Good morning.
Yawn. Coffee. More coffee. Ahhh yes, 64 ounces of coffee.
Boy, the weather is absolutely perfect this week in Chicago. Not a cloud around and temps in the 80's.
It's funny, but whenever I have an event, for example, Sunday's triathlon, a couple days later the event seems like a long time in the past. It's only been a couple days. I felt the same after the Boston Marathon. After 1 week it seemed like a month. Not sure why this is.
After Bigfoot my body feels fine except for one slight niggle in my upper left inner thigh. I does not hurt to walk. I rode 20 miles on the trainer last night, an easy spin, and it did not bother me. I tend to feel it in certain positions or if I squat. I will monitor this and be careful.
The 1/2 Ironman is fast approaching. It's only 4 weeks and 3 days away. I will continue to recover a bit more this week and resume more intense triathlon training shortly. I am also sneaking in marathon training. Good thing high mileage is not here yet.
Today is a swim day and maybe a recovery run. The swim workout will be more intense. My swim muscles are recovered and need some work.
I finally got the age group results for the Bigfoot Triathlon. I placed 13th out of 29 men age 50-54. The top four times in our age group were:
1.) 2:07:03
2.) 2:18:53
3.) 2:23:13
4: 2:24:48
My time was 2:31:02. I wanted to see how I did in each tri-discipline in my age group. In the swim, my time of 23:23 was 11th. The bike: 1:09:52 was 15th and the run: 49:52 was 4th.
So, I need some work. After analyzing the results my goal will be to come in the top 3 or 4 of an olympic distance triathlon. I don't think it's a stretch to expect a time of 2:23:00 or better. I think I am capable of that.
It is interesting that my average 100 yard pace during the swim was 1:26. I've never come close to that in the pool. Plus, I was not going all out.
With some tweaking and more training I will swim slightly faster, maybe bike a little faster and increase my run pace to under 8 pace. Also, becomming more efficient in the transitions will really help take some time off.
I can impliment this in my next olympic distance event: The Chicago Triathlon.
Now, it's time to focus on the 1/2 Ironman. I will try to do some tweaking for this event as well. I'm not sure about a time goal yet. My initial thought was somewhere between 5-51/2 hours. We will see.
Have a great day.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bigfoot Triathlon Race Report
Good morning.
This is my Bigfoot Triathlon race report. For those of you that don't feel like reading the long detailed version the results were:
Swim: 23:23, Bike: 1:09:52, Run: 49:53. Total time including transitions: 2:31:02.
I write the longer version for those of you that enjoy reading race reports and also for those of you that may have an interest in trying a triathlon some day. I hope you enjoy it.
Bigfoot Triathlon
Introduction
As many of you know, I started training for triathlons last December after I entered the lottery for a spot in the Ironman World Championships.
I figured, if I found out in April that I got a spot, I may not have had enough time to train for the Ironman. So, I bought a bike, a trainer and joined X Sport for their pool. As I trained hard I thought, "what if you don't get that lottery spot, why waste all this training?" So, that is when I decided to enter some triathlons and put that training to use.
Venue
The Bigfoot Triathlon is held every year in Lake Geneva, WI. This is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Chicago which is very convenient. Lake Geneva is a beautiful area with lots of cute shops, etc. Also, a nice big, clean lake. Nice hills, too.
Triathlon Morning
Got up at 3 am because I wanted to be at the transition area around 5 am. I racked my bike the day before so I already had a spot. I did this early because I thought it would be one less thing to worry about on my first triathlon race day. Plus it gave me the opportunity to get familiar with the surroundings.
The alarm goes off and I go turn on "my" coffee maker. Yes, I brougt my own coffee machine. Coffee is part of my pre race routine. I like to drink enough of it because it really gets all my bodily functions moving.
As I relaxed with my coffee and thought of the race, I also had on the weather channel. The weather forcast did not look good. A huge storm was coming. Hard to tell what would happen. I did know that the swim would be cancelled if there was lightning and the tri would become a duathlon, run-bike-run. I did not want this because I wanted to utilize all my tri disciplines. Wanted to be tested on the swim-bike-run.
After a while I put on my Chicago Triathlon Club, Tri outfit. I packed the car and headed to Bigfoot Beach.
Once there, I parked and headed to transition with all of my gear. The excitement was building the closer I got. There were many terrific looking athletes with their hyped up machines.
I approached my bike, put a towel down and organized my little transition zone. One must lay out the tools you will use during the competition in the order of their use. When that was done I spoke to several other triathletes. One thing I came to realize is that triathletes are a friendly bunch. Tick tock tick tock.
ATTENTION, ATTENTION TRIATHLETS, TRANSITION AREA IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE HEAD TO THE BEACH!
Off I went with my wetsuit, goggles and swim cap in hand. I would put these on near the beach which was a couple hundred yards away.
