Don't know why really but I haven't been so bloggy recently. Still working out, everything going well, just not into writing about it.
Hope all is well with you and that you have a great thanksgiving and a lot to be thankful for.
Nov 24, 2010
Oct 10, 2010
Do I really have to title all of these things?
Don't really have much to blog about here except to keep my last post from getting too stale. I know, I know, too late. Maybe I'll blog on a few little items. Like do I add the miles biked to and from the gym for swimming into my totals? 1.75 miles each way but it is in no way a workout even though I try to do them moderately hard. Could be I'm just inflating my biking numbers with it though; that works out to be 10 miles per week. 40 miles per month. Does it even matter if I count them or not? Am I obsessing about nothing?
How about those bumps on the sides of the road that make your car go r-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-t (or is is r-r-r-r-r-r-t or r-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-t or r-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-t? I'm pretty sure it starts with an "r" and ends with a "t" whatever it is.) that alert you when you are driving on the shoulder of the road? What about them you say? Well, just make sure you are standing up on the pedals if you happen to drift over on them if you know what I mean. Men, you'll probably know as it provides a severely uncomfortable experience for your johnson and his neighbors. Don't know what it does for women though.
Don't like seeing so much roadkill either. Sure you get the occasional dead bird when running but out on the highways on a bike bring in much bigger varmints. I'm always sure to hold my breath when going by them. I mean, c'mon, they are dead. They must be giving off some type of bad vapors aren't they?
I did have kind of a big week last week. I hit 9.2 hours after only hitting 6.15 and 7.44 the weeks before. I think I kind of felt it on Saturday as my run was slow and I fell asleep at a get together with family friends in the evening. Such is the life of a triathlete. Just need to pull off one more week of this before we head to Florida on vacation next week. Sure I'll get in a little swimming and running then but I'll be on vacation and will take full advantage of having a down week. Just not quite there yet.
10/4 1800m with 10x100 at 1:54-2:00; 42.3 miles at 17.8
10/5 5.67 miles at 7:49
10/6 2200m at 2:14; 3.5 miles on bike to and from pool
10/7 43.3 miles at 18.1
10/8 1800m at 2:05 (fast for me), 6.8 miles to pool and lunch
10/9 6 miles at 7:58
How about those bumps on the sides of the road that make your car go r-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-t (or is is r-r-r-r-r-r-t or r-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-t or r-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-t? I'm pretty sure it starts with an "r" and ends with a "t" whatever it is.) that alert you when you are driving on the shoulder of the road? What about them you say? Well, just make sure you are standing up on the pedals if you happen to drift over on them if you know what I mean. Men, you'll probably know as it provides a severely uncomfortable experience for your johnson and his neighbors. Don't know what it does for women though.
Don't like seeing so much roadkill either. Sure you get the occasional dead bird when running but out on the highways on a bike bring in much bigger varmints. I'm always sure to hold my breath when going by them. I mean, c'mon, they are dead. They must be giving off some type of bad vapors aren't they?
I did have kind of a big week last week. I hit 9.2 hours after only hitting 6.15 and 7.44 the weeks before. I think I kind of felt it on Saturday as my run was slow and I fell asleep at a get together with family friends in the evening. Such is the life of a triathlete. Just need to pull off one more week of this before we head to Florida on vacation next week. Sure I'll get in a little swimming and running then but I'll be on vacation and will take full advantage of having a down week. Just not quite there yet.
10/4 1800m with 10x100 at 1:54-2:00; 42.3 miles at 17.8
10/5 5.67 miles at 7:49
10/6 2200m at 2:14; 3.5 miles on bike to and from pool
10/7 43.3 miles at 18.1
10/8 1800m at 2:05 (fast for me), 6.8 miles to pool and lunch
10/9 6 miles at 7:58
Oct 3, 2010
Swim To The Music
In case you were wondering, yes, I did get my waterproof Ipod holder in time for my swim last Wednesday. I got it in the early afternoon and less than an hour later I was in the pool doing my little dog paddle. It definitely helped the time pass more quickly. In fact a few times I got so lost in just going through the motions and listening to music that I lost count of my laps. That is another dilemma I face. Must be my limited mental capacity. Maybe now I'll have to buy one of these. I'm already spending all my birthday money and I still have over a month to go.
Last week after one of my swims an older guy in the pool asked me if I was serious about triathlons. He could probably tell I wasn't a swimmer by my form and so the obvious assumption is triathlons. Of course he was correct. Anyway he gave me some pointers, like keeping my feet closer to the surface, having a shorter stroke and breathing more often because more breathing = more oxygen = more ability to do work. I tried this stuff out on Friday and you know what? It worked mostly. See workout summaries below. Still getting used to some of the changes but I think they are all for the better. I'll have to keep going to the pool at that time to get some more tips.
9/29 2100m at 2:17, 3.5 miles on the bike to and from the pool
9/30 35.1 miles at 18.4 mph
10/1 1700m at 2:11
10/2 4.71 miles at 7:48 pace
Last week after one of my swims an older guy in the pool asked me if I was serious about triathlons. He could probably tell I wasn't a swimmer by my form and so the obvious assumption is triathlons. Of course he was correct. Anyway he gave me some pointers, like keeping my feet closer to the surface, having a shorter stroke and breathing more often because more breathing = more oxygen = more ability to do work. I tried this stuff out on Friday and you know what? It worked mostly. See workout summaries below. Still getting used to some of the changes but I think they are all for the better. I'll have to keep going to the pool at that time to get some more tips.
