#124 Headwinds and hills - it's about how old you FEEL right?

It's been a long 2 weeks.  So long in fact, I actually aged (at least) a year, but, as @jbagspt cleverly pointed out on my Facebook page, I didn't actually get any older (in triathlete years).  It's sort of a double-edged sword - on the one hand, after some point (maybe 21?) no one really wants to get older any more do they?  But on the other hand.....aging up in triathlon years has (theoretical) advantages. At some point (although looking at some of the finish times, not exactly sure when) people start slowing down and the qualifying times start getting slightly more realistic.....so, as long as I can figure out a way to get older AND faster, I'm set.

Of course, in the grand scheme it doesn't change anything.....the goal is still the goal....qualify.....ridiculous as it might seem, I'll just need to figure it out....and the last two weeks have been another step in the right direction; in addition a birthday, the weather seems to have finally broken....and I WAS ABLE TO RIDE OUTDOORS.  I'm not sure I can emphasize enough how exciting and awesome that news is....from acutal scenery changes to having enough breeze to allow the "cool wick" material to actually live up to its name, the ability to ride outside for the first time is like an amazingly fulfilling exhale.....until you hit the first hill....which for me is within minutes of the first "clip-in".  And then it's more like a series of inhales and exhales.....none of which seem fulfilling enough for the job....and that's without the wind.

The GREAT (sort of hilly) Outdoors

Last weekend

Truthfully, I knew to expect it....every year, despite how well conditioned the trainer can get me over the winter months, there is nothing quite like riding outdoors.....and the 2014 maiden-voyage last weekend did not disappoint. As noted in the pic, it was some climbing, followed by a steep descent, followed by a generally flat section followed by 3 reasonably steep interval-climbs.  The good news was, the trainer has indeed helped my base conditioning, I'm definitely ahead of where I was this time last year when I wasn't taking the training nearly as seriously.....the bad news is - hills will continue to slap me around for another few weeks until I acclimate - it is what it is.

Once you get a little taste

MidWeek

This Weekend

And once you get a taste....it's easy to get a little greedy.  Happily, I found a way to get another couple of outdoor rides in this week: a 40-ish midweek, and a longer (65+) ride today as part of a longer bike-run brick session.....worthy of note is the pronounced "Clinton, NJ pattern" - uphill in just about any direction at the start - sort of a "welcome back" gesture from the roads....And to add a little salt to that wound, today's ride had the added, uh, benefit (?) of a nice headwind for much of it.  Having not been outside in a while, I honestly wasn't sure how strong it was......it felt like I was working hard, but I kept wondering if I was just out of shape....entirely possible.  I wondered this only until I did a flat section in the opposite direction.  I never actually seem to "feel" the tailwind, but seeing a near instantaneous speed increase as the workload got easier.  Unfortunately, it was only about 8-10 of the 65 miles.....but I wasn't complaining.

Other stuff.....
I did get some hours on the indoor trainer and some running and swimming in, although admittedly, I gravitated toward the outdoor rides. One important development was that yesterday (Saturday) I did the ever important "hour of power" test - basically a full on blitz on the bike trainer for an hour.  It's pretty miserable, but I was psyched to note that my steady-state power went up by another 14% since the last test 8 or so weeks ago....I'm closing in on my goal (+/- 84%), but having never used this as a training variable, I have no idea when I'll reach my plateau.

Truth be told, the last four-week block has been grueling - of the last 28 days, 25 have been "training days".  Of course, the 3 "totally off" days were AWESOME....but more than that, they were needed.  I'm at about 65% of where I think I can be, and I'm hanging in as far as my training-stress (currently sitting at a -13, which is likely to get a little worse after today's long session, but tolerably above the -30 magic line).  Things are progressing nicely, and besides feeling the fatigue some, I have not complaints so far......but it's still a long upward climb from here.....good thing I'm aging...but not older.

If it were easy, everyone would do it,

Mike E.

#122: There's wisdom in listening (I hope)

Welcome to the balancing act: the phase of training where things are starting to go well and the results of a string of hard work are beginning to show BUT the risk of over-training is real and starting to get vocal.

The last two weeks have been about the continued march upward in both training volume and intensity.  Overall, things have gone according to plan.  I've continued to steadily ratchet the hours and miles upward without any significant injury.....until.

On Thursday I noticed that my biannual "sniffle" had arrived.  Super annoying, but nonetheless like clockwork.  As the seasons begin to change (we get a few warm days and then a few cold ones or visa-versa) and my body starts to complain - usually my Achilles Ears-nose-throat.  This was NOT wonderful news as it could get int the way of my training....but this go-around being an older and (with any luck) wiser athlete, I decided to listen.

I took Thursday easy, Friday off, did a hard session on Saturday and then took today off.  Today was the hard one.  A weekend-day off feels a little like you're "giving in" and the doubts of whether it's a good idea clang LOUDLY.....but after looking at my training log & data - it was the right move - as my overall training stress was well into the negative and had dipped below my self-imposed "stop-loss" level of -30 on Monday of last week.

DAMMIT! That's what I get for being lazy and not looking at my data (and thus not writing a blog) last week.  I was at nearly a -36, which is almost automatic injury/illness territory. Had I listened to my data I wouldn't have to listen to my body.....

The good news is, it's early enough that this reinforcement of a previous lesson-learned can be just that - a personal review in the wisdom of listening - that no matter how well things are going or how hard you might like to push, there is a limit.....and you shouldn't cross it.

Where things stand:

Swim - I got 2 solid swims in last week and was happy with them, however I forgot my watch on both days and so don't have accurate pacing information.  I'm excited to back into the water (which is odd for me).....so that's a good thing.

Bike - It's been a continued steady upward march in both miles and power.....but I have this underlying feeling like I'm not pushing hard enough.  Of course, the data shows otherwise, but with the amount of time spent in the saddle on race day so much hinges on a good bike split.

Run - I had 2 very solid runs this week.  One on the dread-mill and one on the roads.  The treadmill was the treadmill, not much to speak of.....or see.....but the group run on Saturday was a good one.  I was with a pack of 7 runners, all of whom can push me ("drop me" might be the more accurate phrase) - but I decided I was going to test my legs some and see what I could do.  After 1 hour on the bike I ran +/- 10.5 with them and we kept a strong pace on a tough course.  If my running can continue moving in the direction it is I will have a new found confidence coming off the bike.

