Technology and Ironman Training for TBI Survivor

As a result of my brain injury I don't make new memories. I have talked at length about the aspects of my disability here http://temporallobeblog.blogspot.com/ so without going to depth of the disability on this blog, I wanted to shed light on how much I require technology to accomplish the Ironman.

As anyone who trains for Ironman knows it is not so much the actual event itself that is hard (I am not saying it's not hard). It is the training alone, the whole live style of the event that is the difficult part.

It changes your whole life. Everything becomes subject to what workout you have, how long you will be working out, running, swimming, or biking. You schedule everything around work and workouts.

If someone wants to go to a movie, or you have a dinner planned, or some one's birthday. The first thing in my mind is "how long of a workout do I have that day"? "Will I be tired, will I be sore"?

How can I move things around and juggle everything so I have time with friends and family and still feel good about the amount of training I have done.

You add my inability to filter events in my head. I see every event as the same priority, eating, running, work, walking to the bus. They all register in my cortex as the same importance. When I need to remember Mandy's and my anniversary, my brain registers that as the same importance as catching the bus. Everything is over stimulated and I see every impulse at the level of importance.

The same way you know not to walk in front of a moving car, I plan my grocery list.

So trying to plan my planning is very difficult. What is important, what can be moved?

So I have a great coach at Training Bible Coaching her name is Carla Hastert http://www.trainingbible.com/findACoach_detail.aspx?id=1900

Basically Carla plans my workouts. I have supplied her with my Vo2 max information I got from Training Peaks when I trained for my first Triathlon (Olympic Distance) she gets to know me over the first couple of weeks.

With Carla and the Training Bible website http://www.trainingbible.com/index.aspx I am able to know what to do tomorrow. I.e.

Workout Description:
Bike - 3 hours see break up below
Comments from Workout Planner:
EACH hour do the following: 15 min super easy spin, work on cadence a little higher than you’re used to. THEN 15 min climb in your hardest gear, stand for 1 min every 5 min within the interval. Then do 6 x 2 min @ a hard effort, RPMS 85-100, HR high and breathing becoming laboured. Spin EASY for 2 min between each one. THEN start again (2 more times)

So that is pretty amazing. I can get world class Ironman training but expert trainers. I can look at the schedule and see what I have to do. I go and do it, and it's all good.

It doesn't stop there though. I can take the Training week that is prepared by Carla and I can add it to my Outlook Calendar. So I can schedule my workouts with my work schedule, my personal schedule and I can see if it conflicts with anything.

It doesn't stop there though; I can also take my calendar and put it on my smart phone. My HTC S621

So I can now find out what workout I have. I can find out the specifics of the workout, I can then head out.

I also have this great Blue tooth headset that goes with my HTC Smart phone.



So I can run and bike and listen to music (of course I never listen to music while biking) and if I get a phone call I can answer it without using my hands. I can also place calls without having to touch my phone.

So with a trainer online, and my Vista PC, with Outlook 2009 I can know what I need to do in order to get ready for the Ironman.

Those things alone are pretty cool. I mean if you take it all in this means that I can wake up tomorrow. I know what workout to do, I know what my work schedule is, I know if I have a Massage appt, or if I am teaching my running clinic. All in one quick look at my phone, or PC.

Now let's take a look at the Garmin Devices I have. I have a Garmin Edge 705


I also have a Garmin Forerunner 405

I can add some pretty crazy workouts, from fartleks, to Heart Rate workouts, to simple workouts with just time. With my Edge 705 I also have Turn by Turn maps for North America.

You see I forget where I am, where I am going, and how to get back. So I now have a way to not only direct my way, but how to get back home. My family also feels more confident when I go out as they can call me, and I can tell them where I am. If I get lost I can just press a couple of buttons and direct myself back home.

-There is a new Garmin

This Garmin Forerunner 310XT is the first Garmin you can take in the pool or ocean. For someone like me that is such a plus, right now I have to use a Timex and try to hear it under water. This is my future purchase. I just purchased the Forerunner 405 and the Edge 705 with Maps. I am so broke it's not funny. (please click on my adds ;')) I see my next Garmin in the future. Well after the student loans are paid off, we have a house, etc, etc......-

Without my Microsoft Vista Computer, my Windows Mobile Smartphone, my Motorola Bluetooth Headset, and my Edge 705 and my Forerunner 405, and my Training Peaks website and of course my incredible trainer Carla. I would be sitting at home probably not even dreaming of doing an Ironman.