Waiting

for my laundry to finish before hitting the hay.  I figured why not bust out a quick blog for today's workout action and some other fun tidbits.  Well maybe not so fun but nonetheless here we go.

I had a decent run Friday afternoon.  I pushed the pace a little and the hamstring didn't complain.  I think it will be good for the tempo runs starting next Sunday.  I called Desoto Sports because my tri-shorts that were made by them started tearing the stitches.  I mean my ass isn't that big.  My luck with shorts just sucks.  I swear all my stitches come undone right at the pad connection.  I hear they are real good about warranties and such so I give them a call.  They say just to send them back and they'll repair or replace.  Sweet...so I wander over to the post office and send them off for $3.  I ordered another pair just in case they don't get them back to me before the big race.  Can't go wrong if they'll fix them if they rip!

On the walk back from the post office I notice this car and just immediately start laughing.  I snapped a quick picture.


Good advertisement for this school.  Classic stuff!

I woke up this morning refreshed for a long day in the saddle.  Well not exactly refreshed but a long day in the saddle happened anyways.  I got my new Infinit Orange formula on Friday so I tried it out today.  I had them up the flavor so it would have some taste at the end of a long bike ride and it worked.  The only problem was at the beginning it was almost too strong.  I'm still not sure what I'll do.  Anyway, I started out the ride and it was a slog.  My legs just didn't feel great.  I suffered for most of the ride and it showed at the end with a 18.9 average for just 110 miles.

I decided after the ride to run to the pool rather than drive.  So I booked off for an easy 3 mile jaunt to the pool for some fun 200yd intervals.  My legs felt good on the run and I was thinking about how they will feel at Canada.  I was able to bust out some super fast 200s with my new stroke action.  I even put up a couple of 1:39s for the first 100 of the 200.  The only problem occured when it got crowded and I had to share a lane.  In the confined conditions, I wasn't able to rotate as much.  I need to fix this because at Canada I'll have about as much room as a middle seat between two fat Jareds.  Maybe if I practice my stroke in my bathtub, I have a chance.

Okay the laundry is in the dryer and I just yawned so I'm off to dreamland.  I have a whopping 18 mile run tomorrow and I hope it goes well.  It's the last long run before the big event.

28 days(4 weeks on Sunday)...

Swim breakthrough

It happened...well at least I was able to figure out how to get a better roll during my stroke and not look like a snake going down the pool lane.  My co-competitors in Ironman Canada, Don and Jeff have been giving me swim help since I met them up at last year's event.  I've combined all of their advice into my current swim stroke.  This morning I rocked my workout as I was swimming continuously while alternating fast 100 yards with an Ironman pace 100 yards.  I was swimming each of the fast ones at my fastest times ever for 100 intervals and this was in my normal swim trunks.  These balloons add about 5 seconds per 100 as compared to a normal tri-short or swim jammer.

My swim has been sucking for so long that having this workout really got me excited to keep waking up at 4:30AM.  Now if I can get a little stronger and pull it all together at Canada, I might have a chance at a decent swim time.  This combined with my awesome bike workout yesterday really is showing that things are going well.  Now if I can get my run in line, I'll be set.

I still keeping my running tentative to make sure I don't have a hamstring problem.  I'll probably keep going easy until the 2 peak weeks in the training program.  During that time, I will do the tempo runs and see if I can get my run together.  Based on the info about the Canada run course, it's going to be a tough haul through the meat of the course from 10-17 as it goes up hill.  Uh-oh, I didn't get any hill repeats in during my training.  I'm a little worried about how the legs are going to respond.  This makes going at an easy pace for the first half extra important since it's an out-n-back course.

Now I just have to figure out what type of workouts I need to do today and tomorrow...ugh.

31 days..

Rest does a body good

I had an awesome bike workout today. I'm reaping the benefits of the killer workouts in Oregon and two days off from the bike.  I was planning on riding yesterday but the weather wasn't looking the best.  I decided to ride first thing after dropping off Elena because there's a huge rain storm headed our way.  I was planning on doing less intervals but increasing the effort and length.  I was killing my first 30 minute interval as there was no wind, no direct sun and it was only 70 something with a decent amount of humidity.  I finished that interval and did my rest.  I started my last interval and my speed was just phenomenal compared to my usual pace for a shorter interval on the same road.  I was cruising at 25 to 26 and it felt pretty easy on the flat smooth road.  I'm excited about the bike portion of the Ironman as I can hopefully go at a good pace while it being easy to save legs for the marathon.  Now if I can just get my run to the same level, I'll be set.  Although, I don't think there is a pace that will allow you to feel great after mile 20.

