Couch Potato to Ironman

Foolishness

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Thanksgiving was great as Becca and Kelly (and Annie) were with me for the holiday!

For the last 5-6 weeks I have been a working fool. Working late at night, working weekends, even dreaming about work! Averaged 60 hours a week. Got in lots of overtime which is great, but my working out has been next to nil. I'm up about 10 pounds! Argh!

Now it's time to switch from being a working fool, to a working out fool! Tomorrow I dive back in. Next Monday I will be back working out with Jess 3 days a week. I will swim 3 days a week, bike 3 days and do some treadmill. Calyx is my new weight loss coach. I am pumped!

No VikingMan, instead I went ahead and signed up for Boulder 70.3! I will do Glenwood again and most likely Redman, although if I have a lot of money to travel, I may do Beach to Battleship half. Will throw in at least one other sprint or oly. Time to get serious!

Ironman Arizona

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:13:00 +0000

Wow, what a trip. It was a fantastic weekend except for one thing, Andy crashed on the bike and got yanked. That really stinks! He has some minor injuries and of course the first thing he said when someone asked him what they could do was to check on his bike! A true triathlete!

And I was ok being there, I think I needed some recharging and relaxing and that is what I got.

Andy and Dana (and Sedona and Hunter) threw a great party, Staci and I got to either visit with or watch tri peeps race (names in Bold and italicized)over the weekend - Chris, Karla and Spence, Commodore, Carol and the kids (May is so cute!), Melissa, Andy #2, Sarah and her mom Paula, and her mom's friend, Barbara and Mike, Cheryl and Brant, Coach Tammy, Jeff, Delinda, Karie and hubby, Robin, Brandy and Eric, Momo, Shane and Krista, Lindsey, Molly, and even got to see Rudy get on the bike and on the run. I did miss getting to meet Suzi, but I will!

Race day weather was great although the people who lived there were a bit chilled!

Here are just a few pics, enjoy!

Wrestling

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:05:00 +0000

I woke up at 2:30 am today, wrestling in my mind with the coming year. Do I try to do my Ironman in 2010 or not. After some deep soul searching I have decided that I will wait until 2011 for Ironman. 2010 will be a year of focusing on burning off my excess weight, which I absolutely must get rid of. I am at peace with this decision and am now getting excited about the upcoming year.

I think this is the focus I need and will be the most beneficial for me. Long and slow does not burn my fat, I will be doing high intensity during the week and long and slow on the weekends.

My race goals for 2010 will be to complete two half ironman distance races and knock off 3 or 4 more states. I’m looking at VikingMan in June, which would take care of Idaho, then RedMan in September, which would take care of Oklahoma. Hopefully I can do some sprints or Olys in nearby states such as New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming in my quest to race in all 50 sates (5 down, 45 to go). I will do Glenwood Springs which is a must every year, a celebration of my new life.

Thursday I am off to Tempe to watch Brandy, Andy, Molly, Sarah, Suzy, Cheryl, Barbara, Karla, Tammy, Jeff, Delinda and others do IM AZ, what fun! Blogger party at Andy's! I will be doing body marking with Melissa and then will enjoy the day with Staci. Oh yes!

Interesting - I Am Intriqued

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:26:00 +0000

"Fat, sugar, and salt-especially when combined, interact with the opioid circuits in the brain, which causes us to consume more of the substance that triggered the reaction. Think about potato chips. You don't think of them as having sugar, but the simple sugars in the potato covered with fat and topped with salt are a deadly chemical combination that triggers an insatiable desire to consume all of the potato chips. The same thing happens with tortilla chips or bread. You can't even tell when you are satiated, because the combination of the fat, sugar, and salt overrides the ability for the body to create satiety signals to get you to stop eating." (from The End of Overeating, D. Kessler)

Now I can certainly relate to the bread thing. There have been many times I have devoured piece after piece and was still starving.

Do foods layered with salt, fat and sugar really trigger the pleasure centers of our brains, releasing opioids that cause us to lose control and overeat? (paraphrase).

I just went Paleo on Monday, so it will be interesting to be away from those foods and see what happens!

