Training in Cabo San Lucas

12/28/10-1/3/11

Finding very few prospects in the way of trails or safe navigable roads I was sentenced to do my run training on the treadmill. Fly all the way to Cabo for a few thaw out sessions and I'm still stuck indoors. I did break down some barriers however and managed to get a 27 and 20 min run on this powered death trap. By far the longest runs time wise I've been able to endure on the thing.

12/29/10: 27min @3.2 miles at @ 7:20 pace (estimates)
Lift:
Bench 3x6
Leg Ext L/R 2x10

12/31/10. 20min @2.5 miles at @ 7:10 pace (estimates)
5x1min with 1 min rest elevation at #3 and pace about @6:00 min.
Yoga

On top of that, even though the pool was about 60* I came prepared enough with a thermal top to get in a few laps in a roughly Olympic length pool.


12/30/10. 5x100m 1:20 avg., 30 sec rest
1/1/10. 600m swim at 34min pace, 1x100m at 1:11

As you can see I've kept consistent with the theme of my training, making due with what you have at hand and taking the knowledge you've accumulated and fabricate workouts.

Lastly, on 12/29/10 I decided to do a bit of exploring. Refusing to spend 12$ on a taxi to go 2 miles to Marina de Cabo, I hiked it partly on a sketchy dirt road and the beach strun with Mexican vendors and waves eager to swallow me up. I then continued past the marina another 4 miles to the tip of the Baja Peninsula to Playa del Amor. Which included some rock climbing a few cliffs, descending areas of loose rock and avoiding waves crashing into the rocky shores. Nothing im not used to here in Boulder (except for the waves), but I was rewarded with a private beach paradise, where I took a dip in the cool salty water. All tole it was about a 10 mile hike with a shortcut found on the return that I continued to use the following days of my trip (about 3 more times back to the marina).

All Out or Left Out

"All Out or Left Out"~ Nike Shalane Flanagan


Lift:

5 min spin to burn up the quads and ease back into biking
Cleans 5x3,6,3,3,1 Floor 155,185,185,185 3x5 knee 135 squat last
Heli Squats on half ball 25lbs 2x10
One leg Sepine Plank on med ball 4x30s
plyo box hops up/over
Seated overhead row 3x30,25,20 90,110,110
Bi curl 3x7 35, 35,45
Leg ext 2x15 L/R 70 2x15 both 110
Burpee/pull up 2x10 for speed
Mil Press 3x6 95,95,95

First time on the bike since Sept.

Lift:

10 min on Spin bike
Bench L/R/B 3x4/4/8: 55 bells
Horizontal shoulder row 2xL/R/B: 15 bells
Butterflies 3x10: 70
Seated Row 3x10: 100

Treadmill:
pace incline time
7:30 2.5 2:00
R:30s
7:00 2.0 1:00
R1
6:30 2.0 1:00
R1
6:00 2.0 1:00
R1
5:30 2.0 1:00
R1
5:15 1.5 1:00

xx 11.0 .5miles

Shortest Day of the Year with a big lift

Lift:

5min bike warm-up
Dead Lift 10,6,4,2: 185, 225, 275, 300
Chin ups 3x5
Bi/Mil Press 5/10, 5/10, 5/10: 35 bells
Quad ext L/R 3x10 70,80,80
Ball slam 10lb 3x15
Ball one leg squat throw 2x10 10lb ball
Stability Ball situps
Stability Ball Plank leg lift
Stability Ball reverse V

My Next 30 Years

I remember my childhood filled with activity. Being the fastest runner in my neighborhood and on my soccer teams and just loving the feeling of a flat out stride. Accelerating past someone and beating them to the ball/finish.

A lot of things start to change when you hit the big 3 0. Your tattoos start to fade, you can still date hot blonds in their 20s but you can no longer look at high school girls and say they are hot without looking creepy. While its diffcult to judge whether or not im actually in the best shape of my life due to my ever changing athletic outlets and interests, I can say that I will continue to improve on my fitness and remain as healthy and competitive as possible at any age. Or B-plan, I still have the next 30 years to become fat, lazy, and un-interesting.

Start A Revolution

As an athlete you are trying to attain a goal that has not been achieved before, either by you or by anyone. There are a huge number of factors involved with this goal wheather you separate them into distances, course specific, weather/temp, terrain, or altitude. Bottom line is that you are starting your own revolution, well when I came across the innovative idea of cup free racing I was awestruck. Its probably been around for years now but being so new to racing I was just out of the loop. As a quasi engineer by trade I have come accustom to giving credit where credit is due on ideas that are truly magical, inspirational and revolutionary... this is one of those ideas and I really hope to see it take off.


Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reinvent!

Do Work SON! DWS

bike 2 miles
bench L/R/B bells 55, 55, 60, 60
Heli Squats on half ball 15 bell
toe taps
Box Hop L/R
Lunges on stability pad 2/8 30 bells
Lunge walks 1x8 30 bells
Row intervals 500m: 1:55, 2:00, 2:06


Im finally getting back into a groove with my workout/lift and im really starting to do some damage. Squats always make me sore for days where im walking around like I just road a horse for 112 miles instead of a road bike (speaking of which I should probably start riding a bit).

Aging Up

Next season ill be aging up from 25-29 to 30-34, as I review the results I find that this is a very tough AG in triathlon competitions. Could this be due to many a man's early midlife crisis? To be honest ive had a quarter-life crisis every year since 25..and with talks of making that huge purchase toward my very first Tri Bike, it seems that this year will be no different in the succession.

30-34, 30-40, wow im getting up there with the old men, but unlike my competition I have the edge of both being at the younger end of the group and have no family and obligations that would distract me from my racing goals. I may not have anymore liquid income then them, but I am freer to spend what I do have on tap. Now if only the race could be won on the bike (ha, bikes do make a difference and I hate how the person with the kick ass bike has it so easy. I wish there was a way of evening out the field and their equipment).

Lift:

2mile bike warm up at 20mph
Back Squat 8,6,5,5,1: 135, 185, 210, 225, 250
Mil Press L/R/B x2 50, 55 bells
Seated shoulder pull down 3x15 L/R 140,140,140
Ball Push ups 2x15
Stair stepper machine 30 floors

Train Like You're Single

Nordic Track XC Skiing machine 5 mins
Vertical out of water swim with 5lb plates 2x5min
Burpee 2x10
Push-up with supine arm lift 2x10

Mile Repeats at Boulder Res:
1M warm up at 7:30 pace

6:21, 6:45, 6:30 T=19:36

1M cool down at 7:45 pace

In My Pants

Lift:

Bike warm up 2 miles at 20mph In my pants
Bench 8,8,10,10,20 155,155,135,125,45 In my pants
Mil Press L/R 2x8 50,55 bells In my pants
Power Clean 5,3,3,2,1 145,165,165,185,185 In my pants
Pull ups 3x6 In my pants
leg raises 3x10 0,15,15 In my pants
Leg Ext L/R/B x2 75,75,115, 80, 80, 120 In my pants
Stretch -row machine was occupied In my pants

Lift:

2 mile bike warm up
Bench 3x6,2x10,1x20 135,135,135,120,120,45
Leg Ext B/L/R 2x8 110,75,75,115,80,80
Lunge jumps 2x10 50 bar

Treadmill workout:

Elev. pace. time.

4.5 7:30 1m
4.0 7:00 1m
3.5 6:30 1m
3.0 6:00 1m
2.5 5:30 1m
2.0 5:00 1m (maxed out the machine)

Begining the Bike Search

Tri Bike/TT, used, for someone 5' 10", but first...id like to get bike fitted and tested so that I know what type of frame size and geometry im in the ballpark of.

There are a few places in Denver and Boulder that I hear are really great, ill have to look into it.


Bike: 5 miles
Overhead shoulder row: 4x6 135, 155, 165
Mil Press 4x8 L/R/B/B 40, 50, 55 bells
Dead Lift 4x6 185, 205, 255, 255
Leg Curl 4x8 L/R/B/B 70,70, 95,95
Bi 3x6 35, 35, 40
Mile Run: 7:28

Team

Today I submitted my paperwork to be a member of the 2011 Runners Roost Tri Team.

