So I recently signed up for my first full Ironman race.
I have done a few half marathons, a full marathon, a half distance Ironman, but I finally decided it was time for a real challenge.  
Why now?
1. It was on my bucket list and it had intimidated me, I had been avoiding it like the bully after school.
2. I need a focus to help me keep my weight off.  I have found that the further I get away from my surgery date, the easier it has become to stray.  Bad food choices, grazing, snacking, just not giving a ****!  I have become lazy and complacent with my nutrition.
3. I am recovering from a fractured knee cap.  That hurt and it was a pain in the A$$(knee really).  Well actually the A$$ to from walking funny, I started having some hip and low back and buttocks pain.
4. It is an exercise in positive attitude.  In general I have a defeatist glass is all empty kind of mentality.  I'm going to try and keep that out of my blog and focus on the positive aspects.
5. It is my excuse for another Tattoo.  I'll get one to commemorate finishing the race.

Anyhow the race isn't until next July, but having been out for most of this year due to the knee issues, It is like I am starting from scratch, so I'm giving myself almost two training sessions.  #1 session is just to get me healthy enough to begin the 2nd which is focused on the actual event training.

If anyone is interested in seeing what I am doing I will be logging my food and my workouts every step of the way.

You can see how the training is going here:  Please feel free to comment and hold me to the coals for any of my posts or lack there of.  Thanks!

http://racetotherace.blogspot.com/

I also like ridewithgps they will make you create an account but it is free.

They do have a paid option but it isn't necessary

 

http://ridewithgps.com/

www.vineman.com

It starts at Johnson's beach in Guerneville, CA

Cycle goes through Windsor, Geyserville & Healdsburg CA,

The run is 3 laps in the Windsor CA area.

 

It's a pretty area to be doing the event, if you have enough time to enjoy the scenery.

It's in my backyard, so I know the bike course really well, and once spring rolls around again I'll probably be training on it every weekend.

 

 

My registration is in and confirmed for the vineman race.

Now I think I'm going to go puke then start working out

 

Just gotta keep thinking zombie apocalypse, cardio, cardio, cardio

 

.

 

 

Hit the pool today, something between a freestyle, a dog paddle and a desperate attempt to not drown.  But I managed about 45 minutes of lap swimming.  No idea how far, I always lose track of the number of laps.  I need to get one of the lap counters.http://www.amazon.com/SportCount-Inc-LapCounter-90040-Silver /dp/B0016J9NE8

 

Anyhow the plan is for an hour on the bike trainer tonight after I get my kid to sleep.

 

 

 

 

So how was the transition from 70.3 to 140.6?
I'd like to do a full, but I have a lot of doubts bout my ability to do it.  Registration is coming up in a few days and I have to make my decision.  The 70.3 sold out within a couple hours last year the full had openings almost right up to the start date.

What type of time commitment was needed to do the 140.6?
I'm assuming it was more than twice as hard, I know that is true for the jump from 1/2 to full marathon.

The full would complete my bucket list of things to do as far as fitness challenges goes, but the half would give me the chance to better my first effort.

Ah crap I don't know.   Just looking for some input from others about the differences and how hard it was, how much time was requried etc.

Thanks,

Scott

What's the challenge?

Awesome job,

Congrats on the success.

Scott

Yeah I got down into the 8 min pace once and felt like I was going to end up with my insides on the outside.

I can't maintain that pace for more than 1 mile and then I want to die.

That can work just fine for you as long as the blocks don't make you sick.

Any endurance activity that is going to take you past an hour, give or take could require that you put some calories into your system.

I prefer a steady stream of small quantities.  I use gels and sports beans and sports drinks with calories.  Initially I didn't tolerate the gels very well, so I would mix them into my water bottle to dilute them.  This eliminated the dumping issues, and made sure I got some calories.
Now I can take 1-2 gels without the issue so I don't dilute as often.  They do make a nice bike bottle that has a chamber in the middle that I fill with Gel and then the outer chamber gets filled with your fluid of choice.  Depending on the valve position up/down you ge****er or gel.  Pretty convenient and no fumbling with gel packets or shotblocks or any of that stuff.

I also like to take in something salty during the ride if possible.  I know this is probably going to sound blasphemous, but I like payday bars.  I get a couple of those extra small halloween sized payday bars and I'll have them on the bike as well.  They are salty and go down just like a protein bar and they seem to holdup better than most of the protein bars I have tried to take on long hot rides.

By keeping the quantities small I find that it reduces my discomfort or any of those sudden urges to find a bathroom.

On long bike rides, I have also used peanut butter sandwiches because they keep in the heat don't need to be refrigerated and don't melt like so many of the protein bars do.  You can make them and pre-cut them into bite sized pieces.  Any solid food I take in, I prefer to do early on so it isn't sitting in my stomach like a rock when I have to run.  Later on in the bike portion I switch to more liquid calories.

The run is almost all liquid calories or no calories at all depending on how long it is. 

Whatever you try, you want to give it a trial run long before race day and make sure it agrees with you.  I recommend that you try it at home, then progress to a small run close to services, then out onto longer runs/rides.  What your body may tolerate for an hour ride, may be different when it's been 3 hours of exercise.  You also may saturate yourself with something.  You know that feeling where  you couldn't possibly take another bite of something no matter how much you normally like it.  After several protein bars or shot blocks, your mind and taste buds might just say no more of that please.

Good luck,

Scott

Awesome job,

Congrats!

Let me start by saying never break your knee.  OMG this has been the longest recovery I have ever had.  10+ weeks so far and I'm still not walking right.  Broken arm and collar bone are nothing compared to this.

First real ride on the bike since the accident.  Still a little gun shy and I think I white nuckled every intersection or car encounter, but I made it to work today.  Then I find out we could have thunder storms this afternoon.  I didn't dress appropriately for that.

Still some stiffness in the right knee and I get painful twinges if I hit any bumps or potholes.
I am walking more normally, but stairs are still difficult I can't really do them foot over foot.  I still take each step with the good leg first and then drag the bad one along for the ride.  I'm a long way away from running, but I don't look so much like a club foot hunchback any longer when I walk.

I may take a ride with the club this weekend if I can find a short ride.  I was going to go last week, but my wife said don't call me if you can't do it.  She didn't think I was ready to try yet.  So basically I chickened out and backed down.  If the slow paced club ride goes well, I think I'll try and challenge my legs with spin class again.

I'm still lurking, and I hope to have some positive things to contribute to the forum again as I start to work out again.

Have a great day,

Scott

I have seen a  few articles recently about breaking up the long run days.

Where the athletes are doing a  couple runs during the day instead of one long run.

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Should-You-Split-Your-Long-Run.htm

So what I'm getting at is count your 5k run as part of your long run day.