Food for Thought

 

So when I started training for the Ironman, I completely retooled my diet and nutrition. I figured it was pretty much essential, without proper carb and protein consumption I wouldn't have any energy and I'd injure myself. So I retooled my diet, lowered my fat intake, upped my carbs, and maxed out my protein. And I've never felt better. I also lowered my caffeine content (I was drinking around 5 Diet Mtn. Dews a day) and I've had way more energy. But here's a few things I've learned about triathlon nutrition throughout my training.

Mistakes:

1. Inadequate fueling during training. 

I'm pretty bad about this. There's been quite a few times (like last time I went to the gym for the treadmills) that I've forgotten either my weak Gatorade mix or forgotten to eat or drink while running or on the bike. These always kill me in the end, I'll bonk after riding through some hard hills or windy conditions and it sounds pathetic, but I run my best 10k while consuming approximately 16 oz. of 50/50 Gatorade and water. Training nutrition is essential, you don't want to drain your muscle glycogen, it takes far too long to replenish to make it worthwhile in training. 

2. No post-workout meal

I was especially bad at this in college. I'm not usually hungry after a hard workout so taking in that 2grams carbs per lbs body weight is especially difficult for me some days. Now I have a pretty standard staple post workout food to help me increase my carbs, chocolate soy milk. Packed full of carbs and protein, this is my go to drink when I'm done with a workout. 

3. Under consuming calories

Confession time. I'm a religious calorie counter. And I over-regulate myself because I have a hard time getting my mind to factor in workouts. That's not bad when I'm trying to drop weight, but it's awful for trying to maintain or even gain.

My Top 5 Foods for the Triathlete:

1. Chocolate Soymilk

My favorite after-workout snack! 140 calories per serving, 23 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of protein. Two cups of this and you'd be golden.

2. 2% Cottage Cheese

90 calories in a 1/2 cup and 14 grams of protein, this is my staple before bed snack. It's packed full of casein, so consuming this is supposed to help prevent your body from breaking down muscle mass during the night to fuel calorie burn.

3. Fruit Leather

45 calories per strip, made from real fruit and jam-packed with 12 grams of carbs, I love these things! They're delicious and they're about 2 mm thick so I can cram 2 or 3 in my duty pants and be fine for snacks.

4. Almonds

I pack these for my morning snack, 160 calories per serving with 14 grams of healthy fats and 6 grams of protein. My primary concern with most snacks is to consume enough protein to prevent muscle breakdown after training.

5. Banana

100 calories and 29 grams of carbs; this is my pre-workout snack. It's great for the GI and it provides enough carbs to sustain long-lasting energy.

So that's the gist of my nutritional experience since starting my training! All foods available at your local Wal-Mart.

The Bad Days

Hey y'all. So one thing I've learned from my Ironman training so far is that you will have bad days. Yesterday was one of those days. I started out on what was supposed to be a 2-3 hour bike but because of missing a workout I was really just pushing for 1 1/2 hours. I had planned everything so that I'd be out the door and riding at noon when the weather was warmest and the forecast had told me there was only supposed to be a very light breeze (like 6 mph).

Murphey's law: The Forecast Always Lies.

I went out on the bike only to discover that the wind was actually blowing at 14 mph with gusts of 20 mph intermittent throughout the day. I also discovered the wind was blowing from the North. Directly. My bike route runs down Highway 50, which turns towards the NE/E for most of my ride. So I battled a crosswind for most of the ride and a headwind for another good portion. Not only that, but about a mile into the ride I discovered that I had forgotten my sunglasses back at home. So I got to turn around and ride the mile back, pause and grab my glasses, and then back out onto the highway. I was livid.

After that, nothing seemed to go right. I averaged 16 mph (my usual in a crosswind) for the first 7 miles. But that last 5 were pure hell. The last 5 I had a strong headwind and no matter what I did I couldn't shake it. I tried pedalling down in the drops, I flattened myself out in to the aero tuck, I did everything I knew to beat the wind, including shifting into a smaller chainring and pedalling at a higher cadence. At that point, the wind started pushing me back so I had to shift back up and mash the gears to fight it off.

And it sucked. Brutally. I made it one hour in the ride before I called it off. And I was depressed. And miserable. And I felt like the worst Ironman candidate ever. But here's the thing.

YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE BAD DAYS! It doesn't mean anything. Your bike will break halfway through your ride, you will lose your favorite water bottles, you will fall off and bang yourself up because that stupid semi wouldn't move over six inches. It will happen. And it will get better.

Sometimes a bad ride is just a hard ride. My ride was something like that. A strong wind is actually one of the greatest simulations you can have for hill workouts in a flat area. It's actually a good thing.

So take the small blessings along with the big ones. And always remember, go out hard...finish harder.

The New Haul

So out on the bike today in 40 degree weather, I realized some gear that I was lacking which will now be used on most of my winter bikes! A quick trip to Wal-Mart (turns out this is a good time for this) and my problem was remedied! So let's look at my haul! 

First thing I realized on the bike was that the 30 degree wind blowing through my helmet was absolutely ridiculously cold. A little googling turned up the answer (my wife later informed me her father already did this but I hadn't noticed) and off to Wal-Mart I rushed for a do-rag! Apparently at Wal-Mart, they now carry safety orange Do-rags which matches my race kit perfectly so now the problems solved! According to some online blogs I follow, it should also help in the summer with keeping sweat from rolling down my face.