You don't know how much you'll miss being on a team until you are out facing the competition alone. While track and field/XC isn't much of a team, you still always have someone to train with, and celebrate your successes with. For me its a no brainer. I like the people I've met during the Wed. night club runs at the Roost. They really take care of us, providing free food, post run beers and weekly give-a-way prizes. Not to mention a 10-20% store discount on those nights.

The team will be treated just as well with comp. race entries, discounted coaching sessions, store discounts and head to toe gear.

When I did the Colfax Marathon Relay I was surprised how motivated all 5 of us were to run well, both coming into the race and throughout the 2010 season. We broke 3 hrs in the marathon as a team, and 2 of the team members used that experience to go out and do the same..SOLO!

I've read about a lot of bloggers and athletes out there that are sponsored and I feel that no matter what the deal/contract is, you have to believe in the product. No one is going to take a shoe deal with a company that cant make a proper shoe and that leads to the athletes decline in performance. I believe in RR, they really do great things for the running community of Colorado and it would be an honor to dawn their race kit.

After submitting I had a moment of panic, am I really RR material? I'm really new to endurance racing/Triathlons and road racing for that matter. My times are slow in comparison to others I run with at the club runs and it seems like even the age groupers around here could compete with elites around the world.

I always strive to be in the top 10%, but not just for one sport or event... for everything that I attempt. To be a true athlete who is well rounded and able to pick up a new sport at the drop of a hat and be in the mix. I've had successes in the past, I currently hold the University at Buffalo indoor and outdoor records in the pole vault. I was the silver medalist in 2008 in the pole vault at the Empire State Games and in 2003 I was a IC4a regional NCAA qualifier. Now retired from pv I've moved on to try new things and keep it exciting, in order to test my limits.

So being new to the running world, I'm aware that maybe its not my times that will get me on this team. It will be my potential. My potential to improve my times, and my potential as an ambassador for the store and to motivate others in their endeavors.

You be the judge:


How Many Races Did You Compete In Last Year (2010)? 6

List Your Top 5 Races With Times and Overall/Age Group Placing for 2010?
Bolder Boulder 10k 43:31 OA 1280 AG 38/481
Lyons River Run 5k 19:39 OA 23/496 AG 5th
Boulder Peak Oly Tri S:30:07 B:1:25:34 R:50:31=2:49:23 OA 502/1344 AG 63/129
Rocky Mt Warrior Dash 3.3M (12 obstacles) 25:30 OA 25/5237 AG 9th (wave winner)
Syracuse Ironman 70.3 S:35:40 B:3:25 (3 flats) R:DNF (medical/mechanical) = DNF

5K Personal Best Time? 19:39
10K Personal Best Time? 43:31
Sprint Tri Best Time? 1:28:46
Oly Tri Best Time? 2:49:23

What Are Your Racing Goals for 2011?

To continue to show improvement as I gain experience, and shift from sprint/field events to endurance racing. Expand my horizons, competing in different length races in order to chisel out a niche in Colorado and reach my racing goals.
Sprint Tri @1hr
Olympic Tri @2:30
10k sub 40
5k sub 19 (having gone sub 20 for the first time this year at my 3rd 5k ever).
Gain triathlon experience and work on my nutrition in order to one day attempt another 70.3 (with an overall goal of a Kona qualifier one day).

Why Would You Be a Good Ambassador for Runner's Roost?

Post track and field collegiate career at the D1 level I began to give back to my sport by coaching. I volunteered as an assistant coach for my own alma mater Gate Chili High School 2001-2005, and was appointed the jumps coach for a season at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2006. I also put on demonstrations/expositions for the Flying Circus pole vault club and Heights Unlimited Vault Club 2008-2009. I enjoy motivating others to test their own personal physical and mental boundaries and set goals. Leading by infectious example, and showing strong enthusiasm, drive, and commitment toward everything I do. On top of this, in 2010 I put together an all star team for the Colfax Marathon Relay where our goal was only to break 3 hours. We ended up not only breaking 3 hours for 26.2 miles but also won our division and the prestigious Colfax Cup (which we will defend in 2011). This inspired 3 of the team members to run their own solo marathon races in which 2 of those members actually broke 3 hours themselves. It’s amazing what motivation you can gain from others. My motto is to always continue to challenge yourself and try new things.

How Are You Involved in the Running and Triathlon Community?

I view the running community as part of a greater group, one that runs for a cause and tries to better their fitness and times for the awareness of those causes.

Other than competing, I regularly volunteer for local races just to be around the sport and share ideas with my competitors. I have by no means mastered road racing or the Tri sport and can’t help but become a student of training, preparation and execution of these events. In this realm, I currently administer a Facebook Fan Page and a training blog which shares my experiences and researched findings related to Running and Triathlon training, racing and their culture. I've enjoyed meeting so many like minded people at weekly club runs, and races that it has reinforced my decision in now calling Colorado home.

Running Assets

Has running produced some physiological changes to your body? Do you have more padding to sit on these days? In this blog we are going to bring attention to that Butt you've grown over the course of running countless miles. "Lets talk about your big butt." Comments are welcome below.

I remember in college, my female teammates would constently gripe about not being able to fit in their jeans any longer as a result of the rigerous lifting and running training it took. Don't get the wrong idea here, we are talking about firm, nicely shaped rounded bottoms here, apple bottoms. They are so much nicer to look at then the flattened ones, because unlike boobs, asses that are more then a handful do not go to waste.

Thank you ladies for working that butt and showing it off in tight spandex and bun huggers. Your sacrifices for speed are greatly appreciated and are the soul reason I get chicked every race.

Your BF isnt as big as he is stupid

Lift at 24hr:

Bench 6,8,10,12,15: 135,155,125,115,45
Clean frt squat last 3,3 135,135
Power Clean 3,3,1,1,1 155,175,185,185
Pull ups 2x5
Bi 2x8 35 bells
Cable pull kneeling twist 2xL/R 22.5
Row machine 1000m 3:52

Let me explain the title. As I was doing my cleans a girl set up at the rack next to me and started to do front squats. On her 3rd or so set she sunk too low and dropped the weight on the rack (I highly suggest using these safety features). I offered my assistance since I know how much of a pain in the ass it is to take off all the weight and re-rack to shoulder height. She nicely declined and walked off leaving the weight where it had been dropped.

When she returned she had a 6' guy in tow who stepped up to the bar at mid thy and proceeded to half bicept curl half hang clean the weight to his traps. The guy struggled and nearly hurt himself in the process since it was roughly 145 lbs and at a midway position for him. Had I done this I would have had a person on either side of the bar and placed it up to the hangers even though I was already cleaning well over that weight its just not worth getting hurt for. I just wanted to remind people with this story that the gym is not a place to show off, please practice some element of safety and logical thinking and when in doubt dont be afraid of taking or asking for help.

Whats on Tap for 2011

Wanting to get a jump on the low prices and beat the max number entry cap I began to make a list of a few races that I would want to do in 2011. On this list are races that I heard about, missed due to being busy that weekend, or have already done and looking to improve on my time. Some are local, some involve travel.

Today I signed up for the Your Cause Sports series which includes the Sunrise Triathlon held at the Boulder Res, Cherry Streak Triathlon held at Cherry Creek State Park, and the Sunset Triathlon again held at the Boulder Res. All 3 events will be at the Sprint distance, points will be awarded and tallied as I go and there are special awards for individuals who show improvement both in place and overall time. One of the major reasons for entering this series, other then the fact that most of the races are less then 3 miles from my house, is that I wanted to raise money and awareness for the Seven Ribbon's Foundation. I met the founder of the foundation this fall and he made me a believer in the group. Who knows, maybe some day I might end up on the SRF team and join in on the adventures on other continent's.


SRF adventures and updates can be found on their website and through their blog.

Stay tuned for more 2011 race plans.

