"IronMan Fitness at Costco"

So I think I'm ready to get back on the ball again. To regain some Fitness, okay, I really need to get back into trying to gain some IRONMAN fitness again. Right now I would settle for some consistent training days.

I wish sometimes it was just as easy as paying some cash out and setting up a home gym and becoming IRONFIT. For a special price you can gain IronMan Fitness at Costco. I wish it was that easy sometimes (only sometimes).


So after a week of being in Florida visiting my folks. It was in the mid 70's and 80's and I didn't do a dang bit of exercise except one 4 mile run. I had a weird feeling when I ran. I realized I had a "bowl full of jelly" like "Santa Clause" when I ran. That was the present I gave myself this holiday season. 15 pounds of pastries and holiday treats.

But time to step up before I get to comfortable being lazy over the holidays. It is so easy to get addicted in doing nothing.

No snow on the ground too, what's up with that?

So everybody have a nice New Year and safe one.

One or two of my resolutions for the 2007 year.

Actually have a good training schedule!
Survive my training schedule!!
The word "balance" is always on the agenda!

Let the games begin 01/01/07!!

So on a sad note this was sent to me as warning while we go out running. A body found on Christmas day at the same location our group goes trail running and where I plan to do most of my training for my 50 mile ultra.

"Victim in forest preserve ruled death by strangulation

December 28, 2006
By Kim Janssen, special to The Star

A woman found dead in the woods near Palos Park Monday morning died from being strangled, police said Tuesday.

The body of Juana Ornelas, 31, a cosmetics saleswoman and mother of one, was found about 9 a.m. Christmas Day at a picnic grove in Swallow Cliff Forest Preserve near 119th Street and LaGrange Road, forest preserve police spokesman Steve Mayberry said.

A man walking his dog found the body in a grassy area and contacted police."

Pretty tragic, especially on Christmas day. I know sadly it can happen anywhere, but I guess sometimes we need a reminder there are more predators in these woods than coyotes and killer deers.

Everybody train safe and I plan to pack my trusty knife when I run through these woods now. Hopefully years of Martial Arts training has taught me a thing or two how to use this thing.
We can't let the bad things in life keep us from the great things we can experience.

Time is on my side (for now)

"Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to." ~ Lao-Tzu

Not sure if I totally agree with Lao-Tzu saying, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. Sometimes wanting is not really the problem but creating time is just so dang hard sometimes.

But this week has been a good week for me. I actually found some time to do some training sessions I wanted to do. If I didn't have time to do certain things, I didn't stress about it and just said "I don't want to."

But as some of my body aches from training start to lessen, each day gives me a bit more confidence to move torward my goals for 2007.

I'm actually excited about 2007. 2006 was a long year training for IronMan, eventhough I have not lessen the endurance factor in my races. I'm trying to break it up a little bit with different adventures while trying to accomplish the same effect.

More mud and more trails to run this year So this weekend was about that.

So Saturday I went on a solo trail run, only around 7.5 miles. It would have been 8.5, but somehow I got a little lost running in the forest preserve. But sometimes I think I needed to run by myself, to pace myself, and find myself. Along the way answered some questions why I still like to run. Eventhough my heart rate is still pacing way high during my trail run, (215 max hr - hopefully my Garmin was a little haywire. If not I think I would pass out with a max Heart Rate like that). I made it without stopping to catch my breath so it was a good day. No tylenol needed.

Sunday was the group mountain bike ride and trail run. Eventhough I was mostly in the back of the pack during the trail run. Just felt good to be out there once again and not gasping for breath like I was a week before. But another 8.5 miles in the trail running log.

Then came the brick mountain bike ride. On the same muddy trail we just ran. I had to say it was tough, but I hung in there as much as I could and surely was dying at the end. It is always one of those things that you cannot wait till the end but want to try again once you are finished.

So the stats for the week:

Swimming 2x's
Weights/Core 3x's
Bike trainer 2x's
Treadmill Running 2x's
Trail runs 2x's
Mountain Biking 1x's
Falling on my ass while running - Zero x's (thank goodness)

The aftermath - Here's to mud in your eyes!

A Little More Inspiration = More Perspiration

After moping around the previous week, I found something to give me a little more inspiration for the week. Everybody has something: a song, movie, and even a little object to get them out the door.

