Everyone has a plan till they get hit

There are so many parallels between the sport of boxing and the sport of triathlon. The title of this blog is a quote that many people like to use in regards to sports such as boxing and triathlon. The problem with this, is that people have implied this to mean that not having a solid plan is ok because eventually you are going to get hit and the plan will falter. Any decent endurance athlete will tell you that you can not prepare for a 5k run, or a sprint triathlon and live to tell about it. You can not however hope to do this in a long distance race of any kind, in any sport, especially marathons and Ironmans. Their is just too much time for things to go wrong and not having a plan, a backup plan, and a backup plan to the backup plan, means you are really just not prepared for the race.

The reason I am writing about this is because as many of you know I am deep into training for my second Ironman (hence the lack of blog posts). And with experience has come the knowledge that while you need to put in the long training miles required to finish the race, their are so many other things that you need to plan for to have a good race. From the logistics of getting to and from the race with all the necessary gear in tow, to a solid nutrition plan, not only for race day, but the week leading up to the race. This is my fourth year in triathlon and I am constantly learning more and more about my self and about this sport everyday. And with that comes the added knowledge that while yes it is true that not everything will go exactly to plan on race day, that is no excuse to not have one.

Here is a prime example of two athletes one with a plan and another who didn't. For those of you that follow boxing you no doubt have heard all the arguments of why Floyd Mayweather jr is not a great fighter despite his 43-0 record over 16 years. You have also probably heard that Mike Tyson was one of the greatest ever. Mayweather's style is to play defense, pick and choose his spots and fight a tactical fight. Tyson's style was to engage his opponent early and often and usually this resulted in a highlight reel knockout. Well the fundamental difference between these two fighters is that one had a plan and the other did not. Tyson's "plan" which is not really a plan at all was to knock out his opponent as soon as possible thus avoiding taking a hit and having to use something other than his strength and speed to win the fight. The problem with that "plan" was that when he failed to gain the early knockout he would lose. Of his 50 wins he only went past the 7th round 12 times and his record was a very mediocre 6 wins, 6 losses in those 12. Whereas Mayweather has gone past the 7th round 22 times, and went the full twelve rounds 17 of those times. Mayweather's plan is to fight smart, and have a plan for every conceivable situation resulting in a unbeatable strategy. Tyson was no doubt an amazing athlete, however he was very one dimmensional. And once that first loss to Buster Douglas happened and other fighters developed a plan to beat the once unbeatable Tyson, he was essential no longer feared and proved very beatable.

Now we all know that even the best laid plans do not ensure a successful race. However one thing is for sure, the athlete who does not develop a plan, and a backup plan will definitely not succeed. If you are going to put in hours and hours of training miles then you owe it to yourself to be a complete athlete. Train like a athlete, eat like a athlete, learn as much as you can about your sport and prepare for whatever the event will throw your way.

"It ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"-Rocky Balboa

Lab Rat

Sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and consistency, these are all words used to describe success in athletic pursuits. Well guess what, they are the same words that apply to your diet and nutrition. And let me start by saying that when I use the word diet I use it to mean the way you eat day in and day out. I do not use the word diet to mean some book you read that said if you eat rabbit poop for 10 days you will lose 10 lbs.

I eat pizza, I drink beer, I love Dairy Queen and for the most part if I REALLY want something I eat it. The difference is that when I do these things I quickly get back on track with my diet right away. If you don't and you let it escalate then you find yourself 20lbs overweight and wondering what went wrong. You don't have to be a robot and eat things you don't enjoy to be healthy, fit and happy. In fact in my opinion it is just the opposite. Your body and mind need these treats and luxuries to not only keep you sane but also to keep your metabolism constantly working.

In writing this piece on diet and nutrition I can only speak from personal experience and I am by no means a registered dietitian. What I can speak on are the things I have tried and the things that work for me. Their is no magic pill or special diet, and exercise, even large amounts of exercise alone will not get you those abs you see in the magazines. What will work is doing the right thing at least 90% of the time and being consistent. Not for days or months, but years. I have been "dieting" as some would say since I was 18 years old. I could not tell you how many calories I eat in a day. However I will wager that I eat more than anyone else I know day in and day out. I also would wager I burn far more calories then anyone else and that my metabolism is constantly working to burn calories.

