Back in the Saddle

Alright, so I've been away from the blog for quite a while now, and I'm sorry for that.  I've been very busy recently, with training, my Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs, visitors, and life in general.  I will be more diligent with this in the future.  Maybe getting my own domain IS what I need to do.

So a few people have been asking me about my current equipment setup.  Today, I will outline my current bike setup, and the run/swim stuff will come.

As I am new to the whole biking/running/swimming/triathlon thing, I decided to buy some equipment used, and managed to get some better items, better equipped, for the same price.  First, let's go with the big ticket.  I bought my bike off of Kijiji.  It's a 2006 Quintana Roo Seduza.  It has a carbon fibre frame, and front and back forks.  The bike is UNBELIEVABLY light (well, for what I was expecting...).  For those of you who are more technically in the know, here are the specifications:  53cm top tube, Vision TT Aero bars with Ulteggra bar-end shifters.  Ulteggra front derailleur, Dura-Ace rear.  Keo Look Red pedals and a San Marco Arrowhead saddle.  All in all, this bike is WAY more than I need right now, but in time, I will grow into it, and hopefully out of it.

Graphic Content! Reader beware

  Alright, so here is the info you've been waiting for...  My devastating injury!

  It all happened on a gorgeous afternoon on December 28, 2007.  After buying a season's pass to Blue Mountain, I was coming down on my 6th run of the season (I remember this because I remember it costing $120/run for my pass...), and I fell.  Nothing spectacular.  I was just doing a triple backflip double twist, while holding a baby that I had rescued from a bear with my own hands.  As I was coming down, I noticed a little bunny directly where I was going to land, and the only way that I could protect the baby AND the bunny was to sacrifice my body.  Hit "read more" to see the results...

First Triathlon

Alright, so here it is, the information regarding my first triathlon.

  Every year, near my cottage, 2 hours north of Toronto, there is a triathlon for charity called Joe's Team Triathlon.  The triathlon is for the Princess Margret Hospital Foundation, which is one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.  The triathlon takes place on Lake Joseph, along Old Highway 69, and through the town of MacTier.  The swim and transition areas are located on the grounds of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

  The cause is very near and dear to my heart, as a few years back, I lost my aunt Cathy to cancer.  She was very close to my family and myself, and her passing was very hard.  She will never be forgotten, and with everyone's help, CANcer BE BEATEN.

  My goal for the event is to raise at least $2500 before July 1.  Thus far, I am just over $1000 and counting.  If you want to donate, you can do so at my personal page.  Please tell anyone who you know that has been affected, directly or indirectly, by cancer and who might be willing and able to support me.  All donations, and encouragement, are greatly appreciated.

  Now, on to a bit of information about the actual event.  The event takes place on July 10th.  It is a sprint triathlon, which means that it is a 750m swim, a 20km bike and a 5km run.  The hardest part of the race will be the swim, as it is for most people.  I am a fairly strong swimmer, though, so hopefully with a bit of practice and pacing, I will be able to be strong at this.

  As this is going to be my first triathlon, I am not expecting to be competitive, however I would like to finish with a respectable time.  That is the goal.

Of course, if I see someone in front of me, I am going to try to catch them.......

A bit about my training and progress to come tomorrow.

Your Armchair Ironman

Quick 2009 Summary

  Well, I told you I was going to summarize my 2009 for you, so why not over breakfast.  Let's get it over with.

  So, as mentioned, I started 2009 weighing around 230 lbs.  A friend of mine told me about the Men's Health Belly Off! diet.  I had great success with this program.  It was basically a nutrition plan which provided great food, recipes and a shopping list every week.  It involved 3 workouts a week which were very doable and not overly long.  I really enjoyed this program, and followed it to a T for about 3 months, and had amazing results.

  After getting into a little bit better shape, I was told about a DVD home fitness program called P90x.  This program was a MAJOR increase in the intensity and frequency of the program, but I fell in love with it and jumped in head first.  It is a 91 day program during which you workout 6 or 7 days a week for 13 weeks.  This program is incredible, and I still do some of the workouts from time to time.  I found that, though, after a while, I didn't want to put the 1:20+ a day, 6 times a week into the program.  It got to be cumbersome, and it seemed that I was spending all my life outside work at the gym.  I will go back to doing some of the workouts, but I don't know if I will do the program all the way though again, despite having a lot of fun doing it, and amazing results.

