Iron News Man - October 19, 2009

By CHRIS SCHAUBLE

Updated 7:45 AM PST, Mon, Oct 19, 2009

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Ooooooooh… I like today’s run! It's an 8-miler with hills! Normally my runs have the opposite requirement, no hills! In fact, today’s schedule asks me not to run in the flats or along my favorite route, The Santa Clarita Trail. Loving it!

With Ironman Arizona about a month away, my brain is getting nutty! I’m starting to dream about it! When I train, I find myself thinking, “Push yourself for Ironman.” I wish it were tomorrow. The best piece of advice I’ve been given about actually competing in, and completing Ironman Arizona is, “At no point should you feel like you’re racing.” I keep that in mind when I train.

Here’s my TrainingPeaks.com schedule from Triathlon Coach Jason Healey:

Hill Run
Type: Run
Run 8 miles on a Hilly Course.

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Countdown to Ironman

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Ironman Journey

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Triathlon Training

Stay in Zone 2: Medium Hard and at times in Lower Zone 3: Hard near the top of hills.

Run up and DOWN streets like Poe, Hemingway, Faulkner, Kavanaugh and the surrounding to simulate rolling Hills or Hill Repeats. Do not run in the flats or the bike trail.

Include climbing times up to 8 minutes. Try not to climb more than 8 minutes before adding downhill recovery legs. This workout should simulate hill repeats at different lengths.

5 More Weeks until IM Arizona!

After my run, I'll weight train with Jordan Yuam. Today we'll tackle chest and shoulders for an hour. We'll also do some core strength training using the dreaded exercise ball.

I have one final delightful distraction before IM Arizona, the Nike Human Race this Friday night/Saturday morning. The event raises money for the UN Refugee Agency, Lance Armstrong Foundation and The WWF. The Nike Human Race is technically being held at 12:01am Saturday at USC. I’ve never competed in an event at such an odd hour, so that should make it fun! I’ve joined a Nike+ training group called the Pied Pipers, lead by Sarah Kay Hoffman. We’ll be quite a force that night.

Days until Ironman Arizona: 34!

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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.