When I got to the beach the excitement built even more. I put on my suit and walked in the water. I was going to do a little warm up but changed my mind and decided I would just warm up as I swam the triathlon. I went and found my wave 7 group of 45-54 year old men. As group after group began their wave starts we would shuffle towards the start. Soon, we were on deck with group 6 in the water. There they go. Group 7 slowly enters the arena. Where should I position myself?
The Swim
I was totally calm which surprised me. No nerves at all. I positioned myself near the back third then heard, 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 GOOOO!
All of a sudden, the surge. We all started moving like a school of Salmon just released in the water. We all searched for our own little spot as we bumped and flailed. As you begin swimming all you see is a sea of bodies. You see feet just in front of your face, inches separating you from a heal on the forehead.
It is a friendly battle. You see, we all really are just doing and hoping for the same thing. A good event. I think there is an un-spoken respect between triathletes.
Eventually, you get some space. I slowed down so the others in front of me could get some distance that would allow me to swim.
I remembered a quote: "you can't win the triathlon during the swim. But, you can lose it." Meaning, no need to rush it and tire yourself out. It's a long day.
Once I was able to swim my swim I saw many of my wave ahead of me. I thought, jeez, am I slow or something? I thought maybe they went out too fast. I just started focusing on my swim technique, stroke, reach, pull, breathe. Over and over again. As I swam I would look at the bottom of the lake at the green weeds and wonder if it was a good Bass fishing spot.
Every now and then you would pull along someone and as I turned to breathe so would they. We would look at each other for that split second and continue our quest.
I was passing people. This is a race. But, it's in water. Sometimes you have to pass by finding an open lane. I did not monitor how many swimmers I passed. I did notice that I started passing swimmers from the waves that went off before us. You could tell because each wave had it's own colored swim cap. Our wave swim cap color was lilac. I was passing the grey's. Cool.
I made the turn and was heading home. My breathing was good. just going along, efficient. Ow!!! Some woman from a previous wave just hit me in the side of the head. My left goggle got a little dislodged. I fixed it as best I could and kept going. Almost there. Where is that red bouy. There it is. I round it and emerge from the water and take off.
The transition is a couple hundred yards away. I am running barefoot on the pavement as I remove my wetsuit from neck to waist. Once in transition I quickly change to my biking socks, shoes and helmet and run to the transition exit.
SWIM TIME: 23:23
The Bike
After running with my biking shoes, which is like running with heeled shoes put on backwards, I mount my machine. Lets go.
I take off for the 23+ mile bike ride/race. Lake Geneva has some nice hills. We hit one pretty quickly. No problem. I must start my nutrition plan. When competing in a triathlon, the bike is the time that you hydrate, eat, etc., so you have energy for your bike and run. If you do not do this you may really pay for it later.
I just kept pedaling and keeping my focus forward. I was passing people from the beginning. That storm I was concerned about never materialized. But, a rain storm was coming. I was pumping those legs, working on my cadence. As I went along I realized I was doing well. I was hitting speeds and cadence never hit before. My racing mode was really kicking in. I was passing, passing and passing other triathletes. Some were also passing me.
One interesting note: Each triathlete has their age marked on their calf with a black marker. So, as you pass or are passed you look to see the age of the person.
The rain started and it felt good. Very cooling. Water was dripping from my head and glasses. My shoes also felt like they were filling up with rain water. I just kept on going. I rode in my big gear on the downhills and hit speeds of 35 mph. I flew past many riders. I kept wondering why they were not taking advantage of the downhill. Soon I came to the last turn and the bike finish was there....already!
Dismount....OW! My God were my upper hammy's in pain. Right near where the hammy attaches to you butt. No injury, just a soreness. No way was I going to be able to run the bike to my transition spot. I would take my time and walk. I was a little concerned if I could even run.
BIKE TIME: 1:09:52
The Run
I slowly changed socks and shoes and put on my running bib belt. I tried to stretch a bit. Ouch. I put on my V Team hat and slowly jogged to the run exit. Once I started moving the hammy's felt better.
I have not experienced this pain on any of my brick workouts. Interestingly, the typical bowling ball leg feeling after the bike is not really there any more. I am sure my upper hammy pain was from my kick ass bike ride. It's ok.
I started my 6.2 mile "TRAIL" run. We started on grass. Soon the grass would turn into slippery, ice-like mud. Honestly, I had to really slow down, as did everyone else otherwise you would wipe out. There were several sections like this. Also, it was hilly through the trails. This was like a cross country event. The heat and humidity were high in the forrest. There was no breeze. No problemo for me since I thrive in those conditions. The run course was a double loop. After the first 3 miles I knew what to expect. I just kept running as hard as I could without burning myself out.
