I wasn't nearly as disciplined on the bike this off season as I was on the run. Seeing some nice running gains I decided it's time to get in my first big biking week. The numbers aren't huge like the Lake Placid camps, but I'm sure big enough to give me a significant boost in aerobic fitness and functional power. Here's a snapshot of my week:
Saturday: 40+ miles with Joe R (who's training for Ironman). It was supposed to be an easy aerobic prologue. It turned into a Joe and Dan ego-fest! Why does that always seem to happen? :-) Something like 2,500 feet of climbing as Joe & I took turns pounding each other.
Sunday: 65-ish miles with Joe. He started out fast again! I stayed with him for the first 25 miles and then slowly started to melt down. I limped in the last 10 miles. 4,000 feet of climbing.
Monday: 50 miles with Joe. Punishing head and cross winds, but what a difference a day makes! I convinced Joe to ride slowly for the first 25, then we tempo'd it home. How could I be so strong after bonking the previous day? Funny thing about these epic weeks...
Tuesday: Drive to work in AM and work 'til 3:30, then bike it home! 42 very easy recovery miles. Ahhhhh!!!
Tomorrow I'll end the week with my commute to work in the AM. Hope to split it as 21 miles easy & 21 tempo.
So I'll get something like 15 hours of cycling in 5 days. That after riding an hour or so per week for 3 weeks! Of course I'm a little sore and tired, but I had enough reserve fitness to pull this off.
Annual visit to the electro-physiologist next Monday... Keeping fingers crossed!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Say Goodbye, Mr. Monkey
I finally knocked the monkey off my back by completing the Caesar Rodney half marathon this morning – my first race finish of any kind since July 2007. It was a good day, indeed.
I was afraid it wasn’t going to work out. Saturday morning I took my time waking up before an easy three mile run. I ate a small breakfast and downed a nice big mug-and-a-half of what was intended to be decaffeinated coffee. I headed out on my run feeling a little edgy. Though jogging easily I was battling heart palpitations. When home I went straight to the pantry and pulled the coffee off the shelf. It read, “Starbucks Cafee Verona Bold.” DOH!!! I thought that stuff was gone! I felt like I was on speed! It’s funny now, but I spent the day trying to flush my system of the toxin.
So I showed up this morning with three goals, depending on how things played out:
• Primary goal: Finish the darn race! Don’t take finishing for granted.
• Goal #2: If the first goal is in the bag, dial in a PR. For me a PR would constitute a pace of less than 7:30 per mile.
• Goal #3: If I’m having a spectacular day, dial in a sub 1:35:00. A stretch goal, for sure, but my speed work indicated it was within the realm of possibility.
I didn’t wear a heart rate strap this morning because I just didn’t want to fixate on my heart. My sense of pacing is good and I was more comfortable just hitting the “lap” button at each mile split.
As in two years ago I wanted to establish a relatively comfortable pace and treat the race as a 10 mile run followed by a hard 5k. It went exactly as I had hoped. Mile 1 @ 7:30, miles 2 thru 5 at 7:34, mile 6 @ 7:18, etc. I was comfortable and my heart rate was in perfect equilibrium. I reached the 10 mile marker, with most of the major climbing behind me, at 1:15:29 (7:33/mile pace) and knew my PR was within reach if I could kick it in. I did – running the final 5k at a 6:57/mile pace. Final time = 1:37:04, or a 7:25/mile pace. Goal #2 achieved!
Nobody will ever mistake me for Alberto Salazar but, nevertheless, I’m a happy man today. I PR’d at age 41… on a hilly course… in March… while managing a heart arrhythmia. Maybe that caffeine jolt did me some good! Thanks to the Hempfield Tri Club folks (14 of us!) who were evidently very happy for me today. Also thanks to my friends at Endurance Nation - for a great “out season” plan and providing the camaraderie necessary to push hard through the winter months.
I was afraid it wasn’t going to work out. Saturday morning I took my time waking up before an easy three mile run. I ate a small breakfast and downed a nice big mug-and-a-half of what was intended to be decaffeinated coffee. I headed out on my run feeling a little edgy. Though jogging easily I was battling heart palpitations. When home I went straight to the pantry and pulled the coffee off the shelf. It read, “Starbucks Cafee Verona Bold.” DOH!!! I thought that stuff was gone! I felt like I was on speed! It’s funny now, but I spent the day trying to flush my system of the toxin.
So I showed up this morning with three goals, depending on how things played out:
• Primary goal: Finish the darn race! Don’t take finishing for granted.
• Goal #2: If the first goal is in the bag, dial in a PR. For me a PR would constitute a pace of less than 7:30 per mile.
• Goal #3: If I’m having a spectacular day, dial in a sub 1:35:00. A stretch goal, for sure, but my speed work indicated it was within the realm of possibility.
