Tomorrow, Sunday May 19, I will be racing my first 70.3 triathlon. I went into this thinking that it wouldn't be 'that hard'. The race is only two days away and I am sitting here thinking... "What did I get myself into?!?"
1.2 mile swim. 3 months ago I couldn't swim 100 meters. Well, with any technique. I could doggy paddle 100 meters. Flail my limbs for 100 meters. But not swim. I CAN swim 2,500 meters in the pool now. But I have only done that distance once. I have swam 2,000 meters on 4 separate occasions. 1,500 meters plenty of times. But the pool is no comparison to the open water. I keep telling myself... just to remember the technique. Breathe. Don't get caught up in speed. It's going to take me somewhere around 45-55 minutes. I can't get myself worked up about it.
56 mile bike. Last week I biked the official Ironman 70.3 Florida course. There won't be any surprises. The second half of the course has hills. It's 56 miles through a Central Florida rural community. I know I can do the bike. The trick is going to be drinking fluids, taking in calories, and conserving energy for the RUN.
13.1 mile run. A half marathon. I know I can run a half marathon. The problem is I really didn't train or prepare for the run portion of the triathlon. I focused on the swimming and biking. My last half marathon was in Laughlin, NV at the end of March. I have ran since then - maxing out at 8 miles. I have done brick workouts off the bike and into a run. I mentally know that the half marathon can be ran under two hours. But after swimming 1.2 and biking 56 at a race pace effort?
Honestly, I would LOVE to finish this race sub 6 hours. A 5:59 would be AMAZING. But as long as I complete it, give it 110% and have that finisher medal around my neck Sunday afternoon I will be happy.
Who knows, maybe next year I will be able to double 70.3 and change my name to Insane Ironman.
Have you raced a 70.3? Know someone that has? Maybe you are an Ironman... I would love to hear from you... race day tips? I will take any advise you have! Get ready for the Ironman 70.3 Florida race report next week!
Dropping off my bike for Ironman 70.3 Florida!!
Gus Hamilton
I am running for my Dad who died of lung and bone cancer last year. Although I live in Australia I was working in the UK last year so I was fortunate to be with him in his last few months, but it was a terrible time. The effects of the cancer reduced him from a once strong, confident man to a mere shadow of his former self. His pain must have been immense and the bone cancer meant that his ribs were permanently broken, so laughing and coughing were agony for him. To his eternal credit he rarely complained and his stoicism and courage will inspire me for the rest of my days.
So, until 25 February 2013 I was a confirmed non-runner, I didn't see the point and it all looked too painful. Then by a quirk of fate I found out that the Sydney Half Marathon is to be run on my Dad's birthday this year, so I decided to run the race on 19th May and I am raising money for the Cure Cancer Foundation Australia which is an innovative charity that sponsors individual cancer researchers in the quest for a cure of this awful disease.
Research is the key for me. I have a fairly international persona in that I have strong personal links in Australia, the UK and the USA and supporting successful research will ultimately benefit everyone, no matter where they live! The sooner we can rid the world of this terrible disease and reduce the suffering of the many who suffer, the better!
As far as running is concerned I have seen the light! I have really enjoyed training for the Half and it has encouraged me to sign up for a 10km race in July and the iconic Sydney City to Surf Race in August which last year had 85,000 runners - awesome! All of this is just the beginning, I've also secured a charity entry to the 2014 London Marathon and I'm absolutely stoked about that. Along with the sheer physical challenge of running my first marathon, I'll also be taking on a new fundraising challenge as I run for the Association for International Cancer Research. It is the perfect charity for me, staying with the search for a cure for cancer and with an international focus.
Regards,
Gus Hamilton
Would you like to be the next featured charity athlete?
Send me an e-mail with the following:- Your "why" - Why are you passionate about this charity? Tell us your story.
- What does this charity mean to you?
- How can others help or get involved? (if you have a donation link this is where you would provide it to share)
- What race(s) are you training for?
The most passionate responses will be featured on the Insane Marathon blog, social media sites and newsletter!
WOW! An Olympic distance triathlon (sort of...) COMPLETE! It has taken me some time to post a recap of St. Anthony's Triathlon but with work, supporting my challenge groups and preparing for Ironman 70.3 Florida I have been BUSY!
