2013 Ironman Texas Update

This week I withdrew from the 2013 Ironman Texas race in the Woodlands.  I do not regret it yet, I will on May 18th 2013....and likely when I turn 40, but for now I'm thrilled to not have to Swim, Bike, and Run daily.

I'm enjoying lifting more, time with family, and more focus with my work.  Praise God that I have my health and am surrounded by loved ones.

Adios!

Game Over: Part 2

Similar to an old blog post. I'm moving on from tri training to get back to my first training love: Bodybuilding. I've missed it.  Started tri in 2004, then 2008 had a brief stint, and now 2012...so the safe bet is that I'll be back in 4 years to "tri" again.

My other blog that I'll keep up with is beniger.blogspot.com

Ironman Texas 2013

I expected Ironman Branson 70.3 to be my triathlon retirement race.  After all, this is the 3rd time I've tried to learn to swim and be a triathlete. Why would it be any different?

Well it was different, the swim was easy and enjoyable at IM Branson.  I finished with a BIG smile on my face and had a great race.  I love to race!  I do not enjoy training...not swimming, biking, or running.  Well I enjoy biking and running in small doses.

I spent 5-8 hours training for the past 4 months preparing for IM Branson.  Ironman Texas would require 6-8 hours for the next 3 months, then would increase to 8-12 hours.

Big problem #1 with IMTX 2013 is I don't want to go through the motions of training for 10+hours a week.  

Triathlon has been interesting to me for years because I couldn't swim more than 100 yards and it was a big challenge. I didn't know if I could even do it.  Now after Branson, I am 100% confident that I could race/finish IMTX in May 2013....so with the unknown now known, I've lost some interest.

I've really enjoyed the 9 months of tri training that I've put in this year with 5 triathlons.  I enjoyed 70% of the training, but really missed lifting and feeling strong.

2012 Ironman Branson 70.3 Race Report

September 23rd 2012 7am Branson, MO

Up at 4:40am, out the door by 5:25am.  In line at the shuttle at 5:30.  It was a COLD 45 degrees out.


I had great support there, my awesome wife, wonderful parents, and my little sister and her husband.


About to go swimming!


Water was 73, but felt so warm


Finished swimming in 52:25, it was the easiest swim ever...thanks Chuck Burr!


Heading out for a hilly 56 mile ride


So happy to be off the bike, this picture was during the 30 min of the race I felt awful!


Ran easy 9min miles


Feeling GOOD!


I did it!!!!


No food, so I drank chocolate milk






Was it worth it?

Calm before the storm...

It's Wed night, I'm off work through Monday to travel to Branson for Ironman 70.3 Branson on Sunday.  I'm packed and thinking about loose ends and just second guessing all I've done training the past few months.  I didn't follow a plan and just trained.  I enjoyed 80% of it, at times training was a chore, but overall was fun.  I'm nervous...thoughts of:

• Will I finish the race
• Will I finish the swim....will the swim finish me"
• Will I be miserable
• Will I get a flat

I'm ready to do this...see you on the other side.

Long Brick

Did a swim/bike brick Saturday morning....nothing special.  Today was probably my key workout before the half.  

43m Bike avg 17.7mph @ avg HR of 120

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/218773218

7m run avg 9:58mph @ avg HR of 144

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/218773225

The run was 93 out when I finished....it was hot and I was cooked!  It was a 4hr brick.  

Keeping it real....

I had another terrible experience in the water at the Benbrook Lake Sprint Triathlon.  Today was my 2nd race experience in the open water.  What a disaster.  I'm swimming, it's hard, I'm out of breathe wondering why the heck I do triathlons.  I started back tri training Jan 7th 2012 and have invested hours in the pool, joined a Master's Swim team briefly, rear tutorials, studied drills, and even hired the best tri swim coach in Fort Worth to help me improve.  And improve I have, I went from swimming 1-2 lengths (25-50y) and was gasping for breath.  Now I can swim 300-400y straight in the pool and feel much more relaxed in the water.

While swimming at the race I had thoughts racing in to my head:

• Why am I doing this again?
• This is the LAST time I do a triathlon!!!
• I hate this and want to quit....no Ironman or Half Ironman....and I DON'T CARE!
• Am I going to make it?
• Is that guy going to run me over and drown me
• I'm so disappointed that this is so hard
• When is this going to "click"?

