Volume 15, Week 14: The Plan!

"I know, Lord , that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course."

Jeremiah 10:23 (NLT)

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

    Four months until Ironman 70.3 Eagleman in Cambridge, Maryland.  My 16-week training plan starts tomorrow!  Still working through some details, but I will officially be in "training" mode, not just "base" mode.  Here are my weekly stats to start off!

Weekly Stats:

• Weight: 178.8
• -.1.8 lbs from start
• Swim (x2):
• 2.94 miles (5,150 yards)
• 1:59:11
• Bike (x3):
• 53.68 miles
• 2:47:05
• Run (x2):
• 10.25 miles
• 1:40:00
• Strength (x2):
• 1:18:57
• Yoga (x2):
• 1:00:32
• Totals:
• 12 workouts
• 66.86 miles
• 8:45:46

    Sixteen weeks....Seems so far away, yet the last 15 weeks since I started this year of training, planning, and blogging my way to IM Florida in November went by in a blink.  In 16 weeks, Matthew will be celebrating a week of marriage, school will be over for the summer, and I'll be swimming in the Choptank River, riding The Bandit past Chesapeake Bay marshes, and running through one of the oldest colonial cities in the country founded in 1684, and then coming through the finish chute in Gerry Boyle Park with a PR (ironically the picture of the finish line shows 5 hours, 47 minutes.  That's right below my goal time. Pretty ambitious, but I'm putting that out there and I said it in the podcast recording, so I have work to do.) That's a lot to be happening in the next 4 months!  And the official plan starts tomorrow!!  Yikes. 

    This week I felt like I got my mojo back with my motivation.  Monday, I swam and worked on a few drills before starting the rest of my swim workout.  Amazingly (I shouldn't actually be surprised), my swim times were faster than normal.  Maybe due to the drills I just did?  I want to think so.  I'll continue working on those drills plus some others each Monday, then on Wednesdays just do long and slow swims.  I biked 3 times this week, ending on Saturday with the longest on the bike in while.  Biked over 26 virtual miles from Columbus to London, OH. Had a couple good runs in keeping my HR in my Zone 2 (131-146).  Still using the treadmill as I made a commitment to learn to like it more. I will admit, grudgingly), that it's not so bad.  But I still would rather be outside (this week doesn't look good for that with more snow and ice coming!)  Two good strength workouts, and a couple yoga sessions as well to round out the week.  Friday turned out to be an unexpected rest day as the time got away from me in the afternoon.  But that evening, my niece Emma took sole possession of the school basketball career scoring record (for guys and girls!), so that was way cooler than getting a workout in!

    Another awesome part of the week was my recording as a guest on the Everyday Ironman Podcast. I will admit I was a bit nervous as I wasn't sure what my "story" would be, and honestly don't think of myself as someone who would be able to inspire others as I feel like I'm winging it most of the time.

 But the reason for the podcast is to talk to "real athletes just like you and me that are working to achieve an incredible goal".  And that's me.  So I hope that someone gets something out of it. But we had a great conversation--we talked about everything from my training to my stolen bike story to bike trainer woes to predictions on the Chiefs/Eagles Super Bowl.  All over the board, but it should be fun to hear how it all edits in the end.  Thanks Mike and Ashley for allowing me to be a part of this show and hosting me as a guest.  I'm honored.  I hope Ashley rides her bike the entire Super Bowl as that has worked the last two years for wins (she's a big Chiefs fan too as she's also in the Midwest). Superstitions are "only stupid if it doesn't work".  When the episode airs probably sometime in March, I'll drop a link!

Training Applications:    

    I feel more than prepared to start my plan tomorrow.  I've built up a good base before my official training has started--I'm swimming further each week than I did at the end of my original plans from years ago, my run paces are faster than I did before, and I feel stronger on the bike.  Also I've added the strength and yoga in, so I feel good. I'm still working out some details as I put together the next 16 weeks, but my overall plan is to model my previous 3 half-Ironman race plans, but utilizing the 80/20 plan.  This entails 80% of my workouts being at low intensity, and only 1-2 workouts a week total should be at race pace or high intensity.  I'm using my HR as my guide.  That's what the testing was for last week.  I didn't actually get to my bike test this week, but based off where my HR levels out on my rides, it's about where I want to be.  What I have to detail out is the specific workouts that the book I'm using has.  Even though they describe them, on the weekly plan they're all in "code" so I need to make sure I understand each of them.  But I'm just going to be plugging those into what worked for me before.  Currently, my long day is Saturday, with Sunday being my official rest day.  As my miles and times start creeping upward, that will probably shift to Monday as my rest day.  That would put my long bike rides on Saturday mornings and my long runs on Sunday before or after church.  There's going to have to be some flexibility in my schedule.  I'm even debating just to start it out that way and have tomorrow as a rest day and shift it right here at the beginning. I'm still up in the air. Stay tuned for how #70.3 Eagleman week one goes!!

