1 week Post

First and foremost I must thank my fellow bloggers who commented on last weeks race report. The people who love me dont really get it. Funny how perfect strangers with an unbiased opinion go out of their way to send a kind word. Well they mean a lot. I feel a lot better about the race now. When I posted that report it was still quite raw. Now that I have a little distance I am a lot more proud of my accomplishment. I raced a harder race with more harsh conditions than last year and I was faster and more competent. I have to realize that people travel from all over the place to race this race, so how can I compare myself to them? Silverman marks the 2 year anniversary of beginning cycling. It IS a half iron distance too. Not only that, but I have recovered incredibly fast compared to last year. Here are a few notes I want to remember for next time.

One; the 3 weeks taper was perfect. I felt well rested. However, during that 3 weeks I need to watch my food intake. Cannot eat like I was training super hard. Three; perfect recovery session. 5 laps swimming in a cold pool, 5 min of jacuzzi with quad sets, glut sets, calf pumps, press-ups, rotation, and hughstons, jacuzzi, swim 5 laps, jacuzzi, and swim 5 laps. I went from a 7/10 soreness to a 2/10 by the next morning. Not sore after 2 days. Last year I ran vegas as a half (in early dec) and I was still sore. Fourth; I need to do a half iron away from silverman. Its not fair. I mean it is a ridiculous bike and run. What is another bike course like? How would I perform on another stage? My Ironman dreams are still on hold while I sort this out. Here is how the week went:

Tuesday-Contrast bath swim/jacuzzi. 750 meters total.

Wednesday-4 mile swim. Good cardio, limited push, felt great. I couldnt wait to run.

Thursday-5 mile run. In the cold head wind.

Friday-Rest

Saturday-Basketball. Felt great to do something different. Sore back though.

Sunday (today)-10 mile run. Up hill run for 6 of the 10 and was able to keep sub 9 min miles on the flat/down parts. Overall, cold/hard run. Felt decent. My back as a little sore at times. Quote:

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

Peter F. Drucker

Did plenty of that and looking forward to the other thing.

Silverman 2010: Half Iron race report

My streak of PR's is still alive. I am struggling to put this race into words. I use this blog as a diary and a method of connecting with other athletes. I have been putting in the time and effort to have a huge race. I didnt have a huge race. I needed the extra fitness and I am a better athlete for it but I am just not happy. The only mistake I made all day was not having my watch charged. ROOKIE mistake. All day not knowing where my heart rate was or my pace. Here is how it plays out.

The Swim: Last year 44:00, this year goal 45:00, actual 51:00

With the new swim venue I was wondering what would be different this year. The new swim venue is Lake Las Vegas which is a pretty little community of homes that are set around this man made lake. The water was very, very cold. The visibility was poor. The swimming lane was quite narrow and was the most physical swim I have been a part of. Including an elbow to the back of the head, which at the moment didnt seem like that big of a deal, but I had a small cut. No biggies. I had some stomach issues that carried over to the bike but didnt necessarily carry over to bad performance. I didnt put a whole lot of time into the swim because I thought the bike and run were just so much more important. I dont like swimming enough to get super technical with it and really work on it. I was a much more efficient swimmer than last year. Last year I went out waaaay to fast on the swim to get that 44:00. Which is so slow. The end of the swim was me getting pulled out of the water and then quickly had my wet suit ripped off. Wetsuit strippers are amazing.

T1: Last year 7:52, this years goal: 5:00, actual: 8:35.

So frustrated with this time. I was so foggy. I had a little hamstring cramp. It is a new venue and there was a lot to run. Covered 3 times the distance compared to last years t1. I dont know what to say, except it was too damn slow.

Bike: Last year 4:15:42, this years goal: 3:50, actual 4:14:46

Really? 25 min slow? I didnt take into account the difficulty of this course compared to last years. I certainly didnt expect the 25 mph or so head wind. Sure last year I couldnt climb the sisters and I did all 3 this time. But I am so disappointed with this time. I did a much harder course, with wind, and it was faster than last year but it is 2nd slowest bike split in my age group. I fought back lower back spasm and quad cramps the whole way. I ate a buch of pretzels or just licked the salt off. It really helped the cramps. I still felt like I pounded. The times away from the wind were faster or on track with training. One thing is we cannot control the elements. Moral victory here but I would like better results.

T2: Last year 8:19, this years goal: 4:00, actual: 6:29

not too bad. But sheesh what have I been doing? Why arent I faster? I was starting to get pissed. WHY AM I GOING SO SLOOOOW. It sure felt good to stand. My legs were still cramping up a bit. Am I in trouble for this run? What will I do if I am slower than last year? I am gonna have melt down if I am actually slower. Off I go.

Run: Last year 2:55:16, this years goal: 2:20, actual: 2:47

These running legs are not happening. The first 4 miles as I am trying to use my mathematical skills, am I going to be worse than last year? I dont know what I am going to do if I am worse than last year is all I kept thinking. The cramps slowly start to subside and I starting to pick it up. I can feel my running conditioning taking over. I start to think I am ok. I start to run a lot more. I wish I had my watch. I bet I had a 20 min negative split. I felt so much stronger than last year. I ran so much more and faster when I did run. I passed a lot of people that I was going back and forth with. I could have kept running if I needed to. I actually got stronger as the run went on. I took gatorade and water at every aid station. I tried chicken broth and I really liked it. From mile 4 to the finish I had no cramps just fatigue. I never had any pain per se. I just felt so much stronger.

