Let the last build begin!
Swim: Late night swims are pretty nice!
Bike: Nothing exciting, but going good.
Run: 15 miler, and I felt good...that's a first.
Well, the tough weeks have begun. I remember when I started this journey and I bought the Ironfit book. I looked through the schedule and saw what we had to do in these last couple weeks. I thought there was no way I was going to be handle that, but here we are! I feel like I'm in a good spot. Looking over the schedule now, it doesn't even scare me. What an improvement, only took 8 months of training to feel that way. :P I've gotten to that very strange point where you see you ONLY have to do a 10 mile run, or ONLY do a 3 hour bike ride, or ONLY 1.5 miles in the pool, and your brain thinks, phew, easy day.
That's messed up.
I remember back just a couple years ago, before I got sucked into the triathlon cult, I wanted to get back in shape. I was so excited when I could run a single mile. My bike ride to work was 3 miles and I was excited if I wasn't dying by the time I got there. What a long way I have come. I'll save all the sappy sentimental crap for my last post before my race. (= But it's truly amazing to me that I've pushed myself this far. I'm proud of what I accomplished, but it doesn't end for me until I cross that finish line. Then...I'll probably sign up for another crazy race! I don't know if I'll ever end up doing a full Iron again, but who knows what life has in store for me.
Training was good this week, standard fare during the week. Though I have changed up my swimming to the evenings now. They we just too long to try and fit in during lunch. Fortunately the 24 hour fitness up in Santa Monica opened back up after renovation. Its really nice! The locker rooms are brand new, with towel service and private showers. The best part, they refurbished their whole pool area! It's also really nice. The nice thing is, no 20 min limit in the pool! Once I'm in, I'm in. I can finish my workout in peace. I have found the sweet spot I think for time. I try to get there around 8:30ish. I find its a good time because the after work crowd is finished up and the late night nuts haven't arrived yet. The lanes are usually pretty empty, I've even had the pool to myself a couple times. It has also been pretty low stress cause I don't have to get back to work, I can relax and take my time.
Saturday I did my long run, went well. 15 miler. I felt really good the whole run, which is a first. I usually crash around mile 1o, but all the way through I felt good. I wasn't blazing fast or anything, but I'm more worried about getting through it. I hope this trend continues. Sunday finished up the week with a nice ride out in Thousand Oaks. Which was followed by the best part of the ride...huge Burger and Milkshake at the Counter. Can't ask for a better way to end the week!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Week 23 Report:
Fine, I'll keep training...
Swim: Back to 24 hour fitness...but a better one.
Bike: Longest ride yet! 91 miles!
Run: Feeling good, no one can match my tortoise speed!
Well, I'm slowly getting back in the groove. It's still been a bit of a low motivation week. Not that I'm not excited about the Ironman, but my body is just telling me it would like to sleep in and maybe go out of a Friday night for once! I keep telling it that I can do that September 12th, but it's being stubborn. (= My life has very much become about routine. To the point that everyday is very structured. There is very little room for adjusting, if I want to fit everything in. I don't mind the structure, but it does get a little stressful, especially if something surprising pops up. I've gotten to the point where I hate it when I miss a workout, throws my whole week off. It's my obsessive brain freaking out.
Anyhoo, the week went pretty well, just doing the standard workout. Fortunately this week was still basically a recovery week for me. Saturday, me and a couple of my teammates did a nice ride along PCH from Santa Monica to Camarillo. We were doing a 5 hour ride, in the end it was 91 miles. My furthest so far. I felt good. Starting to feel like that 112 is in reach. I followed the bike with a 3 mile run. Sunday I did my long run, 13 miles. Starting next week is really the start of my last build up to week 27, then it will taper till race day. I can't believe how close things are getting. Its starting to get pretty damn real. I just hope I remain healthy and the drama of life stays at bay...just till after my Iron, then I can get sick and be over dramatic....but not yet!
Swim: Back to 24 hour fitness...but a better one.
Bike: Longest ride yet! 91 miles!
Run: Feeling good, no one can match my tortoise speed!
Well, I'm slowly getting back in the groove. It's still been a bit of a low motivation week. Not that I'm not excited about the Ironman, but my body is just telling me it would like to sleep in and maybe go out of a Friday night for once! I keep telling it that I can do that September 12th, but it's being stubborn. (= My life has very much become about routine. To the point that everyday is very structured. There is very little room for adjusting, if I want to fit everything in. I don't mind the structure, but it does get a little stressful, especially if something surprising pops up. I've gotten to the point where I hate it when I miss a workout, throws my whole week off. It's my obsessive brain freaking out.
