2013: What's in Store for the New Year

It's been nearly two months since Ironman Arizona.  A quick rundown of the goings-ons:

The rest of November was all about rest.  Some physical therapy through December and then came the holiday craziness.  Not only the usual holiday parties, family gatherings and gift shopping, but also an excessively busy work schedule and demands.  Now that the new year is upon us, it is once again time to re-assess plans.

After Ironman Arizona, a frequent question folks had for me was what I am planning on doing next.  Another Ironman?  Something completely different?  The answer was always the same - I have no idea.

Now that I had some time to reflect and go through a number of options, it's still not crystal clear, but I have a better plan for this year.

Iron Sherpa's goals for 2013 includes running a half-marathon and a full marathon.  She's already done the half-marathon (so did I, race report coming soon) and is signed up for the Los Angeles Marathon coming up in March.  My role in all of this is to help train her up for these races, to be part coach and part sherpa.  Doing this for Iron Sherpa will undoubtedly help me maintain my fitness level as well, which has become harder during the winter time in part due to the weather, but also due to not having an Ironman scare me into training regularly.

Beyond that, I am hoping to find a sprint triathlon and an olympic triathlon to do locally, just for fun but also to keep up the training and fitness.  On top of that, my dragon boat team will be trying to qualify for Club Crew Championships this year, in order to compete in Italy next year.  So I will be focusing much of my fitness on accomplishing that.

The injury is still affecting my shoulder, I can't paddle with the team or do much strength training.  Still a bummer, but I can feel that it is slowly getting better.  A month without physical therapy has made it a bit stiff again, though this morning's session really helped.  I have "homework" exercises to do too.

But I think that summarizes my plan for the year.  Help train Iron Sherpa for her marathon.  Focus on dragon boating. A sprint and olympic triathlon.

Falling Apart: The Knee

Knee pains have bothered me since the beginning of training and right through Ironman Arizona.  Usually appearing only during long training runs, the pain is pretty sharp, on the outside bone of the knee.  Yes, I'm lacking any actual medical terminology, but then again, I'm not a scientist.



That's not my butt



A visit to the physical therapist, who advised me that the knee pain is actually due to my Iliotibial band (IT band).  Anti-inflammatory medicine should help - which is great since I already have a stash of 800mg ibuprofens. 

Unfortunately, even after complete rest for nearly two weeks, the pain still comes back during training runs.  Yesterday, an attempt at an easy few miles was cut short when the pain hit just past mile 2, and forced me to stop when the pain continued to get worse at mile 3.  This is not a good sign, as the pain usually does not occur so early. 

It's time to start doing IT band stretches and being more careful with it.  Even though Ironman Arizona is behind me now, Iron Sherpa is still sherpaing.  She already bought me an IT band/knee brace which has garnered multiple positive reviews for being helpful.  I'll have to try it soon.

Post-Race Time; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

One of my friends competed in Ironman way back in 1982 - well before the Ironman series became such a large commercial success, and raced with the Ironman legends (Dave Scott and others).  He warned me of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (in a lighthearted way, not to make light of the real Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affecting many of our nation's soldiers).  He jokingly tells me about dreams/'nightmares' he gets about the Ironman still.

Last night was my first one.  Details, as usual, are fuzzy now though I remember somehow losing both tires (along with the inner tubes) and wondering how I was going to get through the rest of the ride.  Many nonsensical scenarios in my dream, each of them making it difficult to finish.  The loss of the tires is probably related to my flat and other issues I ran into as a consequence of my early bike crash during Ironman Arizona.

But other than one dream, post-Ironman Arizona has been relatively stress-free.  Finally went to see a physical therapist for injuries sustained during an October bike spill while training.

Not only has my schedule been stress-free, but it's also been mostly exercise-free.  Other than a 9 minute high-intensity stair climb (up 50 flights of stairs) as a part of a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I've done very little.  The itch is back to start swimming, riding and running again.  Weather has not been cooperating but that's a weak excuse.  It's time to get back on the horse again.

Ironman Arizona: The Best Part [Part 2]

Pre-race Sherpa facebook posts are here.  And now we continue with her posts during the race!

