Go Time - Legs Shaved - Adenaline Training

Let me summarize the last two weeks first by saying that it was a good in most aspects of training, work, emotions, family and spiritually. I haven't admitted to that in, maybe, years. I am typing this blog from the trainer of the bike because I was supposed to ride easy for 6hrs 30min today followed by a 30 min brick run (simulation of bike to run triathlon transition). Instead, I am about an hour into my easy ride trying to get the lactic acid out of my thighs while fighting a bit of a low BG (59 right now and dropping). I am not doing 6 hours and not going to brick into a run BECAUSE I did a one hour indoor triathlon today where I trained mentally to deal with the adrenaline rush and to have fun with my wife and 4 friends who did their first triathlon today. I dealt with the adrenaline better than ever but couldn't turn off the competitive switch and stayed above my lactic/anaerobic threshold for the entire hour (not good).

Our Pastor Joel finishing up his first triathlon

Last night I was a bit late getting to bed because I shaved my legs and will keep them shaved until after Ironman St George. It is a safety factor for outdoor bike riding (hair rips flesh out when it rubs on asphalt) and it is a perceived speed advantage for swim meets. I now have 5 races in 4 cities in 10 weeks with the last one being Ironman St George.

Shaved left calf

I will start with last weekend. Last weekend was fantastic! I got to spend time with three diabetic kids and some of their parental units. I got up last Saturday at 3:30am to get my bike ride in so that I could take the crew ice fishing at 10am. It was great fun and enjoyed the time after fishing as well. The kids and one of our kids played Wii and had a cake making adventure that ended up with an amazing tasting result. I got up at 4am Sunday to run for 3.5 hrs before church. After church we went to John Moore's home to visit with him and his wife Maurine, who is now 20 weeks pregnant with twins. On a side note, I now believe that it is easier to be a diabetic than to be the parent of a diabetic.

Zyler and our daughter Megan - part of the cake-making crew - Ashlee took the photo

Ice Fishing Betes

Ashlee with a live minnow that she let go still alive

The whole ice fishing crew

John & Maureen Moore (recently voted "Nicest Couple in the World") with Zyler and Ashlee and the Twins about halfway to their day of birth

I received the highlight of the week in a message that I received on Facebook. I will include the quote because it means a lot to me but I have removed the names:


"I wanted to share a break through with you. Last night my kid was 66 right before dinner, instead of giving him juice, then not bolusing for all his dinner, I had him take 1 glucose tablet and bolus for his entire dinner. That night my kid went to bed at 135 and woke up this am at 135! No over correcting and 300’s after dinner. Yay us!"

Its stuff like this that will get me to the starting line and finish line of Ironman!!!

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Last Monday I tried to work out but the weekend caught up with me and I could only manage 1600 yds in the pool. Tuesday was much better and I felt great on a 90 minute bike ride. Wednesday I swam 3000 yds with my wetsuit in an indoor pool (had to get the feel of it again) and I ran 7 miles with most being sprint training on a track. Sprint is kind of an oxymoron when talking about me running. The REAL runner among the captains is Jenny Crandell as she proved in the Arizona Ragnar Relay. She claims that she is strongest in the swim but she proved her running skills and I will now refer to her as a "runner". Thursday was an adventure as I went for a scheduled "nice and easy" 3.5 hr ride. I planned a 72 mile ride (BIG math error) and timed it just as a cold front blew in with 30 mph winds. It was an okay ride and my wife picked me up at the 57 mile mark of the ride with hot chocolate because I was frozen. THANK YOU HONEY! Friday was an easy 2200 yd swim with friends. I also found out that I need to travel to New York in a week for a sales call so I will try to connect with my New York Betes while I am there. Its really fun getting to see people in person again. I got to do that today at the American Diabetes Association Expo in Denver where I got to listen to and talk with Carla Cox (genius nutritionist out of Montana) and got to see many friends. I also met about a dozen new friends many of whom I hope to connect with regularly. The last person I met said that he loved the Triabetes concept but that he was a Masters swimmer in Aurora, CO (me too!). I opened up with my frustration that at the big swim meets of Master swimming like the State championship meet with 600 people, you know statistically there should be at least 30 diabetics but I have never spotted one. We have to figure out how to change this. I know that runners and swimmers don't normally get along but its time to reach across the aisle and embrace our common challenges and mission ;->!

Next Friday I fly to the Bay area for a swim meet with friends. I entered my times from last year to get in the fast heats but I am sure that I won't hit them because I am not concentrated on swimming like I usually am. Again, I wanted the faster heats to work on my adrenaline control even though I probably won't be as fast as I want to be.

Thanks and sorry for the long Blog (off the bike now and BG is 106 and rising)

Brian Phelps