My toes aren't doing too bad, the skin has finally hardened somewhat so it's not so painful to wear a shoe. I think it'll be fine by the Ironman.
I plan to get a disposable camera, and have someone take a picture of me and a few of the volunteers at every mile marker on the run and entitle the final product "The progression of an Ironman athlete". I think it'll be cool to see how i look from beginning of marathon to end.
I'm really psyched about doing this, and whether I'm ready or not, i've done what i could, and will get the result that it brings.
You all can watch for me at www.ironmanlive.com where live results will be updated throughout the day. Once i find out my number that is, but if i don't get a chance to post my number, you all know my name is Jed Sweetser and you can look it up by that. A trick to it is to get to the results page, go to EDIT>FIND ON THIS PAGE and type in my last name, it will auto scroll and highlight the first entry for my name.
I'm going to try and get in a ride and a few more runs in, and also a 4-5000 meter constant swim before the event. Hopefully next thursday (my day off) i'll be able to get the swim in. one thing that sucks is that it's short course season, so it's 25m per length. Ugh, talk about having to stop and turn around a bunch of times.
Tuesday, October 21
I just can't win.
Today while helping an employee clean out our fryer, the oil shot out of it (hot) and onto my right foot. I couldn't get my shoe and sock off fast enough before my toes and top of my foot got burned. My toes are nice and pink with some skin peeling off. ALl i can think about is how much it's going to suck to run.
Furthermore it's going to be longer before i can get internet access because i have to get DSL and it cost more to install then cable. Our cable company doesn't have cable modem access.
SOOOOOO.
suck.
Today while helping an employee clean out our fryer, the oil shot out of it (hot) and onto my right foot. I couldn't get my shoe and sock off fast enough before my toes and top of my foot got burned. My toes are nice and pink with some skin peeling off. ALl i can think about is how much it's going to suck to run.
Furthermore it's going to be longer before i can get internet access because i have to get DSL and it cost more to install then cable. Our cable company doesn't have cable modem access.
SOOOOOO.
suck.
Tuesday, October 14
Not sure why i'm all of a sudden inspired to write about endurance, but here it goes.
When i look at the people around me
the people i work with
the people that pass me by on the street
the people that drive past me on the road
the families
the loners
people of all types
I can't help but think: "Do they know what their limits are?"
And better yet, "Have they pushed those limits, and gained strength of mind, power, and body?"
Exercise should be a sect of religious proportions.
Take a lost boy who's overweight, irresponsible, immature, and conniving -
add 3 years of development
and 3 years of exercise...pushing the limits
and you come out with a responsible, level headed, mature, goal oriented, undaunted individual.
WHen my boss says, "Are you ready for the next step? The next set of responsibilities?"
all i can think of is, "Dude, i did a half ironman in 110 degree heat. I've suffered dehydration that was almost dibilitating. I've trained on a consistent basis for 3 years, all the while exploring, finding, and smashing every limit i've ever concieved of."
and all i can do is look him straight in the eye, and say, "Hit me".
He looks me back, searching for a sign of backing down, a hint that i'm joking, and when he doesn't find it there, he grins and gives it to me, without a second thought. Howelse do you go from lead to general manager in 3 months? Today he told me i'll make director some day.
When my girlfriend rides up to my work and she's a little out of breath and a bit tired (3 miles), all i can think of is, "Man i wish i was back there again, barely able to do 1/2 hour of exercise with so much potential to go."
Back then the gains came quick. The suffering was the same...but the gains came in big chunks. Now that i'm nearing my Ironman, all i can think about is that first day when Carl and I went to the Orange Trail, ran less then 2 miles and was destroyed for the effort. Or the time we did our first 5 miler. Or the time we did our first 10 miles. My first 5k, my first sprint triathlon.....I was so excited, i was breaking through barriers i never thought i'd ever break through. I was finding happiness that i never thought existed in my life. Finally i was finding DIRECTION in my life...and finally i could be overweight, but confident because i could look at someone half my weight and say, "Wanna run 10 miles?" and watch them squirm.
There's nothing quite like it. Athleticism has brought me wonderful friends. has brought me amazing experiences, has pushed me to the brink of quitting, to the maximum point of pain, only to push those thresholds back and max them out again.
