The Fire In The Belly

"Only do what's in your heart, 

but do it with ALL your heart"

When I toe the starting line of a race, any race, be it a 5K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Olympic Distance Triathlon or the Ironman Triathlon (or any race in between) I can't expect to race with "heart" and finish strong, unless I have trained with "heart", unless I have trained my "heart". A very important part of this training includes a constant reminder, and a periodic gut check, as to the real reasons why I do what I do.

This has served me well in every aspect of my life; family, business, personal fitness, etc.

And this is a simple thing to do if you really think about it. You can't fool your heart for your heart knows your true intentions. Toughest part is being honest with yourself.

So, ask yourself this very important question: "WHY do I do what you do?"

And what is this "heart" thing I'm talking about?

It's the Passion; the fire in the belly. It's doing what you do and never feel bored, stagnant or stuck. Doing what you do and constantly feeling excited and inspired.

To keep your fire burning or to rekindle your fire, revisit your goals, your dreams. Constantly, in order to keep them in sight. Write down your vision so you can plainly see the direction you are traveling. Write it down and keep it in plain sight. Review it, update it, improve on it and move towards it. Constantly move towards it.

I have a specific race related goal. I have it written down. I look at it every day. There has been obstacles, but I have worked through them. I realize that there may be more to come, but by keeping my goal in sight (literally in sight) I remain focused and by remaining focused, my belly aches, for you see, my belly is on fire.

I get excited each and every time I get to spend time chasing my dream, my goal. This process has allowed me to live my life with purpose, now pursuing this calling has become as natural to me as, well... breathing.

Is the fire in your belly burning?

Living your life with heart fuels your passion,

 allowing your mission to stay sharp and in focus.

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About The Best Of 2011

This year I have taken to my blog a bit more consistently.  This is post No. 51 for 2011.  That's almost one post per week.  Not a power blogger by any stretch of the imagination but a steady blogger at that.  I have seen the blog's popularity, measured by "hits" per post steadily increase.

It is no surprise that the post that gathered the most traffic was the one entitled "About Becoming An Ironman".  It accumulated over 2,000 hits in just 48 hours.  It was the most shared via twitter and liked on facebook of all posts.

This post takes the reader through my day at the 2011 Louisville Ironman.  If you didn't get a chance to read it, you can do so here.

The second most popular post and one that I feel strongly about is the post entitled "About Being Fit vs. Being Healthy".  I cannot measure its popularity in terms of "hits" because even though it was posted on September 29th, I still get comments via twitter and emails about it.  Apparently this post made a few people think about their fitness and health.

A couple of other favorite posts of mine deal with the issue of the "Ironman Tattoo".  I brought the subject up in a post titled "About The Tattoo", in which I used the subject to make a point as to how people really don't understand why we do what we do.

After the Louisville Ironman, the subject resurfaced again after I had mine done.  This post can be found under "About Ironman Pride".

I have been using the down season (I hesitate to call it an off-season because as we know, triathletes do not have an off-season), to write about what it takes mentally, to help yourself achieve your goals.  The first post in the series is entitled "About Positioning Yourself For Success".  There's a series of post that follow this one.  The first three have been posted, there are several more to come.


A facebook page has been created for this blog.  Please navigate your way there by clicking here and press the "like" button.  This is an easy way to ensure you get  future updates.

About Being Fit vs. Being Healthy

Of course you're fit.  You swim, bike and/or run for hours and miles at a time.  You can out-endure anyone close to you without even trying.  Your physique is envied by models everywhere.  You can lose weight without even trying and your body fat percentage is the goal of every top professional athlete.  Yes sir.  You're fit alright.

But are you healthy?

I have been thinking about this for a while now and even more so after the unfortunate death of a triathlete at the start of Ironman Louisville this year.  Of course we're fit, but are we healthy?

Those of us that got a late start in the sport, have a lot of ground to make up.  As for me, I was overweight (198 lbs), in pain from bulging, herniated and ruptured discs.  I have had numerous surgeries on my toes and ankle, leaving a constant nagging, if you will, on my lower extremities. Add to that the fact that I have high cholesterol due to family history and the very unhealthy diet that I followed for many a day.  In 1988 I had an asthma attack which landed me in the emergency room, at which point my cholesterol was discovered to be over 500; "a walking heart attack" I was told I was.