Again, I would always look at the calf of the person I was passing. Ahh another 50-54 age grouper. I was not passed much at all. I thought I was really cruising up and down the hills and around the curves. I could hear the finish line coming up as the crown was screaming. As I turned the final corner there was another runner there, 52 years old, I've got to beat him. I floored it and passed him. The funny thing is, just a yard from the finish he somehow found the juice to pass me. As he did he looked back at me and said something. We both had a good friendly laugh and patted each other on the back.
An exhausting job well done.
RUN TIME: 49:53
TOTAL TIME: 2:31:02
Conclusion
Am I please with my results? Yes! I never thought I would swim in 23:23. I thought maybe 27 minutes would be good. My 23:23 time considering the congestion was really very acceptable.
The bike was much better than expected. This was the first ride that I have averaged over 20 mph for the entire ride. I expect to even get better with more training.
The run was OK. I really thought I was going faster than around 8 minute per mile pace. But, those slippery mud areas and the up hill sections must have really slowed me down. My effort felt much harder tha 8 pace.
The part that really hurt my results were in transition. I spent 4+ minutes in T1 and 3+ in T2. I need to work on my transitions. I may get some shoes that do not require socks. Just biking and running shoes you can just slip on and take off.
All in all this was a great experience. I am so happy that I began the tri-venture because I really enjoy it. I love the training that goes into it and the race is just the culmination of all your hard work.
My next triathlon is the Steelhead 1/2 Ironman on July 31. The distance for this race are basically double what I just did:
Swim: 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles.
I better get busy!!! Tri Tri again.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
This is my Bigfoot Triathlon race report. For those of you that don't feel like reading the long detailed version the results were:
Swim: 23:23, Bike: 1:09:52, Run: 49:53. Total time including transitions: 2:31:02.
I write the longer version for those of you that enjoy reading race reports and also for those of you that may have an interest in trying a triathlon some day. I hope you enjoy it.
Bigfoot Triathlon
Introduction
As many of you know, I started training for triathlons last December after I entered the lottery for a spot in the Ironman World Championships.
I figured, if I found out in April that I got a spot, I may not have had enough time to train for the Ironman. So, I bought a bike, a trainer and joined X Sport for their pool. As I trained hard I thought, "what if you don't get that lottery spot, why waste all this training?" So, that is when I decided to enter some triathlons and put that training to use.
Venue
The Bigfoot Triathlon is held every year in Lake Geneva, WI. This is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Chicago which is very convenient. Lake Geneva is a beautiful area with lots of cute shops, etc. Also, a nice big, clean lake. Nice hills, too.
Triathlon Morning
Got up at 3 am because I wanted to be at the transition area around 5 am. I racked my bike the day before so I already had a spot. I did this early because I thought it would be one less thing to worry about on my first triathlon race day. Plus it gave me the opportunity to get familiar with the surroundings.
The alarm goes off and I go turn on "my" coffee maker. Yes, I brougt my own coffee machine. Coffee is part of my pre race routine. I like to drink enough of it because it really gets all my bodily functions moving.
As I relaxed with my coffee and thought of the race, I also had on the weather channel. The weather forcast did not look good. A huge storm was coming. Hard to tell what would happen. I did know that the swim would be cancelled if there was lightning and the tri would become a duathlon, run-bike-run. I did not want this because I wanted to utilize all my tri disciplines. Wanted to be tested on the swim-bike-run.
After a while I put on my Chicago Triathlon Club, Tri outfit. I packed the car and headed to Bigfoot Beach.
Once there, I parked and headed to transition with all of my gear. The excitement was building the closer I got. There were many terrific looking athletes with their hyped up machines.
I approached my bike, put a towel down and organized my little transition zone. One must lay out the tools you will use during the competition in the order of their use. When that was done I spoke to several other triathletes. One thing I came to realize is that triathletes are a friendly bunch. Tick tock tick tock.
ATTENTION, ATTENTION TRIATHLETS, TRANSITION AREA IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE HEAD TO THE BEACH!
Off I went with my wetsuit, goggles and swim cap in hand. I would put these on near the beach which was a couple hundred yards away.
When I got to the beach the excitement built even more. I put on my suit and walked in the water. I was going to do a little warm up but changed my mind and decided I would just warm up as I swam the triathlon. I went and found my wave 7 group of 45-54 year old men. As group after group began their wave starts we would shuffle towards the start. Soon, we were on deck with group 6 in the water. There they go. Group 7 slowly enters the arena. Where should I position myself?
The Swim
I was totally calm which surprised me. No nerves at all. I positioned myself near the back third then heard, 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 GOOOO!
All of a sudden, the surge. We all started moving like a school of Salmon just released in the water. We all searched for our own little spot as we bumped and flailed. As you begin swimming all you see is a sea of bodies. You see feet just in front of your face, inches separating you from a heal on the forehead.