Diet and nutrition, especially as it applies to athletics is the biggest mystery known to man. Nobody and I mean nobody has it completely figured out and they never will. What works for Joe may not work for Jane and what works for Jane may not work for Joe. People are not cookie cutter and are bodies are not so simple that x.y, and z is guaranteed to work. What you need to do to become successful and maintain a healthy weight is to become a lab rat. Find what works for you, day in and day out. Find foods you like to eat, study what times you feel best based on what and when you eat. And pick up a book or google different strategies that work for others and try them.

For 14 years I have been doing this and I finally have a system that works for me. I don't consume any of my calories from liquid form except when exercising. This is how so many people lose count of their caloric intake because it is so simple to drink 12oz and consume 200 calories without a second thought. I eat every 2 and half to 3 hours, and when I don't look out because I get slightly (ask Amy) agitated. The running joke amongst my coworkers and friends is that you really don't need a watch when you are around me for I will eat at 7, 9:30, 12, 3, 6, and 9. I always am prepared to eat my next meal and I always think ahead so I am never out of reach of food when I need it. It has become routine for me. So when I want that treat after dinner I allow myself to have it but I wait and push it back to the next time I eat so I don't overload my body with calories that it can't burn. Now most people think I am nuts or that I deprive myself of things that others enjoy. This could not be further from the truth. I just make it work for me. I am probably one of a million people who go to Dairy Queen and ask for it to with a lid to go. It is so I can eat it when it works for my body.

All this being said I sometimes overeat at meals and their are certain days that I just eat way more than I should. I make the same mistakes others make but I never let those mistakes compound so they add up to weight gain. I stop, re access and get right back on track. And I don't consider what and how I eat to be a "diet". After 14 years I am still learning new things everyday, especially when it comes to race day nutrition (see marathon race report). What I have figured out is what foods are best for ME and when and how they should be consumed. And in order for you to be successful you need to do the same. I only wrote this particular blog because a few asked for me to write something about diet and nutrition. And if you want my top ten list of what, whys and hows I could give it to you. But make no mistake that the only reason I have figured it out is because I was willing to be a lab rat and follow the same principles that pretty much apply to anything that you want to be successful in. Sacrifice, dedication, hard work, and consistency. So if you will excuse me I am going to go run 100 miles and have a beer and some pizza.

For those of you wondering what weight loss will mean for your run times:

WEIGHT LOST	5K	10K	HALF-MARATHON	MARATHON
2 lbs	12.4 secs	25 secs	52 secs	1:45
5 lbs	31 secs	1:02	2:11	4:22
10 lbs	1:02	2:04	4:22	8:44
20 lbs	2:04	4:08	8:44	17:28

