Swim 30 min. 1500 yds.

Did some interavals,
w/u 150 yd
3 sets of 150, 200, 150 yds
c/d 150

Ran 6 easy miles at Seabourne park. Used my DS trainers. Avg’d about 7:50 pace. Felt good but temp started getting HOT quick early in the morning. Humidity is already bad in South Texas. Been taking it easy last couple of days. Started getting concerned about being dehydrated and burnt out from all the training. These easy days will help my body recover. Been drinking lots of water at work and home to restore hydration. Also, days off from training will help with getting more sleep while I am on night shift. Hopefully this will help to restore my energy level, motivation, and get me ready for Ironman Sunday.



Less than 14 days left until I lose my Ironman Virginity and become and Ironman.

Took at day off yesterday- 6/9/07.

Seems like this is becoming routine for me - cutting my training time short. Was planning on doing a 2 hour run or approx 15 miles, but the heat was unbearable. I did something that I have NEVER done on a run before, walk for a completer mile! I was drenched. I have never had to train for a summer marathon - much less a Ironman. Texas heat is just not conducive for endurance training in the summer. Took me 1 hour and 40 minutes for 10 miles. Carried two bottles of water with me and they were gone by mile 7-8. Stopped at NTB to get some cool water. Took my shirt off and seemed like it helped. I'm afraid I'm also dehydrated and the risk of heat stress was too much to go longer. Drinking more water to get well hydrated over the next couple of days.

TT= 100 minutes..

Since I'm working night shift this weekend, I decided to do the Saturday workout today due to more time. Schedule said 3 hour bike and 20 min run.

Went out with a very nice tailwind - (news weather said >20 mph southerly winds). Wind seemed pretty strong at times almost pushing me off the road. Tailwinds only mean one thing ... Headwinds on the way back. I was dreading it. Had 3 gatorade bottles with me. Finished two bottles of gatorade, but it just didn't seem to be quenching my thirst. (???) I was craving water for some odd reason. The headwind was terrible! It almost seemed like everytime I would pick up the pace a little and try to maintain, mother nature would counter with a wind gust to bat me back down to my slow pace. Almost like she was talking to me, "no way, you ain't getting the best of me. You're going to have to work for your speed today." But, I just didn't have it, had to stop to get some water even though I still had gatorade to drink. The water did seem to quench my thirst but as far as being able to muster a bit of energy to get back up to decent speed, it just wasn't there. I heard later that the Heat Index in the Houston area was one of the highest they've seen in along time. It was definitely humid - something that hopefully I won't have to deal with in CDA Ironman. I used every ounce of energy I had to get home and did not have anything left for a run - especially at 1 pm, one of the HOTTEST times of the day. Instead I jumped in my pool in the backyard to cool off - OOOH, AHHH that felt really good. Now to load up on food.

Total time = 3:40 (a slow 18.3 mph average on a VERY HOT day)

Consider Donating to My Janus Charity Challenge

Had problems with my bike rear derailer. After getting some maintenance done on my bike a couple weeks ago, I had been having problems with skipping gears and shifting was not smooth. I could either take it back to the bike shop for adjustments but decided to give a try myself. Printed some instructions on how to adjust rear derailers and when I was done, my bike was shifting smooth and clean and it just felt darn good on my bike ride.

Did 20 on the bike with a very nice tailwind on the way back. Maintaining 25-27 mph was easy. Got home and immediately transitioned to my running shoes and did 5 miles. Used my Nike skylons running shoes with the speed laces. It was hot. And didn't take any water with me. 40 minutes.

TT= 100 minutes

Swam for 3000 yds at the Y. Believe it or not, I actually looked at the Ironman Training program for today. I did exactly what it said for today training schedule except I only did 90 minutes of bike instead of 2 hours.

The swim consisted of 2 x 250 yd swim for w/u.
3 x 750 RPE-3 1st one, RPE-5 2nd one, and RPE-3 last one.
My swim form starts getting bad around 2500 yds. I'm still moving forward but I'm not as smooth in the water anymore as when I first start swimming. I rested 2 min between each set.
C/D with 2 x 125 yards.

Went home to sleep after night shift.

Did 90 minutes on the bike RPE 3-7. 30 miles.

CDA Ironman Janus Charity Challenge

Deftones - Change (In the house of Flies)
Album: The White Pony

I first heard this song (believe it or not) in an episode of Dragon Ball Z with my son. It was so inspirational. The song comes on when Goku, one of the main characters was completely beat down almost to the point of death. The song starts playing and he comes 'Alive' - stronger and with a higher power level and eventually defeats his enemy. I don't care about all the other meanings this song may have, but this song will always remind me about a change for the good, specifically physical power and strength, in a persons life.

If I don't reach my goal of becoming an Ironman, I still have gone through one of the biggest changes in my life. I am more physically and mentally fit at this point in my life than I have EVER BEEN.

This song, along with other of my favorite Rock songs will be played quite a bit from now until Ironman Sunday. Music has immense power!!!

I will have to turn my bike in at the local bike shop on June 14th for transport to CDA Ironman. will need to get my bag ready to go with my bike. Using "Tribike Transport" and seems like the best way to go due not having to worry about disassembly and reassembly of my bike. This means no riding for about a week before the Ironman (6/15-6/21). Got a little intimidated about the lake water temperature. Read on some athlete's website that lake temperature was 62 deg F in 2005. This is pretty cold for a sleeveless wetsuit. We will see. Ironman website says average of 70 deg F for this time of year. So we will see when I get up there. 20 days and counting. I'm ready. Well be doing alot of swimming and running while I am bikeless.

Working night shift tonight, so I really can't do too much this morning. A 12 mile run sounds good to me. Was planning on 10 miles, but I was feeling good on the run so I added a couple miles. Used my MP3 player for motivation. It really helps. Finished the 12 in 96 minutes - exactly 8 min miles. If I can run 8 min miles for the Ironman run I can do well, this would be a sub 4 hour marathon and I would be happy with that. Used my Asics 2120s.
TT=96 minutes.

Felt like a good workout today. Got a feel of what it will be like on Ironman Sunday. I've actually been thumbing through the Ironman training program I initially started following severa;l months ago, but then gave up on it because of the lack of time and my work shedule. Although, I have been using it as a guide for total training hours for the week. This week was supposed to be a recovery week. Next week, the training program says "welcome to tapering". What a welcome sight to read those words. Almost a sigh of relief came across me.

As far as today it said to do a 1 hour swim non stop, preferrably an open water swim in wet suit. I did a pool swim for 1 hour then rode my bike for 48 miles. Started off kind of slow on the bike. Legs kind of achy - I think from the run. after 30 miles, my legs were feeling better, so my bike improved. Avg 20.6 for the bike. Overall, it felt like a good training day to help my performance. I'm saving my wetsuit open water swim for later this week when I'm off.

TT= 205 minutes