Big Day

Today is a BIG day. It's OPENING DAY for baseball!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, who is your team?

Recovery Drinks

Theia over at The Fit Goddess posed an interesting question in one of the comment sections of my blog ... Does anyone used recovery drinks? Well it turns out that Theia uses orange flavored Endurox with a vanilla whey protein. I don't drink a recovery drink in essence, but I do drink Xtend by SciVation during my workouts. It is a drink that is completely filled with aminos, specifically the 2:1:1 blend consisting of L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine. It also has L-Glutamine in it to help with muscle soreness and the re-building process. So what do you drink before, during and after your workout?

Nutrition

When it comes to getting into shape, training for a triathlon, losing weight, or body building, at least 80% (maybe even 90%) of your results can be tied to your nutrition. As my pitching coach in baseball used to tell me, if you eat junk food, you will perform like junk. Like wise if you eat good food.

I also once heard....If it tastes good then it's bad for you, if it tastes bad then it is good for you!

So, what is the best nutrition / diet to follow for triathlon training? Is it best to just stick to a high carb and fresh veggie / fruit diet? Or do you go with a high carb and protein diet for fuel?

There seems to be a TON of resources out there as to what the best diet for endurance performance is.......

My plan is to eat health food in it's most clean and natural state. Of course their will be days of In-n-Out, but I will follow the only 80/20 rule I learned in business school (be healthy 80% of the time, cause no one remembers or cares about the other 20%), plus for my life with kids and work, 100% is just not practical.

So, what is your plan? What works for you?

Dig Deep

It's time to push and make this happen. Anyone want to volunteer to help push me, keep me accountable and call me out???? Com eon....here is your chance, i know you want too.

Time to dig deep.

Back to the Bench

I think I am going to head back to the bench.

Here is the deal striaght up. The swimming has been interesting, but in only a month I have already seen inprovement in both my stroke and my endurance. Its really just a time issue with swimming as I can only do it at night, which is doable just hard.

Then there is the bike situation. I thought I would just do the first couple triathlons and all my training on a mountian bike, heck even some of the races have a mountain bike division OR are a mountain bike course. Then reality set in on how much time and more importantly money it was going to take to get the bike I already have back up and running. So, maybe I go buy a used bike off craigslist....yeah, that costs money too. I can do the bike part of the race, I can do the spin classes, I can do it....but I cant race without an operating bike.....hey maybe I can use a beach cruiser.

Then there is running. I hate it. I can force myself to do it and I can make myself get through it just to finish a race. I just dont like it.....I kind of think of it like lima beans, I hate them, but sometimes you just need to eat them and get it over with.

So the jury is still out, but the bench might be in my near future.

Really

Am I really going to do this?

I have been asking myself that question the past few days. Maybe because my body is exhausted. Maybe because I have a little bit of congestion. Maybe because its just me being me, doubtful.

Either way, I am at the point where I am not sure I can do this.

So today for lunch, I ate a 3x3 from In-N-Out.

Random Information

Saw this on a blog last night, THIS ONE, and thought I would share some info......


(A) Age: 29

(B) Bed Size: California King

(C) Chore You Hate: ALL! Most of all, laundry even though my wife does it 95% of the time.

(D) Dogs?: No way. Not a big fan.

(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: MyoFusion protein powder....a close second is my iPhone

(F) Favorite Color: Blue

(G) Gold or Silver? Both?

(H) Height: 6'5"

(I) Instruments You Play: lets not go there.....

(J) Job: Construction Management

(K) Kids: 3

(L) Live: Southern California

(M) Mom's Name: AWESOME

(N) Nicknames: E, The Big E, Big Daddy, Sweets, and a few others.....

(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? ......

(P) Pet Peeve: People that are late.

(Q) Quote from a Movie: "you're gonna do what?" Does anyone know where that is from?

(R) Right or Left Handed? Right

(S) Siblings: Older sister

(T) Time You Wake Up? 4:45....but the snooze button typical gets hit.

(U) Underwear: Always

(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Lima beans

(W) What Makes You Run Late: Kids

(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: Where do i start.....Head, neck, collar bone, both arms, all fingers, ribs, back, right hip, left upper leg, right lower leg, both ankles, all toes, both feet.

(Y) Yummy Food You Make: tacos

(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal:monkeys

Clydesdale

When I go and register for a triathlon, I am an eligible to register in the Clydesdale division. If I don't I would be put into the typical age divisions.

The question becomes.....which division to race in?

Lets take a look at what a Clydesdale is first.......

Clydesdale definition = a Scottish bread of strong, hardy draft horses. OR a heavy powerful breed of horse.

I guess that means I am a heavy powerful triathlon athlete?