9/29 2100m at 2:17, 3.5 miles on the bike to and from the pool
9/30 35.1 miles at 18.4 mph
10/1 1700m at 2:11
10/2 4.71 miles at 7:48 pace
Sep 29, 2010
The Waiting Game
Today I'm playing the waiting game. I've ordered this. I'd like to use it for my swim that I have scheduled today. Should be swimming for about 45 minutes and it would help the time fly (if not me). Usually I'll workout late morning but today it might have to be in the afternoon.
I've already done my laundry, gone grocery shopping, ran an errand to the school...now I'm eating lunch. Fedex says it is on the truck for delivery. Will it get here in time? Should I just suck it up and go? Will I ever find the perfect fan to put next to my bike trainer? Nobody knows.
9/24 1400m at 2:13
9/25 4.05 miles at 7:54
9/27 1600m with 10x100 in 1:55-2:00; 36.1 bike at 18.0 mph
9/28 4.69 at 7:44
I've already done my laundry, gone grocery shopping, ran an errand to the school...now I'm eating lunch. Fedex says it is on the truck for delivery. Will it get here in time? Should I just suck it up and go? Will I ever find the perfect fan to put next to my bike trainer? Nobody knows.
9/24 1400m at 2:13
9/25 4.05 miles at 7:54
9/27 1600m with 10x100 in 1:55-2:00; 36.1 bike at 18.0 mph
9/28 4.69 at 7:44
Sep 23, 2010
Rain + Bike Workout = Bleh!
Today I had a bike workout on the schedule. Of course I should be more flexible with these things and could have done a swim workout instead but I stubbornly held to my well-intentioned plans. So that meant I had to hook up this
to this
Hooking them up is no problem. Riding them together is. I mean OMG! (I know, I know, too old and too male to use the abbreviated things. But seriously, OMG!) The bike trainer is way worse than I ever remember. It is hard, it is slow, it is boring and it causes chafing.
Recently I've gotten the speed up to 18-19 mph on average outside. Not bad. This thing wouldn't let me do that though. I had to work hard just to get to 15 mph! WTF! Really hard too not just sort of hard. And there was no coasting. Ever. At least outside if I have to struggle to get up a hill I get a rest on the downside. Oh no, not on the trainer. If'n I work hard and get the speed up and then try to coast it pretty much just stops within seconds. I didn't want to cry so I could only LOL.
AND it was hot. No nice breeze cooling me off as I cruise through the countryside. I was stationary. In my basement. Sweating like a pig. I guess this isn't the time of year to buy a fan either because I went right out to Target to get one and they didn't have ANY.
AND for some reason I was irritated down there in the nether regions more than normal. Seems like that wouldn't change for any reason but it did. Maybe because more hotter = more sweating = more chafing.
Even though I had a computer, TV, music and cell phone all at my disposal this was waaaaaaay more boring that a treadmill. Way. Unfortunately I'm afraid that this is a small glimpse of my future from November (I can only hope) to March (again with the hoping). Dread.
9/20 1400m (10x100, in 2:00-2:03 with 10 sec rest)
9/21 29.3 miles at 18.3 mph
9/22 4.05 miles at 7:46, 1800m at 2:20 and 3.5 miles on the bike to and from the pool
9/23 27 miles on the Bore-a-lator 2000 (What I'm calling the bike trainer. Bike is named Kuro-san which is Japanese for Mr. Black but even after 2 years I'm still not sold on that name. Let me know if you have a better one. Oh yeah, I actually rode for 90 minutes at about 15 mph but I was definitely working hard enough to be going 18 mph outside so that's how it's going into my log and blog.)
PS: As for all those initial thingies. I really never use those. In fact I insist on proper grammar and spelling in all my texts. Don't want to get too lazy.
Sep 19, 2010
Blogging While The Blogging Is Good
Why is the blogging good you ask? Well, just because I had a couple good workouts this week is all. My swimming, close to 2:30 per 100m a couple months ago and about 2:22 per 100m a couple weeks ago is now around 2:15. I'm happy with the progress. Still not fast, still short distances (1,200m-1,600m) but progressing and that's all I'm looking for at this stage.
The bike is getting better too. Usually I've been around the 17 mph range (although the 50 I rode last weekend was 16 mph but that is because I'm not trained to ride that far yet (oh, and the wind)) but last Thursday I rode 23 miles at 19.2ish. I say ish because my bike computer fell off when I went over some bumps at the 19 mile mark so I had to keep time on my watch from there. Not a long ride but if I just stay at that speed I'll be happy. If I ride at 18.67 mph for the Ironman I'll hit my goal of 6 hours on the bike.
Now you want a good laugh? Check out my running totals for the week. All of 6.6 miles at an average pace of 7:46 per mile. Cutting back on the miles to increase the speed and to allow me to do my swim/bike workouts. I'll be building those miles up too.
9/13 1200m swim at 2:18; 24 mile ride at 17.8 mph
9/14 3.3 run at 7:46 pace
9/15 1600m swim at 2:16
9/16 23 mile ride at 19.2 mph
9/17 1200m swim at 2:15
9/18 3.3 run at 7:47 pace
The bike is getting better too. Usually I've been around the 17 mph range (although the 50 I rode last weekend was 16 mph but that is because I'm not trained to ride that far yet (oh, and the wind)) but last Thursday I rode 23 miles at 19.2ish. I say ish because my bike computer fell off when I went over some bumps at the 19 mile mark so I had to keep time on my watch from there. Not a long ride but if I just stay at that speed I'll be happy. If I ride at 18.67 mph for the Ironman I'll hit my goal of 6 hours on the bike.
