Listening to what your body is saying to progress in your training/Mio Link

Training feels great while you are doing it. You get out there, get in the rhythm, sweat, push and when you get done you are spent but feel great about it on the way back home. Once you get home, you do your after workout ritual whether that is using a Normatec, foam rollers, frozen Sprite bottles with water in them (ME), stretch, elevate legs etc. Then the next day you just wake up, maybe sore or a little pain in a small spot somewhere, but think oh that is fine. You repeat that 3 to 5 days or more a week. But that pain doesn't go away, or you feel more tired than normal, or your heart rate is higher than normal during your training or when you wake up. Do we really listen to our bodies or does our Ego get in the way? Then we are so shocked when we are sidelined by an injury and think back to all the little pains we felt leading up to this injury.

Well this time I listened to my body and took a week hiatus from all training. And hopefully you reading this will think about what I am about to say and why I made the decision to take a break for a week to see if maybe your body is telling you "Hey bud, take a little break and let me recharge." So 2 Fridays ago (08/08/2014) was my last week of the 4th month of my Tri Training for the 2015 season. That workout was the longest, farthest and most resistance I have ever had on the bike then my run afterward had been again the longest and farthest so far. It went great like all my workouts have been so far. Pouring sweat, legs felt great and huge smile when done. Got home did my rolling of my plantars with Sprite bottles frozen with water in them. And the weekend I felt good. I could tell I pushed past my comfort zone by the way my legs felt on Saturday but it was a great feeling. Monday comes along and I can't wait to get back into the gym. I wake up and right away put on my Mio Link to check my Heart Rate. It is about 3 beats higher than normal but don't really think much about it. If you have been reading along, I was changing up my workouts last week. Going from a 3 day a week to 5 day a week schedule. So I was super excited to get in there that night. About an hour before leaving work, I got what I call a hot spot on the back of my Achilles tendon. It didn't hurt but was tender. I start doing little stretches when I can at work. It kind of comes and goes for the next hour at work. When I get home from work, I do my usual thing I always do since because the spin room is used till 7:15pm, I take my little 30 to 45 minute recharge nap LOL.I don't set an alarm to wake up in time to be at the gym by 7:45pm. So close my eyes and take my siesta. When I open my eyes, I am expecting to jump up and get going. However my body had different plans. I feel like I somehow interrupted the Sandman giving me a dose of sleep dust. I am so tried but I am going to go. Swing my feet to the floor, instantly Achilles looks at me and goes "Hot Spot!" so I reach down and start rubbing it. My Ego grabs hold of my mind and tells it "hey we are biking only today so it will be fine. You can stretch it every time on the drop stroke." Okay my mind says sounds good LOL. Then I look at the clock. 8:15pm!!! What happened?? So I put 1+1+1 together and get "I will give myself a day break and go on Tuesday thru Saturday straight" Obviously my mind was not in control cause not only was I going to a 5 day a week schedule but now I had committed myself to 5 days back to back. So Tuesday morning I wake up, check my Heart Rate and it is 5 beats higher than normal, Achilles is still tender and I am groggy as all get out. Just need to work on stretching the Achilles today at work and will be ready to go once I get my Redbull in me. Day goes by, Redbull helped, Achilles isn't a problem all day, I am feeling better about getting to the gym. Get home again *yawn* think I will take my little nap to recharge before heading out. Off to nappie world I go. Wake up feel like I have been drain of all energy, Achilles is now constantly hurting and again overslept. I am now upset at myself. Okay this is it. I will go on Wednesday or question about it and go from Wednesday to Sunday. Still only 5 days in a row (you might see where my mind is and is not working by now) I will be just fine. So not to just repeat what I said before but lets just say Wednesday was a repeat of Tuesday, however my mind finally understood math and the 5 days in row was actually 9 says in a row. So once I woke up after 8pm on Wednesday common sense tapped me on the shoulder and said "do you not see the signs??' 1. Your Mio Link has been telling you every morning that you resting rate has been at least 5 beats higher than normal, your Achilles has been looking up at you and saying "Friday you pushed me a little to far. I need so rest to repair and rebuild." and your naps have been over 2 hours (those aren't naps if they are that long, you are sleeping idiot LOL). So that is when I realized that my body had been given me signs this whole time. I think that if I didn't have the Mio Link and I didn't know what my heart was doing it could have gone a different way. So jump to today. Achilles is completely back to normal, heart rate is back to where it has been when I wake up and I felt some what rested this morning when I woke up. And the biggest thing, I am so pumped to be starting my 5 day workout schedule tonight.

I had decided to take a break every 3 months for a week to repair and recharge. But if you are seeing signs from your body, listen to them. Tell Mr. Ego to shut up and take a break. Will a week off set you back? Maybe if you are new it will slightly. Taking a week off now or having to take weeks or month off cause you "powered" through the pain and got injured, you tell me which you would prefer.

