It’s been a long road to recovery and needless to say it’s nice to be back. I think I can confidently say that I’ve learned more about listening to your body in the past five weeks than ever before in my entire life.
Fortunately, knock on wood, that is all behind us and we can get back to the next task at hand.
First, I have to give a little plug to dreaming big and always challenging yourself. Not so long ago, I thought having dreams and going after some pretty lofty goals was just for naïve little kids but now I don’t really see how anyone could live without new challenges and adventures. Yes, I know how silly and parental it sounds (shout out to my cheesy parents) but hey, even I’m allowed one cheesy comment once a year, right?
Anyway, this is why I’m going to bust my tail for the next three months and try my hardest to qualify for Boston on October 31st. Which brings me to the rest of my post and the topic of my posts for the next few months.
I’ve never been one to follow a specific training schedule/program. I’d much rather improvise and tweak as I go so that I’m not locked into any real specifics. I’ll attribute this to my inability to plan ahead or create a schedule. So as I start ramping up my mileage and introduce some weekly speedwork, I’m left debating how closely I should follow a marathon plan and how much cross-training I can throw in. The last thing I want to do is lose my multisport strength but I still need to optimize my training so I can be as fast as possible on October 31st.
I’m not sure that question will ever be answered but when I write in the blog three months from now, I hope I’m doing so with confidence. Otherwise, I’m screwed. Either way, it’ll be a fun few months.
For all those loyal followers – you may want to get used to reading about – my brutal Wednesday night workouts (my best test for increased speed), Michael (coworker, extremely fast runner in his heyday, and rational training partner), my inevitable, epic battle with the snooze button, and my love for fall weather in DC.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
2011 Planning
It’s late Monday night and instead of writing about a slow but successful return to training, my mind can’t stop thinking about next year’s race schedule. Just today, registration opened up for Ironman Lake Placid, and while I forced myself not to sign up, it couldn’t prevent me from thinking about and setting some tentative plans for next summer’s racing.
Depending on how you look at it, this season could be seen as my first or second season racing triathlons. The way I see it is – last season was my introduction and time to make all the mistakes imaginable and this season wasn’t so much a season as it was a build up to one day, one race. So that brings me to next year.
After successfully fighting the urge to break my tentative 2011 plans and sign up for Ironman Lake Placid, I took some time to sit down and plan out which races I want as my “A” races for next year. There’s no doubt that I’ll be throwing down at one, if not two, Ironman events but the big question is which ones. And if everything goes well at the Marine Corp Marathon (reach my goal of qualifying for Boston in 2010), then I’ll have plenty of freedom to race a complete schedule and train with the purpose of standing on one or two podiums.
Here are the possible options for “A” races next year. The two important things I’m looking for are difficult bike courses (to play on my strengths) and a good location. Disclaimer: this could change at any moment.
Ironman Louisville, August 2011 – Pros: driving distance, easy to sign up for online; Cons: not a scenic course, no tough climbs on bike
Ironman Canada, August 2011 – Pros: amazing location, perfectly tough hills/climbing on bike course; Cons: far far away, early in season, hard to sign up for online
Ironman Wisconsin, September 2011 – Pros: driving distance, close to family in Minnesota, time of year; Cons: no tough climbs on bike, potentially hard to sign up for online
ChesapeakMan (Cambridge, MD), September 2011 – Pros: driving distance, very close to DC, easy to sign up online and late in 2011; Cons: not IM branded, small event
Beach 2 Battleship (Wilmington, NC), November 2011 – Pros: driving distance, close to home in Greensboro, great race to break my PR, perfect time of year; Cons: not IM branded
Depending on how you look at it, this season could be seen as my first or second season racing triathlons. The way I see it is – last season was my introduction and time to make all the mistakes imaginable and this season wasn’t so much a season as it was a build up to one day, one race. So that brings me to next year.
After successfully fighting the urge to break my tentative 2011 plans and sign up for Ironman Lake Placid, I took some time to sit down and plan out which races I want as my “A” races for next year. There’s no doubt that I’ll be throwing down at one, if not two, Ironman events but the big question is which ones. And if everything goes well at the Marine Corp Marathon (reach my goal of qualifying for Boston in 2010), then I’ll have plenty of freedom to race a complete schedule and train with the purpose of standing on one or two podiums.
