Thursday, July 02, 2009
I Need A Vacation!
So I’m taking one. As of today I am on vacation until the 13th! In talking to my beautiful wife recently we realized I haven’t had more than a long weekend off since Christmas and that is way too long without some extended time away from the office. So tomorrow begins a streak of ten straight days off and I am ready for them! We are going to kick it off with our annual Fourth of July trip to Manzanita on the Oregon Coast for a few days of sunshine, BBQ, beers, family, fireworks, a parade, more beers, and relaxing on the deck with a good book or two. And while there I will of course get in a couple of long runs since it is my all time favorite place in the world to run. I LOVE running there so run I will. Speaking of running, I’ve been doing some of that lately as well as some swimming and some cycling. Here’s some recaps…Very early Tuesday morning I was on the bike trainer for a session that included some single-leg pedaling drills and big-gear mashing. Then at noontime I was outside on my hilly office course for a run featuring fartleks of various distances and lengths. It was warm, but not hot, and very windy.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 19.9-miles in 1:15 @ 15.9-mph.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 6.2-miles in 47:37 @ 7:40/m pace.
Wednesday started out with a 5:00am swim of short distance but all drill work which is never a ton o’fun. Then that evening after work I hit the trainer again instead of going out for a ride in the 92* temps and Kona’esque winds. Instead I popped in a Carmichael Training Systems climbing workout video and pretended I was Lance.
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 1,500-yards in 30:23 (31:23 w/rest) 3x500 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Wednesday’s bike: 15.8-miles in 1-hour.
And lastly, today also began with a 5:00am dip in da pool but this time it was shorter sets and longer overall steady swimming and no drills. And at lunchtime I headed out on an 85* day to get my run on in the hills. I ran easy but the hills and sun conspired to keep the run from feeling easy.
Stats for Thursday’s swim: 3,000-yards in 55:48 (58:48 w/rest) 10x300 w/20-sec. rests.
Stats for Thursday’s run: 6.2-miles in 49:39 @ 8:00/m pace.
I’m not taking my bike to the beach so no long ride this weekend, but I am going to crank out two monster rides next week along with the usual swimming and running that goes along with training for an Ironman. Next week looks like a great week to not have to work since I will have some serious swim-bike-run’ing to get on with. And geterdun I will since I have this little gem to complete in 7-weeks!
Thanks for stopping by and have a safe 4th of July… 
Monday, June 29, 2009
A Climbing We Will Go!
On a gloriously sunny and warm Saturday my buddy, Mike, and I headed out on the tri bikes for a long training ride. And Up. And Up. And Up some more. It was the thee day for climbing and we did a lot of it. We met up and proceeded to climb up Bald Peak via Laurel Road which is the shorter (but still ~3-miles sustained) but much steeper route to the top before bombing back down to the flats to only turn around and climb it again. Except the second climb was up via Bald Peak Road which is longer but not quite as steep before taking a quick break at the very top to enjoy the view – see pic above ^. We then flew down the backside of Bald Peak to Hwy 219 and around to Newberg and North Valley Road where we then had many miles of rollers and aerobar time. Eventually we made our way around to Blooming Fern Hill Road and it’s bit less than a mile climb of 16% which I climbed 
entirely seated the whole way for the first time this season which tells me my legs are indeed getting stronger and that is a good thing. More rollers and mile later we turned at Forest Hills Golf Course and took on Iowa Hill Road for yet another very long and in places very steep grind where we were treated to the view from the top – see pic right -->. We then completed the long ride with more flat miles back to whence we started.
entirely seated the whole way for the first time this season which tells me my legs are indeed getting stronger and that is a good thing. More rollers and mile later we turned at Forest Hills Golf Course and took on Iowa Hill Road for yet another very long and in places very steep grind where we were treated to the view from the top – see pic right -->. We then completed the long ride with more flat miles back to whence we started.Immediately upon getting home safe and sound I was back out the door to get my run in the temps that were by now approaching 75*. Not hot by any standards, but warm enough to make a breeze-less transition run at a quick pace feel very hot. I checked my pace after the first mile and thought I ran slower than the watch indicated which is another good thing. I didn’t check the watch the rest of the way and just ran how I felt and hard enough to make it feel like a good effort. The pace I ended up with at the end was a pleasant surprise.
Stats for Saturday’s bike: 77.2-miles in 4:58 @ 15.5-mph.
Stats for Saturday’s run: 6.2-miles in 43:13 @ 6:58/m pace.
Stats for Saturday’s bike: 77.2-miles in 4:58 @ 15.5-mph.
Stats for Saturday’s run: 6.2-miles in 43:13 @ 6:58/m pace.
That good effort training day made the tots, beers, and burgs we had that night taste dang fine. We went to the Rock Creek Tavern with Mike and his wife, Deb, to celebrate her birthday and the food was great and the company even better. Good times were had by all.
Sunday morning I slept in just a little bit, not too late since it was going to get warm again and I wanted to get my run on and done before it heated up. It was another beautiful and sunny morning when I headed out for my run. The first few miles were a bit on the slower and not-feeling-the-love side but eventually the legs came around and I was able to settle into a nice rhythm and tick off the miles. I kept the pace steady, the breathing even, and just enjoyed the morning and the music coming from the iPod. Other than the first few miles it was a fantastic run.