___________________

Where from here?

First things first - shake the phlegm....literally.  Then move on to another 3 hard build weeks - since this one will have to count as the "1 down" of the 3 up, 1 down cycle I'm using.

The swim needs to get to the one hour "race-pace + a little" level, the bike needs to continue to climb toward the 250 miles per week range (and I DESPERATELY HOPE this is the week I ride outdoors), and the long-run should probably push over the 15 mile mark (assuming the bike is on track - which continues to come first). 

Pressing on,

Mike E.

#121 - Positively Contagious - the funny way things work out.

The last couple of weeks have been very interesting and maybe even enlightening for me - from my professional "world" right through the charitable "world" and into the world of training.  It's never a bad thing (entirely) - because there's always something to be learned from the situation you're in - but there are moments that just make you scratch your head and wonder.  Unfortunately the stories are not even worthy of blogging about - but the results are; that's where the magic happens.

Professionally - on 3 different occasions this week I had just gotten finished talking about the health risks of sitting for long periods to groups and made sure to include the point that simply standing up on a regular basis could make a small, but meaningful difference.  Each time, at that very moment, someone had the courage to stand up.....as if to say - "I'm not going to just sit there now that I know that".....and others followed.  As more and more people stood and it transitioned from "safe" to "ok" to even "cool", it spread - not everyone of course, but to the majority.  It was fun to see.

Charitable - at Pro-Activity we try to support people who are doing great things where we can.....and we try to include as many folks as possible in also doing so......we even started a non-profit "arm" of the business years ago to address it.  Like many projects, we've had our ebbs & flows with how much we could support it - but we know it's important to what we do and who we are.  I put the word out earlier in the week that we were going to host our first "fun-run" of the season and that the weather (first time in a WHILE) looked relatively inviting.  Lo and behold - Saturday morning when I got to BaseCamp31 a solid group had amassed and runners of all ages and abilities were ready to run.  Whether it be the group who was only doing a few miles, or the group that was doing an "Indian Run" (not sure if there's a more acceptable name now - but back in the day that's what we called it), or even the group of professionals who came out to get in a short (20 or so mile) run - there was sweat running down the many smiling faces - and it was a great energy.  I got to meet a few folks who I've never run with, see some friends I haven't in a while and even try to keep pace with said group of professionals (members of NJNYTC)....to no avail of course, but it was a pretty strong 10 miles nonetheless.

Training - well - it wasn't as great of a week as I had hoped - really wanted to work on getting the volume up another 10-15%, but the week got ahead of me and it just wasn't realistic.  What does that mean?  Well, when you can't get volume, you get intensity.....so shorter, harder sessions......that lead up to a long weekend.  The week culminated in a 3 hour bike-trainer session which is pretty boring.  Thankfully, some of the folks on twitter got my back by tweeting me through the first (hardest) hour:
________________________

Mike Eisenhart ‏@mikeeisenhart  4h

Hr1 DONE. TY @RKleppsDPT @PranaPT @Jerry_DurhamPT @Cinema_Air @AlpineAthlete: conversation, stimulation, motivation. What can't #Social do?

________________________

Swim - last week I had a little bit of a breakthrough in the water.  I was pretty excited about it......but then, this week didn't back it up by finding a way to get in the water.  The good news is - I know how close I am - just need to nail it down some.

Bike - solid week - largest volume week so far - but not yet where I need to be.  Although at this exact moment my legs have some jelly-like qualities, they've been feeling strong

Run - as mentioned above - not my best week as far as miles - but the run on Saturday made up for it some.  Was able to push the pace some while trying to catch the "fast guys" and my average overall was tolerable.

Other - I'm in the phase of training now where the weight starts falling off.....I'm down about 10-12 lbs (depending on the day) and somewhere around 7 lbs off race-weight.  The trick for me is to let that level off some for now - which means EAT!  Which of course, doesn't break my heart.

Where I stand - If my data is accurate (which I think it generally is), I'm at about 61.5% of my previous best training state - which, if the rate of improvement follows the line I'm on (no injuries, major setbacks, etc) should at the very least put me around 10% above that level and as much as 30%.  I have no idea what that translates into as far as time-shaved, but if I can toe the line 25% stronger than I was in 2012, I think I'd be happy.

Still moving forward,

Mike E.

#114 - The party's over, now BACK TO WORK

"Christmas week is over, New Year's week is a thing of the past....and now, well past the start of 2014, it's time to get back to work"......those were my my thoughts when I woke up this morning.....the day after an insanely cold thermometer reading sealed it as an "inside" day (-6 deg is automatic "indoor" workout for this tender athlete).....I took a look at my training plan and realized, the viking lady was in the midst of her crescendo.....that today was the first day of the rest of my season and so, it was time to get refocused on what is going to propel me to a new level of achievement, another big step toward my goals.  

Inventory
Swim - pretty awful - but totally on schedule in that regard.  I got in the water for the first time in months last week and it wasn't super smooth.  Of course, showing up to the local "Y" when the highschool swim team was there was, uh, humbling.....it was good for me to be there and start to build my desire to swim again.

Bike - I've got some more work to do here.....but I'm gaining strength and fitness, which is the goal of this stage of training.  The computrainer continues to be about the biggest help imaginable for me, but I need to keep building my mental endurance (and my butt-toughness) to be on the trainer.  I find my mind wanders pretty consistently at the 60 minute mark.....and I really need to build that up to 3+ hours in the short term.  I'll also begin putting in greater frequency starting this week, so that should help.

Run - So far, the running has been coming along reasonably well and might even be a bright spot at this point.  I've been catching up with a good group that has started running out of BaseCamp31 on Saturdays for their regular 10+ miler (except for yesterday....as....to reiterate, that would be insane) and then trying to get a solid mid-week run in. The group is almost ideal for me at the moment, with several strong runners who can push the pace......which keeps me working hard.

Weekly Training Goals

This week it will be about having a solid step forward in total volume, to support the #1 goal of tolerating the training volume w/o injury. I'll need to keep an eye on flexibility as well....as my hip-flexors are starting to resemble that of a cyclist (short).

