July 31st - Justin Schettini, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

My goal has been met, my dream has been realized.  The voice of Ironman, Mike Reilly, called my name (he didn't butcher it as bad as I thought he would) as I came down the finish chute and as I crossed the line he declared that I had become an Ironman.

I had seen the emotion of the finish line as a spectator last year, and as a spectator got choked up for those that realized their goal as they crossed the finish.  As the clocked ticked closer to midnight the crowd grew larger, louder and increasingly shared in the emotion of the final finishers as well as those that fell short of the official cutoff.  I will say that the feeling that I experienced crossing the line myself was immeasurably greater than anything I had expected.  As the run miles (slowly) ticked by and the finish became closer I knew in the back of my mind that I was going to finish, and finish well.  However, I would not let myself believe it and I did all I could to suppress the emotion until I descended the final hill towards the finish chute on the Olympic Oval.  Once I saw Kelly and her tears of joy, my own started to flow.  Having my family at the event to share in this accomplishment was critical to finishing the event.  I don't know how people finish these events without family or friends there to cheer them on an offer encouragement.  I will post some photos of me looking like a whipped dog at the finish as soon as I get them from Kelly's phone and Nathan's camera.  Until then here is a pic of a couple of stickers that I can't wait to display:

While finishing any Iron distance event is an accomplishment, the first one will always be special.  As sappy as it sounds, it is a very personal journey in which you learn more about yourself physically, mentally and emotionally than you can imagine.  To overcome a major injury makes it that much more special and emotionally fulfilling.  Most people think triathletes are crazy for swimming, biking and running any distance in a single day.  When they find out what the distances are for Ironman their suspicions are confirmed, and when they find out that I went against the wishes of my surgeon they think I should be committed to an institution.  I learned more about what my body and mind can handle from this experience than probably anything else in my life, and because of that I was able to protect my reconstructed knee during training and on race day.  I did not feel a single twinge of pain throughout the entire event.  Yes, there is some swelling and soreness in these days following the event but even my good knee is showing the same signs.  I am still enjoying the incredible feeling of accomplishment while I rest and recover.  It will still be another week and a half or so until I shift my focus to preparing for Ironman Florida in November which will be an entirely different emotional experience because I will be participating in that event with two of my very close friends that helped introduce me to the sport and prepare me for Lake Placid.

Here is a brief breakdown of how the days leading up to Ironman Lake Placid and the race itself played out:

Friday 7/26 - Arrive in Lake Placid:  The town was already packed with athletes and their families and there was a party atmosphere in the air.  I checked in to the race, got a pretty nice Ironman book bag (that I refused to use until the race was over - didn't want to jinx myself), and then checked into the ridiculously over-priced Comfort Inn.

Saturday 7/27 - Our wedding anniversary, 11 years!: Spent the morning sorting through my gear and getting my bike stickered for bike check in.  Checked the bike in later that afternoon and spent the rest of the day relaxing and going over my nutrition and run plans.  Went to bed early and actually slept pretty well until 2am.

Sunday 7/28 - RACE DAY:  Up early to eat, shower and get my head right.  Headed to body marking and transition at 5am for one last bike prep and on the swim start at 6:15.  After a short swim warm up I lined up on the shore ready to get the longest workout of my life under way.

Swim: Although I have done quite a few swims in open water, this one freaked me out.  My heart rate spiked, I couldn't catch my breath and I swallowed more Mirror Lake water than I care to think about.  I was seriously panicked for the first few hundred yards and swam with my head up.  Thoughts of missing the swim cutoff definitely crossed my mind.  I was able to calm myself and settle into a good rhythm for the remainder of the swim.  At one point, Andy Potts the eventual race winner, was swimming right next to me on his second lap.  I finished the swim in 1:28:22, which is pretty good for me.

Bike:  My transition was pretty slow (12+ minutes), but that was because I walked most of the nearly quarter mile from the swim exit to the transition tent.  My plan on the bike was to ride the first lap conservatively and save energy for the second lap and the run.  The bike was mostly uneventful except for the ludicrous speeds attained on the 7 mile descent from Lake Placid to Keane.  My hands and butt cheeks were cramped on the first lap from being on the brakes.  The course is the most scenic I have ever ridden and the hills over the last 11 miles are brutal.  Lap number two was definitely more difficult and even though I was able to descend faster this time around I had a pretty good scare when a wind gust blew me across 2 lanes and almost into oncoming vehicle traffic.  The "3 Bears" climbs this time around were especially tough.  My nutrition plan held together well and I followed it the best I could.  I found myself stopping at aid stations for a quick stretch, a pee break and to top off my bottles pretty frequently.  This race was about finishing so I wasn't worried about losing time to much.  My bike split was 7:33:02 with an average of 14.4mph.

Run:  Transition #2 was a bit better at 5:43.  As I headed out on the run I felt much better than I thought I would and I knew that my nutrition and hydration plan was working.  I had to remind myself to stick to my 6 minute run / 4 minute walk intervals because I was feeling so good.  I was able to follow this plan for about 18 miles, and as I started to get tired I adjusted to 5 minutes running to 5 minutes walking.  I did make the mistake of not drinking enough at the run aid stations so I was starting to feel a bit dehydrated for the last 6 miles or so.  I adjusted to a ratio of 2 minutes / 2 minutes to carry me through the last miles and had to resist the urge to run when I was in town among the enormous crowds.  This carried me to a 5:16:36 marathon and a total Ironman Lake Placid finish time of 14:36:40.

Now for the most important part of this post, and really this whole journey.  As I said before, Ironman is a very personal journey, and while the training and racing hours involve spending a lot of time alone, there is no way to get through it without a solid support crew of friends and family.  A simple thank you is not enough to express my gratitude to the following people who made this possible:

Eddie Kirk, Ironman Florida finisher - Thanks for keeping me in check, reminding me to rest and for reminding me of the real reason we do this.  I'm looking forward to continuing our training rides/runs and can't wait for IMFL 2013 brother.

Shaun Dailey, Ironman Florida finisher - Thanks for the tips and sharing your personal Ironman journey with me. It helped and inspired more than you know.  Let's get after it with Eddie for IMFL 2013...love you buddy!

Ben Madden, Ironman Lake Placid / Arizona finisher; Xterra racer - Thanks for the advice and helping me get into the sport.  I'm ready for us to do a race together and I think that HITS race sounds like a great idea.

Darrell Hynson, Multiple Ironman finisher, 2x Kona finisher - Thanks for the swimming tips those first few days in the pool.  You might not realize how close I was to giving up.  The sage advice you have given me has been invaluable and I hope that I can learn even more from you soon.

Nathan and Cindy Hempel, bro-in-law & sis-in-law; personal paparazzi and cheering section - Thanks so much for coming all that way, paying all that money and standing around for hours to see me for all of 30 seconds.  Cindy, the signs were awesome and I did laugh when I saw them.  Nathan I can't wait to see the pics you were able to take.

Vince and Christine Schettini - Dad and Chris, thanks for putting up with me.  I know that feels like an endurance sport in itself.  I'm so glad that you could share this with me and I hope that the memories you have of this event are as awesome as mine.  Love you guys!

Amanda Schettini, NY training partner; sis - Skipper, thanks for sharing in this with me.  Also, thanks for the punishing training ride we did just 4 days before the event!  I know I keep bugging you to sign up for that Greene County Tri, but I know that you will love it!  Can't wait to ride/run with you again soon.

