Snow

I know my last post was about my disdain for winter.  This has a similar theme.  So I was supposed to do a 45 minute run after my bike today.  Riding isn't a problem because I do most of it on a trainer.  Running afterwards became an issue this morning.  I was going to attempt it but the 2 inches of slush and the rain made it miserable.  My workout turned into a 3 hour bike.  My treadmill finally died so I have no way of running in my basement.  I need to invest a new treadmill so I can get through the winter.  Last year I made it until April.  I think the Australian athletes have it right.  They go to Australia for this time of year and then come back to Colorado for our spring and summer.  It would be nice but there aren't many people willing to pay a 42 year-old to train and race!

I hate winter!

As we settle into the depths of winter, I find that I truly can't stand the cold weather.  I've noticed my disdain for the winter months has grown as I've gotten older.  When I was younger (grade school age) I couldn't wait for the cold weather.  I remember the excitement when it finally did snow.  We would be out all day returning home soaking wet, frozen and completely wiped out.
As much fun as that was, I hate the cold now.  I went out this morning to run 20 miles.  I had been watching the weather all week and knew that it would be cold.  I usually like to get running before 7 am.  I knew if I waited a little longer it would be somewhat warmer. The extra half hour made no difference.  It was freaking freezing!  The wind had that icy feel to it.  It wasn't too bad with the wind at my back but the minute I turned into the wind it was painful.  I knew it was cold out when the gatorade froze in the nozzle of my water bottle.
Now, I am, thankfully, showered and layered in clothes.  I will, very shortly, start a fire and settle in to watch a great afternoon of football.  (Go Giants!!!)  The sufferfest of this morning is now behind me and I don't have to worry about freezing until at least Tuesday.  Bring on the warm weather!

Balance

Training for triathlon, specifically the IM, is a balancing act.  I'm married with 3 kids and work full-time.  There are 168 hours in a week.  Managing each hour has become a science for me.  I've found that I need to manage my time down to 15 minute increments.  I have very little down time during the week.  I'm usually up by 4 am to get my first workout of the day done before 6:30 am.  I'm a teacher so my job allows me to workout in the early afternoon without interrupting anything my family does.  My wife also works full-time so I need to do my fair share around the house.  I'll cook and do the food shopping.  When I get home in the afternoon, dinner needs to be started so we can eat when my wife gets home.
In order to work, have a family and train you need two important elements.  First and foremost, you need to have a spouse that is unbelievably patient.  My wife is an angel for tolerating this crazy lifestyle.  Secondly, you need to make working out a priority.  If that means you need to get up at 3:45 am to get a workout in, then do it.  I promised my wife that I would never let training get in the way of family plans.  I have woken up at ungodly hours just to get workouts in and still make a 9 am soccer game.  I have always found ways to make it work.  Training and racing are not worth it if it means forgetting your family.  Time management is the key.  My coach has my workouts done by time and not distance.  It allows for simple planning and I know exactly when I'll be finished.  Figure out your goals, come up with a schedule and stick to it.  It is possible to train and race, have a family and work full-time.  Let me know if you have any secrets that work for you.

