Eric's Drive to Tri

and so it begins....

2011-12-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Today i start my 36-week training program. It was just 3 years ago i promised to never do this again. How did i get to this point? This morning i got in the pool and completed my first swim workout. Nothing crazy..just a gentle 1 mile swim. I felt great but was quite tired near the end. It's no secret that i've got a lot of work to do but i'm motivated to do something special this time around.

This year's motto is:
Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments (I seen this printed on some guys t-shirt at the gym)

I've got big goals for this years race but i know i need to maintain an unprecedented amount of discipline to have any hope of meeting them. The recipe is so easy.. i just need to focus on 2 things this time around. One, stick to the workout schedule, and second, follow a well balanced diet. Seems simple enough doesn't it.

What's new this time around? Why do this again? Have i lost my mind?

So check back next week and come along for the ride. You can also follow my daily progress on twitter @irondaderic

Where do I go from here?

2009-09-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

The goal for next year is to try to land a lottery spot in Ironman Hawaii and if that doesn't work try for a spot in Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco. Although i'm not in any rush to do Ironman again doing Ironman Hawaii would be a dream come true. My Ironman Canada experience was incredible, inspiring, amazing... but also expensive, time-consuming, and extremely painful! (i'm about to lose a couple more toenails and one of toes is still numb) If i don't land a spot in Ironman Hawaii i'll close the Ironman chapter of my life for a few years.

Other options for next summer include a trip to southern Ontario in mid-September for Ironman Muskoka 70.3, and do another stand-alone marathon.

Ironman Canada 2009 video

2009-09-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Check out the descent at 5:35 of the video.

I'm an Ironman!!!

2009-09-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a recap of my unbelievable Ironman experience.

We left wednesday august 26th from Minneapolis to Seattle. The flight was fine, Sophie was well behaved and got into Seattle at about 9:30 am. Got the rental car and packed things up. We ended up getting a Chevy HHR car with Hawaii plates. I'm not sure how you can even get a car from the island to the mainland. There were tons of curious people asking us how the drive from Hawaii was, how long it took etc..
We drove to Vancouver and headed to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The traffic around the Hotel was a nightmare and it was a nightmare trying to find the hotel parking entrance. A good buddy of mine (Big Al) hooked us up with a room at the Historic Hotel. It was great, way out of our league but we'll take it. We got settled in and went for a walk. We had arranged to meet up with some Timmins people to get a bit to eat and enjoy a cold beverage. We met for dinner at the Elephant and Castle a few blocks from the hotel. It was nice to see some familiar faces. Neil, Saramayas, and Sarah (IM 2008 finisher-13h) showed up.

Thursday August 27th
The next morning we packed things up, grabbed a few coffees at Tim Horton's and hit the road to Penticton. The drive from Vancouver to Penticton was beautiful, especially if you love mountains and curvy roads. When we were about 45km from Penticton we started seeing a few triathletes getting in a last bike ride before the race. This really puts you in race mode. This last stretch of road was also the last part of the bike course. Not too many flat parts, just long climbs and long descents. I knew this was gonna be a challenging bike course but things really started to sink in after seeing everything with my own eyes. We got to the Sandman Hotel in the early afternoon. Our hotel was located about 1km from the main Ironman area. After unpacking we took a walk to the registration tent. I stood in the lineup for about 15 minutes and then got weighed in for the race and got my swim cap, timing chip, and my gear bags.

The city of Penticton is located in a valley and surrounded by mountains. During Ironman week undergoes a transformation. There are welcoming signs everywhere, there was a farmer's market downtown, street dances just about every night. The people in the city were wonderful. Everybody would ask you if you were in town for the race and reminded you of how crazy you where.

After getting my race kit we went to pick up my bike. I had the bike shipped by TriBike transport. It was totally worth the cost (around 250$) and would recommend it to anyone traveling for a big race. It takes a lot of the stress out of traveling. The bike looked in good shape, i was relieved.

Friday August 28th

After breakfast i headed to the swim start area for my last practice swim. I just wanted to go through the motions one last time, put on the wetsuit and have a nice relaxing swim. There were about a couple hundred triathlete there with the same idea. You could also test out the latest and greatest suits from several companies.

The water was a little colder than what i was use to (71.0 deg.) but i didn't mind one bit. Daytime highs were consistently in the mid-90's so a cool swim was just what the doctor ordered.
I had a nice 30-minute out and back swim. I felt really good. They didn't have the official course marked off yet but had buyos lining the shore for about a mile.

That evening was the athletes mandatory meeting and carb loading dinner at the Penticton Convention Center. Things were gonna run pretty late so i went alone and Melanie took care of Sophie as she always does. The convention center was packed with people. They served up salty Pad Thai for dinner....my first pad thai ever. During the dinner the race announcer went through a list of interesting Ironman Canada facts. Here's what i can remember.

- Over 2600 athletes are competing. The youngest competitor was 18yo and oldest was Ironman legend Sister Madonna Buder at 79yo.
-One guy was doing his 66th Ironman race. Unbelievable.
-Someone last over 200lbs training for Ironman Canada. Another lost 150 lbs and quite a few lost 100lbs. I lost about 10 lbs...lol
- About 800 athletes were Iron virgins including me.
- A couple of people had never run a marathon before, so this was going to be there first marathon.
- The most amazing story in my opinion is that for a few athletes this was going to be their first race ever. No other triathlon experience whatsoever. No sprint triathlon, olympic distances...this was gonna be their first one. That is absolutely crazy.

The head referee (some german guy called Hans) then went over some of the rules for the bike course. He was hilarious. "when you make a pass guys, pass with conviction, don't be a girly-man", got quite a few laughs.

Saturday August 29th

One day till the big race. My nerves were really getting to me at this point. All the training hours were gonna be put to the ultimate endurance test in less than 24 hours. I tried to stay off my feet as much as possible. To my amazement i still saw people out there going out for one last run along the lake shore. I went for a quick 20 minute bike ride just to make sure everything was in proper working order.

In the afternoon i started getting all my race gear ready. You get 5 bags for all of your stuff. Dry clothes bag for you race morning warm-up clothing, swim to bike transition bag, bike to run transition bag, bike special needs bag and run special need bags. I spread out all of my thing on the hotel bed and got things organized. I had over 24 gels, 32 endurolyte pills, granola bars, 4 packs of cubes, 5 water bottles...you name is i had it.

The special needs bags are places on the race course so you don't have to carry all of the nutrition items with you. The bike bag was located at the 120km marker and the run special needs bad at the halfway marker of the marathon.

After getting things sorted out, we dropped off the bike and the gear bag to the transition areas.

For dinner i had one last pasta dinner at the Pasta Factory in downtown Penticton.

Sunday August 30th - Ironman Race

I woke up at about 4am and had breakast which consisted of 2 cans of ensure (gross), one bagel, one granola bar, 1 carrot muffing and 1/2 bottle of gatorade. I was a pack of nerves and just couldn't stay still. I told Mel not to get up with me and instead just head to the start line later with Sophie. I knew she was also gonna have a long day with Sophie so it was pointless for them to wake up with me. She did get up to take my before-Ironman picture, gave me a big hug and kiss, told me to have fun and wished me luck. We had arranged for a few meeting spots with approximate times to see me during the day.

I grabbed my bags and headed to the start. The 1km walk to the start was extremely emotional for me. Tears running down my face and the magnitude of the event was setting in. I knew this was gonna be the hardest thing i would ever do, and i knew the pain would be unlike anything i had ever felt before. I was really worried about the heat, it had been so hot in the previous days that i wondered how i would ever get through this day. I reflected on the last 9 months of training and even beyond this. The dream of eventually doing an Ironman started about 4 years ago at the end of my Ph.D. when i purchased my Timex Ironman watch and started running. I thought about the pain i felt after my first marathon in Ottawa where i could barely walk back to the hotel. Luckily my mom was there to help me. I thought about how happy i was when my tri-bike arrived in Newfoundland and my first ever triathlon in Carbonnear. I still remember how scared i was of the 500m swim. I had come a long way in a relatively short period of time.

As i approached the start of the race around 5am, volunteers directed me to the body marking area and special needs bad drop-off. Got my special needs stuff in the correct boxes and got marked up and headed to the transition area to check my bike and get the tires up to the right pressure. One last bathroom break before the line-ups get too long and try to relax. I had everything done by 5:45am and had over 1 hour to sit around and relax. I walked around for a little and all of a sudden i hear someone shouting out my name "Eric". It was Prof. Bob Sica from Western. I was lucky to run into him. He gave me a big hug, asked me about my training, if i had done the long rides and the long runs. I told him yes of course i had. Before leaving he said "remember, no walking, whatever you do, no walking, it's gonna get ugly out there but no walking". I laughed and heading to the flower garden in the transition area. Some older woman next to me asked me how i was doing. I told her i was very nervous. She said this was just another training day, it was nothing more than a long swim, long bike ride than a long run. She told me there were gonna be times when i would great and other times where i would feel awful but just remember that none of those would last. Her favorite part of the race was passing all of these "buff men" on the run.

