I've started this fancy blog in order to track my training for the generic Half Ironman triathlon I'm doing, (Note: It's not an official Ironman event, 'cuz you see "Ironman" is really just a brand name of triathlons, after putting the first long distance "Ironman" triathlon it is now its own organization with its own races and Timex watches and exercise equipment and stuff too. However, other organizations put on their own events that use the same distances as Ironman and Ironman 70.3 triathlons (or Half Ironman as it was once called--that's right, parentheses within parentheses, or as nerds call them: nested parentheses), they just don't use the name "Ironman." Got it?) but I've failed to do something very important: set goals. After all, Brother Stephen R. Covey has counseled us all to "sharpen our saws." Also, he said to "synergize."
The Goals
First, I will make a long-term weight loss goal; this will be the weight I want to reach by August 15--the day of the triathlon. Considering I have about 13 weeks left until the triathlon and I weigh about 226 right now and I should lose about two pounds a week, 200 pounds seems like a good goal.
However, since I don't ever want to suffer the indignity of racing as a "Clydesdale" again (and no, there is nothing braggable about winning the "Clydesdale" division--"so you waddled faster than all the other the fat people, congratulations fatty, here's your medal"), I think I should reach for 199 pounds instead. Although that's still fat, I need to be realistic and remember that weight loss is hard.
Shows like "The Biggest Loser" make it seem so easy to lose weight: leave your family, wear matching T-shirts, connive, conspire, cry, drink some water and voilá, drop 18 pounds a week. I've tried all of those before and found that drinking water offsets the weight loss benefits of crying and that conniving works up my appetite. So, I'll stick to a reasonable two pounds a week.
Before going into any race, one should always have a time in mind in which one would want to cross the finish line. If one doesn't have a goal time, one is prone to either drop out or walk one's fat self to the finish in last place. One might also be prone to skimp on one's training because "just finishing" the race might seem like an attractive idea when one doesn't want to roll one's fat self out of bed at 6:00 in the morning to go running.
Unfortunately, I've never done a triathlon this long before so I'm not sure exactly how slow I can plan on being that day. Relying on training times and past race times with some minutes tacked on to account for the difficulty of doing all three sports in succession I've to come to the following conclusions: I think I could finish the 1.2 mile swim in about 45 minutes, after which the 56 mile bike ride would take a little under three hours, followed by a 13.1 mile run of just over two hours resulting in a total time of about 5 hours 45 minutes. After looking at least year's results and seeing where the fat "Clydesdales" finished, this should be a reasonable, yet difficult-to-reach, goal.
The third type of goal I will set is the weekly weight loss goal. Friday will be the official weigh-in day for this goal, because for some reason (probably because it comes before the typical weekend of excess) I always weigh less on Friday. I'll put this goal at the end of the post.
Training Update
I didn't do as much of the training last week as I should have. I did do that one swim workout that I kept putting off at the beginning of the week. Unfortunately, it was the only swim workout of three that I ended up doing. I trained better last week than the week before and I have lost some weight--so, not a total loss.
Concerning p90x: I did two of the three lifting workouts. I skipped legs and back because I felt that sitting around was more important. I did chest and back this morning and I felt nauseated again, not as bad as last week, but nauseated nonetheless. I think it's the push-ups; having my head down and straining like that results in all of my food wanting to come out of my throat.
The scale says:
That it might be teasing me with inaccurate information; I only weighed 226.5 this morning and I was fully hydrated.
Weekly weight loss goal:
Last Friday I weighed 228.5 so my goal should be 226.5, but I already weighed 226.5 this morning. Better make it 225.5 for a little motivation.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
What's the "X" Stand for, Anyway?
As I mentioned yesterday, I've started the p90x workout videos. My wife and I took our measurements and pictures last week and we'll see how the results look in about 90 days. I'm a little embarrassed to be doing a program that's advertised on a cheesy infomercial, but after doing the first workout (chest and back) and hardly being able to move my arms today, I'm a believer.
Love, Loss, and What I Ate
Really, I just want to focus on "loss" and "what I ate" and how after doing the first p90x routine I nearly "lost what I ate." Seriously. It was tough. It has you alternating between push-ups and pull-ups in rapid succession with a few other lifts mixed in there such that you're constantly doing something and always using different muscles.
