Greg Reasoner

2008-09-15T22:44:00.002-04:00

Monday, Sept 15th

2008-09-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

Well, I did it. Got it Saturday night!

Sunday, Sept 14th

2008-09-14T12:46:00.002-04:00

One last thing. Here is the totals for the 30 weeks.

Swim - 85.7 miles, 48 hrs, 55 minutes, & 35 seconds

Bike - 2708.3 miles, 156 hrs, 34 minutes, & 53 seconds

Run - 462.9 miles, 80 hrs, 29 minutes, & 49 seconds

For a total of 3256.9 miles, 286 hrs, 0 minutes, & 17 seconds.

But it was worth every mile & every second!!!!

Thursday, Sept 11th

2008-09-11T10:47:00.002-04:00

Its a week & half later. Everything is back to normal. I was able to go for a run on Saturday & it hurt. Went for a bike ride Monday & felt great. Tuesday I went for a run & everything is back to feeling good. Blisters are healing just fine.

Now that I'm still in really good shape, I think I will try to run a marathon this fall.

Thursday, Sept 4th

2008-09-04T13:59:00.003-04:00

My body has recovered very well. Feel good enough to go for a run, but not sure if the recovering blisters on the bottom of each foot will let me. Tuesday was the worst day, I was pretty sore & tired.

First picture is from my brother at the finish line. The time is different from my time because they start the clock when the first person went in the water.

Second picture is also from my brother at the start.

Wednesday, Sept 1st

2008-09-03T13:29:00.003-04:00

Well, its been a couple of days. I've just taken it easy. Seem to be hungry every 2 hours now.

Here is my official race report. It is very long, but I wrote out everything I was thinking during the day.

Thanks again to my wife for all her support over the last year to get to this point. Thanks to my family & friends who showed up on race day to cheer me on, it really helped a lot!

2008 Ironman Louisville Race Report

My race day started at 4am even though my alarm was set for 4:10am. Got my shower, got dressed,had a banana nut muffin water. I then packed my swim items, water bottle,Gatorade bottles. Met Liz, Talmadge,Spencer in the hotel lobby at 5am. Steve Sunbury also met us & walked down to transition with us. It was about a 15 minute walk. We were greeted by a black man playing a harmonica about 2 blocks from our hotel & he followed us for about a block or 2. After he left (gave up), Steve said it wasn’t the Rocky theme song but that was all he could afford! At transition, I checked the tire pressure & put my bottles on my bike. After that, I met up with Cathy & Stephanie & then walked down to the swim start, which was about 1 mile away. Sure seemed like a lot longer walk. Once at the swim start, I got my body markings (race number) put on each arm, and then went to get in line for the start. It was a single file start & was first-come, first-go. Once in line, I found out that it was not the end of the line. So farther back I went, about another ½ mile back! By now it is about 6:20am & I’m in line, but it will be at least another hour before I get to start. So we just sit & wait, visit with the people around me. I think it was about 6:45am when I saw Gene & Josh. They came back to see where I was in line & they couldn’t believe how long the line was. The race officially started at 7am & I heard the gun go off but could not see the start. As the line started to move up, I decided for one more pit stop in the porta-pot. Got to see my family once again as I headed down to the river. Right before I jumped in, I looked at the time clock, which was at 36 or 37 minutes. That meant the first person in the water was 36 minutes ahead of me. But that didn’t matter because each person has their own timing chip which doesn’t start until you do. Now I’m in the river & swimming upstream. We are actually in a channel & I don’t fill a current. It took about 20 minutes to swim thru the channel & out into the river. At this point, I think I can fill a current against me. At the turn buoy, I checked my watch & I was at 33 minutes. All down stream from here. I heard that the more towards the middle of the river you were, the better the current was. I guess I was about a 1/3rd of the way out in the river, but again did not feel any help. Most swimmers were closer to shore than I was, but a few were a little farther out. I felt fine, no nerves being out there. And actually, it was the best I had felt in an open water swim. Started sighting on the old bridge just east of the I-65 Bridge. It didn’t seem very far away, but felt like it took forever to get there. Checked my watch again once I got to that bridge, 1 hour 2 minutes. Next was the I-65 Bridge, 1 hour 11 minutes. Then I was watching the 2nd Street Bridge, but then I remembered that if I got to the 2nd Street Bridge I went too far. So I started looking for the last buoy & starting getting closer to shore. Yes, I got to the finish. Swim time was 1 hour 26 minutes & 14 seconds. I was hoping for 1 hour 20 minutes, oh well. Now I was off to the changing tent to get ready for the bike. 5 minutes 37 seconds & I was out on the bike. Got to see the family again as I got my bike.

First 10 miles of the bike was flat & I just tried to get in a good rhythm. Felt pretty good. I started passing people once we got to the hills. I was afraid that I was going to hard, but I checked my pace & it was good. Once on the out & back section, we had to slow down almost to a stop on the downhill because of a wreck & an ambulance was in the middle of the road. On the uphill, there was a guy dressed as a devil. At some point in the first 25 miles, I did get sick & throw up once, don’t really reminder where I was at. At mile 35, we go through the town of Buckner & that was where my family was at, good to see them. Karsen had on her dino suit & was holding a sign. At mile 50, I got to see more people from Seymour. Really good to see people you know out on the course. Mile 65 I was at my family again as we did two loops around the LaGrange area. This time I stopped &high-fived Karsen! Went around the corner to the Special Needs Bag area & Josh & Gene were there with my bag. I tried to eat my PB&J but it didn’t taste good. So I still kept using my Power Gels, Gatorade, water, & Thermolytes (salt tablets). From this point to the finish, I got sick 3 more times. This is what has me all confused. I really don’t know why I was getting sick. The orange Gatorade endurance didn’t taste very good. I had trained with orange Gatorade & lemon-lime Gatorade endurance. With about 20 miles till the bike finish, my left thigh started to cramp & I had to stop & get off the bike. Here again, I was confused. I was riding slower than my goal, so I know I wasn’t pushing too hard. At this point, I was getting conserded because if I was unable to drink Gatorade I didn’t know how I would be able to finish. Saw Josh & Gene again with about ½ mile to go on the bike. I made it back to the changing tent. Bike time was 7 hours 2 minutes & 39 seconds (15.90mph). My bike computer showed 16.41 mph. Ironman does not stop the count when you stop, like my bike computer does. Here again, I was hoping to be done in 6 hours & 30 minutes. The bike was very tough today.