The pros were about to start so i got a volunteer to help me with my wetsuit then headed to the swim start area. There were thousands of spectators at the start. I looked for Mel and Sophie but no luck, it was too crazy. After Oh Canada we had just a few minutes left. There were over 2600 athletes in the water waiting for the start. Before i knew it we were doing the countdown, 1 minute left, 10 seconds,..., two, one, then the horn went off. Holy shit, time to go. You could feel the undertow from all the swimmers in front of me rushing into the water at the same time. Took a few steps until i was deep enough to start swimming then dove in. The swim was crazy because the crowd never thinned out and i was stuck right in the middle of it. You can easily see someone having a major panic attack out there. I was trying to draft at much as possible, focusing on the feet in front of me, trying to stay right behind them, almost tickling them with every stroke. Whenever i felt someone hitting my legs i would give a stronger kick to shake them off. The first leg of the swim was 1600m out to the large house boat. This were going pretty good, i felt a little tired and soreness in my shoulders but i knew things would get better once i warm up. The first 15-20minutes are always the hardest for me. I remembered Sarah telling me about the scuba-divers near the house boat so i waved to them as i went by. There was quite a bit of congestion at the first turn but i managed to pull through. I was able to stay very close to the bouyos and had a great line for my swim. The second leg was a short 400m and i was going steady. The drafting was awesome, i tried to remember to keep my head down, stay long in the water, follow through with my pull with have a high elbow recovery. It felt like i was covering a lot of distance with each stroke. Got to the second boat house and made the turn for home. Only 1800m left. All of the bouyos had mile markers on them 1.7 miles, 1.8 miles, 2.0... i was almost there.
I could finally see the bottom of the lake but when i spotted i still had ways to go. I swam as hard as i could for the last leg and by the time i stood up in the water and looked at the race clock had 1:10:30. Awesome, one leg done, two to go. I crossed the swim to bike mat under 1:12. This was my strongest swim ever.

I headed through the swim to bike banner and found a group of volunteers called "Peelers" to help me take off my wetsuit. The volunteers are great, they do everything you ask. Unzip, take the arms off, pull the wetsuit down, tell you to lay on the grass and they yeank the wetsuit off in just a few seconds. After i grabbed by swim to bike transition back and headed straight for the change tent. Oh shit, it was packed in there so i changed just outside the tent then headed for the sunscreen station. There were high fives all around. Again volunteers took care of everythings and put a nice think coat of sunscreen all over me. Next i handed out a few high fives with some fellow triathletes and headed to row 10 to retrieve my bike. Mounted the bike and i was off for the 112 mile (180km) bike ride. As i rode through downtown Penticton i spotted Sophie and Mel on the sidewalk and yelled out "love you guys" and i was on my way.

The first 14km as rather flat. I took this opportunity to refuel a little. Had some Heed sportdrink and a granola bar then got settled in on the aero bars for the long ride ahead. I enjoyed every minute of that bike ride through the Okanogan and i couldn't believe i was actually doing the Ironman. There was a nice tail wind at the start and i was averaging around 23 miles/hour. At about the 15km marker is the first climb on the course at McLean Creek Rd. Here's the bike course elevation profile for reference.

I put the bike in the easiest gear and worked my way up the 1km hill. I felt really strong on the climb and passed quite a few riders. There was a nice descent afterward where i relaxed again. My max speed was 45mph (72kph) down the descent and i was on the breaks most of the way down. Some guys were just zooming right by me but i was way too scared to go faster. I was really trying to conserve as much energy as possible because i knew Richter's Pass was coming up. I passed the first checkpoint and my average speed was around 18.0 mph. Perfect.

I handn't previewed the course but i could see the significant climb coming up. WOW, now that's a climb. Nothing like a practiced on in Minnesota but i had to get through it. I had a good rythm going up, doing 100 pedal strokes in the saddle followed by 100 out of the saddle. The climb has a few plateau's along the way so you get to take a few short breaks and refuel. In total i think it's about 11 miles of road to go up. As I approached the top of Richter's i felt like i was in the Tour de France. There are hundreds of cheering spectators near the top and they leave just enough room for a couple of bikes to go through at a time. I was so relieved when i reached the top that i coasted to the bottom and enjoyed the ride the amazing montain views. There are some rolling hills on the way down that were also challenging but i was doing pretty good at this point.

The next part of the course is the long climb of Yellow Lake (see profile above). This was the most challenging part of the course. A steady 35 mile climb to the top of Yellow Lake in a head wind. There are aid stations every 10 miles in Ironman bike courses and i took advantage of everyone of them. I would toss out my old gatorade and water bottles and get new colder ones every 10 miles. I even took a bathroom break at one point to get off the bike and stretch my legs a little.

My speed really dropped in this section and i started to feel the effects of the 85 degree heat. I seen quite a flew riders repairing flat tires on the side of the road. When i got my special needs bike bag at the 75 miles marker i was so disappointed. I had only packed more gels and cube and i just couldn't stomach consuming anymore of these. Suck it up buttercup, this is the Ironman i told myself.

As I approached the top of Yellow Lake i started to see some of the suffering the bike course. I few riders just sitting on the side head between their knees, another guy was walking up the hill carrying his bike on his shoulders. I felt really weak near the top.

The last 20km appear downhill from the profile but it's so misleading. There is one stretch where you can hit speeds of 35mph but for the most part the headwind really limits your speed and you have to work very hard to maintain 17-18mph. I couldn't wait to get off my bike. As you first hit the bottom of the hill you see the sign for Penticton city center 5km and it seems to take ages to get to bike finish. You head toward downtown and there's a section of the course that is shared with the run course. I was almost home. I got to the transition, dismounted the bike and say my friend Sarah, she was volunteering at this year's event. I grabbed by bike-to-run transition bag and i went back into the change tent where another volunteer helped me change into my run clothes. Hat, shoes, run belt, fresh socks and i was out of the tent. Sarah was there and directed me to the sunscreen table where another volunteer covered me in a fresh layer of sunscreen. Sarah asked me how i felt and told her i felt good. I was happy to be off the bike. I had completed 2 legs of the race, 114.4 miles completed and only 26.2 to go. Before heading out for the long out and back there is a 1 mile loop along Lakeshore blvd. The legs were surprisingly strong. Soon after exiting the transition i spotted Sophie and Melanie and heard her yell out "Way to go babe, you look great".

It's a great feeling to see people you love on the course cheering you on. She also yelled out "....house", but i didn't know what she talking about. I made the turn for Lakeshore and headed toward the beach for the short 1 mile loop. First water stop was located along this stretch, grabbed a quick drink and was on my way. A few steps after the water stop i was looking down at the street and seen my name there. Mel has made a sign for me.

After the race she asked me if i saw the sign. I asked why she yelled out "..house" and she told me to look for the sign located in front of a house we liked on Lakeshore.

I got to see Sophie and Mel one more time before heading out of town. This is where things would get extremely hard.

The water stops are fully stocked with water, gatorade, Pepsi, ice, sponges, powerbar, gels, grapes, oranges, bananas and pretzels. In my fuel belt i had extra gels and endurolyte pills for electrolyte replacement. At the second water stop i was started to overheat and grabbed a couple of cold sponges. I put one in my shirt and one under my hat and every minute i would squeeze them to help me cool off. The goal was to do 6 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking (6 and 1's) and repeat for as long as i could. By mile 4 i had dropped to 3 and 1's and i started taking ice to put down my top. I crossed the 5 mile marker in about 55 minutes...not bad 11 minutes/mile. By mile 6 things started falling apart rather quickly. My throat was getting really sore and i had a real bad chill across my body. I just couldn't run anymore. Holy shit, still 20 miles to go. I was getting worse and worse with every step, i was feeling light headed. I would run my hand across my shoulder to wipe off the sweat and my shoulders felt really cold. I couldn't figure things out. I was drinking all the time, taking my salt replacement tablets, why was my body shutting down? I was still able to walk at a pretty fast pace. Big strides, good pace, but even so it would still take me 6 more hours to finish if i have to walk the rest the race. At every mile marker i tried something different, gatorade no luck, grapes didn't work, pretzels no luck...nothing was working for me. By mile 8 i was completely drained and could barely speak. There was a moment where i thought i wouldn't finish the race. I got passed by a lot of people but still kept walking. I kept asking people around me if they were cold, if it was cold outside. Everyone said no. I really had to focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. The goal was to finish. Even some of the top triathletes who were nearly done the marathon were suffering. I seen some pros sitting on the road with their heads between their legs. A few running looked really fresh. Even some guy in a tiger suit was all smiles at he ran effortlessly. At the half-way point i looked at the watch and I was at 11 hours and 15 minutes into my race. I continued to walk, and started talking to other people along the way. I met this older woman Vicky the second half of the run. She was struggling along with me. She told me she'd done Ironman Arizona earlier this year in 12:30 but was having a really tough time today. We walked for about a mile together and she asked how much longer it would take to finish the race and this walk pace. I told her about 2.5 hours and she told me she couldn't walk for another 2.5 hours. We decided to try to do a walk and run for a little bit. We agree to try to run for 32 steps and then walk 8. Time to start...we did the first 32 steps together and but by the time we started walking we decided to extend it to 16 steps... 8 just wasn't enough. i think i was only able to to 3 sets then i told her to continue without me. I didn't have the strength to go on like this. I kept walking for a little while and stopped at a bathroom but it was occupied. I didn't want to stop for too long but i really severe stomach issues and really had to go, there was no way i was making it to the next one. It felt like i was waiting for ages and i got in there and i really had to focus not to pass out. I made it, but for the next 500m my legs really started to cramp. With about 6 miles to go i decided to try some Pepsi instead of the usual water and gatorade i'd previous been on. I knew i'd get a small sugar kick but wasn't sure how long it would last so i waited as long as possible before i tried the Pepsi. That ended up being the best thing to ever happen to me. Within a few minutes i was able to resume a run/walk and started passing a bunch of people. I eventually passed Vicky again and all i remember her saying was "Man, Look at you go".