I didn’t wear a heart rate strap this morning because I just didn’t want to fixate on my heart. My sense of pacing is good and I was more comfortable just hitting the “lap” button at each mile split.
As in two years ago I wanted to establish a relatively comfortable pace and treat the race as a 10 mile run followed by a hard 5k. It went exactly as I had hoped. Mile 1 @ 7:30, miles 2 thru 5 at 7:34, mile 6 @ 7:18, etc. I was comfortable and my heart rate was in perfect equilibrium. I reached the 10 mile marker, with most of the major climbing behind me, at 1:15:29 (7:33/mile pace) and knew my PR was within reach if I could kick it in. I did – running the final 5k at a 6:57/mile pace. Final time = 1:37:04, or a 7:25/mile pace. Goal #2 achieved!
Nobody will ever mistake me for Alberto Salazar but, nevertheless, I’m a happy man today. I PR’d at age 41… on a hilly course… in March… while managing a heart arrhythmia. Maybe that caffeine jolt did me some good! Thanks to the Hempfield Tri Club folks (14 of us!) who were evidently very happy for me today. Also thanks to my friends at Endurance Nation - for a great “out season” plan and providing the camaraderie necessary to push hard through the winter months.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tri for Life 09
Local athletes, please sign up for the Hempfield Triathlon Club's "Tri for Life," on Sunday, April 19. New this year... a duathlon for the hydrophobic! Also new... Chip timing! As a recovering manual timing captain all I can say about the chip timing is IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! Manual timing and triathlons are not made for each other. Let me know if you have any questions about the race. This will be our fourth year - long enough for us to call it an "annual" event!
http://www.hempfieldtri.com/
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Recommended Reading
Endurance Nation's having a membership drive. They're closing the doors for '09 membership on May 1. Here's a free download... http://216.153.181.230/owa/redir.aspx?URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.endurancenation.us%2fnews%2fpwrbook1.html
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lenten Discipline
I'm sticking to my goals two weeks into Lent, so am thinking it's safe to share what's up...
First off, I have more free time on my hands now than at any time in the past several years. No kids' sports until later this month and basketball has been over for a while. What a huge difference this makes!
With evenings available I'm a little surprised that I haven't had to fight the temptation to fill time with hard training. Instead I've been sticking to a steady diet of 5 runs per week with a few core training sessions and a bike ride or two. I peaked at about 40 miles per week and have been taking my resolution to take ample recovery time seriously. I'm tapering this week for Sunday's half marathon.
So what have I been doing? For one - dusting off my trumpet. I've been playing every night with the goal of rehearsing 40 times through Lent. Playing the horn is very similar to athletic training - you're just training trumpet playing muscles instead of running & cycling muscles. I really want to be strong for Easter services this year. It has been a great outlet. I'm definitely a more gifted trumpeter than endurance athlete!
Time with the boys, reading, and working... those are my other activities these days. You won't hear me complaining about work. Better to be working 50+ hour weeks than none at all.
My other vows are alcohol and caffeine abstinence. Alcohol is pretty easy anymore... I allow myself one drink per week - usually in a social situation. Caffeine is going well, too. I had three "no caffeine" days last week. At first I struggled with caffeine withdrawal, but seem to be past that barrier now. The most I've had in two weeks is half a cup of real coffee in the AM and a Diet Coke in the PM. I'm definitely not as high strung without the caffeine... Those closest to me are hoping I give it up for good!
First off, I have more free time on my hands now than at any time in the past several years. No kids' sports until later this month and basketball has been over for a while. What a huge difference this makes!
With evenings available I'm a little surprised that I haven't had to fight the temptation to fill time with hard training. Instead I've been sticking to a steady diet of 5 runs per week with a few core training sessions and a bike ride or two. I peaked at about 40 miles per week and have been taking my resolution to take ample recovery time seriously. I'm tapering this week for Sunday's half marathon.
So what have I been doing? For one - dusting off my trumpet. I've been playing every night with the goal of rehearsing 40 times through Lent. Playing the horn is very similar to athletic training - you're just training trumpet playing muscles instead of running & cycling muscles. I really want to be strong for Easter services this year. It has been a great outlet. I'm definitely a more gifted trumpeter than endurance athlete!
Time with the boys, reading, and working... those are my other activities these days. You won't hear me complaining about work. Better to be working 50+ hour weeks than none at all.
My other vows are alcohol and caffeine abstinence. Alcohol is pretty easy anymore... I allow myself one drink per week - usually in a social situation. Caffeine is going well, too. I had three "no caffeine" days last week. At first I struggled with caffeine withdrawal, but seem to be past that barrier now. The most I've had in two weeks is half a cup of real coffee in the AM and a Diet Coke in the PM. I'm definitely not as high strung without the caffeine... Those closest to me are hoping I give it up for good!
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