Stats for Sunday’s run: 14.4-miles in 1:48:11 @ 7:30/m pace.
Stats for Sunday’s run: 14.4-miles in 1:48:11 @ 7:30/m pace.
And lastly, this morning I kicked off the work week and another week of Ironman Canada training with a long swim commencing at 5:00am. 5:00am is always a tough time to be in the water but particularly sucky on a Monday morning. Today’s swim was shorter interval distances but all of them swam at hoped-for Ironman race pace. It felt great…when it was done!
Stats for Monday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:04:37 (1:07:37 w/rest) 10x350 w/20-sec. rests.
Stats for Monday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:04:37 (1:07:37 w/rest) 10x350 w/20-sec. rests.
Thanks for stopping by…
Friday, June 26, 2009
Rest Day then Big Miles
After 12 straight days of swimming, biking, or running or some combination thereof today I am taking a needed rest day. I slept in an extra hour, I’ll spend my lunch time at Barnes & Noble with a Starbucks grande-coffee-of-the-day-no-room in hand wandering the aisles instead of running, and tonight there will be BBQ & beer instead of a bike and trainer. But today and today only is the rest day. Tomorrow and Sunday will bring some big miles on both the bike and the running shoes and I’m looking forward to it.This week I got in several good workouts and my running paces are indicating that I’m fully recovered from the Boise Ironman 70.3 I raced a bit less than two weeks ago. Here are the recaps from this week…
Tuesday was a triple workout day that started with a 5:00am swim of long distance. I swam long intervals at a bit under race-pace intensity and focused on keeping the splits even. Then that evening I was on the bike for a brick workout on a very warm day. The bike included some 2-minute intervals at very high cadence and intensity. Immediately following the ride I was out for a run in which I pushed the pace a bit to start working on getting the run speed going again. It felt great to push it again!
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:08:52 (1:09:52 w/rest) 5x700 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 24.8-miles in 1:30 @ 16.5-mph.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 3-miles in 20:37 @ 6:52/m pace.
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:08:52 (1:09:52 w/rest) 5x700 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 24.8-miles in 1:30 @ 16.5-mph.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 3-miles in 20:37 @ 6:52/m pace.
Wednesday was a day for another brick workout after work. It was a little on the warm side and a LOT on the windy side. Ugly wind that wanted to tear my hat off my head each time I turned West during the run. The bike was a shorter even paced effort and I backed off the run just a bit on this day, too.
Stats for Wednesday’s bike: 16.6-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Wednesday’s run: 3-miles in 21:48 @ 7:16/m pace.
Stats for Wednesday’s bike: 16.6-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Wednesday’s run: 3-miles in 21:48 @ 7:16/m pace.
And lastly, Thursday was another triple effort day that found me once again in the pool at 5:00am. This time the swim was a very short one and done with some catch-up and finger-drag drills. The mid-day run was another push-the-effort run in the form of a Tempo Run. I ran the first two miles very easy then cranked the pace down to ~6:40/m or so for 4.2 miles before ending it with another two easy miles. I felt great on the tempo portion and loved running fast for a bit more times. The legs are feeling good. And to finish it all off I hit the bike trainer after work and did some single-leg pedaling drills during the session.
Stats for Thursday’s swim: 1,500-yards in 31:12 (32:12 w/rest) 5x300 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Thursday’s run: 8.2-miles in 1:00:46 @ 7:24/m pace.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 20.3-miles in 1:15 @ 16.3-mph.
Stats for Thursday’s swim: 1,500-yards in 31:12 (32:12 w/rest) 5x300 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Thursday’s run: 8.2-miles in 1:00:46 @ 7:24/m pace.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 20.3-miles in 1:15 @ 16.3-mph.
Tomorrow I’m busting out ~80 or so miles on the bike with some climbing repeats up Bald Peak and then a 10K run in the heat which should be a ton o fun. And Sunday is a run of ~14 or so miles after a much shorter and easier ride. Big miles on tap for this weekend and forecast is calling for mid-80’s so looks like I can work on my acclimating for Ironman Canada!
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend…
Monday, June 22, 2009
Congrats and Recaps
I followed along off-n-on throughout the day yesterday and several of my tri club teammates and other friends made their Ironman dreams come true in Coeur d’Alene. Some of them were smoking fast, some set PR’s, and a couple probably have some woulda-coulda-shouldas to deal with inside their own heads today. Although I think all of the times turned in yesterday are outstanding on not one DNF in the group I watched.
Here is a run down with only names, affiliation to me, and overall finishing time:
Jared, friend from my Intel days = 9:48
Alleck, Ironheads teammate = 9:54
Jason, Ironheads teammate = 10:26
Ryan, Ironheads teammate = 10:28
Greg, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 10:54
AJ, Ironheads teammate = 10:59
Linnea, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 11:02
Troy, Ironheads teammate & former neighbor & training partner = 11:29
David, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 11:33
Alanna, Ironheads teammate = 11:44
Pete, virtual “friend” from Blogger & Facebook = 12:23
Linda, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 12:07
Heather, Ironheads teammate = 12:56
Congrats to all of you! Big congrats to those that set a PR and those that may have snagged a Kona slot for the Big Dance in October.
