Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Excuse My Absence

Well i'm happy to report that i'm still alive and well. Unfortunately, the days seem to be ticking off faster then I can keep up. No time for blogging which has been a major bummer- I miss keeping up to date on all of your blogs so hopefully things will turn around here soon. It has alot to do with timing......an area that I seem to lack even a smidgen of anything resembling good luck! Just a really busy time and I just seem to keep piling it on. On top of that, I'm currently between internet providers so my free net time has been limited. I'm currently stealing a wireless connection on my work laptop from my "generous neighbors". I will correct all of this in the next week.

On the fitness front, trying to maintain some damage control but seem to be juggling too much at the current time and the workouts have had to take a back seat. I am very afraid of the damage I have done to my aerobic fitness...aaaah!! I have a 4.5 hr ride planned with Steven this weekend so should be a nice opportunity to assess the damage. On top of that, I am doing the Pac Crest 1/2 Iron in late June. Forecast is for me to get a thorough ass kicking...sprint distance, maybe oly distance races you can pretty much fake your way thru....1/2 iron distance and longer, not so much......what can I do in the next 3 weeks to limit the damage....hmmmmm. Most likely will just train thru the race without a taper since I don't think it is possible to taper from a state of inactivity.

Also- noticed and I think Tammy mentioned that my profile is loading at the bottom of my blog. Damn, I didn't even touch it and it's broken......*sigh*

Keep it rolling.....

*peace*

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Hey!!

I can't believe it's been a over a week since I've posted or actually had a chance to catch up on my fave blogs. Hope you've all been keeping it rolling out there. I don't have alot to add at this point...buried at work, buried at home.....the good news is......there is light at the end of the tunnel!! Also, a 3 day weekend on the radar- can't beat that.

For those with a Ipod Nano...here is a pretty cool collaboration between Nike & Apple...check it out if you haven't already:

www.nikeplus.com

Oh- I did get out for a nice wet run at lunch today....actually was very enjoyable...a warm rain...did a 5 mile loop and shut her down.

Run Stats
37:30
5 Miles
158 HR Ave

Now...I must go back into stealth mode....hope to be seeing you soon for more frequent updates.

*Peace*

Monday, May 15, 2006

Heatwave

I swear it's feast or famine with the weather up here.....we go from cursing the rain & cold weather that seems to always coincide with our weekends to getting hit with a blasted heatwave straight out of hell's kitchen. It was HOT today.

Sunday wasn't much better...it was warm as well but topped out in the 80's. It was slow going in the morning after the beating Steven gave me on Saturday. I wanted to get in a longer run since I have been topping out at around 6 miles since Boston. I don't want to lose all of the base I worked so hard for in the ramp up to the marathon. I've found it hard, mentally, to extend my runs though. I hit the gym and decided to do a swim / run workout. I figured the swim would provide a bit of active recovery for the legs before I hit the chip trail. At the very least, I was going to keep the run on a soft surface.

The swim was pretty uneventful. It was a lazy sunday at the pool so not to many people there. I just got in, punched the clock, and got out 3K later.

Swim Stats
3000 Yards Total
58 minutes
2 x 500 free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 1000 free
1 x 250 TI Drills
1 x 500 Free

Immediately upon exiting the water, I rinsed off, changed into my running gear and hit the chip trail around the campus. At this point, it was around 80 degrees and much warmer then any other day I have laced up my kicks this year. Also, surprised that the swim kinda put me in a semi-fatigued state. At 2 laps (4miles), I was already talking myself out of the 8 miles I had planned for the day. Mentally, this is a good workout since I was running by my car after each 2-mile lap. It was hot, I was tired, and I really wanted to quit after the 3rd lap. I found myself a quarter mile past my car before I was finally able to quiet my "inner-quitter".

After the 4th lap, I hit the timer on my watch and took 3-4 steps toward my car and here's where it gets strange. I don't know if it was delerium or a semi-bonk, but I turned around and hit the trail for one more loop. I guess just wanting to prove to myself that I could push pass the point where I had already resigned myself to stopping. I definitely don't want to lose that battle during a race....especially during an ironman where there are so many highs and lows throughout a long day. So many chances to back off the pace on the bike, to walk during the marathon...to stop pushing.

Once you allow yourself to give into that weakness, it gets easier every time doesn't it??

We've all been there.....granted there are times where you have to slow down....heat, extreme cramping, nauseau etc....but often times, it is just a decision we make.....to stop the pain, to get more comfortable........plenty of time for comfort later....if you are going to toe the line, be ready to give 100% of whatever you have in the tank that day!

