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| January 31, 2010 | What event am I training for? | | I wish I had an answer to that question. Now that I've been back at it (sans) running I have been asked that question several times. The truth is that I have absolutely no idea what event I am training for. For the first time in a very long time I am training just to train. Training makes me sane and I kinda like being sane.
I can definitely say that it is easier to train when I have a specific event in mind. Sometimes it is diificult to go out and ride for three hours just because. My training load for the last couple of weeks has been stable. Here is what it looks like.
I Swim almost everyday. In fact, I am on a 17 day streak right now. I am averaging about 4200 yards a workout. Cycling I am taking one day off a week. I am riding outside a couple of days a week and I am doing some specific work on the trainer. I am averaging about 250 miles a week and I definitely am seeing my average watts increasing. Running - I ran three times last week for 45 minute each. All three runs were on the Alter-G. The last one was the most satisfying as I ran at 8.5 miles an hour at a 2% grade at 70% body weight. That is a huge gain from one week prior where I ran at 6.0 miles per hour - dead flat - and 50% of my body weight for 30 minutes. This week - 3 X 1Hour at 70% body weight.
Why the body weight restrictions? Mainly to let the massive bone bruise heal. Large bone bruises are treated like fractures. Fractures generally take between 6-8 weeks to heal and right now I am 5 weeks post injury. Thus, it will be a couple of more weeks until I can TRY to run fully weighted.
This coming week I am going to let it go a bit and crush myself a couple of times on the trainer. I am looking forward to some time staring aimlessly at my ceiling fan. I am looking to build off the last two weeks and complete a couple of 4-5 hour rides this week.
I am still holding out hope that this is going to be a very good year. In my mind, it is just going to start a little later than usual and then hopefully end a litle later that usual also - can you say Ironman Western Australia?
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 0 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| January 26, 2010 | Modified my training - here is what I have been up to | | I have said it before but I cannot express just how lucky I am to have the resources at ENDURANCE REHAB available to me. Nate Koch and his team are without equal in the business.
In my last blog, I explained how we (by we I mean the whole ENDURANCE REHAB GANG) are going to treat my knee injury - CONSERVATIVELY!!!!! What exactly does that mean - here is the plan to overcome a serious knee injury without ruining my entire athletic future.
1. Weights - we are going to absolutely crush the weight to increas my quad and glute strength. Hopefully by doing so we will take some of the load off the joint. Here is a list of the exercises we are doing three times a week:
A. Leg Press - 4X20 Double Leg and 4X20 Single Leg
B. Leg Extension - 4X20 Double Leg and 4X20 Single Leg
C. Hamstring Curl - 4X20 Double Leg and 4X20 Single Leg
D. Calf Raises - 4X50
E. Lunges - 4X20
F. Monster Walk with Band
Endurance Rehab is one of the few shops in town that has its own Alter - G Machine.
The machine allows you to actually change your body weight. In an instant you can weigh 20%-100% of your actual weight. I am running at 50% of my body weight so 90 pounds. When you jog each impact of your leg is equal to 4X your body weight. When you run each impact is equal to up to 7 X your body weight. Some quick math: Jogging for me = 180X 4 or 720 pounds of force. With the alter G I am at 360 pounds. Now when I run on the Alter G I am at 90X7 or 630 Pounds but without the Alter G I am at 180X7 or 1260 pounds of force with each step. So by being able to reduce the force we are able to RUN when normally I would still be at home watching reruns of LOVE BOAT.
Here is more of the skinny on the machine.
In so doing you can do the following:
- Unique unweighting technology provides the opportunity to rehabilitate lower extremities like never before
- Precise partial weight-bearing enables accurate implementation of unweighting protocols
- Provides highly effective neuromuscular and proprioceptive retraining
- Technology developed at NASA and further developed by AlterG for medical rehabilitation, fitness and sports performance training
- The Anti-Gravity Treadmill® is FDA-cleared for the following indications:
- Rehabilitation following injury or surgery of the lower extremity (hip, knee, ankle or foot)
- Rehabilitation after total joint replacement
- Gait training in neurologic patients
- Strengthening and conditioning in older patients
- Weight control and reduction
- Sport specific conditioning programs
- Aerobic conditioning
By the way, lots of people use the machine for speed work. It goes without saying that by deweighting you can run faster and thus teach your muscles to do things that they normally would be unable to do. If you have an interest in trying this just contact Endurance Rehab and let them know you would like to use the machine.
