this weeks theme: RECOVERY

Recovery seems to be an issue. As I make this push towards RAGE and this distance I am learning all about the importance of recovery. A big thanks to Karl for posting an answer to my question about the supplement ACCELERADE. I am going to invest in some. I like what the research has demonstrated and even the literature that refutes it says that it wont harm you. Sounds like a worthwhile experiment. This weeks training will be interrupted by a flight back east for the Medicine of Running: The Triathlete, continuing education course in Charlottesville, VA. Yay for me! Thursday I will be flying, friday and saturday in class, and then flight home. I hope I am rested enough for a strong workout sunday. I will be looking forward to it.

Monday: 22.02 miles on the bike. 1:39 slow on the same hills as last week secondary to tired legs.
Tuesday: 3 mile easy run in the am 3.09 cruise at 9.23 pace for a total time of 29 flat, in the pm a swim 1750 meters here are the 250 meter splints to compare last weeks times:
5:31
5:56
5:56
6:01
6:12
6:28
6:14
42:27 total.......Whats cool is the first time I did a 1650 meter time trial I did it in 45:02. Today I did more distance in less time. 40 min seems like a doable goal for RAGE. Bike seems to be around 1:45, run 55 min. A 3:30 total goal. The bike is the limiting factor. Hmmm we'll see. QUOTE:

"Everybody is looking for instant success, but it doesn't work that way. You build a successful life one day at a time."

Lou Holtz

Ask yourself this...WHAT DID I DO TODAY TO MAKE MYSELF BETTER FOR TOMARROW?

WINDY TRAINING

Since my run on friday my legs have been rubber. Lots of wind here today but saturday was great.

Saturday: Met up with some swimmers preparing for RAGE. I didnt know it was going to be swim class. Learned some cool techniques for swimming and how to neutralize the temperature of the wetsuit and the water around me. It was the first time I can use the word comfortable in the lake. It was cold but it didnt bother me. 1000 yards open followed by the bike. The bike was my second attempt at the race course. Here are the details: 25.31 miles, 1:50:38 including not walking the bike on the big ugly hill in the middle but walking the gnarley hill at the end before I turn around and make the fast decent into where transition will be. That ride was 5 miles longer and done in less time. Next time no walking. I did take a ride and drive the run course. It will be brutal. I have my work cut out for me. I have removed the pressure of a time goal now. Be real. FINISH. Thanks a ton to Jen Grube for her help and motivation, what a rider!

SUNDAY: Long run in the wind. Not cold though BIIIIG WIIIND. Longer run than I had planned but nonetheless done. I was extremely sore and thought I could fight through it. I struggled up hill for 6 miles and down hill for 4. 10.32 miles to be exact 1:48:23. A slow 10.30 pace, was exhausted. Didnt sleep the night before and fought through it. I also ran a lot of it in the rocks since rage will be run on rocks. It was brutal. I am, again, curbing my enthusiasm with lofty time goals and try to live in the moment. JUST DO IT.

totals:
swim 2500 yards (1000 open)
ride 57.29
run 18.55



quote:

Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

a pre-weekend post

A quick note for some of the closet followers of my blog. I am hearing here and there that people are actually reading this. I would like this to be more interactive. If you read...COMMENT!! let me know what you like or dislike or disagree with or agree with...anything! I would love to hear it!

This week was good. Tuesday: Swam 1500m and tried to beat last weeks time. DID IT. here are the 250m splits like I did last week.
5:53
5:56
5:59
5:54
6:12
6:17..........35:53 some 2 min plus change faster (last week 38:04)
run 3 miles in 27:28 (9:09 pace)

WED: 18 miles in 1:23:19 reaching my max speed on a bike 35 miles per hour. Same course plus 2 miles as monday done faster and still climbing in henderson on horizon ridge area.

THURS: Stayed up too late with my brother last night so decided to skip am swim then got a migraine in the afternoon. Changed rest day to today.

FRI: run 1 mile up, 8 intervals, and 1 mile down...the goal for today was 9:30 warmup mile, 7 intervals at 8:00 on/9:30ish off, and then 9:30 cool down. here it is actually:
9:38 warm-up
on 7:48/off 9:27
11:10/929 had to wait at light, and had to change the side of the street and wait ruined this one
8:16/10:11
8:13/10:05
7:55/9:40
8:40/10:11 (up hill)
7:59/10:28 POOOPED
1.15 miles in 11:30..........................overall 9:23 pace, 5.24 miles, 49:08

Not bad. Week by week getting stronger. I had some amazing news these last few days. 2 of my wifes cousins have combined to lose nearly 100 pounds in the last few months. With a healthy diet, exercise, and a commitment to thier kids and future. Truely an inspiration and I am very proud of them. Also a runner friend of mine has begun her training to be a faster runner. I wish her luck at her race coming up in the next few months. A quote:

"You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don't run and never will... those who run but don't race...those who started training for a race but didn't carry through...those who got to the starting line but didn't in the finish line...those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you've outlasted."
- Joe Henderson

a little long but true. New runners, old runners with new goals, good runners getting better, We inspire each other to get out there and do it. I LOVE IT. Enjoy doing.

Back on my feet...