IM Arizona Race Report

In case anyone's interested, here's the RR for IMAZ.
4:00 am - Wake up. Wasn't a great night's sleep but the night before never is. Start eating and drinking right away. (Here's the nutrition report from Brian Shea @ PBN.) http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...an%20reilly;#3656615 I had been dealing with a hip issue leading up to the race. It was tight race morning so I was concerned but figured I had 114.4 miles to warm-up before the run.
5:15 am - Make my way to transition to put my nutrition on my bike and drop off special needs bags. Hip still feels tight.
6:00 am - Myself, Chris Madigan and Dave Ytreboe go for 10 minute warm-up jog. Hip still feels tight but I figure I have no choice but to gut it out.
6:30 am - Wetsuit is on and now trying to make my to the water. I decide to wiggle my way up front because it's taking too long. As I get to the front they tell us there's 3 minutes until the start! I try not to panic and quickly get myself in the water. So much for a nice long warm-up in the water. I'm still thinking about the poor guy I saw getting in the water with no wetsuit. Too cold to do that. I never found out how he made out.
7:00 am - Gun goes off and the chaos begins. I positioned myself near the front so I'm in the mix with everyone. I hate this part of the race. (I don't if anyone really likes it.) I did settle in very quickly and felt like I was swimming well. About half way to the turn around, I realize I swam way off-course. The lake bends but the course stays straight. Like a moron I followed the lake. I didn't panic. I made my way back on course as fast as I could. I felt good at the turn-around and picked up the pace a little bit. My left calf got a little crampy so there was a moment of panic but I was able to continue to swim without a problem. As I neared the end I was excited to see what my time was. I spent all winter working on my swim. I was faster in all the half irons I did so naturally I should be quicker here. I get out and look at my watch and much to my dismay is says 1:08:xx. WTF! I spent all that time in the winter to go a minute faster than I did in 2009! Disgusted, I ran to T1 and quickly put it behind me.
Swim: 1:08:58 79th AG, 482 Overall
T2 was uneventful and it was on to the bike. The bike for Arizona is tough because you start out cold and by the time you're halfway through the temp has gone up 15 degrees. I started with a vest and arm-warmers. By the end the vest was off and the arm-warmers were pulled down. I never really ever settled in on the bike. I was very fidgety throughout. I would get in what I thought was a comfortable position only to move 10 minutes later. It became frustrating but I tried to stay focused. My hip at this point was beginning to loosen up so I was excited to get off the bike and run. The run is where I do best and I wanted to get to it. My nutrition was good so I was confident I could run. My first bike split was 5 minutes faster than my 2nd and 3rd. Lap 2 and 3 were less than 45 seconds apart. I was happy with my pacing. 
Bike: 5:01:58 (22.26 mph - 17th AG & 140th Overall)
T2 was quick. 1:08. The fastest T2 all day was 1:06. In 2010, my T2 is what got me into Kona. I was about 90 seconds faster in T2 than the guy that finished 20 seconds behind me.
The run is where I feel the most confident. I know within 200 meters out of T2 if it's going to be good or a disaster. I knew within 100 meters that I was in for a long day. I felt terrible from the 1st mile right through mile 26. I've never suffered the way I did on that run. I was looking for reasons to stop running. Every time I found one there were 100 reasons as to why I should keep going. I knew I was moving up in the AG because a friend of mine was giving me updates. Going into the 3rd loop he told me I was in 9th place. I knew that there was probably going to be 9 Kona slots so I felt as long as I didn't get passed I was safe. It was a big gamble but I felt that terrible. As I came to the last mile my legs were ready to quit. Every step I could feel them beginning to cramp. The last mile was torture! I couldn't get to that finish line fast enough. As I finished, I knew that no matter where I placed, I left everything on the course that day. I was satisfied that I couldn't give anymore. I gathered my things and checked my phone to see where I finished before I called my wife. I looked and couldn't believe what I saw. 2nd place! I ran my way to 2nd place! I thought I could run faster but was still blown away. I called my wife and we both just couldn't believe it. The disappointment I felt when I was in Arizona in 2009 was far gone. (I missed qualifying by 51 seconds.) I was on the podium and going back to Kona! Unbelievable!!!
Run: 3:12:13 (7:20 per mile - 2nd AG, 69th Overall) Total time 9:29:29
In looking back at this race, I most proud of my unwillingness to quit. My legs were wrecked afterwards but I didn't throw in the towel. It's amazing what we can achieve when we put our minds to something. My goal this year was to qualify for Kona and be on the podium in Arizona. It made all the hard work worthwile. Although I thought I would be faster on race day, I achieved what I set out to do. 

Ironman is life.