Next up was something to protect my ears from wind on my runs. Enter the stocking cap. At Wal-Mart, they're currently on sale for $2.00 so run out and pick one up if you don't have one! I bought a reversible kind to make it match my race kit and work for uniform around the station but they carried a huge selection so you should be able to find something to match your kit. The stocking hat is small enough to fold down and tuck into a jersey pocket but also is warm enough to protect my head while running.

Last up will actually be part of a couple posts! After my ride I happened to glance down and realize I had to do something. You see, I managed to wind-burn my chest. Since nothing looks more stupid than splotchy red patches on your chest, I ran to Google for the solution and discovered what will be the topic of one of my next posts. Homemade Vapor Barriers! Basically, it's a half-vest made out of a garbage bag. (Tutorial coming soon) This keeps the wind from blowing through your lycra cycling clothing and chilling you to the bone. You can also keep your feet warm without thermal covers in a similar manner! (Also coming soon.)

So hopefully next ride, the new gear will help keep me a tad warmer! Happy cycling!

From Loser to Cruiser

 

Hey everybody! So as you all know, I currently ride a GMC Denali 700c Road Bike, purchased from a local Wal-Mart! (The pink cruiser in the background is the wifey's) And personally, I love my bike! So lately I've been hearing some people talking about how horrid of a bike it is and how it isn't worth upgrading. Enter Sir Flat Broke Ironman to the rescue! Because, you see, I fully intend to ride the Denali into the ground, until it's either totalled or my financial situation improves to the point where I can afford a decent tri-bike! So this is a quick guide to show you through what I intend to do with the Denali in the next few years how to make your own clunker road bike match the space-age bike snobs!

1. Clipless Pedals

If you read my earlier review of the Denali, you know it comes with flats. Which is a MAJOR problem as far as bike speed and power efficiency goes. I understand the logic, most people buying an intro level road bike need to get used to simply riding a road bike and that's much easier to do without wiping out due to clipless issues.  So step one for my bike and hopefully yours, is going to be to install a clipless pedal system to increase overall cycling power. I'm looking at installing these bad boys http://www.amazon.com/Venzo-Shimano-Cycling-Bicycle-Pedals/dp/B00D9B7FOQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385435762&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=clipless+pedal+venzo. Remember, you need shoes, cleats, and the pedals to make the system go! I'm looking at adding this to my bike around late January or February.

2. Clip-on Aero Bars

This is basically a temp fix until I can get integrated aero bars. These basically just clamp onto your handlebars and adjust to a modified aero position. I intend to install these at the same time as the clipless pedals, all of which should help you (and hopefully me) look closer to the athletes on $6,000 bikes. Quick tip: The same tape you use on baseball bats works great on keeping sweaty hands from slipping on aero bars. And it's cheap.

3. High-pressure Slicks and Presta Tubes with Adaptors

The Denali came standard with 700x32 low-pressure hybrid tires. Not bad for intermediate roads but definitely not race material. I'll be upgrading these before my Ironman to high-pressure (100-120 psi) slick racing tires. I'll probably be shrinking the width slightly too. The Denali also came with Schrader valve tubes to make it more commercially viable to a public used to Schrader valves, so those all have to go to be replaced with Presta. And since the rims are drilled for Schrader, they all need rim adapters ($0.65 on Amazon) to keep the valves from tearing loose. High pressure tires reduce your rolling resistance and will help make your clunker more aerodynamic.

4. Wedge Box Top Tube Bag

This is more of an accessory than an upgrade and I'll probably be doing this one in spring when I start going back out for extremely long rides (they're only $10 at Wal-Mart) Another trick learned by watching the father-in-law, he uses one to store immediate nutrition since reaching behind you in aero bars is fraught with peril.

5. Quill-Stem to Threadless Adaptor

If you own a bike with a quill-stem, you know what a pain in the arse it is to find new handlebars. So to fix that problem, you can install an adapter that then allows you to use threadless handlebars with your bike which greatly opens up the possibilities. Eventually I'll grab one from Amazon and fix my handlebar situation which brings us to...

6. Handlebars and Drop Bar Shifters

The Denali comes with extremely heavy and heavily customized handlebars, which have quite literally been cut in half to have mountain bike shifters installed. So replacing these with carbon-fiber bars would be an extreme improvement. Since I eventually intend to install integrated aero-bars, the adaptor is a necessity and bar-end shifters are going to become a must have. If you have some basic bike tune-up skills, this won't be a major project but we'll see how it goes when I'm trying it out! ;)

7. Deep Dish Wheels

This is a long shot since decent racing wheels would cost me 4x more than the bike did, but if you can ever find a great deal on a set of racing wheels, you can greatly lighten your bike and decrease resistance. For me, a new set of wheels would also be the easiest way to get quick-release skewers on my bike!

8. Adjustable Saddle Post

Also a long shot due to cost, but the straight-bar saddle post on the Denali leaves the available positions somewhat lacking. An adjustable saddle post would indeed fix these problems and allow for greater range of motion but they're also expensive. Although speaking from experience, the saddle post in the Denali weighs an entire pound all by itself so a carbon-fiber post could shave some weight.