"Run and Tell That"

Bike warm up 2 miles in 5 mins

Back Squats: 4x5 135, 185, 185, 210
Chin ups: 4x6
Half Jump Squats: 6x2 225 (borderline dangerous)
Horizontal shoulder row: 2x6 15 bells
Leg Curl: 3x8 both
Ball inclined Push-ups 2x10

Treadmill run workout:

2:00 at 7:30 Pace 2.0 inc
:30 at 6:00 pace 3.0 inc
1:00 at 6:30 pace 2.5 inc
1:30 at 7:00 Pace 2.0 inc
2:00 at 7:30 Pace 1.5 inc

Lifting at the Prison Yard

There are huge disadvantages of working out as a member of a large 24 hr gym. Besides the crowd of muscle heads that really have no clue on what they are doing or proper technique is that there just is way too much equipment. There is no floor space and the layout isnt conducive to proper interval training. On top of that, just once I would like to find a gym that has rubber plates and a stage for Olympic lifting! Im forced to keep my weights low on cleans for fear that if I have one wrong pull that I might kill someone when the weight drops. OPTC was great but expensive. What these gyms lack in equipment you gain in personalized training/attention and that is what you end up paying for, even if you dont need it. There just doesnt seem to be a gym out there for my level. For someone who has had all the formal training on proper technique and how to design a training plan but just needs a place to do it. I guess thats how these people like my former lifting coach at OPTC Jason end up opening their own gym in the first place.




mil press bells 4x8 B/LR/B/LR 40, 45, 50, 50
dead lift 4x5 185, 195, 235, 265
seated row 3x6 100, 120, 110
Leg curl 2x10 L/R 110, 110
Leg Ext 3x10 B/L/R 150, 110, 120
russian leg raises 2x10

Mile Run 7:37

Lava

Lift:

Dead lift: 4x6 185, 205, 225, 275(1)
Squat Jumps: 3x10 135, 135, 135
Lunge Jumps: 2x10 45 bar
Bench: 4x5 135,135,135,155
Box hops Both: 3x8
Box hops single bounds: 2x8

Turning Over A New Leaf

You've heard of former NCAA swimmers and runners turning Triathletes, well I've got a new one for you...Pole Vaulter turned endurance athlete. It seems such an unlikely story but let me clue you into why I thought it was a great idea, and how its even possible in the first place.

First lets take a look at what each sport entails both physically and mentally. Field events generally incorporate speed, strength and jumping ability or reaction time. Pole Vault is all of that with the use of an implement to further your success. You need the foot speed of a short distance sprinter, the jumping ability of a long jumper or high jumper, and the power of a shot putter. The idea is to run as fast as you can with a 15+' pole about 100 ft and plant that into a 2x2 hole in the ground while at the same time jumping as high and tall as you can. Basically its like running into a wall full steam with your arms out and trying to keep them straight. After you leave the ground a lot of physics take over, your kinetic energy bends and loads up into the pole as potential energy as you swing upside down, then uncoils and tosses you higher and higher as you throw yourself over the bar and to your back to a safe landing.

Im used to hard Olympic lifting, repetitious short springs, fighting a pole to bend and throw me in the right direction, analyzing data and videos, dealing with fear and inner conflict. I was there to use my tools, my knowledge and fight the goal, fight the world. Release pent up energy both mental and physical.

flip the switch and you have endurance racing which is an equally hard mental challenge but instead of dealing with it in short portions, you have to wallow in the decisions being made. Strength, flexibility, technique and external tool utilization are similarly involve in being a triathlete, as well as its included numbers game.

So what transcends the boundaries? Shoulder strength for one. In pole vault they are your pivot point and must therefore be highly developed and flexible to take the stresses placed on them. They are not utilized in the swim for propulsion, on the bike to take some weight off my legs and on the run for that final arm pumping kick.

Another great advantage I have is my running form. It had to be dam near perfect on the runway since I needed to have the exact same run within 6" each and every time. My running is efficient and powerful, with the addition of some endurance since no practice was less then 40 or so jumps and a meet was an average of 9 jumps full throttle.

Training wise, I have mental capacity and body awareness to make better decisions and can handle the lifestyle of having to practice at least once a day. I also know my Olympic lifts and have the tecnique that of any major lifting competitor, so im able to extract every ounce of power outword.

My endurence season has now come to a close and im spending more time on lifting and cross training then I am actual running, biking or swimming. Today I visited a Crossfit gym Flatirons Crossfit for the first time ever. They are a big name in the Western section having sent 2 (male and a female) to the Crossfit games. I have previously dabbled in Crossfit WOD and interval training but they take it too the next level of intensity when they start racing these workouts instead of just trying to get through them. Anyway the owner and I had a chat and he seems to beleieve that you can do 80% Crossfit training and still achieve your triathlon goals. Seems like a Cinderella story to me. Can you imagine not having to bike 300 miles plus a week or having to run countless hours to get your 60+ miles in each week? In the coming months im going look into this. I have been moderately successful at making the switch so far having not cut out on putting in my practice time, but trying to figure out how short intense training can translate to endurence.

Until then, make sure you are conducting proper technique in running, swimming, aero positioning, Olympic lifting and save yourself the wasted energy. Dont handicap yourself from the start, or worse...injure yourself.


Lift:

Snatch: 4x5 90,90, 115, 115
Split snatch: 3x3 115,115,115

Not bad considering it was my first time with snatch in 6.5 years

Cleared for TAKE OFF

Medical followup:

As suggested I went in for a post 70.3 race check up which included blood work. I highly recommend endurance racers to error on the side of cushion post race and get the attention they need so that they can fight another day. I'll remind you that I had a melt down at mile 9 on the final stretch of my race and did not finish (see race recap). I still have yet to explain my extreme stomach cramps, and nausea but it could have been linked with an amount of dehydration and a bit of hypothermia, on top of a race nutrition that worked better in practice but not on the day.

Blood work came back healthy, and my bodily functions eventually regrouped and started to function normally. Ill be honest though, I couldnt run pain free for a month, and believe me I tried a few light sessions that left me walking back to the fort.

So with a clean bill of health im starting to get back into training again, for what? Well im not sure. Im sure you would try to convince me to give the 70.3 another shot and get to the finish line after saying piss off to mile 9. Right now im leaving it up to how my body reacts to different kinds of training. Right now im in my winter cycle which includes a lot of cross training and lifting (along with gaining weight). I've found, not the most ideal training for long distance anything. My bike is still in my bike box and will probably remain in there until April when there are longer days and the temps are more moderate.

In the meantime, take care of yourself and make smart decisions like Chrissie Wellington. Even pro marathoners can keel over from stroke.





Track Workout:

3x30,40,50m
800 cool down and stretch

Baton

The generation gap gets smaller as the pace gets faster. Like most fathers expecting a daughter but secretly wanting a son, he ends up doing what he knows and training her as he planned. Without the handicap of gender they go out for a run together creating a bond that lasts longer then miles and breaks out of the realm of the road. It is in this manner that the inspiration to run and push personal limits transcends generations like the proverbial baton. Dad didn't stop at donating a genome or 2, he followed through in directing that talent, sparking the match that he hoped would build into a fire.

In the case of my close training partner Kylee she received that spark as young as 10 years old and ran with her mentor, dad and former Olympic marathon trials qualifier. Since then Kylee has taken that success that was bestowed upon her quite literally ran with it, motivated to join the ranks in the "I beat my coach club," and with great support because every parent wants there offspring to become more successful then they were.

Having a break out high school career in PA and then took it to the next level, collegiate, D1! She struggled with trying to fill the void left by former running partners. Following her NCAA career she continued her dedication to success, dreaming big and jumping road blocks. She became one of the founding members of the Charlotte running club which has seemed to grow in exponential popularity in just a few short season.

Moving to Colorado to chase the dream and train at altitude with some of the best athletes in the world was probably not an easy decision at the time but one that would most likely be made over and over again without hesitation. With so much running experience under her belt Kylee had a good idea of what race she would be best at and to no surprise its the marathon. She busted out a jaw dropping sub 3 hour time with a finish attack that showed she had a lot more left in the tank.

She turned some heads with that performance and it landed her on an all star team lead by marathon legend Steve Jones. The way people talk about him leads you to almost believe that he is a reincarnated "Pre." This group of renogade warriors might just be her ticket to follow in her fathers footsteps. Life has a way of coming full circle and in March father and daughter will unite at the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon for a showdown. I say good luck at your club induction and hold on to that baton.




Lift:

Clean floor 4x3, knee 1x3, hip 1x3 135, 155, 175, 155, 155, 135
Horizontal Shoulder row 2x10 15bells
Pull ups 2x6
Bi Curl 3x5 37.5, 35, 35
Ball: Floor slams, twists
uneven push ups 2x20

Runners Roost Run Club Halloween Run

Morning Lift:

Squat 4x5 185, 185, 210, 210 (working my way back up after a long ferlow, left knee hurt).
wall ball pick 2, 3 rounds

The run club added a whole new level of fun and excitement on this weeks Wed. night run when we had a Halloween consume contest for some amazing Sacony prizes. It was a great 4 or 6.2 mile run at 46* and in the dark with my costumed friends.