It is a friendly battle. You see, we all really are just doing and hoping for the same thing. A good event. I think there is an un-spoken respect between triathletes.
Eventually, you get some space. I slowed down so the others in front of me could get some distance that would allow me to swim.
I remembered a quote: "you can't win the triathlon during the swim. But, you can lose it." Meaning, no need to rush it and tire yourself out. It's a long day.
Once I was able to swim my swim I saw many of my wave ahead of me. I thought, jeez, am I slow or something? I thought maybe they went out too fast. I just started focusing on my swim technique, stroke, reach, pull, breathe. Over and over again. As I swam I would look at the bottom of the lake at the green weeds and wonder if it was a good Bass fishing spot.
Every now and then you would pull along someone and as I turned to breathe so would they. We would look at each other for that split second and continue our quest.
I was passing people. This is a race. But, it's in water. Sometimes you have to pass by finding an open lane. I did not monitor how many swimmers I passed. I did notice that I started passing swimmers from the waves that went off before us. You could tell because each wave had it's own colored swim cap. Our wave swim cap color was lilac. I was passing the grey's. Cool.
I made the turn and was heading home. My breathing was good. just going along, efficient. Ow!!! Some woman from a previous wave just hit me in the side of the head. My left goggle got a little dislodged. I fixed it as best I could and kept going. Almost there. Where is that red bouy. There it is. I round it and emerge from the water and take off.
The transition is a couple hundred yards away. I am running barefoot on the pavement as I remove my wetsuit from neck to waist. Once in transition I quickly change to my biking socks, shoes and helmet and run to the transition exit.
SWIM TIME: 23:23
The Bike
After running with my biking shoes, which is like running with heeled shoes put on backwards, I mount my machine. Lets go.
I take off for the 23+ mile bike ride/race. Lake Geneva has some nice hills. We hit one pretty quickly. No problem. I must start my nutrition plan. When competing in a triathlon, the bike is the time that you hydrate, eat, etc., so you have energy for your bike and run. If you do not do this you may really pay for it later.
I just kept pedaling and keeping my focus forward. I was passing people from the beginning. That storm I was concerned about never materialized. But, a rain storm was coming. I was pumping those legs, working on my cadence. As I went along I realized I was doing well. I was hitting speeds and cadence never hit before. My racing mode was really kicking in. I was passing, passing and passing other triathletes. Some were also passing me.
One interesting note: Each triathlete has their age marked on their calf with a black marker. So, as you pass or are passed you look to see the age of the person.
The rain started and it felt good. Very cooling. Water was dripping from my head and glasses. My shoes also felt like they were filling up with rain water. I just kept on going. I rode in my big gear on the downhills and hit speeds of 35 mph. I flew past many riders. I kept wondering why they were not taking advantage of the downhill. Soon I came to the last turn and the bike finish was there....already!
Dismount....OW! My God were my upper hammy's in pain. Right near where the hammy attaches to you butt. No injury, just a soreness. No way was I going to be able to run the bike to my transition spot. I would take my time and walk. I was a little concerned if I could even run.
BIKE TIME: 1:09:52
The Run
I slowly changed socks and shoes and put on my running bib belt. I tried to stretch a bit. Ouch. I put on my V Team hat and slowly jogged to the run exit. Once I started moving the hammy's felt better.
I have not experienced this pain on any of my brick workouts. Interestingly, the typical bowling ball leg feeling after the bike is not really there any more. I am sure my upper hammy pain was from my kick ass bike ride. It's ok.
I started my 6.2 mile "TRAIL" run. We started on grass. Soon the grass would turn into slippery, ice-like mud. Honestly, I had to really slow down, as did everyone else otherwise you would wipe out. There were several sections like this. Also, it was hilly through the trails. This was like a cross country event. The heat and humidity were high in the forrest. There was no breeze. No problemo for me since I thrive in those conditions. The run course was a double loop. After the first 3 miles I knew what to expect. I just kept running as hard as I could without burning myself out.
Again, I would always look at the calf of the person I was passing. Ahh another 50-54 age grouper. I was not passed much at all. I thought I was really cruising up and down the hills and around the curves. I could hear the finish line coming up as the crown was screaming. As I turned the final corner there was another runner there, 52 years old, I've got to beat him. I floored it and passed him. The funny thing is, just a yard from the finish he somehow found the juice to pass me. As he did he looked back at me and said something. We both had a good friendly laugh and patted each other on the back.
An exhausting job well done.
RUN TIME: 49:53
TOTAL TIME: 2:31:02
Conclusion
Am I please with my results? Yes! I never thought I would swim in 23:23. I thought maybe 27 minutes would be good. My 23:23 time considering the congestion was really very acceptable.
The bike was much better than expected. This was the first ride that I have averaged over 20 mph for the entire ride. I expect to even get better with more training.
