Swimming and a little More Swimming

So considering my fragility as a "tri-athlete", I have been concentrating on swimming to build my endurance and swimming technique. I have started a “Zero to 1650 in Six Weeks” program to help me become more comfortable in the water and build my confidence.

Integrating this plan with TI drills as a warm-up and using TI "thoughts" while I swim is the ongoing plan. Trying to keep a focus or though on one part of my swimming, like my body rotation has been more difficult than I imagined. The struggle of getting comfortable with breathing, keeping my swim “thought” and counting laps has me thinking more about what lap I’m on vs. my swim ”thought”. That said, my swimming has improved, I have had a few laps each session where things have come together. Those laps feel really smooth and fast(well, fast for me).

Here is last week’s swimming workout:
Three Sessions of :
4 x 100 yards (or meters)...rest for 12 breaths between 100s
4 x 50 yards...rest for 8 breaths between 50s
4 x 25 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 25s
total: 700 yards (each session)
See this link for the full plan

Weekly Update 7/22

I'm still slowly recovering from my swollen knee. I have been reading "The Well-Built Triathlete" by Matt Dixon. So far, it is an interesting read, I do like his priority on recovery. I will follow his recommendation to separate execise fueling and daily nutrition. I will continue to follow a low carb daily nutrition plan to help my weight loss, but I'm thinking that I will try to incorporate his exercise fueling plan. My hope is that if I have been under recovering becuase of my lack of fueling before and after my training. I should be able to increase my training load without injury.

My only gripe with "The Well-Built Triathlete" is that it isn't available in a kindle or e-book format.

So onto the training plan for next few weeks. I will concentrate on my swimming and slowing increase my cycling and running volume and frequency. I will add fueling before and after training to help my recovery and keep a close eye on my knee to see how well it absorbs the training I have planned.

More from "the Well-Built Triathlete" next week.

Injury Recovery, Swimming and Weight Loss

Injury recovery is going slowly. The swelling has gone down. However the day after swimming I still get some pain in my left knee. I will slowly increase the frequency of swimming and then add in running next week and see how I recover from the training.

I have been following the Total Immersion (TI) method of swimming. I'm pleased with the progress I have made so far. My stroke is smooth, but I have been struggling with my breathing. Breathing every third stroke has been ok, but I need to check my head placement and rotation to ensure that I can get a breath without swallowing or inhaling water. I will dedicate a post to the TI method in the near future.

My weight loss has stopped. With my daughters birthday, I cheated and have struggled to get back to my diet. I have gotten back to making my food for the workday and having the prepped food (precooking bacon, making chili) I need to put together a quick tasty meal that is low or no carb.

I have been wondering if i need to consume a small amount of carbs after I train to ensure that I get a good recovery. I have picked up The Well-Built Triathlete by Matt Dixon. I will review it in the coming weeks.

Weekly totals 7/6 - 7/12:
Swimming: 1.25 hours
Bike: 0 hours
Run: 0 Hours

Injury, Place to Swim & Weekly Totals 7/5

Weekly Total 6/29/14 to 7/5/14
Swim: 0
Bike : 1.0h
Run : .13h
Weight: 244.1

I stressed my left knee. It start to hurt on Monday, so I only did 30 minutes on the stationary bike Monday and Tuesday. That made the injury worse. I was fine during the exercise, but after cooling down the knee stiffened and was painful. I have stopped running and bikeing until I can at least walk with no pain.

After reviewing the local fitness clubs with a pool, the frunt runner is:
Star Hill Family Athletic Center is my favorite. I will try out the 7 day pass and most likely join for the year.

Weekly Totals 6/28

Weekly Total 6/22/14 to 6/28/14
Swim: 0
Bike : 3.08h
Run : 1.0h
Weight: 245.8

Weekly Total - 6/51 - 6/21

Weekly Total 6/15/14 to 6/21/14
Swim: 0
Bike : 2.75h
Run : 0.75h
Weight: 247.5

Weekly Totals - 6/8 to 6/14

Weekly Total
6/8/14 to 6/14/14
Swim: 0
Bike : 1.55h
Run : 0.58h
Weekly total 6/1/14 to 6/7/14
Swim: 0
Bike: 1.83h
Run: 0.5
Weekly total 5/25/14 to 5/31/14
Swim: 0
Bike: 1.83h
Run: 0.5h

Planning My Training

Planning your training is a interesting sort of problem. You want it to be hard enough that you feel like you are working towards your goal, but not so hard that you want to quit or become injured. What I have found that for me, I tend toward the train hard - feel the work, until I injure myself. This time I'm try to slowy ease my way int running, since that is the sport that beats you up the most out of triathlon.
So for training plans I have looked at: Be Iron Fit, 2nd: Time-Efficient Training Secrets for Ultimate Fitness By Don Fink. Good help with time efficiency and workouts toward getting ready for an Ironman race.

IronFit Secrets for Half Iron-Distance Triathlon Success: Time-Efficient Training for Triathlon's Most Popular Distance Good help with time efficiency and workouts tailored to the 1/2 IM. This is what I have base most of my trainig on.

For running I have started BarryP's running plan from slowtwitch.com. It is a 6 day a week running plan, but starts off with very short easy runs and builds from there. I believe that recovery is key for me and I will be careful not to overextend myself.

For the bike, I have the ability to use the corporate gym during lunchtime, so the plan is to ride the spin-bike. I will get on the road on the weekend and evenings as the summer progresses. Similar to BarryP's plan, I will biking 3 shorts, 2 mediums and a long. I will start the workouts short and slowly increase the time as I see my recovery improve.

Swimming will be lagging as the plan is to restart Total Immersion swimming at the local town pool, when they open at the end of this month. I will start swimming twice a week and add a third session when time permits.

Where I am to Starting Training Again

I started triathlons in 2004, and then took a ten year break. Gained plenty (too much) weight and finally figured out what I need to do to lose the excess weight and keep it off. I need to have a race or fixed goal that I can work towards.
I have done my research and for me a low-carb diet works well for me. A CKD diet works, but I struggle with the loading days. I started with lowering my carbs, but I wasn’t very strict. Some weight came off , but I need something more.
I have now restricted myself to a ketogenic diet. I have been testing with keto strips and been staying in ketosis for the past 3 to 4 weeks.

Starting weight:
April, 2014 ~270lbs
Started low carb diet Transitioned to ketogenic diet
May 25 - 262.7lbs
June 13 – 249.0lbs

 Goals for 2014:
Weight below 200 for:
Manchester Road race – Thanksgiving day

Goals for 2015:
Maintain race weight below 200
 Lake Terramuggus Sprint Tri Series #1-6
Lake Terramuggus Olympic Distance Triathlon

I will describe what my training has been to this point and what my future plan is. I will also give an overview of what I've been eating next week.