1. Bike Miles >175
2. Run Miles >20
3. Swim Meters >6000

Session Objectives
During swim sessions this week, I've got to make sure I'm building up my endurance and keeping an eye on my R shoulder.  It got stiff last year and I didn't address it aggressively enough and it persisted as a nag way too long.

On the bike, it's all about mileage and volume....just get it in.  I'm happy with the progression of my power so far (although still not at goal), but I need to get comfortable putting in longer sessions.

On the run, I need to continue working on the back portion of my stride.  My cadence and strike are reasonable, however I know when I get tired, I'm crumpling up and not getting nearly as much power from the extension part of the stride as I could/should.  It's a good thing to be conscious of.

Other - with the holidays over (thus my sugar consumption starting to wane) and my training volume about to start climbing, I should soon begin to see some body-comp changes in the next few weeks.  The trick for me is to manage it and not let my energy reserves get sapped.  

Hydration continues to be a daily reminder.  I'm not drinking enough, but I'm starting to be more mindful of it, so this will be important this week as well.  

Sleep has been (dare I say it) a bright spot these past weeks.....which is somewhat typical for me.....but that will end shortly....so I've got to be careful here as well.  

Stress has been reasonable, but this is something I need to put extra time into - actively managing it, if nothing else by giving myself true down-time here and there.....that is WAY tougher than it sounds.

Ramping up,

Mike E.

#93: Ironman NYC - the after "math"

Did you ever have something that you worked really really hard at?  Something that you wanted and you could almost taste, touch and smell but it seemed to just stay out of your grasp?  Me too, and that pretty much caps this chapter of the Red-iculous effort.  Significant progress.....but not yet achievement.  Ugh!  But a solid journey.....so here's how it went.

3 AM - up and at 'em

Want to see depleted?  Compare this to the last pic - yikes

It was a really early day.....get up, dressed, something light in the stomach, top off the blood-sugar and get on the ferries going "up river".  No real curveballs here, all went according to plan, I was pretty well prepared and felt surprisingly calm.  I was a little worried about the ferry rides, I haven't been on them in a while and the last thing I wanted to was to find out that they made me motion sick.....thankfully I found a seat far enough away from the diesel fumes and with enough open air to feel decent.  We eventually made our way to transition and I went through my normal routine.....for a few minutes anyway.  I got my bike off the rack and gave it a quick once over and got in the "air line".  I stood there for a few minutes and realized that one poor woman was really struggling and that the line was not moving at all (I'm pretty sure she had a flat on the bike course.....so something was definitely was messed up).  Finally, after several more minutes and feeling my frustration rise when "calm" is the order of the morning, I got back out of line and decided to alter my routine with bag checks and re-checks, sipping some fluids with the hope that I'd have enough time to put some air in......I circled around the transition area and ran into Justin who greeted me with a big smile and told me that Lindsay and Lauryn were right behind him.  This was an unexpected treat for me and we snapped a picture and I moved on.  As the messages of "get out of transition" started to resound over the PA system I hurried back, found a pump and put some air in the tires (glad I did, they were lower than I thought), and got in line for the swim start ferries......some foreshadowing perhaps.....because with the sun coming up I was starting to sweat.  I found Chris and Nisim and we chatted and passed the time until we were prodded onto the next ferry......the one that was going 2.4 miles upstream.

7 AM - it starts
We were one of the last boats to unload, so we got to watch some of the race start, including the pros who were moving very very fast.....hooray for swimming in a river.....even if it was a river that had millions of gallons of raw sewage dumping into it only a few days prior.  We made our way down the ramp, I crossed the timing mat, looked down to make sure I wasn't going to jump on anyone and splash.....in the drink and swimming.  As usual the first few hundred yards were faster than I could sustain, but after the adrenaline wore off I was determined to swim steady.......that of course was my mantra for the day.......steady and smart.  I continued to move along well and things were going fine.......I was really hoping to see the buoys change from yellow to orange (which they told us occurred at the 1/2 way point) and eventually they did.  It wasn't much further until I could tell my arms were fatiguing enough for me to lose form because that's when the zig-zagging started.  I'd lose the buoys for a while and then get back on course.....then repeat.  I'm sure it cost me a few minutes, but it was OK, because the goal was to stay easy and I did.  I never felt panicky or over-done a very good thing.  I eventually got to within a visual of the transition area and kept moving that way.......I knew I was getting close b/c all of the sudden the water went from green and semi-visable to brown, cloudy and totally opaque......"just get there" I said to myself and eventually found someone in a blue shirt who was 1/2 in the water reaching out his hand.  It was only 1 second later, when my feet sunk into 2 feet of mud that I realized how much I instantly appreciated him.  Into transition I went, grabbed my bag and started to focus on the bike.

Palisades Parkway North (in the southbound lanes)
I made it through transition fairly well and got on my bike.....I instantly heard the squeaking of my (rented) race tire as I pushed up the hill......"OH NO!  I'm not going to be that guy am I?  The guy with the annoying squeaky wheel?  I remember him in Rhode Island"  Well, I was, but thankfully only when pushing an easy gear with force.....because once we got out of town and onto the Palisades, I was off and feeling good.  I took a glance at my heart rate and it was settling in where I wanted it.......time to get to business.  I had the urge to GO.....but I didn't.....I held back but was still moving pretty well......right where I wanted to be.....almost easier than I had expected.  More foreshadowing?

At about mile 20 there were several expansion lines in the concrete that were now far enough apart that they were pretty bumpy.  People were losing bottles and gear all over the place and there were more than a few flats.  I stayed focused on the task and all was well until.....snap.......thud.......I heard my bottle fly out.   "DARN" I yelled (Ok, perhaps it was a bit less G-rated) realizing that my entire nutrition plan had just literally flown off my bike.  I regrouped and started doing some calorie math in my head.  I was going to have to switch to GU packs (about 100 cals per) until I could get to mile 56 where I could grab my back-up bottle......which had far less calories in it (about 600-800 less).  All seemed to be going OK and my pace and heart rate continued to do well and I was passing a lot of folks marching toward the front of the ride.  At the turn I grabbed some water and heard "GO MIKE EISENHART" and looked back to see Luis L, a friend from a client-site who is also a triathlete, with a huge encouraging smile on his face.  What a great boost.......it was at that point that I realized I had miscalculated and was expecting to see them at a different stop.  I looked back and saw another triathlete-friend Ray, but couldn't get his attention......and off I went, making solid time and feeling great.

