After a boring recovery week following Powerman Alabama, I find myself looking at 19 weeks until my first Ironman. This week marks the first week in dedicated IM training and I'm so pumped to finally be here. Undoubtedly, this will be a journey that where I learn a lot about myself, but also learn A LOT about time management. Looking ahead at the schedule, I can already tell that I'm going to be having a few discussions with the wife over being gone so much. I've already made a mental note of making sure I'm "with her" when I'm with her. No zoning out. No taking the easy road and watching TV. Three and 1/2 years into marriage, we still consider ourselves "newlyweds" so I don't have all the experience in the world, but I think this is one I have right.
I started week 1 off a little early this Saturday. The plan was to do an easy paced 60 mile ride with a group then do a short run afterwards. Saturday had to be the first really hot day of the year as we saw temps reach a high of 88 degrees mid afternoon. The sky was clear as a bell and gorgeous. You could not have asked for a better day for riding. Our group of 7 headed out around 7:30 for ride. I started getting a little worried because my legs weren't feeling all that great after 12 miles into the ride. I kept my pulls short and tried to stay on target for an overall pace of 18 mph. The paceline was never 18. It stayed around 23+. One thing I really wanted to work on today was nutrition. I brought 2 cliff bars and 1 gel with me. The plan was to take in a cliff bar every 20 miles. Except that I am still fumbling around like a kid with all thumbs trying to get the packages open, the cliff bars worked just fine. Around mile 40 it hit me. My legs. They felt like I'd just gotten a fresh pair. I felt stronger than when I started. Where was this coming from. I hadn't done too many long rides so it couldn't have been my endurance kicking in. I'll have to mark it up to endorphins or common grace or something. I felt strong the rest of the way. I had no problems on our climbs and felt great all the way to the finish. I'll have to say, I think I've found my new energy bar. No gut issues, no problems with the energy level. I'm sold.
After the ride, I threw on my new Nike Elite 4's and headed off for a short run. The goal was just to test the legs for a couple of miles after the long ride. No issues. Felt great and had good legs. I did notice a tendency for my HR to jump up at the slightest incline. Will have to work on that.
Sunday is long run day. I'm slowly ramping my long runs back up, but instead of running with speed, I'm having to slow it down to IM pace. Oh this sucks. Looking ahead, I'd absolutely jump for joy if I'm able to run my IM marathon at a 9 minute pace. So, I'm going to train for it. So Sunday was a planned 1.5 hr run at a 9:00 pace. Zzzzzz. Oh, thank God for podcasts. Without the pain of running hard to keep me awake, I really struggle with long runs. I did it just fine, but I dread the coming weeks when I'll be out on the road for 2-3 hours plus chugging along at a 9:00 pace. I'm sure that pace will seem like I'm flying during the IM, but for now it's not so fun.
Here's what the rest of the week looks like:
Monday - 45 minute endurance swim
Tuesday - 7 miles of speed work, 1.5 hr bike
Wednesday - 3100 yards of swimming drills, 1:20 endurance ride on trainer
Thursday - Speed intervals on trainer 1.5 hrs
Friday - 3000 yards of speed work in pool, 1 hr recovery run
Saturday - 2.5 hr hard effort ride, 20 min easy Run
Sunday - 2 hr run at 9:00 pace.
Thankfully, I'll be doing the weekend's workouts at the beach. My wife turns 30 this week. Time to celebrate. Tailwinds...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Top 5 Things Learned From Sunday's Race
1. I love racing close to home. Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed the night before the race. Also, you can’t beat being able to race with your friends and local rivals. It’s all encouraging and gives you more motivation to do well.
2. My new bike position works well for me. I had made a few changes to my bike to make me a little more aero. The changes also put me in more of an aggressive position. I dropped my handle bars, raised my seat and moved it forward a bit, and narrowed my arm rests and aero bars. It’s very comfortable and much more aero. I had no problems with staying down and pushing the peddles this weekend. I was very encouraged by that.