Beginning of the swim.  At this point, I've been in the water for 15 minutes already, waiting for the cannon to signal the start of Ironman Arizona.  She's posted up by the swim finish, camera in hand and ready to cheer me on.  And yes, I agree.  She's the best Sherpa ever.



My first Sherpa sighting!



As I get through transition and on the bike, she knows she's got a bit of downtime while I go about making my first loop on the bike course.  She later tells me she noticed my first bike split was rather slow and was a bit worried.  What she didn't know at the time was my fight with the street sign and my flat, both of which are reflected in my slow first bike split.



She's got her timing down, estimating when I would pass through our pre-arranged cheering spot. 



Off to the run!  Two thumbs up on the outside, but my knee was already hurting by this point.  Didn't want to show the pain though.  Guess I covered it up pretty well.



Figure-eight course allowed for lots of places to see Sherpa.  Which meant I knew at those points I needed to look strong and as if nothing was bothering me!  I can tell my coach my knee hurts but Sherpa, I don't want to worry her with such things.  It's already been a long day, and I'm glad she's having fun.

 

Always thinking ahead!  What would I do without her?




Mile 23, I remember you.  At that point, I was telling myself "all you need to do is a 5k run. You've done plenty. You do one (and more) nearly every morning. This is nothing. Let's get 'er done."  And all through this, Sherpa is still running around like a maniac.  Some say I'm crazy for doing an Ironman. I say she's crazy for putting up with me doing an Ironman.



Done! Sherpa was right at the finish line.  I didn't see her, but I heard her yelling and screaming. :)
I did find her a little later as a volunteer led me a few steps away from the finish line (so others can have their moment too).



Even I thought the kiss was salty. :p

  What a day.  As much as I accomplished that day, Sherpa was obviously one busy girl all day too!

Many thanks to Sherpa for all of her support, time, effort and sacrifices.  Many thanks to all of my (and her) friends who commented and liked the posts and otherwise showed endless support on our successful Ironman endeavor!

Ironman Arizona: The Best Part [Part 1]

It's been just over two weeks since I finished Ironman Arizona.  I've had a chance to blog about the experience a bit, talk with a number of people, both who have done Ironman event in the past and family and friends who wanted to know more about my experience.  I also had some time to reflect on the experience - and it was definitely a good experience.

Among the most frequently asked question is "What was the best part?"

Many times the question is asked with the qualifier, "not counting the finish..."  But I don't even think the finish was the best part.  Maybe second best.  Crossing the finish line, rather than a sense of accomplishing a once-in-a-lifetime achievement and feeling on top of the world, I felt more relief.  Relief the race was over, that I did (and can tell people that I did) what I had set out to do.  It was relief that the time, energy, effort, money, and sacrifices was for something.

But the best part?  The best part was walking back to the hotel room after everything was done and having Iron Sherpa tell me about her day.  Running around like a maniac (my words, not hers) to make sure she saw me as often as possible and live facebook-blogging my entire race.  Then getting to the hotel room and her telling me to get on the computer and take a look at all the facebook activity that occurred through the day.

That was the best part of the day.  Take a look.  Below each of Iron Sherpa's facebook post includes a link to my corresponding blog post.  Kinda neat to get insider her head too.

Arrival in Tempe.  So many friends cheering me on from afar!



Thursday before IMAZ.  Biggest decision of the weekend... strip club or zoo?



Friday night before IMAZ, the energy and electricity of Ironman is enveloping us.



Ironman's Eve.  Is she just too cute or what?!  And it's true, I really did/do
appreciate hearing from and seeing posts from so many friends.



Still Ironman's Eve.  This is the post that was visible to me. Sneaky girl, that one!




Our super-early morning, day of Ironman Arizona.  I think she posted this up when I went off to
get body markings.  Not sure which one of the two of us was more nervous about the race...

 Next up... Iron Sherpa's facebook posts during the actual race.

Dispatch from Tempe: Cycle Test and Registration

Athlete wristband

Thursday, November 15.  Woke up late. No alarm, no work, just a leisurely day with a short to-do list.  Still ended up waking at 8am Arizona time. That's 7am normal people (California) time.

