Prologue For My Comeback Journey To Ironman

Beginning The Journey

It has now been 3 years since my last Ironman. That event was extremely challenging, satisfying, gratifying but created a void in me when it was all over. I knew that I had the potential of doing 12 hours but through all the exitement and exhilaration of it all on race day, I made a fatal mistake of not sticking to the nutrition plan. Once I realized how much I had forgotten to drink and refuel earlier on in the bike, my fate was sealed and I knew that this was not going to be the best that I could achieve. However what was done was done and vowed to finish no matter what. I finished my first Ironman Canada with severe dehydration and many hours and IV's in the medical tent afterwards.

The next year after, due to my job taking me away at sea, for days on end, for weeks at the time, would leave absolutely no time whatsover to try and do any triathlons. I therefore spent that whole year, gaining weight and getting out of shape again. The next year after was a bit better but I was still at sea a bit too often to mount a full training schedule for an Ironman. But I did have enough time to train for shorter distances and got in fairly decent shape for what was to be my last year as a triathlete in the 55 to 59 age group. Despite this, I capped off this year with 1/2 dozen triathlons of which included three 1/2 Ironman events, two Olympic distances and one sprint. All in all I had a successful year coming in mostly top three in my age group. This was also to be the foundation year of training for Ironman for 2008.

A bunch of us from the valley mainly me, Bob, Julie, Rob and a few others and also my good friends Gerry and Barb from Vancouver are all signed up for Ironman Penticton and many of us were entering new age groups. Meanwhile some of my other good friends, Newbie triathletes, Tammy and Ivan Lang were making their debut into long distance triathlons with the New Balance Half Iron as their 1'st 1/2 Ironman event. I am exited for them also. The journey to my second Ironman begins again.

The Training Plan

To attempt any serious physical demanding event, one must have a detailed training plan to successfully achieve their goal. As before, I decided to seek the help of my personal coach and friend Al to guide me and help me develop a training plan for this endeavour. I approached about this back in October of 07 after my last event the Transcendance Triathlon . I talked to him during that month to see if he was interested in training me again and he agreed but this was just to be an overall training plan instead of a one on one as we had done before. As before it would consist of a weekly regime of training involving:

• Weight training 2 to 3 times a week;
• Yoga/Core exercises 2 to 3 time per week;
• 3 swims, which would involve technique drills, long repeats and endurance;
• 3 Bike rides which would be again speedwork, though tempos, Hillwork and form and of course long edurance slow bike rides;
• And lastly running 3 times a week with hills tempo, form and long endurance runs.3
• There would mainly be 3 weeks of intensity followed by an easy week to allow the body to recover;
• In addition there would also be some "B" and "C" races thrown in there to simulate harder workouts without interruption and reduction in the training. There would also be one or two "A" Races in there to guage my overall fitness. With only working two days a week, and when I did work it would be in late afternoon evening shifts, would allow me plenty of time to accomplish this heavy training program. Barring any injuries or sickness that is.

Before I start documenting this, I must explain a bit, on my current situation regarding my personal life.

Midway through last year 07, I decided that after 42 years of service, that it was time for me to retire. This would assure me to have enough time for me to seriously train with no barriers in order for me to accomplish my goal which was to complete a sub 12 hour Ironman and if I was fortunate enough to come in top 5. At 60 this would be no easy quest, but I was determined and was very confident that I could achieve this once and for all. At my age, I also knew that time was running out and that I did not have that many great years of speed left in me. But I felt that in 2008, I still had enough in me, with some serious hard training ahead to achieve my goal.

In addition to this, 1 month prior to starting my training in January, Linda, my wife and I decided it was also time to make a new start in a new town and new house. We therefore sold our place, and a month later we were in Ladysmith, a quaint little town away from the hussle and bustle of the bottle neck to the whole Vancouver Island Hwy, Duncan. We would still be tied to Duncan however, in that Linda was still working at the Country Grocer Store and I had just recently got a small part time job at the liquor store in the same Mall to keep me busy for just two days a week. Ok....I did say I was going to fully retire but this was more like a hobby where I could learn all about wines of which I had a curiosty to learn more about.

Needless to say, any fitness that I had managed to acquire this past year quickly left me with the move and all in Nov and Dec. Oh well not such a big deal. The training officially started in January anyway.

The Training Begins

I decided to start this blog, this evening after talking my friends Tammy and Ivan into it also, so I just had to start one myself right? Fair is fair. So to condense one month of my beginning training into a few paragraphs here it is:

• 02 Jan - I officially start my training after moderately eating over the holidays



• 03 Jan - I unpack and put my universal gym together for strength training.



• 04 Jan - I try to get my treadmill together but the wiring is a mess. Can't get it connected right. I needed this for days I can't get out for a run.



• 05 Jan - My first long bike ride, 40k on the road



• 06 Jan - My first long run of 12K, So far my first week of training is going well except I haven't gotten in that darn pool yet. Yuk! I hate pool swimming. But my coach will be pissed if I don't get in there. Sore shoulders or not.

My week 2 of training was a good one finishing off on Sunday with a Birthday Bike ride with friends Julie, Bob, Tam and Ivan. They even embarassed me by singing Happy Birthday in the Coffee Shop. What a great day that was. Ride in the rain and all. We had fun. I also got into the pool this week....and pretty near drowned. God I think Iforgot how to swim. The next day I had run from hell with Tam and Ivan on the trails. I just ran out of poop and young Tammy was so cocky in her beating me into the ground. He He! I told her his would not last for long. Ivan on the other hand, I think knew how much I was suffering but he was very modest and somehow sympathetic to the pain I was feeling. At least he wasn't kicking me while I was down like Tammy Tri Gal. Just wait Tam!!!

Third week, the training is stepping up, I am now getting used to the water and am faithful in keeping up my weights and swims. My cardio is starting to come back and feeling much better. Good long bike to Skutz Falls and back with Julie and Bob and Rob.

Fourth week, My long swims are getting much better non stop and I have resisted all attempts so far to use any aids such as fins or that darn pull buoy which I like so much. Kick, flutter, kick Ivan told me on that first swim. I have not forgotten this lesson. Thanks Ivan. At the end of this training week I compete in my first race in about 5 months. I suck and my time is slower than ever but I get through it and I am content of my time despite. I know it will get much better. It always does after a couple of months. Besides I had not even reduced any of my heaviest training week, so in all, I considered close to 45 minutes still good. Not great but not bad either.

5'th week - At the end of January, my first month of training is completed. All in all despite the bad weather outside, I managed to do most of my rides on the road but just in case, I got myself a new training Ergo Spin Bike for those days that are just to hazardous to get out there on two wheels. This month was difficult for my start, but I can feel myself progressing very well as my heart rate is coming down now on my training runs and I am starting to recover very fast afterwards. Hills! I can't get over how many hills there are here in Ladysmith. Ivan says it is sometimes referred to as mini San Francisco. I can believe it! Also my weight program seems to be working as I am losing my belly jelley but at the same time gaining muscle mass. My Ironman weight scale says I am 11.5 percent body fat which is good. I don't want to go below 10 as I know for an endurance event such as an Ironman, one needs a bit of fat to perform optimally. At the end of my first month of training I feel very good about my training plan so far. The mileage is going to start stepping up and I can hardly wait for the warm weather to start so we can start cycling with faster speeds on safer roads with less bulky clothes. Yessssss! My journey has begun and I am thoroughly focused and enjoying it tremendously. The pain and discomfort of hard training is so bearable and worth it when you know what is at the end of it. This week 5 ended with a long run of 18k in Hail and wind but I had such a good run.