DO WORK

Writing about this is actually kind of hard. I've never been in a position like this before and talking about something that means this much to me is...honestly...just weird. Let's just say...Completing this piece, having it showcased at Red Bull's Exhibit in Philadelphia and being selected to their advertising campaign is an honor I cannot describe.

Sitting beside me is actually a magazine featuring a full page ad of "Newton's Bull". Honestly...I cannot put into words how special this has become. The beautiful photos that Red Bull took were honestly, icing on the cake...

Will this inspire me to create more art for Red Bull... Absolutely! I will be starting my next piece very soon. More on that late this year...

For more information, please visit http://www.redbullartofthecan.com/. Once there...you can visit the prior years artwork as well as art that will be featured in both Philadelphia and Chicago. Be patient with images of the new artwork...the site is still being modified.

Mg

Monday:

Swim: Back out to Southlake today. Felt really good and was excited about the workout. Would have liked to have gone a little longer but a slow morning with plenty to do left me a bit crunched for time.

I rolled things out pretty easy today as I'm watching my efforts going forward. Felt really solid in the water! Saving myself for a couple key sessions in the pool this week. More to come on that later. Actually....you'll see them soon enough!

(scy) Southlake

• 1000 leaving on 14:30, finishing in 13:58
• 1000 leaving on 14:15, finishing in 13:39
• 200 on 2:55, finishing on 2:36
• 200 on 2:55, finishing on 2:35
• 200 on 2:55, finishing on 2:33
• 300 free w/fins on 4:05, finishing on 3:47
• 300 free w/fins on 4:05, finishing on 3:46
• 100 stroke easy
• 100 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:51:00 / 3400 yards

Run: Took it back out to Campion Trail today for a nice and smooth session. I wasn't looking to break any records...just try and find a smooth pace and role with that. I think I nailed it pretty good and can look forward to a solid week all around.

New shoes seem to work out pretty good! I'll let you know more after next weeks race!

• Mile 1 - 7:48, Mile 2 - 8:09
• Mile 3 - 8:06, Mile 4 - 8:03
• Mile 5 - 7:49, Mile 6 - 7:58
• Mile 7 - 7:56, Mile 8 - 7:51
• Mile 9 - 7:49

Total Run Time: 1:12:00 / 9.1 miles

Tuesday:

Swim: Beautiful day today....therefore, I took the short drive over to Northlake for some outdoor swimming. The bulkhead has been moved, therefore the deep end is now back to 25 yards...oh well

Speed is coming along nicely and will hopefully be able to bring things together come race day November 3rd.

(scy) Northlake

• 1000 leaving on 14:15, finishing in 13:50
• 1000 leaving on 14:00, finishing in 13:32
• 500 leaving on 6:55, finishing in 6:35
• 5 x 100 leaving on 1:30, finishing in (1:17, 1:16, 1:16, 1:16, 1:15)
• 200 stroke
• 100 pull easy
• 5 x 50 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:50:00 / 3400 yards

Bike: Very easy today. Just rode around town and tried to stay relaxed. Looking for another key workout later on this week. Hit a solid run yesterday...solid swim today...and looking for an extremely solid bike over the next couple days. Will assess everything when I wake up tomorrow.

Total Bike Time: 1:50:00 / 35.6 miles

Wednesday:

Bike: Started a bit late today and was a tad worried about the heat-humidity. Initial plan was to execute a 3 hour ride followed by a 5-6 mile transition run. At the last minute, I inserted a fail safe in case things didn't work out the way I wanted. As I went over the route in my head....I decided to bring myself by the house at around mile 40.

Well, it's a good thing I stuck with that plan. At the 1:45 mark...the heat was starting to settle in. Executing a workout like this isn't the issue...it's heat exhaustion and fatigue that get me. Had I decided to push through the original plan....to nail the bike-run brick...I can almost assure you that I would have felt it by Friday.

It's really my own fault. I slept in late...answered a bunch of e-mails and took my sweet time getting out the door. By the time I left the house...the heat index was up to 94. While that's not super hot...it's still heat, and I can't tell you how much it really does affect any and all your workouts.

In case you didn't know....There really are "major" reasons why top end triathletes prep in Southern California prior to racing in Kona. The quality of life and training go through the roof when your able to train and live in ideal conditions.

I did manage to get a solid ride in.... Felt pretty darn good about my efforts and was happy I turned it off when I did!

Total Bike Time: 2:02:00 / 40.3 miles

Run: After waiting for the sun to set...I ventured off to the track at around 8 p.m. It was a great night for a run and was excited to get out and start moving. The blisters on the back of my Achilles are another story... HA! I swear, if it's not one thing...it's another!

Decided to warm up at IM pace and then hit a nice and steady tempo for a couple miles. I wanted to get a sense of how my legs doing post injury. Fatigue, Strength, Pain, etc, etc...I needed to see where my limitations were right now.

I didn't see anything wrong with opening up the legs for a few minutes. It was actually nice to bring the efforts up again. After a couple miles....I immediately brought the heart and effort back down to IM pace for a nice half mile cool-down.