On the to-do list today was a quick bike ride.  Keep the legs loose, make sure the bike is in good mechanical condition, and also test out the carbon discs borrowed from my triathlon coach.  As Iron Sherpa commented, I was downright giddy with the speed I had on those discs.  Race strategy dictates keeping the heartrate at 130bpm or below for at least the first 2 loops (of three) in order to play it safe and make sure I have some gas left for the marathon coming up.  130bpm is pretty relaxed, yet I was able to maintain an 18-20mph ride. 

Second item on the to-do list was athlete check-in.  Easy and quick, with very helpful Ironman volunteers.  Two ladies that helped me check-in were super excitable, repeat Ironman participants, and became even more excited when I told them this was my first Ironman.  As the day inches closer, I'm definitely getting excited myself. 

Then it was rest and relaxation time.  An afternoon movie and a little shopping.  Looking forward to another easy day tomorrow!

Dispatch from Tempe - Arrival on Location

Packed full and ready to roll.

Wednesday, November 13.  Arrived in Tempe, AZ.  Time to get acclimated to the area (again).  The trip in October was a course preview trip.  This time around, we (Iron Sherpa and I) are staying at the same hotel as last time, which is of some comfort.  Not only that, but the friendly fellow at the front desk remembered me and even gave me the same room.  First floor (for easy bicycle access), and facing the parking lot (for a quieter hotel room).  We're likely here a day or two earlier than most Ironman competitors.

Earlier in the week, I met with my coach to discuss final prep details as well as weekend strategy.  More on that in another post - but basically, don't push too hard in the beginning and remember this is an endurance race.

This morning was all prep work.  This is a five day trip, so there's a lot of clothes.  Not only that, but lots of food and gear as well.  My coach lent me a pair of carbon wheels, which I am to use if the conditions allow - meaning it's not too windy. 

Carbon wheels strapped in and ready to go!

Tonight is just a night to relax.  The circus starts tomorrow - I'm planning on getting checked in early and then taking it easy for the rest of the day.  There'll be a run to the supermarket for some fresh food and water, perhaps a trip to the local triathlon shop as well.

It's funny to arrive in Arizona and lose an hour since this state does not observe daylight savings.  I'm now an hour ahead of my friends in California.

Well.  This is it.  Only a few more days until the big day.

After Week 20

Week 20 is the last full week before Ironman Arizona (each week beginning on Monday, thus next week includes Ironman Arizona on Sunday).

What started off as a good week quickly went to hell in a hand basket.  It was already scheduled to be a relatively light training week.  I got to use one of my new toys, and it proved even more effective than I would have imagined.

I looked forward to testing my shoulder, now with the aid of ibuprofen, on a schedule Sunday morning open water swim.  It was also to be a test to see what kind of swim speed I can maintain on a slightly-bum left shoulder.

But alas.  Come Saturday, shortly after my cycling/run session, I quickly deteriorated to a heaping, curled up ball of pain on my bed for the majority of the rest of the weekend.  The culprit? Stomach flu.  Robbed me of one last weekend of training (even if not heavy), as well as upsetting my sleep schedule and meal schedule.  Though I was pretty much out of the woods by weekend's end, the effects of the virus is still evident - a bit less appetite and a seemingly more fragile gastrointestinal system.

Even with all of that though, I do feel fairly prepared.  Months of training is not going to be derailed by a few days' illness - and thank goodness this did not happen on race weekend.  Each passing day I get a little bit better, so hopefully by the time I leave for Arizona, I'll be back to 100%.

Bike: 50.6 miles + 120 min on the trainer

Run: 5.5 miles
Swim: 4375 meters (2.71 miles)

Total Time:  7:41 hours

The Setback, a Follow Up

Back in October, my training hit a snag when I took a spill during a cycling session.  While the road rash has been healing up quite nicely (except for one small spot that is still a bit tender), my shoulder has continued to be a a source of pain and discomfort.

Iron Sherpa finally convinced me to go see a doctor.  With a recommendation from a doctor friend of mine, I found a friendly orthopaedic (their spelling, not mine) close by.  After an x-ray and a few simple tests where I push my arm against his hand, he determined it to be a bicep tendon tear.  Nothing serious that requires surgery, thankfully, or that will affect my arm/shoulder for long - but still good that I saw a doctor about it.

