Day 45: Let’s rest instead…

Calli comes tonight from the US in a couple of hours so instead of doing swimming day we decided to swim tomorrow and take the day off today.

We found this great video about the Arizona Ironman. Don’t worry we are not going to talk about this forever. The thing is that it reflects very well all the journey of a regular person trying to become an Ironman finisher. The Pros can finish in 8 or 9 hours, but for a normal person it takes 12, 14 or even 17 hours! 17 hours of your day swimming, biking and running… The truth is that it doesn’t take just 17 hours of your day but most important, it takes COURAGE, COMPROMISE and MENTAL STRENGTH among others to finish an Ironman.

This video is 10 minutes long. If you think that is just too much, try waking up in the morning for months or years to dedicate one or two hours of your day (or more if you are a pro) to train for something as big as this! THAT really is too long! However, as I said a few days ago, people participating in an Ironman are different. All of them have a very clear objective in their heads, which is finishing that day with a whole new perspective about what they are and what can they achieve.

Are we the right material for an Ironman? We really hope to be someday! But today we want to say KUDOS to every single finisher! Every single mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, son or daughter that after a whole week of pain and recovery can look at their family and friends and say: I’m an Ironman Finisher!

“People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love.” – Chuck Palahniuk

Day 44: A glimpse of a perfect afternoon!

Calli- Someday I would like to raise the standard of completing a cycling workout. I only clocked in 45 minutes today in zone 3. It was a struggle, but I finished 19.9 km in 40 minutes. I was so proud. However, I need to increase my training hours in order to be ready for race day. Combining all of the sports will automatically change the training times. I look forward to coming home to warmer weather, and training with José again. I hope that everyone has a happy tuesday!

Jose- Today I almost made the complete workout… I was off by 5 minutes. I actually decided to run those 5 minutes because I was feeling a lot of tension on my calves. That was probably a result of yesterday’s workout. I actually confirmed that when my right calf had a cramp while running! Anyways, the bike portion was good. I made a spinning class and then the rest on another stationary. The spinning class was weird… they changed the instructor and the new guy was “interesting” on his way of making the class… Still I had fun! But not as much as Calli on the Lake this afternoon where she took the AMAZING picture we have today!

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure”. – Sven Goran Eriksson

Day 43: The easiest thing to do…

Calli- I am back to speed walking after using the heart rate monitor. The first ten minutes I stayed in zone 2, but after that I couldn’t get below 168 while running. So I had to tone it down to speed walking in order to keep the right heart rate. I felt a few tweeks in my right knee and ankle, but immediately I adjusted my running style to a healthy one. I cant wait to come back home to start training with my partner again! I love you and I am so happy to have you in my life. Have a good day!

Jose- Besides the fact that I have been running a big part of my life I came to the conclusion that running the wrong way is by far, the easiest thing to do. After spending the last few months trying to adjust to the correct way of running I still have problems and even pain every once in a while. It’s a long process and even harder than I thought. This morning I went for my third round with the MV2 and even though this time I didn’t have any problems with numb feet, I felt a very sharp pain on the sole of my right foot. I’m going to guess the problem is the flexible shoes that makes my foot bend too much. I had to stop and reduce the speed a couple of times until my foot got used again to fall on it’s ball. Of course I will keep going. If I have to try 10 times I’ll do it on a heart beat. Even though is difficult, it’s already giving me back way more than what it is making me go through. Wish me luck!

“If you only do what you know you can do… you never do very much”. – Tom Krause
(image was found on http://www.alliancerelocation.com)

Day 42: Together we all can!

Calli- It was a really busy day, and I only expect it to get worse until I return home on Wednesday. The brick was very good because I only biked for 45 minutes, and ran for 10. There was just not enough time in the day to be at the gym for over 2 hours. All the joints felt good, and the running was easy. I completed 18.9 km in 40 minutes on a stationary bike. I am so close to the goal! I hope that everyone has a good evening, and remember to just go to the gym and complete what you can. It’s better than just giving up before starting.

Jose- Busy Sunday. I had a baby shower and also I had to take one of my nephews to the movies to watch Happy Feet 2. The day had to start early so that I could do that and also workout. The brick was good today. Even though my legs were tired after the bike, again the transition was easy and I didn’t have any problem with the running portion. Well, maybe the first minute! I think I need to start biking outdoors soon, because reaching 20 kilometers on the stationary in 30 minutes means like 120 rpm or even more and I’m not being able to get there easy and even worse maintain that rhythm . I discussed a few ideas with a friend today that wants to participate with Calli and me, so I’ll talk to her this week and we will see what we can do about it. The most important part is that I’m feeling more confident about bricking and it will turn out to be a very natural process hopefully soon. Oh and all those penguins are funny!!

Day 41: Pump it UP!

Calli- Swimming was a little bit boring today, but at the end I had a fun time with my mom. It is important to always have fun while working out! Otherwise…what’s the point?! What a wonderful feeling to stretch and glide through the water after a hard day of running. It felt so nice to be able to work out the kinks in my joints (ankle and knees). This is proof that I need to start doing strength training in order to avoid injuries. By now I am used to working out 6 days a week, so it is a good time to add a little bit more to the routine. Jose and I had a routine written up for each of us at our gym, but he said he prefered making his own. I didn’t mind the help because I have never done it before. From what I have learned, it is good to focus on one part of the body each time. For example: arms, torso, or legs.  

Jose- Today was a good swimming day! Every time I feel more used to exhaling below the water, which has been the toughest part for me to control. If I don’t do it appropriately during the first meters, then I have a lot of trouble breathing afterwards. My heart rate goes very high and stays there for the rest of the workout. Another thing I noticed is that I really need strength training. After 30 minutes of swimming my arms are very tired and I can’t pull in the water with the same speed or force. Once Calli comes back next Wednesday (finally, hehe), then we will put together a strength workout for a couple of days a week. Besides all this, my workout went well! I think I’m close to finding the rotation that works best for me, and I feel like I’m sliding better in the water. After Calli teaches me how to flip over it might be faster and easier for me to start swimming longer without stopping. After that, it might take a couple more months until I can do those 750m nonstop! We’ll see…

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” -Napoleon Hill