Kelly Schettini, IRONWIFE - Living with me is never easy.  Thank you for keeping me on track with my training plan, and for picking up the slack when I was putting in long hours training.  Your encouragement when I was feeling discouraged about my knee or perceived lack of progress got me through some pretty rough patches.  Thank you, and I love you more than you know.  Now it's your turn!

July 16th - 21st - A little hiatus

I have been in Minneapolis visiting my college roommate for the last five days.  It was a much needed mini-vacation before the big event, which is a just a week away.  The nervousness is beginning already.

While I was up there I made sure to offset the great food experiences we had with a few workouts, just to make sure I stayed active.  Of course, the alcohol ban was lifted temporarily as well, but I was pretty well behaved and nursed just a few drinks. Since we went to some of the best and highest rated bars and restaurants in Minneapolis I just had to partake.

Since I am in my taper, my workouts are pretty easy and not very long.  Just to keep it simple, here is what I did while I was away:

Wednesday - 1 hour treadmill run, 6 miles
Thursday - 45 minute run around Lake of the Isles, 4+ miles
Friday - Pool swim, 1000 yards and easy mountain bike ride, 10 miles
Saturday - 32 minute run around Lake of the Isles, 4 miles - this was a my first continuous run in which I did not run/walk.  This may have been a little ambitious because I am a bit sore today.

Tomorrow I will have my last PT session before the race and will be focusing on packing and getting everything ready for the trip.

July 15th - Back on schedule

Today I was able to get back to my regularly scheduled programming.  I had a good short swim this morning of 1500 yards.  My pace was pretty good, as I am trying to keep my intensity elevated but my duration shortened. 

The swim was the only major workout planned for today.  After the swim I headed upstairs for a leg workout.  I am still in knee rehab mode when it comes to strength work so although I increased the weight a bit last week, I am still focusing on low weight and high reps.

I may have to skip my ride tomorrow because I have to help a friend move some furniture and then drop my truck off to have some work done before the trek to NY, so I decided to do a core workout today as well.  If I can squeeze in a ride, either outside or on the trainer, I will.

One of the last things on my list of things to do before race day was to take my bike in one more time to have my new cable tightened.  I did that today and also had them look into a creaking sound that I hear when I go over bumpy pavement.  They tightened a few bolts, but the creak is still there.  I think everything should be OK though.  I did have to tighten one of my aerobar armrests, so I hope that I have that taken care of.  I will be doing a few more rides so I will know before race day if it needs any more attention.  I was also able to clean the chain and cassette and replace my rear tube.  After looking at the front tire and realizing it had some cracks in the rubber I decided to order a new one.  I will put a new tube in that as well when it arrives.

Leg workout:
Extensions - 3x15 (15lbs)
Curls - 3x15 (10lbs)
Calf raises - 3x15 each leg
Squats - 3x15
Lunges - 3x15 each leg

Core:
1 set of 100's
12x25

July 14th - Back to normal. Kind of.

After the training camp that wasn't this weekend, today was a day for me to get back in to my normal routine, while still observing my taper.  Since I skipped yesterday's brick workout, I modified my workout for today to make sure that I got in a run and a ride.

This morning Kelly and I did an hour run.  I noticed that there was a little bit of pain in my knee but it seemed to go away as we continued.  My run/walk ratio is working well and I am hoping that I will be able to stick to it after riding 112 miles.

After church I decided on a 1 hour trainer ride.  This crazy weather was going back and forth between sunny and impending doom, so I thought it would be better to do my work inside while watching the 2012 Ironman World Championships on YouTube for inspiration.    Soon I will have to make some last minute tweaks to my bike.  I am going to put a new tube in each tire, clean and lube it one more time and take it to the Trek store to have my new cable tightened one last time.

One of the things we did talk about while camping was getting all of my gear needs and nutrition plan written down so I can study it and know exactly what I will do on race day.  The last thing I need to do is to lay out the schedule that I will follow in the days leading up to the race so that I will know where I need to be and when I will be need to be there.

Here is what Kelly calls the happy folder of Ironman fun:

July 13th - "Training" camp part 2

Today we were supposed to do another training session at the campsite.  Of course that didn't really happen.  Shaun and I did go out for a 1 mile run at his pace just to see what kind of shape he is in.  He has some time before Ironman Florida but he realizes that he needs to get to work. 

I was thinking about doing a ride when I got home but the weather wasn't cooperating yet again, and Kel and I were getting ready to go to the Toad the Wet Sprocket concert.  Another day of rest isn't a bad thing.

July 12th - "Training" Camp

A couple of friends and I went down to West Point Lake with the purpose of doing a training camp.  I wasn't able to get there until about 5pm so I got in exactly zero training today.  That's OK though because it was a regularly scheduled rest day and if I am not serious about tapering and resting until the big day I could be in for a struggle to get through the race.  Even though the trip was supposed to be about training, it was more about spending time with some friends that have already completed an Ironman event and learning from them.  Both Shaun and Eddie taught me some things that I will need to think about and do to prepare for the race as well as do during the race.

July 11th - Doesn't feel like resting

Since I am in the taper portion of my training, I should be reducing the intensity and duration of my workouts.  I am doing a good job with the intensity part, not so much with the duration. 

I was supposed to do an easy swim of 1800 yards, but ended up going 2300 yards.  I added the extra yardage because I took some very long periods of rest talking with a friend that was at the pool.

Our weather is typical for a GA summer and I was going back and forth between an hour and a half road ride and an hour long trainer ride.  In the end the road ride won, and I headed to the other side of the county to do a late afternoon ride with Eddie.  We rode for about and hour and 45 minutes when all was said and done, and we covered about 28 miles.  The roads out his way are very hilly and are really good preparation for Lake Placid.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a rest day, but instead we are going to make an impromptu training camp trip to West Point Lake.  There we will camp and do some training swims, rides and runs.  I might even lift the alcohol ban for a day and have a beer or 3 with the boys. 

July 10th - That's more like it

Today was a better representation of what my taper should be.  Kelly and I did an hour and a half run this morning.  This might have been a little long so I think I might have to cut back the time on my upcoming run workouts.  We kept a pretty good pace and ended up covering about 8 miles.  This was a little bit slower than usual but as I start my recovery for the race it seemed about right.  Also, I was pretty sore from my experience with the spin class yesterday so I am sure that contributed to my slower run pace today.

This afternoon we were finally able to get out and swim in Lake Peachtree.  We had some rain early in the afternoon, but it didn't last very long.  The water looked quite a bit cleaner than I expected after all the rain we have had in the last few weeks, and fortunately we didn't have to deal with any of the leeches I have been hearing about. I didn't time or measure the swim, but if I had to guess I would say we swam for about 30 minutes and ended up going just a bit under a mile.  This swim was pretty important for me because I have not been in open water since our trip to Lake Wedowee and I wanted to guage my comfort level in the open water.  I felt very comfortable today which was good and set my mind at ease.

After the swim we had hoped to get in a short ride of about 25 miles.  As soon as we headed out the sky got dark and we heard quite a bit of thunder, so we decided to cut it short.  We only rode for about 20 minutes and did a paltry 8 miles.

I have a short pool swim scheduled for tomorrow and if the weather holds I may try to do 25 to 30 mile easy ride, since we had to abort that mission today.

