Ummm, last year turned out ok. No major crashes and I didn't drown (or maybe I did and haven't realized it yet). My training took a bit of a nose dive after the half ironman I did. After swimming sidestroke for a mile and running out of water on the bike - I fell apart... I still finished the stupid thing, but I was thinking of putting everything on eBay the next day.
Then Chris and Liz came out for a little pre-Ironman training and a little beer drinking before shutting it down for the lead up to Kona. They taught me about salt tabs (wow - how did I survive without these) and leading with your armpit when you swim - or at least, that's how it makes sense to me. Swimming is one of those zen things. Kinda like breathing through your eyeball - I don't understand that either...
Since it's December and I don't have anything planned until June, I can take it easy, work on my swim stroke and build my knees up before putting on heavier miles. New road bike and some shiny new motivation for this year!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Big Sky Duathlon
Woke up at 4:30am - ugh to drive down to a little town east of Denver called Bennett. This was the location of the 2nd in the Mile High Duathlon series. After passing the airport I wondered if I would either drive off the end of the world or see a girl with red shoes and her little dog too? The town actually reminded me a little bit of northwest Iowa with the small towns and people curious as to what all the fuss is about...
Back to the race... Smaller field than the Barkin' Dog, but still has some crazy fast people. Started off 30 seconds after the elites with all of the men 39 and under. It always sucks sprinting out the first 1/4 mile and then having to dodge through people as they ease off on the gas. Eventually getting some clean road, settled into a nice pace over the 2.5 miles at 14:29.
Rode the tri bike for the first time in a race today. I think I was kind of amped a little high because of that - no more excuses - just ride and go fast! It was a little windy, a few rollers and a great day for a ride. Exited the transition area with two other guys and they were out and gone in a few minutes. Then the steady stream of one person passing every five minutes or so. Gotta get stronger on the bike. Intervals, climbing, anything to push that next higher gear.
The second run was a little more interesting this time because my legs were pretty wiped. Smaller steps for the first mile, trying to pass a guy I named the "pirate". He wasn't wearing a frilly shirt and a patch - just yelling Aarr! back and forth with a little kid before the race. Hit an open stretch and was able to open the stride back up again and catch a few guys that were ahead of me. Decent 2nd leg 15:28 so about a 6:10 pace. The 2nd elite woman finished directly ahead of me and said thanks for pushing her at the end of the race.
I wore a heart rate monitor today and it was at 180bmp for pretty much the entire hour. I think I might explode if I do a longer race! Gotta figure out how to push a higher gear and mellow out a bit. First year of racing - may not have as good of a base as needed...
Tired... Need to take a nap.
Back to the race... Smaller field than the Barkin' Dog, but still has some crazy fast people. Started off 30 seconds after the elites with all of the men 39 and under. It always sucks sprinting out the first 1/4 mile and then having to dodge through people as they ease off on the gas. Eventually getting some clean road, settled into a nice pace over the 2.5 miles at 14:29.
Rode the tri bike for the first time in a race today. I think I was kind of amped a little high because of that - no more excuses - just ride and go fast! It was a little windy, a few rollers and a great day for a ride. Exited the transition area with two other guys and they were out and gone in a few minutes. Then the steady stream of one person passing every five minutes or so. Gotta get stronger on the bike. Intervals, climbing, anything to push that next higher gear.
The second run was a little more interesting this time because my legs were pretty wiped. Smaller steps for the first mile, trying to pass a guy I named the "pirate". He wasn't wearing a frilly shirt and a patch - just yelling Aarr! back and forth with a little kid before the race. Hit an open stretch and was able to open the stride back up again and catch a few guys that were ahead of me. Decent 2nd leg 15:28 so about a 6:10 pace. The 2nd elite woman finished directly ahead of me and said thanks for pushing her at the end of the race.
I wore a heart rate monitor today and it was at 180bmp for pretty much the entire hour. I think I might explode if I do a longer race! Gotta figure out how to push a higher gear and mellow out a bit. First year of racing - may not have as good of a base as needed...
Tired... Need to take a nap.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Barkin' Dog
Drove to Denver this morning at 5am to race the Barkin' Dog. First ever multisport race! It was actually a lot of fun. Kind of milled around waiting for the race, watching all the elites do wind sprints to get warmed up.
We got started and people were serious from the start. Some sprinted out to get a clear path while others ducked and weaved a bit. It felt fast, too fast. Quickly brought back down to reality when we hit the one mile marker at 6:20. Took the foot off the gas and tried to stay mellow about it.