Overall: Last year: 8:11:17, this years goal: 7:00, actual 8:08:01

WOW. Really? It is actually hard to write this all down. I am slightly ashamed. ASHAMED? about finishing a half Iron distance triathlon TOO SLOOW? Not just any triathlon either. This race course is RIDICULOUS. I need to race somewhere else. May be I am being unfair to myself. I just do not want to be a finisher. I want to be in the mix. I want to be fast. May be thats just not me? I dont know. I needed every bit of the fitness I gained this last year to be 3 min faster? I am not ok with that. It continues to be an issue for me. May be my goal setting is screwed up? May be I need a cycling coach. To the people who are not familiar with triathlon its a crazy event. Its not crazy to me. I hate being 4th to last in my division. Losing by 2 and half hours. I just need some time to goal set. I like training. I like to challenge myself.

Thanks:

I would to thank all my "groupies." I will post some pics in the next few days. Every body came out in full effect. It is was very special to me to have all of you out there. Its a long day to watch one of these events. I appreciate it. Thanks Karl for always looking out for me.

The Big T

Taper. I read a lot blogs and everyone is on break. Offseason. I am having this weird battle inside my head. I read last years blog at this time and I did not comment on that. I know what is in store for me and I have met all of last years goals. All of them. I have put in more miles, a lot faster, and I am closer to the body I want. YET, I am almost freaking out. LOL. Its weird. I cannot stop thinking and evaluating. My work should account for itself but its not. I am amped up. I need to sleep and the last 2 nights I didn't. I cannot predict what is happening but I am right there going over all the details in my head. What if it doesn't turn out right? Every race I did this year was a PR. That is a huge streak and a tribute to my hard work then why am I not feeling it?

I had friday off and my wife and I decided to head out of town. We went to St. George, Utah about 2 hours east of Vegas. I rode about 20 miles or so of the IM course and I can rule that one out. The view was awesome but the ride absolutely was miserable. I cannot believe that is race course. I felt like I rode on a tuning fork for an hour and a half. I turned back sooner then I wanted to secondary to wind (a lot of it), rain, and hail. Very cold. Miserable. Here is my week by the numbers:

Monday-Easy Run 4

Tuesday-Went to Lake Las Vegas and swam the lake. About 20-30 min or so. No distance or time avail. Cold. Dirrty, lol. Not horrible though. Definitely doable.

Wednesday-Pushed a ride.

Thursday-5 mile run.

Friday-Hiked Zion.

Saturday-30 mile bike on IM St. George. My legs felt like jello. It was miserable. Shouldn't I feel good today?

Sunday-Easy semi-long run. 8 miles on the 3 rivers trail right next to the virgin river. It was nice. I would train in St. George again. I will also consider racing there too.

One week from right now I will be watching the finishers of the full drag themselves across the finish line. I will know how I went. I am fired up, I am nervous, I am excited, I am so ready for this to be here already. Quote:

“When you suffer an attack of nerves you're being attacked by the nervous system. What chance has a man got against a system?”

Russell Hoban

The big miles are over...

In one way I am happy. The overall volume of this years training is about twice of what last years was. Last year I didnt even do the entire bike course in one day. This year I have done it twice. Not only the full bike course but the bike course plus mileage. Longer, faster, with easier recovery. Although, in the last 2 weeks the cold and cough I have has waxed and waned. I have not felt that bad in a year or two. I am hoping in the next few weeks to kick this cough and cold while on taper. This is the last of the big blocks. I have a full taper block and prior to that a part ramp down and taper block to taper for 2-3 weeks. Here is how the week went:

Monday-Skipped swim. I have been very happy with my swim and not feeling going to the pool.

Tuesday- Easy run. Still recovering from long run/blister so easy run. Love the new shoes.

Wednesday-Bike Q. I started out wanting to do the sisters twice. Was well on my way and then BOOM. Flat. That makes 2 flat tires in 2 weeks. Took tire to shop they suggest swap out tire. Duh.

Thursday-Run hills. Wanted fast hills. Got some fast and a whole lot of coughing and wheezing. Overall good run despite trouble breathing.

Fri-Rest

Saturday-Long ride. Silverman course plus 15. 72 miles total. My longest ride to date. Saddle soreness was the limit. My butt wanted off that bike. It was 5 minutes faster than the last time in 3:55. That is 20 min faster than the race last year but when I drew up my goals its slower. I thought I could go faster. 3:50 is my new goal. I did get more nutrition this ride. I had bouts of feeling no fatigue and no soreness and cramps. Pretzels are the best. May be a salt pill will help. Ride was 3:55. I was hoping for faster.

Sunday-Rest. I am not too sore. Partial quads. R right Sartorius is the most sore. Interesting.