Anyhoo, the week went pretty well, just doing the standard workout. Fortunately this week was still basically a recovery week for me. Saturday, me and a couple of my teammates did a nice ride along PCH from Santa Monica to Camarillo. We were doing a 5 hour ride, in the end it was 91 miles. My furthest so far. I felt good. Starting to feel like that 112 is in reach. I followed the bike with a 3 mile run. Sunday I did my long run, 13 miles. Starting next week is really the start of my last build up to week 27, then it will taper till race day. I can't believe how close things are getting. Its starting to get pretty damn real. I just hope I remain healthy and the drama of life stays at bay...just till after my Iron, then I can get sick and be over dramatic....but not yet!
Week 22 Report:
Swim: LACK
Bike: OF
Run: MOTIVATION!
Well, it's been a week of dealing with post-race de-motivation. I've been through this before. The bigger the race, the bigger the decompression afterward. Last year after Vineman I didn't want to do anything for about 2 months, I signed up for a half marathon just to get me off my butt!
Muncie was really fun. The race was hard and I really pushed it. I got to spend a week with my family and girlfriend. Relaxed at the lake, visited Chicago. All in all, a pretty awesome way to spend a week...then...I come home. No more relaxing. Back to work, back to training. It can be hard to get your head back into it. I haven't missed any of my workouts, but its been a struggle in my head to get back into it. Fortunately, this is a bit of a recovery week. So there isn't a lot of pushing to be had, but just doing the basics has been a bit hard this week. I know I will get out of my funk, but I'm really gonna have to push myself out of it.
To help me with it, I searched youtube for motivational videos. This one still seems to be the best one. I watch it a lot to remind myself of what I'm trying to do.
I just need to watch this 100 times, then I'll be ready to get back into it!
Bike: OF
Run: MOTIVATION!
Well, it's been a week of dealing with post-race de-motivation. I've been through this before. The bigger the race, the bigger the decompression afterward. Last year after Vineman I didn't want to do anything for about 2 months, I signed up for a half marathon just to get me off my butt!
Muncie was really fun. The race was hard and I really pushed it. I got to spend a week with my family and girlfriend. Relaxed at the lake, visited Chicago. All in all, a pretty awesome way to spend a week...then...I come home. No more relaxing. Back to work, back to training. It can be hard to get your head back into it. I haven't missed any of my workouts, but its been a struggle in my head to get back into it. Fortunately, this is a bit of a recovery week. So there isn't a lot of pushing to be had, but just doing the basics has been a bit hard this week. I know I will get out of my funk, but I'm really gonna have to push myself out of it.
To help me with it, I searched youtube for motivational videos. This one still seems to be the best one. I watch it a lot to remind myself of what I'm trying to do.
I just need to watch this 100 times, then I'll be ready to get back into it!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week 21 Report:
Muncie Ironman 70.3!!!
Well, I did it! Got my second half Iron under my belt. Overall, I'm pretty damn happy with how it went. I made a few mistakes, but at the same time, did a lot of things better. So I'll take the good with the bad, and learn and take them to Wisconsin! I was a little worried how this race would go. It was the first year this race was being run under Ironman, Last year they had some troubles with new races so that left me a bit concerned. I'm really happy to report that this race was fantastically run. So organized, and the volunteers were the best I've every had at a race. Really great. Kudos to the whole team in Muncie! I want to thank my Amazing family and Amy for there great support throughout the day. It was so amazing to have you there cheering me on. It really pushed me and made a tough day of exercise one I could do with a smile on my face! Love you guys!
Alight here's the breakdown.....
Swim: 41:37 2:10 pace
Well crap, made a few mistakes here. But it wasn't a total screw up. First, my biggest mistake. I decided to wear my tri top. This was for 2 reasons. One, I didn't want to get horribly burned like I did at Vineman last year. It took months to go away. 2nd, I always mess up putting on my shirt in transition. Both logical in my head, But what I forgot was that this shirt was a bit big on me, thus creating a bunch of drag in the water. Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I did my warm up swim. Sigh, too late to go back. So I just tucked it into my shorts as tight as I could and went for it. I could feel it, but I just pulled a little harder with my arms to make up for it. But I have no doubt it cost me a couple minutes in the water. I thought to myself, that's OK, I'll just push a little harder on the bike to make up for it.