Ky and I dressed as Barley and Hops complete with drooping bunny ears because lets face it we run for beer and it was better then being any other fruit or vegetable. I was surprised that no one seem really hindered by their costumes along the way but I found that after going out at 6:45 pace the first mile, the cold air was rejected by my body. I've ultimately verified and concluded that I cant expect to run well after September and below 55*. I came back on the 4 mile run at 7:40 pace (with some hills in my defense).

Great night though and one of the best running clubs in the area. Pictures soon.

Race against the sun

Im starting to run out of catchy titles.

Morning Lift:

Bench on smith mach. 5x6 135, 135, 155, 135, 135
Hanging Revers Bench 3x6
Stability Ball crunches 3x15


Evening Track workout:
(sore as hell still from the squats but we are running out of nice days)

4x150m: 22, 21, 22, 21 Slow but I put in a quality effort with the legs I had.

Total: 86 sec.

My philosphy

You build half your base to gain some endurence, then spend most of your time on speed and strength. Quality workouts for as long as you can handle, adding little by little, then you finish up with a strong push, bringing the base building phase back into effect so that its still there when you need it on race day.

http://www.rappstar.com/pdf/StrengthTrainingEnduranceAthletes.pdf

Push yourself but remember that there's more to life then training. Its about experiencing new things, even the best runner in the world wont have a Nike contract without personality!


Lift


Bench bells 4x8 50, 55, 55, 55
One arm hang clean and jerk (kettle bell lift) 3x8 37.5, 37.5, 37.5
Lawnmower 2x8 60,60
Lat pull down 2x6 120, 120
Standing shoulder row 2x8 45, 45
2 leg box hop (2') 3x10
Single leg box hop (1.5') 2x10
Skater box hop 2x10
1 mile treadmill run

Am I a Winter Flier or Spring/Summer Crawler?

http://www.runtri.com/2010/08/toughesteasiest-marathon-average-finish.html


This is a great question, and is highly dependent on both your training schedule and your genetic strengths and weaknesses. As a collegite athlete I found that I was able to proform well out of the gates and off of preseason training. Im guessing I was hungry and fresh. The first few meets I would post a new PR but would still have my season goals set high enough that they were still out of grasp.

When you have a break out like that you have to ask yourself..What did you do well? Was it the training? What could you improve on? What were your strengths going into it? And what were your weaknesses?

You can train to improve your weaknesses but its better to play to your strengths. No one ever kept their sanity fighting gavity and you shouldn't either.

One thing I have to remember is that the answers to those questions may not relate well to a different sport. Track and Field has a Fall/Winter/Spring season schedule and triathlon is mainly summer. I have to give my training new purpose? and shift it so that I peak within the season. Your body goes through cycles, ask any fit women who hides her fat pants under her bed instead of throwing them out. Im finding that after competing poorly in a fall cold weather race that maybe im a better runner in the warmer temperatures. I have stated before that I seem to be solar powered at times. Im reminded of a cartoon episode of Denise the menice where he rides a horse thats lazy and slow on sunny days but then turns over a new leaf in rainy muddy conditions and wins the race. Now conditions arent everything but I at least know which ones ill have to train harder for. I just wish the days didnt get so short this time of year.



Scream Scram 5K: overall place: 26 out of 494 division place: 3 out of 34 gender place: 22 out of 196 time: 20:34 pace: 6:38. Splits: 1m: 5:55, 2m: 13:00. Won the raffle prize of an Udderly Smooth lotion moo prize kit.

I meant that as an A race

When your training schedule goes Arri due to injury or just poor execution is it perfectly ok to look back on your season as a whole pick your best execution and call it an A race? I say HELL YES!! If you have done your research you know the importance of having A, B, C races in your season and forming an optimal plan is key. However, anything can happen on race day both good and bad and you can surprise the hell out of yourself sometimes in a race you trained through. To me that is just a great reflection of how your training has gone.

Races that fall apart however, give you no indication of how your plan or training went and make it extremely difficult to keep momentum and stay positive. Ideally you have to remember not to get so caught up in it all. Shit happens and in the end you are doing this for fun. Its supposed to be something you enjoy so dont take it too seriously. Keep your head in the game. You dam well know that with or without any races, this is the lifestyle choice you chose for yourself. You made the right decision to live happy healthy and to continue to be challenged. Race with that in mind every time.

Its for the kids

I just wanted you to stop and take note before you get too wrapped up in the times you run and the place you come in. The true winners of these races are the charities that they stand up for. Your entry fee does go towards putting on a great race and a fun time but it also goes to helping those that need it most. Kids, cancer victims and those devistated by natural disastor (fire/hurricanes). The moment you sign up for these races you are running for them and yourself. You are creating awareness to the issue at hand and above all promoting good health. Dont lose sight of that.


Lift:

Incline bench bells 4x8 60, 50, 50, 50
leg curl 3x8 L/R 70, 75, 75
Overhead shoulder row alt/both 2x10 90, 115, 115, 115
Dips 2x10
pullups 2x6
Lunge jumps 3x8 45 bar

Take the shirt off, you earned it

Back to basics I decided to venture out and find a new track to do a workout on instead of sitting in traffic on my commute home from work. I found Denver South High School about 6 miles from my office. Its located near Wash Park.

Upon initial arrival I thought I was going to have to reach into my bag of tricks and once again scale a 12 ft fence to make this happen, as I have so many other times in the past (see: Pirated Run ) There were fences everywhere keeping you out of both tracks on campus. Yea you heard me correct, this HS had 2 all weather tracks, I was about to have a trackgasm. The main one had a soccer game going on within the stadium and the alternate field had football practice that was about to finish before marching band practice. I slipped in under the radar while the fb players were touching each other on the ass and doing their send off cheer. I was in, game on!

No watch so I was going to just run a few laps but then decided to throw in an untimed workout and not waste my track time. No hurdles but I did a full warm up including strides. On the menu was what I call the dice workout. You roll the dice to see how many 400 repeats youll be doing..1 being a time trial (sub 60 hopefully) and 6 meaning you wont walk tomorrow. I rolled a 5 and after the first one took my breath away I started to get frustrated. Really? I lost all my endurance and running ability after taking 2 weeks off? It was as if I had just moved from sea level to the mile high city. I put my purse down and took in the rhythmic poundings of the drum section and kept an even pace throughout (based on feel).

I figure it went like this:

72,75,77,75,74

The sun started to fade but my legs wanted more so in between games at the stadium I snuck in there for a little stair work.

up/down x 6
hops x2
inclined lunges x1


Now and explanation of the blog title. As a guy much older then the hs age I cant help but feel funny about hanging out around the HS during their practices. I know outsiders cause distraction during practices in general but then it gets hot and there is no way my shirt is staying on. Sorry, but not really. When you have worked hard for that hard body, you shouldnt feel ashamed to show it off (even when unintentionally) no matter where and when you are. Go for it! You earned it!

Lets give em somethin to talk about

Lift at 24 Hr Fitness

Incline 4x8 130
Leg ext 4x6 120,150, 170, 240
Dead Lift 3x4 185, 205, 225
jerk 2x10
behind the neck lift 2x8
seated row 4x6 120,105,120, 105
Bi curl/hammer down 3x6 30,30, 35 bells
Butterfly 2x8 120,120
side arm raises l/r cable 2x6 10, 12

The War Is Over

The smoke has cleared and its time to think of whats next on the menu for me. I've read a few articles about what to do after your first 70.3 Ironman. Once you conquer that dream the only logical next step is to do a full Ironman (which takes more then twice the training and commitment). I was also reading about what to do after you have a race failure, basically get back up on the horse and try again. In the coming months im going to settle back into my winter routine and regain my muscle mass back with a solid lifting schedule. Thats generally how I started my training for this past race 10 months ago. My goal was to gain 10 lbs of muscle before I basically ran, biked and swam it off in order to prevent injury and have enough of me to last throughout training.

So I guess its the American pride inside me, but even though the war is over, im going to stick around a little bit longer and see what other trouble I can get into.

