I cannot wait until recovery week starts. I love the triathlon training but I feel a little beat up and need a few days to let my body (mainly legs) recover. Here are the workouts from the last few days.
I woke up early Thursday for my easy 4 mile run with my friend Tony. Since it was within Oskar's limits he was more than happy to join. After the run I let Oskar play in the water to cool off and I noticed that that the dock for the Cap Tex Tri had been installed for the race on Monday. We walked out on it to get a look at Lady Bird Lake from the floating dock and I tried to visualize being at the race. I am not even racing this one and I started to get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. After that Oskar and I took the canoe and paddled around for a couple of hours and did some swimming at Barking Springs.
The next day was my long swim day so I put in a mile at Barton Springs in the morning. My neck is still sore from sighting which is when raise your head up while swimming to see what is in front of you and to stay on your path. It is imperative to do this when not swimming in a normal swimming pool which has clear water, contains lane ropes, and the bottom of the pool is painted for direction. In a lake or river setting you are on your own. Well, except for the people swimming AT you with snorkels and swim fins who aren't really sighting. It is a little frustrating when a swim fin guy is hauling past you and on their return they close in on you faster than a non swim fin swimmer. Ugghh!
This morning was a 12 mile run with Rogue that started at 6 am. So after about 4 and and a half hours of sleep I was trotting alongside Amy on the hike and bike. She was running an 8 mile route so after about mile 4 or 5 we split ways. I started running with 3 other guys who I didn't know and ended up running the next 4 miles way too fast. I should have just let them pass me and then I would have had a more pleasurable experience. Too bad I didn't because I ended up dragging the last 4 miles in to the end with a 9 minute mile average. Oskar was more than happy to help me recover at Barking Springs after wards. I have to finish typing quickly because the little beast here is getting anxious and wants to go play outside. Dog park here we come.
One more long ride tomorrow and then any easy week begins.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Getting closer to recovery week
Tuesday workout was fantastic. I started off with an up tempo 26 mile ride through Austin. I went out Lake Austin, up Mt Bonnell (for fun), down Shoal Creek, over to Arryo Seco, Duval, through UT campus and east on Manor to my house. I had a quick lunch, loaded the dogs in the car and went out to Big Stacy for some swimming.
I met my friend Barton at the pool and we did an easy 200 warm up followed by pulling 600. If you add in another 100 on the kickboard that equates to one exhausted triathlete and two anxious dogs waiting in the car to go to the park.
Oskar, Lucy, and I had a quick trip to Auditorium shores where they swam and ran and swam and chased and swam and well you get the idea. The three of us went home for a quick nap and a second lunch. I had a weight training session that included but is not limited to: Lunges, curls, tricep extensions, calf raises, swiss ball hamstring curls, and about 80 tire flips.
After all of that nonsense I ate first dinner, I love tri training, and the dogs and I made a second trip down to Auditorium shores. They were so well behaved. They were not in any of the scuffles, didn't steal anybody's toys, came to me when called to and never stopped playing. On the way home I had to take Lucy's pulse because she was completely wiped out. Oskar was too and as a matter of fact so was I. My reward for a long day was pizza and cider for second dinner.
Today was slightly scaled back but a little more intense. Wednesday is now officially brick day! Out to the Veloway at noon (94 degrees). A warm up lap and then a fast paced lap followed by an run that was just less than a mile. Rinse and repeat for a total of three circuits. I wanted to hit four but it was just too hot. I averaged about 17 mph on the bike (includes warm up speed) and I ran 7:00 minute miles which for me is my 5K pace.
After second breakfast the dogs and I went down to Barking Springs for a little R n R. The water level was up and the current was a little stronger. Oskar of course had a blast but as far as I know this was Lucy's first trip down to dog heaven. She is not the best or let us say the most enthusiastic swimmer out there so when she swam to me across the current I was shocked and stoked at the same time. They chased all the rocks I tossed in the water and swam back to the other side with no problem when it was time to leave. Whew...what a busy few days.
I met my friend Barton at the pool and we did an easy 200 warm up followed by pulling 600. If you add in another 100 on the kickboard that equates to one exhausted triathlete and two anxious dogs waiting in the car to go to the park.
Oskar, Lucy, and I had a quick trip to Auditorium shores where they swam and ran and swam and chased and swam and well you get the idea. The three of us went home for a quick nap and a second lunch. I had a weight training session that included but is not limited to: Lunges, curls, tricep extensions, calf raises, swiss ball hamstring curls, and about 80 tire flips.
After all of that nonsense I ate first dinner, I love tri training, and the dogs and I made a second trip down to Auditorium shores. They were so well behaved. They were not in any of the scuffles, didn't steal anybody's toys, came to me when called to and never stopped playing. On the way home I had to take Lucy's pulse because she was completely wiped out. Oskar was too and as a matter of fact so was I. My reward for a long day was pizza and cider for second dinner.
Today was slightly scaled back but a little more intense. Wednesday is now officially brick day! Out to the Veloway at noon (94 degrees). A warm up lap and then a fast paced lap followed by an run that was just less than a mile. Rinse and repeat for a total of three circuits. I wanted to hit four but it was just too hot. I averaged about 17 mph on the bike (includes warm up speed) and I ran 7:00 minute miles which for me is my 5K pace.
After second breakfast the dogs and I went down to Barking Springs for a little R n R. The water level was up and the current was a little stronger. Oskar of course had a blast but as far as I know this was Lucy's first trip down to dog heaven. She is not the best or let us say the most enthusiastic swimmer out there so when she swam to me across the current I was shocked and stoked at the same time. They chased all the rocks I tossed in the water and swam back to the other side with no problem when it was time to leave. Whew...what a busy few days.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Working working working....
Sunday:
I slept in a bit and drove out to Southwest Parkway for my long ride on the bike. Following the recommendation of my friend Amy I rode out to Fitzhugh road and back for a total of 33.5 miles. The ride didn't start till noon so it was a pretty damn hot day in the sun. I took two water bottles filled with ice and Gatorade in one and just ice and water in the other. I had drank them both by the halfway point. Luckily just beyond the halfway point was a store to resupply. The route was out and back through rolling hills. Fitzhugh road has some nice climbs and descents on it making it a very good workout. I turned around at mile 16 but I missed a turn towards the end and after backtracking I finished with an extra mile and a half. Wrong turns just mean bonus miles. After my run on Saturday my legs were not at 100 percent so it made the ride even harder. A cold dip in Barton Springs made it all worth the heat and punishment.
Monday:
An early 7 mile run on the trail with good ol' Oskar. It was actually a tempo run. So I started off easy for the first 15 minutes and then intended to do the next 30 minutes at a 10 k pace but I could only hold it for 25 minutes. Oskar did fine until the very end and I knew he finally got tired. We took Oskar breaks 3 or 4 times so he could jump in Ladybird lake and cool off. We finished the run at Barton Springs and that cold cold water was exactly what I needed. I am starting to sense a pattern with how my non-swimming workouts will all end this summer. The water cools me off and saves my legs for the next workout.
