Nike Just Do It
enjoy it live it love it
12/31/08
12/21/08
2009 strategy
Hi folks out there, hope you have a good time?!
Eventually I find this year some time to do a proper training planning for 2009.
1. Current Situation I lost some considerable fitness due to unbelieveable lazyness after my first IM (Switzerland 2008). I basically didn't move for three months.
2. The Goals 2009 are to do another IM and 1/2 IM; this time with reduced time needed:
- IM: sub 14 to 13:30 h
- 1/2: sub 6:30
3. How to make it
- training, training, training
- Some short competitions to get in shape before
- swim: intensive courses before the competitions plus another total immersion course in the beginning of 01/2009
- bike: intensive spinning and a new bike? - not sure yet by all means I am planning to paricipate in a road bike competition
- run: some more joggs as 2008, throwing in some local races? marathon zurich?
- after all: only rest for a month after the IM to prevent the lazyness from taking over!
A lot to go for...
let's rock!
12/7/08
11/27/08
wintertraining
despite coldish weather, I keep up the training. Nowadays I started spinning again in the migros (puls 5) fitness center , going to the swim hall (Zürich City-bad) combined with running outside along the limmat. My trainingsprogram 2Peak is saying: "Tage bis zum nächsten Wettkampf: 192" - Only 192 days left to the next competition. Time is running...
11/2/08
Trainings revival
This week was the first since the IM Zurich, I started to train again. Meanwhile I gained too much weight and lost some endurance power. Time to change and speed up.
Monday: Running
Tuesday: Swimming
Wednesday: Running
Thursday & Friday: off
Saturday: Running
Sunday: Swimming
8/31/08
Preparation for Greifensee...
Today was my first lake-surrounding-jogg in Switzerland! 20.5 km arround the Greifensee lake. We were awfully slow and struggled with the heat and air-pressure. However, little by little Irina and me - we are getting ready for the Greifensee-Run at Sept-20.
8/19/08
8/16/08
8/1/08
After-effects
After having finished the IM two weeks ago I still have to assimilate what happened. Here are some of the different moods and experiences felt during the last week:
1. Feeling great: Some days I am just happy. When I have time to think about life I smile. The IM was a great experience always to be cherished.
2. Unreality: Did it really happen? Did I do this? Unbelieveable - even for myself. It took my three years from a big(!) couch potato to an athlete.
3. Confidence: Now facing daily troubles again quite a lot of them seem to be really unimportant and only worth a short smile.
4. Humble Thankfulness: Even with the confidence, there is something else inherited now in myself. It is a deep thankfulness, that I was allowed to pass that challenge.
After all - what is next? I am not sure. Today I recieved an interesting email from my trainings-program (www.2peak.com):
"Negative effects while over-reducing the training 14 days after a competition:
* -21 to -75% loss of the ability to use fat for energy-provision during workouts
* - 20 to -39% loss of the ability to store glycose in the muscles
=> An endurance-athlete will need 10 years(!) to reach the full potential."
So I better start training again! :- )
7/29/08
7/21/08
One week after...
One week after the Ironman competition in Zurich/Switzerland, I am still struggeling to comprehend fully, what happened only a week ago. It feels good to have it finished. This inevitably cheers up, boosts confidence in future challenges and infuses great thankfulness how marvellous the human body and spirit is. I already registered for next year, probably with a new bike then.
Cheers, t-IM
7/15/08
First Ironman finished
Yesterday I did my first Ironman. I enjoyed the race 14:22:21 hours long. Thanks to all the supporters! You were great and without you I wouldn't had a chance.
Your onefreeradical!
No sports for the rest of the week! :-)
7/6/08
7 days to go...entering tapering
7 days to my first IM. Yesterday I had the last long training session: 3.8 k swim (1'35''). Everything went well. I felt good.
The water temperature is rising in the Zurich lake.
I guess we are not swimming with a neoprene (actual water temperature is 23.5°C with 1 week to go). Four months ago I bought the 70.3 and I am quite happy with it. I like it even better, since swimming is more "real" in the "shorty".
Training is somehow influenced right now with "moving the house" and "job change". Though I am able to find the right balance over and over again. My nutrition is going ok, though I could be thinner.