The run was OK. I really thought I was going faster than around 8 minute per mile pace. But, those slippery mud areas and the up hill sections must have really slowed me down. My effort felt much harder tha 8 pace.
The part that really hurt my results were in transition. I spent 4+ minutes in T1 and 3+ in T2. I need to work on my transitions. I may get some shoes that do not require socks. Just biking and running shoes you can just slip on and take off.
All in all this was a great experience. I am so happy that I began the tri-venture because I really enjoy it. I love the training that goes into it and the race is just the culmination of all your hard work.
My next triathlon is the Steelhead 1/2 Ironman on July 31. The distance for this race are basically double what I just did:
Swim: 1.2 miles, Bike 56 miles, Run 13.1 miles.
I better get busy!!! Tri Tri again.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Tri Rehearsal
Yesterday I did a small practice tri. Did a 1.3 mile open water swim in Lake Michigan. Swam farther than I planned, mainly because I don't yet know how the Chicago Park District measured it's 1/4 and 1/2 mile bouys starting point. Regardless, the semi relaxing swim took 38 minutes.
Later in the day I did a small bike to run brick workout. I biked 10 miles around my neighborhood and quickly put on my running shoes and took off.
My legs are really feeling much better coming off the bike. Yesterday I did not have bowling ball legs. I only ran about 1.36 miles. The first mile was my fastest coming off the bike at 8:05 and it did not take long to hit a 7:20 pace for the remaining .36 mile.
I think I'm as ready as I can be for tomorrow. I hope I can bring it all together. I guess all I can do is my best.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Later in the day I did a small bike to run brick workout. I biked 10 miles around my neighborhood and quickly put on my running shoes and took off.
My legs are really feeling much better coming off the bike. Yesterday I did not have bowling ball legs. I only ran about 1.36 miles. The first mile was my fastest coming off the bike at 8:05 and it did not take long to hit a 7:20 pace for the remaining .36 mile.
I think I'm as ready as I can be for tomorrow. I hope I can bring it all together. I guess all I can do is my best.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fine Tuning
Good morning.
Hard to believe it's almost July. My how time fly's.
Another terrific weather day in the big city. The temps will be in the mid 80's with lower humidity.
I will continue to fine tune my training for Sunday's Bigfoot Triathlon. On my schedule is an open water swim in Lake Michigan today, maybe tomorrow too. I may do a very short brick workout tomorrow of bike to run transition just to keep those muscles aware of what is expected of them. My taper for the 1/2 Ironman in July will be more substantial.
Yesterday I did my 6 mile speed session late in the afternoon. I know some of you think I'm crazy, but, I like to wait until the hottest part of the day to run. I figure if I can handle that, it can only get easier. Plus, I enjoy the heat.
The run went well. My main goal was to run 2 miles under 7 mi pace and that goal was met. Interestingly when I slowed down my body, legs, etc., were very comfortable with the 7:25 pace. That speed or less may become my new cruising speed, kind of like the my last 1/2 marathon race.
Sometime this summer I want to run a sub 6 minute mile. It's just another barrier that needs to be pierced.
I got my supply of bike tubes and will change the current tubes today. Also, today is triathlon packet pickup day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:53 0:08:45 1 0 7 8:53 8:45 6:13 119 134 0 90
2 0:07:12 0:07:08 1 14 0 7:12 7:08 5:31 139 150 0 85
3 0:06:55 0:06:49 1 0 0 6:55 6:49 5:24 150 157 0 89
4 0:06:50 0:06:50 1 0 0 6:50 6:50 5:43 153 158 0 88
5 0:07:15 0:07:16 1 0 6 7:15 7:16 6:01 155 161 0 96
6 0:07:20 0:07:20 1 0 8 7:20 7:20 6:29 158 162 0 99
7 0:00:02 0:00:01 0.01 0 0 5:51 2:52 7:03 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:44:29 0:44:09 6.01 14 21 7:24 7:21 5:24 144 162 0 547
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Hard to believe it's almost July. My how time fly's.
Another terrific weather day in the big city. The temps will be in the mid 80's with lower humidity.
I will continue to fine tune my training for Sunday's Bigfoot Triathlon. On my schedule is an open water swim in Lake Michigan today, maybe tomorrow too. I may do a very short brick workout tomorrow of bike to run transition just to keep those muscles aware of what is expected of them. My taper for the 1/2 Ironman in July will be more substantial.
Yesterday I did my 6 mile speed session late in the afternoon. I know some of you think I'm crazy, but, I like to wait until the hottest part of the day to run. I figure if I can handle that, it can only get easier. Plus, I enjoy the heat.