Which in this case was Jack and Adams Monday night core class. The guy running it started it with this statement, "This is my first and last time to do this." You could tell he was a little nervous and it showed when we would be doing the exercise on the left side and he would forget to to the right side. Or he would occasionally forget what number we were going to. This class seemed more focused on the Abs as opposed to the overall core but it was great because I did learn a few new torture maneuvers to use on my own. I don't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with the class. It was a very good workout and I am thankful Jack and Adams puts it on for free every week.
After the core class I went down to Big Stacy for my swim workout. Summer has arrived and the pool was packed. All three lanes had at least three swimmers in it and sometimes four. I started off with a 200 warm up followed by 100 kicking and then another easy 100. After that was sprints. I did 10 a full length sprints at all out effort, or throw up speed, followed by a full length easy recovery after each sprint. It was a great swim.
Off to bed early so I can Bike and Swim today. Speaking of which I gotta go ride my bike now.
I slept in a bit and drove out to Southwest Parkway for my long ride on the bike. Following the recommendation of my friend Amy I rode out to Fitzhugh road and back for a total of 33.5 miles. The ride didn't start till noon so it was a pretty damn hot day in the sun. I took two water bottles filled with ice and Gatorade in one and just ice and water in the other. I had drank them both by the halfway point. Luckily just beyond the halfway point was a store to resupply. The route was out and back through rolling hills. Fitzhugh road has some nice climbs and descents on it making it a very good workout. I turned around at mile 16 but I missed a turn towards the end and after backtracking I finished with an extra mile and a half. Wrong turns just mean bonus miles. After my run on Saturday my legs were not at 100 percent so it made the ride even harder. A cold dip in Barton Springs made it all worth the heat and punishment.
Monday:
An early 7 mile run on the trail with good ol' Oskar. It was actually a tempo run. So I started off easy for the first 15 minutes and then intended to do the next 30 minutes at a 10 k pace but I could only hold it for 25 minutes. Oskar did fine until the very end and I knew he finally got tired. We took Oskar breaks 3 or 4 times so he could jump in Ladybird lake and cool off. We finished the run at Barton Springs and that cold cold water was exactly what I needed. I am starting to sense a pattern with how my non-swimming workouts will all end this summer. The water cools me off and saves my legs for the next workout.
Which in this case was Jack and Adams Monday night core class. The guy running it started it with this statement, "This is my first and last time to do this." You could tell he was a little nervous and it showed when we would be doing the exercise on the left side and he would forget to to the right side. Or he would occasionally forget what number we were going to. This class seemed more focused on the Abs as opposed to the overall core but it was great because I did learn a few new torture maneuvers to use on my own. I don't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with the class. It was a very good workout and I am thankful Jack and Adams puts it on for free every week.
After the core class I went down to Big Stacy for my swim workout. Summer has arrived and the pool was packed. All three lanes had at least three swimmers in it and sometimes four. I started off with a 200 warm up followed by 100 kicking and then another easy 100. After that was sprints. I did 10 a full length sprints at all out effort, or throw up speed, followed by a full length easy recovery after each sprint. It was a great swim.
Off to bed early so I can Bike and Swim today. Speaking of which I gotta go ride my bike now.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Hot, Humid and Tired
Saturdays long run with rogue was a 12 mile adventure through central Austin with very high humidity. High humidity is a good training tool since the more water molecules in the air means less oxygen molecules. This in turn means is harder to breathe which makes your body more efficient in taking in air and energy utilization. It also makes you slimy sweaty with squishy shoes. You can always hear me coming after a run like that by the squish squish squish sound my shoes make. It is kind of gross actually and a very hard run for me. One reason is the lack of sleep. I probably only got in a good three and a half hours the night before. I did not have time for breakfast before the run and I ran with Steven, Kelly, and Spencer who are all faster runners than I am. Running with people faster than you is good because it just makes you run faster than you would have on your own.
The run totally wiped me out and afterwords I took Oskar to Barking Springs for a chilly dip in the water to help save my legs for Sundays bike ride. Barking Springs just might be his favorite place to play. I like it because we both can get in the water at the same time. We came up with a new game where I would stand in the waist deep water and he would swim to me. Then I pick him him up, turn him around and throw him about 5 or 6 feet away. His head never went under water and he kept swimming back so I can only assume he liked it. The cold water is great on your legs after a hard workout because it cuts down on the inflammation and speeds recovery time. This is crucial when you are training so you can get the most out of your next workouts. It is also essential for your soul after a tough run and the cold healing waters of Barking (Barton) Springs does the trick. Oskar feels it is essential for my sanity as well since he gets to play like crazy chasing skipping stones and splashing around like some sort of wild animal.
The run totally wiped me out and afterwords I took Oskar to Barking Springs for a chilly dip in the water to help save my legs for Sundays bike ride. Barking Springs just might be his favorite place to play. I like it because we both can get in the water at the same time. We came up with a new game where I would stand in the waist deep water and he would swim to me. Then I pick him him up, turn him around and throw him about 5 or 6 feet away. His head never went under water and he kept swimming back so I can only assume he liked it. The cold water is great on your legs after a hard workout because it cuts down on the inflammation and speeds recovery time. This is crucial when you are training so you can get the most out of your next workouts. It is also essential for your soul after a tough run and the cold healing waters of Barking (Barton) Springs does the trick. Oskar feels it is essential for my sanity as well since he gets to play like crazy chasing skipping stones and splashing around like some sort of wild animal.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Oskar the Hero
Well maybe not a hero per se but he helped a disc golfer instead of annoy him which is what he usually does. It all went down like this. On a hot and humid afternoon Oskar need a little swim time so he and I headed down to Shoal Creek at Pease Park to get in a little puppy dog time. He was panting and a little overheated before we even got there. Note to self: Fix the AC in the car. We got out of the car and walked down near the 24th street bridge. I had his dog Frisbee with me and I found a tennis ball along the way. Armed with two powerful tools of distraction I felt confident that this was going to be successful outing at the park. Little did I suspect how proud I would be of the little guy by the time we would get back to the car.
As we are walking down towards the water a girl walking by, clearly exercising with headphones on, had not noticed the black blur heading her way, Oskar adjusts his course heading strait towards her. I yell, "Hey Oskar!!!" while brandishing the Frisbee in my left hand and the tennis ball in the right. Too late as she realizes the danger and there is no time for her to dodge the puppy onslaught that is about to occur. At the last possible moment he angles away from her to chase the tennis ball I had just thrown in the opposite direction. Her eyes had just shrank back from their look of fear when she literally snarls at me and Oskar. Oh well.
When we make it to the water I set my stuff down near a tree and Oskar scrambles down the slope to jump into the creek. I start throwing rocks for him to chase and he loves it. I have learned a while ago that he doesn't fetch that well in the water but he loves to chase after the splash of a recently submerged stone. The place where we are playing is in between two disc golf baskets and I am very mindful of the golfers after Oskar once stole a disc and pranced around the park while we were trying to get him to let go. At this time two guys are getting ready to chunk their discs over the creek that Oskar is currently splashing through and I ask them if we are in their way and they said we were fine. The first disc they throw lands about 40 yards from Oskar and skids off the creek embankment to land in the water. I quickly toss some rocks in the opposite direction. It is all about timing the distraction.