As for me, this weekend was one of recovery training since I did the Boise Half-Ironman only a week ago. Seems so long ago already! Here is what my weekend training entailed…
Saturday I met up with Mike and Jay for an easy-effort, flatter-miles ride through the countryside. The three of us, plus a stranger that attached himself to our rear wheels, rode together out to Forest Hills Golf Course where the stranger stopped and Jay turned around to ride solo back to home. Mike and I continued around Blooming Fern Hill to Gaston and the ballpark honey buckets. Then it was reverse-route back to home keeping it conversational paced on the effort front. It was short, easy, and we did NOT get rained on even though the clouds threatened us the whole time.
Stats for Saturday’s ride: 46.7-miles in 2:57 @ 15.8-mph.
Sunday morning I grabbed a quick bite and some hydration before heading out to get my “long-run” for the week done. I got back up into the double-digit miles and brought the pace down under 8’s, but I still keep it fairly short and fairly easy. The morning was wonderful with no clouds, warm sun, and a little breeze. Once the heavy legs loosened up a bit the effort felt good. And being that it was Father’s Day I came home to freshly prepared French toast, eggs, soy sausage, and hot coffee. A perfect refueling breakfast!
Stats for Sunday’s run: 10.6-miles in 1:22:27 @ 7:46/m pace.
Then this morning I got the workweek started with a 5:00am swim of long distance done with short sets and short rests. I alternated sets with easy efforts then harder efforts and just churned out the yards.
Stats for Monday’s swim: 3,300-yards in 1:07:41 (1:06:11 w/rest) 11x300 w/15-sec. rests.
I’ll probably start ramping up the run and bike miles beginning this week and get back on the heavy volume track quickly. After all, I’ve got an Ironman in Canada to bust out in nine weeks!
Thanks for stopping by…
Here is a run down with only names, affiliation to me, and overall finishing time:
Jared, friend from my Intel days = 9:48
Alleck, Ironheads teammate = 9:54
Jason, Ironheads teammate = 10:26
Ryan, Ironheads teammate = 10:28
Greg, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 10:54
AJ, Ironheads teammate = 10:59
Linnea, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 11:02
Troy, Ironheads teammate & former neighbor & training partner = 11:29
David, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 11:33
Alanna, Ironheads teammate = 11:44
Pete, virtual “friend” from Blogger & Facebook = 12:23
Linda, Ironheads teammate & training partner = 12:07
Heather, Ironheads teammate = 12:56
Congrats to all of you! Big congrats to those that set a PR and those that may have snagged a Kona slot for the Big Dance in October.
As for me, this weekend was one of recovery training since I did the Boise Half-Ironman only a week ago. Seems so long ago already! Here is what my weekend training entailed…
Saturday I met up with Mike and Jay for an easy-effort, flatter-miles ride through the countryside. The three of us, plus a stranger that attached himself to our rear wheels, rode together out to Forest Hills Golf Course where the stranger stopped and Jay turned around to ride solo back to home. Mike and I continued around Blooming Fern Hill to Gaston and the ballpark honey buckets. Then it was reverse-route back to home keeping it conversational paced on the effort front. It was short, easy, and we did NOT get rained on even though the clouds threatened us the whole time.
Stats for Saturday’s ride: 46.7-miles in 2:57 @ 15.8-mph.
Sunday morning I grabbed a quick bite and some hydration before heading out to get my “long-run” for the week done. I got back up into the double-digit miles and brought the pace down under 8’s, but I still keep it fairly short and fairly easy. The morning was wonderful with no clouds, warm sun, and a little breeze. Once the heavy legs loosened up a bit the effort felt good. And being that it was Father’s Day I came home to freshly prepared French toast, eggs, soy sausage, and hot coffee. A perfect refueling breakfast!
Stats for Sunday’s run: 10.6-miles in 1:22:27 @ 7:46/m pace.
Then this morning I got the workweek started with a 5:00am swim of long distance done with short sets and short rests. I alternated sets with easy efforts then harder efforts and just churned out the yards.
Stats for Monday’s swim: 3,300-yards in 1:07:41 (1:06:11 w/rest) 11x300 w/15-sec. rests.
I’ll probably start ramping up the run and bike miles beginning this week and get back on the heavy volume track quickly. After all, I’ve got an Ironman in Canada to bust out in nine weeks!
Thanks for stopping by…
Friday, June 19, 2009
Ironheads rocking Ironman Coeur d’Alene!