Here are the possible options for “A” races next year. The two important things I’m looking for are difficult bike courses (to play on my strengths) and a good location. Disclaimer: this could change at any moment.
Ironman Louisville, August 2011 – Pros: driving distance, easy to sign up for online; Cons: not a scenic course, no tough climbs on bike
Ironman Canada, August 2011 – Pros: amazing location, perfectly tough hills/climbing on bike course; Cons: far far away, early in season, hard to sign up for online
Ironman Wisconsin, September 2011 – Pros: driving distance, close to family in Minnesota, time of year; Cons: no tough climbs on bike, potentially hard to sign up for online
ChesapeakMan (Cambridge, MD), September 2011 – Pros: driving distance, very close to DC, easy to sign up online and late in 2011; Cons: not IM branded, small event
Beach 2 Battleship (Wilmington, NC), November 2011 – Pros: driving distance, close to home in Greensboro, great race to break my PR, perfect time of year; Cons: not IM branded
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Only a Few More Days Now
Boo, another recovery post.
I finally bit the bullet and got myself checked out by a medical professional. No, the foot isn’t becoming a bigger problem, it’s my super secret knee injury. I didn’t divulge the knee pain in my last post for fear of my family yelling at me to go see a doctor but after days and days of pain, I decided to bite the bullet and go.
A little background for you – I know I shouldn’t have been running as soon after the race as I did but I don’t think the knee is a result of that. Sadly, it was most likely my beloved soccer that led to my knee’s demise. So no matter what happens in the next week or so, I can rest easy that this wasn’t caused by my post Ironman recovery ignorance. It’s only my stupidity this time. And yes, I’d do it again and again and again. Come on, it was playoffs. And it was against the second best team in the league. How could I turn that down?
Anyway, back to the knee. I made a quick trip to the orthopedist and was informed that it appears I have a minor (note: slight, mild, not big deal) tear in my meniscus. Barring any unexpected playoff soccer games, the pain should go away within 2 weeks if not sooner and I should be back to running in no time. If things get worse, then it’s more complaining on this blog and a return visit for an MRI. So for your sake and mine, let’s pray it gets better.
I’m slowly losing my mind without the ability to run. I see people running during my commute to work and all I want to do is cry uncontrollably. Just last night, I saw a young couple jogging at a comfortable 8:00 pace and laughing like they had no cares in the world, and all I could do was stand there daydreaming about me and my running shoes frolicking through never-ending meadows, enjoying a Gatorade, water, and Clif bar picnic. Ahhh, the memories.
But seriously, I can’t do this recovery thing for much longer. I’m patient now and I’ll give my knee the time it needs, but once the pain is gone, I’ll be back out on the road and then the soccer field. 12 week marathon training starts August 1 and we have a soccer tournament down in Virginia Beach on August 7/8.
I finally bit the bullet and got myself checked out by a medical professional. No, the foot isn’t becoming a bigger problem, it’s my super secret knee injury. I didn’t divulge the knee pain in my last post for fear of my family yelling at me to go see a doctor but after days and days of pain, I decided to bite the bullet and go.
A little background for you – I know I shouldn’t have been running as soon after the race as I did but I don’t think the knee is a result of that. Sadly, it was most likely my beloved soccer that led to my knee’s demise. So no matter what happens in the next week or so, I can rest easy that this wasn’t caused by my post Ironman recovery ignorance. It’s only my stupidity this time. And yes, I’d do it again and again and again. Come on, it was playoffs. And it was against the second best team in the league. How could I turn that down?
Anyway, back to the knee. I made a quick trip to the orthopedist and was informed that it appears I have a minor (note: slight, mild, not big deal) tear in my meniscus. Barring any unexpected playoff soccer games, the pain should go away within 2 weeks if not sooner and I should be back to running in no time. If things get worse, then it’s more complaining on this blog and a return visit for an MRI. So for your sake and mine, let’s pray it gets better.