The golfers pass by and look to see where their discs ended up. After about ten minutes I heard one of them say that somebody in the future would get lucky and find his disc one day. They started to walk off and I thought to myself: This sounds like a job for OSKAR! We walked down to where they were looking and a section of the creek where I thought the disc might have been was covered in a thick filmy substance not allowing you to see under it. I threw a rock at the area and Oskar dove after it. The resulting wave cleared the area revealing the guys blue green disc. It was still a tough spot for him to get at so I kept tossing stones at the disc until Oskar picked it up between his two paws and put it in his mouth. The golfers were really impressed and Oskar could sense their excitement. So much so that he proceeded to prance around the creek with the guys disc in his jaws splashing the two guys with filmy gross creek water. It was hilarious. The guys were so stoked about the rescue that they didn't care about the new teeth marks on the disc. Hooray!!!!
In other news, yesterday I ran 4 miles on the trail with my friend Tony and then got on the bike trainer at home for an hour doing spin ups and one legged spins. Today I swam 1 mile in Barton Springs for my long swim. But this day totally belongs to Oskar.
As we are walking down towards the water a girl walking by, clearly exercising with headphones on, had not noticed the black blur heading her way, Oskar adjusts his course heading strait towards her. I yell, "Hey Oskar!!!" while brandishing the Frisbee in my left hand and the tennis ball in the right. Too late as she realizes the danger and there is no time for her to dodge the puppy onslaught that is about to occur. At the last possible moment he angles away from her to chase the tennis ball I had just thrown in the opposite direction. Her eyes had just shrank back from their look of fear when she literally snarls at me and Oskar. Oh well.
When we make it to the water I set my stuff down near a tree and Oskar scrambles down the slope to jump into the creek. I start throwing rocks for him to chase and he loves it. I have learned a while ago that he doesn't fetch that well in the water but he loves to chase after the splash of a recently submerged stone. The place where we are playing is in between two disc golf baskets and I am very mindful of the golfers after Oskar once stole a disc and pranced around the park while we were trying to get him to let go. At this time two guys are getting ready to chunk their discs over the creek that Oskar is currently splashing through and I ask them if we are in their way and they said we were fine. The first disc they throw lands about 40 yards from Oskar and skids off the creek embankment to land in the water. I quickly toss some rocks in the opposite direction. It is all about timing the distraction.
The golfers pass by and look to see where their discs ended up. After about ten minutes I heard one of them say that somebody in the future would get lucky and find his disc one day. They started to walk off and I thought to myself: This sounds like a job for OSKAR! We walked down to where they were looking and a section of the creek where I thought the disc might have been was covered in a thick filmy substance not allowing you to see under it. I threw a rock at the area and Oskar dove after it. The resulting wave cleared the area revealing the guys blue green disc. It was still a tough spot for him to get at so I kept tossing stones at the disc until Oskar picked it up between his two paws and put it in his mouth. The golfers were really impressed and Oskar could sense their excitement. So much so that he proceeded to prance around the creek with the guys disc in his jaws splashing the two guys with filmy gross creek water. It was hilarious. The guys were so stoked about the rescue that they didn't care about the new teeth marks on the disc. Hooray!!!!
In other news, yesterday I ran 4 miles on the trail with my friend Tony and then got on the bike trainer at home for an hour doing spin ups and one legged spins. Today I swam 1 mile in Barton Springs for my long swim. But this day totally belongs to Oskar.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Triple Duty Day and...Bunnies!!
A 6 a.m. wake up time was pushed back to 7 then 7:15. Got up and drank some coffee, ate my granola, packed the bike and gear and headed towards down to the Veloway for some cycling. I got down there about 10ish and did a couple of loops around the Veloway. I finally saw the fabled bunnies of the Veloway. Well, I saw one hop hop hopping along the grass beside be. So Glenda if you are reading this you are right about the bunnies.
After the 2 warm up loops I did 2 loops down on South Mopac followed by one more Veloway loop for a total of 26 miles. The south bound loop felt uphill and definitely a headwind but Northbound was great. I was flying and feeling really good. The kind of good you just want to holler and so I did. Nobody around to hear the weird guy hoot 'n hollering in his Lonestar Beer cycling jersey. At the end of the ride I tossed the bike into the back of the blazer, ever so gently, slipped on the running shoes and did a 1 mile run to get used to the run after bike feeling. Man that is such a strange feeling.
Loaded up and headed to Barton Springs for a 1/2 mile swim in some frigid water. I am still getting used to the "openness" of open water swimming. It wasn't too crowded so luckily my half-assed sighting tecnique kep me from at least running into the wall. I will admit I did get a little freaked out when skimming over all those under water plants but I was able to calm myself down and finish. I got home and forced myself to do a 30 minute core routine. It was like the cliff note version of the one from Jack and Adams.
I rushed down to the Dog park so Oskar could get some play time in and boy he sure needed it. A quick nap and now off to work. Tomorrow is an easy 4 miler on the trail with Tony, Oskar and hopefully Mark and Amy as well. I can only imagine that I will probably sneak a quick swim or better yet some technique training on the bicycle trainer followed by some barking springs with Oskar.
After the 2 warm up loops I did 2 loops down on South Mopac followed by one more Veloway loop for a total of 26 miles. The south bound loop felt uphill and definitely a headwind but Northbound was great. I was flying and feeling really good. The kind of good you just want to holler and so I did. Nobody around to hear the weird guy hoot 'n hollering in his Lonestar Beer cycling jersey. At the end of the ride I tossed the bike into the back of the blazer, ever so gently, slipped on the running shoes and did a 1 mile run to get used to the run after bike feeling. Man that is such a strange feeling.
Loaded up and headed to Barton Springs for a 1/2 mile swim in some frigid water. I am still getting used to the "openness" of open water swimming. It wasn't too crowded so luckily my half-assed sighting tecnique kep me from at least running into the wall. I will admit I did get a little freaked out when skimming over all those under water plants but I was able to calm myself down and finish. I got home and forced myself to do a 30 minute core routine. It was like the cliff note version of the one from Jack and Adams.
I rushed down to the Dog park so Oskar could get some play time in and boy he sure needed it. A quick nap and now off to work. Tomorrow is an easy 4 miler on the trail with Tony, Oskar and hopefully Mark and Amy as well. I can only imagine that I will probably sneak a quick swim or better yet some technique training on the bicycle trainer followed by some barking springs with Oskar.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
At the Beach
I have been down in Port Aransas for some R and R with the parents for the past few days but I did bring my goggles, running shoes and Oskar. I also brought other clothes and Oskar food and you know what, let us not turn this blog into an itemized account of my comings and goings.
