Today is my Friday...tomorrow I have an EDO!!!
Mel is not back until late tomorrow night, so after I walk the dogs in the morning I'm off for a nice 4hr spin on the bike. Within that time frame, I plan on doing 90km at, or near race pace following up with a 45 min trot afterwards. By the time I finish I should be good and hungry so the dogs and I are BBQ'ing steaks!
Saturday is another long ride in the AM, followed by running some errands with Mel before we head over to Bowness Park with the dogs for a BBQ with friends.
Sunday is a long swim, followed by a long run.
The pool/gym here on campus is closed for 10 days so I am having to find an alternate pool for the time being.
Last night I ran intervals - 5x 3minute at sub 5km pace. First three went well, on the fourth one things started to get hazy, and on the fifth one, part of my supper came up at the end. I started off fairly well but things started to go down hill about 1:30 into the interval. After that the legs become wobbly, the head light, and I saw stars. At the end, I leaned over and up-chucked a blended mixture of chicken breast, mixed vegetables, and brown rice. I can't even begin to describe what that looks and/or smells like...not like you want to read about that anyways...
Today is a recovery run at lunch and a 90 spin tonight which includes some hill repeats.
Have a good one!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
SPDD Week
Mel is away this week in Halifax working for her old employer. They offered her some contract work over the course of the summer so she decided to accept it. She'll be flying back and forth a couple of times throughout the summer.
So that leaves me as a SPDD this week. (Single Parent Doggy Daddy). Each day begins with both Jessie and Sammy waking me up at 6:30 sharp. One stands on my chest while the other offers sloppy kisses that would wake the dead. From there is it up to feed them both and then walk Jessie for 45 minutes to an hour. After that it is back to get ready for work and drop Sammy off to doggy daycare. Since he is still being crate trained we both didn't want to leave him in the kennel all day so daycare it is.
On the way home from work I stop in to pick up him, get home, feed them both, feed myself and take them both out for a "stretch"...aka 1 & 2. After that I get 90 minutes to rip out my workout.
Being a SPDD is tough! Training has definitely taken a back seat for the time being but I make the best with what I have...that has been one of my major goals this season for training.
Last night I got out for a 90 minute ride. The wind was gusting pretty bad in our area so I wasn't hitting the highways for a ride. Also didn't want to hit the trainer so I opted to ride around the neighborhood. I eventually got brave and hopped on the new outer ring road, which isn't opened yet. I cranked out 2x 20 minute tempo efforts. With the wind I was speeding along at 55km/h - 63km/h and when I would reach one end of the road and have to turn around into the wind I dropped to 20km/h - 24km/h.
It was quite fun riding a highway with absolutely no traffic! Good thing too because I was getting blown all over the road.
Today I have a 40 minute easy run at lunch and then a 60 minute interval run tonight...after I walk the dogs.
Happy Trails!
So that leaves me as a SPDD this week. (Single Parent Doggy Daddy). Each day begins with both Jessie and Sammy waking me up at 6:30 sharp. One stands on my chest while the other offers sloppy kisses that would wake the dead. From there is it up to feed them both and then walk Jessie for 45 minutes to an hour. After that it is back to get ready for work and drop Sammy off to doggy daycare. Since he is still being crate trained we both didn't want to leave him in the kennel all day so daycare it is.
On the way home from work I stop in to pick up him, get home, feed them both, feed myself and take them both out for a "stretch"...aka 1 & 2. After that I get 90 minutes to rip out my workout.
Being a SPDD is tough! Training has definitely taken a back seat for the time being but I make the best with what I have...that has been one of my major goals this season for training.
Last night I got out for a 90 minute ride. The wind was gusting pretty bad in our area so I wasn't hitting the highways for a ride. Also didn't want to hit the trainer so I opted to ride around the neighborhood. I eventually got brave and hopped on the new outer ring road, which isn't opened yet. I cranked out 2x 20 minute tempo efforts. With the wind I was speeding along at 55km/h - 63km/h and when I would reach one end of the road and have to turn around into the wind I dropped to 20km/h - 24km/h.
It was quite fun riding a highway with absolutely no traffic! Good thing too because I was getting blown all over the road.
Today I have a 40 minute easy run at lunch and then a 60 minute interval run tonight...after I walk the dogs.
Happy Trails!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Chinook Olympic Race Report - 2009 (#641)
The tale of this particular race started the night before the actual race. While testing out my gear, I noticed some odd noises coming from my bike in certain positions. I rode and rode and rode the bike on Friday night to try and troubleshoot the issue but could not figure it out. Later that night as I was packing up the CRV, I was removing my front wheel when I noticed two things:
1.) My front race wheel had a slight wobble in it
2.) The axle on the bike wheel had actually come unscrewed a fair bit - which in turn was causing the weird noises. I tighten as best as I could by hand and called my buddy Mark to ask him about it. He pretty much said I shouldn't ride on the wheels until I can get them professionally looked at.