FUBAR Syracuse 70.3 Race Recap

"Fucked Up Beyond Any Repair"

Muhammad Ali said it best when he said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

The Owner of Ironman expresses a similar concept,"Swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. Brag for the rest of your life!"

Shortly after my arrival into Rochester, NY I picked up my bike from FedEx and put it together. I was reminded of why I live and train in Boulder when I was greeted with 60* temps and a mix of rain with a shot of cold. I also found that when you fill your bike tires up at alt. they will be under less pressure here at sea level, they were flat! Which made for an interesting test ride after no pump was found.

Other then the tires the ride went well and I reintroduced the legs to this thing called biking. It wasnt more then 5 miles and everything seemed in good shape except for having a miss alignment of the front wheel and handle bars (quick fix). I guess sometimes I just cant see straight, Its like those times you hang a picture and swear that the ceiling or floor is crooked.

The next day I went for a short run of 1.5 miles at 7:48 pace and I actually had sore hamstrings from my test bike ride the day earlier. This leads me to believe that I may have tapered a little early (which is tough when you have to ship your bike 5 days early). We then packed up the car for an hour ride headed to Syracuse for packet pick up around 2pm under sunny skies and warmer temps that were not destine to last. The expo was pretty much the weakest I've ever seen but the pick up was very organized.




After signing my life away and getting my wrist band we headed down to Jamesville Park to check in our bikes (to leave overnight). I had a great TA spot about 3 rows from the bike out transition and was even greeted by a sticker with my name on it. After pumping up my tires to 105 psi and changing the gears to prepare for the short hill that started at the mount line, we went to the water to check out the swim course. The water was 62*, cold, but manageable in a wetsuit. The Transition from the swim to the bike however was about 800m long spanning across a rocky parking lot. I felt like they could have had the transition a little closer to the water, but I guess this isnt Nam, there are rules.

I had Grilled chicken and garlic pasta for dinner and went to bed around 10pm, after visiting with some old friends who were just in awe at the mere mention of this race.

The morning of the Race:

I got up at 4:45 not feeling nervous or tired in the slightest. I opened a good luck card as I ate my bagel. Apparently the secret surprise awaiting me at the finish line was that Ky, flying and traveling through the night from Ashville to Syracuse to be there. Cue the nerves, but more so I was just in disbelief and concentrated my focus on getting to that finish line. The drive to the start line was about 40 mins with an added 40 mins due to limited park access and the morons directing people to park (they seriously needed additional training), dont worry, I told them a thing or two.

Due to our late arrival the bathroom lines were already long so my sister and I opted for the woods. We set up our transition areas just as they were closing it, got kicked out of there and then 5 mins later they delayed the start by 15 mins and reopened. We got our body marking out of the way and picked up our chips (not sure why they did this the day of the race but it ran pretty smoothly).

I was the first AG wave (30-34) right after the Pro Men and Pro Women. My wave seemed stacked!! I waded into the water at about position center, offset right. The air temp was about 58*, much warmer then the 44* expected and I enjoyed the fact of not having to stand around in my wetsuit for an hour waiting for my wave start. The announcer seemed a bit groggy still and really didnt get the excitement from the crowd.

My swim was extremely bumpy at first, but I stayed calm, steady, and strong throughout, and fended off my space with honor. I had moments where I was next to someone and did manage to draft a little. With 1000m to go I felt strong, and even passed a pro male. I could have pushed it maybe 2 mins faster but took it easy as this is a long race.

My T1: Ran without a stagger but huffing pretty good to my bike. Took some water and got the rest of my wetsuit off. I decided to put my socks on now and not have my bike shoes already attached to the bike (since it was a wet grassy run to the mount line).

It was still dark when I got on my bike and my sunglasses instantly fogged up making it hard to see anything at all. At mile 2, the first turn, I hit a storm grate but kept on trucking. At mile 3 I was greeted by a massive hill that slowed progress but I did pass a few people still recovering from their swim (I guess thats the Boulder in me).

At mile 5 there was trouble! My front tire went flat. I stayed calm though, knowing that it was way too early for a flat but nothing I could do about it, I formed solutions not hysteria. It only took me 7 mins to change out and I was back rolling. At mile 6 however my back tire started to thud a bit and I thought I may have bent my rim from that sewer grate.




Downhill at mile 10, my first opportunity for a little rest I had a massive blowout. Air was rushing out of somewhere and at first I thought it was just my compressed air, but about half way down the hill I had my second flat. Second flat with no way of repairing it because I had already used my one reserve tube. Basically I was screwed! I took off my wheel and walked up the hill in my bike shoes (I figured no one would stop on the down slope but there was a chance of flagging someone down at the top of the hill when they were still going slow). I managed to flag down #218 telling him its over for me, I just want to finish, and he let me have a tube. Thanks man!

I was starting to hate the bike section and even though I had spent time off the bike, my legs and body were by no means recovered. I took it slow, determined stay on the bike and not to have another flat.

That was until mile 15 when that back tire I had just repaired, went flat. Those compressed air cans really are only a one time use thing even if you get the size 16. This time I had to borrow air and a tube but I was on a flat and the riders passing me were going much slower. Rider 246 felt my pain and without stopped dropped supplies beside me in the grass and pedeled on. I wasnt even half way yet and I was starting to feel like I was on some pit crew or something. By this time it had started to rain and I stowed the sunglasses. A dense fog had rolled in preventing anyone from seeing more then 2 miles in front of them and the inability of seeing how high the next hill was. An hour had already passed since I left transition and I had a lot of race left to go. The first water station was around this point and I grabed some G2. I was surprised of how many spectators were out cheering us on and making noise, that was awesome!




At mile 20 I passed by a ski resort which had mowed the face of the main run all but the a HUGE Ironman M and the Dot. Wish I had a picture of that. Half way, it was time to get back to my plan and have a gel, I mean not having a flat tire for over 10 miles was something to celebrate at this point. The party was short lived when faced with another massive hill to conquer. This one even took a few bikers off their bikes and on foot. Something that I refuse to allow in my tool shed!

The next 30 miles were a blur exept for the 12 Warriors standing at one of the turns roaring their heads off (finishers of the Warrior Dash, NY a day earlier). To be honest I dont know what happened to me in the last 10 miles but I know it was slow because I was getting passed by people that I should have never seen the whole race.

I reached the dismount line itching to get off, along side another guy with similar feelings but poor exicution. As he teetered over still clipped in I skidded down the wet grass to my spot. My socks were soaked so I decided to change them and I had had to go to the bathroom for 2 hours now so I stopped by the jon on my way out to run. My legs were beat but not entirely heavy, I thought to myself.. im off the bike, there is nothing that is going to stop me from finishing now.

The run course started out with this wacky u-turn and apparently the bathroom idea was contagious. At mile 3 the curse returned and I was overcome by the worst stomach cramps of my life. I was slowed to a humbling hunched-over walk. I stopped at each water station for liquid intake and left it in search of the next a mile a way, taking it a mile at a time. At mile 6 it wasnt getting better, I pulled off into McDonalds, no not for a Big Mac. I began to shake and I even threw up. Downed more water and after 30 mins of this I decided it was time to get to the next mile. As I got back on course my sister was there trotting along and looking strong. We walked a little and I told her my troubles so that she would be able to relay the info to my fans at the finish (a destination I was now 3 hours late to).




I spent 30 mins at mile 7 sitting on the curb in the fetal position hoping for the pain to subside when Ky came running up from the finish nearly 6 miles away to try to find me. Before that moment all they knew from Ironmanlive.com was that I had finished the bike and was somewhere out on the run. I was in rough shape but after 4cups of water I started to feel a little better.

I got to mile 9.3 and reached a point where I couldnt go on. My first Ironman 70.3 was going to be a Fail. I couldnt stand up straight, It was too painful to even move, I was wet and now cold from the lack of movement. Getting your timing chip taken off is one of the worst feelings in the world. This is when you succumb to the realization that the dream will not be coming true today.

As it turns out, the training was the easy part and no amount of preparation can see you through when luck is not on your side. So How do I feel? Part of me agrees with Thomas Edison, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work," but what have I learned from this? Much of it was out of my control. Either way I will forever have the experience under my belt and I wouldnt take back my decision to enter, they dont call it a "Tri" because its a walk in the park. I guess we can consider this attempt #1 and every training cycle and race from here on out will be that much stronger because I redefined my limits that much more.