For the next week I will enjoy the circus and training becomes a matter of low priority. Have fun! onefreeracial
7/5/08
6/25/08
early bird swim reloaded
The early bird swim training of the free radicals started again in the beautiful outdoor swimming pool, 06:00 Uhr Hallenbad Opfikon Glattbrugg:
3 k swim:
6 * (500m crawl, 2 rounds running round the pool, 20 pushups)
at the end I jumped from the 3 m tower - a fear for me to conquer every time again. I don't know why that scares me so much.
Loosing weight, feeling fit, 18 days to the IM....
6/21/08
This week's training
Absolutely no time to write something here....
....only training counts right now.
Swimming:
- I started to train in a group: http://www.godfrey.ch/
Biking:
- use a bandanna to avoid neck pains from the wind
- mind the heat!
Running:
- training on hard ground is cruel
6/16/08
Today: 184.9 km biking
New bike record. 184.9 km are a really long distance. I learned:
- salt tablets are great to avoid cramps
- at kilometers: 45, 100 and 145 it really got mentally tough to continue
- I ate every half hour in turns powerbar gels and riegels along with drinking water
- I was faster on the hilly part, which I find amazing, since I considered myself slow up and down the hills
The weather conditions were going from bad to very bad, 15°C, rainy, quite freezy. Since it got very dark very soon, I bought a reflecting safety vest at a gas station. It feels good though to have gone through another limit-breaking experience.
27 days to the Ironman. Now I will focus on swimming.
6/15/08
Biking weekend or the battle at "wounded knees"
Saturday: 100k 4 hours, it was quite cold, so on the Ironman strecke I stopped at a bicycle shop to buy some sleeve-warmers and another bike-Trikot. It also started raining, so I decided to stopp for today and to do the 180k tomorrow. My knees are getting better. I got new skin and the scab peels away. How marvellous our bodies are made!
Sunday: ... on the road...
IRONMAN SWITZERLAND 2007 Trailer
Very nice video (7:52 min), what will be taken place in about two months..
6/13/08
Fotos from the 70.3 IM
today I recieved some competition fotos from the Rapperswil Ironman 70.3: 
The timing is displaying another athlete's time. My time was about 7 hours and some minutes. Awfully slow. "slowmotion" is fitting somehow. ;-)
Hier der Link auf das Einlaufvideo
6/7/08
If ain't raining - I am ain't training - part II
The bike in the rain is like a wild horse. I fell down two times today. Rain and gravity must have made a plot to punch that stupid triathlete off the bike. Luckily I just had two scratches- each at every knee. I am happy to count this as part of my experience now. Somehow it makes me stronger, though it will be hard to keep up training the next days.
6/4/08
After race recovery
Today I took a sauna to recover, relax and cleanse my lights (Lungen). I need to work on my training plan, on my weight and on my mind's strength. Liss, the cangoroo-pro-triathlete, recommended a very good book to me: "Going long" from Joe Friel, Great book! 
Today I also registered with a new social Ironman network: My page on "I Am Tri" The network is quite interesting, though still at the beginning to emerge. Let's see how it evolves.
Tomorrow I will start also with the weight and stretching training. Now it is getting serious! 6 weeks to the big race!
6/2/08
2nd Half Ironman done, but 0.5 + 0.5 ≠ 1 IM
Yesterdays 70.3 Switzerland IM was my hardest and best triathlon ever. Right from the beginning I had problems to breath during the swim, so my heartrate raised the first time above 174 bpm. I had to swim on the back to have enough air and to control the pulse. On the bike I became very hungry, so I ate too much too fast. The result were stomach cramps, I couldn't speed properly and had problems at the hills. The run was just a mental fight not to give up. I was awful slow, but endured. I am very happy to have experienced how hard it can get and I am right now more determined than ever to go for the Ironman in 6 weeks. I want to finish the Ironman to encourage and cheer up my family.
Lessons learned:
* It's 70% mental and 30% physical
* An old man at the strecke said: "einfach locker durchlaufen" (something like: "just run relaxed up to the end") to cheer me up. That really helped. I repeated that in my mind over and over again - until the end.
* Don't eat too fast on the bike! Start with "Gel". Have a proper food strategy.
* Train more in the lake!
* Really loose these extra-pounds!!!! Light weight saves you so much energy during the race!
Happy racing!