Transition to the bike leg was pretty good. Already kinda sweaty so had a drink, put on my shoes, helmet and took off. Within a few minutes of leaving the transition area I thought a car was passing me! Turns out it was a guy on a disc wheel - I'd heard about the noise they make, but never heard it up close (I want one now). Bike was good - kept getting passed by guys with aerobars and discs, but managed to pace a little bit off of another roadie a ways ahead until we got up to the dam - and then - one word - bugs! Seriously, so thick I thought I didn't need a gu because of all the bugs I was swallowing (felt like it was raining). Luckily - the return trip was relatively bug-less! Kept pushing on the bike - got passed by some of 40-49 guys, but a pretty decent ride overall.
The second run - that's where the pain sets in. First the legs were kind of numb and wobbly, then burning a little bit, then the lungs burn a little bit and maybe a mile into it just startnig to get tired. We passed the turn-around on the first leg and I seriously wanted to just turn around and go home... But we still had another road to cross, a downhill (knowing that we had to run back up it!), another road and another downhill - then the returning uphill. I just kind of relaxed and kept it at a decent pace.
Fun race overall - plenty of water and snacks. 1:33 something... Maybe 12th place in AG?
We got started and people were serious from the start. Some sprinted out to get a clear path while others ducked and weaved a bit. It felt fast, too fast. Quickly brought back down to reality when we hit the one mile marker at 6:20. Took the foot off the gas and tried to stay mellow about it.
Transition to the bike leg was pretty good. Already kinda sweaty so had a drink, put on my shoes, helmet and took off. Within a few minutes of leaving the transition area I thought a car was passing me! Turns out it was a guy on a disc wheel - I'd heard about the noise they make, but never heard it up close (I want one now). Bike was good - kept getting passed by guys with aerobars and discs, but managed to pace a little bit off of another roadie a ways ahead until we got up to the dam - and then - one word - bugs! Seriously, so thick I thought I didn't need a gu because of all the bugs I was swallowing (felt like it was raining). Luckily - the return trip was relatively bug-less! Kept pushing on the bike - got passed by some of 40-49 guys, but a pretty decent ride overall.
The second run - that's where the pain sets in. First the legs were kind of numb and wobbly, then burning a little bit, then the lungs burn a little bit and maybe a mile into it just startnig to get tired. We passed the turn-around on the first leg and I seriously wanted to just turn around and go home... But we still had another road to cross, a downhill (knowing that we had to run back up it!), another road and another downhill - then the returning uphill. I just kind of relaxed and kept it at a decent pace.
Fun race overall - plenty of water and snacks. 1:33 something... Maybe 12th place in AG?
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Hail...
Plink pa-plink plink PLING! That was the sound of my ride yesterday. It was kind of dark and rainy in the morning when a group ride I was thinking about was leaving - so I decided to trust the weatherman (bad idea) and ride after 10am. No rain after 10am - all done... Stupid weatherman...
Anyway - rode up rist. Actually not too bad. A little cold, the batteries on my watch died, but a nice climb. Got up to the top and saw a few gray clouds, but they didn't look bad. Had a little to drink and screamed down the back side of Rist. Maybe 20 minutes later it starts raining. Not too heavy, but enough to make me slow down a bit going around the curves. Then tink. Uh-oh... Tink. The incessant reminder that something potentially bad was going to happen. Tink ... tink - tink, tink, tink, tink, plink, plink, pa-plink... These little bombs being hurled from the sky kept getting bigger and more rapid. Hiding my fingers under the bars, hating all of the vents allowing little pieces of ice to zap me in the top of the head, keeping my glasses pushed up so I wouldn't lose an eye!
Eventually - I did hide under a rock/bush alongside the road for the worst of it. It was too much... The rest of the ride, well - it sucked too. A mile or two of slushy ice on the road and just couldn't really seem to get the engine going again after that. Maybe another 45-60 minutes of slow riding in the rain. Builds character, right? Stupid weatherman...
Anyway - rode up rist. Actually not too bad. A little cold, the batteries on my watch died, but a nice climb. Got up to the top and saw a few gray clouds, but they didn't look bad. Had a little to drink and screamed down the back side of Rist. Maybe 20 minutes later it starts raining. Not too heavy, but enough to make me slow down a bit going around the curves. Then tink. Uh-oh... Tink. The incessant reminder that something potentially bad was going to happen. Tink ... tink - tink, tink, tink, tink, plink, plink, pa-plink... These little bombs being hurled from the sky kept getting bigger and more rapid. Hiding my fingers under the bars, hating all of the vents allowing little pieces of ice to zap me in the top of the head, keeping my glasses pushed up so I wouldn't lose an eye!
Eventually - I did hide under a rock/bush alongside the road for the worst of it. It was too much... The rest of the ride, well - it sucked too. A mile or two of slushy ice on the road and just couldn't really seem to get the engine going again after that. Maybe another 45-60 minutes of slow riding in the rain. Builds character, right? Stupid weatherman...
Friday, April 27, 2007
learning to swim...
So everyone kinda knows how to swim, right? We all took some sort of swim classes at the pool when we were little and since there have been no recent drowning incidents in my history - I can swim... And the answer is, well ... not really.
