Chapter 38: Garbage in-Garbage Out

 

    A weekend trip to Dallas/Oklahoma City with Ethan wrecked me for a couple of days. Two almost full days of driving with a couple of stops for museums, lots of sitting, and on-the-road travel food didn't do me any good.  Great time with Ethan, but I just felt cruddy after all the sitting and eating.  Which got me to thinking about the next 13 weeks and getting my nutrition and fueling dialed in.  

Weekly Stats:

• 
  Swim (3x)
• 2.90 miles (5,100 yards)
• 1:48:10
• Bike (3x)
• 44.51 miles
• 2:35:48
• Run (3x)
• 13.58 miles
• 2:20:02
• Strength (1x)
• 30:07
• Yoga (2x)
• 1:04:17
• TOTALS:
• 12 workout sessions
• 60.99 miles
• 8:18:54

Training Notes:

        This was the last week before school gets into full swing.  And a long weekend for some historical museums and memorials. Ethan and I hit up the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, TX, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (1963 JFK shooting memorial), and the Oklahoma City National Memorial (1995 OKC bombing). That "short" trip racked up 1,270 miles of driving, and the week ended with me tight, feeling sluggish, tired, and just blah.  Now the next 13 weeks starts getting back to a solid routine.  Training, eating, sleeping, Repeat. 

     

    I got my usual 3 swims, 3 bikes, and 3 runs in.  The only workout I missed this week was on Sunday when I was scheduled to be on the bike for 2 hours. With the travel and museum day, I decided I just needed to sleep in at the hotel.  The previous day I did a hotel treadmill run (with no AC, so it was an extremely sauna hot run).  I'm still in the build-up phase of my training, so one bike ride won't hurt me to miss it. It's funny though how much I felt guilty when I made my mind up the night before. I very easily could have jumped on the recumbent bike at the hotel when I woke up, but still chose to take it easy.  The last few days I didn't do strength or yoga although I took my yoga mat with me on the trip.  Just didn't do it. But again, it's OK. The beginning of the week was brutally hot but by the day I left (of course) the temp was perfect.  In the end, this week might have been the "worst" week yet in all of my training going back to February.  I just have to move on, refocus, and look ahead to the following weeks.

   

    When Ethan and I hit Fort Worth, I was able to meet Mike Bosch from the Everyday Ironman Podcast in person and have a great time just talking and getting to know each other face-to-face instead of over a voice channel while riding indoors.  Finding a group or your tribe when in this sport is a huge thing. It's been an awesome thing to be able to talk to like-minded people from across the world (literally) while on this journey.  They've kept me motivated and have been a source of encouragement and knowledge since I took the chance on jumping in with both feet into the group.  Although I've officially only met 2 of the people I normally talk to that aren't in my immediate area (there are 3 more that are local too!), I consider them friends. Strange world.  But so glad Mike and I could make it work!

Daily Life:

Why spend your money on food that does not give 

you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. 

You will enjoy the finest food.

Isaiah 55:2 (NLT)

    On the drive home from Texas and OKC, as I was feeling bloated and blah, I started thinking about my nutrition. How fast eating the wrong stuff can change the way I feel and how it affects my performance.  I didn't eat horribly overall, but just snacking and candy and beef jerky and a little fast food didn't help. (Not really anything in there was great!).  Just doing that Friday through Sunday and that's how much it affected me.  I could training nonstop but if I don't take in the right food, the right fuel, or the right nutrients, my training will only be so good and it won't be up to where I could be. I've been doing pretty well so far, and my races and training have shown that.  But I can't forget it right now. I still have a ways to go! But while in Texas, I had to get my In-N-Out!  It had been 356 days since I had graced the doors last.  Texas tastes the same as Arizona.  Can't go wrong!   

    Outside of triathlon training and thinking about want to feed my body, I thought about what I feed my mind, heart, and soul. I've always heard "garbage in-garbage out".  Physically, I know that's true.  This week proved that.  Mentally and spiritually, I need to fuel the right way as well.  What I absorb daily can affect me just as fast bad nutrition.  As we were listening to "William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Returneth" on audio book (a very interesting take on the Star Wars movies--10/10 recommended!), I took inventory of what I fill my days with.  What kind of TV, what kind of books, what kind of movies, what news channels, and what social media do I allow to dictate my actions, mood, and attitude? 

    I will be fully honest and say that I am currently reading a Stephen King novel, watching Dexter on TV when I'm on my bike, and listen to true crime audio books when I run. So, just like my everyday eating, I'm not perfect with what I'm taking in.  But I do my weekly devotions, pray when I'm working out (especially while running or swimming), and often think about what and how God is asking me to do and be. For me, the big thing is not dwelling on things that get me off track.   I can't allow things like politics, the direction of society, or the conflict and strife that permeates social media to guide me.  I focus the majority of my soul on God's plan for me and what He wants for my life. He's shaping me daily. But I'm still learning. 

    I don't want to spend my "money" on food that doesn't strengthen my relationship with Christ, my wife or my family. I only have so much time everyday to fill up on what is beneficial to me.  I definitely have the times that I take in food that doesn't do me any good. But I do the best I can and overall, I'm fueling my soul the right way.  Not perfect, but I'm human. I'm still working.  That won't stop until I'm not on this earth anymore. 

Final Thoughts:

    

    Seven weeks down and 13 to go to Ironman Florida. Over the weekend, Panama City Beach had a shark that ate a sting ray in front of everyone.  I'm really hoping that the sharks swim south (north?) by November.  I'm really not worried about that at all, just a fun tidbit as I head into the last 3+ months of training.  This week I'm back into my routine as the outdoor pools have closed except for the weekends, so that means some earlier mornings in my future. Once I get into that rhythm, I should find my groove again.  Let's go! 

Show Up, Keep Fit, Stay THE Course, 

and Keep Moving Forward

    As always, thanks for following along.  I had someone last week say they loved catching up on my training every week.  I hope you enjoy the blog; I'm doing it just as much for me as it is for all that stumble upon it.  

CPC 

8/4/25

Olathe, KS

2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 10 hours, 20 minutes until Ironman Florida