I know it's a huge racket, since the photographers charge a ridiculous amount for each photo, but I bought it anyway.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Picture from Nationals
I know it's a huge racket, since the photographers charge a ridiculous amount for each photo, but I bought it anyway.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wednesday Night Intervals
It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for running intervals.
Tonight's workout was 1/4-mile repeats with 90 seconds recovery in between each. We did a total of 10. Tonight it was just the women (4 of them) and I. My best time was on the 8th one - 1 minute, 20 seconds. I wanted to beat it on the 9th and/or 10th, but my heart rate skyrocketed and I couldn't get my breathing down, so I ended with a 1:27 and a 1:24.
Overall, it was a good session. And I followed it up with a long soak in the tub. Amen!
Tonight's workout was 1/4-mile repeats with 90 seconds recovery in between each. We did a total of 10. Tonight it was just the women (4 of them) and I. My best time was on the 8th one - 1 minute, 20 seconds. I wanted to beat it on the 9th and/or 10th, but my heart rate skyrocketed and I couldn't get my breathing down, so I ended with a 1:27 and a 1:24.
Overall, it was a good session. And I followed it up with a long soak in the tub. Amen!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Morning Ride
What a beautiful morning!
I was up and on the bike by 5:30 this morning. It was a comfortable 64 degrees, although by the time I finished going to Ocean City and back (40 miles) it was already 73!
I rode at a steady pace and kept my cadence around 85-90. 250 calories from a Clif Bar and two water bottles later, I arrived home with my legs feeling good and my glutes feeling not as good.
All in all, a good ride on a beautiful morning.
I was up and on the bike by 5:30 this morning. It was a comfortable 64 degrees, although by the time I finished going to Ocean City and back (40 miles) it was already 73!
I rode at a steady pace and kept my cadence around 85-90. 250 calories from a Clif Bar and two water bottles later, I arrived home with my legs feeling good and my glutes feeling not as good.
All in all, a good ride on a beautiful morning.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Duathlon Times
The times got posted:
My 10k run was 46:04, or 7:25 per mile
My first transition was :45
My 38k bike was 1:20:31, or 17.6 mph
My second transition was :52
My 5k run was (and see below for an explanation of why this number is so bad) 29:49, or 9:36 per mile.
Total time: 2:38:01
My 10k run was 46:04, or 7:25 per mile
My first transition was :45
My 38k bike was 1:20:31, or 17.6 mph
My second transition was :52
My 5k run was (and see below for an explanation of why this number is so bad) 29:49, or 9:36 per mile.
Total time: 2:38:01
Sunday, April 26, 2009
USAT Dualthon National Championships Race Report
Race Report:
(Race results and times haven't been posted yet. I have a rough idea of my times, but I'm not going to put them here until I see the official times.)
FRIDAY
The plan was to drive into DC Friday night and stay at my friend Tracy's house so the drive down to Richmond wouldn't be too long on Saturday. I failed to plan, however, for all the last-minute things I needed to do (including installing the new computer, practicing transitions, etc.) so time got away Friday night and I decided to get up early Saturday morning and drive the entire distance.
SATURDAY
The alarm went off at 4:30 Saturday morning and I was in the car and on my way by 5:00. An uneventful and relatively quick drive got me to Richmond around 9:30. I got an early check-in to my hotel and unpacked my stuff. When I took my bike off my car I realized that somewhere between Rehoboth Beach and Richmond was an aero-bar pad (those pads where you rest your forearms when in the aero position). The glue holding the velcro attachment had come completely unglued.
So I found the nearest bike shop, bought a couple new pads (even better than the ones I had been using) and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon scoping out the transition area and parts of the route close to the transition area. I also got to see part of the Off-Road Championship race. Then I hopped in the car to drive the bike route. I'd heard it was hilly, but when driving it, it didn't seem nearly as bad as the Brandywine Valley Duathlon.
Saturday afternoon and evening were spent doing absolutely nothing in my hotel room. The temperature outside was in the 90s, so staying out of the heat and sun was the best thing to do. Plus I had to do my pre-race evening ritual of trimming the hair on my legs. (The real reason cyclists shave their legs is not for speed but for safety. If you were to crash, the hair on your legs would catch the pavement and rip your skin open much worse than with smooth legs. The risk of infection is also greater with hairy legs.) So I ordered room service, watched "Legally Blonde," and clipped my leg hair. And it occured to me that this was probably one of the gayer moments of my life.