Thank you to Mio Link for the help with my training. It has made a world of difference and opened up more possibilities than I had before. Thank you to everyone that takes the time out of their day to read these posts. Hope I can help at least one person.

How one sport can completely become an obsession and take over your life....in a good way :-)/#TrainWithHeart

I have said this before in earlier post about how I finally decided to start my triathlon training this year. If you haven't had a chance to read my post about my decision to start this journey to what I hope will be 140.6, for 10 years I would always watch NBC's coverage of the Kona World Championships. Every year while I was watching all those amazing people suffer and conquer the course I would say to myself, "I am going to start training for that this year" but didn't. So for whatever reason I had this year, whether it was being 40, the great support I have at home that I didn't have the years before or it was time to just do it; I have started this year. And after 3 months of training, it has become part of my DNA.

I have always wanted to be huge too. It is two conflicting goals that I have had in my life. I am 5"8" and have always wanted to be the size of Jay Cutler, Phil Heath or even the GOAT Arnold. I always thought 250 lbs was the weight I wanted to be. I knew what it would take it go from the 165 lb person I was to 250 and I don't mean the weights, food or the time in the gym. I knew it would take chemical enhancement and I was okay with that (or so I thought). About 3 years ago I decided that it was time. So I started the daily routine of eating every 2 hours 7 days a week. Going to the gym and doing absolutely no cardio cause now I am "bulking" LOL. Also went online and got the closes thing to pure chemical enhancements. Now with having those in my system I had to worry about my liver, blood pressure and testosterone production shut down. Oh the things that you have to do to reach your goals in this sport. When I started I weighed 175 and in 6 months I jumped to 210. I was definitely bigger. People that hadn't seen my in years, didn't even recognize me and where amazed. But how healthy was I? After walking up stairs, I was short of breath. My face was always a shade red from the elevated blood pressure. All I thought about was lifting and eating. My Twitter feed was nothing but full of bodybuilders and supplement companies. I snored louder. I just felt like total crap the whole time. Then came the stomach issue. I had to have my Nissin redone because not only had the one I had 12 years ago come undone but my stomach had twisted and was now above my diaphragm and under my lungs. The doctor that did the endoscopy said that people that had the same issues that I had, when they had to go to the emergency room they didn't make it cause the twist in the stomach had constricted the stomach to where no blood was getting to the rest of the stomach. So obviously the gym was put on hold for awhile. And the weight that I had put on started to drop off quickly. I had another habit that was terrible for me. I would kill my lungs at least 15 to 20 times a day and had the most important person in my life (other than my kids) asking me to stop but it is more addictive than heroin. So here comes November 2013. Again on NBC the Kona World Championship is on the TV. And again like the last 10 years there I am on the couch saying to myself "2014 I am going to do Kona in 2 years." Jump ahead to April 2014 and the click.

I don't know where it came from and I don't know why it happened. But I began my training. I stopped killing my lungs cold turkey. I mentally associated that after I worked out even one puff would completely destroy everything I just did in the gym. 4 months later and still not even 1 puff and don't even crave one either. So my journey began. I cleared out a lot of the bodybuilding Twitter feed, I canceled all the email list I was on regarding bodybuilding and replaced all of that with Triathlon athletes, companies and associations. I would find a great group of people that were all doing triathlons not to win but for themselves. The majority of professionals actually interact with their fans on Twitter and Social media. Companies would also interact with their customers. This was all knew to me. Now I am not saying in the bodybuilding world the companies and athletes don't, just that to me more of the pros in the triathlon world would interact with their fans. I would listen to races from all over the world, watch old races on YouTube, read everything I can about what is going on in the triathlon world. I would find a couple of people that would be inspirational to me by following their journey as they trained and competed in triathlons. It was great to see how supportive people in this world is to be so supportive of each other and cheer people that they haven't ever met before.

The training has taken off for me. If I miss a workout just cause of life, I can tell it changes how I feel. I feel like I am going backwards if I miss the workout. I feel amazing after a workout and I have struggles during the workout. I decided to take my workouts to a higher level. Heart Rate training using the MAF training way. Thanks to the innovative and amazing company of Mio Global, I started using their Mio Link. This strapless heart rate monitor was amazing. The Link goes on you wrist like a watch. So there would be no chaffing or uncomfortable chest strap to have to deal with. Being able to see which training zone you are in by a flashing light that corresponds to the heart rate zone you set by their Mio Go App is easy and very convenient. This one thing has taken my training to a level where I believe I will be able to do a full Ironman in 2 years time. So I thank them every chance I get and here I am doing it again. Thank you Mio Global for creating such an amazing helpful product. #TrainWithHeart is their slogan and it is fitting on many different levels.

