Go Long

It is January 28th.  I've been doing the Fleet Feet training program for the Flying Pig marathon for a few weeks now, and things are going great.  We're building a base now until March, when we will start doing hill repeats, intervals, threshold runs, etc.  I'm really enjoying the pace group I'm in: 9:00 to 10:00mm.  It feels too easy on short runs, but moderate on longer runs.  I'll stay here and enjoy the process as the mileage builds. 

The main point of this blog entry is to touch base with everyone on my new 2014 goal.  I was planning to focus on the Pig race, then focus on the bike over the summer and enter two half Ironman races (70.3 miles).  That distance was fun in September, and I think I could cut at least an hour off my current best 70.3 time.  I entered that half Iron race on a road bike that wasn't properly fit to me AND my run was weak.  Now I have a properly fitted triathlon specific bike and my run is MUCH better.  It's funny to me that finishing a half Ironman gave me confidence that I can do a half Ironman.  My 7:21 time is pretty slow, and I think I could hit 6:00 now - or close to it.

So, I was going through the Pig training plan and thinking how this will be great and enjoyable (vs. miserably hard) and that if I can run a 4:00 marathon then I could probably go for the full Ironman.  I had this thought half joking with myself.  My main full Ironman concern was always the run - running a full 26.2 mile marathon AFTER swimming 2.4 miles AND biking 112 miles BACK to BACK.  Like, non-stop.  A triathlete reading this would think, "Yeah, yeah.  We all know the Iron distance."  But to the non-triathlete, the full Ironman is no joke.  It has been called the hardest single day endurance race on Earth. 

I think I mentioned my half-serious idea to my wife about 10 days ago.  "Honey, this running is going very well.  So well in fact, I might be able to do a full Ironman this fall."  Her being the most supportive spouse alive, told me she agreed.  Her agreement and confidence that I could do it seemed to escalate and by the end of dinner we were planning it out. 

How do you go about training for a full Ironman?  Well, success leaves a paper trail.  I could ask people that have done it.  I could read up about it.  Just be a sponge, plan to train my butt off, and go at it.  We live in amazing times.  The internet has facilitated efforts like mine in ways previous generations could have only dreamed.  Facebook specifically makes connecting with people with similar interests so easy I think we take it for granted.  Since making my decision, I've connected with nearly a dozen other local triathletes thinking/planning of doing their first Ironman this year.  Also, I'm part of 5 or 6 Facebook groups dedicated to triathlons.  Got a question?  I just post it online and usually I get a few responses.  Between the internet and the local triathlon clubs, there is more than enough information out there to get me ready.

So, it's been 9 or 10 days since I decided to "go long" (some call the Ironman the long race or long course, either way it's a long day/race).  My first day of Ironman training (last Monday), I ran 4 or 5 miles on the treadmill before work, went to the YMCA at lunch to swim 50 laps in about 25 minutes, and then my wife and I rode bike trainers while watching the Bachelor for 2 hours.  We bought a second trainer so we can both ride together.  The next day, I rode the bike for about 30 minutes after work before running on the treadmill 4 or 5 miles.  It's been so cold out, I've been on the treadmill a lot lately. 

I pretty much did 2-a-days since then.  I learned from 2 sources that 3-a-days are overkill and could lead to injury, burn out, or 3 soft workouts instead of 2 better quality workouts.  Then, someone on Facebook summed training for an Ironman up in beautiful simplicity: train 1-2 hours Mon-Fri, 4-7 hours Sat, rest Sun.  Simple!  So, 9 to 17 hours per week of training.  For me, this makes it easy to plan.  For example, I ran on the treadmill 5 miles or about 50 minutes before work.  I will hop on the bike after the kids go to sleep and finish the day with a spin. 

I will focus on the Flying Pig training, as that is my next main race, just supplementing the Fleet Feet plan with other stuff.  I'm scheduled to run 4 miles Wed & Thu.  If the weather lifts I'll run outside 5 or 6, but the treadmill is so boring it's hard to get just 4 in.  I'm planning to swim with the BAM Racing team Wed & Fri morning for 1:15:00 each.  So, tomorrow will be the swim and run after work to get my 1-2 hours in.  Breaking it up makes it much more manageable.  Saturdays will be tough now that the weather sucks, but in the spring/summer it'll be easy to get in 4-7 hours of training.  I'm completely in love with my bike, so I can see long Saturday rides being a staple this year.  Head to the lake for a swim, 45-60 minutes, then a 40-60 mile bike ride.  Or hit the bike trail for 75 miles and then go for a run.  Whatever to get my hours in.  With 5-6 triathlon groups around town, someone is always doing something.

I'm reading Joe Friel's book "The Triathlon Training Bible" and he emphasizes heart rate training.  I'm going to run the Pig in the 9:00 to 10:00mm range, but after that I'll focus on the HR training for the Ironman.  I talked to a guy that did his first Ironman last year and he followed the HR approach.  It is very uneventful, but it works for longer races like the Ironman.  He did his swim, then kept his HR in zone 2 for the bike and run.  This equates to about a 14-15 mph bike ride and a 13:00mm pace on the run.  But following this "boring and easy" plan, he felt great after 12 hours of the Ironman.  This enabled him to hammer the last 10k of the run to finish in around 13 hours flat.  This is a great time.  Pros finish in 8-9 hours and they kick you off the course after 17 hours.  I just want to finish, but think 14-15 would be a nice time.  Maybe I can go for 13 as well.  Whatever the training dictates.  My zone 2 might be a 12 hour time or a 16 hour time.  I have to trust the process and stick to the plan.

