Out Season Week 14: Reflection and Run Test with a Double BOOM BOOM

I finally got my butt moving for this run test. Fear is not even close to what I was feeling. I had to overcome a mental block like you would not believe.

A block knowing that I could have trained better.

A block knowing that I have been chicken to running outside since converting to treadmill training in my basement before it broke.

A block not wanting to see my final time.

A block in just not enjoying running period.

Today I got up and forced myself to the Y to run on the treadmill there. My last two run tests have been outside, but since I have been training on a TM over the last month I decided to stick with the TM. I got to the Y and after signing up for one of the new TM's I made my way over to find a young couple taking the very one I signed up for. This made me mad, but I decided to just move to another treadmill. An older one.

I did my warm up and just was not feeling it, but tried to tell myself to get loose and focus. After one mile of gradually picking up speed, I stepped off to stretch and get ready.

I cranked the TM to 9 mph and tried to hold that pace at least until the 1.5 mile marker. That was the plan. My hamstrings felt tight, but I got into a real nice groove. A groove so nice that that TM decided to short out on me and turn off. I went from 9 mph to 0 in .5 seconds. Talk about a disruption of flow. I was about .3 of a mile in and had to quickly move to a new TM. Needless to say that a 6'4" 220 lb man coming to an abrupt stop like that caused a lot of people to stare.

I moved down and started back up. There was about a 30 second lull in the running, but I figured that since I was only a little bit into the run it was not a big deal so I just continued forward instead of starting over. I was out of whack from this point on. I tried to maintain the 9 mph which my watch read as being sub 6:10 mile pace. I was doing good until around the 1.5 mile mark when I had to stop for a quick cramp stretch. I had a 10 second break in the action to stretch my hamstring. I know it is not recommended  but it is what it is. I had to move the pace down to about 8.5 and 8.0 mixed in back and forth to be able to finish and keep my hammie from going crazy.

In the end I hit my goal. I ran the 5K under 20 minutes. I was quite happy. I know that I would be able to do this even if I did not have to stop twice. I was at 19:28 so even if I slowed down a bit more I would have been under 20 with no stops. This was a great sign. Perhaps this is what I needed to reignite my running goals.

This is my second fastest time. Last year I ran 19:!4 at  4.21.12 : PROJECT RENEWAL 5K

I know with a bit more mileage and run focus I could get below 19:14 in a race. I need to seek out a race in about 6 weeks after this next training block of 6 weeks of run focus.

So, this is a double BOOM BOOM. I am quite happy with the results. Reaching goals is always a great feeling. The hard work and getting up every morning early has paid off.

Here is my Out Season Test Recap

Week 1: My time was 20:52 with a 6:43 pace
Week 8: My time was 20:33 with a 6:37 pace.
Week 14: My time was 19:28 with a 6:17 pace

A few things I have learned through the Out Season.

1. Mileage - I have gotten away from the notion of worrying about getting so many miles each week. Rather, I have finally begun to shift to work on the actual workout at hand. Run for 45 minutes with the intervals instead of just an easy 7 mile run. I am adapting my thought process to put in quality instead of quantity  Last year I thought the more miles, the better. It is QUALITY that matters and this Out Season has proven that idea.

2. Rest - You have to listen to your body. Even though I had workouts to do six days a week there were times when my life and schedule were just too busy to do it all. The body wears out if you don't take care of it and sometimes that means taking an extra day here or there. The journey is long so if I have to sacrifice a workout here or there it is worth it to stay healthy and injury free.

3. Rest and Nutrition - Two more important things especially this time of year. Getting good sleep is huge. As I work on eating more balanced and eliminating foods that I don't really need(this does not always happen :)) my sleep has improved. I realize the importance of getting enough rest. I also realize the importance of proper nutrition. They work hand in hand and do make a difference. Sometimes you don't notice right away, but charting data long term you can see the results.

4. Spice It Up - during the Out Season I hit a low in motivation. I had to change things up. I did a CrossFit workout during my test week. Probably not the best week to do this, but it was needed. That change of pace changed everything. Sometimes we have to go against the grain, against the standard protocol and do something different to reignite our passions. I plan to do CrossFit once I am done coaching. It will be a good break of action from SBR(Swim, Bike, Run) and keep me going. The key will be balance and not wearing the body out. Don't be afraid to try something new.

So there you have it. My first Out Season is in the books. I made massive gains that I am so proud of. I look forward to training hard and seeing where it takes me this year in my races. I will enjoy the rest of this rest week by mixing things up with some swimming and lifting and then move on to  a six week run focus training program before hitting up my Ironman training. Time to sign up for the races!

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge: Results and What I Learned

After the 10 day cleanse of this 24 day challenge I was down 6 pounds. I was happy seeing the weight drop off. I was in a groove after struggling for most of those ten days. I finally got over the hump and had the cravings finally subside.

After one weekend for state robotics things fell apart for me. I had no food choices to stay the course and I went all in. I did not eat in moderation, but ate like a pig and put down so much food and none of it was on the plan. After that day things completely fell off track for me.

The next 9 days I tried to get back on track. I would be on track for about 85% of the time. I would fall apart and tear up my cravings. I struggled. By day 24 I weighed in and found that I was still at my 6 pound loss. I had not gained, but did not lose more.

At this point in time about a week later I am close to being back to my starting weight of 222. Am I bummed? Not really. I took away many great things.

1. Eating super clean all the time is not for me and will lead to burn out. I know myself and my body. I must have my chocolate and candy from time to time. It is what it is. This challenge proved what I knew would happen. Once I gave in to a craving it was over. I went overboard. Instead of eating one cookie I ate 12. I have to have those cheat meals built in.