The water was also way too warm. 83 degrees. It felt like I was swimming in a hot tub. Didn't really like that. Lastly, and most annoyingly...I've never been kicked so many times in a race. Usually its just crazy at the start then everyone kind of finds their groove. Unfortunately this never really happened the whole time. Always someone running into me, or me running into them. I actually had one guy shove me with his hand...he was the one going the wrong way. But I can understand his frustration, I wanted to punch a few people too. Then to top it off, the last quarter mile my foot cramped up and I did something I've never had to do in a race. I stopped. Just for a bit to stretch out my foot. After that, finished up the swim and then ran up the hill to transition. Nothing like having to run up hill after a 1.2 mile swim! One thing I was really happy about my swim was that I didn't feel exhausted afterward. Though my time wasn't what I wanted (was hoping for a 37ish time) I am happy to say I felt like I could have done another loop, which is good for sign for Wisconsin. I was happy to be done with the rather crappy swim and ready to jump on my bike which has always been my favorite sport of the three.
Bike 2:39:44 21.0 pace
Now this went way better! Probably my best ride in a race...minus losing one water bottle and one C02. I felt really good right out of transition. I let my legs warm up a bit, then it was down in aero and stayed there most of the ride. This wasn't a hilly course, though it has a few areas that required a bit more umph. What I wasn't expecting on this ride were the tough headwinds. It certainly made the ride a bit more challenging. It always adds the wonderful joy of a tail wind on the return. Of course, this was only for a little part of the course, for the majority of the course it was more of a crosswind, but it was always nice to get a little push once on awhile, of course it was always canceled out by another headwind. Oh, and the worst thing I've ever dealt with in a race...winds plus cow manure...wooo! Stinky!!! That's what you get when you race in Indiana! Home sweet home!! Aside from the winds, I felt really good on my bike. Though my poor little bike could use a tune up. I couldn't get my gears to stop clicking. As soon as it gets back to LA, its going to the shop! My legs felt really good through out the ride. I had plenty of moments where I got down and pushed really hard. As I was getting towards the end, I wanted to see if I could break 2:30....obviously I didn't quite make it. But it was a fun way to push myself. I really enjoyed the bike on this course. It was definitely a personal record for me, over 20 minutes faster than Vineman, of course, Vineman was a bit more hilly. But if all things were equal, I know I would have been faster this year. So good! I'm also happy I made up those lost minutes in the swim!
Run 2:12:53 10:09 pace
I'm most happy with this! For most runners they would probably shoot themselves if they ran a 10 min mile. I on the other hand could not be happier. This was my biggest problem at Vineman last year. I had to run/walk last year. I was dead after the bike. This is something I've really been working hard at. I'm not worried about being the fastest runner, I just want to be able to run a long distance without stopping. That's exactly what I achieved in this race. I ran the whole damn thing. I just kept my nice even pace. Passed many people walking. It was a great feeling. This course was harder than Vineman, way more hills. So the fact that I was able to knock over 20 mins off of my run from last year on a harder course made me very happy. The aid stations were fantastic. This is the first race I've done were they've had sponges, Ice cold sponges. At this point in the race, it was the hottest part of the day. Getting close to 90. But I would always take 3 sponges, 2 tucked in my shirt along my shoulders, and one tucked into the front of my visor. I'm sure it looked really silly, but boy did it work. I can run so much better if I can stay cool. They were great. Don't think I would have had a successful run without them. Everyone on the course was so great, the volunteers, spectators, and athletes. They made a really tough run enjoyable. I still have a lot of training to do on my run before Wisconsin. It was the only one where I didn't feel I could go do a second loop. It is still my weakest of the three, but I'm so thrilled with my run at this race. Still lots to work on, but I'll take it!
Finish 5:41:17 591 out of 1531
Then it was time to finish, I saw my family and Amy waving and cheering for me, it was fantastic!! I crossed the finished line and felt the huge feeling of relief that the day was over. I was so ready to sit down. I really left it all out on the course. I was pretty dead. But seeing everyone at the finish line really lifted me up and I was excited to tell everyone about my day.