I’ve got many fellow Ironheads in Coeur d’Alene right now getting ready to take on Ironman Coeur d’Alene on Sunday. Among them are my good friends Greg, Troy, Linda, & David. I hope the Weather Gods smile on them on Sunday unlike how they dumped on me last Saturday at Boise Ironman 70.3. (Oh, and here are some pics of me in action at Boise. See if you can see the Michael Jordan inspired pose?!) Right now it looks like they may have some morning showers so hopefully the rest of the day brings good conditions, fast times, and PR’s. As for me, this has been a “recovery” week from the race but even so I’ve been hitting the SBR training pretty well to begin the ramp up to Ironman Canada in August. I backed off the bike and run a bit but hit the pool pretty hard for some “active recovery.” Here are the recaps…
Tuesday began with an early morning spin on the bike trainer to start loosening the legs up a bit. No intervals, no big-gear grinding, just steady-state spinning at a moderate effort level. Then at lunch time I headed out for a run on the hilly office route. Why do the first couple of runs post-race suck so much? I hate that. But it was still nice to be outside on a warm and sunny day for a run. And I got to wear some brand new Asics GT-2140’s so I had that going for me.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 15.8-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 6.2-miles in 49:19 @ 7:57/m pace.
Wednesday was only a swim day and only a medium-distance one at that. Too bad it had to take place at 5:00am which never fails to suck or ever get any easier, but swim I did. I pushed the tempo a bit and felt great in the water today. It’s amazing how much better one swims when the goggles don’t leak and stay in place. I wish I could have enjoyed that in Boise!
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 2,800-yards in 52:35 (54:20 w/rest) 7x400 w/15-sec. rests.
Thursday was a pretty big training day but spread throughout the day so it wasn’t too tough. It started in the pool at 5:00am and this time it was a long, long swim done with longer sets. The lunch time run was also a bit longer than usual but I did refrain from any speedwork which would normally be on the Thursday run menu. I kept it easy and steady again and it was again nice outside, if not a bit on the warm side. And lastly, that evening I climbed on the bike once again for another steady-effort session with the pace being pushed only a little.
Stats for Thursday’s swim: 3,600-yards in 1:11:45 (1:13 w/rest) 6x600 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Thursday’s run: 8.2-miles in 1:07:39 @ 8:15/m pace.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 24.2-miles in 1:30 @ 16.3-mph.
And finally, today I was once more in the pool at 5:00am for yet another long-ass swim. I think I may have been a bit more tire than I thought I was because I just never felt like I ever got into a nice smooth rhythm. But I got it done nonetheless. And at lunch time I was outside for another midday run that featured some sunshine, some rain, some wind, some warmth, some coolness…a little potpourri of all things weather, almost. The legs felt better today and in fact they felt better than the ending pace would indicate. I must still be in recovery mode for sure.
Stats for Friday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:09:32 (1:10:32 w/rest) 7x500 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Friday’s run: 6.2-miles in 50:27 @ 8:08/m pace.
This weekend’s long ride and long run will be a bit on the lighter side as far as Ironman training is concerned, but just fine as far as half-Ironman race recovery is concerned. Best of luck to all the Ironman Coeur d’Alene athletes on Sunday! Regardless of what the day brings remember Anything Is Possible.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend…
Tuesday began with an early morning spin on the bike trainer to start loosening the legs up a bit. No intervals, no big-gear grinding, just steady-state spinning at a moderate effort level. Then at lunch time I headed out for a run on the hilly office route. Why do the first couple of runs post-race suck so much? I hate that. But it was still nice to be outside on a warm and sunny day for a run. And I got to wear some brand new Asics GT-2140’s so I had that going for me.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 15.8-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 6.2-miles in 49:19 @ 7:57/m pace.
Wednesday was only a swim day and only a medium-distance one at that. Too bad it had to take place at 5:00am which never fails to suck or ever get any easier, but swim I did. I pushed the tempo a bit and felt great in the water today. It’s amazing how much better one swims when the goggles don’t leak and stay in place. I wish I could have enjoyed that in Boise!
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 2,800-yards in 52:35 (54:20 w/rest) 7x400 w/15-sec. rests.
Thursday was a pretty big training day but spread throughout the day so it wasn’t too tough. It started in the pool at 5:00am and this time it was a long, long swim done with longer sets. The lunch time run was also a bit longer than usual but I did refrain from any speedwork which would normally be on the Thursday run menu. I kept it easy and steady again and it was again nice outside, if not a bit on the warm side. And lastly, that evening I climbed on the bike once again for another steady-effort session with the pace being pushed only a little.
Stats for Thursday’s swim: 3,600-yards in 1:11:45 (1:13 w/rest) 6x600 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Thursday’s run: 8.2-miles in 1:07:39 @ 8:15/m pace.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 24.2-miles in 1:30 @ 16.3-mph.
And finally, today I was once more in the pool at 5:00am for yet another long-ass swim. I think I may have been a bit more tire than I thought I was because I just never felt like I ever got into a nice smooth rhythm. But I got it done nonetheless. And at lunch time I was outside for another midday run that featured some sunshine, some rain, some wind, some warmth, some coolness…a little potpourri of all things weather, almost. The legs felt better today and in fact they felt better than the ending pace would indicate. I must still be in recovery mode for sure.
Stats for Friday’s swim: 3,500-yards in 1:09:32 (1:10:32 w/rest) 7x500 w/15-sec. rests.
Stats for Friday’s run: 6.2-miles in 50:27 @ 8:08/m pace.