I’m slowly losing my mind without the ability to run. I see people running during my commute to work and all I want to do is cry uncontrollably. Just last night, I saw a young couple jogging at a comfortable 8:00 pace and laughing like they had no cares in the world, and all I could do was stand there daydreaming about me and my running shoes frolicking through never-ending meadows, enjoying a Gatorade, water, and Clif bar picnic. Ahhh, the memories.
But seriously, I can’t do this recovery thing for much longer. I’m patient now and I’ll give my knee the time it needs, but once the pain is gone, I’ll be back out on the road and then the soccer field. 12 week marathon training starts August 1 and we have a soccer tournament down in Virginia Beach on August 7/8.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
More Recovery
Since this recovery/offseason thing continues to eat away at my well being (not seriously, I’m just bored), I’m going to write up another post complaining about it.
First, I’m running on a much lower endorphin count which can’t be good for anyone. I was so accustomed to my daily training-high but now I’m forced to make do without even a speck of brain/nerve rush or whatever they say endorphins do. Granted, I’m having plenty of fun slacking off and enjoy the company of good beer and good friends, but I’d still like a healthy balance of the two when possible.
The next problem has to do with the physical effects caused by my lack of exercise. As everyone knows, I have one of the biggest sweet tooths around and despite my greatest efforts, I’ll never be able to kick the vice. It’s just a burden I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Sad, I know. But the biggest dilemma here is that I can no longer inhale cookies with impunity. Before, cookies were a great (ahem, delicious) way to pack on the carbs after long training days. A few cups of sugar and butter from cookies didn’t really have any impact when I was burning off over 1500 calories per day. Fortunately, my post-IM goal was to add a little sugar/chocolate weight during recovery but I’m realizing more and more that I depend on endurance training to ensure my sweet tooth freedom.
Lastly, and worst of all, my right foot has a slight bump that doesn’t seem to want to go away. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious – most likely some bruising/cyst from the footing knocking against my shoe the wrong way during the race. But even though it’s just a minor pain, this is the main reason I’m out of commission and unable to be as active as I’d like. While it’s not throbbing, it still hurts enough and is noticeable enough to keep me sidelined for another week or two, especially as I get ready to start my marathon training. Who knows, maybe it’s a good thing because I know that without it I’d most likely be hitting the pavement and that would probably cause further damage to my minor aches and pains. Either way, it’s frustrating and I look forward to the day when my feet and legs are back to normal.
First, I’m running on a much lower endorphin count which can’t be good for anyone. I was so accustomed to my daily training-high but now I’m forced to make do without even a speck of brain/nerve rush or whatever they say endorphins do. Granted, I’m having plenty of fun slacking off and enjoy the company of good beer and good friends, but I’d still like a healthy balance of the two when possible.
The next problem has to do with the physical effects caused by my lack of exercise. As everyone knows, I have one of the biggest sweet tooths around and despite my greatest efforts, I’ll never be able to kick the vice. It’s just a burden I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Sad, I know. But the biggest dilemma here is that I can no longer inhale cookies with impunity. Before, cookies were a great (ahem, delicious) way to pack on the carbs after long training days. A few cups of sugar and butter from cookies didn’t really have any impact when I was burning off over 1500 calories per day. Fortunately, my post-IM goal was to add a little sugar/chocolate weight during recovery but I’m realizing more and more that I depend on endurance training to ensure my sweet tooth freedom.
Lastly, and worst of all, my right foot has a slight bump that doesn’t seem to want to go away. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious – most likely some bruising/cyst from the footing knocking against my shoe the wrong way during the race. But even though it’s just a minor pain, this is the main reason I’m out of commission and unable to be as active as I’d like. While it’s not throbbing, it still hurts enough and is noticeable enough to keep me sidelined for another week or two, especially as I get ready to start my marathon training. Who knows, maybe it’s a good thing because I know that without it I’d most likely be hitting the pavement and that would probably cause further damage to my minor aches and pains. Either way, it’s frustrating and I look forward to the day when my feet and legs are back to normal.
