It started as a dull and boring week...

Hi there, thanks again for joining me on this trip.

I have to admit that when this week started I faced travels and I also faced a very large business project and didn’t think I would be able to do a lot on the personal side but I did.

On Tuesday, while I was in Miami, I went to Key Biscayne where many triathletes train and race, I brought my bike along and though I was feeling kind of lost, I quickly found out about the do’s and don’ts and especially where they different groups meet.

That day’s workout wasn’t anything extraordinary but I got there, and did something. Soon I hope to fit in and be training with the right group.

Then on Thursday evening after I got home I went for a short run, I did 5.25 miles but the interesting detail was my pace. For the first time I felt like floating and when all was set and done I had run a 9:11 min/mile – that’s my fastest run ever. In addition I learned to set my heart rate monitor correctly and my HR is actually stayed just around 151.

Saturday was my long bike ride. Exactly 31.9 miles in 1:47 – that’s an avg speed of 18 mph. Not bad considering the temp was about 60F degrees and the wind was strong from the NE.

On Sunday morning (also about 60F) I ran again, this time was my longest run so far. 9.3 miles in 1:33:45 or at an avg speed of 10:04 min / mile. The most important aspect of the workout was my heart rate, it stayed an avg of 151 for this distance. Cool.

No swimming though - and the coming week is expected to be cold again in FL.

Nutritionally I have managed to stay low carb without suffering one bit. And though my weight is stable at 190-192 LBs I am not gaining and all my customers have started to notice and praise my weight control achievement.

So, what seemed like a dull week, was actually one of several successes, and we all know that each journey consists of many steps.

See ya next week!!!

Wow... you are reading this, I can't believe it. It works for me though.

Hi there… if you’re a new visitor, thank you for your interest; if you’ve been following my blog, thanks for checking with me again – don’t forget to send me your motivational thoughts, I am open to your feedback.

What I've done this week...

This week I am happy to report that I kept up with my program and did two weekly sessions per sport. But the highlight was the weekend.

On Saturday morning, I met with my swim coach and he had me do a lot of exercises with different rubber bands, etc. After that he had me swim 1800 yards; that’s 1 ¼ mile. It wasn’t all in one shot but it was all done within an hour.

My swim time for 100 yd is about 1:45, which is an avg speed for a recreational swimmer. Now, I need to sustain that speed for the needed distance (endurance). So, he gave me a few drills (focused swim sessions). Including swimming faster for 100 yd and resting for 20 seconds before doing another 100 yards, and he also had me swimming 25 yd (all out effort) eight times with one minute rest in between.

Needless to say, come Sunday morning, I am feeling the burn in my arms, shoulders and lats.

Then Sunday morning even before the sun was out, I setup a transition in front of my house where I would change from cycling gear into running gear, just as I would do on a race.

I went out for a time trial on my bike. A time trial is an all-out, non-stop ride where I am trying to make the best possible time. I immediately followed it by changing my shoes and helmet and took off running.

This type of routine is called BRICKS. Aand after doing it, I think it should be spelled with a "p" instead.

You see, when you’re on the bike, you’re using a specific set of leg muscles and when you run, you use different muscles. So, the first few minutes of the run feel like you’re carrying bricks in your feet and can barely lift your knees up.

Since this will occur on a race it is important to practice and get used to it in training.

I did not feel feel too bad after pushing so strong on the bike, so I went for my usual short run right after the bike. It was only four miles and I felt pretty good doing it.

I want to give you an idea of how hard these "bricks" are, I have been running at a 10:00 min per mile pace for the last 2 months, yet, for this brick run, I did 11:31 per mile. That’s not bad either but it is 15 % slower than my normal, rested speed.

So, my body thought me a few, new things this week:
I am certainly capable of completing a Sprint triathlon, possibly an Olympic distance too
My persistence in training is paying off.

By the end of the week I will have registered to the Publix Family Fitness series - commiting to three individual races for points, as well as a champioship race. Sometime in June I will determine if I am ready for a half marathon later in the season.

So, I am very pumped up about how and where all this training is going. I hope you find this either interesting or motivational to you. And I hope you come back next week....

TThese accomplishments are so great for me that all I am saying about my weight this week is that I didn't lose and I didn't gain. My analysis next week, following some additional changes. See you then.

This week I have some great successes to share:

WHAT MY BODY CAN DO...
First in addition to my week’s training (at least one session for each sport), Saturday morning started with a 1700 yd swim (that’s over a mile) and a 30 mile bike ride in the afternoon at full strength. Then, this morning, even with the time change, I completed a 9 mile run at just below a 10 min pace.

I was very tired both days, but some CBEX took care of it.

The great thing for me in doing these workouts is the satisfaction of knowing I can complete an Olympic distance tri.

During the week, I did two, 4 mile runs, rode my bike for an hour and a half on the trainer – that should amount to about the same as a 3 hour road ride. Then I did a short 500 swim

WHAT MY BODY’S THOUGHT ME...
Also, right after the run, I weighed in at 188.5 Lbs – That’s 30 LBS! since I started this training program. In addition to the low carb lifestyle, the key has been staying away from coffee/caffeinated products. I have eaten small amounts of carbs without any issues. I am surprised that this has been so easy for me, but I will admit, neither carbs nor caffeine are attractive to me anymore.

I hear that I should apologize for the recent picture I posted here last week but I kept getting inquiries about how I was doing and looking. There it is, and there it’ll stay. This is MY blog. – hey, I’m just typing off a little fun.

LIFE-WORK BALANCE...
This week’s been tough. Need to work on this.

Another month is here upon us....

This week I did two workouts per sport, which is actually what my training plan calls for. This is a great achievement to me, considering I have dreaded the swim workouts until now.

That said, I did not do an 8 mile run this week as my legs felt real heavy during each of the 4 milers I did. I hope that with some rest, I will be able to pull a 9-miler next week.

Now, I feel great and am looking forward to this new month, and a new beginning to my diet (induction stage) of the low carb-style. This means less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for 10 days.

My weight was in a balance between 194 and 198, but that’s fine as long as I don’t hit 200 lbs again, I have until June to get to 185 Lbs. I have handled my diet real well, I even allowed me one high-carb dinner at a Puerto Rican restaurant on Saturday evening, but more importantly I enjoyed a real nice day of cycling around the park and dining with the family and friends – losing weight and working out is important, but enjoying life is a lot more important.

Another reason I feel so great this week is because I achieved and exceeded my work goals for February and got a good head start on March, allowing me to relax somewhat. All the sacrifices early on the month, paid off. I have to find a way to do more of this in a balanced way.

I am not sure how many people are following this blog, but let me know if it has motivated you in any way. I am looking forward to your comments.

Here's a recent picture. Bear in mind this is work in progress. I am now 20 Lbs lighter than I was 2 months ago.