I was pretty bummed at this as these were my race wheels! So I hauled out my training wheels and cleaned them up a bit before attaching them to my bike. Note, I still had my winter trainer tires on them so they were pretty flat. It was getting late and I didn't not want to spend the time to switch out the rubber.
I was in bed at a reasonable hour and slept pretty good. Woke up at 5:45am and tried to eat breakfast but could only stomach a slice of peanut butter toast. After a quick kiss to Mel and the dogs, I was off to drive to the south part of the city to Midapore Lake where the race was situated.
There were definitely some nerves present when I rolled into the race site area and saw all the fit people - I'm so going to get my ass kicked today I thought. I hadn't spent much time mentally preparing for this race which can be a good and bad thing. I guess I didn't think too much about it so as to not put too much pressure on myself.
Anyways, when I got into transition shortly after 7:00am all the racks had been pretty much taken up. I found a spot way at the back to get set up in. I could tell the person to the right of my bike, on the rack, was a bit of a newbie to racing because they were taking up way too much space on the ground in the front of their bike with their gear. I asked the people who were around the immediate area if this was their transition area but all said no. So I slide their items aside a wee bit to jam my stuff in there.
Ran into Keith at some point in transition and had a brief chat. Saw Susie too and spoke to her while I was stealing some of her sunscreen. Not long after that everyone was getting kicked out of transition so I gathered up what I needed for the swim and booked'er down to the beach area to watch the Half-Ironman swim start.
Down at the beach I ran into my buddy Scott, who by the way, snapped a ton of pictures of me racing which was a super nice thing to do! Thanks buddy!
At one point I heard my name shouted out and it was Jenna! It was the first time we had an opportunity to meet. We chatted briefly like old friends before she rejoined Susie's Father to watch for Susie/Keith during the swim.
Near the end of the Half-Ironman swim we were able to get into the water for a warm-up. I got a good 10 - 15 minute warm-up in before heading back to shore to line up for the swim start.
I decided to start at the font & far left to avoid the some of the swim start chaos. The gun went off at 9:15am! I ran into the water and dove in to swim hard for about 200m.
During this time I am swimming just to the outside of the main group trying to find a suitable pair of feet to draft off of. Eventually I found a set moving at a good pace so I cut into the pack and latched on!
I ended up drafting off this woman's feet off & on throughout the entire swim. Sometimes I was right there on them while other times I would lose her by about a metre or two. Overall the swim wasn't very comfortable. I was having trouble regulating my breathing. I simply could not get into a rhythm.
After the first lap, we had to run out of the water and around a buoy on the beach before beginning lap two. My draft had gotten a little ways ahead of me at this point so I took this time to basically sprint on shore to catch up to her again as she rounded the buoy.
Of course, as soon as my face hit the water to start lap two I was close to hyper-ventilating. I managed to stay with her until the first turn after which I started to lose her again and was swimming on my own. By the last turn into the second lap of the swim, things finally started to come around and I was in a rhythm and feeling strong. I started catching my draft again but never quite got it before the swim was over.
I ran up onto shore and decided to take advantage of the wetsuit strippers. We had a buggar of a time trying to get my wetsuit off because it was caught my watch. In retrospect I just should have headed back into transition and taken off the wetsuit myself to save time.
Swim time: 24:46
T1 was pretty quick and I was out onto my bike before long. Immediately I started press the pace and paced a couple of people on the way out of town. When I turned left onto 22x I was immediately slapped in the face with a brutal headwind. My speed dropped dramatically so I switch out of the big chain ring and decided to spin as fast as I could in high/lower? gears.
I could barely make out another rider way off in the distance and thought there is no way I am catching anyone.
Got into my aerobars and just did the best I could on the way out.
My heart rate monitor stopped working during the swim so I was going on pure feel today.
There were a couple of small climbs on the way out to the turnaround and it was on these climbs when I noticed I was starting to close the gap on some people ahead of me.
Just before the last hill, before the turnaround, I was within range of one guy but decided to wait until we hit the climb to pass him. After the turnaround we had a nice wind at our backs so it was 40km/h + the whole way back into town. I passed a few more people shortly after the turnaround.
Getting close to town I was catching this one fellow...when he saw me coming he picked up the pace and so I was chasing him down for several kms. He wasn't going to relent and I was determined to keep pushing him. It was an epic battle and I'm sure we were both having fun out there.
Eventually I was able to close the gap just before a hill, and again, waited until we started to climb before I passed him. From there I didn't let up on the gears and kept pressing the pace. He hung far enough back to be legal, but he wasn't letting me go either!
With a km to go to transition I dropped gears and started to spin it out. He passed me and I decided to let him have the lead as I wasn't interested in racing back to transition with a 10km run coming up.