I can't seem to get enough sleep though as the early morning swims continue for me even though I do get a break when I have Elena and on the weekend.  I guess it's the increased training during this key phase of training.  At least I didn't have any Ironman dreams last night.

My cycling floor pump bit the dust this morning.  Doh!  The stupid hose cracked enough to create a hole.  It happened because of folding the hose over the top of the pump.  Double DOH!!  It could've lasted forever and now I have to get a new one.  I tried duct taping the hose but no luck as it wouldn't hold past the 80psi mark.  I have to hit up a cycling store to get me a new one which probably won't be as functional as my current one.  The worst part is I have to drive to pick it up.  At least gas prices have sortof leveled off here in DC.

31 days....

Rain and running

It rained about an hour before I was planning to do a hard ride with 2 longer intervals and then an easy 4 mile brick run.  I decided to switch my Wednesday long run instead and hopefully it will be a better day tomorrow for riding.  It was a cool mid 70s although there was 80% humidity.  I wanted to run for 75 minutes at my cruise pace to test the hamstring.  I was able to feel pretty comfortable cruising at 7:30s but man was I soaked.  My quads still hurt from not getting enough "pounding" into them from the road.  It seems to take about a month of consistent running for them to feel normal on the run.  The 10 mile run didn't feel too bad but it shouldn't because that's not even halfway.  I think if I can get enough nutrition and hyrdation in during the Ironman marathon I should be able to make it.  I think my body is still on track for the 2 hour run this Sunday.

Elena is really showing her willpower these days.  I have her Mondays and Tuesdays so I can train each weekend up to the Ironman.  I went to the store last night with her for a couple of things to use for her lunches.  She threw a fit when I wouldn't buy her a "Lunchable".  She normally wants certain things when we go shopping but this time she basically flung herself on the floor.  I had to practically drag her out of the lunch meat section.  On top of that she wouldn't get up this morning either.  Ugh...6 going on 16.  She's getting in mad shape for karate though.  She did 20 pushups last night and is doing them with better form than before.  She also did 100 jumping jacks and 10 sit-ups.  She showed me a medal she received for not crying.  Good stuff!!

I did a quick easy pool workout this morning trying to figure out body roll on each stroke.  I was able to post some decent 100 yard splits when doing the body roll but it's hard to keep doing it.  I have to really focus on it or I just forget to roll.  If I can put it all together, I might be able to really go at a decent pace for the swim.

It's getting real close to the big day.  I'm actually having dreams about executing my race plan on the course.  I'm hoping I can guide my body into a nice peak on the bike, run and maybe even the swim for that day.  Mile 20 of the run looms in my head though as that is when the race is going to get super tough.  I already know what it's going to feel like and I just have to bring everything together when it occurs.

32 days...

Are we there yet?

What a weekend!  I was able to run for an hour yesterday and no hamstring pain.  Woohoo!! I wasn't able to run fast though.  I'm still tentative right now but I figure maybe this week I'll try to get back into my normal running speed groove.

Jeff drove up from Yorkstown, VA this weekend.  He one of the super fast swimmers I met from the Portland Tri Club at Ironman Canada last year.  He's in the area for a long training class.  He decided to come up and train with me and I think he's regretting it.  He has a specific training program and I screwed it all up.  I'm sure I'll be getting some hate mail from his coach.

His coach had him up for a 45 minute swim and easy 2 hour bike on Saturday.  On Sunday, another 45 minute swim, with a 3 hour bike and 2 hour run.  An easy 2 hour bike around my area is pretty sucky so I figured if I went easy he could suck wheel and still be well rested for his Sunday workout.

There were a couple problems with that.  First, he didn't bring his normal race bike, a 2008 P3C with him.  He brought his road bike just in case something happened in transit.  It wasn't as comfortable and definitely not as light or aero.  Second, he wasn't as experienced "sucking wheel" so he did push a lot more wind than normal.  Third, he drove 3 hours and had Wendy's for dinner at 8pm Friday night.  Finally, it was hot and humid.  He's big time heat adverse.

We got back from the ride and drove over to the pool.  I definitely wanted some last minute stroke critique.  I'm still struggling to get the right technique to conserve the most energy in the water and go fast.  He's lightening in the pool and made me pay when I tried to draft of him in the water.  I couldn't keep his feet for one length of the pool at his Ironman pace. Sad, very sad.  I've gotten slower in the pool since June.  I had a horribly slow swim today as well.  Just not getting the right stroke to go fast.  Anyway, he was still tired from the ride so we called it a day in the pool.  I was going to run home from the pool to get in an easy 5 miles and he drove back to the house.