While a 2 mile tempo doesn't do much for training or fitness...it does give me some ideas where I stand right (How my body is reacting - absorbing - recovering from everything that has taken place over the past few months). Hopefully, I'll get some more data over the next few weeks...Data that I can take to Ironman with me!

• 3.3 miles to warm-up at IM Pace (25 minutes)
• 2.0 miles at tempo (13:11) (miles in 6:36:6:35)
• .5 miles to cool-down

Total Run Time: 0:42:00 / 5.8 miles

Thursday:

Bike: Left out a little late this morning, AGAIN. Really need to nip this in the ass! Screwing up my days!

OK...so I rode pretty well despite being a little tired in the beginning and another day under some serious heat. Structure was ride easy for the first 25 miles and then build to IM effort by 30 miles...hold steady until the end. I felt really strong after 25...so this was a good plan.

Decided to shut the day down after the ride. Need to get to bed early and working out late seems to mess that up. Can't seem to relax at night when working out late...

Total Bike Time: 2:28:00 / 50.3 miles

Friday:

Swim: Back over to Northlake today. Beautiful outside. Decided to stay off the bike today... Considering my options for the weekend. Probably go for a key workout again on Sunday.

As for today in the pool...it was another continuous swim....this time 3000 yards. Felt really awesome! Another key swim in the books...

Goal before IM Florida "IS STILL" to hit the 4500 yard mark in under an hour. This still might be pretty hard,...but non-the-less..."IT'S STILL A GOAL"!

(scy) Northlake

• 3 x 100 on 1:55 (1:22)
• 2 x 50 on 1:00
• 3000 cruise in 40:52 (500's in 6:53, 6:51, 6:48, 6:48, 4:46, 6:44)
• 2x200 pull on 2:55 (2:39)
• 200 stroke
• 5 x 100 on 1:45 (1:19, 1:18, 1:17, 1:17, 1:16)

Total Swim Time: 1:07:00 / 4500 yards

Run: Over to Campion Trail again. Wanted a nice easy run on some flat surface. Felt really good. Cool breeze on the way back....felt really solid.

• Mile 1 - 8:15, Mile 2 - 7:59
• Mile 3 - 7:50, Mile 4 - 7;46
• Mile 5 - 7:38, Mile 6 - 7:35
• Mile 6.5 - 3:49

Total Run Time: 0:51:00 / 6.5 miles

Saturday:

Day Off: Focus today was to take the day down "nice and easy", in order to make way for a key workout tomorrow! With these plans in mind...I needed a solid nights sleep heading into Saturday's rest day. That really didn't work out very well. Working out so late Friday evening had me restless. I think I woke up 6 times. Bummer.

Well....Saturday night thing were a little different. Laying down for bed at 9:30 pm...I knew that would give me enough time to wake up early and nail a solid nights sleep. Well..I didn't wake up until 9 a.m. the next morning. At this point...I think my body just needed the rest.

Sooo....my early morning workout on Sunday tuned into a hot and humid sweat fest Sunday afternoon!

Sunday:

Bike: Super hard ride today. Build to a solid effort by :45 minutes and hold. Once past the :60 minute mark....escalate intensity every :15 minutes.

At the end of the ride...I threw up one of the most productive Training workouts I have ever done....and boy did it take some work. The wind (16+mph) and heat (96 degrees) were just tough. Ride was an out and back course through Flower Mound and across the Dam. What sort of sucked was the build phase for the first hour, all with the wind.... All the harder efforts were back into the wind...whew...

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TURN DOWN THE HEATER! REALLY GETTING A BIT TIRED OF THIS!

Total Ride Time: 2:17:00 / 50.7 miles

Run: I had Julie meet me at Campion Trail after the ride today. She brought the camera out today and took a couple photos. Couple good ones out of the bunch. Threw a couple of them up in the gallery section....there ok.

While the focus was all bike...I still needed a small brick. It was honestly too hot to run long and so I made it a small transition...couple miles.

Felt really good as I left for the run. Legs were nice and opened up. Really wish the temp was in the 80's....would have like to make the run a bit longer.

Transition took about 3 minutes...couple to load the bike into the back of the truck...throw gear into the back seat....another minute to lace up the shoes and throw down a bit of nutrition...

• Mile 1 - 7:14, Mile 2 - 7:14

Total Run Time: 0:16:00 / 2.2 miles

Swim: Since I cut the run short today...I still had plenty left in the tank. Thought it might be good to turn out a few yards. Back up to the bathtub today. All swim workouts at 24 Hour Fitness just went to B level days. I don't think I'll ever do a key swim workout up there again...

Focus was nice and easy today...