Bike time: 1:04:16
We rolled into transition together and I was right behind him on the way out on the run. Our pace was fairly quick but he was already starting to pull away. I knew I was getting dropped here as my legs didn't feel too snappy. I haven't been diligent in doing my t-runs/brick workouts so I knew this was going to be a weak point for me in the race.
Overall the run wasn't too bad although I started to fade really badly the last 2km but managed to keep from getting passed within that time. I had to walk up the last hill and walked through 3 aid stations during the run.
Run time: 42.24
Overall I came 5/192 and 2/51 in my age group.
I am really happy with my results as they were better than expected. I found my biking is not as bad as I thought but I do need to work on running off the bike more often.
After the race I meet up with Jenna, Dale, Linda, and Susie's Dad to chat for a bit. I was able to see Keith and Susie start the run before I had to jet home to run some errands with Mel.
Later that evening we met up with the gang at Joey's downtown for some drink, food, and laughs. It was great listening to Susie's Dad tell stories about her when she was younger. We'll have to have him back again soon! Jenna is a hoot to hang with with. She is a genuine person and that is part of the reason she is so much fun. We look forward to our next get together with everyone.
Warm-up
Warm-up
The yellow dot/cap in the middle of pic is the girl was I trying to draft off
throughout the race. I am right on her feet in the pink cap.
1.) My front race wheel had a slight wobble in it
2.) The axle on the bike wheel had actually come unscrewed a fair bit - which in turn was causing the weird noises. I tighten as best as I could by hand and called my buddy Mark to ask him about it. He pretty much said I shouldn't ride on the wheels until I can get them professionally looked at.
I was pretty bummed at this as these were my race wheels! So I hauled out my training wheels and cleaned them up a bit before attaching them to my bike. Note, I still had my winter trainer tires on them so they were pretty flat. It was getting late and I didn't not want to spend the time to switch out the rubber.
I was in bed at a reasonable hour and slept pretty good. Woke up at 5:45am and tried to eat breakfast but could only stomach a slice of peanut butter toast. After a quick kiss to Mel and the dogs, I was off to drive to the south part of the city to Midapore Lake where the race was situated.
There were definitely some nerves present when I rolled into the race site area and saw all the fit people - I'm so going to get my ass kicked today I thought. I hadn't spent much time mentally preparing for this race which can be a good and bad thing. I guess I didn't think too much about it so as to not put too much pressure on myself.
Anyways, when I got into transition shortly after 7:00am all the racks had been pretty much taken up. I found a spot way at the back to get set up in. I could tell the person to the right of my bike, on the rack, was a bit of a newbie to racing because they were taking up way too much space on the ground in the front of their bike with their gear. I asked the people who were around the immediate area if this was their transition area but all said no. So I slide their items aside a wee bit to jam my stuff in there.
Ran into Keith at some point in transition and had a brief chat. Saw Susie too and spoke to her while I was stealing some of her sunscreen. Not long after that everyone was getting kicked out of transition so I gathered up what I needed for the swim and booked'er down to the beach area to watch the Half-Ironman swim start.
Down at the beach I ran into my buddy Scott, who by the way, snapped a ton of pictures of me racing which was a super nice thing to do! Thanks buddy!
At one point I heard my name shouted out and it was Jenna! It was the first time we had an opportunity to meet. We chatted briefly like old friends before she rejoined Susie's Father to watch for Susie/Keith during the swim.
Near the end of the Half-Ironman swim we were able to get into the water for a warm-up. I got a good 10 - 15 minute warm-up in before heading back to shore to line up for the swim start.
I decided to start at the font & far left to avoid the some of the swim start chaos. The gun went off at 9:15am! I ran into the water and dove in to swim hard for about 200m.
During this time I am swimming just to the outside of the main group trying to find a suitable pair of feet to draft off of. Eventually I found a set moving at a good pace so I cut into the pack and latched on!
I ended up drafting off this woman's feet off & on throughout the entire swim. Sometimes I was right there on them while other times I would lose her by about a metre or two. Overall the swim wasn't very comfortable. I was having trouble regulating my breathing. I simply could not get into a rhythm.
After the first lap, we had to run out of the water and around a buoy on the beach before beginning lap two. My draft had gotten a little ways ahead of me at this point so I took this time to basically sprint on shore to catch up to her again as she rounded the buoy.
Of course, as soon as my face hit the water to start lap two I was close to hyper-ventilating. I managed to stay with her until the first turn after which I started to lose her again and was swimming on my own. By the last turn into the second lap of the swim, things finally started to come around and I was in a rhythm and feeling strong. I started catching my draft again but never quite got it before the swim was over.
I ran up onto shore and decided to take advantage of the wetsuit strippers. We had a buggar of a time trying to get my wetsuit off because it was caught my watch. In retrospect I just should have headed back into transition and taken off the wetsuit myself to save time.
