My buddy Galen and I decided we would hire a coach to help us train for a full Ironman in 2012.  The coach had us fill out a form to help him provide a personal workout program for each of us. Below is the information I gave our coach.

Past Athletic Background and My Two Year Goals:

My past athletic background begins in my early teen years on our small farm.  My older brother, Don, (who was 10 months and 10 days older than me) and I put up hay, the small square kind. Little did I know that all the running and lifting in the hay fields was preparing me for my athletic performance in high school.

I played football (so so) and ran track for the four years I attended Osawatomie High School. I started running the half mile as a freshman.  I ran the 880 on the medley relay team (440, 220, 220, and 880) as a freshman and we won state that year and the next two.

Every year I competed in the 880 yard run in the AAU Jr. Olympics and won my age group each year.  In 1959, I set a new national record for 15 year olds in the 880 with a time of 2.01.  That record stood for several years.

My brother went to college my senior year and I lost my way. Don and I would train 3 hours each day during my first three years in high school, my senior year I only trained about 1 hour each day. I did set a new Osawatomie high school record in 1961 in the 880 yard run at 1:58.9 which stood for 47 years. I know I did not run at my full potential during that year, with the proper training I believe I could have run a 1:55 or better.  I did earn a track scholarship to Pittsburg, but only attended school for 3 months. Left school and joined the Army.

After three years in the Army, I joined LAPD and served as a motor cop. I did run the 880 on LAPD’s track team one year in our police Olympics winning with a best time of 2.05. I did little to no training. I think I must have been around 23 years old.

I have never trained to run further than a half mile.  Over the years, I had done some jogging, but never with any structured training.  Even in high school I never ran more than one mile which was done only to warm up.  Also, my high school coach would not let us swim or ride a bike.

I have always wanted to get into condition to run the 880 again, but was never able to accomplish this goal.

I believe with my new interest in the triathlon, I will be able to lose the weight and truly get into excellent running condition; especially with excellent coaching.

Goals:

Near term (Next Season – 6 to 12 months)

My “A” race with be the Ironman in Florida in the month of November 2012. My plan is to train for the next 6 months, twice a day and for 6 days each week.  I want to start competing in triathlons in late April or early May 2012 and continue through the summer until the Ironman in Florida.  I will be ready to compete in the Kansas 70.3 in June 2012. My intention is to always win my age group; winning and competing mean the same thing to me.

Long term (Next 2-5 years)

My “A” race in 2013 will be the World Championships in Kona in October 2013. My goal is to win my age group in Florida in 2012 so I will have a spot in Kona. I then will win my age group in Kona and set a new world record. The current record is 12:59:02 held by Bob Scott. Bob also holds the record for the 75-79 age group at 13:27:50. That will be another record I will break when I turn 75.  Each year I will compete in triathlons during the season based on what my coach and I determine are the best ones to further my conditioning.

Limiters (Weak Areas)

I have the time to train and I have the desire to train which is why I feel I will be able to overcome all of my limiters.

My first limiter is my inability to swim. I have purchased the TI self-coaching program and have been teaching myself to swim.  I have done all the drills and now understand the basics of a good stroke.  I have a lot to do, but I believe I will master the art of swimming as Terry Laughlin teaches. I have his book and videos. I have placed all his videos on my smart phone. I watch them when I’m on the treadmill or on the stationary bike.  In my swim training, I will follow Terry’s method of training not the master’s method of training.

My second limiter is my weight, over the years I have gained, lost weight and then regained that weight. Two weeks ago I weighed 230 pounds and my goal is to weigh 180 at the beginning of May 2012. I will achieve this goal by losing 2 pounds each week. I will use USANA’s meal replacement drinks, their bars and their energy drinks, in addition to the supplements. I will follow the eating plans in Dr. Susan Kleiner’s book Power Eating. Dr. Kliener is a USANA associate.