9. Drivetrain

The Denali's drivetrain is somewhat lacking as the gear ratios and cassette it uses are the same as for mountain bikes, topping off your gear-based mileage at a sub-par area. When these wear out, I definitely plan to replace the cassette and upgrade to a lighter, more weight-efficient drivetrain. This is an excellent way to both gain gearing power and shave off a few kilos.

10. Frame

Eventually, if I have invested all this money already in the bike, I will want to replace the frame with a lighter one to shave off the last few possible kilos! Just remember, although the components may change the bike itself keeps on living!

So that's essentially my master plan to help you take the old clunker and match it with the space-age bikes of the new cycling generation. Always remember, in Ironman especially, it's your heart that makes the difference. The best equipment in the world won't save you if you're heart isn't strong enough to say "dammit I won't quit," whether it's mile 1 or 115!  Now let's get back to racing!

Flat Broke Ironman's Healing Hints!

So with my calf strain and other miscellaneous aches and pains finally cleared up, I've compiled a list of what I learned from my injured experience. There's a few items I recommend nobody go without if they want to get back on their feet as quickly as possible!

1: Get yourself a stiff stress ball. Make sure it has some give but is hard to depress. This was my substitute for a foam roller and it worked wonders! It's also much easier to roll under your feet to relieve plantar fasciitis.

2. Run out and get some new ice packs. No, the old packs you used for college hangovers will not work. The kind you want come in a sleeve and have a velcro strap. The sleeve keeps you from directly icing an injury and the strap means you can strap the pack to your knee, thigh, leg, or whatever else ails you. Look for something like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/PhysiciansCare-Ice-Pack-Strap/15815745.

3. Save a few bucks and make yourself a hot pack. Instructions here http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rice-Sock  ! Basically you fill a sock with uncooked rice and whip stitch the cuff shut.

4. Kinesiology tape is highly recommended if you have the extra dollars to spare! It's primary purpose is to stabilize the muscles and remind your body of the injury all while stimulating blood flow which improves healing.

5. I'm also a huge fan of plain old athletic tape for joint injures. Let's face it, when you injure something that can't be rested, like an ankle, taping it will give you the support you need to keep moving.

6. Ibuprofen is also a must! Anti-inflammatories are one of the best ways you can help injuries, as let's face it, almost all running injuries are caused by inflammation and irritation.

7. Remember, the best tool for your arsenal is PRICE (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) Follow those guidelines and most minor injuries will figure themselves out. 

So next time you get injured, this is a highly cost-effective way to help you heal as quickly as possible!

The Dead Rat in the House, Or How I Shaved My Legs

So today I woke up and realized, I looked like an idiot. My one shaved calf patch was practical but was also looked like I didn't know how to groom properly. So when my wife, who actually dislikes men with shaved legs, mentioned that I might want to shave mine, I knew I had to do something. So time to shave up!

Step One: I took those same clippers my wife uses on my hair and buzzed my calves and thighs down with the 1/8" guard, managed to cut myself once, and found out how extremely furry I apparently was before. My wife thought this was hilarious and asked me if I had killed a rat.

Step Two: And here is where men should take note, you need to buy a pack of NEW disposable razors and you need to get the kind meant for women shaving their legs. You also need some quality shaving cream, which thanks to my sensitive skin I already had, to prevent razor bumps. Don't worry about what people will think, just spend the $5 and get some quality supplies. I had the annoyance of my life trying to shave with the same dull razors I use daily for my chest. So lather up and shave down.

Step Three: Go back over again, you missed some obvious patches. Trust me. If you're shaving up to the swimsuit line (which you should if you're a triathlete) make sure to check your hamstrings and the backs of your knees. These will require some contortions to get into place.

Step Four: Accept that shaving your legs if you never have before is a multi-day process. It will take more than one attempt to get them perfectly shaved and smooth.

Step Five: Prepare for massive amounts of ridicule from men who don't understand why you did it. Especially if you're a firefighter!

Now let's discuss the reasons why shaving your legs is actually a good idea.

One: Swimmer's do it. You're a swimmer. And they don't do it for no reason. It allows you to feel the water better. I didn't believe this was true until I put my pants on after shaving and realized how much more sensitive everything is. And that translates to the pool. Trust me.

Two: Road rash. You probably spend a decent amount of time cycling (especially if you're training for an Ironman) and sooner or later, you will wipe out. And you will get road rash. And it is much less painful to apply and remove bandages from shaved skin than from hairy legs. Trust me on this one. It hurts.

Three: Massage. Whether it's a sports massage or your foam roller, shaving your legs lets you get deeper into the muscle and improves the massage experience.

So now that I have shaved legs, I appreciate all these little things. We'll see if I keep it up but for now I don't mind. It certainly makes the KT tape easier to remove! 

Ideas for the Triathlete Christmas Eve Rush

Well, it might seem sinful to start discussing this before Thanksgiving, but Christmas is right around the corner and everyone is wondering what to get their family members! If you happen to have a triathlete in the family, the what do I get them solution gets even more complicated, especially if you don't know all that much about triathlons! Well never fear, possible readers, there are quite a few gift ideas that your triathlete will love without breaking your pocketbook!