The run went well. My main goal was to run 2 miles under 7 mi pace and that goal was met. Interestingly when I slowed down my body, legs, etc., were very comfortable with the 7:25 pace. That speed or less may become my new cruising speed, kind of like the my last 1/2 marathon race.
Sometime this summer I want to run a sub 6 minute mile. It's just another barrier that needs to be pierced.
I got my supply of bike tubes and will change the current tubes today. Also, today is triathlon packet pickup day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:53 0:08:45 1 0 7 8:53 8:45 6:13 119 134 0 90
2 0:07:12 0:07:08 1 14 0 7:12 7:08 5:31 139 150 0 85
3 0:06:55 0:06:49 1 0 0 6:55 6:49 5:24 150 157 0 89
4 0:06:50 0:06:50 1 0 0 6:50 6:50 5:43 153 158 0 88
5 0:07:15 0:07:16 1 0 6 7:15 7:16 6:01 155 161 0 96
6 0:07:20 0:07:20 1 0 8 7:20 7:20 6:29 158 162 0 99
7 0:00:02 0:00:01 0.01 0 0 5:51 2:52 7:03 160 160 0 0
Summary 0:44:29 0:44:09 6.01 14 21 7:24 7:21 5:24 144 162 0 547
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Three More Days = No More Tri-Virgin
Good morning.
Big big day today. The Apple I Phone 4 gets released. I have a $200 gift card to Apple that needs to be used. I got this for my 50th in April and have been hangin on to it until something caught my eye. Why not the new phone. I have had the I Phone for a while now and would highly recommend it.
Training, training, training, continues.
Tuesday was a swim day. I kept it short and sweet by doing 2X500. The first 500 was a warmup that builds as I swim. This first set took 9:30. I rested 20 seconds and started the second 500. The second 500 I pushed the effort level and finished in 9:10. This was my fastest 500 to date. The question in my mind: Is the extra effort which was very tiring worth a 20 second gain. My guess is no. But, the only way to get faster is to practice faster.
Later in the day I got in my weekly weight workout. I think the straight legged dead lift has really made my upper hamstring feel better.
Yesterday was a "Brick" day. We had some awesome storms so the workout took place in my basement. I got on the bike and had an excellent 20 mile bike workout. My cadence and endurance continues to improve. At one point of really pedaling as fast as I could my cadence reached 123 rpms. That's hard to do. My legs even felt great coming off the bike.
I immediately changed shoes and got on my treadmill. I started at 6 mph for a couple minutes and quickly increased the pace. I only wanted to do 2 miles because today is my run day and I wanted to save some for today's fartlek speed work.
I have been surprised lately when I get on the treadmill. I do most of my running outside and have picked up a lot of speed and endurance over the last year. The outdoor training has really enhance my treadmill paces. During the brick workout the highest speed reached was 8 mph and it seemed so easy. I was just cruising along and my heart rate was very low. My breathing was not even labored. I kind of liked that.
So, the day resulted in a 20 mile bike with a 2 mile brick run. The bike to run transition is becomming easier.
Today is a 6 mile fartlek run. I say fartlek because I do not yet know how the run will progress. My hopeful goal is to have a nice fast speed session. I would like to get a couple miles in under 7 pace.
I continue to prepare for this weekends olympic/international Bigfoot Triathlon. I need to get some extra bike tire tubes and change both the front and back tubes. I don't like how the valve stems look on either tire and I don't want to have to make these changes on race day. This will also be excellent practice on changing a flat tire, something one must be proficient in during Tri's.
Until tomorrow, whatever you do, enjoy it.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Big big day today. The Apple I Phone 4 gets released. I have a $200 gift card to Apple that needs to be used. I got this for my 50th in April and have been hangin on to it until something caught my eye. Why not the new phone. I have had the I Phone for a while now and would highly recommend it.
Training, training, training, continues.
Tuesday was a swim day. I kept it short and sweet by doing 2X500. The first 500 was a warmup that builds as I swim. This first set took 9:30. I rested 20 seconds and started the second 500. The second 500 I pushed the effort level and finished in 9:10. This was my fastest 500 to date. The question in my mind: Is the extra effort which was very tiring worth a 20 second gain. My guess is no. But, the only way to get faster is to practice faster.
Later in the day I got in my weekly weight workout. I think the straight legged dead lift has really made my upper hamstring feel better.
Yesterday was a "Brick" day. We had some awesome storms so the workout took place in my basement. I got on the bike and had an excellent 20 mile bike workout. My cadence and endurance continues to improve. At one point of really pedaling as fast as I could my cadence reached 123 rpms. That's hard to do. My legs even felt great coming off the bike.
I immediately changed shoes and got on my treadmill. I started at 6 mph for a couple minutes and quickly increased the pace. I only wanted to do 2 miles because today is my run day and I wanted to save some for today's fartlek speed work.