I then did the "Ab Ripper X" routine of which I was able to complete maybe 10% of the moves the muscly people on the TV screen did. I then lay on the floor for several minutes. Next, I moved to the couch for another rest and lay there for many more minutes. When I finally stood up, I felt queasy and a had an "oh no, here it comes" moment but the nausea subsided and was replaced with lightheadedness. So, I took another little rest.
For nearly half an hour after finishing the workout, I kept getting these waves of nausea and lightheadedness and I'm pretty sure I can contribute this discomfort to what I ate yesterday. You see, sometimes I have a tendency not to eat the healthiest meals.
For example, yesterday I started the day off with a delicious breakfast burrito from Beto's. It has eggs, potatoes, cheese and chorizo, it weighs at least a pound, and it's delicious. I washed it down with a 32 oz. Mountain and had a Snicker's bar for dessert.
Dinner was no better. I picked up some Carl's Jr. for the family on the way home from work and polished off a Guacamole Bacon Six-Dollar Burger and fries. At dinner, I did make one sensible choice though: I had a Diet Coke.
Today, I had Taco Bell for lunch and Wendy's for dinner. I tried being good at Wendy's by ordering a chili. Unfortunately, the Wendy's employee--who I'm sure knew I'm trying to lose weight--screwed up my order and gave me fries instead of chili. I pointed it out and she apologized and let me keep the fries. So, instead of just chili or just fries I of course ate fries and chili.
So yeah, not the best food choices for fueling intense workouts. I'm thinking such a diet might have something to do with my tendency to put on weight. It's at least a consideration.
Triathlon Training
I intended to go to the pool for a swim workout as soon as I got done with p90x. Unfortunately, I was more than spent and even walking to the gym was completely out of the question. So, I put off the swim workout until today. Which I have every intention of doing once I get home. We'll see how that goes...
I did go running this morning, however. I ran a little over four miles and felt pretty good. I also rode my bike to work which means I will also ride home for a total of around 17 miles.
My Conclusion on P90X
I've decided to do only the strength training portions of p90x. I have a few reasons for this. The workouts that aren't weightlifting/push-up/pull-up/sit-up kinds of things (I think the kids call this "resistance training") all consist of doing a bunch of jumping around the living room and some yoga. I'd rather do my cardio on a bike, in the pool, or on the street than prancing about in my apartment. Besides, my knees don't take kindly to the jumping and squatting that the kenpo and plyometric routines of p90x require.
As for the yoga, I don't see any need for it. I don't really know how an hour of yoga every week is going to benefit me that much. Plus, an hour spent in The Cobra or Downward Dog is an hour that would be better spent dedicated to triathlon specific sports. I've only got so much time and only doing the resistance training for p90x saves me a precious three or four hours each week.
I guess the drawback to this pared-down approach is that I won't get to appear in future p90x infomercials because I won't have followed the "real" program and I won't see the actual results that p90x is responsible for. Then again, I never really would have because of all the other exercise I'm doing.
The scale says:
That the Diet Coke neutralized the calories in the other food resulting in a net effect of zero weight gain. I weigh the same as yesterday: 229.
On the menu today:
Love, Loss, and What I Ate
Really, I just want to focus on "loss" and "what I ate" and how after doing the first p90x routine I nearly "lost what I ate." Seriously. It was tough. It has you alternating between push-ups and pull-ups in rapid succession with a few other lifts mixed in there such that you're constantly doing something and always using different muscles.
I then did the "Ab Ripper X" routine of which I was able to complete maybe 10% of the moves the muscly people on the TV screen did. I then lay on the floor for several minutes. Next, I moved to the couch for another rest and lay there for many more minutes. When I finally stood up, I felt queasy and a had an "oh no, here it comes" moment but the nausea subsided and was replaced with lightheadedness. So, I took another little rest.
For nearly half an hour after finishing the workout, I kept getting these waves of nausea and lightheadedness and I'm pretty sure I can contribute this discomfort to what I ate yesterday. You see, sometimes I have a tendency not to eat the healthiest meals.
For example, yesterday I started the day off with a delicious breakfast burrito from Beto's. It has eggs, potatoes, cheese and chorizo, it weighs at least a pound, and it's delicious. I washed it down with a 32 oz. Mountain and had a Snicker's bar for dessert.
Dinner was no better. I picked up some Carl's Jr. for the family on the way home from work and polished off a Guacamole Bacon Six-Dollar Burger and fries. At dinner, I did make one sensible choice though: I had a Diet Coke.
