Foot Strike

Fred Klinge of RunFreddieRun.com had a great article about foot strike. His post is short and sweet with a lot of useful info! In the article, he referred to lower heel offset running shoes. This is also known as low drop shoes. I previously used running shoes with 12 mm drop and I had a high tendency to heel strike during my runs. After working hard on improving my running form plus switching to 4 mm drop shoes, I still have a light heel strike from time to time. However, I transfer my weight onto a flexed landing leg.

Fred mentioned that having a light heel strike is still ok as long as your landing leg has a little bit of flexion. In my past blog post about running techniques, I mentioned that I try to visualize myself running like Craig "Crowie" Alexander. Videos of Crowie on YouTube show he has a light heel strike, but he also has an excellent running form. In an article I recently read about midfoot and heel striking on RunningInSystems.com, they referred to a light heel strike as a “disguised” midfoot-strike" since its about the importance of having proper running form and not necessarily about midfoot or heel striking.

I'll end this post in the same matter Fred ended his article. "So….run tall, run quick & light, and land with a little bit flexion in your leg. No need to worry about a perfect midfoot strike."

Hammer Nutrition - Save 15% on Your First Order

After testing out several products during my Ironman Florida training, I ended up using Hammer products for my bike nutrition and for the majority of my supplements. I highly recommend Hammer products!

Save 15% on your first order at Hammer Nutrition by clicking on the link or use client# 166528.

My Ironman Nutrition Plan Re-engineered

I wanted to share the major changes I had to make to the Ironman nutrition plan I used during last year's race. So I briefly summarized what I used last year but I was very detailed on what I used this year. Yes people, I'm a wordy son of a gun so very detailed means extremely detailed! I will not go too deep into all of the weeks of trial and error experimentation I had to endure to finally find what worked for me. During those weeks, I was getting stressed out about finding what would work. I finally discovered that my biggest issue was caused by early muscle fatigue due to insufficient sodium intake! I also wanted to provide the details of the race plan I used during this year's Ironman Florida (IMFL). I wanted to share all of this information to contribute to the triathlon community since I have learned so much from the community over the last 2.5 years.

The information I provided below can help more than just triathletes doing Ironman. It could be slightly modified for half-ironman length races. For half-ironman races, the fats that were included in my bike nutrition may possibly not be needed since it is a higher intensity, shorter race. People doing century bike rides could easily follow the bike nutrition I used this year. For sprint and Olympic length triathlons, the plan I discuss below is not applicable! In those short races, simple sugars rule. If you feel any of the information provided below is useful to you, please take heart and consider donating to my Move Your Feet for Loeys-Dietz fundraiser on Crowdrise's website that helps support LDSF.

The nutrition and hydration plan I used last year during IMFL (see my 2013 race report) failed miserably early in this year's Ironman training. I was dying during my long training days as I mentioned in my 2014 IMFL Race Report. Looking back at my 2013 training and race, I most likely was not taking in enough

Thank You For Your Support of My LDSF Fundraiser!

Hi everyone!

Ironman Florida (IMFL) is just two short weeks away! I wanted to update and thank you again for your support and awesome donation to my "Move Your Feet For Loeys-Dietz" fundraiser for the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation (LDSF).

All of my long, tough training days are over! I still have two weeks of training leading up to the November 1st race. Weekday training has remained the same but the long, tough weekend training days have been getting shorter and shorter over the last couple of weeks! I have pushed myself and trained harder than for any prior race. I was also pushed, challenged, and supported by my family, my friends, my training buddies, my coach, and you! Anne and my boys have had to endure me being gone for so many hours. My longest training week was slightly over 17 hours! With two years of Ironman training, I need a little break from the long weekend training days. In 2015, I will still be training hard but just not for a full ironman. I will be concentrating on getting faster and stronger at the sprint triathlons and half ironman races. In the fall of 2015, I will be concentrating on marathon training as I attempt to achieve a personal goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon!

