James' 'Weight Update' #5

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 80.8kgs. Full steam ahead for the under 80kg goal at the end of June!

James' 'Weight Update' #4

This morning, post swim training and ablutions, my weight was 81.3kgs. I guess some credit goes to fluid loss in training, but I'm going to take some credit for myself too. Looking like a close run thing for the under 80kg goal at the end of June.

Injury interrupted week and new gadget

Its the end of a frustrating week of training interrupted by injuries. My body has been rebelling against the increased training load and it is annoying the hell out of me. I suppose it is better to be happening now rather than closer to Ironman race season, but its a pain in the ass just the same. I won't go into great detail on this topic because I don't want to bring you all down with my negative mood. Lets just say training is not on track and I need to take some steps to sort things out.

On a different note I have recently purchased an IrDA (standing for Infrared Don't Ask me what it stands for) adapter. It allows me to upload the heartrate data from my Polar heartrate monitor to my PC. So far it is interesting, but I really have no idea what to do with the information. I anticipate that when I have my heartrate training zones (coming soon), I will be able to see how successful I have been in sticking to them. I think I'll do some research into how else I might make use of the technology. I need to find some excuse for why I spent the money. I will keep you updated on what I find out.

James' 'Weight Update' #3

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 82.4kgs. I seem to have plateaued since last update a little. I think my increased calorie intake over the big training weekend last week may be to blame. I was thinking I could/should eat more to keep my energy levels up and I may have overdone it. This weekend, I'll have a good recovery meal after each workout, then maintain the smaller meals for the rest of the day. Hope the numbers drop more next update. Still on track.

Ironman Podcasts, give them a go.

I remember when I was a teenager, I used to wait each month for the one and only triathlon magazine that was available back then, to come out, I would read it cover to cover, then start over again. That magazine would get read several times before the next months issue hit the shelves.

Now, in the day of the internet, there is so much more information easily available, with online magazines, websites dedicated to Ironman related issues and Ironman forums. It's heaven for the often obsessive types that do Ironman. If you want to know more about a topic, all you have to do is ask google. I spend a lot of time online, reading and researching, my current favorite source of Ironman related information media is podcast.

Podcasts are audio recordings similar to what you hear from a radio station, but they are stored, usually in mp3 format, so you can listen to them at your leisure. Podcasting is a fast growing medium and there are thousands of podcasts available on thousands of topics. With the easy availability of portable audio-players and fast-internet, it's simple to download and listen to podcasts where and whenever you please. I personally make use of podcasts when commuting and when on the magtrainer at home. There are a number of ways to access podcasts and the majority of them are free to download, though you will probably need software to get access to them. Some podcasts are available to be listened to directly from the podcaster's website, which is an easy way to listen, but not particularly useful if you want to go mobile while listening. You need to have software to download and transfer the podcasts onto you audio-player. There are a number of programs available, I think the easiest method for this is to download the free iTunes program. iTunes allows you to download the podcasts and to subscribe to them, which means when you start up iTunes it will download the latest episode for you automatically. Then you can take the podcast with you and get your Ironman information fix on the go.

I have listened to a number of different podcasts on a few different topics. Of the different Ironman/Triathlon related podcasts out there, I have found three that I download regularly. In no particular order they are:

Ironman Talk – Produced by two Ironmen from New Zealand, Ironman Talk takes a light hearted approach. Providing your “weekly fix in all things Ironman” 'coach' John Newsom and Bevan James Eyles are both funny guys, with some good experience between them. They enjoy reporting the latest news, reviews and training tips from Ironman. I find they usually provide me with a laugh and they often point out good resources on the internet.

The Competitors Radio Show – A recording of a on air radio show that has been broadcasting for 17 years and is an offshoot of Competitor Magazine. Hosted by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle, who both seem to really know their stuff, The Competitors Radio Show interviews some of the great names in not only Ironman but other endurance sports also. They have had a lot of the legends of Ironman on, a number of times. Some of my favorite interviews recently have been with Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Peter Reid, Chris McCormick and Cameron Brown. There is also an interesting and controversial interview with Greg Lemond. I enjoy hearing the big names in the sport, talk about their careers and their opinions on whose who in Ironman today.

Tri Talk Triathlon podcast – The most technical and information driven podcast of the three. David Warden describes himself as an individual who has a overwhelming desire to research triathlon information and to share that information with the masses. He strives to provide triathlon tips, training, news and more. His goal is to make us “swim, bike and run faster”. I find some of the topics particularly interesting, while others, not so much. David obviously does a lot of prep on the topics he discusses and the result is, in-depth and informative episodes. Though, not as humorous as Ironman Talk or The Competitors Radio Show, a valuable resource.

There are a few other related podcasts that I listen to from time to time, if they sound interesting and I always keep an eye out for more. One informative podcast that I recently listened too, is the Endurance and Nutrition Podcast. Produced the end of last ear and hosted by Dave Scott. There are only four episodes, but Dave covers some important and interesting issues.

My recommendation is to download a few episodes of each and have a listen, see what you think. Use the iTunes search function to find podcasts on other topics your find interesting as well. It's a great way get information and to pass the time and I'm hooked on podcasts. I have a been tossing around the idea of developing a podcast of my own in the future, but I think, first, I need to find a partner with some knowledge to balance out my enthusiasm. So maybe in the future, I will point you towards my own podcast feed. In the future if I find any more good podcasts I will post them here. Please pass any you guys like on to me in a comment below.