In 2006 I turned the corner and saw the light.  It was there blinding me, much like a train coming at you in a tunnel.  I did not want to be in pain any longer.  I wanted to watch my daughters grow, get married, have kids.  I wanted to travel with my wife; go places and do things only imagined impossible up to that point.  So I joined a gym.  I was 52 at that point.  I decided to get fit.  And healthy.

I changed a lot of my habits.  It was hard, but it had to be done. No ifs, ands or buts. It had to happen.  And slowly I started loosing weight, cholesterol started coming down hard (and staying down), pains turned to aches which are easier to manage.

I began to get fit.  But was I healthy?

My doctor suggested I see him twice a year vs once.  Due to the new stress I was putting on my body he wanted to make sure my ticker was ticking just fine.  I obliged.  He was keeping a close eye on me, for which I was very thankful.

I have done a couple of stress tests over the past couple of years.  Surprising the heck out of the techs performing the procedure.  So, as far as we can tell... yeah I'm fit and I'm healthy.

Most of the deaths at triathlons occur in the swimming leg of the event.  There's just to much going on at that point for an unhealthy heart to handle.  I understand that all the tests in the world cannot guarantee diddly-squat... but you know what?  I like my chances now a whole lot better.

Which brings me to the point...  Of course you know you're fit, but do you know you're healthy?  Go see your doctor more often.  Don't ignore, as much as us Type A personalities want to, unusual pains.  Chances are that they're nothing, but why take the chance?  When was the last time you had a stress test?  Call your doctor's office, have them schedule one... today!

Yes sir, you're fit alright.  But are you healthy?

Why Should I Train With A Heart Rate Monitor?

Guest post by Coach Barry Baird of Endurance Geeks.

"One of the questions I hear time and again relate to how someone actually benefits from a VO2 test and establishing heart rate training zones. So I would like to take this opportunity to explore the question in some detail.

No doubt you’ve heard the terms “Aerobic” and “Anaerobic” thrown around in conversation. For anyone that is aspiring to peak endurance performance – or just wanting to drop a few pounds and stay in shape – these terms are ultra important. Luckily, the concepts are relatively simple:

·         The Aerobic system burns mostly fat

·         The Anaerobic system burns mostly carbohydrates

As a source of fuel, fat is certainly the most abundant; it provides hours of energy. Carbohydrates, in the form of muscle and liver glycogen, deliver energy – but it comes at a higher cost. Glycogen is consumed faster than it can be replaced.

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that the systems are not either on or off. In other words, we’re always burning some mixture of fats and carbohydrates to produce energy. That’s why energy gels, nutrition bars, and other products providing concentrated carbohydrates are used on long rides and runs – we need to keep replenishing our carbohydrates.

So the key for endurance athletes and those looking to stay fit and trim is to burn the most abundant fuel available – fat! Or, a higher percentage of fats relative to carbohydrates.

But how do we control what fuels we burn?

It’s All In The Zones

Unlocking your metabolism is as easy as strapping on a heart rate monitor and exercising within specific zones. A key heart rate indicator is Anaerobic Threshold (AT). AT indicates the point at which your body can no longer deliver oxygen to your muscles in quantities necessary to burn fat as a primary fuel source. As the stores of muscle glycogen are depleted, your energy begins to decrease – and if you’re able to continue exercising through the fatigue, eventually liver glycogen is utilized…and that’s pretty much when you either “hit the wall” or “bonk.” Not a good feeling!

There is a variety of methods for determining Anaerobic Threshold – problem is, most methods are merely averages of people in your age and weight group.

A Better Way

A more accurate way to get your Anaerobic Threshold and target heart rate zones is to measure how much oxygen your body is using as you increase the intensity of your workout. This can be accomplished through VO2 testing. Through a simple, graded exercise test, you can target Anaerobic Threshold and determine a range of zones corresponding to recovery, aerobic or endurance, tempo, and interval workouts.

Beyond the Aerobic Zone

Of course, as an athlete, you know you have to take things outside the endurance zone – Race Pace Runs, Fartleks, Track Intervals…workouts that push your body into new levels of fitness. It just comes down to knowing when and how much intensity to add. And that’s where knowing your heart rate zones can make all the difference.

Benefits of Knowing Your Zones

With all that being said, what are the advantages of VO2 testing and knowing your heart rate training zones. By far, the biggest advantage is that you get accurate answers (not from a one size fits all formula) and take the guess work out of training. Here are some more of the specifics…

• Monitor Your Intensity Level: Are your recovery days truly allowing your body to recover? Are your speed intervals truly pushing you to the next level or do it just “feel” like you are giving an adequate effort. If you know your zones, you know you are training at the right level to maximize performance.