2. I can go without dairy for the most part. I need my Greek yogurt at least once a day and cottage cheese every once in a while. I am able to give up the rest. I don't have my cheese cravings to put cheese on everything like I once did so that is good. This will pay dividends down the road.

3. Bread - don't really need it either. I will have bread or grain on my cheat days when I eat pizza and such, but I no longer crave the slices of bread or chips. I still need to work on this, but this won't be hard to do.

When it is all said and done. I feel better about myself right now with the weight back on. I feel fitter and in better shape. With my training and adding some CrossFit in a few weeks I will be feeling even better.

What is next?

Next is to go after the Four Hour Body system. I am not dieting. No way. But I like this method of eating clean and having one day a week where you eat whatever you want, however much you want, and then eat good the other six days. I will make one change and that will be that I will continue to eat fruit even though it says no fruit. I just need to eat fruit with my smoothies and all that. If I can keep my cheat meals and snacks to one day I will be where I want to be.

Additionally, in some ways I am glad I failed. I don't want to be down to race weight right now. I don't need to be there until this summer/fall. So if I carry around an extra 15 pounds it will only help with my training. I will be that much faster and my body will think it will be easier come race day when I am 15 pounds lighter.

I did not quite make it the whole 24 days, but I learned a great deal about myself and where I want to be. I take it as a success. The key is eating whole nutritious food. It is not taking some pill or wonder drug. Supplements are not the game changers. Habits are the game changers. Period. Having the self discipline to get the habits to form is the hardest part of a lifestyle change.

When it comes to March/April I will stripping away weight to get ready for some road races and I will be doing this without supplements or some pill magic concoction. I will be curious to see how things pan out. AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge works. It works for a ton of people. It has helped to open my eyes to what I need to work on and what works. I will continue to use certain AdvoCare products, but I know I don't need them all. The key is find what works for you as an individual. We are all different and all need different things to reach our goals.

For me I just need to stay the course with my training. I will be fine. When I put in the work it only makes sense to not jeopardize all the hard work by feeding my body junk. If I want to perform well I must eat and hydrate well. Pretty simple concept, but at times very hard to do in a society that surrounds each person with junk food and fake sweeteners. I will GET IT DONE! and this year will be a big year of hitting PR's and reaching my goals. This was a good kickstart to get things going!

AdvoCare 10 Cleanse Over - 11th Day Results

Okay, the first of two big moments of the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. After the 10 Day Cleanse we step on the scale and remeasure ourselves. I was not sure what my results were going to be. I felt like all I did was eat, eat, and eat during the last ten days. All very clean and healthy with no slip ups which I was surprised to not have one cheat meal.

This morning I was up at 4:15 and ready to weigh in before my bike workout. I stepped on the scale and was surprised to see my results. To be honest I don't feel much different in my pants or clothes so I was worried my results would be nonexistent.

Day 1 Weight: 222.6 lbs
Day 11 Weight: 216.4
Difference: -6.2 lbs (BOOM!)

Waist 1: 38.75
Waist 11: 37.25
Difference: -1.5

Hips 1: 43
Hips 11: 42.5
Difference: -.5

Neck 1: 16
Neck 11: 15.5
Difference: -.5

Right Thigh 1: 26.75
Right Thigh 11: 25
Difference: -1.75

Left Thigh 1: 26.5
Left Thigh 11: 25
Difference: -1.5

Right Arm 1: 13.75
Right Arm 11: 13.25
Difference: -.5

Left Arm 1: 13.5
Left Arm 11: 13.5
Difference: 0

Right Calf 1: 16.5
Right Calf 11: 16.25
Difference: - .25

Left Calf 1: 16.75
Left Calf 11: 16.5
Difference: - .25

I forgot to measure chest and shoulders as there was not enough time this morning to ask Amanda for help.

I am quite pleased with these results. Today we enter the Burn and Refuel Phase for the next two weeks. This will be tough. During the Burn days I am going to try and go without fruit which was the key to me surviving during the cleanse phase. If I struggle really bad, then I will eat fruit. My biggest concern is finding enough food to replenish my body during my training. I have to monitor this very carefully. Very important as I enter the final two weeks of my out season training.

Discipline and healthy eating go hand in hand. You have to be disciplined. It is not easy to change habits. Trust me I crave things like you would not believe. I am trying to wrap my mind around other things to eat, but it has not really helped yet. When this whole challenge is over it will be all about moderation and keeping things in perspective.

Here is to the next 14 days!

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge - Days 4-6

Well, Saturday(Day 6) is just about done for me as I cool down from my run and get ready for bed. I know, what an exciting life I lead!

After reflecting through almost one week I have many thoughts running through my head.

1. This is much harder than what I imagined. I like routine and being in a comfort zone. I thought eating the same things would work well for me. I am discovering I need variety. I feel like I eat the same egg, chicken, turkey, tomato, salsa, onion concoctions over and over. I have tried new things which I will post about soon, but I have found these to be my next problem.....

2. Domino Foods - I have found some healthy options for snacking which I think are good for me to implement. However, they are domino foods as I keep eating and eating. For example, almonds. I have found these to be so delicious with sea salt. The problem is that a serving is 1/4 cup. That does nothing for me. I could and have eaten easily 1 cup of almonds no problem. This one cup is more calories than a Whopper. I am not kidding check the calories. I eat a cup of almonds and am still starving where I could eat the garbage of a Whopper and be full for hours. I understand the health benefits, but the issue I have is that I when eating almonds I will just move on to another snack item. Am I really being healthy? I don't know, but it is something for me to monitor.

