Archive for Ironman

Zensah Compression Socks Review

// August 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // Ironman

Three weeks ago I spent about $50 on a pair of compression socks from Zensah. $50!! I know that’s crazy for a pair of socks but I’ve read a ton of info suggesting that compression socks help in muscle recovery after strenuous workouts and I need to do everything I can to keep my legs in good shape in order to survive training for the Ironman. So I read reviews on a ton of different brands, and decided on Zensah since there was more feedback on them than anyone else.

The day I received them I put them on and was immediately skeptical. I have had no experience with compression socks or other compression gear in the past so I didn’t have anything to base expectations on, but for some reason I thought they would be much tighter than they are. -Don’t get me wrong, they are tight socks and not real easy to get on – but I had imagined something a little different.

The next day I threw them in the washing machine and went out for a long run. After the run (and after a shower), I pulled the socks out of the dryer and put them on. The washing machine and dryer had tightened them up considerably. I could feel my legs were tired after the run so I kept the socks on and after a few hours my legs were as good as new. That tired leg feeling normally would last the better portion of a day. I was very pleasantly surprised.

I’ve used the socks after almost every hard workout since, even had them on when I was flying out of town on a trip (supposedly the higher elevation of a fight makes your legs swell) and I’ve been happy with the results every time.

CEP makes a compression sock that is supposed to be more targeted with tighter areas around the calf and mid-foot and I think I’ll try them out. But as for Zensah, I definitely recommend them.

Ironman Training

// July 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Ironman

It has settled in that I’m really doing this. As my XTERRA Triathlon approaches next month, I’m reaching the peak build phase of the training for it and I’ve realized that it’s nothing compared to what I’ll be doing over a few months starting in the fall.

Sunday I had a great swim workout followed by a short run of 8 miles. The run didn’t get started until it was over 90 degrees outside. I was miserable in the heat and humidity. The whole run I kept thinking, “During the Ironman you’ll be starting the run at the hottest part of the day, in this same type of weather, but after having been already pushing for the last 8 hours. Yikes.

Whelp, tomorrow’s Tuesday and that means speed work is on the schedule with another 5am start time. One day at a time.

In other more exciting news, Katherine said, “Dada!!”

Today I registered for an Ironman

// July 5th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Headline, Ironman

Everyone has a list of things that they want to accomplish. For some reason this race is on mine. If you’re not familiar with what an Ironman triathlon is, you start with a 2.4 mile swim, continue with a 112 mile bike ride and finish with a full marathon run of 26.2 miles. Pros complete this race in a little less than 12 hours. The cut off for everyone else to finish is 17 hours. 17 hours. This is the race where you’ve seen youtube videos of people barely crawling across the finish line. To describe it as extreme is a huge understatement.

Over the last few years as I’ve gotten back into endurance athletics I’ve had my eye on this race and finally decided that I would do it. Just a few weeks ago Ironman announced the addition of a new race in their schedule to be held in The Woodlands, TX (just outside Houston). The race is close to home, so travel is easy, and it’s in a perfect part of the year. -I can finish the training I’ve already started for the Xterra triathlon in Austin in August and then the marathon in Long Beach in October, take a few weeks off to recover and then have plenty of time to ease into the Ironman training schedule. The idea is to slowly ramp up the training so I don’t get injured or burned out.

Burn out is what worries me the most. I’m reviewing training schedules now online with an eye towards the schedules that don’t start too early, but are long enough that I’m not putting myself at risk of injury. They range from around 16 to about 30 weeks long. Most of those workout days contain at least 2 workouts each day – a swim and bike or swim and run or bike and run, etc. I know in order to get all the training in I’ll have to get used to waking up around 5 am every day because I don’t want the training to interfere with my wife or our baby. As I re-read this last paragraph I ask myself, “Why do I want to do this?”

I want to do it so that I can point back to it and say, “I did that.” I’m going to log hundreds of miles in training between the pool, bike and running. I’m going to have to figure out a way to try and enjoy getting up crazy early every day. I’m not going to win any awards. I’m not in good enough shape to even think about really competing in my age group. I just want to earn the mental check-mark next to this event and be able to say, “I did it.”