So all in all, a pretty successful race. I made a few mistakes that I plan to correct in Wisconsin. But I'm really happy with the outcome. I'm scared to death about doubling the distances, but I still have 9 weeks to build. So lets do this! Its the homestretch! 3 races down, 1 to go!
BRING ON WISCONSIN!!!
Well, I did it! Got my second half Iron under my belt. Overall, I'm pretty damn happy with how it went. I made a few mistakes, but at the same time, did a lot of things better. So I'll take the good with the bad, and learn and take them to Wisconsin! I was a little worried how this race would go. It was the first year this race was being run under Ironman, Last year they had some troubles with new races so that left me a bit concerned. I'm really happy to report that this race was fantastically run. So organized, and the volunteers were the best I've every had at a race. Really great. Kudos to the whole team in Muncie! I want to thank my Amazing family and Amy for there great support throughout the day. It was so amazing to have you there cheering me on. It really pushed me and made a tough day of exercise one I could do with a smile on my face! Love you guys!
Alight here's the breakdown.....
Swim: 41:37 2:10 pace
Well crap, made a few mistakes here. But it wasn't a total screw up. First, my biggest mistake. I decided to wear my tri top. This was for 2 reasons. One, I didn't want to get horribly burned like I did at Vineman last year. It took months to go away. 2nd, I always mess up putting on my shirt in transition. Both logical in my head, But what I forgot was that this shirt was a bit big on me, thus creating a bunch of drag in the water. Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I did my warm up swim. Sigh, too late to go back. So I just tucked it into my shorts as tight as I could and went for it. I could feel it, but I just pulled a little harder with my arms to make up for it. But I have no doubt it cost me a couple minutes in the water. I thought to myself, that's OK, I'll just push a little harder on the bike to make up for it.
The water was also way too warm. 83 degrees. It felt like I was swimming in a hot tub. Didn't really like that. Lastly, and most annoyingly...I've never been kicked so many times in a race. Usually its just crazy at the start then everyone kind of finds their groove. Unfortunately this never really happened the whole time. Always someone running into me, or me running into them. I actually had one guy shove me with his hand...he was the one going the wrong way. But I can understand his frustration, I wanted to punch a few people too. Then to top it off, the last quarter mile my foot cramped up and I did something I've never had to do in a race. I stopped. Just for a bit to stretch out my foot. After that, finished up the swim and then ran up the hill to transition. Nothing like having to run up hill after a 1.2 mile swim! One thing I was really happy about my swim was that I didn't feel exhausted afterward. Though my time wasn't what I wanted (was hoping for a 37ish time) I am happy to say I felt like I could have done another loop, which is good for sign for Wisconsin. I was happy to be done with the rather crappy swim and ready to jump on my bike which has always been my favorite sport of the three.
Bike 2:39:44 21.0 pace
Now this went way better! Probably my best ride in a race...minus losing one water bottle and one C02. I felt really good right out of transition. I let my legs warm up a bit, then it was down in aero and stayed there most of the ride. This wasn't a hilly course, though it has a few areas that required a bit more umph. What I wasn't expecting on this ride were the tough headwinds. It certainly made the ride a bit more challenging. It always adds the wonderful joy of a tail wind on the return. Of course, this was only for a little part of the course, for the majority of the course it was more of a crosswind, but it was always nice to get a little push once on awhile, of course it was always canceled out by another headwind. Oh, and the worst thing I've ever dealt with in a race...winds plus cow manure...wooo! Stinky!!! That's what you get when you race in Indiana! Home sweet home!! Aside from the winds, I felt really good on my bike. Though my poor little bike could use a tune up. I couldn't get my gears to stop clicking. As soon as it gets back to LA, its going to the shop! My legs felt really good through out the ride. I had plenty of moments where I got down and pushed really hard. As I was getting towards the end, I wanted to see if I could break 2:30....obviously I didn't quite make it. But it was a fun way to push myself. I really enjoyed the bike on this course. It was definitely a personal record for me, over 20 minutes faster than Vineman, of course, Vineman was a bit more hilly. But if all things were equal, I know I would have been faster this year. So good! I'm also happy I made up those lost minutes in the swim!