Funny how performance changes. I have a different body then last year and yet I am not happy. Funny how faster is never fast enough then on the next breath how far can I go? If I continue to improve at this rate it will take me 4 more years of gaining 20 min a year to reach the top of my age group. So that is improve my bike split by an hour. Thats only the bike. Can a person do that? I think the biggest gain has been less body weight on the bike. If I lose enough weight to get to 15% body fat and that translates to speed, do I have another drop in weight to get that same effect? Does my cardiovascular system have enough gains to see that kind of change? What kinds of changes does my body have to undergo get gains like that? Qualifying for Boston is the same deal. My 1st marathon would have to have a 2 hour and 15 min drop to qualify. Can a person do that? I am enamored by the this last weekends race at Kona. Ive read every blog that I can who has raced, commented, or posted a picture. The athletes who qualify hold it sacred. I get that. What phenomenal athletes and commitment to reach such a pinnacle. But what about people like me? Can we do that? Something to debate. I have my nose to grindstone and I hope that is enough to see how far I can go. Quote:

All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.

Orison Sweet Marden

Sometimes I wonder about aim. The day to day work is the focus and I am amazed at the things i thought was impossible and accomplished. What am I capable of?

Defending the clearwater change to vegas...

I am on blogger. I am on facebook. I am trying to network. The latest news is that Ironman has changed Clearwater to Las Vegas. I have noticed a lot of unfortunate words used to describe this change. I do not know clearwater. I do know this valley. I do know these athletes. Everyone has an impression of "Vegas." The truth is this community is 2 cities in one. I have the option to go to "Vegas" any time I want. When there is a concert, nice restaurant, show, etc. The rest of the time I live in a place with tons of outdoors activities. We have lake mead. We have Mt. Charleston. We have Red Rock. We have the Colorado River. All within an hours drive. We have snow close in northern NV or California. The beach is 4-5 hours away. There are literally 1000's of cyclists and runners in this valley. If you went to Red Rock/Lake Mead on a Saturday morning you will see 100's of athletes. Fast/fit athletes to people who are learning to be athletes. So this community if VERY active. It is VERY outdoorsy. I think it was Adventure Magazine rated Las Vegas as the TOP active place to live. The course change is something they complain about too. The Silverman was rated by Triathlete Magazine as one of the top 3 HARDEST triathlons on the planet. In the Silverman promo video Macca says its the hardest course hes raced. Many experienced Ironmen have said if it was on the Ironman circuit it would be hardest. Recently the St. George folks may have something to say about that. Why do we want a super fast, flat, boring course for a World Championship? Kona isn't easy. The Xterra World Championships is ridiculous in Maui. Why not have a challenging 70.3 course?

Sorry (off soap box). Back to me. My Silverman experience is not a championship caliber endeavor. It is me against me on a very challenging course. Less than a month away. I am so pumped. I am ready and this weekends will be the last big weekend until I taper. I will run Ragnar Las Vegas as part of that taper. Here is how my week went:

Monday-Scheduled 4 mile easy. Pushed secondary to cold. Been sick. Swapped Rest day with tue.

Tuesday-Bike Quality. Tried my best to sprint the sisters again. I didnt have much energy and I moved some phlegm (lol). I actually felt better after riding.

Wednesday-Easy 4 run. Felt strong. I wasnt sure if going out instead of sleeping would help the cold but it did. Happy to do it. Strong 4.

Thursday-Rest

Friday-Rest

Saturday-Long swim. Made it open. About 1800 or so with the wetsuit. It has been a while since it was cool enough for a wetsuit. Truth be told it wasnt cool enough. It wasnt too bad though. I forgot my watch so no time data. I felt good. Fast at times and bored at times.

Sunday-Long Run. I have been managing my week to get to this day. I felt about 95% over the cold and I wanted to have a good run. For the first 8-9 I felt awesome. Then this ugly blister popped up on the arch of R foot. I made a run to the local running store for new shoes. NB 760. I figure since I lost so much weight the "old" style shoes were over posting me. Hmmm we will see. So I banged out all 15 but the last 6-7 were miserable. Especially since my cardiovascular system had no problem. Even more especially since my musculoskeletal system was ready to go as well. Stupid blister. Overall happy with it. QUOTE, actually instead of my normal inspirational quote I leave you with a link to that Adventure magazine article about Las Vegas:

LINK

Funny time in training...

As I review last years posts to see if what I am feeling was new or something I expecienced last year, It appears to be a trend. Last year at this time I experienced a lull. The things that I am experiencing are fatique, soreness, slight sickness, and a general lack of motivation. Although today I am much better than I was yesterday. Today I am itching to get out there and this weekend I didnt feel like it. What is funny is last year I was so worried about whether or not I "could" do it. Last year I wondered if I was even athletic enough to be doing this. This year I know those things are doubts of the past. I belong there and I am going to race and not survive. I have put in so much more miles, faster times, and with virtually no injuries (cross finders). So what am I complaining about? I simply didnt want to grind this weekend. It was a recovery weekend anyway and with the opportunity to volunteer in my kayak for "Slam The Dam" a open water swim race I jumped on it. It was very interesting to watch these swimmers. The faster swimmers have command of the stroke. The slower swimmers are inconsistent and sloppy. The number of breaths, location of the head, location of the elbows were strikingly different. I enjoyed myself and I figured as many times as I race giving back was important. Here is how my week went.

