- 97.7%
Jun 26, 2012 by Michael Bryant
This weekend was a fantastic milestone! I completed over the course of saturday and sunday 2.4 miles of swiming, 112 miles of biking, and 23 mile of running. That is an ironman minus 3.2 run miles.
CRAZY!!
that is 97.7% of the 140.6 miles I will do on July 28th. Now yes...I did it over the course of two days but...this is the first time I have thought about the distance and felt cofident that I can physically accomplish it!
This is such an incredible feelling. And I owe it completely to TNT. I could not have done this without the incredible support of these outstanding individuals! And in one month when I actually compete I will only be stronger...:)
I also want to give a shout out to anyone currently fighting with cancer. I doubt that what I am putting myself through compares but...hang on, there is a way out of the woods!- Up and Swim/Bike/Running Again
Hello everyone! My fundraising site has moved to a new address since I am now in Palo Alto training with the Silicon Valley Chapter. They kindly adopted me after I moved from LA for my new yob!
I realized this last week that I have been officially graduated for 1 year. Crazy how fast a year goes by! And boy has it been one crazy year...particularly the last few months!
Lets see if I can recap this in brief...
** = evil month
June 2011 ---> (1 Year ago) I graduated (yay!)
July to Dec 2011 ---> Internship at SpaceX in LA (wooohooo!)
Jan 2012 ---> Unemployed (ah CRAP)This is when I applied to grad school and work LIKE MAD
Feb 2012 ---> Car broke down (seriously?...how do I...do things?)
March 2012 ---> The first week SUCKED...I had no car and no promising career leads...BUT...by the end of march I was accepted to UC Irvine for Grad School, I interviewed for Loral, where I now work and I bought a new (but used) car.
April 2012 ---> Moved to Palo Alto and started my new yob! I had to leave my roommates, friends, and my LA Ironteam though...all of whom I still miss dearly :-(
**May 2012 ---> An engine mount snapped on my new used car which stranded me and my sister on my way to race my first half Ironman at Wildflower! Thankfully the awesome silicon valley iron team were able to rescue us and I STILL managed to race Long Course AND the Olympic the same weekend :)
The next week is when everything got a little too ridiculous...I was keeled over in absurdly intense pain wednesday after I road my bike home (remember my car is broken down) from swim practice. I had no idea what was going on but my side hurt like a mofo...I thought I might be unconscious within 10 min it was intensifying that quickly. I weighed my options and decided I could not waste any time...so I called an ambulance for the first time in my life. Turns out I did not pass out or die...is was a kidney stone (which is no fun if anyone has had one). They gave me morphine at the hospital so I was fine.
SOOOO my first year out of college has been...certainly very dynamic...maybe a chart would make it more clear how it has felt...
Hmmmm....that makes things seem a little too nice and smooth. Lets try this one...
Yep! Thats better :-P
Sooooo...PLEASE HELP! I really need it now more than ever! My fundraising has suffered immensely over the past few months.
I must admit and I am aware however...cancer would suck so much more! For this reason I remain committed to completing my goal of racing Vineman and fundraising nearly $6000 to fight cancer! Please help me with a donation so I can fill out june and july in my chart with happy faces :)
Thanks so much!
P.S. For those who have already donated the transfer to silicon valley ironteam did not keep the donation history. I have not forgotten your generosity! I saved the names before the transfer so I will try to get them back soon...somehow
- Desert Tri Personal Record!Mar 15, 2012
Picture from our practice swim at Desert Tri on March 3rdHello everyone! Here is a very late update on my training...and my life in general. I admit I have essentially failed on posting regular updates. That is my bad!My training is going forward incredibly! I am finding the habits of working out are beginning to be so ingrained that I actually feel lazy on my rest days...only 1 day of rest and I begin to miss the post work-out "feeling"! Crazy....Currently we are in the middle of a rest week. This is coming after two weeks of build that started stronger than anything we have done yet! On March 3rd I raced in my first triathlon in 2 years and managed to beat my fastest Olympic Distance (3/4 mile swim, 24 mile bike, 6 mile run) race time by 21 minutes! (from 2:55 at Wildflower in 2010 to 2:34 at Desert Tri two weekends ago). Perhaps more incredible is how prepared the Team in Training coaching made me. On the Sunday before the race we PRACTICED with a 37 mile bike ride and a 6 mile run followed by some short swimming. This means we essentially did more than two back to back Olympic distance triathlons Saturday and Sunday...and Monday I did not even feel sore. Don't get me wrong I am not trying to brag what amazing shape I am gettinng into (ok maybe I am a little...so sue me! :) I am just trying to point out how incredible careful and methodical training can be! This continues to be an absolutely amazing experience.This is not to say it is easy! The pain of a race is real; it takes time not only to become physically prepared but mentally as well. That is where I am really beginning to understand how endurance training fits sooooo well as an analogy to a cancer patients struggle. Before I began my training I did not know anyone who struggled with cancer in the past. I have since been able to meet many people who struggle with cancer in their lives. Among the group at TNT I met Kyle Garlett. He spoke to us before one of our training days and shared his story. After being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18 Kyle went through life persistently battling blood cancers. After eventually requiring a heart transplant, in 2009 Kyle became the first heart transplant patient to ever compete in the Kona Ironman World Championships. He