3. After a few horrible days of days 3 and 4, I am starting to feel much better. I was at a low for those couple days. I felt tired beyond tired and just was not digging things. I stuck it out and did not lose focus, but I was ready to pack it in. My ultimate goal is to create healthy habits to lead to me racing well in my triathlons this year as well as getting back to race weight. I have about 22 lbs to drop to get to race weight and I have a long time to get there, but as I feel so tired I worry about not replenishing my body properly with my training. My training has not changed. I am putting the same time into my training as before this challenge, but before I was cranking out 7 workouts and gaining weight. That is not good.

4. I am quite curious about my measurements and weight on day 11. I want to know if anything has changed with my eating.

Here is my food diary
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a-xEHcf9q-ZiA8YloGPPEIHcEiZy4-5ge1FaX1T322U/edit

5. I have found 6:30 - 9:00 to be the hardest part of my day. I want snacks, carbs, and drinks. To not have these has been brutal. I miss creamer in my coffee at 4:15. I miss my chocolate. I really miss all my dairy.

6. I think when it is all said and done the key comes down to the thing that everyone knows - self control. Anyone can follow any cleanse and diet and anything will work if kept in moderation. For me it will be all about not going right back to bad habits, but incorporating the habits I am slowly creating during this challenge. Greek Yogurt will not hurt me. The massive amount of cheese that I ate prior to this does hurt me. A bag of pretzels will hurt me, but a handful would be okay.

7. I struggle with different views of this challenge. Some say yes to one thing while others say no. They say to avoid fake sweeteners, but it is in all the product. I like things precise and I know everyone does things differently, but this is one aspect that is making it hard for me to stay the course when I feel like I can always find an exception somewhere.

This challenge has been good for me mentally. I have made it through the hardest part of the weekend of Friday and Saturday. I snacked a bit too much today, but I did not jump to the darkside of bad choices, but I had too many servings of certain foods.

I head back to the grocery store tomorrow and get ready for another week of this challenge. Stay strong everyone!

And don't forget water. Keep drinking water. I think that was a big issue with they days I struggled. I drank a ton of water the last two days and have noticed a change.

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge: Day 3

Well, last night was another night of me struggling with snacking. I came home from basketball around 5:30 and had dinner. We had some awesome turkey burger patties thanks to Amanda. She mixed something good up there and they hit the spot. I actually ate 3 of them. Probably should not have had 3, but I was starving. I also need to make sure I am fueling enough with my training. I find it difficult to see if I am overeating or perhaps not eating enough. I know with many of the vegetables that you can eat a ton, but there is very little carbs or protein that come of it. We had green beans and I made some quinoa as I was just not filling up.

I have found some things interesting only a few days in. Whenever I enter the kitchen I always become hungry and that feeling of starving just kicks in. The bad part is that as a family we do everything centered around the kitchen. It leads the way to our sun room and has the table for homework and basically all our operations start in the kitchen. This makes it tough. I held a bag of pretzel rods and just salivated along with sweaty palms just wanting to destroy them with sugar and candy. It is weird because I am struggling much more with this eating scheme than Amanda. If you ask her it should be the other way around. She is doing awesome. She hates when I talk about her, but I am so impressed with her focus on this 24 day challenge.

I finally had to do what I did the other night and simply go lay in bed. I had to avoid the kitchen. Around 8:30 I realized that I needed to prep chicken for today so I went back down to the kitchen and my hunger kicked in so fast after feeling normal up in bed. It is all about breaking those habits.

I did find myself loving some carrots and hummus. I had the red pepper and garlic hummus. It was great. Probably the best snack so far hands down. I also figured out that Crystal Light is legit as it has identical ingredients to Spark besides amino acids and sucralose(which I don't really want in my body anyways...the sucralose not amino acids).

Today I am doing well. I am hoping for better control with snacking tonight. I am devising a new strategy so we will see how it pans out.

I am also very tempted to step on the scale to check for progress, but I know not too until the time comes. I have read that you check on Day 11 and again on the last day. I will be interested to see the progress if any.

Lastly, I have observed that I am more tired earlier at night, but I sleep so much better. I don't wake up 3-4 times like I used to. It is not as easy to get up in the morning, but I know my sleep is improving. I think Amanda is having the same thing happen to her.

I know that tonight I need to track down some new recipes and ideas for snacks and breakfast. I need a bit more variety so I will be searching.

As always I am tracking my eating here in case you are interested.

Have a great 3rd day on the cleanse and stay strong.

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge: Day 1: Weigh In and Proper Planning

Today begins my transformation of losing this unnecessary weight that I have put on over the last few months.

I woke up at 4:13 to get my workout done, but before doing so I stepped on the scale and snapped a few before photos to chart my progress.

I tipped the scales this morning weighing more than I have since June of 2011 when I started weighing myself each Monday morning. My weight is close to where it was when I was power lifting, but I have lifted in over a year so all that weight must be fat.

It was good to see record all these numbers and measurements. I look forward to charting the progress. Changing my eating is going to be the hardest thing to do. I have developed some unhealthy eating habits that need to be broken.

After weighing in I took care of a run workout I missed this weekend and followed that up with the wonderful fiber drink and some Catalyst. I cooked up some eggs and ate an apple for breakfast.

We will see how the day progresses. I am not worried about school, but worried about home when I have the pantry staring me in the face.

Best of luck to everyone in our group. We are now over 30 strong in the GETTING IT DONE! team.

