One month into Ironman training

January sure seemed to fly by quickly!  It seems like just yesterday I was looking at the training schedule and wondering why a simple few mile run seemed so tough.  Now, the conditioning is coming back and it feels great.  I dropped 8 pounds in the month and am back to running past 10 miles without worry.  It looks like things are back on track and once again life is good!

WOOHOO!!! Finally a GREAT long run!

As most of you know, thrown into the mix of my Ironman training schedule is a marathon on March 4th.  I've been trying to stick to my running focused training plan since December but have been having trouble getting conditioned again for a marathon.  I don't know what it was, but everything seemed harder this time around.  Fortunately, I think I had a breakthrough today.

I've always said that the resolve to keep at it when the chips seem down is vital to succeeding in a challenge like this, but those words have been hard to live by.  The scale, while dropping again, is about 8% above my low weight and my training runs have really been tough and relatively slow.  I've kept at it though, despite a strong desire to forgo a training run.  Two weeks ago, I was running with my friend Matt who is running his first marathon and convinced me to run the March 4th one with him.  We set out for an 18 mile run with easy elevation and I had a hard time with it.  About 15 miles in, I had to resort to intervals to finish.  Matt kept with me despite me telling him to run ahead, running in place beside me as I walked an interval.  That run had me worried that I wouldn't be conditioned for the marathon.

But, stubborn fortitude pays off.  Today, I set out for a 19 mile run.  I have been dreading this run the entire week.  It took me a couple of hours to get the motivation up to actually put on the running outfit and get out the door.  I truly thought I was going to turn in early on this run.  Plus, it is not like me to dread a long run like that.  Fortunately, the run started surprisingly smooth.

I kept the pace just under 10 minutes a mile, not wanting to burn up too fast, and plodded my way towards the lake.  It was an odd run, but odd in a good way.  The miles ticked by - 2, then 4, then 5 and 6, then 7, and I was still holding the pace and not pushing it.  I started to feel really good and felt like I was in good shape.

I kept running past 9 and 10, then 11 and 12.  I was thinking the whole time "when will I hit the wall and have to stop?"  I felt great and didn't feel a wall coming.  I kept going, right at the slightly sup 10 minute pace I kept the whole time.  Like a metronome I passed 13, 14, 15, and 16 right on pace.  I couldn't believe it - I was still running, and feeling good too!  Then, 17, the 18, and with less than a mile to go I know I would run the whole thing.

I hit the stop button on my Garmin at 19 and I pulled it off in 3:08:05.  The best part is, while I was tired as you would expect from a 3+ hour run, I still had gas in the tank and felt like I could have kept going.

I'm noting my fluid and food consumption for the run and my pre-run dinner consumption so that I can repeat the pattern for the long runs.  Man I feel great.

Maybe I can pull off a good run at the Napa Valley Marathon?

We'll find out in 5 weeks . . .

Watching the scale again

One of the most frustrating things about getting in shape - the scale can often give you weird numbers.  This month I have been loosing weight as the training continues, but the fluctuation of the scale on a regular basis can be downright disheartening.

Some days I'll gain a few pounds when I've been really good on the diet and working out hard, other days the scale drops when I blow the diet.  It is hard to explain why the scale does what it does, but one thing is certain - it will frustrate you if you let it.  Common wisdom says to not weigh yourself more than once a week so that the regular fluctuations won't get you down, but I disagree with that.

Life has many frustrations and disappointments, handling them and still being strong enough to keep moving forward is a key to success.  Things aren't perfect in life.  Today for example, I gained 2 pounds on the scale despite a 1600 calorie day yesterday and 2 workouts including a 5 mile run and a 1.2 mile swim.  However, I've dropped 11 pounds since the first of the year, so I know it is just my body going through a regular fluctuation.

I weigh myself a lot, usually a few times a day.  I only record the morning weigh in and have done so every day since starting this journey on 1/1/10, but I have been fascinated with how my body weigh fluctuates.  I've learned a lot about my body, like I loose an average of 2 pounds every night between the time I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning.

I still weigh myself regularly - I can take the fluctuations and I think I am better off for it. 

What do you think?

152 days until Ironman

Time flies.

At least it feels that way.  Here it is already pushing the end of January and only about 5 months away from the big day.  It's exciting and exhilarating to be doing this - reaching for something you though was out of reach.

Every day, I put in the scheduled training hours and watch what I eat.  The weight has been dropping and I have been getting faster and in better shape.  Today, I put in a 5 mile run and was feeling so good that I did negative splits every half mile ending with a 7:00/mile pace for the last half mile.  I am definitely getting better conditioned.

Only 5 months - then I'll be caught up in all of this:

What the heck am I doing?

Have you ever just stopped and asked yourself "what the heck am I doing?"  It seems like I have been doing a lot of that lately.  With the weekly training hours pushing into double digits, it makes me wonder if I can actually achieve this goal of mine.  But I guess that's half the fun.

To me, there is no greater high than conquering something you thought you couldn't.  To stand atop that mountain that people said you couldn't climb.  While that moment is exhilarating, it is all worth while because there were many times along the way to the top when you questioned whether or not you could do it.

Up until I cross that finish line on June 24th, I will be constantly questioning myself - asking myself if I can actually pull off this feat.  But, I'm going to try.

Another week in the bag

Now, with only 23 weeks left until Ironman Coeur d'Alene, it is time to get serious.  At this point in my training I am doing a lot more running because I have a marathon coming up in early march.  I blended my Ironman and Marathon training schedules to accommodate both events, as well as the Ironman California 70.3 on March 31st.

This week felt good, 32 miles of running, 18 of that yesterday.  The 18 mile run kicked my butt big time, a lot more than it should have, so I was a little upset at that.  But, as always seems to be the case, I went out for my 1/4 Iron bike ride today and everything fell into place.  I left my front door this morning with a sense of determination, a sense of serious, and the idea of just hammering the hills on my regular 28 mile ride route.

The ride went well and, despite a good wind and exhausted legs from yesterday's 3 hour 18 mile run, I finished this ride in under 90 minutes.

Another week in the bag, on 23 more to go until the biggest challenge of my life.

The conditioning is paying off

It wasn't but a couple of weeks ago I was looking at my scheduled races this year with dread.  I had gained weight over the holidays due to poor diet control and lack of exercise and was wondering if I could actually pull of my goals this year.  In fact, I had the same feelings on Sunday when I struggled to complete a 65 mile bike ride that took longer than it should have by far.  To top it all off the scale said I gained weight this morning.  Was I setting myself up for failure?

Then, as has happened before, I had a breakthrough.  I went out for my scheduled 5 mile run and it was almost too easy.  It felt effortless and was quicker than my recent runs.  The conditioning is paying off.  I CAN do this.

Whenever we set out to do something perceived to be impossible, there will be times of doubt.  There will be times when things don't go how you had envisioned.  That's all part of the triumph of achievement.  Don't quit, stick to it even if you are questioning yourself.  It will pay off in the end.

For me, the payoff is that in 166 days I plan on hearing the words "Travis Colby - YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!"