Update

Well it has been a while since I have written on this blog. Not much going on in the way of races. I will be competing in the Bath Y-Tri on June sixth and then have nothing on the slate until September when I will be doing the Great Pumpkin Challenge. This will consist of a sprint triathlon on Saturday (I believe the 16th) followed by a half-iron on Sunday. So I will start some more intense training soon. It is beautiful in Boothbay this time of year and time to start with some open water swimming. Other than that I am trying to plan a triathlon for 2011 in Boothbay. In the beginning phases right now. So long. Until next time.

3 Weeks and Counting

I am getting very excited about Louisville. I have been training pretty hard and getting prepped. I have not posted for quite a while. I had a very good Half Ironman on June 7th, 2009 at the Mooseman Triathlon in New Hampshire. I still did not beat the 5 hour mark but came damn close 5:00:35. If I had not stopped to pee on the run I may have made it. The big race is 3 weeks from tomorrow. Getting excited. Hope it will not be too hot and humid. Woo hoo!

First Race of 2009

Bath Y - Tri 5/31/2009 - 1:04:15 ---- 525 Meter Swim, 11 Mile Bike, 3.1 Mile Run (5K)

First race of the year went well and I felt strong throughout. I finished with a 1:04:15. Over a minute better than last year. While I was running however I thought that I was going to beat that by more. I guess I felt stronger but really wasn't going much faster. I placed 5th overall out of 155 starters and second in my age group, the mens 45-49. Although I am only 44 under USAT rules you race as to what your age is at the end of the year, which will be 45. Next weekend is my 3rd Half - Ironman ever and the first and probably only Half - Ironman for this year. This will be a good early season test to see how my winter training has paid off. It is down in New Hampshire and is called the Mooseman. I will be leaving early Saturday and returning Sunday evening. Until then. 

Week 15 Training - Rocky Coast 10K

Well on Saturday May 2nd I ran in the local Boothbay Rocky Coast Road Race. It was 6.2 miles or 10 Kilometers. I finished second overall and improved on last years time by 20 seconds with a 42:10. Pretty happy with my finish although a much smaller turn out than last year. 

Anyhow I am in week 15 of my 29 week training schedule and just thought that I would write my daily workout routine as this is a bigger week as far as training goes. So being Monday and I am just getting going here goes.

Monday May 4th - 

90 Minute Bike Ride - 32 miles in 1:40 with average speed of 19.3 MPH

1 mile swim at Y pool with 1/4 mile warm up then 5 x 50 with 20 sec rest

 5 x 50 with 15 sec rest

 5 x 50 with 10 sec rest then 1/4 mile cool down

25 minutes of stretching/yoga 

Then the Monday evening triathlon class that consisted of approximately 1/2 mile swim,

30 minutes on the bikes with various cadence and resistance, and about a 3.5 mile run. 

Tuesday May 5th

1 Hour Weight Workout 

Followed By 30 minutes stretch/yoga 

Wednesday May 6th

18 mile Run in 2:35 

Average 8:34 min/mile

Thursday May 7th

Another Hour Weight Workout 

Stretching/Yoga/Foam Roller self massage

Friday May 8th

8 Mile Recovery Run

In 1:01 Average 7:42 min/mile

Saturday May 9th

2.5 mile swim

with 4x1/2 mile intervals at roughly 16:30 each 

with 1/4 mile warm up and 1/4 mile cooldown

Sunday May 10th 

Supposed to ride 120 miles but only made 60.  Boo Hoo. 