Run 2:12:53 10:09 pace
I'm most happy with this! For most runners they would probably shoot themselves if they ran a 10 min mile. I on the other hand could not be happier. This was my biggest problem at Vineman last year. I had to run/walk last year. I was dead after the bike. This is something I've really been working hard at. I'm not worried about being the fastest runner, I just want to be able to run a long distance without stopping. That's exactly what I achieved in this race. I ran the whole damn thing. I just kept my nice even pace. Passed many people walking. It was a great feeling. This course was harder than Vineman, way more hills. So the fact that I was able to knock over 20 mins off of my run from last year on a harder course made me very happy. The aid stations were fantastic. This is the first race I've done were they've had sponges, Ice cold sponges. At this point in the race, it was the hottest part of the day. Getting close to 90. But I would always take 3 sponges, 2 tucked in my shirt along my shoulders, and one tucked into the front of my visor. I'm sure it looked really silly, but boy did it work. I can run so much better if I can stay cool. They were great. Don't think I would have had a successful run without them. Everyone on the course was so great, the volunteers, spectators, and athletes. They made a really tough run enjoyable. I still have a lot of training to do on my run before Wisconsin. It was the only one where I didn't feel I could go do a second loop. It is still my weakest of the three, but I'm so thrilled with my run at this race. Still lots to work on, but I'll take it!
Finish 5:41:17 591 out of 1531
Then it was time to finish, I saw my family and Amy waving and cheering for me, it was fantastic!! I crossed the finished line and felt the huge feeling of relief that the day was over. I was so ready to sit down. I really left it all out on the course. I was pretty dead. But seeing everyone at the finish line really lifted me up and I was excited to tell everyone about my day.
So all in all, a pretty successful race. I made a few mistakes that I plan to correct in Wisconsin. But I'm really happy with the outcome. I'm scared to death about doubling the distances, but I still have 9 weeks to build. So lets do this! Its the homestretch! 3 races down, 1 to go!
BRING ON WISCONSIN!!!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Week 20 Report:
Last Week before Muncie!
Swim: Good, saying good bye to 24 hour fitness...hopefully
Bike: Trainerrrrr
Run: Feeling good, ready for the race
This was my last week before Muncie. Everything is feeling pretty good. I'm feeling a lot more prepared for this race than I was last year for Vineman. I trained hard for Vineman, but I pretty much just focused on making the distance for a half Iron. This year, its been all about Wisconsin, so I'm going into my half with a lot more training and distance under my belt. I'm hoping that all goes well for the race. I'm still pretty worried about the heat. There is also a possibility that its going to rain. It would be just my luck. Get there and its 100 degrees with thunderstorms. Sigh, well, at least it will be a good story if I survive. But having grown up in the Midwest, I know that the weather can change on a dime, So I'm pretty much gonna have to wait til race morning to find out what the weather is going to be. That's OK, all part of the adventure!
No long bikes this week, as my bike is now in Indiana waiting for me. I leave tomorrow morning for Indy and gonna go straight from the airport to my parents lake house. Its gonna be a crazy week. My girlfriend is flying in from London for the week. So I'm gonna have to split play time with training time. Fortunately, Amy is an awesome runner so we can train together. I just have to get her on a bike and then I can convince her to try this crazy sport! Also, my sister and her husband are gonna join us on a trip to Chicago for a couple days. I'm looking forward to that. Hoping to do a nice training run along lake Michigan. Should be fun!
Well, have to make this a short post...I'm off to finish packing! Next post will be my race report for Muncie! Wish me luck!!
Swim: Good, saying good bye to 24 hour fitness...hopefully
Bike: Trainerrrrr
Run: Feeling good, ready for the race
This was my last week before Muncie. Everything is feeling pretty good. I'm feeling a lot more prepared for this race than I was last year for Vineman. I trained hard for Vineman, but I pretty much just focused on making the distance for a half Iron. This year, its been all about Wisconsin, so I'm going into my half with a lot more training and distance under my belt. I'm hoping that all goes well for the race. I'm still pretty worried about the heat. There is also a possibility that its going to rain. It would be just my luck. Get there and its 100 degrees with thunderstorms. Sigh, well, at least it will be a good story if I survive. But having grown up in the Midwest, I know that the weather can change on a dime, So I'm pretty much gonna have to wait til race morning to find out what the weather is going to be. That's OK, all part of the adventure!
No long bikes this week, as my bike is now in Indiana waiting for me. I leave tomorrow morning for Indy and gonna go straight from the airport to my parents lake house. Its gonna be a crazy week. My girlfriend is flying in from London for the week. So I'm gonna have to split play time with training time. Fortunately, Amy is an awesome runner so we can train together. I just have to get her on a bike and then I can convince her to try this crazy sport! Also, my sister and her husband are gonna join us on a trip to Chicago for a couple days. I'm looking forward to that. Hoping to do a nice training run along lake Michigan. Should be fun!