Cue the headwinds.....
It wasn't until mile 95-ish that I started to feel a nice head wind....definite foreshadowing there; I was riding in a pack that was making a nice slice through the course and all was well, the problem was that I was all out of calories at this point and was really afraid to put in a bunch of GU packs so close to the run-start in fear that I'd redo the St. George stomach blow-up I had in May of 2011 of being dehydrated + over-heated.....so I let my mini-pack go and my pace dropped to what felt easy in hopes to be fresh(er) off the bike....by mile 107 I was starting to feel depleted, far more than I should have been and stuck in fueling no-mans-land from a timing perspective.  I had to make a call there and I opted NOT to force down the calories.....which as it turns out, may have been my fatal error.......I finished the bike, but was feeling a lot less strong than I had hoped and was now weighing all of the variables I was faced with (in addition to going 26.2 miles):

• The caloric deficit was there - no going back at this point - my only hope was to move forward.
• The body temperature was about to go up (no more 20+ mph wind) so putting a bunch of calories in right at that moment was a bad bad idea
• There first part of the run course (15 miles) was the toughest with lots of hills and going to be tough on a fuel-depleted body.

I decided to take it really really easy.....walk the hills, get as much ice as possible to keep my body temp down and try to get into a rhythm.....at which point I could start the chore of refueling while on the run.....not the best scenario......but having been depleted in Rhode Island 70.3 after losing my calories (this time from a bike crash), I figured I could do it.

Jog-Walk-Jog-Walk

It was at this point that I pretty much knew the idea of a Kona slot was gone.  I would have to be at the top of my game and have a basically flawless performance to pull it off.  I knew this going in, and that was a really tough decision to make - go for it with the very very real risk of winding up a course casualty and not finishing.....or let it go and do my best to salvage the day.......most folks who have done Ironman would tell you this decision is an easy one.....FINISHING is always the #1 goal of the day, whether you are running, crawling or rolling across the finish line......and it was relatively easy after looking at it that way......let it go and keep learning.

Over the hills I went until I got near mile 4 where I knew I would see some friendly faces.  I heard Justin scream "here comes Mike Eisenhart" and then the group of Pro-Activity friends and Basecamp31 community erupted.......as if something truly amazing was happening.

As a side-note:  There is something to be said for the love and energy of friends and family.  So much build-up goes into hearing "YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" (which they actually pronounced correctly this year)....but in all sincerity - this was my finish line experience......almost impossible to put into words how meaningful it was from my wife snapping pictures like crazy, to my oldest daughter's huge smile, to my Dad and brothers' encouragement, to my sister right there with ice and "are you OK?", to all of the friends there........there were smiles and high-fives, jumping up and down and "do you need anything?" and of course the familiar and surprisingly soothing sound of John's cowbell, something I've heard several times at races and made me feel like I was right at home.......to my friends and family - you are truly the best......and although all except for the die-hards were gone by the time I hitched a ride back to canoe beach to say it, I'll say it again....thank you for being a part of this - I love you all.

I made it past them and started up another big hill, walking again, got around the turn and did the whole thing a second time.  I eventually got back to mile 14/15 and grabbed my special needs bag......it was then I realized I was loopy......I shouted out - "1520", "bag 1520 please" and then finally a bystander said in broken French-English "You are 1502".......oh, right, 1502.  Normally this would just be something kind of funny.....but I had been feeling sort of fuzzy for a few miles now and to have a "mental slip" like this had me very concerned.  Too many miles to go to be out of it........and there were still 3 possible issues at hand:

• Despite having a lot of shade in the park, it was hot enough......so I could easily have been dehydrated.
• Being fuzzy for me is the most obvious sign of low sodium......and I had been taking in a decent amount of water.....which can be the most serious issue and the fastest way to checkout
• I was fifteen miles in, so I could be "bonking" (i.e. blood sugar so low that I was getting dopey)

I had put some salt in my special needs bag, so I figured I'd work on salt and calories first.....water is pretty easy so work on the hard stuff first right?  I dropped my salt tab into a swish of coke and proceed to get it down.  Not as bad tasting as I expected, and I was able to get it down without too much of a fight.  I made my way up another hill and got to the George Washington bridge.  I had been telling myself that I would run the bridge and everything would be OK, that I would make up some time now......sort of.

I got up the steps and onto the bridge where I was met with some significant wind......but I had rehearsed running the bridge so many times b/c of the coolness factor, that I was able to get the legs going for most of it......I was IN NYC now.....and it was time to get this finished.  It felt like the salt was helping and I was getting more clear.....but my body was HURTING.  My legs were crampy and sore, my left shoulder and back were starting to cramp, my feet were blistering and it was getting harder to breathe normally.  Mile 16-18 went (very relative) quickly and I was getting to mile 20-ish when I saw another familiar face.......a colleague from another client site, who is a top notch triathlete (he opted out of this race b/c he already qualified for Kona this year.....monster).  I slapped five with him and could only muster "pretty tough run"......he smiled and I kept moving along......slowly.

By the time I got to mile 22 I was in a weird spot mentally. I knew it was only four miles.....something that a couple of days ago I was doing in less than 7 minute miles with a smile on my face......and yet it was like someone had pulled the plug on me.....I was fading.....fast.  By the mile 22 aid-station I knew I looked pretty rough b/c instead of people saying "you look good" (which we all know is a lie out there)......they were saying "are you OK?" - I was so tired I couldn't even tell them what I wanted.......I just nodded when they offered me something. I trudged along.  The park was full of switch backs, which was harder on me than I expected.......every time I thought I was getting near the final turn.......it was another switchback.

