Team McAlister

Six minutes into today’s run a H-U-G-E cramp hit my right calf. I couldn’t run. I could barely walk. So, I limped back to the car and got my bike out.

This thing is so bad that I only did about 50 minutes of easy spinning on the flats. Any sort of pumping, digging, accelerating were completely out of the question.

This is frustrating. The last time this happened (same leg), it took several weeks to get over it. I’m going to be much more aggressive this time around in getting massage, Vibraflex, rest, and low-stress activity to knock this out.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The heat index every single day for the couple of weeks has been way up there – 108, 110, 112, etc. That happens when the actual temp is 100 or better, though. But what are you gonna do? Work out indoors? I don’t think so!

I’ve been using a little app on my phone called Couch to 5K to help with the run training. The idea is that it runs you through a 9 week program using 3 runs per week to slowly condition you to the 5K distance in a 30-minute run. I’ve just finished Week 3 and so far so good! Still using the barefoot running style and wearing my Vibram Five Fingers for all running. I hate running, but I’m loving how this is working so far.

And to top it off, I usually cycle for at least 1 hour after the run. The heat is so intense that I’m not riding nearly as much as I should, but this regimen seems to be a good one for me. There are still days when I only run (like yesterday) or only ride (like 2 hours on Friday afternoon). But I’m liking the reward of a ride after the run and cycling seems to help me recover from the run. When I get better at running and start doing bricks for real I’ll reverse the order.

In a sudden flash of sanity, I think we’ve agreed that a 70.3 or Half Ironman is probably more of a realistic goal for us.

I’m also thinking that I should create a new category of athlete. The are normal triathletes. There are triathletes that are Clydesdales – those guys over 200 lbs. I’m thinking maybe a new category the trifathlete – well over 200 lbs and a BMI that’s crazy by real triathlete standards.