Friday, June 30, 2006

Tagged

By the time I snapped out of my zombie-like state and peeled myself away from my computer at work it was 2pm. I looked out the window and could tell it was going to be a hot one but wanted to get my run in. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do in 90+ temps but I figured it would provide a dehydrative (is that a word) effect and at least nudge the scale the right way.

I ended up running the chip trail around campus for a total of 6 miles before I shut it down. It was hot! Just me and one gal out there and the only consolation was that she looked like she was really suffering out there.....made me gut out another lap when I saw her face...sheez. Some of you gals are tough!!

Run Stats *HOT*
48:09 Total Time
3 x 2 miles:
15:55
16:08
16:03
161 HR Ave

I was also tagged by Habeela.....let's jump right in!

What are the next 5 shiny things you hope to buy?
Alot of wishful thinking here but the key word is "Hope" to buy....If i'm throwing hope into the equation, I'm going BIG!!! ;-)
1. Steeeellaaaaaaah!!!
2. Scott Plasma
3. Flat Panel LCD TV
4. Nike T-Speed Tri
5. A nice toaster or toaster oven - I've been on the bagel train lately

Describe your favorite running shirt.
Love all my dri-fit nike shirts but my fave shirt would have to be my half-zip fitted Nike Pro long sleeve. If i'm wearing it, it would happen to be my favorite running conditions: 50's- low 60's, cloudy and perfect for a long run.

What is your favorite part of racing?
It would have to be heading down the finish chute in the last 25 yards of an Ironman race- the highs and lows of the day, the pain, the fatigue are all erased when you hit that carpet for the final stretch. It truly is magic and keeps me coming back for more.

What are your top three running songs.
this is a tough call...I wouldn't be able to limit it to a "top three" but here are a couple that keep me shuffling along....your mileage may vary.
1. The Last Goodbye - Jeff Buckley
2. Munich - Editors
3. Touched - VAST
4. Hell Yes - Beck.......Ok, I can't count but Beck belongs on any top three list right?

Pick 2 sponsors.
1. Nike- a one stop sponsor for everything..shoes / clothing/ timing / vision, etc
2. Coffee People - Unlimited supply of free mochas...yes yes yes!!

What do you think about right before you fall asleep?
Typically, it revolves around how I am going to go to bed before 12-1am *tomorrow* or calculating how few hours of shut-eye I am getting.....I need to work on my night-owlish ways.

Ok...my turn....hmmm, who has time this week......how about:
Cliff (he's tapering so should have some time)
Mike (he's taking some well deserved R&R - read his race report if you haven't, great stuff)
Tammy - She's really busy with two jobs but since those jobs are Cycling coach and Adidas Run Leader, I have no sympathy for her time constraints....you be tagged!

Everybody have a SAFE and happy 4th....don't take anything for granted and appreciate your "gifts".

*Peace*

Monday, June 26, 2006

Pacific Crest 1/2 Ironman

It's been 1yr & 10 months since I actually toe'd the line at a triathlon so nice to finally get that monkey off my back. After a sputtering start, it was nice to see that I basically remembered how to do this stuff. My race performance wasn't where I wanted it to be but I need to really step back and keep it in perspective. I did not taper for this race at all and had 18.5 & 20.5 hrs of training in the last two weeks, pre-race so understandable that I wouldn't be firing at 100%. I probably over -did the cycling in the week pre-race since 15 of those 20.5 hrs were cycling.

Having said that, it still really messed with my head for awhile. Not a good thing when you have an Ironman in two months. The Pac Crest course (climate, hills, etc) is VERY similar to the IM Canada course and I kept thinking how I wouldn't be happy if my IMC finish time was a simple doubling of my Pac Crest time. I am hoping the volume had something to do with my performance *or lack thereof*.

The Race
They do things a bit differently in these parts. The race started at 9am for starters and the racks were co-ed based on age group. I didn't mind the racks but the start time didn't bode well with the heat we were expecting later on. Steven and his wife, Karen, were nice enough to let me tag along for a ride on race morning. I did wake up early and get in my typical pre-race breakfast of 3 bottles of chocolate Ensure. I then had another while in transition before the swim start. It was a very relaxing morning. I didn't have any pre-race nerves and just spent the time waiting for our waves to start. Soon it was that time and Steven and I wished each other well and went our separate ways. He was starting in a wave 5 minutes behind me.