Race report: Grit and Balls

I did it, I followed my race strategy, went out hard and hoped to hold on for the finish. It worked real well for 18 miles and then the wheels came off and the engine seized. I made it to the finish line but not without some serious pain and "Grit and Balls" as Kevin Garnett was recently quoted as saying. Truth of the matter is I left every ounce of effort out on the course. At the end of the day that is all you can ask for, and if you don't reach your goal then at the very least you can keep your head held high. Breaking down the numbers and taking a step back to analyze, it was easy to see what went wrong. First things first I relied on the aid stations for GU and fluids, when at the end of the day it is never too smart to leave anything to chance. My reason for this was a)my disdain for wearing fuel belts and b)having read the race website and being confident they would uphold their end of the bargain. They did not, so I ended up consuming only two Gu's (the first one at mile 12) and probably only got in about 20oz of water/Gatorade. They had advertised gels at 7 of the 8 aid stations and only had them available at 4 (the last one being with 2 miles to go). So poor nutrition and a lack of fluid certainly did not help my result. Going out too fast at the start. This has been a big issue with me at all my races but I was aware of that and although I hit mile 1 at a 6:17/mile pace my heart rate was steady and in control. From there I held a faster than goal pace for as long as I could, thus hitting 5K in 20:20, 10K in 41:44 and the half marathon in 1:28. This translates to a 6:45/mile pace which I have now done for the half marathon distance 3 times. So this was good and truth be told I was in a great rythmn and felt strong. I knew at this point a lack of gels and fluids was going to catch up to me, but the only option I had was to keep runnning and running hard. From miles 13 to 17 I was tetering but was still under race pace until mile 16. From there it was a slow decline until mile 18 where the wall went up and my body had had enough. Getting to mile 20 was a huge relief and I even got pretty excited seeing 2:18 on the clock knowing I had 6.2 miles to go and 47 minutes to do it. On any given day this is not a problem and in fact despite my legs feeling like they were cased in cement I really still felt I could do it. However those that have run this distance or any distance over what they are prepared for knows that no matter how hard you run, and no matter how much your mind wants to do it, sometimes it just isn't there. My body was out of calories and hydration was not adequate. So starting at mile 20 it all went to sh*%. The numbers don't lie, 7:35, 7:50, 8:23, 8:56, 9:03, 9:13, and 8:54 for the last 7 miles. And then came the .2 miles which is the hallmark of the marathon distance. Only problem was that this .2 miles somehow ended up being .5 miles. On any normal day a little extra is not the end of the world but when you are doing the Bataan death march that can be a real long time. It also adds time which in a race against the clock is not a good thing. So there it is, I held a 6:55/mile pace for 20 miles and then promptly hit the wall. Running a final 10K in 56 minutes was a reality check but knowing that I gave everything I had and then some made me ok with the how the day went. A lot was learned and I know that with proper nutrition and maybe a different pace strategy things may have turned out different. I will however not omplain about finishing a marathon in 3:14 so it is what it is. Boston will always be there and this was my first ever attempt at a fast marathon so all and all I am happy. For those that want to see me hit the wall here is the Garmin profile. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/175495384

Race Strategy

Their it is, their is what my race strategy for the marathon is going to look like. Not sure if that will be 16 miles in, 22 miles in or if all goes as planned, then that is what I will look like at 26.3 miles in the medical tent. I am going to go out hard and just hold on for as long as I can until the wheels fall off. The training numbers say that I should be able to run a 3:04 (7:03 per mile pace), and in my last half marathon I ran a 1:27 (6:40/mi pace). So the fact is the only thing that is going to hold me back is myself, and I have an oppurtunity to run that 3:04 and qualify for Boston in the process. Lofty goals considering that just 3 years ago I started running. However going big is the only way I know how to do it. I do not fear failure and that can be both a curse and a blessing. Their are 3 ways this can turn out, I can do it, I can come close to doing it, or I can blow up and end up crawling or worse, not finishing. Since I put this marathon on the schedule and my training has increased, so have my expectations. And with that comes pressure to put up or shut up. I enjoy the pressure, I enjoy putting my goals out their for people to see and scrutinize. I don't care if I fail because not one person can ever call an attempt at something a failure in my book. Toeing the line and taking a shot is what this thing is all about. I don't train to lose weight, or meet new people, or travel to different places. Sure those are bonuses that come with the journey, but bottomline is that I am out to acheive my best at everything I do. If I don't get that 3:04 the sun will rise and set the next day regardless. I can live with not reaching my goals as long as I put my best foot forward. For me all I care about is racing, I absolutely love it. I like the pressure, I like the nervousness, the unsettled stomach and I love crossing the finish line and feeling that something was accomplished that day regardless of the result. So from the minute that gun goes off 6 days from now at 7:30 am I am just going to go hard. Now with that hard effort comes the inteligence to know what would be foolish. Foolish would be running a pace that I know I can not hold for 26.2 miles. That is where the training and the experience comes in. And to be honest I don't have a lot of experience at this distance. But I am aware that I have the ability to shut my mind off and just go. And go I will. So If you see on the news some guy who happens to be in a big smoldering pile at mile 20 of the Providence marathon next week, don't worry I will be satisfied.

Pressure is building

Pressure, why is it that we let it control us like nothing else in our lives. Why do we allow the pressure of a race or event dictate the outcome. We do it because we don't know any different. We assume pressure is a normal part of a race. So much so that we equate it to nerves. Well this may be news to some, but pressure, unlike nerves is something we can control and something that we bring on ourselves. When I line up at an event for the first time, or even the hundreth time the nerves will always be there. However by rationally thinking about the event, being prepared for the distance and setting reasonable expectations you can eliminate any pressure.

