After a mixed month of recovery, travel and illness, got back to finishing a playlist I'd been working on for the studio! I was pretty excited when people finally started buying some music from my blog and a few people bough entire albums which upped my take to a whopping $2.00, wahoooo!
Jack Johnson - From the Clouds
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
Will Smith - Summertime (Actually 80 degrees in SF today!)
Phoenix - Run Run Run
Guster - Amsterdam
Hesta Prynn - Recall
Foster the People - Don't Stop (Color ON the Walls)
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
Bibio - Take Off Your Shirt
Arctic Monkeys - Dancing Shoes
ToToM - Acceptable in the Seven Nation Army - SoundCloud
ToToM - Acceptable in the Seven Nation Army (White Stripes vs. Calvin Harris) by ToToM
Mac Miller - Knock Knock
Martin Solveig & Dragonette - Hello (Love the cover art. Wonder is my sister gets it.)
Afrojack - Take Over Control
LMFAO - Part Rock Anthem
Nine Inch Nails vs 50 Cent - (Can't find anywhere so if there is a legit version let me know)
Nine Inch Nails vs 50 Cent - Closer In Da Club by dj__xxcess
Illikon - Circus Jack (Can't find on Amazon, but its on iTunes and from the player below.)
Illikon - Circus Jack by illikon
Korn - Got the Life
Sugar Ray - RPM
DJ Throwback Mashup (Absolutely random mashup that sounded good on SoundCloud)
Dj Throwback 90's HipHop 54 tune Mashup by Dj Throwback
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Costs of Ironman
OK, with doing an Ironman comes a few things to keep in mind. #1 Its a big task. #2 Your life will change. #3 It comes with a price.
All three have different aspects and interpretations. I'll try to break it down into how it effects me both psychologically and economically as many people would love to jump into doing a race of the Ironman distance, but have no clue of what comes with it. I don't mean to scare anyone off this track, but having a bit of perspective on what to expect will make it easier to manage.
#1 Training for these races is a daunting thing from the outside. Swim, bike, run for 140.6 miles is more than some people can get their heads around, or find a point to. Lucky for me I had been building through the Triathlon progression for a few years from Olympics to Half's, and the Full IM distance did not seem so un-attainable. As long as you have a manageable approach to fitting in 12-15 hours of training a week, you can do it. People have done it with more and less, but to stay healthy and sane, that's my mix.
#2 Unless you are starting cold from the couch, it takes 6-9 months to get ready to complete the race. In these months you will realize quite a few things about yourself, and others. Priorities will change, time becomes precious, and those who really matter in your life become clear both in your choice of who gets your time, and with who seeks you out and supports your goal. Late nights become a thing of the past, and the clock on the wall is your friend and enemy as it tells you what to do nearly all day, but doesn't wait when you are late.
#3 The emotional price of the Ironman is less time for friends and family. You still want to keep these relationships, so making time for them is important, but being everywhere, all the time is impossible. Saying "No" to some plans is going to happen, just accept it. The financial aspect is also very daunting. Sure the race is $600 and up to $900 for New York this year, but that is a mere fraction to the whole equation. If you are lucky enough to live within and hour of a race, good for you, but most races are a flight and hotel stay away. Lets tally up what's involved just for someone traveling solo.
Entry - $600
Flight - $400
Bike shipping - $250 (Southwest only charges $50 each way)
Hotel - $750 ($150 x 5)
Car Rental - $300
Food - $250
Total - $2,550
That's just keeping it on the cheap too. Hopefully you can split some of the costs, but this is the bare bones version. If you are walking into the race fresh lets add.....
Bike - $1,200
Wetsuit - $150 (Most IM's are in cold water regions)
Running Shoes - $80
Cycling Shotes - $80
Race clothing - $100
Helmet - $80
Goggles - $30
Sunglasses - $50
Total - $1,770
Grand Total - $4,320
This is just what I can come up with off the top of my head too. I can't imagine the additional costs with nutrition, be it Powerbars, Gatorade, or just increase in appetite on grocery bills.
Ironman is a great accomplishment though, and I'd say it was worth every penny for me. It is something I do with my family and friends, so there is something special added to every experience. Training has also brought me back to the previous version of "Me" that I thought was lost due to the poor lifestyle I lead in my 20's. Make sure to find what is special in your Ironman Journey to make it worth more to you too.
All three have different aspects and interpretations. I'll try to break it down into how it effects me both psychologically and economically as many people would love to jump into doing a race of the Ironman distance, but have no clue of what comes with it. I don't mean to scare anyone off this track, but having a bit of perspective on what to expect will make it easier to manage.
#1 Training for these races is a daunting thing from the outside. Swim, bike, run for 140.6 miles is more than some people can get their heads around, or find a point to. Lucky for me I had been building through the Triathlon progression for a few years from Olympics to Half's, and the Full IM distance did not seem so un-attainable. As long as you have a manageable approach to fitting in 12-15 hours of training a week, you can do it. People have done it with more and less, but to stay healthy and sane, that's my mix.