Finally we got to mile 25-ish and the rest-aid folks said "this is it, home stretch, last mile, last aid station".  I jogged a little bit and was in a fair amount of pain.  I was moving along and then one of the many people to pass me by was a woman and fellow PT-triathlete who I know of, but don't really know.  I think she recognized me too b/c she sort of glanced back......."that's it I thought, let's go" and if I ever meet her officially, I owe her a big thanks.  She is a tremendous athlete (placed 10th in her age group) and for some reason that glance was enough to pull me along on her shoulder for the next mile.  Somehow I passed her with only a few hundred yards to go.....and all I could think of was what a jerk move that would be, to finish ahead of her after she pulled me along (without knowing it) that final mile.  For the first time in a while I walked without being forced to......and she and one other athlete passed me by........I started jogging again for the last time and eventually got within Mike Reilly distance:

Almost there.

And then, 11 hours and 25 minutes after I had begun this journey (about 90 minutes off my "if things go perfect goal", about an hour off my "stretch" goal and 25 minutes off my goal) I heard: "Mike Eisenhart from Annandale, NJ.....for the second time YOU are and Ironman"

I was so glad to hear those words b/c now I could stop.

Depleted

Somewhere around mile 24 when the world was crashing in, I glanced at my legs.......they were like sticks and every shred of muscle was obvious.  I knew I was going to be in tough shape so I got across the finish line and a volunteer spotted me quickly.

"Are you OK?" he asked 

"I'm pretty beat......can I sit in that chair?"

"Yes, of course, I'm going to stay with you.....can I get you anything?"

"I could really use some calories"

He rattled off a bunch of stuff that sounded pretty awful and I opted for yet another can of Coke.  I began sipping it and he was keeping a watchful eye when I heard:

"Hey You......you OK?"  this time it was Chris' daughter Cassie who popped out of nowhere.

"I'm pretty shot.....how's your Dad doing?"

"Last I heard, he was on the bridge" she said.

"Awesome" was about all I could muster.

"Do you need anything?"

"Can you help me find Lindsay and Lauryn?"

We eventually got up and moving again, I got my finisher's swag and found them a few more steps down the line.  We convinced the security guard that they were allowed into the athlete area b/c they were volunteers and we went to find a place to sit.......

The Let Down

"I'm really really depleted" I said and Lindsay was ready for what was going to happen next.

"Drink the Coke" she said and by now a few other medical volunteers had their eye on me.

"Don't worry, he gets like this after these" she said, but they were not satisfied.  They scrambled and got me some broth (salt) and some chocolate milk (fat, protein, carbs) and I kept working on the cola.  They eventually took my blood pressure which was higher than I'm used to and my heart rate, also higher.

"Why don't you come to the medical tent?" they kept asking, but I knew I'd be alright once I got some calories in.......

Is that Skeletor?

I looked up to a worried Lauryn and said - "stop worrying kid, I'm OK" and although I would not normally sit down for a coke + chicken broth + chocolate milk meal......it did the trick.  About 10 minutes later I was stiff and sore, but making sense again.  We got on the Ferry to Ross Dock to pick up gear and say some thank-yous to Pro-Activity contingent at canoe beach and anyone I could find from the American Physical Therapy Association of NJ group (who were volunteering as part of the medical tents).  I had had a hand in getting both groups involved with this race, so I felt like I owed them a thank you at the very least.....they were all so appreciative.......these events have a great way of bringing out the best in folks.

We eventually made it home.......exhausted. I washed off the salt, sweat and tears and climbed into bed.  I awoke to my absolutely trooper wife tapping me to say goodbye as she climbed back in the car to take kid #2 to a soccer tournament several hours away (a tourney we had opted out of, but with her team down a player, she decided she'd save the day - trooper).  My mom dropped my 5 year old off (kid watch, another family "job" that is all part of Ironman) who gave me a big hug and then another:  

"the first one was from me, the second was from Grammy" he said.......and I was happy to have them both.

And....as I sat here typing away this chapter - he called down the stairs:

"Dad, are we going to Hawaii?".......

"Not this time, Andrew" I said, with a little lump in my throat.

"Oh man.....I wanted to go to Hawaii" he responded

"Me too, buddy".....

Where does the effort go now?

Well, we know where it's not going.......Kona.....yet.......but where is it going?  This is tough to say for me.  I have made drastic improvements in my racing over the two years I've been after it......but, as I knew last year when I signed up for this event, 2012 would have to be my last Ironman for a while.....to train at the level that I want to compete takes so much time......and with my kids at the age where things are busy enough to require both Linds and I to be involved, it's time to turn the dial back a little.

To be clear, my pursuit is NOT over......and the effort continues......but how we build the next phase of progress is a little less clear......the most immediate goal is rest and recover......and therefore a few weeks of not-very-much......which at this point is welcomed.  

I have learned a ton this year, and my confidence as an endurance athlete has made major jumps.  I am not THERE yet....by a long shot......but I'm still moving in that direction.

Thank you for being part of the journey, 

Mike E.

*Super-huge congrats to Chris B and Nisim P - both of whom completed yesterday's race and are now able to wear the title Ironman.  They say the Ironman is a simple formula:  Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles......and brag for the rest of your life.  Guys, start bragging......you earned it!

**My heart and well-wishes goes out to the family and friends of the unknown athlete who had complications in the water and could not be revived.  At the end of the day, this is still just a fun pastime for most of us....and to hear of a tragedy like this, is very difficult.  My prayers are with you.

#87 Last long run, Hell Week and some Train-cation

This week was slated to be the biggest, baddest, and most difficult week of the training season; the first of two weeks of "over training" - the kind name endurance athletes use for the blaring wake up call to those final few fibers of muscle and connective tissue that aren't currently being used to get to attention and fall in line.  Hell week for tired muscles.


My goal going in was to have high volume AND high intensity, but unfortunately, that didn't go exactly according to plan......the intensity was good, but the volume was hard to capture.  But at this point in the training season, what goes exactly according to play anyway right?


Monday started solid - 2:36 minutes of cycling, with 2 hill sections and a hard flat section where I emphasized pace.  The session went well......but I was darn tired when I wrapped up with those last few hills.....so the week was well underway.