• 10 x 100 on 1:40 (1:21 - 1:23)
• 10 x 100 on 1:35 (1:20 - 1:21)
• 5 x 100 on 1:30 (1:19 - 1:21)
• 200 stroke
• 6 x 50 as (25 head down - 25 head up)
• 100 free

Total Swim Time: 0:51:00 / 3100 yards

Totals for the Week:

• Total Swim Time: 3 hrs 39 min / 14,300 yards
• Total Bike Time: 8 hrs 37 min / 176.9 miles
• Total Run Time: 3 hrs 01 min / 23.6 miles
• Total Strength Time: 0 hrs 00 min / 0 sessions

Total Hours Trained During The Week: 15 hrs 17 min

Notes for the week:

Volume was down again this week. BUT....all my workouts were awesome! All key and exactly what I was looking for.

To be honest...I'm finding my own training philosophy and style. It's kind of cool. We'll just have to see if works out. Right now...It's all about quality! "It's not what you do, but how you do it"......a philosophy I've taken to heart over the past couple weeks. I do have to say...it's seems to be working out great.

I'm also helping out a few athlete key up for big events and dial into there own style. It's been nice as has me thinking about helping more athletes out as I've become more veteraned in the sport. Maybe the coaching side of me is trying to make an appearance.

I've thought about it several times! Never really wanted to make the commitment until I reached a level I was content with....and that still hasn't happened yet! Never know...maybe after the season's over...I'll take on some of the request I've been getting.

OK...other than what I've wrote...nothing more going on. Tomorrow is another key day and will keep you posted as the week progresses.

Still more to come...

Mg

Monday:

Swim: Very positive session again today. Still looking for consistent time during open swim sets. Took the length up to 40+ minutes today. I couldn't have felt better and it couldn't have been more opposite to the last long session I did. Where I WAS feeling nauseous through the 30 minute mark...everything seemed to flow nicely today. Stomach and body are getting stronger! My ability to relax during longer sets is getting easier to mange. I felt like I was gliding during the last 1000 today.

On a side note. When I state the word "cruise"...this means all "effort" is done on Long Course (IM) Pace....

(scy) Southlake

• 150 smooth to warm-up
• 3000 cruise in 41:03 (clearing 500's in 6:55, 6:52, 6:50, 6:51, 6:47, 6:46)
• 150 smooth to relax
• 500 pull in 6:51
• 4 x 100 cruise on 1:30 (1:20)

Total Swim Time: 1:00:00 / 4200 yards

Bike: Very easy bike today. After about two dozen e-mails to blast through...a trip to Central Market...and a few odds and ends...I did make it out the door at about 4 p.m.. Will try and wake up early tomorrow!

Total Bike Time: 1:48:00 / 34.2 miles

Tuesday:

Run: Back to the track today for another solid run. Had to turn things off early because of the football team. I feel kind of weird running while the JV and Varsity guys are out walking around...running drills, kicking field goals, passing, getting water, etc, etc. Just thought it would be polite if I left. Ok with me...it was pretty toasty!

Kept it on cruise again today and worked on negative splits again...smooth action!

• Mile 1 - 7:35, Mile 2 - 7:37
• Mile 3 - 7:32, Mile 4 - 7:30
• Mile 5 - 7:21, Mile 6 - 7:16
• Mile 7 - 7:09

Total Run Time: 52:04 / 7 miles

Bike: Easy spin after getting some really awesome news from Red Bull... I will post more as things progress. I guess you can say it's quit exciting and not sure how to feel about it right now. A little overwhelming and want to convey a sincere blog entry regarding the events that have transpired.

The bike was smooth and easy. Little hungry on today's ride. I have a feeling I'm not eating the way I should. Possibly neglecting my nutrition a tad. Will work on that over the next few days. Really need to nip that in the butt!

Total Ride Time: 2:06:00 / 41.2 miles

Wednesday:

No bricks today. Slept late and handled business in the afternoon under the heat and sun.

Bike: Steady state today. Rolled out to Texas Stadium and through the hills on the backside of Las Colinas out towards the airport. After I made it out there...I turned around and did it all over again. Extremely good workout!!!!

Total Bike Time: 2:25:00 / 47.2 miles

Swim: Back in the bathtub at 24 Hour Fitness. That pool is so much slower than everything else. Although....I do like the tougher conditions. It's like swimming in the ocean or lake. Your just all over the place. Also...when you head back to a standard competition pool...your like 3 secs a 100 faster...SWEET!

(scy) 24 Hour Fitness

• 2 x 400 cruise on 5:55 (5:36, 5:36)
• 2 x 400 cruise on 5:50 (5:29, 5:26)
• 1 x 400 cruise on 5:45 (5:23)
• 200 stroke
• 5 x 200 pull cruise on 2:55 (holding 2:44)
• 50 stroke
• 50 free

Total Swim Time: 0:51:00 / 3300 yards

Thursday:

Swim: Back over to Southlake again today. Love that cold water and indoor Natatorium!! Solid workout today and wanted to focus a bit on tempo.

