90 Days to Kona

It is officially 90 days to Kona. From now to October will be more focused, everything counts, food, workout, stretching, recovery, and sleep. I am very thankful for a great coach who is an active Ironman Triathlete. It makes a difference in my level of trust knowing that more than twenty years of experience in the sport are the basis for her recommendations - www.UCANDOITCoach.com.

My Culpeper MOOve It Fan Club 

This weeks workouts were relentless. Every time that I finished a workout there was another one staring me in the face. I was able to get most of the work out done early in the mornings starting as early as 5 AM. I do a lot from 5 Am - 8 AM. That is a great 3 hour time to get the work out of the day out of the way. It leaves my body ready for protein...

I usually have a large protein shake after the work outs. I have been persuaded try the Island Green Spinach & Kale (tm) from Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Culpeper with 2 scoops of protein. It is really good. I was surprised. My body craves protein and that usually makes me feel good. Oh yea... i ask for 1/2 the sugar - perfect. The persuading force happens to be my new training partner.... My wife Katherine. 

Katherine has joined me in the running workouts this week. She will be ready for a first Triathlon by next season. Watching me for that past few years on the sidelines has fueled a desire to be a part of the action. Sitting on the sidelines is not nearly as fun as crossing the finish line. It is great to have her running next to me. Her outfit is very stylish.... Watermelon Shoes, Lime Green compression socks, and a matching lime green blouse. Oh and a Raleigh Ironman 70.3 cap - she earned it. She carried things for me the entire weekend of the race. I made the mistake of saying that she looked like a sherpa... yes a mistake... The Ironman Raleigh cap was an obvious attempt to change the subject.. She kept the cap. 

Observations from this week: 

Swim - 90 Minutes against the current - 30 at 2 MPH - 60 at 1 MPH. The sun came up and from behind the clouds at around 7:45 AM - I had been in the water for about 45 minutes by then. At that point I realized that everyone that said they would be there to train had rolled over on the alarm clock. It was just me and another regular swimmer. It was also at that point that I noticed that as I placed my hand in the water that the sun illuminated the bubbles created in the motion. They looked like golden diamonds. Too bad for the others - they missed an element of God's creation this morning. 

Culpeper VA Farms and Pastures 

Earlier in the week I had used a lunch break to swim. There were more swimmers in the pool than normal. I like this because the Turttle Pool forces a simulated open water environment. I was forced to strategize to pass two swimmers. Normally the unwritten rule is to swim to the outside of the oval shape and pass to the inside. This makes passing easier. However, the swimmers were hugging the inside lane and forced me to speed up and use some very precious oxygen to pass them. It took a lap to regain my breathing and get back to a normal pace. This was great open water training. Swimming next to others in the Triathlon can be one of the most "interesting" parts of the race. Knowing how to manage your mind and your heart rate / breathing is advantageous... 

Run  - As I mentioned, having my wife and now running partner is great. I feel my speed and sense of pace improving. As much as I want to run fast, I realize that the Ironman is about distance. My training is about slow and steady for a long time. This takes patience and discipline. 

Bike - I teach 3 indoor Cycling Classes per week, I have a great time with the classes. Many of the members of the facilities are weekend athletes as well. They are training for Triathlon, Marathon, and some of the newer rogue events. Fitness goals are contagious. I even have a new fan club - I call them the MOOve It Fan Club. 

Culpeper Mountain Vistas 

On Saturday I had a scheduled 4 hour ride. I began the ride at 9 AM after the 90 minute swim. My goal was a low heart rate and a steady ride. This takes some planning with hydration and nutrition. Especially since I was planning  a short run afterwards. As i rode the back roads of Culpeper County, I was forced to remove myself from the noise of life... No social media, no music, no one to talk with... just me and the road. It took about two hours to clear out the thoughts about work, relationships, and goals... and then as I turned a corner and saw one of the mountain vistas, I realized how amazing it was to be in that moment. The view was amazing, the air that I was breathing was filtered by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the roads were paved through pastures and forest, the green vegetation was producing healthy and energizing oxygen, and there were few cars to disrupt the sounds of the wind. My Saturday workout started at 6:30 and finished at 2:30 - a good day of training.