Here is a shot of the Alter G. It is way cool.
Finally, I am going to really focus on my cycling in an effort to get stronger. One of the tools that I invested in is a computrainer. In addition, I puchased their real course videos. The name is perfect as one really feels lile they are on the course. Below is a shot from the Ironman Couer d'Alene course.
Some things that I like about it:
A) I find it unlikely that I will ever get run over by a car in my garage. However, my wife may feel like doing so when she pulls in and finds me in a pool of sweat and the house is a mess.
B) As my kids are getting older I value my time with them more and more. And I am frustrated with 3 hour rides taking 4 hours due to stops, mechanicals, lights, etc. With this application a 3 hour ride is just that. You don't stop once and you have all your nutrition at arms length. Just great training.
C) As I am becoming more and more of a techno geek I like to see numbers. This Computrainer application lets me watch my watts in Average and Real Time and I can just focus on holding a number rather than worrying about other riders or the road. It is just a great training tool.
The Videos are sick. Above is a shot of the ESCAPE from Alcatraz course. By the way, this hill truly sucks.
Here is a great shot from the Queen K just past Waikoloa. I rode to Hawi twice this week. The second time I just buried myself. I hit it so hard that I Iactually found myself horizontal on my bed watching the hallowed fan. I have not had that kind of awesome experience in a while. I loved it.
That is all I got from now. I am back to loving my training and life. All is good.
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 0 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| January 17, 2010 | Dont confuse me with a conservative person | | A burger today is better than two tomorrow. I am a definitely an all in kind of guy and I want it now. However, as it pertains to running I am just going to have to WAIT. And I hate WAITING for anything. I met with Dr. Lee again this week and here is the skinny.
Due to the location of the injuries and the likely outcomes of surgery we are going to take a CONSERVATIVE approach.
The meniscus tear is usually a straightforward nip and tuck. However, as with all my injuries this is just not the case. I have a radial tear and these are not great candidates for removal. These are almost always sewn together. However, due to the location and the volume of activity that I do Dr. Lee believes that such intervention has less than a 50% chance of holding and thus working. Accordingly, we are going to pass on that one.
The most serious injury that I have is a tear the the articuar cartlige. This cartlige sits on the end of the bone and does not regenerate. I have a small crack on the surface and in addition I have torn the catliage from the bone also -this is called delamination. The procedure to fix this is called microfracture. Essentially, a procedure where small holes are drilled into the injury causing a nasty substance to leak out - it becomes pseudo cartliage. In a study of elite soccer players undergoing this procedure 47% returned to sport and 20% returned to their previous ability. I am not 20 years old hence my chances are far less than those in the study.
So what to do? CONSERVATIVE.
Here is the plan:
1. An intensive weight training implementation to cause my quad to handle more of the load than it currently is handling. The idea being that we can create a bit of a safe haven for the joint.
2. A CONSERVATIVE approach to the return to running. We will do this with the ALTER G machine. It is an amazing piece of equipment - I will blog on this next week.
3. A major focus on cycling. The idea being to create more strength through cross training and finally;
4. An expermental application of PROLOTHERAPY
First, it is important to understand what the word prolotherapy itself means. "Prolo" is short for proliferation, because the treatment causes the proliferation of new tissue in areas where it has become weak.
Among other things, Prolotherapy uses a dextrose (sugar water) solution, which is injected into the injured joint. This causes a localized inflammation in these weak areas which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients and stimulates the tissue to repair itself.
Historical review shows that a version of this technique was first used by Hippocrates on soldiers with dislocated, torn shoulder joints. He would stick a hot poker into the joint, and it would then miraculously heal normally. Of course, they don’t use hot pokers today, but the principle is similar—get the body to repair itself, an innate ability that the body has.
How long will it take to complete a course of treatments? Who knows. I plan on undergoing this treatment for up to a year.
