Ironman Frank: Week 4

Augusta Sports Council President Frank Gibbs, Jr. is training for his first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Frank will compete in the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta on September 26, 2010. In his weekly blog, “Ironman Frank” will share his experiences leading up to his first competition, as well as basic guidelines and training tips for other first-time triathletes.

An Ironman 70.3 encompasses 70.3 total miles of racing – a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. For more information about the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta, visit IronmanAugusta.com.

Hello fellow athletes! Another Masters Tournament has come and gone and I hope you limited yourself on the pimiento cheese sandwiches! I did, but it was hard, and just another reminder of everything that I am going through in training for my first half Ironman.

Did you know that a 40-year-old, 175-pound man will burn approximately 6700 calories during a half Ironman event? Burning up those calories and replacing them with the right calories can be an adjustment. I weighed 178 before The Masters and 177 after, so I must be doing something right! I have started eating whole wheat bread, noodles and rice and really have grown to like whole grains better than white bread. I have to say, I do miss my fried chicken, but if you marinade and bake it right and prepare it with a nice salad it's almost as good... Almost!  Check out this article I found on Active.com for more information about fueling an Ironman.

As always, thank you to my sponsors: Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse, Augusta Pet Crematory, Rick's Paint & Body and Trucks and Moore. See you next week!