Let it snow

It's been snowing since around 10 this morning. Maybe four or so inches and supposed to snow more tonite. Was going to run outside, I love running in snow and so does the dog, but it was too nasty and windy. So, it was off to the treadmill.

Here is what it looked like out the window.

Anyhow, got my 3 miles in and felt pretty good. Tomorrow is bike and swim.

Nothing left to do but smile smile smile

Finally a sunny day.  From yesterday's run, well after it.

Week 2 down

Second week of official training done. Feeling good, really still riding wave of anticipation and novelty, I know that will wear off soon enough, but for now, just going to go with it.

Week two totals, 2 hours swimming, approx 6k yards; 3.5 hours bike on trainer; 2:15 or so running, 12 miles approx; 2.5 hours hot yoga.

Want to focus on nutrition for a couple weeks and try to get a little lean. Anything I can take off now I won't have to carry up the hills in Wisconsin in September. Mmmmmm....nutrition!


Love me them green protein smoothies! Banana, pineapple, coconut water, kale, spinach, collards and vanilla protein powder. Freaking rocket fuel!

Taint Nothing Hurt Like a Taint Hurt

Two hours on trainer this morning, longest trainer ride in at least two years. Fought boredom with YouTube and "rode" Lake Shore Drive watching some dude's GoPro video from 2012 race. Not entirely sure, but may have passed myself. Two hours is long time on the trainer, I was happy early on, but that mood soured as the minutes rolled by. IM training is going to take a lot of mental effort and instead of thinking what hurts (taint!) or how boring it is, I have to look at each workout as adding to the path to my goal. riding in a hot, cramped and cluttered basement now will make the open roads that much better in a month or two. Gotta love the road bikes hanging off radiator pipes in background though!

After bike, a brick of a different sort, with 90 minutes of Hot Yoga at Down Dog Yoga.. Such an awesome workout it's insane how much concentration is required, especially when you have no balance!



This evening's festivities include cooking up a batch of Greek Yogurt. So easy and way cheaper than Chobani! Some Greek Yogurt, hard boiled egg whites and green smoothie with protein is breakfast of choice these days. Never in a million years thought I would ever enjoy kale, but wow, who knew?
So glad I got this out of the way today. Frees up tomorrow fer watchin the Daytona 500!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Baby It's Cold Outside

This is what February in Chicago is supposed to be.

So its on the trainer at Too Friggin Early a.m.

Look at all that pasty white!!!!










What I wouldn't give for 39 degrees right now.....

One down!

First official training week is in the books.  Since Chicago Marathon, everything's been sort of maintenance training.  Was good to get back onto a plan.  29 more weeks, but its real good to have direction in training again.

Three swims, four bikes, three runs and two yogas. Two runs were outside!  This morning it was 11 degrees when I went to the pool. Was a scorching 22 when dogs and I ran at 11. About eight hours total training with the yoga. Not much when I think that come June or so I will have single bike rides almost as long as this entire training week in terms of hours.

Goofiest training moment of the week: This morning, sun sparkling into the pool, bouncing off the water, just awesome sight during winter, especially when its 11 degrees out!  I was in a not so sunny lane.  About half way into my swim, there's a guy standing in middle of the lane and I just about ran in to him.  He says "I dont like swimming in the sun, I want this lane.  You go swim over there," and points to the open, sunny lane against the wall.   "Sure man, whatever!" and I slid under the rope.  This same guy likes to turn off the lights in the locker room over the sinks because "I don't like the glare."  WTF, swimming with vampires?

How in the hell am I supposed to do this?

Coaches cost lotsa dough and group training times aren't the most convenient.  Plus, I don't listen to anybody anyway.  So the next best thing was the book Be Iron Fit, which comes with a 30 week training plan.  The plan has three ten-week phases--base, build and peak--with the heaviest volume about a month out from IMWI.  That'll be July and August which means 90s and humid!!!  Right now, base period is seeing temps in the teens, ice and snow.  So that will be a welcome change!  

The plan is time based, which is so strange to me.  All my training before has been mile-based.  Also a lot of HR training.  That is gonna be difficult.  I can go forever in Z1, but too much over that and I can feel it in my leg.

Am tweaking the plan here and there to fit my schedule and focus on my weaknesses (swimming, biking AND running). Since I obsess about these things, the whole training plan is uploaded into a Google Calendar that syncs to my iPhone, iPad and anywhere else I log in to Google.  I can't walk ten feet without the training plan staring me in the face.  Now lets see if I can DO the workouts!

I am also doing hot yoga twice or so a week for strength, stretching and heat acclimation.  It's definitely one of the best things I have done.  Nutrition is a work in progress.  Always.  Have lofty goals and ambitions, but a weakness for snacks.  So hope to dial this in.  Have hoped for long ass time.