I'm out...for the rest of this season...

Well, it seems the training has caught up to the old body. It's an accumulation of the year up until this point. Looking back at my training log, I've been pretty consistent from October...so it stands to reason that I need to recharge.

Besides my body being totally "pissed off", and letting me know in it's own way, mentally I'm not super excited about doing IM Florida. To start training for an Ironman, you should be "chomping at the bit" to do those type of long focused workouts.

The process to determine if you are ready to begin the IM training process reminds me of an interview for my first job out of college. They gave you a timed logic test, and the score was evaluated with your undergraduate grade point average. This first step seems similar to the first step of deciding if you're ready to begin training for an Ironman...and answers the question, "Do I have the necessary healthy physical tools (swim, bike, run) to train for, and then complete an Ironman"?

The second step consisted of multiple interviews with different people, but I still remember a question asked of me by the guy who ultimately hired me..."Do you need instant gratification with your work"? I wasn't sure what he was asking me at first, which was do I need projects that were able to be completed in a short time frame...or could I maintain focus on a very long running project and keep in sight the "big picture". I had really never thought much about this...but it seems to really apply to Ironman training. In other words, can you maintain singular focus on an event that is 4-6 months away...doing every workout, training test, and realize that any race (running, triathlon, etc.) that is done up until that point will soley be for training purposes? It's tough to focus for that length of time, especially when you know that things could go horribly wrong on that single day (sickness, nutrition, injury).

Currently for me, the answer to step one is no...so there really isn't a reason to go onto step two. I'm shutting it down. I've withdrawn from IM Florida and the 1/2 IM in South Carolina. After talking it over with my coach, Shawn Burke at Velocity Multisport, we've decided it would be best for me to concentrate on doing everything possible to have the best races I can at the 70.3 in St. Croix and the Ironman Coeur d'Alene next year. That means going into the training for those races totally fresh (step 1) and focused (step 2). I have a chance to do well at both of those races, and don't want to spoil that opportunity by digging a hole now. Shawn reminded me that training for an IM takes at least 3 times as much effort than getting ready for a 1/2 IM...so the toll it takes is great, and the recovery after is long.

What now? A couple/few weeks off...some/many alcoholic beverages...a few more alcoholic beverages...and then gradually claw myself back into some fitness to get ready for the IM training load. This will probably start in the November/December/January time frame. I've already started to stack on the pounds...so I'll have to get that under control. As I get older, it's soooo easy to put on the weight...and soooooooooooooo hard to get it back off. My suggestion, don't get old!

I'll keep you updated...

Sween

BFAST #3...last call for alcohol...

(I look sleepy in this picture...probably depicts how bad I felt during the race!)
This past Saturday was the final race in the Beaches Fine Arts Series. I had the lead in the series by about 1:30 over second place...that was the good news. The bad news was that I was still getting over being sick, and having the worst form since the end of 2007...ouch. Also, the guy in second place overall was a good swimmer, and a very good runner (16 minute 5k guy)...holding the series lead would be touch-and-go.

Thanks to Hurricane Bertha out in the Atlantic, there were some pretty big sets of waves coming in on Saturday morning. Also, for some reason the water was much colder than normal (I've got shrinkage!)...and the swim turned out to be wetsuit legal. I had my wetsuit, but decided in the end not to wear it...the time gained during the swim could have been negated by having to wear it during the long run through the sand into transition, and then trying to peel it off in a speedy fashion.

Will "Willy the kid" Pearce, last years runaway winner of the series, decided to take part in this last race. He's an incredible swimmer (used to swim at Bolles), and runs for the University of North Florida. His only weak spot is the bike, and he's not even slow in that event...so, unless he got swept out to sea...we would most likely be racing for second.

Willy, using his wetsuit, blasted through the water in 6:35...I had an ok swim, and stumbled out in 8:00. Getting out of the water in a sprint triathlon is always a very painful transition, at least for me it is...you've been going 100%, and now you have to switch to sprinting through ankle thick sand...heart rate through the roof...hyperventilating...and then have to put on the helmet, glasses, shoes and start drilling to try and catch people. Let's just say it hurts...but, the more I think about it...the transition onto the run isn't any sort of picnic either...

(Look at this great tri-geek transition 2 form!)
Onto the bike I passed through everyone pretty easily...and was barely able to spy Willy waaaayyyy up the road...and only because I saw the lights on the lead motorcycle. I felt pretty weak, and tried to push for as much time as possible. To win the series I needed a good lead off the bike, especially since the guys in second and third place in the series are normally 2+ minutes faster than me on the run...AND I knew with how I felt, that I would be even slower this time. I wasn't really intent on catching Willy, just trying to put some time into anyone behind me.