1.2 Mile Swim
37:04 (1:45 pace / 100)
154 HR Ave
Rank 227 / 588
T1 4:16

I did not have any pre-race warmup in the swim besides 2-3 strokes just to make sure my goggles weren't leaking. This gave me the opportunity to realize that it was going to be a harder swim to get a nice draft since the visibility was limited to several feet. I lined up aggressively on the inside buoy. I got this tip from a swimmer friend of mine who stated that most people think that this would be a tough start position and end up going wide. After the gun went off, I did get jostled a bit but settled into what was a either a "too-fast" pace or the wetsuit choking me but I started hyperventilating about 200yrds into the swim.....F&$!#...I flipped to backstroke to get some extra breaths in but had a hard time getting control of my breath and had to slow way down. Not a good thing right at the start. Also, I kept trying to catch a fast pair of feet but really difficult to sight, etc in the murky water. I pretty much gave up on getting a draft and just settled in on getting it done. I got it done very slooooooooooow.

I did a quick calculation of doubling my swim time for IM Distance upon exiting and was not happy. I immediately let it go though and focused on the transition.

When I got to my bike rack, I bent over to strip off my wetsuit and when I flexed my right calf, I immediately got rocked by a serious calf cramp soon followed by a cramp in my left calf. This basically had me on my ass in transition as I worked on straightening out my legs to relief the cramps which, in turn, made taking off the wetsuit pretty difficult. I'm sure it must have looked pretty funny as everyone else around me was making the switch without any issues. Somehow I got it done and got all my gear packed into the provided trashbag (point to point race so we had to have all our gear bagged in T1). The only good thing in transition was getting an encouraging shout out from Karen as I headed out on the bike- it's always nice to have a friendly face in the crowd (Thanks Karen!!).

58 Mile Bike
2:57:43 (19.58 MPH Ave)
158 HR Ave
Rank 194/588
T2 4:34

The bike course was 58 miles vs. the typical 56 mile 1/2 iron distance. I loved the bike course. It is very similar to IM Canada with some solid hills and rollers and the scenery was great. I immediately noticed the effects of the recent training volume though when I didn't have that fresh snap in the legs. Definitely a lack of power on the false flats or hills but I kept it rolling. The actual hills weren't too bad since Steven has dragged me up much worse in our regular training rides around our hood. The only difference being the race course was at 4k elevation climbing to 6.4K to Mt. Bachelor. The climbs up Batchelor were pretty slow for me and killed my average speed- I didn't feel like I could push it at all. This was evident in my average heart rate for the ride. I would have expected it to be in the mid 160's but it only averaged 158. Once we reached the summit of Batchelor, we had some rocking downhills to the base- I pushed it here to gain some time back but ran out of course too soon and ended up with just an average bike split. I rolled it into transition and was met by Karen again with a shout! That got me thinking about Steven....I was surprised he hadn't caught me yet. I had an awfully slow transition that included a bathroom pit stop and headed out on the run. At this point, it was in the high 80's....not a good thing.

Run (Death March)
1:48:11 (8:15 pace / mile)
170 HR Ave
Rank 88 / 588

I knew it was going to be a long day once I started running as I headed out of transition. At this point the sun was just blazing and I was melting out there. Just focus on a steady smooth cadence...breathe....I hit mile 1 in about 7:30 and kept it rolling through mile 2 in 15:07. I was actually passing people here which kept me pretty motivated but ended up hitting some technical difficulties around the mile 5 point. I was still making good time but walked through an aid station and it felt so good.....I kept walking. I was kinda embarrassed as the course winds through the residential bike path in Sun River and a ton of people out on the course. I don't know why but I kept blurting out "it sure feels good to walk" as I passed these spectators. Probably the heat affecting my brain. I sucked it up though and started running again. At this point, I kept passing the same group of 3 people until I would stop at an aid station and they would catch me only for me to pass them as I started running again. I'm sure it was annoying but I had my own problems at that point. I even stopped at the Red Bull Aid Station to down a Bull but it didn't give me any friggen wings as claimed.....the "check engine" light was coming on and I had slowed way down. I think it was around the mile 9 point when some "comedian" started coming up behind me spewing out the theme from Jaws.

Well, the Jaws-theme singing racer ended up being Steven....the bastard!!