Now you want a good laugh? Check out my running totals for the week. All of 6.6 miles at an average pace of 7:46 per mile. Cutting back on the miles to increase the speed and to allow me to do my swim/bike workouts. I'll be building those miles up too.
9/13 1200m swim at 2:18; 24 mile ride at 17.8 mph
9/14 3.3 run at 7:46 pace
9/15 1600m swim at 2:16
9/16 23 mile ride at 19.2 mph
9/17 1200m swim at 2:15
9/18 3.3 run at 7:47 pace
Sep 12, 2010
First Week
I guess I jumped back into it pretty well; I worked out the last seven days in a row but today I'll be resting. This week I swam three times, ran twice and biked twice. Just hoping I didn't do too much for getting back into it. Some triathlete guy that I can't remember who it is but I read his quote once said something or other like this "Do as much as your body can absorb, not as much as you can. There is a difference." Biggest danger of doing more than I can absorb was yesterday's 50 mile bike ride. I haven't ridden that far since June of 2009. Fifteen months ago. I haven't ridden more than 23 miles at a time since. Yeah, likely it was too much.
I rode with my ironman training buddy, Jason as part of the Jesse James Bike Tour. A well run event with lots of little candy bars at the pit stops. Riding in the wind wasn't so much fun, I just wanted to turn around and get more candy bars.
9/8 16 mile ride, 18 mph
9/9 1000m swim, 2:17
9/10 3 mile run 7:51, felt better than Monday's run at least and not so sore later
9/11 50 mile ride, 16 mph
Weekly hours: 6.32 (Triathletes often track their training by hours per week since you can encompass all phases of your training with that. Did you know that? I didn't before I started doing triathlons.)
I rode with my ironman training buddy, Jason as part of the Jesse James Bike Tour. A well run event with lots of little candy bars at the pit stops. Riding in the wind wasn't so much fun, I just wanted to turn around and get more candy bars.
9/8 16 mile ride, 18 mph
9/9 1000m swim, 2:17
9/10 3 mile run 7:51, felt better than Monday's run at least and not so sore later
9/11 50 mile ride, 16 mph
Weekly hours: 6.32 (Triathletes often track their training by hours per week since you can encompass all phases of your training with that. Did you know that? I didn't before I started doing triathlons.)
Sep 8, 2010
Working Out Again
Two and a half weeks since my last run and I headed out on Monday. Tired of running slow, I sprinted (ha!) off at a 7:30 or better pace. Yes, I'm tired of running slow. I let a close to 9:00 per mile pace creep into my long runs a couple years ago and somehow it stealthily made it's way into all of my runs. I believe large part of my problem is that I not longer to speed work. Something that was left in Tokyo along with a great group of running friends. Speed workouts are hard to do by yourself. I know I need to but...but...but nothing, I know I need to do them.
Luckily I couldn't find my HR monitor so I didn't have to see how hard I was working to keep a moderate pace. It didn't feel so bad but I was working way too hard. I didn't care if I only ran 3 miles or even 2. Actually the less the better was how I was feeling. I finished 3 miles at a 7:55 pace and 24 hours later I was feeling it a lot more than I should have been. I guess that's what so much time off will do to you. I guess that's what only 51.21 miles a month (exactly; for both July and August. Strange isn't it, I didn't even try to do that.) will do to you. Oh well, I'm going to do it again and again and again until I get it right.
Two swims already this week and I'm heading out for a short ride later today. On Saturday I'll be doing an organized 45 mile ride with 1,300 of my closest friends. Really only one friend that I know of and the rest will be going anywhere from 10-100 miles. I'll be doing the 45 though and having a hard enough time with that.
Okay, that's my blog. Off to make up some reading on all of your blogs.
9/5/10 1200m OWS; much straighter and slower because I sighted more than usual, 2:31 per 100m
9/6/10 3 miles at 7:55
9/7/10 1000m pool, 2:22 (kept it short, I'm just getting started afterall)
Luckily I couldn't find my HR monitor so I didn't have to see how hard I was working to keep a moderate pace. It didn't feel so bad but I was working way too hard. I didn't care if I only ran 3 miles or even 2. Actually the less the better was how I was feeling. I finished 3 miles at a 7:55 pace and 24 hours later I was feeling it a lot more than I should have been. I guess that's what so much time off will do to you. I guess that's what only 51.21 miles a month (exactly; for both July and August. Strange isn't it, I didn't even try to do that.) will do to you. Oh well, I'm going to do it again and again and again until I get it right.
Two swims already this week and I'm heading out for a short ride later today. On Saturday I'll be doing an organized 45 mile ride with 1,300 of my closest friends. Really only one friend that I know of and the rest will be going anywhere from 10-100 miles. I'll be doing the 45 though and having a hard enough time with that.
Okay, that's my blog. Off to make up some reading on all of your blogs.
9/5/10 1200m OWS; much straighter and slower because I sighted more than usual, 2:31 per 100m
9/6/10 3 miles at 7:55
9/7/10 1000m pool, 2:22 (kept it short, I'm just getting started afterall)
Sep 3, 2010
Checking In
No not dead. Yet. Summer schedule just isn't as easy for me. Getting back into it (working out and blogging) next week. Promise.