Triathlon is now part of me and my world. Everyday I think about my training, how the last workout went and how the next one will be. I like, share, + and retweet on a daily basis companies that I support and follow and that have supported me and helped me. Like SOS Rehydrate, Swiftwick Socks, Mio Global, Skratch Labs, Align Footwear and SLSTri just to mention a few.

SOS Rehydrate has really helped me with my hydration during training and just support and motivation. Getting dehydrated is a thing of the past for me thanks to their great product. I will be doing a detailed review of their product in the near future. Also I will be doing a review of Swiftwick Socks and Align Footwear as well.

So I end this humbly and honestly to the people that take time out of their day to read my blogs,to say THANK YOU! I am no English professor, journalist, grammar expert or professional writer. I share this blog with whoever reads this to motivate, help or just entertainment you during your day. It takes putting your ego aside and bringing to the front any insecurities that one might have when they decide to do a blog. So again I can not express enough how appreciative I am of everyone of the hundreds and hundreds of people out that support each other in this Triathlon world.

Training without Ego: One of the hardest thing leaving that at home/MAF Training

Ego: the thing talking in your ear telling you to go faster, to not let the person next to you do more than you, even though you are in pain to keep going. Wait that is all? You can't go farther? You just need to quit!

Now there is a difference between pushing yourself and letting your ego take over. In pushing yourself, you say to yourself "you can do one more rep or one more set." You push yourself by doing more than you did the time before. Letting your Ego take over is worrying what people think about what you are doing in the gym. As an example, the person beside you is running at a faster pace and you increase your pace to match theirs even though it might be double what you are use to doing. When you have a very good training program in place but go above and beyond it just cause you are worrying about what people think about you while you are training or working out.

Now when you have your ego in your ear and let it take over but you stick to your training program, it will start to make you feel like you are not doing enough, you are failing or not going to succeed in your goals. And that is where I am in my running training. My cycling is going great. I am increasing my cadence, distance and effort all the while staying in my Green Zone. So I can tell that I am growing, getting better and my endurance is improving. However my running (if you can call it that) to me feels like it is never growing, never progressing and the discouragement is growing. I have been increasing my mileage according to the "rule" of 10% each week. I have been getting off the bike, doing abs and then hitting the run straight away. I can set it to a pace that allows me to run about .2 to .3 miles then I go over my Green Zone and have to start walking for .1 to .2 miles then I can run for about .15 and the cycle starts over. I get on the treadmill to run not to walk and run. This is the MAF training is though. You use the 180 formula to determine your Aerobic Zone and train in it. However you HAVE to check your ego at the door. MAF is the best way to increase your endurance and build a base but it is also the slowest way to do it so that you prevent injuries. Last nights training was a high of the fastest I have done on the bike in mph and a low with still having to walk. And it isn't cause I feel like I have to walk like I can't finish the workout but because I go outside of my Green Zone on my Mio Link. I just want to run the whole time but I have committed to this type of training and if it works for Mark Allen for his triathlon training then it has a good history of working.\

So we must just come to the door of the gym and look your EGO in the face and like you would talk to your dog just say, STAY!!

Back in the saddle after a week of rest from Training/MAF Training

How does the saying go? You never know what you have till it is gone. Or in this case, till you take a break from it. I was still so very tired from this past weekend. On the way home from work, I was actually worried about falling asleep driving. Now before when I was lifting for pure size, if I took anytime off and was real tired I would just convince myself that I could wait till the next to get the workout in. Well we know how that usually goes, tomorrow comes and you talk yourself into going the next day and so on and so forth till it has been 3 weeks and you just say screw it I will start back up next month. Now I know not everyone is like that and couldn't imagine even saying that. However those people wouldn't have put themselves in the situation to be able to just skip a few days. But this time every day that I took off, I felt like I was letting myself down, losing my endurance, etc. But after I went in the gym for my first workout on Monday and looked down at my MIO Link and saw that I was already in the Green Zone even before getting started I knew it would just get worst LOL.

Oh Lifecycle GX and Treadmill, how I have missed you!! It felt so great to sit on that saddle, put my feet in, 5 minute warm-up, increase the resistance to a level higher than I have been and just pedal. Now I have yet to hit mid way in the resistance yet, but I am starting to get in the more difficult area for sure. So I planned on increasing the resistance and handling a lower cadence while my legs adjust to the increased work. It was great!! Sitting in the saddle after a 5 minute warm-up, then just pedalling along. About 30 minutes into the 50 minute ride, I could tell that the new resistance setting was pushing my legs to places they have never been before. And that new feeling felt so amazing. Got down with the ride and jumped on Abs. Now I have changed up one exercise from Abs and that is the corkscrew. The twisting was just hurting my lower back, so I added a alternating V-Sit twist. Which has worked just as good if not better. After burning Abs later then it was on to the run.