(scy) Southlake

• 5 x 200 cruise on 3:00 (2:44, 2:45, 2:41, 2:41, 2:37)
• 5 x 200 paced on 2:50 (2:35, 2:33, 2:32, 2:31, 2:30)
• 2 x 50 on :60 (:38)
• 2 x 50 on :55 (:37)
• 2 x 50 on :50 (:36)
• 2 x 50 on :45 (:35)
• 200 stroke
• 100 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:42:00 / 2700 yards

Run: Elliptical and Treadmill today. Watching my efforts running outside. Having a few issues with my Brooks. Might need to switch... 1:05 on the Elliptical and :10 minutes on the Treadmill

Total Elliptical-Run Time: 1:15:00 / 1.2 miles

Strength: Nice core workout

Total Strength Time: 0:13:00

Friday:

Run: Woke up really early as I couldn't sleep well. Seemed refreshed so I hit the track for a long run at about 5 a.m. Things didn't really click though...felt really heavy in the head and body. After about 3 miles...my shins started hurting. Stopped after 3.1 and went home.

After going back to sleep and waking up again at 10 a.m., I ventured back to the running store to talk with my guy about a different pair of shoes. I think we nailed it and went with a similar setup to what I had about a year ago. Sometimes...you just have to go with what works. Hopefully this will workout and I will be able to go ahead without any issues.

Total Run Time: 0:25:00 / 3.1 miles

Swim: Really tired!!! No mood to workout but I was already here so I just turned out a few yards.

Total Swim Time: 0:16:00 / 1000 yards

Saturday:

Zero....

Completely shelled!!! Slept 15 hours last night. Went to bed at 9 on Friday and woke up at noon the next day. Ate some food and went back to bed around 2. Slept until 4:30. Total hours slept was around 17.5.

Honestly....I cannot remember the last time I felt so run down! My sleep over the past few days has been horrible and I think it's finally caught up to me.

It's about 9:30 right now and I am headed to bed. Hopefully I'll have a relaxing evening and nail the workout I've been looking for all week....tomorrow.

Sunday:

Well...Everything turned out perfect. Taking yesterday completely off turned out beneficial. I will definitely take note of this for my upcoming race down in Austin. All the sleep yesterday was exactly what I needed. I still can't believe I felt so bad the past 2 days and turned out a day like today. Really makes you respect your body and how important rest and recovery play into training.

Bike: I wanted a solid race sim this week and that's exactly what I got!!! Left the house at around 9:30 a.m. and just went with how I felt. Never really pushed the pace...just fell into a groove and went with it. I'm a big believer in letting the body determine how you race or train.

The day ended with me wanting so much more from myself. Excited about my next race...tomorrows training....and everything in between now and Florida. This workout was so important as yesterday I was in a bit of a funk!

The structure was a long ride + a transition run....all at race effort. Rode out to Roanoke again to hit up some solid hills. Made my way back to Valley Ranch by mile 80. Worked the remainder of the ride inside of Valley Ranch and Las Colinas. I was looking for some flat terrain to wrap up the last 30+ miles.

Things couldn't have gone better and I found myself clearing the 112 mile mark in 5:12:30. This is positive news as I put myself into a far more difficult course than the one I will be racing in Florida's... Not to mention zero race gear...and and no real taper....I think I'm seeing some solid bike fitness come about! SWEET!!!!

It should be very exciting to see the past 4 months of bike fitness culminate over the next 6 weeks. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hopefully....there will be more good things to come!

Total Ride Time: 5:15:00 / 112.9 miles

Run: Transition run was done at Campion Trail today. I was looking for a concrete surface, not a lot of traffic and somewhat flat terrain resembling Florida's run course.

I rolled into Campion Trail relaxed and ready to roll. I think the 2.5 minutes standing and stretching after mile 112 worked well for today's run.

Left the truck and ran to the first mile marker which was about 200 yards away. I didn't record the time as I will have to do the same thing in transition come race time. Leaving the tent in Florida...you will have a short run before crossing the mat to begin the marathon.

Anyway...I settled in nice and smooth today and felt awesome! Clicking through the miles with an unusual ease! Felt pretty good.

I want to say thank you sooo much to Julie for helping me out today. I wouldn't have been able to nail the workout had it not been for her help! Thx Babe!

• Mile 1 - 7:24, Mile 2 - 7:30
• Mile 2 - 7:26, Mile 4 - 7:24
• Mile 4.5 - 3:44

Total Run Time: 0:33:00 / 4.5 miles

Totals for the Week:

• Total Swim Time: 2 hrs 49 min / 11,200 yards
• Total Bike Time: 11 hrs 34 min / 235.5 miles
• Total Run Time: 3 hrs 05 min / 25.8 miles
• Total Strength Time: 0 hrs 13 min / 1 sessions

Total Hours Trained During The Week: 17 hrs 41 min

Notes for the week:

What goes up...must come down. Well, the same goes for good and bad. When luck's on your side and things are going well, sooner or later...that luck will be tested. I suppose it's how you play your cards that determines a hardships outcome. Yeah...that sounds about right!

This week I've seen every side of emotion. Positive news coming out of Red Bull regarding my artwork in Philadelphia was the highlight of my week. (More to come on that...will post a full blog in a day or two. I was waiting on photos and the Art of the Can website.)

Now...on the flip side...I saw severe sleep deprivation and exhaustion you would not believe even if I told you!

