Ironman Bobby

I have been back from Spain for a week and a half, I have run a little bit hear and there but nothing major.  I have not touched my bike at all cense I have been home.  I was so torn up from Spain I wanted a proper amount of rest and healing before starting to train for this season.  I woke up looked outside and rain, lots and lots of rain.

 

In the past this would make me shake my head and crawl back into my warm bed and snuggle with my girlfriend.  Not anymore, the attitude of we are hear to ride so we are going to fucking ride is still with me after Strong like bull.  I put all my layers on slapped on my brand new helmet and was out the door.

 

Riding in the rain I find is a lot of fun, there is no one out on the roads or on the trails usually less cars and you can be left alone to your thoughts, the only thing I wish I had where my booties which I tore up so bad in Spain I need to get new ones (in their defense they where only 5 dollar booties because I had no idea how awesome they would end up being).

 

I felt strong, I felt really really strong.  I was averaging 5 mph over what I normally do on the same trail and effort level.  I felt like I could ride 100 miles and not even think about it.  When I got a little cold and I couldn’t feel my feet anymore I thought about turning around then put my head down and powered on.  I hit all my old turn around points and blew past them with shame thinking back to my past self and how he would make excuses to turn around because he was a little tired or really didn’t feel like finishing his ride because it hurt.  I hit all my old landmarks and knew how I should feel at those points and I was no where near the depleted energy levels of old bobby (Mind you this entire ride is only powered by 1 cup of coffee I had no breakfast and forgot my water bottles).

 

I rode all the way down to the end of the trail, and expecting the bike shop there to be open was going to get a drink.  Alas they decided to be closed on an early sat morning with a crap tone of rain, guess not many people go out on days like this.  I contemplated riding down to the 711 and then decided, lets see how far I can push this.  Can I do 3 hours with NOTHING!  I headed back deciding to see how much I could hang on pure strong like bull carry over.  About 30 min into the ride back now making my ride time 2 hours I found out.

 

I felt the feeling of emptiness, the o shit I forgot to eat when I was suppose to feeling.  But not having anything to eat or drink I just pushed.  This confidence and general comfort I have never had on the bike before, this is all from 9 days in spain.  The general feeling that it does not matter what the ride is I can do it, distance pshh, no nutrition pshh, shitty weather that causes flooding hahahaha.  Confidence something that is learned and earned not taught.

 

During this 3 hour 57 mile drench fest I realized what I really took away from Strong Like Bull.  It wasn’t the amazing memories, it wasn’t the new friendships and it wasn’t the jump start on my base training (all which are great and I did get).  I brought back from spain nothing that I could have gotten staying at home, Confidence.  I could have done the same amount of riding for 9 days around DC and not come away with the amount of confidence you get from being at SLB.  The amount of pain and suffering you do at this camp hardens your resolve,  it steels your nerves and stiffens your spine.  These things don’t leave you, the trick now is to take this new found mental ability and apply it to this season. 

 

Have no doubt, I honestly believe this will be my best season of doing triathlon I have ever had…

I have been rocking everything!  Im fit my speed workouts have been great my climbing is WONDERFULL.  Coming into today’s workout I was hardly concerned at all!  I was on fire I couldn’t be touched. 

Aint that always when the shit hits the fan?

 Because I felt like a million bucks I have been eating shit food, an entire bowl of guacamole, half a rack of cookie dough, a bunch of raisinets and almost no water.  The morning football game is over I tie up my shoes and head out. 

 Todays workout 4 miles at 7min mile pace.

I roll right out of the house and start running at pace!  Warm up i dont need no stinking warm up.  First mile I feel fine I feel great 6:57! Hell ill be back before the second quarter of the next game easy!  Hit a couple of hills and tear them up look at the watch 7:14 for the second mile not bad not bad.  Suddenly my back spasims my shins cramp and my IT bands explode out of my legs.  At mile 2.5 im laying on the ground staring at the sky wondering how I got hear.

 After about 3 min my legs have stopped twitching and I stand up like a new born dear wobbly and unsure of my footing.  I then start limping home the last 1.5 miles pain shooting through my legs with every step.  I laugh to myself thinking about how many times ive gone on an all night bender and have been able to walk home more stable then I can right now.  My head hangs low as I am embarrassed as I hobble home humbled by a damn 4 mile run.  I finally limp into the apartment turn on the cold water in the tub and scream like a girl as I lower my destroyed lower half into something that resembles an ice bath.

 After 10 min my shins stop throbbing and the IT band in my butt did not feel tight anymore.  I learned a very important lesson today, one of those lessons that you yourself have told others to watch out for but don’t actually listen to. 

 

Never take anything for granted! Never let your guard down!

On Monday I started my official training for the Speedo 10k which is now what I am calling this race.  I have gone on a couple of simple runs sense Toughman but nothing I would call training.  I have however started getting back into climbing and have hit that very hard.  This does not involve running though it involves mostly A LOT of core. 

The 10k is an odd beast, its too long to be a sprint like a 5k but its too short to have any real strategy.  It reminds me a lot of the 800 from high school track there was no science to it you just had to be strong enough to hold on the entire way.  I LOVE THESE KINDS OF RACES!  I really love these kinds of races when you get a group of people who are going after each other with tooth and nail!

The reason I love these races so much is there are no excuses, its not a survival race like a marathon or an ironman, its not a sprint race where anyone can gut it out for 3 miles.  You cant complain that you didn’t hit your nutrition right its too short.  It seams like it’s the perfect distance where in your brain you think you can do it just fine and it wont hurt that much but when you get out there it will test you like nothing else.

What does this have to do with my training, for the first time in a long time im doing hardcore track speed workouts and I love it.  I love pushing my body until I almost puke then taking a small break and then doing it all over again.  Being able to put the same time on the last 800 as I did on the first even though im practically dead is such an awesome challenge and feeling.  Ive also been ramping up my climbing endurance, I put up 7 5.10s in a row at the rock gym the other night and the following night put up my first 5.12!

everything feels good i cant be touched.

 

Several weeks ago my archrival @Crash_Gomez brought up the fact that he would be racing a 10k on December 6^th through central park.  Being the good archrival I am I took it upon myself to challenge him to a duel on this race.  He then informed my that he would be going for a PR of 40 min.  My jaw hit the floor, 40 MIN!! that’s roughly 6:30 miles.  But having too much pride I stood tall and said I will see you there!

Then suddenly some of his posy showed up.  @holisticguru, @gaidner, @david_pike.  This just made it all that much more fun to do.  Trash talking progressed Guru and Grant continued to flaunt the fact that they had handed me an ass whooping at Toughmen Grant made a declaration.  “I don’t care if I am in a Speedo and arm warmers I will beat @IronmanBobby”.

Now on December 6^th Grant, David and myself will be in nothing but Speedos and arm warmers.  This is how I got wrangled into running a 10k this winter.  The rest of this page will be documenting my training for my first ever short coarse road race.  Ive done a marathon standalone but never a 10k.

LETS DO IT!