3. I need to reevaluate my nutrition needs during a race. Ok, it’s simple math and it’s plain to see where I screwed up. I started the day with 3 packs of instant oatmeal which equals 510 calories. I had 1 20 ounce Gatorade before the event for 150 calories, two energy gels during the race for a total of 300 calories, and 20 ounces of Heed for 100 calories. This totaled 1060 calories. Most every athlete has 2000 calories stored as glucose, so for Saturday I had a total of 3060 calories at my disposal. After the race, my calories burned totaled 3860. I was in the hole 800 calories. That’s like a whole Big Mac. No wonder I couldn't run. I had nothing! I’m going to need to do a better job of eating before and during my races. (See future post on the wonderful treat that is the Cliff Bar)
4. I need to take in more salts during a race. I’m a sweater. Not the Christmas kind. The kind that gets me in trouble for dripping on the hardwoods in the house after a long run. Or any kind of run for that matter. The weather was a cool 60 something degrees and I still managed to sweat out enough electrolytes to give me a few cramps. I took in 3 electrolytes Saturday night and 3 on Sunday morning, but it wasn’t enough. I need to have some on the bike. Considering that summer is just around the corner and I do live in Alabama, I’m going to have to really be careful and take in the right amount to be able to replenish what I’m sweating out.
5. Recovery is hard. I can’t say that I haven’t felt any effects from Sunday’s race, but my legs aren’t really that sore. So my head is going, “well let’s go do something!” Not so fast. To get full benefit from the work I did during the race, I need to let my body recover this week by taking it easy. I want to get back at it soooo bad. I just need to remember, it’s going to a long season and I’m going to have plenty of chances to get after it. I need to enjoy these moments of rest.
2. My new bike position works well for me. I had made a few changes to my bike to make me a little more aero. The changes also put me in more of an aggressive position. I dropped my handle bars, raised my seat and moved it forward a bit, and narrowed my arm rests and aero bars. It’s very comfortable and much more aero. I had no problems with staying down and pushing the peddles this weekend. I was very encouraged by that.
3. I need to reevaluate my nutrition needs during a race. Ok, it’s simple math and it’s plain to see where I screwed up. I started the day with 3 packs of instant oatmeal which equals 510 calories. I had 1 20 ounce Gatorade before the event for 150 calories, two energy gels during the race for a total of 300 calories, and 20 ounces of Heed for 100 calories. This totaled 1060 calories. Most every athlete has 2000 calories stored as glucose, so for Saturday I had a total of 3060 calories at my disposal. After the race, my calories burned totaled 3860. I was in the hole 800 calories. That’s like a whole Big Mac. No wonder I couldn't run. I had nothing! I’m going to need to do a better job of eating before and during my races. (See future post on the wonderful treat that is the Cliff Bar)
4. I need to take in more salts during a race. I’m a sweater. Not the Christmas kind. The kind that gets me in trouble for dripping on the hardwoods in the house after a long run. Or any kind of run for that matter. The weather was a cool 60 something degrees and I still managed to sweat out enough electrolytes to give me a few cramps. I took in 3 electrolytes Saturday night and 3 on Sunday morning, but it wasn’t enough. I need to have some on the bike. Considering that summer is just around the corner and I do live in Alabama, I’m going to have to really be careful and take in the right amount to be able to replenish what I’m sweating out.
5. Recovery is hard. I can’t say that I haven’t felt any effects from Sunday’s race, but my legs aren’t really that sore. So my head is going, “well let’s go do something!” Not so fast. To get full benefit from the work I did during the race, I need to let my body recover this week by taking it easy. I want to get back at it soooo bad. I just need to remember, it’s going to a long season and I’m going to have plenty of chances to get after it. I need to enjoy these moments of rest.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Powerman Alabama - Official Race Report
Ah, race at last. This morning I completed my first multisport event of the year. I was pumped as I was tired of just competing in running events. Just get me on the bike please!
So the forecast was looking oh, not so good. Rain and thunderbangers were supposed to take away our day of fun, but luckily it held off and didn't effect the race at all. So here goes.
The race was held in Downtown Birmingham which is all of 5 miles from my front door. The course spread out over the city streets covering most of the northern section. The race included two laps around the 2.68 mile run course for a total of 5.32 miles and three laps around a 10.3 mile bike route for a total of just under 31 miles. This was all followed up with another 2 laps around the 2.68 mile course. Downtown B'ham is fairly flat with only a few small gradual hills so I knew the splits were going to be fast.
