A time-crunched 42-year-old Clydesdale’s (200+ lbs.) attempt to qualify for the Ironman Triathlon Championship on minimal training.

If only the boys could tow me through Ironman...

After a decade-long hiatus from serious endurance sport, I missed the benefits of hard work concomitant with big goals. In 2010 and 2011 I entered a smattering of triathlons and long bike races loosely following modern training guidance: A time-consuming mix of short, high intensity intervals and long, low intensity workouts in HR Zones 2 and 3. The training did not work for me. Working a full-time job while maximizing the time spent with my wife and two boys (8,6) — including coaching two sports each in the Fall and Spring — didn’t leave time for a scientific programme, especially 5+ hour weekend “base” workouts. So I decided to go old school as an experiment. I’m reverting to the ethos I learned as a rower in the 1980s at St Paul’s and Harvard, and as a 1990s Marine: Every workout is a race. All into the oar, all the time. Finish strong. Now I needed a big goal….

Qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in 2014, when I turn 45.

To do it, I’ll have to race under 10 hours. My best time ever, run when I was 25-years-old, was 10:26. So I not only have to drop 20 pounds (the easy part, at 217 lbs) but must also turn back the 20 years–and cut 26 grueling minutes. At least. Qualification standards are tougher every year. As a trader, probabilities are a big part of my life. Odds are I will not qualify for Kona. But that’s secondary.

January Summary

Back when training was fun, the 1996 Eco Challenge (Suz Bottom, second from the left)

Starting weight (first three morning average): 217

Ending weight: 215

10 total workouts (two Monday holidays)

Longest bike: 30 miles outside

Longest run: 9 miles slow

Actual bike watts/1.5 hours (aero): 177 watts

Estimated 56 mile stand alone ride pace: 18 mph

Estimated 13.1 mile stand alone running race pace: 7:45

Estimated Ironman finishing time: 11 ¾  hours (1:25/6:30/3:50)

Hardest workout: Riding computrainer through two episodes of Mad Men for 1:30, a great series but not exactly adrenaline-filled.

My max running HR is ~202 and the most I’ve seen riding is ~195. My weight fluctuates between 200 and 215 pounds during the year, depending on work and extra-curriculars. Writing took the toll this year.

ON January 1^st, 2012, I weighed 217 pounds. I need to be around 200 by June, giving me 2 months to train at race weight before Ironman New York City. I’m a demand-sider. The supply—including kids’ party pizza, burgers, beer and monster $1 cinnamon buns from carts on the walk from subway to work—is fairly constant throughout the year. To control my weight I exercise. I do cut out the brownie sundaes at California Pizza Kitchen during the trimming months (March-June).

To establish a baseline, on New Year’s Day I ran a flat 5.5-mile loop around Tod’s Point in Old Greenwich, a typical Fall maintenance run. I finished in a sprint in 39 minutes (~7:05/mile). The fall layoff had taken its toll. Bigger every year.

A nice February workout for 6-year-old Ryan...50# Wahoo

February Summary

Starting weight: 215

Ending weight: 214 (Key West vacation did not help here)

Total workouts: 12 (Key West vacation did help here)

Longest bike: 30 miles outside

Bike watts/2 hours (aero): 177 watts

Longest run: 12.4 miles (Southport 20k; hilly)/7:22 pace

Estimated 56 mile stand alone ride pace: 18 mph

Estimated 13.1 mile stand alone running race pace: 7:20

Estimated Ironman finishing time: 11.6 hours (1:22/6:30/3:45)

Hardest running workout: Strained (r) calf at mile 9 of 12.4 mi race and had to gimp.

Hardest cycling workout:

The injury came early this year with a grade one right calf strain during a 12-mile race on February 12. That I had only twice run more than 5.5 miles in January—and before that fewer than five times in 2011—didn’t help. Calf strains and metatarsal stress fractures have recurred for five years now. It’s a combination of skinny calves, a top-heavy body, a pounding stride, a sharp mileage ramp-up, a torn brevis tendon in my right ankle, and awful flexibility. I can run a marathon on a stress fracture but not a torn calf. I need to get serious about stretching. Maybe I’ll work it into the office routine (consisting of staring at four computer screens) or tell the boys to stomp the tightness out of them when we wrestle.

The "Spa"

March Summary

Starting weight (first three morning average): 214

Ending weight: 210

Total workouts: 16

Weekly Avg Work: 5 hours

Longest bike: 42 mile commute

Longest run: 9.6 miles slow

Actual bike watts/1.5 hours (aero): 199 watts

Estimated 56-mile stand alone ride pace: 18.5 mph

Estimated 13.1 mile stand alone running race pace: 7:00

Estimated Ironman finishing time: 11.5 hours (1:20/6:30/3:40)

Hardest workout: Crank the Cank computrainer at 230 watts—DNF (blown up at 1:15)

I averaged 5-hour workout weeks in March, about 40% of what I’ll do on Ironman day alone. I don’t feel too far behind. My body has gotten used to quick ramp-ups (and free *Falls*). Besides, these next two years are workload experiments. By 2015, when I want a max effort at 45-years-old, I’ll know what mix of workouts is most efficient.

As any time-crunched 40-something athlete knows, time and injuries dominate performance. We can’t yet retire, and devote weekday daylight to workouts, but the wheels are coming loose. Let’s leave injuries for another post and take a look at my current time allocation.

50 hours sleeping

50 hours for Goldman, Sachs

40 hours family time

5 hours/week coaching the boys’ football and soccer teams

5 hours workouts

2 hours writing

16 hours commuting

Bahamas, 2006

Bahamas, 2012...Live now, or it's gone.

April Summary

Starting weight (first three morning average): 210

Ending weight: 207

Total workouts: 19

Weekly Avg Work: 7 hours

Longest bike: 96 mile commute home from Wall Street via Bear Mountain

Longest run: 12 miles slow

Actual bike watts/1.5 hours (aero): 199 watts

Estimated 56-mile stand alone ride pace: 18.5 mph

Estimated 13.1 mile stand alone running race pace: 7:00

Estimated Ironman finishing time: 11. hours (1:20/6:30/3:45)

Hardest workout: Crank the Cank computrainer at 215 watts; finished, but barely at 190+ HR

April saw an increase in Ironman training from 5 hours-per-week to 7 hours-per-week, largely due to a 96 mile slog with Gerheart and Atkinson from Wall Street home via Bear Mountain one night. We didn’t even climb the hill and were still fairly thrashed and late for dinner. The Eleuthera, Bahamas vacation in the middle of April was probably good for acclimatization but little else–the lobsters were scarce this year and we saw few spear-able fish…and no sharks! Either the locals had come through the reefs just ahead of us or I’m worried at the boys’ prospects in a decade. Fisheries management is not a strong suit of any country today.

Fruitless in fishy flesh only. We had an adventure, and a long swim for an 8-year-old.

Apr 1: 50 mile road loop/ 17 mph/3:20/HR 140-170

Apr 3: 42 mile ride into work/2:17