Taper Week

Give it all you've got because you never know if there's going to be a next time.

Well, I can't believe I am in a position to say this, but I am actually officially in a "taper" week for the first time in my life. One of the key points in training for big sporting events is that you have to include some down-time in the days leading up to the event. I mean, come on, if you are not ready a week before the event, do you really think a few more days of training is going to change your capability that much? But it is a weird feeling for me. I keep thinking I need to be running, or biking, or SOMETHING! But I do have the swim class tonight, and a short run tomorrow night, although I am not planning on pushing too hard either night... that will start next week, post-half-marathon, when the training for LoneStar 70.3 really cranks up. I will likely do some walking Saturday just to keep loose.

My story hit the front page of the USA Triathlon website yesterday. I didn't realize it until I got an email from another survivor. That is so cool about this...there are so many people out there who have lived through cardiac events like mine, and are now participating in triathlons, or big run events. I am very appreciative and grateful for their support and acknowledgment of this fight.

Check back Monday or so, after I run the half-marathon, and see how that went. Thanks for YOUR support.

You can get involved in this journey on Facebook. You can get more information about this cause by reading my website at www.CardiacIronman.com

I think I was more sore the day after the swim class than I was the day after the half-marathon on the treadmill... guess I should drink the HoneyMilk after ALL my workouts. Lesson learned.

This weekend will be a workout of a different nature. I get to move furniture out of one apartment and into another... in freezing weather. Seriously! I am moving my daughter from Frisco to Plano and they forecast the temps to stay below freezing the whole time. Should be fun.

The Plodding Continues, In A Good Way

If you want to be successful, know what you are doing, love what you are doing and believe in what you are doing. -- Will Rogers, from Amanda

Maybe a new version of the m-dot?

According to the plan from Coach Bri, this week was supposed to be a 12-mile run in preparation for the 3M Half-Marathon on January 30th. Wasn't really looking forward to it, but I knew I had to do it. I had not done any running since Thursday, because I worked on installing wood flooring Friday through Sunday, and the knees needed a break Monday. So it was time to get back to it. Climb on the treadmill and hope nobody wants it after 30 minutes... set the speed at 5.7 and set in for a 2-hour-plus beat-down. I decided to see how long I could keep the run going without walking, so I made no effort to increase the speed... just a matter of finishing standing up, right? The miles and minutes clicked slowly by. I had intentionally picked this treadmill because I knew this one doesn't start an automatic cool-down after 60 minutes. So when I hit 100 minutes and all of a sudden the clock went blank and started counting over, I thought I had accidentally hit some button and lost all my data. But I realized the mileage was still there, so the time display was limited to 99:59. Kinda funny, it looked like I had run 11 miles or so in about 15 minutes... should have taken a picture of THAT!  But once you get to the double-digit miles, you only see the tenth of a mile, as opposed to the hundredths, and that makes the run seem to go by REALLY slowly.

When I was at about 9.5 miles and still feeling somewhat okay, I got to thinking - if I am running 12 miles, why not just go ahead and do another 1.1 and call it a half-marathon completed? So that was what I did. 2 hours, 18 minutes and 39 seconds after I started running, I watched the mileage click over and was DONE! I stood there for a minute looking at the display (and making sure I could still stand!) and then went to the locker room, stripped out of the soaked clothes and drank a bottle of water and the HoneyMilk I had packed in the mini-cooler to keep cold. It isn't a long walk to the shower from the bench but it was a stiff, slow walk. I thought the legs would feel it in the morning for sure. 

I am extremely happy that I was wrong. There is a little tightness in one muscle, but I feel pretty good other than that. I am totally sold on the HoneyMilk recovery drink. I would have thought the old bones would have issues crawling out of bed, but none of that - not even any back soreness. So the plan for Ironman Florida is to make sure somebody has my HoneyMilk in a cooler at the finish... maybe I could get some sponsorship if I get my finisher photo done with the HoneyMilk in my hand? Product placement...