Monday-Pushed a long swim, rest.
Tuesday-Scheduled rest,
Wednessday-Easy 5 mile run. No watch just out for a run. Generally tired and achy.
Thursday-Quality bike. I woke feeling good and ready for a bike ride. I decided that I would try to sprint the sisters. Last year I couldnt get up, this year sprinting. I actually was only able to go fast on one and a half. I felt very strong though. No fatique, no soreness. Cardiovascularly spent though. I was able to stand, mash, and hang in there on a much bigger gear and just go faster. No watch but I guess 12-15 mph climbing then the 6-8 I was doing earlier in the year. Next weekend I am going to time trial on the race course plus another 10 to 20 or so. We will see where I am at on the bike.
Friday-Rest
Saturday-Volunteer at Slam the Dam. 4-5 miles of Kayaking. No soreness no pain. Incredible to be back in the kayak. The last time I kayaked I would have been very. very sore and tired during and after. Fun to watch and learn from the swimmers.
Sunday-Pushed a small recovery swim/bike for sleep. Didnt want to get up.

With 3 more blocks until the race, I hope I am recharging for a strong push. I am looking over the schedule and will have to adjust a few things. One huge block, on big block, and then taper. I am more confident, occasionally I am afraid of over confident. I feel ready already and excited to get it done. The sacrifice with time, food, relationships takes its toll and sometimes I dont feel like sacrificing. I will get back to it and make a strong push. Quote:

"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Las Vegas Triathlon 2010

Funny how friends and family influenced me to race today. I decided I would do a sprint. Of the 8 triathlons I have done, my second sprint. I wanted to get some speed work in on a brick anyway so why not add another discipline? So I raced. It was a blast. I didnt know how much fun sprints are. Pound, bing, bang, boom ya go home. Fun. I dont think a true race report is necessary but a breakdown is in order. The race was on a familiar course. RAGE, last years olympic at the same race, Silverman all share these highways. Why not do some speed on them? Thankfully there were really no climbs. The whole time I had a smile on my face that said "thank god I am not doing the olympic today, lol." This is the first race I am competing in my age group as opposed to clydesdale division. I cannot wait to see how I fared. All splits are unofficial according to my watch.

Swim: Goal 18 min, actual 19:45 mostly due to LOOONG run to transition. Nothing to report. Kept to my cues, no issues.

Bike: I didnt know what to expect so no goal time. Actual: 39:17. Ave 17 mph. I passed A LOT of people. I loved it. My bike is coming along. I cannot wait to see how this ranks among my peers.

Run: I wanted to be as close as I could to 25 min. I think that would have been possible except for the first 1/2 mile out of transition is steep. Actual 30:46.

Transition: No problems. T1 3:33, T2 2:47. Happy with those.

Overall: 1:35ish. We will see what the official results have. I know the winner in my division beat me by 20 min. WOW. Overall, healthy and happy about today. The swim entry/exit is very, very rocky. My bones in my feet are sore from that.

This next block will be a recovery block and then my last 2 big blocks prior to Silverman. I am happy with everything right now. I am not content though. I will continue to strive to be faster. Quote:

“Progress is not created by contented people”

Frank Tyger

Thirteen mile thursday...

I thought in light of last weeks groans that a mid week post was in order. My wife has been bitten by the tri bug and was not going to race by herself at the Las Vegas Triathlon this sunday. So I agreed to race with her. I went to my schedule and moved things around to fit in this race. I decided to make it an all out sprint. I have only done one sprint and it was in CA. This race will be an all out speed workout. Should be fun. In changing my schedule around I decided to go without my long bike this block and move my long run to thursday to try to be as fresh as can be for sunday. Really 13 miles on thursday? Never done that before. I decided to run the Silverman course. The weather was perfect. The wind was down, as was the temperature. So nice. Here is how my week has been so far.

Monday-1750 m Intervals. here is where my week turned around. I had a great swim. I am getting how I swim faster, Its been fun. A total of 35 laps, 5 off then 5 on. Here is how it went. 6:09, 5:41, 7:19, 5:43, 7:55, 5:44, and 7:18. I was so pumped about the consistency of the "on" intervals. Face down, elbows up. Those are my cues.

Tuesday-REST

Wednesday-I wanted some hills before my long run and may be have some sore legs to start. I was going to hammer this ride but 2 miles in big ugly flat. I was going to do 2 loops with the sisters in there twice. Didnt happen. I ended up with a rest night to get ready for the silverman run course.