Vicky at the finish

I advised her to try the Pepsi. Keep in mind blazzing speed for me at the end of an Ironman is running at a 11 min/mile pace. I was still doing quite a bit of walking but my stomach was feeling much better. The amount of suffering endured on that marathon course is scary. I remember doing a walk break with a girl called Stacey. Once it was time to start running again, her legs wouldn't move and she was screaming at her legs, "why won't you run, why won't you run, c'mon please move".
At this point i knew i would finish and i started to calculate my finishing time. I had under 6 miles to go and wanted to make it to the finish under 14 hours. If i could average 14.0 min/mile pace i would make it. There was a large group of us hoping to make the 14.0 hour cutoff. As you'd pass someone you tell them 14.0 hours, c'mon buddy you can do it. Just follow me, i'll bring you home. To stay motivated we would have madatory "No-walking zones". Eventually you were too weak to lead and you'd fall back a little but someone would pass you and you knew you had to pick it up to make 14 hours.

With 3 miles to go, i met this guy Jeff from Michigan. He told me his wife was probably really worried because he told her that his run would be no more than 5hours. In the Ironman there are no guarantees. We were getting back into the city of Penticton and there were orange cones lining the streets. We had a good system, trying to run for two cones and then walk for one. We looked at our watches and new we had to pick it up. 3 miles in 45 minutes. If you're a runner that seems so slow and believe me it is. But every step is a challenge at this point. I had some severe cramping in my calves. Even from where we were we could hear the cheering crowds at the finish. With 2 miles to go Jeff was unable to continue at my pace and I kept up the running.

Finally the home stretch, 1 mile to go. Even though it was dark out there were so many people still there cheering you on to the finish. I saw Mel at the corner and heard her yell out my name. I wanted to finish strong and i tried to pick up the pace but my calves would cramp up immediately and i had to be very careful. I got to the turnaround down Lakeshore and I heard someone yell out "Go Eric" again. Less than 1km to go.

As you approach the finish, you see the big screen, the lights, i made sure no one was behind me. I wanted to cherish every moment of the last 100m and make sure no one else was around me when i cross the finish. This was my moment. Two guys were in front of me and i let them finish and then I had the main floor to myself. I then crossed the finish and heard the announcer yell out "Eric Meloche from Edina, Minnesota, you are an Ironman". What an amazing emotional feeling. Just typing this out brings tears to my eyes.

Shortly after crossing the finish, 2 volunteers grabbed my arms and essentially hauled me away. They kept talking to me so i wouldn't pass out. I remember the girl saying "That was an emotional finish for you, Are any family members here with you?" They gave me a thermal blanket and the minute that thing went over my shoulders i began to sweat. It just wouldn't stop either, it was like someone had just poured a bucket of water over me. They guided me to the finisher photo area and within a minute i was very light headed and nauseus and was about to throw up. I asked them to lean me up against the fence and then i tried to throw up 3 times but nothing was coming out my stomach was empty. A nurse came rushing to my attention and i remember her not being very sympathetic to my situation. She looked at me right in the eyes and said "Eric, listen to me, you can't lay down here, you need to walk and get to the medical tent". The tone of her voice scared me.
She asked me when was the last time i ate something, i couldn't remember. I told her i thought i had a piece of orange at mile 20. They gave me some gatorade and i felt much better.
The medical tent at Ironman is the scariest thing i've ever seen. There are 2 section, one with about 50 seats and another room with beds. I was in the room with seats and it was packed. Once i was feeling a little better i started looking around, looking at the empty looks on peoples faces. We all looked like we were about to die. Eyes wide open, no response to anything. Every now and then you'd hear a doctor or nurse yell you "He's got that look, hurry get him a bed, hurry".
The volunteers in the medical tent were amazing and attended to all my needs. I asked for food and someone went off and got me a slice of pizza and chicken broth. I asked if someone could go gather all my gear from the transition area and within a few minutes they came back with all my stuff. Even once i was discharged from the tent i asked if someone could walk with me to where i was suppose to meet with Sophie and Melanie and someone volunteered to walk with me.

I was talking to one girl sitting beside me in the medical tent. The nurse had removed her shoes and socks and exposed the biggest blisters i'd had ever seen. I asked her how she could possible run and she didn't know how she did it.

Just before leaving the tent i was sitting on my chair and this guy sits down a few seats away from me. It was my Iron friend Jeff. I asked him if he made in under 14 hours. He just looked at me and smiled. I don't think he remembered me. Within one minute he fell off his chair and was throwing up all over the place. We was rushed to other room and i didn't see him again.

Jeff did make our 14 cutoff...attaboy!!

I eventually found Melanie and Sophie and we slowly made out way back to the hotel. I got a big salty french fry on the way back and savoured bite of it. The race was televised on local TV so we stayed up till midnight to see the last runners come through the finish line.

The most amazing finish came with less than 5 minutes to go before the 17 hour midnight cutoff when 79 year old Sister Madonna Buder finish the Ironman and set a new world record as the oldest person to ever complete an Ironman. Attagirl!!

Ironman was a defining moment in my life. There is no greater accomplishment in life than finishing an Ironman.

Time to take some time off, the goal is to rest for one month then slowly get back to the pool, get on the bike and start running again.

Some final thoughts before race day

2009-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

We are leaving tomorrow morning for Vancouver. We'll be staying the night and drive out to Penticton thursday morning. I packed all my gear last night and watched tons of Ironman Youtube videos. I find all the personal stories very inspirational. Am i ready? am I scared? you bet I am. This will undoubtedly be the longest day of my life. The plan is to get up at 4am on race day and have a large breakfast and slowly get ready. Head out to the transition area at 5:40am, check the bike for the last time and then do a 15 minutes warm up swim. The swim start is gonna be awesome. Over 2000 triathletes all ligned up waiting for the start. I'm guessing that for 25% this will be our first Ironman.
The weather is expected to be in low 90's so i might have to change the game plan as the day progresses. The ultimate goal is to finish. Getting a respectable time is important to me but finishing trumps everything.

If you wanna see my progress next sunday, just go to www.ironman.com and look for the race results tab. You can either enter my last name of my bib #344.

I know it's gonna be extremely hard, i'll hit a few walls along the way but that's why i signed in the first place. The goal was always to go beyond anything i ever thought possible and once i'm done, run a marathon.

Congrats Mel on completing your first ever triathlon!!

2009-08-18T06:42:00.001-07:00

Meloche family crossing the finish line at the YWCA sprint triathlon held in Maple Plain MN.

Way to go Mel, Sophie and I are super proud of you. You did great!!

One month do go

2009-07-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well with one month to go before raceday the numbers are adding up fast. The last month i've been logging quite a few miles so i figure i'd add things up and see where i stand.

As of week 31 of the training program here are the totals.

Total swim distance: 163 miles
bike distance: 3472 miles
run distance: 798 miles

Total training: 387 hours

Looking forward to the weekend. I've got a 70 mile bike/ 15 mile run on saturday and a 20 mile run sunday.
Gotta stay focused these next couple of weeks. Melanie and Sophie just headed up to Timmins this morning and it's time to put the training in overdrive.

Survived the big training weekend.

