the worst thing that can happen to a fighter

This weekend I got destroyed. It was the worst I have ever done in an event of this distance. I tried a couple different things, I did a lot of things wrong and I got crushed. My time shows. And it feels like the hardest race I have ever done, is always the last one I do.

I've forgotten everything I learned from Rocky III. I met my Clubber Lang. The champ got complacent. I've lost my edge. It happened to Rock in the 2nd round, just my 2nd round was 6 hours and 50 minutes longer than Rocky's.

That's the last race I'm on the starting line unprepared, not trained to kill it. I need to find the feeling I had the first time I attempted one of these races, going these crazy distances. I need to listen to Apollo. I need to get that look back in my eyes.

Some Additions, Some Subtractions

If you've seen a preview for Ironman 2 there are all these new tougher looking Ironman suits, I'm upgrading mine as well:

I've added speed. Just finishing was fine the first time, I now know I can finish. How hard I can push to get there we will see.

I've added numbers. I hate math, but the numbers I need to focus on are 19 mph pace on the bike and under 9 minute miles on the run. I am going to monitor both and see if I can maintain them. The swim is still a warm up, I just can't spend 35 + minutes in there splashing around.

I'm racing for peanuts. I think this is going to be the key to my potential. I am usually hungry during a race, I think peanuts are going to save me. I have previously loved pretzels, but they are harder to carry and more difficult to cram. Peanuts fill me up a bit more. They'll get their trial run this weekend.

I'm cutting out transition recovery. Before I basically did everything but sit down and ball up and cry in transition. It felt like a safe zone away from the action of the sports. Now I'm not stopping. Anything I need for recovery I'll get in motion.

I'm going sockless. I bike without socks and my feet do fine, running is a little different. It will take some toughening up, but the new Zoot shoes feel good.

I've lost 10 lbs. My previous fighting weight was 165. I felt like a boulder. It was awesome. But, I'm stripping off everything I don't need for speed. I am at 155 now and on my way to becoming a welterweight champion.

Supa Fast

Here's my secret weapon and how I am going to fly next weekend. My average transition times (T1 - Swim to Bike, T2 - Bike to Run) are about 3 - 3:30 minutes. I am hoping to cut those in half. My bike (56 miles) time has never been under 3 hours, that's going to change. And I haven't had a half-marathon (13 miles) time under 2 hours. Don't worry that's going to change too.

Though, I did just get tired thinking about how fast I am going to have to go to do all that. How fast? Supa fast.

Space Race

Well, either through amazing endurance or sheer stupidity, we know I can ride 100 miles without biking for 6 months. That is crazy, but to be fair, you never forget how to ride a bike.

Here are some things I learned:

I can maintain a strong bike pace, my technique is good. My ride time was 6:33 which going 104 miles means I was cruising around 16 mph. The race took me 7:45, there were 9 rest stops, so I averaged about 8 minutes at each stop. I just need to build up strength to be able to stay on my bike and ride through them.

Wind can always make your day of biking harder, rarely does it seem easier. This ride was nice because a lot of tree walls did cover you most of the time. Though, you know the wind is really strong when a car dealership's huge American flag the size of a house is blowing at a 45 degree angle. The last 25 miles were mostly straight into the wind, that didn't help, I was slowed to about 14 mph.

My cyclometer is awesome. To see how fast you are going and actually know how many miles are left is a great feeling. Even when you are not thrilled to see you are only going 8 mph and have 90 miles left, it somehow just feels good to know. It also helps a ton, like having a running pacer next to you to keep you on track. My cadence sensor didn't work, I didn't miss it though, because I also have no idea what it does.

Real cyclists have friends. I am not good at science, but drafting is crazy amazing. It is a bad feeling to get blown by by a faster rider, worse to get to see all his friends behind him pass you by. Early in the race a line of about 30 cyclists flew by riding in a row like ducks flying south. Twice in the race I fell back in line behind a pack and drafted for a couple miles. It felt like cheating both times. It is obviously not cheating in cycling, however in an Ironman every rider is suppose to maintain a 3 bike length with every other rider. It just makes the race tougher.

I am extremely proud or extremely disappointed, not sure which, that I have never vomited in a race. I felt like it a couple times during this ride. I didn't.

I hate sunscreen. I wore a long sleeve shirt and bandana around my neck just to avoid this unfortunate situation again. But, I forgot about one thing. I try to be PG and didn't want to just post this picture without warning. You have been warned, they are both this bad.

I feel good now, I'll continue to recover. I have a half-Ironman race in 2 weeks and I am going to set a personal record. I am going to finish in under 5:30. That or throw up trying.

100

7 hours and 45 minutes, 6 hours and 33 minutes of actual ride time and I've ridden my bike 104 miles. I do not feel well.

Wired

So, in my Christmas stocking I got a bike computer! (I said I haven't messed with my bike in a while.)

I attempted to install it yesterday. I hope I did it right. It is difficult to line up the sensors and wiring comparing it to my instruction manual and the example picture that is size of a bottle cap.

What does the Blackburn Delphi 3.0 cyclometer do you ask?

I am no great cyclist or anything but from what I can tell it measures bike stuff.

Seriously though, I need to tie an iPad to the front handlebars.

Century Ride

One event I've never done is a century ride, 100 miles on a bicicleta.

There is that minor exception in the Ironman where I biked 112 miles sandwiched between some light exercise. And even in training for that the farthest I had biked was around 78 miles. But on its own, the century ride is the biking equivalent of running a marathon.

I haven't looked at my bike since October - Half-Ironman Austin 70.3. That's about to change, my bike and I are about to get reunited. 100 miles of reunited. I've signed up for the Space Race.

Also, it is this weekend!

Take Back

I take back what I said about my heart being 'with me.' Definitely against me. After runs it is beating like crazy, part of the reason I have to eventually walk or slow my pace.

It is all connected, one big system I have to reprogram. I am going to focus on breathing, I think it starts there.

Winded

I am trying to run fast. I can run really fast for about 1.5 miles. That is running at probably a 7:30 pace, I don't really know. Normally, I cruise at about a 9:45 pace, big difference. So the problem isn't lack of endurance or focus, but I do get really winded, not tired, again big difference. After 1.5 miles my teeth start to hurt, my lungs are burning for more intake and my throat gets really cold and dry. I would imagine this is the unpleasantness running delivers to non-runners who try to take it up and don't know how to pace themselves.

I know how to pace myself, and now I am ignoring that and adding speed. I am not ever going to win a marathon, those people run different. Different as in like blazing fast. But, I don't really know just all the differences, currently the biggest difference is my body isn't on the same page.

Those with me: Brain and heart

Those against me: Lungs and everything else