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After hitting rock bottom after a year in graduate school while working full-time and then just recently spending five weeks on an archaeological project in Turkey during which I never exercised, I have set my sights on Ironman Revisted next month on Oahu. I have five weeks to reinvent myself from a former super endurance athlete who could do an Ironman with no training (and even a Triple Ironman) to somebody who is far more mortal but still capable. (Do I get running credit for that run-on sentence??) Let's see what happens...
July 10, Wednesday: I fly into the Bay Area from Turkey.
July 11, Thursday: One hour walk and stairclimb in the Berkeley hills.
July 12, Friday: One hour hike in Tilden Park.
July 13th, Saturday: Road ride for 3 hours: very hilly Alpine Dam loop in Marin County. Felt pretty damn weak.
July 14th, Sunday: Road ride for 90 minutes: rollling terrain Paradise Loop in Marin Count with Ed and Valerie of Mill Valley Cycle Works. Felt pretty decent. Drove to Solvang for the night, then to LA the next morning.
July 15th, Monday: Road ride for 1 hour. Flat, then three hill repeats. Felt OK on the flats, but slower and fatter than in any recent memory on the hills.
Ran 15 minutes immediately afterwards. Felt like dogmeat on the flats and death warmed over on the slight uphills. Stretched 15 minutes and did 20 crunches.
Oh boy, this is going to be a long road.....
July 16, Tuesday: 1000m swim and 15 minutes of stretching and 40 crunches. Two mile walk in the evening.
July 17, Wednesday: 1200m swim, 15 minute run, 10 minutes stretch, and 100 calf raises in the morning.
July 18, Thursday: Road ride for two hours (Nichols Loop).
July 22, Monday: Two mile, twenty minute road run in Death Valley.
July 23-27: Nada! I was in Death Valley, producing and directing the Badwater Ultramarathon. During the three days and two nights of the race, I only slept two hours!
July 28, Sunday: Two hour mountain bike up Sullivan Canyon and down Sullivan Ridge. I felt way too good on the bike, as if I'd actually been training. I guess it was having the stress of Badwater off my shoulders that made me feel so good!
July 29, Monday: Swam 1000m in the morning, then a three hour mountain bike in the afternoon: up Sullivan Canyon, across Dirt Mulholland to The Hub, then back out through the Palisades Highlands.
July 30, Tuesday: One hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion, then 30 minute, 3 mile run on the treadmill. That evening, I swam 1000m at the Culver Plunge with Mike Angelos. I guess that means I did a triathlon today!
July 31, Wednesday: Two hour road ride with Chris Frost starting in Paradise Cove, Malibu, up PCH, climbed Mulholland, then back down Encinal Canyon to PCH to Malibu. I felt pretty good, but then again, cycling is my home, especially on those roads. And it was very nice to get out on the bike with my new buddy, and Team Magnum teammate, Chris Frost. The guy knows just about everybody in Malibu!
August 1, Thursday: Twenty minute, two mile run on the treadmill, then a one hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion. Running first was not a good idea, as my left calf got a bit tight during the spin. I really need to only run AFTER doing something else, like cycling or swimming.
August 2, Friday: Ocean swim at Paradise Cove, Malibu, with Chris Frost. He dropped me like a rock instantly and every time that we resumed swimming after chatting mid-ocean. I could barely breath in my 1990 QR wetsuit, which fit me great when I weighed 160, but not great at all now. I weighed 185 about seven weeks agao, but now weigh 176, which is a step in the right direction... After the swim we headed out on a road ride with his buddy Matt, an LA County Sheriff. I turned around on PCH after about 45 minutes, though, as my inner right knee was bothering me. I know why, at least: just as I was starting the ride I discovered that my right pedal's inner bearings were shot and the pedal body was wobbling around quite a bit on the axle. I use non-floating cleats and pedals with a very carefully considered alignment. So having all that movement was just really bad for my knee. Better to be safe than sorry, so I turned around and bailed out early before we started climbing.