2009-07-20T08:53:00.001-07:00

Quite pleased with myself today. I finished my hardest training weekend to date. Saturday morning i head out to lake Calhoun for my long run. Arrived there at 6am and started the run. After 10 minutes i took my first walk break and another guy was running in the opposite direction. As he approached me he started yelling "we are the first ones, we are the first ones". Indeed we were but big deal. I was still on my walk break when he passed and he had the audacity to say to me "feeling the effects of that 6-pack of beer last night".. Ah i could only shake my head at him, if he only knew what i was doing this weekend he would certainly reconsider his comments. The rest of the run was pretty uneventfull. I decided to only circle Calhoun and made it 6 times for my 18 miles. I had to keep some energy for sunday.

Sunday morning i head out to Coon Rapids for the Minneasota Triathlon Club July Century Ride. Half way to Coon rapids i realized i forgot all my protein bars, gu's and endurolytes...dammit, i was too far to turn around. This was a supported ride with 2 rest stops so it wasn't a big deal but i was still annoyed.
I got there 20 minutes before the start and got my stuff togethers. We were about 20 riders. I noticed 2 guys with Ironman tattoos on their calves. I was contemplating getting one after my race but after seeing theirs i think i'll pass. We all head out together for the ride, starting out pretty slow but it was gonna be a long day so i didn't mind. We got to the first rest stop approx. 18 miles from the start. I grabbed some nutter butters and a stocked up on food and we headed out. Shortly after the first rest stop my worst nightmare came true...flat tire. Jesus Christ!! what now, what do i do. I pulled over on the side of the bridge and started taking off the back wheel. The rest of the riders ask if i was okay and i said yes. I wanted to come across like i knew what i was doing but this was my first flat in the middle of nowhere. After a few minutes two of the riders stopped and gave me hand. Thank god for that, because i was clueless. None of us had ever used a CO2 cartridge before to inflate the tire. The first attempt falled misably. All the CO2 from the cartridge didn't go where is was suppose to. Shit we just have one more attempt, if this doesn't succeed now i'm screwed. The one girl who stopped Katherine grabbed the wheel and the last cartridge and gave it a try. She must have been holding the wrong part of the cartridge because one of her fingers had a major frost bite afterwards. Luckily for me it worked the second time around.
Our group was now down to 3 riders, myself, Katherine and Janet. We continued along and had a great ride. We formed a train, staying within 3 feet of each other to minimize drag. The lead rider would pull the rest of us along for 3 minutes and then drop to the back and then the next rider would pull. We were cruising, 20-22mph for at least 2 hours of steady riding.
At mile 78 just getting back into to city i got another flat tire. Changing this one was a breaze now that i had a bit of experience. Took 8 minutes to change the tube and we were on our way.

We ended up doing 101.5 miles due to a bit of confusion getting back to the start. Beautiful bike ride North of the city. I felt great for the entire ride. A bit of stiffness in the neck and shoulders but the legs were fine. One more century ride to go before the big dance.

Lifetime Triathlon Recap

2009-07-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Lifetime triathlon was held on saturday. This was my last triathlon before Ironman. Weather was absolutely perfect for racing and trying to set a personal best. I felt pretty good coming into the race and was really hoping to improve on last year's race results of 2:48. Here's a summary of my day.

Lifetime Triathlon 2009
Bib #: 894
Age: 32
Gender: M
City, State: Edina, MN
Nation: USA
Race Category: International Age Group - Men 30 to 34

Triathlon Results - International Course

Finish Time: 2:35:07.9
Category Place: 30 out of 136 Men 30 to 34 finishers
Overall Place: 195 out of 1042 International Course finishers
Gender Overall Plc: 170 out of 745 Male finishers

Triathlon Splits
Swim 1.5K

Time: 27:20.2
Pace: 1:49 /100m
Category Place: 29
Overall Place: 166
Gender Overall Plc: 135

Transition #1

Time: 2:48.4
Category Place: 36
Overall Place: 249
Gender Overall Plc: 187

Bike 40K

Time: 1:12:47.2
Pace: 21.0MPH
Category Place: 28
Overall Place: 196
Gender Overall Plc: 186

Transition #2

Time: 1:43.5
Category Place: 31
Overall Place: 224
Gender Overall Plc: 174

Run 10K

Time: 50:28.5
Pace: 8:08/M
Category Place: 56
Overall Place: 362
Gender Overall Plc: 302

I'm really happy with this result and felt strong throughout the day, especially on the bike (21.0mph!!). My strongest event compared to other competitors is the swim. That's pretty funny since i don't consider myself a very good swimmer. I still need to get that run time under 50 minutes. I gave it everything i had, I even went as far as taking off my shirt for the second lap of the course to help cool down but still fell short by 30 seconds.

For comparison here are the 2008 results. I improved in every discipline this year. Nice to see that the Ironman training has paid off.

Lifetime Triathlon 2009

Finish Time: 2:48:02.6
Category Place: 70 out of 156 Men 30 to 34 finishers
Overall Place: 434 out of 1140 Olympic Course finishers
Gender Overall Plc: 366 out of 798 Male finishers

Triathlon Splits
Swim 1.5K

Time: 30:49.1
Pace: 2:03 /100m
Category Place: 48
Overall Place: 335
Gender Overall Plc: 263

Transition #1

Time: 3:15.1
Category Place: 79
Overall Place: 596
Gender Overall Plc: 421

Bike 40K

Time: 1:16:38.6
Pace: 20.0MPH
Category Place: 69
Overall Place: 419
Gender Overall Plc: 372

Transition #2

Time: 1:57.8
Category Place: 61
Overall Place: 414
Gender Overall Plc: 319

Run 10K

Time: 55:21.8
Pace: 8:56/M
Category Place: 100
Overall Place: 600
Gender Overall Plc: 477

Crossing the finish line at Liberty 1/2 Ironman and still smiiling

2009-06-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Click on picture for higher resolution.

100 miles on the bike

2009-06-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Last saturday i completed my first 100 mile bike ride. I went back to Baker Park reserve and complete 3 full loops of the course. Got there at 6am and finished at 11:40. Yup..5 hours and 40 minutes on the bike, no stopping, just constant pedalling with an average speed of 17.4mph. The last 10 miles were really brutal. My toes began to cramp up on my left foot and i was in a lot pain. The goal is to do 2 more century rides before Ironman and do 3-4 long brick workouts (50mile bike followed by 10-15 mile run).

Liberty 1/2 Ironman

2009-06-23T18:47:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the Liberty 1/2 Ironman.

Eric, Rick and Jan after the race.

Jan getting the wetsuit on

3 pretty confident guys, ready to roll.

Getting marked and putting on extra sunblock.

Yan's Cervelo P2C with some really sweet Zipp wheels.

So here's the recap of my very first 1/2 Ironman. I had an exceptional 1.2 mile swim. I maintained the same pace from the previous weekend over the longer distance. The bike portion felt long but i stayed with a pack of 3-4 riders for most of the ride. We were averaging close to 20mph for the full 56miles. To put in perspective, last weekend at Buffalo i averaged 19.2mph over 24.6 miles, so the pace was much faster. I didn't feel as though i going too fast, legs felt strong and had plenty of water and gatorade to get me through the ride. At mile 50 there is a turnaround and you had back to Baker Park reserve. I spotted Rick about 1.5 miles after the turnaround and Jan a few minutes later. I started about 15 minutes before them so i was happy i didn't get passed on the bike portion. I knew they would overtake me on the run. I remember getting to the transition area and checking my watch, i was at 3:28 minutes. At that point i figured i would simply run for 2hours and finish at 5 hours 30 minutes...lol.
So the first part of the run at Liberty is really unforgiving. It's a short trail run up a really steep hill. I couldn't run, no energy left and i had to walk up the hill...dammit..I knew it was gonna be a very difficult run. At the top of the hill i got my legs back and was able to start jogging. I was doing pretty good for the first couple of miles. I stopped at every water station and took a short walk break. At every mile i was waiting for Rick or Jan to run right by me. At mile 5 still no sign of them, i pushed forward, slow and steady. At the turnaround, i spotted Rick about 200 yards away. It was so hot, i had to take an extended walk break. As he passed me we exchanged a few words of encouragement then he was on his way. I was comforted by the fast that he was also struggling with the run. I tried to stay with him but didn't have it in me. I then ran into Jan about a mile down the run path. The last 6 miles of that run were among the hardest i've ever run. It was extremely hot and it felt like i was constantly running up hill, damn you Escher!! I ended up doing quite a bit of walking but i really had no other choice. With about 4 miles to go the water stops were also starting to offer Coca Cola. That really saved me. I remember reading "Becoming an Ironman" a few years ago, a book about several personal Ironman stories and everyone of them mentioned drinking Coke when they were feeling drained. I'm now a believer.
Running down the trail felt great and when I crossed the finish line i realized how hard the full distance is going to be.