I spent 16 minutes & 53 seconds in T2, and then was out for the run. I took my time in T2, drank some water, changed clothes, socks, & shoes.

When I started the run, I actually felt decent. We went out & crossed over the 2nd Street Bridge. The uphill part of the bridge did not feel good. I walked up.Then at the aid station, I tried more Gatorade & right back up it came. Jogged again on the flat & downhill side of the bridge, but walked again on the way back on the uphill. And sick again. At this point, I was sure I was done. There were 2 race photographers on the bridge & when I saw the pictures, I looked done. When I got off the bridge, I saw all my family waited ahead. At this point, I’m thinking that my hotel is right here, why keep running/walking away from town for 6 miles & back 6 miles. I should just stop here & call it a day. But then I came up to Steve Sunbury. He asked how I was doing & I told him I was done. He said “No, just keep going that my pace & everything would come back to me.” He has done an Ironman, so I decided to keep on going. Went passed my family & Josh high-fived me & said “have fun”. Didn’t really know how much fun it was going to be, but I kept going. This was all at about 2 miles into the 26.2 mile marathon. Got to mile 4 & I started to feel blisters on the bottom of my feet. It was painful enough that I stopped running & was just walking by now. Also got sick 2 more times since the bridge. I was up to a total of 8 times for the day, not good. But I kept at it, just not very fast. Also went by a bank & its sign showed the temperature at 93. After the race, I heard that it got up as high as 97 & humidity was 65%. I say this now because it is at this point in the race that I notice a lot of racers walking. I was trying to calculate how fast I needed to go to finish by the cutoff time. It was hard to do, but I thought I was right on pace to finish just in time. So I keep trying to do a little running but the blisters are very painful. Finally made it to the turn around point & start headed back to town for the next 6 miles. About 2 miles from town I saw Stephanie. She talked to me for awhile. She said Cathy was getting nervous because she found out that I was getting sick. But at this point I think I was over that but still couldn’t drink any Gatorade. Now came the worse part of the whole day. Since it is a 2 loop run course, you have to come into town, then make a right turn & head back out of town. But you come within 2 blocks of the finish line & a lot of people were finishing already. But it may have been the best part of the day also. I decided that I needed to try a little harder the last 12 miles. So I jogged/walked the next 3 miles. Then I started to feel a little fired. So my next decision was to walk the next 3 miles to the turn around then see how much I could run back. By now it is very dark outside & they had given me a glow stick to wear. I it got pretty lonely at times. But now everyone was talking to each other as they went by. This really helped. At the turn around, I was off & running. Made it 2 complete miles without stopping & I actually ran through an aid-station & grabbed a water & kept on going. Now I needed a walk break. Again I tried to calculate what my time was. I think I was going to make it under 16 hours & that would be great since it wasn’t long ago that I was concerned about making it under 17 hours. I got it figured out that if I walked the next 3 miles & run the last mile, it would make it in under 16 hours. So I found a walking buddy & we chatting & kept at it. Once we got close to one mile to go, I told him what I was doing. He wished me luck & off I went. With about ½ mile to go, I saw Gene out on the course. He couldn’t believe that I was running. Now he was concerned that he wouldn’t make it back to see me finish. I think he did. I was running but not real fast. Now I thinking about my finish & the photo they take there. I didn’t want my hat in the picture, so I stuffed it down the back of my shirt. Next was the slow stick, didn’t want that either. So I thought if I saw Karsen, I would put it around her neck. Sure enough, I saw her & gave it to her. Then I saw Cathy & Stephanie holding a sign – “Congratulations Greg – Ironman August 31, 2008”. Wow, now it was all worth it. All I could here was the crowd cheering but I couldn’t hear a word anyone said. Crossed the finish line & thought I had made it under 16 hours but I wasn't sure. I had accidently stopped my watch for about 15 minutes on the bike. Josh looked at the picture he took at the start & at the finish & said it would be around 16 hours &10 minutes. So I got on my phone & checked the internet. YES! 15 hours, 58 minutes, & 41 seconds. I AM AN IRONMAN!!!

As I said, it was all worth it. It is an amazing experience. I still can’t believe that I was able to push through getting sick 8 times & having a bad bike time.

Sunday, August 31st

2008-09-02T09:26:00.002-04:00

I DID IT! Wow! 15 hours, 58 minutes, 41 seconds is my official time.

A full race report will be coming up later this week.

Thanks to everyone for their support & encouragement!

Saturday, August 30th

2008-09-02T09:20:00.002-04:00

Got down to the river today for the practice swim. I think it went very well. Didn't really feel the current when I was going upstream, but I didn't really feel the current going downstream either. After lunch, I got all my stuff ready to go & then took my bike & clothes down to the start as we had to have everything checked in by 5pm. Went to supper at 6pm with Liz & Spencer Sunbury. Decided it would be easier to go back to the Indiana side & eat at Olive Garden.

Sunday is race day & I'll be getting up at about 4am.

Friday, August 29th

2008-09-02T09:18:00.002-04:00

Got to Louisville just before noon. We have to be signed in by 5pm today. They had a dinner for all the athletes this evening, lots of pasta & chicken.

Saturday morning is a practice swim in the river.

Thursday, August 28th

2008-08-28T16:05:00.002-04:00

Just a few more days. Getting everything packed & ready to go.

Here is a link to the Ironman Athlete tracker. Just type in my last name & it will show how I'm doing.

http://ironman.com/events/ironman/louisville/?show=tracker&rid=164&year=2008

Wednesday, August 27th

2008-08-28T15:52:00.002-04:00

Took Rick, Kenny, & Liz out on an easy 26 mile ride tonight. Got a little rain, but not much. It was a great last bike workout.