I have explained and gone over MAF training many times in my blog posts. And I have been doing it for a couple of months now, however even though I am increasing my mileage by 10% each week, the walk run part is getting a little old but that is the way to do it. I have to build up my endurance base injury free and this method is the best way to do it, but that little (or in some people) big monster called EGO starts to try and take over. So when I get on the treadmill and see people running and I am going from a run to a walk every .1 to .2 miles it can be discouraging. I think to myself "I am never going to be able to get to a point where I can run for a whole 5k without walking". But I also say to myself, this people right here running on the treadmill didn't just get done riding on a bike then going straight to a run. So that eases the EGO pain. And I continue along, cause the first time I bike for say 20 miles then run non stop for 5k will be the greatest day and such a accomplishment for me.

Stay tuned for more post and I promise at least 1 a day from now on even if it is just a thought or idea I have. Please if you enjoy these subscribe to this blog. Also I would love to hear from everyone any kind of criticism. Thank you for taking the time to read this as always.

Start 3rd month training/Staying in the Green with MIO Link

This week has been the beginning of the 3rd month of training. According to http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=730, the 3rd month adds swimming to  the bike. However since I have already been doing the bike and I added run to it plus I have not been able to join the Y yet to start swimming, I have decided to just stay with the last week of the 2nd month increasing the resistance and I will gradually increase the time in the seat over each 2 weeks. I will also increase the resistance every month.

Man what a difference it was from resistance 4 to 5!! It was like I was pedaling uphill the first time on Monday. I had a 40 minute ride and by the end of 40 mins, I could definitely tell that I had pushed my legs more than I have. Wednesday was my 50 minute ride again at level 5 for right now. I always do a 5 minute warmup usually at level 1 just to get the blood flowing thru my legs. However after Monday's session, I found out that level 1 warm up isn't enough of resistance to get my legs ready for the level 5 constant ride. So Wednesday I did my warmup at level 3 to help with the change. Now I am checking my ego at the door, the http://www.lifefitness.com/commercial/grouptraining/lifecyclegx.html has up to 20 levels of resistance so I have many many levels still to go. At increasing the resistance at 1 level per month, I will be at level 14 by the time the 2015 Triathlon season begins in March. I just can't tell you how great I am feeling before, during and after each workout.

I know I go on and on about the MIO Link but I could not even imagine training without the use of a Heart Rate Monitor. And the Link is so great cause you can keep track of what zone you are in just by the color of the flashing light on your wrist. Don't have to slow down cadence, take hands off bars or any other unsafe practices to be able to see what you heart rate is. You set the training zones using MIO GO App then you don't have to worry about anything after that. The good thing about increasing the resistance is that it now is putting me in my Zone 2 or my MAF zone almost for the whole time in the seat. So I am training my body to burn fat first before using my glycogen storage for energy.

Speaking of MAF zone, it is also a great feeling to be in the Zone 2 the whole time now during my "run" LOL. Now I put run in quotation marks and added the LOL cause it really is a super fast walk. I am right there on the edge of a fast walk and starting to run. If I go to running then my heart goes to red, so I am walking fast as hell. It is an ego check for sure cause I so enjoyed running however the benefit is my Plantar Fasciitis has not been bad at all. I just keep saying to myself "I am building base and doing it the safest that I can to keep injuries to a minium.

Friday is my long ride. 5 minute warmup, 80 minute ride, abs then my run\walk. I just got down with yesterdays training and I am already looking forward to Fridays!! I AM ADDICTED!!!!

Again, thank you so much for taking your time out of your day and reading this posts. It does many a lot to me. If you would like please subscribe to that it will come to your email with every post I do.

End of 2nd month TRI training with my MIO LInk/MAF Training

What can I say at the end of the 2nd month of my training? Down 10 lbs, seeing abs that I have never seen before, feel absolutely great after every workout, mentally I have already embraced and caught the addiction bug of triathlon training. After 10 years of saying every January that I am going to do Kona Ironman, it is a great feeling to know that I am now in a very supportive group of triathlete competitors. Or I should say that I am a triathlon trainee lol. I am looking forward to the 2015 season to begin competing in March.

Friday's workout was an 80 minute bike with abs and run (speed walk lol). Felt absolutely great during the whole ride. My bottom is getting more and more use to being in the saddle for that long. However I will start looking into some chamois cream to help with the sore points that do form while sitting for that long. I have done a little research online about the different creams that are available. Once I select one to go with of course I will do a review of that cream. What type of creams have you guys used and which ones do you prefer?

Abs workout is so brutal but so rewarding! I am now at 20 reps per exsercise. I am thinking of adding 5 more reps which would make it 25 reps then instead of going to 30 reps, just adding another set on to them. So it would be 20 reps for one circuit then 10 reps for set 2. Also I think that I will add a excerise that aims for the upper abs cause it seems to me the workout is very lower and side ab specific.