Ironman Arizona and Next Year

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:24:00 +0000

I am going down to Tempe to watch friends race and for that I am happy, but it will be bitter sweet since I am not racing. It will be good to hang with friends and meet new ones for the first time, but I think I will be very conflicted. I have gone up and down in depression since dropping out. The first six weeks were hell, then I got better, now I am in a deep funk. I hope this reactivates me.

I am volunteering (body marking) but I am not signing up for next year. My plan is to focus on weight loss and shooting for a 1/2 IM distance June 5th - VikingMan. At that point, if my weight is where I need it to be and if my training has helped me get through my first 1/2 IM, I will sign up for a community slot for AZ (if there are any left). If not, maybe RedMan in September.

Coaching? I am looking for a new coach. Any referrals would be appreciated!

Elk Hunting 2009

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Well, no elk this year, but we had a great time! Becca and I drove to Meeker and met up with Adam and Melissa and we all headed to elk camp. This year there were only the four of us (we were missing Joe, Tyler, Kyle, Greg, Ron, and Kelly).

The weather was fantastic, we saw two moose, some big horn sheep, turkey, deer, and that beautiful Colorado landscape . . majestic green forests punctuated with the golden shimmer of quaking aspens, the clear blue sky dotted with an occasional puffy white cloud drifting lazily by, the fresh scent of pine floating on crisp zepyhrs though the meadows with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Heaven! And of course, hanging with Becca, my sweetie! Enjoy!

CAF

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Want to help me raise some cash for challenged athletes? Maybe you could donate just $1 or $2, or maybe even $3? By helping me reach my goal of $500, you will help people with physical challenges realize their dreams. Your donation will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an incredible 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides funding and inspiration to hundreds of physically challenged athletes each year so they can participate, compete and live life to the fullest.

If you would like to donate, please go here: Donate

Thank you for your support,
Duane

In the Doldrums

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Nothing to train for, nothing on the schedule. Hmmm. Volunteering at IM AZ and focusing on weight loss but I still need events!

Maybe the Jingle Bell Tri in December, maybe a 100 mile bike ride by January (if it doesn't snow too much), something else?

Ideas anyone? And I desperately need help redesigning this blog! Anyone game?

Glenwood Race Report

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Well, I have mixed emotions over this race. But first, as far as the weekend goes, it was great as Becca and Kelly were my sherpas. I love my girls and hanging with them is fun. They even are getting along! LOL!

Kelly won our annual putt-putt golf outing (AGAIN!). Redemption shall be mine! (Becca in foreground)

And of course Kelly is never without her IPOD.

Now for the race. Of course I should be happy I finished. That is always nice, but I wanted to smash my time and I did not.

THE SWIM (825 meters): On the swim I felt strong and fast and was passing people and even drafted a couple times but my time shows I was full 27:11 AND I was penalized 5 minutes for not being out in 25:00. Two other athletes were penalized 5 minutes, but there were 7 others who were not, yes I earned the 5 minutes but I think fairness needs to be applied here. Not a big deal, but still. On a good note, there were 5-6 athletes still in the pool behind me so that was nice for a change :-)

T1: 4:09, getting better.

THE BIKE (15 miles):Started out strong, was cruising about 23 MPH as it is slightly down hill and them my bike computer stopped working and I didn't know my speeds the rest of the time. One lady would pass me on the uphills going about 2-3 mph faster than me, then I would blow by her on the down hill where i was screaming fast (well, for me anyway!) We passed each other back and forth several times, then we hit the turn around and mile 7.5 and started the slight climb back into town. Here was where my hopes of killing my bike time were dashed. Mile 7.5 through about mile 12 are in the narrow part of the canyon and the wind is compressed and it was howling! I slowed way down and was pushing hard. Even the fast guys were grinding hard. By the time I got to t2, my thighs were screaming! I only chopped off 5:25 from my bike time, I was shooting for 20. Pete says that is good considering the conditions, but I am still a bit disappointed. Ok, more than a bit.

T2: 1:58 (Now that I like!)