Friday was a true nightmare. I only slept 4 hours before heading to the track for a 5 a.m. run which turned out horrible. Issues with my shoes and shin were the main culprits. Later, at the pool....I felt so run down I could only turn out 1000 yards. I did manage to get some new shoes.

Sleep wasn't much better that afternoon as I couldn't calm down and relax...only focusing on the work I was missing or the issues I was having with my body. I was actually wondering how I could get through a marathon in 6 weeks. A talk later in the day with good ol' Alex was positive but didn't actually hit me until Sunday. All the things he said...all his positivity was severely overshadowed by this horrible feeling I was having.

I actually had to call the doctor and get something to calm me down. The lack of sleep had me real jittery and anxious. I was so tired....but I couldn't relax. Anyway...after taking some medicine...I was out cold...15+ hours of straight sleep. When I woke up...I think I felt worse...HA...go figure. Sooo, I ate some breakfast/lunch and went back to bed. Another couple hours of sleep and I woke up a bit better. Went out to Dinner...came home...watched some TV and went to bed.

Woke up Sunday morning like a new person. The days down were perfect and has me thinking about how I will prep going into Florida. I am listing a couple notes below.

• No unnecessary workouts! (While all weeks have fillers...I will just loose a couple unnecessary ones!)
• I will use the day off before race scenario this week once..and again at the Longhorn Half Ironman 2 weeks from now. Will be testing this scenario for IM Florida race day.
• Focus for IM Florida will be on the bike. I have to use what I can and what I've trained.
• While I will be able to nail a few key runs before the race...my volume will almost certainly be down. I just refuse to force anything my body cannot absorb...
• The run in Florida will be tough...I just need to do what I can and stay positive. I can still run an awesome marathon and have to remember that!
• Body dictates pace...training and workout intensity! Remember that!
• Longhorn Half Ironman is just another race sim! It's not your A race but an event to run through the motions and iron out some cobwebs!
• Longhorn will be an event to swim well and bike harder than normal... Can't wait to bike.
• Key workouts. I need plenty of them and that's what these remaining 6 weeks will be tailored around.
• Again...No more unnecessary volume, no more junk miles... All Quality!

Your probably like...whoa...lots of stuff! Well, after a week like I just had...if I didn't learn anything or didn't take notes...I'd have to call myself in idiot!

OK...next blog will be about the Art of the Can Exhibit in Philadelphia. After that...it's back to training.

Mg

Monday:

Took the whole day down. Spent some time with my dad and went out to Ft. Worth for lunch. Afterwards...just kicked back and tried to enjoy the crummy day outside.

Tuesday:

Bike: Super easy bike out to Grapevine Dam and back. Nothing to talk about other than it was super chilly! 70 degrees down here with a solid wind out of the North. I know you Northerners probably think I'm crazy but it really was cold for Tejas. At least I wasn't expecting the temperature change to be so drastic. With the humidity....it has been 105+ degrees here all summer!

Total Bike Time: 1:20:00 / 24.5 miles

Run: After an amazing Birthday Lunch...Yes...it is my 33rd Birthday, and Thank You to everyone who sent me e-mails or made today special!....

Ok...back to what your here for!!! I headed over to the High School down the street for what would be my first real concrete run since my injury. I was pretty nervous and ran on (PE) erceived exertion the entire time. Tried to keep it smooth and steady. Worked on form and foot striking...looking out for any ticks or issues that might come up. In the end...it was my best and most productive run post injury. Couldn't be more excited about going forward!!!!!

Stayed in Valley Ranch and did the 2.6 mile extended loop 2 times around the High School and through the neighborhoods....and then a short 1.3 mile loop around the same area cutting the course short after a climb up the hill. The hill is on both loops.

• 1st loop 2.6 miles - 21:19 (8:11 min / mile)
• 2nd loop 2.6 miles - 19:52 (7:38 min / mile)
• 3rd loop 1.3 miles - 9:48 (7:40 min / mile)

Total Run Time: 0:51:00 / 6.5 miles

Wednesday:

Swim: Well...with every great workout comes a workout that doesn't meet your standards. While today's workout was a descent one...my body just wasn't 100%. I wasn't pushing for a super structured day...but I was hoping for a bit of energy! I just felt run down...tired...and my muscles weren't responding the way I wanted. By the time I hit my main set...I was completely exhausted. No fun and no desire to be in the water.

This bring me back to my"big block training 2 day taper scenario". Executing a day off 2 days out...small workout the day before...just won't work (at least for me). Instead...if you had to race during a big block of training...I would bring the volume down 3 days out... If the race was on Sunday...I'd go

• Thursday: Easy 2 hour bike with pickups followed by 30min t-run (nap afterwards)
• Friday: Swim (4000+) (nap afterwards)
• Saturday: Easy Swim (1000 easy) followed by an easy bike for about an hour early in the morning...maybe an easy 2 mile run off the bike. Go back to hotel and relax!