So here are the numbers:

Swim 1.2miles 36:09
Transition 1 2:11
Bike 56 miles 2:48:43 average speed 19.9 mph
Transition 2 1:49
Run 2:14:42
Total 5:43:30

Buffalo Triathlon recap

2009-06-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

Last sunday was my first triathlon of the season. Buffalo triathlon is an olympic distance triathlon consisting of a 1.5km swim, 40 km bike, and a 10km run. I did Buffalo last year so my goal was to improve on my time. Temperatures were much colder this year which made the bike portion of the race much more difficult than last year. Strong winds were a real bitch especially going up the hills.
Rick picked me up at 6am and we made out way to Buffalo, MN. Got there nice and early. Earlier in the week i had planned to get a practice swim in before the start of the race but the cold weather convinced me otherwise. This was my first triathlon is cold conditions so i didn't really know how to dress for the bike portion. I decided to go with a wind jacket and two underlayers and am glad that i did, i was really cold at times.

I had a good swim, i had to abandone the breath every 2nd stroke because i was consistently running into other swimmers so i switched to breathing every stroke.
The swim felt long this year but i was able to beat my time and set a PB for the swim portion. Transition 1 felt like it took ages, I trouble removing the wetsuit, difficulty putting on 2 shirts and then a jacket, leaving the transition and then having to go back because i forgot my glasses. Anyway i finally got on my way but then realized i forgot to zip up my jacket...oh boy.. Rick and I were discussing riding no hands on the drive up to Buffalo. I told him that i can't ride no hands anymore. When i was 18 i took a major wipeout riding no hands and am way to scared now. Anyways i really had no choice. I didn't want to come to a complete stop to zip up the jacket and then start again. I'm sure it took nearly a mile to get the bloody thing up but i managed. The bike portion was hard. The first part of the bike course is extremely bumpy and there seemed to be riding uphill the entire way.
Shortly after the turnaround i started heading back and spotted Rick. I was a little ahead of him but i knew he would pass me in just a couple of minutes. He's a monster on the bike. Last year he averaged 21.4mph on a montain bike. This year he rode a Cervelo...i didn't stand a chance. At mile 14 he passed me and wished me luck. It was motivating for me, i tried to keep him in sights for as long as i could. Surprisingly i was able to stay with him till mile 23 where i decided to increase the cadence and overtake him on a slight downhill portion of the course.
A couple minutes later it became very difficult to pedale the bike. I looked down and notice i had gotten a flat on the back tire. For christ sakes...what to do.. I decided to ride it in on the rim. I was really close to the transition, like 500 yards, but i know i could do major damage to the rim $$$$. Luckily everything worked out.

I got the second transition, got the gear together adn was on my way. I remembered from last year how i hated the first 3miles of the run which are mostly up hill. Things were no different this time around. It was tough going but i felt strong. I ran with a small gatorade bottle and didn't need any walk break this year. There are advantages to the colder weather.

So here's a comparison to last year

2008 2009
swim 27.47 26.57
T1 3.49 3.53
Bike 1.15:44 1.17:18
T2 2.23 2.29
Run 53.26 50.48
Total: 2.43.06 2.41.23

Overall i was really happy with the race. Time to rest up and get ready for the 1/2 Ironman saturday.

Congrats to Rick and Katie who also competed in Buffalo.

Ironman Bike Ride recap

2009-04-28T14:34:00.001-07:00

Here's a recap of last sunday's Ironman Bike ride. Rain, Rain, and more Rain!!!!

I went to bed saturday convinced that i was gonna ride the full 100 miles the next morning. I had made up my mind and was prepared to take whatever nature was going to throw at me. Woke up at 5am on sunday, ate breakfast and drove down to Lakeville for the start of the bike race. As you drive down the freeway there were 2 illuminated signs welcoming bikers "Welcome to Ironman 2009". Shivers went up my spine seeing those signs. Tons of people were already there standing in line outside of the Lakeville HS. Most riders wanted to get in as many miles as possible before the weather changed. The forecast called for rain with thunder and lightning starting in early afternoon. I met Todd and Katie (friends from the Running Room) just outside the school and then got my bike ready. I had plenty of snacks and fluids for the ride.

So we started our ride shortly after 7:00 am. We were relieved that the rain had not started yet. An early start would allow me to finish the 100 miles around 1pm and have the rest of the afternoon to play with Sophie!!..lol.

So the first few miles were great. There were a couple of flat tires and busted wheels but our group was intact and feeling pretty good. The first rest stop was located just past the 20 mile marker and that was also the split for the 65 and 100 mile rides. Todd and Katie were signed up for the 65 miler. I'll cut them some slack since they both ran the Get in Gear 1/2 marathon the day before. As we approached the first checkpoint the clouds were gettting a little darker and i made the decision to opt for the 65 mile instead of the 100. I decided to save the 100 miler for another day. I just didn't want to have another Twin Cities marathon experience, especially if i was going to do it alone.

So the first 20 miles went quite quickly, no rain, no wind, a little on the cold side but i wasn't complaining..at least not yet. We arrived to the first rest stop and decided to go in for a bathroom break and snacks. They had everything!!! full size snickers bars, hot tomalies (one of my favs), muffings, m and m's, the works.

So we headed back out to complete the 65 miler....at least we hope to finished. A few miles into the second leg of the ride it started to rain. There's an understatement!!! It actually started to pour down on us. Combine with wind, it made riding the bike nearly impossible. Bike shoes quickle became saturated with water, as well as gloves and bike pants. I was so cold. At mile 34, we were just pulling into a small city along the route and i looked over at Katie and told her i wasn't gonna make it and that i'd had enought. We agreed to call it day. The other guy Todd who was riding with us was farther ahead so he wasn't aware that we had stopped.

To make a long story short. We stopped at a local diner, some stranger got us coffee, and Katie's husband Eric drove down from Minneapolis to rescue us. The race organizers had arranged for a sag wagon for bike support but when we called administrators they told us they were getting 100's of calls and that it would be awhile. So we officially rode 34 miles but it sure felt like 100.

Morning on the Trainer

2009-04-16T17:35:00.001-07:00

On the trainer for the first time last Wednesday. 1 hours..nice and easy. I even had a couple of fans cheering me on.

Long training weeks have arrived!!!

2009-04-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the graph above, things are about to pick up dramatically in the next couple weeks. I'm wrapping up a 14+ hour week and am completely exhausted. This mornings 50mile ride and 5 mile run was rough. I have a short rest day tomorrow and back at it easter sunday with a 15 mile run followed by 1 hour on the bike.

Last week i was able to score a couple of fluid trainers from the REI scratch and dent sale. I got a Kurt (reg. 360$) and a CycleOps trainer (reg. 260$) for under 200$. Love the sweet deal!! Next year i think i'll camp out and try to score a full carbon bike. I was planning on spinning out on the balcony last thursday but little Sophie had other plans plus it's pitch dark out there at 5am so i decided to go to the gym instead.

Ironman Training: The first 100 days

2009-03-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

The first 100 days of ironman training are in the books. Here's a summary of what i've accomplished thus far.

Total distances:
Swimming: 75 miles
Bike: 1327 miles
Run: 304 miles

Total time: 151 hours

I'm proud to say that in the first 100 days i've only skipped one workout (a 6 mile run). My body is getting stronger both physically and mentally with every workout. Triathlon season is only a couple of month away now so there's no time to look back. I've started running outside again. Headed to the Running Room last sunday for a great 10 miler around the lakes in Uptown and if things warm up just a bit i'll be taking the bike outside. I'm so looking forward to early morning bike rides.

In other news, Melanie has decided to compete in a sprint distance triathlon in mid-august. We got her equipped with a nice entry-level road bike from REI and i've printed out a training program for her. Sophie and I will be there to cheer you on babe!!!

My swim progress has been pretty good. I've been attending Master's swim training wednesday nights now for the past 6 weeks. It's basically 1 hour of all out swimming, freestyle, backstroke, IM, kick drills..you name it we do it.

Next on the radar in the Lakeville Ironman bike ride at the end of April. There are 3 rides to choose from, 30, 65 and 100 miles and i think i've convinced myself that the 65 miler is the perfect distance for me this year. I haven't done any outdoor riding yet and i don't think i have it in me for the 6+ hours 100 mile journey.

Calorie counting week a failure

2009-02-10T14:33:00.001-08:00

Well my calorie counting experiment failed miserably. It's really hard to keep track of everything i eat. I think the wheels fell off on wednesday. Some guy at work celebrated his 10th anniversary at Seagate and i indulged in a massive piece of cake. Next thing you know i was making popcorn one evening, having dinner at the restaurant. The smallest number of calories consumed in one day was about 1800 and i think i average about 2100-2400. That seems like a lot i know but i'm always hungry and have to keep feuling my body. Today for example i rode the bike for 70 minutes (~700 calories) then ran for 35minutes (~600 calories). Not much calorie burning at work where i sit on my ass most of the day but once i make up for it when i get home and have to chase little Sophie around.