5/19/08
5/11/08
90k biking and a flat tire
First time I made the half of the whole Ironman-Strecke. It goes two rounds so that I now know the whole course. The "hill" in the middle called "Pfannenstil" is really a huge piece of work. I was impressed. However, on the way back from Forch to Küssnacht I got a flat tire. Luckily not in a race and nothing happened, though I went quite fast downhill. "Pffffffffffffffffff", T-IM
5/10/08
My first Ironman
These days I am wavering back and forth concerning the Ironman distance. One day I feel strong and the next day I feel quite frightened. Can I do it? should I better quitt? Am I really prepared?
For now I am focussing on "superior biking fitness", which one of an Ironman-guy suggested. He said, that regardless how fit you are on your feet, you first have to cover the biking distance.
I read an interesting article on First Ironman? The Ten Most Common Mistakes - By Ray Fauteux .
He mentioned:
(1) OVERTRAINING: rest vs. performance vs. untrained muscles
(2) POOR DIET: supplements vs. balance vs. energy
(3) IMPROPER FINAL WEEK PREPARATION: Plan, relax & eat normal food
(4) IMPROPER PRE-RACE HYDRATION: clear urine the week before racing
(5) IMPROPER RACE-EVE PREPARATION: Rest is the order of the day.
(6) POOR SWIM STRATEGY: Avoid the crush.
(7) MISTAKES IN TRANSITION: Take your time.
(8) GOING OUT WAAAAY TOO FAST ON THE BIKE: Relax!! Don't eat or drink for twenty minutes or so.
(9) ABSOLUTELY NO RUN PLAN: Do long run-walks in training.
(10) ABSOLUTELY NO EATING-DRINKING PLAN FOR THE RUN: have a plan that you've thought out long before race day
There were some new hints for me, e.g. doing run-walks in train.
Maybe I just have to do it.
Happy training, T-IM
5/5/08
Crazy Hill Bike on May1st
The last weekend I hosted two triathlon-princesses from Frankfurt: Vero the Hill-queen and Alyssa the fastest Kangaroo chaser in the northern hemisphere. We did the Rapperswil-"Strecke", some commercials and wetsuit-testing in the 12° C limmat river. Great time folks! You are always welcome to any "course" or Strecke or Tri-Camp. :- )
Alyssa shortly before she got lost in the Zurich forest:
Vero, the hill-queen and Tim ascending to the frozen cold:
In front of a shield, which says: Your life will be in danger, if you swim here:
4/28/08
Recovery week and new aspirations
During this week - the first after the Zürich-Marathon - the focus was on recovery. Biking is going well. Spinning even allowed controlled heart-rate workouts.
I am still amazed about the booster-socks. I experienced a very quick recovery and I believe it is thanks to these socks.
Today I had the first swim after three weeks again. I was reminded that there are at least three disciplines to triathlon. I need to focus on the swim as well. ;- )
happy workouts!
the recovering free-radical
4/22/08
Datasport
One really good thing in Switzerland is the central database of sport results. Datasport helps to keep track of all the races you may forget: http://www.datasport.com/myds/?tim-scheffmann
Cheers, the one_free_radical
PS: I hardly have any pains from the marathon yesterday anymore. Unbelievable.
4/21/08
Zuerich Marthon Done
In 04:44 h I ran the Zuerich marathon yesterday. This was 14 minutes slower than my first marathon in Berlin. However, right now I am feeling much better as after the Berlin marathon. Things I learned:
* Don't push too hard at the beginning; it will be hard later. I started with 12 kmh (in the group to finish 04:00 h), later I couldn't keep up the speed.
* Better preparation pays off: This time I had no 30 km run - only 24km. Next time I will plan at least for one 30 km run.
* Too much weight is a barrier to speed. I am still above 90 kgs, which is at least 5 kgs too much for the Ironman in July!
* The "booster" - stabilisation socks were great. http://www.bvsport.ch/
* The nutrition was perfect: Iso-star in between. The last two stations I took coca-cola.
* Invite friends, they will push you through. I was surprised to see two friends together with Irina - my wife - standing at the race course; so I simply couldn't quitt.
Here my polar data: 
4/19/08
22 hours to go - my 2nd marathon
In 22 hours I will participate in my 2nd marathon. This time I am really not sure, how I will cope with it. I had only two longer runs with 16.2 and 24.3 km. However, I kept the weekly pilage on a good level. 