He gave me a shot of cortizone, prescribed some Motrin (ibuprofen) and six weeks of physical therapy.  The cortizone and ibuprofen seems to be working their magic already; apparently they are both anti-inflammatory drugs.  Never had physical therapy before. This will be an interesting experience.  After six weeks' time, I'll take another visit to the good doctor who will hopefully give me a clean bill of health.

As a result of this, I'll likely try to take it easy on the swim training sessions, especially in the pool.  But on Sunday I still plan on hitting the open water for a longer swim.  It'll be my last chance to do an open water swim before IMAZ.

Then after IMAZ, doctor's orders to take it easy.  He wasn't too thrilled I'm doing IMAZ so soon, but just told me to be careful.

Sherpa Reversal & Doing a Mary

Being an Iron Sherpa is hard work.  There's the food, the support, the training, and a whole host of other stuff too that takes up an enormous amount of effort and time.

So I try to lighten the load and help out a bit.  With the rather large amounts of food I eat every day now, Costco is the grocery shopping destination.  Usually Costco-sized bulk items are too much for any one person (or two) to finish before things start going bad.  But apparently I eat enough to get through Costco-sized items.

One day, I offered to hit Costco on my way home from work.  On that particular day, I had no evening training session planned so it worked out well.  Plus I wanted to get gas too.  I asked Iron Sherpa to send me a shopping list - I absolutely need lists because even if there were only two items, I'd probably forget one if I didn't have a list.  Iron Sherpa, having memorized Costco's layout, sent me the following list, probably because she knew I'd get lost and be completely unable to find the most basic of items:

At first, I thought, "hey, I can find these things just fine!" But then, once I got there... I must admit that the counterclockwise directions were hugely helpful.  Guess she's right to have no faith in my domestic skills.

Then, after some discussion of 2013 plans (read: post-Ironman) , Iron Sherpa decided she would like to train for and run a half-marathon and a full marathon in 2013 (and do a half-Ironman as well).  In triathlon talk (and maybe running circles too), that's doing a half-mary and doing a mary (and a HIM).  Iron Sherpa asked that I don't go around telling people she wants to do a mary, but instead I should say a "marathon."  Iron Sherpa doing a mary, I like the sound of that. I will help her!

Of course, this means I get to play the role of Sherpa (and coach).  First thing to do: set up a training calendar.  Using Google Calendar, I set up a weeks' worth of schedule for Iron Sherpa - what will be her first week of scheduled, regimented training, and shared the calendar with her.  Then I noticed an unauthorized addition to her calendar!



Unauthorized entry! Not a part of the plan!

 Sherp sherp.

Daily Priorities & Nutrition

Nearly every morning there is a morning training session.  More often than not, there is also an evening training session.  I usually do my runs and rides in the mornings, and save any swims, weight lifting or "functional strength" (core workouts) for the evenings.

Coupled with a demanding work schedule, the training keeps me pretty busy.  Each morning, I run through a mental checklist of items I will need for the day, since an evening workout generally means not getting home until nearly 9pm as I go to the gym/pool immediately after work.

That mental checklist can be broken down into two main categories: (1) work-related and normal daily items, and (2) training-related items.  I almost always carry two bags to work for that reason, though the gym bag stays in the car all day.

The work-related/normal daily items include:

- security badge

- wallet

- phone

- work bag with any work I brought home the previous day

The training-related items include:

- swim gear (jammers, sandals, goggles, Garmin)

- shorts for after-gym wear

- extra ziploc bag to keep my training notes waterproof

My booty



Then there's the all important daily nutrition.  Today's workout included a morning trainer ride and then a long (3800m) swim in the evening.  That means today is an extra food day:

- bento box of mixed nuts and mixed vegetables

- apple

- two plums ("fun fruit")

- quesadilla

- rice krispy treats (hooray!)

- turkey sammich

- pb+banana sammich

- hard-baked egg

A "normal" food day would include only the bento box, apple, fun fruit and egg.  Since I began Ironman training, the sammich has become a part of the "normal" food day as well.  The only item that is not healthy in my lunch is the rice krispy treats.  However, I don't normally have desserts packed with my lunch.  Just today (and for the next few days until the treats run out!).  Everything home-made (though not by me; I'm pretty much useless in the kitchen).