Well, have to make this a short post...I'm off to finish packing! Next post will be my race report for Muncie! Wish me luck!!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Week 19 Report:
Swim Bike Run Swim Bike Run Swim Bike Run.....
Swim: Broke in the ocean this week.
Bike: Last big ride before Muncie!
Run: Longest run so far! 15.3 miles!
I can't believe it, I'm out of teen numbers...week 20 starts tomorrow. It's really getting serious! I think everyone is starting to feel it too. There's lots of serious discussions going on about air travel, schedule, what to bring..etc..etc.. It's all very exciting, but totally nerve racking all at the same time. I'd say I'm more excited at the moment. I suppose nervousness will take over in about 5 weeks.
This week has been a pretty fun week actually, did some things to help break up the monotony of the same type of work out. I broke out my wetsuit this week and did my first ocean swim of the season. Now, I normally hate swimming in the ocean. I don't like dealing with the waves, the water tastes really really horrible near the Marina, and I just don't like getting up that early. But it was really great this week. I normally swim on my own, so it was a nice change to meet up with my teammates. I also enjoyed just being outside swimming. I spend so much time in that crappy 24 hour fitness pool that I almost forgot what its like to be outside in the cool air with endless water in front of you. Pretty nice. I still hate dealing with the waves, and hate the taste of the water. But, It was a refreshing change this week. People are gonna start meeting every Friday morning for ocean swims, I think I may go a bit more. Even the stinky ocean is better than 24 hour fitness! haha.
The rest of the week was pretty normal with my workouts, just kinda did what Ironfit told me to do. They went well, but nothing to really write about. The weekend was a bit of a switch up for me however. My TNT coach, and fellow Wisconsin teammate hosted an amazing BBQ at his house on Sunday which included a 62 mile bike ride. So instead of my normal Saturday bike ride, I pushed it to Sunday and switched my long run to Saturday. Doesn't really seem like a big deal, but I was pretty surprised how different it was. See, normally I hit Saturday with really fresh legs for the bike, then run on tired legs on Sunday. With them being flipped, so was the leg situation. I knew I wanted to run a half marathon this weekend in preparation for Muncie. Make it clear in my mind that I can still get through that. But since I had fresh legs, I decided to add a couple miles. I ended up doing 15.3 miles. This is the furthest I've ever run. I'm happy to report I felt pretty good through most of it. Towards the end I had some pretty tired legs and sore feet. But I made it through. I think I may have found the limit to my Vibrams...I think I'll wear shoes on my longer runs from now on. But good run. Now, on Sunday, I started the day with pretty beat up legs. I'm not use to that. But it was good practice I think. Just caused me to push through the pain. By the end of the bike ride, my legs actually felt pretty good. Less tired than when I started. So all in all, it was a really fun training weekend.
The ride was followed by an amazing lunch prepared by coach Pete, and we had a discussion about what to expect for Iron Wisconsin...Lots of scary and wonderful things ahead!
Today I shipped my bike of to Indiana, and I leave for Indy on Sat Morning...right around the time my bike arrives! (I hope it makes it there safely in one piece!) I hope the heat goes down a bit in Muncie....I do hate the heat. (=
Alright, bring on week 20....I can't believe it's week 20...
Swim: Broke in the ocean this week.
Bike: Last big ride before Muncie!
Run: Longest run so far! 15.3 miles!
I can't believe it, I'm out of teen numbers...week 20 starts tomorrow. It's really getting serious! I think everyone is starting to feel it too. There's lots of serious discussions going on about air travel, schedule, what to bring..etc..etc.. It's all very exciting, but totally nerve racking all at the same time. I'd say I'm more excited at the moment. I suppose nervousness will take over in about 5 weeks.
This week has been a pretty fun week actually, did some things to help break up the monotony of the same type of work out. I broke out my wetsuit this week and did my first ocean swim of the season. Now, I normally hate swimming in the ocean. I don't like dealing with the waves, the water tastes really really horrible near the Marina, and I just don't like getting up that early. But it was really great this week. I normally swim on my own, so it was a nice change to meet up with my teammates. I also enjoyed just being outside swimming. I spend so much time in that crappy 24 hour fitness pool that I almost forgot what its like to be outside in the cool air with endless water in front of you. Pretty nice. I still hate dealing with the waves, and hate the taste of the water. But, It was a refreshing change this week. People are gonna start meeting every Friday morning for ocean swims, I think I may go a bit more. Even the stinky ocean is better than 24 hour fitness! haha.
