To Race or Not to Race?

That is the question I ponder as I look to 2013's year (it's already April so I'm a few months behind). I've become a bit of a blog nerd lately, reading everything from training tips for Ironman, to crossfit endurance, to paleo diets, to after effects tutorials, to "really cool wedding ideas", to "learning new languages", to "how do I write" blogs, to blogs about how to teach your dog not to poop on the floor. If it all seems random and disjointed, well, you're powers of observation are astounding. I'm in search mode, questioning and trying to learn and absorb information, and I'll be quite honest, I have information overload right now. As I write this, there are 11 open windows on my 20" screen at my desktop... Focus, control, you must learn control... Thus my writing returns to the question of the day. Do I race something? Or not. Do I give myself a fitness project? Or not. A little about where I've been. 2 Ironmans, 16 marathons, several triathlons, half marathons, 10ks, the like. But as of the end of 2006, I've completed 2 marathons, no triathlons, and really haven't raced much. So, in true fashion, I've gained weight, lost my running zip, and become sedentary up until the end of 2012. But, on the positive side, I've met my soon-to-be wife, gotten engaged, planned a wedding (to be executed shortly), entered the amazingly fun world of television drama as a "script coordinator" - which I will delve into at some point, and had a pretty good existence in a post-Ironman/marathon/fitness world. So am I lacking? No. But do I want to accomplish something else? Y----yes. The thing is, I turn 40 at the end of this year. Forty. 4-0. Four-tee. Any way I look at it, it's one of those milestone ages that you can't ignore. By the end of this year, I will have: 1) Completed the aformentioned athletic activities/achievements 2) Had 4 careers - retail manager, financial advisor, sales rep, film maker 3) been married for 5 months +. For my last year of my 30's, I set a few goals that had been put off: 1) lose 10 pounds. I lost 20 through a "Paleo Challenge" I completed in January, February and March. 2) Write one script. I co-wrote one with my fiancé, and am writing another now. 3) Get married to the woman of my dreams... Soon... 4) Kickstart my new business ventures - video/documentary production 5) Develop a script and shoot a movie. And now, I'm adding "complete another marathon" to the mix and "train to get into Ironman shape". Let's be realistic, though. I'm nothing special. These are not goals of getting to Hawaii or getting to Boston again. I merely enjoy the feeling of being in the best condition I am capable of. So, what I have been doing the past few months is getting into Crossfit. Many people, when they look into CF, think of it as extreme, cult-like, all-or-nothing activity, but I have found that crossfit has struck the perfect balance for me. It's hard, for sure, but I don't feel at all like I am over-reaching or pushing myself too hard. For 1 hr/day, 5 days a week, I show up, work my butt off, try to get better, stronger, faster, and feel great at the end of each workout. I'm not naturally very competitive, but I find myself wanting to go that extra bit to do the exercise properly, and if I'm faster, stronger, etc. then so be it. It has also, as a benefit, made me feel like getting back into triathlon and marathon running again. I'm eyeing a fall marathon and, perhaps, a fall triathlon. I'm loathe to commit to anything before July because I am getting married at the end of June, so I want to keep my schedule as loose and free as possible. Too much? Crossfit and a marathon? One might think, until you realize that there are ways, if you're innovative enough, to develop the "all-round-athlete" approach to both. The thing is, I don't want to, nor expect to, be a 2:30 marathoner. I would LOVE to get back to around 3 hours, where I was in 2003. But I also want to be strong, recover quickly, etc. so the crossfit compliments that. So while I will train to get that marathon in, I will also strength train quite seriously. Here's my basic workout plan for the next 4 months: Crossfit 5 days/week 3-4 runs/week - focusing on skill and form development, running strength, and running nutrition Try to get in 1-2 swims for recovery (and to swim in the outdoor pool at Kits beach) per week This will take me to August 11 when, 2 months away from the Victoria marathon, I'll ramp up some of the running. The goal here is not to be bone crushingly strong or to be thin as a rail, but to achieve a balance of training, recovery, nutrition and see what the results bring. Oh, and try to do this on less than 8-10 hours of training/week. I'm looking forward to this journey into furthering my fitness aims, all while continuing my career and family life growth. Some people say you can't have it all, but then I look at people like Jefferson or, recently, Tim Ferris of 4-hour-chef, and I think, "maybe you can have it all, and even if you can't, you're better off for having tried then not having made the attempt". Yours in all things endurance! Anthony

Ode to a forgotten blog

Oh blog, how have you been?
It's me, your forgotten muse.
I come to you now,
at the turn of the year,
to begin again,
to tell a tale once more.