But did do the 120 on Wednesday May 13th. Yee Haa

It's all in the Training

People from time to time have been asking me what I do to train how and what my nutrition plan is etc. This year I stumbled across a 29 week training plan at Ironman.com. It is sponsored by powerbar so they basically are trying to get you to use their product. I use their gels and sometimes their bars. Point aside, you can click on the link here to see the plan. http://ironmanpower.com/training/guide.aspx

I am currently on week 10. My mindset is that you always need to be flexible because with life in general there is always something that comes up that does not allow you to get everything done that you would like. There are not enough hours in the days. That being said I follow this training plan to the point that I try to get all of the things listed in the week done in that week although not always in the order or days that they have listed. For instance it may say to bike 80 miles on wednesday and 60 on saturday. Since I cannot even ride outside yet. I have my bike in my bedroom on a trainer, much to my wife Marnies dislike (actually she is a pretty good sport about it) , I have to ride on either my trainer, a stationary at the Y or at a spinning class at the Y or my monday night triathlon class at the Y. I figure when I usually ride outdoors I average about 20 miles an hour so if I am supposed to ride 140 miles in a week that breaks down to 7 hours. So in the period of the week I try to ride a total of 7 hours. Usually I have to break it up into an hour here two hours there etc. So I may not get the exercise effect of  a four hour ride that the plan suggests I still try to get the hours in each week. I do pretty good but have had a couple of weeks that I have not got everything in that I should. Soon, hopefully in early May the bike will go outside and I will start doing 100 milers about once a weeek  on my days off. I also do 2 weight workouts each week (or try to) which are right around an hour and focus on not getting big but strengthening the muscles used in swimming biking and running. So here is a sample week I will give you what I did last week (Week 8) a pretty heavy week and then week 9 (this week) a bit of a rest week. Also to note I keep track of everything I do. Week 8 and 9 were the same on the plan due to an error I believe so I modified week 8.

Monday (usually my biggest day) 3/9 - swam 2 1/4 miles w/ 4x400m with each 400 getting faster (Y-Pool) this includes the 30 minutes of swimming in the Tri class I have Monday nights. 

3/9 - I hour (20 miles on stationary at Y- level 10 random) 

3/9 - Biked an extra 30 minutes (10 miles approx) and Ran 3.5 miles (Tri-Class) 

3/10 Ran 6 miles - 2 easy, 2 moderate, 2 strong (45 minutes) 

3/11 Weight workout

3/11 20 Mile bike (hour spinclass at Y)

3/12 Run 8 Miles (Track at Y) Finished strong

3/12 Swam 1 mile (was supposed to do 1.5 not enough time)

3/13 Biked 40 miles (2 hours) at home stationary

3/13 Weight workout

3/14 Swam 2 miles Y pool. (1 hour 7 minutes) then changed and went for 

3/14 10 mile run outside - Back River/Dover/Adams pond loop from Y - 78 minutes 

3/15 off work sunday brunch. 

So that is what my training is like. Click the link if you want to see more of what I have coming. I only print out 2 weeks at a time so I don't even know what is coming. My base phase is almost over and my specific/build phase is about to start. 

Now people have often asked about nutrition/eating and in triathlon this is considered the fourth discipline. I do not have specifics, I eat a lot and basically try and eat healthy. Lean proteins, fruits, vegetables,  and whole grains. I usually do a couple to 3 cups of coffee while I am doing stuff like I am  doing now, waking up, face book, checking news and weather on my computer. Then before getting going on my workouts I eat a breakfast of a sliced banana in a bowl with a oatmeal or rice dish that I make in large quantities that last me the week this I top with strawberries and nonfat French Vanilla yogurt and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread. Once in a while I will do scrambled eggs etc. Lunch is chips and salsa, a huge salad with veggies, avocado, nuts, tomatoes if on hand etc slice of bread with butte. Dinners range from large pasta outings, spag with veggies, veggie lasagna, to lean meats, post roasts etc. Not to get into all the scientific mumbo carbs are the dominate fuel in endurance exercise so focus is on lots of carbs. When I workout I drink Nunn with is an elecrolyte replacement as well as a carb drink. Right now I am experimenting with several. Infinite, Cytomax, EFS, Gatorade endurance, etc. I also often drink a water bottle mixed with Recoverite after intense workouts to help with muscle recovery(protein and glutamine). Well not to bore all of you too much but some of you asked. You can click on the training link I provided you to see what I have coming as far as my training. I can't wait to get outside on the bike. Winter is finally receding in Maine and snow is melting. Well it is time to eat that breakfast I had talked about and play with my daughter. My workout today Monday again my biggest day usually will begin at about 3 p.m and go until 7. I will probably write again soon and post my race schedule for the season. Limited racing this year with bigger races more work to try and save some money this summer. I really want that bike the Ridley Dean. Click here to see my dream machine http://www.racycles.com/store/images/large/Ridley_Dean_606.jpg