Looking at the positives: I had a great swim and new PR in that, I was able to finish the bike course even though I couldnt keep air in my tires, and I did complete 66.3 miles which is more then enough activity for one day.

Whats next?

Not sure. Right now its dependent on how my body recovers. In the days that followed I had sore ankles, knees, shoulder and my bodily systems were not representative of the well oiled machine I was going into the race. I'll be seeking medical opinion to try to figure out what happend and if its even safe to have a second attempt.

SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL RANK DIV.POS.
35:40 3:25:13 --:-- --:-- -- --

LEG DISTANCE PACE RANK DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM 1.2 mi. (35:40) 1:52/100m 402 59


TOTAL BIKE 56 mi. (3:25:13) 16.37 mph


TOTAL RUN 13.1 mi. (--:--) --/mile --

TRANSITION TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 3:33
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 4:54


I want to thank Ky, and my family for coming down and showing their support (sorry for the scare), and my fans for their support through my long 10 months of training. My goal was to at least inspire others and modivate them to get out there and try new things. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the race or my experience.

Lean into the tape

Inspired by this video posted on Competitor.com http://video.competitor.com/2010/08/running/racing-weight-training-to-be-lean/

Interested in collecting more data on how my training has gone, I weighed in yesterday(Since im less then 15 days till race day we will have to deem this "race weight") finding that I was 4 pounds lighter then last appraisal. From my days of being a vaulter I'm very familiar with the max strength to weight ratio. I would repeatedly weigh in like a wrestler to determine pole selection (poles are weight rated, with conversations for length). The goal was to pack in as much strength and fitness into the smallest container, and shed unneeded mass.

Throughout my 10 month training for this race I have done just that. I've trained with intensity and focused on my goals, not only how I looked. I established a mixture of strength and endurance toward my goal pace. Even though 4 lbs seems like a lot, I truly feel like i've reached that fine line I was searching for. I guess we will only know from performance right?

I just wanted to send out a warning that after a tough cycle and onto the begining of your taper you will continue to have a high motabalism. Generally you reduce your calorie intake to match training load and you do shed a few pounds as your body makes the adjustment. Be sure to make these intake and burn adjustments giving your body what it needs, when it needs it. Tough cycles are for building, the taper is for recovery and repair, both require carefully thought out nutritional planning. Keep focus on whats important, its feeling and proformence on race day, not what the number is. Also I have researched that you can lose 4-8 lbs during the race (depending on effort and length of time), which is over 3000 calories. Make sure that your race weight includes the stored calories/glycogen/fat you'll need to cover the distance.

There is no plan that can tell you the answer to this part of your training. It takes trial/error, and a close watch over your body. Happy training, finish with a lean.

The Taper

"The taper (or tapper as ive been miss spelling it): three beers three days out, two beers two days out and one beer the day prior to your race."


Ha, just kidding!! But I did attend a wedding that derailed me a little. Now im back on track. I moved the workouts down to Denver for the time being due to wildfire smoke that has consumed Boulder.

My taper will consist of short workouts with quick accelerations that are designed to keep your arms and legs feeling fresh but worked. I will both isolate and incorporate each major and minor muscle group as well as regain some of my flexibility. Oh and REST! That is my major goal for the taper, mend any little pulls and tweaks, rest my mind and soul for the horror that awaits me on 9/19 in Syracuse.

The hard part is over, and now its time to relax and enjoy. There is not much I can do to better my times and endurance at this point but there are many mistakes I can make to lower it. Some of those mistakes I have already made like going out on a 4 mile run at 6:20 pace when it should have been half the distance and more like 3-4 days from judgement day instead of 2. Either way I feel that my body is able to recover a lot faster then that (it was back in June).


Future workouts on the menu:

5 mile run
10 mile ride with a jump off mile
Interval training in the pool 5x100m, Aqua Running (low impact)
6 mile run with only 3 miles at race pace
Hurdle mobility and shot throw test day
Short lift
Swim to bike and Bike to Run Transition practice
Mt. Sanitas Hike

Spin Class

I have 10 days to do 9 short workouts, which is a huge change from my normal 23 in 10 days. Now is the most important time to work on my mental training, to visualize myself attaining my goals, making sure I know the course and my equipment and setting up a great fan base to share the day with. Its the school of Ambassador U and class is in session.


Researched:

*endurance begins to be lost 7-10 days into Taper


Six to eight weeks out: Decrease the quantity of speed and strength work
Six weeks out: Increase race speed-specific workouts
Four to six weeks out: Shift your focus to endurance
Ten to 14 days out: Last endurance race-specific effort (3-hour bike/ 40-minute run)
Seven to 10 days out: Last long endurance sessions—ride and run. This is about volume, not intensity, so keep it all easy.

week before: 20 min runs, 40 min bikes, no blocks unless its just a transition day (tech day).

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2010/06/training/perfecting-the-ironman-taper_10355

Four Mile Canyon wildfire Boulder, CO

I returned from a Labor Day weekend adventure in South Carolina to a horrific wildfire resulting in a uncharacteristically smokey and hazy Boulder. Now this is not and uncommon occurrence since Colorado is an arid climate, you just never expect for this to happen in your own back yard. The dried foliage and strong winds combined into a recipe for disaster up in the foothills just West of Boulder and about 3 miles from my home in Northeast Boulder.



I came back from the airport in Denver at around 11pm to a strong glow in the hills, no that wasnt an alternate sunrise, it was a blaze that covered 7000 acres! Ash rained down and there was a strong campfire smell. People were being evacuated and homes were being swallowed up. Your basic war zone, including overhead planes and helicopters on bombing run missions.



Due to the smoke a air quality Health Advisory warning has been issued.



What does this mean? It means that one of the greatest places in the world to train for Triathlons had been shut down for training. With the air quality the way it is we might as well be in smogville NYC or Hotlanta. So, its a good thing im on my taper! Im currently moving my workouts down to Denver and staying indoors whenever possible in Boulder in order to minimize my risk of any respiratory problems this close to my race date. There is rain forcasted in the near future and im hoping that will be substantial enough to douse out the flames and restore beauty back to Boulder. Stay tuned.

Swim like Phelps, Bike like Lance, and run like Meb

Today is my final block before the race with 15 days remaining the taper will begin and at just the right time too. After the conclusion of one of my hardest cycles, my legs and mind could really use a rest.

Its a broken block but still a block all the same:

6am spin class where we worked on strength endurance and using all your leg strength but in different combinations while keeping a smooth crank. Like most of my training, except the aid of a watch, its been done on feel. Sure it would be nice to have a power output computer on the bars to look down at, or a GPS to track my instant pace on runs but at the same time the wonder during the workout is what makes the workout great. I dont know how many times i've gotten home and had that Christmas morning feeling as I jumped on the computer to map my run/ride/tri to see the distance and calc my pace/speed. Then log it on Ontri.com and type up a blog for you all to join in on the enthusiasm. This workout wasnt my best but I put in the effort, a little investment to my goal finish time of 4:38 at Syracuse.

After work I went straight down to the track for my 1500m ladder (4,8,10,15,10,8,4)
up at the Fairview HS track. A little bit of background about this track, and im all about switching it up but this crazy track, somehow, ended up not even being level, its up hill slightly down the first 100m. On top of that its the highest altitude track in Boulder at about 5500'.

After a short warm up I got down to business and at first I was really winded but things got better as I got closer to the end of the workout. Overall I think things went great.

400m: 66
R1
800m: 2:53
R3
1000m: 3:40
R3
1500m: 5:38
R3
1000m: 3:45
R3
800m: 2:59
R1
400m: 70

Total: 20:11

Pistons pumping and fist pumping

This blog is about my longest long run (in training for the Syracuse 70.3 and its included half marathon 13.1 miles).

Today after work I met up with my training partner and we hit the gravel trails of the Bobo Link/South Boulder Path and Marshal Rd. for a long run. The goal was 11-12 miles and to be honest I wasnt entirely excited about it. I've been biking hard lately and been feeling blah the last few Wed...actually thats an under statement. I stopped on my last 2 wed. runs, and as someone who has that never say die attitude, it was a huge confidence buster. That aside, you have to press on and learn from training failures and become that much more determined next time to push yourself to and beyond that level. Today Had the cards right.

