Challenges, Putting it all together

I have been working hard on my fitness to be able to accomplish my challenges. I have been putting all 3 components together doing the swim, bike, run using the YMCA pool and indoor bike followed by a outside run. I have gained a lot of confidence doing this as I realize I can make the distance and time required for the Olympic Distance Tri's. My swimming stroke is getting a lot better and I feel way more efficient in the water. I scored some new jammers and goggles this last week. I have come to accept the indoor training bikes are just not a ton of fun but required when its freezing outside. I tried one ride and parts of my body got colder than they are supposed to.

I am riding the bike a lot further and faster now and feel I kinda let the bike training get behind due to the weather.

My running is improving every week. I am running long distances at a heart rate of 140 and have completed 16 miles and will be pushing 18 miles this week. I am getting in some really good sprints and interval training. My shorter runs are now 6 miles. I really cant believe I've become a runner. I started helping coach soccer and find myself having to play some which is keeping me moving. I find my hot tub indispensable I sit in it sometimes twice a day.

Food is really tough for me and I have to really stay focused on what I eat. Eating for fuel instead of comfort is really different for me. I have cut back on some of my fat intake and am spending a few weeks at about 15% of my calories as fat calories. Which amounts to about 200. I realize if I'm going to push this body to accomplish my challenges I don't want to take extra weight along with me :) speaking of which I have now broke the 200 lb barrier and weight 199 lbs. for me this is bigger than running 16 miles. I have finally won the war against eating to much. I have tons of stamina work out 3 hrs a day most days and recover well. I am taking 2 rest days a week and only running long every other week.

Fitness

After loosing the weight I needed to I turned my ambitions towards fitness. I felt pulled to get into better shape and make some goals along the way. I started to read a lot about fitness and how to achieve it. I was very interested in endurance sports and activities. My older brother Brian got me started using a HR monitor and I wish I would have had it from the start. The secret to fitness is kinda like the secret to weight loss, (there really is no secret ) but what I learned next was invaluable. getting in shape is all about your HR.
Heart rate calculator I use.
When I go for longer runs I stay about 70-75% of my max hr. for me about 135-140.
When im working on my speed and power I stay about 155-160. like running a 5k or some sprints.

If you run to fast your hr is to high and you will build up lactic acid faster than your body can remove it. you will then be done running. Before using  a hr monitor I suffered from this. I didnt really know my pace and would get feeling great then speed up only to have to slow down and not reach my distance goal. With the HR monitor I just watch my HR and keep it in the zone I need for the workout im doing.

I also got fit at a running store for a pair of running shoes and man do I wish I would have done that sooner as well. I cant believe the difference a pair of shoes that were designed for the way I run felt like on my feet. Cost is close to the same and feel is worth $1,000. I also went to all dry fit workout clothes and compression gear for my running, it keeps my muscles from getting jarred around as much.

Nutrition was in need of some work and Ive put a lot of time into this topic. Food used to be my enemy and to some point still is, but i needed to find a way to fuel this body I was pushing so hard. I turned to books written by top coaches and athletes and found they all seemed to agree for the most part on how to eat properly. I discovered that most people over eat their training program and gaining weight is a common mistake. I have found that if I eat just a little more than normal prior to a long run exceeding 90 minutes I just need to take gel and gator aid while I'm running. I have been staging aid stations along my runs as well and try to consume about 300 calories an hr while I'm on my long runs. I use a sports drink for most workouts lasting longer than an hr. If I feel like im losing energy I supplement in carbs and calories with my gel packs and sports drinks.

I have joined Anytime fitness and the YMCA and now lift weights and swim on my off days from running. Swimming was a huge challenge to get down the rhythm and be able to breath while swimming. I have watched you tube till im blue in the face and have improved my swimming a ton.

Not me but an impressive picture :)

I have started riding a road bike for the first time and am enjoying cross training between the 3 sports immensely. If I keep my nutrition balanced I recover quickly and it feels great to be able to do the things in life I love.

So to recap. I use a heart rate monitor, great pair of fitting shoes along with compression gear and proper nutrition. Great book about working out even if you dont do triathlons and if you want more marathon specific information Id recommend Marathon for Mortals.