Training Log # 23 - Learning from a Team Mate - The Cobra 70.3 Ironman Experience

After having my wall blasted full of people's congratulations, the hype and the feeling of the 70.3 Ironman has now settled. It's now the perfect moment  that I begin to finally contemplate on the experience that may shape me to becoming a much more focused and persevering athlete.

I'd like to finally say that I am dissapointed. At who? Well the only person I can point the finger is at me. I finished with a time of 5:38, but this was for from an ideal time. As I had a feeling of shame and discontent for the few days I kept thinking back over and over again where things may have gone wrong.

I was telling myself I did the training, so why did I not hit my mark? What could have gone wrong? Looking back, I have realized that I have been the laziest athlete during this whole training season. Some people would say, but you did the training! How could you be lazy? The truth is, at times it got tough I paused, when it got really tough I just stopped and thought to myself "ehh maybe next workout will be better lets call it a day". This mentality kept playing in my head and it went on from one workout to another til it somehow developed into a habit.

Then I look at one my team mates "Mamita". Now this woman nailed everything she was told to. If we were told to bike 3hr and run 2hrs, she would do it to the very last milisecond and even sometimes go for more saying "ehh sayang 13.89km gawin na nating 14k" When she had to do two heavy workouts in a day, she still went on and did it. Never did I hear her say, I'm too tired I'll just rest.. And now look at the fruits of her labor, she just won 2nd place in her age group during her first 70.3 taking down veterans of the sport. Impossible? Nothing seems to be as long as you keep the work ethic. Now I'd like to say that I am honored to have trained right side by her learning what it takes to reach for something you really want to achieve.

People begin to think all this comes easy and we just go out there with our happy faces on and don't feel pain. But no, its hard, every single day its hard. It hurts, we're tired, and want to just go home. But each day we choose to push.

As with this "failure", it may have just refueled my intensity to bring it to a higher level. Let me put it on record now,

"Be ready for next year's Ironman 70.3 cause I will make something special happen on that day!"

Training Log # 22 - 92 Days & 2580kms - The Road I paved for the 70.3 Ironman

Today marks the last day of heavy workouts and I officially enter taper week for the upcoming 70.3 Ironman Philippines. Its such an accomplishing feeling just knowing I am here right now and am ready to do this battle.

The journey though to this point has been tough. On average I was knocking down 220kms of training mileage per week, a mixture of swim, bike, and run. Not everyday was such an easy day, or should I say most days just felt really hard. There were days where in you just felt lazy and tired but knew you had to get a workout in. On other days things just don't seem to fall into place and you feel like your struggling so much through out the set. But each time I finish these tough sessions I know it always brings me one step closer to my goal.

The drama though did not stop there, other challenges like injuries, work responsibilities, and alike were a few of the things that you need to handle each and everyday and it does get stressful and tiring at times. One of my normal days would usually look like this, wake up at 5am to run - eat right after - then rush to work for my 7AM class - work work work - go to the pool to swim - eat - sleep. It seems monotonic and repetitive at times but well that's what you gotta do.

Sacrifices too were one of the biggest things I had to make in preparation for this event. Countless night outs passed me by, just so that I had the strength to wake up early next morning in order to train, train, and train some more. Through out this whole experience I always did ask myself why over and over again? Why am I doing this right now? Why should I keep going? Why is it so hard? For each time, I always reminded myself of THE DREAM I promised myself I would do, and from there I am able to quiet my thoughts.

Today I would like say I am very proud just being here and I am ready for the last task ahead and this will be the race. I wish everyone the best of luck and see you all on the starting line!

Training Log # 21- Burn Out and Recovery

As of the moment I am almost at the end of my 70.3 Iron Man training and the word TIRED has been something that has been on my mind for the past few days. Fatigue has been something I have been carrying from workout to workout due to the high volume and loading we have been doing. I can somehow already feel the difference between being plain lazy and the need to for some recovery. I have finally learned to read and listen to my body.

During workouts you can already feel that you have no focus or power to be backing up your activity and this I think is the biggest sign for me that I should take a few steps back. Usually swimming laps for example, feels like a normal lap one after the other, while yesterday I was just struggling to do 50 meters. (its really funny when I think about it)

To be honest my last workout was already practically a 70.3 Iron Man distance bike and run cause I just finished off a 93km bike then went onwards for a 15km run. In the next two weeks I'm looking to surpass that and then finally start tapering. Our swim workouts on the other hand are already averaging a minimum of 5kms per sessions, and this is mixed with intervals and paddles which are not the easiest things to do in the world.