With that many items on the list, it's easy to forget one or two items.  The most often forgotten item? By far and away, the wallet.   Like today, for example.

Proof of a Good Week

The result of Week Seven.  Air dry pretty much all of the athletic wear.  It was a good week! Followed by a huuuuuge laundry day.

Amazing Things Happen When You Train Hard (new Personal Record?)

Yes, it is true. Amazing things happen.  You may experience the runner's high.  You'll likely find yourself getting faster and feeling stronger. 

This week started innocously.  On Tuesday, I had a run and swim scheduled.  I usually get my run done first thing in the morning, when it is still relatively cool outside.  Then it's off to work.  If it's a slow day, I try get get my swim done before lunch since the gym is pretty quiet in the mornings.  After lunch, the gym gets busier, especially the swimming pool.  Around 4:00 pm or perhaps just before then, the pool empties again and doesn't get busy until after 5:00 pm.  So if I'm not in the pool in the morning, I usually wait until 4:00 pm or 4:30 pm to hit the gym.  Swim workouts have lengthened up to 2000 meters which takes a bit of time to complete.  At times I'll get into the pool with one other person but by the time I'm done, the lanes are all full and there's people waiting.

So back to Tuesday.  I ran in the morning, easy run for a total of just over 4 miles - but still a very sweaty run.  I'm talking shirt drenched, skin glistening in the sun type of sweat.  In those thirty some odd minutes, a visible tan line on my shoulders already appeared (wearing a sleeveless shirt), which gives some idea of how sunny it was.

Then in the afternoon I did a 2000 yard swim.  It doesn't seem as long when you break it into less intimidating sets.  Not that the swim wasn't tiring.  But it certainly felt pretty great.

For some reason, after I shower at the gym, I still smell like chlorine.  Perhaps it's weak body wash provided by the gym.  In any case, not only did I [one] shower in the morning after my run, I also [two] showered at the gym after my swim.  Then before climbing in bed, I [three] showered once more to clean off the residual chlorine.  Yes, that's right - my investment is paying massive dividends and I believe I hit a new PR (personal record) on Tuesday with three showers in one single day! Amazing, yes, I know!  Is four possible? I'm not sure, but who knows what the training will hold for me in the future!

Achievement Unlocked: Warmth in the Wetsuit

The new wetsuit: 2XU R:2 Race Wetsuit

Recently I purchased a new wetsuit, the 2XU R:2 Racing Wetsuit, it being a "mid-level" wetsuit and supposedly a big step up from my "entry-level" wetsuit I had purchased two years ago.  The new wetsuit has a few neat features that is supposed to help me slip through the water.  Neat honeycomb 3D "catch panels" on the forearms and water channels down the chest for better water flow.

It made its race debut at the Alcatraz Challenge this past weekend.  As I mentioned in the earlier post, we had to suit up and then take a ferry over to Alcatraz, where we jumped into the bay.  During the boat ride, I received many compliments on my new suit, and it made me feel very fancy and special.  It's a big more snug than my older wetsuit, but that may just be because the older one has stretched a little bit.  An issue I've had with the older wetsuit is chafing at the back of my neck, which I've found anti-chafing cream to help tremendously.  I applied it liberally to myself, all over my neck.

 

 

But more importantly, I finally achieved what once seemed unachievable at the race last weekend.  Sure, I swam from Alcatraz. But I also finally peed while swimming! And I'm not talking about just standing there and peeing in my wetsuit while in the water. I mean moving along at race pace and peeing while I swim!  I know swimmers do this all the time and it's no big deal at all - but for the longest time I had to stop everything to pee.  This time, I happily swam while peeing. It was a glorious and very warm few moments.

Achievement unlocked!

There are two types of surfers. Those who pee in their wetsuits and those who lie about not peeing in their wetsuits. Applies to triathletes too!  I pee in all of my wetsuits (don't forget that when you ask to borrow one).

Video: I'm Training for an Ironman

Just a little fun for today.



I've not gone to that extreme (yet)...