THE RUN:My thighs were toast. I headed out and knew I would finish but I knew I would be slow. I ran more on this than any other tri I have done, at least a mile, maybe another quarter. Becca and Kelly were waiting for me a about 100 yds before the finish line and promptly told me to get my butt running! So I ran in and ended up doing the five miles in 1:48:41, not what I was aiming for.

TOTAL TIME: 3:48:12. Chopped off a whole 39 seconds for a new PR. Doesn't seem like a PR. I think the whole eight months of trying to train for IM and not losing weight still has me in a funk. And obviously at this weight, I could never do an IM, it took me almost 4 hours to do a sprint! Argh!

The race is still fun, the directors run a good show, the swag always has a really nice long sleeve workout shirt (drymax kind of stuff) and you even get a pass to the Hot Springs which Kelly and I enjoyed very much! I still intend to go back and smash my PR next year, I WILL be under 2:45! Pics hopefully tomorrow!

I was interviewed by the local paper, check this out: Story

And congrats to Mike and Jenny Wimmer(they really showed toughness yesterday by finishing), Chris Lopez, Laura Nyhaus, and Triboomer!

Time for a nap!

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Just did 41 miles with Brandy. She barely broke a sweat, I am toast! 40 miles does not usually wear me out, but today I was 20 minutes faster on my 40 miles than my best so far. I guess not wanting to slow her up toooooooo much pushed me a bit. I was also toast already, as I started back training with Jess and last night we pushed a sled loaded with weights back and forth across the gym. I wanted to puke. So, I am going to take a nap and enjoy my Saturday afternoon!

Rattlesnake Fun

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Volunteered at Rattlesnake Oly today, body marking (of course, bike out, and water heading out of transition for the run.

Tea had a PR! Yay Tea!

Volunteer swag? Hooded sweatshirt, wind-breaker, and a cooler!

Boulder Long Course

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:33:00 +0000

Brandy finished her first 1/2 IM distance, teammate Julia took second in her age group (she already qualified for Kona), and teammate Marci had a PR by 20 minutes!

And Chrissy Wellington who was so sweet!

Ironman WIll Have to Wait Until 2010

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:54:00 +0000

I'm just not fast enough or small enough (yet!). I am very disappointed but not discouraged.

What did I find out after dedicating the last 8 months to serious training? I learned I can do the work! July's weekly totals? 17+, 19+, 13+ and 19+ hours. And I liked it (although I had no life!). I also learned I could ride my bike 50 miles then walk/run 3 miles off the bike, and I did a half marathon (slow but I did it!) Far more in shape than when I started and was just about dying.

I will be going down to IM AZ to watch my friends and fellow bloggers race and hang out, volunteer (they wouldn't let me volunteer in the women's changing tent, what a rip!). And yes, I'll probably sign up again.

So for this year, I have two Sprints coming up in September - Glenwood Springs where I expect to crush my previous times and the Crescent Moon Sprint a week later. I may go do that Jingle Bell triathlon in New Mexico in December!

Another Week Done

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:56:00 +0000

I am pooped, was on vacation and on track and got the workouts done!

Bike 51.40 miles;
Walk: 11.8 miles (one 10-miler);
Pool: 4700 yds;
Open water swim: 1 mile

Next two weeks will be way tougher.

Weekly Update

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Wow, what a tough week!
Swim: 4500 yds
Walk: 18.5 miles (with a 13.25 miler on Sunday)
Bike: 91.2 miles

I am sore, but ready to go further!

Totals for the Week

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Wow, what a tough week. Ironman training reality is here, the romance is gone. Total training hours for week: 17:24

1 open water swim: 750 meters;
bike: 67+ miles;
walk: 13+ miles
yardage in pool: 7500

Next week looks intense! As far as mileage on bike and walk it will be my biggest week ever. I think I am going to sleep very well this week!

Brick and "On Your Left"

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:34:00 +0000

Nice brick today, 1:00 walking then 3:15 bike. BUT! I was riding on a dedicated bike path with lanes painted. Not a lot of traffic today as it was threatening to rain. Know I know if you are passing someone who is all over the path, or if there are multiple riders, etc, it is good to say "On your left". But people, when I am going twelve miles an hour and you are going thirteen and no one is around but the two of us, do you really need to irritate me? Please! (expletive deleted) Ok, I feel better.