Idea One: Headphones

Triathletes always need headphones. I personally go through around two pairs per year, between blowing out speakers (mostly by listening to books on tape where the readers voice is extremely bass) or losing them or drying them or washing them...you get the idea. Your best bets are going to either be

A) A brand you already know they love.

B) A brand that is specifically made for athletes (These are usually waterproof and designed to stick in the ears)

C) A brand with clips to wrap around the ears and keep them from falling out.

D) A brand with a built-in microphone so they can answer calls while running.

Two: Nutrition

Fueling triathletes is an expensive endeavour all in itself. The average person needs to consume around 50-100 calories every 30 minutes while cycling or risk bonking, and the average cost of a 100 calorie energy gel is around $1.50, so the costs add up quickly. Whether it be a Gu Sampler pack, a box of Clif Bars, or a new can of the latest and greatest sports drink, you can never go wrong by buying a triathlete food.

Three: Foam Rollers or a Sports Massage

Professional triathletes get weekly sports massages to work out all the aches and pains acquired while training but the average age-grouper has difficulty affording that, so foam rollers are the next best thing. They're basically a metal rod with ridged foam sheaths that slide over to allow the triathlete to massage their own muscles. They work...amazingly well. They're also around $15 at Wal-Mart, so that's an easy bet. The wife and I made the father-in-law fairly happy with one of these last year. The other option is to buy them a one-time sports massage.

Four: Phone Holders

Your triathlete probably already owns one of these but they come apart at the stitching pretty easy so everyone usually goes through a couple a year. They're $10 at Wal-Mart and they're pretty much universal for fitting phones.

Five: KT Tape Pro

Maybe I'm blowing the Love horn a tad too hard, but this stuff is amazing. Your Ironman is bound to get injured sooner or later and this stuff will help them get back on schedule. It's $17 at Wal-Mart and comes in neon reflective shades for road running.

Six: Swiftwick Socks

Triathletes also go through socks faster than anybody will believe but once your triathlete tries swiftwicks, they'll never need another pair. Swiftwicks are made from olefrin, an ultra-moisture wicking material that also has compression properties. Basically, you never have to worry about blisters while wearing these bad boys. Grab a pair (I recommend Swiftwick Aspire Ones) and they'll love you forever.

Seven: Winter Gear

Underarmor products, running tights, cycling jackets, triathletes train in the worst conditions possible to prepare for race day and we all could always use more bad weather gear! Remember, ultra-light is always better and compression is a huge plus!

Eight: Training Guides

It is said we stand on the shoulders of giants and that's very true in triathlon. Without the tried and true training methods that countless others have developed, we would never be able to achieve our ideal times. But first, we have to learn what those training methods are. So head over to Barnes and Noble and browse the sports section. Anything by Ironman is an excellent option.

Nine: Running Shoes

These are iffy, because most triathletes know more about their feet than anything else and they're usually pretty picky about their shoe types. But running shoes are ideally changed every 3 months, so new shoes are an excellent gift! Just make sure to ask or sneak a peak at their running gear before buying them!

Ten: FuelBelt

If they don't already have one, this is a great idea! I love FuelBelt products, it allows no worry on long runs about nutrition and during races it ensures that you won't be stuck with some sports drink that creates GI distress!

Those are just some ideas to keep you from being totally lost this Christmas! Happy shopping!

The Tape From Heaven

So yesterday as I was preparing to get off shift at the fire department, I did something very stupid. I went to jump up onto the step to climb some stairs to the day room....and missed and slammed my leg into the ground straining my calf. All day yesterday and today I've had a burning nagging pain in the center of the meat of my lateral gastrocnemius, on the outside of the calf which was a rather weird place but still. It's been bugging me all day, not while walking but when changing directions. I've been heat/ice rotating, PRICE following, and I even made today a rest day to avoid aggravating the injury further. None of which helped AT ALL.

Enter the ever helpful father-in-law. My father-in-law suffers from an incessant calf spasm issue which makes it difficult for his run to be its best, so I noticed a long time ago he applies some weird multi-patterned tape to his calf every few days. When I asked, I found out its called kinesiology tape.

Virtually unheard of until the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kinesiology tape is the latest craze in physical therapy. But unlike PT, it's readily available in a Wal-Mart near you! (If you can't tell, my town quite literally only has a Wal-Mart. That and one sports store. But that's pretty much all the sports supply.) KT Tape Pro is the most readily available in the line and it's priced at a sweet $17 for a roll of 20 strips. Factor in that a properly applied strip will last several days (through showering) and you've got quite the bargain there. I decided to test it on this calf strain.

Step One: The Purchase

This is what came in the box with the jet black, KT Tape Pro I purchased. A roll of tape strips, a clear carrying case, a decal (COOL!), and a set of instructions.

Step Two: The Shaving of the Legs

I am one of the very few triathletes who does not shave their legs. Chest, underarms, face sure! But not legs. It's some of the last hair I have left. But the tape adheres better when shaved, so using the same clipper set my wife buzz cuts my hair with, I proceeded to shave the portion of my calf. After going over it with my razor, my calf is now smooth as a baby's butt.

