I'm still here but concentrating my blogging energies in a new & more appropriate direction. Hopefully I'll have an announcement in a little over a week!
Semi-structured training of 9 to 10 hours a week these days (I know what I plan to do but don't write it down). Getting prep'd for the Lancaster YMCA olympic distance triathlon on Sept 12th. I love that race and am excited to do it again in '09!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Ironman Lake Placid 2009
Spent four days completely unplugged from the grid with multisport-minded friends in
Lake Placid. Here are Steph, Jen, Ryan and I at Marcy Dam a few hours before reaching the summit of Mount Marcy. On Saturday I joined Patrick McCrann, Rich Strauss, and another EN athlete for an epic 105 mile ride looping from Lake Placid to Lake Champlain and back.
Sunday arrived early after that ride (& a few beers by the campfire)! Our training buddy Joe Ruiz had a great, great day, as you can tell from this photo. At that point he had only swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles, and ran 14 miles... Still 12 miles to go!
It's looking like another run at Lake Placid for me in 2011. Hard to watch that race and not get the fever!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Rhode Island 70.3
Finish Time 5:13:15
This was my first “big” race in two years and I was anxious to see how my body would respond after dealing with training with Afib. Based on my training metrics and evaluation of the race course, I expected to finish in about 5:10. Perfect execution would have gotten me there. My previous HIM best is 5:05 on a flat course. So, unfortunately, no PR to report, but I still had a solid day.
On The Swim… (31:21)
• The swim was delayed 25-minutes due to rough seas (!) and the buoys coming untethered. I lit a few matches in the first 400 meters of fighting the surf. I settled down by finding a good swimmer’s feet. The swim back into shore was much, much easier & I found a nice rhythm. Body surfing into the beach was an unexpected bonus.
On The Bike… (2:47:44)
• It is very difficult to maintain a low VI (for “variability index,” a measure of consistent riding in which the goal is a metric of 1.0) on a rolling hill course when you start in the 12th wave. Given the amount of blocking from folks recovering down hill, I was pleased with a VI of 1.06 (I was able to do race rehearsals at 1.04 on more difficult courses).
• Peeing in the tuck position at 38 MPH brings a smile to my face. It’s a skill, just like anything else.
On The Run… (1:48:48)
• My primary goal in this race was to run a negative split and a sub-1:45. Darn!
• I was focused until that massive hill on the second loop (mile 7+), which felt like a Mike Tyson body blow. Then my will to race began to evaporate & I battled the internal negotiation of walking & easing the pain versus pushing to the end. Ultimately my “one thing” (my main mental / verbal cue to keep me moving) paid off. I kept reminding myself that I wouldn’t forgive myself in the morning if I stopped running. I also knew that the fastest way to end the suffering was to push harder. Regardless, I was not able to negative split the run as I had hoped.
• I bought Chris G’s (an EN athlete) concept of painting parts of my feet with NuSkin in lieu of wearing socks. As the post race photo of my bloodied shoe clearly illustrates, this falls into the category of THINK FOR YOURSELF! I look at my torn up feet and can hear the voice of my wicked second grade teacher resonating in my head, “If somebody else jumped off a bridge…” But, hey, it saved like 15 seconds in transition!
On Nutrition…
• I owe the coaches and several EN athletes a beer for giving me a race nutrition wake-up call. This was the first long distance triathlon (7th at HIM distance or longer) in which I didn’t experience some form of GI issues. They’ve never been completely debilitating, but I never knew what a clear / clean system felt like during a race. I just assumed it was a sort of occupational hazard. Not so!
On Sanctioned Ironman Events…
• The level of competition at the sanctioned races is humbling.
• I really like the 70.3 distance and will hold on full IM sign-up until the stars appear aligned for another attempt. I achieved great personal / work / training balance this season & HIM provides enough of a challenge to keep me happy.
On Continued Improvement…• I need to determine if going sub-5 on a hilly course is truly enough of a motivator to elevate my cycling discipline. Focused, consistent, and hard riding is the only way I’ll get there. I can easily set a goal of getting to 4W/kg sitting at this computer… then comes the 4 am wake up call in mid-February.
• My watts are lower this year than last for good reason. I skimped on many of the bread & butter threshold repeats. Basically, if I had to do the workout on the trainer I cut it short. If it was on the road I got it done. I tried to compensate by building in two 250+ mile weeks. Those weeks helped, but the results speak for themselves – lower FTP in 2009 as compared to the consistent effort in 2008.
• That said, I think I’m still going to blame on my bike and buy a new one. Seriously, I’ve been saving my allowances and might pull the trigger this fall!
