Absentee Blogger

I'd apologize for not blogging lately, but it wouldn't be genuine. Not to say that I haven't been reading a few blogs here and there, but the truth is, I've been busy. After signing up for Ironman and making a few needed reservations, the last few months have been a sort of trial run. First off I joined the YMCA and have been swimming 3x / week and the other days I've been hitting the bike trainer. So the alarm has been going off at 4:30am every morning and I've dragged my butt out of bed (most days) and getting in a workout. My usual lunchtime workouts have remained the same and I usually run, weights/core, or ride the bike trainer for 30-40 minutes. I have 2 bags ready to go at a moments notice (see pics below) and I think I'm pretty well adjusted to getting up early, so now that the "real" training is here, It won't be such a shock. The rest of my free time has been spent painting, removing wallpaper, repairing walls, painting some more, and did I mention painting. All these "honey-do" list items have been done at night. Oh, and did I mention that I work full time, have 2 young daughters, and a smoking hot wife to please. Follow that up with a 5 year olds birthday party, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (we put on 1300 miles of driving!), to say my time has been limited would be an understatement. Like I said above, I've been busy.

Below are some pics of what I've done.

This week was my (semi) official start to Ironman Wisconsin training. I have a 16 week "build up" program and then an intense 20 week training plan. I've been putting together a race schedule for this summer as well and I think I have it nailed down. Complete with a Team Evotri brick weekend WIBA - Wisconsin Brick Adventure .

Here's the breakdown of this summers events;

May 12:  Oakdale "Spring Classic" Duathlon
June 22-24: WIBA
July 22: Chisago Lakes Half Iron
August 19: Lake Marion Tri - Olympic

September 9: Ironman Wisconsin!

The first 3 pics are of the "set-up" I have for training and to simply stay organized. The shelves were installed to hold everyone's shoes and our backpacks that my wife and I take to work each day. Above that is a spot for towels, bins for gels, cliff bars, etc, another bin for sunscreen, earplugs, swimcaps, etc, and another for water bottles. Then another shelf for bike cleaning stuff, extra shoes, helmets, etc.

Laundry Room: shoes, gym bags, water bottles, nutrition stuff, towels, etc.

The next pic is where we keep all of our workout, training, and race clothes. We empty our gym backpacks in the laundry basket above and after they are washed they go in the black storage cubes below. They gray duffle bag is my swim bag and has goggles, earplugs, fins, flip flops, padlock, ziplock bag to put in the recipe card w/ the swim workout I've written out, and usually an extra towel.

Laundry Room: workout cloths, hats, swim duffle bag, hydration stuff. 

Everything I need below for a good sweat fest. A stool for the remote, gu or banana, and water bottle, and a fan to keep cool. The bottom right of the pic shows one of the legs of the treadmill.

Here's where I spend every other morning.

Once I get into the thick of training, I'll hop off the bike, slide it over by the fan, and put the treadmill down for a run (at least until it gets nice enough to go outside).  Then I can just escape out the patio door behind the blinds.

painted wall #1. (The bike is just in front of the treadmill).

painted walls #2

Wall continuing up the stairway. This wall was wallpapered previously. Removing wallpaper sucks!

Wall #3. Moving across the living room (we haven't decided on curtains yet)

Wall #4, this was wallpapered too. 

Wall #5  bulkhead before  (more of the striped wallpaper)

after

Wall #6, Kitchen island

The rest of the kitchen

Now all I  have to do is put up the tile backsplash, paint the hallway, removing more wallpaper in the living room and paint it, and finish the bathroom...thats all.

Later