July 9th - Im supposed to be tapering

My PT appointments have dropped to once every other week, and I had an appointment today.  I actually had to cut my swim about 300 yards short so I could there on time.  I swam 1500 yards today at a comfortably increased pace.  I am feeling pretty good about the swim at this point.  Kelly and I are planning on swimming in the lake tomorrow afternoon so we will see how that goes.  And of course that is if the weather cooperates. 

My PT session today went really well again.  She did some more ART on my knee and she told me that there should be an ART tent at the event in case I feel like I need it.  Most of the work today focused on core strength and bike/run range of motion at the hip joint.

I had also planned an hour and a half ride for this afternoon with a friend of mine.  He decided to mix things up a bit and suggest that we go to Atlanta Fitness and do a Group RPM Spin class.  Even though neither of us has ever done a spin class, he talked me into it.  I'm pretty sure the ladies that are regulars in the class put us to shame and make us look like idiots, but it was an awesome workout and after the hour was up I was completely beat.  It was similar to riding the trainer, but having a leader tell us when to increase the resistance and when to stand up on the pedals made it that much better as well as made it harder to slack off.

The last thing on my plan for the day was a core workout.  Since I did some core work at PT, I cut my at home work a couple of sets short:

Core 10x25

July 8th - Last long run

We almost had a full day with no rain.  It didn't start raining until 8pm so I had plenty of time to get in my last long run on my training plan.  I went out for a 2.5 hour run and decided to try intervals of 6 minutes running to 4 minutes walking.  This seemed to work really well and I was able to cover 14 miles.  It looks like this is the ratio I will use in Lake Placid and of course I will modify it if necessary as the race goes on.  I felt really good on today's run, even though it was extremely hot today.  The weather in Lake Placid should be better than here in Georgia, although there is always a pretty good chance of rain at the race.  If anything it will at least be cooler.

I was also supposed to do a core workout today, but since I was tired from the run and it was finally not raining, I decided to cut the back grass and change the oil in my truck instead.  I also made a new mounting system to carry the bikes in the back of the truck for the drive home. 

Tomorrow I have a PT session, and I will do an easy swim and hopefully an easy ride outside if the weather hold.  I will also try to squeeze in the core work that I missed today.

July 7th - Change in plans...again

Today did not turn out the way I planned so I had to shuffle my training schedule again.  Yesterday's brick workout wiped me out pretty good, so the long run I had planned for this morning was originally postponed until the afternoon. 

After church this morning the forecast was pretty much the same it has been for the last week and when we finally left it was already raining.  At that point I decided that the only workout I was going to get in was a swim, so I headed to the Y.  Since I am starting my taper, I only swam 1800 yards, but since the pool was filling up with kids I pushed the pace a little bit.  After that I went upstairs and did my leg strength routine, which I have neglected a bit in the past few weeks.

Tomorrow I will try to find a dry window in the weather to do my last long run of 2.5 hours and hopefully follow that up with a core workout.

Today's leg workout:
Extensions - 3x15 (15lbs)
Curls - 3x15 (10lbs)
Calf raises - 3x15 each leg
Squats - 3x15
Lunges - 3x15 each leg

July 6th - That was tough

We finally got a small break in the rain so I was able to get outside and do one of my last big workouts before the race.  And by break in the rain, I mean it finally wasn't raining that hard, not that it actually stopped raining.

Kelly and I went out for a 3 hour ride this morning that wasn't without a few rain showers along the way.  It was almost enough to send us back inside on the trainers, but as we started to head back to the house from a few miles out the rain let up enough that we decided to stick it out.  We ended up riding just over 50 miles.

After that I went out on a 2 hour run.  This was a bit tougher than I expected today.  It was extremely humid as well as pretty hot.  That is when it wasn't raining.  I tried a new ratio of 7min / 3min for my run today, but I don't think it worked out as well as I hoped because I felt like I was struggling for most of my run.  About halfway through, I adjusted it to 6min / 4min and that seemed to work better.  Tomorrow I have my last long run of 2.5 hours so I will see how that new ratio works.  Hopefully this rain is on its way out as I get into my taper.

July 5th - Oh good, more rain

Today was a rest day and it was a good thing because it is STILL raining.  Its been raining here since Sunday and all of my workouts this week have been forced inside.  I am really hoping to get outside tomorrow for my brick workout.  I have a 3 hour ride followed by a 2 hour run scheduled.  This will be my last big brick workout and Sunday will be my last long run before Lake Placid.

Since I was off and it was raining I thought today would be a good day to get both of our bikes cleaned.  After even a few rides the chain, cassette and derailleurs get full of grease.  I will probably have to clean mine one more time before the race as well as put new tubes in both tires just to be safe.  I want to minimize the possibility of anything going wrong with my bike. 

July 4th - Happy birthday 'Merica

As I get ready to taper as I head into the last 3 plus weeks before the race, I did my last long swim in the pool this morning.  I found another workout in Triathlete magazine that I liked, so I modified it a bit to add some yardage.  The main focus of my 3000 yard swim today was form and technique.  I made a few changes that I have read about and seen in swim videos and noticed an increase in speed and that I did a better job of conserving energy.  My swims up until the race will all be focused on maintaining these new gains.

The rain has still not stopped and is forecast to continue throughout the day.  We will also be heading to a friends house to grill out for the 4th so after I do my at home PT work I will skip my 90 minute ride and call it a day.

July 3rd - Non-stop rain

It has been raining here pretty much non-stop for 3 days.  My next project might be to build an ark for Kel, the animals and me. 

Today was a run day, and since the weather was hit and miss in the morning I ended up going to the Y to do my favorite thing in the whole world...run for an hour and half on the treadmill. (Please read that sentence sarcastically.)  I decided to try a new ratio on the run to see how my knee would respond.  I want to try to figure out how long it is going to take me to run a mile in the race because the aid stations are about a mile apart, and it would be better for my overall pace to hit those aid stations during the recovery walk portion of my intervals.  I tried a 7min/3min ratio and it seemed to work pretty well.  I will still have to see how it works out on the road and possibly try out one or two more options.  I have to keep reminding myself that I am not concerned with how fast I complete the race, just that I actually complete the race.

The weather never got better throughout the day so my scheduled 90 minute ride became a one hour trainer ride with Kelly.  Whenever I ride on the trainer I use it to simulate hills and do hard intervals anytime a set of commercials comes on the TV.

Tomorrow will be my last long pool swim of 3000 yards.  I have a 90 minute ride on my schedule, but because of the forecast and the fact that it is the 4th of July holiday and there is grilling to be done, that ride will most likely be canceled.  

July 2nd - Back on the trainer

It was back to 2 workouts for the day today.  I did another 3000 yard swim this morning but this time I used a workout I found in Triathlete magazine to help break up the monotony a bit.  As my distance in the pool increases it gets more difficult to beat the boredom of swimming laps while staring at a black line on the bottom of the pool.

The weather report for today was a little hit or miss so I decided to do my bike session inside on the trainer.  Trainer workouts are good because I have to constantly work to turn the pedals and I don't get any kind of rest.  I rode for 2 and half hours which actually gives me the same benefit as riding outside for twice as long (at least this is what I have been told by people who know a lot more about cycling than I do).

Tomorrow will be a pretty tough day.  I have a run planned for the morning, and Kelly and I are planning on doing a lake swim followed by a short, hard ride in Peachtree City.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate, because they are forecasting another typical Georgia summer day with probable pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon.