Now on to my MIO Link and MAF Training since they are now going hand in hand. Using the MAF Training 180 formula, my zone 2 or aerobic zone is 140 - 130. Now according to Mark Allen http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=2 the add or subtract beats is based on how much you workout a week, which is a little different than from Dr. Maffetone's formula. So I used Mark Allen's base of how much a week I workout. Now some people will say that for Cycling you should use a different number for your zone 2 or Aerobic zone, but Mark Allen says to use this number for ALL cardio training. So that is what I am using. The great thing about the MIO Link is that it has 5 different zones you can set by using the MIO GO app. On the bike to keep it between 130 and 140 bpm right now is a push, but checking what my beats are it is so close to the 130 that I feel comfortable that I am still in the zone during my long ride. So seeing between blue and light green on my MIO Link during the whole ride was a great feeling knowing that my body is using fat first for energy before getting into fuel reserves. Now to the run! It has taken me almost a whole month to finally commit to leaving my ego at the door and shooting for green during the run. And let me tell you to go from running to a high speed walk is something that I have to tell myself we be very benefittal for years to come. If it wasn't for the ease of use of the MIO Link, I don't think I would be doing MAF Training. And for someone who is pretty vain to be honest, it feels real good seeing the flashing green light and knowing that for certain I am burning only fat.

Well there we be many more to come today. I have just figured out that I can't do post on the weekend so Monday's will be post a plenty LOL.

MIO Link gave me the green light :-)/Legends of the Road tackle RAAM

What a great workout yesterday. Had a short 35 minute ride, then abs and run so I decided after last week's short ride that I would incorporate sprints into my short ride but still make sure to keep it in the green zone on my MIO Link.

So I did more reading about MAF training. I came across the www.philmaffetone.com website who is considered the creator of MAF training plus in my search I found out that 1 of Phil's students was Mark Allen 6 time Kona Ironman champion.  And on Mark's website I found this article  http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=2 which really goes into detail some what on the training. Phil Maffetone has a great book from what I have heard called The Big Book of Endurance and Racing. Which I will be getting very soon to help me with my training. Now according to the article on Mark Allen's website this can be used for all endurance training. So with keeping my heart rate the same both bike and run is great.  On the bike 5 minute warm up, then into the sprints. 3:30 minute sprints with 3:30 rest period between sprints. By using the formula my zone is 140 to 130 bpm again both for the run and bike. So for the sprints I doubled the resistance  from 3 to 6 then back down for the rest periods. 100 rpm during the sprints and my normal long ride pace of 80 rpm during the rest period. Man what a blast it was! Pushing my body to a place where it hasn't been before while keeping it in my Maximum Aeorbic Factor training. Seeing the light on my Link flash green to light red but making sure not to push it past to solid red. It felt great to push my body to this area where it hadn't been before. Sweating and a tad out of breath during each sprint was amazing. I would get down into the tuck position during the sprints which actually help keeping the cadence at 100 rpm. Friday will be my long ride of 70 minutes.  I will make sure to take my X2 performance to see what difference it will make since I didn't get a chance to last ride.

For people who might be interested in what my ab workout is: bicycle, corkscrew, double crunch crossover, hip raises, jackknife crossover, Heel touches, Side plank rotations. No rest, start out with 10 reps each and then add more reps as it gets easier in groups of 5. So 10 to 15 to 20 reps etc. This will cause you to go into your green zone or even higher lol. From there it was on to the run.

Now again I CAN PROUDLY SAY I AM A RUNNER CAUSE I LOVE IT! But I am still starting from no base so I have not got to very far distance yet but I am still proud cause everyone starts from the ground level. However, I have got to learn on check my ego at the door with my run. And it isn't really that. I love to run now and want to run. But in order to stay in the zone, I have to pretty much walk at a fast pace to stay in it. So I am up in the air about what to do regarding the walk or run tell my Aeorbic base is built. More than likely I will use the training to keep my running in the zone and just check it at the door. Love the changes I am seeing inward and outward in me. I am starting to see abs in places where i have dreamed of having them :-).

Now on to a huge shout out to: The Legends of the Road! Ben Bostrom, Micky Dyamond, David Zabriskie and my friend Dave Mirra will start this Saturday in the Race Across America or the RAAM. Please if you have a chance check out the website http://www.thelegendsoftheroad.com. It is a race from coast to coast of the USA. This the 32 year of the race and to give you an example it is 30% longer than the Tour de France. Thanks to their many sponsors for allowing them to do this. 

Again thank you for reading my blog and following me on this journey. 

Treadmill how I have missed you/Mio Link all I saw was red flashing lol

A little background about me and running. I USE TO HATE IT!! It probably comes from having to get up at 4:30 Monday,  Wednesday and Friday morning at The Citadel when I was a freshman. Mandatory knob PT was the worst. So you associate punishment to running very quickly. So a huge major part of Triathlon is running go figure lol. So what did I do to change my mentality?