Today's nutrition, man this sport takes money and planning!

Make or Break Month

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:25:00 +0000

When I saw July's training plan Pete laid out for me, I just about s!@*! The volume during the week is not too bad, but the weekends are going to test me physically, emotionally, and mentally. Reality is here, no more overtime at work for me, I am going to need a lot of rest. No missed workouts and food has to be 100% spot-on or I will not make it. Simple as that. I think this month will make or break me for participating in IM AZ. But even though it looks a bit intimidating, I am ready to go for it. I think Pete is a hell of a coach and I trust him, so I am going to do this with focus and dedication.

I have been doing fairly big weeks since December 1st, I have trained 351 hours and 22 minutes. That averages out (with recovery weeks) to 11.7 hours a week. It is going to get bigger I think LOL! I joke around with Brandy and Staci that when IM is done I am cutting my workouts back to 8 hours a week! Then we laugh cuz we know that is still pretty freaking awesome! And Brandy and I figure we will be hooked on IM like we are with triathlon, so maybe we are fooling ourselves?! And all those non-triathletes we know think we are nuts!

Not!

WHERE HAS HE BEEN?

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:31:00 +0000

Ok, I did not fall off the planet, I wasn't in jail, I was not abducted by aliens for anal probing (thank god!, and I did not join the Hare-Krishnas. I am still training, I am still here! So where have I been? At work! Last two weeks: 36 & 1/2 hours overtime and this week alone will be 26 hours of overtime. Big last minute project that should have taken 3 months, was handed to me with a three week deadline(I just love high level senior executives who are clueless, yet have power to create worthless projects on a whim!).

I missed a couple workouts which was not good (in addition life got in the way of a couple). But overall I am making progress. I have looked at July's training schedule that Pete has given me and HOLY CRAP!. I can hardy wait to see what happens August through October! Ok, maybe I can wait!

Great news that Andy is going to get to race Ironman Arizona!

And for a little Friday humor:
Are women born this way?

Have a great weekend!!!!!

Status Report

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Intense weekend! 3 hour bike and one hour walk on Saturday, then 8 mile hike in Waterton Canyon on Sunday. Total for week was 11:26 (missed a one hour treadmill session due to bad chicken, enough said!).

Weight today is 374!

FedCup 5k

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Last week: 15:02 training, weight down to 379.

Our team, the HAC Waddlers, finished 8th out of 13 teams. The clown beat me and I am soo going to kick his butt next year!

Pictured below from our HR Office: Elizabeth, moi, Denise, Brandy and Shavon. We had fun but no finisher medals this year!

Great Week!

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:03:00 +0000

16:16 training! Learned a lot on Saturday's workout, and of course received great support from you all! Will weigh in morning. Have a 5k on Saturday with co-workers.
Hope you all have a great week!

Reality for me, un-reality for a jealous person.

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Sat, 09 May 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Brandy and I just got back from a four hour work out. Reality for me? My butt hurts, my tri-bike is faster, outside training is way tougher than inside, and it is going to be a very intense 6 months! Holy Crap!

Reality for the not sure what to call them? New comment on a previous post from some one who of course is anonymous (no balls). Here is what they said: "Duane,I don't believe one word of your blog. As a person who is training for a sprint tri, I know how hard it is to do all 3 at one time and you can't and we know it. Glad you are losing weight but lets be real.
Sorry, thats how I feel."

Well I guess the video, 6 finishes (including an Olympic distance), many witnesses and pictures of my races are all just fantasy! That's right, I photo shopped my pics in! Darn, all this time I thought I was a triathlete!

You know, that person needs help.

Bike Handling Skills

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:44:00 +0000

I don't think so!

The Ship is Turning Around!

dkn747@yahoo.com (Duane) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Weight today: 386 (down from 400 on April 20). I am hoping this week will be a big loss too. This next week will be intense on training so I am thinking it will be a great week!

Last week: Trained 12:31, swam 3700 yds.

Have a GRRRREAT week!