is a writer and motivational speaker. Check out his website! Truly inspiring!http://www.ironmankyle.com/I depend on people like Kyle to motivate myself when I am feeling negative during a practice or race. There are many many many times when I will look ahead of me and see a large hill (for example) and I make excuses about why its ok for me to stop early just this once. My bike is feeling loose, maybe my brakes are rubbing...I didn't eat enough that’s why I am feeling tired...I shouldn't wear myself out too much because I have this "thing" in the morning I need to do...oh it’s no big deal if I stop here and turn around. The excuses are endless! And I can be very creative with them :). In the end though I am learning to remind myself about Kyle Garlett and people like him (of course I am not perfect, I still cut corners sometimes...someone stop me!). I am a healthy mid 20's male with perfect vision, no allergies, never had any health problems in the past. I am lucky! When Kyle was receiving his grueling treatments for blood cancer he did not have the luxury of stopping when he felt tired. His choice was simple, treatment...or death. Sorry if that seems dramatic. Actually I am not sorry! That is the truth when someone is faced with a terminal illness! Using this perspective I work to be mindful of the motivation the one must feel when their life is threatened. Could there ever be a more powerful motivator? I then look at the hill again and...It does not seem any shorter or easier...but I feel different. If Kyle can beat cancer more than 3 times, plus a heart transplant (just for funzies), than I can beat a silly little hill, no matter how big!Along with the physical challenge of training comes the logistical challenge of time management. Particularly as the longer workouts approach the 5, 6, 7+ hour mark. That itself is no picnic! Workouts must be managed around life events, perfection is not expected, but always strived for. I have found it to be particularly difficult!I have been unemployed for the last 2 1/2 months and am pleased to say I now have finally found a job! This is great news but what it means is that for the next month I will be training while searching for housing, packing, moving, and getting situated in a new place and at a new job. Maintaining my training schedule is no doubt going to be a challenge during this time but I do not plan to slow down! It’s a new challenge as far as I am concerned. New challenges keep your mind sharp :)Also my car is in a million pieces in my garage because I am trying to replace the head gasket. My car broke down two weeks ago and I was told it would take an absurd amount of money to fix...so I am trying to fix it myself...but now I need to move by April 9th...yikes!Well, I did not mean to write so much but I suppose I was trying to play catch-up. If you read this far thank you! If you find Kyle’s story and what I am doing with TNT inspiring please share a link to my fundraising site with your friends! I need your help to meet my fundraising goals! Particularly over the next month of insanity...~MikeFeb 03, 2012Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I am thrilled to say I am officially a 1/4 century old. This means I am 25% done with my life if I live to a spritely 100.
If you are so inclined please think about donating $5 to me as a birhday present! I would be overjoyed.
Training update!!!!
This is coming to the end of the first "rest week". During build we saw some increased milage in the bike and run. I am pleased to say that I am now able to regularly run 9 miles, swim over 3000 yards in an hour, and bike 50+ miles in 3 hours. The next week should step up the distances further! (although I am not sure what is in store for me...).
Thanks everyone and have a great friday!
Running down the strand from Manhatten to Hermosa, beautiful day!
Last week was "financial" and "physical" recommitment and I am proud to say that I am on track with both! I met my minimum $1000 raised by this time and together with the team we have raised nearly $125,000. Thanks everyone for your support! Particularly those who have been extremely generous with their donations. Thank you so much!
I want to reiterate that a $5 donation also goes a long way! The generosity of large donations is fantastic but I would love to see a large number of small donations up there too! :)
To recap on what I have been busy doing fitness wise most of the effort to date has been getting accustomed to the training routine and the dietary needs of training. I am stoked to say my fitness is actually pretty good!
the minimum requirements for physical fitness were:
Swim -::- 1000 yards. in 30 min
Bike -::- ~25 miles in 2 hours
Run -::- 7 miles in 1.5 hours
Accomplished
Swim -::- 1000 yards in 16:47, ~1850 yards in 30 min
Bike -::- 33 miles in 2 hours
Run -::- 9.5 miles in 1.5 hours
This is "base" fitness so from here on out training will progress in 3 week blocks. 2 Weeks of "build" with 1 week of "rest" (rest being lighter training).
I believe this means I am at low risk of not being able to complete the Ironman in July, I won’t know officially what the coaches say until the end of this week. I am more than a little surprised and thrilled! Of course there is A LOT of ramp up in workout volume between now and July but I am ready for it!
~Mike
Jan 24, 2012
Today I discovered Quinoa! It was a rest day by our training calendar so I used the day as a chance to expand my nutritional/culinary horizons :) I have heard about this seed before but never tried to make it until today. It is delicious! Without adding seasoning it went great with some pre-battered fish I had in the freezer from costco. I added a little avocado on top for some extra color and flavor. I prepared it almost exactly as I would have prepared rice, only it cooks a little faster.
Apparently quinoa is has a complete compliment of amino acids...sounds good to me! I look forward to my quinoa fuelled workouts :D.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
~Mike
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