FEblog

The Glycemic Index

(Vince) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:56:32 GMT

The Glycemic Index (GI) describes the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Simple enough but what does it mean? It means that not all carbohydrates are the same. High GI carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels whereas low GI carbohydrates release sugar slowly. When I say sugar, I am specifically referring to glucose. Ironically, the glycemic index does not take other sugars into consideration... high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) comes to mind.

The New Goal

(Vince) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:18:31 GMT

It just seems like no matter what I do, I’m always looking for the next challenge. It happened right after I did my first sprint over 10 years ago and it’s happening right now after completing Ironman Coeur d’Alene. My goal for CdA was to finish sub11 and I hit my goal. It could’ve been 10:45 had I done things smarter but a series of small mistakes cost me a little bit of time. Do I care? Not really. I’m pretty happy with the result and have the satisfaction of knowing that I could’ve been faster had things worked out perfectly.

Read the Labels!

(Vince) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:28:26 GMT

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly refined, man-made, processed sweetener made from corn. It is not only cheaper to produce than sugar; it is also six times sweeter. Unlike sucrose and dextrose which are broken down in the body, HFCS does not breakdown and goes directly to the liver releasing enzymes which instruct the body to store fat. When you eat, your body is stimulated to produce insulin which causes the body to feel full. HFCS does not stimulate the body to produce insulin and you will therefore eat more than you should. HFCS is not only linked to the rise in obesity in America, it is also believed to cause Type 2 diabetes.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene

(Vince) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:06:10 GMT

I’ve never been more prepared. With well over 300 hours of training since January, when I reached Coeur d’Alene, I was ready to race. For me, the race is the reward for all of my hard work. And it was rewarding! Obviously things went wrong... getting kicked in the face in the water, a positive split swim, slow out of T1, and wind on the bike, but those are the things you have to deal with in a race. The best part of the race was waiting patiently to drop the hammer on the run.

My Road Bike and the Mystery Man

(Vince) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:19:54 GMT

I dropped my tri bike off at the local bike shop for pickup by Tri Bike Transport who will get my bike to Coeur d’Alene safe and sound. But with two rides to complete, one today and one tomorrow, I am left with only my road bike. I removed it from the trainer yesterday, cleaned it up, changed the back tire which was pretty close to trashed from all the trainer abuse and got it ready for my ride this morning. My workout consisted of a run-bike-run combo and I set forth on the first part of my workout. When I returned, I found the back tire was lacking air. I found a thorn in the tire which I must’ve picked up in my garage. This could be seen as a bad omen but I didn’t see it that way. I’m pretty fast at changing a flat and was off on my ride in a matter of minutes.

T2: Nutrition

(Vince) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 20:08:44 GMT

I was a fast food junkie when I entered into the world of triathlon. It was a convenient way to eat and eat fast. But as my training became more serious, my eating became healthier. Fast forward to today and you’d see that I’m a decent cook and fast food has been completely eliminated from my diet. But while I am a cook, I am not a chef and therefore lack the imagination for creation. You see, a cook can follow instructions from a recipe but a chef can create. I recently came across an old idea with a new twist… meals ready to eat. But not the kind I ate in the field as a soldier. These meals are prepared by a real chef, Chef Jeremy Smith, from T2: Nutrition. Jeremy is a chef who specializes in nutrition and also understands the nutritional needs of a triathlete since he is one himself. I think he’s found himself a nice niche for himself and I wrote him with some questions about his service.

Juggling Act

(Vince) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:48:38 GMT

With 17 days remaining until CdA, I am surprisingly calm. I have entered the final week of training before my taper begins and the workouts appear to be designed to test my mental capacity. But not in the sense of... it’s mentally going to break me because it’s so hard. It’s more along the lines of a workout that has too much detail for my small brain to remember. I had a run yesterday that consisted of hills and drills. It was so complex that I had to take notes and carry them along.

When I started this training plan back in January, I could see progress almost immediately so I decided that I would not question it for fear of understanding it. If I understood it, I might try to be involved. And that was the point of hiring a coach in the first place. I don’t want to be involved at that level. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve inserted my input along the way but I don’t want to dissect it and try to make it better... or so I would think.

