Post Race Blues - What to do after the event

After completing the Chicago Triathlon two weeks ago, I've been taking it easy with my exercising.  I've been running, but nothing more than five miles.  I rode my bike once, and I haven't been to the pool.  This morning, when I woke up, I didn't want to exercise at all.  So, what did I do?  I didn't do anything.

I know, it's not very motivating.  But I have spent the day trying to diagnose what I need to get back in the saddle.  I've decided that the only way to compensate for the post race lack of motivation is to sign up for a new race.  Since it's near the end of the triathlon season, there aren't any more real tris to sign up for. I figure this is time to accomplish a goal I've tabled for some time, I plan to run the 8 Mile YMCA Turkey Trot in Dallas.  When I first started running 10 years ago, the 3 mile race at the Turkey Trot was my big goal.  Although I did the Capital 10,000 back in 2002, I was never able to bridge the gap for the last two miles.  I figure it's time to give it a shot.

Hal Higdon's Intermediate Training Program for a race of this distance is a 10 week program.  Since the race in on November 24, the training program starts the middle of next week!  Perfect.  Time to get back to it, but only after I eat the brownies the Misses is making.  They smell delicious.

Body-for-Life Challenge 1 Recap

So, Day 85 for my first Body for Life Challenge was May 2...  Since it's September 5, I thought it was a great time to provide an update on how my first challenge went.  Here is what I wrote in my challenge entry kit back in May:

I had been working out and eating rather healthy for a few years now, but I had reached a plateau.  When I got the email announcing the 2011 Body-for-Life challenge, I saw this as a way to take my workouts to the next level.  Also, the Misses had been concerned about her weight and appearance.  I saw this as a way to challenge her to eat a well balanced diet and amp up her workout intensity. 

I am most proud that the Misses and I did not miss one workout during the challenge.  While we did some schedule re-arranging when we missed a workout, we always made it up that week.  With only two weeks to go in the challenge, I started getting headaches during weightlifting.  Instead of quitting the challenge, I went to the doctor.  He helped me with a combination of medicine and strategies to help manage the headaches.  I took my ibuprofen, got back in the weight room, lowered the weight I lifted, and focused on my form.  I was able to stay on track and complete the challenge. 

The nutrition aspect of the challenge was the most difficult for me.  While I was good at sticking to a BFL meal plan Monday through Thursday, the weekends were a different story.  The Misses and I had created a lifestyle where our fun activities revolved around food and drink.  As we adapted to our new diet, we were forced to find new pastimes.  We took this opportunity to play game with our kids, do yard work, and overall get more active.  We weren’t perfect, there were visits from grandparents and holidays that derailed some weekends, but this is an area I know I can improve.  The successful weekends gave me the experience of how much better I feel the morning after staying true to Body-for-Life really motivate me to stick to it. 

Overall, even though I did not reach all my goals, I feel the challenge was a great success.  I lost 2.5” off my waist, and I learned that I can push my exercise beyond the limits I placed on myself.  I know the strategies I learned during Body-for-Life will create a solid foundation for future successes.  Furthermore, I’ve got the Misses on board with this new lifestyle, and we both can keep each other on the right path. 

Four months later, I can report moderate success with keeping with the Body-for-Life plan after the challenge. The summer brought a lot of events that ended up being gorge fests.  I went to Holland, Texas, and the Wisconsin Dells.  I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, but from Challenge 1 (C1) I know I have the potential to do much better in eating and exercising.

That's why tomorrow, the Misses and I will start Body-for-Life Challenge 2 (C2).  This time, I'm sure we'll be able to meet our goals!

Achieving a Goal - Completing the Life Time Fitness International Triathlon

Last year, as a challenge for myself, I completed in the Fleet Fleet Supersprint Triathlon.  Due to a flat tire, I wasn't able to beat my goal time, but otherwise, I had a great time.  After that race, I set a new goal for myself.  I would do the 2011 Chicago Triathlon International Distance.   With a 1500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike, and 10 kilometer run, I knew it would be tough, but with a year to train, I was sure I could do it.  

The Swim Finish

On Sunday, I did.  Not only did I finish, I finished in 3:05:12!  My stretch goal was 3:00, so I missed that, but realistically, I thought I could do 3:15.  I was well under that. 
 
The swim was really hard.  They sent 150 people in each wave, and you swam in the marina.  For my course, you swam south along the marina wall for 350m, turned around a buoy, and then swam 1,150m north until you got to a staircase into the lake.  


At the start, you also had to get in the water and tread water for 60 seconds, surrounded by 150 testosterone laden dudes all jockeying for position.  I could barely kick to stay afloat because of all the other legs down there.  The first 750 yards were packed with people because there were two lanes of traffic.  I tried to find my own piece of water to get a rhythm, but it seemed like every 30 seconds I was getting run over from behind, bumping into someone in front of me, or getting pushed by a wave into another racer.  Once I get kicked square on the nose.  I ran into a traffic jam that was stopped by a rowboat taking a swimmer to shore.  The rowboat went straight through the race.  After the first 750, it got much better as the swimmers had a lot more room to spread out.  Overall, besides the beating from the other racers and the waves, I felt pretty good on the swim.  The wetsuit is so buoyant, you really only have to keep your arms moving to keep forward motion.  At the end of the swim, the people on the staircase reached out their arms and I grabbed hold expecting to get pulled up.  They didn't pull.  It was basically like jumping out of a pool.  I didn't enjoy that.
 