 I will be charting my food options on this Google Document

Feel free to check it out and leave any feedback that you think I might need.

Game Changer: GETTING IT DONE! Team and AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge

Alright, it is time for me to talk about the amazing team taking shape over in the Facebook world. It is a team I created based off my triathlon training motto this year called GETTING IT DONE!

This team is compromised of everyday individuals who are on the path to creating healthy positive habits in their daily lives. Many of us have tried several diets, training plans, exercise routines, etc. Like all of us we have hit the highs and lows.

I know that for me personally the most important factor to my first year in triathlon training was developing a network of people who could help me along my journey. I had experts in the tri sport to give guidance on strategy. I had a group who helped me get out of bed every weekend at 4:30 am to go run when it was cold and I just wanted to sleep. I had friends who I could talk about training. I had a group during the week who ran together to discuss life, sports, and whatever else was on our mind.

The point being is that I had people to help me when I did not know how to help myself.

This year I have personal goals of fitness and triathlon racing. You have goals about your races, life, exercise  What I want to do with this team is get everyone together who needs a team to help them along. No matter what your current fitness level, eating habits, and personal goals are we can help each other. It does not matter if you are training for a marathon or a Zombie run or simply just getting out to walk. As a team we will be here for each and everyone one of us. We all have a goal to get better.

GETTING IT DONE! will be a team where we can network. We can reach our for help when our eating goes astray. We can share recipes or tricks that work. We can hold each other accountable. We can offer motivation. We can do this together as one unit to help us reach our individual goals.

So, GETTING IT DONE! is forming as we speak. There are many people interested. Many are exploring and checking things out. It is time to take the plunge and commit.

To start things off we are going to start with the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. This is a super easy, but highly effective system to cleanse the system and begin to form healthy habits. We will start this on January 7th. Many have used this system and the results don't lie.

After the challenge will then move on to create our next goal(s) for the next month. We will take it step by step and in the end we will reach our goals.

So, I encourage you to check out the Facebook team page. Check out the links on my blog(many resources coming very shortly). I encourage you to make a statement in 2013 and get ready to create some healthy habits. When ready sign up on  the form and get your AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge bundle and be ready to join us on our path of AWESOMENESS!

Here is a link to the FB Team page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/304516902982290/


Here is info to sign up for the 24 Day Challenge

We are less than one month away from getting ready to change our lives for the better. The official start date is going to be January 7th. This is a Monday and will give us time to get ready mentally for kicking some serious butt. 

Here is the form. This makes it official and will let me know who is serious. I will be placing orders for AdvoCare by December 21st if you need to order.

In the meantime I have lots of things in the works. As always, let me know what you need. I am ready to get back to racing weight and working with others to reach their goals. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFFKcG4xb1FEQnQ5T2RYTGFPUGtSN1E6MQ#gid=0

GETTING IT DONE Fitness Team: AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge - JOIN ME!

On Facebook yesterday I posted the following:

I am ready to start my AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge come January 1st. I am looking to form a team where we can work together and help out each other lose some weight while working on our fitness and feeling AWESOME using the AdvoCare product. Using AdvoCare everyday for my Ironman training and love it. 

Think about joining me and and helping create a group to help each other out. Let me know if interested. I can get you the product and we can work out on a cool team name and make this happen!

I am making it official right here, right now. I am in training for my first Ironman as we speak. I am also eating not as healthy as I should be and know I need to get my body feeling even better by eating more quality food. At the same time I could afford to knock off a few pounds that I know will come with just getting rid of the cookies and junk food.

In my experience in training for road races and triathlon I have found that working with a community of people is the key to success and long term achievements and gains. I have learned that having others follow your path, waiting for you to show up to run and workout, sending text messages for accountability, etc. help me stay the course throughout the year when I have days when I don't want to train or do what is necessary to take my health to the next level.

With that being said, I know my eating is my worst enemy. I am focused and determined to get my eating back to a healthy state in much the same manner as I approached my training. I am starting my goal of eating healthy and losing a few pounds with the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. I want others to join in. I want to create a community when we can help each other. I want a community where we can help during the 24 day challenge and afterwards. It is so important to have other like minded individuals working towards a goal of better health and living. I want you join me!

If you have never used AdvoCare products, then you need to give it a try. I fought for over year refusing to fall prey to another product line. However, about three months ago I decided to give it at try. I have never regretted that decision and was actually frustrated I waited so long. I want to help you get your health back on track. This is a great start. There are so many other products, but this challenge is the way to cleanse your system and get you on track.

Here is a link to everything you get in the 24 Day Challenge
http://www.advocare.com/products/trim/99038.aspx

I will be sharing several documents and guidelines to my blog soon under the AdvoCare tab over the next few days to give you all necessary information. Until then, here is quick breakdown.

1. Purchase the Product Bundle - I can order for you. You can order for yourself if you already have an account. Or you can order from someone else that you already know. I really don't care. I just want a community team effort to make this happen.

2. Starting on January 1st we begin the 10 Day Cleanse - it is a mild cleanse and not brutal. You can adapt this cleanse to meet your needs and goals to make it work for you.

3. Days 11- 24 - We then work on getting good product and healthy good and supplements to your body and eliminate the poor habits of putting poor food choices in your system.

4. After day 24 we can then create a new goal to help us reach the next step in our lives!

So, hopefully you are excited about getting your life back on track. Some of you are in good shape now and just need to get rid of some holiday weight. Some need a good kickstart to just moving in the direction of health. It does not matter who you are and what your current state of fitness is. It matters that you want to you to make a healthy change in your life. Anyone from Ironman athletes to my parents can have a game changing moment by taking part.