July 1st - Slacking on my PT work

I almost didn't realize it, but it hit me today that it has been a few days since I have done any of my at home PT work.  My knee has been feeling really good and I have already dropped down to one at home PT session per day.  Full flexion and extension are still a bit of an issue but I am seeing slow but sure improvement. 

Since IMLP is only 4 weeks away it is almost time to taper.  I will have one more hard week and then I will start to really decrease the intensity and duration of my workouts.  In order to save my knee a bit as well I have also decided to reduce Monday to a swim only day.  Weekends are usually two days of hard workouts with a brick on Saturday and a long run on Sunday that giving my legs a rest on Monday seems like a good idea.

I did a 3000 yard swim this morning and it went very well.  I started with a 1000 yard straight swim with my kicking set and a few drills, and followed that up i with a 1000 yard pull buoy set.  I finished up with 10x50 on 15 seconds rest, 3x100 on 1 minute rest and a 200 cool down. 

I finished up the day with some core work, which I have also been neglecting:

Core 14x25

I made one more trip to the Trek store, for a couple of reasons.  Kelly's bike was in for a tune up and a new front derailleur and I needed one last check on a couple of things.  I ended up needing the front hub tightened and a new rear derailleur cable.  My noble steed should be good to go for Lake Placid.  The only thing left to do maintenance-wise is to give it one last cleaning, degreasing and lubing.

June 30th - Early morning run

Sunday is my scheduled long run day.  Today was no different.  There was a brief few moments this morning at 6:30am when I contemplated pushing my run to the afternoon, but I was quickly reminded of the sweltering heat and stifling humidity, as well as the daily possibility of afternoon thunderstorms.  So I decided to get my butt out of bed and hit the road.  Even though it was ridiculously humid this morning, it was pleasantly cool.

The run went really well this morning which was good because I was concerned that my knee would be sore from yesterday's brick workout.  It felt really good and I was able to cover 11 miles in 2 hours.  I think that I will try one more different interval of 6 minutes running to 4 minutes walking just to see what kind of pace that gives me, and how it feels.  That might actually put me in a better position at the aid stations on the course as well, but we will have to see.

Tomorrow I will be starting a slight taper to my workouts.  On Mondays I will only swim in the mornings, and on the other days I will start to gradually decrease the duration and intensity of my workouts to allow my body to recover in time for the event.

Also tomorrow, I will take my bike in to the Trek store one more time to have them check it over and make sure everything is in good working order.  I can usually do most work myself, and I can handle cleaning the chain and cassette, but I want them to lube the cables and make some last minute derailleur adjustments.  The best thing is that they will do this for free because I had them install a new chain and cassette last year, and up until the last few months I hadn't really been riding that much because of my injury.  It also helps that a friend of mine works at the Trek store (well at least she did until today which was her last day there before she goes on to work at BodyPlex).

June 29th - Yup, it's summer in GA

Say hello to the heat and humidity.  Today was a scheduled brick workout and when I got started at 7:45 this morning it was already in the mid 70's and the humidity from last night was still hanging around.

I did a 2.5 hour ride which ended up being right at 40 miles today because of the terrain.  I have been trying to choose routes that have a good number of hills and I have been riding those hills in the biggest gear that I can sustain whenever possible.  It was a good ride today at a pretty good pace.  I also think I have a pretty good handle on how I will deal with my nutrition for the event.  I have been having good luck with drinking Gatorade whenever I am thirsty, but making sure that I am taking in some fluids at every 15 minute mark, and eating either a gel, some energy blocks or some other food every 30 minutes.

After the ride I immediately followed up with a 1.5 hour run.  By this time it was pretty hot out and the humidity hardly subsided at all.  The run turned out to be 8.5 miles and because of the heat and humidity it was a bit of a struggle.  Running the 5min/3min intervals helps quite a bit.  I will also have to start thinking about my nutrition on the run.  Aid stations are placed at every mile so I will have ample opportunity to get the nutrition I need.  All I had today was a small hand-held water bottle that I had to try to make last for the duration of the run.  I will most likely keep it as simple as possible and use fruit and energy chews on the run because my stomach doesn't tolerate gels when I am running.  I will also make use of the sports drink, water and possibly flat Coke if needed. 

Tomorrow is another long run of 2 hours so I will try to cover about 10 miles.

June 28th - More rest

Today is another complete rest day, as I get ready for a brick workout on Saturday and a long run on Sunday.

All I will do today is one or two sessions of my at home PT work.

June 27th - It's getting real

Today I received the 2013 Ironman Lake Placid Athlete Guide in my email.  It's really starting to feel real and like this is actually going to happen.  I have to say I'm getting a little nervous, but I know that my training is going well and I feel good. 

Because of my training load yesterday, which was a pretty tough ride and a hot run, I decided to cut out one of my workouts today because my knee was bothering me.  I had a better than usual swim this morning.  I decided to start swimming in my tri shorts, rather than the usual swimming trunks I was wearing.  This should be a closer representation of the the wetsuit that I will be wearing during the event.  I also decided to do part of my swim with a pull buoy.  This also mimics what it will be like to wear my suit because the suit offers a good level of extra buoyancy in the water.  With those changes I saw my swim times per 100 yards decrease a bit and built my confidence for a decent swim time. 

Since my knee was bothering me I decided to cut out my scheduled run.  It's important that I listen to what my knee is telling me rather than complete workouts just to complete them.  As I put together the rest of my plan I will rethink how often I schedule my run workouts and will also add a 2nd rest day. 

Tomorrow is a complete rest day so that will allow my knee to rest for an extra day before a tough weekend of workouts.

June 26th - With a little help from my friends

I'm not completely alone in the Ironman journey.  After Lake Placid will be Ironman Florida, which I signed up for with 2 friends, Shaun and Eddie.  They are just starting to ramp up their training and get a good base level of fitness while I am working on rehab and training simultaneously.  Today I got together with Eddie on the other side of the county to ride with him for a couple of hours.  There are a couple of benefits to riding out there: I don't have to ride alone and I can get some really good hill work in that will prepare me for the kind of terrain Lake Placid will have.  Eddie and I rode for 2 and half hours and even with the hills we covered 40 miles.  The last 10 miles included 11 climbs.  It was great to have someone else there suffering alongside me and it was great motivation for us both.

I followed up the ride with a PT appointment that focused on more TRX and strength work.  The 40 mile bike ride didn't make it any easier.  Dr. Karyn did some more ART on my knee which is helping a little bit still, but I am still concerned about the pain at full flexion and extension.  She's not that worried and neither is the surgeon so that is a small comfort.  We have dropped my appointments to every other week until the race so that I can save up the visits I have left for Florida as well.

My final workout of the day was a run.  I was supposed to go out for 100 minutes, but because of the monster thunderstorm that popped up and the fact that we were bringing dinner to some friends, I cut to 80 minutes.  In that time I covered my 8 mile loop and felt pretty good. 

Tomorrow is another swim.  I may cancel my afternoon workout depending on how my knee is feeling.  At this point it is a little bit sore from all the work today, but I am icing it now and will see how it responds.