Thursday (today)-Silverman run course. I woke up a lot during the night. I have not been sleeping that great. I have been to bed early now 5 nights in a row. I woke up ready to go. Got to the multi-generational center (where the race transitions to run) ready to go at 5:30. By the time you get to 4 miles you have climbed for about 3 of those miles. Tough to do when "you have to go." There isnt anywhere to go and I had to hold it a long time. I made my stop and out on my way. I was miserable but nothing said stop. I just tried to suck it up. Then when I got to about mile 8 my R knee started in with an irritated IT Band insertion. I was able to get all 13 in. I was hoping for a better run but ultimately, all things considered, not horrible. Got it in. A very slow 2:30. Still that was 2o min faster than the race last year but I was hoping for better.

Considering using my TT bike for the first time in a race to see what happens. I have to change that flat. Who knows. Quote:

“Consistency is the quality of a stagnant mind”

John Sloan

Well may be the roller coaster isnt so bad then.

Mental Toughness Training

Not sure if I got better with my mental toughness training. I had a less-than stellar week. After last weekends big miles I was in big trouble. I got sick and I was super sore. I didnt sleep well, my nutrition wasn't what it should. I. FELT. HORRIBLE. After a month of good work for me I suppose it was due. I took my advisors advice and stopped playing softball but on tuesday I filled in. It was a stupid idea. It was late and I payed for it. Its funny how your heart and body fight on a long ride or run. They make deals with each other or they talk each other out of things. I wanted nothing more then to sleep in this weekend. I am happy to say that I didnt but I didnt get what I wanted done either. Funny I just read last year at this time and I have the same trouble. This year though it is much bigger miles and faster paces. So I am just chalking it up training toll and this 1/2 Iron distance race training. I need more sleep. I need to eat better. I need to suck it up. Here is how the week went:

Monday-Long interval swim modified to a fast finish. I was scheduled for 1750 but make 1000. It was as fast as I can swim though. Happy with intensity. here are the splits 6:08, 6:08, 5:57, and 6:03. I got pooped that last 250. I was shooting for 5:45 or so.

Tuesday-Was scheduled for rest. Actually softball and learned my lesson. Everything hurt and was sore, lol. Bad idea.

Wednesday-Bike Q. Rest actually.

Thursday-Long swim. REST.

Friday-Rest. REST.

Saturday-4 mile easy run. 4 mile easy run. I was sore and tired but had good pace for a easy run.

Sunday-40 mile bike/8 mile run brick. Exhausted, sore, and not feeling it. Actually 40 miles on the bike and 4 mile run. It was hot and I wasnt willing to push today. My HR reached 121% of max. Hmmm issue? YES. I climbed the sisters though without issue. I did the entire river mountain loop trail. My butt was sore from last week. My legs are tired. My back is sore. MISERABLE. Why do we do this to ourselves again?

Funny all that being said....the thing I think of most is IRONMAN. This feat is daunting. I think about it all the time. I dream about it. I love watching them on TV. I want this poster on my wall. I want to be called IRONMAN. I have a ton of work to do. So far this is working out but boy is it hard. I am so tired. How many years will I commit to this goal? I got talked into to doing a sprint this weekend. I am going to manage my schedule and I am going to make it a all out speed test. How fast can I go? Quote:

“Good work habits help develop an internal toughness and a self-confident attitude that will sustain you through every adversity and temporary discouragement.”

Paul J. Fleyer

I sure hope these are good habits and temporary.

So Close, Yet So Far

I would have to look real close from last year to see if I had mileage weekend like I had this weekend. Thats a plus. I never did the whole bike course until race day, thats better (I did today). When I first started cycling I couldnt climb the sisters, today I was able to get 3/4 of each after 45 miles or so. Im not happy about it. I am glad my family wasnt around when I unclipped. I was pissed. The whole ride I thought I was going to be able to do it. I didnt have the strength or endurance to polish them off. Sure my legs were very sore from the day before but I wanted it badly. With the swim venue change the bike is even harder. Really? This race is challenging. Overall it was a very strong weekend but the icing on the cake would have been no walking on the stupid sisters. Here is how the week went:

Wednesday-Bike was in the shop. Bad "hanger" and got a tune-up.

Thursday-Progression run/fast finish. Funny how my watch didnt work. It was not keeping the right speed. I used rate of perceived exhaustion. I would guess, 9:15, 9:00, 8:45, and 8:30 for 4 miles. I felt good despite the wind.

Friday-rest

Saturday-11 miles. Since I had 4 friends racing in the Lake Las Vegas Triathlon I decided to get my long run it super early. Like head lamp, blinky, vest early, straight Ragnar-style. I averaged 10 min miles but that includes running on 2 of the sisters. BIG HILLS. I felt very good. I wasnt even tired until after running the hills. I was keeping 9:00 to 9:15 prior to the big hills. I was thinking the whole time I cannot wait for my next 1/2 marathon. Congrats to Susan, Becca, Shannon, and Cody. All did very well respectively.

Sunday-Long ride. Silverman course in its entirety. I was very sore from the day before. I wanted to stay in bed I was that sore. The ride was a supported group ride by Jackie Arcana, the big tri coach around here. My goal was to travel the 56 miles plus make it home. 62.25 miles total. Lots of relentless hill climbing. One after the next. I am dead right now. Nothing hurts but everything is sore. I wanted to quit about 100 times and I ground it out. I tried to gear 1 or 2 smaller than I normally do. I felt fantastic with that. I went kinda slow but a long way. 73 mile weekend. Here are some pictures of the sisters. I am not sure what you can get from them but here you do.