This weekend’s long ride and long run will be a bit on the lighter side as far as Ironman training is concerned, but just fine as far as half-Ironman race recovery is concerned. Best of luck to all the Ironman Coeur d’Alene athletes on Sunday! Regardless of what the day brings remember Anything Is Possible.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend… Monday, June 15, 2009
2009 Boise Ironman 70.3 Race Report
Saturday, June 13th, was the Boise Ironman 70.3 (half-Ironman) triathlon and here are the stats for those that want them:5:23:10
#26 out of 123 in the M45-49 Age Group
#274 out of 1,186 finishers Overall
Swim = 2,112-yards, 49:55
T1 = 4:54
Bike = 56-miles, 2:50:44, 19.7-mph
T2 = 3:57
Run = 13.1-miles, 1:33:42, 7:10/m
I drove over to Boise, ID. on the Thursday before race day with my buddy Mike so we had all day Friday to take care of the race logistics such as the mandatory athlete’s meeting, getting our bikes out to Lucky Peak Reservoir where the race would start and T1 would be located the next day, and packing our race gear bags. The weather was decent with some windy conditions later that day and the forecast was calling for isolated thunderstorms on race day so we thought all was good. Race day did not start at the usual 4:00am for us due to the “unique” and “only one of its kind” 2:00pm race start. So we had time for a leisurely breakfast with some Ironheads Multisport Racing Team teammates before we made our way to the bus shuttle pick-up area for the lift out to Lucky Peak. At this time, ~11:00am MT, the weather was calm, dry, and nice so we were hoping it would hold for the day. Once out at the lake we had a bit over two-hours to fuss over our bikes one last time and sit in some shade with some friends to relax. I made sure to eat and drink during this time so the tank was topped off at the start. At about 1:45pm we were all ushered out to the boat ramp for last minute announcements, the National Anthem, and the race start. And still the weather was good, if not a bit warm even.
At 1:50pm the Pro Men got to enter the water for a quick warm-up before the race start…and about this time the wind started to pick up. Unlike other Ironman events this one “featured” a wave start based upon your age group. The race officially started at 2:00pm MT but my wave didn’t go until 2:35pm MT and by then the wind was blowing full force, there were 1-2 foot swells in the lake, and there were a few whitecaps to be seen. I got my goggles and swim cap situated and took a few strokes to ensure I was all set. The water was freezing and it took my breath away at first, but soon enough the adrenaline was pumping enough that I didn’t feel that anymore. At 2:35pm the horn sounded and off I went. And about five minutes later my goggles started leaking. Badly. I made it to the first kayak I could find amongst the waves and being half-blind so I could try to fix them. I held on with one hand while trying to re-seat my goggle with the other which wasn’t easy. I thought I had it and took off again only to have them fill again. And it would be like this the rest of the swim. I’d swim a bit, tread water to try to fix the goggles, swim a bit, hang on to a kayak, swim a bit all to no avail. Between the waves, the goggles, the sighting bouys getting blown away by the wind at one of the turn corners, and not being able to see past my elbow the swim was the worst swim I’ve ever had. I was ready to go under 40-minutes in the swim but ended up near 50. Not a good start to the day.
Once back on dry land I made my way over to the wetsuit strippers and then made the long run to my bike. With numb hands I got all of my cycling gear out of the bag, all my swimming gear in to the bag, and then dressed for the ride. The bike starts out with a jaunt across the dam before having us drop down a long, steep, and curvy hill to the river below. It would be fun and fast if not for all the other racers trying to go the same direction, all trying to go fast, and all trying not to crash & burn. The first few miles were pretty uneventful as everyone tried to find their pace and their cycling legs. The first long climb of the day came at about mile five and lasted a bit less than two and brought us up and out of the river valley. Looking around I could see walls of dark, black clouds all around us and at mile 14 the rain hit. For the next 42 miles we had torrential rain, some hail, a few bolts of lightning that were beautiful and scary at the same time and tough conditions overall. The bike course would be a fairly easy one if the weather were not a factor, but on this day the weather was a large factor and the bike course was ugly. It is very exposed on long straight stretches in the high desert so the wind was brutal. At one point I was working way harder than I should have been, the wind was in my face, and the rain was dumping when I looked down and saw that I was going a whooping 14.3mph. Ouch. I just looked at the black clouds still around us, then up to the Heavens, before I muttered “really?” and just chuckled. Whenever the rain and wind allowed I pushed the bike hard to try to make up some time but it didn’t matter too much. I wanted to go under 2:45 on the ride and ended up at 2:50 and 19.7mph overall.
