Training and Planning

I believe that I have narrowed down my race schedule a bit and with that am getting closer to an actual training plan.  After much debate I think I am going to target ChesapeakeMan as the 1/2 Iron distance race for this year.  The main factor that played into this decision was the fact that the race takes place late in September and it will give me an extra week or two of preparation (looking at around 14 weeks of training).  Now it is time to back fill with other races, probably two sprints and one Olympic.  I hate to say it, but I think I am going to pass on NJ State this year because of the cost and the fact that the Atlantic City International Tri is so close to my "A" race makes it unlikely as well.  I have highlighted the races in ORANGE that I will most likely participate in below:

July 20th - NJ State Triathlon, Mercer County, NJ - Sprint ($125)

July 27th - Born To Tri, Asbury Park, NJ - Sprint ($85)

August 4th - Belmar Tri, Belmar, PA - Sprint ($80)

August 11th - Steelman Tri, Quakertown, PA - Sprint or Olympic ($80 - $100)

August 17th - Tri the Woods, Wildwood, NJ - Sprint ($109)

August 18th - Wilkes-Barre Triathlon - Olympic ($75)

August 25th - TriRock Asbury, Asbury Park, NJ - Sprint ($120)

September 8th - Skylands Tri, Clinton, NJ - Sprint (TBD)

September 15th - Atlantic City International Tri, Atlantic City, NJ - Olympic ($149)

September 21st - ChesapeakeMan, Cambridge, MD - 1/2 Iron Distance ("A" race) ($195)

Now it is time to find an appropriate training plan and I hope that all of the races fall into place.

Lastly, I actually had a decent week of swimming, biking and running.  My lower back is still giving me problems, but I think that as I lose weight and strengthen my core, the pain will subside.  I was amazed that my first 100 yds in the pool was done in 1:34 (super fast for me).  I have been consistently around 1:42/100 which is good for me considering I haven't been in the water since last September.  Also, I had a decent bike on Saturday which at a mere 20 miles was a bit short, but I felt good from start to finish and had some good climbs mixed in which built some confidence.

That's it for now....time to get some work done...aw, who am I kidding.

Triathlon Schedule - Time to Pick Races

I have been silent for quite a while now; I have been trying to build up some sort of base fitness, which hasn't been all too successfully.  I think my issue is the fact that I don't have any target races and don't have a training plan in place.  So with that said, I have to pick my races and sign up for them (also decide if I should renew my USA Triathlon membership). 

Here is the list of races I have to choose from (favorites in blue):

• July 20th - NJ State Triathlon, Mercer County, NJ - Sprint
• July 27th - Born To Tri, Asbury Park, NJ - Sprint
• August 4th - Belmar Tri, Belmar, PA - Sprint
• August 11th - Steelman Tri, Quakertown, PA - Olympic
• August 17th - Tri the Woods, Wildwood, NJ - Sprint
• August 25th - TriRock Asbury, Asbury Park, NJ - Sprint
• August 25th - North East Tri, North East, MD - Olympic
• September 7th - Shoreman Half Distance Tri, Port Republic, NJ - 1/2 Iron Distance
• September 8th - Skylands Tri, Clinton, NJ - Sprint
• September 8th - Diamondman, Lums Pond State Park, DE - 1/2 Iron Distance
• September 15th - Atlantic City International Tri, Atlantic City, NJ - Olympic
• September 15th - Savageman Tri, Swindon, MD - 1/2 Iron Distance
• September 21st - ChesapeakeMan, Cambridge, MD - 1/2 Iron Distance
• September 22nd - Bethany Beach Tri, Bethany Beach, DE - Sprint/Olympic
• October 13th - Dottie's House Tri, Island Beach State Park, NJ - Sprint

I think I should be putting a 1/2 IM distance race on the calendar for September and then back fill the rest of my summer calendar from there.  Based on where I live and other factors, either DiamondMan, ShoreMan or ChesapeakeMan will be that race (SavageMan is 5 HOURS from my home).  Because of Hurricane Sandy, most of the races that would have happened along the Jersey Shore are taking this year off.  DiamondMan and ShoreMan might just be too close, not leaving me to train adequately, thus making ChesapeakeMan the front runner at this point in time.