When I see these lines I am at the top of 3.

From the top of 3 (in front of the 3 lines) looking back at where I came from

From the top of 2 looking back at 1

From the top of 2 looking up at 3.....Quote:

“Life's real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up.”

I am so glad I didnt give up.

Keep on Keeping on

Not a whole lot to input. I am very pleased with my ability to gain more and more "conditioning." I am going longer, I am going faster, and I am doing it with minimal complications. Aches, pains, and fatigue but that is par for an 1/2 Iron course. I am enjoying training and looking for new and challenging training sessions. I am also very happy to report that I have been able to add a bunch of new training partners. Its been fun to spread the word of triathlon and have some cycling wisdom passed to me. I have not been this lean since I graduated high school. I weighed in at 224, 17% body fat. For the record that is 85 pounds and about 10-15% less body fat overall. The more I think about it I think that shaving an hour and half off this years half iron is very doable. I need to continue along this course, have some luck with the weather, and get my nutrition strategy down. I am confident that is happening. One of my mentors in Physical Therapy is a phenomenal cyclist and I decided to see where I stand. He had some excellent feedback for me. I over-gear. I work too hard. I turn my legs over too slow. My bike chain needed to be changed, I need a tune-up. He liked my posture on the bike, he thinks my plan for continuing to get faster is spot on. Straight up strength:weight ratio. He put a bug in my ear. He thinks I should reward myself when I get down to 205 to upgrade bikes and go carbon. I think that will be my plan. Here is how my week went down.

Monday- Rest

Tuesday-Easy Run. 4 miles. Ave 9:11 pace. Its amazing what happens when your HR is controlled. I am learning to listen to that heart of mine.

Wednesday-Rest. Skipped my swim to rest. Long day at work, late night etc.

Thursday-Sisters loop. I am not afraid of them anymore. I can climb them anytime. I am going to do the whole Silverman loop this weekend and It will be interesting to see how I go with them after 40 miles. I did this loop 3 min faster than last time. 59:00. even though I had a pesky L calf cramp. It didn't affect my strength at all it was more annoying. It was sore for 2 days but didn't limit anything. I am happy with that. (does anyone read the daily breakdown? if so comment that you do =))I averaged 15 mph with those sisters in there.

Friday-Rest

Saturday-Long bike with fast cyclists. I have put this off for a long time because I didnt think I could hang. For the most part its true. But I did have my fastest ride to date. In 40 miles I only had one avg less than 10 mph. That is the result of trying not to get dropped or slow the group down and changing gear strategy. 40 miles in 2:30, 16.1 ave mph. Total elevation gain of 2200 feet on an out and back course. I made them cut it short a bit because it was so slow for them but overall I am stronger for it. I am happy about it. They tried to teach me to pace line. I have to get more stable and more confident. I didn't want to be the newbie crashing people. Good ride and I sold out to it. Made the rest of the weekend suffer but I need the bike to be my focus.

Sunday-Bike/Run brick. I woke up thrashed. Beat down tired, sore, and wanting to go back to bed. But we were meeting people and I needed to get used to this feeling. So I sucked it up. I wanted a longer run but it was not in the cards this day. I planned for a 15 mile bike/10 mile run. Actually 13.5 mile bike and 5 mile run. I wanted the bike to be easy and the run to be the focus but my HR was way too high for all that. I was tired and it was hot. I ran the first 5 of silverman course without walking. So overall considering it was positive. I am getting stronger with each brick. My biking legs don't feel so wobbly when I run. Good times with new friends and good breakfast.

Monday-Long swim. Didnt get to it because of honey-do list. Decided to do it tuesday.

Tuesday (today)-I had a easy run planned but since i skipped yesterday I wanted to make it up. 2 mile run to the gym, 2250 meter swim, then 2 miles home. 17:56 to the gym. Transition to the pool in 6:32, lap splits are 6:04, 6:41, 6:24, 6:28, 7:15, 6:42, 6:44, 5:21, and 6:38 with a fast finish. I got pooped. Transition back to running in 6:44. Then run home the same route in 17:38. It was a hard workout but totally doable. I enjoyed myself. Funny to run after swimming. Quote:

'Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”

Angela Monet

What is happening in this obese, lazy society? They cannot hear the music.

Plugging Right Along....