Run #1 My plan was to conserve, conserve, conserve. I didn't want to run my first 5+ miles too fast and ruin the rest of the race. This would prove to be mentally hard to do as my wave of 39 and under men took off like their pants were on fire. I looked around and some of guys pushing a 6:10 pace, and I was like what the heck are you doing bud? What the heck was I doing? I tempered it back to my planned pace of 6:45 and stuck with that. This put me behind all of these runners quite a bit, but I knew it was a long race and I'd have time to catch up. I finished Run # 1 in 35:41, a 6:41 pace.
T1 - lickity split - shoes, helmet, bike, go - 40 seconds
Bike - I wasn't too sure what to expect on the course. There were 25 + turns per 10.3 mile lap so I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to stay down in my aero bars. Come to find out, it wasn't going to be that hard. I was able to stay aero and maintain speed for all but a handle full of turns. There were three complete 180 degree turns which were actually pretty cool and one "windy as hell" bridge to cross. As for the ride, I felt great. The legs felt strong and I started mowing people down. I started looking for legs with my age group on them for added confidence. The one casualty was my bike computer. I hit a pot hole or something and the speedometer totally quick working. I still had my cadence so I based my pace on my effort and my cadence. I had no idea how fast or slow I was going. Turned out, I ended up with the 13th best bike split of the day at 23.1 mph. How bout them apples?
About to make the turn around and ditching a bottle
Making the turn and not looking so hot.
Coming in for the finish.
I finished the race in 2:47:12 which was good enough for 5th in my A/G and 29th overall among the age groupers. Not a great complete performance, but probably a good indicator for where I am right now. Overall, I had a blast. There were some great athletes out there and it was great to mix it up with them. I've got a long way to go and a lot to learn. I was able to meet up with two buds who absolutely rocked the course today. David (1st pic) and Tony (2nd pic). David whipped my butt in all three parts today. As for Tony, he only won his (unnamed) age group by just under 5 minutes. Both of these guys are super strong and incredible guys.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
One Week Out
I'm sitting one week out from Powerman Alabama which will be my first race of the season. I'm getting more excited about the prospects of putting it all out there and seeing how my fitness measures up. I've put the time in and feel good about where I am. The only real variable that I can't control will be the reaction of the other competitors to the race course. I've mentioned before that the course is basically a crit course. It's 3 laps of 10.3 miles with 25 turns per lap. Not the best course to cram in a bunch of triathletes/duathletes. Any way, I can't change it. I can only adapt and enjoy the race for what it is.
This has been a good week of training. I'll mention my two favorites of the week. The first was my longest swim to date. A 67 lap 1.9 mile swim which took me an hour on the nose to complete. I'd set my mind to swimming for an hour and decided that I would just take it easy and see what happened. I had a blast, although my back muscles were talking to me a bit on Friday.
Today I met up with a different group for a ride and a run. There were five of us in the group and I dare say that they were all incredible athletes. We had killer 40 mile ride out through the south of town. The pace was rockin and was always a challenge. It was good to ride with a group that pushes you to hold your own and keep the pace up. I finished up with a 5 mile run to simulate my goal pace for the race next week. I was dead on, but we'll see how I hold up after running 5 prior to the bike as well.
That's all for now. It's time to walk the wife and my dog. Tailwinds..
This has been a good week of training. I'll mention my two favorites of the week. The first was my longest swim to date. A 67 lap 1.9 mile swim which took me an hour on the nose to complete. I'd set my mind to swimming for an hour and decided that I would just take it easy and see what happened. I had a blast, although my back muscles were talking to me a bit on Friday.
Today I met up with a different group for a ride and a run. There were five of us in the group and I dare say that they were all incredible athletes. We had killer 40 mile ride out through the south of town. The pace was rockin and was always a challenge. It was good to ride with a group that pushes you to hold your own and keep the pace up. I finished up with a 5 mile run to simulate my goal pace for the race next week. I was dead on, but we'll see how I hold up after running 5 prior to the bike as well.
That's all for now. It's time to walk the wife and my dog. Tailwinds..