Aug 20, 2010
Medals
After my little sprint triathlon last Sunday I was presented with a medal. Of course I took it, but it doesn't really mean anything to me. I guess I'm asking for your perspective. In my opinion I really don't think a race needs (should?) give out a medal unless it's at least a marathon and at least a half iron triathlon. Maybe a half marathon? Maybe. Or not. I made this statement to my wife and she said that is an elitist point of view and that even people who can only do shorter races deserve medals. Really? I say, inspire them to go further.
Does this go all the way down to the participation award trophies that every little boy or girl in America gets when they play any kind of organized sport regardless of their win/loss record? I don't know. I know I didn't receive any thing unless we won the championship game.
Anyway, I made the statement and I stand by it. Most people can do more than they think they can, maybe a medal out there will motivate them to do it. Am I way off base?
By the way, this cold I have is really putting a buzzkill on my running jones.
8/18 3.33 @ 9:00
8/20 4.33 @ 8:46
Does this go all the way down to the participation award trophies that every little boy or girl in America gets when they play any kind of organized sport regardless of their win/loss record? I don't know. I know I didn't receive any thing unless we won the championship game.
Anyway, I made the statement and I stand by it. Most people can do more than they think they can, maybe a medal out there will motivate them to do it. Am I way off base?
By the way, this cold I have is really putting a buzzkill on my running jones.
8/18 3.33 @ 9:00
8/20 4.33 @ 8:46
Aug 15, 2010
Again I Tri'd
You know, I really need to start training if I'm going to keep doing all these triathlons. The problem is, even if I only swim or bike once every 2 weeks, I can still finish comfortably. Sure I'm slower than I would be if I trained but I guess I'm too lazy to do that. Actually that's not entirely true. I would definitely train more if the kids were in school. A few more weeks I guess.
The tri I did a couple weeks ago was weighted toward the bike and the next had a longer run. Well this one had a longer swim, 800m versus 400m. Nothing that would trouble me but not good since that is probably my weakest event (could be the bike too, cuz I'm not so swift on that either).
Besides the training I wassufficiently prepared behind the 8 ball in other respects. I spent last weekend at a cub scout camp with my son complete with nutritious plenty of food and old canvas tents. Think of a mosquito breeding ground in a greenhouse. Ever since I've been feeling under the weather. Then yesterday the family went to the county fair which means lots of walking around and lots of fried foods. Meh, if'n I was serious about these I'd be better prepared so it's all just for fun.
It's pretty normal for me to question why I do endurance sports when I stand in the early morning chill waiting for the race to begin and today was no different. Well, maybe a little different; I was freezingmy ass off. The wind was pretty cold and was mucking up the lake too. The start of the race brought relief from the cold since the water temperature was actually higher than the air temperature but also caused breathing problems. Seems like every few times I tried to breath I caught a mouthful of a wave. Not just a little, a MOUTHFUL. It's hard to swim/cough/burp/breath all at the same time and underwater. Try it once. Also the wind and waves conspired to blow me off course by several thousand meters (at least). Relieved I was to finish the swim in 22 minutes. Yes already, I know I'm slow.
The bike portion solved my breathing problems but not the wind. But what are you going to do? (Bike more readily comes to mind.) I took one gel on the bike. Usually I take two but I just couldn't force myself to do it this time. Just couldn't handle the nasty wad of sweet stuff in my mouth again. My bike was just a bit slower than the ride I did two years ago on this same course on a 20 year old 10 speed. Yes, I was riding my state-of-the-art, carbon fiber triathlon bike this year. So what was the difference? Try the engine.
I took off on the run forgetting my race number and having to retreat for it, obviously that cost me severalhours seconds. I fell into my 7:45 pace that I've been hitting lately and that lasted for two miles. I finally figured out that, for some reason, I've been afraid to push things. Afraid I'd blow up on the run. So I just decided to push it and see what happened; it was only a mile or so anyway. I finished that last 1.1 at 7:16 pace so I was happy with that. It's either be happy or cry and since I'm such a manly man crying is not an option. What I wasn't happy with was coughing up a gallon of phlegm every few hundred yards. What was that I said about a nasty wad?
At the end of the day I once again realize why I do endurance sports and why I'll continue to do them in the future. Already looking forward to the next one.
8/11 9 miles at 8:50ish
8/12 1,200m at 2:27
8/14 3.33 miles at 9:00ish (full affects of the cold)
8/15 Lake Marion Triathlon
The tri I did a couple weeks ago was weighted toward the bike and the next had a longer run. Well this one had a longer swim, 800m versus 400m. Nothing that would trouble me but not good since that is probably my weakest event (could be the bike too, cuz I'm not so swift on that either).
Besides the training I was
It's pretty normal for me to question why I do endurance sports when I stand in the early morning chill waiting for the race to begin and today was no different. Well, maybe a little different; I was freezing
The bike portion solved my breathing problems but not the wind. But what are you going to do? (Bike more readily comes to mind.) I took one gel on the bike. Usually I take two but I just couldn't force myself to do it this time. Just couldn't handle the nasty wad of sweet stuff in my mouth again. My bike was just a bit slower than the ride I did two years ago on this same course on a 20 year old 10 speed. Yes, I was riding my state-of-the-art, carbon fiber triathlon bike this year. So what was the difference? Try the engine.
I took off on the run forgetting my race number and having to retreat for it, obviously that cost me several
At the end of the day I once again realize why I do endurance sports and why I'll continue to do them in the future. Already looking forward to the next one.