Eleven hours of Ironman training in two days, new personal record

Quick update to say, I AM SMASHED! 11 hours of training in two days. Yesterday, the Saturday morning brick was a long one, taking 6:45 to complete and I was toast by the end. This morning I did 4:15 on the bike at a firm pace and now I am burnt toast. I was a good ride, part of it was spent in a good size pack of cyclists and we smacked it. I was hurting, but it was fun. I am so happy its a long weekend, because I will need the sleep-in tomorrow. In the next few days, I will write a little article about podcasts, because I think they are great and that people training for Ironman could benefit from the info they provide and the enjoyment they bring.

Magnesium supplementation update – I have now been taking Ultra Muscleze for over two weeks and I think I'm onto a winner. I have had minimal problems with cramp at all in that time, other than minor twinges when working for long periods at high intensity. Compared to the bad cramping I was getting this is a huge improvement. I am gaining fitness also, so maybe a little bit of credit should go to that. Still, I can definitely give Ultra Muscleze the "Ironman Cafe Seal of Awesomeness".

Ironman Cafe Website Review: Athlinks

Just a quickie tonight. All is going well, I have a big weekend of training this week, with the Saturday Morning Brick tomorrow and 4hrs firm on the bike on Sunday. I'm looking forward to seeing how I handle it.

I thought I would point out a cool website that I heard about on a podcast I listen to regularly. The sight is called Athlinks, they describe themselves as a “social network for athletes”, with “the most comprehensive database of endurance race results and events anywhere in the world”. Their coverage focuses mainly on the U.S. and parts of Canada and Mexico for six different race categories: Running (over 3 K), Swimming (open water and/or over 500 M), Cycling, Mountain Biking, Triathlon/Multi Sport, and Adventure Racing. They also have a lots of race results for other countries. I managed to find one result to 'claim', the Rotorua Half Ironman in December last year (though I'm not so sure I want to own up to it). I have registered and 'claimed' my race result and I'm already building up my friends list. Athlinks already has a lot of athletes registered (15,553 as of right now) and they ask for people to let them know about results they don't have listed. It could be a cool resource in the future, to hook up with other like minded Ironman racers around the world. On a side not it also allows the stalker in you to get busy, I managed to find results for a few people I know and I will let them know so they can claim their results. You can get as into the Athlinks community as you want too, they allow you to send messages, record training, make blog entries, post photos and videos and show of your gear if you want to plug your sponsors. Go check it out. Send a friends invite to James Duncan and I 'll add you to my list. See you in there.

James' 'Weight Update' #2

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 82.8kgs. looking good for the under 80kg goal at the end of June.

External motivation - Winning isn't everything, but losing sucks

Whew! What a big day at work. I'm pretty tired and the next two weeks look pretty full on training wise. The volume and intensity of my Ironman training is increasing significantly. I am a little nervous but definitely excited to see how I cope. I have taken tonight off on my physio's recommendation, because my right hamstring is still a bit tender from the half-marathon I did a week and a half ago. I'll run easy in the morning to see how it pulls up. I am reasonably happy with how my training and fitness is progressing, though I have some that my swimming is not really coming along. This is probably the result of a combination of two things. One is the training fatigue I am experiencing from the other discipline training that I am doing. The other is the fact that I usually share a lane with an absolute fish in the pool. My ego takes a battering (I'm sure there is an unintentional pun about fish and batter in there...) every swim session and I have been finding it hard to sleep the night before swim squad. This is likely an illustration of my personalty, I really much prefer to win than lose and I find it hard to cope with ongoing not winning. I guess I had better get used to it in the near future though, as I will regularly be surrounded by Ironman athletes that can wipe the floor with me from here on in. I think it is important for me to start developing some personal goals in the pool, such as times I want to make or sets I want to do well. That way I can start to see some success in my training instead of loses. One of the pitfalls of being an externally motivated Ironman is that unless you're the world champion or a top end professional, you are going to lose to someone...

Magnesium supplementation update – I have been taking the Ultra Muscleze now for a week and a half. I have had no problems with cramp at all in that time. I had a slight twinge in my calves in the pool on Monday morning but I regularly get cramps in the pool, so I feel there has been an improvement. I have a big brick session on Saturday morning, so that will be make or break time for my magnesium supplementation program. If I have a cramp free morning then I will call it a success and give Ultra Muscleze the Ironman Cafe seal of approval. Stay tuned.

James' 'Weight Update'

I'm trying to lose some weight at the moment as I have discussed previously. I'll give you an update on how I'm going every few days. I thought maybe you would be interested and it will keep me honest.

This morning, post ablutions, my weight was 83.4kgs.

Sleep and Ironman training

I went out for an “easy ride” for 3hrs this morning. The group I rode with was a step up from what I am used to, which was great for the fact that it will benefit me greatly to train with athletes at a higher level than me, both for the physical step up and for the motivational,inspirational step up. I can learn from people doing Ironman well and apply this to my training.

What made this morning not so great, was, for the first time in months, I went out in the city last night. We went out for a great dinner, I highly recommend teppanyaki restaurants for a great time with friends. We then went out to a bar which was nice, but this meant we got home about 1:30-2:00am. I got up just before 6:00am to head out for this ride, and as I struggled along lacking any gas on the hills, I remembered a couple of good articles I had read, on the importance of sleep to Ironman training. They make some good points and you should check them out. I, for one won't be hitting the town again any time soon. I don't feel its worth the cost to my training. Of course special occasions will be celebrated, but the going out for the sake of it is not on my agenda for a while.

Sleep more, train better, race faster
Sleep Your Way to Better Performance