August 3, Saturday: Swam 1200m at the Culver Plunge. I felt pretty good, actually, which was surprising after feeling like a total blob in the ocean. Then we headed up the coast on PCH, climbed Latigo Canyon to Kanan, to Mulholland, to Old Topanga, back down Topanga to the PCH and back to Brentwood. It was 60 miles with 4,865' of climbing in 4:15. I felt really good until the last ten miles, when my inner right knee started to act up, an echo from yesterday. Hopefullly that will go away soon.
August 4, Sunday: Rest Day! You know, I've never, ever earned the myriad rest days of my career until lately. This one felt good and well-deserved!
August 5, Monday: I drove out to Paradise Cove, Malibu to meet Chris Frost for a good, long, hard road ride. We rode PCH to Malibu Canyon (which had way too much traffic), then took Mulholland, up, up, and across westbound. We climbed a lot and rode in heat and hills. I felt awesome and my knee didn't bother me at all. We were headed for the final mega death climb up Cotharin and then down Deer Creek, but then Chris flatted. He rides sew-ups and they are a bit scary after being changed, especially on downhills, so we cruised down Yerba Buena instead. It's fun riding with Chris because he's a Malibu native. He's 51 and lived in the same place for 40 years. For the past 26 years he's been a real estate agent at the same firm, so he knows everyone wherever we go here. He points out all the celebrities' houses which we pass on our bikes, like Charlie Sheen, Tommy Lee, Axl Rose, Laird Hamilon, Gabrielle Reese, Bob Dylan, and many others. I'd been riding past these houses for years, but never knew. Most of them live right on the street, easily accessible. I guess that was about four hours.
August 6, Tuesday: I cruised over the hill for a one hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion. I voluntarily did a bunch of crunches on the insane death ball.
August 7, Wednesday: Swim 45 minutes, maybe 1000m, at the Pepperdine outdoor pool with Chris Frost. Like on the roads, he knew everybody there and "held court," tellling Badwater stories with fellow Malibuites. Then we headed out on a nice, warm, hilly, three hour road ride: up Latigo Canyon, across Mulholland, then ultimately down Encinal via Decker Canyon and back to Paradise Cove on PCH. I felt ridiculously good on the bike, especially uphill. It feels so good to be getting back into shape! (Now I just need to start doing some running!)
August 8, Thursday: I met Mike Angelos at the Culver Plunge and did 1200m. I felt OK. Swimming, for me, is one of those things that I only feel remotely decent about if I do it regularly. I'm not a natural, like on the bike. And I have to not think about the fact that my usual swim training distance is 1000-1200m, while the Ironman will be about 4000m in the open ocean! After that, I cruised over the hill for a one hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion. Before class, she made me do a bunch of crunches on the insane death ball. I really could feel that I'd worked out my back while swimming. I love the indoor cycling classes with Laurie. She's the best instructor anywhere and I get so very much out of each workout on every level. Plus she's one of my best friends and I love riding with her on the stage. (I originally hired and trained her back at the beginning of 1997, when I was the Cycling Program Director for Bodies in Motion. She's gone on to become the finest instructor I know and the only one whose class I will happily take again and again.)
August 9, Friday: Unplanned rest day. Too much work to do today! Such is the life of an entrepreneur!!!
August 10, Saturday: Another unplanned rest day, dang it. Too much work to do today! Such is the miserable life of an entrepreneur!!!
August 11, Sunday: Finally got out on the road today for a three hour road ride. I rode up PCH, climbed Topanga Canyon, Old Topanga Canyon, across Mulholland and up Stunt Rd, then down Los Flores to PCH and back. It was damn hot on Stunt Road, but good for me and great to be outside! 40 miles, 3 hours, 3600 feet gain.