Swim time: 24:46
T1 was pretty quick and I was out onto my bike before long. Immediately I started press the pace and paced a couple of people on the way out of town. When I turned left onto 22x I was immediately slapped in the face with a brutal headwind. My speed dropped dramatically so I switch out of the big chain ring and decided to spin as fast as I could in high/lower? gears.
I could barely make out another rider way off in the distance and thought there is no way I am catching anyone.
Got into my aerobars and just did the best I could on the way out.
My heart rate monitor stopped working during the swim so I was going on pure feel today.
There were a couple of small climbs on the way out to the turnaround and it was on these climbs when I noticed I was starting to close the gap on some people ahead of me.
Just before the last hill, before the turnaround, I was within range of one guy but decided to wait until we hit the climb to pass him. After the turnaround we had a nice wind at our backs so it was 40km/h + the whole way back into town. I passed a few more people shortly after the turnaround.
Getting close to town I was catching this one fellow...when he saw me coming he picked up the pace and so I was chasing him down for several kms. He wasn't going to relent and I was determined to keep pushing him. It was an epic battle and I'm sure we were both having fun out there.
Eventually I was able to close the gap just before a hill, and again, waited until we started to climb before I passed him. From there I didn't let up on the gears and kept pressing the pace. He hung far enough back to be legal, but he wasn't letting me go either!
With a km to go to transition I dropped gears and started to spin it out. He passed me and I decided to let him have the lead as I wasn't interested in racing back to transition with a 10km run coming up.
Bike time: 1:04:16
We rolled into transition together and I was right behind him on the way out on the run. Our pace was fairly quick but he was already starting to pull away. I knew I was getting dropped here as my legs didn't feel too snappy. I haven't been diligent in doing my t-runs/brick workouts so I knew this was going to be a weak point for me in the race.
Overall the run wasn't too bad although I started to fade really badly the last 2km but managed to keep from getting passed within that time. I had to walk up the last hill and walked through 3 aid stations during the run.
Run time: 42.24
Overall I came 5/192 and 2/51 in my age group.
I am really happy with my results as they were better than expected. I found my biking is not as bad as I thought but I do need to work on running off the bike more often.
After the race I meet up with Jenna, Dale, Linda, and Susie's Dad to chat for a bit. I was able to see Keith and Susie start the run before I had to jet home to run some errands with Mel.
Later that evening we met up with the gang at Joey's downtown for some drink, food, and laughs. It was great listening to Susie's Dad tell stories about her when she was younger. We'll have to have him back again soon! Jenna is a hoot to hang with with. She is a genuine person and that is part of the reason she is so much fun. We look forward to our next get together with everyone.
Warm-up
Warm-up
The yellow dot/cap in the middle of pic is the girl was I trying to draft off
throughout the race. I am right on her feet in the pink cap.
Friday, June 19, 2009
One Goal
I have a pretty simple goal for Saturdays race...and that is to go all out. Really, it is just a test to see where my strengths and weaknesses currently lie. You train all winter for these races...perform intervals, time-trails, and simulate race conditions but you never truly know where you are at until you actually race.
Outside of my own race, there'll be a few friends racing and cheering tomorrow which makes the day all that much better. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow and possibly having a few beverages of choice afterwards.
See you at the races!
Outside of my own race, there'll be a few friends racing and cheering tomorrow which makes the day all that much better. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow and possibly having a few beverages of choice afterwards.
See you at the races!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
3 more sleeps
Regular ole day...
Up early to run 50mins...2x 5mins at 10km pace. The last 10 minutes I had to walk it in...lets just say there was going to be an explosion if I continued to run. Note to self: make sure to do 1 AND 2 before heading out for early morning runs.
Biked to work...almost ended up on the windshield of some twit's BMW. I was crossing an intersection and she only looked one way when turning. I saw was what coming and hit the breaks witin inches of her car. The look of shock/horror on her face at the near accident was priceless! I hoped it scared into her some basic "safe" driving habits for her sake.
Lunchtime was a sushi-fest...YUM!
This evening was another lake swim. Ran into Chris/Jill, fresh off their stellar performances at Boise 70.3. Both of them qualified for the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater! Effing awesome!
Was suppose to swim with Keith & Susi but Keith was out last minute. Got a lap and a half in before I met up with Susi. We did a lap together before calling it a night. Just like Keith, Susi is also a strong swimmer. Both those guys will have a terrific swim/race on Saturday.
That is about it my friends.
Up early to run 50mins...2x 5mins at 10km pace. The last 10 minutes I had to walk it in...lets just say there was going to be an explosion if I continued to run. Note to self: make sure to do 1 AND 2 before heading out for early morning runs.
Biked to work...almost ended up on the windshield of some twit's BMW. I was crossing an intersection and she only looked one way when turning. I saw was what coming and hit the breaks witin inches of her car. The look of shock/horror on her face at the near accident was priceless! I hoped it scared into her some basic "safe" driving habits for her sake.
Lunchtime was a sushi-fest...YUM!