Thursday is a rest day. But it will be spent getting everything packed & ready to go.

Tuesday, August 26th

2008-08-26T21:49:00.002-04:00

Already Tuesday, week is going fast & I want it to. Waiting is the hardest part for me.

Got in an easy run this evening, only 3 miles. But this week is really about rest & that is what I am trying to do.

Wednesday is a bike ride, again it will be short & sweet.

Monday, August 25th

2008-08-25T19:29:00.001-04:00

Made it over to North Vernon this morning for my swim workout. No much, just an easy swim workout. Only did 1/2 mile today. But the rest is doing me good!

Tuesday is a run workout.

Sunday, August 24th

2008-08-25T19:28:00.002-04:00

One week away! Went for my last long run of 6.2 miles. It was pretty humid today, which it could be next weekend also.

Monday is my last swim workout.

29 weeks are now over. Next Sunday is race day!

Here are the totals after 29 weeks.

Swim - 81.6 miles
Bike - 2569.3 miles
Run - 433.7 miles

Saturday, August 23rd

2008-08-25T19:27:00.001-04:00

Felt pretty good today on the bike. Got in 52 miles. I think I ready for this!

Sunday is the last long run workout.

Friday, August 22nd

2008-08-25T19:25:00.003-04:00

Last long swim workout!! Actually, I really enjoy the swim workouts. Made it to North Vernon & got in 2500 yds, about 1.5 miles. Used my race suit for the first time & I think I like it.

Saturday is the last long bike workout.

Thursday, August 21st

2008-08-21T19:59:00.002-04:00

Another shorter bike ride tonight. Got 30 miles in for the night. Keep the miles short but the intensity way up. Heart rate was working!

Friday is my last long swim workout. Can't miss the last one.

Wednesday, August 20th

2008-08-21T19:57:00.001-04:00

Well, I didn't make it to North Vernon for the morning swim. So just another rest day. But again, I was bored during the evening, so I went on a 13 mile bike ride on my commuter bike. Just easy ride around town.

Thursday is a bike workout.

Tuesday, August 19th

2008-08-20T12:27:00.001-04:00

Wasn't able to get out on my run until about 8:30pm. But was still able to do my 5 mile tempo run. Felt really good, especially the last mile.

Wednesday is a swim workout.

Monday, August 18th

2008-08-20T12:26:00.002-04:00

Today was a rest day, even though I was bored & went for a ride on my commuter bike. But only 7 miles, so that really doesn't count towards my totals.

Tuesday is a run workout.

Sunday, August 17th II

2008-08-18T10:49:00.002-04:00

28 weeks are now done! Only 2 weeks until race day. Feeling a lot better now that my taper (rest) period has started.

Here are the totals after 28 weeks.

Swim - 80 miles
Bike - 2488.3 miles
Run - 422.5 miles

Sunday, August 17th

2008-08-18T10:48:00.003-04:00

Another good day for a long run. Got in 12 miles, same as last week but 3 minutes faster. Felt really good today.

Monday will be a rest day.

Saturday, August 16th

2008-08-18T10:46:00.001-04:00

Our local club help organized a bike ride today. I helped in the morning, then went out to ride, & helped at the finish. I rode the 45 mile route for a good workout.

Sunday is my long run workout.

Friday, August 15th

2008-08-15T12:45:00.002-04:00

Got to the pool at 5:35am for my long swim. Again, it seemed like I was swimming so fast because of the short pool. I got in 3000 yards & it felt really good.

Saturday is a short long bike workout.

Thursday, August 14th

2008-08-15T12:43:00.002-04:00

Well, it rained/stormed this afternoon when my bike ride was schedule, so I skipped it. Ended up just going for a 2 mile walk with Cathy. I think she enjoyed it!

Friday I'm off to the pool at North Vernon for my long swim.

Wednesday, August 13th

2008-08-14T10:51:00.003-04:00

Had to go to North Vernon this morning to get my swim workout, not to bad. Finished with 2000 yds. Yes, it is bad to yards not meters. Indoors is 25 yd pool. It takes a couple of weeks to get use to the shorter pool.

Thursday is a bike workout (if it doesn't rain) & maybe get a run workout in also.

Tuesday, August 12th

2008-08-12T22:26:00.002-04:00

Well, I got my run workout in this morning before work. And it helps that I didn't start work until 10am! But also, I didn't get done umpiring softball until 10:30pm last night. I did my 1/2 mile hard, 1/2 mile easy workout for a total of 5 miles. This taper sure seems easy since the mileage is less than what I am use to, even with the intensity turned up a notch!

Wednesday is a swim workout & I have to go to North Vernon for their 6am swim. I guess no big deal for a couple of times. I'm watching the Olympic swimming & they are talking about Micheal Phelps & his workout. He swam over 5 miles today! Makes my 1-2 miles seem like nothing, but its good for me. I guess if Speedo was going to pay me a million dollar bonus if I won 8 gold medals, I could probably go for 5 miles!

Monday, August 11th

2008-08-12T10:43:00.001-04:00

Decided to make Monday a rest day, plus I had to ump 4 softball games (4+ hrs).

That moves my run workout to Tuesday & maybe a bike workout if I can fit it in.

Sunday, August 10th

2008-08-10T19:32:00.002-04:00

Went to Louisville to re-ride part of the Ironman course. We skipped the flat part of the course & just rode the hills. Last time we rode the course, we missed a turn but we got it right today. It is a hilly course with only a couple of major hills, but it is up & down all day. Finished with 52 miles. There was at least 25 other riders out on the course today. Got to talk to a couple of guys.

Monday is usually a swim day or rest day but since there is no pool open in Seymour now I guess I'll probably go for a run workout.

Only 3 weeks left till race day! 27 weeks down.

Here are the totals after 27 weeks.

