Ouuch, Ohhh – ouuooo (weird noises after training)

So I try to get back into it. Biking on my MTB today was… well I live… swimming was actually good, felt good, but now its 3 hours later and my body tells me: “d00d – WTF did you do today?” – well, now I know… I did something, which I didn’t do for some time. Btw: got a new MTB, since my last was stolen… Voilá

Serious training starts on Monday, so today was just a “get up!”. Restarting training is probably as close to masochism as it can get.

What will serious training do to me? Again?

Ouch… have to work, but will probably just go to bed. This doesn’t feel as awesome as I thought it would…

Good night

Yours truly

Martin

Happily married – love it!

End of last year my enthusiasm was on a high for Triathlon. Yet it is like always… I am a man. And I met a lady. Not some lady. THE lady I met. I met a lady and knew: “that’s her”. And told myself: “You are stupid if you let her go!”. Well I was smart: I did not let her go, but married her 🙂

Then again: it really was (and is) a life changing experience. Except for triathlon this was baaad. Like really bad. Not because she stopped me to workout and train, but because we needed time together and most other things lost their importance drastically. Couple that with a drastic change in business life and you get an idea on how the priority of sports dropped for me slowly.

Yet I trained all the time, but not as much.

Then race season approached and I was happy to race. For that I put my Neo on for my first open water test swim and… mind-boggling catastrophe. I trained swimming a lot beforehand, improved technique drastically (or so I thought), sometimes swimming 5 times a week (despite my other changes). But when I was open water swimming, I could not even swim freestyle for 200m in a row. How should I do 1,500m+ ? Even worse: considering my training, this was a real shock to me. And so,… I slowly dropped training completely…

The times I trained, I trained together with my wife, sorts of being “her personal trainer”. And I loved it. She wasn’t swimming for like 10 years. But with me she went swimming almost regularly. Not because she wanted to do me a favor, but instead I realized she really enjoyed it – I was able to make it enjoyable for her. You can barely imagine the fun, joy and laughing along the way.

So I slowly dropped all races and did where I felt good and where there was and is a lot to do: business life and private life.

Unfortunately (or luckily?) the Triathlon-fever was still burning. And so I also started Triathlon-projects in my Marketing consultancy. As a matter of fact I started to support several race organizers and… suddenly also an athlete. Patrick Lange his name. Let me tell you: this was and is great fun! Doing my work in a field I love most. When I first had contact with the option to support him,… by then I did a lot of research. As a result it turned out, that Patrick has huge potential. I compared numbers of successful athletes in the past to top athletes of that time. Then I did the same with Patrick and compared his numbers (races, race times, age, weight, history,…) with top athletes of today. As a matter of fact: that guy has it. And so… we work together and a friendship grew. Yet Patrick would not be Patrick, if I he would not push others. And so the time came, that I suddenly did my first run again…

Where that leads to? I don’t want to tell – this time just do. but I will write those steps down, like I did in the past

Yours truly

Martin

PS: Ohh and who likes to read more or see what I did the past few weeks in that regard, Patrick’s website is here and his facebook presence here.

1-2-3 …

Yesterday evening somehow the past few weeks of training hit me. Totally exhausted meaning almost unable to move I still went for my daily run and finished well. On the bright side I feel more fit than ever.

For now I am curious how the next few weeks will abide – until my first Triathlon. Will I achieve my goals?

Close call.

Yours

Martin

The sun is shining

It is warm outside. Sitting on the balcony, the sun burns my face. What a grand feeling: winter is now hopefully gone.

Changes

The past few weeks I lost my drive to post here. In business and private a lot changed. Soon I am going to be married – YIKES (even me!) and I am self-employed again. Still it is worthless without fitness…

Training

The past few weeks I had some longer runs. Actually I prefer to run at dawn or night and so the city looks a whole lot different. And sometimes – sometimes I have to shoot a picture, even though I didn’t have the drive to post, I still shot those for the blog.