I love the IM distance for so many reasons.  It's truly unique from every other distance.  There's a reason the IM club is difficult to gain access to.  What makes it so unique?  Why are IM athletes considered different than other triathletes?  What does this grueling event captivate athletes and spectators alike?
The mere thought of doing an IM can be overwhelming.  Waking up at the crack of dawn to be in a pool at a time when normal people are sleeping.  Spending more time on a bike now then you did when you were a kid.  Running, running and more running.  Then there's the race.  An entire day a moderate to severe physical exertion!
The thing I love most about all of this is that IM is like life.  There are ups and downs through training and racing just like there are in life.  We all have great days where we feel like we can topple the world.  Training/racing is easy on these days.  We feel as though we could go all day long.  Those are the easy days.  We have all had days when training was miserable.  Unfortunately, we probably have had races that were just as miserable.  This is life.  Typically, those that can get through the bad days are the people that are most successful.  Whenever I face a bad day or bad moment in training/racing, I tell myself that it will pass and I need to "put my nose to the grindstone."  It soon passes and things get better.  I apply this to my life every day.
Rough patches will pass.  Don't let them get you down or feeling sorry for yourself.  Remember what triathlon has taught you.  Those that deal with adversity the best are usually most successful.  Triathlon has taught me to suffer and endure.  Others realize this and have a unique respect for IM athletes.  There only a select few that are able to put themselves through that type of torture!
I've learned a lot about myself the last six years.  I've learned that when the chips are down, that's when I'm the toughest.  I've learned that I'm able to suffer more than I ever thought.  I've learned that I will continue to push my body long after it's told my brain to stop.  Most importantly, I've learned that triathlon is life!

Baby Steps

I just got done watching one of my favorite movies,  "What About Bob?"  Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus are hilarious together.  It's one of those movies that gets funnier every time you watch it.  Dr. Marvin's (Richard Dreyfus's character) best-selling  book is titled, "Baby Steps."  He says that instead of looking at the tasks for the day, look at the immediate task in front of you.  i.e. getting out of the room.  Bill Murray gets up and baby steps out of the room.  Why the movie review?  How does this relate to triathlon?  I've used "Baby Steps" for the last few years to get through training.
When I get my training outline for the month I like to look at how the next four weeks will play out.  When looking at the volume and hours spent training it can be overwhelming.  I usually spend 5 minutes looking at the whole month and then don't look at it again.  Rather that focus on the month or even week I try to focus on what I need to do to get through the day.  More specifically, I focus on getting through the individual workout.  It makes the task of preparing for an IM much easier.  The thought of spending hundreds of miles on the bike or running can be downright disheartening.  I try to hit each workout on the money and then get ready for next one.
Focus on today.  Understand what needs to be done to get through the day and then get it done.  Don't look down the road.  That big ride or long run will get here.  Each workout has it's purpose.  Make sure you accomplish your goal for the day.  Baby Steps!  It will make training a little bit easier.

For beginner triathletes

If you've reached this site it's for one of two reasons.  You're either a new triathlete (noobie) or an obsessive compulsive veteran that is trying to find out any and everything about the sport.  If you're a noobie, this article is for you. If you're a veteran, you still may be able to get something out of this.
I found triathlon after doing marathons for 5 years.  I was looking for something new and stumbled across triathlon.  Not knowing if I would like the sport, I didn't want to buy a bike so I competed on a road bike I had from college.  Looking back at the time leading up to the race and the race itself, I WAS AN IDIOT!  I had no idea how to train, no idea how to race, no idea how to even change a tire.  I jumped in with very limited knowledge and left that day knowing I had found what I really wanted to pursue.  I also left having eaten a big piece of humble pie.  I thought I would jump right in and find success.  I couldn't have been more wrong.
Fast forward to 2011.  I've been a USAT All-American the last 3 years.  I qualified and raced in the Ironman World Championships in 2010.  This past weekend I raced in IM Arizona and qualified again for the World Championships in Kona.  If you're looking for inspiration...here it comes.  I'm where I am right now because of one thing and one thing only.  HARD WORK!  It hasn't been easy and quite frankly there are times it hasn't been fun.  I'm constantly driven by the desire to compete with the best in the world.  It's taken me 6 years of training and racing to get where I am.  (The first 2 years were a waste because of how naive I was.)
If you're planning to get into this crazy sport or are already in and looking for help in being successful, here are some tips to help you succeed.
1.  Figure out why you chose this sport.  (Lifestyle, enjoy competing, lost a bet, etc.)
2.  Set goals
3.  Go back and make sure goals are realistic.  I always set realistic goals and then have on that may be just out of reach.
4.  Develop a schedule as to when you are going to work out.  Don't try to "fit it in."  Set aside time each day.
5.  If training and racing become cumbersome refer back to #1.  There will be days that you're miserable.  The good days should far outweigh the bad days.  If they don't, you need to remember why you started in the first place.  Train safe. Race fast!