What I learn from the MIO Link in TRI Training!/Shout out to single training parents!!

So this week has been the first week of having my boys for summer and using my MIO Link. So why do I bring that up you ask? Well let me tell you LOL. This week I got my boys for the 1 of my 4 weeks during the summer. So my typical day now is getting up earlier than normal, making sure they get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, drive them to my folks house (who they stay with while I am at work), drive to work, get down with work, go pick them up, get the back home, cook dinner, feed them, go to the gym, get back, get them in the shower, snack, in bed then get me in bed then repeat LOL. And yes I know that is what the majority of parents, mothers or single mother do on a regular basis if they are working out and handling a family. And it isn't that it is too much for me or that I resent it at all. What I found out I would have never known if I haven't had been using the MIO Link. Now let me explain.

My normal workout all last week was, green zone on the Link on bike, abs and green zone on run. The green zone being determined using the MAF training formula. All week last week it was like this. So I get my boys Friday night after my long ride and run. Have them over the weekend, which means late nights staying up with them and not the best sleep. Come Sunday night to bed early and get up early. Now because I am getting up earlier and do all the things to get them ready in the morning and getting me ready, I don't check my heart rate first thing when I wake up. I had been doing that and getting between 57 and 61. 57 usually the day of my next workout and 61 on the days right after my workout. So this week I am going at it not knowing where I stand. Also with having the boys, I decide that my legs could use a 3 day rest rather than a 2 day rest. So workout on Tuesday instead of Monday. I get in to the gym. Like I have said before same workout from week 4 of Month 2 but increase time in seat by 5 minutes and increase run by 10%. So that means a 45 minute ride after a 5 minute warm-up. On these "shorter" rides I try and stay at 90 rpm the whole ride. Now I want to say again doing this on the Spin Lifecycle GX is different than if I was doing it out on a road bike on the road, cause the Lifecycle DOES NOT have a coast gear. So it is pedaling the whole time at 90 rpm. I don't know who that works out between being able to coast and not being able to. In my mind I am doing a time trial in a race cause they hardly ever stop pedalling. So I get into the groove and see the wonder green light flashing on my MIO Link the whole 45 minutes, I felt great, legs where good, bottom getting more and more use to the seat in saddle. Absolutely perfect. Then on to the abs. Now if you have seen the picture in the post were I showed you my ab exercises you will remember seeing the Corkscrew. Now one thing about this is it can be hard on your back from the lifting and twisting at the same time . I had been doing 23 reps for all of my abs exercises up to that point. So I get to the Corkscrew and I hit 15 and it is like someone is sitting on the bottom of my feet. I can not do hardly any more. I don't understand this at the time. Can 1 exact day put me that far back and have I lost that much in one day extra. Now I know from bodybuilding that this isn't possible. So I split it up into 2 sets of 15. Every other ab exercise no problem what so ever. So on to the run.

This is were if I didn't have the MIO Link I would have had no idea what my body was doing. The last workout on Friday I got to be able to up the pace for a bit and still keep it in the green zone. So I set the speed to what I did on Friday and got started. About 5 minutes into the run, I caught out of the corner of my eye what I thought was red flashing instead of green . So I looked down and that was right FLASHING LIGHT RED! I just thought to myself, there is no way. this is the exact same pace as I did Friday after a ride that was double the time that I just did. Now it was at a slower pace than what I did today but that shouldn't make a huge difference. So quieted my breathing till it went back to green which only took a half a minute. But 15 seconds later there it was again RED RED RED. So I slowed it down and stayed green the rest of the way. However instead of completely enjoying the rest of the run, all I was doing was thinking about "What is going on here" What has changed from last week to this week. My kids!! Now I am not saying Kids will slow down your progress LOL, but what I am saying is that the new added stress of daily chores taking care of them has increase my stress level and has hindered my ability to recover as well as when they aren't with me. Now I would take having this time with me over them not having me for sure. But getting to the title, my run felt the exact same as it did on Friday to me. But if I didn't have my MIO Link I would have never know that I went out of my Aerobic zone and into my Anaerobic Zone. The whole goal of the Aerobic(Green Zone) is to train the body to use fat first before using stored energy. So the whole time I am in the Green Zone I think to myself "Burn Fat Burn Fat show me that 6 pack" LOL. So thank you MIO Link and MAF training to allow me to take my training to another level of knowledge and being able to listen to my body!

So with that I salute the training parents, single parents who have to do their daily chores of child raising, work and still train and recover. HUGE HATS OFF TO YOU!!!

Legends of the Road wins 4 person team male under 50 in the Race Across America!!

3020 miles traveled non stop in 5 days 11 hours and 41 mins, that is 755 miles per person. That is what Dave Mirra, Ben Bostrom, Micky Dymond and Dave Zakriskie did starting last Saturday from Oceanview CA. Over the course of about 5 and half days, they dealt with high temperatures, strong winds, huge mountains, and blinding rain. Riding during the day and thru the night non stop, I can't even imagine what it would take to accomplish such an amazing feat. Even while I am typing this and they came in at 3:19 am this morning, there are still teams racing on the course. Please join me in congratulating this amazing guys on winning their division in the Race Across America. And YES by following them, it has sparked an interest for next year. Maybe can fill in for Micky Dymond next year since he is going to attempt it Solo.