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Just Another Day at the Beach
I'm writing from the sandy shores of Perdido Key, Fl which sits between Mobile, AL and Pensacola, Fl. My wife and I come down here a good bit given that we have a free place to stay (in-laws) and a short drive from the house (4 hrs). The sun is actually cooking it down here. My white skin is paying the price. I've had two good workouts so far with one more to go.
Yesterday, I did a easy 8 mile run trying to keep my HR around 145. I did something I don't normally do while I'm here, and that's sleep in. This pushed my run back to around 11 o'clock. I kept my shirt on all of 4 minutes before ditching it. So since I just mentioned that I was monitoring my HR, one could only deduce that I have a really cool bra strap tan line across my chest and back. Yeah, I'm cool.
Today, it was supposed to be a race simulation for Powerman. I was going to run 4, Bike 34, and run 4. One thing you should know about the beach; there's always a strong wind blowing and it always blows west. I didn't know how big of a factor it was going to play until the turn around point of my first run. I knew right then and there that the bike was going to be hell. I can keep a 6:40 pace during these runs pretty easily. I was doing just that until the 2 mile turn around. The wind stood me up and it was like I was running in quick sand. I struggled to keep a 7:15 pace on the way back. Not cool. So, T1 comes and goes, and I'm now on the bike. It's a nice flat road with a good 4 foot bike lane 17.5 miles plus down beach road. I did a race down this same road last year and averaged 23 mph over the course on the way down. I made it to the end of the 17.5 mile road this time and had averaged 26 mph and was barely sweating. I had been watching my RPE and cadence and was still pumping 26 mph. I'm not that good. I'm not that fast. I knew it was about to get ugly. I made the turn and oh my God! The wind! No matter how aero I got, I couldn't move the bike. It truly felt like I was going backwards.
I was truly struggling. It felt like a 17.5 mile hill. I tried to treat it that way getting out of the saddle every so often to push and stretch the legs. I tried getting into a Levi Leipheimer type aero position. Nothing worked. I ended up averaging 16 mph on the way back. What a difference. I was toast. Too toast to run.
My legs are still screaming and it's oh 8:15 at night. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I'm doing 4 five mile time trials followed by a 5 mile pace run. I've enjoyed my time here, but I'm looking forward to giving my legs a rest. Much deserved.
Tailwinds....
Yesterday, I did a easy 8 mile run trying to keep my HR around 145. I did something I don't normally do while I'm here, and that's sleep in. This pushed my run back to around 11 o'clock. I kept my shirt on all of 4 minutes before ditching it. So since I just mentioned that I was monitoring my HR, one could only deduce that I have a really cool bra strap tan line across my chest and back. Yeah, I'm cool.
Today, it was supposed to be a race simulation for Powerman. I was going to run 4, Bike 34, and run 4. One thing you should know about the beach; there's always a strong wind blowing and it always blows west. I didn't know how big of a factor it was going to play until the turn around point of my first run. I knew right then and there that the bike was going to be hell. I can keep a 6:40 pace during these runs pretty easily. I was doing just that until the 2 mile turn around. The wind stood me up and it was like I was running in quick sand. I struggled to keep a 7:15 pace on the way back. Not cool. So, T1 comes and goes, and I'm now on the bike. It's a nice flat road with a good 4 foot bike lane 17.5 miles plus down beach road. I did a race down this same road last year and averaged 23 mph over the course on the way down. I made it to the end of the 17.5 mile road this time and had averaged 26 mph and was barely sweating. I had been watching my RPE and cadence and was still pumping 26 mph. I'm not that good. I'm not that fast. I knew it was about to get ugly. I made the turn and oh my God! The wind! No matter how aero I got, I couldn't move the bike. It truly felt like I was going backwards.
I was truly struggling. It felt like a 17.5 mile hill. I tried to treat it that way getting out of the saddle every so often to push and stretch the legs. I tried getting into a Levi Leipheimer type aero position. Nothing worked. I ended up averaging 16 mph on the way back. What a difference. I was toast. Too toast to run.
My legs are still screaming and it's oh 8:15 at night. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I'm doing 4 five mile time trials followed by a 5 mile pace run. I've enjoyed my time here, but I'm looking forward to giving my legs a rest. Much deserved.
Tailwinds....
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