HOUSTON – It’s day one of strength training for the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. It's time to get into the best shape of my life as I prepare to complete one of the most grueling events on the planet to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
I have completed two Ironman triathlons in the last two years. A 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run back-to-back. In each case, I trained hard to build endurance, but I didn’t do much strength training. This time, things are different.
Nine Innovations, the gym owned by Abdul Foster, is helping me get to the next level by adding strength training to my regimen. Foster has trained a slew of elite athletes, including his brother, NFL superstar Arian Foster.
His team also trains regular people like me to reach our individual goals. For me, knowing that these trainers are the best at their game makes me confident that I’m going to be ready for what lies ahead.
My trainer for the day was Firdose Khan, known as “Dose.” He’s great.
He ran me through an initial workout to gage my fitness level and said we’d progress from there. After one of the toughest workouts I’ve had in a very long time, I realized that I have a long way to go.
I worked some muscles that have been dormant for a while.
All the miles on my bike, in the pool and in my running shoes may have built my endurance, but I have to get a lot stronger to be able to compete in Kona. And with Nine Innovations, I will be.
The journey continues.