SUNDAY
I was up before the 6:00 alarm to get ready for my wave start time. (The first wave of 60+ year-old men went at 7:30). Everything pre-race went according to plan and I was ready for my 9:30 gun.
10k
I went out way too fast on the first mile - a 6:31 - and slowed it down over the next couple miles. It was already getting hot and nearly the entire 10k was without shade. I was amazed at the caliber of runners. I picked one guy with an Ironman tattoo on his leg (meaning he's completed at least one Ironman race) and paced with him. But then I got a little burst of energy and left him behind. (felt good about that!) A lot of the men in my age group were ahead of me, but I noticed that a good number were behind me as well, and I had to remind myself to not worry about anyone else and just run my own race. I ran into the transition area feeling pretty good.
T1
My transition practice really helped (Thank you, Kevin!). I already had my gloves on and my hat off before I entered transition. I threw the hat down, threw my helmet on, whipped off my shoes, and ran through the transition area with my bike - my cycling shoes already being clipped onto the pedals. I mounted fine, and got my feet on top of my shoes right away, just like I practiced. But when I turned the corner and went to put my feet in the shoes, one of them came off (the shoes, not my feet.) So I had to stop, put the shoe on, remount, and regain my momentum.
38k Bike
Once I got past the shoe debacle I was alright. The bike course was 3 loops of about 7-8 miles each. Like I'd discovered in the car on Saturday, the hills really weren't that bad. There was one part of "rolling" hills but that was it. (Going down and up rolling hills makes your mind go, "This is awesome.....oh, shit.....this is awesome.....oh, shit....") We got to pass the main group of cheering spectators 6 times on the bike so that encouragement helped a lot. I was also much more conscious of my nutrition on the bike than I was the last race. I was able to down a Gu (although I should have done 2) and I finished nearly 2 bottles - one with water and one with Accelerade. My new bike computer has 2 features that I haven't had before. The first, cadence, definitely helped. I tried to keep my cadence up around 85-90. That didn't always happen, but I was there most of the time. Second, the computer also has a thermometer. When I started the bike leg, it was 86 degrees. By the time I finished, it was 93. Yikes!
T2
I was determined to not let a wardrobe malfuction hurt my second transition. I loosened the shoe straps early enough, coasted to the dismount line as I swung my leg over, and dismounted flawlessly (just like Mary Lou Retton) as I broke into a run with the bike toward the transition area. What made me feel really good was that I blew past a guy who'd reached the dismount line about 5 seconds before me, and I had my running shoes on and was headed toward the run exit by the time he was entering the transition area.
5k
I started out with those jelly legs most everyone gets after riding a bike, and after about a quarter mile my quadracep cramped - big time. I had to stop and walk, and then stop completely and stretch and rub it out. I walked about another quarter mile and decided I needed to start running again. But I couldn't. I simply couldn't make my legs go. I could do a little "jogging shuffle" but that was about it. The leg was still cramping a bit so the rest of the run was a walk/jog for me. It sucked. No, it really sucked. Making matters worse was the wave of 18-29 year-olds that had just started their 10k blowing by me as our routes shared part of the same streets. Damn kids. I finally got about a quarter mile away from the finish and decided I just needed to kick it in - and leave it all on the course. I reached the finish chute and that's when my leg decided to cramp up even worse than before. The rest of the way to the finish line was pretty agonizing, but I made it across and to the medical tent, where a very nice lady taped an ice-pack around my leg and told me I was awesome. She made my day.
Aftermath
I stuck around for a while, talked with some other racers, drank more Gatorade - now up to well over 100 ounces of fluids for the day - then finally grabbed my bike and things for the long drive home. It wasn't until I was about halfway home and thinking about my performance today - I was reasonably satisfied up until the 5k, but realized that shit happens - that I thought about how I did compared to other racers. Complete results haven't been posted yet, but I know I didn't do very well. But then it occured to me that I had just competed against some of the top duathletes in the country. This was the National Championships!
I'm definitely going back next year. I want to conquer that 5k, and I so need a re-do with that cycling shoe.
Now showered and sipping an ice-cold beer, I'm one happy, satisfied duathlete.
Yeah, I'm a duathlete.
(Race results and times haven't been posted yet. I have a rough idea of my times, but I'm not going to put them here until I see the official times.)