Swim - 76.9 miles
Bike - 2443.3 miles
Run - 405.5 miles

Saturday, August 9th

2008-08-09T22:13:00.002-04:00

Another great weather day, especially for August. It was a little hotter or humid than I thought because I sweat a lot more than last weeks 20 miler. But since I am in taper mode, I did run harder, about 30 seconds faster per mile. I got in 12 miles today, thought that was enough since I ran pretty hard (for a long run!)

Sunday, I'm headed back down to Louisville to ride part of the course again. We'll probably do about 60 miles.

Friday, August 8th

2008-08-08T21:17:00.002-04:00

Had a great swim today, felt good & felt fast. Got in 3200 meters (2 miles). The bad part about today's swim was it was the last day for lap swim at the city pool, its closes Sunday because school starts next week. I'll have to go to North Vernon for my swim workouts until the Ironman.

Saturday is my long run workout, hopefully 15 miles.

Thursday, August 7th

2008-08-08T12:27:00.003-04:00

Made it out for an evening bike ride. It was a little shorter than before but rode a little harder to make up for it. Got in 33 miles for day. Didn't get in a run though, but that is OK. Still think I'm where I need to be.

Friday is a long swim workout.

Wednesday, August 6th

2008-08-06T14:00:00.002-04:00

Got to the pool today during lunch for my Sprint workout. I got my fastest lap at the city pool for the summer today. I was excited about that, felt really good today.

I still have to ump 3 softball games tonight, but my workouts are done for today.

Thursday is a bike workout & a run workout.

Tuesday, August 5th

2008-08-06T13:55:00.002-04:00

Work was pretty busy today, which is a good thing, so I didn't have time for a bike ride. But I did get in a run workout. Did one of my Interval workouts for a total of 4 miles. My legs still felt heavy from my long Sunday run, but that was expected. It did feel good to get out & run. I think I'm starting to like the runs, but now its the biking that is getting me down. I just seem to have no power on the bike like I did in May & June. I think that is a common thing for Ironman training. Hopefully the easier training until race day will help all that.

Wednesday is a swim workout.

Monday, August 4th

2008-08-05T16:24:00.002-04:00

Made it to the pool today. Didn't plan on much of a workout, just wanted to loosen up my legs. I swam 1500 meters total, but nothing hard.

Tuesday is a run workout & maybe a bike also, just have to see.

Sunday, August 3rd

2008-08-04T09:25:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandma Reasoner!!

Today was the day that I was not looking forward to when I made out my workout schedule, 20 mile run. I have never done that before. But today was the day. It turned out to be a great morning for a long run. I broke the run up into 4 mile sets. I would run out 2 miles, then come back to my house. Then I was able to get a new bottle of gatorade, get a drink of water, or whatever I needed. That worked very well. I was truely amazed at how well I did for the 20 miler.

Now it is time for a little rest. With only 4 weeks until raceday, I will be starting my taper on Monday. That means I will be cutting my workouts done by about 25% each week so that on raceday I will hopefully be well rested & ready to go.

Monday, I am scheduled to go to the pool, probably just to loosen up my legs since they will probably feel heavy after a 20 mile run.

26 weeks down, 4 to go!

Here are the totals after 26 weeks:

Swim - 72.6 miles
Bike - 2358.8 miles
Run - 389.5 miles

Saturday, August 2nd

2008-08-04T09:23:00.002-04:00

Today's ride did not turn out well. I felt bad the whole ride, had to stop the ride short for me. I wanted to do about 70 miles, but I stopped at 42 miles. I thought it was better to stop & not push too far, especially since I have a 20 mile run scheduled for Sunday.

Friday, August 1st

2008-08-04T09:20:00.002-04:00

August 1st means its this month that the big race will be. Time seems to be flying by.

Today was my long swim. I did all 2.4 miles tonight, 3800 meters. It didn't feel too bad, I was happy with my time. I think it is pretty cool when you are the first one in the pool & the last one out.

Saturday is a long bike workout.

Thursday, July 31st

2008-08-01T09:59:00.003-04:00

Wow, last day of July. Only 31 days till raceday!

I got a brick workout in today. Liz & I rode 44 miles then I took off on a 4 mile run. Another humid day & I was happy with both the bike & run. Run wasn't too fast but I kept my heart rate in check.

Friday is a long swim workout. Plus, Josh & I are playing in a night golf tourney. First 9 holes is when it is still light out, then we have dinner, then the last 9 holes are after dark. Should be fun! If not, it is Mark's fault.

Wednesday, July 30

2008-07-31T12:10:00.001-04:00

Made it to the pool today for my scheduled workout. I finished with 1800 meters for the day.

Thursday is a run workout & bike workout.

Tuesday, July 29th

2008-07-29T21:49:00.003-04:00

My right knee (actually feels like it is right behind) was sore today, first it has felt like this. I decided to go ahead & do a run workout. But I started out easy just to see how my knee felt. It felt great (normal) for the whole run. Ended up running 6 miles, turned out to be a very good workout. Another good raceday training since it was 85+ degrees.

Wednesday's forecast doesn't look good for being outside, rain, but we need it here in Seymour. I still have a swim workout scheduled.

Monday, July 28th

2008-07-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

Today was a rest day. I am glad I decided that ahead of time because I really needed it!

Tuesday is a run workout, maybe a bike also.

Sunday, July 27th

2008-07-28T10:37:00.002-04:00

Week 25 is now done. Wow, seems to be flying by. Raceday is 5 weeks away. I am ready for it to be here. Training for an Ironman is mentally & physically draining. I have one week of tough training left, then 4 weeks of tapering. Tapering is basically cutting training time down 25% each week. It is about keeping the intensity up, but also getting more rest so your body is ready for raceday.

Here is the total after 25 weeks.

Swim - 68.7 miles
Bike - 2273.3 miles
Run - 359.5 miles

Sunday, July 27th

2008-07-28T10:29:00.002-04:00

Rick, Liz, & I went to Louisville this morning & rode the Ironman bike course. That way we would know what to plan for on raceday. I think the course was about what we thought it would be, a lot of rolling hills. We finished with 75 miles for the day.

Monday will probably be a rest day.

