Week 2 Ironman Training

Well week 2 of my Ironman training is complete and I was pretty good in accomplishing my tasks this week, only missing the long run yesterday.

I have to thank the members of the active.com triathlon message board who have given us numerous ideas on how to get around the lack of spin bike and swimming pool at our small FOB.  We'll be giving all of the recommended exercises a try.

We were sitting down the other and talking about races next summer and I think SFC T, Doc and I have all agreed to try and do the Cologne half iron distance together in early September 2011.  Check out the tentative schedule I've updated it accordingly.  Doc ran it last year and said it was a great race.

On the flip side it is starting to appear that I may be running Ironman Regensburg on my own.  My buddy Andy who had agreed to race with me is having sever issues with Achilles tendon and may have to have surgery.  He's pretty angry about it since running is his stress relief and he can't run.  I've told him to get on the bike and get in the pool. 

Stand by for more updates next week.

Day 6 Ironman Training

Today was long run day.  I'll be honest I could barely walk today after 60 minutes of stairs yesterday.  In fact I'd been setting at my desk getting ready for a meeting when a particularly frustrating email popped up and I let out an expletive.  Doc left the conference room and came back in just as I was about to start the meeting and gave me two lidocane patches.  He'd thought that I'd been sitting for so long that I had really stiffened up.  I gave him back the patches and everyone had a good laugh.

Even though I was hobbling I made it down to the elliptical and got my long run equivalent today.  In fact the 60 minute workout and the stretching I did afterwards really improved my ability to walk.

Elapsed Time: 60:01
Calories: 544
Distance: 7.57 Miles
Distance Climbed: 4705 feet
Average Speed: 7.57 MPH
Average Pace: 7:55 / Mile
Average Heart Rate: 152

Day 5 of Ironman Training

I successfully dragged my backside out of bed this morning so I could get my workout on early.  Today was supposed to be a bike day but of course I don't have a bike in Afghanistan and I'd hate to explain to Shantel how I got hit by an IED because I was riding my bike along the road.  The Army has promised me a stationary bike but that was back in late July/early August and is probably going to be one of those things that I leave my replacements instead of getting any use out of it myself.

So with that said SFC T and I hit the stairs for an hour, Doc was still sleeping.  Stairs?  You say.  Well if you can come up with a better alternate bike exercise let me know because I've never been a fan of running stairs and that hasn't changed.

Coming Down

 35 Stairs, Yes I counted them.  What I didn't count was the times I went up during the 60 minutes we did this.  I don't think I want to know.

Guess Who

Ironman Training Day 2

I'm not going to post every day of training, just some highlights here and there or whenever the workouts shift gears. 

Day 2 is a run/swim day.  With that said there is places for me to run in Afghanistan but I darn sure don't want to be swimming in the rivers I've seen and I haven't seen a pool here although I'd bet that there was at least one in Kabul.  So instead of a swim we've decided to do a core workout based off a Men's Health Fab Abs workout plan.

I can only hope my abs look like the guy on the cover by the time cycling through the six week workout a couple of times.  I really doubt it though.  Here's a few pics of me trying my best though.



The other part of today's workout was the run and let me tell you for an early morning in run at 5200 feet in the middle of November in Afghanistan the weather is what I'd call "brisk".  I'm not sure my lungs thawed out until I was done in the shower this morning and I had the water as hot as I could get it.  SFC T was smart about it, he spent 30 minutes on the elliptical instead of braving the cold.  I'll probably have to follow suit next time.

Zabul PHQ Triathlon Club

Today was Day 1 of the 26 week Ironman Base Training for the Zabul PHQ Triathlon Club.  The workout today was strength:

Step Ups
Bent Over Rows with Kettlebells
Squat with Kettlebells
Push Ups
Seated Dumbbell Row
Heel Raise
Crunches

40-60% of 1 Rep Max
20-30 Reps
3-4 Sets 90 Seconds Rest Between Sets

Not a bad day for the first workout.  It helps to have a couple of other guys prod me out of bed at 5:30.

Here are some pictures of us working out in our ghetto gym

That's me doing the step ups with a 20lb weighted vest.  Much harder than I thought it would be

SFC T doing the step ups as well.  His little brother did an Ironman this summer and has been talking crap to him ever since.  He's going to do the base training with me while deployed to see what kind of shape he can get in.  I'm going to try and talk him into doing an Olympic Distance or Half Ironman when we redeploy.

Doc doing the seated dumbell rows.  The smallest dumbells we have are 20lbs and the rows really suck after awhile with them.  Doc's done a Half Ironman before and my goal is to talk him into doing Ironman Regensburg with me as well.