Ironman Arizona : Official Thread (Page 9)

Communication is key. My husband is very supportive but we've had to have a few talks about my time spent training. I try to get my training in early in the morning before he gets up in the morning. We don't have kids so there isn't an issue of juggling workouts and parenting responsibilities.  Some of my weekend workouts are long so I try to get them in early in the morning and then spend the rest of the day doing something my husband wants to do. My husband follows me on his bike during my long runs and it gives us a chance to talk and catch up and it keeps me in Z2 were I need to be for race day.

These things have worked well for us and have allowed me to get my volume in.

14 weeks is a lot of time to build and I think it may be possible to get there without hurting yourself. IMO talk to your wife, express your concerns but hear her out. You may be able to find a middle ground and get your training in and be prepared on race day.

Edited by jezzieswims 2009-08-10 11:18 PM

Ernest

Can you bribe her??? I'm not just being funny but is there something she has always wanted to do or something that she can see as a trade-off for your training time? If not then just be really honest and then decide whether it is worth it for you or not. If my wife and kids weren't supporting me I'd probably have to skip it cuz if momma aint happy nobody is. I try to do my training when it has the least affect on the family but with the need for longer training days now it is impossible to do so they are sacrificing but that is why we are a TEAM. I am planning on something special for them after I finish or even if I don't since they are such a huge part of my success.

Good luck and just be really honest with her and tell her how much it will mean to you to do it and try to find something she feels the same way about and make sure she can do that or work toward it. You still have time, in my opinion, as long as you can get the time in.

I am eating nonstop, I love it

Good one FOcker!

100 days...

 

Ernest,

You have to get your wife to voice her resentment, then maybe you two can figure out how you can meet her needs and still fulfill your dream.  Make sure you're open about why you are doing this race too.  She needs to know what's in your heart.  If she swears that she's ok with the training, then take her word for it.  

I feel guilty for spending so much time away from my family to train.  Maybe you're feeling some guilt too.  To minimize the time away from my wife and boys, I commute by bike and do a lot of my training in the wee morning hours.  Some days, I'll go into the office early and work through lunch so that I can quit early, then I sneak in a run before going home.  I can understand your wife's resentment if you are training every evening and all weekend, especially if you have children to take care of.  If you try to blend your training in with your life instead of always using that big chunk of family time, then you might be able to fit a lot more in and keep everyone happy. 

These are just thoughts... I'm certainly not Oprah.  I'm just offering examples of how I try to keep my life in balance. 


Good luck Ernest.

Scott

Edited by OldPapa 2009-08-14 10:20 AM

100 days!!!! 

you lot trying to scare me or something? im going as fast as i can....haha

I'm extremely proud of myself.  I just finished a workout of:  Bike 30 Miles @ 18.3 mph.  

I know, almost laughable in terms of distance and not at the level of training I should be at with only 100 days to go. But, less than two weeks ago I was in a confrontation with a minivan and today was the first day I was able to get back on the bike.  My doctor said I could do some easy workouts this weekend.  Well, Friday afternoon counts as the weekend in my book.  

It will be a while before I can run/swim as my neck, shoulders, and back are still pretty messed-up but, it is a start.  I am really jazzed and had to share with people who might understand...  My IM journey is back on.

we are with you hundred percent jjohn. nice going!

Tested out the new 2 piece De Soto wetsuit tonight in the Pacific.  It was only about 15 min but it seems to have solved the fit issues I was having with the old suit.  I have more range, I feel like I can actually extend my arms all the way out, so that helps.

Have 2hr ride 1hr run brick in the am.

Getting oh so close!!!

I am trying to do some calculations for nutrition on the bike so I can start to practice. I can see that there are 5 aid stations on the bike. Does anyone know the mile markers? I can't figure out which side of the street they are on from the map.

Thanks

costume changes - I am wondering everyone's plan for clothing during IMAZ. This will be my first full distance and I'm thinking of making the costume changes for each event. My plan is to just finish, upright, and not end up in the medical tent. I don't really care about my overall time as long as I can just finish the event. So I'm wondering if what others are doing as far as just racing in tri gear vs. changing into bike shorts and then running gear. Thanks!

Well, having just finished the Vineman full iron, here's what I did, which has also worked for me in the two HIM's I have done.  Swim in a trisuit (underneath the wetsuit, obviously), strip the wetsuit in T1, and wear a pair of cycling shorts over my trisuit, as well as a jersey.  The cycling shorts for the extra thick chamois to smooth the 112 mile ride, the jersey to keep some of the sun off my arms (avoid sunburn) and carry my 10 gel packets of nutrition.  Get to T2, strip the jersey and shorts off, throw a lightweight, loose fitting, white running shirt on over the trisuit (again, keep the sun off), running shoes, socks, and race belt, and go.