Saturday, July 26th

2008-07-28T10:27:00.002-04:00

I waited & waited to do my long run, almost didn't even do it. But at 5:30pm, I finally got out the door. Pretty humid all afternoon, but I managed to get my 12 miles.

Sunday, I'm headed to Louisville to ride the bike course of the Ironman.

Friday, July 25th

2008-07-28T10:26:00.001-04:00

Since I had to ump softball at 6:30pm, I did my long swim at lunchtime. Not really long enough, but I only had an hour. Finished with 1800 meters.

Saturday is a long run workout.

Thursday, July 24th

2008-07-25T10:18:00.002-04:00

Probably the best riding conditions of the summer for a ride. Low humidity, low 80's, & very little wind. And I felt great on the ride. Ride a route with some hills & some flats. Finished with 45 miles for the evening.

Friday is my long swim workout, but I may have to cut it short. I get to ump church league softball tonight starting at 6:30pm. That means I only get 1 hour for my swim. We'll see what I can do.

Wednesday, July 23rd

2008-07-23T21:07:00.003-04:00

I had enough time today for my swim workout, but that was all. Guess I'll have to get up a little earlier Thursday for my run. Got to do my swim workout at lunch. I did my toughest workout, 16 sets of 50 meters with 20 seconds rest between each. And with 5 warm-up & 5 cool-down laps, I finished with 1800 meters total.

Couldn't do my run this evening because Cathy & I went to the county fair.

Thursday is a run workout & a bike workout.

Tuesday, July 22nd

2008-07-23T07:08:00.002-04:00

I got in half of what I had scheduled for today. I got my run workout in. Of all the run workouts I do, this one has to be my favorite. I do a one mile warm-up, then sets of 30 seconds hard with 3 minutes easier. The 30 seconds hard go by real fast. Still a very good workout. I finished with 4.6 miles.

Wednesday is a swim workout & a run workout if I get time.

Monday, July 21st

2008-07-22T10:34:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Grandpa Reasoner!!

Since week 24 was my longest workout week to date, I decided to take a rest day today. But I did miss going to my swim, seems like it is always a good workout & relaxing.

Tuesday is a run workout & bike workout, if the weather allows it.

Sunday, July 20th

2008-07-20T18:48:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my mom!

Took off at 6:30am for my long run. I was able to get in 11 miles today before I decided that was enough for the weekend. I finished the weekend with 2 miles swimming, 80 miles biking, & 15 miles running. I'm taking that as a very good training weekend.

Now week 24 is done & only 6 more to go.

Here are the totals after 24 weeks

Swim - 66.3 miles
Bike - 2153.8 miles
Run - 342.9 miles

Saturday, July 19th

2008-07-20T18:45:00.002-04:00

With only 4 hours of sleep after the 5K race, it was off on a bike ride. Rick & Liz joined me today. We did our route that we call Devil's Backbone. Devil's Backbone is the name of one of the roads we ride over by Bedford. We finished with 80 miles today, & it was another hot & humid day.

Sunday is a long run workout.

Friday, July 18th

2008-07-20T18:40:00.002-04:00

Busy day today, or should I say busy evening. At 5pm I did my long swim workout of 3200 meters (2 miles). The swim seemed tough this week, at least compared to last weeks long swim.

Then at midnight, I competed in the Seymour Running Club's Midnight 5k (3.1 miles). I thought if I could do it in about 25 minutes I would be happy. Maybe I should run more at night because I finished in 24:08. Wow! That is really good. And I finished 1st in my age-group!

The only downside is that I have a bike ride scheduled for 7am Saturday morning.

Thursday, July 17th

2008-07-18T19:43:00.002-04:00

Good day for a bike ride, very little wind. Did a route with a few hills. I mainly rode at the pace I want to ride during the Ironman, 19-20 mph. It felt really good. Finished with 44 miles.

Friday is a long swim at 5pm, then at midnight (yes midnight) I am running a 5k race for the Seymour Running Club. Should be fun!

Wednesday, July 16th

2008-07-16T22:24:00.003-04:00

I was tired again today. Well, actually more sore than tired. But I made it to the pool & decided to do 3 sets of 500 meters for a total of 1500 meters. It felt a lot better once I got going. Glad I didn't skip the workout.

Thursday is a run workout & a bike workout.

Tuesday, July 15th

2008-07-15T21:17:00.002-04:00

Today was a good day, but it was also pretty tough. This morning, I did my Interval II run workout for a total of 6 miles. I did 1 mile warm-up then 5 sets of 1/2 mile hard & 1/2 mile easy. Those are always hard but now the weather is starting to act like the end of July, hot & humid.

This evening was my solo bike ride. But Rick wanted to go tonight so off we went. Finished with 36 miles. Glad that Rick went with me, he pushed me good tonight.

Wednesday is a swim workout day & I may not want to get out. Another hot & humid day!

Monday, July 14th

2008-07-15T11:15:00.002-04:00

I am still pretty tired from the weekend workout, but swim workouts are always easy on your body. I did my sprint II workout for a total of 1500 meters. Not a lot, but enough to keep my body going.

Tuesday is a run workout & a bike workout.

Sunday, July 13th

2008-07-13T17:03:00.002-04:00

After watching the Tour de France, I set out on my long bike ride. Again, it was hot, humid, & windy! My first 25 miles was with the wind, but then I had to come back. Finished with 50 miles for the day.

Now that week 23 is done, that only leaves 7 weeks until raceday.

Here are the totals after week 23.

Swim - 62 miles
Bike - 1994.3 miles
Run - 321.8 miles

Saturday, July 12th

2008-07-13T16:58:00.003-04:00

Stephanie got back to the States this afternoon & Cathy can breathe again!

We got home about 5:30pm so I decided to do my long run today instead of Sunday. Right before I headed out for 10 miles, I checked Weather.com for the current conditions: 90, feels like 95. Wow! My route for the day was 5 miles out then turn around & come back. But it sure was hot & humid so I changed it to 4 miles out & back. Then if I still felt like it, I could do 2 more miles. Man, am I glad I changed, 8 miles was enough!