Actually it was much needed comic relief for me at that point. He tried to encourage me to run with him but no way I was matching his pace at that point. He was flying...I actually did speed up and kept him on that imaginary rubber band about 25-30 yards ahead of me until It finally snapped. Actually not sure what I was thinking trying to speed up because I got hit with a serious stitch trying to keep Steven in my radar. More walk / run / shuffle to the finish. It was a long 3 miles ....you know you are in trouble when you are walking as you hit the mile 12 sign. At that point, I wiped off all the tears streaming down my face (just kidding) and ran her in. What a friggen ugly run. I'm surprised it was 88th overall with all the walking I did. I would have been hurting if it was an IM distance race and I still had 13 to go....not a comforting thought. I was really glad to see that finish line though.....what a day.

5:31:48 Finish Time
114 / 588 Overall
26 / 91 Mens 35-39 Age Group

Overall, I guess things could have been worse. I just need to keep things in perspective. This wasn't my A-race and I didn't taper for it. Still it definitely affected me and probably not a good idea to race the 1/2 iron distance without a proper taper ...especially if you have an IM race coming up soon.....this definitely was NOT a confidence-building performance.

I gotta throw a shout out to my training partner Steven though...he rocked his A-race (5:16) with a 10 place finish in his age-group that included the 20th overall fastest run split of the day (1:35)! NICE!

2 months until the big one.....let's keep it rolling!

*Peace*


Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Late Workout

I dropped off my bike at the local shop to get it race ready...hopefully she'll be ready to go tomorrow. I have no experience with this shop and chose it based on convenience / location but have heard good things...keeping my fingers crossed.

Today was another day in my "non-taper". Since I was dragging my feet after work, I didn't get on the bike until 6:45pm....it was really sunny out but some strong wind whipping around out there and it was a bit nippy to boot. I ended up taking out the roadbike for a spin....forget how comfortable and efficient the road position is after being stretched out in the aero position on a tri-bike. It was definitely a nice change. I forgot to put a computer on my bike so not sure of my stats but got about 2 hrs in and a mini-run off the bike. The legs (quads) are a bit sore from the long ride last weekend. Hopefully they come around before the race this weekend!

Pretty cool to finish a workout at 9pm and still have some light out. I love Summer.

Bike Stats
1:55 Total Time
132 HR Ave

Transition Run
13:50 Total Time
2 miles
6:55 / mile pace

*Peace*

Monday, June 19, 2006

Race Gear Mishaps

I finally took the time to rummage through all my junk for the little race this weekend and started having some technical difficulties.

Let's see circa 2004 old-school racing singlet / shorts- check. Well...semi-check. Had to give it the ole test run and let's just say, it ain't pretty. I got about an extra five lbs on my carcass since the Boston Marathon and the sausage casing race gear is squeezing it out in all the wrong places. A lil junk in the trunk was not the look I was going for so something to work on before IMC in August. ;-)

Race wheels - che....what the f&#?! I took a look at my tires and found a big split on the front wheel...wouldn't be a major issue if it wasn't a tubular...shite. Now I remember getting that during IM Canada...a $90 tire ruined after one ride.....not sure if there is any way to repair it...I doubt it. You'd think a company would offer an adhesive you could squirt into a split to get some actual mileage out of an expensive tire when this happens- If anyone is aware of any fixes, let me know. I'll have to look into replacing that tomorrow. I also noticed that the rear 404 that I was planning to use had an itty-bitty 11-21 on it. My disc has an 11-25 on it but don't feel I am "disc-worthy" at the moment so will look at swapping out the cassettes too. I think I have everything else in a big pile so hopefully anything I forget will be available at the Race Expo on Friday.

With no taper to speak of, I am a bit worried about hitting this race fatigued. Especially the bike course with its HILLS at lung-bursting elevation. The race starts at 4,167 ft. and you have to climb over Mt. Bachelor at 6,405 ft- I will be sucking some serious wind out there. Plus, they tack on a couple extra miles for good measure 58 miles vs. 56. Good times I'm sure.

Today was an easy day after the big weekend. I just threw in a swim at lunch and punched the clock for the day.