This was my first long run of over 6 miles that I would be without water or a fuel plan, I was just going to go and take note of where I began to falter. Out of the gates I took it slow at about 7:30 to 8 min pace for the first 4 miles. At mile 3 I that familiar ghost had returned and I started to have stomach aches and eventually began to see halos. For a moment I thought this is it, im going to go down on my first practice. My next thoughts though did help. My taper starts next week and this was pretty much my last opportunity to get in a long run, and I already failed on a 7 mile run this week due to extream stomach cramping (which I then bounced back from and had the best 2 mile return pace of the year 6:30 flat!). So I pressed on while my partner began to break away from me. To add to this, for some reason I was feeling the affects of the altitude more today then I had in a while, possibly due to my hard training the last 2 weeks.

The course out is a gradual uphill and has always given me trouble making for a very uneven run. When we got to Marshall Rd, it was new territory for me, a road I had never run on and it was flat. At least for a little while, what happened next I have no explaination for. It was as if I had the best energy drink known to man at the right moment because when we made our next turn and were faced by a pretty substantial hill I instantly became the strong runner I set out to be today. I took the hill like it was the first 400m of the run, the ghost was gone. I was going to finish the run on a hot note.

The GPS had died and we were flying blind, so we went out 40 mins and thought that would be enough for over 11 miles. It ended up being 5.31... 7:35 pace. We turned around at a spot that at the time looked like a unique turn around mark (but later I couldnt find it as easily on google sat.). It was time for downhill, I kept that strong pace and even pushed harder in some spots. I caught up to Ky and we ran together until we had 3 miles to go. I broke away a little until 2 to go and then had a pace slow down (loss of focus?). With one mile to go I was praising myself for how strong I felt, I kept telling myself "Im ready." I even got up on my toes and had a stride out finish the last 600m. In all coming back in 6:34 pace and not really that shaken up from it, not really out of breath. My legs shaked as I drank some water and downed a gel... the return of Elvis.

Recap

My goals for this time were changed from a one month time span to a two month one and they are as follows: Swim: 4miles (I had to change it to 7 after I attained that goal within the first month), Bike 400miles, Run 200 miles.

Heres how I did July 1- Aug 30:


Swim: 9.09 avg. Pace= 32:00
Bike: 402.39 avg speed=18
Run: 158.07 avg Pace=7:24

I was able to surpass my swim and bike goal but I ended up slacking too much in July to make up for it in Aug.

July:

S:2.79 pace=32:00
B:136.37 speed=16.4
R:52.08 pace=7:42

Aug:

S:6.3 pace=31:53
B:266.02 speed=19
R:105.99 pace=7:17

as you can see Aug was a stellar month and great final push in bringing my endurence up to the 70.3 distance. It also included a lot of blocks. My times drasically improved both in the swim and on the bike and I started to get better at the bike to run but it still needs a little work.

Boulder Res TT

I didnt get much sleep last night so I got up and had a little breakfast and then took a 1.5 hour nap. The swim area didnt open up until 10am (which is way later then I'd want to start a TT with the warm summer days and hot sun). I felt a little better on round 2 but my legs and feet were achy for some reason.

I got to the Boulder Res park around 10 and began setting up. I backed my car up to the bike rack and locked my bike to that. I then filled up a shallow plastic tub with water to act as a foot rinse. My transition area was the tailgate of my hatchback car. I laied out my towel and shoes, some water and clif blocks.

The swim today was sands wetsuit, the water ended up being about 68* and it was cold at first but I got used to it within a few mins. After that I wasted no time in kicking this TT off with a strong but smooth swim (5 laps). Each lap was calculated to be @300m which should have given me a 1500m swim but I finished in 16mins (half the time of my Boulder Peak swim), so im guessing theres some error there and ill call the swim @1000m for now. Its amazing how much better you swim when you dont have to worry about navigation, bumping into people, turning at the wall, or goggle/ ear plug leakage.

I ran out of the water like a swamp monster attacking the half naked beach goers sunning on the beach. Without my usual stagger and constricted run I got to the car feeling great but extremely confused with that swim time.

I unlocked my bike, threw on my socks and bike shoes, locked the car back up (with the key, one gel, a bottle of water and a bottle of G2 strapped to my bike) and hit the streets. The previously overcast morning had turned into mostly sunny with a chance of 90!! I swear I dried off in the first mile. Included in that distance was my first of 3 hills going out that I would have to conquer, this is where I realized how much I used my legs on the swim, and how much less power they had in them then I had on the same ride a few nights prior (my first 20 mph ride!). Lets get one thing straight, these are not hills, these are pretty much mountains or mega hills in my way. I got into a nice rhythm even though I didnt have music on me and tried to take in my surroundings to keep my mind sharp. I made it to the turn around after a long rest down hill, but you know what comes after that. Yea I had to go back up that same hill and I didnt really get into attack mode until half way up it. I was good about keeping a steady supply of water and G2 and at my first major down hill I took the gel (powerbar strawberry banana). It was a little sticky and doesnt taste as great when its sun cooked. After that I took a few swigs of water and stowed the wrapper down the back of my shorts.

I was surprised that I was stopped only one time by lights but it was one of the longer ones and gave me more rest time then I would have liked (trying to keep this as a mock race). The T2 was at the bottom of a hill so I slipped out of my shoes and put my feet on top of them to let the feet breath and come back to life a little. I only had a little bit of numbness but by the time I got off the bike I was good to go.

T2 I unlocked the car and re locked the bike, took a block and some water and slipped on my shoes (with my new elastic laces). My legs felt pretty good and again I was surprised with the quick bike time (turns out that it was 3 miles short). I felt like I was taking it easy out of the gate on the run and much of the first 2 miles was downhill but when Ky tried to drive up to me, park and hand me water she was unable to catch up to me so went on to the next parking lot along the route. It was probably around 6:45 to 7 min pace and then the only major hill on the run slowed me down a bit even though I fought it hard. My Calv's were burning but I never really got too out of breath. My right toes were going numb after that and slowed me down. The first up hill burned my calfs and I had a little pain in my right ankle. The water hand off a mile down the road was a successful one however, it wasnt water!! Nope it was very strongly mixed Gadorade and it burned going down. I remember my last race that surprise happened and I choked on it, and let me tell you Gadorade stings when its coming out of your nose.

I was alone for the next 2 miles on a stretch of path that I had never been on, there was a little shade and a cross wind breeze to cool me down (I seriously wanted to just jump in the lake at this point). I grabbed my water from the bushes where I had stashed it during my set up and skipped the gel I had planned on taking at this point. I felt strong and I now had company (Ky on her bike pacing me to the finish). She said she was amazed at how much stronger I looked on the run this time then I did at the Boulder Peak event of the same distance. I did feel strong, I didnt "go" but I did feel strong and didnt slow up the last 2 miles.

After the finish I downed a whole bottle of water and felt a lot better then I did in July. To combate overheating I went back into the swim area to wade around a bit and muttle over how the TT went. Its a new Olympic distance PR (even when you add in extra swim and bike time). It was a huge confidence builder and the only major problem was that I held back too much in each event when I could have pushed a faster pace. In all, I feel ready for 2x that distance.

1000m, 20.36 mile, 6.2 mile

Swim: 16:00 Pace
T1: 3:30
Bike: 1:4:19 Pace=18.99
T2: 2:00
Run: 45:46 Pace=7:22

Total: 2:11:02


Description: Boulder Res TT Notes: After a 3:30 T1 I got on the bike out 55th to Right on Jay Rd, L on Independence, L on Diagonal, Right on Jay, Left on 63, Right on Spine, Right on Lookout, to 95th and then turn around, Left on 75th and Right on Jay Rd, Right on 55 to T2.

Practice Mistakes

Back when I was a D1 NCAA athlete I remember my coach corrilating how you practice is how you are going to compete. This statement holds some value but we must not forget to make mistakes and learn as we go. There isnt only one way to get you to that finish line with your goals in hand.

Today while on the bike I was thinking as a Triathlete. Every detail matters no matter how small because any number of factors could stop you cold and prevent you from becoming and Ironman or can add on mins that youve worked so hard to shave off.