Tuesday things started still on track - 40 minutes of high cadence cycling followed later that day with a goal for a long run......except.......the environment decided it wasn't so enthused to play along.  I stepped outside late in the afternoon figuring I'd run for 2+ hours - it was 97 degrees and the humidity left the air thick (heat index = 102).  Well, I figured, the race will be super hot too, so why not just give it a go?  And I did.  My plan was do 4 mile out and back x 2......and the first four miles went pretty decently.....but I could feel the heat.  It sounds sort of stupid looking back, mostly b/c either is pretty crazy from training purposes, but I can distinctly remember thinking to myself, man, the gap between 95 and 102 is pretty wide.....pretty big difference really.  I hit the turn and went about another mile before the heat really started to win the battle.......it was like running in a furnace.....the wind, although there, was so hot it actually made it harder to breathe and made me feel hotter not cooler.  YUK.  By mile 6 I was reconciling to myself that perhaps 10 more at this temperature wasn't going to be a huge help for me......and by 7, I was overheating enough to be forced into a walk.


There's an internal battle that goes on during training sessions where this occurs......I'm sort of pissed at myself because I feel like I'm wimping out somehow; even though I know better......it's simple physiology really, when the body temperature gets high "enough" (whatever that is), you will slow down.....or.....you will stop.  So I opted for slowing down.  After a minute or so, I was back on the jog for mile 8.  When I got back to the base of the driveway, I came to the conclusion that to gut out another 10 miles would be a disaster.....and really any additional miles would probably not be super helpful for me.....so I cashed in my chips on the day and moved on.


Wednesday I decided I'd make the emphasis cross training to give my legs a chance to freshen up some.....and after 2 hours of labor ("landscaping duty") in the somehow even hotter temps than the day before (105 heat index), I completed a session with one of the trainers at Pro-Activity emphasizing strength and power......where I proved to myself exactly how weak endurance training has made me.......very.....confirmed by soreness.....lots and lots of soreness.


Thursday it was back on the bike for a double session - 12 miles of hill repeats and then a 25 mile "rolling" ride with some of the group of cyclists that ride out of BaseCamp31. Both were good sessions and felt the day was a success.


Friday I was back in the gym for some lunges and squats (OK, many). With only my arms were feeling stupidly sore, I would never want my legs to feel slighted....mission accomplished.  Great session that I think helped me with the goal of waking up the remaining glutes.....all awake now.  I did a slow shake out 5K afterward knowing that the next day I'd be sitting in the car for many hours getting stiff and sore.


Saturday - well - many hours in the car getting stiff and sore.  We packed up the kids and headed south for some R&R in the Outer Banks of NC.....sort of.  I had previously decided that mine would be a "train-cation" where I'd spend a good chunk of my time (as in the hours I'd normally be working) training.  Seems like a good plan right?  Definitely a plan I questioned as we made our way through torrential downpours only to sit in a few hours of traffic waiting to get over the final bridge.   Well, plenty of time to get stiff.

So comfortable.....

Who doesn't need one of these?

This AM (Sunday), after looking at my training log and noticing that I had achieved the intensity, but not the volume I was looking for, I decided this was the best opportunity I had for my last long-run of the season.......minimum 15 and possibly up to 20 depending on how I was feeling.  I headed down Route 12 that goes through the Cape Hatteras state park, essentially a high-speed 2 lane county road with minimal shoulders......but there was no standing water from the rain.....so that was nice.  My plan was to go out 5 miles, turn toward home for a water stop and then do it again (potentially).  The first few miles went pretty well.....at a pace I was happy with.  However, this was definitely more than just another long slow run......with the humidity in the air and the steam coming up from the quickly heating asphalt coupled with the long & straight road with NOTHING to see in either direction but marshy brush this run was quickly becoming a sensory deprivation experiment.......just the kind of test I love......for a little while anyway.  By the mile 5 turn I was drenched with sweat both shirt and shorts and knew this was going to be draining.  I made the turn and headed back toward the house still running at a decent pace.......nothing beyond the boring so I found myself focusing on my cadence and breathing.  5 more miles down and I was back at the house.....for the moment of truth.  I took a good long pull from my water bottle and let the thought of stopping right then and there creep into my head.  Nope......get moving.  I put the bottle down and headed back out for round 2.  I told myself that I'd do 3 out, which would make the run 16 by the end.....but when I got to the 3 mile mark, I found myself thinking "you're good for another 1, get to mile 4"........and I kept chugging.  4 must have come and gone without me hearing the beep of the mile split on my watch as when I looked down I noticed that I was at 4.4 mi.  "Oh well, might as well go to THE (there was 1) intersection"....got there and the watch was telling me I was at 4.9, so why not get the .1 so I could make it an even 20 miles on the day right?  So I did.  By that point I was beginning to hurt though and I knew the final 5 back home was not going to be much fun......I took my "wick" style shirt off and wrung it out.  With a loud SPLASH the pavement looked like someone dumped a 20 oz cup out......and I trudged along.....in some pain.  My quads and glutes (still very sore from Friday's workout) had had enough.


The next 5 miles were me bargaining with myself.  "C'mon, run 1 mile and walk a tenth.....you can do that.....It's only 5 miles."  And, even though it was a really crappy 5 miles of overheat and slower than usual pace......I eventually got there......and the relief of having my last long run in the books was nice.  A few hours later (as I sit here) the legs are feeling near recovered and I'm planning out the next several days of train-cation.....the last big week.


Wastin' away in Margaritaville,


Mike E. 

#86 Get some rest sleepy-head

Yes.  Like that.

Coming off of the solid, but draining 1/2 Iron weekend in Providence last weekend, I decided that I would follow through with my plan to take this week to freshen up a bit with some recovery and rest and let the training hours drop substantially off.  As a tactic, this is tough because the natural instinct (at least mine) is to worry about how much you're losing......when the truth is, you're gaining and gaining big.  My theory here is that by taking a few days completely off and then building some intense but short sessions in, I would have some time to recharge the physical, mental and emotional batteries enough to hit the last 2 weeks of hard training, well, hard.....and then use the final 2 weeks to peak out right at the right time.  Of course, this is just theory and so much can still not work out as planned......but I'm feeling like if I can get a few things to fall in place, I'll be able to enter race day knowing that I've done everything I can to prepare and just let go......this trust in my training is super important and although there's always SOMETHING more that can be done, for me it's about getting to the starting line healthy and with every cylinder ready to fire.