Here you can read a good running report about the zuerich marathon(unfortunately in German): http://www.poole.ch/sport,racereviews,zuerich-marathon-2003_de.smt
4/6/08
Heartbreak Hill - Zuerich/Kilchberg
Yesterday I attacked the heartbreak hill in Kilchberg, Zuerich. Great view: 
It's a bit steep (18%) up to 485 m above zero starting from 400 m in 500 m something. 2 years ago I had a muscle cramp right at the increase. Since I couldn't do anything about it, I just rode on. 
Today the IM Australia took place. I just saw an interview with Chrissie Wellington in connection with her race there. She said: "... all I can do is train hard and race hard!" Great attitude. With 09:03 hours she just "rolled" across the finish-line in "downunder Aussie-land" being first again.
I wish Zuerich would have the weather of Port Macquarie. Here the temperature dropped down to 4°C with rain and snow. "If it ain't raining - we ain't training." Perfect conditions for my long run today. :- >
the free radical in the rain
4/1/08
Pain and smart training
Sometimes we just have to go through some pain:
http://ironmanlife.blogspot.com/2008/03/bright-side-of-pain.html
Sometimes I guess it is good to quitt training sessions or high intensity training.
Sometimes I just quote the saying: "pain is weakness leaving the body."
3/29/08
Tempo Sport Running Session in Thalwil
This week was like coming back down to European weather conditions:
* Wednesday morning 6-7 am: running 8k in snow/rain (((freezing temperature)))
* Thursday evening: running session at the stadium in Thalwil with the Tri-shop: http://www.tempo-sport.ch/ A guy named "Phillip" showed us important excercises for running:
a) core muscle strengthening
b) flex = determines how the foot can push the body from the ground
c) running below the body
d) circle-way running
He also had some hints:
- before a competition train with over-cadence (e.g. down a mountain) while running in order to maintain a higher speed
It was great to see some 8-10 free radicals. All were absolutely in shape and I thought: I have to loose more weight!!!! While running the legs have to stand a pressure of the double-weight! Definetely a reason to go even shorter on meals. I have to drink more water!
* Friday rest.
* Saturday: biking and running.
* Sunday: running and swimming.
3/21/08
Mekong Vacation Training Camp
From March 8th to 24th I was travelling the Mekong region. Together with Irina I went diving, open water swimming, running next to Laotion people with flipp-flopps, spinning and athletic training in Vientianne with Frank.
In the two weeks I burned actually some calories. Good stuff! At least. Now one month before the next marathon race in Zuerich I better continue loosing some unnecessary weight.
From now on I have to neglect alcohol in any form and also I will skipp evening meals. They are useless anyway. What do I need the energy during the night?
Now I was shocked, since the weather here in Zuerich is quite cold: -4°C compared to south-east-asian +28°C in average. Today Now time to rock...
3/3/08
Missing Running Trainings
I ran 12 km and recognized, that I neglected running during the last two weeks. The focus was pretty much on swimming, spinning and biking. So I enjoyed running today - running into the sunset above the limmat.
3/2/08
equipment day
A raining, windy day in Zuerich - perfect for skipping the training schedule and go shopping. Since I am leaving Switzerland next friday for flying to Thailand (Krabi) I really have to buy some stuff to be prepared for the Thai-Trainings-Camp. ;- )
I bought the following things:
- Asics running shoes DS Trainer v.12 9.5/43.5, 240 CHF
They will become my competition shoes for 2008. Using the asics "nimbus" as my training shoe, since it is more absorbing. the DS Trainer is quite hard, but very efficient in terms of speed and weight. The guys at the triathlon shop told me, my running style looks good and I am starting to run on the forefood more and more to gain speed.
- Asics running socks 35 CHF
- new batteries for the polar heartrate-monitor-sender
- Booster Socks, Taille 11, Ref. MGG011, 73 CHF (quite expensive)
- Noene - shock absorbing soles, gr. 42, 49 CHF
From the pharmacy (for total: 190 CHF):
Magnesium, Calcium, L-Carnitin, Coral pulver
So, I admit triathlon takes quite some money from you, but I am convinced it is invested aright. I am happily taking care for my health right now, before the old age and the suffering comes along. It is also cost-efficient to invest in soles and medicals - small things with a great leverage.
When I am back from Asia I will check my bike and the equipment therefore. Probably I have to get new biking shoes and pedals. At the same point I should then check the seat-position.
Equipping is fun.
So long,
your free radical.