1. Go To Advocare - https://www.advocare.com/products/default.aspx
2. Check out the products and research behind it all.
3. Contact me at aarmau@gmail.com and let me know what you want. I will order it for you! I will have everything you order before X-Mas so you have things ready to go. OR you can become your own distributor and start your account(I can help you with this). My ID is 12092730.

I will be updating my blog with recipes, nutrition guidelines, and other information that you need.

I will be working on a network for the anyone who joins my team to get back to being healthy and in shape so we can help share our stories and keep each other motivated during the 24 days.

Are you ready to step up and take the challenge with me? You will be glad you did!

I look forward to seeing who will join me in this challenge. The time is NOW! Let me know so I can get you the products you need before January 1st!

Out Season: Week 2: Run Workout a.k.a Virtual Brick

This morning was tough. I am struggling as I type this right now. Yesterday I did not make time to eat enough. I was super busy and did not get in enough food. After coaching my 8th grade girls and getting home after 7 pm I ate a sandwich and proceeded to eat a bunch of garbage food.

Last night I fell asleep watching the election for about 90 minutes. When I woke up I could not fall back asleep. I was up from 10:00 - 1:30 last night night. I could not stop my minding from going a million miles an hour thinking about the game, coaching, school work, life, etc. You name it I thought about it.

Needless to say that my alarm at 4:13 went off and I was super tired. I forced myself up and did get my run in. I did not however get my 15 minute easy run with strides in last night. I hope that I will be okay with missing that little workout.

I ran to the track as my warm up and proceeded to do the following workout:

MS: 5 x 800 (4') @ TP/Z4/Hard.

Tip: The Wednesday run is the "virtual" brick of the OS program, where you run on tired legs after Tuesday but before Thursday. These are quality sessions, so do your best to stack them 24 hours apart (tues/wed/thurs)

 

I was pretty dialed in this morning. My legs were tired. My cardio felt fine. The first two I was a little fast, but my HR was below Z4 so I felt that this was okay. It all caught up to me at the third set where I hit my time perfectly with good HR. My legs were tired at this point. The next two I picked up the pace, but they did not feel any harder than the third set. My HR was only above Z4 for the last one, but with the first two below I think it all balances out :)

Set 1: 6:52 @ 134 HR
Set 2: 7:01 @ 148 HR
Set 3: 7:12 @ 154 HR
Set 4: 7:00 @ 156 HR
Set 5: 6:46 @ 161 HR

I then ran home as a cool down and have continued my day. I am very tired and having a hard time staying awake. I hope for a good night sleep tonight and back to proper eating so I can get another good bike workout in tomorrow morning. Thank goodness for my AdvoCare product to help me get my body fueled and primed.

Out Season: Week 2 - Tuesday Bike

Today I woke up feeling better this morning. My legs were pretty sore yesterday as well as my knees and joints. Before bed last night I took AdvoCare Meal Replacement Shake, Omegaplex, and Nighttime Recovery. The key with this training is rest and nutrition. I knew that I needed to keep my body in line in order to keep pushing as the program asks.

The workout today called for

MS: 3 x 6' (2') @ 95-100%/Zone4/Hard.
Remainder of any time you have available (if any, not required) @ 80-85%/Zone3/Mod-Hard.

I started with a 15 minute warm up to get my legs loose and ready. Before working out I took AdvoCare Spark, Arginine Extreme, and Rehydrate all combined to get the body rest after a night of sleep.

After warming up I jumped into my first 6 minute set. I had a difficult time getting my HR for this lap up to 143-148. I know I was pushing beyond that towards the end, but my HR was not up far enough to start so the average number was lower.

Set 2 I traveled a bit farther and was right in line. My HR was above 151 but after watching the video the coaches created he stated to focus on RPE first, and HR second. It takes about 4 weeks for the conditioning of the body to parallel with the HR zones as needed. I am glad I watched that video or I would have done the opposite.

For set 3 my legs were tired and I had to push. I was right at where I was the second set. For this set I found a nice groove for the last 3 minutes where despite pushing hard it did not feel overly difficult. I knew my HR was high so I maintained.

I finished with a 20 minutes Zone 3 ride to finish things up.

During that time I watched some instructional basketball clinics. I could watch these all day long. There is so much to learn as a coach. I get into season and I just fall in love with coaching all over again. We open up tonight against PV. I know it is only 8th grade girls, but I treat it like I am a varsity coach. We have crammed a lot into practice in a short amount of time, but if they play like they are capable and BELIEVE in themselves we can be very successful. As I constantly teach the girls to BELIEVE it is always a good reminder to myself about believing in what I am doing and that I can accomplish the goals I have set out for myself.

Have a great day. BELIEVE and never stop GETTING IT DONE!

Out Season: Week 1 Sunday - Run

I have completed my first week of Out Season training.

I am sore. My legs are shot. I am happy for a rest day today(Monday).

Sunday I had my final workout of the week calling for:

MS: 4 x 800 (2') all @ TP/Z4/Hard.

Remainder of run is how you feel, but try to accumulate more HMP/Z3/Mod-Hard time.

The goal is to build up to running 75-90 minutes. I am not ready for this amount of time and not ready for a Zone 3 run either. I took things nice and easy after the 800's.

This morning I am sore. My shins hurt and my legs feel tired. It is a good sign of getting back to work. I need to take care of my body with proper rest and eating healthy(both of which I struggled with this past week).

I started off with a 14 minute warm up as I ran to the high school.

Once on the track I ran 800, followed by a 400 jog as rest and repeated three more times.