If anyone has any thoughts (that is if anyone reads this anymore), I am open to suggestions or even let me know if there are other races out there that I am missing.  Cheers!

I'm Back...Kind Of

I went to the doctor yesterday and was told that I can start running, albeit at about 25% of what I was doing prior to my injuries.  So today, my oldest daughter and I went out for a 1.45 mile and finished it in around 20 minutes (she needed a few walking/crawling breaks).  Regardless of the time, it was great to spend a bit of time with her and actually shuffle my legs a bit.  Hip hip hooray!!!

Oh, a little back story, after visits with two doctors, I was told my do have what is technically considered a sports hernia, but not something that either would fix with surgery.  Instead I was told to go to physical therapy to strengthen my core and hip.  I have been at it for about three weeks and I can honestly say that my "core" is sore and in much better shape than it was a month (or even three years ago).  The rational is that the pain I was feeling coming from my lower back and the stronger my abdominal area is, the less pressure will be placed on my lower back.  So far so good, I just have to keep up with the PT and ease back into training.

That is it for now...I hope that everyone is getting ready for a great season ahead and enjoying the warm weather (80F+ here in the Mid-Atlantic).

Cheers!

Inactivity = Depression

I was given the OK to do some light, easy cycling on my trainer....and thank God, thus far it has been pain-free.  I have ridden two nights this week for 30 minutes each night and plan to go at it again tonight.  Honestly, I all I am trying to do at this point is try to do enough activity to keep my ever expanding waist line in check and just maybe shed a couple of pounds. 

This life of inactivity is something to behold.  For someone that has been uber-active since they were a child not being able to run, bike or swim is like a figurative death sentence.  I feel like I a prisoner to my injury and the 30 minutes a day I am allowed to ride is my "free" time.  I know I am looking at this just a little over-dramatically (I live in a house with four women), but being forced to the sideline because of an injury is a difficult thing.  I have been having mini-bouts of depression over the past month or so, quickly reminding myself that I am going to be getting this injury fixed soon and then the other injury (a hip issue) will come soon after that.

I don't want to ramble on here, so I will leave it at this.  I am happy...no, ecstatic that I now have that 30 minutes on the bike a day to clear my head, burn some calories and try to be healthy. 

Cheers!

Two Words....

....Sports Hernia. 

I am trying to find a good doctor to have this repaired, but the ones in the immediate area (Philly) don't take my insurance...or any insurance in some instances.  I found a reputable doctor in New Brunswick, NJ, but haven't set up an appointment with him yet (left a message).

Turns out this is the injury I have been dealing with for the past three or four months.  The MRI revealed that I have:

• Sports Hernia - most likely needs surgery
• Strained Abdominal Muscle - rest, healed by now
• Congenital hip dysplasia - nothing I can do about it

I can't run, literally, I can't run.  My left leg just doesn't work correctly and there is pain.  I can't bike, the pain the day/week after is unbearable (can't sleep for more than an hour with out waking up in agony).  I can't swim....because I cancelled my gym membership (times are tight).

Not much else to report on a blog about triathlon when you can't train, can't sign up for races, can't do anything.  It is a sad time right now.

Cheers!

On the Mend....AGAIN!

Two weeks ago I decided to play soccer, innocent enough, right?  The next morning I wake up barely able to lift my leg without tremor inducing pain.  The next night I woke up every hour with shooting pain down my quad to my thigh.  WTF?  It took me four days to go to my family physician (after one visit to my sports doc) only to find out it is all based around the stenosis I have in my L5/S1 joint. 

So after prescription for some pain medication (Vicodin) and another drug (MethylPREDNISolone) and a week later I am actually able to sleep through the night and walk around without looking like a 70 year old man.  Thank God!

Of course there is never a good time for injury to occur, but this was a particularly bad time for the simple fact that I was looking to start my Two Year Plan to IMAZ 2014 the day after Ironman Arizona.  This injury pretty much nixed any of that happening.  The plan now is to get healthy, loss weight (I am up over 200lbs right now...holy crap!!!), and then start a training program.