To qualify for this division you must be a male over 200 lbs, regardless of height. This seems odd to me for several reasons. A guy that is 5'6" tall that is over 200 lbs is overweight, but what about a guy like me that is 6'5" tall......is that overweight? If I weighed the average weight of a triathlon athlete at 165 lbs....I would have a 2% body fat composition and NO muscle, but a guy that is 5'6" would be ripped with muscle!

With all that said.....which division so I register for?

Bikes

With every triathlon there comes a portion of the race that includes a bike ride. This is not news to me, or frankly probably not news to ANYONE.

So when I started this journey I figured I would do a race that was an off-road race because I have history riding a mountain bike and a I HAVE a mountain bike. I also found that several triathlons, mainly sprint distances have a race division for mountain bikes, similar to age groups or clydesdale's (which I will address later).

Then the process of my mind starts working.....what would it take to buy a road bike, what are their costs, where would I ride, etc.

So here is where I need your help. Do you know where I can buy a road bike? I am not even sure that I can afford a road bike, but like all of my mind issues, I must do research to the ends of the world before I can give it a rest. Just ask my wife.

I am looking for a decent bike, not a bottom of the barrel bike that will fall apart at mile marker 100 OR a bike that costs the same as a Kia......yes, I saw a tri bike today on the internet that costs $12K. Used bikes seem to be the best, you can get a decent bike at a much cheaper rate and I don't really care if it is the 2009 or older model!

So, with that said, any advice or websites I can look at to make an informed decision? Advice on tri racing also gladly accepted.

Race Schedule

Here is the list of races I plan to complete this year. Anyone want to join me?

May 1st - Wahoo's OC 5k

May 22nd - OC Aquathlon

June 12th - Redondo Beach Super Sprint Triathlon

July 17th - Strawberry Fields Triathlon

August 27th - Wet N Wild 5K

September 3rd - Disneyland 5K

October 2nd - Scott Tinley's Triathlon (this is still a maybe)

October 15th - Chapman University 5K (Redemption)

Positive Run

This morning I was able to get out and run, it was awesome (well kinda).

So, once most of the kids were up, wifey starting getting ready to face the day while I went out for a run. Today i decided to go over to the local high school, which is only a block away and yes I walked / ran to the high school, no car was used. The odd part about it is that I was having flashbacks......it's the high school I went to many years ago. Its also the track I ran around as punishment for the different sports I played. It's funny to think what used to be a punishment is now my "sport"

So, I ran the stairs a few times (maybe 100 steps in the flight) and then off to the track to run some laps. I ran a solid mile and then back to the stairs for some more punishment.

My run was odd. I recently have been having problems with the muscles on the outside of my lower leg that run along my chin bone. While running, at about 1/2 mile the muscle completely cramps.....it sucks! So, I have done a ton of reading on the subject and the only two ideas that keep coming up are to run slower OR run and push through the pain and it will go away. I opt for the run through the pain, but the jury is still out on that.......

The funny part in the morning was when some high school age kids started to run with my around the track as a warm up for their run. Cool right. But then it happened. During their light warm up they were able to lap me twice on the same lap! Oh well, not much I can do about some 16 year old kids that weigh a buck thirty (I remember those days!)

The joys of running. I love the sense of accomplishment, but really at what point do you really start to enjoy this "sport"?

Uhhhh, Pizza

Normally Pizza, I love you. You are a favorite food, a food I turn to in celebration, in sorrow, in hunger. But pizza I think we need a break.

This week, I have had pizza for four meals and a snack.....in 5 days!

Now I know that if you are training for a triathlon or training for a healthy life, pizza can not be a staple in your diet.

So, for now pizza, we need a break.

Coach OR no Coach?

So, with all the information on the internet, I keep asking myself, coach or no coach for this process?

Here is where I am at in my head!

Reasons for NO COACH,

• I can read. Yes this is basic, but I can read all about training on the internet.
• Will to get it done.
• No desire to be an elite athlete, just want to finish.
• Have no money to pay for a coach.
• I have a "friend" if she will let me call her that, that does tri's all the time.
• I know a guy that rides all time and is willing to help me out.
• A friend is an ex-state champion swimmer, who is also willing to help out.

Reasons for a COACH,

• Accountability
• Knowledge of where I am mentally and physically
• Not a friend or relative.
• Can push me in my workouts.

I am giving this a ton of thought. When I started weight lifting the first time, I lasted 2 months and saw limited, strike that, NO results. So, this time I started weight lifting with a friend that knows his stuff and can prove it.....and what do you know, I can see results not only in the mirror but on the amount of weight I move regardless of the lift.

So, anyone have any thoughts?

Wise words

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcomings, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory no defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Favorites Places to Visit

As I research triathlon training, nutrition, and races I have found the following blogs that are inspiring. Click on the links and check them out!

Lisa's Road to another 1/2 Ironman - All I can say is wow.