INFINIT Nutrition Coupon Code for $5 off

INFINIT's custom-blended nutrition solutions are designed to match an athlete's unique nutritional profile through the complete customization of a sports drink. Different people, different sports, different weights, different sweat rates; one nutrition solution is NOT the right answer. INFINIT allows you to customize the number of calories, the flavor level, number of electrolytes and so on, creating the right nutrition for you and your sport.


For $5.00 off your first order, use coupon code INFINIT-AVD5R


Get a FREE consultation to help setup your custom formula! You will work with an INFINIT formulation specialist right over the phone to set up your own custom mix. It's EASY! You do not need any nutrition background.

During my free consultation, I had INFINIT set up three different custom blends: one for my Ironman bike nutrition, one for my Half Ironman bike nutrition, and one for running. 

I am currently only using my run blend and it is working better than I expected! I am training with it for the run leg of my upcoming 2014 Ironman Florida race. I wanted to use a different nutrition on the bike and run based on my experience during last year's Ironman. A change in nutrition is needed in my opinion. As for my bike custom blends, I will start testing them out during my 2015 triathlon season since I will be concentrating on Half Ironman races.

How I Lost 5 Pounds in an Hour (Sweat Test)

Performing long endurance training days in New Orleans' summer heat can be brutal. The heat and humidity will get you; probably more than once! I sweat excessively and during my 2013 Ironman Florida training, I dehydrated often near the end of many 5 to 6 hour training rides when heat indexes were in the mid-90's or higher (degree F). During the 2013 training, I increased my water intake and intake of SaltSticks (electrolytes) as temperatures and humidity rose. Even then, I still struggled to totally figure it all out before race day. 

Recently during three consecutive weekends, I started dehydrating much earlier than last year and, oddly, bonking at or shortly after the 3-hour mark during my long bike rides. My 2014 Ironman training plan is significantly harder than last year so the nutrition and hydration plan I previously used was far from adequate. I was sweating significantly more and burning far more calories due to the increased effort. Plus, August and September are the two hottest months here in New Orleans. This August has not been particularly friendly to me! :)

I was talking to a friend and fellow triathlete, Andre, who mentioned I should do a sweat test to see if I am drinking enough during my rides and runs. I will discuss how to perform a sweat test but first I wanted to elaborate on my test results!

Running Through My Head...

Recently, I was talking with two fellow triathletes separately about running techniques. Both are engineers like me so we tend to geek out on numbers and we tend to dwell on proper techniques. I had started writing this post a while ago but the two conversations helped me get this one done since I only needed to do some minor tweaks. After several of my morning runs, I would add notes of what was going through my head during the run. I do self-checks as I'm running on the items discussed below; that is, if I don't "zone out".

Side note: Anyone that runs with me knows how easily I tend to zone out! I usually don't hear or feel a thing since my mind is floating somewhere out in space - a runner's high I suppose. Perfect example: during a run on the neutral ground along St. Charles Avenue here in New Orleans, I was running head-on towards a street car that I did not even hear or see! Yes, I was playing chicken with the street car! The street car had to stop and wait for me to get out of the way. My run group had been yelling at me probably 4 or 5 times to get out of the way! As I moved out of the way, I waved to the driver who did NOT have a smile on his face! :) I tend to zone out a lot on the run and long bike rides so I'm always wearing my RoadID, "It's who I am"! For those of you not from New Orleans, the neutral ground is simply a median. 

The list below is how I understand things and I applied them to my running. The list is not in any order of importance because, to me, they are all important! Hopefully, all of the info is 100% correct. I'm not an expert by any means so just go do web searches or even go look up YouTube videos to get info from people far smarter than me!

Move Your Feet for Loeys-Dietz

So what is Loeys-Dietz? Up until very early January of this year, I had no clue! It was not until I met an amazing woman, Anne, that I found out. Anne has a genetic disorder called Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS) that affects the connective tissue in the body. People with LDS can have complications with their cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, skin and gastrointestinal systems. The majority of individuals with LDS are diagnosed with aneurysms (commonly called enlargements or dilations) of the aortic root. Aneurysms can also be seen in all of the arteries. They monitor for aneurysms since they are at a risk for death due to aortic dissection (aneurysm rupture or tear). Another complication observed in individuals with LDS is cervical-spine instability (instability in the vertebrae directly below the skull). Some with LDS have physical characteristics; others do not. 