I want to get my thoughts and feelings down.  The swim is the first part of a race and is the shortest time, so the memory of the pain and disappointment fades quick as I passed 25 people on the bike today and 15 on the run.  

Race Report: Benbrook Lake Sprint Triathlon

This morning I raced the Benbrook Lake Sprint Tri:
500m Swim (Open Water)
13 mile bike
5k run

I won 1st place most improved from the Texas Stampede Race by improving 13 min.  I also was the fastest under 39 Clydesdale, winning 1st place.  There was a mix up with the timing as I was not listed in the Clydesdale category (over 200lbs).

Overall it was a good day...the swim kicked my tail again!  More to come....


http://www.mychiptime.com/searchevent.php?id=6635&bib=131

Going long....56m Bike Ride

Had a nice ride today, 56 miles.  Getting ready for Ironman Branson 70.3.

Am I crazy?

May 18th 2013

Long Bike Ride

This morning I hit a 42 mile bike ride, I had planned on doing 50m.  At mile 18, I broke the 2 screws that hold my aero elbow pad on my right arm.  I decided to cut the ride short.



After the ride, I met the wife at the Y for a pool swim.  I did 1200m focusing on short distance and technique.

With each long workout, I feel more prepared for Ironman Branson 70.3.  I'm praying for health and staying injury free the last 9 weeks leading up to the big race.

Race Report: 2012 Texas Stampede Sprint Triathlon

Where: Benbrook Lake
PlayTri put this race on this year for the first time.  It was supposed to be a 500m open water swim, then a 13 mile ride along the lake, then a 5k run.

I signed up for this race because it's 7 min from my house and I have never raced an open water triathlon before.

The Good: I finished and I got 1st place out of 4 under 40 Clydesdales.
The Bad: I barely finished the swim alive...I didn't have to stop and hold a Kayak or Paddleboard....but I thought about it.

I had to doggie paddle at times, roll over to my back and catch my breath....it was rough.  The swim was officially changed to 700m...way too long if you ask me.  For open water, I'll only do wet suit legal races.

Masters Swim Practice

I went out to the Lockhead Recreation center at 7am to join Chuck Burr's Ridglea Masters Swim Team practice.  It's a 50m outdoor pool and I find the longer pool is much better than the short 25 yard pool at the Benbrook YMCA.

Chuck is great, he's my swim coach for private lessons and has helped me tremendously.

I ended up doing 1100m freestyle with no pull buoy. (PR)

Bike PR

This morning I rode my bike 34 miles, this is a distance PR for me.  It was a 2 hour bike ride and if I had more water I could have gone longer.  It was very encouraging for the half Ironman race I have in September.

Open Water Swim Lesson

Worked with my swim coach Chuck Burr again tonight, but this time at Lake Benbrook.  We spent an hour in the water practicing sighting, turning around buoys.  I wore my wetsuit and felt relaxed overall, but the wetsuit helps me float.  I'm more comfortable now with open water, but still nervous.

I have a 500m open water swim to start my next triathlon race.  It won't be wetsuit legal.  I believe I can do it, but am a little worried.

Great news = Chuck's Masters team is meeting at Lake Benbrook at 5pm each Tuesday for the next couple months.  You can bet I'll be at every practice I am in town for.

Race Report: 2012 Mansfield Sprint Triathlon

The good:
2nd place out of 10 in Clydesdales, easy swim, fun/flat race, well run race
The bad:
Hot, humid, no PR, slept bad last night

I woke up at 4:55 to the annoying sound of my alarm...which I never use.  I jumped up, showered and got ready in about 20 min.  Uneventful drive to race, easy check in.

Swim 8/10
300m swim was in a 50m pool, I got passed once.  Found my grove and didn't really have to stop and catch my breath much.  There was a 35 second walk from where I got out of the pool to where you hit the timing mats.  I still have so much room to improve my swim time.

Bike 7/10
I passed tons of folks on the bike.  It was windy, but mostly flat and fast.  Garmin shows 13.7 miles, was supposed to be 12.4...this helps explains the slow mph average.  Garmin has me at 20.2, still slower than the Benbrook tri.

Run 6/10
Took over a mile for my legs to get moving after the bike.  I drank too much on the bike too.  I ran a negative split, which is awesome!  Flat and fast run course.