This evening was another lake swim. Ran into Chris/Jill, fresh off their stellar performances at Boise 70.3. Both of them qualified for the 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater! Effing awesome!
Was suppose to swim with Keith & Susi but Keith was out last minute. Got a lap and a half in before I met up with Susi. We did a lap together before calling it a night. Just like Keith, Susi is also a strong swimmer. Both those guys will have a terrific swim/race on Saturday.
That is about it my friends.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Swimming is funny like that
I had a tough sleep last night...waking up shortly after 2am and staying awake until about 5am. Not sure what was keeping me up...mind wasn't really racing and only had one coffee throughout the previous day. I figure it might have insanely warm our room felt and/or nearly OD'ing on Mike-and Ike candy after supper.
Anyways...when 5:30am rolled around I was in no shape to get up bike 45 minutes to the pool and swim 3000m. Slept in until 7:15am before getting up and trying to haul ass down to campus.
Swam a modified workout during lunch:
400m w/u
300m drill
9x 100m on 10 seconds rest at a medium intensity
5x 150m sprints on 1 minutes rest
100m cool down.
I feel like I am currently in a swimming funk. It is like I am fighting the water instead of working with it and as a result my times are way the eff out the window over yonder in Saskatchewan somewhere. This is not a new experience for me as I tend to go through this several times throughout the training/racing season. I hit a Peak and then I hit a Valley...rinse and repeat.
Of the three sports, swimming is the only one I can really see this happening. It is not like having a bad workout, but a string of bad workouts. Well...not really bad workouts per se, but ones in which you feel completely off your stroke. Funny huh?
As for the rest of the day, I have a 50 minute ride home in the T-storms followed by a 90 minute spin on the tri bike this evening. I have a 30 minute tempo effort scheduled in there.
I don't really plan on tapering for the race this weekend but will have to take Friday off as I am at a company retreat/planning session. After that, I have somewhat a late night to prepare our department for the power outage over the weekend. I am hoping that does not run too late into the night.
"Stay thirsty my friends"
Anyways...when 5:30am rolled around I was in no shape to get up bike 45 minutes to the pool and swim 3000m. Slept in until 7:15am before getting up and trying to haul ass down to campus.
Swam a modified workout during lunch:
400m w/u
300m drill
9x 100m on 10 seconds rest at a medium intensity
5x 150m sprints on 1 minutes rest
100m cool down.
I feel like I am currently in a swimming funk. It is like I am fighting the water instead of working with it and as a result my times are way the eff out the window over yonder in Saskatchewan somewhere. This is not a new experience for me as I tend to go through this several times throughout the training/racing season. I hit a Peak and then I hit a Valley...rinse and repeat.
Of the three sports, swimming is the only one I can really see this happening. It is not like having a bad workout, but a string of bad workouts. Well...not really bad workouts per se, but ones in which you feel completely off your stroke. Funny huh?
As for the rest of the day, I have a 50 minute ride home in the T-storms followed by a 90 minute spin on the tri bike this evening. I have a 30 minute tempo effort scheduled in there.
I don't really plan on tapering for the race this weekend but will have to take Friday off as I am at a company retreat/planning session. After that, I have somewhat a late night to prepare our department for the power outage over the weekend. I am hoping that does not run too late into the night.
"Stay thirsty my friends"
Monday, June 15, 2009
Last week as an OK week for training. I missed several days of workouts to take care of a few personal things with Mel. Some things just take precedence over training.
When the weekend rolled around I managed to get back onto my schedule. Saturday I bike for 3hr15mins with a steady 90km effort done in 2:45. I am pleased with the result as it was a comfortable pace to maintain. My only complaint is I am not use to being in the aero bars for that long...something that will get better with a few more rides like that. After the ride I ran hard for 20 minutes. Later that evening Katie dropped over to have dinner with Mel and I, and share a few laughs.
Sunday was a little bit of a change-up from my normal routine. I decided to do my run during the mid-day sun. Normally I run first thing in the morning to avoid the heat but yesterday I wanted to get out in the heat. With a couple of my races taking place this year, I'll be running around noon so I want to prepare for that type of environment.
Thankfully this weeks run was a shorter one (1hr15min) because I was baked by the end. I started out at exactly noon and immediately committed a cardinal sin...pulled the shirt off to run! Anyways, I couldn't take the heat and accidently locked myself outta the house so I had no other choice. To make it even more interesting for the passing public, I had my heart rate monitor on so it looked like I was wearing a "man-bra". LOL, I got a lot of strange looks...however at the time I was so effing hot I didn't care.
I started off at about 15-20 seconds above my half-marathon pace but by the end of the run I was dragging my heels and taking lots of walk breaks. I am screwed if I have to run in that kind of heat during any of my races this year.
Later in the evening I met Keith down at the Chinook Race site for a swim at the lake. It was my first wetsuit swim of the year. We did two laps of the lake...the first lap felt "horri-awful!". Body position is totally off with the wetsuit but by the second lap things came around and I started to get the feel back.