On Saturday April 27 it all began.. I headed to Downtown St. Petersburg for athlete check in and the St. Anthony's expo. Triathlon packet pickup is unlike running because at some of the larger events they require you to drop off your bike and transition gear the day before the race during packet pickup. St. Anthony's is one of those events.
Due to recent security concerns stemming from the Boston Marathon bombing incident all of the transition gear needed to be placed in a clear plastic bag that was provided by race organizers. I did not find this to be an issue because I had nothing to compare it to. Some athletes are used to using their own bags and did not like this added precautionary measure. Athletes were allowed to use their own transition bags but were subject to a thorough search.
Once my transition area was set up I headed home and waited until Sunday morning when I would be completing a 5i50 series Olympic distance triathlon for the first time.  My bike in transition on Saturday afternoon.  Running out of the water during the 2013 St. Anthony's Triathlon On Sunday morning they announced that St. Anthony's would be allowing the use of wetsuits. I thought that was great news -- but once I got to the swim start area announcers were talking about how the rough water and that informing spectators that the swim would be VERY difficult, especially for the age group category participants.
I was in the novice male category which placed me in the last wave start. The only good part about starting last is that I was able to watch the professional triathletes swim and the rough water was pulling them way out the the pie preventing them from being tight with the buoys. Since the swim was this difficult for the pro's I knew that I was going to have an interesting time out there.
The officials made a judgement call after the pro swim waves to shorten the swim. They cut the swim from 1500m to 0.5 mile swim and then had a 0.5 mile run to transition. Once I was up and ready to go I started swimming like I wanted. Slowly... but covering the distance.
Out of nowhere my right calf started to cramp BAD. It knotted up and was pulling down in the water. This made swimming incredibly difficult. I knew I had to get out of the water and that there was no option of quitting. For half of the swim distance I pushed through the cramping made it out. I was hoping that the cramp wouldn't stay with me during the bike or run.
The rest of the event went smooth. I covered the distance on the bike and finished the run strong in the 11am Florida heat. My finish time was 2:50:56 and that is right where I wanted to be. For my first Olympic triathlon I am happy. I did something that I never thought I would do.
Because I am INSANE -- I signed up for the Florida Ironman 70.3 May 19 in Haines City, FL.... I have been PUSHING my training hard in preparation. I need to make sure my legs to not cramp. I have been covering 2000-2500m every time I am in the pool. Last weekend I got in a 60 mile ride and this weekend I will be heading to Haines City to do the bike course.
 There isn't much that hasn't already been said about the tragedy that unfolded this year at the Boston Marathon. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the horrific bombings. I know that there is not much we can do to make things better. In the future we all need to be aware of everything going on around us and report anything suspicious - even if it seems ridiculous. Lets error on the side of caution.While on Instagram one of the pages I follow @pavementrunner organized a worldwide run - one week from the Boston Marathon. Insane Marathon is proud to be the organizer for #BostonStrongTampa.If you are in the Tampa area - please join us for a run Monday April 22 at 7:00pm. We will meet at Hyde Park Village in Tampa near the fountain (across from Lululemon).
Facebook Event Page
You can run or walk any distance. Just your presence would be appreciated. I look forward to having you join us. Lets show Boston that Tampa is thinking about them through this tragedy. If you do not live in Tampa - click here - to view all of the other #BostonStrong events going on around the world. If your city is not listed, create an event like this and share with your community. Below is an excerpt from pavementrunner.com:
"I feel like I need to do something. Something more than a donation. Something more than a blog post or a photo or a graphic. I’m inspired by the community and how we have come together and shown our support, shed our tears and expressed our fears. With a simple look at your Facebook page, a refresh of your twitter feed or scroll through Instagram and you can SEE the love.
But I want to FEEL it. I want us to embrace the community in a REAL and HUMAN way. I want us to do what we do best.
I want us to run…together. I’m organizing a global event: #BostonStrong<city>
A run for us to unite and show our strength.
A run for those that were unable to finish.
A run for those that may never run again.
A run for us to try and make sense of the tragedy that has forever changed something we love."