I Waxed My Legs

(Vince) — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:01:30 GMT

As a male triathlete, there are many reasons why you would shave your legs. Of course none of them are actually legitimate. The reasons vary from hydrodynamics, infection prevention, aerodynamics, but really it’s all just a way of rationalizing that you just want to shave your legs. And you want to do it because everyone else does it. Call it a rite of passage that separates you from everyone else. Well, except that everyone else does it too.

Healthy Eating = Bad Taste?

(Vince) — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:47:10 GMT

When it comes to eating healthy food, most people are concerned with how things will taste. I’ve read numerous books and articles on the subject and they all claim that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor. I’m here to tell you that that is a crock. You WILL have to sacrifice flavor. Nothing tastes better than: CHOCOLATE, ice cream, sour cream, butter, cheese, pizza, French fries, etc. I’m sorry to break the news to you but that’s the truth. But before you run away, let me tell you the good news. Over time, some of these ingredients or foods can be replaced and your taste buds won’t know the difference.

My Designated Driver

(Vince) — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:57:03 GMT

There comes a time when you’ve read all of the books you can read, you scoured every article in every forum, and you’ve essentially exhausted all of avenues of knowledge available to you. So after 10 years of self-training, I’d finally gone as far as I could by myself. Or as I like to put it, I’ve reached my own level of incompetence. When I arrived at this point, the decision to hire a coach was easy.

World’s Toughest Wife

(Vince) — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:18:46 GMT

My wife also did the race this past weekend. Here are her thoughts of the events as they unfolded...

There’s nothing like fear of not getting a good parking space to get you moving at 4:30 in the morning. The day before’s antics are forgotten, the bike ride to get to race start was uneventful and I got a decent transition spot. Of course it would have helped if I had given my correct race number when I went to body marking, but the nice gentlemen and his magic sharpie pen managed to correct my error.

World’s Toughest Half Ironman

(Vince) — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:50:49 GMT

Somebody thought it would be a good idea to put the World’s Toughest Half Ironman on my schedule at the end of Build2, Week3. All of my previous races have fallen at the end of a recovery week which has allowed me to race fresh. But not this one...

Anyone Can Do An Ironman

(Viince) — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:17:22 GMT

In my last entry, I made the statement "Anyone can do an Ironman." Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters have become an Ironman and you can too.

It’s easy to say you’re going to do an Ironman but the time it takes to train impacts your life. You get up early in the morning, you skip lunch for training, you leave work early in the afternoon, and you fit in sessions right before you go to bed. In the heavier weeks, a standard plan will have you training for 20 hours. If you’re like me, finding 20 hours is like finding a million dollars. But if you’re committed to it, you’ll find the time. And while we’re on the subject of commitment, you might want to let your family & friends know you’ll be unavailable for the next 9 months.

An Idle Mind

(Vince) — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:13:20 GMT

It seems like only yesterday that I was just signing up for this race and now, as you can see above, it is approaching rather quickly. I am in "Build2" with approximately 5 weeks before I start my taper. In this period, my volume has decreased but the intensity of the workouts has increased. My current week consists of about 16 hours of training. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to keep my idle mind from wandering.

While looking over my schedule this week, I caught myself trying to add in a few more workouts. I thought another open water swim, a 30 minute tempo run, and a third session of weights might fit into those open gaps on my calendar. What might accumulate to little more than two hours would most likely provide little benefit but might actually harm me. The reason why the volume decreases in the build period is because the intensity has increased and more importantly, the potential for injury also increases.

Running in Iowa

(Vince) — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:30:50 GMT

Being the great traveller that I am, I found myself in Waterloo, Iowa this weekend. But not because I threw a dart at map and was haphazardly taken to this metropolis of corn. My reason for traveling here was because I was invited to a wedding. But he’s a good friend, and I’ll even travel to Waterloo (pronounced WaterLOO with the emphasis on the "loo") to see him get married.

I Went to a Gun Show

(Vince) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:01:14 GMT

Not only did I get to run in the Nashville half marathon this weekend, but I also got to go to the gun and knife expo. It all started with a friend of ours who lives in Nashville and decided she wanted to run a half marathon. My wife and I signed up for it thinking we could make it a group event. And for me it worked out perfectly because the race would fall at the end of my rest and recovery week.