So my plan was to get 3 days worth of beach running and open water swim practice. I actually got one nice 5 mile beach sunrise run on on Monday morning with Oskar. It was the kind of run where you did not see a soul, you do not take the ipod and you cool off at the end with a dip in the tepid Gulf of Mexico water. It was fantastic. The swim on the other hand was quite educational. My mother escorted me to the water and promised she would come in and save me if I started drowning but just to be on the safe side I swam in between the breaking waves where I knew I could touch. I thought it would be best to swim perpendicular to the beach as opposed to an out and back route. I did an easy 10 minute pace and stopped for some water to rinse the brine out of my mouth. Love the Gulf waters. Between the salt water, crashing waves, and the exfoliating seaweed I learned a valuable lesson for open water swimming. I began to understand the power to ignore. Ignore the current but stay on track. Ignore the salinity level of the water but don't swallow it. Ignore the seaweed when you run into it at as long as it's just seaweed. Right before I jumped in my mom assured me that she had baking soda in the R.V. if I encountered any Jellyfish. Thank you mother. After my easy 10 minutes I went back out for some sprint repeats, tired myself out and called it a day.
Oskar loved the beach also. All of the dry seaweed, fish bones, and fetid material that washes up on shore is his favorite. But he does pose nicely for pictures.
So my plan was to get 3 days worth of beach running and open water swim practice. I actually got one nice 5 mile beach sunrise run on on Monday morning with Oskar. It was the kind of run where you did not see a soul, you do not take the ipod and you cool off at the end with a dip in the tepid Gulf of Mexico water. It was fantastic. The swim on the other hand was quite educational. My mother escorted me to the water and promised she would come in and save me if I started drowning but just to be on the safe side I swam in between the breaking waves where I knew I could touch. I thought it would be best to swim perpendicular to the beach as opposed to an out and back route. I did an easy 10 minute pace and stopped for some water to rinse the brine out of my mouth. Love the Gulf waters. Between the salt water, crashing waves, and the exfoliating seaweed I learned a valuable lesson for open water swimming. I began to understand the power to ignore. Ignore the current but stay on track. Ignore the salinity level of the water but don't swallow it. Ignore the seaweed when you run into it at as long as it's just seaweed. Right before I jumped in my mom assured me that she had baking soda in the R.V. if I encountered any Jellyfish. Thank you mother. After my easy 10 minutes I went back out for some sprint repeats, tired myself out and called it a day.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Rain Run
Got woken up at 5 am for a 6 o'clock run by the roommate.
Steve: Colin?
Me: ...yeah...
Steve: It's 5 o'clock
Me: Ok
Steve: And it's raining.
Me: Crap
Early morning runs are tough because I work late at nights but when you add in the fact that it is going to start during the tail end of a rainstorm it is nearly impossible to get out of bed. I needed to run 12 miles today and I might have done it on my own but who are we kidding. After what seemed like a 100 years war in my head debating the merits of getting up and just going versus falling back to sleep I dragged my butt out of bed and into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee. I am glad I did.
I won't lie, running is a tough start with it raining. I started dry and it made the first 10 minutes annoying as I was leaping over puddles and trying to keep my feet from getting soaked. Just get them wet already. I ran with Mark for the duration which was great because I got to catch him up on all of my triathlon race stories and plans. The down side of running with Mark is his famous "One Step." Mark runs next to you about one step ahead and it makes you want to speed up. If you do, then his natural running spot is still one step ahead. So he stays one step up and the whole time you are slowly speeding up. Mark doesn't really notice this because he has tremendous endurance and speed but the unlucky fool running with him, which today was me, ends up going way to fast. Lucky for me I caught on by the first water stop and asked to reel in the pace a bit and that I wasn't going to fall for the old "One Step" move again. After that the first half was a comfortable pace but we picked it up for the last 6 miles and especially the last 3. SSSHHH do not tell Amy. I saw a lot of old friends and picked up another pair of Nike Free's to wear to work, some running, and my everyday shoe. Thank you Rogue Running for the discount.
Tomorrow I am heading down to Port Aransas to visit with my parents who have the R.V. parked there for the week. Oskar and I are planning on doing some open water swim practice together. Speaking of Oskar look where he is sleeping in this latest picture. Quite the fearless pup.
Steve: Colin?
Me: ...yeah...
Steve: It's 5 o'clock
Me: Ok
Steve: And it's raining.
Me: Crap
Early morning runs are tough because I work late at nights but when you add in the fact that it is going to start during the tail end of a rainstorm it is nearly impossible to get out of bed. I needed to run 12 miles today and I might have done it on my own but who are we kidding. After what seemed like a 100 years war in my head debating the merits of getting up and just going versus falling back to sleep I dragged my butt out of bed and into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee. I am glad I did.
I won't lie, running is a tough start with it raining. I started dry and it made the first 10 minutes annoying as I was leaping over puddles and trying to keep my feet from getting soaked. Just get them wet already. I ran with Mark for the duration which was great because I got to catch him up on all of my triathlon race stories and plans. The down side of running with Mark is his famous "One Step." Mark runs next to you about one step ahead and it makes you want to speed up. If you do, then his natural running spot is still one step ahead. So he stays one step up and the whole time you are slowly speeding up. Mark doesn't really notice this because he has tremendous endurance and speed but the unlucky fool running with him, which today was me, ends up going way to fast. Lucky for me I caught on by the first water stop and asked to reel in the pace a bit and that I wasn't going to fall for the old "One Step" move again. After that the first half was a comfortable pace but we picked it up for the last 6 miles and especially the last 3. SSSHHH do not tell Amy. I saw a lot of old friends and picked up another pair of Nike Free's to wear to work, some running, and my everyday shoe. Thank you Rogue Running for the discount.
Tomorrow I am heading down to Port Aransas to visit with my parents who have the R.V. parked there for the week. Oskar and I are planning on doing some open water swim practice together. Speaking of Oskar look where he is sleeping in this latest picture. Quite the fearless pup.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Quick Post
The thunderstorms in this area forced my long ride indoors. I was only able to get an hour on the trainer before I couldn't take it anymore. Although watching Star Wars at full volume when the rebels attack the Death Star is quite fun while on the bike. Yep, I am a big old dork. Tomorrow is a 12 mile run with Rogue in the early morning followed by an open water swim at Walter E. Long park.
Oskar did get to go hiking with me this morning out at Walnut Creek Trail. We managed to find a very secluded part of the creek but all that amounted to was finding very low water levels with the most disgusting things growing in it. At which point Oskar wanted to dive and roll around in it. Love that Oskar.
Oskar did get to go hiking with me this morning out at Walnut Creek Trail. We managed to find a very secluded part of the creek but all that amounted to was finding very low water levels with the most disgusting things growing in it. At which point Oskar wanted to dive and roll around in it. Love that Oskar.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Unbearable heaviness of bricks
I am starting to understand that the "brick" workout may be the secret ingredient to any success I may achieve. So far it has been the most difficult workout I have done and I think it's rewards will be invaluable as my races become harder. But Holy Hand Grenade they are very difficult.