Honestly I just said to myself this is part of what I have to do so suck it up and do it! And the strangest thing happened, it worked. After about a month of running I got hit with the wonderful Plantar Fasciitis and took 2 weeks off but added additional 5 miles to my bike rides to try and keep up whatever endurance I gained with my running. I was absolutely shocked what the mind can do. I missed running so much. I would walk into the gym and walk passed all the treadmills and would actually be a little sad cause I wasn't going to be able to run. Don't get me wrong I love being on the bike. I think that comes from years of watching The Tour De France both on TV and twice in person. But for me to actually be sad that I couldn't run was just against every fiber of my body. So when yesterday 2 weeks had past and I felt like my left foot had recovered from the plantar, I was smiling ear to ear when I got off the bike. I did my ab workout as soon as I got off the bike and went to the treadmill.

Old treadmill how I have missed you so much!  I felt so good to start that up and watching my bright green shoes going in a little blur lol. Heart pounding, breathing hard and sweat pouring down lol. When I got done left foot was great, absolutely no pain what so ever. Now while I was letting the foot heal, I did purchase a set of insoles for plantar fasciitis which I have been using everyday in every shoe I wear. Plus when I got done and got home I went right away and grab a jar of frozen strawberry jam in a glass round jar and rolled in under my foot for 15 minutes.  Before you ask the jar of jam was so old it wasn't good lol. Feet feel great today and I am so looking forward to Wednesdays workout especially the run. When I realized so much I missed running I realized at that moment,  I AM A RUNNER!!

Now on to the red light flashing at me the whole run lol. Like I have said before, you use the Mio GO app to set your training zones for what you are doing. And on the bike for me that is 117 to 135 for an aerobic zone workout. Which is used to build endurance.  MIO Link set and off we go. I will say that that was the first time that I kept my ride in that zone the whole time. It felt so good to look on my wrist and see the little light flashing green. You can check it out of the corner of your eye and see how you are doing.  Which I am only a month and half into my triathlon training, I am not trying to break any kind of records just building up a base. The stationary bike that I am using to get my seat time and miles on is more than your usual stationary bike. It has multiple adjustments so I have the bike configured for me. But the main thing that is very beneficial is that you can't coast cause it is actually a spin class bike. So for like my long ride when it is 70 minutes plus 5 miles when I couldn't run, it was an hour and 41 minutes of non stop pedaling. I won't know how that breaks down on a road bike when you can coast as rest.

Anyway back on to the flashing light lol. So I got done with the bike and went to the treadmill.  Using my MAF training zones, I figured my aerobic zone to be 135 to 125 to be safe. I changed my training zone on my MIO Link and since I was just coming back from my plantar problem I wanted to go slow. So I set it for almost 2 minute pace slower than what I was running before I got hurt. 15 steps into the run. BRIGHT RED FLASHING LIGHT LOL. Okay I have exceeded my zone and have to back it down. So I started slowing the pace down to get in my zone. Now the best thing to do when you go to the gym is CHECK YOUR EGO at the door. However that is so hard to do. I already couldn't wait to get back to running but in order to get into my zone I had to walk. I just couldn't do it for my first day back. So I realized that I needed to get more information regarding MAF training which I have started doing more research by joining the MAF training group on Google+ thanks to Fred Lechuga which I follow on Google+. So what I did was try to keep my heart rate as close to the top of the zone as possible. Which was still 20 beats per minute more than it should be. So I am hoping to have more information by my next run on Wednesday.  But I can not say enough how good it felt to run again.

Again thank you so much for taking valuable time out of your day and reading this blog. Please like or share or re tweet if you like it. Till tomorrow with iRacing and COD: Ghost grind.

Getting stopped twice @ gym cause of my Mio Link/ X2 Performance does it work?/ Prime Nutrition Recovery/RunTriMom

UYesterday's workout was a short 25 minute plus the usually 5 miles that I have added to make up for not being able to run. So I didn't get any blue the first workout with the Link cause I had my zones set on Running Zones. So after figuring out mathematically my max HR (I know I should do a true test but I am still learning), I decided to add sprints for the 25 min part. So I did 2 minute 30 second sprints at 95 cadence then 5 min "rest" at 80 cadence at half the resistance as the sprints. One thing that was very interesting was when I was bent over in the aero tuck position the Link would be showing that I was in my target zone but if I kept the speed the same and sat up with my arms straight on the bars it would go to the red. That was very interesting. It was great being able to just catch out of the corner of eye the light blinking letting me know what zone I was in. I was stopped by 2 people at the gym asking me about the Link cause they have heard it but never seen one in person. They loved it and said they would be picking one up. Women if you are reading this and want to get started in HR training, PICK one up. No chaffing under the chest region.  I am friends on Facebook, follow on Twitter, Instagram, and her Blog Stephanie Johnson (@runtrimom), she is such a motivational person. I told her about the Link and how it doesn't rub the sensitive area on women and she sounded like she jumped all over it. So good to spread the word of a great company to people. Today ride will be 75 minutes plus 5 miles and will be at the lower zone so I will see blue today lol. I will start on Monday tracking my resting HR by putting the Link on as soon as I wake up.