Our friend started her training program a few months ago and was on her way to running her first half when work interfered and halted her training. We were already committed, so our friend decided to be our cheering squad instead.

Choosing the Right Gym for You

(Vince) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:09:58 GMT

I have a free membership to the best gym there is... the outdoors. I bike and run on the roads and trails of Northern California and when the weather is warm, I can swim a 1.8 mile loop in a 60’ deep quarry. But what if I wanted to join a gym? Well, for me, that would be as easy as finding the closest one to my home. Maybe your needs aren’t as easily met as mine so I decided to ask someone who put a little more thought into this process...

Tierra Bella 200K

(Vince) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:29:31 GMT

On the schedule for Saturday: The Tierra Bella Hilly 200K plus a 30 minute transition run. The Tierra Bella is an organized event put on by the Almaden Valley Cycle Touring Club. The description for the ride is as follows:

"The Hilly 200K (121.9 mi, 6940 ft) follows the 100 Mile route from the beginning, with climbs up to Henry Coe and Gilroy Hot Springs. Finally, at the 92-mile mark, the 200K heads back north and west for a scenic loop around Chesbro and Uvas reservoirs before returning to Gavilan College.”

AIDS LifeCycle

(Vince) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:57:53 GMT

The AIDS LifeCycle will take place June 1-7, 2008, as cyclists and volunteers will travel 545 miles through beautiful California from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The event is now closed for registration but donations can still be made to participants.

Here’s a story from someone who has actually done the event...

Riding from San Francisco to L.A.

I moved to California a week after I turned eighteen and as soon as I saw the ocean I knew I had to ride my bike down the coast. So I joined a group called the AIDS Lifecycle. They organize a ride from San Francisco to L.A. every year. The ride is completed in seven days and is 545 miles long. Before the trip, the riders and support staff “roadies” raise much needed money for AIDS and HIV through donations and fund raisers. We managed to raise over $8,000,000 for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center.

Introducing Marko...

(Vince) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:29:19 GMT

I thought it would be interesting to get a realistic view of the pro life from someone who is very much like us but managed to get to that next level. Marko is a former Navy SEAL and a former pro Ironman triathlete.

Q: Why did you become a Navy Seal?

When I was in high school, I used to use the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps recruits to get free lunches but I never signed up until after my first year of junior college. My uncle had been in the Navy and talked about UDT and I had heard it was the toughest thing in the world. After doing a few triathlons and being pretty gung ho, I thought I would talk to a Navy Recruiter a little more seriously. In an attempt to scare me, he told me "Those guys are crazy! They jump out of airplanes, get shot out of torpedo tubes, and carry telephone poles on their backs!” My response was something along the lines of "Yeah, that’s for me!” At the time, I wanted a challenge, and I also wanted a way out of what was becoming a boring life living at home with my grandparents.

Felog - Version III

(Vince) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:54:07 GMT

Felog.net is an online triathlon training log. Essentially, it is my Excel spreadsheets gone wild. It initially started out as a way for me to track my fitness level and exercise routines but it has since evolved into what you see here today. There are two key aspects to the application:

The Mind Killer

(Vince) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:10:34 GMT

We spend a lot of time focusing on the three disciplines but there are other aspects of triathlon that also require attention. As I was looking at my schedule this week, I was not really concerned about any of the workouts except for what was scheduled for today. It consisted of a three hour ride with climbing followed by a three hour run. Actually it was three hours or 20 miles whichever comes first. Having missed my two hour run a couple of weeks ago due to being sick, I knew three hours was going to try to have its way with me. It’s this kind of negativity that will try to take hold of you in training and in racing. There comes a point when your body is hurting and you’re trying to fight it off but it’s fighting back. In marathons, they call it hitting the wall. It’s the point where you feel like every step is getting slower, every mile is getting longer, and every muscle in your body is screaming for you to stop. What you have to do is fight back. You have to climb over, dig under, or punch through that wall.