Have you ever had an experience out on what seemed to be an ordinary run/bike/swim that turned out to be totally different? That happened to me this morning. Out for a straight forward 6 mile run. I decided I would go for the first six of the Silverman course. It turned out to be a walk down memory lane from last year. I remembered people, sights, sounds, smells, and feelings. Today was the first time I have been on that course since last year. Has that happened to anyone? It was surreal. It seemed so fresh, so present. There was not a soul in sight yet I remember passing the amputee on the top of stephanie, I remember Jennifer passing me looking like death warmed over, I remember walking a TON, I remember looking for Judy and not seeing her, I remember where the aid stations were and what they had and how bad I wanted whatever they were selling, I remember hearing the crowd reacting to finishers, I remember telling myself it is only 1/2 mile GEEET GOOOOOIIIING, I remember overcome with emotion to see the finish and to know I was going to finish, I was able to use that as fuel today. Not for today. For this whole experience. I wasnt sure until that moment that I was going to do it. Today I ran the same course some 30-45 min faster than that day. Sure there was no bike or swim this morning but I am a totally different athlete. I am competing at a different level for me. Sure it will not blow any doors off but I dont care about that. What does shaving off an hour and a half in a half Iron distance triathlon say about a person? That seems logical to me, I can do it. I finished my second building block and began a recovery block in the last week. I would rate this block a B+. I got all my workouts in, with no issues, and I am getting stronger with each discipline. Here is how it went.

Monday-Long swim. My goal was to swim 2000 meters in 250 meter blocks in 6:30 or better. I averaged 6:23, each lap at 5:55, 6:28, 6:30, 6:25, 6:28, 6:34, 6:27, and 6:21. For a total of 51:11. I am able to go faster longer with a few details. Head deep in the water, full arm push, and high elbows. I felt very strong.

Tuesday-Short run. Watch died. 4 miles with the wife. I was back in less than 40 min with small cool down outside. Must have been 9-930 pace.

Wednesday-Weight training.

Thursday-Swapped days off with friday. REST

Friday-Running intervals. 1 mile warm up, 3 X 4 min, 1-1.5 mile cool down. Overall 4.88 miles in 49 min total. I had trouble keeping the interval pace for 4 min. After 3 min I went down hill. The on ave speeds were 8:24, 8:53, and 9:03. I also chose a hillier course. Overall I became a stronger runner. Marks end of block. Rest block to ensue.

Saturday- Recovery long ride. 30 miles towards Red Rock. Ave 16 mph, with a head wind for the first 15 miles (out and back). Art and Julie went along.

Sunday (today)-Recovery long run. The first 6 miles of the Silverman run course. This is a course that I tried to run all last year to train and I never was able to do it without walking. Did it today with a blast from the past around every corner without walking. Total 6.01 miles in 1:02. My 10K PR was just a few minutes faster. That course is no where near as hard as this one. For the race, the first half is harder than the second half and If I can hold this pace I will shave 45 min off last years run time. That would be awesome. I thought about my favorite quote of all time this whole run. I was out the door by 5:15 and running at 5:30 not another runner out there. QUOTE:

"Champions are made when no one is watching."

I think a lot about what next year will be compared to right now. What If this is my crowning achievement, what if I crush next year I am going to crush this year? JUST WHAT AM I CAPABLE OF?

Trying to remain an even keel

I had some time this week to read some of last years posts. What I noticed is that this year I am more consistent. Last year I spoke a lot about a roller coaster that I was on. I dont feel that anymore. I feel my body changing. It is very fun. I feel faster, I am recovering easier. I am waiting for the scale to tip the other way. I know enough about endurance training to know that it is not all sunshine and roses all the time. Right now I feel strong. I am grinding it out better. Here is how my week went.

Tuesday-Quality run. When I say quality I am going to use those days as some specialty run. This particular run was intervals. I love them. This run was no different. However, I had some watch difficulty and didnt have data. I felt very strong though. 1 mile warm-up, 3 bout of 3 min on/off, 1/2 mile cool down. 4 Mile total. I havent ran them in a while so I thought I would introduce myself slowly. I definitely could have gone more. I ran the first mile in about 9:30, interval speed was 7:40, recover at 10 ish. I look forward to more of them and more intensity. Then softball at night.

Wednesday- Rest

Thursday-Bike quality. I rode 14.5 miles on a new loop. I did a loop very similar last year. This year 2 mph faster on the hill and I climbed them. So for 2010 lets just say sisters 0, Ron 6. I climbed them easier with less HR, less fatigue, and more speed. I love that. Another thing I was thinking is I am going to stop talking about them like I am afraid of them or automatically a challenge. I own them.

Friday-Plyos, abs. I was able to jump higher, lift more weight. I just feel stronger.

Saturday-Bike/Swim brick. Since there were some events going on at Lake Las Vegas (where I wanted to swim since that is race course) we went to boulder beach. I had planned a swim of 30 min, easy to transition, then ride between 30 and 40 miles. Actual 33 min swim about 800-1000 yards, slow did some education on OWS with a couple of newbies. T1 slow 8 min, again with some education. Bike ride 35 miles, I have set a new times for checkpoints. This one was 6 min faster then the last few times I rode this course. This was only 14 miles of Silverman course but good hills nonetheless. I encountered my RAGE climb this time some 20 miles more under me then when I ride this hill. Crushed it. I am so surprised how much better I feel. Overall it was a 3:20 min effort. I am significantly bigger than in terms of minutes, miles, and speed then I was last year.