In Summary…• Racing to the best of my abilities is very cathartic, regardless of AG placing, split times, etc.
• This training season and race have provided clarity on how to deal with my on-going health issue. There’s absolutely no reason for me to hang it up. For that, I’m deeply grateful.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Early Summer Vacation
You'd never guess we're in a recession down here. Chalk this trip up as "never say never." It was actually (mostly) fun!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Training Part 2
Predictably the endorphin euphoria wore off on day #3. Joe and I covered 54 miles on our road bikes through many of the climbs in Manor Township. We climbed pretty hard, which is a necessity when the grades start exceeding 8%. I'd like to see Joe's power data as I have none. We pushed way over power threshold several times and managed to torch ourselves. Joe started to pull away from me later in the ride and would graciously slow down on the downhills. He's going to be ready for Ironman, for sure.
When I got home it was family time to eat, so I bagged my brick run. From a human perspective it was the right decision... from a training perspective it was a mistake. I tried to run later in the day and my muscles just said, "NO!" I shuffled around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour and called it a day.
Joe wanted to start at 5:30 am on Memorial Day. I had no intention of opening my eyes before 7:00, so we decided to go solo. I rolled out the door at 9:15 on my tri bike. My goal was to ride 50 miles at my half Ironman target wattages knowing that, if I could hit them while extremely fatigued, race day would be an exercise in holding back. I did great for about 40 miles... then started falling off the tracks. At first my attention span started to evaporate. This was followed by pain in my right calf. When I hopped off the bike for a short run, my calf started to rebel. I stopped and walked back into the kitchen... End of training block!
There's no way I'm going to try to push through that pain. Injury is the worst case scenario. Instead of doing my long run this morning, I did an easy swim and went back to work.
It was a great session... 254 miles in 4 days. I had hoped to compile more swimming and running hours but can't say I have any regrets. The week will surely prove a success. I'll know for sure in a couple weeks when I'm ready to test functional threshold power again.
For elites / pro / unmarried & uncommitted athletes, my four days were hardly "epic." (As an example, I've read of one particular camp that includes 14 century rides in 15 days... Heck, why don't they just ride the Tour de France instead? Not my league!) But, for me, much more training would have served only to pile drive my health and well being.
Training at home was a positive experience. I slept more, ate better, and didn't miss my family & friends so much. I do wish more folks would have joined us. It got a little lonely out there. There was also the disadvantage of feeling guilty for not getting more done around the house. I thank my family for being so incredibly supportive.
My season continues to trend in the right direction... A half marathon PR, a solid middle distance triathlon, and two big cycling weeks. Six weeks to go!
When I got home it was family time to eat, so I bagged my brick run. From a human perspective it was the right decision... from a training perspective it was a mistake. I tried to run later in the day and my muscles just said, "NO!" I shuffled around the neighborhood for 1/2 hour and called it a day.
Joe wanted to start at 5:30 am on Memorial Day. I had no intention of opening my eyes before 7:00, so we decided to go solo. I rolled out the door at 9:15 on my tri bike. My goal was to ride 50 miles at my half Ironman target wattages knowing that, if I could hit them while extremely fatigued, race day would be an exercise in holding back. I did great for about 40 miles... then started falling off the tracks. At first my attention span started to evaporate. This was followed by pain in my right calf. When I hopped off the bike for a short run, my calf started to rebel. I stopped and walked back into the kitchen... End of training block!
There's no way I'm going to try to push through that pain. Injury is the worst case scenario. Instead of doing my long run this morning, I did an easy swim and went back to work.
It was a great session... 254 miles in 4 days. I had hoped to compile more swimming and running hours but can't say I have any regrets. The week will surely prove a success. I'll know for sure in a couple weeks when I'm ready to test functional threshold power again.
For elites / pro / unmarried & uncommitted athletes, my four days were hardly "epic." (As an example, I've read of one particular camp that includes 14 century rides in 15 days... Heck, why don't they just ride the Tour de France instead? Not my league!) But, for me, much more training would have served only to pile drive my health and well being.
Training at home was a positive experience. I slept more, ate better, and didn't miss my family & friends so much. I do wish more folks would have joined us. It got a little lonely out there. There was also the disadvantage of feeling guilty for not getting more done around the house. I thank my family for being so incredibly supportive.
My season continues to trend in the right direction... A half marathon PR, a solid middle distance triathlon, and two big cycling weeks. Six weeks to go!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Epic Training in Amish Country, Report #1
Day 1: The Prologue
• Early morning swim, 1-mile.