It has been a little hard to judge if X2 performance is working or not. I definitely feel like I have more energy while I am working out but they have been short workouts. Today's long ride should give me I very good idea how it works. There are two good things that I know for sure. I am more focused during training and it doesn't not keep me awake with the natural caffeine.  Can't wait to try it again tonight. I have 1 left from the samples that were sent to me. On their website it did say that some people have to build up taking it to feel it's full effect.

I can't say enough about the great people at Pine Nutrition.  Even though their products and their backgrounds are for the fitness/bodybuilding area.  You can use them for endurance training. Since I have been mixing their EAA with my Gatorade during rides, then taking their Glutamine with Gatorade, I have felt hardly any DOMS the day after. Since today will be the longest ride that I have done Saturday will be a huge test. But I have faith in their products. Go to their website www.primenutrition.com and check out what they have for you.

Again thank you so much for reading this, it means a lot for you to take the time out of your day and look at this.

My first workout with Mio Link and X2 performance/Call of Duty Ghost/iRacing

What can I say! The Mio Link is a great heart rate monitor to have. It feels so natural and comfortable to wear on your wrist while you workout. It sync up with a huge majority of training watches. Wear both your watch and Link on the same arm for the best accurate reading. Yesterday was my mid ride training. So I did 5 min warmup then 35 minute ride plus 5 miles again to make up for running. There are 5 different heart rate zones that you can set on the Link. This was the first time I used heart rate as a guide to my training. I set my target zone on the Link for my running target heart rate.  After about 10 minutes on the ride and the light that changes color as you enter different zones on the watch never changed from the bottom zone (blue warm up and recovery zone) I did some Googling and realized your target cycle zone and running zone are different lol. Well that is what training is for to learn. So today I will calculate my cycle target zone and see how that goes. It was very interesting watching Mio Go on my Note 2 display my heart rate. It would increase when I would up my cadence but then once I stayed at that cadence for a while it would go back down to a stead beat. At the end of my riding I do a brutal ab workout that always leaves me breathless in the mid then at the end. Both times when I would get done with an excerise and be winded I was in the running target zone. One very neat feature was the light as you get closer to the different zones gradually change color, so you could set the zones on the Link using your smartphone application then leave the phone at home and you would know which zone you were in and how close to the next one you are. I just love forward thinking companies like Mio Global. Please look them up and get this great non chest chaffing wrist heart rate monitor. ( I wish I had a discount code for something to offer but even if I don't trust me you won't be disappointed at all). More on come each and everyday.

X2 Performance is a pre workout supplement that I have been wanting to try out a long with many others and hydration products. I plan on doing ad many reviews on here as I can with as many products that I can do to help people decide on what will work for them. I got the 4 bottle sample pack like I said from the Dave Scott webcast. They come in 2 oz bottles that are very convenient for carrying with you on the way to the gym or on rides. I popped one open and downed it as fast as I could. The taste is not the best I would say but you don't take supplements always for the favor. It isn't the worst that I have had but it isn't the best either. I workout kind of late compare to what other people do and I don't drink caffeine so the natural caffeine that is included had me a little concerned about it keeping me awake.  I could tell I had more energy during training and was more focused than usual. The best news was it didn't not interfere with me going to bed last night at all. I will be training again tonight for a shorter ride but with more intensity.  I will give another update tomorrow as well. So far so good.

Played about 2 hours of Call of Duty Ghost and again like with anything that you want to so better or get better with you have to practice practice.  And it was like a switch just was flipped and things that I have been working on just came together. Went even many times and DOUBLE once while still playing for the Drop Zone objectice. Makes the game so much more fun once it starts gelling like that.

Going to do some iRacing and more Ghost tonight. Skippy is at Brands Hatch and Indy Fixed Oval is at Texas!

Evil Geniuses at XGAMES Austin/New job/MIO GLOBAL LINK/X^2 Performance/ COD:Ghost

So yesterday was my first day at my new job. Bilingual IT Service Desk using my French maybe 26 times a month.  Doing level 1 IT helps for Meritor. Good group of people. Such a different group of people. Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and me French speaking people. The Service Desk will be running 24/7 and I have the M-F 5 am to 2 pm shift. Yesterday was just day one and going over how tickets are handled and clocking in etc. Real basic information. We won't actually start taking calls till July 26th. So have a long time of training.