Run Stats
1:17 Total Time
5 x 2 mile
Lap 1: 15:32
Lap 2: 15:38
Lap 3: 15:32
Lap 4: 15:47
Lap 5: 15:07
158 HR Ave

Back to today, I thought it was warm yesterday but today it hit another level. I didn't realize how hot it was when I got out for my afternoon run. I remember thinking how warm it was on the way to the gym but it didn't sink in until I was half way around the chip trail. Hot and muggy....crap running conditions. I'm glad I pushed through the workout yesterday because it made it easier to hit the loops today. I did a total of 5 miles before calling it quits.

Couple of tips- don't wear a black coolmax T on a hot day and check the temps before heading out on a warm day. After I got back to work, I checked the net and found out I was running in a nice and balmy 92 degrees! Typically used to running in 60 degree temps until a short time ago so pretty extreme change. I checked the forecast for the next 10 days and it looks like we have another 7 days of rain headed our way Friday......feast or famine......

Run Stats
41 minutes Total
5 miles

*Peace*

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Brick Workout.....Finally

Solid workout today...I didn't expect anything less. We rolled out at 7:30am to follow the same loop we did last week so I knew it was going to be HILLY.

H - I - L - L - Y

Talk about a ride that can rip your legs off.....Steven has put together a nice mix of hills in all their forms.....the steep kickers that you need to stand and muscle yourself over as your tachometer starts to inch its way into the red zone, the long extended seated climbs that you grind up in the saddle as your knees beg for mercy, the rollies with a mix of flats / hills. Since I have neglected the gym this season, this climb-fest can provide my "on-bike lifting".We rolled out on the tri-bikes since the weather was awesome today...blue skies and not too much wind until later in the day. We definitely dialed up the intensity today. For the whole ride, whenever we hit the flat sections we were rolling at 20mph+...often at 22-23mph+....solid day. Nice when you can work with someone to keep each other honest out there. It made it alot easier to maintain pace / intensity. Since we were riding much faster today, we looped on a few extra miles to finish out the day. Two thumbs up on the ride-o-meter!

Bike Stats
4:15 Total Time
72.7 Miles
17.05 MPH Ave
137 HR Ave

I was not looking forward to my first brick this season or actually in the last two years. I think the last time I ran off the bike was at IM Canada in 2004. The fact that I have neglected the bricks was weighing heavily on me...on top of that, I was running with Steven who is pretty darn quick! What the hell though, I would have to do it sooner or later and no better way then to test the fitness by running following such a tough ride. My running was definitely choppy from the get-go but we started going at a fairly good clip. I didn't realize until Steven mentioned that we were running a sub-7 pace at the two mile point, that we were running that fast. I was definitely suprised since, optimistically, I thought I could maybe hit some 8:30's. Of course I was breathing like a friggen locomotive while Steven was cruising along but was able to keep it in Z2 until my heart rate drifted into low Z3 in the last mile. Maybe it was just my lucky day and all the stars were aligned for this particular run. There has to be some reason for me running 6:50's because I shouldn't be running that pace off a tough bike ride. All in all, an excellent training day.THANKS Steven!

Brick Run Stats * corrected*
4.2 Miles Total?
28:53
6:52 / mile pace
165 HR Ave

*Peace*

Friday, May 12, 2006

Forecast Looks Good

Tomorrow's weather forecast is calling for a high of 71 deg with 0% chance of rain. A bit chilly in the am but I'll take it. Those conditions warrant some solid training and I plan to rip off a chunk tomorrow with Steven. We should get in a solid ride and a possible run after. He seems pretty confident regarding the brick run after so I guess I shouldn't "forget" my running shoes tomorrow.

Looking forward to a great ride with a ton of hills- Ready, Steady. Go!

Thursday, was a strange day. I didn't get a chance to workout at lunch due to an outlook calendar stuffed with meetings. *sigh* Post-work, I joined a group of friends for a dinner that had been re-scheduled several times. I figured it wouldn't be a good idea to skip it again. It ended up being a good time so glad I went.

Fridays are always great....a little more relaxed at work...anticipation of a great weekend ahead...I had a nice easy run at lunch ...a bit later so was nice to loop the campus several times with just a few runners.

