Iron News Man - October 13, 2009

By CHRIS

Updated 8:15 AM PST, Wed, Oct 14, 2009

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Weather is becoming a factor in my training. Bad weather. Yesterday I did half of my run in the rain. It was cool and had I not dressed for the inclement weather, I would have been miserable. As it turns out, it was almost perfect running conditions. The cool air kept my legs feeling fresh. Besides, there’s no telling what the weather be like on November 22 for Ironman Arizona.

Today the rain will be much heavier. I’ll swim during a break in the rain bands and plan to ride indoors while watching a movie. It’s funny how things always work out. If I had to do a long run today and the rain was indeed heavy, chances are (because I HATE doing long runs on a treadmill) my schedule would have been thrown off. Tomorrow the rain will still be here, but again I ride… no running.

I’m eyeballing my training at the end of this week because it’s MURDEROUS! The swim on Friday will be only 36 laps short of the FULL Ironman 2.4-mile swim distance. The 90-mile ride on Saturday is no my longest, but it will be my toughest. Hill repeats can be brutal… especially the way these hill repeats are interspersed throughout the workout!

Workout #1: Pyramid Swim

Wakeup Workout: Triceps

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Wakeup Workout: Triceps

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Countdown to Ironman

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Ironman Journey

Type: Swim
Swim 1500 yrds total. Warm Up: 4 x 25 with (10" rest) then 4 x 50 with (20" rest).

Drills: 200 yrds. Choose drills from the Triathlon Training Series Swim DVD.

MS: 3 x 50 with (15”), 2 x 75 (20”), 2 x 100 (25”), 2 x 75 (20”), 3 x 50 (15").

CD: 2 x 50 easy with emphasis on form.

Workout #2: Bike Drills/Recovery

Type: Bike
Ride 1.5 hrs (approx 25 miles) on a relatively flat course. Think recovery. Ride in Zone 1 and zone 2 (easy to medium). Maintain a steady and continuous effort. Add in 4 to 5 one-minute sets of one-footer drills (alternate between each leg). Practice smooth circles and try to workout the clunky dead spot in each leg.

After I get done with my Ironman training, I plan to weight train with Jordan Yuam. I’m smart enough to know that this is one of those days when a nap (recovery) would do me good.

I’ve managed to keep a decent amount of my muscle mass during my Ironman training. If you want to truly attack your triceps, be sure to click on this morning’s Wakeup Workout video.

Days until Ironman Arizona: 40!

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-Chris

Why blog? To inspire others.

Simply put, two years ago I was overweight! At 6’1” I weighed 252, and wore size 40 pants. Few people really noticed, but I did. In pictures, on TV, I was not happy with my appearance. Covering the 2007 LA Marathon for NBC4 was the last straw. Every picture I was in highlighted just how out of shape I had become.

No more! Since that time, the guy who could barely run around the block has slowly built-up his endurance and completed the 2008 Long Beach International Marathon , 2009 Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, 2009 LA Marathon, and the 2009 Vineman Ironman 70.3.

However, something happened along the way. After my first marathon, I fell into a funk. I asked myself, “Why do you feel such a let-down after a marvelous achievement?” The answer I have since learned from my coaches, I failed to set the “goal beyond the goal”. Thus, my quest for Iron was born!

I’m registered to compete in the Ford Ironman Arizona on November 22nd, 2009. Along the way, I will compete in various road races and triathlons to fuel my passion and push my training along. The intense and at times brutal training will happen after my duties as 4 a.m. to 7a.m. anchor for NBC4 have finished. The sacrifices I will make will be substantial, and for that I thank my beautiful family and friends in advance.

I invite you to share this journey with me.