The Knee Saga

Well this week I had planned to begin adding CFE run workouts to prep for an early February half-marathon.  Before I even get a chance to begin my knee swells up and I cannot get it down with just ice and NSAIDs.  I went to the orthopedic clinic I haven’t been to in years for some help.  They ended up stick a big needle in my knee to drain the fluid then injecting some cortisone.  I have been told no running for at least a week, so this will delay me for awhile.  I still have plenty of time for the half marathon and eventually the full Ironman.

WHY CFE

CFE uses CrossFit as the foundation and adds interval and Tempo/ Time trial training.  For my CrossFit workouts I will be utilizing my local CrossFit Gym, CrossFit Middle Tennessee (http://www.crossfitmt.com/).  This is a very solid gym, and I have the utmost respect for the coaches there.   CFE workouts, for the most part, are short in duration and high intensity. 

The CFE approach is very counter-intuitive to endurance training.  After all why would someone train sprint intervals when they are trying to run a marathon?  Would it not seem more sensible to train long?  After all shouldn’t you train like you race, and race like you train?  Well through some personal experiments and research, I have found there is another successful way to train utilizing the CFE approach.  CFE for the most part is frowned upon by the endurance community, and it is still young.  However a simple Google search of high intensity interval training will show there is substantial research to prove it does work.  For those of you too lazy to perform your own Google search, click here:  http://tinyurl.com/2ftouyu 

Also here is a list of Pro’s and Con’s and other info compiled by the CFE community for aerobic vs. anaerobic training: http://www.crossfitendurance.com/faq/  

Like I have said before, this is nothing more than an approach to endurance training.  This is the approach I am adopting. I am sure there are other approaches that will work, and there is in my opinion there is nothing wrong with that.

PREVIOUS TRAINING APPROACH AND RACES

In the beginning of 2008 I joined a triathlon training group out of Nashville.  I remember my first night there.  Even though it was a beginner course, it seemed that I was one of the few there that had no idea about any aspect of the sport.  Over the next few weeks what I learned was invaluable.  I will always be appreciative of what the coaches taught me.  Slowly I begin to build up the time and distance in all 3 disciplines. Before I knew it I had established some endurance as was able to handle the very long workouts on a regular basis.  By the end of 2008 I had completed several sprint triathlons and 2 Olympic distance triathlons, and I had lost around 25 pounds.  I loved every part of this new lifestyle.  I even registered for a 70.3 triathlon at the end of the 2009 tri season.  During the 2009 season I continued my training and drastically increased my training time.  After all I felt like I needed it for the season ending race.  I was training 15 – 20 hours a week, and by the time the 70.3 rolled around I felt exhausted and just wanted to get it over with.  I finished the race with a disappointing time, but I did finish.  I was also burnt out on the sport.  I declared no triathlons for 2010 and looked forward to hitting the gym and weights for 2010.  Shortly after that I was introduced to CrossFit and my perspective on training changed. 

I do feel like I need to clarify my stance on my previous coaches and the LSD approach to training.  I hold my previous coaches with a high degree of respect and truly appreciate what they did for me.  I by no means think the LSD approach is wrong.  I have just found an alternative training approach that I enjoy and so far seems to work well for me. 

ABOUT ME & THIS BLOG

In late August of 2010 I registered for the 2011 Ironman Louisville.  In early November 2010, I attended a CrossFit Endurance (CFE) certification with the sole purpose of using the CFE approach to train myself for the Ironman. 

I will post my workouts, results, progress, etc on this blog as a train for the Ironman

I first became interested in triathlons when I saw the 2007 Ironman World Championship on TV.  At the end of the show I decided that I wanted to cross the Ironman finish.  I had no idea what that meant or how to train for it.  I knew running was going to be an issue since I have little cartilage in my left knee which was actually resulted in a medical discharge from the Army.  I quickly discovered various things I could do to help my knee to allow me to run, but it was and always will be a problem that will flare up occasionally. 

After the end of my first tri season (2008) I became a father.  My daughter and wife mean the world to me, but I remained committed to triathlons and one day achieving my goal of completing an Ironman triathlon.  As the 2009 tri season kicked into full gear (I was training for a 70.3), it seemed I spent less time with my wife and daughter.  My wife was and still is super supportive of my athletic endeavors, but that didn’t stop the guilt from spending less time with my family.  This will be a constant struggle for me as I journey to the Ironman.