Dispatch from Tempe: Sign-Making

Friday, November 16.  Another "late" morning meaning I woke up just before 8am, without the aid of an alarm.  Slept a bit better today, I suppose I'm getting used to the bed here.  This morning consisted of an easy run with the main even being the Welcome Dinner for athletes. 

I was originally not planning on attending the Welcome Dinner, since I figured it was just some boring speeches by the race director and organizers, some bland food, and more boring speeches by local dignataries.  However, my triathlon coach recommended going, since it's a part of the "Ironman experience" and it's good to hear some of the talks, including, perhaps, from one or two of the pros.  It's at least a good chance to talk to other athletes and get excited about race day, and maybe an opportunity to pick up a little more inspiration and race course information.  But since we're here and I've put in so much time and money into Ironman already, I should try to soak up as much of the "Ironman experience" as possible.  So tonight, Iron Sherpa and I will be attending the Welcome Dinner together.

The morning's quick run led Iron Sherpa and I back to the Ironman Expo, where we cruised around for a little while. Ended up buying a shirt and Iron Sherpa had a fun arts-n-crafts day making spectator signs for me!

Tomorrow will be the last day before my first Ironman.  It'll also be a day filled with very important things to do.

The schedule will be another "late" morning, and followed by a quick swim.  The organizers are opening the swim area for two hours so athletes can get into the water and feel it out.  I brought two swim wetsuits and will be slipping into my "back-up" suit tomorrow to test out the waters.  Currently the water is listed at 67 degrees (that's 4pm on Friday).  I suspect the temperature tomorrow and on Sunday will be near that.  The waters in which I usually swim generally stay in the low-60s, so this water will be plenty warm.

Then it'll be time to turn in my various gear bags (T1, T2, 2 "Special Needs") and my bike - and then try to get a good night's rest.



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.

Fluid Rolling

I've been using my trusty stationary roller for quite a while now.  The convenience factor for weekday morning cycling sessions is a huge benefit.  It's not the most exciting way to train (or to ride) but it certainly gets the job done.  Using the roller still gets me very sweaty, even though it's now been moved to the garage, where I keep the garage door open as I train.  But sometimes I need to do workouts with higher heart rates, and then the roller doesn't provide enough resistance to get the heart rate high enough. 

And that's where my new toy comes in, the Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer.  My triathlon coach tells me he has been using his for nearly ten years, and has not had any issue with it.  I recommend getting it with the Riser Ring as it will help level your bicycle.  They also sell a non-slip mat, but I think any plain old yoga mat will do.

The fluid trainer is about three times more expensive than the stationary roller, but even after just one session on the fluid trainer, I can tell it is well worth the investment.  It is capable of providing much more resistance and allows me to sustain a high heart rate without trying to maintain an unrealistic pedal speed.  A knob at the back of the unit controls how much resistance you have, which helps with some of the training regimen.  It can help mimic a long hill and make for some really tough cycling.  The one funny thing about the fluid trainer is the fluid - actually sounds like fluid rolling around behind you.

A complaint I often read on the various review website is the noise produced from the fluid trainer.  I don't find it any louder than the stationary roller, though I have the benefit of using them in an open garage rather than in my living room.  I also listen to the radio with earphones on.  In the garage, I don't find any trouble holding a normal conversation and normal voices though.

In the end, for those triathletes and cyclists in a time crunch or who might not want to ride in inclement weather, this is the trainer to get.

After Week 19

A great week! For a number of reasons.

1.  2400m swim completed on Wednesday with some discomfort on the shoulder, but nothing I would classify as pain.  This was followed by a 2 mile swim on Sunday morning in Oceanside (more on the weekend next).

2.  Beautiful weekend in Oceanside, where a few friends, Iron Sherpa and I participated in the Bike the Coast century tour.  I added a few miles to the end of the century ride as a part of training, but was definitely pretty exhausted at the end of the hundred miles.  A strong headwind for the last portion of the ride really didn't help matters either.  And then after that, I went on a 6 mile run which allowed me to run the pier. 

3.  Great long run (17.6 miles) without knee pains.  Pace was a few seconds per mile slower than other long runs, but that may be attributable to the pacing strategy for this run: nine minutes running then one minute walking.  I am expecting to do something similar at Ironman Arizona, since I plan to walk through each aid station.  This strategy works well for me, that minute of rest really helps keep me fresh and breaks up the run into manageable pieces with something to look forward to.

Running isn't so bad anymore.  Still my least favorite of the three disciplines, but I'm enjoying the quiet time the just my thoughts more and more.  There are even days that I look forward to the run.  Only wish there were more quieter, deserted areas to run like in Palm Desert, where all I can hear are my footsteps and breathing - no traffic sounds, no people sounds.  But I suppose we can't have it all.

Bike: 114.67 miles + 40 min on the trainer

Run: 23.83 miles

Swim: 5575 meters (3.46 miles)

Total Time: 14:40 hours