Step Three: The Application

The Wal-Mart brand tape proved to not be pre-perforated in the center for Y-stripping, so I had to cut it with scissors down the center but that wasn't too big a pain. I followed the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XTxAREiYFE !

So, I located the center of the pain, a small burning dot in my calf, stretched the muscle out, and proceeded to thank god that I've done yoga because holding that stretch and applying the tape was a royal pain. I applied the tape (just one strip necessary), rubbed it down to generate heat (I screwed up shaving one edge so it peeled up but still works!) and then jogged around the room to test it out. And you know what ?

PAIN FREE! I'm too cynical to say 100% but I haven't felt a twinge yet so 100% WHOOH! I love KT Tape! This stuff is working great for me! I highly recommend every triathlete rush out to Wal-Mart for a roll! It's much cheaper than paying for a regular physical therapist and if you follow the videos online, you'll be able to train just as normal as before your injuries!

The Bad Snow Day Workouts

So today was one of the mornings where the triathlete part of you wakes up cursing. Why? It's been pouring snow outside for several hours now. And, Murphy's law, today's agenda was cycling day. Well, at least on the highway, that's out. So what do you do when you can't get out to train? Well, fortunately living in Greeley taught me to deal with frequent snows and training disappointments.

You see, where I live, it snows infrequently and melts off fairly quickly, so Greeley was a huge shock since it'd snow for a couple days straight and then stick around for two weeks through absolutely gorgeous weather. So if you're stuck indoors through your training season, you've got a few options to minimize the annoyance. 

1. Head to your local Rec center, community building, or gym

Most towns have a place where you can pay a dollar or two to use their facilities for a day. As a firefighter, I get access to the community Rec center for free, and thankfully they're well stocked with stationary bikes and treadmills. (No indoor pool, thanks to squeamish tax-payers, but that's a rant for another day.) So with a few high-intensity workouts, it's pretty easy to maintain and even gain fitness. 

2. Buy yourself a cycle trainer and treadmill.

This is actually my preferred route (I hate sharing machines in gyms) and after Christmas the cycle trainer should be good! (Hi, honey, I love you!) I'm still on the market for a treadmill...and a place to put it....and someone to be selling one who doesn't want over $50....but that's besides the point.

3.Make it a strength training day

One thing I've learned, most Ironman triathletes don't have time to fit strength training into their already busy schedules. So when it's bad outside, take a day for the weights. A vinyl dumbbell set at Wal-Mart is about $20 and can take you up to 40 lbs, which is more than most lightweights I know can curl.

4. Cross-train

This seems redundant as we get so much of this as triathletes but snowy days can be a great day to head to gym and shoot baskets. Sports like basketball give you excellent sprinting workouts and help you get used to sudden power bursts, good for that last marathon mile.

5. Take a rest day

If you're training at all, you could most probably use it. The last thing you want to be on race day is over-trained and taking extra rest days is one way to prevent it. Your muscles will thank you.

So what I will wind up doing today is still up in the air but I'm most probably going to drag my happy butt to the gym to plow away on a treadmill or bike. Happy training!

Fueling the Beginning Ironman

Like some other triathletes I know, I have a hard time maintaining weight. Only not in the gaining area, in the losing. I'm a chronically skinny guy so holding my race weight in muscle is harder than usual for me. I just weighed in before this post on my wife's WeightWatchers scale (My bodyzone crapped out after three months of training). This weigh in, I was 140 lbs. with a 15.1% body fat, about what I expected. My racing weight is around 135 lbs with 12% body fat. The challenge is balancing this with a job where sacrificing muscle mass can be a death wish. It's hard to drag someone 3x your body weight out of a fire, no matter how hard you train for it. So to compromise, I've been using DailyBurn to track my calories and ensure I'm getting enough to keep me at the 140 lbs. threshold.

I tend to eat around six meals a day in small increments, a trick I learned from body building. I usually eat pretty healthy while training (I've fallen off the bandwagon fairly frequently in the off season). This usually still doesn't give me enough calories so to supplement those calories on training days, I have my set nutrition snacks for during rides and runs. So without further ado, here's my list of favorite nutritional products!

1. Clif Bar Mint Chocolate

These babies were the first Clif Bars I ever tried, mostly because they're my father-in-laws favorite flavor. They're jam packed with green tea extract which adds caffeine, excellent for early morning swims or runs. They also stay down pretty good, although I do avoid these if my heart rate is going to max out, as they are pretty heavy for the first ten minutes.

2. Honey Stingers Pink Lemonade Energy Chews

My father-in-law likes Orange but I've always preferred Pink Lemonade. These babies are pretty pricey so I only eat them during intense training sessions but they seem to give me a lasting boost of quick energy. The lasting part is what matters to me. They're also organic and made in Colorado so I get to support a state business, an added plus.

3. Gu Tri-Berry Energy Gels

I've tried quite a few energy gels in the past year from Clif Shots to Honey Stingers but none has worked so well or been as tasty as Gu, my personal favorite being Tri-Berry. I've tried the Gu Roctanes but I find the flavors disgusting and not worth the extra dollar they usually cost. I take one of these babies with me every time I run farther than 10k and I down it right at that point to keep me from crashing. They're easy on the stomach and the taste buds!

