A use for Noxema you won't see on the label.....

"Doesn't your butt get sore....?" is a question I have been asked in conversations with family and friends when we talk about bike training.

To answer that question, just find yourself a slightly padded, 2 to 3 inch wide surface and sit on it for several hours while you move your legs back and forth like a duck in the water. You'll quickly find out the answer is yes!
So much so, that quite a few products exist to fight a burning crotch, or more commonly referred to as 'saddle sores'.

To prevent this dreaded condition you first start with a nice pair of cycling shorts that have a chamois for padding. Next you need to apply some sort of cream, suave or balm to to aid in the lubrication of that sensitive ne'er region,..... you know...down there. Most are outrageously expensive, like chamois butter or body glide. But the one I learned about is one I would not have even considered if someone hadn't told me about it. According to my source, I was told Noxema works great and is much more economical. Sure enough, he was right! Not only does it provide nice lubrication, it's quite cool and kinda tingly! Just what the doctor ordered for those long rides.

So if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing to prevent chafing and want a cool, tingly sensation, give that old Noxema a try, you'll be glad you did!

Weather?....What Weather!

So I was sitting down, just going over my training program, thinking about this weekends training schedule and it struck me. I'm getting ready to go outside as it's snowing, bundled up against the cold,for a solid tempo run followed by a bike ride indoors on a trainer. All in preparation for a race that's so far away that I will not only train through this current weather, but also through the exact opposite extreme, potentially extreme heat......weird! It seems so far away, thinking about training through the rest of winter, into and through Spring and Summer with the race at the very beginning of fall. Yet the race is really just over 230 days, 30 weeks really. Think about it, 9 weeks ago we were eating Thanksgiving turkey, 20 weeks ago we celebrated Labor Day and our kids went back to school. 30 weeks ago Israel and Hezbollah were fighting, North Korea tested nuclear missiles, and we just celebrated the 4th of July. All of that seems like yesterday! Why does the look at the past make time seem so fast and the look into the future seems so far away? Yet a minute is a minute and an hour is an hour? Super weird! At this stage of my life I have come to the realization that time is time and it's a gift from our Heavenly Father, not to be wasted. Life truly is one time around thing, no practice runs and no do overs....make the best of it or else! Ok, enough heaviness!
I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures to mark this spot in time along my Journey to Ironman Wisconsin.
Many people ask "do you run outside"? The answer..of course! You just have to have the right gear. For a boy from the Pacific Northwest where the change of seasons means that the rain gets cold in the winter then it gets warm in the summer, midwest winters can be quite strange, even after 5 years. This is what my run looked like this morning.

(click pictures to enlarge)



If you haven't done it, running in the snow is so cool, you have to try it!

So you can run in the winter, swimming is obviously done in a pool, but what about the bike? I get asked all the time about training on the bike in the winter. From time to time I'll take a spinning class with Mike or on my own, but the preferred method is to train on the bike you're going to race on, indoors or out. This year, Santa brought me a very nice trainer and I love to spend my early mornings in the basement with my IPOD spinning away while listening to music. I have a nice corner cut out with my set up, ready to go. This is what it looks like in action, with a close up of the trainer. It's amazing how closely it simulates actual road conditions with great efficiency...no stop signs or traffic!







So here's to time and to making the absolute most of it...you never no how much you have.

Dan

Adapting

My apologies to anyone that checked in last week to get an update, I did not get a Sunday's post done, so I waited until today. Yes, I know, today is Monday, but I'll treat it like it is the end of the week since today is a holiday (MLK day).

The title to this weeks post is "Adapting" because I want to talk a little about the need to adapt my schedule along the way. Like most everyone else, I have many other commitments that require my time besides training for an Ironman. Often I'm required to travel, causing the need to get creative in order to get the 3 disciplines incorporated into that week. This week I spent the last half of the week in LA visiting our West BU. The hotel did not have any work out facility, but skipping workouts is NOT an option. So Mike, my traveling, and many times my work out partner, and I ran down the famed Venice Beach for our key run work outs. Man, what an experience that was. We saw so many homeless it was alarming. Many of them young. But we also had the smell of the pacific in our noses, cool calm weather and the knowledge that we were doing something so many others miss. To get our bike and swim (weights replaced my swim) workouts in, we found a great little workout facility that accepted guests. We took our spouses on the trip so the 4 of us worked out then had breakfast at a small little deli right there. What a cool trip it ended up being. Not only did I get my key work outs in, I also got a chance to see and experience some different things.
Today marks the end of the 2 week orientation cycle and the beginning of the 8 week pre season cycle. For the last few weeks, the workouts midweek were short enough that I could complete them first thing in the morning, leaving the rest of the day open to complete other work. Of course, this meant getting up at 4 am (or earlier) leaving me quite tired at the end of the day. Now, the individual workouts are just long enough Mon - Friday that I'll need to split them up. The blessing lies in the fact that I'll be able to start a little later in the morning, but I'll be required to manage my day better to ensure I have time for a lunch or early evening workout. I'll need to adapt to a different schedule and may even need to work a little in the evening to stay caught up.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to determination. How determined am I to get it done? It's amazing how easy it is to let yourself of the hook, isn't it. Excuses are plentiful, available at every turn. Not enough time for dinner, hey, order a couple of pizzas! But wait, isn't one of your goals to weigh less than 190 lbs? That won't happen eating pizza! Every little decision adds up to a big result. So,I stay determined and continue to focus on each little decision, leading me to the starting line at Ironman Wisconsin, and ultimately, the finish line!

Thanks to everyone for their comments on the blog and in person. I have truly been inspired by all of you!
Have a great week!