• Prevent Over-Training: For some very competitive athletes, every workout can be a fine line between optimal training and over-training. Heart rate zone training helps to avoid unnecessary stress on your body. You can maximize the efficiency of your training, while minimizing the potential for injury.

 

• Prevent Under-Training: Usually less common, but some athletes are not tapping into their true potential and can handle more intense training. There are some potential Ironmen/Ironwomen/Boston Qualifiers out there, and they don’t even know it!

• Pacing: What intensity level should I be at for endurance workouts, tempo workouts, speed work on the track, etc.? Am I aerobic or anaerobic? Knowing your zones eliminates the guess work." 

P90X ~ A Recap

It has now been 6 days since I "finished" P90X ~  "Finished" because as I have found out, P90X has now become a lifestyle for me.  I'll explain.

But first I must dispense with a bit of business.  I am eternally grateful to one particular friend who provided the last bit of motivation needed to get the program started and finished.  I first refereed to this source on a previous post: "Motivation Comes From the Most Unlikely Sources".  Thank you from the bottom of my now stronger heart for that push you gave me.  You know who you are!

As I went into the program I had defined my goals to be simple but specific:  I wanted to have a stronger upper body,  I wanted a stronger, tighter core and wanted to loose some "fat".  I did NOT want to have bigger, bulkier muscle mass.  As a triathlete this is not what you're after.

I have been bombarded with requests for "before" and "after" pictures.  Apparently, as it appears to me, the success of P90X is mostly measured by a drastic change in physique.  Well, mine did not.  My shoulders, arms, biceps, triceps and back have a tad bit more definition but nothing that will land me in the cover of any magazine.

I did NOT do the P90X Diet.  That's a topic for another discussion.

My change came in the form of strength and fat loss.  I lost 4 pound of body weight during the program.

Pre P90X I could do 25 push ups.  The last 3-4 were pushing the envelope.  But we can say I did 25.  Last night I pushed 100... the last 5 hurt.

Pull ups... Oh, dear dreaded pull ups. Pre P90X I couldn't do "1".  That's right, not even "1".  Last night I managed 10.  The last 2 hurt like hell, but kept in form!

To measure core strength we can take Pre P90X "In & Outs".  The count at the start was 27.  Last night's count was 45.  This is pretty amazing considering the back issues I carry with me.

Percentage of body fat went from 19.0% Pre P90X to 9.6% today. This one item alone made the whole program worth its weight in gold.

So what's next?  I will continue to do P90X workouts.  Not at the intensity and quantity as before, but I will continue to do them.  The plan calls for two or three, shorter versions per week, Plyometrics and X Stretch after a long run or a long ride.


I am by no means a fitness expert but I did learn a couple of things during this journey.  Specially how to prepare myself mentally to enter into the program and how to stay motivated even during those days when I didn't want to do it.  The biggest comment I heard was:  "WOW!  I've never known anyone who actually finished this thing."


I have received advise from a host of people during the past five years.  For this I am forever grateful. I feel that the time has come for me to give some back.  If you're looking to do this program but don't know how to get started, stick with it and finish, drop me a note via the comments section below.

I'm A Junkie Yes I Am A Junkie Is What I Am

Okay, it's not what you think!  Let me explain...

A few weeks back, during a routine visit to our office, I ran into a friend who has been following my adventures and misadventures. Every time I see him, he has a question to ask; "How's P90X going?", "How's your running?", "How's your back?", he shows genuine interest in what I'm up to so I usually take some time to go over my latest with him.

During this particular visit we talked about my future plans.  I told him that I had registered for Ironman Louisville.  After he told me I was nuts, he proceeded to ask about my training and what it would entail.  Again, he told me I was nuts.

At that time I was about half way through P90X.  He told me he had purchased the program, but like most people who do, it was sitting on the shelf waiting for someone to make use of it.

He asked what I did to stick with the program.  I told him that it was part my Ironman Louisville training plan.  When I told him that on top of doing the daily P90X workouts, I still had to do some swimming, cycling and running to keep my base, that's when he said:  "You're a Junkie"!

"No, I'm not" was my instant reply.

"Yes, you are" he said. "Think about it, what defines a junkie?" he continued.  "Someone who is hooked or can't get enough of something."  he added.  "A fitness junkie is what you are."

I smiled.

So, if what I do defines me as a "fitness junkie" then I guess I have no choice but to plead guilty as charged.

"I'm a Junkie Yes I Am A Junkie Is What I Am."