Cayman Wipeout

Hey, freaks! Another week in the life of Ironman training for you here. Show notes in a second, but first, let's announce the FIRST EVER "IF I HAD A BEARD, I'D LOOK REALLY COOL" CONTEST. Post a link to a picture of your true BeardCore potential in the comments. Here's mine -

SHOW NOTES!

• Breathing tips.

• Kai wipes out. :(

• And gets right back on! :)

• After a swim - diary of a mad swimmer.

• Non-alcoholic beer is awesome.

• Tips on shoes, socks, plantar fascitis.

• Cover art from ZenCam. Find out more by sending him a twitter message at twitter/buckwilde59.

• Is direct email the new blogging?

• My hummus recipe could quite possibly save the Universe.

• First syllable stuttering is actually just buffering.

• Heat regulation with Roxy.

• Pullups.

• It's Roxy's birthday.

• Pete's Cayman Island triathlon report.

• Shout out to Dan.

• Back at the cold pool.

• Get your sleep. Or you'll eat like a pig.

• Team Triabetes.org.

• Emily is doing Ragnar next year!

• Moving to a seven day workout week.

Quantum Spinach

I've started coaching and have another week's worth of random Zentri goodness. Enjoy!

Shownotes!

• Emily's Abs.


• Quantum Theory of Difficult People.


• Nuclear Spinach.


• Other stuff.

Surfing the Fear

Just a nicely chilled episode of training fun.

SHOWNOTES!

• Let's go on a bike ride!


• This ride sucks!


• Injury report.


• Fear.  What's your triathlon fear?


• Random blabbering.


• Check out www.fitnio.com!


• Donation by Gordon.

Push/Pull Runs - A How To

I get a lot of questions about how I do my infamous Push/Pull runs. I am a huge believer in this workout, so I'll post how I do it here.

What is a push/pull run and why do it? A typical triathlete doesn't do enough core workouts to build strength that makes long distances easier. If you have a strong core, you can go farther, faster because you can hold your body together when other people get tired and their form starts falling apart. With all the working out we already do, who wants to spend time lifting weights?

I got really tired of running and running and watching my upper body strength waste away. It is just a little unbalanced to be able to run a marathon but you can't do 3 pullups. Enough said.

Push/Pull runs use muscle confusion and make you one hell of a swimmer. There is a school of thought that "muscle confusion" (Working out in unpredictable ways. Google it.) is a more effective workout. Also, pushups are regarded as probably the best full-body workout. They work your abs, back, shoulders, arms, and lots more. The pull ups work out the same muscles that pull you through the water. Do these workouts for a couple of weeks and you'll notice some real power improvement in the pool.

The bottom line? You feel much, much stronger, your muscles tone up nicely, and you burn off weight faster. And it's fun as hell!

OK, enough talk. What's the workout?

• I started off by doing a set of push ups every mile when I run, 3 times a week. This run is usually a 6 mile run.


• I do the same amount of push ups each mile. 12 pushups might not seem like much once, but the 6th time at the end of 6 miles... that's a workout.


• It is important to pause, drop and do your pushups, and then pop right back up and start running again. The muscle confusion and head rush is lots of fun.


• I suppose you could do pull ups every mile as well, if you carried a pull up bar with you everywhere. Instead, I do them before and after the run, and in the middle if I'm doing my usual three mile loop. I do each set until failure.


• In the end, a typical Push/Pull run will give me around 84 push ups and 25 pull ups mixed in with an hour run, but only adds about 10 minutes to my overall workout. Done 3 times a week, this a huge improvement in overall core strength and stability.

Give it a try and enjoy!

Black Mamba

Many more photos like the one above can be found HERE. Proudly brought to you by the folks at Cyclocross Magazine!

Hey, rockstars. This episode was recorded over the period of a week, essentially bits and pieces of the lifestyle of ultra endurance training. It is a little weird, so enjoy!

• Using my new top secret recording device - Black Mamba.


• Cyclocross magazine. www.cxmagazine.com.


• www.thewarmfront.com.


• Google's video chat is bomber, yo.


• #dailyendurance on Twitter.


• swimming 3200 yards a pop.


• Dolphin kick, people!


• 7 mile PushPull run.


• Thanks to Matt for extending the www.Workoutlog.com.


• Injury review.


• Kicking Roxy off the bed.


• Going swimming.


• Why does Vista suck so bad?


• 3200 yard swim.


• Tip - Wear your swim cap over your goggles to keep your goggles on.


• Check out www.slow2pro.com.


• You are not a pro unless you look like you are a famine survivor.


• If you go naked to a bowling alley, they will still make you wear shoes.


• Voomaxer.com posts your workouts to Twitter.


• Interview with Pete, who is going to the Caymans for a Tri.


• Email Pete if you got help for his back.


• DON'T GO TO WORK IF YOU ARE SICK. YOU ARE RUINING TRIATHLETES' LIVES.


• Dawn thinks Pete and I are lovers.


• Emily finds out Lance Armstrong is coming to town.


• Went running with Roxy.


• I've been banned from the bike.


• Running strategies.


• I'm coaching!


• Listening to music opens up your blood vessels.


• Emily's review of the Ragnar.


• Freezing my ass off in Boerne, TX.


• Burning my ass off in Boerne, TX.


• Watching the Dawn and Drew show.


• Pete borrows my bike box.


• Piriformis video.


• Coaching two people!


• Donation from David B.


• Base training on page 35 of Cyclocross magazine.


• Running with iPod/Pandora/Google Maps all in one on the iPhone.


• Tresspassing is fun.


• No fear of highways.


• Tried the Voomaxer.


• It's not a depression.


• 50 miles running.