Formal Training Starts Today

Formal training starts today with 20 weeks until D-day.  Had a nice talk with my coach last night and he has provided me with my first 4 weeks of structured workouts starting with this 3000 yd. beauty below.

Equipment continues to be purchased as I needed to obtain some swim training aids and a TRX Suspension trainer to work on my core strength.  The TRX Suspension Trainer is a workout system that utilizes you own bodyweight.  I will let you know how it goes when it comes in.






Warmup:
o 400 swim/300pull/200 swim/100 kick
o 2 X 50 all out

Main Set:
o 400 Time Trial
o 100 easy pull
o 200 Time Trial
o 100 easy pull
o 200 Time Trial
o 100 easy pull
o 5 X 100 on TT + 10 sec as:
1st 100 steady, 2nd with last 25 hard, 3rd  with last 50 hard, 4th with last 75 hard and 5th 100 as a time trial.
**Record times for the 400, both 200’s and the last 100.  Add them together for your score.  Rest time between
sets should be about 2-3 minutes as 100 easy pull**

Cooldown:
o 3 X 100 easy as 50 fist, 50 free.  5 breaths rest in between sets

The Journey Begins

“The most gratifying part of your goal isn't always necessarily the finish line, but rather the journey that gets you there. The training, the preparation, and the commitment you make to yourself to go beyond in order to achieve your goal.”

That is my favorite quote when it comes to endurance events or for that matter anything that is worth achieving. The end or finish line is always anti climatic, yet the journey that gets you there is what's fun to me. Last year the goal was a coast to coast bike ride to raise awareness and fundraise for the Wounded Warrior Project. You can review that journey at http://philsepicride.blogspot.com/  This year I want to share with you my journey to complete an Ironman distance race.  

An Ironman distance race has always been on my endurance bucket list so I figured I could take some of the fitness I had left from last years training and apply it to my training for Ironman Lake Placid.  I am still in the early planning stages and will be selecting a coach to help me prepare for the event. Right now I am trying to drop a few winter pounds and build up some endurance before the training starts for real.  I have had some minor lower leg issues that seem to be getting better and I have been able to increase my running.  I have been swimming two times a week and riding my bike indoors occasionally so it time to ramp it up.  

What I hope to accomplish with this blog is detail my journey for anyone who may consider doing an Ironman distance race in the future and learn from my trials and tribulation.  So thanks for stopping by and drop me a comment if you are so inclined.

Phil-