4. Clif Shot Bloks Black Cherry

A substitute for when Honey Stingers aren't available, Clif Shot Bloks basically have all the same benefits and a delicious taste; however, the texture has always been off-putting to me. It usually feels like chewing rubber but if you can get past that (not too hard) they're an excellent energy chew.

5. Gatorade Blue Frost

At the risk of causing a flame war with purist triathletes, I have to own it. Gatorade is my sports drink of choice. What can I say, I grew up drinking it in sports from middle school up, and honestly it calms GI issues better than anything else I know. I mix it weak, one 12 oz. serving size in a 24 oz. bottle of water and then divided up between my FuelBelt flasks and I find that gives me enough simple carbs to not have to worry about bonking until quite a ways into the run. I've tried some of the other drinks on the market; I've always found Ironman Powerade to be too salty and Cytomax gives me GI issues. Budget tip though, the biggest difference between those drinks? A 63 serving size can of Gatorade powder costs $8 at Wal-Mart. A 27 serving size tub of Cytomax at the Vitamin Shoppe will run you $15. The numbers speak for themselves to my budget mind.

Fueling an Ironman is an expensive task. Here's a tip for the budget minded, REI usually runs a percentage sale on nutrition items bought in bulk. As in buy 20 items get $5 off kind of deals. That can save a huge amount of money in the long run.

Bonus Tip: Clif Bar occasionally makes boxes holding an extra bar for the same price. It takes some scouring to find them but it saves an extra $1 average a box.

Raise Your Speed...By Reading?

Another dirty secret...I read. A lot. At my wedding, my cousin literally said I devour books like a starving T-Rex in his best man toast. So naturally, I read about training more than anything. And through the process, I've discovered quite a few helpful books.

The latest is called Ride Fast By Eric Harr.

The premise? In just 10 weeks, anyone can raise their speed to 25 mph. While I'm not sure if it actually works, the logic is sound. The basic premise is that by training your desired speed in small doses and by training your lactic acid and anaerobic thresholds, you can increase your ability to hold faster speeds for longer periods of time until it becomes your average.

It's basically standardizing what continued pushing of the limits will do to anybody. But it comes with a training plan and it works, from people's reviews. Currently with the Ironman training, I don't have enough hours in the week to do this program but I'd love to hear from anybody who has in the comments! Pick it up at a Barnes and Noble near you!

Split Plans

Hey y'all! I've just been calculating out my ideal (and hopefully realistic) splits for Ironman 70.3 Kansas (if I ever make it there!) While doing this, I realized there isn't a whole lot of good information on how to do this online so here's what I've learned so far.

So to accurately plan an Ironman, you need to figure out your time splits for each event and train to achieve the correct pace to hit your ideal overall time. To further complicate mattes, in Ironman triathlons you have cutoff times for each event, ensuring that you can't slack off in, say, the swimming portion and take forever in your swim only to try to blow the cycle and marathon out of the water. So you need to figure out your training times.

Doing this is pretty simple.

The Swim:

First, head over to http://www.swimbikerun.net.nz/sbr/Calculators/SwimmingPaceCalculator to figure your swim times. Just enter the distance for the race your entering (in my case, 1.2 miles for Ironman Kansas or 2.4 miles for my eventual Ironman) and then enter the time you want to finish in. Hit calculate and it will spit out your needed pace per 100 yards for the duration of the swim.

Now for my ground-breaking tip. Whatever your desired pace, remove 10 seconds and train for that. The reason? Ironman starts are either mass or wave starts but both involve a significant amount of people trying to swim in a very small space at one time. That means that your going to spend the first ten minutes of the swim getting the crap kicked out of you and trying to jostle your way to open water. That takes time and means your not going to be able to keep the fastest pace you want. So therefore, by training faster, you'll hopefully be able to catch up to your time once you can finally open up the throttle.

The Bike

For the bike, head to http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/speed_distance_time_calc.html and input your pace and distance to get your overall time. You can also reverse it to calculate what pace you need for a desired time. Remember to include estimated transition times in your overall time, you have T1 and T2 and they both factor into it. Remember, the Ironman is a long race, you need to don quality chamois and plenty of lubricant, which takes time. Plan that in. This will keep you from annoying shocks when your bike split doesn't finish when you want. 

The Run

Hop on over to http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml and do the same as above to calculate your needed pace per mile. Then train for faster but remember, no matter how hard you train, brick workouts are what is going to save your run. Your legs have to learn to shunt blood from your hamstrings and quads to your calves and you have to learn to run on dead legs. I'm notoriously bad at this. After any time on the bike, I'll be walking within a mile of the run. This training program is going to have to include more bricks or I'll be done without a fight!

So based on all that, my ideal splits are a 00:45:00 swim for a pace of 2:08/100 yards, a bike split of 03:00:00 for a pace of 18.66 mph, and a run of 02:00:00 (a tad optimistic but hey, with training and all that) for an average pace of 9:06/mile. My hopeful overall race time, plus transitions, 6 hours. That's the average race time for most Ironman 70.3 finishers so it looks pretty achievable, especially since I'm over-distance training, not training specifically for a 70.3.

So with those tips in mind, have fun calculating your next tri-splits!

P.S. For more info see

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2013/09/13/setting-a-half-ironman-target-time.