I have been surprised lately when I get on the treadmill. I do most of my running outside and have picked up a lot of speed and endurance over the last year. The outdoor training has really enhance my treadmill paces. During the brick workout the highest speed reached was 8 mph and it seemed so easy. I was just cruising along and my heart rate was very low. My breathing was not even labored. I kind of liked that.
So, the day resulted in a 20 mile bike with a 2 mile brick run. The bike to run transition is becomming easier.
Today is a 6 mile fartlek run. I say fartlek because I do not yet know how the run will progress. My hopeful goal is to have a nice fast speed session. I would like to get a couple miles in under 7 pace.
I continue to prepare for this weekends olympic/international Bigfoot Triathlon. I need to get some extra bike tire tubes and change both the front and back tubes. I don't like how the valve stems look on either tire and I don't want to have to make these changes on race day. This will also be excellent practice on changing a flat tire, something one must be proficient in during Tri's.
Until tomorrow, whatever you do, enjoy it.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Humidity = Fluidity
Good morning.
What a nice warm summer so far. This really is making up for last years very cool summer. Enjoyable! Might as well embrace the heat and humidity because soon, before you know it, the colder months will arrive.
Yesterday the humidity was around 95% with temps in the low 80'S. Anytime you add the humidity and temp together and the total is above 150 you need to be more careful in your activities.
This made for an interestin 11 mile run. I have to admit it was tougher than normal. It became a battle to just finish. But, I did and I was glad that I extended the run the extra 1/4 mile to hit 11 miles. This was my long run for the week. The remaining runs will focus on fast twitch.
Today is a swim and maybe a bike on trainer day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:50 0:08:49 1 0 7 8:50 8:49 7:08 113 127 0 80
2 0:08:23 0:08:23 1 13 0 8:24 8:23 6:16 131 136 0 96
3 0:08:11 0:08:04 1 0 0 8:11 8:04 5:06 132 137 0 91
4 0:08:23 0:08:15 1 0 17 8:23 8:15 3:45 136 139 0 96
5 0:08:22 0:08:22 1 0 0 8:22 8:22 7:25 141 146 0 98
6 0:08:18 0:08:08 1 8 0 8:18 8:08 6:57 141 146 0 95
7 0:08:26 0:08:25 1 9 0 8:26 8:25 6:44 143 150 0 96
8 0:08:32 0:08:33 1 0 0 8:32 8:33 6:44 146 151 0 104
9 0:08:44 0:08:44 1 0 0 8:44 8:44 6:19 146 152 0 101
10 0:08:54 0:08:54 1 0 5 8:54 8:54 6:53 150 155 0 112
11 0:08:55 0:08:56 1 9 8 8:55 8:56 7:31 155 157 0 116
12 0:00:01 0:00:01 0 0 0 7:49 5:19 8:09 -- -- 0 0
Summary 1:34:05 1:33:34 11 39 37 8:33 8:30 3:45 139 157 0 1,085
Looking at the data and considering the heat and humidity which added fluidity my heart rate was pretty good.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
What a nice warm summer so far. This really is making up for last years very cool summer. Enjoyable! Might as well embrace the heat and humidity because soon, before you know it, the colder months will arrive.
Yesterday the humidity was around 95% with temps in the low 80'S. Anytime you add the humidity and temp together and the total is above 150 you need to be more careful in your activities.
This made for an interestin 11 mile run. I have to admit it was tougher than normal. It became a battle to just finish. But, I did and I was glad that I extended the run the extra 1/4 mile to hit 11 miles. This was my long run for the week. The remaining runs will focus on fast twitch.
Today is a swim and maybe a bike on trainer day.
Split Time Moving Time Distance Elevation Gain Elevation Loss Avg Pace Avg Moving Pace Best Pace Avg HR Max HR Steps Calories
1 0:08:50 0:08:49 1 0 7 8:50 8:49 7:08 113 127 0 80
2 0:08:23 0:08:23 1 13 0 8:24 8:23 6:16 131 136 0 96
3 0:08:11 0:08:04 1 0 0 8:11 8:04 5:06 132 137 0 91
4 0:08:23 0:08:15 1 0 17 8:23 8:15 3:45 136 139 0 96
5 0:08:22 0:08:22 1 0 0 8:22 8:22 7:25 141 146 0 98
6 0:08:18 0:08:08 1 8 0 8:18 8:08 6:57 141 146 0 95
7 0:08:26 0:08:25 1 9 0 8:26 8:25 6:44 143 150 0 96
8 0:08:32 0:08:33 1 0 0 8:32 8:33 6:44 146 151 0 104
9 0:08:44 0:08:44 1 0 0 8:44 8:44 6:19 146 152 0 101
10 0:08:54 0:08:54 1 0 5 8:54 8:54 6:53 150 155 0 112
11 0:08:55 0:08:56 1 9 8 8:55 8:56 7:31 155 157 0 116
12 0:00:01 0:00:01 0 0 0 7:49 5:19 8:09 -- -- 0 0
Summary 1:34:05 1:33:34 11 39 37 8:33 8:30 3:45 139 157 0 1,085
Looking at the data and considering the heat and humidity which added fluidity my heart rate was pretty good.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Monday, June 21, 2010
Triathlon Week Prep
Good morning.