Anyway...today's key set was a continuous 30 min set. I just wanted to keep it simple...just swim! I think I over did the warm-up as the Vasa Trainer does plenty...there was no need for the 100's!

Vasa Trainer: 2 x 20

(scy) Southlake

• 4 x 100 easy to continue warmup on 1:40 (1:21)
• 2200 cruise in 30:30 (clearing 500's in 6:57, 6:56, 6:56, 6:54, 2:44)
• 200 stroke
• 300 free cruise in 4:05
• 200 stroke
• 4 x 50 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:54:00 / 3500 yards

Run: After a 2 hour nap...I decided I'd head out the door and make my way to the track. Felt much better after some sleep. When I hit the track...I may a decision to just run...and try and find some rhythm. I hit the lap button every mile for personal reference. At the end...legs felt great and no issues with the foot. Very optimistic at this point!! Data from the run listed below.

On another note....don't be surprised if I you see lots of data on each run. For the next 8 weeks...every run session is extremely important...at least to me!

• Mile 1 - 8:00 / Mile 2 - 7:56
• Mile 3 - 7:49 / Mile 4 - 7:45
• Mile 5 - 7:30 / Mile 6 - 7:30
• Mile 7 - 7:15 / Mile 8 - 7:12
• Mile 8.5 - 3:39

Thursday:

Back to the 3 day taper scenario during large volume training. I like this scenario a lot. After some solid sleep last night...I woke up energized and ready to roll today. With that in mind...I decided to hop on the bike and put down a solid effort....short of course since this is a rest week!

Bike: Structure was easy out across the dam and hard on the way back. I rode out pretty easy and turned the volume up pretty good on the way back home. Whew...felt good to dig deep again!! Been a long time since I put down a solid effort like today. Was nice to see the strength.

• 15.9 miles out to dam in 51:00 (18.7 mph)
• 15.9 miles back home in 39:00 (24.5 mph) pushed pretty hard

Total Ride Time: 1:30:00 / 31.8 miles (21.2 mph average)

Run: Build to steady on elliptical and an easy 12 min on treadmill afterwards... 40 min on Elliptical / 12 min on Treadmill

Total Elliptical - Run Time: 0:52:00 / 1.4 miles

Friday:

Swim: Back out to Southlake again for a "long-set" focus! Good day and I was happy with the workout! Hit some strong 100's after long set... Lot's of work to go though.... Flip turning continuously through big sets can really get upsetting. I found myself nauseous going into lap 40...whew... Tomorrow I think I might go after a big day of 100's with a strong Vasa Trainer Session... That's a Maybe!!!

Goal before IM Florida will be to hit 4500 yards in under an hour. That might be pretty hard!

(scy) Southlake

• 200 free easy
• 2 x 100 free easy
• 2 x 50 free easy
• 50 stroke
• 2500 cruise in 34:29 (clearing 500's in 6:57, 6:55, 6:53, 6:52, 6:51)
• 200 stroke
• 6 x 50 kick on 1:30 (1:05)
• 4 x 100 strong / hard on 1:45 (1:14, 1:12, 1:11, 1:11)
• 100 free easy
• 50 free easy

Total Swim Time: 1:10:00 / 4100 yards

Strength: After dinner...I headed back to the gym for an upper body weight session. Felt really awesome! Will hit lower body on Saturday or Sunday...probably Sunday!

Total Strength Time: 0:45:00

Saturday:

Run: Took it back to the track today! Goal was another steady state run. Just looking for some numbers and feedback on the foot. Things rolling good. Turned it down after 8 due to the heat and the fact that I've got nothing to prove right now!

• Mile 1 - 7:49 / Mile 2 - 7:45
• Mile 3 - 7:36 / Mile 4 - 7:36
• Mile 5 - 7:29 / Mile 6 - 7:25
• Mile 7 - 7:21 / Mile 8 - 7:12
• .2 to relax and chill out!

Total Run Time: 1:02:00 / 8.2 miles

Swim: Strolled up to the pool for a nice and EASY swim. No structure....just swim!

(scy) 24 Hour Fitness

• 200 easy free
• 100 easy free
• 500 easy free
• 7 x 100 easy free

Total Swim Time: 0:25:00 / 1500 yards

Sunday:

Amazing day today. Why? Because today marks the end of my rest period. I was really going nuts there for a couple days. I tell you what...I'd make a good case study for a psychiatrist...HA! Bananas Baby!

Bike: 2 Words... Awesome Ride....

Total Bike Time: 1:46:00 / 33.7 miles

Swim: Back up to 24 hour fitness for a little 200 action. Nice and smooth...never pushed the pace. Watching my efforts... The next 3 weeks are key.

(scy) 24 Hour Fitness

• 5 x 200 on 3:00 (2:47 descending to 2:45)
• 5 x 200 on 2:55 (2:46 descending to 2:42)
• 5 x 200 on 2:50 (2:41 on every set!)
• 200 stroke
• 2 x 50 easy to relax

Total Swim Time: 0:51:00 / 3300 yards

Strength: Lower body today. Mixed in a little elliptical and a short treadmill run after a strong set of squats. Kept all reps today between 20-30!