By the way, Keith is a pretty fast swimmer.
Today is a recovery day..just a 90 minute easy spin and a short 1100m swim followed by another massage tonight!
Happy Valdemars Day! (Denmark)
When the weekend rolled around I managed to get back onto my schedule. Saturday I bike for 3hr15mins with a steady 90km effort done in 2:45. I am pleased with the result as it was a comfortable pace to maintain. My only complaint is I am not use to being in the aero bars for that long...something that will get better with a few more rides like that. After the ride I ran hard for 20 minutes. Later that evening Katie dropped over to have dinner with Mel and I, and share a few laughs.
Sunday was a little bit of a change-up from my normal routine. I decided to do my run during the mid-day sun. Normally I run first thing in the morning to avoid the heat but yesterday I wanted to get out in the heat. With a couple of my races taking place this year, I'll be running around noon so I want to prepare for that type of environment.
Thankfully this weeks run was a shorter one (1hr15min) because I was baked by the end. I started out at exactly noon and immediately committed a cardinal sin...pulled the shirt off to run! Anyways, I couldn't take the heat and accidently locked myself outta the house so I had no other choice. To make it even more interesting for the passing public, I had my heart rate monitor on so it looked like I was wearing a "man-bra". LOL, I got a lot of strange looks...however at the time I was so effing hot I didn't care.
I started off at about 15-20 seconds above my half-marathon pace but by the end of the run I was dragging my heels and taking lots of walk breaks. I am screwed if I have to run in that kind of heat during any of my races this year.
Later in the evening I met Keith down at the Chinook Race site for a swim at the lake. It was my first wetsuit swim of the year. We did two laps of the lake...the first lap felt "horri-awful!". Body position is totally off with the wetsuit but by the second lap things came around and I started to get the feel back.
By the way, Keith is a pretty fast swimmer.
Today is a recovery day..just a 90 minute easy spin and a short 1100m swim followed by another massage tonight!
Happy Valdemars Day! (Denmark)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Hungry
Yesterday was not a great food day...I love good food and being deprived makes me cranky. Nonetheless, we both did well on our tests with the nurse last night and she was pleased to see we stuck to suggested fast - or at least Mel did.
The past week I have started decreasing my portions at meals, eating more frequently throughout the day, and stopped eating after 6:30pm - all in an attempt to get back down to my race weight. For me, this is one of the most difficult things about training. But...I have set some goals this summer that I want to attain and this is just another step toward attaining them.
Up early this morning and hammered it down to the pool on my mountain bike in record time. Legs were feeling a little weak in the pool as evident towards the end of the workout. Just a short one this morning:
400m w/u
300m drill
6x 100m on 10 seconds rest at medium-hard intensity
6x 100m on 1 minutes rest at sprint intensity (held 1:25's for these but faded badly on the last one)
400m cool down.
Lunch time I plan on doing some core work and stretching. Another ride home this evening followed by 50 minute run with 25 minutes of tempo effort in there.
Later tonight I am picking up a new toy for my bike...an iBike computer that I am buying second hand. I'm pretty excited as I haven't had a working bike computer since Ironman Lake Placid. Because of all the rain during that race, it actually shorted it out and hasn't work since. Also the iBike is a power meter so I'll have some power numbers to play with outside now. Granted, the iBike may not be as accurate as a PowerTap or SRM Power meter but it is MUCH cheaper.
Power is highly individual anyways...even if the numbers are not as accurate as some of the most expensive power meters, all it takes are several rides to determine your zones *with that particular power meter on your own bike setup* and you are set to go. I'll report back later once I get it set up and have test it out.
It is Version II of the iBike...I believe there is a Version III of it out now and iBike will allow you to trade in your old one for a new one along with a discounted price so that is something I'll consider at the end of the season.
Happy National Day my friends (GO PORTUGAL!!!)
The past week I have started decreasing my portions at meals, eating more frequently throughout the day, and stopped eating after 6:30pm - all in an attempt to get back down to my race weight. For me, this is one of the most difficult things about training. But...I have set some goals this summer that I want to attain and this is just another step toward attaining them.
Up early this morning and hammered it down to the pool on my mountain bike in record time. Legs were feeling a little weak in the pool as evident towards the end of the workout. Just a short one this morning:
400m w/u
300m drill
6x 100m on 10 seconds rest at medium-hard intensity
6x 100m on 1 minutes rest at sprint intensity (held 1:25's for these but faded badly on the last one)
400m cool down.
Lunch time I plan on doing some core work and stretching. Another ride home this evening followed by 50 minute run with 25 minutes of tempo effort in there.