If I could only grow a beard like that

On Monday and Tuesday, the training order was pretty simple really - get sleep......as much as possible and have the local bike shop take a look at the crash victim to make sure I'm not doing more harm than good riding it.  I did NOTHING on Monday......NOTHING.  This was super weird and Lindsay had a good time watching me milling around like a lost soul trying desperately to find something (non-work-related) to do.  I'm sure the "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" quality about it made it funny to watch....just sort of pacing like I couldn't find the bread crumbs home.


Tuesday - I got a short strength session in just to stay loose and stretch out some.  I also took the bike in; and with a little bit more pacing, this time like someone in the hospital waiting for "the news", Gardner simply said (as he tightened a screw)......"These things are tougher than people think......it's not as pretty as when you got it.....but it's OK".  WHEW!  That would've been a huge setback and instead a relief.  Luck changing?


Wednesday was the last day of "easy does it" for me, so I snuck in a 45-ish minute Elliptigo session.  Enough to get the blood pumping, but certainly not intense.  I love watching the people as they see me heading their way and then the "wait, what?" look on their face as they realize it's not a bike.  Great recovery device and perfect for my goal that day.


Thursday I got some easy riding in, about 35 miles of it.  Not terribly long but a good way to gently let the legs know that it was time to wake up.


Friday I was pressed for time, so what better way to get some work done than mile "cut-downs" 2 x 3 miles.  This little gem of a workout is pretty simple in concept, go out for a run and every mile, cut the pace down (i.e. go faster) by some reasonable percentage.  AMAZING what fresh legs can do.  I went out at what I thought was a reasonable pace (turned out faster than race pace) but at the 1 mile mark I decided I'd still try to cut it down by 15-20 seconds per mile.......it turned out I cut it down by nearly 35 seconds....whew fresh legs!  But, I was this far, so I might as well give it a try to cut it down another little bit......I really didn't think I could cut it down and keep it there for another mile.....but I DID!  Dropped it down another 10 seconds per mile for the 3rd mile.  Although I was pretty tired by the end of that mile, I was feeling really really good about the pacing.  Short lived though, b/c it was time to do it again on the way back.  This time I took mile one REALLY EASY to make sure I could keep it together......but the workout went pretty well and I managed to push out another 3 miles at a pace I was happy with.  Sessions like this are a good boost for the psyche and reinforce to me that if I can keep a positive rest balance and frame of mind, I should be darn near where I want to on race day.


On Saturday training was boxed out by other commitments, which I let go pretty well with the idea that - this was it - last weekend I could really do that.


Today, I managed to get in a tough 30-ish miles on the bike (>2500 feet of climbing in 30 miles), but that was the idea.....beat up the legs and run after.  The last 10% of the ride was with some drizzle, which although cuts the speed down for safety some, wasn't entirely unwelcome (we need it bad).....until I got off to run.  STEAM BATH.  Fortunately the real thunderstorms, you know the kind that drop the temp by 10 degrees in 10 minutes didn't roll through (until now as I type), but the wet roads and hot humid air makes for a seriously unwelcoming environment.  


Overheat Much? 
I ran 5 miles pretty hard and it went fine, however I was a sweaty mess when I was done and feeling sort of burnt.  I made my way into the bathroom and ran the cold bath.  It was the first time (ever) that I got in and within 30 seconds it felt "refreshing".  It usually takes the first 3-4 minutes of what sounds like some sort of personal Lamaze class for me to get in chest deep.....today, not so much.  Well......first hot AND humid training session of the season.  Let's hope 8/11 is NOT like that.


And now, 26 days out from the big-race and staring at 2 weeks of the good stuff.....over training......the cherry on top.  It won't be easy, but this is the stuff great race experiences are made of....and so, it's head down and work hard.


Ready for anything,


Mike E.

#85 Road rash, Olympic send-offs and INSANITY

Remember Crazy Eddie?  Yeah, like that.

This week has been a wild ride.  It shouldn't have been really.....my training schedule had lightened up some to allow my body to catch up prior to the Amica Ironman 70.3 in Providence, RI we had a short week professionally due to the Independence Day holiday and because the holiday was mid-week and that throws many a schedule off, I was able to plan in an office day......sort of luxurious by my standards.

But then there was this other thing.....our friend and Pro-Activity co-worker (trainer/coach) Julie Culley did something sort of impressive....as in super-extraordinary crazy, nutty impressive......she out-kicked an American record holder to not only meet her goal and make the US Olympic team, but to "come out of nowhere" (of course we know better) and WIN the 5K US Trials in Eugene, Oregon.  Freaking Red-iculous.  Well clearly, this kind of thing deserves a little send-off....which if you know us, you know that we RARELY are satisfied with small and relaxed.  So....we decided to try to make it really special for her.....and after a week of planning and crazy ideas we decided that with some work, we could make it cool.  That translated into a quaint gathering of 250+ members of our community, music, food, autographs, good luck wishes, pictures, etc. (If there was only enough time to arrange for her to arrive on an elephant DARN!).  The only hitch (for me) was that I had this other little thing going on that same morning nearly 5 hours away in Providence.  But if I raced well and timed it just right, I MIGHT be able to get back for some of the festivities.....game on.


Amica Ironman 70.3 Providence - Welcome to Summer School
So I got a few easier sessions in and let my body recover enough to race well.  Not tip-top, but well enough.  I hydrated, carb-ed and was ready to go....and as the alarm went off (+/- 3A) I reminded myself, as I sometimes have to, that I was CHOOSING to do this.  Pre-race proceeded as planned although I found myself surprisingly chilly prior to the swim start (no wetsuits and I think the water was warmer than the air).  Finally my wave was called and 3-2-1.....we were off......


I started pretty well and for the first few hundred meters (+/- 10-20%) I felt on track for a good day.  I felt my pace slow some (pretty typical) and felt a pack of swimmers coming up on me.  This is a little odd b/c usually by then the slipstream has formed......it was at that point that one of the wheels fell off.  My goggles got bumped and filled with water.....annoying, but no biggie.  I reset and pulled a little to the side but from that point on, I COULD NOT sight a straight line.  I was all over the place and it seemed like every time I picked my head up I was way off course.  At one point I had to be redirected by a kayaker....."you've got to go R, you're going hit the rocks".....and sure enough, when I put my feet down, there they were......and the day sort of went like that for a while.  

A classic.