Two months ago if you would have dropped me in the ocean a half mile away from the shore and left me alone I do not know what would have happened. I couldn't even swim 100 meters.
I have have wanted to do a triathlon for a few years and he only thing holding me back was the swim. I first learned about triathlons in college, started talking about tri's during my first round of marathon training in 2008 & actually contemplating trying a triathlon in 2012. I signed up for St. Anthony's Olympic Triathlon two months ago because that is the only way I knew I would get myself to learn to swim. I have been working with my swim coach, Pete, multiple times a week perfecting form and swim endurance. Last weekend I completed a mock triathlon (un-timed but with transition areas) that was put on by the American Running Company (big THANKS to Chris and the American Running Company for putting on this FREE event. It was great triathlon practice & was essential to my success at Fort DeSoto this weekend).
I am happy to report that I completed my first 'official' triathlon on Saturday - the Escape from Fort DeSoto triathlon - 0.5 mile swim, 10 mile bike & 4 mile run.
When I arrived at Fort DeSoto I was in a state of shock. They marked my body with my race number and age, I set up my transition area to the best of my ability - learning from the mock triathlon to have my running shoes untied and cycling shoes un-velcroed. I put on my wetsuit and headed to the open water. WOW - it looked rough. There were big waves. The course looked HUGE! I went in the water to get acclimated to the temperature and actually thought about just going home. The swim still scared me. I couldn't go home now though, I wasn't about to quit after all the training and hard work.
The swim started off in waves. I wore this sexy silver swim cap and waited around for the 25-29 male age group to be called off. Once I was in the water I knew I had to get to the finish. It took me 19 minutes in the water. That time is considered slow for most triathletes. For me it was a miracle. Like I said at the beginning of this post, I couldn't swim 100 meters a month and a half ago. I just swam a half mile in rough water in 19 minutes. I wasn't last getting out and I had the bike and the run to make up my time.
After a strong bike and run I finished the triathlon in 1:25:20. Below are my splits..
James Blake:
BIB: 817 AGE: 28
SWIM: 19:15 77:00/M
T1: 5:10
BIKE: 29:24 2:56/M
T2: 2:17
RUN: 29:12 7:18/M
TOTAL TIME: 1:25:20
I need to focus on improving my transition times and strengthening my swim. I can't wait for St. Anthony's Olympic distance triathlon in two weeks. Then I have my Ironman 70.3 Florida race next month.
If something has been holding you back from accomplishing a goal, don't let it. If you want some help - ask. If I can help you at all -- contact me.
 Are you ready to earn your summer body? As you know I am currently in triathlon training mode. I just completed a round of INSANITY with my challenge group. I am about to start ASYLUM Volume 1 with a new challenge group on April 15. I also plan on throwing in some BODY BEAST workouts to gain some additional muscle mass in the weight room!
If you do not have a game plan, you need to get one NOW. There are two options Insane Marathon is recommending for serious results in time for summer! I will also coach you - for FREE throughout the process.
TurboFire -- Burn up to 9x more fat and calories than traditional cardio with high-energy, intense cardio conditioning, kickboxing drills, and choreographed moves set to heart-pumping beats.
- Have fun in the lively class setting with hot music mixes— it feels like a party in your living room. How TurboFire works
- Shed fat faster with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) known as Fire Drills, short 1-minute bursts of maximum effort.
- Burn calories at a higher rate for up to 24 hours after the workout with the Afterburn Effect.
TurboFire is for:
- Anyone who wants to shape a lean body, sexy legs, toned arms, and tight abs, FAST.
- All workout levels – although TurboFire is considered an advanced program, there are special new features to help beginners stick with the program.
- Anyone who enjoys working out to music and is a fan of kickboxing and intense cardio.
It also has features to help beginners i.e. In the Fire Starter Class, Chalene teaches the moves and combinations so newcomers can start off on the right foot and experienced Turbo users can perfect their form. 
INSANITY
- Transform your body in 60 days with the hardest workout put on DVD.
- You’ll push yourself to your limits with this extreme cardio challenge. No weights or equipment required, just the will to make it through.
How INSANITY works- Get into shape in record time with Max Interval Training. You’ll perform long bursts of high-intensity exercise, followed by shorter periods of rest—the opposite of traditional cardio methods.