Swim STats
58:30 Total Time
3000 Yards Total
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 500 Free

*Peace*

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Flow

One area of the longer ride that I am starting to dial in again is pacing. I think alot of people forget to think about their ride, in total, and hammer that first hill at mile 25 or push the big ring against strong headwinds at mile 30, etc. If you're going out for a long one, probably a good idea to think about the overall ride and what energy stores you need to leave in the bank for whatever your particular ride is going to throw at you, assuming you know the course (and you should!). If you are mashing a big gear and dropping down a gear will allow you spin...do it.

It's all about the flow and trying to work with the course. I try to soft-pedal where it makes sense (where I am getting free speed anyway) and only push when necessary. Today was a good day in the saddle. A long ride is a good way to clear you mind and make everything right with the world. It's great to focus on pedaling and getting into a groove....definitely a rolling meditation. I definitely think there would be a cooler vibe overall if more people started riding bikes.

I had good "flow" today. I really wasn't expecting to ride as long as I did since I didn't get out there until 10am. I was feeling pretty good so kept it rolling. Threw in some solid hills (4+ mile Bald Peak climb and did 2 rolling / hilly loops (2 x 10 miles) around Hagg Lake) with the remainder comprised of flat to rolling terrain. Also, a good dose of wind but focused on the fueling and had solid energy throughout the ride. It's always a good thing when you feel like you can keep pushing it at the end of a 6 hr ride vs. limping in to the finish!

Bike Stats
6:07 Total Time
108.6 Miles Total
17.7 MPH Ave
138 HR Ave

When I got home, I put on my chef's hat and made a HUGE portion of teriyaki chicken, broccoli, and rice. I just wanted to let everyone know it's not all about the Big Macs and Snickers. I try to cook a bunch and pack a couple of lunches for the coming week. So this week it will be chicken / broccoli / rice for lunch Mon/Tues....finger-licken good! Yes, I know that's a lot of white rice but with all of the training volume, figure I need as many carbs as possible...even white rice, bread, and *gasp* pasta!



Hope all you Fathers out there are enjoying your day- you deserve it. Have a good one!

*Peace*

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Time Will Tell

Steven and I were discussing training today on our ride and how, regardless of what training methodology you follow, you can find data backing your methods or discrediting them. The major bummer with the long course stuff is the delay in obtaining any feedback on your training. After months and months of serious training, it all comes down to that one day- pretty brutal.

Several keys to superior endurance we both agreed on were consistency and big doses of aerobic volume. I've probably been a bit lacking in both departments but doing some serious catchup. A little too late? Time will tell but, in any case, I am really enjoying the bump in volume and don't seem to have any issues with backing it up ......yet.

Friday

Run Stats
Ran at lunch and it was very humid. It felt like I was running in a sauna out there and I was melting. It didn't rain one drop for the hour I was out there but when I was getting ready to leave the gym it was POURING.....reminded me of the downpours we used to have in SoCal....I couldn't believe how hard it was coming down.

1:01 Total Time
37:56 (5 mile Tualatin Nature Park Loop)
15:34 (2 mile chip trail loop)
7:44 (1 mile)
158 HR Ave

Bike Stats
I tried to hit the gym for my regular Friday post-work swim but found out that they are shutting down the pool on Fridays at 630pm until August for Water Polo.....I didn't even realize we have a Water Polo League on campus?!?

I headed home and hit the computrainer for an easy spin...set it to 125 watts for some high cadence spinning

1:00 Total Time
125 Watts Ave
96+ Cadence

Saturday
Steven and I headed out a bit earlier for the ride today because he was heading to Eugene for his daughter's graduation. We got a good dose of hill work on the ride but kept the intensity a bit lower on the flats. Steven is in full taper mode for the Pac Crest 1/2 Iron next weekend so I'm sure he'll dole out a nice ass-kicking next week.

We also cut the duration of the ride a bit. It's funny how 3 hours seems like a short ride after getting in some serious saddle time.

Bike Stats
3:04 Total Time
50.1 Miles
16.4 MPH Ave
132 Ave HR

Transition Run
We immediately went for a run off the bike...funny but we took off at a pretty good clip and after a few minutes we both mentioned it...."hey, you're pushing it!" "I thought you were setting the tempo" "No I was following you"...we dialed it back from there but still finished in a respectable time.