Back to reality for just a little while before we return to Glen Lake for our summer vacation.
The weather was great, as was the training and golf.
Golf was better than expected: 71, 80, 76. Not bad for not playing. To date, I have played 4 times this season.
I said that Friday was an off day. After 27 holes of golf at Crystal Downs we came home and there was still plenty of time for a longer bike ride so I decided to scrap the day off idea.
This ride would be around both Big and Little Glen Lakes. This route has some awesome hills and was really a big test. These are the kind of hills that you are in your easiest gear and pedaling as hard as you can and only going 8 mph for an extended period of time. Sometimes you wonder if you will make it all the way to the top as your heart is beating through your chest. Then comes the downhill sections where you go to your big gear and reach 35 mph.
Well, this ride was 20.6 miles and my one thought was, "can you imagine if you had to do that three more times in a 1/2 Ironman?" You'de be fried. But, I am sure there are many tri courses that tough and it will be good to have this training under my belt.
Saturday ended up being the day off from training.
Sunday I was able to get in another open water swim before we drove home. Basically the same 1.2 miles that I swam a couple days ago. This swim took 34 minutes which was 3 1/2 minutes slower than my previous Glen Lake swim. Not sure why. I thought the effort was definitely there as my lats were sore after. Whatever. Thirty four minutes is still a decent time.
When we got home yesterday I decided to get back on the bike on the trainer and spin 20 miles while watching the US Open.
Interestingly, I have not run since Wednesday's 8 miles. So, my running legs should be nice and recovered from the 1/2 marathon race 8 days ago.
Today I will run and I am looking forward to it.
This is the week leading up to my first Olympic triathlon, Bigfoot. The race is next Sunday and I will be preparing and getting organized. I will get my tri bag organized with all sorts of tri thingy's that one may need on tri day.
I need to buy more bike wheel tubes and change each tire. The valves on each bike tire are in need of repair and I don't want the valves to break on race day. Changing these tubes will also be excellent practice for changing a flat tire, if that should ever happen during the race.
So, in a way, this week will be a tiny taper week. I am still going to be swimming, biking and running to stay fresh but will focus more on quality and not quantity.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Back to reality for just a little while before we return to Glen Lake for our summer vacation.
The weather was great, as was the training and golf.
Golf was better than expected: 71, 80, 76. Not bad for not playing. To date, I have played 4 times this season.
I said that Friday was an off day. After 27 holes of golf at Crystal Downs we came home and there was still plenty of time for a longer bike ride so I decided to scrap the day off idea.
This ride would be around both Big and Little Glen Lakes. This route has some awesome hills and was really a big test. These are the kind of hills that you are in your easiest gear and pedaling as hard as you can and only going 8 mph for an extended period of time. Sometimes you wonder if you will make it all the way to the top as your heart is beating through your chest. Then comes the downhill sections where you go to your big gear and reach 35 mph.
Well, this ride was 20.6 miles and my one thought was, "can you imagine if you had to do that three more times in a 1/2 Ironman?" You'de be fried. But, I am sure there are many tri courses that tough and it will be good to have this training under my belt.
Saturday ended up being the day off from training.
Sunday I was able to get in another open water swim before we drove home. Basically the same 1.2 miles that I swam a couple days ago. This swim took 34 minutes which was 3 1/2 minutes slower than my previous Glen Lake swim. Not sure why. I thought the effort was definitely there as my lats were sore after. Whatever. Thirty four minutes is still a decent time.
When we got home yesterday I decided to get back on the bike on the trainer and spin 20 miles while watching the US Open.
Interestingly, I have not run since Wednesday's 8 miles. So, my running legs should be nice and recovered from the 1/2 marathon race 8 days ago.
Today I will run and I am looking forward to it.
This is the week leading up to my first Olympic triathlon, Bigfoot. The race is next Sunday and I will be preparing and getting organized. I will get my tri bag organized with all sorts of tri thingy's that one may need on tri day.
I need to buy more bike wheel tubes and change each tire. The valves on each bike tire are in need of repair and I don't want the valves to break on race day. Changing these tubes will also be excellent practice for changing a flat tire, if that should ever happen during the race.
So, in a way, this week will be a tiny taper week. I am still going to be swimming, biking and running to stay fresh but will focus more on quality and not quantity.
-----
" Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own, sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstruction."
* It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before... to test your limits... to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” - Anais Nin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