8/11 9 miles at 8:50ish
8/12 1,200m at 2:27
8/14 3.33 miles at 9:00ish (full affects of the cold)
8/15 Lake Marion Triathlon
Aug 4, 2010
Kicking It
I got to do another triathlon on Sunday. Sort of a whole kick off to my year of training for next year's Ironman. Of course it was a sprint since that is pretty much all my swimming training could handle. Bike and run wise I could handle an Olympic distance. That's about it though.
Again the swim was painfully slow. Even slower than last week, somewhere around 11:30. Jeesh. I know I'm definitely not that slow. Long course maybe? I'm desperately starting to need some excuses. Bike was good the first half but then I started to slow and get passed. Run was mediocre even though it should be a strength. Well, it's not. All in all it was fun to do though. I really have to say my transitions are improving. Averaging a minute or less for all of them. Maybe that's how I'll make my name, focusing on the transitions.
Anyway, the good news is that I got 2nd in the 40-44 age group. Bad news is that they went by decades for the age groups and I got like 7th in the 40-49 age group. No prize for me. I did hit the random goal of 1:30 though. That's one thing about sprints, all the distances are so variable that you really can't compare them. Like this one had a 400m swim (same as last week), 14 mile ride, about normal but much shorter than last week, and a 4.4 mile run which is a fair bit farther than the normal 5k. I don't care about all that though, right? I'm concentrating on my transitions.
8/1 sprint tri 1:30:28
8/3 8 miles at 8:50
Again the swim was painfully slow. Even slower than last week, somewhere around 11:30. Jeesh. I know I'm definitely not that slow. Long course maybe? I'm desperately starting to need some excuses. Bike was good the first half but then I started to slow and get passed. Run was mediocre even though it should be a strength. Well, it's not. All in all it was fun to do though. I really have to say my transitions are improving. Averaging a minute or less for all of them. Maybe that's how I'll make my name, focusing on the transitions.
Anyway, the good news is that I got 2nd in the 40-44 age group. Bad news is that they went by decades for the age groups and I got like 7th in the 40-49 age group. No prize for me. I did hit the random goal of 1:30 though. That's one thing about sprints, all the distances are so variable that you really can't compare them. Like this one had a 400m swim (same as last week), 14 mile ride, about normal but much shorter than last week, and a 4.4 mile run which is a fair bit farther than the normal 5k. I don't care about all that though, right? I'm concentrating on my transitions.
8/1 sprint tri 1:30:28
8/3 8 miles at 8:50
Jul 30, 2010
Taking The Plunge
Registration Confirmation for:
2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Dear Anthony,
Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://ironmancda.com
2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Dear Anthony,
Congratulations! You are now registered for 2011 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://ironmancda.com
Jul 25, 2010
Race Report(s)
Time to get writing on a few race reports. Not exactly what you think though because most of them aren't for me. Yes, once again I turn proud parent to tell you about the exploits of my children.
A couple weeks ago I gave my son a choice between a nearby kids triathlon, a little farther away 5k or a much further away 10k (with a 12 and under age group). He chose the 10k, hoping to bring home the gold. It was another warm morning on a very hilly course but he was able to finish just 90 seconds slower than his last time at 63:30. Unfortunately he there was another boy in his age group that ran the 10k too and beat him (I must say he looked older). So, he took home the silver.
Then, last Saturday both my kids took part in a triathlon. The swim was not so much of a swim since the water was only about waist deep for all the kids. Most ended up running/diving/half swimming there way through the water. The swim could be a strength for my son if it were done in a fashion that really resembles a triathlon. My daughter not so much. In fact she was quite near the end of the 7 year old group exiting the water but she did have a smile on her face; made me happy. My son seemed to do okay on the bike but my girl just looked like she was out for a ride in the neighborhood. She just cruised around the course, pedalling away but not exerting too much. On the run though (that's their specialty) they were both working real hard. I was cheering them on, urging them to pass the people just in front of them. The smile was gone from my daughter's face, but only until she finished. My son finished 5th in the 10 year old boy category and my daughter finished...First! We were so surprised and never would have expected it (see swimming and biking portions). In fact we didn't even wait around for the awards but just saw the results when we returned to pick up my race packet. I think the key is fast transitions, doesn't take any time at all to put crocs on. So I'm still beaming today, for both of them.
I do have a race report of my own to write. I did the sprint triathlon associated with the kids event. It was just a short 400 yard swim followed by a longish (by sprint standards) 22 mile bike and then a 5k. I was hoping to get through the swim in about 9 minutes but it was closer to 10:30. I don't know, I'm just a slow swimmer? Not enough sighting? Too wide a route around the turn? Probably all of the above. Luckily it was a pretty short swim. My transitions were way slow because I had terrible bike placement in the transition area. I guess that's what I get for signing up the Thursday before the event.
The bike went pretty well. The one nice thing about going off in the last wave is that I was able to pass more people than passed me. So there were a lot of people already out on the course, I was able to pass a lot of them but because it was so crowded sometimes I couldn't help drafting. I kind of fell into a group of four, one guy from my wave, one guy from the wave 2 minutes in front of us and a very fit, very fast woman. We cruised along, passing a lot of people and taking turns in the lead. I know, kind of illegal but it was pretty crowded and hard not to be around other people. First the other guy from my wave dropped, then the other two got away from me. There was a short grass section to get back to the parking lot and coming out of there another cyclist bumped my shoulder. This was right at the end of the bike so even if he passed me he could only get a few second lead before we transitioned. Stupid move. Averaged about 20 mph on the bike, not bad, not great.