June 25th - Back in the gym

Today was another swim day, with the focus being on working on improving my speed.  I swam 2800 yards and instead of continuosly completing laps I worked on keeping my speed up and took a few breaks.  I swam an 800 warm up with 200 of that as a kicking set.  I then did a fast 1000 followed by a fast 2x500.  I was definitely winded after that so I am hoping that a few more workouts like that will help to sufficiently increase my speed to a point where I am comfortable with my Ironman swim time possibility.

After my swim I headed up stairs at the Y to do a quick leg workout.  It's been about a week or so since I have done one so I really need to make sure I am keeping all the muscles that support the knee as strong as possible.

I also did a core workout, which I have also been neglecting in the last couple of weeks.  Another important routine that I will start to include as the weeks to IMLP wind down is my stretching routine.  My knee feels good enough at this point that I can get back into my Friday stretching workout.

Today was specifically a slightly easier day on my legs and knee because tomorrow will be a more rigorous day.  I will be riding two and a half hours in the morning with a buddy and then doing an hour and a half run in the afternoon.

Here are the rest of today's workouts:

Legs
Extensions - 3x15 (10lbs)
Curls - 3x15  (5lbs)
Squats - 3x15
Lunges - 3x15 each leg
Calf raises - 3x15 each leg

Core
14x25

June 24th - Final touches on the bike fit

I had a decent swim this morning, but I do need to work more on my speed and distance per stroke.  Those two aspects will be especially important in Florida because of the Gulf swim.  They will also help to put me in a good position coming out of the water in Lake Placid.  To break up the monotony of swimming laps I decided to do a pyramid workout in to pool.  It consisted of a 200 warmup followed by a 200, 400, 600, 600, 400, 200 and 200 cool down kicking set all on 45 seconds to 1 minute rest.  It took me a bit longer than I had hoped but tomorrow I will focus my workout on some faster intervals to work on speed.

The new stem I ordered for my bike showed up over the weekend.  I was able to get to the Trek store to have their bike fit specialist install it for me.  He hooked me up and didn't charge me for the work.  Even though the Trek store is pretty expensive because of their markup, their service is pretty good and they have a good staff. 

After getting the bike worked on I went out for a 2 and half hour ride.  Kel was going to come with me but she ended up having a front derailleur problem that is above my pay grade so we will have to take her bike in for some work tomorrow.  She really could use a full tune up anyway.  My ride went pretty well and the newly tweaked setup seems to be pretty good.  I'm convinced that when you spend hours and hours on a bike there is going to be some discomfort so I am OK with that.  The new setup has taken most of the pressure off my back and neck which will make for much more comfortable rides as my mileage and time increases. 

Tomorrow will be a bit of an easier day that will give my body a slight break after the hard rides and runs I have done of the last few days.  I'll just swim in the morning and do some leg work at the Y, followed by some core work at home.

June 23rd - Racking up the miles

Today was a scheduled 2 hour long run.  I didn't get my butt out of bed as early as I wanted but I still headed out for my run before church.  It's getting to the point where the mornings are still cool but extremely humid.  I'm sure the insane heat is just around the corner. 

I tried out a new running ratio today.  I moved up to a 5 minute run, 3 minute walk interval which worked very well.  I was a little sore after yesterday's long ride but most of that worked itself out pretty quickly.  The plan was to run for 2 hours this morning, but since I got a late start I cut it to one hour and 45 minutes.  In that time I covered 10 miles at a very good pace of about 10:15 - 10:30 per mile.  I will have to do a long brick day in the next couple of weeks to see if that is a feasible pace to run off the bike on race day.  I may have to dial it back just a little to make sure I don't completely blow up on the run.  I want to try to stick with my ratio for the entire run and not have to take extra walks breaks because of exhaustion.  Of course if my knee starts to complain that's an entirely different story.

Tomorrow is another swim and ride day.  I will step up to 2800 yards in the pool and I will have to come up with something to break it up a little bit.  I'll probably throw in some faster intervals to help with my swim speed which is severely lacking.  After that I will follow up with a bike ride, most likely in the afternoon or early evening.

June 22nd - Time in the saddle

I just got back from my 4 hour ride.  This is actually the longest ride that I have ever done.  When I was training for Ironman 70.3 Augusta two years ago the longest I rode was 60 miles.  That race and the half-iron I did in Columbus were both 56 miles that I covered in just over 3 hours.  My ride today took me 67 miles in about 4 hours and 10 minutes.  My pace was a little slower than I would've liked but the main thing is that I got through it comfortably and that my knee felt really good during the ride.  I'm pretty confident it will hold up for another 2+ hours of riding. 

I hadn't planned on doing a run after today's ride, but I decided to go out and to a very short 15 minute run.  The point was just to see how I felt after that much time on the bike, the stretch out a bit and to see how long it will take my legs to feel normal on the run.  I was pretty pleased and I will make sure to do some more longer brick workouts over the next couple of weeks before I start my taper. 

June 21st - Rest days are awesome

Today was a rest day and I took advantage to the fullest. Although I did do my PT work, Kel and I spent the afternoon at the pool.  Tomorrow is a 4 hour bike ride so we will see how that goes.

June 20th - The run is getting better

Today was another good training day.  I am swimming pretty well, but I still feel a little bit slow.  I will increase my distance next week and hopefully try to get out in the open water to build a little confidence.  I did another 2400 yards today in a little under an hour.  I would like to get that time down a few more minutes if possible to make sure that I give myself a good cushion for the swim and the rest of the day.

I had my weekly PT appointment today as well.  We are starting to work on lateral movements and building strength for side to side motion.  My knee has been feeling really good lately so that is very encouraging.

The run workout I did on the treadmill this week felt really good and I tried out the new run/walk ratio of 4 minutes to 3 minutes there.  Today I tried that ratio out on the road.  I was hoping that I could use a second watch to help me time the intervals but that didn't work so well so I spent a lot of time looking at my watch and doing some math on the run.  At least that will keep me distracted during the marathon.  Today's run went very well and in 90 minutes I covered 8.5 miles.  That worked out to a pace of about 10:30 per mile and if I can keep that pace during the race I will be impressed.  After 112 miles on the bike I would expect it to be a bit slower, especially toward the end.

Tomorrow is a complete rest day that we will be spending by the pool.  I have to say, I am really liking having summers off!

June 19th - Pool Day...and NOT to swim laps!

This morning was a great morning for a ride.  I went out for 2.5 hours and ended up riding 40 miles.  The bike is a great way to go out exploring and find new areas and roads.  I was getting tired of my normal routes so I went out today to find some new stuff and I was rewarded.  I found some great farmland and back roads that had some great views.  I felt really good on the bike and my knee held up really well. 

I had a run scheduled for today but I skipped that because Kelly and I went to hang out at the pool with some friends.  It was a much needed relaxing day poolside in the sun.  I needed to even out my "tri-top tan" anyway.  I will end up changing my plan for tomorrow and doing a run instead of my scheduled ride.  I have a 4 hour ride coming up on Saturday and I need my butt to recover before I spend all that time in the saddle. 

I did make up for not running today by cutting our front grass as well as the neighbors. 

June 18th - Back on track

After yesterday's washout I was pretty eager to get a good training day under my belt.  The weather was iffy again this morning but I went to the Y prepared to swim but with a backup plan to run on the treadmill (ugh) if swimming wasn't possible.

The weather this morning held up and I was able to get a good 2400 yard swim in before the pool started to fill up with kids and old ladies.  I'm swimming pretty well, although not as fast as I was hoping.  That shouldn't be a problem in Lake Placid because I will have 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the swim and I am hoping to take advantage of drafting as much as possible. 