So as you may or may not have guessed I have just completed a brick. So as far as I know a brick is basically ride your bike then run. Once again rinse and repeat. There is a logistical aspect to planning this workout that proves a little tricky when doing it by yourself. What to do with your stuff when you are cycling and running. I have a track down the street from my house where I can lock up my bike. I can time myself more accurately on the track while keeping an eye on my bike. My running shoes are the Nike Free's which are very light and can fit in the back pockets of my cycling jersey. I mapped out a hilly 3.5 mile loop around the track and rode my bike with my running shoes sticking halfway out of my shirt praying they didn't fall out. As soon as my loop was done I quickly locked my bike up and put on my shoes and ran a mile on the track at 5k pace which for me is 7 minute miles. Well I was trying to maintain a 5k pace but I fell short by about 10-15 seconds. After the mile I fully recovered before starting another bike loop. I did three of these and the last two laps of the last mile were quite taxing to say the least. What I am trying to do is to teach my body to push out the lactic acid buildup in my legs while still maintaining a strong running pace. Now that I think about it where does all this lactic acid go while we are running? I never thought about that before.
After the brick I took Oskar to the park for a bit before I did a nice and easy 3/4 mile swim at Big Stacy. I was done after all of that. DONE. I ate a slept for the rest of the afternoon.
Today was an early morning run with my friend Tony on the trail, and Oskar, for about 4 miles. Oskar got to play in the park before we ran so he could get all of his craziness out of his system. He needed a pre-workout before our workout. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that he will never get the craziness out of him and I kind of dig that.
So I still need to do an extensive core workout, weight training and tire flips before this day is done..
So as you may or may not have guessed I have just completed a brick. So as far as I know a brick is basically ride your bike then run. Once again rinse and repeat. There is a logistical aspect to planning this workout that proves a little tricky when doing it by yourself. What to do with your stuff when you are cycling and running. I have a track down the street from my house where I can lock up my bike. I can time myself more accurately on the track while keeping an eye on my bike. My running shoes are the Nike Free's which are very light and can fit in the back pockets of my cycling jersey. I mapped out a hilly 3.5 mile loop around the track and rode my bike with my running shoes sticking halfway out of my shirt praying they didn't fall out. As soon as my loop was done I quickly locked my bike up and put on my shoes and ran a mile on the track at 5k pace which for me is 7 minute miles. Well I was trying to maintain a 5k pace but I fell short by about 10-15 seconds. After the mile I fully recovered before starting another bike loop. I did three of these and the last two laps of the last mile were quite taxing to say the least. What I am trying to do is to teach my body to push out the lactic acid buildup in my legs while still maintaining a strong running pace. Now that I think about it where does all this lactic acid go while we are running? I never thought about that before.
After the brick I took Oskar to the park for a bit before I did a nice and easy 3/4 mile swim at Big Stacy. I was done after all of that. DONE. I ate a slept for the rest of the afternoon.
Today was an early morning run with my friend Tony on the trail, and Oskar, for about 4 miles. Oskar got to play in the park before we ran so he could get all of his craziness out of his system. He needed a pre-workout before our workout. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that he will never get the craziness out of him and I kind of dig that.
So I still need to do an extensive core workout, weight training and tire flips before this day is done..
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Catching Up
I feel recovered from my race so this week is the beginning of my three week "build" phase. On Monday I met some of my running friends for the Heidi Loop. I am pretty sure it was named after my friend Heidi who just happened to be running with us but I failed to ask the back story on it. Oskar was with us and we got in an easy 5 mile run with a couple of hills. Later on I went to the Jack and Adams core class and it is always a humbling experience when towards the end of the hour of torturous training you are trying to hold your legs up and straight and they are shaking like leaves on a tree...in a tornadoe and the two girls next to you are chit chatting away with each other with seemingly no effort put in on their part. After the core class I met my buddy Craig for some swim practice at Big Stacy. I bought a kickboard to work on my...you guessed it...kick. I have no kick power whatsoever and I struggled to make it one length of the pool. It was very frustrating. I figure if I can improve my kick then that will help me get out in front during the swim portion of the tri and I can get some distance on the guys who a little slower than I want to go. I finished the swim with some easy laps mixed in with some drills.
That was Monday. On Tuesday I woke up and went back to the pool with my good friend Barton for some help with my stroke and more importantly my kick. He got me doing various drills with and without the kickboard, trying to focus on my hips and leg orientation in the water. I noticed some immediate improvements with my kick efficiency. Now all I have to do is build on that for the next 5 months. We finished with sprints at maximum pace, or what Craig calls, "Throw Up Speed," followed by a full recovery for the interval. I got out of the water ate, rested and then got on the trainer for some bike technique training. I spun with one leg for 30 seconds, then the other and then both for a minute. This helps you learn a smooth turnover for a more efficient pedal stroke. With just thirty minutes done on the bike I hopped off and finished with weight training (lunges, curls and arm raises) followed by 80 tire flips. Yep, I was finished for sure.
Currently as I am typing I am noticing the morning slipping away and I got go and get my brick workout on.
Thanks for reading.
Oskar says, "Ruff ruff..bark bark"
That was Monday. On Tuesday I woke up and went back to the pool with my good friend Barton for some help with my stroke and more importantly my kick. He got me doing various drills with and without the kickboard, trying to focus on my hips and leg orientation in the water. I noticed some immediate improvements with my kick efficiency. Now all I have to do is build on that for the next 5 months. We finished with sprints at maximum pace, or what Craig calls, "Throw Up Speed," followed by a full recovery for the interval. I got out of the water ate, rested and then got on the trainer for some bike technique training. I spun with one leg for 30 seconds, then the other and then both for a minute. This helps you learn a smooth turnover for a more efficient pedal stroke. With just thirty minutes done on the bike I hopped off and finished with weight training (lunges, curls and arm raises) followed by 80 tire flips. Yep, I was finished for sure.
Currently as I am typing I am noticing the morning slipping away and I got go and get my brick workout on.
Thanks for reading.
Oskar says, "Ruff ruff..bark bark"
Monday, May 10, 2010
Race Day Report From the Rookie
Total Time 58:59
300M swim: 7:23
11.2 mile bike: 33:25
2 mile run: 14:52
Jelly (on left) and Kelly. Both came out to cheer us all on.
Me and Craig who was indispensable with race info.
So I wake up at 4 am to leave by 5 am for a 6 am race check in and an 8:06 am race start time. Quite an early day on Sunday. Got up chugged some coffee, ate some granola packed the car and hit the road. The race was at the Texas Ski ranch. It was cloudy, little to no wind and temps about 67 degrees with water temp at about 77 degrees. It was raining off and on for the whole drive down there.