#2 Unless you are starting cold from the couch, it takes 6-9 months to get ready to complete the race. In these months you will realize quite a few things about yourself, and others. Priorities will change, time becomes precious, and those who really matter in your life become clear both in your choice of who gets your time, and with who seeks you out and supports your goal. Late nights become a thing of the past, and the clock on the wall is your friend and enemy as it tells you what to do nearly all day, but doesn't wait when you are late.
#3 The emotional price of the Ironman is less time for friends and family. You still want to keep these relationships, so making time for them is important, but being everywhere, all the time is impossible. Saying "No" to some plans is going to happen, just accept it. The financial aspect is also very daunting. Sure the race is $600 and up to $900 for New York this year, but that is a mere fraction to the whole equation. If you are lucky enough to live within and hour of a race, good for you, but most races are a flight and hotel stay away. Lets tally up what's involved just for someone traveling solo.
Entry - $600
Flight - $400
Bike shipping - $250 (Southwest only charges $50 each way)
Hotel - $750 ($150 x 5)
Car Rental - $300
Food - $250
Total - $2,550
That's just keeping it on the cheap too. Hopefully you can split some of the costs, but this is the bare bones version. If you are walking into the race fresh lets add.....
Bike - $1,200
Wetsuit - $150 (Most IM's are in cold water regions)
Running Shoes - $80
Cycling Shotes - $80
Race clothing - $100
Helmet - $80
Goggles - $30
Sunglasses - $50
Total - $1,770
Grand Total - $4,320
This is just what I can come up with off the top of my head too. I can't imagine the additional costs with nutrition, be it Powerbars, Gatorade, or just increase in appetite on grocery bills.
Ironman is a great accomplishment though, and I'd say it was worth every penny for me. It is something I do with my family and friends, so there is something special added to every experience. Training has also brought me back to the previous version of "Me" that I thought was lost due to the poor lifestyle I lead in my 20's. Make sure to find what is special in your Ironman Journey to make it worth more to you too.
Monday, June 13, 2011
It won't happen to me!
Dang it, it did. The post IM illness and slight depression. Seem to be over it now and actually got a good weekend in after fighting feeling crappy for a week and a half and hammering out a 10k in the process (2nd overall!). The 10k should have been a "happy" race, but that's just not me, so I crushed my body, and heart, which needed another week of rest before doing anything too crazy. Instead it left me feeling like death and no workouts!
What do I get from my coach when I finally feel good enough to train with the group?
"I TOLD YOU SO! Didn't you read my Pre/Post IM article?" Well, coming off a Kona spot high, I thought I was invincible and more to prove this year, so I ignored it. Stupid me. Fortunately its still early in the season, and a full week off probably did more good than bad. Luckily I didn't hurt myself. Not sure what I hate more, hearing everyone say to "take it easy" or actually admitting it, lol.
It was a very fun Sunday up in Marin running around Bon Tempe Lake. Taking it easy, but the sun was out and it actually got warm into the 70's! SF in the summer is one of the coldest placed you can be, but just over the bridge is so nice. Running with our group from M2 was nice since I hadn't been around in a month and this was a new route we had planned for today.
Great 2 hours out in the sun and with some beautiful terrain. On to Vineman 70.3 and IM Canada training now!
Rule #1 post IM, listen to your coach. That's what you pay them for and they know more about this stuff than you do. Don't act like the 16 year old version of yourself that thinks they can run through walls (we all would love to be that kid again, and sometimes act like it). Find something else to distract you for two weeks at least and then come back re-energized. Being sick is not a fun way to spend that time.
Remember recovery is the 4th part of triathlon. Sleep, stretching and light work are the efforts to put in for nearly three weeks after an IM. Lots of swimming, and no real intensity. The heat in Texas did a number on my body and head, so I'll be more cautious in the future. I think the post race dull-drums are much worse than a the pre-race TAPER.
 |
| M2's actually giving the rout of our run, but lent itself perfect for this post. |
"I TOLD YOU SO! Didn't you read my Pre/Post IM article?" Well, coming off a Kona spot high, I thought I was invincible and more to prove this year, so I ignored it. Stupid me. Fortunately its still early in the season, and a full week off probably did more good than bad. Luckily I didn't hurt myself. Not sure what I hate more, hearing everyone say to "take it easy" or actually admitting it, lol.
Great 2 hours out in the sun and with some beautiful terrain. On to Vineman 70.3 and IM Canada training now!
Rule #1 post IM, listen to your coach. That's what you pay them for and they know more about this stuff than you do. Don't act like the 16 year old version of yourself that thinks they can run through walls (we all would love to be that kid again, and sometimes act like it). Find something else to distract you for two weeks at least and then come back re-energized. Being sick is not a fun way to spend that time.
Remember recovery is the 4th part of triathlon. Sleep, stretching and light work are the efforts to put in for nearly three weeks after an IM. Lots of swimming, and no real intensity. The heat in Texas did a number on my body and head, so I'll be more cautious in the future. I think the post race dull-drums are much worse than a the pre-race TAPER.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)