First of all, my flutter kick looks like an egg beater. No movement from the hips, just a random movement from the knees and down. This doesn't help the fact that my body is perpendicular to the bottom of the pool? So - starting from the very beginning:
Drill 1:
Lie on your back (yes your back, we'll get to turn over soon enough!). Kick with your toes pointed - not flexed, but pointed. Tilt your head back so that the water is parted by the highest point and naturally your hips start to come up a bit.
Drill 2:
Lie on your side with bottom arm extended and top arm flat against your side. If you can float easily - your hand/hip should be out of the water - I'm lucky to have my shoulder out... Again, flutter kick, roll your head to the side and tuck your chin a bit to breathe. Try to push your chest deeper into the water.
Drill 3:
Start with drill 1. This one's a bit more difficult to describe. Keep your head in roughly the same place, but rotate the body to something closer to perpendicular. I need to think of a better way to describe this, but it teaches the rotation used in the crawl only on the back instead of the front.
Drill 4:
Start with drill 2 except both arms/hands flush against the body. Flutter kick a few times, then put your face in the water and rotate to the opposite side, far enough that you can breathe, get comfortable and repeat.
Just like in any other sport, tension and being uncomfortable takes a lot of energy. The first four drills and a little bit of work with a pull buoy (moving my hips up!) was enough for me the first day. Not hopeless, but definitely not a swimmer.
First of all, my flutter kick looks like an egg beater. No movement from the hips, just a random movement from the knees and down. This doesn't help the fact that my body is perpendicular to the bottom of the pool? So - starting from the very beginning:
Drill 1:
Lie on your back (yes your back, we'll get to turn over soon enough!). Kick with your toes pointed - not flexed, but pointed. Tilt your head back so that the water is parted by the highest point and naturally your hips start to come up a bit.
Drill 2:
Lie on your side with bottom arm extended and top arm flat against your side. If you can float easily - your hand/hip should be out of the water - I'm lucky to have my shoulder out... Again, flutter kick, roll your head to the side and tuck your chin a bit to breathe. Try to push your chest deeper into the water.
Drill 3:
Start with drill 1. This one's a bit more difficult to describe. Keep your head in roughly the same place, but rotate the body to something closer to perpendicular. I need to think of a better way to describe this, but it teaches the rotation used in the crawl only on the back instead of the front.
Drill 4:
Start with drill 2 except both arms/hands flush against the body. Flutter kick a few times, then put your face in the water and rotate to the opposite side, far enough that you can breathe, get comfortable and repeat.
Just like in any other sport, tension and being uncomfortable takes a lot of energy. The first four drills and a little bit of work with a pull buoy (moving my hips up!) was enough for me the first day. Not hopeless, but definitely not a swimmer.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Gear review
I like toys... Have liked them since I can remember. Maybe triathlon is just another opportunity to buy more toys!
Anyway -
Bike: Read review after review after review. Everything from geometry to aerodynamics to style and was pretty close to getting a Cervelo Dual when I realized that I could get a p2sl for a hundo more. Shiny red, aluminum, horizontal dropouts to move the wheel closer to the seat tube, an adjustable seatpost to change position and a decent component group. Not the fastest bike (Felt DA or Cervelo P3C), but I'm not the fastest guy either.
Wetsuit: Blueseventy. This one I didn't do as much work on - mainly because I took the advice of a buddy that races and got the least expensive in their lineup.
Anyway -
Bike: Read review after review after review. Everything from geometry to aerodynamics to style and was pretty close to getting a Cervelo Dual when I realized that I could get a p2sl for a hundo more. Shiny red, aluminum, horizontal dropouts to move the wheel closer to the seat tube, an adjustable seatpost to change position and a decent component group. Not the fastest bike (Felt DA or Cervelo P3C), but I'm not the fastest guy either.
Wetsuit: Blueseventy. This one I didn't do as much work on - mainly because I took the advice of a buddy that races and got the least expensive in their lineup.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
first week of training
So it's only Thursday and I officially suck. I've been back in Colorado for a month now - so I can't blame it on the altitude anymore. Went out with the guys from work today (AX/A) ride and got dusted once they put in a surge... Riding along comfortably at ~19mph in a pace line, can see people getting a bit antsy and then lost them at 27... I need a week of beer drinking - ahem - "carbo-loading" to ride this fast!
Anyway - this is the first time I've actually started a training program in 10 years... Still working on this
MWF morning (swimming)
MWF noon (jog/tempo run)
Bike:
Sun - long bike ride
Tues - cruiser ride
Thursday - gasping for air
Need to grow quads!
Anyway - this is the first time I've actually started a training program in 10 years... Still working on this
MWF morning (swimming)
MWF noon (jog/tempo run)
Bike:
Sun - long bike ride
Tues - cruiser ride
Thursday - gasping for air
Need to grow quads!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)