- You can burn up to 1,000 calories per workout, and get lean and ripped without any weights or equipment.
INSANITY if for:- Anyone who is ready for a fitness challenge and wants to get into the best shape of their life.
- It’s an advanced program that’s meant to challenge even very fit athletes. But anyone can go at their own pace until they’re ready to meet this ultimate challenge.
 During the entire month of April you save $90 on an INSANITY challenge pack. This is the best deal they have ever ran for INSANITY. If you are interested in INSANITY marathon training (or half), doing the full 60 day challenge - or just getting that shredded summer body you can order INSANITY here and save $90! You cant pass this promotion up! Let me know if you have any questions!
You can do this!! I am here to help every step of the way!!! You will have no excuses not to succeed!
Now that the LA Marathon is over my focus until the end of May is triathlon training. I have never done a triathlon before and if you frequently read InsaneMarathon.com you know that I jumped right into the sport of triathlon last month.
Swim training has been going good. I have been averaging 2x a week swim instruction + 2 times a week self instruction/swimming laps. Every time I am in the water I complete a minimum of 1500m - although I stop for breaks. It's not that I get tired while swimming it is the fact that I am still not 100% comfortable breathing under the water. My body does not like the fact that when I exhale my face is in the water. That creates a situation where I don't exhale enough, therefore I don't inhale enough. Which compounds until I need to stop and regroup my breathing. My focus from here on out is going to be improving my breathing.
Tomorrow, April 6, I will be jumping into the open water for the first time at a mock triathlon being held by a local running store, American Running Company. It will be a .25 mile swim, 10 mile bike and a 5k run. This should allow me to feel what a triathlon will be like on race day, practice transitions and really get the feel for my Olympic distance event (St. Anthony's). I will also be doing the Escape from Fort DeSoto sprint triathlon on April 13 as a tune up. I really need to get myself into the sport completely and see how it goes. I want to do well at St. Anthony's and IronMan Florida 70.3.
Spin classes have been my only training so far on the bike. Averaging around 25-30 miles a class. I bought aero bars, new pedals and new tires for my road bike and then went out for a challenging ride in Clearwater Beach over the bridges. Sadly I experienced my first fall due to the clip in pedals. Luckily It was only a scrape on my knee (and ego). It's time to get serious!!
The past weekend I was in Las Vegas NV. I was able to practice my swimming early in the morning at the hotel lap pool... I also ran a 1/2 marathon in Laughlin, NV on Saturday morning. It was a fun 13.1 miles along the Colorado River in the desert. I love signing up for local races when I am traveling!
I will be doing all my triathlon training while still completing the INSANITY: The Asylum 30 day fitness challenge with you! Remember registration closes for the fitness challenge at 11:59pm tomorrow! The program starts on April 15. I can't wait!Use this direct link to get the challenge pack for ASYLUM - as soon as you order the program I will e-mail you with information on how to get involved with our support group!
The Los Angeles Marathon was great. I couldn't have asked for better weather, a more entertaining course or a better group to travel with. There is one thing I did learn in LA though, it doesn't matter how hard you train or how much sleep you get -- if your body doesn't agree with something its going to hold you back from your goals.
Sadly, my body does not agree with GU gels anymore. I have used them to fuel for marathons since I started running them in 2008. Although there have been times when my stomach did not agree with them after the race, nothing has ever made me stop at the restroom until the past year. At first I though it was just a fluke. Now I know I need to switch up my nutrition during full marathons.
I was right on track for my 3:45 marathon until mile 16 when I HAD to stop for a restroom. It was disappointing. There was nothing I could do about it. It killed my time. I will not have that happen again.
Some of the products I plan to try and use to replace GU include Hammer Gel and Honey Stinger Organic Gel. I am also going to use the Honey Stinger Waffle while fueling on my bike for my upcoming triathlon races.
Let me know in the comments if you have had any experience with gels/nutrition during your training.
Hopefully it helps!!
Don't forget -- if you wanted to join myself and others for a 30 day INSANITY: The ASYLUM fitness challenge - fill out an interest form and I will get back to you ASAP. Registration closes April 6 at 11:59pm!