Overall I'm not depressed or anything that at this point that I'm starting to bonk. I see it as a positive sign that my body is taking in all the training. Once I get some rest and then taper properly this will only make me much stronger for race day.

Wuhoooo! 2 days off!

Training Log # 20 - 6 weeks out from IM 70.3 Philippines

I've got to say that I hate the position I am in right now. Injury six weeks out, from my biggest race in the year. Lets give a moment and let me shout.

AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I'm currently suffering from a "weird" tendinitis on my iliotibial band. I termed it weird cause it has the symptoms of the ITBS but it only seems to come out during my bike rides and is totally gone when I start running. Anyways what ever it is, it's been really bothering me a lot psychologically. I consider myself a workaholic in terms of the training I put in, and when I miss workouts or I'm not able to perform properly during them I really hate it. My mind set is that these workouts are essential to pulling off a great performance on race day, missing them will jeopardize that.

Thankfully though I am still able to train somehow by working on the lighter gears on my bike. Hopefully it does get better soon, race day is so close and i can't help but feel really nervous right now if this does not get any better soon.

Training Log # 19 - The Present and The Future

As of the moment, I am a month and a half away from my first 70.3 Iron Man. My training has been good and quite frankly been really long. I take pride in saying that I have been working 18-20 hours per week in preparation for this event. Over the course of these last few months I have recognized and realized how much time, dedication and heart it takes to train for one of these events properly. You can enter the 70.3 with improper training and heck maybe even finish it, but your only hurting yourself in doing so.When I do this, I wanna do this the right way and give myself what I deserve.

Looking through this though, its quite funny that I don't see myself doing this type of long distance races again for a while after this event. I've come to the realization that I want to focus on short-middle distance races and from there build up again to long distance after a  few years or so. For one thing, I get bored easily when training for endurance. Its just way too long! Another thing is that when training for long distances, I feel that my speed is suffering a lot because I'm not able to train it as much anymore. At this early age I believe I should focus on building a solid speed base and then later in my life I can work on endurance. As science has it, it would be much harder for me to gain more speed when I hit my 30's.

This has still all still been a very rough idea for me as of late but we'll see what happens after this 70.3.

Training Log # 18 - Base Building

23 Kilometers. If you asked me to run this a two months ago, it would have been a breeze and I would have gladly done the mileage with a smile on my face. Today though is a different story. During my run I simply felt like HELL. The first 13kms were a good strong pace, but after that I found myself struggling with heavy legs and foot pain. Thankfully though I was still able to finish my workout, but still I was left questioning what could be wrong.

Last months workouts were low volume to high intensity, meaning 13-14km runs were termed as "long runs" but then these would usually be done at 5:00min/km pac. Other than that, short distance intervals and tempo workouts were the main stay of the run workouts.

Two months ago, long runs and rides where there main focus of our workouts. Having 15kms be barely the warm up of our workouts.

Looking back I begin to see how the transition of condition has changed, moving from the base and speeding up things to peak performance. Now though as we begin to return to the base it feels kinda hard cause our body became somehow accustomed to the fast painful, but short spurts. I think by this week though we'll probably be able to fully transition back into these long distances.

Well I just hope it does workout like that cause the mileage from here on just keeps getting higher and higher.

Training Log # 17 - Returning back to the training grounds

Coming off training for the standard distance triathlon, I already felt the training to have been quite long and strenuous. We were averaging 230kms weeks mixed with high intensity for four weeks. Now that base building has returned, and now having it be for a half ironman, the distance has now increased to almost double. It's just plain out scary.

But after seeing how much the training has paid off during the last race. I think I'm more motivated to work harder during these next three months. I'm trying to get mentally prepared as I know this will be a tough three months for me. I know I'll be lazy, I'll sometimes want to cut my workouts short. But focus and discipline have to be the first things on my mind.

I know what I want and I know how to get it. It's now all a matter of putting in the work.