Also today was the RAIN ride. It is a ride that starts in Terre Haute & goes to Richmond, 160 miles. Four of my riding buddies did it & finished faster than last year. Way to go!!

Sunday will be my long bike ride in the afternoon.

Friday, July 11th

2008-07-13T16:57:00.001-04:00

Well, it was hot & humid & I just decided not to do anything.

Saturday will be my long run of the week.

Thursday, July 11th

2008-07-11T10:24:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a great workout. I did my long swim at 5pm & I was going to swim 32 laps. But as I got close to 32 laps, I felt great & thought about doing 38 laps. So I went on, but then I thought if I could do 38 why not 40. And sure enough, I finished at 40 laps for 4000 meters. That is 2.5 miles! I was extremely happy. Now it was off for a short bike ride. I went & did a few hills for a total of 26 miles. Great workout day!

Friday is a run workout.

By the way, Stephanie is coming home Saturday!

Wednesday July 9th

2008-07-10T09:25:00.002-04:00

Got to the pool at lunch for a good swim. Finished with 2300 meters & I used the whole hour we had today for swimming.

Thursday is a bike workout & I also have to get my long swim in because the pool is going to be closed Friday for a swim meet.

Tuesday July 8th

2008-07-10T09:23:00.001-04:00

Was suppose to go on a bike ride, then I found out it was Mark's birthday & they invited Cathy & I to go out to eat with them. So I cancelled my ride & went out & ate. Oh well, on to the next day.

Monday July 7th

2008-07-07T13:06:00.002-04:00

Got in my swim workout today at lunch. Swam 1700 meters doing my sprint workout. I did 14 sets of 50 meters. Really felt good after my 16 mile run yesterday. I was kinda worried about it but it turned out good.

Tuesday is a bike workout.

Sunday, July 6th

2008-07-07T12:55:00.003-04:00

Got up & going at 6am. Another humid day but I got all 16 miles in today. Over the last 4 miles I started doing 2 minute walk in each mile. That really seemed to work very well. And actually my mile times were just the same as the ones that I didn't walk during.

Monday is a swim workout.

22 weeks completed & that means only 8 weeks to go!

Totals after 22 weeks.

Swim - 56.5 miles
Bike - 1919.3 miles
Run - 313.8 miles

Saturday July 5th

2008-07-07T12:53:00.001-04:00

The Tour de France started today so I watched Stage 1. Then at noon, Liz & I took off on a bike ride. We did 75 miles. Pretty good ride.

Sunday is my long run workout.

Thursday July 3rd & Friday July 4th

2008-07-07T12:44:00.002-04:00

I'm a little behind my posts, so I'm going to catch up.

I took Thursday off for a rest day. I felt a little tired so I just took it easy. Cathy & I went to Columbus to watch fireworks. We rode up with Josh, Brooke, & Karsen & caught up with Mom & Gene for a cookout before the fireworks.

Friday was going to be my swim workout at lunch but it was raining so it turned into another rest day. I think it did my body good. Friday was also our 8th Anniversary so we went out to eat then watched the fireworks at Seymour.

Wednesday, July 2nd

2008-07-03T11:34:00.002-04:00

Today was another double workout, just not back to back. Got my swim workout in at lunchtime. I did 2000 meters which felt really good again. Then at 5pm, took off for a bike ride. Did the Clearspring hill but was a little slower this time. But Liz did the hill in a very good time. I was about a minute slower than my fast time, still not bad. Finished the day with 43 miles. Oh, did I tell you that it was very windy & it never felt like it was at my back. Just part of the experience.

Well Thursday is a run workout but I may just take a rest day. Plus we are going to Columbus for their fireworks show with the family.

Tuesday, July 1st

2008-07-02T13:11:00.003-04:00

Already July & the race is in August. Wow, sure is getting close.

Today was a run workout & a bike workout so I decided to combine them together for a Brick workout. I did 30 miles on the bike, then went straight out for a 3 mile run. I was very pleased with my results.

Wednesday is a swim workout at lunch & a bike workout in the evening.

Monday, June 30rd

2008-07-01T15:50:00.002-04:00

Went to the pool today but I felt very tired. So I decided to skip my planned workout & just swim 10 laps today. Glad I did because my arms were sore. I did my 10 laps for 1000 meters.

Tuesday is a run workout & bike workout.

Sunday, June 29th

2008-06-30T08:56:00.002-04:00

Got up early today to get my long run in since I knew it would take almost 3 hours to do. I used three different routes to get a total of 15 miles. I did a 2 mile loop, then a 8 mile loop, & finished with a 5 mile loop. All loops started & ended at my house that way if I need to use the restroom or get more water or gatorade I could. The last 2.5 miles of the run today I tried to run a little faster which I was able to to. But I paid for that later in the day. My legs felt like they were going to cramp on me during the afternoon. But after I got more food & drink, they were fine.

Monday is a swim workout.

21 weeks are now completed with only 9 weeks to go!

Here are the totals after 21 weeks:

Swim - 54.5 miles
Bike - 1771.8 miles
Run - 294.8 miles

Saturday, June 28th

2008-06-30T08:51:00.002-04:00

I didn't know whether I should go for a ride or not because it was suppose to storm anytime. But Liz & I decided to go ahead. And somehow we rode 52 miles & just got sprinkled on. Boy, was it humid. My clothes were soaked by the time I finished.

Sunday is a long run workout.

Friday, June 27th

2008-06-27T21:10:00.002-04:00

Storms held off today so I was able to get my long swim workout in. I'm up to 2800 meters, getting closer to the 2.4 miles (3800 metters). Now I was impressed tonight because Talmadge Reasoner did the whole 3800! Great job!

Saturday is more storms but hopefully I'll get my long bike ride in in the morning.

Thursday, June 26th

2008-06-27T13:36:00.002-04:00

Looked like it could rain today at 5pm when I took off for my bike ride. But we just missed all the storms. When I got back Cathy said it stormed really bad. We just rode away from the storm clouds & missed it all. Rode for 31 miles, nothing much but it was very windy & humid.