I won't tell you how much it costs.

Training Setbacks and Success

Well the new year started off great with a good attitude and motivation. Then a weekend in Minneapolis to "party" and see some music led to a flu bug and a week off and out of training. It is interesting to note that even a week of inactivity and in bed for about three days really can set you back. I got on the bike today for 45 minutes and felt like I was back to square one. Also the bike being my strongest of the three disciplines I started to think about running... ouch. Well setback as that may be I can only move forward. I am starting to put my season together as far as racing and training. As a step-father of three and father of one and trying to balance schedules with my wife I sometimes wonder why I am attempting an Ironman. The usual doubts come to mind. I don't have the training time. I shouldn't subject my family to this, time away training, relying on older siblings to baby-sit while I train. Sometimes I wonder why and what I am doing. Then I thought about something. When I was on the bike today even though only for 45 minutes I felt so alive and felt the best that I had since falling ill 5 days ago. I realize that I always feel the most alive and at my best when I am exercising hard. If I can balance that with family, work and personal time then that will hopefully make me feel alive, healthy and happy. One cannot ask for much more than that in life. To test my own physical being in an Ironman distance race could be one of the greatest feelings of elation I could have. I think often and try to visualize what this Ironman race would be like. Suffer through the swim without a wetsuit but still do ok. Get on the bike and ride for 5 to 6 hours in blistering 95 degree heat with 90% humidity and then try to run a marathon. It seems daunting and the heat of Louisville in August scares me. But all of these things that make for a great challenge make for a much greater feeling if and when I cross the finish line and that is also something that I envision and that is the vision that keeps me training, racing and coming back for more. Until next time. 

2009 Iron Dreams and Bigger and Better Things

So begins 2009 and for the most part feeling that 2008 was a great year for me. At least for my triathlon accomplishments and job in Boothbay. As far as a career, well in Boothbay waiting tables is probably about as lucrative as anything else although not quite as glamorous as a full blown carreer. With 2009 here and Fiona starting school in the fall, it is a year of reflection, renewal and perhaps yet another career change. However, this is a blog about my triathlete and triathlon accomplishments and not about the rest of my life so I will refrain from personal reflection. In the fall and after what I thought to be an incredible year for me in triathlon and racing I decided that the next logical step was a full blown Ironman. This is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon. This is a daunting and intimidating distance. I registered for the Louisville Ironman in September of 2008 and really thought that I would not follow through and cancel based on monetary and financial obligations. But as the new year rolled around and self evaluation continued I recently made a commitment by purchasing my plane flight, hotel and rental car I am almost committed to making the trip and competing in what would be the realization of a three year dream which I call the Iron Dream. Now all I need to do is commit to the training, which is the biggest time consuming factor of it all. It is a hard balance training, keep family obligations and family, personal time, and time with Marnie and work time while trying to put in the time needed to complete something as big as an Ironman. As I progress towards this Iron journey I will try to keep this post updated. I have a couple of smaller Triathlons as well as the Sugarloaf Marathon again in my sites for this year before the culmination of the Louisville Ironman. If you wish you can find more information here at http://ironman.com/events/ironman/louisville and until next time. Feel free to follow this blog and write me if you have any questions about training, racing, or anything triathlon. 

Happy 2009 and all the best from our family to yours. Sincerely,

Cameron Mitchell