  At the end of the summer, I decided to invest in a program, again for Beachbody, called Insanity.  This program lived up to its name.  The workouts are short and sweet (the longest one is MAYBE an hour), but they get the job done.  The programs are body weight and cardio based, which I liked, because it meant that there was no need for weights, bars, bands, or anything.  There were a LOT of push ups, squats, jumps, burpees, etc.  I don't think I have ever sweat as much as I do/did when I do these worktouts.  I plan on interspersing the workouts through my Ironman training.  I may, actually, try to include the workouts in the mornings for the first 2 months of my training (as it is a 60 day program...)

  So that was my 2009.  I managed to drop from a max of 230 lbs down to a minimum of 180 lbs.  After not working out for most of October, November and December, I was back up to 190 lbs, where I am now.  Ideally, for my first triathlon (details to follow), I will be down to a race weight of around 175-180 lbs.

  As I said, more information about my first triathlon to follow...  later today.

First Post: Intro and Background

  Alright, so, here we go. Welcome to my blog, and my first post.

  Here is a bit of background information about me, and a bit of my past. I am currently 25, and have always been somewhat athletic, but never really physically fit. University was not kind to me in terms of my fitness, and I managed to pack on the pounds. Being on my own, cooking for myself and no exercise for the first time didn't add up to a nutrient rich, low fat diet. Coming out of university, I tipped the scales at around 230 lbs. At 5'8" and a bit, that was very unhealthy.

  Living at home again, and having my parents doing the Dr. Bernstein Diet, I decided to join, with their strong urging and support. It worked. It worked incredibly at what it set out to do. In the 8 weeks (I believe, I can't really remember) that I was signed up for it, I dropped down to 190 lbs. The problem with Dr. Bernstein is, as someone once described it to me, that "it is an expensive way of starving yourself." This is very true. It is a great way to get rid of excess weight FAST. However, it is not sustainable. It is not possible to live healthily eating as little as they expect you to eat. It is not a way of life. It is a crash diet.

  This brings us to the winter of 2007. Playing hockey for the first time in a while was going great, and I had just purchased a season pass to the local ski hill. And then the most devastating thing to ever happen to me happened. I broke my leg on the ski hill. Spiral fracture of the tibia. On my 6th run of the season. After talking to the doctors and weighing all options, I decided to have surgery to repair it, and to this day, I have a plate and 9 screws in my leg. I'll upload the x-rays when I get the chance. Well, after surgery, I was absolutely crushed to learn that I was to be non-weight bearing for 2 months. Although I was not in great shape, I was still very active, so this was the worst news I could have received. This was very depressing for me, and so I took solace in my food. I started to put my weight back on, and it snowballed from there.

  Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2008. A friend of mine from high school gets engaged, and he asks me to be on of his groomsmen. Now, knowing who was going to be at the wedding (lots of other people from high school), I decided that I didn't want to be the "fat ass" in the wedding party, so I took it upon myself to begin to shed the fat. Stepping on the scale on January 6th, 2009, I weighed in at 230 lbs again. As I hadn't gotten any taller, you can imagine how bad this felt...

  This set me up for my long, and totally worthwhile year of 2009, in which I put myself through a LOT, mentally and physically, and underwent a huge physical transformations.  More to follow regarding the rigors of 2009.

  Now, for the crux of this blog.  Why am I writing this blog?  What is the purpose of it?

  Well, as you will hear in future posts, I am very proud of my physical accomplishments in the past year.  But there doesn't seem to be an end goal to it.  Enter the triathlon.  In December, I saw a documentary on Ironman triathlons.  I decided that, if I could lose over 50 lbs in 8 months that I could do anything; I could even do something as crazy as an Ironman.  So that became my goal.  As I approached my 25th birthday, I was doing research, and gave myself until my 30th birthday to complete my first Ironman.  Yes, that is a 140.6 mile race.  So I have given myself 5 years.  I am planning on completing at least 2, maybe up to 4 sprint triathlons this summer (explanations of the various distances to come), and many more, and 1/2 and full marathons next summer.  This blog will be used as a way to keep me accountable, to myself and to anyone who cares to regularly check in.  I am not accountable to people the world over (whether anyone reads this or not).

Stay tuned!  I promise that the future blogs will not be as long, drawn out or serious as this was!  Just wanted to get my feet wet, and all these words came out.  Sorry if I bored you!

Your Armchair Ironman