August 12, Monday: Ohmygawd, another work-induced rest day. This work thing really is a pain. I spend all my time, it seems, creating opportunities for other people to be fit and puruse adventure out of doors, but I am always working and missing out...
August 13, Tuesday: I swam 1300m at the Culver Plunge with Mike Angelos, then I cruised over the hill for a one hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion. After that I drove south for various meetings in Costa Mesa, Trabuco Canyon, Del Mar, and San Diego.
August 14, Wednesday: I did my one "real" ocean swim today, in La Jolla Cove (San Diego) with Sue Osborn of Triathlete Magazine and her buddy Dan Powell, a triathlete who may also be doing the Big Event on Oahu. I found out when I got there that Sue swam the English Channel a year ago! I felt very unworthy, but the three of us enjoyed a nice one mile plus swim out along the buoys and back. This is swimmer's paradise: the buoys are marked with the distances, the water is calm, warm (69.5), and shockingly clear and full of all kinds of fish and sea life. It's like swimming in a giant aquarium. If I lived anywhere near this area, I'd do this swim several times a week! I drove back to LA after enjoying a meal with Sue and Dan above the cove. They're both good people and kindred spirits.
August 15, Thursday: We intended to swim, but the pool was unexpectedly closed. I cruised over the hill for my final one hour "spinning" class with Laurie Hennessy at the Encino Bodies in Motion. She's the best instructor around and a good friend. I'm going to really miss her when I head back to Berkeley in a few days.
August 16, Friday: I drove out to Paradise Cove for a final training ride with Chris Frost. We did a nice three hour ride up PCH to Mulholland, up and across and back down Encinal Canyon in a cool fogbank. It's been great training with Chris and I'll miss him, too, as I head north. But I'll be back and hope to live out in the Malibu area.
August 17, Saturday: Rest Day due to working all morning, then going to Oxnard to plaster the parking lot of the Cool Breeze Century with event flyers, then driving to Solvang. My parents were having a party and I ate way too much food.
August 18, Sunday: I did a four hour road ride in the Solvang area: up Foxen Canyon to Siquoc, then across the Los Alamos on Palmer and Cat Canyon, then over Drum Canyon to Buellton and back to Solvang via Ballard Canyon. This was an excellent 60 miler with 3725' of climbing.
August 19, Monday: I did a nice 1.5 hour road ride out Happy Canyon and thereabouts in the east end of the Santa Ynez Valley. This is such an incredible place to ride! After that I hit the highway to drive back to Berkeley. The last twenty minutes home were in thick fog, in the middle of August, dang it! This place is a drag and I am so moving south in late December!
August 20, Tueday: I did a 45 minute road ride on my Kestrel, just to check out the new tyres and Mavic Cosmic front wheel that I got from Ed Levinson at his shop, Mill Valley Cycle Works, today.
August 21, Wednesday: Travel Day! I flew to Honolulu today and checked into the Ohana Waikiki East, the host hotel for the event. No training!
August 22, Thursday: I rode 50 miles out and back on the bike course of the race. It's pretty easy (flat, mostly), but incredibly beautiful. This afternoon we attended the pre-race meeting and met most of the other athletes. The excitement is building!
August 23, Friday: No Training. I spent the day driving the bike and marathon courses, so that I know what to expect and to hopefully avoid getting lost. The course is not closed to traffic and the route sheet is, umm, minimally detailed.
August 24, Saturday: Twenty minute ocean swim at the swim course start at San Souci Beach. It's like a bathtub! Tomorrow is the big day, ready or not!
Workout Totals
Total calendar time: 46 days
Total number of workout days: 34
Total number of rest or forced inactivity days: 12
Three walks = 2.5 hours
Seventeen bike rides = 42.25 hours
Six "spinning"classes = 5 hours
Five runs = 1.65 hours
Eleven swims (three ocean, eight pool) = 12,300 meters = 7.5 miles = app. 4:35 hours
Total Training Time = 55 hours, 45 minutes
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