That's it for now.  Cheers.

2012 Update & 2013 Plans

I have been MIA for the better part of three months now and there has been a lot going on, but little time to write about it.  So here is what I am going to do, write some bullet points about what has happened followed by some bullet points of what my plans are.  Here I go with "what has happened":

• Racing - Summer ended and I didn't do any more races.  Coaching my daughters' soccer team coupled with my extensive mid-Atlantic didn't lend itself to racing.  One word...priorities (e.g. family).
• Death - My Grandmother passed about right around Labor Day.  I wasn't especially close to her, but she was my last remaining grandparent.  It kind of finalized what was a crappy month or so where I lost my dog, my best friends mother and then my grandmother.
• Soccer - I coached my middle daughters' soccer team and had a great time doing so.  They weren't the most talented group, but they were a lot of fun.  My daughter, the smallest on the team, played awesome and really surprised me (and every other parent).  I am so proud of her.
• Baby - My littlest one is now a one year old just awesome.  She is always happy, always puts a smile on my face.  She isn't walking yet, but will be soon.
• Training - My training has been hot and cold.  Some weeks I am putting in six days of biking/running, other weeks I am lucky to get in two.  I don't have a goal and thus I don't have a plan.
• Swimming - I have had to put my membership at the YMCA on hold for four months due to economical reasons.  It sucks, but I just can pony up the extra $70 a month right now.  Business is not great, so we have to make cuts.
• Minivan - We are now a minivan family as we have gotten rid of our GMC Acadia.  Again, it came down to cost cutting, but also convenience.  I never thought I would be driving a minivan.
• Job - I have posted for a new position that I have a decent shot of getting, but there is competition.  It was supposed to get filled quickly, but it seems as though it is going to take longer due to many factors.
• Sandy - My home was slightly affected by Hurricane Sandy, but not nearly as badly as so many family and friends of mine.  Actually, my parents main residence is in Lavallette, NJ, one of the towns more severely impacted by the storm (it is just three miles north of Seaside Heights and four miles south of Mantoloking).  The good news is that they were in Arizona when the storm hit.  The bad news is that they are not letting anyone onto the island to check on their houses or gather belongings.  It is very frustrating but I have to assume it is for every one's safety.

Here is "what my plans are":

• Job - I plan on having a new job either by the end of the year or by early 2014, unless things turn around drastically in my current position.
• Training - I hope to participate in the Bucks County Road Runners Winter Series starting in December.  I took the past two years off, but I think it is time to get back in it.  It is a great way to improve/maintain fitness through the winter months.
• Races - I haven't picked out my schedule for 2013, but I want to try and do only a couple sprints tris, three or four olympic tris, and one or two half iron distance tris.  I also want to do a few half marathons and some other road races here and there to improve my speed.  This is something that I have gotten away from over the past two years, I need to get fast (relative term) again.
• Vacation - I hope to be able to take the family on a vacation this year, Disney maybe, or even just somewhere tropical.  We all need it very badly.
• Everton - I have a friend who is a pilot for American Airlines who has offered to let me tag along to Manchester, England. This is great news because I have an in with Tim Howard of Everton FC (in Liverpool, a mere 35 minute drive from Manchester), where I can get tickets to any home game they have (possibly away games as well).  I hope to make this happen in the next month or so.
• Garmin 910XT - I did finally receive my new Garmin 910XT and have been using it for all of my runs and rides (indoor).  I like it a lot, but haven't really gotten into all of the data I can extract from it.  Also, since I am not swimming right now, I haven't really gotten to use it in the water yet.
• IMAZ 2014 - I know I mentioned this before but I am stil committed to participating in Ironman Arizona in 2014!!!  When you have a family of three young children there aren't a lot of spontaneous signing up for races going on, especially when it is an Ironman.  I have given myself two years to get ready and hopefully finish in under 10:13:00.

I think that is about it for now.  Time to get some work done and find a way to make the "plans' list happen.  Cheers to everyone out there.