Run Stats
6 Miles Total
46:12
3 x 2 mile loop
15:27
15:29
15:16

Post work, I ended up at the gym for a swim. It was struggle actually heading to the gym when I really wanted to drive as fast as possible the other way. I am not feeling the swimming lately...or I should say in the one swim I had recently. In one month of skipped swim workouts I have gone from cruising through some steady workouts without any arm/shoulder fatigue to almost falling apart during a 2500 yrd workout. NOT GOOD

If you have built up anything resembling swim endurance, make sure you do the maintenance work. It sucks to start from square one. Well probably not from scratch but I was definitely having to make an effort today. It was all the worse because I was sandwiched between two gals who were seriously kicking my ass. They would usually leave me in their wake even though I would try to hug the lane line as they passed and try to get some weak draft...it wasn't happening. I knew I was done when the gal on my left was passing me while doing the backstroke. I almost reached out and grabbed her legs but I'm sure she wouldn't have seen the humor in that. It's ok though...just a few more workouts under my belt and I should be back to my semi-mediocre form. I did get a couple pair of new jammers though....no threadbare moons being thrown out by me in the pool....trust me, that's a good thing.

Swim Stats
3000 yrds
1:01 Total Time
3 x 500 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
2 x 500 Free
1 x 250 Drills

Turn it on this weekend people- have a gooder!

*peace*

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Squeezed In A Couple Workouts

I made it through hump day with no major speed wobbles. I decided that today was going to be a workout day regardless of my HUGE to-do list so dropped everything at 12pm to run. I even got a semi-celebrity sighting on the way to gym as I caught Alberto Salazar and Adam Goucher having a chat on the Ronaldo Soccer Field. Alberto typically has his athletes run their loops around the perimeter of the field...not sure if Goucher is coached by Salazar but looked as if he just got in a run.

I wanted to keep my run on the easier side so went off campus to run thru the Tualatin Nature Park. Often, while running on the chip trail alongside other people, it is easier to get caught up in the "push" around the trail and end up running 20-30 seconds per mile faster then you intended. Run went well

Run Stats
38:30
5 miles / 7:40 pace
159 HR Ave

Post work, I headed out for a ride on the tri-bike. I headed out at 6:20pm and it was 75 degrees. *thank you weather gods* As the tri season looms ahead, I realized that I really need to focus on the focus. As in, being able to drop into the aero position and keep pushing a steady pace for hours. I am definitely not there yet but figure I can start pushing the duration on a weekly basis, assuming I get on the bike in time. I was pushing it a bit tonight as my ride home was a bit sketchy. It was pushing 8:20 when I unclipped.

The ride went well. I made it a priority to keep it steady in the aerobars and only push when I was forced to....whenever I hit the false flats / hills or wind. I try to keep this ride on the flats but alot of rolling terrain around here. For the most part, was rolling at 22-23mph but those darn winds and hills on the back end of my ride always suck my average speed into the toilet. No worries though, just need to work on moving the curve higher on the speed / duration. I had some slight tightness in my right hip flexor but it seems to be fine off the bike- will have to keep an eye on that.

Bike Stats
40 miles
1:59 Total Time
20.1 mph ave

*peace*

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Tired

Sunday blends into Monday blends into Tuesday....it's turning out to be one of those weeks.....I will be a very happy man once we hit June.

Not much in the workout dept but noting them for the record......whew, things can only get better eh

Monday
Swim- just checked and haven't completed a swim workout since 4/5....definitely felt clumsy in the pool...looks like it is going to take some time to get that glide back....

Swim Stats
2500 Yards Total
44 minutes
2 x 500 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills
2 x 500 Free
1 x 250 TI Drills

** Tip...make sure you check your swim trunks often. Chlorine is a lycra killer and after feeling particularly "free" as I exited the pool, I inspected my trunks post swim and noticed that the whole rear section was pretty threadbare.....not good

Tuesday
Couldn't get out today to sneak in a workout....either a meeting or meeting prep during the day didn't give me a clear window...major bummer. I did get out post-work for a run...nice to have some company on the chip trail...alot of people out running today.

Run Stats
6 miles
43:48
3 x 2 Miles
14:48
14:38
14:21
166 HR Ave (Z2)

2.4 mile swim**** 112 mile bike***26.2 mile run
Do you feel me?
http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/ironman/video/kona2004/nbcteaser.wvx

*peace*

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Hill-O-Rama

I don't think I'll ever figure out the weather up here in Oregon. All week we had beautiful weather with sunny and warm conditions. Anyone that happened to catch the pics in my Thursday post could see the great weather we were experiencing only three days ago. I remember thinking that we had finally turned a corner and would be seeing sunny skies for a bit. I was wrong.