Skipped my run workout, but I'll get my long run in this weekend.

Friday is my long swim & hopefully the storms will hold off until I am done.

Wednesday, Juen 25th

2008-06-26T14:38:00.001-04:00

Swim workout today. Got in 2000 meters with a sprint set of 12 sets of 50 meters.

Thursday is a run workout & bike workout in the evening. Weather doesn't look good.

Tuesday, June 24th

2008-06-24T21:49:00.002-04:00

Back at it after a rest day. Got my recovery run in at 7pm tonight. I did 6 miles at a pace better than my long runs but easier than my tempo runs. I got a replacement heart rate monitor (mine was not working correctly) & I used it tonight. My heart rate was right around 140 for the entire run. That is right on target for a recovery run.

Wednesday is a swim workout day & I'll ump 2 softball games.

Monday, June 23rd

2008-06-24T09:59:00.002-04:00

Just took the day off from workouts. I was pretty exhausted from 19 hours of driving over the weekend. So I decided to just get all my work done & take it easy except I went to ump 2 softball games in the evening. Not too hard to do though.

Tuesday is a run workout, hopefully at lunch.

Sunday, June 22nd

2008-06-23T11:40:00.002-04:00

I got up at 6am & got my long run of 9 miles in today. I found out that a run workout in Branson is totally different than in Seymour. Branson is full of hills, up & down the whole workout. But that is also a good thing for training.

After running, I had breakfast with the family. Then went to the Reasoner Church service & then back into the car & drive 9 hours back to Seymour. We sure had a good time but not enough time in Branson.

Week 20 is done & only 10 weeks to go!

Totals after 20 weeks.

Swim - 51.2 miles
Bike - 1688.8 miles
Run - 273.8 miles

Saturday, June 21st

2008-06-23T11:39:00.001-04:00

Saturday was my rest day. But it was a busy day with all the family. Plenty to do & eat.

Sunday will be my long run.

Friday, June 20th

2008-06-23T11:35:00.002-04:00

Today was my long bike ride. Rick, Liz, & I rode the Ride to Recycle 100 mile route. The Ride to Recycle ride will be held on Saturday but since I am leaving town today, we rode it today. Finished with 110 miles, because we started & finished at my house & we had to ride to stores to get water. It was a lot tougher than we thought it would be. A lot of hills that we didn't know were in Jackson County. But it was a very good training ride.

Now I'm headed to Branson Missouri for the Reasoner Family Reunion.

Saturday will be a rest day, but I plan on getting up early Sunday morning for my long run.

Thursday, June 19th

2008-06-19T21:03:00.002-04:00

Since Cathy & I are going to Branson Missouri this weekend for the Reasoner Reunion, I had to do my long swim workout today. I got to swim next to a faster swimmer today, therefore my swim was faster. Or maybe I am just getting faster. I did 2600 meters, which is the most I've ever swam!

Going for my long bike ride first thing Friday morning. I'm also going to try to get my long run sometime while in Missouri.

Wednesday, June 18th

2008-06-19T11:05:00.001-04:00

Got my swim workout in today. The last few morning, it has been a little cool & the water temp reflected that. Not too bad. Finished with 1500 meters, I still feel a little tired.

Thursday is a run workout & my long swim workout.

Tuesday, June 17th

2008-06-18T09:51:00.002-04:00

I sure was tired today before my bike workout, but I went out for the ride anyway. I finished with a total of 45 miles. Not too bad for starting out tired.

Wednesday is a swim workout.

Monday, June 16th

2008-06-16T22:28:00.002-04:00

This is the start of week 20. Wow, it really has gone by very faster. It will be labor day before I know it. I want to thank everyone for their support & encouragement. A lot of you have been asking me how my training is going or what workout am I doing that day. Every bit of this helps me. Also need to thank my wife. She has been great through out this & works around my schedule to help fix meals for me.

Now for today's workout. It was a swim workout of 8 sets of 100 meter sprints with a warm-up & cool-down for a total of 1800 meters.

Tuesday is a bike workout & maybe try to get in my run workout. If not, it will be on Wednesday.

Sunday, June 15th

2008-06-16T22:12:00.003-04:00

Up at 5:30am for a 14 mile run. This turned out to be the best long run I have had! My pace was just what I wanted it to be, the weather was perfect, & I was home & done by about 8:30am. The other good thing was my legs did hurt the rest of the day like they usually do. I was concerned they would be hurting & I had to go ump to baseball games in the afternoon. But the baseball games were a different story. Let's just say it didn't end like I wanted them to.

19 weeks are now completed & only 11 more to go.

Totals after 19 weeks.

Swim - 47.2 miles
Bike - 1533.8 miles
Run - 264.8 miles

Saturday, June 14th

2008-06-16T21:51:00.003-04:00

Great day for a triathlon. Martinsville is a very short triathlon, but pretty challenging also. Swim was 500 yds & I had the 27th best time (out of 90). Bike was 11 miles with 9 hills & 24 ninety-degree turns. I averaged 21.6 mph for the 10th best time. Then it was the 2.5 mile run & my legs did not want to go for the first mile. But then I felt a lot better & I picked up the pace from there to the finish. My run time was the 51st best time. I finished 27th out of 90. Not a bad day. And I learned a couple of things & that's what I wanted to do. First I learned that the shirt I wore caused a rash on my arm. So I won't be wearing that shirt again. Second I learned that I need to work on my run after a bike ride. Now for the Ironman, that will not be as big of a deal as it is with a short one.

Sunday is a scheduled long run.

Friday, June 13th

2008-06-13T18:39:00.002-04:00

Friday the 13th & I didn't know if I would get my long swim in. I decided to skip the 11am lap swim & try to do it at 5pm. I was able to get in 2000 meters but I wanted 2400. The storm rolled in & we had to get out of the pool. I guess that will have to do.

Saturday is the first Triathlon of the year for me. I'm headed to Martinsville for a very short race. 1/3 mile swim, 11 mile bike, & 2.5 mile run. Using this as a brick workout to see how my muscles react to all 3 sports back to back to back.