Going to the Y tonight for my first Minneasota Tri-Masters swim clinic. My infatuation with total immersion continues. I still need to work on breathing and holding my form on the kick for more than a few laps.

Counting Calories This Week

2009-02-03T07:15:00.001-08:00

I've decided to keep a calorie count this week.

Monday

Breakfast
Cereal + Skim Milk 150

Lunch
Carrots 35
Grapes 50
Raisins 240
Almonds 170
Granola Bar 170
PB Crackers 190
Fusion Drink 190

Dinner
Shepperd's Pie 640

Monday Total: 1825

One month down, 8 to go

2009-01-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

Summary of this week's workouts

Swim 2:30 - Bike 5:30 - Run 2:50 -- Total: 10:50

As you can see this is the biggest increase in total workout time to date. I've passed the 10 hours/week mark and there's no going back till after the Ironman.
The biggest increase this week in on the bike with saturday's ride over 2 hours. I'm spending so much time on the stationary bike. When i ride i see people come in for the workout, stay for an hour or so and then leave and i'm still pedalling. I've uploaded some new songs to pass the time but boredome definitely hits after 90 minutes.

I was really tired over the weekend after some major mileage but feel pretty good today. It's weird how by body is recovering. I also feel that my Total Immersion swim lessons are starting to pay off. Did a few 10 lap sets on monday and they were all around 9 minutes. I use to do them in 10 minutes and if i really pushed myself i could get it down to around 9min but it was a struggle. Still need to work on my breathing and incorporating some kind of kick. I think we're being video taped this week so i'll post my swim video sometime next week.

I'm getting really frustrated with the Ironman Canada website. I'm been waiting patiently now for a few months for their online store to open so I get a couple of nifty Ironman Canada training t-shirts but the site is still down. It was suppose to open in November, then it was pushed back to early January and we're well into the month and still nothing ...what gives.

Week 4 of 35

2009-01-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

This is the 2nd Week of 1st Pre-Season Cycle. So far so good. There's an increase of the total time this week and no recovery day like last week.

Swim 2:30 - Bike 4:30 - Run 2:20 -- Total: 9:20

Monday

SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
200 Swim - 200 Kick - 200 Pull - 200 Swim
-- the 2nd swim should be faster than the 1st, at around 75-80% intensity
MAIN SET
5 x 300 w/20 sec rest after each
-- each 300 performed as (100 freestyle - 100 IM - 100 freestyle)
(ALTERNATE MAIN SET: 5 x 200 w/20 sec rest, all freestyle)
COOL DOWN
200 easy, holding perfect technique

DAILY TOTAL: 0:45

Tuesday

BIKE 1:10
WARM UP
15:00 spin, using a gearing pyramid to elevate your HR intensity gradually. (This is a 5:00-4-3-2-1:00 pyramid.)
MAIN SET
This set is designed to help you boost your aerobic capacity. It's very important that you hold the HR intensity at or under the 75% target.
4 x 8:00 @75% w/2:00 recovery @60% after each
COOL DOWN completely by spinning consistently at 90 rpm, allowing your HR to get back under 60% by the end.
RUN 0:25
This is a very short tempo run that can be done at moderate-to-low intensity. Basically, it'll be over in no time!

DAILY TOTAL: 1:35
WEEK-TO-DATE: 2:20

Wednesday

BIKE 0:55
WARM UP
10:00 easy spinning, gradually bringing your HR up to 65%
DRILLS
3 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec rest after each set -- do each repeat as
-- 6 x (20 sec one leg, 10 sec transition)
30:00 continuous spinning, following this pattern:
- 7:00 @75%, 3:00 @60%
- 2:00 @85%, 8:00 @65%
- 7:00 @75%, 3:00 @60%
COOL DOWN
spin easy through the end of the session

DAILY TOTAL: 0:55
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:15

Thursday

SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
600 easy swim, holding proper form and letting your HR rise to 70% by the end. (ALTERNATE SET: Trim this to 400 Swim)
Intermediate set: 4 x 50 hard (@80-85%) w/15 sec rest after each
MAIN SET -- BIG TARGET!
10 x 100 @race pace (85+%) w/10 sec rest between each
-- keep track of your total time (add up the time for each of the 100's) and record the average pace per 100 in your log book, for future reference.
(ALTERNATE SET: 8 x 100)
COOL DOWN
6 x 50 @60% w/10 sec rest after each
RUN 0:35
10:00 easy jogging, allowing your HR to get up to 60% gradually
20:00 "tempo run" -- performed as follows:
7 x (1:30 @75% intensity - 30 sec @60% recovery) - continuous, straight into
3 x (1:30 @84% intensity - 30 sec @60% recovery) - continuous
Continue cooling down until your HR is back under 60%

DAILY TOTAL: 1:20
WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:35

Friday

SWIM 1:00
WARM UP
400 Swim - 200 Kick - 300 Pull
(ALTERNATE SET: 400 Swim - 200 Pull)
MAIN SET
2 x 1000 @75% w/60 sec rest in between
-- keep track of your total time (add up the time for each of the 100's) and record the average pace per 100 in your log book, for future reference.
(ALTERNATE SET: 2 x 700)
Hold the intensity constant at 75% (not higher), and try to keep your times even throughout the set. Try to minimize the strokes per length.
COOL DOWN
4 x 75 @60% w/10 sec rest after each

DAILY TOTAL: 1:00
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:35

Saturday

BIKE 1:45
WARM UP
15:00 easy spin -- use a gearing pyramid to gradually build to 75%
-- 5:00 in easy gear, 4:00 in next harder gear, then 3:00, 2:00, & 1:00
DRILLS
3 x 4:30 Variable Gearing Set w/30 sec recovery after each
-- each repeat should be
3 x (40 sec in medium gear - 20 sec in easiest gear - 30 sec in hardest gear)
MAIN SET -- BIG TARGET!
2 x 8.4 miles @75% w/3:00 @60% intensity in between
-- make sure that you keep your HR under control for both repeats, and record both times (and average HR, if possible) for future reference.
COOL DOWN to 1:45 total, gradually bringing your HR
back under 60% by the end
RUN 0:25
This is a gentle, relaxing run done at very low intensity throughout. Your HR
intensity should never exceed 75%, and should be held closer to 65%.

DAILY TOTAL: 2:10
WEEK-TO-DATE: 7:45

Sunday

RUN 0:55
This is a gentle, relaxing run done at very low intensity throughout. Your HR
intensity should never exceed 75%, and should be held closer to 65%.
BIKE 0:40
Use this as a "cool down" spin in your small chain ring, beginning @75%
intensity after the run, and gradually coming down to 60% by the end.
You should feel invigorated at the end of your first "real" week!

DAILY TOTAL: 1:35
WEEK-TO-DATE: 9:20

Week 3 of 35

2009-01-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

Successfully completed my first 2 weeks of Ironman training with workouts 13 out of the last 14 days. No time to celebrate though because the next phase of training is the Pre-Season and kicks off tomorrow morning. This is the 1st Week of 20 week pre-season cycle. Starting tomorrow morning i'm also gonna make an effort to curb my poor eating habits...night time eating is a killer. Back at work tomorrow after a 2 week vacation. It was great to be home will Sophie and Mel. The next challenge is to incorporate Ironman training between work and family time.