My 800's I started off way too fast running 6:44, 6:58, and then getting close to my goal of 7:12. I had problems getting it dialed in. I know I should not push hard and I have to force myself to stay the course. Otherwise, if I don't my body will break down.

With my shins sore today I remember that the track does not do much for me. Looking back at previous training I noted that every single time I ran on the track I became injured. Next time I am going to avoid the track. I don't know why this happens, but for some reason the track just shreds my knees, shins, and joints. This week I will be finding a flat area to do these type of workouts.

My HR was also slightly above target range, but I think this will all go back down as I continue to get in shape.

The first week is in the books. I am focusing more this week on eating more intelligently with more whole foods and less bread, dairy, and sugar.

Off to enjoy a day of rest and get ready for week 2.

AdvoCare 10 Day Cleanse - What it is and my update through Day 4

Alright, to help me get back on track with fitness and health I have decided to give AdvoCare products a try. I have talked to several people who currently use AdvoCare products and I finally caved in to the products.

I will tell you that they have been very beneficial to helping me get on track and staying on track.

As part of jump start to quit being a slob after my 6 week break I am doing the 10 Day Cleanse. This is the first part of the 24 Day Challenge that helps people lose weight and get back on track. I am not real concerned with weight loss(although a few lbs would not hut), but I am more concerned with establishing some good eating habits and getting rid of toxins in my body.

The products are great. I can tell a HUGE difference already. My coffee consumption is at zero or no more than one cup a day. The only caffeine I consume is one AdvoCare SPARK a day. I did have a headache yesterday as I have drastically lowered my caffeine consumption from 1.5 pots of coffee a day to one SPARK. However, I have never felt better. I have more energy than ever before and my sleeping is already putting me on track for better production during the day.

Caffeine reduction was one goal of mine. The other reasons I feel good is the food. This cleanse has me eliminating sugar, white bread/flour. alcohol, dairy, and other items that are not good for you. I have been sticking to a clean diet of fruits, vegetables, chicken, salad, water, AdvoCare meal replacement drinks, and oatmeal. I have never felt better. Honestly! If I felt like crap I would say so.

I am not attributing all this Advocare products. The products help. The products help me stay on track. I wake up and take my AdvoCare Catalyst before I train along with Arginine Extreme. I use the Rehydrate drink and gel while training and then fuel my body with healthy food all day. Supplements cannot change who you are. You have to be willing to change. AdvoCare can help people to reach their goal of changing. I have been tracking my food on a Google Document and here are the first two days.

Monday, October 8th
* 5:10 - AdvoCare Spark with 3 Catalyst
* 5:45 - AdvoCare Fiber Drink
* 6:30 - 7:00 - AdvoCare MRP
* 9:15 - Banana
* 10:40 - AdvoBar
* 11:45 - Salad w/ tomato and Ranch Spritzer, two chicken breasts (slow cooker chicken burritos)
* 2:55 - 2 servings of raw almonds, nuts, cashews
* 3:45 - few carrots with Ranch Spritzer
* 5:00 - Buffalo Turkey Lettuce Wraps, salad
* 6:40 - TeeCino
*9:00 - Advocare Herbal Cleanse

Tuesday, October 9th
* 4:40 - AdvoCare Spark (1/2 serving) with 3 Catalyst, Advocare Arginine Exteme
* 6:10 - YMCA Cup of Coffee
* 6:30 - AdvoCare Fiber Drink
* 7:00 - AdvoCare MRP
* 9:15 - Banana
* 10:40 - AdvoBar
* 11:45 - Salad w/ tomato and Ranch Spritzer, two chicken breasts (slow cooker chicken burritos)
* 2:55 - 2 servings of raw almonds, nuts, cashews
* 3:45 - few carrots with Ranch Spritzer
* 5:00 - Buffalo Turkey Lettuce Wraps, salad
* 6:40 - TeeCino
* 9:00 - Advocare Herbal Cleanse
* 9: 15: Banana
* 10:40 - AdvoBar
* 1:30 - Slow Cooker Burrito Chicken, salad with tomato and Ranch Spritzer
* 2:20 - Bag of mixed nuts
* 2:55 - Granny Smith Apple
* 5:30 - AdvoCare Recipe Chili(YUMMY!!) with sparkling water
* 7:30 - Two spoonfuls of PB
* 8:00 - Chili spoonful


You can see that I still eat a mass amount of food. This is not a diet fad. This is not scheme to lose weight fast and put it all back on. After the cleanse I will continue to eat healthy and incorporate some items back into my diet that I feel will help me with my training like Greek yogurt.

The key to all of this is WANTING to change. It has been super difficult to stay away from the Oreo cookies, sugar soaked cereal, creamer and coffee, and a bag of pretzels or chips. The payoff is that I feel fantastic and after four days those cravings are starting to go away.

I will continue to update my progress. I would love to help you out if interested in knowing more about the cleanse. I have a ton of information and have contacts with people who are experts.

GETTING IT DONE! means making healthy choices and doing what is right to be a good role model.

These changes are going to pay off big time as I continue to train for my first IRONMAN this summer!

Ironman Training Day 10 - Interval Session on Trainer

Preseason Week 2

Bike Workout: 60 Minute Interval Session

The workout today was an interval session.

It called for 8 x (2' @ Level 4/ 90-95%, 2' @ Level 2/70-75%, and 1' @ Level 1/60-65%)

This was tough. I did a 10 minute warmup to get the legs going at 4:50.