I was pretty anxious about everything leading up to the race. I was obsessing about all the details from where to put all of my numbers to fixating on the upcoming swim. Everything turned out great in the end. I got there right when the transition area opened and the line to get in wasn't too bad. You had to get your body marked with a black waterproof marker. The put your race number on both your arms and the front of both your thighs and write your age on your left calf. For some reason the girl marking me wanted me to pull up already short tri shorts a little higher to mark my legs. So in order to see my numbers I had to hike up the shorts just a little more than normal. I got into the transition area after that and found my assigned rack based on my age group. I got a pretty good spot which was the second bike from the end off the main aisle. Spread out my towel to lay out my shoes, race belt and helmet. Right about then my friend Craig found me and we toured the transition area to try to figure out where the swim exit, bike exit and entrance and run exits all were located. Then we had about and hour to kill till the race started.
By this time my roommate Steven, Kelly and Jelly showed up. We chatted about some details like where they might want to post up to get the best vantage point of the goings on. Soon after the National anthem started and they called all the age group divisions to the swim start area. This is right about when everything started to speed up and get a little crazy. The race announcer was jamming some tunes and getting the crowd pumped up like some sort of rock concert. Later on my friend Jenn said the atmosphere of the music, water and everyone in swimsuits seemed more like a spring break party instead of a race start. All that was missing was beer bongs and a bikini contest. Steven pointed out Mike Rosenthal who is a former NFL football player who was in my division and told me he was the only one I needed to beat. I thought no problem. This guy is huge and can't possibly be able to race.
The first two groups were off and my group waded into the water. The look on the faces of the guys around me confirmed my suspicions. Everybody was just as anxious as me which made me feel a lot better. Countdown from 10, 9, 8....3, 2, 1, GO!!!! I dove in and started swimming. I immediately felt the drag from my race shirt and thought that next time I'll probably swim shirtless. A few strokes in and although my energy level was through the roof I wasn't panicked by swimming in a group and in open dark and murky water. I was just frustrated that every other stroke I was running into somebody. Next time I think I will start near the front and make the faster guys go around me. I rounded the buoy and started to pass people in other colored swim caps. I was catching up to the stragglers in the group in front of me. I got out of the water with no problems and jogged through to the first transition area. I wasn't wobbly or off balance like I thought I would be and I even passed 3 or 4 guys going into the transition. It was at this point I could hear the voices of some of my friends cheering which put a huge smile in my face. Thank You Jenn!!!
My transition was about a minute slower than the guys in the lead and I almost made a huge mistake when I tried to lean on my bike to put on my shoes. Yes, I almost knocked over an entire rack of bikes. I dropped my cap and goggles, put on my helmet, bike shoes and race belt and jogged it to the bike exit. I ran another 10 yards pass the cluster*&%! of a bunch of guys trying to clip into their bikes. Everything was still happening very fast and all I could think was I needed to get as much distance from the bike start as possible.
I immediately started pedaling and passing people left and right. I dropped down into the aero position and just started racing. I quickly passed Mike Rosenthal and thought, I probably don't have to race him any more. I couldn't believe how good I felt on the bike and it wasn't until about mile 6 that the race experience started to slow down. My pace didn't slow down but my heart rate finally leveled out and I could start to think clearly. The first thing I thought was I was thirsty and needed water bad. Every time I reached for a drink the guy that was behind me was kept catching up so I need to find a more efficient way of hydrating. The bike course was 11.2 miles mostly flat with just a couple of short climbs and a few sharp turns. This was probably my favorite part of the race and it definitely helped me build confidence. I got to the end of the course and heard my friends cheering me on again at the bike finish. I clipped out of the bike and slipped a little as I was dismounting. I ran down my row but realized I was on the wrong side. Oh well. I also realized there were only a few bikes on the rack so I knew I was doing pretty good.
I slipped on my Nike Free's, dropped my helmet and ran out of there as fast as my cement laden legs would take me. I knew the run off the bike was going to be hard but oh man was I tired. I felt like I was crawling but I still was maintaining a 7:26 pace. I just felt like I couldn't catch my breath. It was a 2 mile run and the first mile was slightly uphill with a mild head wind. It felt like the most intense monumental effort to just put one foot in front of the other. I hit the first mile marker and thought, really?, mile 1 is that all? Uggghh. I pushed through and by mile 1.5 I started to feel like I was in my groove and hit my stride. We ran around the lake that we swam in and on the last curve before the final push to the finish a guy from my group passed me and I told him, "Good Job" but was actually thinking I'm sooo about to pass you. With about 50 yards to go I kicked in my final gear and past that same guy plus another dude ahead of him finishing with nothing left in the tank. I crossed the finish line in the sand bent over to catch my breath. I thought, This is it. This is my race and my moment. I walked back to cheer on my friends who were still fininshing and yelled out< "Go Mike" when Rosenthal crossed the finish line. He did pretty good too. My friend Craig had a great race and he beat his time from the last time he raced it.
Thank you to all of my friends who came out to cheer me on and those who train with me and help me with everything from training tips, transition bag, aero bars, timing chip holders and motivation for doing all of this. Next race is the Couples Tri on July 11th and I am racing that with my brother Michael.
300M swim: 7:23
11.2 mile bike: 33:25
2 mile run: 14:52
Jelly (on left) and Kelly. Both came out to cheer us all on.
Me and Craig who was indispensable with race info.
So I wake up at 4 am to leave by 5 am for a 6 am race check in and an 8:06 am race start time. Quite an early day on Sunday. Got up chugged some coffee, ate some granola packed the car and hit the road. The race was at the Texas Ski ranch. It was cloudy, little to no wind and temps about 67 degrees with water temp at about 77 degrees. It was raining off and on for the whole drive down there.
I was pretty anxious about everything leading up to the race. I was obsessing about all the details from where to put all of my numbers to fixating on the upcoming swim. Everything turned out great in the end. I got there right when the transition area opened and the line to get in wasn't too bad. You had to get your body marked with a black waterproof marker. The put your race number on both your arms and the front of both your thighs and write your age on your left calf. For some reason the girl marking me wanted me to pull up already short tri shorts a little higher to mark my legs. So in order to see my numbers I had to hike up the shorts just a little more than normal. I got into the transition area after that and found my assigned rack based on my age group. I got a pretty good spot which was the second bike from the end off the main aisle. Spread out my towel to lay out my shoes, race belt and helmet. Right about then my friend Craig found me and we toured the transition area to try to figure out where the swim exit, bike exit and entrance and run exits all were located. Then we had about and hour to kill till the race started.
By this time my roommate Steven, Kelly and Jelly showed up. We chatted about some details like where they might want to post up to get the best vantage point of the goings on. Soon after the National anthem started and they called all the age group divisions to the swim start area. This is right about when everything started to speed up and get a little crazy. The race announcer was jamming some tunes and getting the crowd pumped up like some sort of rock concert. Later on my friend Jenn said the atmosphere of the music, water and everyone in swimsuits seemed more like a spring break party instead of a race start. All that was missing was beer bongs and a bikini contest. Steven pointed out Mike Rosenthal who is a former NFL football player who was in my division and told me he was the only one I needed to beat. I thought no problem. This guy is huge and can't possibly be able to race.