• Group breakfast with friends from the Tri Club.
• 45 mile moderate ride with Joe and Jen. Average speed 18.5 mph on road bikes.
What an incredible day! Breakfast with my friends had its fair share of laughs. We had an amazing morning to ride, with the highlight being a tour of the Nissley Vineyards. We set up a beautiful pace line that held together the entire ride. It felt so easy, and was so enjoyable! I don’t do enough group riding!
In the afternoon I shook my legs out by taking a solo hike in Mount Gretna, then poked around town looking at real estate. Kyle played a home game at 6 pm. They lost but it was a very competitive game and… well… my son’s quite a player. He walked, singled, and doubled with the bases loaded. He pitched in relief, inheriting the bases loaded with one out in the third. He finished the game with 3-2/3 innings pitched and no earned runs. Sorry for the digression… I can’t help myself!
Nice swim, fun with friends, incredible ride, several hours of introspection, a great baseball game with my son… no e-mail, no internet, no cell phone. Pretty much the definition of a perfect day!
Day 2: The Century
• 105 mile ride with Joe on tri bikes. 5-1/2 hours, 19 mph average, 270 TSS points.
• 2 mile brick “run” on the HARC treadmill (‘cause they gots air conditioning in thar).
• 45 minutes of stretching and yoga-ing.
This day was characterized by the heat (“The heat was hot,” he sang as he crossed the desert on a Horse with No Name). When I got home and downloaded my power data I was a little surprised it said TSS = 270. I sort of expected to see something higher given my level of ouch-ed-ness (MS Word doesn’t like that word, even with hyphens added). I suppose a benefit of riding relatively fast is a lower total training stress. We’ll see how 270 points translates tomorrow when I’m ready to mount up and ride again.
I tried to nap when I got home but my body was too keyed up to settle down. I stopped fighting it and went out to cut the grass. We’re now in the car heading to my sister’s in Harrisburg (no, I’m not driving). My brother’s visiting from Pittsburgh. A picnic and a Penguins game in my very near future. These two days have been a little slice of heaven…
Will report back when able!
• Early morning swim, 1-mile.
• Group breakfast with friends from the Tri Club.
• 45 mile moderate ride with Joe and Jen. Average speed 18.5 mph on road bikes.
What an incredible day! Breakfast with my friends had its fair share of laughs. We had an amazing morning to ride, with the highlight being a tour of the Nissley Vineyards. We set up a beautiful pace line that held together the entire ride. It felt so easy, and was so enjoyable! I don’t do enough group riding!
In the afternoon I shook my legs out by taking a solo hike in Mount Gretna, then poked around town looking at real estate. Kyle played a home game at 6 pm. They lost but it was a very competitive game and… well… my son’s quite a player. He walked, singled, and doubled with the bases loaded. He pitched in relief, inheriting the bases loaded with one out in the third. He finished the game with 3-2/3 innings pitched and no earned runs. Sorry for the digression… I can’t help myself!
Nice swim, fun with friends, incredible ride, several hours of introspection, a great baseball game with my son… no e-mail, no internet, no cell phone. Pretty much the definition of a perfect day!
Day 2: The Century
• 105 mile ride with Joe on tri bikes. 5-1/2 hours, 19 mph average, 270 TSS points.
• 2 mile brick “run” on the HARC treadmill (‘cause they gots air conditioning in thar).
• 45 minutes of stretching and yoga-ing.
This day was characterized by the heat (“The heat was hot,” he sang as he crossed the desert on a Horse with No Name). When I got home and downloaded my power data I was a little surprised it said TSS = 270. I sort of expected to see something higher given my level of ouch-ed-ness (MS Word doesn’t like that word, even with hyphens added). I suppose a benefit of riding relatively fast is a lower total training stress. We’ll see how 270 points translates tomorrow when I’m ready to mount up and ride again.
I tried to nap when I got home but my body was too keyed up to settle down. I stopped fighting it and went out to cut the grass. We’re now in the car heading to my sister’s in Harrisburg (no, I’m not driving). My brother’s visiting from Pittsburgh. A picnic and a Penguins game in my very near future. These two days have been a little slice of heaven…
Will report back when able!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
NJ Devilman 2009
May 9. 0.9 mile swim, 40.3 mile bike, 8.8 mile run.
Yes, this is the heart rate profile from the New Jersey Devilman “half lite” triathlon last Saturday. I’m skeptical of the high readings during the swim. I think they might have been caused by interference from other HRMs on the athletes surrounding me. It was a crowded swim. I got pushed back early and couldn’t get clear of the pack.