If you don't follow Insane Marathon on Facebook, twitter or instagram you have no idea what I've gotten myself into!
Not only am I still training for marathons (I am actually writing this while on a plane to Los Angeles for the LA Marathon) and doing INSANITY, I have decided to jump head first into the sport of triathlon.
First off let me mention this - I don't swim. I CAN swim, if I had to save my life. My only formal swim instruction was when I was a child. Those swim lessons consisted of me being able to jump off a diving board and swim to the side of the pool so that I could do it again. Distance swimming? Forget about it. Well last year I had the tingle to sign up for the St. Anthony's triathlon. St Anthony's is one of the largest triathlons in the country and is conveniently located in St. Petersburg Florida near my home. I backed away from signing up because of my swimming fear. This year I received the same email - SIGN UP FOR ST. ANTHONY'S TRIATHLON - and I thought to myself .... what is holding me back? The swim? Shouldn't I learn how to distance swim? I mean I do live in Florida and am surrounded by water. I looked up two things. The date of St. Anthony's triathlon (April 28) and googled the question "How long does it take the average person to swim 1,500 meters?" The answer to that question is around 30 minutes. So - I said LET'S DO THIS and became a USA Triathlon member and signed up for the St. Anthony's Olympic distance triathlon. Now about that swim.... What do I do? I need to be able to swim 1,500 meters by April 28. 1,500 meters is just shy of a mile. 30 minutes of swimming. Luckily I have met a few triathletes in the Tampa Bay Area through running and one of them Pete Amedure is a local tri-coach and personal trainer. I reached out to him through Facebook letting him know my crazy plan. He agreed to coach me on my swimming and we set up a swim schedule.
As of this post I have completed 4 lessons (2 each week) I have already gone from not being able to swim a lap without struggle to swimming 2,000 meters today (with breaks). Wow!
So what does an Insane Marathoner do? Signs up for an Ironman 70.3. That's what!!
Crazy?! Yes. But -- at the same time, not really.
The swim for St. Anthony's is 1,500 meters and the swim for the Ironman 70.3 is 1,900 meters. So as long as my training goes as planned. I know that I will be able to get myself to push through the extra 400 meters the half Ironman swim distance will require.
I've got the running thing down. The biking - I'm not a novice. I have done a duathlon before and I spin frequently. Starting in April I will be joining my swim coach Pete's tri group on the weekends for brick workouts (swim, bike, run).
When is the Ironman 70.3? May 19. So I'll be going right from St. Anthony's to Ironman Florida 70.3.
This is exactly what I needed. I love the new challenge. I love that I threw myself into this 110%. I love the support I am getting from the InsaneMarathon.com community, my friends and family. I love the way I feel after I finish a swim workout. It's the same feeling I used to get each time I ran 1 mile further than I ever ran before during my first marathon training.
If these triathlons go well I will be signing up for the Ironman Florida 140.6 in November 2014. Don't think that my marathon efforts have ceased. I still will be running THE BIG 3 this year. Berlin, Chicago and New York. Did I mention I'm InSaNe? Also - if you are using an INSANITY marathon training program from this site for an upcoming marathon or half marathon -- add me personally on Facebook. I have out together a private Facebook group where everyone can connect to share their training experiences, struggles and successes! I would love to add you to the group - but in order to add you we need to be "friends" - so add me and send me a message letting me know you would like to be placed in the group. And if you want to join me and a bunch of others for a 30 day INSANITY: The Asylum challenge group - fill out an interest form and I will get back to you with more info. Registration goes through March and the program starts April 15.
I can't wait to share more of this tri journey with everyone. Have a great weekend and wish me luck at the LA Marathon! If you are running this weekend have a great race and have a great St. Patrick's Day.
It's time to go ALL IN!
A lot of you are looking to get your body in amazing summer shape. It also wouldn't hurt to PR at your upcoming races.
If you are up for a challenge join myself & and many others for a 30 day ELITE fitness and nutrition program.
We will be following INSANITY: The ASYLUM for 30 days and posting about our experiences, challenges & successes using a private online group.
The time commitment is 1 hour a day and the program will start April 15. The ASYLUM is an advanced version of the INSANITY workouts. If you stick with the program you are going to be amazed with the results!
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