Total Strength Time: 0:35:00

Totals for the Week:

• Total Swim Time: 3 hrs 20 min / 12,400 yards
• Total Bike Time: 4 hrs 36 min / 90 miles
• Total Run Time: 3 hrs 49 min / 24.6 miles
• Total Strength Time: 1 hrs 20 min / 2 sessions

Total Hours Trained During The Week: 13 hrs 05 min

Notes for the week:

This was one tough week!!! Not because of the training but the "lack of"! I'm not sure what's harder....keeping the train going, taking time down or winding everything back up! I guess I'll just go with all 3. I tell you what...I would have been a good mental case study this week!

I do know one thing....I get to ramp things back up strong tomorrow...and I couldn't be more excited. I've been aching to ride long all week and miss it oh so much!

Here we go....a 3.5 week push with a 3.5 week taper....then Florida!

More next week!

Mg

Monday:

Completely Off! Just needed a day to relax and soak up last week. It wasn't required... I just felt it was the smart move at this point!

Tuesday:

Swim: Solid day today. Went back out to Southlake and my beloved Vasa Trainer. Good quality all around. I went for a 2000 yarder to open with hopes of digging deep the last 500. Things worked out pretty good and I hit some solid times. I also dug in pretty hard during those closing 500...whew!

Vasa Trainer: 4 x 20

(scy)

• 2000 semi-hard to open in 26:58 (clearing 500's in 6:52, 6:49, 6:40, 6:35)
• 1 min rest
• 200 stroke
• 300 free smooth in 4:09
• 200 stroke
• 300 free smooth in 4:11
• 200 stroke
• 8 x 100 cruise on 1:30 (1:17 - 1:19)

Total Swim Time: 1:01:00 / 4000 yards

Vasa Trainer: 1 x 25

Strength: Vasa Trainer workout pre and post swim plus a bit of core after the run today.

Total Strength Time: 0:20:00

Run: Awesome session back at the gym today. Mixed things up again with the Elliptical and Treadmill.... 40 min Elliptical / 30 min Treadmill / 10 min Elliptical. Everything felt cool. Nice way to add some volume without all the pounding!

Total Elliptical / Run Time: 1:20:00 / 3.7 miles

Wednesday:

Bike: Awesome day for a bike-run brick. Beautiful weather....nice 15mph breeze out of the Southwest...and a tad overcast! Temperature probably jumped to low 90's and that was nice.

Talked with Dave early this week and the focus "has remained" and will continue to remain on IM Florida...regardless of what my racing plans are from now until then.

With that in mind....I ran through a middle distance Ironman race sim today. Focus on pace and nutrition were top priorities. Take it out really slow and build through the ride to finally settle into Ironman Pace. Things worked great and quality couldn't have been better.

Total Ride Time: 4:00:00 / 83.4 miles

Run: Transition run went smooth. Took 2 min to transition and settled into a nice Ironman type pace. This was the first t-run I've done since Buffalo Springs and was nice to iron out the cobwebs. I didn't want to press things to hard so I just went with feel and turned it off after I felt like I achieved what I was looking for. There's still lots of training to go... Need to watch my efforts...keep it smooth!

Total Run Time: 0:22:00 / 2.9 miles

Thursday:

Swim: Today, I wanted to get back in the water with the Point Zero 3 Skin Suit by Blue Seventy. If I was going to do any type of racing this weekend, I wanted another session in this bad boy! So...I went down to the pool...put on my race day kit (shorts and tri top) and laced up the suit. I just wanted to get a feeling of how things would feel on race morning.... You never know how things will wear or ride unless you try them out in training...

Drove back over to Northlake in order to get some meters in. While I would prefer swimming meters every day...the heat and sun do take a toll. Today was somewhat hot but by the time I got to the pool, the sun seemed to have disappeared amongst the clouds...

(scm)

• 5 x 100 on 1:50 (1:27)
• 200 stroke
• 1000 free in 14:25 (clearing 500's in 7:13, 7:12)
• 3 x 200 on 3:05 (2:50, 2:51, 2:49)
• 200 stroke
• 100 free easy

Total Swim Time: 0:45:00 / 2600 meters

Bike: After the swim...I couldn't resist the weather change. It was so nice to see some clouds and wind. NO SUN! Sweet. I'll take a 20mph wind over the scorching sun any day.

Anyway...rode super easy and enjoyed the weather.

Total Ride Time: 2:05:00 / 40.1 miles

Friday:

Bike: I was really looking forward to today's ride. Unfortunately...my stinking shoes made that a little difficult. Before the ride this morning...I unscrewed my cleats and broke off a screw inside the carbon sole. Oh well....I guess the 8 thousand plus miles I got out of them were good enough. Now what do I do?

I had some old triathlon shoes laying around the house...so I did what I could to rig something together and off I went! I ended up stopping the ride a little early as shoes did provide some minor aches and bio-mechanical issues I wasn't really in the mood to deal with!