Today, I had Taco Bell for lunch and Wendy's for dinner. I tried being good at Wendy's by ordering a chili. Unfortunately, the Wendy's employee--who I'm sure knew I'm trying to lose weight--screwed up my order and gave me fries instead of chili. I pointed it out and she apologized and let me keep the fries. So, instead of just chili or just fries I of course ate fries and chili.
So yeah, not the best food choices for fueling intense workouts. I'm thinking such a diet might have something to do with my tendency to put on weight. It's at least a consideration.
Triathlon Training
I intended to go to the pool for a swim workout as soon as I got done with p90x. Unfortunately, I was more than spent and even walking to the gym was completely out of the question. So, I put off the swim workout until today. Which I have every intention of doing once I get home. We'll see how that goes...
I did go running this morning, however. I ran a little over four miles and felt pretty good. I also rode my bike to work which means I will also ride home for a total of around 17 miles.
My Conclusion on P90X
I've decided to do only the strength training portions of p90x. I have a few reasons for this. The workouts that aren't weightlifting/push-up/pull-up/sit-up kinds of things (I think the kids call this "resistance training") all consist of doing a bunch of jumping around the living room and some yoga. I'd rather do my cardio on a bike, in the pool, or on the street than prancing about in my apartment. Besides, my knees don't take kindly to the jumping and squatting that the kenpo and plyometric routines of p90x require.
As for the yoga, I don't see any need for it. I don't really know how an hour of yoga every week is going to benefit me that much. Plus, an hour spent in The Cobra or Downward Dog is an hour that would be better spent dedicated to triathlon specific sports. I've only got so much time and only doing the resistance training for p90x saves me a precious three or four hours each week.
I guess the drawback to this pared-down approach is that I won't get to appear in future p90x infomercials because I won't have followed the "real" program and I won't see the actual results that p90x is responsible for. Then again, I never really would have because of all the other exercise I'm doing.
The scale says:
That the Diet Coke neutralized the calories in the other food resulting in a net effect of zero weight gain. I weigh the same as yesterday: 229.
On the menu today:
- Run 45 minutes (Done. 52 minutes, actually.)
- Bike 20 miles (I'll get in close to 18. Good enough.)
- The procrastinated swim workout (I'm so gonna do this.)
Monday, May 11, 2009
New Beginnings
I hereby declare a new era, a time of bright horizons and lofty goals. A couple weeks ago I (stupidly) decided to train for a half Ironman (or 70.3 since a 1.2 mile swim + 56 mile bike + 13.1 mile run = 70.3 miles) distance triathlon. This baby's now 14 weeks away and I've got some serious weight to drop before I can even dream of participating in such an event.
A Brief History of My Fitness
Three years ago, I coughed, sputtered, flailed, waddled, and limped my way through a short but agonizing sprint distance triathlon. At the time, I weighed about 210 pounds and completing this shortest of triathlons was nearly impossible. Now, I'm about 229 pounds and couldn't even imagine how much more difficult such a triathlon would be--and yet, here I am contemplating a triathlon of over four times (!) that distance.
In my defense, I hadn't prepared much for that first triathlon so it's not an accurate representation of what I could do after some good training. If I complete my training for the 70.3 triathlon, I can conceivably finish the race without too serious a heart attack.
Additionally, I have run two marathons--both of which I completed while I was over 200 pounds. My best time was 4:16, which I believe to be quite respectable for someone who was bordering on obesity.
True to form, I didn't train nearly enough for the marathons either which further proves that with adequate conditioning a half Ironman should only result in a lesser myocardial infarction. It also proves that I have self-discipline problems when it comes to sticking to a training routine--problems I plan on resolving.
Why So Long?
Obviously, it seems ill-advised for such a large person to do such a long triathlon. Why not do a shorter triathlon, like a sprint or Olympic distance one? The thing is, I could conceivably complete a shorter triathlon right now, it would be hard, but I could complete one. However, the 70.3 is well out of my reach right now. In other words: I can't fake it. Sure, I could sign up for a shorter triathlon and hope to do the training, but realistically I'd probably not train very much and just show up for the race and finish it. With the longer distance I'm forced to train. There's no chance I could just show up and complete it; I'm far too fat for that.