My third limiter is a result of an injury I sustained in 2007 to my right knee and a very minor injury I sustained last year to the bottom/heel of my left foot.  See Past or Present Injuries for the details.

Past or Present injuries and Current Medications:

I take no medication.

In 1988, I had Plantar Fasciitis in both feet and it took ten years to heal. Then in early 2000’s I develop a pain in my right patella tendon. At the time I did not know what was my problem. Starting in late 2005, I would pull a little wagon with several hundred pounds of weights and a VCR 1 and ½ blocks to our city auditorium to work out at 5:30 in the morning. I would use a TV there for my work out tape. Several people would join me in my early morning workouts.  During that time is when I became more aware of the pain in my right shin, just below the knee cap.

Then on the 3rd of Feb, 2007 our local YMCA opened. I started going there and started taking the different classes they offered and sometimes worked out for 5 hours each day. Well, my knee started hurting more and more, but I foolishly continued to work out. Then in Sept of 2007 we had a contest between the members of our Y and all the members of the Y’s in Kansas City to see who could work out the most in one month.

Well, I wanted to win, so I would work out and take classes for 8 hours each day. I ended up with over 4,400 points and the second place person in Osawatomie had just over 2,000 points, but a young kid at one of the Y’s in Kansas City had over 5,000 points. So over all I got second. Now my knee was killing me, especially when I stood up or while I was sleeping. Since I don’t take pain medicine I felt the pain all the time.

After the contest I took off two weeks in October and then started working out again. At this point, I could not bend my knee and could not put any weight on it.  Then on the 20th of Dec 2007 I had to get crutches.  I bought a knee sleeve and wore it for a while. I was on the crutches for 6 weeks.  I was unable to work out for 6 months.

In June of 2008, I start working out again, but was not able to jog.  By this time I had my mountain bike and I was riding it to the Y as well as to Paola and back, about 15 miles.  Well, along comes September and that contest to see who could workout the most started again.  This time it was only between the individuals in each Y. I wanted to win again so I was taking classes as well as riding my bike.  There was another fellow (45 years old) who was an ultra runner who wanted to win.  On the last day he had about 300 points more than me. After my two hour work out I decided I would ride my bike for 12 hours just so I could win. I knew he would work out for another 4 hours that day.

Well, I started at 11:30 am and rode until 11:30 that night. I stayed on 169 hwy, riding back and forth between Osawatomie and Paola.  I want people to see me which they did.  One of my instructors at the Y got a phone call at 10:30 in the evening from a friend telling her she would not believe who she had seen out riding his bike. Well, I did win and that was the last year the Y did that silly promotion. My knee did not hurt when I rode, just if I tried to jog.

I later learned I had patella tendonitis, my knee cap did not run true in its track because my right foot pronated a little.  Nothing helped until I learned of Vibram Five Fingers and bought a pair. It has been a slow process but I’m almost healed and with continue strengthening of my right leg and the weight loss I will be a very competitive runner in my age group come next triathlon season.  I hurt the left foot when I was trying to prevent Galen from passing me on the little track in our Y during one of our work outs. I must have pulled a tendon in my left foot.  That was last year and it has hurt ever sense.  I wear my Vibrams all the time now and it is helping.  I am on my 4th pair of Vibrams.

Oh, I did break a bunch of ribs and my right collar bone when I was goofing off on my police motorcycle one Sunday morning back in 1983.  I was racing another motor cop on Santa Monica Freeway and the bike started wobbling and it pitched me off and I landed on my head. (no jokes please) I believe that was the last time I was in a hospital and saw a doctor.  Wait, I did drop a large stack of partial board on my foot and I had to have it x-rayed to make sure it was not broke, which it wasn’t.  I think that was in 1997.

How much time (in hours) can I train?

As many hours as it takes to win.  I want to train twice a day, once at 5 am for a couple of hours and then again in the afternoon for a couple of hours.  I always take a nap after my morning workout.  I like to be home in the evenings, unless I’m doing something with friends or family.

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