The Final Assault

I sit here with sore legs.  They were sore on Monday from serious biking over the weekend.  They were sore on Tuesday from Monday's biking.  They were sore on Wednesday from Tuesday's biking and running.  They are sore today from yesterday's 16.5 mile hard run.

Why do I do this?  Because I can. Because I delight in seeing just how far I can push this one incredible piece of machinery that is my body.  Because when I push my body and it rewards me with endorphins, I feel good about myself.  Because I love the look on peoples' faces when I tell them my age and they can't believe it.  Because feeling so strong in my body makes me feel so strong in spirit.  Because when I do this to myself it makes so many other life challenges that much easier to handle.  Because when I can quiet my mind during training and let my body go on autopilot, I can quiet my mind in other circumstances where I might otherwise become overwhelmed.  Because I get a kick out of feeling like I'm 25 when I'm really 57.  Because I love setting an example for others of how GREAT you can feel.

I fully realize that this is a frivolous, unnecessary passion.  Nobody needs to exercise as much as I do (and I am careful to point that out to those who question how it is that I look how I do).  Some might even say it is unhealthy. But I would rather die doing this than some of the alternatives.  I would never say my lifestyle is for everyone.  In fact, it's not for very many people at all!  It's all for me.  Because by indulging this passion of mine, it makes me a better person.

I'm in the last 2 weeks of hard training for IMCOZ.  My run taper officially begins Sunday, but there's one more week of heavy biking to seal the deal.  In a way, I crammed for this race.  I only officially began training 20 weeks out from race day.  But I have the accumulated fitness to cram, and despite various other annoyances, I've enjoyed every single minute of it!

One of the things I am particularly enjoying is watching my friend, Brad, go through the same training that I am doing.  That was the deal for me coaching him, as he was stupid enough to ask me if he could use my training plan.  He's 26, and I've always wondered over the years whether I was more tired than I should be at various points in training cycles, so it's fun for me to hear a 26-year old reporting in that this is hard!  I hope he's realized that this isn't hard just to demonstrate just how Crackheaded I am--this is serious, elite-level Ironman training.  I am still amazed that I can train at this level.  Believe it or not, I have dialed back on some things, but I would need to go into too much detail for others to understand.

I know this will sound like a broken record, but I have always attributed my ability to train like this to doing all the right things:

• Daily stretching
• Frequent massage
• Continuous self education about my body, including musculature (to self-diagnose potential injuries), nutrition, exercise modalities, etc.
• An appropriate diet (regular and training nutrition) for my goals (that will always include BEER!)
• Proper training methods (periodization and all that)
• Strength training--I'm still at it and haven't broken my 20+ year streak!
• Sleep: while my need for sleep seems to have diminished, I must be getting enough to keep this up, right?
• Support system.  It goes without saying that it helps to know and hang out with other crazies!
• Keeping it real.  As serious as I can get about all this, I keep it fun.  Ask anyone who rides with me how much we are laughing.
• Staying on top of health issues

This is hard work!  I've also always said that actually doing the training is the easy part.  It's all the other things that enable that to happen. 


Today I do yet another 5K swim, which is really no big deal, as I've swum a lot farther than that.  But the middle 4200 will be where the action is at.  Tomorrow is my race rehearsal ride/run.  I will ride on the trainer since it will only be maybe 30 degrees when I start, but will change clothes quickly and run outside.  I will ride 5:30, which will end up being more than 112 miles, but I want the 5:30 of training stimulus.  Then I will run 6 miles at my Ironman pace.  Then I will have a food extravaganza!

Next week is less running, but 2 long rides on the weekend--5:30 and 4:00.  That will be tough, but oh well!  Like I say to many people, "it's a tough job, but someone's got to do it!"

My legs are sore.  I love this stuff!  I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing!