From >450 to <160 lb by 2022

Week 27, average daily calorie deficit of ~500:

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_highBIA_lowBIA_NavyBF_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__31.9%__N/A____30.9%__167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__32.6%__27.4%__28.8%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__31.9%__27.3%__27.4%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__30.6%__26.0%__26.4%__170.3_64.1__1884
JAN 29-F4: 231.4__30.3%__25.9%__25.5%__169.5_61.9__2103
FEB 05-11: 229.1__29.1%__24.7%__25.3%__169.3_59.8__2268
FEB 12-18: 226.8__27.9%__24.0%__25.4%__168.6_58.2__2488
FEB 19-25: 225.3__27.4%__23.4%__24.9%__168.7_56.6__2704
FEB 26-M4: 221.1__27.6%__22.9%__24.0%__166.7_54.5__2376
MAR 05-11: 220.0__26.9%__23.9%__23.0%__166.9_53.1__2722
MAR 12-18: 216.9__26.3%__23.1%__22.6%__165.6_51.3__3086
MAR 19-25: 220.2__25.6%__21.9%__22.9%__168.8_51.4__3880
MAR 26-A1: 217.5__25.6%__21.6%__22.1%__167.9_49.6__3080
-- APR 02 Dexa scan: 21.0% body fat --
Week___Weight_highBIA_lowBIA_NavyBF_Lean_Fat_Calories
APR 02-08: 215.6__25.7%__21.7%__21.0%__167.4_48.2__3086
APR 09-15: 214.7__25.4%__21.4%__20.5%__167.5_47.2__3363
APR 16-22: 212.6__24.8%__21.3%__19.5%__167.3_45.2__3430
APR 23-29: 212.4__24.1%__20.9%__19.4%__167.8_44.6__3761
APR 30-M6: 210.3__24.1%__20.6%__18.8%__167.0_43.3__3835
MAY 07-13: 209.5__24.0%__20.4%__18.2%__167.2_42.3__3776
MAY 14-20: 206.9__23.9%__20.6%__18.1%__165.2_41.7__4261
MAY 21-27: 210.3__23.6%__20.1%__18.6%__167.7_42.5__3857
MAY 28-J3: 207.3__23.4%__19.6%__18.0%__166.3_41.0__3184
JUN 04-10: 203.6__22.5%__19.4%__16.4%__165.5_38.0__3547
JUN 11-17: 202.6__22.5%__19.4%__15.9%__165.4_37.3__3789
JUN 18-24: 201.8__22.5%__19.5%__15.7%__164.8_37.0__3637
JUN 25-J1: 200.0__21.8%__18.4%__14.5%__165.4_34.6__2977
JUL 02-08: 199.8__20.3%__17.1%__14.4%__166.7_33.1__3100ish
-- JUL 08 Dexa scan: 15.0% body fat --

Today's dexa scan was again in line with the Navy Body fat estimate. I may stop recording bio-impedance since it is so far off, but it may still have some value since the dexa scan did show that my legs were ~17% body fat vs ~12% for my arms and 14% for my trunk. I'd like to lose another 10 lb of fat and hope that it comes primarily from my hips & thighs:
original_521b1a09-6339-43a5-b0ae-57dceacef27d_PXL_20210708_220759830.jpg

As I expected, I did lose a few pounds of lean mass though only 1 lb of it was muscle:
original_9dae121a-8ce6-48e4-909c-e7aaf5c1bad7_PXL_20210708_221046621.jpg

I am now on the cusp of being in the healthy range for the NHANES fat mass index. If I lose another 10 lb of fat as planned I'll be well inside the green window. Visceral body fat is now healthy too:
original_dade8193-648d-4cba-aea7-b1772c23ce7f_PXL_20210708_221102987.jpg

My absolute VO2 max declined minutely (from 4.32 to 4.24 L/min), with my weight loss more than making up for it on the relative scale (from 43.4 to 46.3 mL/kg/min):
PXL_20210709_000315113.jpg
Power zones were pretty much unchanged, but my heart rate was down considerably (5-7 beats per minute) at the same power levels. Of note, this time I used my time trial bike instead of their more upright trainer so I was in the full aero position which does limit my power/breathing somewhat. I also wore my garmin 735xt which estimated my VO2 max at 48 (vs 46.3 actual) during the test - a new high. It estimated my functional threshold power at 267 watts (vs 270 actual).
 
Wow! I know I keep saying this but you're consistently impressive :eek:
 
Been sick, but finally feeling human again so time to catch up...

Week 28, average daily calorie deficit of -8 (carbo loading for half ironman).
Week 29, average daily calorie deficit of 244

-- JAN 06 Dexa scan: 28.6% body fat --
Week___Weight_highBIA_lowBIA_NavyBF_Lean_Fat_Calories
JAN 01-07: 244.5__31.9%__N/A____30.9%__167.8_76.8__1811
JAN 08-14: 239.9__32.6%__27.4%__28.8%__169.3_70.6__2190
JAN 15-21: 236.3__31.9%__27.3%__27.4%__169.0_67.3__1834
JAN 22-28: 234.4__30.6%__26.0%__26.4%__170.3_64.1__1884
JAN 29-F4: 231.4__30.3%__25.9%__25.5%__169.5_61.9__2103
FEB 05-11: 229.1__29.1%__24.7%__25.3%__169.3_59.8__2268
FEB 12-18: 226.8__27.9%__24.0%__25.4%__168.6_58.2__2488
FEB 19-25: 225.3__27.4%__23.4%__24.9%__168.7_56.6__2704
FEB 26-M4: 221.1__27.6%__22.9%__24.0%__166.7_54.5__2376
MAR 05-11: 220.0__26.9%__23.9%__23.0%__166.9_53.1__2722
MAR 12-18: 216.9__26.3%__23.1%__22.6%__165.6_51.3__3086
MAR 19-25: 220.2__25.6%__21.9%__22.9%__168.8_51.4__3880
MAR 26-A1: 217.5__25.6%__21.6%__22.1%__167.9_49.6__3080
-- APR 02 Dexa scan: 21.0% body fat --
Week___Weight_highBIA_lowBIA_NavyBF_Lean_Fat_Calories
APR 02-08: 215.6__25.7%__21.7%__21.0%__167.4_48.2__3086
APR 09-15: 214.7__25.4%__21.4%__20.5%__167.5_47.2__3363
APR 16-22: 212.6__24.8%__21.3%__19.5%__167.3_45.2__3430
APR 23-29: 212.4__24.1%__20.9%__19.4%__167.8_44.6__3761
APR 30-M6: 210.3__24.1%__20.6%__18.8%__167.0_43.3__3835
MAY 07-13: 209.5__24.0%__20.4%__18.2%__167.2_42.3__3776
MAY 14-20: 206.9__23.9%__20.6%__18.1%__165.2_41.7__4261
MAY 21-27: 210.3__23.6%__20.1%__18.6%__167.7_42.5__3857
MAY 28-J3: 207.3__23.4%__19.6%__18.0%__166.3_41.0__3184
JUN 04-10: 203.6__22.5%__19.4%__16.4%__165.5_38.0__3547
JUN 11-17: 202.6__22.5%__19.4%__15.9%__165.4_37.3__3789
JUN 18-24: 201.8__22.5%__19.5%__15.7%__164.8_37.0__3637
JUN 25-J1: 200.0__21.8%__18.4%__14.5%__165.4_34.6__2977
JUL 02-08: 199.8__20.3%__17.1%__14.4%__166.7_33.1__3247
-- JUL 08 Dexa scan: 15.0% body fat --
JUL 09-16: 199.9__20.5%__18.4%__15.3%__165.2_34.8__3629
JUL 17-24: 197.6__19.1%__16.9%__15.5%__164.5_33.1__2362
 
Half ironman recap (cliff notes: hubris rears its head)

Its been a couple weeks, but I did manage to finish the triathlon before the cut-off. I performed significantly worse than expected, which was largely my own fault.

My first major error was not paying close enough attention to the elevation. The course maps were all in meters and while I converted the total climbing to feet to get a feel for what I'd have to do, I totally failed to look at the base elevation in feet (2,600 meters is about 8,500' -- high enough that you really ought to arrive a week early to get acclimated).

I arrived the afternoon before and immediately noticed the lack of oxygen. I was totally prepared for the 1,500' of climbing at elevations up to 6000, but those last couple thousand feet really make a difference. I also had only just ordered a wetsuit for the swim - the cheapest on Amazon, and one meant more for surfing than swimming. I resisted the idea of wearing one, but EVERYone I talked to insisted I wear one despite the nice ~67* F water temperature. So the afternoon before my race was the first time I swam in the wetsuit and it fit poorly (loose around the neck which let water create a big bubble of drag on my back). Still, the increased buoyancy more than made up for the stiff arm movement and excess pocket of water so I spent some time getting used to swimming with it. It was really weird, the extra buoyancy made me rock back and forth a lot more with each stroke so it required some fine tuning. Due to the altitude, I also had to breathe every 2-3 strokes instead of every 4. Still, I felt pretty good about the swim.

I wasn't too concerned about the bike, but I did some old school hot rod density altitude calculations to estimate how much less power I should be putting out at altitude. I basically decided to target ~160-200watts instead of my planned 200-250 watts.

The run was what I was concerned about and I became more so when I learned that the website was wrong - this course would actually be a trail run instead of on pavement. Keep in mind I'd never actually completed a half marathon anyway, and now I'm learning it would be on soft ski-slope type soil with one section described as a scramble. The only reassurance I got was "don't worry if you're not a good runner, everyone walks at about the same speed."