Okay so it doesn't rhyme but I needed something to get going again. I figure it's January 2nd and I'm back for another crack at the Ironman for 2008. It was a tough year, with school getting in the way of most, if not all, of my training. Well, that's an excuse more than anything. Truth is that I needed to dedicate myself to year 1 and it was difficult to step back and think of other things.

Needless to say, 15 pounds heavier, a lot less fit, and a little hungry to get the move on for 2008. I've been good this holiday season, though, having really forgone drinking and desserts to the excess. And I have managed to exercise almost every day since I finished school for the year in December. That's about 3 weeks almost.

I begin my new program on Monday (school) and so setting myself up for the season has been priority high for the month of December and now January. I have yet to figure out how this will all play together, but this year I have some training partners for Ironman, which should make life a little simpler. Rachel and Penny are both ironman bound (well, Rachel is 1/2 Ironman bound but her race is in June in Switzerland somewhere and Penny is doing the Ironman in England). So, that's two motivating friends to get my butt out on a Saturday morning for a ride regardless of the weather.

And I have renewed a desire to run marathons, and I will partake of Vancouver in May again, using it as a springboard to the summer triathlon season.

With school in mind, I realize that the road ahead is not easy, but then again it never really is supposed to be.

I did try some new things this past November and December, namely track cycling. I am hoping to find time in my schedule for a once/week trip to the Velodrome to get a good cycling workout in. It's such a huge rush.

For now, it's time to start the year right, and so tonight I hit a 10k run with the folks at RR Denman. A nice, clear night and warmer than anticipated. Tomorrow I will go for a swim and maybe a short jog.

Happy New Year (really I am writing this to myself as all my loyal listeners have left)...

Cheers!

Stalling

With two weeks to go until the Ironman, I am remarkably calm.. Oh wait, that's because I am not actually racing this year. Thoughts continue to roll through my head about next year, though. I have the ability, given my motivation level, to get the necessary training time in for 2008, but given my intense school schedule this past year, I am not confident I can keep that up through the tougher times.
So, I'm setting this out as a challenge to myself... and a bit of a mission. I have been somewhat lazy this year in terms of training. I've sputtered at the best of times, going a few days on but then requiring a long period of recovery as I caught up on projects. It's tough to balance the two, I am discovering. I had this challenge while trying to build a career as a financial advisor, and i let the job take the majority of my focus... But now I have entered a field that I am truly inspired and passionate about - filmmaking - and it requires more of my time, an erratic schedule, and sometimes a lot of focus.
The key to any type of success in this is in planning, a technique I am haphazardly amateurish at.
Bottom line is this, though. I like how being in "Ironman shape" makes me feel. I need to prove that I like that enough to dedicate myself to it. It may mean early morning trainer rides again, (amazingly enough I found myself more able in January to accomplish this), runs, etc. and a lot of solo training. However, I DO know that Masters swimming s at 5:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays... I know I won't have class at that time. So, I can plan on that.
The other level to this is energy. I need lots of it. I can't afford to feel exhausted by every workout. I can be tired, but I need to be able to recover quickly. This is a grim reality that I am facing in that it will mean a drastic change to my eating habits. I am better at this, but not good enough to manage a hectic work schedule and training...
But if I treat Ironman as a reward for being able to make these healthy changes to my life, then I will be all the better for it.
Back to work... Two weeks until sign up, then the fun begins!
The Road to 2008!

Just realized this is going to be my 200th post. It's taken me almost 2 months to get to it, though...
Well, school has knocked the crap out of me, along with getting a little sick while doing homework, etc...
So, have I found a solution to my time constraints? Sorta. I have begun working on the 10-hour/week plan for training. This is a plan to take me straight until Ironman. It is my INTENTION to see this through to the finish line.
The best line I have heard recently is that the best training plan is the one you can follow, so I am abandoning the common programs I have seen and am going to build one that I can fit.
The first step starts with joining the Hershey's, a local running group that does three high-intensity running workouts/week. I am looking to maximize results and minimize time, so higher intensity seems like the way to go. Learning to fall in love with the wonderful world of "Zone 3"... So, Thursdays and Saturdays will be those training days for running. Meaning I will move my long ride to either Sunday or during one of my free mornings during the week for the next couple of months at least.

Stay tuned, should have the plan up in the next few days...