2nd month TRI training/MIO Link/SLS3/ZOOT Sports/Prime Nutrition/ALR/Pre & PostJYM/Sof Sole/RAAM LOTR

I have had this blog going almost everyday since May 24th 2014, and in that span of time I have had over 612 people that have taken the time to read my blog posts!! That is so humbling and amazing to me. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS READ EVEN ONE OF MY POSTS!!

First off let me start by saying that I am truly sorry for slacking off these past 2 days. It has been a very busy week. I have my kids this week for the start of my summer time with them. So I am getting up at 6 am, getting them up, dressed, fed. At the same time I am getting in the shower, dressed, make my lunch then get them out the door. They get to stay at my mom's house during the day while I am working. So full day at work, then 45 minute drive to get them, take them back home. I fix or pick up dinner for them (I stopped eating fast food unless it is Wendy's salad which I will explain in another blog by itself.) Then on Monday Wednesday and Friday I go to the gym after they have eaten. They get some gaming in then it is showers then bed and do it all over lol. So I got behind from posting and I am going to get caught up now.

Tomorrow marks the 2nd month of Triathlon training with an 80 minute ride plus abs and my run. Mondays training was a real good session. Had a 40 minute ride then my run. I can tell you that it does feel so good to be able to run since having the attack of the Plantar Fasciitis on my left foot. Now this does not go away instantly so I had to stop running for 2 weeks, research methods to easy and prevent flare ups and I purchased a set of Sof Sole insert that is made specificaly for Plantar Fasciitis. I can tell you hands down that they make a huge difference while I am running and day to day. When I am not running I put the Sof Sole inserts into every single shoe that I wear now. Absolutely no pain what so ever during the day. 2 things that I have learned that I have started to do to help manage the Plantar is as soon as I wake up in the morning I pull my toes back toward me and rub right where the heel begins on the bottom of my foot. What I have learned is that during the night while your Plantar starts healing when you wake up and instantly place weight on your foot it retears the microtears that were created from running the day before. By rubbing your heel and Plantar as soon as you wake up, you break up any scar tissue and get blood flowing to the Plantar which helps warm up so it won't tear. The second thing that I have learned and have started doing was I took 4 Sprite bottles filled them almost all the way up with water then put them in the freezer. As soon as I get home while I am drinking my post-workout concoction of Gatorade + Prime Nutrition Glutamine and ALR HumaPro tablets, I roll the frozen Sprite bottle under my left foot for a good 15 minutes to control any swelling that can happen. Just doing these 3 things has helped tremendously. So if you have Plantar Fasciitis, please go and purchased some Sof Sole inserts. Only $19.99, I will make a huge difference.

What can I say about MIO Link that I haven't already said? What a great amazing device! And even though I am a guy, I tell as many women that I know that they have to get this. I can only imagine how uncomfortable a chest strap for women can feel. It is so convient to just be able to look out of the corner of your eye to see what zone you are in. So if you are not seeing green and are seeing blue, need to push a little more. If you are seeing red, need to back it down. I have a Samsung Note 2, I have downloaded the MIO GO app on my Android phone. It lets you set up to 5 different training zones which is great for many different types of training. The App links up by bluetooth with the Link seamlessly. However the iPhone app has so many more features than the Android app for right now. The additional features from the iPhone will be coming over to the Android app some time soon which I am very excited for. Please if you are tired of the rubbing and chafing of a chest strap, then pick up a MIO Link. Works with Bluetooth and ANT+, IPhone and Android phones, so here is no excuse not to run and get one.

SLS3 FXC Compression Sleeves in Lime Green I am seen when I walk into the gym lol. So far they have been great. As someone who is still a beginner in the Triathlon field, my long rides and running have made my legs drained and a little sore. So far I haven't felt drained or any soreness in my calves nor have I gotten 1 shin splint. I use to get shin splints all the time but since I have been wearing the Compression Sleeves I have not. I will do a SLS3 FXC Compression Sleeve review this weekend after my long ride plus run tomorrow.

I will be looking at getting a new pair of shoes from a running store here in the very near future. I currently have a pair of New Balance 690 right now. I do like them however I just purchased them off the shelf and with no expert to see how I run to pick the right shoe for me. I have been interested in what ZOOT Sport has to offer due to Dave Mirra uses them. Now I am not usually a follower of what celebrities use, but Dave Mirra has been an inspiration to me with his Triathlon training and races. He has interacted with me on Instagram many many times which is so rare nowadays. As soon as I get a pair I will be doing a review of them. Also ZOOT has interacted with me on Instagram as well which let me tell you is huge in my opinion. If companies take time to interact with people that takes time out of their day follow the companies it can easily make them a loyal customer for life just for that reason alone.