Once back into downtown Boise I made my way into T2 where I got changed out of my wet cycling gear and into a bit drier running gear. Getting the socks on was bit trick
y due to the numb fingers and toes and seemingly no sense of balance, but soon enough I was done and headed out to the run course. Once on the run course the wind was no longer a factor and the rain didn’t bother me a bit. I was able to quickly get into a nice rhythm and a pace that knew was pushing it a little but felt I could hold. The course was a two-loop course with two out-and-back sections which allowed for seeing many of my Ironheads friends my buddy Mike on the course several times. The run is still my strength and I found myself passing many other runners and clicking off the miles pretty steadily. The one hard part of the run course was the turn-around to start the 2nd loop because it brought me to within 50-feet of the finish line! But no, around the cone I went to run another 6+ miles in the rain. At least Ann and Giovanni were right here for some encouragement that was needed and much appreciated! By the time I saw Mike on the second loop I had cut his lead by exactly one-half, but try as I might I ran out of real estate before reeling him in. Overall, I am very happy with my run as it beats my previous half-Ironman half-marathon time by two full minutes. I wanted to go under 1:35 and did so with a 1:33, but I was thinking I could go under 1:30 and maybe had I not pushed the bike so hard in sections trying to make up time there I might have. But I don’t and won’t dwell on woulda-coulda-shoulda so over-done with-gone!The Boise Ironman 70.3 was an excellently supported and put on event. However, if they stay with that 2:00pm start time I will never do it again and I’ve heard others say the same thing so it will be interesting to see what the race organizers do next year. But if it were to change to any start time before Noon I’d be all over it once more! But now it is time to start focusing on the 2009 Ironman Canada that I secured a spot for via the Boise event and taking this fun to a whole different level.
Thanks for stopping by… Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Boise Bound
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, my good buddy Mike (you may remember him from here) and I are pulling out of town and headed to Boise, Idaho, and the Boise Ironman 70.3 that takes place on Saturday. There will be 20-25 fellow Ironheads doing this race so it will be fun to see our friends out on the course during the race. At this point the real training is done and all I’ve done this week is some light duty work to stay sharp and loose. Speaking of which, here are the recaps…Tuesday I was able to complete a mini-tri due to my work schedule and an appointment so at 5:00am I was in the pool for a long but steady paced swim. I kept the intensity down a notch and just focused on form. After getting home I hopped on the bike trainer for another steady-paced workout with a couple of high-cadence intervals tossed in. And finally to complete the mini-tri I headed out for a run right off the bike. It was already warm outside but it felt wonderful and relaxed. I ran on effort and not by the watch and the ending pace was a pleasant reminder that things are clicking well right now. It did not feel that fast at all and that is a good thing.
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 3,000-yards in 48:51 (1:00:51 w/rest) 5x600 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 16.3-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 4.3-miles in 30:22 @ 7:03/m pace.
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 3,000-yards in 48:51 (1:00:51 w/rest) 5x600 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Tuesday’s bike: 16.3-miles in 1-hour.
Stats for Tuesday’s run: 4.3-miles in 30:22 @ 7:03/m pace.
This morning I was back in the pool again at 5:00am for a short final tune-up swim. I took it fairly easy, but did toss in a few 25-yard intervals and also practiced some sighting strokes.
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 1,500-yards in 33:30 (31:30 w/rest) 5x300 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 1,500-yards in 33:30 (31:30 w/rest) 5x300 w/30-sec. rests.
I’m leaving work a bit early today and plan to get in one last easy trainer session and short transition run at home. Then the rest of the evening will be spent packing my gear and prepping my bike. I have installed my Zipp 808’s and for-carbon-wheels brake pads already so it’s just a matter of last minute checking and a final shine-up on the Plasma. The strange thing about the Boise Ironman 70.3 is that it features a 2:00pm start time. Very weird. But on top of that it also has a wave start so I won’t actually start my race until 2:35PM MT. By the time I get to get on the bike it could be plenty windy and by the time I get on the run it could be plenty hot. But that’s OK. I will not stress over those things which I cannot control and the weather is one of them. It will be the same for everyone. But if it all plays out like it has in my head so many times I really hope to improve upon my half-Ironman PR which currently stands at 5:17. I’ll post a race report on Monday.
Thanks for stopping by…
Monday, June 08, 2009
Race Week
My youngest child is now a high school graduate. Holy crap. Where did those 18 years of my life disappear to? Saturday evening we had both sets of grandparents, my sister & her husband, and my older daughter & her husband all over for a pre-graduation-ceremony dinner and visit which was great. The ceremony itself was very well done and lasted about thirty minutes or so less than I thought it would. Afterwards, we did all the picture taking, hugging, and congratulating before we got all the grandparents pointed in the right directions to get them to their respective homes and then my beautiful wife, my sister, and my bro-in-law all headed to Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for some Cajun tots and beers. And there we sat talking, laughing, and loving life for the next couple of hours. And before we knew it it was nearing midnight and they still had an hour-and-a-half drive back home and I was looking at a 6:00am alarm buzz for my training ride the next day. But it was all so worth to see my baby girl get her diploma and to spend some quality time with some family. And speaking of training, here is what transpired over the weekend and today…Saturday is usually long-ride day, but with all the grad stuff happening I was able to switch things up a bit to better fit the schedule I needed to keep and still get my training in. Good thing this was a very light weekend of training! So Saturday morning I was out the door for a “long-run” that wasn’t very long at all. The weather was perfect, the traffic was non-existent, the pace was easy, and I felt great.
Stats for Saturday’s run: 8.2-miles in 1:02:47 @ 7:39/m pace.