Run Stats
26:26 Total Time
3.8 Miles Total
6:57 pace per mile
160 HR Ave

After I left Steven's house, I headed to the Nike Pool to get in a swim but stopped to get one of these first....nice protein and carb numbers...ignore the rest of that gobbledy-gook! ;-)

I kept the swim very aerobic....at least easier then I normally would swim. Good recovery for the legs since I plan on getting in some serious saddle time tomorrow.

Swim Stats
1:01 Total Time
3500 Yards Total
1 x 3000 Free (50:40)
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 250 Free

Hope you're all getting a healthy dose of endorphins this weekend!

*Peace*

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Pump Up The Volume

I didn't get a chance to workout at lunch so slid out of work at 5:20 to get in a bike ride tonight. It ended up being a pretty good ride even though the wind was a pain in the ass. It could have been worse though - based on the dark clouds overhead it should have been pissing down rain. Luckily, I only got a few sprinkles.

I love the extended daylight during the summer hours. I finished my ride at 8:40pm and could have probably been out there another 15 minutes without any problems....well, maybe it would have been a bit sketchy but still there is the possibility of getting in some solid bike rides during the week without having to skip out on any work responsibilities *nice*.

My legs are holding up okay based on the quick increase in volume. My training hours were approx. 18.5 last week. I was surprised that I hit 18+ since my training has been pretty spotty in the last month. Hoping there is some residual base from years past so that my body can handle the quick jump. We'll see - I plan on keeping it rolling up until the Pac Crest 1/2 IM. I'm not planning on tapering at all since I need to stuff as much aerobic volume into my system before August / IMC. I did feel a bit fatigued while pushing in the wind or on any false flats today. I'm hoping to get to bed tonight before 12:30 to work on that recovery!;-)

Bike Stats
2:25 Total Time
46.6 Miles
19.1 MPH Ave
135 HR Ave

*Peace*

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

I Want A Vespa

I just ran out to put gas in my car and ended up paying $60...OUCH.....$3.09 a gallon....seriously makes you consider getting one of these retro beauties.......$60...sheeez

I had a solid swim today...smacked the longer set and felt pretty strong through the whole workout

Swim Stats
3250 Yards Total
54 Minutes
1 x 2000 Free
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 Free

Post-work, computrainer ride. I haven't done a ton of the available courses so took a chance on the "Coors 2 lap course". It ended up being a challenging course with a bunch of rollies / hills and the best feature was that it was 2 loops of a 13.07 mile course so you could race yourself based on your lap 1 time.
I wasn't expecting to be on the bike that long so only had a bottle of water and hadn't eaten recently so started riding on fumes about 1:30 into the ride. Good thing I spotted the snickers that I hadn't eaten from my "Junk Food Loop" last Saturday....I sucked that bar down and all was well real soon....sugar.......it does a body good.

Bike Stats
1:37:18 Total Time
Lap 1: 49:04
Lap 2: 48:14
155 Ave Watts
16.1 MPH Ave
130 HR Ave

*peace*

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Today's Double Dose

I went out for a stealth run at lunch today. It's all about timing and waiting until everyone is either hypnotized by their computer screen or out to lunch. During that narrow window, you hit the floor on all fours and slink out of sight before anyone realizes you are even gone.....it works, trust me.

I figured with things finally calming down a bit at work, I could run a bit longer today. With the clouds and cooler weather, it was a perfect day for a run. I thought it would rain for sure since the clouds looked very threatening but it stayed dry for the whole run....nice.

Run Stats
59:59 (Is it lame that I sprinted for the last 25-30 yards to come in under an hour? I thought so)
8 miles total
4 x 2 Mile Loop
15:01
15:05
14:58
14:53
158 HR Ave

Post-work, I figured I could hit the pavement for a bike ride....hell, the clouds were getting darker but it was threatening rain all day without a drop so figured it was clear sailing.....right before I got home it started raining.....*sigh* Ate dinner, finished reading the Sunday paper, had some B&J's......then hit the computrainer for a ride.....hopefully worked off that ice cream.

Bike Stats
Computrainer - (Chris' Winter Spin)
1 Hour Total (5 min warm-up / 55 minute course)
16.3 Miles Total
17.7MPH Ave
153 Watts Ave
128 HR Ave

*Peace*

Monday, June 12, 2006

Energy

A ton of World Cup energy flowing thru Nike right now....everyone is either talking about the matches or watching them around campus. The guys in the group next to me wheeled out their TV for the USA v Czech Republic game today. Can I get a moment of silence for the USA team and the ass kicking they endured (3 zip- OUCH)...............................................thanks

Anyways, pretty exciting stuff....I can see why people are so passionate about futbol.