Located in Bad Homburg is a natural fountain, which has been used for a long time. Later on through the park you arrive here…

That run was exhausting but also fulfilling.

Milano

Much later I went on a trip to Milano with my fiance. Somehow I didn’t pack my running shoes and so all that was left was to explore the city day and night and… to go swimming.

Milano was a grand experience, yet swimming im Milano was… an Italian experience. But judge yourself:

So I went to the public bath (I refrain to write about the overall oddities of the bath itself). Once in the pool swimming was well for me, actually I was the fastest swimmer on day 1.

That was not good.

So I was doing some long distance swim on my lane, yet the person in breast stroke I was about to pass didn’t like this. So that one tried to swim faster and kicked to all sides, while I tried to pass.

I couldn’t pass after being kicked twice.

At the end of the lane he immediately swam off in freestyle sprint. Well ok, exactly my speed. Suddenly I couldn’t see any more bubbles in front of me and didn’t see him at the end of the lane. Instead he was on his way back. WTF? That fast or was I that slow?

Again he was swimming breast stroke, again kicking. Again I couldn’t pass him.

At the end of the next lane he was waiting with red head, breathing heavily, apparently about to die, but letting me pass with a smile…

Turns out he cut the previous lane first, just to make sure he stays in front of me.

Italian $%/§&%%& – nuff said.

Back home

Then again swimming regularly helps. Since I returned from Milano I also added daily running in low pulse at dusk and at dawn apart from my regular training plan by Coach Ralf. To make sure I wont be injured like last year, I am massaged almost daily. So I am sure to have no hard, cramped or inflamed muscles at all. Even heavy training only leave me dizzy in worst case, but no more pain.

By now I have the chance to participate in London Triathlon, yet I need to enter by a charity WWF in my case.

Seriously would you donate, so I can participate in London? If some support it, I will.

Yet during all that time there was more.

German duathlon masters

We went there. First to give my fiance an impression of the atmosphere, second since I supported them I felt the need to be there on the day.

The season to come

To face the truth I could have trained more till now, then again I feel happy and good besides the still existing excess kilos. If everything is as expected, I might start my first Triathlon this year in normal weight. The second maybe already in ideal weight.

Preparation

Of course you are right: How do I plan to achieve that target weight? Fair enough I finally changed my eating habits. A normal breakfast, a good and rich lunch and that’s it. Every day. On anything else running at dusk and dawn as well as my normal training plan.

4-5 kg a week works for me right now 🙂

And this way I leave you until my next post with the song I enjoy to listen while running

Yours truly

fatsmoker2ironman

TriAddict on pre-race examination…

It happened: I went out for my run. So I went on and… as promised had a look at Challenge Roth swim exit…

Ok, maybe too cold for Challenge right now… then again here we have the bike transition zone:

So on I ran towards the area of Rothsee Triathlon Festival. Rothsee is still covered with thin ice – almost looks like my cold experience on the sprint race last year.

Looking straight forward I look at the bike transition of the Olympic distance race and along the run course:

Returning back to Hilpoltstein I had some interesting talks, met Coach Ralf and his wife afterwards and had a chat with Claudi in the “Zwinger” – if you ever come to Challenge Roth: go there for dinner, have a beer and tell her, where you learnt about her.

And for the Americans looking for medieval flair:

Or some seats for guests:

After all I had nothing to eat today and so I made sure to leave fully sated. Anyway my training today hurt me, but I am happy I finished it nonetheless. What a grand day.

Yours

fatsmoker2ironman

TriAddict: training hurts with bad times ahead?

For some days I am back to Hilpoltstein. Due too that I switched my bike workouts to spinning, since I no longer have a bike around here. Yet…

It all started yesterday evening – preparing some Pasta for a friend and me:

It tasted good and in the end I also had an Aperol sour, went back to the Pension, where I sleep and… had a hard time to wake up at 10:00 am, which is way too late for me. Don’t ask me why – seems I needed the sleep.

