Great Event on Sunday

Well i got my first Triathlon done this year and fel t great. I had a goal set for 1:30 and finished in 1:21, i think i could have done better is i din’t have isues with my back tire on the bike but still overall it was a blast.

Te sim went well, i forgot how much of a “washing machine” it is when you’re fighting for that first bouy with 50 other guys. but I finally got a pace going at th first turn. Sighting was pretty good too.

For the bike, at 3.5 miles in I realized I had a great pace going, my average speed to that point had been 21 mph. at 4.25 miles in I realized my legs felt great. I was feeling awesome about how well I was doing and realizing I was going to crush my projected overall time. at 4.75 miles into the 9mile bike my bike I heard a snap and realized a spoke on my back wheel broke, this warped my tire and eventually slowed my average speed down to 16mph due to the rubbing against the brake pads. but I made the call to keep on riding until the wheel fell off and rode like this for the last 4 miles.

Now, for the run, my legs felt like jelly for he first 3/4 miles. I think this was due to the extra effort to get through the bike due to the spoke issues. at the 1.25 mark I finally found my pace and kept it through the rest of the way. I did not stop to walk once and that was an achievement since at almost every other triathlon i’ve done i had to walk at least a little during the run. I’m very happy about the overall performance and looing forward to the next one which may be earlier than i had previously anticipated.

new routine

So, things are looking good for me to keep this schedule of Tuesday Thursday as my “off” days. I like that I can go hard on Sat and Sun and rest all day if  want, or get up late in the day on the weekends and fit my workout into the rest of my day. Getting up early on Mon Wed and Fri is not so bad anymore, I’ve gotten used to it. Wed’s are great cause I’ve had a day off and so are Fridays. don’t know why this all works out so well for me but it does and it looks like I’ll be able to maintain this.

I’m feeling good about the potential to break 1:30:00 for the first event in San Deigo on May 3rd. been running alot, my pace times have ben coming down sub 11 minute but i still need to get past the 3 mile mark. with time i know this will happen, as long as the shins and knee hold up. so far the knee is doing very well and i’ve not used the brace at all. shins are getting a bit better and they’re awesome compared to 2 years ago. learned a few stretches to help out the tendons and muscles that cause shin splints and those seem to be helping. i still have a bit of pain for the first 1/2 mile of all my runs but it’s almost like once i’m warmed up it subsides…i also had a thought this morning that it could very likely be my form. since i’ve ben able to increase my pace i’ve noticed my form getting beter, almost more athletic and not so, “slouchy” or “slothlike” i’ve been doing more of a bubble gum shuffle at 12 and 13 min/mile paces, it’ not even an “airborn shuffle”. it’s so sad though to think at one point in life i ran a 12:02min 2 mile run – 5:59min for the first mile and 6:03 for the second mile – and now i’m struggling to get under 10min. i’ll get there. my goal is to get to a 10min mile pace for 4 miles by end of May and down to an 8 or 9 min mile pace for 5 miles by Oct.

Totals for the month

March’s totals:
Bike:	2h 28m  - 36.1 Mi
Run:	4h 18m  - 19.95 Mi
Swim:	1h 13m  - 1606 Yd
Strength:	2h 05m
Surfing:	3h 00m

train keeps a rollin’

still going at it. though I got a bit discouraged tonight as I looked at the past 3 weeks of training logs, I feel like I’m doing a ton of hours each week but the reality is i’m only getting about 5 -6 hours for the entire week! to reach the goals I have in my head i really need to step it up and do more (double) but I guess I still need to slow down and pace myself so I don’t get hurt and the overall time will come as it gets easier.

I’m still struggling to get a good run in after a long swim or bike work out. Friday night I did 12 miles on the bike and had a 3mile run planed out in my head bu the reality of my legs burning and heart pumping like mad only got me a full mile in before I had to shut down. I’ll get there i know i will, but it stung a little to see it laid out there as plainly as it was. I guess that’s a good thing though, it keeps me from lying to myself about what i’ve realy accomplished. so be it…getting up early for a run or a swim, haven’t decided yet. I’m still about 6 weeks away from the first event, even though it’s short i can’t kid myself, I still need to get some better training in.

Good Run today

I got motivated this afternoon after reading through some Triathlon websites and other health articles. Decided after yesterdays mini-Tri to only go for a run. This was the first run out of the gym and on pavement, not the treadmill, all-in-all not to bad.

I ran from the house to just a few lights short of work and back which is 2.2 miles round trip. It’s a “hilly” route with the majority of the first mile at a good incline. I came back down the other side of the hill to the major intersection and turned around. Naturally the majority of the remaining trip was down hill it was still good to get out on the pavement.

More importantly i’ve not used the knee brace at all this year and feel that all I really need to do is get the muscles stronger around the knee to keep it intact. Also, happy that the shin splints sem to be subsiding. The only real pains i’m feeling are the normal “you’re-getting-old” dings and dents which, in a strang way, make me feel pretty good.

Trying to get back into it.

So, i basically took a year off due to comitments at work and moving and getting married and ….well, life. I got the nerve to start snowboarding this past winter and went quite often but, after that first time back (after an 11 year hiatus) i realized i had not been to the gym or done aything physical for more than a year.  So, as a result of trying to get back into shape for snowboarding i hit the gym durring the week.

I feel comfortable writing back here since i’ve been at it for about 9 weeks going every other day. Not only that i’ve looked into 5 Triathlons that i would like to do this year. I’ve already signed up for the first one on May 5th. al of the others are about 6 weeks apart after that with the final one being the LA Triathlon.

So for my workouts I’ve done alot of weights though the last 3 weeks have been alot of running and cycling with just a bit of weights. I’m going every other day and sometimes both days on the weekends.  I try to do one full body exercise each time I go regardless if I focus the day on cardio or weights.  By full body I’ve been doing lunges with a 35 lb. plate that i hold out in front of me, when i do the lunge i raise the plate above my head, when i step back to the start position i bring the plate down 90degrees and stop with my arms extended straight in front of me.  This works not only my legs and shoulders but a whole host of balance and control muscles. I’m completely winded after doing this but it feels great.

Since my first Tri is 6 or so weeks away i decided to do my own mini-Tri this morning at the gym to gauge my progress. The 24 hour fitness I go to has a 25yard lap pool so i got up early to make use of it before it got crowded. I got there just before 8 and got changed, when i walked into the pool area they were taking the lap lanes out and there were 8 or 10 old ladies in there looking at me like confused dogs. (or like a fat guy in triathlon shorts :p ) They let me know that from 8 – 9 on Saturdays they have water aerobics and I was “welcomed to join them”. I said nothing, turned and walked back into the locker room ready to run and cycle for a bit and go home.

I got on the treadmill and started at a 12min/Mile pace. by the time I got the 1.5 mile mark I was up to a 10-1/2 min/mile and continued this to complete 2.5 miles in just under 30minutes. I went right from here to the bike and got on there for 35 minutes and 9miles. at this time IO realized it was already past 9am and decided to finish the day with a 600 yard swim. I was exhausted getting changed in the lockeroom but very pleased with the outcome. I had basically completed a Sprint Triathlon at 24hour fitness this morning, albeit in reverse order but completed nonetheless.

I have 6 weeks to the first event and I’m shooting for a 1:35 to 1:50 timeframe. It’s in San Diego in May and it’s a 1/4 mile swim, 13 mile bike and 3 mile run.  I think this will be a weekly post until the LA event in Oct but who knows.