Sunday (today)-Long run. I planned 8-10. Actual 8. I woke up late and it was hot. I probably didnt have more in me anyway. I FELT STRONG THOUGH. My watch seems to have a mind of its own. I thought I had the autopause on I didnt. So the per mile and the overall pace is off. It says that I averaged 9:46 but I think it was more like 9 because I had 3 stops at lights. I feel good out there. I am using a more forefoot strike with a non-valgus position. I think those are my keys. Quote:

“Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover”

Loving the build up...

Now that Silverman training is heating up, I am enjoying myself. I am faster, smarter, and more experienced than I was a year ago and I am enjoying that as well. My nutrition has been good and I have been recovering a lot better with more sleep. It is amazing what happens when the "other" stuff is on how good it makes training. I think I went sleep deprived (although self inflicted) for too long. I have been in constant control over my blood sugar and eating timing has been spot on and that is the key to continue my weight loss. Another 9 pounds in the last month and under 20% (18.7%) body fat since 1995 in college. Which brings the total now to 70. I am hoping to run Surf City at or around 215 or less. That would be another 10-15 pounds off. Here is how my week went last week and I am finished with my second training block. This one I grade a B. I had some quality work but I scratched a brick with a long run.

Monday-Swam 1150 intervals. 5 laps warm-up in 6:33, 3 laps "hard" 3:31, 2 laps recovery 2:59, 3 laps "hard" 3:30, recover 2 laps 3:06, 3 Laps hard3:27, 5 laps cool down 6:09, with a total of 29:19. I felt strong. Pretty even too.

Tuesday-Softball and abs/core.
Wednesday-Late with patients and I forgot my light for the bike so I went about 10 miles in 45 min or so. Made it a hard effort on some hills around the clinic that are the same hills I run for silverman.
Thursday-Plyometrics and accessory muscle strength. A moderate effort workout on things I dont normally get to. Went well.
Friday-Rest
Saturday-Softball tournament. Played 4 games and hit the ball very well. I kinda tweaked my knee in the outfield though. Nothing too bad
Sunday-Pushed the brick I had planned when I woke up with knee pain. It was gone by noon and gone this on monday am.
Tonight-Long swim of 1750 m. I would like to Ave 6:30. Lets see.

This next block will be more miles than the one before. In order to space out the recovery blocks to peak at Silverman I will have a recovery block shortly after this one. I have been looking at my running plan within this plan to see if there is potential for more as Karl has suggested we will see how I feel. P.S. Thanks Karl for the shout out on the Marathon Bars. I am glad you enjoyed them. Quote:

“All life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we so constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.”

Ralph Ransom quotes

Me Vs the Sisters, 2010: Ron 3-sisters 0

So my A race this year is the silverman 1/2 iron again. Voted by Triathlete magazine as one of the 3 hardest races in the world. The reason is mostly the bike course. The pros have commented that if it was an IM event it would be hardest race course on the circuit. It is also the race course for the ITU 2011 World Championships. Got it? Its "challenging." One of the reasons it is challenging is around 40-45 mile mark or 100-105 mile mark for the full is a set o3 climbs called the 3 sisters. Last year I had 8 (count em) 8 training rides and the 9th was the race itself. I climbed one sisters one time. On the race I saved my energy and didnt even attempt them. I am not happy or proud about that. In fact, I remember the loads of people there who had looks on their face that was less than impressed at the race last year. I am probably projecting that onto myself but I was embarrassed. That isnt happening this year. I took one step towards that this week. Here is how my week went. This week was difficult or several reasons. No excuses just life. Heat, my wife (who is a twin) birthday WEEK started, and slight taper for Strawberry Fields next week.

Tuesday-Softball started back up.

Wednesday-Hills....climbed all 3 sisters. I even kept 9 mph or faster on them. I am pumped. 16.4 miles in 1:20 elevation gain 1064 ft. Can I do it after climbing lakeshore and northshore? Thats another question. But this small victory builds confidence. As I look back on this time last year I am going longer and faster. After Strawberry Fields I am going to start going very long out by the lake. I did have some slight cramping and fatigue. I wasnt hydrated or nourished like I should be for this ride. My first midweek big ride. It was nice and hot too.

Thursday-Pushed a swim.

Friday-Rest

Saturday-Long run of 8 miles in 1:28. I wanted long and slow. Thats what I got. It was nice and hot out with some humidity too. My mind is playing tricks on me. I have to work on my mentation. Funny how that is the hardest thing about this whole triathlon thing. I would like to mention that Julie (my wife) and Andi (best friend-in-law) are more than prepared for an olympic race on Sunday. I am pumped that it will be my first REAL Marathon bar event. I will be geared up with bars/coupons to hand out. It will be a challenging swim. My first open water OCEAN swim. What will the current be like? What will the waves be like? Salt water? I am shooting for 35ish min. The bike will be flat and fast. I am shooting for under 1:30. As close as I can to 20 mph. The run will be flat and fast too. Sub 60 min? Whole thing under 3? Should be fun. There is a possibility there will not be a medal and wife is gonna freak out. There is a compression sock giveaway going on here. I have been researching these garments and the literature is mixed. Some say they help with recovery, some say they dont, they all say they do not help with performance. I would like to review some, so I hope I win. Quote:

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

Nelson Mandela

What hills have you climbed?