2/24/08
What we don't change today, will change us tomorrow
Yesterday I ran 20k in 2 hrs and 15 mins in the dark. When I finished at 9 pm I recognized I missed some of the 16 km runs when my legs started cramping. Also I might have neglected magnesium-tablets as add ons to the daily food. However, I felt very strong muscelwise. My legs weren't tired or felt week. So my consitent training the last 4 weeks might really have caused some endurance-Strength. ;- )
This week at the spinning class on thursday we had a "mountain session". 1 hour constantly driving at 85 rpm with rising resistance like a mountain. The spinning instructor explained this cadence training is very important for the Ironman-Distance, so that an athlete can work "like a machine".
peak effort of training per week needed for one guy for a 10 hrs ironman = 28 hours
Blog: Tri-Geek Dreams
Post: Ironman commitment
Link: www.trigeekdreams.com/.../ironman-commitment.html
2/23/08
Ironman motivation
why humans are they doing an ironman?
I like the first seconds of this video: EAT SLEEP SWIM BIKE RUN EAT SLEEP ...
"unfinished business" for a tough one leg woman
2/17/08
Beat knows & new distance record: 3.3 km Swimming
Today I went to Beat to discuss training issues I experienced while pushing the training for the Ironman. Beat is the shopowner of Santa Monica:
http://www.santamonica.ch/ and I think also founder of erox: http://www.eroxswiss.com/. Despite that, he is a great guy having huge experience for Ironman-Training. Anyone in the triathlone scene in Zürich/ Switzerland knows him. On top he really has the right equipment in his store. We discussed four points:
1.Freezing while on long biking tours
* Beat asked me for my clothing and explained I should change my combination. New layers:
1. net-shirt
2. Frottee/Terry-Fleece
3. New breathing active windstopper jacket for biker.
2. Biking shoes feel uncomfortable while being on the road more than 2 hours
maybe they are too small. due to the long distances the feet start swallowing after a while - for short periods then the foot feels numb and squashed. We will examin this in 2 weeks. Beat needs to have a look at my shoes.
3. Running Shoes
Maybe I need new ones. we will examine them also in two weeks.
4. Nutrition I wonder why I don^t loose any gram weight - although I train like a dog. Beat suggested to hide the scale and only look in the mirrow to see if everything is okay. He said: muscles weight twice than fat and right now I am replacing a lot of fat with muscles. :-( Good and bad - since I have to carry the muscles arround in the competition.
* Kieselerde
During Long swimming sessions I experience sometimes shoulder "adjustment-pains". So I think "Kieselerde" might help. Beat said, maybe I should rest a day or plan for "recovery" training sessions.
* Additionally Beat recommended stuff called "basic balance" from "Sponser". It is a "basic mineral salt" composition. It tastes like dishwater. No joke. It^s medicine- nothing more.
* At the same time Beat said: while training for the Ironman: no milk, but soya and no yoghurt and no cheese! Man, this will be really tough for me.
In the evening I swam 3.3 km - wich is a new swimming distance record for me. 65 turns. Meanwhile I get used to flip turns. :- )
Here an example I found on youtube:
It really helps to look at the knees while turning.
Stay strong folks, the next season is approaching fast!!!
the free radical
2/3/08
every day some kind of sports
Ironman-training is tough. Today I really feel worn out. The training suggestions of www.2peak.com (my training software) are no easy match. Based on individual heart-rate-limits 2peak calculates automatically the intensity and length of every excercise. It arranges time periods for intensity phases, followed by endurance-and lastly recovery-zones. The length of one period is almost one week up to 10 days. Right now I am in the 3rd intensity-period 3 more "intensities" to go until the marathon here in zurich.
The last week I had nearly every day some sports:
1/27/08
active week
That was a great week. I feel challenged, but still full of energy. Somehow I adjusted the performance-levels/limits in 2 peak (my online trainingssoftware) new, so that the training length and intensity would adjust closer accordingly to my needs. Triathlon is fun. Sometimes madness, but fun!!!!
1/2/08
Intensive Swimming Excercise
today I was supposed to swim with pullboy, no leg-movement and with paddles to train the arms. I was really exhausted after 4 times 150 m. I really need to repeat this. Furthermore, I tried to float through the water - not so easy to become a dolphin.
Running every day is really tiresome. Two days I had a break. Otherwise, I really enjoy it. .jpg)
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