FRIDAY
The plan was to drive into DC Friday night and stay at my friend Tracy's house so the drive down to Richmond wouldn't be too long on Saturday. I failed to plan, however, for all the last-minute things I needed to do (including installing the new computer, practicing transitions, etc.) so time got away Friday night and I decided to get up early Saturday morning and drive the entire distance.
SATURDAY
The alarm went off at 4:30 Saturday morning and I was in the car and on my way by 5:00. An uneventful and relatively quick drive got me to Richmond around 9:30. I got an early check-in to my hotel and unpacked my stuff. When I took my bike off my car I realized that somewhere between Rehoboth Beach and Richmond was an aero-bar pad (those pads where you rest your forearms when in the aero position). The glue holding the velcro attachment had come completely unglued.
So I found the nearest bike shop, bought a couple new pads (even better than the ones I had been using) and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon scoping out the transition area and parts of the route close to the transition area. I also got to see part of the Off-Road Championship race. Then I hopped in the car to drive the bike route. I'd heard it was hilly, but when driving it, it didn't seem nearly as bad as the Brandywine Valley Duathlon.
Saturday afternoon and evening were spent doing absolutely nothing in my hotel room. The temperature outside was in the 90s, so staying out of the heat and sun was the best thing to do. Plus I had to do my pre-race evening ritual of trimming the hair on my legs. (The real reason cyclists shave their legs is not for speed but for safety. If you were to crash, the hair on your legs would catch the pavement and rip your skin open much worse than with smooth legs. The risk of infection is also greater with hairy legs.) So I ordered room service, watched "Legally Blonde," and clipped my leg hair. And it occured to me that this was probably one of the gayer moments of my life.
SUNDAY
I was up before the 6:00 alarm to get ready for my wave start time. (The first wave of 60+ year-old men went at 7:30). Everything pre-race went according to plan and I was ready for my 9:30 gun.
10k
I went out way too fast on the first mile - a 6:31 - and slowed it down over the next couple miles. It was already getting hot and nearly the entire 10k was without shade. I was amazed at the caliber of runners. I picked one guy with an Ironman tattoo on his leg (meaning he's completed at least one Ironman race) and paced with him. But then I got a little burst of energy and left him behind. (felt good about that!) A lot of the men in my age group were ahead of me, but I noticed that a good number were behind me as well, and I had to remind myself to not worry about anyone else and just run my own race. I ran into the transition area feeling pretty good.
T1
My transition practice really helped (Thank you, Kevin!). I already had my gloves on and my hat off before I entered transition. I threw the hat down, threw my helmet on, whipped off my shoes, and ran through the transition area with my bike - my cycling shoes already being clipped onto the pedals. I mounted fine, and got my feet on top of my shoes right away, just like I practiced. But when I turned the corner and went to put my feet in the shoes, one of them came off (the shoes, not my feet.) So I had to stop, put the shoe on, remount, and regain my momentum.
38k Bike
Once I got past the shoe debacle I was alright. The bike course was 3 loops of about 7-8 miles each. Like I'd discovered in the car on Saturday, the hills really weren't that bad. There was one part of "rolling" hills but that was it. (Going down and up rolling hills makes your mind go, "This is awesome.....oh, shit.....this is awesome.....oh, shit....") We got to pass the main group of cheering spectators 6 times on the bike so that encouragement helped a lot. I was also much more conscious of my nutrition on the bike than I was the last race. I was able to down a Gu (although I should have done 2) and I finished nearly 2 bottles - one with water and one with Accelerade. My new bike computer has 2 features that I haven't had before. The first, cadence, definitely helped. I tried to keep my cadence up around 85-90. That didn't always happen, but I was there most of the time. Second, the computer also has a thermometer. When I started the bike leg, it was 86 degrees. By the time I finished, it was 93. Yikes!
T2
I was determined to not let a wardrobe malfuction hurt my second transition. I loosened the shoe straps early enough, coasted to the dismount line as I swung my leg over, and dismounted flawlessly (just like Mary Lou Retton) as I broke into a run with the bike toward the transition area. What made me feel really good was that I blew past a guy who'd reached the dismount line about 5 seconds before me, and I had my running shoes on and was headed toward the run exit by the time he was entering the transition area.