This past June, I attended the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation's (LDSF) conference and I was emotionally touched. I met some incredible people! I was amazed to see how so many people with LDS were in high spirits! Many viewed each day as a blessing. A few, as you would expect, were not in high spirits. They all have tough things to work through but many have learned to accept it and move forward with life! The conference is held in Baltimore every two years so it was a reunion of sorts for many of them. A large number of them keep in touch regularly through an amazing support group on Facebook.

While listening to the questions, the answers, the various stories and pep talks during the smaller breakout sessions on the first day, I started to wonder how I could help. I heard several stories about how so many of them truly missed exercising as they once could. I also heard stories about how difficult it is for parents to tell their children that they can not participate in contact sports at school even if they feel fine. Anne use to do strength and/or cardio workouts several days a week prior to being diagnosed with LDS in 2008. She can only, for the most part, swim and do light cardio these days. People living with LDS may never be able to train or even race in triathlons at the intensity that I do! It is highly recommended that they are able to hold a full conversation while exercising so that their heart rate remains low. What?!! No speed work? No tempo ride or runs? No all out sprints! Heck, during some of my workouts, I can barely say a word - except perhaps "awwww"!

I'm blessed to able to do what I do and what I enjoy. I'm not restricted to hold back during exercise. So, I am dedicating my upcoming Ironman race to Anne and all the LDS fighters! I will be competing in my second Ironman at the 2014 Ironman Florida on November 1st, 2014 in Panama City Beach, Florida. During my 2.4-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, my 112-mile bike ride, and my 26.2-mile run, I will be wearing custom LDSF apparel!

Take heart and donate now by visiting www.crowdrise.com/imfl. NOTE: We were recently made of aware that Crowdrise tries to charge you a processing fee that you DO NOT HAVE to pay!!! When donating, click on the words "Optional Processing Fee" and select 0%!!! LDSF has to pay a small fee regardless if you pay this optional fee.

Minimum online donation is $10. This is the minimum allowed by the website (Crowdrise) hosting the fundraiser.

You can also donate via a CHECK if you like!!! No processing fee paid by anyone!! :) Please make your check out to "Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation" and simply give or mail to me or Anne. Please contact us for mailing address. Checks will be deposited in October or November since all checks will be provided to LDSF at the end of this fundraiser!

Everyone who donates will receive one FREE raffle ticket per every $25 they donate. Raffle ticket numbers will be emailed to you right after I get back from completing Ironman Florida! Raffle drawing will take place at Lakeview Harbor on November 7th, 2014 at 7:00pm. Lakeview Harbor is located at911 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA.

To see the current list of awesome raffle items you could win, visit http://raffle.fitadapted.com.

For more information about LDS, please visit the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation website.



Fundraising Websites - Crowdrise

Ironman Nutrition for a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) Triathlete

(see my post on the re-engineered plan I used for 2014 Ironman Florida)

When I started eating low carb high fat (LCHF), I was avoiding sugars and grains as if my life depended on it. I trained and raced all of 2013 trying not to use sugars. Prior to switching to LCHF, I was using the typical sugary stuff that was not much different from what most people use. For me, the sugary stuff was always too sweet on long training days except when I used a custom formula from Infinit Nutrition. With the custom formula, you can dial up calories, add/reduce this or that, but the best part was you can set the flavor down to near nothing!

So, what the heck was I supposed to do for nutrition if I could not use sugars and trying to avoid products with wheat and dairy?

Does a High Fat Diet Help Reduce Lactic Acid Buildup?