After the swim the weather wasn't looking all that great so I decided that since I had my running stuff with me I would just head upstairs and do my run on the treadmill.  The treadmill is not my favorite piece of equipment but I do have to say that my knee felt really good while I was running.  I'm sure that it was because of the reduced impact.  I did 90 minutes on the mill and changed my run/walk ratio to 4 minutes running and 3 minutes walking.  This seemed to work really well and I covered over 8 miles in that 90 minutes.  Now I will have to figure out the best way to time my ratio while I am running so that I don't have to keep looking at my watch while I am running.

Tomorrow will most likely be just a bike ride in the morning for about 2.5 hours.  I have another run scheduled, but since we will be spending the afternoon poolside I doubt that I will be in any mood to go out for a run afterward. 

I also did an upper body workout today:
Push ups - 4x25
Pull ups- 4x20

June 17th - Washed out again

Today did not turn out the way I had planned.  I was supposed to increase my pool yardage to 2400 yards this week, but I woke up to thunder and lightning this morning. I called the YMCA and of course the pool was closed until the lightning had subsided for at least 30 minutes.  By that time I knew that the pool would start to fill up with little kids and old ladies and getting a lane to myself would be an exercise in futility.  I scratched that workout for the day because the pool doesn't get less crowded as the day goes on. 

I continued work on my second set of cornhole boards.  This set is for me.  I made a few mistakes on the first set so these should be even nicer.  Sorry Pete!  I also decided to finally use up my all3sports gift card.  I sent back the shirt that I ordered last week because I didn't like the way it fit.  I knew that they had another brand that I do like so I made the trek up to Dunwoody.  I was tempted to buy the exact same red shirt that I already have but I opted for the black one instead. 

When I got back I attempted to go out for a 2.5 hour bike ride.  The weather was great when I started, but things went south about 20 minutes into it.  I thought I could ride through it, but I was quickly soaked and pissed off.  I made my way home dripping wet with water in my shoes after only 13 miles and 45 minutes.  Oh well.  All my training days can't be perfect.  Eventually I may have to get used to riding in the rain because the weather in Lake Placid in July is hit or miss.  Today's storms were pretty nasty and the thunder and lightning got pretty intense so calling it quits was the right call.

June 16th - Slacking again

So I guess I have been slacking on my posts the last couple of days.  My workouts have been getting longer and I have been squeezing them in between the projects I am working on and others things that we are doing to enjoy the summer. 

Friday was an off day so I got quite a bit done on the cornhole boards I was making for a friend of mine.  Saturday was a brick workout day, and I started with a 2 hour ride.  Kelly came with me and we went about 33 miles.  The ride felt very good and we made sure to work in as many hills on the route as possible.  After that I went out on a 70 minute run.  I am still doing a ratio of 3 minutes running to 3 minutes walking as that is working pretty well.  I will increase that next week, probably after I talk to Dr. Karyn again. 

Today was a scheduled long run, so I went out for an hour and a half.  Since I ran yesterday at a pretty decent pace (between 8 and 9 minutes per mile for the running portion) I made sure to run a bit slower today.  I ended up running about 7.5 miles. Everything felt pretty good during the run with just a little soreness afterward.

I still have some pain at full flexion and full extension.  I realize that I has only been 3 months and that I still need to be patient but I am ready for this all to be behind me.  Especially I am watching the Italy vs. Mexico Confederation's Cup game right now.  Go Azzuri!

June 13th - Kelly's Birthday!

Today was Kelly's birthday so we celebrated by her going to work and me sticking to my training plan and working on my cornhole board project.  Exciting stuff, I know.

I had a pretty good swim this morning and I stayed at 2200 yards.  I will increase the distance next week.  I am going to have to get into the open water soon because it is getting pretty boring staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool for hours.  I try to break the swim up with different speeds and techniques but it's still pretty monotonous. 

This afternoon I did another 90 minute run/walk at 3 minute intervals.  Other than the ridiculous heat it went pretty well.  The knee was a bit sore but it got better as I continued.  I iced afterwards and it felt great. 

In between those 2 workouts I did a core session.  I am trying to mix it up and do some different moves so hopefully I will see some more results soon.

Today's workout:
Core 14x25

Tomorrow is a much needed rest day.

June 12th - Yup...It's hot out

It may not officially be summer yet, but it is hot as crap here already and the humidity is ridiculous, as usual.  It's getting to the point where you walk outside and are instantly sweating just taking a breath.

I changed up my training plan a bit and decided to put off the open water swims in Lake Peachtree until it clears up a little bit and I don't hear about any more leach attacks.  I decided to do 2200 yards in the pool and although I got through it, it was kind of a struggle.  I guess I wasn't feeling it this morning.  Could be because I was up late and subsequently woke up late and when I got to the pool it was crowded and I just didn't really want to be there. 

I also went back and forth about doing a 2 hour ride today.  Like I said, it was ridiculously hot and humid and I had a pretty nasty headache all day.  I finally got it to go away with a combination of lots of water, ibuprofen and food so around 5pm I headed out.  I covered about 32 miles in exactly 2 hours over some pretty hilly terrain.  I will need to continue to search out hills to get ready for Lake Placid.

Tomorrow is another pool swim and a run that I will probably put off until late in the day because of the heat.

June 11th - Another good run

Today was another good run day.  I increased my running interval to 3 minutes and stuck with the 3 minute walking interval.  This seems to be a good ratio for the time being.  I may increase it a little more next week but I will need to see how it feels.  I was out for 90 minutes this morning and covered just over 7 miles.  That is a good indicator for Lake Placid that I should be able to finish the run in a reasonable amount of time even if I have to do more walking than I am anticipating.

I had a PT session today that was much needed.  I am now only going once a week and by the time my appointment rolls around I an in need of some ART and soft tissue work.  Dr. Karyn has suggested that I do some of my running on grass or on the track to take some of the strain off my knee.  She also thinks that if I work up to 15 miles that will be enough to prepare me for IMLP. 

I will be changing up my training schedule a little bit.  I had planned to do some open water swims in Lake Peachtree, but a buddy of mine got in the water last weekend and said that it was really dirty, full of debris from all the rain, and he came out with 5 leaches stuck to him.  I am pretty confident in my open water abilities after my swim in Lake Wedowee that I think I will forgo the blood suckers and stay in the pool for a few more weeks. 

Today I also did some core work and upper body work:
Core 14x25

Upper Body
Pull ups - 4x20
Push ups - 4x25

June 10th - Stuck on the trainer

Cindy and Lori left for home so I should be able to get back to a more normal schedule and better eating habits.  It seems like as soon as I try to eat right some other special occasion comes up and I end up eating pretty terribly. 

I had another good pool swim, and upped my yardage to 2200.  My swim schedule will be changing a bit because I will start swimming in Lake Peachtree on Wednesday nights with the tri club.  Now I will only be swimming at the Y on Mondays and Thursdays unless the forecast is crappy for Wednesdays.  After my swim I went up the weight room at the Y and did a leg workout.  It's pretty funny to just people watch and see how many people are doing things other than working out and to watch people leisurely strolling on the treadmill while they text or talk on the phone.  Why bother?