In other news, alot of energy in the Nike Pool today....I ended up going for a swim during high traffic hours in the pool. Alot of the masters swimmers were getting in a workout and they were going hard. It's hard to take it easy when everyone is flying in the adjacent lanes.....definitely had me working a bit harder at certain points. Probably a good thing since I always swim alone.

Swim Stats
3000 Yards Total
51 minutes
3 x 1000 Free

Today was a recovery day so that's all I got.....

*peace*

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Slooow Start

Today was almost the day that never was in regards to training.....feeling a bit lazy so didn't get out on the bike until around noon. Today was BEAUTIFUL out there...the temps were probably in the high 70's? not sure but it felt great out there.....with an extended forecast of rain thru next weekend, I definitely wasn't going to let the day go to waste.

Before I talk about the bike ride today, I better address some questions / comments from my last post. I am not a candy-bar eating, big-gulp drinking, cavity-riddled fool! Remember, it was a way for me to kick-start my ebbing energy levels (at least that's how I rationalize it!) I swear, I am good most of the time....yes, I have a sweet tooth and thank God I can burn most of it off with training but it's not as bad as it sounds.

Also- sorry for my confusing post-but I didn't eat 2 Snicker bars Steven!! I ate 1/2 the king size and finished it off about 45 minutes later. I ended up bringing the other bar home- it's still sitting next to my bike! Also, with your smoking fast race times, we both know who will be doing the arse kicking at Pac Crest buddy!

Having said all that, my stomach still hurts from the 2 glasses of milk and 6 choco chip cookies I ate about 1/2 hour ago....life is sweet!

Back to my bike ride- I decided to keep it relatively flat today and go out for an easier ride. My legs didn't feel too bad after riding 100+ yesterday but didn't want to kill myself over the weekend. Overall, the legs felt pretty good.

Bike Stats
2:52 Total Time
53.3 miles
18.6 MPH Ave
137 HR Ave

The rest of the day was just a bunch of to-do's....laundry, grocery shopping, etc....I really had good intentions for getting in a run but by the time I could get out there, it was after 830pm and I still hadn't eaten dinner.....*sigh* Tomorrow is another day to make it happen.

*Peace*

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Blue Collar Workout

I'm not sure of the exact quote and I'm sure I'll butcher it:

"Cycling is a blue-collar sport, you gotta put in the miles"

So true eh? No way around that one......you have to spend some solid time in the saddle. I got a good dose today.

I finally headed out around 8:45'sh for the ride with some "gentle" prodding from Lora / Mike- thanks, it worked! ;-) The weather cooperated for the whole ride although the wind was an issue at certain points. No rain though so I'll take it. I decided to make it long and hilly today. I'm not sure if it was the right choice when I hit the first hill (Unger Rd)...the last 1/4 mile section is pretty steep and my legs didn't have any snap. It probably had to do with the 4 consecutive days of running before the ride today. After about an hour, the legs started to come around though.....went thru some rollies and flats before I hit hill number #2 (Bald Peak Rd)....this is an extended climb of 4+miles....just a matter of pushing through it but alot harder when you are alone. *Steven, I missed ya today- of course, in a totally heterosexual way. ;-) *

The solitary miles provided more incentive for me to get my new ipod Nano up and running. It has been sitting in the package for over 3 weeks!! I like to pull the headphones thru my cycling jersey and run it in one ear *stealth mode*....cops probably won't see it and you can still hear the cars , etc out of the free ear. I could have used that company today. I got to the top of Bald Peak and turned around and flew down on my way to Hagg Lake for the hilly 10 mile loop around the lake. Steven had left a comment about trying Laurelwood (killer STEEP hill) but I would have been wrecked so decided to skip that one for today!