After all the fun of Saturday night I was dragging a bit on Sunday morning when the alarm went off. By the time I got going, got some breakfast and coffee, and made my way to my bike I was running a few minutes late. I ALWAYS prep my bike the night before a ride to ensure everything is ready to rock and roll…except this weekend. I just didn’t get around to it. So what do I find when I go out to get on my bike? Yep. A flat tire! I didn’t have time to deal with that so I just hopped on the trusty, old, heavy Allez (with fenders still on!) and took off. Twenty minutes later I met up with Mike, Greg, & Jay and we got out ride on out through Forest Hills, Blooming Fern, and Gaston. Then we reversed the route back but by then Greg & Jay had dropped off since they weren’t going as long as Mike and I. It was a nice morning for a shorter “long ride” and it was with good friends. Upon returning safely back home I was out the door for a transition run that went very well. The more the run progressed the better I felt and I finished it up strongly.
Stats for Sunday’s bike: 46-miles in 2:39 @ 17.4-mph.
Stats for Sunday’s run: 4.8-miles in 35:08 @ 7:19/m pace.
Lastly, this morning was back to the normal training grind which meant a 4:40am alarm for a 5:00am swim. Ugh. It never gets any easier regardless of how many times I do them. The distance was fairly short and I wore the larger goggles (Aqua-sphere) that I plan to wear in the race on Saturday to ensure they were good to go. They are. Then at lunch time I was out the door for a run on my hilly run-from-the-office course that I kept easy paced. It still felt like work due to the hills and the muggy heat. But it was great to be out there nonetheless.
Stats for Monday’s swim: 1,800-yards in 33:33 (35:57 w/rest) 6x300 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Monday’s run: 6.2-miles in 48:42 @ 7:51/m pace.
I’m now less than five days from the Boise Ironman 70.3 triathlon and I am feeling good and feeling ready. New PR ready? Maybe. Maybe not. But either way I’ll give it hell on Saturday.
Thanks for stopping by…Friday, June 05, 2009
Done
As of today, my baby girl is done with high school. Tomorrow we will attend her graduation ceremony and she will join the ranks of the high school graduates of 2009. I can’t believe it. It seems like only yesterday she was a toddler, then going off to first grade, and now she is 18 and done with high school. We are so proud of her for ending this chapter of her life and now looking forward to what the next chapter brings. Congrats to her and her two cousins who are also graduating now! With my race just a week out now my training this week has been very light, but not non-existent. Here are the recaps…
Tuesday was a swim workout of medium-long distance that started at 5:00am. I kept the sets shorter, did more of them, and alternating easy swimming with hard-interval swimming. I felt great in the water and the fast sets were fast…for me anyway!
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 2,500-yards in 47:30 (50:30 w/rest) 10x250 w/20-sec. rests.
Wednesday was another 5:00am swim this time of shorter distance and even pace. I just focused on technique and didn’t worry about time splits.
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 1,800-yards in 36:47 (39:47 w/rest) 6x300 w/30-sec. rests.
Thursday’s workout actually started at 4:45am with a bike trainer session that included some big-gear intervals. I stayed seated the whole time and just mashed the pedals hard for 3-minute splits and 1-minute recovery.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 16.3-miles in 1-hour.
Today I was once again back in the pool and once again it was 5:02AM when I dipped a toe in water. It never gets easy to be in the water at that hour of the day. Today’s swim had me doing longer sets with no real interval work. However, I tried to swim each set faster than the previous one and I was able to do that for all five. Go me. Then at lunch time I headed out for an easy run. Today’s route was from the office which means the hilly course, but fortunately I could just run easy and not worry about intervals or tempo or pace. The weather was a lot different from last week’s high-80’s with barely touching 60* and some drizzle. But it was nice to be out there nonetheless.
Stats for Friday’s swim: 2,500-yards in 47:48 (49:48 w/rest) 5x500 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Friday’s run: 6.2-miles in 49:20 @ 7:57/m pace.
Earlier this week I finished reading A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion. I first about this lion and the story when my wife showed the viral video from YouTube and I instantly loved it. You cannot watch the video with the Whitney Houston sound track (I Will Always Love You) without shedding a tear. It is a wonderful and touching moment captured on film. Christian was bought by two men, John & Ace, from Harrods in London back in the early 70’s when you do such a thing. They raised and loved him as a pet/friend until he was getting too big and possibly dangerous to others. Fate had them cross paths with George Adamson who was the man behind Born Free and at the time was running a lion conservation program in Africa. Not to give too much more away, they ultimately reintroduced Christian into the wilds of Nairobi, Africa. A year later, John & Ace go back to see if they can find Christian…and see if he could possibly even
remember them. And the moment of that reunion is what is captured in film and was posted to YouTube decades later to become an international sensation. Watch the video, then read the book, then watch the video again. It’s just a wonderful story.
Now, I am onto a bit heavier reading with the biography Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American. Having spent 14 years at Intel I know the Andy story very well and I was there towards the end of his CEO career and his Chairman of the Board days. Over the years I shared several e-mail threads with Andy and actually had the pleasure to meet with him face-to-face on two separate occasions. He is an intense individual and one of the few people I’ve met that was intimidating to me. He’s effing Andy Grove for crying out loud! I’ll let you know what I think of the book upon completion.
Thanks for stopping by and have a nice weekend…
Tuesday was a swim workout of medium-long distance that started at 5:00am. I kept the sets shorter, did more of them, and alternating easy swimming with hard-interval swimming. I felt great in the water and the fast sets were fast…for me anyway!