The first two groups were off and my group waded into the water. The look on the faces of the guys around me confirmed my suspicions. Everybody was just as anxious as me which made me feel a lot better. Countdown from 10, 9, 8....3, 2, 1, GO!!!! I dove in and started swimming. I immediately felt the drag from my race shirt and thought that next time I'll probably swim shirtless. A few strokes in and although my energy level was through the roof I wasn't panicked by swimming in a group and in open dark and murky water. I was just frustrated that every other stroke I was running into somebody. Next time I think I will start near the front and make the faster guys go around me. I rounded the buoy and started to pass people in other colored swim caps. I was catching up to the stragglers in the group in front of me. I got out of the water with no problems and jogged through to the first transition area. I wasn't wobbly or off balance like I thought I would be and I even passed 3 or 4 guys going into the transition. It was at this point I could hear the voices of some of my friends cheering which put a huge smile in my face. Thank You Jenn!!!
My transition was about a minute slower than the guys in the lead and I almost made a huge mistake when I tried to lean on my bike to put on my shoes. Yes, I almost knocked over an entire rack of bikes. I dropped my cap and goggles, put on my helmet, bike shoes and race belt and jogged it to the bike exit. I ran another 10 yards pass the cluster*&%! of a bunch of guys trying to clip into their bikes. Everything was still happening very fast and all I could think was I needed to get as much distance from the bike start as possible.
I immediately started pedaling and passing people left and right. I dropped down into the aero position and just started racing. I quickly passed Mike Rosenthal and thought, I probably don't have to race him any more. I couldn't believe how good I felt on the bike and it wasn't until about mile 6 that the race experience started to slow down. My pace didn't slow down but my heart rate finally leveled out and I could start to think clearly. The first thing I thought was I was thirsty and needed water bad. Every time I reached for a drink the guy that was behind me was kept catching up so I need to find a more efficient way of hydrating. The bike course was 11.2 miles mostly flat with just a couple of short climbs and a few sharp turns. This was probably my favorite part of the race and it definitely helped me build confidence. I got to the end of the course and heard my friends cheering me on again at the bike finish. I clipped out of the bike and slipped a little as I was dismounting. I ran down my row but realized I was on the wrong side. Oh well. I also realized there were only a few bikes on the rack so I knew I was doing pretty good.
I slipped on my Nike Free's, dropped my helmet and ran out of there as fast as my cement laden legs would take me. I knew the run off the bike was going to be hard but oh man was I tired. I felt like I was crawling but I still was maintaining a 7:26 pace. I just felt like I couldn't catch my breath. It was a 2 mile run and the first mile was slightly uphill with a mild head wind. It felt like the most intense monumental effort to just put one foot in front of the other. I hit the first mile marker and thought, really?, mile 1 is that all? Uggghh. I pushed through and by mile 1.5 I started to feel like I was in my groove and hit my stride. We ran around the lake that we swam in and on the last curve before the final push to the finish a guy from my group passed me and I told him, "Good Job" but was actually thinking I'm sooo about to pass you. With about 50 yards to go I kicked in my final gear and past that same guy plus another dude ahead of him finishing with nothing left in the tank. I crossed the finish line in the sand bent over to catch my breath. I thought, This is it. This is my race and my moment. I walked back to cheer on my friends who were still fininshing and yelled out< "Go Mike" when Rosenthal crossed the finish line. He did pretty good too. My friend Craig had a great race and he beat his time from the last time he raced it.
Thank you to all of my friends who came out to cheer me on and those who train with me and help me with everything from training tips, transition bag, aero bars, timing chip holders and motivation for doing all of this. Next race is the Couples Tri on July 11th and I am racing that with my brother Michael.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Service Announcement
I would like to take this oppurtunity to bring to your attention a hazardous occurence that plauges a vast number of male runners. It does not always happen on every run and the weather conditions have to meet certain minimum criteria but it is a problem that few men like to discuss but I think now it is my duty to shed some light on this phenemenon so others might be able to cope with this problem a little better.
Nipple Chaffing.
Yes, running's dirty little secret. By the time you start to feel "the burn" it is too late. There is no turning back on your run. You just have to bear the burden and make it to the end. The weather can't be too hot or too cold. It has to be warm enough for sweat to start forming on your chest but cool enough so the breeze will umm...mmmhmmm...titillate your evolutionarily useless nipples. When that happens they extend outwards and try to start a fire with your shirt by using only the searing pain of friction. God help you if you are wearing a white shirt when that happens. They WILL bleed. Oh yes they will. Then the tiny droplets of blood will mingle with the sweat of your shirt like some sort of masochistic and shameful happy hour.
Blood: "Hey there sweat, come here often?"
Sweat: " Yeah I'm here almost every run starting at about mile one. I haven't seen you here in a while"
Blood: "I know I know. Usually this guy is smart enough to wear band aids but not today"
And blah blah blah.
Now blood and sweat have started to dance the run away down the front of your shirt and you know this because you can see it on the faces of the people running towards you. Yes I know it looks like my nipples are crying blood and no don't call the Vatican because this is not the stigmata.
Can anybody guess what happened to me on my pre-race 4 mile run this afternoon?
Note to self: Wear your pasties under your shirt for tomorrows triathlon.
I just hope they stay on under water.
Nipple Chaffing.
Yes, running's dirty little secret. By the time you start to feel "the burn" it is too late. There is no turning back on your run. You just have to bear the burden and make it to the end. The weather can't be too hot or too cold. It has to be warm enough for sweat to start forming on your chest but cool enough so the breeze will umm...mmmhmmm...titillate your evolutionarily useless nipples. When that happens they extend outwards and try to start a fire with your shirt by using only the searing pain of friction. God help you if you are wearing a white shirt when that happens. They WILL bleed. Oh yes they will. Then the tiny droplets of blood will mingle with the sweat of your shirt like some sort of masochistic and shameful happy hour.
Blood: "Hey there sweat, come here often?"
Sweat: " Yeah I'm here almost every run starting at about mile one. I haven't seen you here in a while"
Blood: "I know I know. Usually this guy is smart enough to wear band aids but not today"
And blah blah blah.
Now blood and sweat have started to dance the run away down the front of your shirt and you know this because you can see it on the faces of the people running towards you. Yes I know it looks like my nipples are crying blood and no don't call the Vatican because this is not the stigmata.
Can anybody guess what happened to me on my pre-race 4 mile run this afternoon?
Note to self: Wear your pasties under your shirt for tomorrows triathlon.
I just hope they stay on under water.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Packet pick up
I got my race packet from Jack and Adams today and I must admit that I am a little confused by all the numbers they gave me. I wear one, another goes on the bike but that leaves like another one. Maybe that goes on the bike rack. I'm sure somebody out there knows this stuff better than me right?
It was a nice funday at the dog park and a quick 40 minute ride on the trainer. All systems are a go for Sunday's race. I appreciate all the words of encourgement I have received from friends and family. That stuff really helps. A short run and a dip in Deep Eddy tomorrow and I will be ready to go.
Woo Hoo!!
It was a nice funday at the dog park and a quick 40 minute ride on the trainer. All systems are a go for Sunday's race. I appreciate all the words of encourgement I have received from friends and family. That stuff really helps. A short run and a dip in Deep Eddy tomorrow and I will be ready to go.