Hagg Lake was pretty uneventful...got her done and started heading back but noticed that my energy levels were dragging a bit. At this point, I was about 4 hours into the ride and needed something to jump start my energy. It was time for "creative fueling". I headed into the general store outside the lake and bought a "BIG GULP"size Coke and 2 snicker bars (1 KING size / 1 regular size). Horrible eh? Trust me though, the sugar definitely helps when you need the boost. (Chris McCormack spoke at one of my tri-club meetings and he calls coke "black gold" for its awesome kick during a race). I filled my two bottles with coke and ate half the king size snicker. I guess my eyes were bigger then my appetite because I couldn't finish it....it is a whopping 510 calories for the whole bar- YIKES!!

Once I hopped back on the bike it was all good....energy: check, speed on the flats: 20mph ++.....Just wondering if it is a good thing to start coke on the bike though....still so much of the race left at that point....I will definitely hit it during the marathon, no question...but the bike, hmmm.....hopefully will have fitness gains within the next two months where it won't be necessary. The rest of the ride was relatively flat but had a good dose of wind in certain sections....post-bike, I even got in a transition run but cut it short at 20 minutes....still felt good though and could have ran longer but figured no need. I'm just glad that I was able to push through the whole bike ride....steady on the flats and a solid dose of hilly terrain today so things look promising.

One of the major pluses about riding around here (besides the varied terrain), is the total lack of stoplights, etc. Pretty desolate- a ton of wineries and farmland but you can get in some loooooong steady riding vs. the constant stop/start I was used to down in SoCal. You can ride all day without stopping at even one intersection.

Bike Stats
5:54 Total Time
101.1 Miles Total
17.10 MPH Ave
141 HR AVe

Transition Run
19:53 Total Time
2.6 miles
7:39 Pace / Mile
160 HR Ave

*Peace*

Procrastination

Well....it seems really easy to do everything BUT get out the door for my bike ride this morning. Water my plants....eat breakfast.......fire up the computer and post on my blog........ I am hoping that the java will kick in here and motivate me to get my arse out the door. It looks cloudy out there but the weather forecast calls for dry weather.....hmmmm....we know they're always right....right?? Well....I have faith in them today *fingers crossed*.....hoping the dry weather holds up.

Friday Workouts

Lunch Swim Stats
3000 yards Total
58 minutes
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 500

Post-work Run
Chip Trail
43:02
6 Miles Total
3 x 2 mile loop:
14:39
14:12
14:11
165 HR Ave (Z2)

Make your adventures happen out there today!

*Peace*

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Thursday Double

I'm starting to settle into a groove with the workouts again *nice*. Semi-consistency is a good thing. I'm still working on erasing the "semi". I headed out for a run at lunch today and it ended up being great running weather. Very cloudy at the start and about 5 minutes into the run it started to drizzle a bit....nice and cool to boot. Not sure if it was because I started a bit late today but the chip trail was completely empty......nice to get out there a for a solo session.

Run Stats
44:55 Total Time
6 miles Total
3 x 2 miles as follows:
15:12
14:58
14:45
163 HR Ave (Z2)

Post work, I jumped on the computrainer for an hour of the Wildflower Triathlon course. I tried to keep it pretty steady on the flats / uphills....funny but the ave speed on the trainer always seems to be alot slower *at the same effort level* vs. the road....hmmm

Bike Stats
1:05 Total Time
5 min warmup
1:00 Wildflower Course
16.3Miles
16.3 MPH Ave
148 Watts Ave
95 Cadence Ave
129 HR

Is the weekend here yet?!

*Peace*

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Fear Is A Great Motivator

It's starting to get easier to get out for the workouts lately. The voices in my head didn't even protest too much when I finally laced up the kicks for a run at 8:15pm tonight. Before I would have just vegg'd out but nothing like a little fear to jump start your training. Ironman Canada is like a big monkey on my back right now and I have roughly 2 months of solid training and a taper before the race so I need to make the most of the little time I have. I am planning on training right through the Pac Crest 1/2 Iron race on 6/24 so should be interesting. Hopefully I am not too shelled to put in a semi-respectable finish time.....we shall see.

Lunch today consisted of me gravitating to the very bad section in our lunch cafe where all the good and fried food reside. I ordered a philly cheez "with" and fries....my arteries are not happy. It did provide some extra motivation for my swim though. My arms were definitely feeling it post swim....shaking a bit....eek!

