  I want to do this because I want to feel what it means to push my body to it's limits.  I want to do this to be called an Ironman.

I started running for fitness in April of 2011 because I wanted to be in shape when I turned 30 the coming September.  I remember going to Dicks Sporting Goods and finding a sweet pair of Adidas running shoes.  I picked them because (a) they were Adidas, (b) they fit well...so I thought, and (c) they looked sweet.  The third reason being the most important, of course.  I remember my first few runs--I could barely make it half a mile without walking.  I had the desire to run fast and far, just not the fitness.

Those first running shoes

My latest running shoe

Since then, I have run a couple of 5K's, a couple of half-marathons, an ultra-distance trail run (31 miles), a sprint triathlon, an Olympic distance triathlon, and hundreds of training miles.  I bought a road bike, joined a triathlon training team, watched what I ate, ran a ton, biked a ton, and swam a ton.  I've trained, trained some more, and then trained even more.  

My road bike

Pinehurst International Triathlon
October 2012
3rd place in division
The awards were soup bowls, which I am holding.

Water is Basic 5k
March, 2012

Cane Creek Sprint Triathlon
September, 2012
I'm the one without the muscles.

Ironman logo

I'm going to update this blog on a regular basis and in an informal manner.  I can't promise it's going to be funny, dramatic, inspiring or even worth reading.  What I want for the blog is to keep track of my training.  Not to keep track of how many miles I run, bike and swim, but, the personal side of training for an Ironman.  That's another thing I have to explain.  "Ironman" is a brand, or an organization.  So, the race in Wilmington isn't technically an "Ironman" but an "iron distance."  I may refer to my race as an "Ironman" or "the race" or "iron-distance," but most likely I'll be calling it Ironman.

This wasn't what I had planned for the introduction, but like I said earlier, I'm going to keep it loose and just type what comes to mind.