(I love this picture...the look of shock on Willy's face is hilarious!)
I caught Willy coming into the second transition, and we exchanged pleasantries (our bikes were racked next to each other)...we quickly changed into our running shoes. I had a fast transition, but before I could get around the corner...Willy had sprinted up the road, and was gone. For some reason my right calf was cramping really bad, and my heart rate and breathing were through the roof.
I just concentrated on maintaining form, and holding off the runners behind me as long as possible. My first mile was 20 seconds slower than normal...oh boy, this is going to hurt...so I just kept moving forward. I saw Willy coming back from the turn around, and he joked with me...not sure what he said, by this point I was cross eyed! I made it to the last mile still in second place and running like a snail. With about 1/2 mile to go I was passed by two guys...but knew that by that time I had the series locked up. I was very happy to cross the finish and stop!

The good thing is that I know I couldn't have gone any faster that day...my bike was 30 seconds slower than usual, and my run was 90 seconds slower. But, I finished fourth on the day, and won the series. Willy crushed it to win by almost 3 minutes!

Here are the results.

(Collecting the hardware...thanks to Danny "Double D" Domingo deciding not to do the series...)

Well, my training for Ironman Florida is supposed to start this week...I may take a few days easy, and start the build up this coming weekend. Since I'm starting to get serious, I'll have to lose some weight...and the first thing to go is alcohol. So, I helped myself to a few cold ones on Saturday and Sunday...now I'm done...I think...

Sween

Brian Fleischmann wins Musselman ITU in New York!

Brian pulled off a big win this past weekend at the Musselman ITU Triathlon Pan America Cup in Geneva, NY. In doing so he relegated 2008 Olympic team member, Jarrod Shoemaker, to second place.

Read the story here.

What's been going on...what' next...

...well, I'm still on my pseudo-break. I'm not taking it totally off, but doing 1-2 days riding, 1-3 swimming, 3+ running, and 4+ drinking beer. No bricks, and usually only 1 workout a day...except if you count the beer! I've added about 8-9 pounds over my Ironman Arizona race weight...and I feel fat!

I feel a bit fatigued, and seem to be maintaining my same pattern of feeling ok through the spring, and going downhill in the Fall. I just don't think the old body can do a full year anymore. I'll have to work this into my race program next year.

For the rest of the season I have a few running races, an ocean swim race, a couple shorter triathlons, and then a lead up to a 1/2 Ironman in South Carolina...and the Ironman Florida on November 1st. Strangely, I really haven't been thinking about IM FL...but more about looking forward to next year.

In 2009 my main triathlon goals are the St. Croix 1/2 Ironman on May 3rd, and Ironman Coeur d'Alene on June 21st.

Considering Jennifer and I were married on St. Johns, USVI...going to St. Croix should be fun for both of us...at least from a vacation perspective. The St. Croix 1/2 IM is known to be the hardest 1/2 Ironman (70.3) in the series. Between the infamous climb called the "Beast", which hits a 27% grade, to the searing heat...it's going to hurt. Here's a race report that describes the course. If I survive the race course, Jennifer and I plan on spending a few days hiking, snorkeling, and taking in the island atmosphere.

After the "fun and sun" of the Caribbean, I'll head to my main Ironman event of the year...in Idaho. Yes, the potato state...I was shocked at how beautiful the area is where the race is being held! I thought of fields of potatoes, but no...it looks awesome. The lake is cold, so it's a wetsuit swim...and the bike course is a tough one. The swim is a beach start, and I've heard it's kind of narrow. !This will make the start one hell of a wrestling match, especially when you have 2,200 people all headed to the same buoy. I read in a race update from a local guy that he got kicked in the nose, which I think was fractured...the good news was that the water was so cold (below 60 degrees), that it was like he had an ice pack on it during the entire swim. By the way, he went on to finish...HTFU

Shawn Burke from Velocity Multisport has taken the "reigns" of my triathlon training. He has a ton of experience, and is a true techno-geek...which I can relate to! If he hasn't tried it...then it doesn't exist...this guys is the human triathlon Ginnie Pig. Also, he sweats over the smallest details associated with training and equipment. All these qualities I think make a great coach...besides that, he's one hell of a guy! I really look forward to reaching my physical potential in triathlons...I think I have all the tools at each individual event, and now I have the help to bring them all together into the single sport...triathlon.

My Ironman Florida training starts on July 14th...time to HTFU...no drinking. As all my friends know, I always say that alcohol is the staple of a good marriage. Hopefully my wife will make it through another round of my Ironman training detox session! So, starting 16 weeks out from IM FL...I have to get focused.

I'll keep you posted.

Sween