Monday, April 27, 2009

Dead Tired

I swam this morning (see post below). A few hours later I went for a run--10 miles at what I consider to be my race pace. That pace, if you take out the extra time for two steep hills, is about 10:30 per mile on average. The race is supposed to be pancake flat on the run so I feel ok doing that. Then I came home and changed in to my riding gear and went out again on my blue Fuji that is loaded with Red (as in SRAM Red). I had nothin' in the tank. I didn't eat too much before leaving and not enough gels and nothing to prevent cramping. But still...

I cramped up riding home. I had to pedal one legged for about a hundred yards or so. And I am so sore that going down stairs is somewhat painful, though it is not as bad as it was when I first got home.

I am so NOT ready for the Boise Half Ironman yet. I got home and had to soak in the tub for a while. I am just toasted.

UPDATE: It is around 9:30pm and I feel much much better. A little food--some really really good ginger beef (better than any restaurant version I have ever had) a couple of ibuprofen and some rest and I feel like a new man. I could probably actually go and do some swimming right now or maybe bike a bit. But I doubt I could run much. Time for some cereal and then bed.

4/27 Swim Class

Today's swim workout...

Warm up: 350 yards easy pace
6 100's / 2:20 each including rest (1:55 swim, 25 seconds rest on each)
6 75's / 1:35 each (1:25 to 1:30 swim, 5 to 10 seconds rest)
6 50's / 1:05 each (55 seconds swim, 10 seconds rest)
6 25's / 40 each, easy pace (25 to 30 seconds each, 10 to 15 seconds rest)

Friday, April 24, 2009

1000 miles: Done

1000 miles done via bike this year. I have never done so many miles so early in the year. Today I am taking a day off.

I feel like my training is more geared for doing an olympic distance triathlon. The problem being that I have an issue getting in longer runs and rides. Oh well, I will push on and hopefully not bonk in Boise.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

No Mas

The great Roberto Duran ended a fight with Sugar Ray Leonard--my favorite boxer growing up--by saying "No mas" to his trainer. He couldn't continue the fight any longer. Tonight I did the same thing.

I started the day by doing my swimming class. We did more drills, this time concentrating on breast stroke. I hate the breast stroke and it wipes me out. The leg motion actually started to cause me some pain on the inside of my knees, so I am sure that I am not doing it correctly. Anyway, once that was over I headed home. I walked with Ryan, my oldest to school, then ate breakfast, and hung out just a bit with Jack. Jack headed off with Bridget to pre-school and I got ready to ride. I went to the gym to run on the treadmill.

As an aside I have a new bag that allows me to take clothes for work, clothes to run in, running shoes, a lock, lunch, and a few tools and odds and ends. It is the Ortlieb Velocity Messenger backpack. Here it is:

It is waterproof, fairly comfortable and allows me to take way too much stuff with me to work and back. I highly recommend it. Now, back to the story.

I changed at the gym and ran a comfortable 2 miles in about 19:20 and followed immediately by another 3 miles in 27 minutes. Then showered and changed and got back on the road again to ride to work. I stopped and picked up a little something to eat once I got to work, but not a large amount of food. Work was busy. About 4 hours later I ate what I brought for my dinner/lunch break at lunch and it apparently just didn't have enough calories. Another 4 hours later I was getting ready to head out the door and I just wasn't feeling like riding. But I suited up anyway. I have felt this way plenty of times before and after a bit I get into the ride and all is well.

Not so much tonight.

I just didn't have enough gas in the tank. It is not that I couldn't have made it home, it is just that I did feel like bothering. I was tired and way hungry and underdressed for the cool windy evening. I rode 4 miles before calling the wife to come get me. I pedaled about 6.5 miles total tonight before arriving at the meeting place. That singlespeed was just causing me more effort/suffering than I was willing to put out.

So I wussed out. I feel a little bad about it. But not too bad. The payoff for pushing through my mental block was not near enough to get me to go on. If I had been a little more comfortable (warmer, less hungry) I would have toughed it out in all likelihood. But regardless, today was a heavy load. I did the same schtick last wednesday, but I am feeling a little more run down this week. I've got eat more calories on these heavy days. I probably ate about 2000 calories total before Bridget came and got me today and that just wasn't near enough with all that I did.

Tomorrow I will ride to work and back and that is it. And now--Goodnight, I'm going to bed.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

10 miles

I ran 10 miles today after we went to church. I ran 8 miles on a treadmill a few weeks ago, but I haven't had a long run in quite some time.