Off I went to the fitness studio for some spinning classes – this time with  a friend as instructor:

This time training was a horror to me: It was extremely difficult to raise my pulse above 120 bpm and even more beyond 130 bpm. Sweat on my shoulders, my muscles burning, I take some water, see my pulse watch and while still spinning – 105 bpm. OMG, increase speed, stand up, everything hurts, my stomach turns and… 110 bpm, where 120-134 bpm is my target range.

No matter how much  I did, it was almost impossible to get my pulse above 120 bpm and once I sat down on the bike (still pedalling) my pulse dropped like a brick below 110 bpm.

By times it felt as if I am close to faint – still I was determined to finish this one nonetheless. I know for sure it was not due to the instructor, maybe the Aperol sour? Maybe just not feeling ok? No clue but I just felt like thrown into the corner, unable to get up.

Now some Latte Macchiato’s later I am feeling better and think about going for a run. Yet I had nothing to eat so far (afternoon). Yet I also don’t feel like getting something to eat.

This is a weird day. Somehow, somehow I believe it is also an effect of Coach Ralf’s training, which was explicitly aimed at making me have a greater power output at lower pulse rates.

This gonna be interesting – let’s see, if I go for a run – I might shoot a current picture of Challenge Roth transition zone #1 and maybe also of Rothsee Triathlon festival transition zone.

Yours truly

fatsmoker2ironman

Taking a swim

Time is flying – Tuesday I lacked the time to have my flat tyre repaired and to ride my bike. That really bothers me. I gonna take this session this week – somehow.

Anyway yesterday swimming was due so I set off and had my first session with increased distance, my shoulder still itching from Monday’s paddle training. Coach Ralf added loads of butterfly and that was… exhausting. A 2.5km swim with 600m leg kicks and almost 675m butterfly. Almost since in the end… I decided to be more cautious in butterfly to not hit others by mistake. Let’s assume it was 600m butterfly due to that.

Some things I learned in that session:

1. I am no longer a lame whale in the water in freestyle.
2. Some weaker swimmers on the sports lane were slower in freestyle than I was with my kickboard doing solely leg kicks – that was funny, considering how slow I was when I started with freestyle.
3. Doing leg kicks helps so much – more than I imagined. In my first few months I had moments, where I didn’t move forward at all or – even worse – went backward doing those kicks. *no kidding*
4. In butterfly I learned a lot in becoming faster and more “energy efficient” – that felt cool. Most of all I used my arms in the “pull”  before to get up – out of the water, where it is – of course – much better to push forward and only slightly up on the “pull”. That’s when I started to be faster than other swimmers, when I did butterfly yesterday.
5. A lot is one’s head when swimming freestyle. Picturing van Hazel’s smooth freestyle stroke made me swim faster and more relaxed – gonna stick to picturing it.
6. Increasing distance in swimming helps a lot. Four more weeks I will do this medium length and then I gonna try the long sessions of 4+ km.

I enjoyed the swim yesterday.

Yours truly

Martin

swim like you are going to drown

Today some power swimming was due, so I grabbed my paddles and pullboy and off I went to the bath. My paddles are actually considered huge and people in training tend to make fun like “I am just watching you to make sure you don’t hit me with those.”

Driving to the bath was annoying since my mountain bike makes noises while driving. I confess I should have cleaned it after the last cross tour:

Yet I arrived and off I went for my swim.

I didn’t swim much but only with paddles – after all it’s a power session. Leaving the pool my shoulders felt like on fire and for the first time in a year my wrist bands felt too tight around my wrists. Actually so much blood pumped through my veins that my first guess was: I have swollen arms. Minutes later it felt ok again and downstairs I prepared to close my biking clothes, preparing for my cold ride through the night.

But I were not me if… well day of confession… I felt an urge to make me feel good and that piece of cake looked just fitting and so…

I ordered it and off with my “loot” – back home…

Hopefully I can soon again lift my arms easily – still feel empty and exhausted.