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 0 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| December 27, 2009 | "I am not a has-been. I am a will be." | | Frustration has reached its boiling point but to be sure my resolve can best be stated by Lance's famous quote:
PAIN IS TEMPORARY QUITTING IS FOREVER
At this point I am not concened with Kona or anything else Tri-related. I want my darn health back and I want it asap. It has been a long time since I have felt good. Many people have asked and more ask everyday whether I have had enough? Am I done? To that I have one answer - an emphatic no!!!! I am going back to Kona - Healthy and I am going to have a killer day.
Since July, I have been suffering from various injuries all related to my choice of an active lifestyle. Having articulated this now it is easy for me to see why I have been going backwards for a while.
Here ya go here is a list ofmy injuries in short order:
- Separated left shoulder - Crash Ironman Germany
- Deep Bone Marrow Bruise to Left Leg - Crash Ironman Germany
- Continued Deep Bone Bruise Training for Ironman World Championships - Kona
- Severe Strain Biceps Tendon Training for Ironman World Championships - Kona
- 2nd Degree Strain to Achilles, Soleus, and Gastrod - Training for Ironman Arizona - Ended my season
- Fracture of Left Great Toe - Sumo Wrestling Brian during two week break from training
- Rupture of Medial Collateral Ligament of Great toe Sumo Wrestling Brian during two week break from training
That was 2009. Now on to 2010 season.
- Severe Strain to biceps tendon has shut me down for all but 4 swims in the past 2 months.
- On Friday in the midst of a great little run focus I reinjured my bone bruise. Out indefinitely. Here are some shots of the 35 ML that Dr. Lee pulled from my leg yesterday.
- Small radial tear of the medial meniscus
- Small cartlidge tear
So now what? Where do we go from here? Well - first things first: Slow and Steady wins the race said the Tortoise. I will slowly recover and rebuild. But in a big picture kinda way, my thought is:
Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.
I will get better. I will get stronger and I will achieve all my goals as they relate to my health and fitness.
Cheers and Happy New Year
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 0 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| December 20, 2009 | Run Camp Week One | | Week one of three of Run Camp One is now in the books. And any doubts that I had about the future and what I wanted to do about triathlon and now behind me. I am once again a happy but tired camper.
This first week of run camp has been a little bit different from some of the others that I have done. This is my third run focus since I have been working with Hillary and this one is more about frequency than volume. Now don't be mistaken volume is a consideration as I knocked out almost 50 miles last week. 50 is not that much unless, like me, you have not run more than 24 since Kona.
What does it mean that I have no more DOUBT about what I want to do with triathlon? Well afyer Kona I took a much needed break. I let myself go - I did not train - and I ate whatever I wanted. And after doing that, I did not like what I found. I was soft and lazy. And I started to dislike myself again. I hated how I felt about myself and right then I knew I was not done.
Triathlon saved my life. Without triathlon I would be 350 pounds and likely dead by now. Triathlon will always be a means to fitness for me. And I do mean always. Preston Miller is my model - I want to be fit and ENJOYING my health well into my 60's.
However, somewhere along the way, triathlon became more than a fitness goal and more of a competition. My performance at Kona has haunted me for a couple of months. I am a bit frustrated and a little embarassed by my time. And I know if I leave it there it will haunt me forever, And I cannot accept that.
I really think Thomas Edison may have said it best:
Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
I was so close to achieving all of my goals and if I hadn't gotten injured in Germany I may have achieved all of them. For at least another year, I am motivated, content and satisfied with the competitive aspect of Ironman and the pursuit of another Kona start. I have a good Kona in me and that is definitely the driving force behind me right now. I want to get back to Kona and I want - no - I am driven to go under 10 hours sometime at Kona.
There it is - the gauntlet is down - the goal is set - sub 10 at Kona - and just for good measure a sub 9:30 at Switzerland this summer. And here is how I am going to get it done. I am taking my future in this sport one workout at a time.
As far as the future goes, I think Abraham Lincoln may have said it best:
The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 19 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| December 18, 2009 | Some setbacks, some changes, and now full speed ahead | | I have had one tough start to the 2010 season. So far, I have torn a ligament in my foot. And I have strained a tendon in my left shoulder. Thus, training has not been going quite the way I envisioned at this point in the season.
