529IronMan

The Naked Truth - August 2010 Edition

Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I’ve done and to track progress. Today it’s time for: August. August was focussed solely on my first tri. And I did it. My first triathlon. Totally cool experience and nice to see the hard work pay off. The time goal I stated, sub 3 hours, was also achieved so I couldn't be happier. It was a wonderful which really left me wanting more. If you want the full recap then check out my race report of my first triathlon. I worked out 10 days in August (of the available 31) so that's about 32%. This is somewhat expected as I had two taper weeks leading up to the 2 Tri's I had planned to do. One of them unfortunately I had to cancel because of an ear infection. A big disappointment but I did give me interesting perspectives on dealing with setbacks while realizing your dreams.

Continue reading...

Band of Athletes

Together we shed blood, shared tears and drowned in our sweat. One look at each other is enough. We know what we sacrificed and the sacrifices we asked from our loved ones. The long practice hours; before work, after work, during the weekend. Waking up at 6 AM to do a light swim work out. Skipping after-work drinks, nights out with the boys or family obligation because you're working on your bricks. Our idea of a nice weekend breakfast is first do a 80km bike workout, followed by a nice a lovely meal.

Continue reading...

The Naked Truth - July 2010 Edition

Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I’ve done and to track progress. Today it’s time for: June. June was an intense month with a lot of training mainly focussed on cycling while maintaining my current skill level of running and swimming. I tried to maintain a 'schedule' of two shorts and one long ride a week combined with an occasional swim or run training. I worked out 15 days in June (of the available 30) so that's 50%. I should increase this metric although I sincerely believe it's not about the total amount but also more on intensity.

Continue reading...

The Naked Truth - June 2010 Edition

Every month I reflect on the activities of the past month to see what I've done and to track progress. Today it's time for: May. May was a month dominated by short breaks and big parties a.k.a. bad input for training. Although I'm very much committed on completing the Ironman I'm not planning on living a mormon lifestyle in which I don't have the opportunity to exploit the wonderful pleasures in life. Enjoy life and train/party hard. But do it both responsible and create the best of both world. Keep in mind that while you party at night you must be prepared to wake up at 08:00 am to kick some serious ass. That may sound as a bit much but trust me, I've been there, it's all worth it. Now lets continue with the breakdown.

Continue reading...

Sacrifice vs. Reward; looking for the short term pay off from long term commitment

The easiest thing to do is to start. In the beginning you're motivated, eager and can't wait for the change of lifestyle. You're interested and soaking up knowledge while reading books and blogs. In the first few days and weeks the rapid progress keeps you going and motivated. And then, as Seth Godin has branded it, The Dip happens. The Dip is the part where it's not new anymore and where the rapid and easy progress you were booking is taking more time and getting more difficult. You must invest a lot more hours to get the same increase in skill... and that sucks. This is also the part where most people quit. After the initial burst of enthusiasm and skill they get bored and realize that the easy part is over. The fun part is over and it's very temping to call it a day. The smart thing however is to stick (if you have choosen the right art to master) and to make change happen. Now the good part: now you know that this moment is coming. The Big Bad Dip is looking for you. So be ready and when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Read on to find how you can 'easily' cross The Dip.

Continue reading...

IronTraining - Reflection weeks 17, 18 & 19, Schedule weeks 20 & 21

As promised I will give regular updates concerning my IronMan training schedule (editor's note; this won't be a weekly item as announced, but I'm aiming for fortnight updates). This time I will reflect on week 17, 18 & 19 and I will take a look at the upcoming schedule for weeks 20 & 21. It's been a couple of weeks of practicing (a lot) and learning (a lot). A bunch of ups (some good sessions) and some downs (hurting, sick). What I'm noticing is that the time of quick wins is over; it now comes to putting in the hard work and the practice hours. Keeping my head down and try to rush through the dip. Check out what I've been up to.

Continue reading...

6 reasons to take it slow on a new adventure.

Okay, you set your goals and you're ready to change the world. To shock it. To be amazing. Ready to change your world. Your habits. Your Methods. Your life. Now slow down. Take control and put yourself in slow motion. Don't rush yourself, head down, into it. But relax and take small, but deliberate, steps towards your goal. The last couple of weeks I embarked on a journey and I want to share some key learnings with you guys. Faults I made (for you) so you won't have to make them. Hereby I present to you the 6 reasons to take it slow on a new adventure (based on my own experience).

Continue reading...

The Naked Truth - May 2010 edition

To measure is to know, therefore I will give insight in some key personal statistics on a monthly basis to keep you updated and to track of my progress. As stated before I'm very competitive by nature. That's why I take great pleasure in becoming better, faster, and stronger swimmer, biker and runner. That's my goal, I want to improve and see what I'm capable of. This is what makes me tick, why I am training. To measure progress you need information about your performance. What are the metrics, the key performance indicators of your goal? Keep track of those during your training and you can watch yourself and your achievements grow in the progress (free motivation!). Based on this information you can adjust and optimize your schedule and this is what I'm going to do in this section. I'm already started a couple of months ago with some light training (running) to practice for a 12km run a so I'm not completely out of shape. Let's give it a go!

Continue reading...