On the run I was passed by the guy who bumped me but then caught him again when he started walking. He passed me again but I caught him and told him I was going to beat him if he walked anymore. Turns out he was a young guy in his first triathlon and the run was his worst event. I decided to talk him through it as much as I could talking about fueling up, stuff on the course, whatever was a distraction. I was able to pull him through about 2.5 miles until he couldn't take it any more and had to walk. I kept on going but saw him at the end. I finished the run in 23:58, 7:44 average pace. Overall, the race was pretty middling which is where my training has been lately so I can't complain. I really wasn't enthusiastic to do it before the race but I drew inspiration from my kids and how hard they worked the day before. I did have a lot of fun with the tri so I'll be back for more.
A couple weeks ago I gave my son a choice between a nearby kids triathlon, a little farther away 5k or a much further away 10k (with a 12 and under age group). He chose the 10k, hoping to bring home the gold. It was another warm morning on a very hilly course but he was able to finish just 90 seconds slower than his last time at 63:30. Unfortunately he there was another boy in his age group that ran the 10k too and beat him (I must say he looked older). So, he took home the silver.
Then, last Saturday both my kids took part in a triathlon. The swim was not so much of a swim since the water was only about waist deep for all the kids. Most ended up running/diving/half swimming there way through the water. The swim could be a strength for my son if it were done in a fashion that really resembles a triathlon. My daughter not so much. In fact she was quite near the end of the 7 year old group exiting the water but she did have a smile on her face; made me happy. My son seemed to do okay on the bike but my girl just looked like she was out for a ride in the neighborhood. She just cruised around the course, pedalling away but not exerting too much. On the run though (that's their specialty) they were both working real hard. I was cheering them on, urging them to pass the people just in front of them. The smile was gone from my daughter's face, but only until she finished. My son finished 5th in the 10 year old boy category and my daughter finished...First! We were so surprised and never would have expected it (see swimming and biking portions). In fact we didn't even wait around for the awards but just saw the results when we returned to pick up my race packet. I think the key is fast transitions, doesn't take any time at all to put crocs on. So I'm still beaming today, for both of them.
I do have a race report of my own to write. I did the sprint triathlon associated with the kids event. It was just a short 400 yard swim followed by a longish (by sprint standards) 22 mile bike and then a 5k. I was hoping to get through the swim in about 9 minutes but it was closer to 10:30. I don't know, I'm just a slow swimmer? Not enough sighting? Too wide a route around the turn? Probably all of the above. Luckily it was a pretty short swim. My transitions were way slow because I had terrible bike placement in the transition area. I guess that's what I get for signing up the Thursday before the event.
The bike went pretty well. The one nice thing about going off in the last wave is that I was able to pass more people than passed me. So there were a lot of people already out on the course, I was able to pass a lot of them but because it was so crowded sometimes I couldn't help drafting. I kind of fell into a group of four, one guy from my wave, one guy from the wave 2 minutes in front of us and a very fit, very fast woman. We cruised along, passing a lot of people and taking turns in the lead. I know, kind of illegal but it was pretty crowded and hard not to be around other people. First the other guy from my wave dropped, then the other two got away from me. There was a short grass section to get back to the parking lot and coming out of there another cyclist bumped my shoulder. This was right at the end of the bike so even if he passed me he could only get a few second lead before we transitioned. Stupid move. Averaged about 20 mph on the bike, not bad, not great.
On the run I was passed by the guy who bumped me but then caught him again when he started walking. He passed me again but I caught him and told him I was going to beat him if he walked anymore. Turns out he was a young guy in his first triathlon and the run was his worst event. I decided to talk him through it as much as I could talking about fueling up, stuff on the course, whatever was a distraction. I was able to pull him through about 2.5 miles until he couldn't take it any more and had to walk. I kept on going but saw him at the end. I finished the run in 23:58, 7:44 average pace. Overall, the race was pretty middling which is where my training has been lately so I can't complain. I really wasn't enthusiastic to do it before the race but I drew inspiration from my kids and how hard they worked the day before. I did have a lot of fun with the tri so I'll be back for more.
Jul 14, 2010
OWS
Ways an open water swim is better than swimming in the pool:
No chlorine smell
Out in the great wide open (kind of like running outdoors versus on a treadmill)
Better simulates race conditions
Not swimming in kiddie pee
Ways swimming in a pool is better than an open water swim:
Don't need a boat escort for safety
Nice little blue line to follow, no need for sighting
Much more convenient to get to the pool than to a lake
Not swimming in fish pee
I'm sure triathletes will give you more. These are just a few I was thinking about a couple weekends ago when I got in a couple good swims in both conditions. Also ran and biked that weekend but haven't done anything since. But I'm kind of sort of feeling my motivation coming back around.
7/2 1,000 meters in the pool at 2:23 or so per 100
7/3 10k at about 7:47 per mile
7/4 18.7 miles at about 18.7 mph (actually pretty good)
7/5 1,100-1,200 meters in Lake Wissota. 2:25-2:30?
No chlorine smell
Out in the great wide open (kind of like running outdoors versus on a treadmill)
Better simulates race conditions
Not swimming in kiddie pee
Ways swimming in a pool is better than an open water swim:
Don't need a boat escort for safety
Nice little blue line to follow, no need for sighting
Much more convenient to get to the pool than to a lake
Not swimming in fish pee
I'm sure triathletes will give you more. These are just a few I was thinking about a couple weekends ago when I got in a couple good swims in both conditions. Also ran and biked that weekend but haven't done anything since. But I'm kind of sort of feeling my motivation coming back around.
