This weekend marked the end of week 4 of Ironman training. Wow has January flown by! Gonna do a January totals post in a couple days.
So Saturday I did my last Saturday AM swim workshop with my coach. ~3,000 yards later we finished up the swim with 5 x 50 all out set. EVERYONE was struggling. You could hear the groans and heavy breathing after every 50 and you could see the anxiety on everyone's face with the inevitable of another 50 coming. Let's just say I have nicknamed my coach "Slave Driver." He sure knows how to work ya!
After I got home from the swim workshop, it was 2:20:00 on the trainer followed by a 3 mile run. The 3 mile run was not a good one. My legs were feeling it.
This morning was the top of the peak of the week. This week alone has been a big one, giving me just under 14 hours of efforts. I had a 1:45:00 run on tap which yielded a 12.17 mile run. It was not one of my best runs to date and my legs felt flat and like crap the entire time. I kept reminding myself: "JUST WAIT TILL YOU GOTTA RUN THAT LITTLE `OLE MARATHON AFTER THAT 112 MILE BIKE. YOU THINK THIS FEELS HARD?!??!?!?!"
This run put me back in place and made me swallow my pride. I am proud of the fact that I ran 32 miles and swam over 10K yards this past week. I biked just over 100 miles on the trainer, but who knows how accurate that is. Sure was a hard 100 miles!
So I found a replacement for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. For those of you who don't know, last season I was eating a box a week of that stuff. It was my rocket fuel! But after eating probably 20 or so boxes of that stuff last year, I kinda got burned out on the stuff and the milk made me feel bloated. I would eat 3 huge bowls of it before a long ride. It worked! But the above started to disagree with me, especially my taste buds.
I have been experimenting with oatmeal (not the instant kind). I have figured out a base recipe with which I can add any fruit to it. It is yummy, simple. easy to go down, doesn't disagree with me, and provides plenty of energy. Did I mention its yummy?
1/2 cup Quaker oats
2/3 cup water
2 lumps white sugar (or sweeten to taste, or use honey)
dusting of cinnamon
1/2 peeled & diced granny smith apple OR a cut up banana OR cutup strawberries OR a mix of any of the three
Combine water and oats (and if using apple, the peeled diced 1/2 apple), cover with plastic and nuke for 90 seconds. Add two lumps of sugar and dusting of cinnamon and stir to combine. If using banana or strawberries, add with the sugar and cinnamon.
I like the consistency it makes. Yeah it uses plain white sugar, but you are going to use it as fuel immediately so who cares. One bowl, depending on the fruit you use, will yield about 250-300 calories of energy. It is quite filling which is another good thing. Just gotta watch out with the fiber from the oats, so I will only eat a max 2 bowls.
Hope you had a good weekend!
I love oatmeal but I use brown sugar, walnuts and raisins. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteNo one runs the marathon at the end of an ironman - you survive it.
ReplyDeleteNice job with your training!
ReplyDeleteYum...I love oatmeal! I do about the same thing you do, but I add soymilk instead of water, and a Tbl. of PB after it's done in the micro! I've also added a Tbl. of hemp protein too. That's the great thing about oatmeal..you can make it anything you want!
Im lovin ur training right now
ReplyDeleteand was just envious of your eating and training groove but now its all out jealousy:)
D
Oatmeal doesnt sit well with me for my workouts. I use a half bagel with eggs and cheese!! Works sooo great for me..and I haven't bonkied with this yet! Im sticking to it until I cant stand it any longer...Oh I forgot the banana on the side too.
ReplyDeleteGreat week Jon! Reading your post I felt volume envy - think this means I am a junkie. dude 100 mi on the trainers is wicked. I cannot wait until you get out from under the white crap so you can hit the open road and see how you explode on the pedals. I was blown away yesterday.
ReplyDeleteYour training is coming along very nicely Jon! Keep up the great work and that IM is going to fall right into place. Trust me! I believe that 100 miles on the trainer is like 200 on the road. No easy task that's for sure but you got it done. By the way, had to laugh at your over dosing on the cereal. My overdose came with Golden Grahams. That was over 10 years ago that I had to give it up. I like the oatmeal idea a lot. Will need to test that one out.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally not a fan of oatmeal, but that recipe sounds too yummy not to try!
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the training!
Awesome man.
ReplyDeleteNow... the sugar in the oatmeal?! REALLY??? Never put that in. Usually the natural sugars from blueberries and other fruit I put in is enough for me.
Great month. GREAT month. Keep it up man. I am predicting top 10% out of the water for you.
Loved James' comment on the marathon.
Nice week of training! I can't believe 4 weeks have come and gone already.
ReplyDeleteHard to judge distance on the trainer, but time on the trainer > than time on the road when it comes to effort in my book.
great job training!
ReplyDeletenice training killer! im kind of sad that youre done with the CTC! I loved that freaky fueling part of you
ReplyDeleteOatmeal and I are like ebony and ivory, bonny and clyde, pb&j....you get the picture.
ReplyDeleteI would use agave nectar as the sweetner instead of the suger. I love everything else you got in there though. Live it up.....LOL!
Thanks for checking on the house.
Another great thing about oatmeal is you can make a big pot on Sunday and divi it out into containers for the rest of the week. Or if you just do the microwave kind, make up little zip lock bags with oatmeal/cinnamon/sugar/dried fruit/whatever, so all you have to do is add the water.
ReplyDeleteGreat job with the training - keep it up!
Your on it !!! I like to mix a scoop of whey protien n with my oatmeal, it kicks ass about 25 minutes later !!!
ReplyDeleteYour 100 miles on the trainer sounds about as fun as my 16 on the treadmill! So sick of this weather!
ReplyDeleteI make enough oatmeal for the week on Sundays then just reaheat (I use steel cut oats so they take a while to cook... you can soak them overnight too ... that makes them easier to digest and they cook faster).. I agree w/ the skip the white sugar comment. Use maple syrup or molasses or honey... they all have valuable nutrients and are sweet... unlike the white sugar. Add them after you nuke the oats though. :) I just mash a banana up in the bottom of my bowl then mix it all in.. plenty sweet! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're kickin ass man. Keep it up!