Now that i'm approaching my Ironman, i believe i am approaching the end of my triathlon chapter in my life. It's the longest chapter yet. I've never stuck with anything longer then this, i've never reached the heights i've reached here today. And as i close this chapter in 3 weeks, i will open a new one with crit racing. I say now that i just want to do it recreationally, but i know myself better then that, within 3 -5 years i'm sure i'll be CAT2. Probably sooner.
The greatest thing a person ever said to me was, "You're least likely to succeed out of all your peers" which was said to me my senior year of highschool. I'm accomplishing somthing. I"m making something of myself. And when i go to my highschool reunion in 3 years, i'll take a big shit on the floor in the middle of the auditorium and say, "I just thought i'd return the favor"
Athletics saved me. Athletics kept me on track. Athletics gave me comfort. I will always have something in my life that is physical. After crit racing i want to do adventure racing. After that who knows?
Now don't get me wrong, i will always do a triathlon or two, most likely olympic distance since my crit racing will erase a lot of the long endurance stuff and instill more speed.
All i have to say is this: If you have or just are reading my journal, and you havn't gotten involved in sports yet, do it NOW. All other problems just seem to solve themselves so much easier when you start feeling like you are accomplishing something every day. When you start accomplishing something that the everyday joe can't do.
When I complete my ironman i will get my IM tattoo, along with .25% just below it. .25% represents the worlds population that can complete an Ironman in under 17 hours.
When i finished my half ironman i got a supreme confidence in my swimming. Any body of water i look at now i feel like i could swim across it. i KNOW i could swim across it.
When i cross that finishline for the Ironman who knows what kind of confidence it will instill in me. But i hope my head doesn't get any bigger then this, because i might not be able to fit in my car!
When i look at the people around me
the people i work with
the people that pass me by on the street
the people that drive past me on the road
the families
the loners
people of all types
I can't help but think: "Do they know what their limits are?"
And better yet, "Have they pushed those limits, and gained strength of mind, power, and body?"
Exercise should be a sect of religious proportions.
Take a lost boy who's overweight, irresponsible, immature, and conniving -
add 3 years of development
and 3 years of exercise...pushing the limits
and you come out with a responsible, level headed, mature, goal oriented, undaunted individual.
WHen my boss says, "Are you ready for the next step? The next set of responsibilities?"
all i can think of is, "Dude, i did a half ironman in 110 degree heat. I've suffered dehydration that was almost dibilitating. I've trained on a consistent basis for 3 years, all the while exploring, finding, and smashing every limit i've ever concieved of."
and all i can do is look him straight in the eye, and say, "Hit me".
He looks me back, searching for a sign of backing down, a hint that i'm joking, and when he doesn't find it there, he grins and gives it to me, without a second thought. Howelse do you go from lead to general manager in 3 months? Today he told me i'll make director some day.
When my girlfriend rides up to my work and she's a little out of breath and a bit tired (3 miles), all i can think of is, "Man i wish i was back there again, barely able to do 1/2 hour of exercise with so much potential to go."
Back then the gains came quick. The suffering was the same...but the gains came in big chunks. Now that i'm nearing my Ironman, all i can think about is that first day when Carl and I went to the Orange Trail, ran less then 2 miles and was destroyed for the effort. Or the time we did our first 5 miler. Or the time we did our first 10 miles. My first 5k, my first sprint triathlon.....I was so excited, i was breaking through barriers i never thought i'd ever break through. I was finding happiness that i never thought existed in my life. Finally i was finding DIRECTION in my life...and finally i could be overweight, but confident because i could look at someone half my weight and say, "Wanna run 10 miles?" and watch them squirm.
There's nothing quite like it. Athleticism has brought me wonderful friends. has brought me amazing experiences, has pushed me to the brink of quitting, to the maximum point of pain, only to push those thresholds back and max them out again.
Now that i'm approaching my Ironman, i believe i am approaching the end of my triathlon chapter in my life. It's the longest chapter yet. I've never stuck with anything longer then this, i've never reached the heights i've reached here today. And as i close this chapter in 3 weeks, i will open a new one with crit racing. I say now that i just want to do it recreationally, but i know myself better then that, within 3 -5 years i'm sure i'll be CAT2. Probably sooner.