Prime Nutrition has been helping me with my nutrition both during and post training sessions. I use the EAA and Glutamine with Gatorade every training day. During my ride I mix Gatorade with the EAA to keep my going and hydrated. For the post workout, as soon as I get done I take Gatorade and mix it with their Glutamine. Also so that I get my protein intake right away, I take the ALR Industries HumaPro tablets. I take 6 tabs each time. Here is the link to exactly what makes HumaPro such a great protein source: http://alrindustries.com/products/humapro-tablets . By taking this combination of Gatorade/Prime Nutrition/ALR HumaPr, my recovery time and hydration while working out has been great. What I am looking for now is a good pre-workout supplement. Like I posted before I was sent a 4 day sample of X2 Performance. I tried them and I can not say if I experienced anything different than when I didn't take them. Dr. Jim Stoppani has a line of pre and post workout supplement line that I have been interested in trying. He is great with interacting with people on Social Media to. Now it might be a day before he responds but he is bombarded with question on Twitter all the time. If I decide to get his supplements I will review them on here like I do with everything that I use.

Finally again a shout out to the incredible team of Dave Mirra, Micky Dymond, Dave Zabriskie and Ben Bostrom for their effort in the Race Across America which is still going on. Currently they are in second place only 3 km behind the 1st place team. Also a huge shout out to Rick Tillery who is handling the support vehicle and helping to keep the riders going since there is no stopping until they cross the finish line. Follow them on Twitter at @LegendsoftheRoad and on Instagram they have taken over the Bicycling Magazine account. Also don't forget you can donate to their racing on GoFundMe.com.

Thank you guys so much for your patience and understanding of the slackness of mine lately. Stay tuned for more of my training, iRacing, and hopefully many more reviews of many different products for the viewpoint of a 40 year old gaming triathlete!!

Mirra, Bostrom, Dymond & Zabriskie Race Across America/ Legends of the Road/ Yield to Life Y2L

This is going to be a little shout out and support post for these amazing guys and all 130 teams that are competing in the Race Across America. I will start out with what the RAAM (Race Across America) consist of. This is directly from Legends of the Road website:
          The Race Across America (RAAM) is a 3000 mile transcontinental race considered the pinnacle of endurance cycling around the world. The race has been around for 32 years, and draws competitors from over 27 different countries. 

Beginning in Oceanside, CA, relay teams have just 9 days to complete the race to Annapolis, MD. The racers experience the true Americana culture, landscape, and varying climates. 

As a comparison the Tour de France is about 2300 miles long and is spaced out over 3 weeks. 

Now about the team: 

Ben Bostrom is an AMA Superbike, Supermoto, and Supersport Champion. He has been successful both on the national and international motorcycle racing scene. In the last few years, Ben has been racing mountain bikes professionally for Specialized, including an 11th place finish at the 2013 Leadville 100. Ben will be joining forces with his good friend, Micky Dymond, to race RAAM 2014. He will also be competing at the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as part of the Ducati Factory Team and will again take part in the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race.

Micky Dymond is a two-time AMA Motocross Champion and an AMA Supermoto Champion. He was a pioneer of freestyle motocross and was instrumental in getting freestyle motocross into the X Games. He has also held the record and has been a class winner at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. After becoming an avid cyclist over the years, he has set his sites on racing RAAM on a 4-person relay team in 2014, and solo in 2015. Micky will also be competing in several supermoto races and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2014 as part of the Ducati Factory Team.

Dave Mirra is the most successful X Games athlete of all time, competing in BMX and RallyCross. He is considered to be a true icon in the sport of BMX and making it a staple of the X Games. In addition to continuing RallyCross racing, Dave has recently turned his intense competitiveness to triathlons, finishing 4th in his first Half Ironman. He will be competing in Global RallyCross and more Half Ironmans in 2014.

David Zabriskie is one of the world's most popular cyclists not only for his raceresults, but also for his multifaceted ventures and his off-the-wall personality. Dave has posited himself as one of the best time trialists in the World. Recently retired, Dave still spends many days on the seat of the bicycle. Zabriskie was seriously injured when a car struck him during a training ride in in 2003. This prompted him to start the foundation Yield To Life, which he devotes much of his time to today.

I found out about this Race Across America by following Dave Mirra (GET IT!!) on Twitter and Instagram because of his training in Triathlons. So being someone who supports people in the community when I can I started to get information on this and I am following them on TRACTALIS. Not only are they competing in this race they are also riding for Dave Zavriskie's organization Yield To Life which brings awareness to safety on the road between cyclist and vehicles. 

Right now as of 2:00 pm EST 6/16/2014 they are in Colorado with a 36 km lead over 2nd place on Highway 160. They started the race at 3:00 pm EST time on Saturday 6/14/2014. I would personally like to thank all of their sponsors for helping them achieve this great task at winning this presitgious event THIER SPONSORS . Also you can help them by donating to them thru http://www.gofundme.com/LegendsoftheRoad . 

I will be adding updates thru out the next days till the race is over in all of my blog posts to let people know where they are in their ride and where they are placed. Thank you again for reading this and hopefully they inspire you to donate to their attempt.