7/2 1,000 meters in the pool at 2:23 or so per 100
7/3 10k at about 7:47 per mile
7/4 18.7 miles at about 18.7 mph (actually pretty good)
7/5 1,100-1,200 meters in Lake Wissota. 2:25-2:30?
Jun 30, 2010
The Alternative
Well, giving up on my marathon last weekend did give me one thing, I got to run my son's first 10k with him. In the end, I see that as a far bigger event than my marathons. I mean, I have the rest of my life to do those things. He only has one "first" 10k. Also I got to share my daughter's first 5k, seeing her run out as we were running in from our race and then cheering her on at the finish.
My son wanted to beat me and I told him I'd let him sprint ahead of me at the end if he didn't walk at all. We went out slow, around 9:40's per mile but I had to keep telling him to slow down even more. Good thing I did too. All the volunteers and spectators were great and really cheering him on. It made the day really special for him. Around miles 3-4 he really wanted to walk. I slowed it down a bit for him but kept him going. In the end I let him sprint ahead and beat me by 10 seconds. He finished in 1:02:02. Probably my slowest but most rewarding 10k ever. Did I mention that he is 10 years old? If there was an under 14 category he would have won but as it was he had to compete against boys in the under 19 category so he didn't really have a chance.
My daughter was suppose to run with my wife in the 5k but right away she decided that was too slow and went off on her own. I was able to see them about a half mile into their race when we were on our way back. She looked so good and was smiling ear to ear. I was really nervous/interested in how it would go for her. With her personality it could have been really bad or really good. Fortunately it was really good. She, like her brother, ended up running the entire way. She beat my wife by about a minute. She is only 7 years old. Did I mention how proud I am????
As for me, a little running here and there. Throwing in some swimming when I can but still need to get on the bike. Wanted to see if I had absolutely anything so I did a fast little 3 miles the other day. One warm up and a couple at 7:00-7:10. Not bad but the HR was too high. Oh well, still working my way back.
6/26 6.2 miles at 10:01
6/29 3.31 at 7:41
My son wanted to beat me and I told him I'd let him sprint ahead of me at the end if he didn't walk at all. We went out slow, around 9:40's per mile but I had to keep telling him to slow down even more. Good thing I did too. All the volunteers and spectators were great and really cheering him on. It made the day really special for him. Around miles 3-4 he really wanted to walk. I slowed it down a bit for him but kept him going. In the end I let him sprint ahead and beat me by 10 seconds. He finished in 1:02:02. Probably my slowest but most rewarding 10k ever. Did I mention that he is 10 years old? If there was an under 14 category he would have won but as it was he had to compete against boys in the under 19 category so he didn't really have a chance.
My daughter was suppose to run with my wife in the 5k but right away she decided that was too slow and went off on her own. I was able to see them about a half mile into their race when we were on our way back. She looked so good and was smiling ear to ear. I was really nervous/interested in how it would go for her. With her personality it could have been really bad or really good. Fortunately it was really good. She, like her brother, ended up running the entire way. She beat my wife by about a minute. She is only 7 years old. Did I mention how proud I am????
As for me, a little running here and there. Throwing in some swimming when I can but still need to get on the bike. Wanted to see if I had absolutely anything so I did a fast little 3 miles the other day. One warm up and a couple at 7:00-7:10. Not bad but the HR was too high. Oh well, still working my way back.
6/26 6.2 miles at 10:01
6/29 3.31 at 7:41
Jun 25, 2010
And the verdict is...
I decided to run a 10k and 5k last weekend as a sort of test of my fitness. Also it was put on by my brother-in-law as a charity fundraiser so it was a good cause. My wife did the 5k and the kids did the half mile so it was a fun family event, but I digress. I expected just to run it real slow, since my training runs didn't seem to indicate that I'd be able to run much faster than 8:30 miles or so. I ran into a friend though and we decided to run the 10k together and he went out a bit faster than that. The pace was very comfortable and I chatted with him the whole way, sensing that he was pushing it a bit and I wanted to try to bring him along. We finished a bit under 50 minutes at about a 7:57 pace. The 5k was about 20 minutes later and I did that one at 8:06, just over 25 minutes. After I finished I backtracked to find my wife and did another mile at over 11 minutes but it was a good warm down.
So I was glad that I was able to hold that pace for a good distance but really disappointed that I had to be happy with a 10k and 5k that were really several minutes slower than they should have been. Still thought it was a positive indicator that I could finish another marathon comfortably.
Going through the week though I just decided it wasn't there. I want to do it, I hate giving up on a goal I've set especially since I know I could continue it but I'm skeptical if I'd be able to keep the streak alive for the rest of the year so I might as well cut it off here. Streak is dead.
So this frees me up to do some triathlons this summer (if I can get myself to the pool) and to do a race this weekend. My son, 10, is going to do his first 10k and I get to run it with him. My daughter, 7, is going for her first 5k and she'll run with my wife. I think my son will be fine but my daughter will be the interesting one. I'm kind of glad that I'm not the one running with her.
8/19 6.2 at 7:57, 3.1 at 8:06 and 1.06 at 11:21
So I was glad that I was able to hold that pace for a good distance but really disappointed that I had to be happy with a 10k and 5k that were really several minutes slower than they should have been. Still thought it was a positive indicator that I could finish another marathon comfortably.
