Categories
2013

AF race strategy: Ironman nutrition plan

How I’m going to fuel my way across the finish line

Food

Nutrition and hydration play a huge role in your performance on race day – especially if your race entails 140.6 miles of swimming, cycling and running.

So it’s crucial to nail down a nutrition plan that’ll fit your specific needs.

There’s a ton of nutrition info on the internet, at the bike shop and from other athletes.

Whittling it all down can be tough, especially when the line between genuine advice and methodical marketing has grown so blurry.

I don’t consider myself an expert on nutrition, and I haven’t received professional training or guidance on how to properly fuel during exercise.

However, after a couple years doing triathlon, and many hours reading books (like The Paleo Diet for Athletes and currently The Omnivore’s Dilemma) and online articles (like this excellent post on Endurance Corner) I’ve developed a critical and objective eye for food, and feel confident in the approach I’ve outlined to fuel me through Ironman Arizona.

Read on to see a breakdown of my nutrition plan for the race – now less than a month away!

Continue reading “AF race strategy: Ironman nutrition plan”

Categories
2013

Join the Tri for Les support squad: buy a t-shirt!

All proceeds benefit the Arizona Humane Society

— Update: T-shirts sales are now closed! —

AHS

TFL IMAZ tshirts

You know you wanna look as cool as this guy, and wear a limited edition Tri for Les t-shirt to support Adam and Cecily on race day. Plus, you’ll be supporting the Arizona Humane Society!

Can you say win, win, win, win?

Click the DONATE button below to order your shirt and email Adam with your size. Also, hurry up: the deadline to order is Nov. 3!

— Update: T-shirts sales are now closed! —

Thanks for everyone’s support! And if you still want to donate $30 to the Arizona Humane Society, click the Donate button below. You just won’t get a t-shirt.





Why are we doing this? Click here for more details.

We’d love to see you wearing these shirts out along the course on race day! If you plan on coming down, see our Spectathlete guide for logistical and helpful information.


Categories
2013

The Most Graceful Freestyle

Swimming inspiration from Shinji Takeuchi, with Total Immersion Swimming Method

20131011-155439.jpg

A couple weeks ago, I was feeling pretty good about myself after racking a 2:44:06 at the Lifetime Olympic Triathlon in Tempe.

But even though all three of the sports seemed to go well, when I dug into my race stats, one thing glared back at me: a super slow swim.

Now, I’ve always been a slow swimmer. And part of my Total Immersion strategy focuses on swimming effortlessly to conserve energy for the bike and the run.

However, I shouldn’t be swimming so effortlessly that nearly my entire age group gets out of the water ahead of me.

Indeed, I have found my hurdle.

Continue reading “The Most Graceful Freestyle”


Categories
2013

What’s Your Hurdle?

Registration

Flashback to November:

Q1: This’ll be your first Ironman. Are you worried, excited, in shock, all of the above?

Answer: “…The biggest part of training for something like this is making the commitment, waking up and showing up every day – and that’s what I’m going to do. I want to show up on November 17th knowing that I put everything I could into this thing – no regrets. So no, I’m not scared that I won’t finish, because if I don’t finish it won’t be due to something I could have changed.”

Flash forward to today:

The theme of my past eight months of training has been to put in the work, prepare for the unexpected and take all steps necessary to show up on Nov. 17 feeling ready, with butterflies in my stomach, excitement, pride, some natural anxiety, but with zero doubt.

The race is six weeks from today, and I feel great. Endurance-wise, I know I can get through this thing. Hell, if I needed to, I could get through it tomorrow. I’ve followed my training, built up the mileage, honed my confidence and already see myself as an Ironman. Like I said back in November:

“Becoming an Ironman (or an ultra runner, or a brain surgeon, or a freakin’ fairy princess) isn’t something that happens overnight. When I start the 2.4 mile swim, the transformation and achievement will already be done. Crossing that finish line will just be like walking across stage on graduation day. Work’s done – now you just have to prove it and get your medal.”

grad cap

Now is the time to continue building those last few miles, nurture that confidence, and try to find and address any of those last hurdles that might come your way. While working through a long brick workout yesterday, I found the last hurdle I need to focus on for these last six weeks in order to show up to Ironman Village next month with not a doubt in my mind that I’m ready. Ironically, it goes back to one of the first blog posts I wrote.

I need to take care of my poor, neglected muscles, tendons and joints.

Continue reading “What’s Your Hurdle?”


Categories
2013

AF Race Report: Lifetime Olympic Triathlon

Smooth sailing, no injuries and a time of 2:46:09

Mill Ave. Bridge at Tempe Town Lake in the morning

Last time we spoke, I was getting my bearings after a rough bout of idiocy, recovering from an infected foot, and cautiously preparing for the Lifetime Olympic Triathlon*: 1-mile swim, 24.6-mile ride and 6.2-mile run, and my last triathlon before the big one on November 17.

Even though this race was significantly shorter than Ironman Arizona, it was a big test for me.

Why? Because, of the three races I mapped out at the beginning of this year, it was the first I’d been healthy enough to complete in its entirety.

I had to skip the DIY Olympic Tri scheduled in March thanks to posterior tibial tendinitis.

In August I still wasn’t quite ready for the Boulder Ironman 70.3‘s half marathon section, and I limited myself to just the swim, bike and half the run.

So I was more than ready to test myself, unleash the fury and cross my first finish line of 2013 at the Lifetime Olympic Triathlon on September 22.

Continue reading “AF Race Report: Lifetime Olympic Triathlon”