Riding up the notorious Scenic Lookout Hill!!

 Reppin Bike Works Beach and Sports!  My newest Sponsor!  Come and join us for our ever growing Tuesday Group Ride!!  Thanks Jeff Manzo, Jason Nicholas and Rich Bell for being awesome buds at my favorite bike shop!

 Tueasday January 22nd, 2012

30 hours of training over 7 days with full time work!!!!

It has been a tough 7 days, but I pushed and I made it through, and I was also able to have two full days of much needed rest( aside from work of course) within this time period.  I set out last week to train 30 hours and bike 300 miles in 7 days. I basically wanted to see how my body holds up to training like a pro.  I feel like I did pretty well and I was able to exceed my goals.  I probably should have run more and swam alot more, but I feel like there was significant improvement in each discipline.   I also trained on the Total Gym and with resistance bands, core, stretching for 10 hours of that 30 hours.

I also had the chance to ride with some great cyclists and good people in general.  I also had the opportunity to ride up in the hills of the Hamakua coast near Honoka'a, which is the easternmost edge of the Hawaiian Islands.  I wish everyone could have been a part of these lovely excursions.  Soon!!  Once I get a GoPro, I will start some videos for everyone to get to know me better and see the beautiful Hawaii Island.

My body was lethargic at the end of each training/working day, but with the proper pre, during, and post nutrition and hydration, my body was able to perform better as the week progressed.   You should have seen...it was Lights Out as soon as I hit the pillow, and then up at 6 a.m. for a ride.  I had all of my bottles, mixes and supplements ready to go, and it was like clockwork.

There was one morning where I was running late, so I didn't eat anything besides amy protein and supplements.  I could totally feel the diference.  In fact, my body was sensitive to any changes that I made and it offers me more respect for the proper nutrition combination for these long workouts, and ultimately Ironman, where I will do one third of what I did in a week in 1 day.  Now THAT is humbling!
 
I am excited to see what my numbers are in the time trial I will do at the end of this week with my coach, Rick Rubio.  We are comparing to about four months ago with the relative numbers for a swim/bike/run.

I am starting to think more like an athlete.  Where do I need to improve and how can I get there?  There are so many benefits to planning my training to acheive goals and milestones.  It is working.  I have not come close to my peak and its exciting to see how far I can go and how hard I can push myself.  Do I have what it takes to become a Pro?

As far as my Ankylosing Spondylitis goes, I am still not really feeling any pain.  The worst that I get is some sharp pains in my hips every once in a while, or if I sit down, my lower back gets tight and I have to crack it in order to feel better.  As long as I stretch, exercise, stay healthy and take my ENBREL, I feel like I will always have this disease right where I want it.  I did take my shot during this training week and I felt fine.

Thanks to my readers for their continued support.  Please let me know what you think of the new logo.  Do you like the top or the bottom better?

Please check my "Race Schedule" on the right column on the home page of this blog to see some additional results and upcoming races.  Go Big or Go Home!!

Cheers,
Helgi Olafson

A great ride with Waimea friends!!