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!
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.
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