Elevation and Big Week Training ...

So, It's been a while.

Last weekend the family and I went up to Flagstaff to visit some friends.
(pic is us on San Francisco Peaks.)

I had an opportunity to do my training at elevation (8000 ft.)
Whew ... wiped me out.

Although, I had a wondrously serene 10-mile-run in the forest by Munds Park, running towards Mormon Lake. I saw a huge Elk run across the road in front of me. Awesome.

This weekend, training was crazy.
On Friday, I ran 10 miles, then swam 2+ miles, then rode 30 miles.
On Saturday, I rode for 6-and-a-half hours.
On Sunday I went down to Tempe Town Lake, where the Ironman is held, and watched the SOMA Half-Ironman. Well, actually, I ran 18-and-a-half miles around the lake and watched the race as I ran. I finished the run with two laps up and down A-mountain. Ouch. My legs still haven't recovered. Then I watched the pros fininsh the race. Chris McDonald won and set a new course record of 3:48.

WOW.
A Half-Ironman in 3:48. Crazy!

After the race, I went home and rode my bike for an hour-and -a-half...
.. fell asleep at 7 p.m.
Completely wiped out. Exhausted .. and loving it.

This coming weekend is the hardest and longest of the training period. After this, its taper time. I'm running on empty. Every training session is pushed to the max and i'm waiting for the wheels to come off. I just need to hold it together this last week and all will be well.

Now is the time to focus, hone the mantra and have faith in the training process. I am a machine and I will conquer.

Have a good week. I will be in touch again after this crazy week.
Wish me good vibes and much energy.

Mantra for the week: "Finish Strong."


FYI - my friend Ed is running the Ironman with me and is raising money for a local charity called the Tempe Community Action Agency. If you can help in anyway, that would be awesome. Here is the link:

edtheironman.blogspot.com

Half Ironman ... Complete!

So I finished my half Ironman Training Race this morning. I'm glad that is over. Whew!

Start Temp: 73 Degrees

Finish Temp: 91 Degrees

Distances: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run

Swim: 27 Minutes, 07 Seconds (AVG. 1:17 per 100)

Bike: 2 Hours, 53 Minutes, 13 Seconds (AVG 19.3 MPH)

Run: 2 Hours, 01 Minute, 24 Seconds (9:15 Minute per Mile)

Transitions: 8 Minutes, 2 Seconds (5.75, 2.27)

Finish Time: 5 Hours, 29 Minutes, 46 Seconds

FYI - my friend Ed is running the Ironman with me and is raising money for a local charity called theTempe Community Action Agency. If you can help in anyway, that would be awesome. here is the link:

http://edtheironman.blogspot.com/

Running with the Dead

So this is my first blog post, ever.

I don't think of myself as an overly interesting person so I never thought anyone would want to read about what I do. But, apparently a few of my acquaintances disagree.

Hence, here I am, writing for you.
So here we go ...

One of my hobbies is training for Ironman distance triathlons.
An Ironman is a race that has a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. All to be completed in 17 hours or less. Training for an Ironman takes a lot of time. Most of my free time, actually. That means I swim, ride my bike and run alot.
On my training swims, rides and runs I usually have some unusual social interactions and/or internal psychedelic or synchronistic experiences. The following is one I had today.

I had an 7-8 mile run to do today which, since I live in Phoenix, Arizona, I usually do at night because during the day it is 113 degrees. My parents were coming into town today so I did my run before work at 5:00 a.m.

I must have ran the first half pretty slow, or had some rocking music on the second half because I did the second half 10 minutes faster than the first. So to eat up the last ten minutes of my run I decided to run through the cemetery right next to my work. I love running through the cemetery because it gives me some mental clarity as I am reminded that I will die someday and to make the most of my time here.

Anyway, the second my foot leaves the sidewalk and hits the cemetery pavement my iPod switches songs and "The Coming Back to Life" by Pink Floyd starts playing. So this instantaneously sends my mind spiraling as I feel the full effects of my "runner's high" and really puts me in a good place. So I am cruising around the cemetery just jazzed as I am listening to this song and enjoying the crisp, serene moment. Then my iPod switches songs again to "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. As the chorus begins to play, I have a visualization of all the dead people in the cemetery watching me and cheering for me.

The feeling I am attuned to is that they are happy because I am actively pursuing my dream of being healthy, doing Ironman triathlons and eventually going to Kona for the Ironman World Championships. Even my Grandparents are there (though they are not buried in this cemetery) just cheering me on. It was a surreal and inspiring moment.

But, alas, as with all my other surreal moments running, once I started my cooldown, the feeling went away and I came back to the world. I'll write about those in another blog.

FYI - my friend Ed is running the Ironman with me and is raising money for a local charity called the Tempe Community Action Agency. If you can help in anyway, that would be awesome. here is the link:

http://edtheironman.blogspot.com/

Thanks.

May all your adventures be mighty.

Eric

P.S. > I m not a "on schedule" personality, so this blog will, in all likelihood, be published sporadically and in an untimely fashion.