Overall 8/10, well run race, reasonable entry fee, nice shirt and swag.  Got a 2nd place medal. Enjoyed the race and hope to do it again next year.

Official Results

Ready to Race

Mansfield Sprint Tri is tomorrow morning.  300m swim, 20k bike, and 5k run.

Last swim was Thursday: 5x100 + 350m straight (distance PR) = 850m total
Last bike and run were Friday morning: 30 min bike and 10 min run

Today I'll work around the yard and house and try to stay off my feet in the afternoon.  My legs are crazy sore from squats, leg press, and lunges on Wednesday.  I did light weights for high reps, I still can't believe that I'm this sore.  I've been foam rolling and using the massage stick to help.

Race is 7am start, transition closes at 6:30am.  I plan to leave the house by 5:30 and wake up by 5am.  Plan to hit a PR from my last sprint triathlon in Benbrook 5 weeks ago.

Cervelo P2 Ready to Race!

Wetsuit: Xterra Vortex 4

When I signed up for Ironman 70.3 Branson, I knew my greatest challenge would be the swim.  Based on the advice of a friend, I ordered an Xterra Wetsuit.  It came in the mail today and I put it on in less than 10 min.  I took it out back in our salt water pool.  Within a min I floated on my back and said outloud, "Oh my goodness".  I was floating for the first time ever...felt awesome.  Immediately I lost some weight on my shoulders and anxiety around the swim.

My only concern is the sizing as I lose weight, as it was fairly easy to put on.  I've heard you want the suit tight and it should be challenging to put on.

T & W Training Recap

Swimming
Tuesday I went for a 25 min swim, started alternating between using the pull buoy and just regular front crawl swimming at the 25m pool at the YMCA.  I did 50m, then 100m, then set off for 150m...which is a stretch for me already as I'm usually tired by the end of the 150m set.  Well I just kept going....went 300m.  I was pretty exhausted but that was only the 2nd time ever that I've done 300m straight.

Strength Training
Tues - before my swim I worked up to 225x4 on flat bench...nothing special, just trying to hold some strength
Wed - spin bike for 5 min, then leg press, squats, lunges, sit ups, back extensions and calf raises (30 min)

Running
22 min pushing our 3 months old in the jogging stroller...was slow

Tomorrow is a rest day

Memorial Day Training

I like to train hard on holiday's and today was no exception.  I like to think of those that serve, that they are away from their families today, that many have lost life and some the ability to walk.  I push my body in their honor and memory.  It's a nice reminder that my freedom wasn't free.

I got out on my Cervelo P2 a little after 11am and it was already 92 degrees and sunny.  I went 28 miles and hit the hills around lake Benbrook.  When I got home, I threw on my Newton's and ran an easy mile to get the legs adjusted.

Recap
Bike 28m (avg 17.8 mph)
Run 1m  (avg 8:54 min/mile)

Let's do this...Ironman 70.3!

For the past month, I've been thinking about going back to bodybuilding or power training.  It's not that I dislike swimming, biking, or running...it's just I don't really like them either.  When the weather is nice in the spring, it's not bad.  But once it hits the 90's, I don't want to spend much time outdoors.

So I woke up this morning at 5:30am and decided to go join Fit For Life (local gym) and start bodybuilding training again.  I park in front of the gym at 6:30am and sit in my truck.  I know if I walk in those doors, I'll join, love lifting, and sell my tri gear and not even finish my remaining 3 tri's on the calendar.  I'm just not ready to quit yet...so I left and hit the school track and did 2.25 miles total with 4x400m intervals mixed in.  

Decided to sign up for Ironman 70.3 Branson on September 23rd 2012.  I'm excited to have a stretch goal and purpose for my endurance training.  Main thing now is to get comfortable swimming and strength train enough to keep some muscle.  

It's go time!

Back in the saddle....

Well I'm back tri training, I picked up a used bike, bike case, helmet, shoes, and ZIPP Race Wheels from Craigslist this week.  I'm ready to get back in the saddle and do a few tri races.



BTW - since my last post, I did a Bodybuilding show in 2009, then did a powerlifting meet.  In 2010 and 2011 I raced a few running races, learned to use kettlebells, trained some CrossFit and Wendler's 5/3/1.  I ate Paleo 80% of the time and weight fluctuated from 205-240.