Swim Stats
54 minutes Total Time
3000 Yards Total
1 x 2000 Free (33 min)
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 750 Free

The run, post-work, was later then I wanted but I ended up having to squeeze in some stuff off my to-do list...post-run, ended up cooking a gaggle of chicken breastesses so I'll be able to eat dinner later this week without having to go thru a big production.....that is why I end up blogging at 10:20pm....I must break the cycle of pain......plus, my bedroom doesn't have any curtains (just blinds) and the sunlight has been waking me up at 5 EFFIN 30.....is that annoying or what!?!?....at least it is when you are hitting the sack after 12pm.....Ok...enough of being a whine-baby...

Run felt gooood

Run Stats
1 Hour Total
7-8'ish
Rolling Course
156 HR Ave


Tip for those with I-tunes / Ipod....play it in shuffle mode once in awhile....really cool when a great song pops up that you haven't heard in ages....can take you back to another place hearing a song sometimes.....great if you have a huge library of music.....on the other hand, some stuff will have you scratching your head as to why it is even in your collection.....good times

You've all probably caught this video but still worth a second look if you have 6 minutes to spare...that white boy can move....

*Peace*

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Tuesday Workouts

Quick post to note workout stats......busy day and I was still able to squeeze in a couple sessions...it's all good.

Lunch Run Stats
37:42 Total Time
Chip Trail
5 miles total
1 x 2 mile 15:24
1 x 2 mile 15:09
1 mile 7:08
162 HR Ave

Evening Computrainer Ride
Chris' Winter Spin Course
1 Hour Total Time
5 min w/up
5o min course ride w/ 5 min cooldown
16.1 MPH Ave
15 miles
94 Cadence
131 Watts Ave
129 HR ave

*peace*

Monday, June 05, 2006

And So It Begins Again......

I'm happy to report that I am finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. I've dusted the cobwebs off the old training gear and having a go....feeling inspired. Maybe I should wait before I make such bold pronouncements since my training in the last 3 weeks has been lame but plan on keeping it rolling. The last bike ride prior to my ride this past weekend was on 5/13!! I can't believe how quickly the days can roll by. It wasn't like I was swimming or running during the gap either so pretty much shut it down....HARD!

I was looking forward to the past weekend with a slight sense of dread since I figured there was no way I would last thru a long workout. Saturday I had planned on getting in multiple workouts but stopped into the office for "just a second" and ended up leaving there at 2pm! Only time for a quick run....kept my HR down and figured that I would ramp it up slowly and keep everything aerobic until Pac Crest. Run went ok...not bad after taking such an extended break.

Run Stats
45 Minutes
Not sure on Mileage

Sunday, woke up to clouds and the dreaded brick workout with Steven (**sidenote- if you haven't checked out his blog lately, you gotta read his last post re: his daughter's first marathon- GREAT stuff!!). In a sign of solidarity, I brought my tri-bike even though it looked like we were going to get hit with some rain. Steven's "rain-bike" was getting some repairs so he was stuck riding his plasma. We got rain, wind and hills...but surprisingly, my lack of any riding in the last 3 weeks didn't seem to affect me too much. Even at the tail end of the ride, I was still able to ride at 21-22mph+ so all is not lost! *sigh of relief*

The run, post-bike, was another story....not as much spring in my step. Also, hard when Steven is basically on cruise control while I was puffing like a locomotive. Still the 7:20's didn't seem too bad after 70+ miles on the bike. Nice confidence boost, just need to gain some consistency going forward.

Bike Stats
72.7Miles
4:17:30 Total Time
16.9mph Ave

Transition Run
4.3 miles
31:47 Total Time
7:23 mile / pace

**Post-workout, we were treated to some really tasty oatmeal cookies made by Karen (Steven's wife). Nothing like warm cookies straight out of the oven...YUM. I'd have to say that it was the best part of the workout! :-)

Today got a swim in at lunch....again, the time off was a factor here. Upper body was revolting big time but slogged my way thru 3K.

Swim Stats
3000 yards Total
58 minutes
1 x 1500 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 1000 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills

Post work, I had time to squeeze in a quick bike ride. Not a long one and I was feeling the effects of the effort yesterday but still nice to get out there. I did throw in one solid hill effort (Unger Road) and got the HR a bit elevated but figured a quick dose of intensity wouldn't hurt since I was keeping it short.
It felt good! ;-)

Bike Stats
1:27 Total Time
17.8mph ave
25.7 miles

Aaaaah....endorphins are a good thing!

*Peace*