The transition area was 500 yards or so from the swim out; that is a long run in bare feet.  Once I got to my rack, my first transition was fine.  It took me a little bit to get out of the wetsuit (I really ought to practice that), but was much faster drying my feet and getting shoes on than I've been in the past.  After that, it was out on the bike.
 
The bike section was awesome.  Going north, we had a terrible headwind, but that meant going south we had an awesome tailwind.  I was going between 16-18 mph going north, but going south I was going 22+.  I managed to average 19mph for the whole 40k bike course.  Lake Shore Drive had a couple rough patches of pavement, but I was able to avoid the really bad pot holes and had no mechanical issues like last year.   Coming off the bike, I heard the Misses scream "Go!!!" so that was really cool.  
 
T2 is the easy transition, all you've got to do it drop off your bike, take off your helmet, get shoes on and GO.  But I ran down the lane in front of mine, and didn't realize it until I saw a chick in that lane.  I had to run back out that lane and into mine.  It probably cost me 20-30 seconds.  
 
Coming out of transition, I was able to see the kids and the Misses again.  The crowds in Grant Park, where the run started and ended, were incredible.  For the first kilometer of the run, there were people lined up on each side of the course, cheering and yelling.  I was getting high fives from random kids.  I really pumped me up to get out and do the run.  The run went fine, I was able to hold a real steady pace, even though I wanted to puke at mile 4 due to too much Gu and Gatorade, I was able to come in exactly at my goal time.  The Misses and the Boy had to hustle to see me at the finish, but they made it!  I was able to pick them out in the crowd after crossing the line.  I hobbled my way out of the finishing chute, and collapsed on the ground underneath a tree. Based on the race clock and my start time, I thought I had done a 3:10, but the official results came up as 3:05!  So awesome.  

It was so awesome to have The Misses, the kids, and some of my friends there.  Once we got home,  We had deep dish pizza and cookies for dinner, and crashed pretty early.


Yesterday, I was glued to the couch, with an ice pack on my ankle.  When I walked, I hobbled like an old man.  Now, less than 36 hours later, I'm planning my offseason training, and getting ready for next year.  I know I can knock off those 5 minutes and 12 seconds and get my time under 3 hours!

Body for Life Challenge Four Week Update

Monday was Day 29 of 85, which meant that is was time for my four week check.  I retook pictures and measurements.  The results were decidedly mixed.

First, the good news.  I dropped four pounds and I now weight 168 pounds.  I also lost an inch and a quarter off my waist.  After four weeks, this is a promising indicator of hitting my goal of a 30" waist.  Also, my pants are fitting a bit looser.  This is a real confidence builder, and makes me feel better at work.

The disappointing thing was my body fat results.  I only lost 0.4% of body fat, which is far from my goal of losing 6.5% body fat during the challenge.  I'll keep at it, and hopefully this accelerates over the next eight weeks.  I also have not made a lot of progress on the bench press.  I'm still only benching 155 six times on a good day, and usually I can only hit 155 four times.  I'm thinking that this is because doing pyramids is taxing my muscles before I get to the 155 rep, but I'm a long way from my goal of 185 six times.

I think the hard part of the challenge is still in front of me.  In the beginning, it was new and exciting.  Now I've kind of gotten into the groove, but the results are coming slower, and the end is not in sight.  I think these next four weeks will be the hardest of the challenge.

What's my goal here?

First of all, I should probably lay out my goals.  I have three goals for this challenge:

• Decrease to 14% body fat from 20.5% today
• Drop to a 30" waist, from 33" today
• Bench 185 six times.  Currently, on a good day, I can bench 155 six times

Why these goals?  

For Body Fat, I'm not sure there is any good rationale for why 14%.  According to Livestrong, 19% to 22.2% is "normal" for my age group.  Clearly, I need to be better than normal or what's the point in all this. I've heard anecdotally that you need 12% body fat to get ab definition, but I don't know if that's manageable in these 12 weeks.  One of the main stories in the Champions Body for Life book that will be my guide is BFL Champion Mark Unger.  As a skinny fat man like me, I can relate to Mark.  Therefore, I figure if he can lose 12% body fat during his challenge, I should be able to do a little better than half that in mine.  Hence, 14%.

The waist goal is pure vanity.  For some reason, I've always held a 32" waist to be the waist of a thin man.  I have a 33" waist now, so 32" wouldn't be that much of a challenge.  Plus, I really like Banana Republic pants, and I think they cut them small.  If I have a 30" waist, I'll probably fit in their 32"s.

At the NBA Draft Combine, potential NBA players are asked to bench 185 pounds as many times as they can.  Before his rookie year, Kevin Durant couldn't do one rep.  Wouldn't it be cool to be better than the Durantula at something sort of athletic?   (Sure, after four years in an NBA weight room, I'm sure he can now.  Let's pretend that's not true, OK?)

So, there you go.  That's the targets.  Let me know what you think!

Starting Body for Life February 7

Here I am, 32 years old, a father of two, and a finance manager.  When looking for what's missing in your life, do you ever think, "six pack abs and chest definition"?  I know I sure do.  That's why when my company put out a call to start the twelve week Body for Life Challenge, I answered the call.  What is BFL?  Its a 12 week exercise and nutrition program designed to help you build lean muscle mass and burn fat.  It's a program to get six pack abs and chest definition.  In a way, it will help you look like the modern incarnation of James Bond.  

Alright, so, clearly this program is going to demand some intense workouts and a balanced diet of nutritious food.  But will I make it through the 12 week challenge?  Will I reach my goals?  Let's find out.