5k
I started out with those jelly legs most everyone gets after riding a bike, and after about a quarter mile my quadracep cramped - big time. I had to stop and walk, and then stop completely and stretch and rub it out. I walked about another quarter mile and decided I needed to start running again. But I couldn't. I simply couldn't make my legs go. I could do a little "jogging shuffle" but that was about it. The leg was still cramping a bit so the rest of the run was a walk/jog for me. It sucked. No, it really sucked. Making matters worse was the wave of 18-29 year-olds that had just started their 10k blowing by me as our routes shared part of the same streets. Damn kids. I finally got about a quarter mile away from the finish and decided I just needed to kick it in - and leave it all on the course. I reached the finish chute and that's when my leg decided to cramp up even worse than before. The rest of the way to the finish line was pretty agonizing, but I made it across and to the medical tent, where a very nice lady taped an ice-pack around my leg and told me I was awesome. She made my day.
Aftermath
I stuck around for a while, talked with some other racers, drank more Gatorade - now up to well over 100 ounces of fluids for the day - then finally grabbed my bike and things for the long drive home. It wasn't until I was about halfway home and thinking about my performance today - I was reasonably satisfied up until the 5k, but realized that shit happens - that I thought about how I did compared to other racers. Complete results haven't been posted yet, but I know I didn't do very well. But then it occured to me that I had just competed against some of the top duathletes in the country. This was the National Championships!
I'm definitely going back next year. I want to conquer that 5k, and I so need a re-do with that cycling shoe.
Now showered and sipping an ice-cold beer, I'm one happy, satisfied duathlete.
Yeah, I'm a duathlete.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
MIA?
Lately I've been missing in action. Or more like, missing from action.
A couple weeks ago I had my awesome running interval workout with the group, followed by an tough bike interval one-on-one with my coach. We also worked on my transitions which will save me some time during races.
But for the past week I've been battling a cold - seems to happen every time there are major changes in the weather. I haven't been running, biking or swimming at all, and it's making me very nervous about this weekend's race. While this isn't one of my A priority races, it is still a big one, with competitors from all over the country - 134 men in my age group alone!
I think I'm finally getting over the cold and may attempt to do the group intervals tonight, but I don't want to overtax my body just as I'm on the mend. I want to be 100% by the weekend.
A couple weeks ago I had my awesome running interval workout with the group, followed by an tough bike interval one-on-one with my coach. We also worked on my transitions which will save me some time during races.
But for the past week I've been battling a cold - seems to happen every time there are major changes in the weather. I haven't been running, biking or swimming at all, and it's making me very nervous about this weekend's race. While this isn't one of my A priority races, it is still a big one, with competitors from all over the country - 134 men in my age group alone!
I think I'm finally getting over the cold and may attempt to do the group intervals tonight, but I don't want to overtax my body just as I'm on the mend. I want to be 100% by the weekend.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Intervals
Awesome interval workout tonight.
My coach sets up a workout every Wednesday night and anyone can participate. Tonight's session was 4 x 1 mile repeats with 3 minutes recovery. The idea is to increase the speed on each mile.
For the first mile I had Heather, who just came off a great Cherry Blossom 10 Miler race on Sunday, to pace with and we did a 6:49. I ran with Heather for the first half of the second mile but increased the speed to finish with a 6:27. The third mile I focused on keeping Jesse, a tough runner, in my sights. It helped me turn in a 6:23. For the fourth mile I decided to really kick it in and ended up with a 6:07.
My coach is confident I'll hit the teens for 5k's this summer. I hope he's right.
My coach sets up a workout every Wednesday night and anyone can participate. Tonight's session was 4 x 1 mile repeats with 3 minutes recovery. The idea is to increase the speed on each mile.
For the first mile I had Heather, who just came off a great Cherry Blossom 10 Miler race on Sunday, to pace with and we did a 6:49. I ran with Heather for the first half of the second mile but increased the speed to finish with a 6:27. The third mile I focused on keeping Jesse, a tough runner, in my sights. It helped me turn in a 6:23. For the fourth mile I decided to really kick it in and ended up with a 6:07.
My coach is confident I'll hit the teens for 5k's this summer. I hope he's right.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Video Time!
Time for a re-post to keep my mind in the game. I chose the name of this blog specifically because of this video.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Brandywine Valley Duathlon
The alarm was supposed to go off at 5:30 this morning, but I was up and wide awake before that. Pre-race preparations went well. I had no trouble finding Hibernia County Park in the middle of nowhere, PA and had about 45 minutes to get my transition area set up and get warmed up.