Mauricio's Triathlon - in your 50's and doing this level of triathlon training and racing. Amazing!

Slade - This guy s seems to know his stuff.

Rough Fit - if you are in SoCal, these guys appear to know what they are doing when it comes to training.


Totally the Turtle - Not triathlon related, but inspirational!

Here are a few other places I like to visit while online.......

USAT

BodyBuilding.com

Yankees!

So, what blogs / websites do you read on a regular basis?

Spin Class

While working on how I am going to train for this triathlon deal I have found many resources online for training....as I mentioned before in Information Overload.

So, in order to get in some riding I am planing on taking a day off weight training every week and take a spin class before work. Now here is the question.....

Does a spin class count as a ride?

I have read from some triathletes that if you start and stop a "ride" in the same place without changing your view along the way, then it is not a ride. I get it. Riding a bike either on road or a mountain bike is much different than on a stationary bike. There are other factors than just spinning a wheel that come into play, like traffic, stop lights, rocks, hills, weather, etc.

But at the end of the day....Did my legs spin something? Did my heart rate increase? Did I sit on a saddle? Did I sweat? Did I compete with the guy next to me to go faster?

YES....so isn't that a ride?

Fail

This morning was scheduled to be a run before church......FAIL. The "baby" even though at 11 months he is the size of a two year old woke up late for some food at 6:20 this morning, I decided to feed him and let me wife sleep in a little. This was great, but by the time I finished, the 2 year old was up and ready to go. At that point I wanted nothing more than to lay around until it was time to go to church.

So I failed on my workout for the day. There is still time.....its only 2pm to get a workout in later. Maybe after we visit with the family for dinner I can get a run in before bed or a swim (I am voting for the swim by the way).

I did have one major victory today......I did not eat any donuts at church! not even a bite from one of the kids. Heck, sometimes you need to celebrate the little things in life.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I plan to start a Monday tradition.............

Sore Beyond Belief

I am sore. Expected, but still sore. I have been working out every morning for the past five months by way of weight lifting. Its amazing! My body transformation has been noticible. Only problem is, I dont think my body was ready for the shock of adding additional workouts this week.

So this week I not only performed a week long heavy set of weight lifting but I threw in a run (more on that later) and a night of swimming. (If you interested in a crazy hard weight lifting workout let me know, my buddy found a great website that beat us up)

The swimming went well. I was able to complete the amount of meters I set out to swim with a bit of ease and within the time limit I set for myself. Only problem I had was the nagging shoulder injury that wont go away flared up again. This too will pass with more conditioning (I hope). The next few days I could feel the swim in my muscles....lats, shoulders, pecs, etc. It felt great to be sore!

Then there was my run. It was a disaster. We will talk about that another day......if you have running pointers, send them my way!

So this weekend I am sore beyond beleif and I LOVE IT. I am still looking for a good plan to get ready for this race......anyone have a pointer or two?

Information Overload

Wow, my head is spinning with information.

I made this commitment to do a triathlon. I thought I picked the perfect race, but now I have found others that look cool too. Then I found a training program that outlined how to get ready for the race, but then I found another one that took a different approach. Then I found articles about weight training or not weight training. Overload.

So here is where I am.....excited, but overloaded with information.

Race
Do I stick with a race date of October or do I try to do one sooner? I know that the running portion is going to be the area I need the most work. Do I practice my running at a 5K or 10K in preparation? Do I complete a Sprint Tri or a Super Sprint or an Olympic?

Training
There are a TON of free training programs out there on the Internet. Some of them seem to be right up my alley, some have me reading them scratching my head thinking "they want me to do what?" Then i have found a few training programs that you go to with a group and have a coach, which seems like great accountability not only with the support but the fact you have to pay for it. The problem with those is that I have a real job and real kids and a real wife, all of which need me to do certain things and place demands (not in a bad way) on my life that does not let me do a typical training. None of these coaches like working at 5:30 or earlier in the morning, when I typically workout. So what do i do?

Nutrition
I have ready that I need to eat more protein on one site, then others say I need to carbo load, while others say eat clean. I generally like to think that eating clean or as clean as possible is a good thing, so I can get on board with that. But the idea of eating carbs first and focus on them only, seems crazy! I can eat protein no problem! I love meat, all kinds of meat. I love protein shakes. I mean seriously, staking up on protein is my kind of diet, but will that just build muscle (not a bad thing) and slow me down for doing tri's?

These issue are just the tip of the ice berg. Right now I am just trying to focus on working hard. Go to the gym in the morning everyday during the week and working with a great guy on building strength. Trying to get in a run every morning during the weekend and then some swimming and running when I can during the week.....oh and don't forget the most important of all, softball on Monday nights with the guys!

So, my question for you......where, when, how, and what do I need to do to get ready for a triathlon? (I have the why figured out)