I had a 2 hour bike scheduled as well and of course the weather was hit and miss.  It poured for most of the day so I tried to put it off as long as I could and hoped for a break in the weather.  I ended up on the trainer and sure enough, 30 minutes in to my ride the sun was out.  Of course if I went outside to ride I would've been 15 miles from home and bottom would've fallen out so I guess staying on the trainer was a good idea.  I probably didn't need to spend that much time on the trainer because I was constantly working rather than using the downhills outside as mini rest periods, but it was good practice for my legs. 

Today's leg workout:
Extensions - 3x15 (10lbs)
Curls - 3x15 (15lbs)
Calf raises - 3x15
Squats - 3x15
Lunges - 3x15

June 9th - Long "run" day

Today was a long run day.  And by run I mean run/walk.  I decided to stick with the 2 minute run to 3 minute walk for another day because that seemed to work well and I didn't want to push it because this was my second run day in a row.  It was a little bit sore but all in all I think it went well.  I will increase my run time a little bit in the coming week. 

Tomorrow will be another 2 workout day with a swim in the morning and a ride in the afternoon.  I will also try to get in a leg workout after I swim at the Y. 

Hopefully I can get back to some better eating habits as well.  Kelly's sisters were here so we ate pretty well this weekend but I am planning on getting back to healthier eating starting tomorrow.

June 8th - This is why she is the PT, not me

Today was a scheduled brick workout day.  I had a 2 hour ride and a 1 hour run/walk on the calendar.  It went very well.  The new bike set up is really working out and my back and neck were much more comfortable.  I covered about 36 miles in just over 2 hours today.  I noticed that my legs were a bit tired at times on the ride but I was able to ride through it and they held up pretty well.  There was a little bit of discomfort in my knee at the beginning of the ride but that faded pretty quickly.

Today's run would be the first time I tried out Dr. Karyn's suggestion that I use the Couch to 5k podcasts to govern my run intervals.  It had me at a ratio of 2 minutes running to 3 minutes walking.  This actually turned out to be a very comfortable ratio and one that I may end up sticking close to for the IMLP.  I'd like to run more than I walk but we will have to wait and see if that will be possible.  The C25k workouts are only an hour, so I just continued the 3/2 until I reached an hour.  At the end I felt really good with only a small amount of soreness in my knee.  I guess she really does know what she is talking about. 

Tomorrow is a long run/walk day so I will continue with the same ratio for a little while before increasing it a bit.

I haven't weighed in for a few weeks, and I have to say that my eating habits haven't been that great.  On the other hand I have noticed with my increased workouts that I am hungry more often, and that I have put on a bit of muscle mass from the strength workouts.  When I stepped on the scale this morning it definitely went in the wrong direction, but I should be able to fix that over the next few weeks.

Weigh-in
Weight: 160 lbs
Body fat: 16.7%

June 7th - PT and ART how I have missed you

Dr. Karyn has returned from her cruise and I am glad to have her back.  My sessions with Tina we great, but it has been almost a week and a half since I have been to PT and since I can't follow directions and take it easy my knee was needing some work. 

Today is a scheduled rest day so I did my best to take it easy, besides my PT session and at home PT work.  Since I spent about 2.5 hours in the hammock and read an entire magazine I would say I was pretty successful. 

PT was very good today and we decided to drop my sessions to once a week.  This will allow me to keep seeing Dr. Karyn almost until Ironman Florida.  She worked her ART magic on the back of my knee again it feels pretty good again.  I was getting a little discouraged because it has been hurting a little more than usual, due to my hard-headedness I'm sure.  The surgeon lifted my spirits a bit on Tuesday when he told me not to worry too much about the pain at the back of my knee and that it should start to diminish as I get more active. 

Dr. Karyn is pretty excited about getting to go-ahead to run, but she does want me to start much more slowly than I did this week.  Although my 1/2 mile to 1/2 mile ratio worked pretty well she wants me to dial it back a little more and focus more on time rather than distance.  Her instructions were to follow the Couch to 5k podcasts for the next several runs and fill the rest of my scheduled walk/run time with walking since that is how I am going to have to tackle Lake Placid.  It's a pretty big hit to my ego to follow a training program that is essentially less mileage and time than my normal warmups, but it's all about the ultimate goal and getting to the IMLP finish line without extra injury.

I did get a new exercise to add to my at home routine.  I now have to spend 2 minutes hopping from one foot to the other to mimic the running motion while focusing on making sure my knee doesn't collapse inward.  I look pretty ridiculous pretending to run in front of a full length mirror, but I'm sure Kelly will get a kick out of it.

June 6th - Time for a rest

After my first 2 days of running (and overdoing it the first day) I decided that it would be a good idea to give my knee an extra day of rest.  It's still feeling pretty sore so I decided to cut out the 2 hour bike ride I had scheduled for today.  I'll make sure to talk to Dr. Karyn about it tomorrow at PT.  I haven't been to PT at all this week because she has been on vacation, but I am looking forward to going tomorrow.  I am going to ask her to do that ART technique that worked so well last time.

I had a good 2000 yard swim this morning.  It seems that 7 or 7:30am is the best time to go.  It's not ridiculously early and it's not crowded at all.  And I can get out of there before the mean old water aerobics ladies get there. 

The Smith & Davis Tent Sale started today so I braved that madness since Kelly was at work.  What a nightmare.  People everywhere looking for good deals on shoes and clothes.  Unfortunately they didn't have any of the shoes that Kelly or I wear for running, so I left empty handed.  My tri shirt and shorts that I ordered last week showed up as well.  The shirt turned out to be too small since I'm not really a fan of compression shirts.  I like tri shirts that fit a little more loosely.  Since I had to go to the airport to pick up Kelly's sisters I drove to all3sports and exchanged the shirt for a larger size, but when I got home I decided that I still didn't like the fit.  I'm sending it out UPS tomorrow and I'll see if there is another shirt that fits me better.

Tomorrow is a complete rest day, and since it is supposed to rain I think I will be forced to actually rest. 

Today's other workout:
Core - 14x25

June 5th - National Running Day

Apparently today is National Running Day.  Well at least according to FaceBook it is.  I'm pretty happy to say that I was able to get out there and run today to celebrate.

I definitely overdid it yesterday on my maiden voyage.  The 1/2 mile walk to 1 mile run ratio was way too ambitious and it left me really sore.  Thankfully, a 30 mile bike ride this morning on my newly adjusted steed loosened my knee up a bit.  It is going to take a little while to get my legs used to running again because although I felt much more comfortable on the bike, my legs felt pretty tired.  Overall, I like the new bike setup and my back and neck are much more relaxed while I ride. 

I gave myself a little rest during the day (and by that I mean I went out and cut the grass in the back yard, the front yard and the neighbor's front yard).  Once it cooled down a bit I went out for my run/walk and stuck to a more manageable 1/2 mile walk to 1/2 mile run ratio.  It felt much better on my knee during the run and I'm not nearly as sore afterward as I was yesterday.  It still requires some icing, but I think that will be a normal part of my post-run routine for the foreseeable future. 

I think I am going to give my knee a little break tomorrow and only do a morning swim.  I had a 2 hour ride scheduled but I think some rest for the knee would be beneficial after the last 2 days.  Also, the Smith & Davis Tent Sale is tomorrow so I will need to be there early to try to get some good deals on running shoes for Kel and me, and Kelly's sisters will be arriving for a visit.