The rest of the week was pretty normal with my workouts, just kinda did what Ironfit told me to do. They went well, but nothing to really write about. The weekend was a bit of a switch up for me however. My TNT coach, and fellow Wisconsin teammate hosted an amazing BBQ at his house on Sunday which included a 62 mile bike ride. So instead of my normal Saturday bike ride, I pushed it to Sunday and switched my long run to Saturday. Doesn't really seem like a big deal, but I was pretty surprised how different it was. See, normally I hit Saturday with really fresh legs for the bike, then run on tired legs on Sunday. With them being flipped, so was the leg situation. I knew I wanted to run a half marathon this weekend in preparation for Muncie. Make it clear in my mind that I can still get through that. But since I had fresh legs, I decided to add a couple miles. I ended up doing 15.3 miles. This is the furthest I've ever run. I'm happy to report I felt pretty good through most of it. Towards the end I had some pretty tired legs and sore feet. But I made it through. I think I may have found the limit to my Vibrams...I think I'll wear shoes on my longer runs from now on. But good run. Now, on Sunday, I started the day with pretty beat up legs. I'm not use to that. But it was good practice I think. Just caused me to push through the pain. By the end of the bike ride, my legs actually felt pretty good. Less tired than when I started. So all in all, it was a really fun training weekend.
The ride was followed by an amazing lunch prepared by coach Pete, and we had a discussion about what to expect for Iron Wisconsin...Lots of scary and wonderful things ahead!
Today I shipped my bike of to Indiana, and I leave for Indy on Sat Morning...right around the time my bike arrives! (I hope it makes it there safely in one piece!) I hope the heat goes down a bit in Muncie....I do hate the heat. (=
Alright, bring on week 20....I can't believe it's week 20...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Week 18 Report:
Hell week!...I mean...Hill week..
Swim: Good good, nothing to report here, just dodging bad swimmers
Bike: Did I mention hills?
Run: Solid, not fast...but felt good.
Another exciting week of training, can't believe week 18 has already come and gone. It truly is just flying by now. I'm only 3 weeks away from my next race, and only 12 weeks away from the big one!
Training has really taken over my life. I knew it would at this point. I'm happy to feel that I'm on pace for Wisconsin, but at the same time, it has become a bit isolating spending so much time exercising. I committed to this idea almost a year ago, and I'll be damned if I don't see it through. But I do look forward to the days when I can go out on a Friday night again, and not have to go to bed at 9pm. At the same time, I know after all this is over, I am going to miss it. I feel like its become apart of me. It's my time away from the world. When I'm out running, biking, or swimming, all I have is me and my thoughts. Often they are huff huff huff...I can't breathe!...but when its not that, its a wonderful time to get into your own head and dust around a bit. So I know when this is all over and I've recovered, I'm gonna look back and cherish this time, in fact, it will probably propel me to sign up for another race. I doubt it will be another Ironman...but I won't say no, because 3 years ago I would have said there was no way I'd ever do one...but here we are.
This week's training went well. My schedule was a lot better now that I'm done on Hop. I actually get to go home at 6. It feels like I'm on vacation. I come home...and the sun is still out! Amazing! Swimming is good. I think I found the sweet spot at the gym. I take a late lunch so when I get there the lunch crowd is just leaving and its about an hour until the old people show up for their swim/walks. Running is going well too, I feel really comfortable at my pace now. It's not fast, but I'm not really looking to be fast, I'm looking for endurance. So I'm feeling really good about the fact I can go for long runs and not feel horribly winded at the end. I will work on my speed the last 10 weeks. But I know its not going to be my strong event, my bike will be. So I'm content with that. I just want to finish anyway....well, finish feeling strong, not dying.
