Virtual Training Partner (weird looking silver guy)
I am often asked if I train with other people. The answer is no, but not so much because I don’t want to. One of the nice things about my “Iron Andy” gig is I get to train full time, duuing the day…when most other people are working. But it would be nice to have some company once and awhile. Enter weird silver guy! What am I talking about you ask - Well, I finally broke down and purchased a Computer Trainer for my bike. The computrainer works much like my old trainer in that it allows me to ride my tri-bike indoors, stationary. But rather than the mind-numbing 4,5 and 6 hour winter rides staring at a wall the Computrainer hooks up to my computer and has REALLY cool 3D virtual courses. The coolest thing about the program is the profile/elevation of the course will change the profile of the trainer, so going up hill feels like I am going up hill on my trainer. You can also add wind, moniter efficinies and inefficiences in my peddle stroke…AND they even have Real Live Video courses so I can test ride an Ironman Course before the race. Back to the weird looking silver guy - with the 3D virtual courses, I can race alongside another cyclist…and one of the options for a “workout partner” is this weird looking silver guy. He looks like he is made of mercury in the shape of a person…kind of like the Terminator. He’s weird…but boy can he ride! For information about the Computrainer product, here is their website - http://www.racermateinc.com
IRON ANDY
Hooked on Kettle Bells
Over the past four years I have told myself that I would dedicate my off-season (not that I am ever actually OFF) to getting back into strength training. Some of you may not know that prior to this whole diabetes/triathlete thing, I was an avid weightlifter…I was actually a competitive bodybuilder for a few years. But with my swimming, bikiing and running WORKLOAD, weightlifting has taken a back seat…and I do only a minimal amount of core training at best. Each year I tell myself, “when the race season is over, start lifting again.” I have yet to throw myself back into lifting…not until NOW!
About a month ago I bought some Kettle Bells. If you are not aware of what kettle bells are, a good resource is www.kettlebellathletics.com Kettle Bells (also referred to as Russian Kettle Bells) are similar to dumbells, but they look like cannon-balls with a handle. Their shape allows you to do a wide variety of total body, dynamic, more functional movements. The cool thing about kettle bell training is that most of the popular excercises mimic the total body movements of the olympic powerlifter…cleans, jerks, snatches, etc. Just doing the most basic One-Arm Swing will give you a better core workout than anything else I have ever tried in a gym. Almost every excercise targets your core, which is important for a triathlete. What I like most about kettle bells is I can do a 20-30 minute workout and not only am I DRENCHED with sweat, but I am completely out of breath…and this from a guy who routinely does 4,5 and 6 hour endurance workouts.
If you are bored with your current strength training routine, and are looking for something fun that will build muscle, burn fat AND improve your cardiovascular engine…check out Kettle Bells.
IRON ANDY
Low exercise volume = High blood sugar
You would think that after two half Iron and two full Ironman races over a five month period I would be excited about a rest/recovery phase…not so much!!! When you train as much as I do then STOP, my blood sugar runs extremely high. I have experimented slightly with increasing the basal setting on my insulin pump (basal is the constant drip of insulin I get throughout the day and night) and also lowering my insulin/carb ratio (which means I give myself more insulin per gram of carb) But this isn’t an exact science therefore doesn’t always work. The only solution is to ramp my workouts back up. This should illustrate the impact excercise has on insulin sensitivity and blood sugar - so anyone reading this who has type 2 diabetes…START EXERCISING!
IRON ANDY
“Daddy, you taste like crackers.”
This is a short BLOG, but I couldn’t resist. Today I did a VERY long workout - 5 hour bike ride immediately followed by a 1 hour run…that’s called a brick. Anyway, it was extremely hot and humid today (good preparation for Ironman Louisville on August 30th) and after I was finished my soon-to-be 5 year old son ran up to me and gave me a kiss. He then said, “Daddy you taste like crackers.” I guess he was referring to the SALT that was literally pouring out of my body. Do you think I was sweating at all?
IRONANDY
Tricks of the trade!
For all the insane people out there…and I am talking about people like me with diabetes, who don’t let freezing cold weather keep you from running outside - how do you keep your blood glucose monitor from getting too cold…and subsequently NOT working? Simple - go to a sporting goods store and buy hand warmers, like the ones hunters use. They come in a little pouch and when taken out of the wrapper get hot and usually stay hot for hours. Then, get fuel belt or fanny pack of some kind, and store your glucose monitor in the pack next to the warmer…Voila - monitor stays warm, problem solved. Now, that doesn’t address the fact that your hands freeze every-time you have to take off your gloves to test :(
IRONANDY
The last long one…
Yesterday’s rain has forced me to push my last long pre-Ironman workout to today…so if anyone needs to reach me during the next 7-8 hours I’ll be busy riding (6 1/2 hours) then running (1 hour)…then hopefully going to bed early :) Sorry for the short BLOG this week.
IRON Andy
Fifth Third Bank - River Bank Run
This past weekend I was in Grand Rapids Michigan racing in the Fifth Third River Bank Run - 25k (that’s 15 1/2 miles for those of you who are “Metric System Challenged”) The trip started Wednesday evening with a speaking engagement for a diabetes support group. Then on Friday morning I appeared on an NPR radio show.