Monday, July 12, 2010
What's Next
Well, it has been over two weeks now since my time in Idaho and as tempted as I was to shut down the blog with my race report post, I’ve decided to go against everything I believe and keep it going. Don’t ask me why because I can’t really answer that so just check back every few days and I’ll hopefully keep this thing rolling with my training stories and mindless ramblings.
For now, I’ll answer a couple questions that some people have raised after I got back from Idaho:
Will you ever race another Ironman?
This one is easy – YES. Without a doubt, Ironman races are here to stay. I can’t say how many, but I do know that for the next few years I intend to race one or two each year, depending on the rest of my race schedule. For 2011, it’ll probably be a late season Ironman (possibly the unofficial Beach to Battleship or Ironman Arizona) unless I can qualify for the Boston Marathon this year. If that happens then the world is my oyster next year. But as I mentioned a couple months ago, my next goal is to shave some serious time off my marathon and qualify for Boston so that I can run it when my brother is a senior at Boston College. I don’t expect to hit this goal in my first try – Marine Corp Marathon, October 31, 2010 – but I’ll still be trying my hardest. I estimate that I need to shave somewhere around 15 minutes off my pace right now to make it under 3:10 but if I can do that, then 2011 will turn a competitive racing year instead of another building year. Just thinking about that possibility gets my head spinning.
How long will you be lazy before the itch to train kicks in?
This question is a bit trickier. I told everyone that I would be taking the month of July off to gain some weight back and catch up on all the beer drinking I missed but deep down I knew I wouldn’t last longer than two weeks. Since Idaho, I’ve gone for a couple shorter, high-intensity runs to keep my anaerobic capacity up while I take a break but I haven’t done much else. The goal was to get keep my 5:25 mile pace fairly consistent while I wasn’t training so that I could pick up right where I left off once marathon training started, as well as be in decent shape for our alumni league soccer playoffs. Sadly though, not only is the hope (errr… arrogant expectation) of a soccer championship a thing of the past, but thanks to the brutal 3-2 overtime loss to Emory (the only other high quality team in the league), my body is screaming for another week or two of recovery.
So for now, it’s no running or leg-smashing activity until my joints and muscles are back to normal. Bye bye running shoes, hello swimming pool.
For now, I’ll answer a couple questions that some people have raised after I got back from Idaho:
Will you ever race another Ironman?
This one is easy – YES. Without a doubt, Ironman races are here to stay. I can’t say how many, but I do know that for the next few years I intend to race one or two each year, depending on the rest of my race schedule. For 2011, it’ll probably be a late season Ironman (possibly the unofficial Beach to Battleship or Ironman Arizona) unless I can qualify for the Boston Marathon this year. If that happens then the world is my oyster next year. But as I mentioned a couple months ago, my next goal is to shave some serious time off my marathon and qualify for Boston so that I can run it when my brother is a senior at Boston College. I don’t expect to hit this goal in my first try – Marine Corp Marathon, October 31, 2010 – but I’ll still be trying my hardest. I estimate that I need to shave somewhere around 15 minutes off my pace right now to make it under 3:10 but if I can do that, then 2011 will turn a competitive racing year instead of another building year. Just thinking about that possibility gets my head spinning.
How long will you be lazy before the itch to train kicks in?
This question is a bit trickier. I told everyone that I would be taking the month of July off to gain some weight back and catch up on all the beer drinking I missed but deep down I knew I wouldn’t last longer than two weeks. Since Idaho, I’ve gone for a couple shorter, high-intensity runs to keep my anaerobic capacity up while I take a break but I haven’t done much else. The goal was to get keep my 5:25 mile pace fairly consistent while I wasn’t training so that I could pick up right where I left off once marathon training started, as well as be in decent shape for our alumni league soccer playoffs. Sadly though, not only is the hope (errr… arrogant expectation) of a soccer championship a thing of the past, but thanks to the brutal 3-2 overtime loss to Emory (the only other high quality team in the league), my body is screaming for another week or two of recovery.
So for now, it’s no running or leg-smashing activity until my joints and muscles are back to normal. Bye bye running shoes, hello swimming pool.
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