Stats for Tuesday’s swim: 2,500-yards in 47:30 (50:30 w/rest) 10x250 w/20-sec. rests.
Wednesday was another 5:00am swim this time of shorter distance and even pace. I just focused on technique and didn’t worry about time splits.
Stats for Wednesday’s swim: 1,800-yards in 36:47 (39:47 w/rest) 6x300 w/30-sec. rests.
Thursday’s workout actually started at 4:45am with a bike trainer session that included some big-gear intervals. I stayed seated the whole time and just mashed the pedals hard for 3-minute splits and 1-minute recovery.
Stats for Thursday’s bike: 16.3-miles in 1-hour.
Today I was once again back in the pool and once again it was 5:02AM when I dipped a toe in water. It never gets easy to be in the water at that hour of the day. Today’s swim had me doing longer sets with no real interval work. However, I tried to swim each set faster than the previous one and I was able to do that for all five. Go me. Then at lunch time I headed out for an easy run. Today’s route was from the office which means the hilly course, but fortunately I could just run easy and not worry about intervals or tempo or pace. The weather was a lot different from last week’s high-80’s with barely touching 60* and some drizzle. But it was nice to be out there nonetheless.
Stats for Friday’s swim: 2,500-yards in 47:48 (49:48 w/rest) 5x500 w/30-sec. rests.
Stats for Friday’s run: 6.2-miles in 49:20 @ 7:57/m pace.
Earlier this week I finished reading A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion. I first about this lion and the story when my wife showed the viral video from YouTube and I instantly loved it. You cannot watch the video with the Whitney Houston sound track (I Will Always Love You) without shedding a tear. It is a wonderful and touching moment captured on film. Christian was bought by two men, John & Ace, from Harrods in London back in the early 70’s when you do such a thing. They raised and loved him as a pet/friend until he was getting too big and possibly dangerous to others. Fate had them cross paths with George Adamson who was the man behind Born Free and at the time was running a lion conservation program in Africa. Not to give too much more away, they ultimately reintroduced Christian into the wilds of Nairobi, Africa. A year later, John & Ace go back to see if they can find Christian…and see if he could possibly even
remember them. And the moment of that reunion is what is captured in film and was posted to YouTube decades later to become an international sensation. Watch the video, then read the book, then watch the video again. It’s just a wonderful story.Now, I am onto a bit heavier reading with the biography Andy Grove: The Life and Times of an American. Having spent 14 years at Intel I know the Andy story very well and I was there towards the end of his CEO career and his Chairman of the Board days. Over the years I shared several e-mail threads with Andy and actually had the pleasure to meet with him face-to-face on two separate occasions. He is an intense individual and one of the few people I’ve met that was intimidating to me. He’s effing Andy Grove for crying out loud! I’ll let you know what I think of the book upon completion.
Thanks for stopping by and have a nice weekend…
Monday, June 01, 2009
What happens in Vegas...
…is what I’m going to find out about. My beautiful wife and I booked our Vegas trip yesterday so we can celebrate her birthday next month in style. We chose to stay at the Bellagio since I’ve never been to Vegas and we wanted to stay in one of the nicer resorts. But as nice as the Bellagio will be I anticipate we won’t be there all of the time since there is so much to see and do on The Strip. In fact, I know for at least one evening (on her birthday) we’ll be at the MGM Grand to see ZZ Top open for Aerosmith and THAT will be a good time. But that is then and this is now and now means I have a race coming up in less than two weeks and that means I got in some good training miles this past weekend…Saturday I met up with my fellow Ironheads for sunny and warm long ride in rural Washington County. We kept it a bit on the flatter side for the most part and even tossed in severa
l race-pace intervals that we very well. I felt great and I could have gone harder without too much trouble. We did circle Hagg Lake which is full to capacity and was stunningly calm and beautiful on that morning. Upon returning safely to home I got right out for a transition run and by then it was plenty hot outside. I ran on effort without looking at my watch and was very pleasantly surprised afterwards to see that I busted out a sub-7/m pace without it feeling that fast. That’s what I’m talking about.Stats for Saturday’s bike: 67.2-miles in 3:47 @ 17.8-mph.
Stats for Saturday’s run: 4.3-miles in 30:04 @ 6:59/m pace.
I knew Sunday was going to be another hot day so I tried to get out a little early for my long-run, but even then it was already warm enough that I got run shirtless for most of it which I don’t do very often…but it was warm. The first 3-4 miles we a bit slow and the legs did not have a lot of pop in them but eventually they came around and I was able to churn out some steady miles and finish strong. There were a ton of other runners out there that I normally don’t see so they must have come out early too to try and beat some of the heat that was on tap for the day.
Stats for Sunday’s run:12-miles in 1:29:18 @ 7:26/m pace.
And finally, this morning I was on the bike trainer at 4:50am for an early morning session of steady-pace, but not-too-high of intensity. It was more to spin the legs out a bit after taxing them pretty hard over the weekend.
Stats for Monday’s bike: 15.1-miles in 1-hour.
This week and next are pretty light on the training load since I’m tapering a bit before Boise which is on the 13th. I’m feeling very good, feeling fit, and feeling a PR for that day.
Thanks for stopping by…