Training Log # 16 - Falling off the Wagon

I didn't fall off a wagon perse but I did fall off the nutritional band wagon. I sometimes get stuck with this notion that:

"hey, I workout a lot. I'm out there doing my training for hours on end, so that should probably equalize to me being able to eat anything I want" 

During lunch today I ate 4 slices of pizza, 2 pieces of fried chicken, 1 serving of spaghetti, and few dozen pieces of mojos.While, last Sunday, I ate everything from lumpia, lechon, chicharon, tuna, pork barbeque, rice and chicken. This was all in one sitting if I may add.

Everyday, I burn about 1,800 - 2,000 calories cumulatively during just my workouts. This makes my calorie needs at about 3000 calories  per day or even more. Now you'd think, so why all this  mumbo jumbo then? You burn alot so why not eat alot too? Yes I think eat a lot is correct. But in part, eat the a lot of the right food is even better.

Food is the fuel that we burn during our workouts. Now just imagine putting in this type of garbage into your system and using that to fuel you during your workouts? It would most likely not give you the optimum performance that you would want.

So this is me promising to eat wiser and better.

Training Log # 15 - Coming into Terms with Strengths and Weaknesses

Within the three sports in triathlon I think it would be easy to say that running is my strength. Although in my journey to reaching better race times and in my overall dream to possibly win as an age grouper, I have come to terms that this will not be enough. 

I have been working both on swimming and cycling for past six months and I will have to say that I am terrible at swimming. For one reason or another I struggle and I have the hardest time during training in this sport. I'm not sure if its because I've only learned how to swim last year or maybe I'm just not for the water. What ever the case may be, I don't think that swimming will be my next strongest point.

Cycling on the other hand feels a lot more comfortable for me. I am not at all the fastest cyclist but I feel that I have an easier time pushing and digging deeper during training days for this sport.

I am not one to give up on a weakness, but I think at this early into the sport it would be best to help enhance another possible strength that I can hopefully have one day. So next up on my agenda is to try and become a better cyclist!

Training Log #14 - Brick Workouts, The Key to The Triathlon

A brick is a workout usually done by duathletes or triathletes where they do one sport after the other. Some people like to swim then bike or bike then run. Usually its in the same order as the sport will be on race day.

Now in the midst of my training I have began realizing that brick workouts are the mainstay or the very key component in triathlon. Kinda like how long runs are the lifeline of doing a successful half marathon or marathon, the same goes with brick and triathlons. For some time I have been neglecting this part of my training and only been doing it once every other week or so. Now though that I have finally finished marathon training, I'm coming around to doing a full time triathlete training once again. I have a hard time mixing the two, now I can finally focus on that one event.

New Year Goal #2 - The Failure that Made Me Smile

My New Year Goals

1. Sub 1:50 21k
2. Sub 4hr 42k
3. Sub 6hr Half Iron Man

So just to recap, I set out three major goal for this year as you can see above. I hit goal #1 last February during the Condura Marathon with a time of 1:46. Last Sunday I went on to try and reach my goal #2.

Well, lets start out this entry by pointing out the elephant in the room, and this is that I failed to reach my goal #2. I clocked in officially at 4:05. This was 5 minutes away from a sub 4hr finish. But to be honest, I was targeting a time around 3:55, so I was really 10 minutes off from my target time. Now, I would be lying if I told you I wasn't dissapointed, I actually am and if the circumstance were better, I knew I could have nagged my target time or even better.

But then, the circumstances weren't there and things didn't go my way, and as bizarre as this may sound, this is actually what has made me smile. Failing is always connoted with getting depressed and disheartened, people seemingly give up after not getting what they worked so hard for. What I have learned though in my short time in this sport is that failure is just another step to your success. Each time I fail, it just makes me more hungry and lights up a fire inside of me to work that much harder to get it. Hey if its that hard than it must be that good right?

So this is a celebration of what we have learned during that marathon. 42 kilometers was a long way to go and I loved each single part of it. From the pain, excitement, and joy, this will always be a very memorable experience for me.

Training Log #13 - Mentally Ready, Physically Able

Coming into marathon week. I feel like it was a blessing of some sort that I am somehow almost fully recovered from what happen to me two weeks ago. It was a scary feeling of not being able to do things at the condition I have worked hard for.

Now barely 5 days away from the big day I have realized that I should have nothing to fear. I know the work I have put in for this, I know the long hours that I ran under the heat of the sun, I know the breathless sprints I did in each interval I ran. I did all this and I should remember that I deserve every bit of this marathon.