Unfortunately, these setbacks have necessitated that I make some changes to my 2010 race schedule. The first change is that I am not going to be able to participate in this year's epic camp - tour of New Zealand. Also, I will not be able to compete in the 2010 Ironman New Zealand. I had really been focused on these two events and without a doubt wanted to do them. Accordingly, I am a bit down and disappointed about not being able to participate in these challenges.
So what I am to do? At this point, I am not really sure. However, It seems that I will kick things off with the 2010 Rock n Roll Arizona 1/2 Marathon. I will likely follow that up with the Pemberton 50K then the Desert Duathlon. After that I will likely join the large Arizona Contingent heading to SOCAL for the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside then I will cap the first 1/4 of the year with Ironman St. George. More on this soon.
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 20 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| December 6, 2009 | Where to go from here??? | | 2010 has begun and as I begin to shake out these old bones my mind keeps asking where do we go from here? What does that mean? It means what do I do now that I have achieved all of my goals as they pertained to triathlon namely - breaking 10 hours and qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona.
The struggle that I am having is the what and why stuggle. To be sure - lets say I set a goal of going 9:30 this year I am quick to answer why is that a goal? Why is that important - do I really care if I go 9:30 or 9:40 or even 10:10 for that matter.
I gotta say without having a goal this sport is really hard. Getting up at 5:00 am to ride in 38 degrees and the dark is not my idea of a good time. Moreover, neither is jumping in the water when it is dark and cold and getting out before it is light and warm. HOWEVER, and most importantly, it is not fun being FAT either.
So what AM I to do? I found a quote by Art Spander that I really liked that kinda hit home. Here it is:
The longer you stay in one place, the greater your chance of disillusionment
Well that is me - just wanting to stay in one place. Not wanting to and not yet showing the resolve necessary to get to the next level. Will it happen? Will I find that resolve? I am not sure. Do I want to go 9:30 and qualify again? The answer is yes -however, I am not sure I want it bad enough to make the necessary sacrifice.
Speaking of sacrifice. A couple of months ago I got roped into SUMO wrestinlg Lewis and Brian for the championship of the entire world. And yes good triumphed over evil!!! Well my sacrifice that day was that I tore a ligament in my foot. To be exact - it was one that holds my left big toe from wandering aimlessly. I saw the doc this week as the pain just is not subsiding - he was shocked and used the term "WOW" when I told him I am running on it. That being said, running will continue but it does hurt.
So in close it is important to note that none of the above is new. It is simply a familiar challenge presented in a different box and as Paul Harvey says:
In times like these it helps to recall there have always been times like these
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 13 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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| November 29, 2009 | The Albatross | | I absolutely hate having unfinished business. And I have some unfinished business. I am starting to get real pissed off about my performance this year in Kona. Hence, I am deaadset on qualifying again and giving the Queen K a good solid kick in the pants.
The way I see it the best way to make sure I don't fail is to become determined to succeeed. Yeah I now - well put grasshopper. However, I truly believe that if you really want something you can figure out a way to make it happen. However, you have to DO SOMETHING about it. Remember hope is not an effective strategy.
To that end I have rededicated myself to becoming a stronger and fitter me. Thanks to my good friend Dave Micilli I find some good diet stuff under MY PLATE on the Livestrong website and I am following that religiously. Weight is the albatross around my neck and I will slay it. That is what I am doing. I am writing down every thing that I eat and I am comparing it to the energy I expend. And just like in your checking account when there is no more $$$$$ or calories available - I am done. For me this is really doing something to slay the Albatross.
That being said, my training right now is fairly light - with some serious intensity built in. I am trying to regain the freshness and loosness that my good friend Steve Rink pontificates about. And as soon as I get that positive energy back I am gonna hit it like I have never hit it before.
What is your Albatross? How will you defeat it? Let me know.
Cheers,
Marc
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| Weeks to Ironmnan: 14 |
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Year-To-Date:
12/01/09
-11/30/10
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Past Years:
12/01/08 - 11/30/09
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