Will take another stab at the long ride Sunday! Hopefully I can hit the hour mark. If that happens...this will turn into one heck of a week on the bike...not to mention an awesome way to finish of this block of training. Next weeks a recovery week! Tomorrow is an easy 2 hour ride again with a solid swim before hand...

Total Ride Time: 4:25:00 / 85.2 miles

Run: After a nap...I headed up to the gym for a little treadmill action. Solid run. Some minor aches in the foot but now things seem to be OK... Have to maintain a careful step. Glad I am not racing this weekend!!!!!

Total Run Time: 0:45:00 / 5.5 miles

Saturday:

Swim: Back to Southlake and another awesome workout! Hit the Vasa Trainer easy before swim and hard afterwards! Today's workout was 1000 yard repeats.

Vasa Trainer: 1 x 25

(scy)

• 1000 leaving on 14:30, finishing in 13:50
• 1000 leaving on 14:15, finishing in 13:36
• 1000 leaving on 14:00, finishing in 13:25
• 100 free leaving on 1:30, finishing in 1:14
• 200 stroke
• 200 free leaving on 2:45, finishing in 2:32
• 200 stroke
• 200 free leaving on 2:45, finishing in 2:32
• 4 x 50 free easy

Vasa Trainer: 4 x 25...solid effort

Total Swim Time: 1:02:00 / 4100 yards

Total Strength (Vasa Trainer) Time: 0:15:00

Run: Smooth and easy Elliptical session

Total Elliptical Time: 0:40:00

Strength: Easy upper body session after Elliptical. Just some maintenance stuff...no hard efforts.

Total Strength Time: 0:20:00

Sunday:

Bike: Slept like 11 hours last night and didn't get the door until noon. On a good note....a wonderful cold front rolled in and dropped some beloved clouds and rain on us. A little wind out of the North cooled things off a bit, but the rain made it a tad humid. I'll take cooler weather any day though.

Legs were pretty sore during the first part of the ride. As a result...I kept the intensity down quite bit and just enjoyed the day. Wasn't really sure how much mileage but I was optimistic and thing paid off.

I ended up having a pretty solid ride. I would have rode a bit longer but a pretty good storm came in that literally made it dangerous to continue riding. Ended the ride with an extremely good effort on low perceived exertion which made way for more quality workouts after dinner!

Total Ride Time: 4:40:00 / 92 miles

Swim: A little pasta and fresh bread for dinner...and then headed over to the bathtub (24 Hour Fitness Pool) for a little late night action. Have I mention how much I can't stand this pool. Swim times across the board are always slower here!

I've been planning a large volume training day all week. Not wanting to force the volume...I just let things role day-by-day and new if I was smart...the day would come. Once I hit the water tonight...I knew today was going to be the day!

(scy)

• 500 free easy to open
• 25 x 100 relaxed effort on 1:30 (1:21-1:23)
• 200 stroke
• 2 x 500 pull w/paddles on 6:45 (6:30, 6:25)
• 200 stroke
• 100 free easy to cool-down

Total Swim Time: 1:09:00 / 4500 yards

Run: Ok...after the swim, I set my sights on one last workout. A short Elliptical -Treadmill-Elliptical workout was all I wanted. Well, I got it! 30 min on the Elliptical / 15 min on the Treadmill / and then 5 min to cool-down on the Elliptical

Total Elliptical-Run Time: 0:50:00 / 1.75 miles

Totals for the Week:

• Total Swim Time: 3 hrs 57 min / 15,443 yards
• Total Bike Time: 15 hrs 10 min / 300.7 miles
• Total Run Time: 3 hrs 57 min / 13.9 miles
• Total Strength Time: 0 hrs 40 min / 2 sessions

Total Hours Trained During The Week: 23 hrs 44 min

Notes for the week:

I couldn't be more pleased with the last 8 weeks. Outside of my foot...things have gone perfect! I can only hope that the foot issue doesn't plague my performance in Florida. With all the hard work I've laid out...I'll definitely be keeping all fingers crossed as the days get closer.

Next week I will be forcing the volume back down to 15 hours for the week. A couple reasons for this will be to absorb some of the "quality", and, "volume" I've managed to hit over the last couple months.

Now...while absorption is nice and all...I desperately need to hit the last 3.5 week prep period before going into my taper. If I can manage to execute correctly across this next month...I should put myself into a pretty good place both mentally and physically. Soooo....since top priority is hitting key weeks 7 through 4...I suppose I can force myself to take it easy next week.

Ok...that's about it! Going to start next week by taking tomorrow completely off and hit a nice and easy workout on Tuesday. Wednesday will be an important day as I am planning a race at the end of week 4....and using a 2 day taper to prepare for it. 2 days out...completely off...and then the day before...nice and easy hitting all 3 sports. Wednesday this week, I'll be looking at how I feel mentally and physically! I will have a better idea about the race around week 5...and more on how I feel Wednesday on Wednesday...go figure!

Ok...off to bed.... Congrats to Team Timex on awesome performances all around at Ironman Wisconsin!

Later

Mg