When I started eating a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) diet, I noticed that my athletic performance started to improve once my body made the transition to burning fat over carbs as its fuel source. I had also started Zone 2 training about two or three weeks after I changed my diet. During the first 10 days or so of switching to LCHF, I was extremely sluggish. Not only was my body moving slowly, so was my brain. The sluggishness subsided and the performance improvement started becoming noticeable within a month. I also noticed that my legs did not get the same burning sensations it did when I ran at the faster paces and that my recovery time was cut down substantially! A few podcasts I heard during that time discussed how others eating LCHF had also seen athletic performance gains and had faster recovery times. This totally intrigued me!

It's All About Zone 2 Baby! (Part 2)

In my last post, I went over why I started training using heart rate zones based on maximum heart rate. I wanted to build a good solid “base” so I could continue to improve throughout the year and long term. I also wanted to be very efficient at burning fat. In 2013, for both the bike and run, I trained almost exclusively in Zone 2. I was in the process of becoming fat adapted so I did very little speed work. However, looking back, I should have done some interval or speed work.

So what the heck is training zones anyway?

It's All About Zone 2 Baby! (Part 1)

The title of a recent post says it all about my past training methods, Training Like A Dummy... At the time, I did not know any better. I pushed hard each and every session. Over the next two to three years, I improved my training methods. On November 3rd, 2012, I signed up for Ironman Florida. Therefore, I had to figure out the best way to train quickly. I only had one year to go from a nervous newbie triathlete to a confident well-trained triathlete by November 2nd 2013. I wanted to not only survive Ironman Florida training but to also comfortably finish the 140.6 miles on race day. In order to keep this blog post from being overwhelming long, I broke it up into two posts. This post provides a little history as to why I trained in Zone 2. The next post will cover more detailed information about determining heart rate training zones.

Training Like A Dummy...

In my previous post, I mentioned how I landed in the emergency room not long after I completed a 10K road race. It was an expensive lesson on how NOT to train. I learned a ton from the experience and it made me change my training methods. However, it still took a couple of years after the lesson for me to figure out how best to train.

First, a little background about how I only knew to training one way - train hard all of the time.  In mid-2008 at age 42, I started working out at the gym for the first time in my life. I was enjoying the pains (muscle soreness) and seeing the gains I was making from working out several days a week. By the end of 2008 and early 2009, I was starting to" look in shape" due to weight loss and working out. Although I was being told I looked in shape, I did not feel like I was in shape because I would be exhausted after running a mere mile. So I set a goal to be in shape and to feel like I was in shape. Back then I did not train using a heart rate monitor as I do today. I did not know a thing about heart rate training, not even my maximum heart rate.

Hello World!

I created this blog to start documenting the journey I am currently experiencing.  I want to share the lessons, struggles, and surprises I have learned going from being a 6' 1" out-of-shape, overweight, middle age man to a fit endurance freak.  I was 265 pounds in mid-2007. By November 2013, I was racing Ironman Florida at 172 pounds.  Since then, my weight has settled into a range between 180 to 185 pounds; however, I am leaner, stronger, and faster than when I weighed 172!

July 2007

The start of my story is probably not much different than many of you out there.  Each year, I gained a little weight even when I tried to eat healthy -- well, I thought I was eating healthy.  As I gained weight, I always thought I could lose weight easily and achieve the mental picture I always had of myself - lean, toned, and fit. But yet, each year I continued to get fatter and fatter and I always lied to myself saying I was just a little overweight!  I was wearing size 40 and 42 pants and XL or XXL shirts. By the way, I now wear size 34 pants and Medium shirts!

I was unhappy about life in general. Then my 15-year marriage fell apart at the end of 2007. Due to stress and lack of appetite, I quickly lost 20 pounds. I looked in the mirror and was thinking I could quickly and easily achieve the body of my self-image.  Well, I have to say, it took significantly longer than I had anticipated.  Looking back, I like how it panned out since I learned so much during this time. Believe it or not, I still had to adjust my brain. Even though I was working hard to becoming fit and getting toned, I kept acting as if I was that shy overweight guy I had been for so many years!