Woo Hoo!!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Back is back
I went for a nice and easy slow run with Oskar. We went 4 miles around Lady Bird lake and all went well. The back gave me no problems. Although it is still a little "Wonky" it should be fine for Sunday's race. Oskar was good on trail after he calmed down half way through the run. We got home and didn't want to waste the afternoon inside so my buddy Jonathon and I took Oskar and the canoe out for a spin. We paddled out from Austin High to the free side of Barton Springs and put the canoe on some rocks to swim around. Oskar was fantastic with the other dogs and he was swimming like a maniac. I like watching him learn things. For instance he now dives his head under water for sunken toys and he learned to negotiate the current at the springs really well. He was making tons of new friends but he apparently distracted these two girls while somebody came by and stole their purse. Oskar's cuteness is a burden he is learning to control.
Tomorrow easy bike ride and or swim after coffee with my coach/friend Amy. Hooray!!
Tomorrow easy bike ride and or swim after coffee with my coach/friend Amy. Hooray!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Oskar day
Next we went over to Jack and Adams for some pre-race shopping. I needed a triathlon shirt that I could swim, bike and run in. My main criteria was comfort. I am not referring to how comfortable the shirt is I mean how comfortable I am wearing the thing. My triathlon shorts are already skin tight and shorter than cycling shorts so the shirt can't weird me out or freak out the spectators. I grabbed two shirts off the rack and asked the sales girl her opinion. She said they both would work but the tighter one was preferable for performance. I tried them both on and despite her assurances that the more "revealing" one looked good I opted for the more modest choice. Maybe I will go all out for my next race but not this time. I choose the Pearl Izumi sleeveless Triathlon jersey.
It seemed an appropriate selection.With that out of the way Oskar and I went to Auditorium shores for more dog park action where he can swim around. He did great minus a few notable exceptions. The worst was chasing the woman pushing the stroller with the crying baby for half a mile. Oskar was going nuts with that screaming kid. After that I tethered him to the bench I was sitting on while reading which was alright with him because he seemed very tired at this point.
Hopefully I will be able to do an easy run or swim tomorrow but I will be very cautious in my decision to workout before my race. Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Really?
What a day so far. I went to bed last night with my lower back hurting a little. Today it hurts a lot more. I think I somehow managed to strain it and hopefully it goes away before my Sunday race. I think Oskar might have had something to do with it.
Speaking of Oskar, we were at Red Bud again today playing and I decided to hike through some of the less traveled trails. I ended up banging my head on some low hanging branch and now I have a nice gash along my hairline. I think I will just stay inside until race day.
So with these two injuries in mind I think I will take the day off until I get better.
Oh and Oskar didn't have anything to do with my back. I was just trying to distribute blame.
Speaking of Oskar, we were at Red Bud again today playing and I decided to hike through some of the less traveled trails. I ended up banging my head on some low hanging branch and now I have a nice gash along my hairline. I think I will just stay inside until race day.
So with these two injuries in mind I think I will take the day off until I get better.
Oh and Oskar didn't have anything to do with my back. I was just trying to distribute blame.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Race and Recover
The Bun Run 5K went pretty well yesterday. I pr'd (personal record) by over 30 seconds. I finished with a time of 21:45. If I had warmed up I might have done better but I am happy with my time and effort level. My friend Escooby had a great time as well. I think he might be getting hooked into this whole running thing.
This week is a recovery week leading up to my first race on Sunday. It will be my first ever Triathlon and I am very, very excited. So I will do just nice and easy workouts to keep loose and strong all week before my race. Today was an easy bike ride around town. It ended up being about 23 miles but it took me aobut 2 hours to finish. I was going real easy remember?
I have an old friend from high school who will be running her first marathon with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. She is just a little over 50 percent of her goal and needs help fund raising. If you have the time check out her fund raising page here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/rnr10/bcallahan and see if you can help her out. I remember all the hard work leading up to my first race but she has the added work of raising money for a great cause.
Look out Dog park victims Oskar is on his way!
This week is a recovery week leading up to my first race on Sunday. It will be my first ever Triathlon and I am very, very excited. So I will do just nice and easy workouts to keep loose and strong all week before my race. Today was an easy bike ride around town. It ended up being about 23 miles but it took me aobut 2 hours to finish. I was going real easy remember?
I have an old friend from high school who will be running her first marathon with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. She is just a little over 50 percent of her goal and needs help fund raising. If you have the time check out her fund raising page here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/rnr10/bcallahan and see if you can help her out. I remember all the hard work leading up to my first race but she has the added work of raising money for a great cause.
Look out Dog park victims Oskar is on his way!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
End of the Week
Awake early now for my 5K race this morning with my friend Escooby. It seems I have not slept more than 4 hours a night for the past two nights. I am very tired right now. I forsee a very long post race nap in my future.
Yesterdays run and swim was great. I ran 10 miles with Steve, Kelly, Nick and Spencer. All of those guys have very fast marathon times compared to mine but lucky for me I have been training for the past few months and was able to keep up. Training with faster people is probably a good way to get faster myself. Hmm, must look into that.
After my run Oskar and I went to Shoal Creek to play and the first 5 people who came by asked me what kind of dog was he. One guy said he looked like one of those ancient Egyptian sculptures. He is getting pretty good at catching the frisbee. Every once in a while he will leap into the air and catch it mid jump. I am so proud.
I left the dog park and went for my long swim at Big Stacey. I was able to get in a 1.5 mile swim but I had to finish the last few laps with a pull buoy because my left leg was cramping real bad. It started in the foot and as soon as I started messaging it the cramp moved to my calf and then onto my shin. It seems fine now. My three hard weeks are through and this week is an easy recovery week before my The Rookie on Sunday.
A very special GOOD LUCK to all of my friends running the Eugene Marathon today. A special cheer for my friend Heather since this is her first marathon. Go TEAM ROGUE!!!!!!!
Yesterdays run and swim was great. I ran 10 miles with Steve, Kelly, Nick and Spencer. All of those guys have very fast marathon times compared to mine but lucky for me I have been training for the past few months and was able to keep up. Training with faster people is probably a good way to get faster myself. Hmm, must look into that.
After my run Oskar and I went to Shoal Creek to play and the first 5 people who came by asked me what kind of dog was he. One guy said he looked like one of those ancient Egyptian sculptures. He is getting pretty good at catching the frisbee. Every once in a while he will leap into the air and catch it mid jump. I am so proud.
I left the dog park and went for my long swim at Big Stacey. I was able to get in a 1.5 mile swim but I had to finish the last few laps with a pull buoy because my left leg was cramping real bad. It started in the foot and as soon as I started messaging it the cramp moved to my calf and then onto my shin. It seems fine now. My three hard weeks are through and this week is an easy recovery week before my The Rookie on Sunday.
A very special GOOD LUCK to all of my friends running the Eugene Marathon today. A special cheer for my friend Heather since this is her first marathon. Go TEAM ROGUE!!!!!!!
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