2,400 hours left or...

...100 days til' IMF 2010! I thought it only fitting to start this post off by dialing in on 'time'. There seems to be too few hours in a week to get 'it all done' and still be who y0u need to be to your wife and children. So, w/ 12 weeks til' IMF lets get things rolling friends (assuming a 3 week taper).

I am super excited that IMF prep is now officially under way. With approximately 14 weeks to train I am beginning to narrow my focus and wrap my mind around preparing for November.

For 2010 I intend to apply other training methods that I did not use in 2009 for IML (Ironman Louisville). In the next ~14 weeks I plan on sharing my weekly experiences so others can see that one can train for Ironman in much less time then 'advertised'. For those who are new to this blog I plan on training for IMF in less then 10 hrs per week. I also plan to qualify for Kona 2011 w/ this lower training volume and method. In the upcoming weeks I will lay out my goals specifically for all to see. Ya gotta have goals.

I look forward to applying proven training methods as well as others that are relatively new to this 'second round' of "Ironman in 10".

Today I put together a quick video that captured the strength regimen Bill Scibetta (Precision Fitness - http://www.lakenormanfitness.com/index.htm) put together for me w/ the speed work that followed it. For those who want to see this take a look below:

As you may have seen, I finally made the decision to roll w/ the Vibram Five Fingers KSO. I have been wearing them for about a week now and really like them. The key positive to note at this time is an increased awarness of the muscles that innervate the foot. I plan to use these for quick transition runs off the bike and maybe some runs that peak out at 3 to 4 miles. Anne completely vetoed them for church this past Sunday. They lack style points according to my beautiful bride! Despite her unfavorable reviews I wear them everywhere.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you all.

Enjoy your training and the process,

Coach L

Grace Kells Leo

The title of this post sums it up well. At 555 PM on July 13 I was melted like a snow cone on a hot summer day. Delivering Grace w/ my own hands and cutting the cord put me in a state of awe.

What also put me in a state of awe was how Anne took on this delivery w/ NO pain meds. I feel like such a wimp and I am humbled by her incredible tenacity. Seeing her deal with the effects of Pitocin for over 5 hrs made me feel the need to go run 200 x 400 m at 110% on 2 min recovery (ie, contractions were ~1 min in duration thus the 400 m designation). As noted in a previous post, Iowa grows em' tough.

I look FWD to seeing how life will continue to change (for the better) with this new addition to Team Leo!

On the "IM in 10" front I am happy to report that things are progressing exceptionally well.

On the morning of delivery Anne ran 3 miles and I nailed a CP20 test on the CompuTrainer. Elated to report an 8.9% improvement from the May 7 test! 326 watts to 355 watts (normalized power) increase. Could not be happier with this significant change in only 3 months of training.

I am convinced that the strength training that I have done w/ Bill Scibetta (Precision Fitness - http://www.lakenormanfitness.com/) has had a direct impact on this dramatic improvement. I have not added anything else to my training regimen that would allow such a positive change. I am looking FWD to seeing how this progessive, dynamic, and corrective strength focus will impact things come November at IMF!

Baby Coming!

On July 13, 2010 I will very likely be holding a baby girl or boy!

At 7 am Anne's 'water will be broken' and the process of drawing that little trooper out will commence.

Anne has been ready for this for about 8 months and I am both fired up and nervous. Normal scenarios.

Thought I'd post a quick update on the 'home front' for those who are interested.

On the training front I am happy to report that I participated in my first CrossFit WOD (workout of the day) on Wednesday. I could not have been any happier with how it went and how it shocked the system.

Steve and Jess Pinkerton both own CrossFit Vitality (http://www.crossfitvitality.com/) in Concord, NC. If you have heard of CrossFit and are interested in trying it out I would strongly encourage you to pay these folks a visit!

I have been eyeing this training method for years, but simply had no access to it. This facility is outstanding and Steve and Jess have a very good thing going here indeed.

On the "Ironman in 10" front I am now 3 weeks into preparing for IMF 2010. All is progressing as hoped and I will be sharing some specifics in the weeks to come. Below is a small sampling of what was consumed on the CompuTrainer this morning:

Not sure if anyone can see this, but the focus was to roll at my functional threshold of 320 watts for 1 min w/ 2 min recovery x 14. This intensity would draw me up to my current Lactate Balance Point of 160 bpm. These intervals were quick and concise and produced the HR response I was seeking by the last 4 or 5 intervals. I love HR trending. From interval 1 to interval 14 I saw a low of 145 to a high of 161 bpm.

I plan on retesting my LBP in the next few weeks to further refine training stragies. If any of you are interested in assisting me on this test I'd appreciate your help. Not joking. Puncturing my finger 15 times to get the appropriate blood sample can leave my fingers a bit numb/worked over. Thus, the reasoning for using earlobes when testing athletes. Less nerve endings and far more 'willing' to produce blood when prompted.

Off to prepare for 'the new arrival'....

Coach L