Iron News Man - October 20, 2009

By CHRIS SCHAUBLE

Updated 8:15 AM PST, Tue, Oct 20, 2009

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I’m being followed! Sports Photographer Rich Cruse is shadowing me today. He’s covered a number of my road races and triathlons, now he’s shooting my training. I’m humbled and honored. If you’ve never seen his work, you should! Click Here. Best of all, on November 22nd, he’ll be there to document Ironman Arizona!

Today’s workout will keep me jumping! I’m leaving work and then heading to LA Fitness-Universal City for a pool swim. I’ll follow that with a trip to LA’s Griffith Park for a 25 to 30-mile ride. Topping it off will be another weight training session with Jordan Yuam. I expect to be working out for roughly four hours… and laughingly; my brain doesn’t register it as long (as compared to the super-long Saturday sessions).

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

Bike Drills/Recovery
Type: Bike
Ride 1hr 15min 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.

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Workout #2: Swim Drills - Chris S.
Type: Swim
Planned distance: 1500.4 yards
Swim 1500 yards.

Warm up: 200 yards easy.

Swim Drills: Include plenty of rest between each length.

8 x 25 of (Reach and Roll).

8 x 25 of (Enter Wide, Extend Wide) – concentrate on correcting left arm cross over.

8 x 25 focusing on Timing. Ian left you with the term “4 Cylinder Engine”. Concentrate on timing your pull, arm entry and hip rotation.

8 x 25 on the Catch.

Main Set: 8 x 50 of Swim Golf. Swim each 50 at an easy pace. Count the total strokes and note the Clock Time to complete each 50. Your Golf score is = Number of strokes + Clock Time. Try to maintain a consistent score for all 8 sets.

Cool Down: 4 x 25 easy

I'm switching the workout order based on necessity. So again, it'll be swim, bike, weight train. I'll be sure to "fuel" throughout the sessions. I'll consume GU, and at least one PowerBar.

The weather has been great lately for training. I was beginning to wonder about my run times and fitness level. Turns-out, running in 100 degree heat can make anyone feel slow. With temps in the 60’s and 70’s most recently, I’ve felt quick and fresh. That’s the way I expect to feel come November 22nd!

Days until Nike Human Race: 4!

Days until Ironman Arizona: 33!

Click here to read my previous posts.

Also, follow me and our Today in LA team onTwitter!

-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.