I enjoyed the race, weather was beautiful although a little cold in the morning. I ran hard, averaging about a 7:30 min/mile with a finishing time of 1:57. At mile 9 I dropped my blood glucose monitor and it shattered on the ground, so I was not able to test my blood for the last 6 miles. As it turned out this was not an issue…thankfully! I was joined in the race by colleagues from AmerisourceBergen - Andy, Brian and Brian’s son (who won his age group and came in 10th place overall.) Thanks guys for representing Team Living Without Limits.
This week will be my highest volume training week leading up to Ironman Coeur d’ Alene. My long workouts are a 3 hour run today and a 7 hour bike/1 hour run brick later in the week. It certainly is “crunch time.”
Talk to you next week - IRON Andy
19 minutes of pain!
No, that is not a typo in the title of this BLOG…I didn’t mean 19 hours. You may be thinking, I don’t get it this guys does Iron distance triathlon’s lasting 11, 12 even 13+ hours…what could he do for 19 MINUTES that is painful. Every once and awhile my coach has me do a 3 mile run trial. Usually twice a year, one always early in the year prior to my first big race. He does this to re-adjust my target heart rate zones for the upcoming race. He is looking for how fast I do each mile split and what my average and maximum heart rate is for each mile. It goes like this - I go to a measured track, usually a high school near my house. After warming up with 10-15 mintues of jogging around the track, I do a 3 mile sprint…12 laps as fast and as hard as I can go. If that doesn’t sound too bad, the next time you are near a track, just for fun do 1 lap as hard as you can…then imagine having to do 11 more. It’s brutal! Whenever I know this working out is coming up I feel tremendous anxiety, always searching for excuses to put it off. This year I got a temporary reprieve when we had our one snow storm back in February, but that merely posponed the inevitable as I had to do the workout a few weeks ago. I would easily rather do a 6 hour bike ride followed by a 1 hour run (a workout I do fairly often when training for a full Ironman) than this 3 mile trial. I will most likely have at least one more coming up, probably in June before Ironman Coeur d’ Alene, and maybe a third if I decide to do a second full IM this year.
The lesson here is to be careful what you wish for. I had always wanted to find a way to make a living as an athlete -Hurray For Me! (read with sarcasm)
IRON Andy
…and in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it takes me about 19 minutes to do the 3 mile sprint.
19 minutes of pain!
No, that is not a typo in the title of this BLOG…I didn’t mean 19 hours. You may be thinking, I don’t get it this guys does Iron distance triathlon’s lasting 11, 12 even 13+ hours…what could he do for 19 MINUTES that is painful. Every once and awhile my coach has me do a 3 mile run trial. Usually twice a year, one always early in the year prior to my first big race. He does this to re-adjust my target heart rate zones for the upcoming race. He is looking for how fast I do each mile split and what my average and maximum heart rate is for each mile. It goes like this - I go to a measured track, usually a high school near my house. After warming up with 10-15 mintues of jogging around the track, I do a 3 mile sprint…12 laps as fast and as hard as I can go. If that doesn’t sound too bad, the next time you are near a track, just for fun do 1 lap as hard as you can…then imagine having to do 11 more. It’s brutal! Whenever I know this working out is coming up I feel tremendous anxiety, always searching for excuses to put it off. This year I got a temporary reprieve when we had our one snow storm back in February, but that merely posponed the inevitable as I had to do the workout a few weeks ago. I would easily rather do a 6 hour bike ride followed by a 1 hour run (a workout I do fairly often when training for a full Ironman) than this 3 mile trial. I will most likely have at least one more coming up, probably in June before Ironman Coeur d’ Alene, and maybe a third if I decide to do a second full IM this year.
The lesson here is to be careful what you wish for. I had always wanted to find a way to make a living as an athlete -Hurray For Me! (read with sarcasm)
IRON Andy
…and in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it takes me about 19 minutes to do the 3 mile sprint.
Thank you Brooks Running Co.
I am in no way compensated by Brooks Running Company, but I have to give credit where credit is due. A big problem for an athlete with diabetes is winter running…why, because it’s cold right? Yes, but there is more to it than that. Having diabetes means I have to test my blood sugar while running, a topic I have discussed before. But when it’s really, really cold like it is now in the Northeast, that poses a problem. You have to take your gloves off and somehow hold them while you test your blood. However, thanks to Brooks this is much easier. Last Christmas (2006) my wife bought me these great mitten/gloves. They look like mittens, but the mitten part folds back to reveal a glove with half fingers. There are little magnets in the mitten part so when you fold it back it stays in place…exposing your fingers so you are able to prick your finger easily without taking off the gloves. Pretty cool? I just checked www.brooksrunning.com and could not find them, maybe you can contact the company, believe me it would be worth the effort.
Another related cold weather trick that I have mentioned before is using hand warmers to keep you blood glucose meter from getting too cold. I keep my meter in a fanny pack next to hand warmers. Nothing worse than your meter not working because it is too cold. You can find hand warmers at most running stores, sports equipment stores or I would imagine you can find them at hunting supply stores.
There it is…Iron Andy trying to make your lives easier. Know you have no excuse to not run in the cold.