Iron News Man - September 11th, 2009

By CHRIS SCHAUBLE

Updated 7:15 AM PDT, Fri, Sep 11, 2009

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I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife was pregnant with our first set of twins and woke me up. September 11th, 2001 was a day-off for me, or at least it was supposed to be. I will never forget the images of the first tower already billowing smoke, nor the second plane crashing into the second tower during the Today Show’s live coverage. Watching the collapse of the twin towers was nothing short of horrifying.

I went into work immediately, and like so many of my colleagues, I spent the next few days reporting on the various angles of 9/11. I covered the Columbine shootings in Colorado when I was a reporter in Denver. Unquestionably, the 9/11 terrorist attacks are the biggest domestic story of my time. I hope it is never trumped by a bigger story. May peace find the victims’ families, and may God bless America.

I’m sure I’ll see a number of tributes to the 9/11 victims during Sunday’s Nautica Malibu Triathlon. Now that I think about it, as important as the Malibu Tri is to me, tragedies like the terrorist attacks puts it in perspective. Even my ultimate goal of doing well at Ironman Arizona is nothing in the light of such loss and devastation. Perspective indeed.

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

Wakeup Workout: Cables

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Wakeup Workout: Cables

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Ironman Journey

Workout 1 Description:
Run 3 Miles on a mostly flat course in Zone 1 and lower Zone 2. Check cadence several times during the run. (Try to count 15 right leg strikes plus in a ten second-time period. This will give you a 90-step cadence per minute and will help prevent over striding and foster better form. Focus on form. Remember to run with a proud posture with eyes focused on what is ahead).

Workout 2 Description:
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

Once again, ace photographer Rich Cruise will chronicle my race! Look for his always astonishing images in Mondays Iron News Man blog!

Want to get the benefits of a cable workout? Be sure to click on today’s Wake up Workout video!

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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.