Going through the week though I just decided it wasn't there. I want to do it, I hate giving up on a goal I've set especially since I know I could continue it but I'm skeptical if I'd be able to keep the streak alive for the rest of the year so I might as well cut it off here. Streak is dead.
So this frees me up to do some triathlons this summer (if I can get myself to the pool) and to do a race this weekend. My son, 10, is going to do his first 10k and I get to run it with him. My daughter, 7, is going for her first 5k and she'll run with my wife. I think my son will be fine but my daughter will be the interesting one. I'm kind of glad that I'm not the one running with her.
8/19 6.2 at 7:57, 3.1 at 8:06 and 1.06 at 11:21
Jun 16, 2010
Status Update
Thanks to everybody for your support and sticking with me even though I haven't been blogging/commenting AT ALL. Sort of reflects my running. Anyway, just an update here to let you know what's been going on and what I'm planning.
Last week I had a stress test, lung test and more blood work. Got all of the results back and they were negative. Negative in terms of medical issues but I think the stress test results were positive as far as how well I performed. Make sense? As clear as mud? I had to lay down and pedal, not unlike a recumbent bike. My target HR for my age was 150. My starting HR was 47. Most people are done in 6-10 minutes. After about 6 minutes in she said I was in the 90's. I might be here awhile. The nurse and technician said one a week or so somebody might go for 15 minutes before their HR gets high enough. I was at about 135 at that point. They also said they remember somebody going for 21 minutes once. Well, I didn't quite have to go that long, by 18 minutes the pedalling had become quite difficult and my legs were burning much more that the effort my heart was putting forward. Finally at 19 minute I reached my goal. THAT was a workout.
The next day I put in a solid 5 miles that felt good and I was optimistic and thinking that I turned a corner. Of course my next 4 miler was incredibly difficult and slow and I was back at square one again. Ugh.
So now I might abandon my streak of marathons. My wife thinks I might regret it if I do and thinks I should struggle through another one in a week and a half. By struggle through I'm thinking 4:30 or more. I'd love to hear all your thoughts. Do I keep it up, try to get through a couple marathons in hopes that things turn around or do I just rest up and get back on track when I feel ready for it?
5/8 5 miles at 8:21
5/9 4 miles at 8:59
Last week I had a stress test, lung test and more blood work. Got all of the results back and they were negative. Negative in terms of medical issues but I think the stress test results were positive as far as how well I performed. Make sense? As clear as mud? I had to lay down and pedal, not unlike a recumbent bike. My target HR for my age was 150. My starting HR was 47. Most people are done in 6-10 minutes. After about 6 minutes in she said I was in the 90's. I might be here awhile. The nurse and technician said one a week or so somebody might go for 15 minutes before their HR gets high enough. I was at about 135 at that point. They also said they remember somebody going for 21 minutes once. Well, I didn't quite have to go that long, by 18 minutes the pedalling had become quite difficult and my legs were burning much more that the effort my heart was putting forward. Finally at 19 minute I reached my goal. THAT was a workout.
The next day I put in a solid 5 miles that felt good and I was optimistic and thinking that I turned a corner. Of course my next 4 miler was incredibly difficult and slow and I was back at square one again. Ugh.
So now I might abandon my streak of marathons. My wife thinks I might regret it if I do and thinks I should struggle through another one in a week and a half. By struggle through I'm thinking 4:30 or more. I'd love to hear all your thoughts. Do I keep it up, try to get through a couple marathons in hopes that things turn around or do I just rest up and get back on track when I feel ready for it?
5/8 5 miles at 8:21
5/9 4 miles at 8:59
Jun 3, 2010
Medical Attention
Dypsnea, COPD and hyperextended lung; all terms thrown about by my doctor. More tests next week including a stress test and ekcocardiogram (sp) and something else. Hmm, wonder if they'll find anything.
I've done a little running, a little biking and played some basketball. Not sure if I'll get the 12 marathons in. Not sure if I'll get the 6th one in.
5/23 10 at 9:30 (or so)
5/31 3.29 at 8:45 (I think)
I've done a little running, a little biking and played some basketball. Not sure if I'll get the 12 marathons in. Not sure if I'll get the 6th one in.
5/23 10 at 9:30 (or so)
5/31 3.29 at 8:45 (I think)
May 22, 2010
Doctor Visit
At your urging I decided to go visit the doctor. I called the clinic to make an appointment and as soon as I said "chest pains" the nurse wanted me to immediately go to the emergency room. I assured her that, as I had just recently completed a marathon and had no shortness of breath, it wasn't my heart. So she let me go to urgent care instead.
So it was pretty much listen to my lungs, listen to my heart, take some sort of blood oxygen level test and then tell me I had an inflammation. She stopped short of calling it pleurisy. Blah, blah, blah...it'll take care of itself in a few weeks...yada, yada, yada...take some advil or aleve and see you later. Basically just what I was expecting. I think the more clever of you would be able to insert a humorous comment here but I'm choosing to be more cynical.
Anyway, chest still hurts, running still sucks.
5/18 3 at 9:00
5/21 7 at 8:44
So it was pretty much listen to my lungs, listen to my heart, take some sort of blood oxygen level test and then tell me I had an inflammation. She stopped short of calling it pleurisy. Blah, blah, blah...it'll take care of itself in a few weeks...yada, yada, yada...take some advil or aleve and see you later. Basically just what I was expecting. I think the more clever of you would be able to insert a humorous comment here but I'm choosing to be more cynical.
Anyway, chest still hurts, running still sucks.
5/18 3 at 9:00
5/21 7 at 8:44
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