Thursday, June 12th

2008-06-12T20:58:00.002-04:00

Another hot day, but the humidity was still somewhat lower. When it is 90 degrees outside, that feels hot no matter what. Liz & I got in 45 miles tonight with some hills & some wind also. The ride felt good until we got done then I felt the heat.

My legs were tired from the 5 basketball games Wednesday night so I skipped the run today.

Friday is a long swim & Saturday I am doing a triathlon in Martinsville.

Wednesday, Jun 11th

2008-06-12T09:52:00.002-04:00

Got in my swim workout today at lunchtime. I did my Drills workout which is the easiest swim workout that I do. I finished with 2000 meters.

Then at 4pm, I did 5 basketball games. Wow! I forgot how tired my feet get from doing that my games in a row.

Now on to Thursday. Bike ride at 4:30pm. Maybe try to fit in a run workout, but after 5 basketball games Wednesday evening, I don't know yet.

Tuesday, June 10th

2008-06-10T22:18:00.002-04:00

What a difference the weather makes. A cold front came through last night & that dropped the humidity level down. I did one of my sprint run workouts tonight that consisted of 6 sets of 1/2 mile hard followed by 1/2 mile easy with a one mile warm-up for a total of 7 miles. This workout was a lot easier than last weeks 4 mile tempo run just because of the humidity. And I got to run faster. Felt great & speed was very good for me.

Wednesday is a swim workout & I am working 5 basketball games tomorrow evening.

Monday, June 9th

2008-06-10T11:12:00.002-04:00

Back to training. Today was a swim sprint workout. I did 16 x 50 meter sprints with 20 seconds rest between each. With a warm-up & cool down, I finished with 1800 meters total.

Tuesday is a run workout & maybe a bike ride if I get time.

Sunday, June 8th

2008-06-10T10:52:00.002-04:00

We were under a Flood Warning today so the B2 Time Trial was cancelled. Cathy & I were told that our subdivision could flood & we needed to be ready to leave. So we packed up all we could & put everything else up off the floor. Lucky for us, no water made it to our area, but many areas did get water. All this makes you realize that somethings are more important than training. But I'll be back at it on Monday.

Well, 18 weeks down, 12 to go.

Here is the totals after 18 weeks:

Swim - 42.9 miles
Bike - 1477.8 miles
Run - 241.3 miles

Saturday, June 7th

2008-06-07T14:00:00.003-04:00

Going to be humid & hot again so I decided to get out early & get my long run workout in. Left the house at 6am trying to beat the hot & the cars. I got half of it, not much traffic but the humidity was terrible. I finished with 10 miles.

Sunday is the long bike for the week which will include a time trial at 2pm.

Friday, June 6th

2008-06-07T13:54:00.002-04:00

Another hot, humid, & windy day. But all I had to do was swim which makes it a good day for a long swim workout. I finished with 2200 meters, same as last week's long swim but 2 minutes faster. And the water was 82 degrees not 66 degrees like last week.

Saturday is a long run workout because Sunday is another bike time trial.

Thursday, June 5th

2008-06-06T08:45:00.002-04:00

Hot, humid, & windy. That is how the day is explained. I got in a 4 mile run at lunchtime & 25 miles on the bike at 6pm. The bike ride was slow going out against the wind, but sure was fast coming home. And it was fun going pretty fast too.

Friday is a long swim day. Hopefully the storms (again) will hold off until I get the swim in.

Wednesday, June 4th

2008-06-05T08:30:00.002-04:00

More storms, seems like that it happens every other day. But we were able to use the city pool for 45 minutes before the storms came in. I got in most of my workout as I finished with 1500 meters. Wanted to do 3 more laps, but couldn't do it. Also thought about a bike ride in the evening but again the storms came in about the time I wanted to go.

Thursday is a run workout day & maybe try to get in a bike workout that I missed from Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 3rd

2008-06-04T09:32:00.002-04:00

Bad weather day as we were under a Tornado warning around lunchtime & got 1.5" of rain too. But late in the day it cleared up & at 8:30pm I took off on my run workout. It was still above 80 degrees & very humid & by the time I finished, my shirt was probably an extra 3 lbs with sweat. But raceday my be just like this weather. I finished with 4 miles on the evening & about a gallon of water & Gatorade afterwards.

More rain & severe weather is forecasted for Wednesday but I've still got a swim workout at lunch & a bike ride for the evening.

Monday, June 2nd

2008-06-02T21:48:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Gene! We had his birthday dinner Sunday night. My mom fixed grilled hamburgers & french fries. Mmm, it was good.

Today I made it to the city pool at 11am for lap swim. Still trying to get use to the much bigger pool. I did my Sprint II swim workout today for a total of 1800 meters which is 1968 yds. And the water was much warmer than Friday!

Tuesday is a run workout & possibly a bike also if I get time.

Sunday, June 1st

2008-06-02T08:51:00.010-04:00

Today I got up early to get this run in. I knew it would be a little humid outside so I took off at 6:50am for my 12 mile run. After last weeks long run, I decided that I had been going a little too hard. So today I slowed my pace down about 45 seconds slow per mile. It is tough slowing your pace down once you know what you can do. Sometimes I was surprised to look at my watch & see my slower times. But I know this will be better for me in the long run of the Ironman.

Week 17 is done with 13 more till raceday. Here is the totals.

Swim - 39.2 miles
Bike - 1452.8 miles
Run - 223.3 miles

Saturday, May 31st

2008-06-02T08:45:00.002-04:00

Last day of May, headed out for a long bike ride with Liz. The wind was out of the west at 18mph. Thats pretty good wind for a bike ride & I knew we would be headed straight into it at some point. I didn't check the distance but we rode straight west into the wind for 46 minutes. Thats not total time but one long straight away. It was tough but once we turned left off that straight away I knew it would be a lot easier to get back home. And it was. It was a good ride.

Sunday brings a long run workout. Should be a good morning for a run.