Yours

Martin

TriAddict about warmth, cold and flat tyres everywhere…

Today in the morning I still felt my muscles aching from yesterday’s core stabilization training. As such my drive to go for my planned ride today was at a low. Still there is no being mistaken: 2 hours can’t be started 1 hour before nightfall. So I prepared after lunch. To make it more interesting I looked for a predefined route at http://www.gpsies.com just to make sure I learn about new tours closeby. Fully prepared I went off and it was… a harsh beginning. Uphill, more uphill and… even more uphill. The roads still wet, my shoes soaked wet through my neoprene shoe covers and… this time I dressed differently and so my bum and anything on the saddle started to hurt, almost burning.

Still uphill coupled with that searing pain I lost all interest in going on. Still I went on. I almost could not sit on the saddle anymore – onward through the pain. I don’t know how often I wanted to turn around and return home – on I went. Passing Usingen I decided to stop and “rearrange” my clothes and suddenly, all felt good. No more uphill, but instead straight ahead or downward with no more pain. The sun came out and suddenly,… suddenly life felt grand. I started to look around and wondered how this area will look like in spring or summer:

I looked straight ahead and shot another photo…

Looking backward it looked like this – just imagine all green and blooming.

I was almost past the rolling hills called “Taunus” and just a few meters away to enter the open. Looking behind me I saw my bike.

So I climbed on my bike and onward into the open, when suddenly it became cold, frozen rain on my skin and without my scarf I started to feel cold *brrrrrr*. Stay focused I told myself and off we go. If not… there was the carnival, which forced me on an Odyssey through badly arranged redirections to avoid the carnival. Bet you can imagine how I cursed in the cold forced to guess where they wanted me to drive to get through that small village.

Finally after passing some…. weirdos, who wanted me to stop since my bike lacks a bell (somehow I managed to stay calm, since race bikes don’t need to),… finally I got out of the home of weirdos until I passed another man and his bike on the side. He had a flat tyre, yet I went on. Only to realize I am not allowed to drive on, forcing me to return. With no idea left on how to find my way  home I met the biker again and asked him for the way.

“No need to help me fix my tyre. Someone is on to pick me up home.” He explained to me an alternate way home (I should have shot a photo I know!!) and off we go – auntie Kate and I. Cold, soaked wet my mood approached another low until the sun came out and it suddenly felt warm. Just 20 minutes away the air felt like spring and the sun warmed me.

Life was grand and happily I went home, realizing the night was soon to come and it slowly became colder. Pedalling I heard a weird noise of my tyre on the road… Just about a mile from home I had a flat tyre. I didn’t know that flat tyres are a disease one can pick up from another biker. Yet here I stood on my bike shoes, unable to walk home on those with a flat tyre and with zero aka nadá interest to fix my tyre myself.

Called my neighbour, who was away and couldn’t help me so I plain called  a taxi to bring me home.

A 2 hour ride was planned, 2:43 it was until I had a flat tyre. Still life is grand. And auntie Kate? I believe she wants to be kicked for her stubbornness:

By now it’s after midnight, I am rested, had dinner and I feel grand except for my muscles aching from yesterday’s core stabilization training.

Still life is grand – I love what I do – just do it!

What do you do?

Yours

fatsmoker2ironman

TriAddict – increasingly busy

Slowly I try to increase my workout. Considering past experiences I more cautious as in regular massages, listening to any itch and twitch and much more.

Today started with my… worst workout, something I try to avoid for days: core stabilization. It’s just…. *ugh* to me. Anyways I did and finished that workout, a lot of sweat and feeling exhausted.

Yet riding my bike was due for today and so I set off in the afternoon. Close to dawn I had to attach my bike lights with a cool view down the road, which looked like this:

I was curious if I can add a run afterwards too. Yet, when I arrived home both training units from today already had me exhausted. So I save that run for *hopefully* tomorrow after tomorrow’s bike ride.

 

Yours

fatsmoker2ironman