The first few sessions felt fine, but by the 4th session I found the 2 minute hard session to be challenging. Part of this is mentally toughening up a bit and pushing through. Part of it is that my bike fitness is pretty poor right now(as it should after the long break).

This was a good workout. I feel like I have a direction and purpose so it helps me keep track of where I am, where I am heading, and where I want to be.

My focus today was smooth transitions between levels and working on my high end fitness.

A great start to the day. It feels good to getting the bike done in the morning. I did not want to get up, but I will be happy with this decision tonight.

I am on day 3 of the AdvoCare 10 Day Cleanse. Feeling great and actually much better with less caffeine and less junk in the body. My cravings for my comfort foods are still there and that proves to be the toughest. I will write up a post about the cleanse soon so if you are interested in knowing more I can share everything that I know and the resources that I have.

Have a great Wednesday. Life is busy, but take time to step back and remember what is important. I lost focus on the important things in life yesterday and I need to remind myself of this very thing.

Ironman Training Day 3 and 4: Rest and Ride

I did not workout yesterday. I had a bike workout scheduled, but decided not to ride. I woke up tired. I went to bed the night before tired. I opted to just rest and not force things. I have a long journey ahead of me and there is no reason to begin by pushing the body when it is not ready.

My body is undergoing some changes which makes things a challenge. As I work on cutting back on caffeine and a lot of the junk food(except after school!!!) my body is hitting several walls a day. It will take some time for the body to get back on track with being healthy and not relying on junk to get through my day.

I have decided to tackle a 10 day cleanse using Advocare. I ordered the goods last night and will begin this cleanse when the products arrive. I think this will help me focus and jump start my train of thought to forming good habits.

I thought about riding last night when I finished up school work around 9 pm, but decided to just call it a day and be happy with decision. It was a good decision as I was able to actually talk to Amanda for the first time this week. I cannot believe how busy life gets. I feel like we just brush past each other as we tutor, coach, hand off kids, take kid here, take kid there, etc.

I woke up this morning ready to go. I took some Advocare Catalyst and a bottle of water and jumped on the bike. I have not been on the bike in a long time.

This morning I completed the next ride workout. It called for a 60 minute ride with 2 x 8 minute intervals with 2 minutes at 60 cadence and 2 minutes at 80 cadence. The goal of this workout is strength and therefore I was performing at a Level 2/3 during 80 cadence.

About 10 minutes into the ride my butt started to hurt. I am going to have to start over with building up my seat tolerance. I did not feel too bad on the bike, but 60 minutes felt like a long time. I watched an interesting documentary on Netflix about happiness. It provided some food for thought, but did not do much to pass the time quickly.

Tomorrow I head to the pool to complete the workout from Monday that I was supposed to do.

Ironman Training Day 1: Hard to Swim With No Goggles

Preseason
Week 1
Day 1: Swim

So I took time this weekend to analyze the preseason workout that will help me establish some numbers to use as goal setting and planning. I went through and shifted certain days around to make it work better for me. I went through and studies various videos about technique work for swimming and the drills I would be incorporating.

I was prepared.

Or so I thought.

I took my Advocare Catalyst and Rehydrate before leaving for the Y. I double checked for my Y card and my towel and my workout card I wrote up.

I was ready.

Or so I thought.

I pull up to the Y and grab my things and then at that moment I realized I had no goggles. I overlooked the most essential swimming piece of equipment.

I had to figure out what to do as I had on some slip on shoes. I was not going to go home and return. I was not going to go home and run and no way am I ready to jump on the bike.

Instead I made the most of the situation. Friday was to be my rest day or a day to lift. I decided to lift today and use Friday as one of my swim days instead.

I hit up some weights for chest, shoulders, arms, lats, and core. I was in and out in about 25 minutes. No messing around.

My first day did not go quite as planned. This was just a small test. One test of about a thousand that will come my way.

I will be trying again tomorrow morning for the run. I won't forget my shoes!

One a side note I did weigh myself in. Surprisingly I have lost a few pounds since a week or so ago. I have put on some weight. I then went back and checked the records and one month ago I was weighing the same. One year ago I was 8 lbs less. Crazy to think that a year ago I was weighing less than my triathlon training days. This just goes to show that my eating habits have not improved which is the main focus to my return.

I locked in the weight on my data sheet. I snapped a few pictures of my body(gross) and will forward to the progress. I did this with my triathlon training. It was amazing to compare pictures because I don't notice things as I live in the body, but to view images each month you can see the progress.

Tomorrow I have a nice slow easy level 2 run for 40 minutes. If anyone is up for a run let me know otherwise I will be running solo with my iPod.

Getting It Done Episode 3: Staying Hydrated

I promise that I will not be posting daily videos. It is just that in the beginning of this journey I have a lot I want to document so I can reflect as I move through the next 9 months of training.

In this episode I am going to talk about hydration and making sure I am drinking enough water throughout the day.

Episode 3: Hydration

Thanks for watching and look forward to hearing from you. Leave comments here or on my YouTube channel.

Getting It Done Episode 2: Eating Goals

I plan on posting the specifics to my eating goals soon, but in the meantime I thought it would be important to talk just a bit about how to mentally prepare. Instead of going in head first like I typically do with things I am going to go in steps and stages slowly integrating a new habit of eating healthy. The end result will be worth it not only for me, but for my family.


Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGPJk7YP3-s&feature=share&list=UUMJ0GJfo7BzVAHINQQ7VEgw

Getting It Done! - Video Log of Ironman Journey

I had this great idea today.

My idea was to create my own video diary of my new goal to complete an Ironman in June 2013.