I got back from my run and he was completely trashed.  The bike and heat destroyed him.  I made some chicken stir fry but he was so wasted he didn't eat hardly any or maybe he was pretending to be tired and just didn't like my cooking?

We woke up on Sunday and he decided to sleep in a little longer and just do a 2 hour run.  I decided to go a hard hilly 4 hours on the bike and then attempt my first hour run since the hamstring injury.  The heat and humidity took its toll on both Jeff and I.  He had to cut his run short because he was just dying in the heat.  I barely made it through my hour run after really killing the bike.  The marathon looms...

We both just vegged on the couch for the afternoon.  Both Jeff and I just want the event to be done.  The training is definitely wearing thin.  It was good to hear that I'm not the only one wanting it to be done.  I'm starting to countdown the days in the sense of I only have to train for 33 more days.

My weekend of training was good and as a bonus Jeff cleaned up the kitchen while I was gone.  I destroy the guys entire training weekend and he cleans the kitchen while I'm suffering in the heat on my run.  That was awesome and totally unexpected.

34 days...

I'm back...in DC

I flew back to DC yesterday.  I walked out of the airport and immediately began to sweat.  Ahh now that's heat.  I was able to run an easy 3 miles on Wednesday after an hour ride without hamstring pain.  I think I've turned the corner on the hamstring injury. I'm going to go for an easy run today in the brutal heat and humidity to see how it feels.  If I can at my normal pace then I'll just keep easing back into it.

I looked at my workout schedule and it shows an hour run on Sunday with my 18 miler next week.  I think that won't be happening but I should be able to put in at least hour run next weekend or if things go super well a 90 minute run.  I'm going to stop all tempo or speed type workouts.  I'll hope that I have enough of that to get me through the race.  I still might try the peak workout in 3 weeks which requires a 90 minute brick run with tempo finish.

I got back into the water this morning after a week off.  I tried to make sure I was pulling water throughout the whole stroke as recommended by Don.  It actually worked although I can definitely feel it.  If you don't get lazy during the stroke you go faster...hard to comprehend I know.  I'm such a slacker.  I swam 45 minutes and a cruise pace.  Nothing earth shattering.  I'm just breaking back in.  I was gone just a week but now the pool at LA Fitness is hot.  Well it's actually like a normal mild temperature.  No more freezing cold water.

Jeff, a fellow IMC PFer, is coming to visit this weekend.  He's in the area for a class down in Yorktown, VA.  He's a super fast swimmer so I was saving something for the weekend swims. He's in for a surprise because the temps are suppose to be mid 90s and a ton of humidity.  He doesn't like the heat so hopefully he'll survive.  I'll show the wonderful pot-hole, cracked, and gauge city streets then the beautiful smooth country roads.

37 days...

Still Hurts

The hamstring had been feeling great for the past few days so I decided to just run an easy 2 miles on Monday and not cycle at all.  My legs were dead from the killer cycling week I had.  I stretched a ton and the bad hamstring felt just like the good hamstring.  We took off at an easy pace and everything was going well until about 300 meters to go.  I started to feel a little ache.  DAMN!!  I got 40 days left with at least 7 or more for a running taper.  Crap, crap, crap!!

I iced and stretched a bunch but I'm just not sure today.  I'm going to ride then run off the bike the same easy 2 miles and see if a warmer hamstring feels fine the whole way.  I'm hoping it will slowly just get stronger so I can slowly build up some mileage.  It's a guessing game at this point.  You don't want to run that extra 100 meters which will trash it.  I mean had I just let up that last 200 meters during my tempo run or had I just went easy like I thought about doing or even just stayed at an even tempo rather than building to an all out mile at the end.

Oregon is so dry compared to DC, my skin is cracking, I'm dehydrated and have dry mouth during the night.  Just amazing considering Oregon isn't that dry of a climate.  I guess I have gotten somewhat used to the humidity in DC.

I've been trying not to overdo the food intake but man I've had some good food over the weekend.  I gained a couple of pounds from Friday - Sunday.  That's okay as I'll lose most of it on Thursday during the flight back to DC.  A fun 6 hour plane ride probably on a full jet.  I'll try to get some extra sleep so I can adjust back to the east coast time zone.

39 days...