I ended up leaving the house shortly after 2pm and returned shortly before 4 pm. The sun was out and it was hot. Well, hot for someone wussified by Oregon weather. Growing up in inland Southern California we had similar weather around Christmas time some years. Weird how one acclimates...

Anyway...

The first part of the run was pretty easy and I was running around 10 minute miles. But the way back involved climbing about 400 feet in the last 1.5 miles and that tanked me. I even ran on the wrong side of the road (with traffic) when there were no sidewalks so that I could stay in the shade a bit more. I didn't have much left when I got back home that's for sure. By the way, the stopping and restarting caused by having to wait for a signal, sucks. It just seems to take way too much energy to get back running again. I would much rather get the green than get to sit around a wait on the red, despite the rest I get waiting. Plus, I could feel the sun baking me.

Nevertheless, I wound up finishing in about 1hr and 48 minutes which includes all of the signals I had to wait for (at least a dozen) and stopping to refill my bottles in my fuel belt at the halfway point. I don't think that is too shabby considering. The heat was the worst though.

Oh yeah...I had eaten waaay too much immediately before the run. I had a small cheese and turkey quesadilla, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and two pieces of toast. Kind of a weird combo. And at times I would taste a bit of the cheese and turkey and other times some peanut butter and jelly. Definitely not a good thing to taste while running--especially when this stuff made me feel nauseated. Yuck. I don't know what I was thinking eating all of that. I had a hard time keeping it down at a couple of points. But, I am not like Dave (formerly known as DTP) and I can't puke it out and move on. The guy has a gift.

While running I also had a flashback to my first experience running a half marathon. It was the Vernonia Half and it was a rainy day. The course, much to my surprise, was mostly uphill and it is a one way course. Thus, once at the top of the elevation gain, we didn't get to run back down, we just hopped on a bus which took us back to the start. That race sucked. I went out way to fast. I ended up with a blister on my foot and my shirt, which was heavy with the rain rubbed my nipple raw. Raw as in bleeding. As in my shirt had bloods stains that were noticable in the area on the left side of my chest. It wasn't pouring out blood. Just a slight drip. That was worse than the blister on my foot, my friends. My right nipple was not bleeding but it was painful. I tried to run hunched over or with my hands on my chest for a bit, but it was too awkward. I just dealt with the pain until my legs became so cramped that I had to walk--well I sort of walked the way Frankenstein walked, stiff legged. Once the cramps went away I would run a bit more until they came back again. I finished it, but hurt. And my time was way slow.

Since then I have had no bleeding nipples thankfully. Lesson learned, I use one of several anti chaffing products. Experience can be a cruel teacher, but it is often the best one.

I have made jokes to friends that if my time is below 6 hours for this Boise 70.3 Triathlon I would do the full monty--a real Ironman. But after just a 10 mile run today I just don't have a desire to do it. Running and swimming just suck too much.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I swam, I ran, I biked--does that mean I did a Triathlon today?

Woke up and went to swim class. We did drills, which although they did not add up to many yards, totally kicked my butt. Total yards were around 1000 yards. Went home and ate and then got ready to ride to the gym to run.

Once at the gym I got on the treadmill and ran 5 miles. First mile was at a 10 minute pace. The next 4 miles I finished in 36:17. Not too shabby. That kicked my butt too. I showered to get the major stink and sweat off and then rode 10 more miles to work. I worked my 8 hour shift and then rode home. I was not loving the singlespeed on the way home. My lower back protested while my legs felt sluggish. Having 15 pounds on my back didn't help either.

But having 1000 yards in the water, 5 miles on the treadmill and 27 miles on the bike behind me today feels pretty good at this point in the day.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Today's swim

No class today, I just went and swam on my own. 2400 yards in a little under one hour. That is probably slow. At that pace I would do the 1.2 miles swim in the triathlon in about 53 minutes. Meh. But at least I swam the distance. And I am very glad about that.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Teaser

Fodder posted his teaser a couple of weeks ago on his blog. Here is mine. Not all of the dimensions are correct, such as seat post length and saddle to handlebar drop. But the frame is largely correct. I rode the Curtlo in to work today so that Neil could get the last few measurements.

Timed 500

I didn't get to run last night. Work called and asked if I could come in for a couple of hours and like a sucker I obliged them.

This was the morning of our timed 500 at the Triathlon Training swim class.

Here is the workout that I did.