Reflections:

    As much as I have planned for this year, I am not in complete control of everything that is going to come my way.  I can be as prepared as possible for everything, but ultimately God has everything in His hands.  This doesn't mean I don't work hard, strive to be better and stronger (in life and in triathlon), or seek the right plan for me.  I DO need to do all those things. But there are things that will come my way that aren't in the plan.  

    In triathlon, it can be weather, mechanical issues on the bike, or some freak injury. When I race in Florida, the currents or waves could mess up my plan for my swim. A flat tire can derail my time goal on the bike.  Or a muscle strain could slow me down on the run.  (Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself here!). But I can't worry about those things.  Those are out of my control.   In triathlon, just as in everyday life, I can only control what I can.  Worrying about the other stuff does nothing except hold me back.  But I can prepare.  I can practice changing my tires on my bike.  I can do everything I can to train the right way to avoid overuse and injury.  So in the end, it comes down to my mental toughness.  I have to be ready for whatever comes my way, and that plays into my every day as well.

    In the book of Jeremiah, he told the Lord, "I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course."  God has everything planned out. I'm not going to say I understand why bad things happen. Throughout my life, I've had some bad things happen that weren't fair, didn't fit the plan, or just plain didn't make sense.  But I know that God has it all worked out.  If Julie had applied to a different dorm to be an RA in for her sophomore year, I probably wouldn't have met her.  Maybe.  I don't know.  I talked earlier in  a previous blog about the shooting at my school in 8th grade.  Without that happening, maybe I wouldn't be where I am now.  I'm not sure. Nothing ever goes exactly to plan.  

Mike Tyson, the ultimate motivational speaker, said that "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth".  Eloquent.  But true.  I have plans for my life this year, for the years to come once all the kids are out of the house, and once I retire with Julie to live out whatever things come our way together.  But as those plans are mine, if I get punched in the mouth, it's up to me to either fall down and get counted out or to get back up and fight back.  My training in triathlon has taught me that not every day will go like I want it to.  I was finishing up listening to a podcast today, and the lady said "it's all pennies in a jar".  Not every penny will be shiny. Not every penny will be perfect. But when we keep putting pennies in the jar, they will add up and eventually we can cash them out.  Now substitute "pennies" with memories, time spent with my kids, time in God's Word, meaningful moments spent with Julie, or training sessions leading up to IM Florida.  Each thing may not be perfect or look like the plan I had in mind.  But each one will be adding to the jar, and there will be a day I can cash those out.  They all add up.  That's all I can do.  For the rest of it, I have to have faith that God is in control and has plans for my good, not to harm me but to give me a future.  Sometimes I wonder "why", but I trust Him.  

    In about an hour, the Kansas City Chiefs go for an historic 3-peat in the Super Bowl against my son's fiancé's Philadelphia Eagles. I know who I believe will win, but there's no guarantee.  I'm 100% positive that both teams believe their plan for the game will win it for them.  How they will respond after getting punched in the mouth is why we watch our teams.  To see them persevere.  And that's what I want to do in my life. And in triathlon.  Today, this video was posted on the Everyday Ironman Podcast Instagram page with Mike's, Ashley's, and my Super Bowl predictions from my podcast recording on Thursday.  It wouldn't let me add the whole video so here's the Instagram link.  Check out my FB page or Instagram @scubycop_ironman as well.  We'll see who's the closest. (Hoping Mike's not right....) Enjoy!!

 Everyday Ironman Podcast Super Bowl Predictions 

Go Chiefs!

 

Keep fit, Stay THE Course, and keep moving forward.  

8 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 14 hours, and 7 minutes 

until the cannon fires at IM Florida.