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater

(Vince) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:00:54 GMT

For the purpose of this entry, cheating is defined as: "to violate rules dishonestly". So what are the rules? For starters, there are the USAT rules and the biggest one that we hear about is "drafting". The "drafting zone" according to the USAT Rule Book: "The term "drafting zone" shall refer to a rectangular area seven (7) meters long and two (2) meters wide surrounding each bicycle. The longer sides of the zone begin at the leading edge of the front wheel and run backward parallel to the bicycle; the front wheel divides the short side of the zone into two equal parts. With respect to a moving motor vehicle, the "drafting zone" is a rectangular area extending 15 meters to each side of the vehicle and 30 meters behind the vehicle." And then there are the rules specific to the race itself. For example, at Ironman California there was an area where passing was not allowed and the speed limit was set at no more the 25MPH.

Ironman California 70.3

(Vince) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:18:36 GMT

After three months of base training, I finally get to race but there was one problem. As I was about to enter my taper week, I came down with a nasty flu. And after it hung on for days, I thought for sure I was going to have to bail on the race altogether because I just couldn’t seem to get rid of it. I decided that I would go to Oceanside anyway because I had already paid for the hotel room and I was looking forward to the time off. As Friday rolled around, I felt better and I became excited at the possibility of getting to race.

Lose Weight Now, Ask Me How

(Vince) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:33:41 GMT

The annual Harris Poll about some of the most important health risks showed that 78 percent of adults over 25 are overweight compared to 58 percent when the survey began 25 years ago.

Basically, every 8 out of 10 people I know are overweight. And when 8 out of 10 of them go on a diet, they start to ask me questions because I fall into the other 22 percent. Actually, my group is a much smaller percentage. It’s the group that includes neurotic triathletes that are starving to death from too many burned calories and not enough consumed. But that’s another story altogether.

Sickness and the Triathlete

(Vince) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:44:42 GMT

Oh crap, I’m sick, now what? I see this often enough on the forums and the answer I always provide is this: If it’s the neck up, you can continue training, if it’s below the neck, you should stop. This is pretty generic advice and is usually directed towards someone with a cold or flu.

sub10 Ironman

(Vince) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:38:51 GMT

When it comes to Ironman, if it’s your first, finishing is your goal. But after you complete the distance, and if you go back for more, you’re most likely doing it for a better time. When it comes to time, there is a magic number, and that number is 10 hours. When you go sub10, there are possibilities that could open up to you. Those possibilities could include: a Kona slot, getting sponsorship, becoming a Professional, and earning the respect of the other 98% of the field that didn’t get under 10 hours. Two percent! That’s right, on average, only two percent of the field is able to achieve that goal.

Freaks of Nature

(Vince) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:26:42 GMT

I’ve heard the term thrown around when discussing world class athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, Alberto Salazar, et al. But are they freaks of nature? It seems like everyone who is at the top of their class is given this title. Is it because we can’t conceive of putting that much effort into getting faster or are they biologically different? I’ve heard that Lance Armstrong has a high tolerance for lactic acid. But I’ve also heard he’s training when everyone else is taking the winter off. So is it that he’s biologically different or that he’s just putting in more time while his competition is not?

Athletes for a Cure Race Kit

(Vince) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:59:35 GMT

In a previous blog entry titled "Are you an Ironman...", I mentioned that I wanted to take the focus off of me, my training, and the race and bring the attention to a charity: Athletes for a Cure which raises money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. I signed up in January but I knew that starting too early would cause my effort to lose its momentum for Coeur d’Alene. So I’ve been waiting patiently.

Swimming was the Bane of My Existence

(Vince) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:42:09 GMT

Like many of you, swimming makes me absolutely crazy. In the past, if I had put in some time at the pool for a few months or a few weeks, the end result seems nearly the same. So I basically wrote off swimming thinking that it is an insignificant loss of time (5-10 minutes) and I should focus my energy on the bike and run. My logic being that any lost time on the swim could be made up with in either of those two. It’s really dumb logic but it’s just a way for me to rationalize that I’m a middle of the pack (MOP) swimmer and that I’m not seeing any improvement. Well the truth is, I’m not giving swimming the respect it deserves. But let’s get to the part where my swimming takes a nose dive.