It all seemed like a distant memory as I threw on the shorts, bib-tights, under-shirt, jersey, arm-warmers, jacket, winter gloves, shoes, and booties. Cold, rainy, and windy- that's how we roll in the 503......I seriously thought Steven would give his legs a rest after kicking some serious ass at the Hagg Lake Road Race yesterday, but that guy is on a mission. His "Hilly Ride" was on schedule today and damnit he was going to do it regardless of the weather or beat-up legs.

We rolled out at 7:30am and right into some wind. It seemed like we were either getting buffeted by strong winds or climbing a hill on the ride today...sometimes we got both! Also, strange to be on my heavy steel cross-bike after riding the tri-bike for awhile. Aero to upright...strange. I am not familiar with all of the routes we took today but if there was a hill in the vicinity, Steven made sure we climbed it. We crested Bald Peak and it was especially nasty up there - It felt about 10 degrees colder with wind and fog. We didn't spend too much time up there enjoying the scenery today. We also took a loop around Hagg Lake which is a series of extended hills & rollers. I don't know how Steven managed to ave 6:23 running around that course - shite!

I actually made a concentrated effort to maintain the calories going in to avoid any bonking issues today so I'm happy to report that I didn't have any issues in that department. After spending close to 5 hours in the weather, we decided to bag the post-bike run. Steven didn't have to twist my arm on that one.

Not quite sure of the stats. I'll have to check with Steven but I think the following is close...I think we did close to 5 hours and 68miles?

Bike Stats -
HILLS
4:46 Total Time
68.2 miles
14.2mph ave

I just checked the weather and it looks like sunny skies for the next 4 days. Thank you weather gods for bringing in the nasty stuff over the weekend!

*Peace*

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Friday / Saturday Workouts

Hope the weekend is treating everyone ok....I don't have much so I'll keep it short. Friday, was pretty buried at work so all I could do was get out for a short run. It was a pretty muggy day....clouds started rolling in and coupled with the warmer weather = not too optimal running conditions. I guess it could have been worse so I won't complain.

Run Stats
Chip Trail
38:30
5 miles
162 HR Ave

Today I had planned on going for a long run but, with rain in the forecast for tomorrow, I decided to take the tri-bike out for a spin. It looks like I'll be riding the ole battleship in some wet weather tomorrow. I am trying to spend as much time as possible on the tri-bike to get used to the aero position. I'm still dealing with a sore neck / shoulders as my body fights the change in position from the typical roadie set-up. It gets better each ride so just putting in the miles. Today wasn't too bad but I didn't spend too much time out there.

Bike Stats
2:35
50.7 Miles
19.5 MPH
142 HR ave

*Peace*

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Thirsty Thursdays

I got to work today and had a voice mail from Adam Goucher. Ok, it was broadcast out to everyone's voice mail on campus but it was still pretty cool. I totally forgot that today was the "Annual Nike Mile" running event at the Michael Johnson Track. Goucher was part of the elite race that was shooting for a sub-4 minute mile and he was reminding everyone to head out to the track to join in the festivities. Pretty nice that they worked it in to the first "Thirsty Thursday" of the summer. Every Thursday, during the summer, the beers are flowing and the music is rocking for different afternoon events on campus. It couldn't have coincided with a more beautiful day - warm, sunny, and beautiful. I took the picture above as I was walking to the track at 4pm. I was concerned that the wind would be an issue but the track is hidden a bit behind the berm so it protected the guys from the brunt of it.

Random pics so I'll comment below *click on pics for better image*.

First of all, I am disappointed that I didn't get any good pics of the kids racing. They had an 8-10 yr old division & a 11-13 yr old division. It was great!! Those kids were working it. Especially the 8-10 yr olds...alot of them didn't have any sense of pace. They would redline until they ran out of steam, then slow down and go again.....cheeks flushed....huffing and puffing...I loved it! Amazing too that the winner of the 8-10yr olds came flying in at around a 6:15 finish. The 11-13 yr old winner came in at around 5:17 finish...amazing stuff. Of course, don't hold me to the finish times...I think I am in the ballpark but with the beers.....hmmm...my memory goes...I am such a lightweight with the drinking.

The pic below is from the "Competitive Mile" for employees racing in the 4 - 6 minute range. You had to love the guy who toed the line, shirtless, in brown dress pants and a different shoe on each foot. He was yucking it up for the crowds and finished in a respectable 5:07. Post race, he walked around the perimeter taking bows, etc. Hilarious stuff...maybe you had to be there...but he had the crowd going.