Swim 2:30 - Bike 3:45 - Run 1:55 -- Total: 8:10

Monday

SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
400 Swim -- 2 x 100 Kick -- 2 x 100 Pull
MAIN SET
150 - 250 - 350 - 350 - 250 - 150 w/20 sec after each
Alternate 50 freestyle / 25 Choice for each repeat
Intensity should be between 75-80% for freestyle, under 75% for choice
(ALTERNATE MAIN SET: Remove the 250's from above)
COOL DOWN
100 easy, holding perfect technique

DAILY TOTAL: 0:45

Tuesday

BIKE 0:55
WARM UP
10:00 easy spinning in your small chainring, gradually allowing your HR
to get up to 60%
MAIN SET
Perform the entire set in your small chainring, elevating your heart rate by increasing your cadence (faster pedaling).
2 sets of the following (40:00 total):
(8:00 interval @75% intensity - 2:00 recovery @60% intensity) -- straight into
(2:00 interval @84% intensity - 8:00 recovery @60% intensity)
COOL DOWN completely, allowing your HR to get back close to 50% by the end
RUN 0:30
Gradually bring your HR up to 65% during the first 15:00
Allow your HR intensity to increase to 75% for the next 10:00 by increasing your SPM (Strides Per Minute) to 80-90.
Cool down completely -- don't stop until your HR is well under 60%

DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 2:10

Wednesday

SWIM 0:45
WARM UP
2 sets of (100 Swim - 100 Kick - 100 Pull) - continuous
- 65% intensity for #1 & 75% for #2
MAIN SET
4 x 300 w/20 sec rest between each
(ALTERNATE SET: 4 x 200)
#1 & 3 - Swim; #2 & 4 - Pull (w/paddles ok)
-- You should descend this set,
getting progressively faster from #1 (65%) to #4 (84-88%)
COOL DOWN
3 x 100 @60% w/10 sec rest after each
BIKE 0:45
WARM UP
10:00 easy spinning, gradually bringing your HR up to 65%
DRILLS
3 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec rest after each set -- do each repeat as
-- 6 x (20 sec one leg, 10 sec transition)
15:00 straight time trial effort @75% intensity
COOL DOWN
spin easy through the end of the session

DAILY TOTAL: 1:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:40

Thursday

SWIM 1:00
WARM UP
2 sets of (150 Swim - 100 Kick - 150 Pull)
-- let your intensity slowly get above 65%
MAIN SET
3 x 700 w/30 sec rest after each - Swim #1 & 2, Pull #3
(ALTERNATE SET: 3 x 400)
Hold the intensity constant at 75% (not higher), and try to keep your times even throughout the set. Try to minimize the strokes per length.
COOL DOWN
6 x 50 Swim w/10 sec rest after each, holding your HR below 70%
Concentrate on rotating your hips and minimizing the number of strokes per length.
RUN 0:35
10:00 easy jogging, allowing your HR to get up to 60% gradually
20:00 "tempo run" -- performed as follows:
7 x (1:30 @75% intensity - 30 sec @60% recovery) - continuous, straight into
3 x (1:30 @84% intensity - 30 sec @60% recovery) - continuous
Continue cooling down until your HR is well under 60%

DAILY TOTAL: 1:35
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:15

Friday

Complete recovery day -- get ready for the weekend!

Saturday

BIKE 1:30
WARM UP
15:00 easy spin -- use a gearing pyramid to gradually build to 75%
-- 5:00 in easy gear, 4:00 in next harder gear, then 3:00, 2:00, & 1:00
DRILLS
3 x 3:00 ILT w/30 sec rest in between
-- each ILT should be done as (20 sec one leg - 10 sec transition)
MAIN SET
Straight 55:00 time trial, with mixed intensities -- be sure to
follow these guidelines closely:
(7:00 @75% intensity, 3:00 @60% aerobic pace)
(3:00 @84% intensity -- really "snap" up to that level -- 7:00 @60% recovery)
(8:00 @75%, 2:00 @60%)
(2:00 @84% 8:00 @60%)
(15:00 @75% intensity to finish the set)
COOL DOWN to 1:30 total, gradually bringing your HR
back under 60% by the end

DAILY TOTAL: 1:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 6:45

Sunday
RUN 0:50
This is a gentle, relaxing run done at very low intensity throughout. Your HR
intensity should never exceed 75%, and should be held closer to 65%.
BIKE 0:35
Use this as a "cool down" spin in your small chain ring, beginning @75%
intensity after the run, and gradually coming down to 60% by the end.
You should feel invigorated at the end of your first "real" week!

DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 8:10

Week 2 of 35

2008-12-29T05:07:00.000-08:00

Second week of training start today. This week's training mirrors what i did last week. This ends the Orientation part of the program. Next part in the pre-season which goes for 20 weeks.

I was able to complete all the workouts last week despite the holiday season and pool closures. My long spin sessions and long treadmill runs have been really good, with focus on form. I'm quickly realizing that the Ironman is not really about physical ability or physical fitness. Although a certain threshold of physical fitness is required the Ironman is a mental exercise. Getting up every morning when no one is around, heading to the gym in the freezing cold and logging miles day after day. It's easy to turn off the alarm and crawl back into bed, it's easy to cut my run short because i'm tired or skip the kick workout on my swim because i don't like to do it. All these things are mental challenges not physical ones.

The biggest mental challenge will come on raceday. When i run on the treadmill i typically burn around 1000 calories/hour. With an anticipated time greater than 12 hours i figure i'll burn over 10K calories during the event. If you calculate how many Gatorade bottles, sports gels, Cliff bars etc are required to replenish 10K calories you realize you'll need to haul a backpack during the race. Clearly that's not the case so at some point your mind has to convince your body to continue.

Well enought for now, time for a swim.

WEEK #1 - 1st Week of Orientation Cycle

2008-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

My Ironman training program officially kicks off on Monday. I'll be blogging more often now so keep coming back for updates. I'm excited about starting the program but also scared as hell i must admit. This will undoubtedly be the hardest physical and mental challenge of my life.

Swim 2:30 - Bike 3:20 - Run 2:15 -- Total: 8:05

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Monday
We begin easily enough with one short swim. Nothing too crazy here, just allow yourself some time to get used to the water again and be patient with speed.

SWIM 0:30
DAILY TOTAL: 0:30

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Tuesday
Because the duration of each workout is relatively short today, it is possible to put them in your day together, back-to-back. However, as these durations increase it will be preferable to split these efforts within your day -- the order isn't very important right now, though we will recommend later that you perform the higher intensity bike effort first.

BIKE 0:50
RUN 0:35
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 1:55

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Wednesday
Today's swim is a standard duration that we will incorporate into most Wednesday schedules. You can schedule this into your day as your situation allows (open swim schedules generally allow for morning swims, which is suggested). The bike effort should be done on your trainer, since it involves some drills and will incorporate very controlled workouts over time.
SWIM 0:45
BIKE 0:40
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:20

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Thursday
Thursday's schedules will generally include a longer morning swim and a running session at the track later in the day. The track sessions won't be mandatory until later in the season, once we've established a sufficient aerobic base.
SWIM 0:45
RUN 0:45
DAILY TOTAL: 1:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 4:50

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Friday
This is an optional additional swim that we are incorporating into the first two weeks only. In the future you'll notice that Friday is reserved for complete recovery before the heavy training normally scheduled for the weekends.
SWIM 0:30
DAILY TOTAL: 0:30
WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:20

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Saturday
Saturday's schedules will almost always include the longest cycling session of the week. This will be performed outdoors when it gets warmer (for those of us stuck in the colder climates, that is!). During the indoor riding season, these sessions can be shorter because they will also be more efficient -- no stopping for stop lights, very controllable terrain, etc. We will also begin to incorporate a short run after this ride once the weekly training durations get a bit longer.
BIKE 1:20
DAILY TOTAL: 1:20
WEEK-TO-DATE: 6:40

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Sunday
Sunday's focus is generally on the run; we incorporate an additional ride to increase the total aerobic effort while minimizing the stress on your legs. In the colder months, the run should always be performed first & the cycling shortly thereafter.
RUN 0:55
BIKE 0:30
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25
WEEK-TO-DATE: 8:05

Last week's recap

2008-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sunday - run - 7.0 miles - 60 min
Monday - swim - 80 laps - 1:21
Tuesday - bike - 35.0 miles - 1:45
Wednesday - run - 5.5 miles: bike - 6.0 miles
Thursday - Rest Day
Friday - Run 6.2 miles - 52.13
Saturday - Swim 40 laps - 37.21

Total: Swim 3.4 miles
Bike 41.0 miles
Run 18.7 miles

Feeling great these days

2008-11-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

I've had a great start to the week with 4 intense workouts.

Sunday - run - 6.2 miles - 52.35
Monday - swim - 70 laps - 2.1 miles - 1:10:04
Tuesday - bike - 30 miles - 88.03
Wednesday - run - 6.2 miles : bike - 6.2 miles

Tomorrow morning i'm in the pool at 6:30am for my technical swim workout(40 laps) focusing on my catch. Here's what it's suppose to look like.

I've also been keeping up with my daily sit ups (150/day). I'm feeling great about my progress and can definitely feel myself getting more fit. However, i know i need to make a better effort to eat properly. Let's see..tonight i had leftover meatballs with gravy to start off with followed by half a pizza. Certainly not your typical Ironman diet. I'm hoping to weigh in at 180lbs for the Ironman. I haven't seen numbers that low since my senior year in high school. I reckon i'm about 205lbs now but was 213lbs for the TC marathon, so i'm heading in the right direction. You can get away with that lack of diet discipline for a marathon as long as you complete the long runs although you pay for it afterwards. The Ironman distance will punish you if you're not in the best shape of your life. It demands much more respect.

This week i also signed up the Liberty long course (1/2 Ironman distance) triathlon in the fall. This will be my first 1/2 ironman tri so i'm looking forward to seeing how my body will hold up. A couple of my colleagues (Jan and Rick) will also be competing so it should be a lot of fun.