I was in the second of three waves, mine being "men 40 and over." I started out a little faster than I wanted to but quickly settled into a good pace. The run was in the park, which meant plenty of tress to block wind. It also meant half of the run was gravelly and I really had to watch my footing. I also found out what it's like to run hills. It's so flat in Rehoboth Beach and I'd forgotten that hills can kick you butt.
I finished the run, averaging 7:15 per mile - definitely not my best 5k, but decent for my first duathlon, for which I wasn't sure how fast to go for the first 5k.
Transition 1 went alright - 55 seconds - which helped me pick up a few seconds over a number of other participants.
The bike started out ok, but soon the hills were once again kicking my butt. The bike was outside of the park, which meant no break from the wind. The was one long stretch of slight incline and lots of headwind. I was so not ready for the hills. A GU at mile 10 gave me a bit of extra energy (I really need to work on my on-bike nutrition) and I made it back to the transition area averaging 15.5 mph. Somewhat disappointed with that, but again, I'm not used to the hills.
Another relatively good transition - 55 seconds again - had me back out on the run course. This run, while somewhat slower than the first, felt better. I started picking up several places. If I counted right, I moved up 8 places during the second 5k. I crossed the finish, averaging 7:54 per mile for the second 5k.
Final time: 1:39:58 - good enough for 88th place (out of 247) and 18th (out of 30) in my age group.
I've got a lot to work on before the next race, but overall I'm feeling alright about today's race.
Onward!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
C'mon, Mother Nature!
I'm ready for the Brandywine Valley Duathlon tomorrow. I had a really good week running and cycling and my head is in a good place, except...
The weather forecast is for 39 degrees and mild winds at 8:00am, when the race begins. I wouldn't be concerned if it was 29 degrees or 49 degrees. Those temps I can easily plan for. But 39? That's a "take leg warmers/extra jersey/jacket because you might need them, but maybe not" kind of weather.
I've packed a lot of extra things because of the uncertainty of what I'll actually need so I'm ready for anything, but geez, Mother Nature! Help a guy out on his first race of the season!
The weather forecast is for 39 degrees and mild winds at 8:00am, when the race begins. I wouldn't be concerned if it was 29 degrees or 49 degrees. Those temps I can easily plan for. But 39? That's a "take leg warmers/extra jersey/jacket because you might need them, but maybe not" kind of weather.
I've packed a lot of extra things because of the uncertainty of what I'll actually need so I'm ready for anything, but geez, Mother Nature! Help a guy out on his first race of the season!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Physically Wiped But Mentally Charged
Awesome, awesome training session today. It has left me physically tired but mentally charged.
Workout:
- 15 minutes warm-up, heart rate zone 1-2
- 10 minutes stretching (I'm getting much better at actually doing the stretches!)
- 10 x 30-seconds at 90-95% of max effort; 60 seconds easy jog recovery after each
- 5 x 30-seconds at 90-95% of max effort; 30 seconds easy jog recovery after each
- 5 minutes cool down, heart rate zone 1-2
- more stretching
I'm really feeling good going into this weekend's duathlon. What a change from a week or so ago!
Workout:
- 15 minutes warm-up, heart rate zone 1-2
- 10 minutes stretching (I'm getting much better at actually doing the stretches!)
- 10 x 30-seconds at 90-95% of max effort; 60 seconds easy jog recovery after each
- 5 x 30-seconds at 90-95% of max effort; 30 seconds easy jog recovery after each
- 5 minutes cool down, heart rate zone 1-2
- more stretching
I'm really feeling good going into this weekend's duathlon. What a change from a week or so ago!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Feeling Good
It's been a good week so far. Monday's workout was a simple run - 20 minutes in HR Zone 1-2 and 20 minutes in HR Zone 3. I felt strong. Finally!
Yesterday's bike session was also good - 75 minutes out on the road. It was a little chilly, but with arm warmers I was fine. I spent more time in HR Zone 3 than I was supposed to but I found it hard to really control. I ended up being a little dehydrated afterwards so I know I need to work on my pre-ride and on-bike hydration.
Today is an off day but I think I'm going to get in the pool for some drills.
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good for Sunday's race.
Yesterday's bike session was also good - 75 minutes out on the road. It was a little chilly, but with arm warmers I was fine. I spent more time in HR Zone 3 than I was supposed to but I found it hard to really control. I ended up being a little dehydrated afterwards so I know I need to work on my pre-ride and on-bike hydration.
Today is an off day but I think I'm going to get in the pool for some drills.
Overall, I'm feeling pretty good for Sunday's race.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)