Many people I know are six days away from the one of the biggest events of their lives, the Boston Marathon. Thousands of others I don't know are also preparing for what very well can be a life changing event. And one thing that all these people have in common is the undue pressure they are going to put on themselves. Now their is absolutely nothing wrong with having a goal and going after it.However allowing that goal, wether acheived or not, to lessen the moment is a real shame. Last I checked neither you or I will be listed in the Herald the day before as a race favorite. There will be no laurel wreath placed on our heads or microphone shoved in our face. However what their will be, is a huge crowd of people who will be there to cheer you on regardless. The medal you receive will weigh the same as the Kenyan that will probably win the whole race. And most important you will have run a marathon.

20 years from now when our grandkids as us about these things they will be no less impressed if you say you ran sub 3 or sub 6. Times and race results will always be there for comparisons, however aside from winning or not even trying, the only thing that truly matters is the doing. Being on that start line, regardless of being a qualifer or a charity runner at the end of the day all that will matter is how you feel you did. To often people allow the pressure they place on themselves to cripple them and not let them enjoy the event. Chances are you are not running a 2:05 and just by being there you have beaten everyone on the DID NOT START list. So stop, take a step back and get rid of the pressure you are putting on yourself. It is one of the few things in a race that you can control. Allow it to control you and you will never enjoy something that should be enjoyed. You are running. Not working or dealing with life's endless stresses. There are few things in this world that are as empowering as being able to self power your way 26.2 miles. Most people complain about driving that far and you are about to run it.

So before Monday comes and the inevitable race nerves hit, stop, take a deep breath and leave the anxiety for the next guy. Worry about what you can control, do your best, leave no stone unturned and cross the finish line. If you are not going to enjoy the fact that half a million people are going to line the race route to cheer for a bunch of everyday folk then what can you enjoy. It is your chance to shine, your day to put all those training miles on the pavement. Remember to smile, for a bad day running is better than a bad day at work. And for gods sake remember to cover your nipples.

JUST ONE OF 30,000

You got to have heart

Plain and simple you got to have heart to succeed in sports both figuratively and literally. Without your heart being in it 100% you are not going to get better. You have to be willing to do what it takes. That means paying your dues, putting in the hours and learning as much as you can so you can apply that to your sport. There is however another side to this that many have not embraced or overlooked for one reason or another. And that is actually training your heart. This season I knew I needed to step up my game if I wanted to get to the level I want to, and for me that meant heart rate training.

For many heart rate training is so complicated and painstaking that they skip it and never give it a chance to work for them. The best way to explain it is by using work (which is what endurance sport essential is) as an example. Most of us put in 40 hours a week at our jobs for x amount of salary. Well what if I told you I had a way that you could work just 20 hours a week and make the same amount of money. You would surely take the time to listen and be more than willing to give what ever I said a shot. Well heart rate training is based off the same principle. By training your heart to work better with less effort you are essentially going to be doing less work and getting the same, if not better results than before.

This is my first year being patient enough to really give heart rate training a try and I have been blown away by the results.I started monitoring my heart rate when I ran and biked in early January and since then the numbers don't lie and I have pr'd twice in a month at the half marathon distance. I also have noticed how much easier it is to do the same exact workouts that a year ago a just barreled through hoping for the same results. They say a crazy person is someone who repeatedly tries the same thing all the while expecting different results. I would not go so far as to say I was training crazy but I certainly was not training smart. By using a heart rate monitor and applying it to my workouts I could control virtually every training session. For those of you who know a triathlete or marathoner than you know that control is something we all strive for. Having control over all things workout related teaches you to trust the system and not do something foolish. When we lose control we tend to work harder and push through things like injuries, hoping that harder work will automatically mean results.