So the day finally came!! My Mio Global Link came in the mail yesterday. Huge thanks to Mio. I can't wait to start using it tonight. It was charged out of the box but just made sure it was fully charged. Fit great, so light on the wrist. Downloaded MIO GO from Google Play Store. So quick found the Link right away. I will be using it to go over all my training and even using it first thing in the morning to monitor my recovery.  They are such an amazing company with forward thinking product and mentally.  Stay tuned for a daily update and training sessions using the LINK.

X^2 Performance signed Dave Scott to their team and had a great webcast Q&A. There was an issue and X^2 gave everyone who signed up a free shirt and samples.  This has been a supplement that I have been wanting to try and it came in the mail yesterday as well and I can wait to give it a try tonight before training. Mid distance ride tonight. Going to give my left foot another week to heal. It is so much better, but I am dying to start running.  Updates to come on how this product is to take a few hours before going to bed.

So jumped into some Ghost last night as well. Had some great games, it is almost like a switch was turned on and started to get several games positive while still playing Drop Zone Objectives.  But when I start getting tired or my thumbs start hurting it goes downhill from there. It is true what people say, to get good at these games it really is just practice practice practice. And it comes out of the blue too. All of a sudden you are playing better and faster. Was a really good gaming session.

Don't forget to pull for Evil Geniuses this weekend at X Games Austin!!!!

Wayne Taylor Racing/Long cycle ride/COD GHOST

Sitting here on the couch watching a great finish to the United Sportscar Championship, great win by Wayne Taylor Racing. Love watching Jordan and Ricky Taylor racing.

Yesterday TRI training was my longest one so far. While I have been on non running status, I have added 5 miles to all my cycle rides. So 75 minutes plus 5 miles or 1.41:00 on the bike. Since I am still just beginning and not wanted to get injuries and just getting the seat time in, keeping cadence at 83 plus or minus a few. So 19 miles done then the brutal ab workout afterward. Again can't say enough about Prime Nutrition EAA and Glutamine. Loaded up my big water bottle with Gatorade and Prime Nutrition EAA. Finished the ride not dehydrated at all. Then when I got home, instantly go with Gatorade plus Prime Nutrition Glutamine and ALR industries HumaPro for instant protein uptake. No leg soreness this morning at all. Can tell that I pushed my legs the farthest they have been. They feel a little heavy is the best way to describe what it feels like the next day when you work your legs past their comfort zone with good nutrition and supplementation. Woke up this morning and didn't even think about my left foot. So healing is coming along well. Again Plantar Fascittis doesn't go away you just manage it. So fingers crossed for Monday running after my bike.

As far as racing and gaming yesterday, was suppose to do League Indy 500 last night. Went to the gym early in order to be able to get in. Was told the wrong time and could not get in to the server. So that is 2 Indy 500 races where something outside of my control caused me not to be able to race it which blows! So did a Skip Barber race at Mazda Laguna. Started from the pole first time this year, had a second lead by turn 4. CHARTER INTERNET GOES OUT AND DISCONNECTED!!!! SO PISSED!! If I make a mistake that causes me places or the race, I learn and move on but to go out cause of something that I can't control, kills me. Internet came back, log back in, join dead last 2 laps down. I was so much faster than most cars I pasted 7 cars by the end of the race and and looking at the time would have finished 2nd if wonderful Charter didn't go out.  Took a beating in IR points. Was so mad just decided to regroup and go again today. So jumped on COD Ghost cause it is Double XP weekend.

Still learning FPS and Ghost maps, so I am not a running and gunning player.  I pre aim and crouch walk around every corner. While everyone goes for the Drop Zone (all I am playing right now) it always go very wide and try and take out the opposition from the flanks to help my players holding the Drop Zone. From watching all the footage of Pro Gamers playing on MLG, I have seen what I thought was all the maps on Drop Zone. Then COD throws in one I have never been on. And oh boy how sucky can I be!! I feel like if you get on a team and work together you can play just as good as the pros. Good tactics and working together can beat anyone. Now it pains me to say this but I do feel like a Scuf controller or modify your controller to be like one is a must now. Which I am giving Scuf a little more time just to respond to a slowly going away fan of theirs even not buying one yet. The ability to jump, shoot and crouch in one motion is huge. I am still plugging along. I feel like when I go positive or even I have won. I am a cautious gamer and will always be like that. I feel like quickscopping and C4, is such a weak player mode. They way they aim assist and hit boxes in the game works. You just have to have the player in the circle of the scope and the game makes the hit. Then C4 what can you say. People take KD  (kill to death ratio) as the be all of how to judge someone. Have you seen pros play against each other. More times than not they don't go positive cause they play for the objective.

One last thing, Indy racing is on right now at Belle Isle. And I will honestly say. Will Power is the dirtiest driver and race control protects him so much. Just dirty and knows he will get away with stuff. Stay tuned for more rants, workout and thoughts from me and thank you again for reading this blog.