Oh The Woes of a Beginning Iron Man

Hello everyone! So I've done the first Week of my Ironman Training Program now! YEAH! I'm following the basic six-month Ironman program here http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2013/05/six-months-to-ironman-a-basic-training-program.aspx#axzz2lJoQPrGS , although I'm probably looking more at an Ironman 70.3 this year (hopefully Kansas) due to budget concerns. I'm also omitting most of the swim workout portion until probably mid-December or January as where I live the nearest indoor pool is around 50 miles away! It's a tad modified due to my firefighter schedule, 24 on, 24 on call, during which I really can't work out like you see in all firefighter movies ever, but anyway! But here's my first experiences with Ironman training.

1) I never knew my calves could be so tight!
I've been triathlon training for around a year now and even with brick workouts, I've never had a calf seize up on me before today. It's probably from the stress of the training mixed with my job (before this I was in college and didn't have much to do besides train) but it was definitely unexpected. It also could be because I was slacking pretty hard (job transitions and crazy schedules) but either way, I'm sore! It's been ice and heat rotations all day and I have discovered my new best recovery aid, a very firm stress ball. Just dig it into your muscle and let the tears flow!

2) Aerobars are a priority if you live in a windy area. The winds in Southern Colorado, at least where I live, usually don't drop below 14 mph. That doesn't sound like much until you try to ride in them every time you train! It gets really old to average 16-18 mph in a slight crosswind and then to turn into the wind for the trip home and average 10-13 mph!!! So a set of clip-on aerobars are a new priority!

3. The Iron Man has time cutoffs! Call me stupid for not knowing this, but I didn't realize that each individual segment of the Ironman races has a time cutoff; if you haven't finished the portion by that time you aren't allowed to finish. Yikes! Definitely a shocker to me and a real motivation to make sure I'm as strong as I can be in every area!

4. If you talk about Iron Mans more than twice a day, your wife will smack you. (Kidding honey, kidding!)

5. Fellow firefighters will torment you relentlessly for running in plain sight down the Highway in spandex! (I can't say I blame them! I wouldn't want to follow my skinny white butt in tight shorts down the highway either.)

6. Cycle trainers are a good idea for the winter! (After Christmas, I should be good in that area!)

7. Dressing like it's 20 degrees warmer than it is, is actually the best idea I've ever heard. After soaking through my gear in Denver, that's a good one to note!

8. Pitbulls will chase you when your legs are at their most dead. Just think of it as endurance sprint training.

9. Pitbulls will chase you when your legs are dead while running. Ditto above.

10. Dailyburn is the most enlightening app you can possibly use. Seriously. Just see how your diet measures up to what you think it does sometime!

That's all for this one! Update for Week Two after a few more sessions.

My Training Apps

If there's one thing that's changed the world more than anything else in the past decade, its probably smart phones! And me personally, I'm an Android fanatic! And nowhere do I use more apps that in my training regimens! So without further ado, here's my top Android triathlete apps!

1. Strava Run and Cycle

I've used a few other workout GPS apps in my time but I like none more than Strava Run and Strava Cycle! These apps provide a wealth of information after every ride or run, including GPS mapping of my routes, average speed and power output graphs! If you go Premium, you can even get a suffer score tied to your heart rate monitor and you can always check out other people's times on the same segments of your routes to give you an idea of where you rank!
 

2. Daily Burn Calorie Tracker

If there's one thing triathletes find difficult, it's keeping our racing weight under control! I mean come on, we work out ridiculous amounts and all that sounds good afterwards is high fat, high calorie foods! So to provide proper nutrition, I use Daily Burn Calorie Tracker to keep watch on my diet, mostly because it's the only app I've found that gives you the option of setting it to keep you at your current weight, since I'm already my racing weight! It also allows you to scan the bar codes of products and import their nutritional data. 

3. Runtastic Heart Rate Monitor

This excellent little app keeps my resting heart rate tracked easily, helping me prevent overtraining. It's also the only one I've found that's accurate. 

4. Weatherbug

If you're getting ready to go out on a long ride, you need to have accurate temperature and wind readings and you definitely need a good weather forecast. I've found none better than Weatherbug, which can keep track of multiple locations and gives you hour by hour forecasts. 

5. Any.Do

Managing a family, social life, work, and training is extremely time consuming, so a good task manager is a must-have! Any.Do is the best one I've found, integrating itself seamlessly with your smart phone and reminding you to do such things as call back missed calls while you were in that meeting or to go on your long ride after work!

That's my personal best app list! I'm sure I'll be posting about more soon!

Review GMC Denali 700c Road Bike

So when I decided to get into triathlon, I knew I needed a road bike. However, I only had a $200 budget to buy a bike and at the time, no one was selling any used that were worth the money on Craigslist or any other used shops. So I decided to buy the Wal-Mart GMC Denali road bike, with some apprehension. This is the review of all the problems and benefits I've had. Don't get me wrong, I do love this bike and it's served me well. But you do go into it expecting some problems.

The Bad

1. Weight

This thing is heavy. And I mean super-heavy. We're talking an aluminum frame with steel front fork all weighing in at 29 lbs. And you really feel that extra weight during acceleration.

2. Low-pressure tires

The Denali's tires are Kenda Black, designed to run around 80 psi, which results in extra drag. One of my desired upgrades is a set of nice 115 psi high-pressure tires.