So on race day I won't think about PR's, racing or what not. I will run this race the way I should be doing it. I will do it with a smile on my face and a care free feeling regarding anything else. I have been putting too much pressure on myself the very day I started training for this. Now it's time to put that all behind and enjoy the run.

As the Kenyan way: "Train hard; Race easy!"

Training Log #12 - Pluck Down to Zero

Last week I went through quite a scare when I fainted due to dehydration and fatigue. This all happen because of a bacteria infection which led me to bed rest for 5 days while having to endure diarrhea, fever, and head aches.

Coming back I was really scared of the conditioning I will be in. I have my marathon in ten days time and I am in the worst condition possible. I have a hard time doing any workouts and finishing them. I lack strength and power to reach the training speed I plan to do on race day. Basically I'm living on a prayer now, I hope things turn out better next week.

Training Log #11 - Training Quantity vs. Training Quality

Training as a triathlete, we have so little time, but so much to do. It's no joke having to train for three different sports in one week, this plus having our own lives to deal with can be tasking sometimes. So I've began to think that quality workouts are really whats important as to quantity of workouts.

I've noticed that just swimming/biking/running without any direction on your workout will give you minimal gains on your overall conditioning. 

So if I were to compare just running five times a week to running three times a week with the proper workouts being done, I would more favorably say so that you will get more benefits with only those three runs per week. 

What I usually like to do in those three workouts are the following.

1. Intervals
2. Tempo
3. Long Run/Swim/Ride

These for me work best since I am able to work on my lactate threshold and aerobic endurance. 

Lactate threshold is the point in the exercise where your body produces more blood lactate than it can reabsorb, you know that tingly weird pain when you go really fast? Thats basically lactate building up, so you can actually train that so you can keep going.

Aerobic endurance on the other hand is the ability to continue to exercise for longer periods of time. Remember how when you started doing exercises, 30 minutes felt like a drag? But then as you further progress and start doing this type of exercise 2-3 times per week, your body adapts to it and thus it gets easier. This whole concept lies around what we call as aerobic endurance, and this can be improved during our long workouts.

Now if you will be leaving yourself to plainly running or biking five times per week, you lose the benefits of getting more out of your workouts. Well my two cents are that since we are already out there working our butts off, lets integrate these certain workouts so we can maximize our improvements and minimize the work hours.

Training Log #10 - The Questions and the Doubts

During my last two sessions of training, doubts seem to fly around quite easily. Questions that make me think if my dream is every something that is possible? Or am I just overly excited not knowing how much work this all means.

Sometimes through the pain you get discouraged and ask yourself, when does it ever get easy? Truth be told, I don't think it ever does. Even though we get faster or stronger, it will never be easy. It will still hurt and you will still be going through that pain at which ever level you are in.

So when does the pain end? Well I guess its when you stop! lol But in that stopping or finishing of your workout, you get another rush. Its that sense of accomplishment, going through something which you thought you couldn't finish. It's really a mind game sometimes, you play games with yourself. Don't tell yourself you can't do it cause you can!

This is to blocking out those voices in my head (I hope I'm not crazy haha) I will reach my dream. They may keep doubting and questioning, but lets just keep moving forward from here.

Training Log #9 - Poor Man's Energy Gell

Over the weekend I ran another 30kms in preparation for our upcoming marathon on March 20. As I learned from last week's long run, nutrition must not be taken lightly in such long distance runs. So this week I came prepared.

At first I was thinking of purchasing a few pieces of Hammer Gels, but then these things are quite costly. At about 85 pesos a piece, I usually tend to leave these types of luxuries for race day.

So I innovated! I brought with me a banana, Cloud 9 chocolates, and a Hanny Choco Nut. After last week's great recovery after eating chocolates, I opted to test this out further.

Shockingly they seem to work really good for me. I ate one at 15kms, 25kms, and 27kms. They were a tasty treat under the scorching heat of the sun and I felt that the sugar was a really good way replenish the depletion in my body. As you would know, sugar is what we call as fast carbs so these are easily broken down and is able to replenish the body at once. Weakness of it is that it does not help fill you for long.

Training Log #8 - A Sari-Sari Store Can Save Your Life

I did a 30km run today and, I would have to say that these are one of the things that are easier said than done. As with my usual long run training, I integrate rolling hills and steep inclines during my workouts. (If you'r wondering why, check out my former entry on training in the worst condition to race at your best condition)

Today I returned to my old playground which is at Nuvali. I wouldn't say I've missed it, since I always get so wrecked when I do my long runs here, and today was no exception. We were out there at 5am and started running by 5:30am.