So my nerves were a little high the night before, but I really had only 2 goals: 1) get a decent nights sleep and 2) successfully poop before the race start. Sleep did not come easily, partly due to the nerves, but largely due to the lack of air conditioning at the ski resort. It rarely gets over 80* at this resort, but this was the 1 week out of the year of mid 90* weather. Worse, I was on the top floor so my room didn't cool off until well after midnight.

To help complete task #2, I bought a couple bottles of cold brew coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I've noticed its cleansing effects in the past and every race participant I talked to insisted I drink coffee to get things moving. Sadly it was not to be.

------
The race: despite the lack of sleep and full bowels, I felt pretty decent the morning of. I'd tapered my training for the 2 weeks prior and ate at maintenance for the week so I had tons of energy. Still, I decided to start at the very back of the pack of swimmers to avoid getting kicked in the face and to swim at my own pace - especially at elevation. While this meant I wouldn't be drafting, I really didn't care if the swim took me an extra 10 minutes. It turns out that the wetsuit more than made up for the elevation and I finished the 1.2 mile swim in under 35 minutes compared to my planned 40-45. I also passed about 1/4 of the field - mostly folks who were better swimmers than me but who went out too fast and had to catch their breathes.

The transition to the bike went reasonably well and I passed another dozen or so people. The website said there would be no aid stations due to covid so I packed heavy with a 2.5L camelbak and 2 32oz gatoraide bottles on the bike, in addition to the dried fruits, nuts, and protein bars. It turns out there were aid stations, but no matter. Despite my planned low wattage, I wound up passing a bunch of people on the ~56 mile bike and I started the run about half pack.

The transition to the run went a little slower just because I wanted to put on socks and refill my camelbak (90* heat at elevation made me suck through the water). But I started strong and was feeling pretty decent for the first 2 miles at which point I desperately needed to use a restroom. Evacuation complete, I headed out again but my stomach kept feeling worse and worse, prompting another 3 trips to the bathroom. At this point I was absolutely miserable and walking - and seriously considering dropping out after lap 1 of the run. But I did a little math and realized I could probably still finish within the cutoff time if I walked - as long as I didn't stop at aid stations.

So I decided to keep putting 1 foot in front of the other for as long as I was able, always keeping the possibility of dropping out in the back of my mind yet never quite reaching that point. At around mile 10 my stomach had settled enough that I was able to try some pretzels at an aid station. Immediately I felt better and I quickly realized that I had not been consuming enough salt for all the water & gatoraide I'd been drinking (there is some sodium in gatorade, but clearly not enough for me). Combined with some easy-to-digest gu, I started to feel pretty good again and resumed running through the finish.

Ultimately I was 3rd from last among finishers, but about half the field dropped out. Had I had my nutrition better dialed in I think I would have been able to run the entire half marathon, but at least I finished.
 
After a salt and carb-loaded post race meal, I was feeling quite good. So good that the next day I went for 9 miles worth of hikes at elevation before driving home. The following day I did an easy 6 mile run and returned to ~500 calorie deficits.

Unfortunately, this hubris too would come back to bite me. Roughly 50% of athletes become sick within 72 hours of a major endurance event, and I decided to cut calories and continue moderate-high exercise. Doing so probably contributed to me coming down with a pretty debilitating bug that ultimately turned out to be bacterial pneumonia. I was essentially bed ridden for a week and have only recently started walking 1-2 miles. Today was my first run - a measly mile broken into two parts by rest breaks.

My legs felt shaky and my lungs weren't quite up to the task, but I'm finally on the mend and starting to look towards the full ironman in 3 months. It will probably have pretty high winds, but the temperature in late October should be comfortable and the elevation is only like 25' above sea level (with maybe 500' of total climbing). Hopefully I'll be done dieting by then, but if not I definitely won't resume calorie deficits for the week after. And I'll get a better wet suit. And I'll take salt tabs and gu with me...
 
I'm lost for words! I'm glad you're on the mend. It sounds like you have got the bug in more ways than one. Planning your next one already. Just wow, Err!
 
Glad to hear you're feeling better - and awesome job finishing the race despite everything that happened! It sounds like the kind of experience you'll be telling young athletes about in 20 years' time :)
 
Absolutely wonderful account of the triathalon Err. Amazing accomplishment to take part and to finish. The whole thing sounds super challenging. I'm a bit dumbfounded that you're already planning to do another... and a full ironman this time! Yikes!
i just can't believe how it just seemed such a short time ago where we read of your first small attempt at running and your dog getting excited!

I hope you continue to feel better and recover well.
 
I got excited thinking you were back then. Hope you're OK, Err!
 
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