Warm up: 300 yards easy
12 25's w/ 10 seconds rest after each
Timed 500 yards
100 yards easy (both freestyle and breast stroke)
8 50's at 1:15 each


Total yards--1600

My 500 time was 9:42. I was tapping the girls feet in front of me for each leg of the final 200 yards but she wouldn't let me pass. And with the traffic coming the other way, I didn't want to try and pass her until the final length. I guess I could have done around a 9:30 otherwise--so not a big deal.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Nice Day

It has been a nice day thus far. Too bad I have to work tomorrow and that the weather is supposed to turn a bit cooler.

Rode 40 miles like it was 20. I felt good the whole way. My legs were a little tired on the last couple of hills--meaning I had to drop out of the big ring. I felt like I could go much longer. I even sprinted the hill up my street to home and it felt good to have some POWAH.

Tonight I would like to get out and go for a run. Not sure if the schedule will allow it, but it would be sweet.

Now if tomorrow morning's timed 500 swim goes well it will be the topping on the cake.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Kids are Disease Factories

I am sick again. Not too sick but bad enough that I didn't ride today and that I may not go to swimming tomorrow. Maybe this is what I get for being all cocky about my fitness the other day.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Pooped

Did 37.5 miles with Dave (formerly known as DTP). For the last 16 Bridget came along too. It was a good day. It was the most I have ridden at one time in months. Normally I do 13 miles to work and then 14 miles back home eight hours later. But doing the longer amount didn't feel bad, except my rear end wasn't used to it.

I got home and took some allergy medicine which within a couple of hours knocked me out. The boys go to bed around 7:30 and went and laid down too and didn't wake up until 10pm. Now I am going to hate it getting back to sleep for the night probably. Maybe I should just take some more of that stuff...

My buddy Fish is doing the Oceanside, CA 70.3 Ironman in a couple of days. I had originally signed up to do that, but finances prompted me to withdraw (travel expenses with the bike would have been huge). It was cheaper to withdraw take the hit and then sign up for the Boise 70.3 Ironman in June. I hope he does well. All he seems to do these days are triathlons.

I do the occasional triathlon. I don't really like them though. I enjoy the challenge and the fitness benefit that training for one gives me. But the actual events are only good once they are done. There is just the biggest sense of relief/accomplishment after the long distance ones. The sprints are a little more fun. Except for the panic attacks in the open water--that I never like too much.

But the training--without having the 70.3 distance triathlon hanging over my head I would not have been riding this much during the winter. It has paid off though. Today when riding with Dave (formerly known as DTP) we both pretty even riding on the flats. But anytime a hill came up--I could hold my speed. He could not. That is what riding to work on a singlespeed nets you compared to sitting at home riding on a trainer for hours (which is what Dave (formerly known as DTP) does). The legs felt pretty strong. It is nice. Really nice.

Again, the usual disclaimer must follow. I don't think I am in world class shape or anything, but for me--I am in pretty good shape right now. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of months if my training continues and it goes well. I am still freaked out about the swim--but thanks to yesterday, not as much.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I rode to the pool today, which is about 5 miles away. I started off by doing a 500 yard swim. That was a little tough. I did it in about 11 minutes. For comparision last year I was doing them in about 9:30. But at least I was able to swim that far without a break. Then I swam six 100's, each in 2:30 including rest. For the first four of those 100's I was swimming them in about 2 minutes and so I had around 30 seconds rest. I needed it. Then I decided to slow it way down to see what happened.

I ended up having a much better time of it. I wasn't so out of breath and after the end of the set of six 100's I kept swimming almost continuously until it was time to get out of the pool becuase lap swim was over. I ended up swimming 1750 yards and could have gone quite a bit further. I estimate that I was swimming those slowed down hundred in about 2:15 and it felt so much better. I didn't even need the rest any more.

Lesson learned: For distance I need to slow way down from what we are swimming in class. I think that the 45 minute class is better for sprint and maybe olympic distance swims than anything longer. In the past he pushes us quite a bit, which I adapt to. But when trying to go longer, I have to go much slower.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Long Week is Over

My stint working 9 days in a row at Circle P is over. Whew. Between that and training I am downright tuckered out. It is about 8:30 right now and I feel like it is nearly midnight.

Swimming was again easy this morning. 800 yards total plus a bunch of drill designed to bring about a better, smoother, more efficient stroke. The weird part is that I felt less smooth after the drills than I did before.

Right after swim class I booked it over to the 24 Fitness next to work and ran for 4.5 miles. I purposely ran 2 minutes slower than the 4.5 miles I ran on Monday. I felt fine, but the first 1.5 miles was definitely hard to get through. I just felt stiff and old. After 2 miles every things was fine, but without the snap I felt running on Monday.

Tomorrow I will hopefully get time to go for a longish long ride.