This video diary just kept making sense for several reasons

1. I like to make these videos as I have several really stupid ones already on the Internet and it is time to make something useful.

2. People don't always like to read so short 3 minute videos might help them.

3. It will help me stay accountable(the most important).

4. I will have something to go back and follow to see where I am and where I end up.

So, here is my first episode. It is basically an intro. I start pre season training Monday, October 1st. I have plans. I have goals. I have an agenda. I might have been a slob for 6 weeks, but I am have been resting my mind while getting prepared. I know the time is now. I believe I am ready. I also know it will not be easy to break some of these terrible habits I formed.

So, check out the video, give it some props, and don't forget you can always let me know what topics or questions you would like answered. I may not have the right answer, but by now you know I will have something to say.

Two Week Carb Test - Holy Smokes!

Slowly my motivation is beginning to refuel. It is not anywhere near where I hoped it would be during the month of September. I was really hoping to hit this low in October, but it is what it is. I am still going to attempt the marathon despite only about three runs in the last three weeks. It will be more of  fun run than a PR run.

To help me get back on track I am hitting up a Two Week Carb Test mentioned in the book by Dr. Maffetone that I have been reading and studying. This test limits certain foods to find out where your optimal level of carb intake should be. During this process I hope to also shed some body fat, clean up my aerobic function, and endurance as I try to get back on track. This test will also jumpstart my metabolism by turning my body into a body fat burner.

This morning I weighed in and wrote down all signs and symptoms of carb intolerance that I have been feeling the last few weeks. The point of this test is really not for me to lose weight, but I am aware that it could happen.

Tomorrow I will perform a MAF test to test my running aerobic levels so I can monitor it again at the end of the test. I meant to do it this morning, but my alarm did not go off.

Already, I have realized how carb saturated my life is as I look into the kitchen and honestly cannot eat 90% of the food. This two week test is not about cutting calories. I am too eat like crazy as usual with about two hours between snacks and meals. The point is to cut out food that contains sugar and carbs. At the end of the two week test I then slowly integrate those items to see where my tolerance is as I should be feeling great by the end of two weeks. When I bring back certain carbs I will know when it is too much when the symptoms kick in.

This morning was tough to not eat waffles and syrup or toast or juice.

Here is the food breakdown

Foods to Eat During the TestYou may eat as much of these foods as you like during the Two-Week Test:
- Eggs (whites and yolk), unprocessed (real) cheeses, heavy (whipping) cream, sour cream.
- Unprocessed meats including beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, fish, and shellfish
- Tomato, V-8 or other vegetable juices
- Water—drink it throughout the day in between meals
- Cooked or raw vegetables such as squash, leaf lettuce and spinach, carrots, broccoli and kale, but no potatoes or corn.
- Nuts, seeds, nut butters
- Oils, vinegar, mayonnaise, salsa, mustard and spices
- Sea salt, unless you are sodium sensitive
- All coffee and tea (if you normally drink it)

Be sure to read the ingredients for all foods, as some form of sugar or carbohydrate may be added. These include peanut butter, mayonnaise, sour cream and even sliced meats.

Foods to Avoid During the TestYou may not eat any of the following foods during the Two-Week Test:
- Bread, rolls, pasta, pancakes, cereal, muffins, chips, crackers, rice cakes and similar carbohydrate foods
- Sweets such as cake, cookies, ice-cream, candy, gum, breath mints
- Products that contain hidden sugars, common in ketchup and other prepared foods (read the labels)
- Fruits and fruit juice
- Processed meats and fish such cold cuts and smoked products which often contain sugar
- All types of potatoes, corn, rice and beans
- Milk, half-and-half, and yogurt
- So-called healthy snacks, including all energy bars and sports drinks
- All soda; this includes “enhanced” mineral water, and diet drinks


For more info, check out his site and here is info on the test - http://philmaffetone.com/2weektest.cfm

I am not going to lie, I am a few hours into this and I am struggling. I want some oatmeal and some creamer in my coffee. Time to stay tough and hope this is what I need to get back on track.

Just Not Feeling It!

I ran two times last week. Both times I was so happy that I did run, but it was not enough to get me back in my groove.

I have been in a funk since the Pigman Long Triathlon on August 19th. I took one week off after that race because I felt the need to give my body a serious rest. I could feel my motivation starting to fall off a bit the last few weeks leading up to that race, but I held on and race quite well.

The week after the race I ran one time for 4 miles. I was not too sore after the race, but my legs were tired and my mind just went right out the window. The same thing happened to me last year after training for the marathon. I lost all drive to keep training or exercising.

Last week I really felt like I would get back in the swing of things.

It did not happen.

I ran twice. Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday I ran with Jay out in the cross country course in the dark. It was a great run. I loved it. Something different and a change of pace.

It still did not help get me going.

I have done nothing since.

Here is the catch. I feel like a turd. Really, a big fat one. I don't feel good about myself. My eating habits have completely hit a knew time high of nasty. I feel like I have juts become a fat blob. I need to change. I want to change. But, it is just not happening.

The catch is that I still have the marathon in my sights despite being three weeks away. If I am to do this race it needs to start tomorrow. I must get some solid training in to even see if 26 miles is possible. Two week off is long, but not the end of all training.

I have laid out a plan. I hope to complete it. We shall see. If not, then I guess I just sit tight until something clicks much like things did this year when I wanted to do a 70.3 triathlon distance without ever doing a single tri. Much like last year when I wanted to run a marathon. Much like the year before when I started running for the first time and ran a half. Something will connect, but just not sure when.

I need something to strive for. Something to motivate. Something will happen. I just hope it is soon...like tomorrow!