After weaving back and forth, I finally got out of the water, completing (time-wise) the worst swim I have had in a Triathlon (somewhere around 11 sec per 100m off my last effort or 3.5 minutes off my predicted).  Doesn't sound like much, but racing nearly 10% slower is a pretty big swing.  Knowing that I pretty much SUCKED in the swim, I tried to hurry through the run from water to transition, get my things on and GO.... 3:04 later I was on the bike....could have been faster, but not terrible.  As I rode out of the park, I realized that my Garmin was not working......and not entirely ready to NOT have my cadence and heart rate in front of my face, I started to fiddle.  I eventually realized it was "frozen" at 3:24 AM......the time when I took it off the AC power source that AM.  CRAP!  Not super easy to reboot your watch while riding, but it started back up....."OK, now settle in".....and I did for the next 25-ish miles.....when......I slowed to go through the water stop and had a pretty terrible exchange with the volunteer.  I don't really know how it went wrong.....but having seen a bottle get dropped just before I got there, I'm thinking the volunteer didn't want to let another one slip and decided to hold it a bit more securely.  MISSION accomplished.  I grabbed for the bottle and it sort-of felt like she didn't let go.  My arm jerked backward just enough to yank my front wheel off center.  ABORT! Or so I tried, but when I went back to right myself, there was no correcting.....wheel cut sharply L and KA-BOOM!  Over the top.  I was.....how shall we say.....not so happy?

Site 1 of 7 (L knee) post race

ME: (yelling): "SON-OF-A-EXPLETIVE" getting up examining the fallout and noticing my knees, elbows and L shoulder were starting to bleed some and feeling both shoulder blades and my R hip talking back.  
ME: (yelling) "BLEEP" looking across the road to the completely slack-jawed (literally mouths hanging open) volunteers 
ME: "Am I OK?"......
Volunteers: no response.......mouths hanging open
ME: (now yelling again) "Am I OK, someone talk to me" 
Brave Kid: "Do you feel OK?".....
ME: (thinking but not saying) "WTF kind of bull-expletive question is that?" (OK, not exactly the help I was looking for)......
ME: (getting more angry and yelling) "AM I BLEEDING Profusely anywhere.....are there bones sticking out anywhere?" 
Levelheaded Adult Woman....."No....just road-rash....I think you're OK".....
ME: (thinking while mounting my bike): "Thank GOD for you level-headed woman"
ME: (saying) "thanks"......and off I went.


Yeah.....so that was the sort of day I was having....Awesome.  Get it all out of the system now right?  Or something.  But from a pacing perspective, the ride was going relatively well....my heart rate was under control and I was working, but not burning up in the heat......I thought about the need to respect that I now had exactly ZERO calories (about 600 less than I would've used) and ZERO water (about 25-30 oz less than I would've used) to make it to the next water stop......


And yet, we press on
The bike leg finished without further incident and looking back, I was almost at my goal pace of >21 mph (20.9).....so considering my little snafu and unintended caloric-restriction, I was feeling decent.  Tried to speed through transition 2 to make up a little more time and got to the sunscreen volunteers...... sun-baked road rash not being the delicacy you might imagine, I opted for some.


ME: "Great, I'll take some.....but please be careful for the.....Yeee-ooow (feeling the sting of the sunscreen in the open cut on my shoulder blade)...."
Volunteer:  "Oh" (realizing what he just did) "road-rash.....I'm so sorry"
ME: "No sweat...thanks".....and off I ran.


The Mental Game
The first 2 miles of the run course were straight up a pretty decent hill. clearly meant to break you mentally.....and it almost did.  I got about 60% to the top and started seriously questioning if I could run today.....my pace slowed pretty quickly and I started to feel the miles without fuel or water......"it's only 13 miles" I thought......"you've done worse" and so I trudged up the hill making it to a water stop.  I grabbed some cold sponges and stuffed them in my shirt, slugged back some flat Cola (there IS a use for this mix of sugar-salt and other generally terrible things......just not as a daily regimen) and felt a little better.  I grabbed a couple of handfuls of ice just to hold and try to stay as cool as possible.....and by the mile 3 turn, I was feeling a little more upbeat. I found my legs and started to run more my pace.....my heart rate was elevated, but not crazy and the cola and ice was helping.  I avoided the GU pack in my pocket figuring I was too dehydrated and I wouldn't have enough water to process the carb-shot.....and just kept moving.  By the 6.5 mi turn (i.e. second loop) I was starting to feel decent and I knew if I could get over that hill once more, the hard part was over.....I got to mile 10 (over the hill) feeling good and now had only one more tough section to go (hot, exposed, quiet stretch b/t 11 and 12.5)......slowed a little but went target to target finding people to pass.....and then finally got to the shoot where I heard a big


"Congrats to Michael ELLs-heart, number 617" from the announcer.  


"Whatever" I thought......I don't know why these guys butcher Eisenhart so much.....but it didn't matter.....I was ready to collect my gear and beat it back to Jersey to catch the Culley-extravaganza. My time of 5:07:33 earned me #20 of 141 in my age-group and 115th overall of around 1100..... I was hoping for sub-5 hours....but overall, given the day's events, I was pretty happy with the finish and hopeful I can add just a bit more for the next race (30 days).

Great send-off!

With the exception of needing to stop and stretch my (now stiffening) legs, 5-ish (weekend traffic) hour car ride home left me feeling about as good as 5 hours hard exercise and skin removal followed by 5 hours of sitting in a car can leave you feeling.....but I made it to the party.  Really, really awesome showing.  More than 250 people, a proclamation by the Mayor, a really cool video that Eric created (below) and AMAZING job by the whole team and their families as well as some of our closest clients (who we had to recruit to help) refreshing food and drink, giving out "In Pursuit" T-shirts for anyone willing to set a personal goal, an absolute CHAMP in Julie signing autographs and taking pictures and hustling their asses off to make the day remarkable for everyone involved and something that will (hopefully) help Julie find that extra gear in London.  So cool.


Yes......this has been a really wild week.......and after a few days to RECOVER.....it's back to work.


ME: "You probably didn't have the time to read this far......"
YOU: "CRAP.....you got me....I should have NEVER read this RED-iculously long blog...I've got a lot to do and now I'm late"
ME: (winking) "Bye",


Mike E.


VIDEO