The long bike this week was a killer. 2 of my teammates, Noel and Ivan De La Torre organized a trip from Sylmar to Lake Castaic. It was a really beautiful ride, but it involved some pretty nasty climbs. It ended up being 7339 ft of elevation gain over 74 miles. At the end, the De La Torre brothers cooked some amazing tacos. So damn good! It was definitely one of the more difficult rides I've been on. However, I felt pretty good through it. My biking has very much improved over this season. I still have yet to bike over 100 miles, definitely something I'm gonna tackle after my Half Iron, but it doesn't scare me like it use to. I feel like I could go do it right now without much problem. I think these difficult bikes have been good for me mentally. Which is half of the game when it comes to triathlon anyway. I still have a lot of improving I want to do in the next 12 weeks. But I'm pretty happy with how things are going. I feel healthy and ready for the challenge.
Only 2 more weeks until I head back to Indy for my race in Muncie. I'm feeling ready for the Half....almost.. The only thing I haven't been able to train for...and something I'm gonna face in Muncie is.....THE HEAT. Its been pretty cool here in LA...while in Indiana its been hot and humid. Sadly, I'll just have to deal with it. For now I'm looking for wishing stars to hope that it cools down in 3 weeks. Oh well...I'll take whatever is thrown at me....but I'd prefer a cloudy, soft breezy 70 degrees with low humidity if anyone can make that happen...Thanks!
Swim: Good good, nothing to report here, just dodging bad swimmers
Bike: Did I mention hills?
Run: Solid, not fast...but felt good.
Another exciting week of training, can't believe week 18 has already come and gone. It truly is just flying by now. I'm only 3 weeks away from my next race, and only 12 weeks away from the big one!
Training has really taken over my life. I knew it would at this point. I'm happy to feel that I'm on pace for Wisconsin, but at the same time, it has become a bit isolating spending so much time exercising. I committed to this idea almost a year ago, and I'll be damned if I don't see it through. But I do look forward to the days when I can go out on a Friday night again, and not have to go to bed at 9pm. At the same time, I know after all this is over, I am going to miss it. I feel like its become apart of me. It's my time away from the world. When I'm out running, biking, or swimming, all I have is me and my thoughts. Often they are huff huff huff...I can't breathe!...but when its not that, its a wonderful time to get into your own head and dust around a bit. So I know when this is all over and I've recovered, I'm gonna look back and cherish this time, in fact, it will probably propel me to sign up for another race. I doubt it will be another Ironman...but I won't say no, because 3 years ago I would have said there was no way I'd ever do one...but here we are.
This week's training went well. My schedule was a lot better now that I'm done on Hop. I actually get to go home at 6. It feels like I'm on vacation. I come home...and the sun is still out! Amazing! Swimming is good. I think I found the sweet spot at the gym. I take a late lunch so when I get there the lunch crowd is just leaving and its about an hour until the old people show up for their swim/walks. Running is going well too, I feel really comfortable at my pace now. It's not fast, but I'm not really looking to be fast, I'm looking for endurance. So I'm feeling really good about the fact I can go for long runs and not feel horribly winded at the end. I will work on my speed the last 10 weeks. But I know its not going to be my strong event, my bike will be. So I'm content with that. I just want to finish anyway....well, finish feeling strong, not dying.
The long bike this week was a killer. 2 of my teammates, Noel and Ivan De La Torre organized a trip from Sylmar to Lake Castaic. It was a really beautiful ride, but it involved some pretty nasty climbs. It ended up being 7339 ft of elevation gain over 74 miles. At the end, the De La Torre brothers cooked some amazing tacos. So damn good! It was definitely one of the more difficult rides I've been on. However, I felt pretty good through it. My biking has very much improved over this season. I still have yet to bike over 100 miles, definitely something I'm gonna tackle after my Half Iron, but it doesn't scare me like it use to. I feel like I could go do it right now without much problem. I think these difficult bikes have been good for me mentally. Which is half of the game when it comes to triathlon anyway. I still have a lot of improving I want to do in the next 12 weeks. But I'm pretty happy with how things are going. I feel healthy and ready for the challenge.
Only 2 more weeks until I head back to Indy for my race in Muncie. I'm feeling ready for the Half....almost.. The only thing I haven't been able to train for...and something I'm gonna face in Muncie is.....THE HEAT. Its been pretty cool here in LA...while in Indiana its been hot and humid. Sadly, I'll just have to deal with it. For now I'm looking for wishing stars to hope that it cools down in 3 weeks. Oh well...I'll take whatever is thrown at me....but I'd prefer a cloudy, soft breezy 70 degrees with low humidity if anyone can make that happen...Thanks!
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