April Update

Wow! Here it is the last week of April and time is flying by at mach speed. The Eagleman Half Ironman event is 1 month 2 weeks 2 days away and it is not leaving very much time for final preparation. Putting the physical training aside for a moment I want to look at my diet and nutrition which has been very important. During the off season I was doing some weight lifting and added some unwanted pounds and did not understand why. When I emailed Doctor Dr.Babak Moeinolmolki, MD, MA (who I see due to my obesity history) and asked him what might be going on, he put me in contact with the nutritionist. The one thing that was highlighted was the use of the sports drinks and how I was consuming them. When I looked at what I was using and when I was consuming them I made some changes right away. What was I using?

1. Pre workout: Gatorade G1
2. During the workout:  Gatorade G2
3. Post workout: Gatorade G3

The above products were providing too much sugar and I was not able to metabolize it all no matter how much exercise I was doing. Once I looked at this and did some research I made the following changes to my workout supplements. 

1. Pre workout: FRS
2. During the workout: Cytomax
3. Post workout: Gatorade G3 or eating a high protein meal

With the above changes I have lost 10.8 pounds since January and 6.9 pounds were body fat.

Now these numbers don’t compare to what you see on the Biggest Loser but to lose weight and do it safely and not lose strength is a big challenge. My cardiologist and general practitioner have also requested that I change my diet due to my cholesterol. My consumption of red meat has been reduced to about once a week. The rest of the diet has been adjusted to make sure I am getting enough protein to maintain or build my muscle and strength; to this end I have been completely successful.

From all of my training I am noticing a lot of improvements.

Swimming: my swim coach has been helping me improve to a level that I was not sure was achievable. My distance training in the pool is continuing to improve and open water swimming is going to start in May. The primary thing that my coach has me working on is to slow down my stroke and make sure that I am getting everything possible from each stroke. The coaching I’m getting is so valuable and I cannot wait to see how it works on June 12, 2011.

Cycling: this is another area that I have made tremendous advancement and there are a couple of reasons for that. This year I will be riding a new Trek road bike that has been outperforming my 1980’s Raleigh road bike. The setup is great and since getting this bike I have over 300 miles on it and it feels great. The other reason I think this year is better is I have been able to ride with the Annapolis Triathlon Club and learn from their vast experience. The other team I have been riding with is Team In Training.  The Team in Training coach has put together a schedule letting us know what we should be doing and when so that we can be successful.

Running: while this is where I started before getting involved with triathlons I have adjusted my training schedule so that I might see some improvement here as well. As a member of the Annapolis Striders this year I am planning to run all but one of the Championship Series. The 10K run scheduled for Father’s day I cannot run as I will be in Assateague doing the half mile swim as part of a relay team. The other teammates are my wife Marion and daughter Tesia with Marion doing the 14 mile bike and Tesia closing with the 5K run. This is such a cool thing to train and compete with family. 

To wrap things up I am still raising funds to find a cure for Leukemia and ask everyone to join me in this fight by making a tax deductable donation here http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Eagle70311/blewisc59c.

My Workout Details

My Workout Details

The training is going well and I am see success on the horizon.

• Tonight is more time with my swim coach who has done wonders to get me where I am today in the pool. Open water swims will start soon thank goodness I have a wetsuit.
• Tomorrow I take my bike in for the 90 day check up and I pick it up on Thursday and get a adjustment to my fit.

Team Lewis
I still need supporters to help me find a cure for blood cancers like Leukemia. You can join Team Lewis by submitting your donation at the following secure site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/md/Eagle70311/blewisc59c

How Often Should Triathletes Race? | Active.com

Well if you look at my schedule you can see that I think the answer is at least once a month. My triathlons are my "A" races but I like to stay competitive with my runs. The Eagleman and Nation's events are top priority and the events before them are training events. The Wildwood triathlon was added to let me know where I am when I do the Nation's in September. The Seagull Century ride is a type of event and I am not sure if I'll do it for time or fun. Maybe all of my friends can tell me what they think I should do and perhaps I'll do a poll for this.

Should You Go Gluten-Free? | Active.com

Should You Go Gluten-Free? Active.com

Many athletes take their diets very seriously and I know that mine is one of the most important part of my plan. With having an obesity problem and never wanting to weigh 300+ pounds again I look at all the information available. While there is no magic bullet or pill to cure obesity you can win the war. With the advice of a good doctor and nutritionist the battles along the way can become smaller. A good diet is just as important as a good bike. The tools we use to train for triathlons, marathons, and other endurance events should include whatever it takes to keep the diet under control.

March Update

Well there are 90 days until the 2011 Subaru Ironman 70.3 EagleMan and the training is doing well. The year is getting off to a good start and I am setting some new personal records for my runs. The really cool part is that my wife and daughter are competing with me and we are all having fun.  My next run is the Cherry Pit 10 Mile at the South River High School. This is the 2^nd leg of the Championship Series sponsored by the Annapolis Striders; I am looking for a time under an hour and forty five minutes. That might not seem fast to many of you but for me after suffering from heart issues and obesity this is lighting. 

The training program that Team In Training provided has been a great boast to my own plan. There is something that you can do to make this an extraordinary milestone. Join my team by doing one or even all of the following things: provide assistance along my training route, ride or run with me, count my laps in the pool or join me for an open water swim. The most important thing you can do is to go to click on this link Tri For A Cure and donate to help find a cure for Leukemia & Lymphoma. My goal this year is raise over $5000.00 to support the facts listed below, I will add to the list for everyone that donates $2,500.00 your name will be tattooed on me and you will train with me forever.

LLS Mission Fact

“What is possible with a $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 donation?”

A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.

A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.

A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.

A donation of $500 provides patient aid to three families with a loved one living with a blood cancer.

A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.