So, a half Ironman it is. It may seem a bit much for someone of my girth but I saw a big dude on the Teevee just the other day crossing the finish line at the Ironman World Championships in Kona. He was easily pushing 300. Sure, he tested the expansion limits of lycra and most likely used all the Vaseline at all the aid stations, but he finished. And his heart didn't even explode.
My Training
I found the training plan I'm following here. It's an 18 week program and I started it 16 weeks from the race date, so I just chopped off the first two weeks of the plan and called it good. So far, the routine seems manageable. I've done about half the scheduled workouts to this point (see self-discipline problems in earlier paragraph) and I haven't been too tired.
I was most nervous about the swimming since it's the one activity I don't normally do. It hasn't been that bad. Swimming is the one workout that doesn't leave me feeling like I've been thrown into a burlap bag and rolled down several flights of concrete stairs. I actually feel looser and quite refreshed after a good swim; I definitely can't say the same for running.
A Blogging Cliché and a Mission Statement
Like so many have done before, I will use this blog to chronicle my training and weight loss experience. I will update my weight daily and give insights into how the workouts are going. Since no one will ever read this it will mainly serve as a personal journal of my efforts and as good writing practice.
The scale says:
"One at a time, please." (Thank you, Garfield.) And that I weigh 229 pounds
On the menu today:
A Brief History of My Fitness
Three years ago, I coughed, sputtered, flailed, waddled, and limped my way through a short but agonizing sprint distance triathlon. At the time, I weighed about 210 pounds and completing this shortest of triathlons was nearly impossible. Now, I'm about 229 pounds and couldn't even imagine how much more difficult such a triathlon would be--and yet, here I am contemplating a triathlon of over four times (!) that distance.
In my defense, I hadn't prepared much for that first triathlon so it's not an accurate representation of what I could do after some good training. If I complete my training for the 70.3 triathlon, I can conceivably finish the race without too serious a heart attack.
Additionally, I have run two marathons--both of which I completed while I was over 200 pounds. My best time was 4:16, which I believe to be quite respectable for someone who was bordering on obesity.
True to form, I didn't train nearly enough for the marathons either which further proves that with adequate conditioning a half Ironman should only result in a lesser myocardial infarction. It also proves that I have self-discipline problems when it comes to sticking to a training routine--problems I plan on resolving.
Why So Long?
Obviously, it seems ill-advised for such a large person to do such a long triathlon. Why not do a shorter triathlon, like a sprint or Olympic distance one? The thing is, I could conceivably complete a shorter triathlon right now, it would be hard, but I could complete one. However, the 70.3 is well out of my reach right now. In other words: I can't fake it. Sure, I could sign up for a shorter triathlon and hope to do the training, but realistically I'd probably not train very much and just show up for the race and finish it. With the longer distance I'm forced to train. There's no chance I could just show up and complete it; I'm far too fat for that.
So, a half Ironman it is. It may seem a bit much for someone of my girth but I saw a big dude on the Teevee just the other day crossing the finish line at the Ironman World Championships in Kona. He was easily pushing 300. Sure, he tested the expansion limits of lycra and most likely used all the Vaseline at all the aid stations, but he finished. And his heart didn't even explode.
My Training
I found the training plan I'm following here. It's an 18 week program and I started it 16 weeks from the race date, so I just chopped off the first two weeks of the plan and called it good. So far, the routine seems manageable. I've done about half the scheduled workouts to this point (see self-discipline problems in earlier paragraph) and I haven't been too tired.
I was most nervous about the swimming since it's the one activity I don't normally do. It hasn't been that bad. Swimming is the one workout that doesn't leave me feeling like I've been thrown into a burlap bag and rolled down several flights of concrete stairs. I actually feel looser and quite refreshed after a good swim; I definitely can't say the same for running.
A Blogging Cliché and a Mission Statement
Like so many have done before, I will use this blog to chronicle my training and weight loss experience. I will update my weight daily and give insights into how the workouts are going. Since no one will ever read this it will mainly serve as a personal journal of my efforts and as good writing practice.
The scale says:
"One at a time, please." (Thank you, Garfield.) And that I weigh 229 pounds
On the menu today:
- Swim 1000 yards: 300 yard warmup, 10 5x100's, 200 yard cool down
- Day 1 of p90x (Yes, really. It's a bit embarrassing, but more on this later.)
- A Beto's (although it's called Mi Rancherito or something now, it will always be Beto's to me) breakfast burrito.
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