Worked for me, may or may not work for you.  If you plan on trying it, make sure you ride your tri bike a couple of times in the tri suit with the cycling shorts, because it does change the feel slightly. 

Never do anything on race day that you haven't done in training.

On this map (and from memory), going out from town  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AUYUrHWtdbY/R-weUy-pIHI/AAAAAAAABxI/_QekYZFG1z8/s1600-h/bike.bmp
1st is on the right side
2d in on the left
3d is on the right
SN is on the left
5th is on the left (and right after the turnaround)

BTW, this map is not quite accurate because there is no longer a section on Mill Ave in town).  So, those on the right are accessible going out, those on the left accessible coming back


Edited by ChrisM 2009-08-15 11:25 AM

Another question about aid stations for experienced IMAZ folks: Do the stations still hand out standard size bike water bottles with water or gatoraide that you can simply swap out for your empty ones? Thanks.

not to change the subject but my injuries are easing up too Jjohn. banged out a 50 miler today. longest in ages. hope you all are feeling fine as can be.

Alright! Way to go, Phatnot. Sounds like you are almost fully back from your injuries. Are you running yet? It is the running that I am most worried about, yet it was by far my strength. Are you fully recovered for the run and swim these days too?

Edited by JJohn 2009-08-15 12:11 PM

thanks jjohn. i hit you up on the run build thread you just set up.

i ran 9 easy last weekend and walk-ran the next 1.5 miles and i ran in the underwater treadmill (google "hydroworx") this past week or so 3x of 30 then 45 then 60  mins.

those are the bomb and are located at my PT's office but they tear your feet up. so try and get some aqua socks or aqua shoes, which i am on the hunt for.

www.aqxsports.com

im a 3:06 marathoner on a good day but i plan to be much slower in AZ at the end of everything. 4-5 hrs? it all depends on your goals. i just want to finish without IVs. no real limits to swim anymore and im just rebuilding the bike again. went from 28 to 50 mile rides this week but thats a bit ambitious.

They are not bike bottles, they are plastic bottles like you will find in the store.  Ifyou have a rear cage system, experiment with small water bottles to make sure they don't fall out the back (like mine would have, had to jimmy up some tape job

That is important to note. I ride with a hydrotail rear holder with two plastic/carbon water bottle cages. They work great and I have never lost a water bottle with this setup. This will not, however, work with regular grocery store bottles, only standard bike bottles. I will have to swap out the plastic cages for wire ones that will bend to hold non-bike water bottles. That should work, right? Thanks so much for saving me from a race day difficulty.

sounds like you guys have been doing great.. I have been soooo bad about updating my training log but here's my July totals:

July's totals:
Bike:  14h 08m 02s  - 184.23 Mi
Run:   12h 05m 47s  - 65.55 Mi
Swim: 6h 44m 42s

Coach has me on a plan and I am in his hands.  I trust him to get me to the finish line in a "legal time".  Had a great bike on Thursday night getting in 30 miles in 2 hrs.. I have been averaging 40 miles in 3 hrs, so 30 in 2 is cool.. Had a good swim/run brick today with just less than 1-3/4 mile swim in a lap pool at 24 HR fitness in 1:10, followed by an 8 mile run in 1:23. 2 hr bike in the morning so I am off to bed.  Glad to see those with injuries are healing nicely. Scary that we are under 100 days now as it seemed like yesterday it was February and the start of my IM training.  Excited that I am only 3 pounds from goal race weight of 135. I am down 11 pounds since I started this Ironman journey. Not in freak mode just yet but will probably get there soon.   Hugs to everyone and in the immortal words of Sgt. Phil Esterhouse from Hill Street Blues, "let's be careful out there"...

Lori   "What other people think of me is none of my business"..

 

Edited by TriBabe2006 2009-08-16 1:47 AM

awesome training and weight loss tribabe06! 14 weeks to go from today....

Maybe you could put your normal bottles in the carbon rear and the course containers on the frame mounts? During Oceanside in April I only carried one bike bottle and picked up a gatorade bottle from the aid station which worked fine in the downtube. 

I also just ordered a Xlab carbon wing to be able to carry more bottles / nutrition on the longer training rides over the next two months. I've been just stopping at local parks to refill so far, but it's nice to take some remote roads here through the desert and there's nothing around on those. Also will give me a chance to figure out the Infit mix / race nutrition plan.

I had metal rear cages, but oriented so the "opening" on the sides were front and back, so the water bottle swould just fall out the back.  I took some heavy duty clear tape and just closed that opening, worked fine, no bottles lost