Another thing I need to learn a lot about is nutrition.  Fueling yourself to cover 140.6 miles in 14-15 hours takes a nutrition plan too.  I learned the carbohydrate per hour formula of (Your Body Weight in lbs. / 2.2) x 0.7.  For me, I'm roughly 220 pounds now, so 220/2.2 = 100.  100 x 0.7 is 70 carbs per hour.  This is roughly twice the amount I was taking in at races.  I used to do about one GU every hour, now I'll double that.  Also, I never took electrolytes and wondered why I cramped after a few hours.  I've been experimenting with Hammer electrolyte pills and NUUN electrolyte drink tablets.  I took a GU and some NUUN during the last Fleet Feet group run and felt awesome after an 8 mile run. 

Another tip I picked up was to lay off the running AFTER the Pig race.  My original plan was to just keep my run fitness "high", doing 12-15 miles each weekend until the Ironman.  I learned that running beats you up with the constant pounding, and it's good to lay off it while I get my bike and swim fitness levels up.  Then, as the Ironman approaches, build the run back up.  Most of the race is biking anyway, so it needs the majority of my summer training. 

I wondered, "What does 9 to 17 hours of training look like?"  I received a copy of a multi-Kona Ironman's training log to review.  For non-triathletes, Kona is in Hawaii and it's where the Ironman World Championship is each year.  To race it, you have to qualify with a fast Ironman race time at one of the other races around the world.  It's like qualifying to run the Boston marathon.  If someone says they've run Boston or raced Kona, they are saying that they are a complete stud.  If I run a 4 hour Flying Pig, which to me would be very good, I would be nearly an hour too SLOW to race Boston.  If I finish a full Ironman in 13 hours I think I would be a couple hours too SLOW to race Kona.  Anyway, looking over the guy's training log I saw that he was basically doing what I was doing.  He was doing multiple workouts a day.  He was running and swimming, or lifting weights and cycling or whatever.  Just like me, only he was doing WAY more volume.  He swims about 30 miles a month, runs 110+ miles a month, and bikes a ton.  He's just an animal.  So, if I want to get to the Ironman finish line, it's time to put down my purse and man up. 

As for choosing a race, I'm kind of limited on choices.  There are a few companies that put on the "Iron distance race" of 140.6 miles.  The largest two are Ironman brand and Rev3 (short for Revolution 3).  Ironman branded races usually sell out in a couple days, are the more commercial/popular choice, and also the most expensive.  Since I just decided to do a race, Ironman Louisville is still available.  It's also close to Cincinnati.  The price is $625 just to register, not to mention the hundreds of hours to train and the thousands of dollars I have invested over the years in gear like my bike, shoes, etc.  Louisville doesn't sell out like the other Ironman races because the race is pretty hot and the swim start is kind of different.  Instead of a mass group swim start, in Louisville (IMKY) they have a single file line to jump in the Ohio River.  Some people are disgusted by the idea of swimming in the Ohio River.  The race is also in the summer so it's hot and not wetsuit legal.  If it's too hot, races won't let you wear wetsuits.  Wetsuits keep you warm but also make you more "slippery" in the water (picture a dolphin's skin vs. yours) and the wetsuit neoprene provides some buoyancy to help you float a little in the water.  The race finishes with a double loop marathon in the very hot and humid Kentucky country side.  So, the swim and run suck.  But it's not sold out, it is close to Cincinnati, and the date (August 24th, a Sunday) works for me. 

I already have plans for a lot of the year.  We are taking the kids to Disney World in October.  I'm going gator hunting the week after IMKY with my family.  August 24th just works perfectly for me.  So, IMKY it is.  I'll register in a few weeks after another pay day.  $625 is kind of steep.  My half Ironman was organized by the company HFP and cost about $125.  Also, I registered for the Laurel Lakes 70.3 race already on July 12th. 

So, I have about 30 weeks to get Ironman ready.  The good news for me is that I never really stopped training after September's half Ironman.  My runs are the best they've been, my swim is about the same now, and I have a badass bike to ride once it warms up.  I also have about 95% confidence in myself.  It would take some heavy lawyering to convince me I'm not crazy enough to train 9-17 hours per week for 30 weeks.  It's like studying for a test.  When I studied, I got 99-100% on tests.  I entered the classroom full of confidence on test day.  I chuckled to myself when I was done, thinking, "Is that all you've got?"  I'll try to stick to the training plan and the HR zone 2 race plan and I should be able to finish.  It'll be a long day and the hardest thing I'll ever do, but it's possible.

My wife is doing most of the same races I'm doing this year, and she'll be there to cheer me on at IMKY.  We are playing with the idea of a destination Ironman race next year for the two of us.  Cozumel has a race that might be a great vacation spot.  I imagine sitting on a beach or pool side for a couple days after the race, sipping drinks. 

Speaking of drinks, I've had pop twice and beer one time, and junk food about 4 times.  I'm watching calories with MyFitnessPal.com again, and I'm down about 2-3 pounds over the last 4 weeks.  I'll try to stick to these three New Years goals and pile on the training.  I got in 8.5 hours of training last week, and I'm hoping for 9 this week.  Cheers!