As I usually do, I bring two flasks filled with Gatorade and nothing else. So as I began my long run and felt the usual rush of starting out really good and wishing for a strong finish. About half the time I do long runs above 17kms I usually gamble if it will be a "feel good" run or one those "draggy" runs. At 20kms it finally hit me, that dreaded heaviness of both legs and body. My mind wanted to go on but my body just wanted to end this.

From here on out til 27kms it was the worst feeling of running-walking and taking breaks. I keep thinking to myself why this happens, is 30km too much for me? Funny enough I realize that the answer I was looking for was staring right back at me. Who in the right mind goes out to run 30kms with only 2 flasks of gatorade and nothing else.

My body was shutting down since it could not go any further with improper nutrition. Its almost a no brainer when you think of it, but that seems to have been my mistakes for so long. I keep doing these long runs with minimal nutrition and even water. That's pretty dumb when you think about it.

At 27kms I was lucky, I found this sari-sari store and was able to replenish. In an instant I bought 2 pieces of this bite size milk chocolate called Hanny and 2 packs of Tomi.

Here I was also able to refill my flasks with water and finally drink some for myself. My this was the best ever tasting Tomi and Hany I have in my life! lol

On the last 3kms I finally regained my energy back and was able to pace properly through out the run. So the basically I just answered the question I've been asking myself for so long.

Why are long runs so hard for me?

Answer: Cause Elmer you've been a dumb ass! lol

Training Log #7 - The Work that Lies Ahead

I look at race results, heck you probably do to. It gives you a glimpse of what to expect in a race and what sort of standards you should put yourself in these types of races. You get to imagine how hard the race course could be and even be able to average where in this list you will probably finish in.

In looking at these results it humbles me think of how much work is needed to be able to reach the goal I am setting for myself. There are a few athletes whom I have noticed would run a 41:38 10km distance after already doing a 1.5km swim and 40km bike. Wow. It's just crazy right? I'm not even sure I can put up a pace like that with just running.

The numbers right now honestly scare me. They make me doubt and fear this certain path I'm venturing on to. But deep inside me there is this fire that wants to conquer just that. For every obstacle I see a new goal to conquer, if we must quote Miley Cyrus then here goes

"There's always going to be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move"

So I say, let the numbers be, cause one day those numbers will be my own.

Training Log #6 - Train in the worst conditions to race at your best condition

 Train in the worst conditions to race at your best condition

This was the exact phrase going through my mind today while I was running under the heat of the sun. If you were to train in the worst type of possible conditions, then won't that make you both physically and mentally prepared to attack any race route come race day?

I for example believe in the saying that "hills make you stronger on flats while flats don't make you stronger on hills". I'm not sure if anyone ever does this too, but I actually plan and do my long runs on hills and I make it a point that it really is exaggeratedly a hill. My favorite route has this 4km straight inclined road which just keeps going and going. We usually go up and down this "hill" twice.

Well basically what am I saying here is that this could be a good training ground since, when I see a hill in a race course I just imagine I'm back in my training ground and its all good. So I guess this will be my new mantra for now. Let's see how it works!



Worst Possible Condition I can imagine are as follows:

• Hills
• Heat
• Minimal Water - Wouldn't recommend to do this in a test run though, very dangerous

Training Log #5 - Walking, who knew?

Woke up bright and early today planning to do a short 5km run. As I stepped out the door I did my usual warm up and then began walking. Usually at this point I would start to open my strides and begin to transition into a run. Today though was different, some may say its listening to your body. But I felt this urge to just keep walking.

I have been running for two years now and I have never gone out in the morning for a walk. Everyday since I started, I must have been following some sort of program that told me how far to run. It was a whole new world to say the least. It felt relaxing and peaceful.

I realized that I sometimes tend to forget the peace of such a simple activity. Yes running does give you peace too, but nothing does it like walking. I'll be honest and say yes I push myself a lot in most of my training days. This simple active recovery exercise though feels like a breath of fresh air. I really have a hard time explaining it but it really felt good, I think too that my body loved it. It finally got a break for himself lol

So I learned something today. Walk! I'l try and integrate this once or twice a month into my training.