Testing my theory

Week 3 of this grand experiment which is training for Ironman Texas started yesterday. Yes, I'm doing the same thing that about 2800 other athletes are doing, training to complete the race. But over the next 5 months, I've got a couple other goals that add at best some complexity to getting to the finish line.

One, I'm trying to lose 40 more pounds and finally get to my goal weight. The other goal I have...well, really it's not a goal. It's more like a strategy...is to get through the whole 6 months without getting burned out. This year, most of the people I watched train for Ironman, almost without exception, came to a point in the training where they were burned out. There was story after story about athletes just having to take a break. Some took a week, two weeks, even a month off training just to regroup and revitalize. I have a theory on this. It's not based on any experience or on anything I've even read. My theory is that it's not the training that burns an athlete out. It's all the other stuff we try to cram in. It's as much LIFE in general that burns you out during IM training as it is the training itself. My theory states that if you can keep balance EARLY in the training and go into the last half FRESH and in a good place, you can get through the 2nd half without getting burned out.

I believe the training is much like the race. First of all, you've got to start the training rested. You've got to be fresh. Then, my theory is that the first 2/3 of the training is much like the swim and the bike. You may feel good and want to go out hard but if you go too hard on the bike, You're gonna crash on the run. Likewise, if your life is out of balance EARLY in the training, you're gonna burn out and gonna get to a point later where you want to quit or want to take a month off. I believe just like staying in Zone 2 on the bike, you want to keep your life as simple as possible during the early months of training. Can you go harder? Yes. Do you have some time now to do some things? Volunteer for this event? Go to that place? Meet with these people? Attend that party? Run this race (just for fun of course)? Work those extra hours? Yes, early in the training it may seem like you can fit it in. But my theory is that THIS is what causes the burnout that comes later when the training gets HARD and the hours longer and the intensity greater.

So early on in this training, I want to be bored. I want to be finished with work, finished with my home stuff, finished with my workouts and sitting around wondering why I'm just sitting around. I mean work, family, and training. That's ALL I'm putting on my plate. If someone wants to do something, the answer will likely be NO. If I have an opportunity to volunteer, the answer is probably "next year". Of course, if you know me, you know this goes against what I'm all about. I love to go, go, go and do, do, do. But to accomplish this goal, I have to be a little selfish. It feels weird but I've gotta do it.

To this end, part of testing my theory is to take every 3rd Tuesday off work between now and May 21. These Tuesdays all fall during my recovery week. That's 8 extra days off. Doesn't sound like much but I think it's going to be good for me. I picked Tuesday because my massage therapist doesn't work on Monday. I'm using that one day every 3 weeks to sleep in, get stuff done around the house, get a massage, and basically just chill.

My goal, my strategy is to NOT burn out. Everyone's telling me it's gonna happen. It's inevitable. Well, if it does, it does. I'm not going to be stubborn about it. But if I'm right, and taking care of me EARLY in this training keeps me fresh and keeps my life balanced, I'm going to be able to see this training all the way through to the end and not skip a beat.

It's just a theory.

"In Me" - Casting Crowns

If you asked me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If you ask me to go
Preach to a lost world of Jesus saves

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

If you ask me to run
And carry your light into foreign land
If you ask me to fight
Deliver your people from satan's hand

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

To reach out with Your hands
To learn through Your eyes
To love with the love of a savior
To feel with Your heart
and to think with Your mind
I'd give my last breath for Your glory

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability

when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Untill You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me
The power of Christ in me
The power of Christ in me

Goals

I met with Catherine last week to talk about nutrition for IMTX training. I had a couple of options on who to get to do my nutrition. On the one hand, my coach, Gaye, is a registered dietitian and extremely knowledgeable about sports nutrition, especially for endurance athletes. This one-stop shop for coaching and nutrition might be a little more convenient but for me, there's really not another option besides Catherine. She's my friend. She has taught me so much about weight loss. To the point, Jan and I love her.

So, my coach, Gaye, wanted to know from Catherine what our plan was. Gaye wanted me to talk to Catherine about my nutrition periodization plan. See, Gaye is (as I am) interested in my performance for IMTX. She wants me to finish the race. And that's a great thing. I would expect nothing more from my coach. But Catherine asked me an interesting question. She asked, "Vic, what's more important? Finishing an Ironman, or living a long, healthy life at a healthy weight?" I thought about this for a few days before meeting with Catherine. I really struggled with why those two things would be mutually exclusive. Can't I live a long, healthy life at a healthy weight AND finish an Ironman? When Cat and I finally sat down, we just said, yes, the two things can be done but getting to my final goal weight is #1. I'm so on board with that.

It's funny 'cause when you talk about losing weight, that obviously involves eating less calories than you burn. And much of IM training is about fueling the "machine", replacing calories, keeping the tank full and fueling for the next workout. Really, IM training and weight loss are opposing forces. I talked to Gaye about my really wanting to lose weight and she said from her perspective, it would be a shame to go through all this training and not be able to finish because I'm not getting enough calories. I was like, "Yeah, that sounds right." Then Catherine dropped the bomb. She said, "What would be a shame would be to FINISH an Ironman and still weigh 260 pounds." And I've gotta hand it to her. That a REAL perspective and something I've gotta think about. See, I've accomplished a lot as an athlete this past year. But I've stayed relatively flat on the weight loss. So, another year has gone by and I'm still not at my goal weight, my ideal weight. Yes, I'm down 115 pounds from my highest weight but I'm NOT FINISHED. Just think, had I finished and gotten down to 210-215 by now how much easier my IM training would have been. And Cat is right. The real tragedy would be to go another 6 months, finish and Ironman, accomplish so much but still be over 250.

So, instead of talking about meal plans and our nutrition plan for the IM, Cat and I talked about my goals. Most importantly, we talked about my #1 goal.

#1, LOSE WEIGHT. My goal is to get to 210-215. The best opportunity to do that is during the first 12-16 weeks of training when my volume is high and intensity is low. So, we're looking at 2-3 pounds a week to get us most of the way to my goal before the higher intensity workouts start and I need to take in lots more carbs.

#2. Finish the training. My big goal is to finish this training and get to the start line. If I do that. If I get to the line healthy and ready and start the race, I will consider that a success.

#3 Finish the IM.

So, that's where I'm at. I'm logging everything that passes between my lips. Every calorie, every apple, every piece of chicken, everything. Counting calories. Carbing up with more fruits and vegetables and less grains and pastas.

Keeping the main thing the main thing.