Later tonight I am picking up a new toy for my bike...an iBike computer that I am buying second hand. I'm pretty excited as I haven't had a working bike computer since Ironman Lake Placid. Because of all the rain during that race, it actually shorted it out and hasn't work since. Also the iBike is a power meter so I'll have some power numbers to play with outside now. Granted, the iBike may not be as accurate as a PowerTap or SRM Power meter but it is MUCH cheaper.
Power is highly individual anyways...even if the numbers are not as accurate as some of the most expensive power meters, all it takes are several rides to determine your zones *with that particular power meter on your own bike setup* and you are set to go. I'll report back later once I get it set up and have test it out.
It is Version II of the iBike...I believe there is a Version III of it out now and iBike will allow you to trade in your old one for a new one along with a discounted price so that is something I'll consider at the end of the season.
Happy National Day my friends (GO PORTUGAL!!!)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A day chaulked full of challenges
I had to get up a little earlier than usual this morning to come into work and help setup stuff for employee day we are having here on campus. Thankfully there was free Starbucks coffee involved so I was good to go. After that things started to get interesting...
Suffice to say, that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. I have no tolerance for laziness and/or incompetency...let alone people who won't own up to their mistakes. You effed up, I am having to deal with your mistakes so at the very least...the LEAST you can do is acknowledge your screw-up and take ownership...WTF people!
On another note, we are getting blood work done tonight - both Mel & I. So the nurse calls yesterday and informs us:
- no fruits/sweets
- no carbs
- no veggies
- eat only protein today
What kind of fast is that? Holy snapping turtles arses! I had to bite back the rage when Mel told me this gem last night. Does this nurse not know I train between 14 - 20hrs a week? I go through calories quicker than a virgin dropping their underwear on prom night! Anyways, that just went in one ear and out the other...I had some fruit this morning along with a pastry.
We are applying for some type of insurance and now companies are asking if you have been in the hospital, for any reason, within the past 10 years. Because I had ACL reconstruction I have to go through a barrage of tests everytime we apply and/or go to renegotiate the term.
Just re-reading what I have posted so far...a little harsh...I'm blaming it on the drop in blood sugar level. They ran out of lunch at the employee day thingee...and I specifically didn't bring a lunch today because of that - joyous!
Today is a write-off in terms of training...too many things to get done. Not that mind anyways...yesterday was suppose to be a recovery day but I had a feeling Tuesday was gonna be on a gong show so I went balls-to-the-wall yesterday...ha!
Anyways, despite all the above, I am having a great day.
Dia de La Rioja my friends! (Spain)
Suffice to say, that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. I have no tolerance for laziness and/or incompetency...let alone people who won't own up to their mistakes. You effed up, I am having to deal with your mistakes so at the very least...the LEAST you can do is acknowledge your screw-up and take ownership...WTF people!
On another note, we are getting blood work done tonight - both Mel & I. So the nurse calls yesterday and informs us:
- no fruits/sweets
- no carbs
- no veggies
- eat only protein today
What kind of fast is that? Holy snapping turtles arses! I had to bite back the rage when Mel told me this gem last night. Does this nurse not know I train between 14 - 20hrs a week? I go through calories quicker than a virgin dropping their underwear on prom night! Anyways, that just went in one ear and out the other...I had some fruit this morning along with a pastry.
We are applying for some type of insurance and now companies are asking if you have been in the hospital, for any reason, within the past 10 years. Because I had ACL reconstruction I have to go through a barrage of tests everytime we apply and/or go to renegotiate the term.
Just re-reading what I have posted so far...a little harsh...I'm blaming it on the drop in blood sugar level. They ran out of lunch at the employee day thingee...and I specifically didn't bring a lunch today because of that - joyous!
Today is a write-off in terms of training...too many things to get done. Not that mind anyways...yesterday was suppose to be a recovery day but I had a feeling Tuesday was gonna be on a gong show so I went balls-to-the-wall yesterday...ha!
Anyways, despite all the above, I am having a great day.
Dia de La Rioja my friends! (Spain)
Monday, June 8, 2009
So...
It has been almost a year since Mabel passed away and we finally felt ready to adopt another dog. Earlier last week we contacted Beagle Paws Rescue Foundation, in Newfoundland, about fostering a rescue with the intent to adopt. We wanted to make sure they jived with Jessie otherwise this wasn't going to work.
Aside: Jessie was a Beagle Paw rescue we adopted about 4 years ago now. She was severely beaten by her previous owner. She has come a long way from the first time we got her but she is still leery of men in general.
So Friday night Mel and I awaited eagerly, at the Air Canada cargo depot, the arrival of the dog we were going to foster. When the dog arrived we were told to go into the hangar bay and retrieve him. We both raced down the corridor and whipped open the door to see a little kennel in the middle of this huge docking bay. Inside was this little dark figure just lying quietly there.
I opened the kennel door to take him out and immediately knew we were going to keep him. It is one of those feelings you have and just know. Since Friday things have been going really well and both him and Jessie are the best of friends...although she goes snip at him once-in-a-while as he is still a puppy in some ways.