The couple of blips during the bike and the nearly continuous 190+ BPM readings during the run were very real, though. The sensation is one of my chest rattling. It doesn’t affect my stride. There’s no shortness of breath, dizziness, pain, etc, only the buzzing plus a slight sense of anxiety. You can see, late in the race, where I walked aid stations. My heart would settle back into a normal rhythm and then - boing! - Back to the arrhythmia as I picked up the pace again. Most unusual is how the rhythm settled into a normal rate during my final 3 miles, as I pushed the hardest. Very odd!
The arrhythmia was probably induced by some pretty bad indigestion, which was caused by a thoughtless nutrition plan. I drank 1,000 Calories while riding - far too much for a 40 mile intense ride.
Despite my trials with palpitations and a sick gut I managed to score 3rd place in my age group, “losing” to first place by a mere 58 seconds. I did the race almost on a whim at the tail end of my first three week training block. It was my first triathlon finish in 22 months and my first real race specific fitness test since signing on to Endurance Nation. I’d say the EN philosophy’s working out just fine for me, thank you!
While placing is gratifying, I’m most pleased with my pacing execution & mental toughness. I managed to negative split the bike and run legs. Despite some serious self-doubt early on that run (during which I said to myself, “I can’t possibly race 70.3 Rhode Island in July”) I rigidly STUCK. TO. PLAN.
There’s a lot of room for improvement in other aspects of my racing, too.
I made my aero position much, much more aggressive last fall. But notice here that my forearms are dipping downward. That’s not good and is probably inducing more drag. I’ll be adjusting the aero bars before my Saturday ride. Also notice that I’m wasting the benefits of my dorky aero helmet by sticking my head up too high and tiling my head down. Those two adjustments could speed me up with zero additional fitness… “Free speed.”
Check out this AWFUL running form! This is early in the run. Check out my hand position… I’m fatigued and just not thinking.
OK, this is much better as I approach the finish line. Funny how running faster tends to improve form.
A final note is that I wasted gobs of time in transition. Gotta make them more efficient for my key race!
Onward. So pleased to be back among the racing... I love this stuff…
Yes, this is the heart rate profile from the New Jersey Devilman “half lite” triathlon last Saturday. I’m skeptical of the high readings during the swim. I think they might have been caused by interference from other HRMs on the athletes surrounding me. It was a crowded swim. I got pushed back early and couldn’t get clear of the pack.
The couple of blips during the bike and the nearly continuous 190+ BPM readings during the run were very real, though. The sensation is one of my chest rattling. It doesn’t affect my stride. There’s no shortness of breath, dizziness, pain, etc, only the buzzing plus a slight sense of anxiety. You can see, late in the race, where I walked aid stations. My heart would settle back into a normal rhythm and then - boing! - Back to the arrhythmia as I picked up the pace again. Most unusual is how the rhythm settled into a normal rate during my final 3 miles, as I pushed the hardest. Very odd!
The arrhythmia was probably induced by some pretty bad indigestion, which was caused by a thoughtless nutrition plan. I drank 1,000 Calories while riding - far too much for a 40 mile intense ride.
Despite my trials with palpitations and a sick gut I managed to score 3rd place in my age group, “losing” to first place by a mere 58 seconds. I did the race almost on a whim at the tail end of my first three week training block. It was my first triathlon finish in 22 months and my first real race specific fitness test since signing on to Endurance Nation. I’d say the EN philosophy’s working out just fine for me, thank you!
While placing is gratifying, I’m most pleased with my pacing execution & mental toughness. I managed to negative split the bike and run legs. Despite some serious self-doubt early on that run (during which I said to myself, “I can’t possibly race 70.3 Rhode Island in July”) I rigidly STUCK. TO. PLAN.
There’s a lot of room for improvement in other aspects of my racing, too.
I made my aero position much, much more aggressive last fall. But notice here that my forearms are dipping downward. That’s not good and is probably inducing more drag. I’ll be adjusting the aero bars before my Saturday ride. Also notice that I’m wasting the benefits of my dorky aero helmet by sticking my head up too high and tiling my head down. Those two adjustments could speed me up with zero additional fitness… “Free speed.”
Check out this AWFUL running form! This is early in the run. Check out my hand position… I’m fatigued and just not thinking.
OK, this is much better as I approach the finish line. Funny how running faster tends to improve form.
A final note is that I wasted gobs of time in transition. Gotta make them more efficient for my key race!
Onward. So pleased to be back among the racing... I love this stuff…
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