These two guys ran in front for the whole race (competitive employee mile). The guy in blue ran a smart race. He hung on the other leaders shoulder, just a few paces behind, until the final two hundred then dropped the hammer to win by a pretty good margin. Again, a bit hazy but I think his finish time was just under 4:30. Now you see why I was sitting on the sidelines taking pics and drinking beers while the real runners were out there pushing it!;-)


The pic below is from the start of the elite mile. That is Goucher on the far left. As these guys warmed up on the track, you couldn't help but marvel at their technique....a few of them looked like they were just floating across the track...beautiful stuff.


BLAST OFF!!!!



The MJ track is pretty cool. There is a large grove of trees in the center of the track so the guys would disappear behind the trees for a bit before emerging on the other end. This is the end of the first lap with one guy off the front- I think he came thru right at 59 seconds...the rest all came charging across at 1 minute. They were FLYING!! See the tents in the background...Beer!!:-)


This is the finish of the race. I was pulling for Goucher but Alex Kipchirchir had a pretty amazing kick in the tail end of the race. He finished in 3:57 with Goucher right behind. They were followed by 2-3 more guys who finished under the 4 minute window.


The thrill of victory....check out Kipchirchir's physique...built for running FAST or what?!


Goucher post race....I wonder what he was thinking...whatever, he was pretty amazing out there today.


Elite results
Men 1 Mile Run==================================
1 Kipchirchir, Alex 3:57.35
2 Goucher, Adam 3:58.21
3 Achon, Julius 3:58.93
4 Jabault, Jason 3:59.07
5 Birmingham, Collis 3:59.84
6 Sorenson, James 4:02.66
7 Chirchir, Cornelius 4:02.99
8 Hatch, James 4:04.56
9 Kelaly, Mitch 4:06.54
10 Symmonds, Nick 4:07.34
11 Schwabe, Clay 4:08.61
Yego, Alfred DNF
Hoffman, Paul DNF

Overall, I would have to give the first Thirsty Thursday a big thumbs up. Great weather, Beers, and running....and Beers. ;-) Yes, I tried going back to work for a bit but it wasn't happening. Hard to get back in work mode after the festivities.

I ended up going for a run...definitely felt motivated after watching the elites.

Run Stats
5 miles Rolling Course
37:10
168 HR Ave

Unfortunately my pace was pretty pedestrian. What the hell though, I was out there. That's all that matters!

*Peace*


Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Get The Balance Right

Anyone leave the lights on for me? :-)

I almost got sucked into the endless work vortex. We have been very busy with our year-end close and it only looks to get worse in the next month. Monday and Tuesday were pretty much a blur. I didn't get a chance to work out at all which really sucked with the beautiful weather we have been experiencing. I felt like a mole for the brief periods I ran out to get lunch and some java across the campus. **Ouch that sunlight hurts** Everyone lounging outside....you can always tell the change in seasons at Nike when the tables and chairs suddenly surface in the quad......yes, a slight twinge of jealousy walking past all the people just relaxing and enjoying the rays. For me it was a quick run thru the cafe to get lunch which I wolfed down at my desk....I left work last night at 8:10pm.....regardless of how much you love your job or the company you work for, that is definitely a recipe for burnout.

I decided I really need to focus on maintaining some balance. You miss your window..your opportunity and before you know it, you can end up stuck in an endless stream of inactivity which builds and builds and becomes a force in and of itself. At that point, it can be very difficult to throw on the brakes. I was there last year and it is not a good thing. I made it a point to get out today. I dropped everything at 11:30am and headed out for a run. It felt really good to get out there today, even for a short one. I definitely needed it

Run Stats
5 miles
36:10
167 HR Ave (Z2)

After staying at work until after 8 the previous night, I decided that I would do the tuck and roll....sneak out of work tonight. The weather was too nice...the sun is out waaay too late now to leave my bike just leaning against a wall today. Finally left work around 6pm and was rolling out on my bike around 6:40pm. The only bummer was the BRUTAL WIND at this time.....pushing into a strong headwind is not my idea of fun but figured you don't get stronger on the bike by pushing easy workouts. I definitely pushed it on this ride....kept the intensity up and pushed the bigger gears into the WIND......it hurt.....but it was "good hurt"....you can all relate right? Regardless of how you choose to raise your heart rate, it's good to push every once in awhile. It definitely makes you feel alive!

Bike Stats
30.4 Miles
1.5 Hrs
20.2 MPH
158 HR Ave

*Peace*