For me it was this little object I had put away for safe keeping. I had bought this item at the IMooo expo. It was gift for my 4 yr old daughter, I thought she could think of me when she wears it (a fathers wish anyway).

So after giving it to her, she said the usual,

"It's nice, I want to wear it".

So after 20 minutes,

"Daddy I want to take this off".

Well I guess it lasted longer than I thought it would.

So after wearing it awhile I put it away. So one day I decided to put it on again. Putting it on again has somehow, in its little way, helped me pick up my feet again and get me out the door a little more each day.

So this week has been a good one, nothing fancy, just trying to tell my body to wake up after its slumber:

Treadmill running 3x's
Weights/Core 3x's
Bike trainer 1x's
Swimming 2x's

Mountain biking 0x's (icy conditions)
Trail running 1x's
Falling on my ass while Trail Running 2x's
Tylenol after getting home 2x's

Thanks for everybody's advice from my last post. It is the time just to get out there again, no structured training plan and trying to stay in zone 2 during training. So that is my plan until January 01 2007.

Still undecided about a coach thou. I know I need to break-up my 2007 season into a UltraRunning and IronMan training program. There becomes the problem concerning a coach, trying to find one with experience in both is quite a dilemma for me.

But I'm committed in pushing myself (endurance wise) for '07 and complete a 50 miler UltraMarathon and IronMan race.

So at least for me, I know it has been done before and that is all I need to know. Hopefully along the way get a little faster and PR some races.

Now if I can just stay away from those tasty pastries.

"5 minute rule"

Lately I have been trying to initiate my 5 minute rule. A rule I read awhile ago about how to become your "own personal trainer".

Workout for 5 minutes, if it still sucks stop, if you feel better continue. It has always worked for me, but as the winter descends upon the Midwest, my 5 minute rule is not working for me lately because it seriously is taking me 20 to 30 minutes just to get out of the door.

I'm loosing my inspiration and not enough perspiration. Arrgghhh...

I'm just trying to tell myself it is all part of the winter blues. Only the "crazies" ride their bikes and run outside in sub 30 degree weather. So why do I don't want to be there also.

I really feel overwhelmed these days. A off-season plan I have been trying to formulate, since I never had one before. But the more I try to map it out (without a coach) the more it seems like a full out, game-on training plan, just the devices are a little different.

Plyometrics, core workouts, weight room, swimming, mountain biking, and trail running in this winter wonderland. 3X's, 4X's, or even 5X's per week. Huh?

Maybe a 5 minute mediation would help. Now if I could not take so long to get ready for that.

So what are you all doing in the off-season? I need some advice.

"Masters Division"

As I plod along another week of some gradual training. It has been a week of 2 steps forward followed with one step back. Nursing a chronic foot injury today.

I think to myself, when I was younger, the weather, minor injuries would not stall my efforts to get me out of the door. Then I think to myself I'm not as young as I used to be. Turning 40 a couple of months ago has elevated me to more than just another age group (40-44), but I've been put into a more distinguishable division.

That of the "MASTERS" division.

So by a group of pure "runners" I ran with occasionally last winter I was reminded what rules I should follow and along the way be a better runner for it.

"We should review a few rules of masters competition:"

1) None of us is as good as we used to be. Masters is a competition of who gets slower slowest, an understanding that should keep all of us humble.

2) The competition ends when the race is over, and the camaraderie begins (again!).

3) We root for one another - always! - because we recognize that without our peers we have no sport.

4) Having been through open competition, we recognize that "winning" is a momentary, fleeting accomplishment - that it won't bring any lasting happiness the way family, career, and friends will - but that staying healthy and competing with like-minded people in the sport that we love
will make our days much better.

5) Winners shouldn't gloat - ever. We're always one step away from a hamstring pull, plantar fascitis, or some wicked sprain/strain that we never even knew existed until we turned 40. We spend 4 out of every 5 years getting older and slower while new "young" blood spills into our age division. And, most importantly, it's disrespectful of the effort every one of us old fogies has to make just to be here.

6) Finally, our fellow masters athletes are some of the best people I know. Why would any of us want to do anything other than make our peers feel as great about themselves as we want to feel about ourselves.

Here is to being in the Master's division.