So starting in January I read some articles, bought a heart rate training book and consulted with some great athletes who train using heart rate. I had always hated strapping on the heart rate monitor and never felt like It was doing anything. However this time I was committed to the process and I vowed to see it through till my first big race of the season, the Hyannis half marathon. On Dec 18Th I started by strapping on the heart rate monitor for a 7 mile run. I did that run at a 134 beats per minute (bpm) and ran at a 8:48/mi pace. Not bad and definitely a run I have done a thousand times. Well 12 weeks late the same exact run at the same exact heart rate is now a 7:45/mi pace. Twelve weeks and the I am doing the same amount of work (7 mile run) and doing it at the same heart rate and going a minute per mile faster. It is not a fluke and my training numbers have shown a steady decline in my pace vs heart rate.

This is by no means an easy process. It takes patients and a lot of education and help to get it right and use it to your advantage. However it works, without question for everyone. The point of exercise is to train your heart to work more efficiently with the same amount of effort. It is so simple and yet many who run, bike or swim just aren't willing to go that extra mile and give it a try. It is not something I could explain in just a few short paragraphs but it was something I felt that more people need to latch on to. Anyone that asks me for advice about running or triathlons will be getting the same stock answer, give heart rate training a try. If your heart is truly in getting better and being the best athlete you can be, than you owe it to yourself to train your heart.

Here is an article from one of the best ever endurance athletes on how heart rate training works: http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=2

Weakness vs Limiters

I was recently talking about triathlon with a friend and they asked me, of the three sports, what I thought my weakness was. Without hesitation I said I had none. I quickly realized how bad that may have sounded so I began to elaborate my statement. So I figured I would try and do the same thing here, while sticking to my statement that I have no weaknesses when it comes to triathlon.

Weakness is defined as "A quality or feature regarded as a disadvantage or fault". The two key words in that definition are disadvantage and fault. Am I a stronger runner than cyclist? yes. Am I a stronger cyclist than swimmer? yes. Is my swim a disadvantage or fault when it comes to a race? no.

Achilles was a mythological greek character whose one weakness was his heel. It was his one vulnerability and one that he could not change. Superman had only one weakness and that was Krptonite. Again it was a weakness that he had no ability to change or become less impervious too. These weakness were things that could not be worked on or improved by these characters and this is what defines a weakness. They are disadvantages or faults in which no amount of training or armor/super powers can overcome. This is exactly why I made the statement that I have no weaknesses.

I have a limiter, and that limiter is swimming. When I first started swimming in 2009 I could not swim more than one length of the pool without stopping. In fact, my log book from that day states that I swam 1000 yds (40 laps) and that I did not swim 2 laps in a row without stopping. I did not log what it took me to swim 100 yds but I would say that it was well north of 2 minutes. Last week I swam 100 yds in 1:24 and I did that two times, then held 1:30's for another 3 and then swam the last 5 100's under the 1:40 mark. So if you had asked me 4 years ago if I had any weaknesses I would have, without a doubt said swimming. But today, with all the hard work I have put in and the hundreds of hours in the pool and the endless laps I will not say that swimming is a weakness. Is my swim time good enough to qualify for Kona? not even close. Does my swim time keep me close enough to pass people on the bike, and bury them on the run? absolutely.

I had the worst case scenario swim in Lake Placid for my first Ironman. I thought on a slow day I could get out of the water in 1 hour 20 minutes. I also knew that a good day could see me closer to 1:15 and in a great postion to reach my target times for the race. I ended up swimming 1:47, puked twice, dry heaved numerous more times and had to swim from lifeguard to lifeguard for the last 45 minutes. Did it kill my goal race time? yes. Did it crush me and unable to complete an Ironman? no. I took that bad swim time and I threw all my energy into my bike ride. I passed 1300 people on that 112 mile bike and got off with a legit shot of still getting under my 12 hour race goal. The run, however had different ideas and I waddled home in 12 hours and 19 minutes. I was elated to have overcome my limiter and fight the rest of the day and finish my first Ironman in what I believe to be a very respectable time.

So next time someone asks you about anything in life and they refer to something as a weakness. Think about it and take your time before you answer. Is it something that you cannot overcome with a little more hard work and determination. I have weaknesses like everyone else, however many people except their weaknesses and making them their strengths. Swimming will always be a limiter for me, but with every lap I swim and every time I answer the alarm to get to the pool I make the decision to not have it be my weakness.