The greatest thing a person ever said to me was, "You're least likely to succeed out of all your peers" which was said to me my senior year of highschool. I'm accomplishing somthing. I"m making something of myself. And when i go to my highschool reunion in 3 years, i'll take a big shit on the floor in the middle of the auditorium and say, "I just thought i'd return the favor"
Athletics saved me. Athletics kept me on track. Athletics gave me comfort. I will always have something in my life that is physical. After crit racing i want to do adventure racing. After that who knows?
Now don't get me wrong, i will always do a triathlon or two, most likely olympic distance since my crit racing will erase a lot of the long endurance stuff and instill more speed.
All i have to say is this: If you have or just are reading my journal, and you havn't gotten involved in sports yet, do it NOW. All other problems just seem to solve themselves so much easier when you start feeling like you are accomplishing something every day. When you start accomplishing something that the everyday joe can't do.
When I complete my ironman i will get my IM tattoo, along with .25% just below it. .25% represents the worlds population that can complete an Ironman in under 17 hours.
When i finished my half ironman i got a supreme confidence in my swimming. Any body of water i look at now i feel like i could swim across it. i KNOW i could swim across it.
When i cross that finishline for the Ironman who knows what kind of confidence it will instill in me. But i hope my head doesn't get any bigger then this, because i might not be able to fit in my car!
Sunday, October 12
No exaggeration: 86 hours last week. I simply can't train under these conditions, so i've resigned myself to just doing my best on race day and hope that i havn't lost too much in the past couple weeks. I have 3 weeks till the Ironman, and 17 hours to complete it. I have a tattoo to get, and i'm GOING to get it. If i have to drag myself acrtoss the line on my hands and face, i'll do it.
On the other hand, i moved in with Jes and they can't get a cable modem with the current cable company so i gotta call Bell South and see what they have to offer. Frig heads.
I havn't gained or lost any weight over the past few weeks so i guess i'm ok there (212) i think if i had stayed focused and not gotten a kill me job, i'd have raced under 200, which would have put me under 200 pounds for the first time since i can remember...even before highschool. I'll get there though, and i can't wait till the IRonman is over, i'll get my tattoo and start crit racing. I think i already mentioned that i met a guy who crit raced professionally for awhile and he's going to help me get things goin.
Till i can get online again: Train hard, train harder, then race the hardest.
On the other hand, i moved in with Jes and they can't get a cable modem with the current cable company so i gotta call Bell South and see what they have to offer. Frig heads.
I havn't gained or lost any weight over the past few weeks so i guess i'm ok there (212) i think if i had stayed focused and not gotten a kill me job, i'd have raced under 200, which would have put me under 200 pounds for the first time since i can remember...even before highschool. I'll get there though, and i can't wait till the IRonman is over, i'll get my tattoo and start crit racing. I think i already mentioned that i met a guy who crit raced professionally for awhile and he's going to help me get things goin.
Till i can get online again: Train hard, train harder, then race the hardest.
Wednesday, October 1
Have i been training lately? nope. I did a couple runs but nothing consistent. Am i going to suffer like a mofo at the ironman? Absolutely. I WILL finish it though! Now that i'm practically the GM of my store, i've had to put in 70+ hours a week at work (76 this past week thursday to tuesday) and today on my off day i'm moving some of my stuf into Jes's house. It makes a whole lot of sense and we just can't stop getting along heheh.
I'm basically going to just do run training whenever i can for the rest of the month. Thats the only place i'm really worried about at this point. 26.2 miles is a long ass way. The real suck of it all is even if i wasn't with Jes, i'd not be able to get the training i need. I work 12 to 11 every day except wednesday. Just too many hours. I can't wait to get this IM over with so i can crit train and not worry about swimming or running for awhile. After i move my computer into Jes's place i'll be updating more often, i promise.
I'm basically going to just do run training whenever i can for the rest of the month. Thats the only place i'm really worried about at this point. 26.2 miles is a long ass way. The real suck of it all is even if i wasn't with Jes, i'd not be able to get the training i need. I work 12 to 11 every day except wednesday. Just too many hours. I can't wait to get this IM over with so i can crit train and not worry about swimming or running for awhile. After i move my computer into Jes's place i'll be updating more often, i promise.