Slow and Steady

2008-11-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Feeling pretty good about my progress the last couple of weeks. I'm been sticking to my weekly 5 laps increase for my long swim. This mornings long swim was 65 laps in a time 1:04:41. Thursdays workout focuses on speed and my arm turnover rate. Last week i did a PB of 37:46 for a 2km swim.

With the the cold weather arriving last weekend looks like i'll be running indoors for the next couple of months. Did a 10km treadmill run on sunday and felt great. Kept it at 7.0mph with no walk breaks. Since the TC marathon i've had quite a bit of trouble running. Monday i rode the bike for 90 mintues and covered 28.6 miles.

In an effort to build core strength i'm also doing 100 sit-ups every night before bed. Hopefully this offsets some on my late night snacks.

I'm still only logging about 8-9 hours of cardio/week. My training program (starting Dec 21st) starts with a 9 hour week and eventually gets to 17 hours/week. Needless to say that i'm no where near i need to be for the Ironman.

Training update

2008-10-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've had a good week of training. For my long swim I've been increasing my distance every week by 5 lengths of the pool. I'm currently at 55 laps (~2.75km) which i can finish in 54-56 minutes. I'm hoping to get to 100-120 laps. I'm really enjoying swimming these days. Early mornings at the pool are quite enjoyable, although it's sometimes difficult to crawl out of bed. I still remember when i first started swimming lengths at Western. I could barely swim 2-3 consecutive laps without being completely exhausted and would stick to the breast stroke. It took a lot of work to get to 10 laps and i still remember the first time i swam 1km without stopping..boy was I thrilled. Adding distance now isn't a big deal, just takes more time.
I'm sticking to 2 swim days a week for now, 2 days on the bike (typically 60-70minutes) at 18-20mph and slowly getting back into running.

Cervelo just recently released their new line to tri bikes. Check out the new P4 which retails for under 7000$. (That's twice what Mel and I paid for our first car -Teddy).

If the Seagate stock hits 35$/share i might just have to treat myself ( No worries we're currently trading at 6.5$/share). Alright, back to reality....i guess i'll have to stick to my Cervelo Dual Ultegra.

What is the Ironman

2008-10-19T05:44:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from the Twin Cities marathon

2008-10-10T09:17:00.001-07:00

My Twin Cities Marathon Experience

2008-10-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

Another marathon has come and gone. All of the anticipation, the training, the early morning runs, and before you know it, the finish line approaches and the race is over. I'm still amazed at the range of emotion you feel during a marathon. There are times you feel strong, inspired by other runners and then there are moments of defeat, when you feel completely drained and question if you will even finish the race. Somehow you are able to pull through with the help of thousands of cheering people along the side of the road, despite the indescribable pain in your legs and feet. Here's a recap of my Twin Cities marathon experience.

I set the alarm for 5:30am. Had my usual sunday morning breakfast consisting of a bowl of Cheerios, peanut butter Clif Bar, Stawberry-Banana yogurt drink, and a bag of shot block. Mel and Sophie drove with me to the start line at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. I met with my marathon Running Room group before the race, checked my bag and the next thing i knew I was in the corral waiting for the start. I was convinced that the rain would pass....boy was I wrong. My goal for the race was 4 hours.

The first couple of miles went as planned with an 8:45 min/mile pace. Just past the second mile marker the rain started. Just a light drizzle at first but by the 4th mile it was pouring rain. Running around the lakes (Isles, Calhoun and Harriet) was horrible. Lots of rain, puddles, wind. It was wearing me down. My shoes where completely saturated by mile 8. There where times when i wanted to call it a day. I surely wasn't having a lot of fun. At the 9 mile marker i heard my name and spotted Melanie and Sophie. It was so nice to see them and it gave more strength to continue. I looked back as i passed them and got emotional for a second.

At the 10 mile point my time was 1:28 and i felt pretty good despite being completely soaked. At the half way point the rain had stopped and my time was just under 1:54. I was convinced I could finish under 4 hours. I think I started slowing down at about 18-19 miles, taking more frequent walk breaks. It seemed to take forever to reach the bridge and cross the river to St Paul. I knew miles 20-23 where gonna be the hardest. The weather had taken it's toll on me and I felt weak as i approached the long climb to Summit Ave. At the 20 mile marker my time was 2:58:35. Only 10km to go and I had over an hour to finish. This turned out to be the longest 10km of my life. There are 2 philosophies to distance running. Time in the bank or gas in tank. I'm definitely a time in the bank type of runner.

Once i reached the top of Summit Ave. (~23 miles) the 4 hour pace group had just over taken me. I tried to run with them but I didn't have it me to keep up. I was also passed by a woman in a pumking costume...lol. It was that kind of day. I wasn't really dissapointed though. 4 hours wouldn't been great but on this day I didn't have it me.

During the last few miles, I ran with a few members of my training group. The finish to the State Capital was amazing. Thousands of cheering people and the biggest US flag i've ever seen. Mel and Sophie were near the 26 mile marker but I didn't see them. As i approached the finish line i heard the announcer "here comes Eric Melock". I smiled, shook my head, laughed, and crossed the finish in 4:02:39.

I was inspired by a lot of runners along the way. One that comes to mind was Chemo-Man. His T-Shirt had big red letters on the front and back with the words CHEMO-MAN along with a timeline of his cancer treatment. Everytime someone would yell out "way to go Chemo-man" he would pump his fist in the air.

I'm not sure if i'll run another marathon. We'll have to wait and see. For now i'm gonna take some time off and get mentally prepared for Ironman training which starts in December.

Ironman Training Schedule Preview

2008-09-16T08:18:00.001-07:00

Here's an ouline of the 36-week training program i'll be following. I'll put up a more detailed week-by-week schedule once i start my program Dec. 21st.

The most significant daily sessions are in bold.

Monday:
Swim - moderate intensity & duration
Bike - low intensity & duration

Tuesday:
Bike - moderate-to-high intensity, moderate duration
Run - moderate intensity, lower duration

Wednesday:
Swim - moderate-to-high intensity, moderate duration
Bike - moderate intensity, low-to-moderate duration

Thursday:
Swim - low intensity, long duration
Run - high intensity, moderate duration

Friday:
Complete recovery day

Saturday:
Bike - longest duration, moderate-to-high intensity
Run - moderate intensity & low-to-medium duration

Sunday:
Run - longest duration, lowest intensity
Bike - short duration, low intensity

Ironman Canada Bike Course Elevation

2008-09-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a chart showing the elevation profile of the bike course for Ironman Canada. For comparison the profiles of some other Ironman bike courses are shown. What have I gotten myself into. Have a look at monster peak at the ~95 mile marker. Luckily the final 20 miles are downhill.

I officially registered for Ironman Canada today

2008-08-29T13:03:00.001-07:00

Step 1 is done. This morning i was able to secure a spot for Ironman Canada. I'm so thrilled!! You usually have to register in person the day after the race and registration usually sells out within a couple of hours. For some reason there were a few spots remaining this year and I was able to register online. All that is left is a year of intense training. Let the fun begin!!

2008 Triathlon Season Comes to an end

2008-08-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend marked the end of the 2008 triathlon season for me. I competed in 3 Olympic distance triathlons this season and during my last event (the St Paul Triathlon) i set a personal best in the Olympic distance. The Olympic distance triathlon is a mid-distance triathlon. It starts with a 1.5km swim, followed by a 40km bike ride and then a 10 km run.

Here's a recap of my performances for 2008.

My first event was Tri Buffalo held Sunday June 1st.
swim: 27:47
T1:3:49
Bike:1:15:44
T2:2:23
Run:53:26
Total: 2:43:06

Second event was the Life Time triathlon in Minneapolis.
swim: 30.49
T1:2.01
Bike:1:16.39
T2:1.58
Run:55.22
Total: 2:48.03

Lifetime triathlon bike course. My shoulders look huge in this picture. Amazing what a little photoshop can do...just kidding.
Eric crossing the finish line at Lifetime Triathlon

Third and final triathlon of the season, the St Paul triathlon.
swim: 31:28
T1:2:01
Bike:1:09:32
T2:1:32
Run:54:51
Total: 2:39:20 (PB)

When i came out of the water i had a quick glance at my watch and was surprised that my time was over 30minutes. Despite a relatively slow swim for me, i was able to reduce my transition times significantly and had a great bike ride with an average speed of (21.4 mph=34.5km/h). I felt strong on the run and was quite surprised when i crossed the finish line under 2h40min. I tried several new things for this race including riding and running without socks and running with a water bottle in hand.

This is the story of Dick & Rick Hoyt, the most inspirational father and son team to race in an Ironman.

2008-06-21T06:17:00.001-07:00

Transition 2 in my first olympic triathon (St John's, Newfoundland Canada- finishing time 2:50:59).