 So that was the last long run before the 3M run. Next Monday or so will be a 1-hour run and maybe a 2-3 mile run later in the week to keep the stiffness away. But I am real happy with the progress in the run, even though I know it will be slower on the road than on the treadmill. Dare I say it? I am actually starting to "like" the running...

Things May Be Coming Together...

If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito. -- Anita Roddick

I am excited. The USA Triathlon published my story in their email newsletter, and will feature it on their website next week (probably). You can read it here. So hopefully with this, there will be more attention to the issues of heart disease. But even with just being in the newsletter, I am getting a number of positive feedback responses. Pretty awesome!

The running continues to get better. Last night it was an 11-mile run -- about 2 hours on the treadmill (yes, it IS cold outside!) but still today only minor lower back stiffness. Nothing like what I used to experience after running or long-distance rides. Water and Performance gel buttons during the run, and the HoneyMilk afterward. I am no dietitian or nutritionist, but it sure seems like the balance of carbs and protein in the Athletes HoneyMilk is really working for me as a post-performance recovery.

Speaking of the HoneyMilk...when I found out about the newsletter, I emailed my contact at Athletes HoneyMilk to see if there was any interest in sponsorship. These folks are great, and responded quickly. So there is now a link on my CardiacIronman.com website to the AHM site, and possibly a blog interview. Here's to hoping it is just the start of things to come... 

Tonight will be another swim class.  I am looking forward to learning more to improve my technique and efficiency in the water. It HAS to be better than looking like a beached whale!
Thanks again to USA Triathlon! You folks rock!

Run, fat boy, run!

Heart in champions has to do with the depth of your motivation and how well your mind and body react to pressure. -- Bill Russell

I have to admit I was pretty happy to start the new year. I felt like with the holidays I kinda lost focus on the training. I didn't feel like my heart AND mind were into it together. But getting back on the bike for the Jennifer Wilks ride on the 1st, and then getting in a couple of runs, gets me going back in the right direction.

Last night's run was good. Coach Bri had 10 miles on the plan, so after making a couple stops on the way home from work, it was into the shorts and new logo-shirt and off to the gym. A couple minutes to walk and loosen up the creaky joints, and then into the run. I decided to follow the same plan as last week's 9-miler, so I ran to the full mile, then walked one minute, run, walk, repeat... I got to the 6-mile mark and really had to go to the restroom, so I was off the treadmill for about 4 minutes, and then back to finish the other 4 miles. Overall, basically 1:47 of run time later, I was done. But with about 2 miles left to go, a guy on my left a couple of treadmills over, nearly ate it while trying to watch the football game on the TV. Fortunately the guy between us pulled the safety cord, and the treadmill stopped. so a little bit of excitement there. But I was pretty stoked to get in a 10 mile run, even with the potty break!

A short run tonight and then I am starting a swim class Wednesday designed to get folks ready for a tri. I don't yet know what level this will be taught at, but I figure an hour a week for the next 5 weeks should get me a little bit of swim training I can build upon afterward... we'll see. 

Working on the nutrition still - I have been trying out the Performance gel bites while I run, popping in one every 20 minutes, and those seem to be working without upsetting my stomach. That testing will continue for the next couple of weeks. Today, I ordered my first batch of Infinit nutrition mix to use on the bike. And the Athlete's HoneyMilk continues to work well as the recovery drink of choice. I have gone through the first 12-pack and will start the second tonight after the run. I definitely think it is better cold, so I throw a bottle in a mini-ice chest and stick it in the truck when I leave for the gym. I figured after a 10 mile run I would be really sore, but there really isn't any soreness in the legs. I think the HoneyMilk folks have this nailed pretty well, at least for me.

The new logo-covered jerseys and shirts have generated some requests for t-shirts so I guess I will check into what that is going to cost... a new fundraising opportunity.

Onward goes the march.