Today was also an upper body workout day:
Push-ups - 4x25
Pull-ups - 4x18

June 4th - I'm a RUNNER again!

Today was my 3 month follow up appointment with the surgeon.  I'll get to that in a minute.

I had another good 2000 yard swim this morning.  For some reason the swim in the lake this weekend was a real confidence booster and other than being bored in the pool, I am swimming pretty strongly.  After the swim I did a pretty intense core workout.

Then it was on to Columbus for my follow up.  I was actually a little nervous because I have been having more discomfort than usual but I think that is from all the stairs and jet skiing this weekend.  The appointment went really well and the first thing the doctor said after he checked my knee over was that it was time to start running again.  He didn't really put any restrictions on it either, except that I was to limit my running to light jogging in a straight line. 

When I got home it was time to give it a try.  I have never been so nervous to go for a run in my life but today I had no idea what to expect.  I started with a 1/2 mile walk for a warm up.  I was going to run in 1/2 mile increments depending on how I was feeling, but after the first one it felt so good that I stretched it to a full mile.  The only time I felt any discomfort was during the first few steps of each run interval, and when I ran down an incline.  I kept up a ratio of .5 mile walk to 1 mile run for a total of 6.5 miles.  Yes I may have over done it a bit, but I was really excited to be out there and it felt great.  My pace was of course slow, but it was comfortable and now I have an idea about what to expect in Lake Placid.

I will be icing tonight and we will have to see how everything feels tomorrow.

Today's other workout:
Core - 14x25

June 3rd - Finally a proper bike fit

So I am a day late with my post for yesterday.  I had a really good swim yesterday morning.  I did 2000 yards.  I made the mistake of going to the pool later than usual and it was pretty crowded...especially when the mean old, fat ladies showed up for water aerobics.  I had to rush the last little bit of my swim but that was actually a good thing as it made me work on my speed. 

After that I did a 32 mile bike ride in about 2 hours.  I felt pretty strong on the bike and I am starting to work on my nutrition while I am riding.  After my ride, I went to my bike fitting at Atlanta Trek in PTC.  I bought my bike used about 2 years ago from a guy who had almost the exact same build as me.  Other than adjusting the seat height and fiddling with the aerobars a bit I haven't done any major adjustments.  I used what was left of my birthday cash to get a proper fit that will make me more comfortable and efficient for Ironman distance races.  The first change the tech made was to swap out my fixed cleats for some that will allow for a little bit of float.  This should reduce some of the stresses on my knees.  The other major change was to get my back to be less rounded when in the aero position.  I couldn't afford to spend the extra $60 on the stem he recommended so we got it as close as possible with my current stem.  It's not perfect but it is a major change that I could feel in only a few minutes on the trainer in the store.  On Wednesday I will test it out on a ride of substantial distance. 

June 2nd - Back to reality

We just returned from our weekend at Lake Wedowee with some friends from school.  I thought that I wouldn't get much done training-wise on the trip, and I knew that I would be eating pretty poorly and had already resigned myself to breaking my alcohol ban for the weekend.  However I ended up not over stuffing myself, didn't drink a ridiculous amount of beer, and I got in a decent walk and a great lake swim.

On Saturday morning, Brea, one of the PE teachers and I went for a 45 minute walk.  The terrain at the lake house was extremely hilly so it was a slower walk but at the same time it was a great workout.  After that Eddie and I went for a swim in the lake that turned out to be about 1.2 miles, which is a half-Ironman distance swim.  It didn't start out great because my head was pretty stuffed up, I had to borrow some goggles that kept filling with water and those 2 things made me really uncomfortable in the water and unable to find a rhythm.  I swam a little ways with my head up and finally got comfortable.  From that point on my rhythm was great and we had an awesome swim. 

Throughout the weekend we all got a leg workout because we had to take a 94 step staircase between the house and dock where we spent most of our time.  Tomorrow is back to reality and I will do a 1800 yard swim and a 30 mile ride.  I also have my bike fitting at Trek so I am interested to see how that affects my upcoming rides.

May 31st - New Gear

Finally, I decided to spend some of the money and gift cards that I got for my birthday.  My sister-in-law gave me an Amazon card and I had some Discover Card cashback points that I could use on Amazon so I bought these new tri shorts:











A couple of years ago when I started doing triathlons my dad and my sister got me a gift card to all3sports, a store that deals specifically with tri gear.  I had originally bought a wetsuit with the card but I still had about $22 left.  I used that buy a matching tri singlet:


I still have a gift card to ebay from my sister that I haven't decided how to use just yet.  I will see if there are any last minute things I need before Lake Placid or I might use it for a new seat, bike shoes or a helmet.  I scheduled my bike fitting at Atlanta Trek in PTC today as well.  I will go on Monday and get a professional fit to make sure that I am as efficient and comfortable as possible as I start my long rides next week.  I have ridden for the last 2 years without having the bike adjusted to me specifically.  I know that it is at least very close because the guy that I bought it from has the exact same build and height as me. 

Today is a rest day, and I will actually not be doing too much this weekend either.  I will try to walk tomorrow morning at the lake and hopefully we will be home early enough to get a ride in on Sunday.

May 30th - School is OFFICIALLY DONE!

Today was the last day of post planning and now I will be able to devote the time that I need to training...after our weekend trip to the lake with some people that I work with of course.  That will be a nice end to my recovery week.  I think I may even give myself a reprieve from my self-imposed alcohol ban for the weekend. 

I had a good swim this morning.  I focused on speed and did another 1200 yards as 200 warm up, 200 kick, 200 build, 2x100 sprint, 4x50 sprint, and 200 cool down.  Next week will be a return to distance and hopefully I will be able to get in the lake for a few swims as well. 

Since today was the last day of school, we were allowed to leave early.  Or at least no one was looking for us after lunch so most of us sneaked out early.  I had an hour ride scheduled for this afternoon before my PT appointment so I asked a buddy to come with me.  Shaun and I did and easy hour long ride and covered about 16 miles.  My rides are virtually pain free at this point and I am hoping that will transfer to the run as soon as I get clearance.

PT with Tina went well tonight also.  Most of the things we do are strength based and focused on getting me ready to run again.  She also makes sure to add in some core work for me. 

It's almost time to buy some new tri gear.  I got a few gifts cards and some cash for my birthday so I will be using that for some new tri shorts, a tri shirt and probably a bike fit that I am going to schedule for next week.  I may need a new saddle but I will wait to see what the bike fitter says about that.

May 29th - Hiding out

Today is the second day of post planning, and except for a meeting I pretty much had nothing to do.  To avoid getting roped into helping people clean their rooms I decided to hide out in the weight room and take care of my strength workout for the day while I was out there. 

First, I did a short walk this morning.  It was really nice to sleep in a little bit and when I finally did wake up, I did a 30 minute walk.  I was a little bit slower today than usual so I only covered 2 miles.  I do like the new shoes that I decided to try and I can't wait to really try them out on a run.


Today's second workout was supposed to be just core work and upper body, but I also threw in a leg workout because it has been a little while since I did strength work for my legs.

Here is the rest of today's work:

Legs
Extensions - 3x15 (7.5lbs)
Curls - 3x15 (5lbs)
Squats - 3x15
Lunges - 3x15
Calf Raises - 3x15

Core 14x25

Upper Body
Pull Ups - 4x18
Push Ups - 4x25