Here are a few pics below...
Sammy and I on the way home from the airport...
I normally don't kiss on the first date but I'll make an exception for you...
Jessie and Sammy out for a stroll with Mel and I on Saturday
Jessie and Sammy
Sammy and Jessie
Aside: Jessie was a Beagle Paw rescue we adopted about 4 years ago now. She was severely beaten by her previous owner. She has come a long way from the first time we got her but she is still leery of men in general.
So Friday night Mel and I awaited eagerly, at the Air Canada cargo depot, the arrival of the dog we were going to foster. When the dog arrived we were told to go into the hangar bay and retrieve him. We both raced down the corridor and whipped open the door to see a little kennel in the middle of this huge docking bay. Inside was this little dark figure just lying quietly there.
I opened the kennel door to take him out and immediately knew we were going to keep him. It is one of those feelings you have and just know. Since Friday things have been going really well and both him and Jessie are the best of friends...although she goes snip at him once-in-a-while as he is still a puppy in some ways.
Here are a few pics below...
Sammy and I on the way home from the airport...
I normally don't kiss on the first date but I'll make an exception for you...
Jessie and Sammy out for a stroll with Mel and I on Saturday
Jessie and Sammy
Sammy and Jessie
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Getting it done
Not much to report...recovery is coming along and training is going well. Putting some extra time into the bike as of late to make up for some missed time last month. Thursday night was extremely windy and I wasn't feeling too keen on riding the highway so I did my "digger" workout. It is a tour of the communities I live in and around which involves a lot of up and downhills.
Friday was another bike ride which involved some intervals. Given the crappy weather, I was indoor performing this guys. It was basically 8x 90seconds at interval pace with 3 minutes active recovery. These were brutal...especially after a hilly workout the night before.
Saturday was a 3hr trainer ride building each half hour with a 30 minute run afterwards. Eff the snow by the way.
Got some exciting news to blog about but it will help if I throw up some pictures which I'll do sometime tomorrow.
Hope everyone is having fun training and enjoying their weekend.
Friday was another bike ride which involved some intervals. Given the crappy weather, I was indoor performing this guys. It was basically 8x 90seconds at interval pace with 3 minutes active recovery. These were brutal...especially after a hilly workout the night before.
Saturday was a 3hr trainer ride building each half hour with a 30 minute run afterwards. Eff the snow by the way.
Got some exciting news to blog about but it will help if I throw up some pictures which I'll do sometime tomorrow.
Hope everyone is having fun training and enjoying their weekend.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
WTF is a Disco Stick?
I put this new Lady Gaga tune on my mp3 player where she says:
"Lets have some fun, this beat is sick, I want to take a ride on a disco stick"
So what is it? I have at least one item in mind but is there something other to this term? I guess I should Google it.
Training has been slow and painful this week. My legs feel beat-up...to the point I can't touch them with any kind of pressure still today. When Mel reads this is, she is going to say to me:
"Stop your crying - I have no pity for you".
And I'll tell her in return:
"Aaaahhh yes, but you married it!"
So anyways, training has been a little on the light side and low intensity to try and recover. Ran for 45 mins this morning before biking to work. Go into the office and felt shelled. But I did get to run in my new Zoots that I bought last summer in Lake Placid. I hadn't tried them out until today.
These things are insanely light - for bigger guys like me I don't recommend running long-distance with them otherwise you'll beat up your knees/shins over time - there isn't much padding in them. I plan on racing shorter distance races with these bad-boys. But boy, it felt like I was running on air.
Lunchtime I'm hitting the gym here on campus to do some light cardio on the eliptical followed by some core work. Another ride home after work followed by some time spent on the tri bike this evening.
I really need a massage.
Happy Emancipation Day (Tonga) my fellow triathletes
"Lets have some fun, this beat is sick, I want to take a ride on a disco stick"
So what is it? I have at least one item in mind but is there something other to this term? I guess I should Google it.
Training has been slow and painful this week. My legs feel beat-up...to the point I can't touch them with any kind of pressure still today. When Mel reads this is, she is going to say to me:
"Stop your crying - I have no pity for you".
And I'll tell her in return:
"Aaaahhh yes, but you married it!"
So anyways, training has been a little on the light side and low intensity to try and recover. Ran for 45 mins this morning before biking to work. Go into the office and felt shelled. But I did get to run in my new Zoots that I bought last summer in Lake Placid. I hadn't tried them out until today.
These things are insanely light - for bigger guys like me I don't recommend running long-distance with them otherwise you'll beat up your knees/shins over time - there isn't much padding in them. I plan on racing shorter distance races with these bad-boys. But boy, it felt like I was running on air.
Lunchtime I'm hitting the gym here on campus to do some light cardio on the eliptical followed by some core work. Another ride home after work followed by some time spent on the tri bike this evening.
I really need a massage.
Happy Emancipation Day (Tonga) my fellow triathletes
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