Busted!

This past week, I was listening to one of my many podcasts on the way home from work.  I was listening to The Training Bible Coaching Podcast and the topic was off season training.  Specifically they were discussing ways to maintain cycling fitness during the frigged winter months here in the Midwest.  They talked about how it's smarter to ride trails on a mountain bike as opposed to riding a road bike, even when the roads are clear of ice and snow.  There were several legitimate points they made....

1. You will be riding slower, reducing the wind chill effect.
2. You are in a more comfortable position, which is also more conducive for wearing multiple layers.
3. You can handle your bike better with thicker gloves.
4. Typically you will be riding on trails which are located in the woods, which will provide cover and additional protection from wind and rain/snow.
5. You are riding a bike with wider tires which will provided better traction in snow.

It all sounds perfect and, hey - I have a mountain bike!  No, its nothing special, just your typical mountain bike.  The only thing is I got rid of the crazy wide tires, years ago, before I bought a nice new road bike.  Yup, my mountain bike - a massively heavy frame, complete with front suspension, and super generous gear rations - was set up to be a super poor man's road bike.  But, hey, I was in college, what did you expect?  I have not ridden this bike in years, so I just left the "slicks" on the bike - until now!  I was motivated and excited to try mountain biking this fall/winter.  It would be a great way to maintain my cycling fitness instead of always riding on my indoor trainer.  So I went out and bought new, thick, tread-filled mountain bike tires.  I put them on the wheels and in a little over 20 minutes it was like I had a new bike.  

My plan was to ride out to 1,000 Islands Nature Center and bike on their trails.  I didn't want it to be a long ride by any means, just a way to re-introduce myself to off road cycling.  It was a cold and windy November day with temperatures around 20 and a slow but consistent wind.  It was typical weather that would have normally kept me inside and off my road bike, but not today!  After a short 3 mile warm up ride to the trails, I was riding on rough terrain and riding over ruts, stumps, and rocks.  It was a totally new experience.  I was climbing high dirt hills, jumping over logs, basically loving life....all until my chain snapped.  Yessir, all of a sudden I was pedaling and not going anywhere.  I looked down and saw I didn't have a chain, in fact it was about 10' behind me, laid out nice and straight.  Great.....now what.  I am in the middle of the forest, about 3 miles from home.  I decided to wear my old rubber softball cleats, because they were the only active footwear I own that are not made of mesh (like running shoes).  So, I sucked it up and ran home.  3 miles, in old softball cleats, pushing a broken bike, wearing a bike helmet.  Part of me felt like a fool, while the small crazy endurance athlete in me felt like a badass.  No, I didn't wipe out and bust up my bike, but my chain broke, so I was running home with my no-good bike, wearing cleats.  There has to be some badass points there, right?

A Simple Update

Just wanted to get caught up since I last posted about everything.  Not that there is a lot going on, but hey, pictures are always good, right?

Since finishing the apple cleanse this past Monday, my new diet has been a learning experience.  I have never eaten so few carbohydrates.  I have found myself staying satiated longer by eating more protein and fat, but at the same time, I am realizing exactly how much carbohydrate I have eaten in the past.  My goal is to get around 100g-150g of carbs per day, which sounds like a lot, but really, it ain't too much.  Trust me, they add up quickly.  I have cut out pretty much all fruits, grains, and any of my usual staples, such as bars, pastas, yogurts, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Majority of my carbohydrates are coming from avocados (about 10g-15g), carrots, and other vegetables.  My current weight as of Thursday morning is 173.8, not bad, considering I was just 180, but still a ways off from my goal of 155.  With Thursday being my first night off, I am trying to not eat anything other than a cup of BulletProof Coffee, which I had for lunch after waking up from my short nap.  I added a pinch of cocoa powder along with the usual cinnamon, grass fed butter, and coconut oil.  It kept me awake and alert, not to mention, full, until dinner time with the family that night.  I plan on using BulletProof Coffee more often as a way to stay satiated and energized while on this high fat diet.  I'm sure after a 2-3 weeks of following this protocol, I will figure things out and it will eventually become second nature.

I have still been working out sporadically as I see fit.  I did put together a simple training plan to bring me through Thanksgiving for the Turkey Trot 5 mile run.  My plan is simple, really.  I have a 5-6 mile fartlek run on Tuesday, a shorter easy jog ranging from 4-6 on Thursday, and a longer 6-8 mile aerobic paced run on Sunday.  I then sprinkled in some rest days, swim days, and bike days between the runs days.  I realize that a training plan isn't really necessary for an off season, but I need direction and feel at ease when I have everything planned out.  My workouts have been going good, pretty relaxed.  I have found that I feel a little different, not sure if it's the lack of carbohydrates in my system or just the fact that my training volume is a small fraction of what it used to be.  Either way, I'm enjoying the break from the insane high volumes and spending the extra time with my two beautiful daughters.  I can't lie though.  Not an hour goes by where I am not either thinking of my 2014 race season (schedule and goals) or my Ironman race day.  I've tried putting races out of my mind, just for a day, but for what ever reason, I just can't.  I guess there's worse things to be addicted to...

Maya's school has been going really well.  She absolutely LOVES it.  And I love it too.  I love having her come home and telling me all about what she learned about and seeing all her projects, it makes me smile from ear to ear.  Delaney, is still Delaney.  Rambunctious, active, creative, and constantly learning.  She loves coloring and playing with her Little People Princesses with their castle - and frankly, Sarah and I love watching her play.  But if Delaney knows we're watching, she locks up and gets shy.  Maya turns 4 on October 13th, which is crazy in and of itself.  We are having a joint birthday party at an indoor water park close to our home with her nephew (my Godson) Bradyn on Saturday.  She is super excited about getting to play with her cousin, and of course, get a lot of presents.  

Below are some photos from my morning trail runs on the Wiouwash State Trail.

I have waited WAY too long to have some good beer in my IM pint glass!