In the last few weeks I have neglected my blog. I have trained through a stomach virus and a cold with respiratory distress. So here I go:

For the week beginning Monday, March 8, 2009-Ending March 15, 2009:
Monday-rest
Tuesday-1000m swim in 25:09 in the am, 2.82 in 27:53 trail run trial with no orthotics and softball
Wednessday-Sick
Thursday-1250m swim in 28:33, too sick for run in afternoon
Friday-Rest (actually called sick for the afternoon)
Saturday-Rest
Sunday-5 mile run with walking and jogging in the wind, major stomach cramps (got it in)

total: Swim 2250m in 53:42
No bike
Run 8 miles roughly

For the week beginning monday, 3-16-09-----sunday, 3-22-09
Monday-16.2 miles in 1:13:49
Tuesday-1000m swim (cut short secondary to flu was scheduled for 1250m) 23:12, hold on run, Softballl
Wednessday-REST
Thurday-am run of approx 4 miles....1 mile warm-up 9:08, 5 intervals 8:15 on/9:30, 0.6 mile CD....In the pm 1500m swim, 250 m increments...5:46, 6:11, 6:18, 6:21, and 6:30...38:04 total I sprinted the 1st and every 5th lap right at 1:00 per lap...do ya think I got pooped?
Friday-Rest
Saturday- The day of days...can I time trial the race course at Rage? Conditions were horrible...wind very very stiff id guess 30 mph...swells about 3-4 feet in the water (julie was afraid in the kayak) so I only swam about 800 yards....MISERABLE....the ride was just a taxing, I had to cut it short. 21.13 miles. Cut the last 5 miles due to fatigue and time. My trooper of a wife still sitting there in the dust with the top down in the jeep. THANKS JULIE. so 21.13 miles in 1:42:54. Very slow. Monster wind.....oh and by the way there is a 13% grade on the middle of the course. ROUGH. Had to walk the bike. Got some work to do. And to top it all of...still fighting major cough and chest cold.
Sunday-8 mile run in 1:20:10....mile splits 9:17, 9:25, 9:21. 10:51, 10:07, 11:10, 10:08, 9:47...10:01 pace....again heavy respiratory problems in the GNARLEY wind. MISERABLE.

Totals: Swim 3300m or 2.05 miles
Bike 37.33 miles in 2:56:43
Run 12 miles in 1:57:10
51.38 total miles traveled this week

Today: 14 miles in 1:03:57 including some big hills on Horizon ridge. Need to put some time in on the bike and climb some hills. Great ride today. Id be interested in the Rage course under better conditions. This saturday another attempt. I am funny periods of confidence quickly followed by reality. Ratchet my way to what really happens. All in all I feel great. Total wegiht loss of 15 pounds since Jan. I am feeling really good about my fitness and weight. Ive got to get fitter. Can I do a 1/2 marathon in less than 2 hours? Can I do this tri in 2:45? 3 is probably more fitting but well have to see what this saturday is like for the ride. Please No WIND.

A winner is a loser who was willing to fail and get up, fail and get up, fail and get up, fail and get up and win - Peter Zafra

thats what I felt like this last 2 weeks. PERSEVERE.

Finally splits...but they are inaccurate =(

#230  M30-34  00:11:14  00:45:47  00:31:15  01:28:16

These times include transition of course...no transition times available. 
I took the longest from swim to bike and it looks like my bike time includes
this time.  My watch says 26:24 or something like that for my run so 4 min or
so of that is transition.  500 m in 11 min?  Does that mean that I can do 1650 in 30 min?
Bike is the limiting factor. 

Bring on RAGE.

LONG OVER DUE POST

Over the last 2 weeks since my last post I have had some like events take place. My wife has been sick but is well now and I flew to Eugene, OR and moved my brother back to las vegas. Welcome stepho. No splits available yet, not sure if there is some.

For the week beginning February 23-March 1, 2009
Monday-Rest
Tuesday-750 meters in 18:56, 2 mile run in 19:56 then softball
Wednesday-Rest
Thursday-1000 meter swim in 24:27, 3.32 mile run with 3 intervals at 8:15 pace then rest at 9:30 pace in 31:59
Friday-rest
Saturday-11 mile ride in 45:18
Sunday-7 miles in 1:07:03
Totals:1750 meters in 43:23
bike 11 miles in 45:18
run 12.32 miles in 1:58:18

For the week beginning Monday March 3-Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday-10.67 mile bike in 50:30
Tuesday- in the am 800 meter swim (no watch), in the pm 3 mile run (forgot watch)
Wednesday-rest
Thursday-1000 meter swim( hypoxic sets up to 5 strokes per breath and gloves), 3.72 miles 1 mile warm-up, 5 intervals at 8:15 pace and rest at 9:30, cool down 0.6 miles.....felt really strong with the faster paced run...need more of that
Fri-Rest
Saturday-was supposed to meet with a cycling coach but it was too windy, 1250 meter swim instead (no watch)
Sunday-7 mile run in 1:04:41 a 9:15 pace felt awesome, some 2:22 faster on the same course
Totals: swam 3050 meters
bike 10.67 miles in 50:53
run 13 miles recovery, intervals, and long run at 9:15 pace on the nose

2 weeks in a row the bike mileage has been poor. I am having some difficulty finding time at a safe time. Last few rides have been scary at night with drivers and debris on the road. Still learning safe routes and times. Need to get the lake. Swim is awesome, nice and confident in the water. Speed and endurance are picking up. Run too. I am sure my VDOT is outdated. been meaning to do that soon. My runs are coming along. Is under 2 hours possible in santa barbara?

"This is about doing something difficult and not stopping when it becomes not just difficult, but cold and difficult... or cold and wet and difficult... or cold and wet and dark and difficult."

-Suzy Hamilton