3. Cheap Derailleurs

The Shimano derailleurs on this bike are workable, but cheap. If you feather the shifters at all, you run the risk of failing to shift and throwing the gearing completely off on the bike. So shift hard and hope for the best .

4. Brakes need adjustment

The brake cables run about 3" longer than needed, so you have to adjust the cable at least 3", otherwise the brakes will be weak and ineffective.

5. Awkward Shifters

The shifters on this bike are in the standard mountain bike position, not road bike. This makes shifting easier for people transitioning from mountain to road bike, but makes it awful to shift while in the drops.

6. Flat pedals

To save costs, the bike comes with ordinary flats, problematic for anyone wanting more efficient power transfer. I'm currently guilty of still keeping the stock pedals, but I hope to be upgrading to a clipless system in a month or two.

The Good

1. Price

You can't beat the price on this bike. For an entry-level road bike, $170 is the best you'll find and since the bike is halfway decent, it's worth the money.

2. Drop Bars

Even more uncommon are entry level road-bikes with drop racing bars. The Denali comes with these, albeit it uses a quill stem set which makes changing handlebars a virtual nightmare.

3. Racing saddle

The stock saddle is the Vitesse Racing Saddle, which personally I find very comfortable but which some people absolutely hate.

So that's the brief review of the bike, it's not awful, if I had to do it again, I'd probably still buy the bike, although I bet I upgrade in a year or two!

The Gear Overview

So let's take a look at the equipment I've acquired over a year of training, just to get an idea of my current holdings!

Clothing

We all know how expensive clothing can be but I've been lucky enough to have my father-in-law pass on some of his old team jerseys and tech gear which greatly offsets the cost. So to those who wonder, no I do not have any sponsors nor am I a member of that particular tri-team! I just train in the old gear cause I don't have anything better and let's face it, team gear is nice gear!

2 Bike Jersey

3 Chamois

1 race top

1 tri-shorts

1 Pair Swiftwick Aspire Twelves

1 Pair Swiftwick Aspire Ones

1 Long-sleeved Target generic Underarmor

Thermal Tights (Dirty secret, these are actually my wife's! lol)

Short sleeved generic Target Underarmor

Generic Target Gym shorts

Swimming

Swimming was one of the areas that I had to pony up the most starting cash on when I first started training, as I had never been much of a swimmer!

Dolfin Men's Jammer ($30 at MiSportsShop in Loveland!)

Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 Goggles (These are my favorite brand, never had a leak, although at the time I was out of contacts so I got the -8 diopter since my eyes are awful! I'll vouch, it works!)

1 Latex Swim Cap

Timex Ironman Watch ($40, Birthday gift from my wife, I count it in the swimming category as the reason I was looking at them was to time my splits!)

Cycling

I count my bike cost in this category, as I was previously riding a Wal-Mart special mountain bike! For those who wonder why I bought a Wal-Mart special Road Bike, I only had a $200 budget for a new bike and I was unable to find any worth buying used! And so far, it's served me well!

GMC Denali 700c Road Bike

Helmet ($5 on sale at Wal-Mart, bad decision to save money though, it's more of a Styrofoam cooler!)

Extra bottle w/cage

Bell Wired Cyclometer (Biggest complaint is no back light)

Bell Multi-tool

Chain-tool

White Lightning Chain Lube (Actually bought to restore the Mountain Bike)

Bell Saddle-bag

Adjustable Crescent Wrench (My axles are bolt-on and need too much torque for the multi-tool)

Extra inner tube

Presta Valve Adapter (The weird thing is the Denali runs Schrader valves, so switching is a bitch)

Patch Kit

Zip Ties (I didn't have access to a power drill in college so I zip-tied everything on, ghetto I know!)

Running

This is actually my strongest event of the three (I've been a long-distance runner since middle school) so I really only splurged on a few of my father-in-law's recommendations.

Fuelbelt (Expensive, $40, but invaluable! I'm a FB fanatic! Let's me be my own personal aid station on long runs!)

Shoes (I currently run in Nikes, a gift from my parents I never used in college, but they desperately need replaced, as I'm one of those people who pushes the limits)

Underarmor Running Cap

Running Phone Armband

Besides a few miscellaneous items like headphones and chamois glide, this is the fairly accurate list of my current gear situation! So fair it's all served me well but we'll see how it stands up to Ironman training!

The About Me Segment

Hello any possible readers I may someday acquire! This blog is a tad different from your average Ironman training blog! For one thing, I'm not, as of yet, an IronMan! That's the point. This blog chronicles my journey from beginner triathlete to (hopefully) Ironman finisher! The catch? I'm doing it all on a shoestring budget! You see, I'm a firefighter in southern Colorado and since my wife's going back to school, our budget's workable but tight. 

My father-in-law is a muli-Ironman finisher and he's pretty good to boot! (He's been to Kona.) He's a wealth of training information was my inspiration to begin triathlon training a year ago! He's been extremely helpful, donating some of his old gear to help me but I'm still running pretty low-tech. So this blog is about my discoveries, my experiences, and my tips for Ironman competitions without breaking the bank! My current goal is Ironman 70.3 Kansas 2014, 8 months away! We'll see what happens! Let's get training!