In that mindset, there are definately mistakes you wanto to make and learn from in practice so that they dont occur on race day. Its about controling the things that are within your control. Weather, road conditions, current, cars and what other competitors do just have to be adjusted to. The things you can control are pace, technique, falls, mental status/decisions, intake (refuel and hydration). There are also things included in your race that you can minimize the threat of failure but once you start the race it is all up to chance. These things include: flat tires, blisters from shoes, fogged goggles, and lost or forgotten items.

With 25 days left until my first 70.3 I must rely on my limited tri experience as well as my researched materials. Ive been testing out different equipment, bike positions, and transition formulas to find which will work best for me and how I organize thoughts in my head under extreme pressure.

Once I have made my mistakes and found what seems to work best for me then and only then is it time to Practice Practice Practice until its engrained into me and im programed to default to that movement without thought or hesitation.

Some of the mistakes im working on:

Swim/Bike/Run pace out of the gates/TA

The use of anti fog when it actually fogs my goggles up more

Getting familiar with the Syracuse course so that im confident of where im at and where im going and how much I have left at all times.

Brake tention, tire pressure, seat height

Shoe tightness (bike and run)

nutrition


Its not graded so you can get credit with C's but only A's will get you there first!



Workout:

Spin for 52 mins
Roost Run 6.6 mi Pace=

Before you sign up for a 70.3 and ever dream of being an Ironman

There are things to consider before you bite the bullet and sign up for your very first Ironman.

First off, you dont have to be a super human athlete to be a finisher but whether you are one or not this race will change, no actually it will turn your world upside down. Temperarorly or perminently, depending on the person and the experience. There are many reasons for someone to be struck by the idea, the health beneifts, feeling of accomplishment, being in an elite group, travel.

Let me tell you what it will take on race day:

Countless hours of training (up to 10 per day), research, gear, a balanced diet, and mental toughness. I say, before you sign up, go on a 3-4 hour bike ride. As a triathlete, you will spend most of both your training time and race time on the bike so you better become friends with it. You also better become comfortable swimming long cast away distances in open water and have feet of steel and knees in good condition for the final run.

I signed up in Dec. and knew that id have to put in at least 15 hours of training a week and that tag teaming that with work was going to take some organizational skills. Most training days lately ive been getting up around 5 to get in a workout and shower before work and then getting home at 6 and throwing in another workout. Weekends are much the same but have included longer blocks and bricks that I cant normally get in. Basically I do more before 10am then a lot of people do all day. My friends are slowly transfering into endurence nuts like myself. Most of all though its the cost of the sport. Almost everything youll need will be expensive and you wont know what will work best for you until you try multiples.

Today I rode longer and harder then I had ever done before. I took my bike up to Winter Park, CO for what ended up being a 38 mile bike ride at 9000ft which included a pretty substantial asscent of about 800ft in 3 miles. I totally bonked at the 1h45min mark which is roughly half of how long id like to be strong on the bike for. When I got off my legs refused to do anything and at that point I couldnt fathem running 3 let alone 13 miles. My feet went numb within the first 10 mins of this ride, possibly due to the 69* mountain temps and me spilling water on my cycle shoes.

On a brighter note, I have solved my bike shipping problems and found a great price on a used Trico Sports Iron Case. This thing is the real deal, almost bullet proof and will give me great piece of mind when I ship my bike to Syracuse for the race.

Continue to push those limits. DS

The eight of cups

After reading a recent Active.com article about splitting up your long run, I thought I might start tapping into the longer bike rides in much the same fashion. It comes down to the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day and there is nothing you can do to change that. A long ride of 40/50+ and 100 miles will take me over 3 hours and who has that amount of time, or daylight for that matter?

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Should-You-Split-Your-Long-Run.htm?cmp=11-4463&utm_source=sendible&utm_medium=feed&page=2

Today I tried it out. I attended a gut wrenching hour long spin class at 6am with the rest of the either married with kids moms, 9-5ers, and tri junkies. The class consisted of 2 major hill sections and intervals of 1-2min burn outs. Off the bike and dripping with sweat I then proceeded to hop on the treadmill for 2 miles at 7:30 pace.

I went to work and put in my hours of eight with my TPS reports and such, until cosmic order was once again restored from me shaking it up so hard.

I then hit the Cherry Creek Path on my newly installed tires. I got fed up with all the flats I've been getting that I decided the best option was to replace those. In doing so I went from a width of 25 to 23, a bit apprehensive at first but in the end I didnt really notice a difference and at this point my legs were in no mood to test them out to their fullest (yea take it up with management!). I only had time for 10 miles after I found that the path was under construction and couldnt find a suitible alternative route.

Following that I joined the Runners Roost Run club weekly night run from the Denver store for a 4 mile loop at once again 7:30 pace. A much better showing this week on my block day final workout. Today was the first time I've done a double block workout and I was hoping for a longer total ride (more then the 30 miles or so that I project I did), but in all it will get me used to being active for longer periods of the day and theres always tomorrow/next week.


"May the road rise to meet you, and the wind be always at your back"

30 days out!!!!






Perfect Practice: Train to Race

By Amanda McCracken
D3Multisport.com

Vince Lomabardi once said, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." When applied to triathlon training, you might ask yourself, "Am I preparing myself to race my best? Am I doing workouts in practice that train my mind and body for race conditions?" The following, by category, are race simulation workouts you might consider using to get race ready.

Swim
So you have a goal time in mind for your swim split, right? Have you practiced that pace? Try the following workout to not only test the reality of your goal but also to remind your body what it will feel like.

Warm-up thoroughly

Determine race pace: If you want to do a 1000 meter swim in 15 minutes, your pace/100m will be 90 seconds. The following will be done at the 90 second pace. We call this "T-pace" for time trial or threshold. The goal of the workout is to maintain an even pace even as the distances increase. If possible, try to make the last 4 x 100's faster than the first set...as if you are coming "home" stronger than you went out.

Main Set: 4 x 100 at T-pace (10 second rest), 2 x 200 (15 second rest), 1 x 400 (20 second rest), 2 x 200 (15 second rest), 4 x 100 (10 second rest).

Cool down adequately

Bike
How many of us go to a race never having ridden the course? RIDE THE COURSE! Get a feel for the curves and hills and pavement. Are there any pot holes or tight turns? Where are good places and bad places to pass? Practice accelerating from the bike mount line. Practice attacking the hills (mentally and physically) and maneuvering safely during the downhills.

Try the following for a simple way to simulate race surges during a race on the bike:

1.Choose a riding partner that is stronger than you on the bike
2.After warming up for 20-30 minutes, begin a fartlek workout on the bike based on your partner's choice of surging
3.For 30 minutes, your partner will throw in random surges that force you to pick it up for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time in order to keep up. The entire 30 minutes should be done at just below race pace.
Run
One of the best ways to simulate running at the end of a triathlon is to practice running fast on tired legs.

At the end of your long run, try to finish the last 10 percent of it at race pace or 20 seconds slower than your goal pace. For example, if your goal is to run your 10K in your next Olympic distance triathlon in 44 minutes, shoot to run your last 9 minutes of your 90-minute run around 7 minute pace.

The following is another race simulation workout that forces you to try to maintain a hard effort after pushing yourself at race pace:

After adequately warming up and stretching, run one mile at hard effort, RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) 7-8/10, 5K race pace. Then run 2 x 800 or 4 x 400 at the same pace.

Bricks
Swim to Bike (at open water site if possible): This is a great opportunity to check out your gear

1.Set up transition area with appropriate equipment and race nutrition.
2.Warm-up to cold water: Do gradual bobs and 5 minutes of swimming.
3.Swim 10 minutes at close to race pace and exit water.
4.Practice running through sand, stripping off wetsuit, and transitioning to bike.
5.Mount bike and ride at RPE of 6-7/10 (or HR zone 3-4) for 15-20 minutes before settling into a 60-90 minute ride in which you keep your heart rate in zone 3 and some zone 2.
Bike to Run

1.Bike 45 minutes at an easy to moderate pace. End at a track where you can conveniently leave your bike and where you've safely stashed shoes.
2.Practice transitioning off the bike into your shoes.
3.Do one mile just below goal race pace. If you want to run your Boulder Peak 10K in 50 minutes
(~8min/mile pace), shoot for an 8:20 mile on the track
4.Jump back on the bike and do a 2 mile loop at race pace.
5.Return to the track and do an 800 at goal race pace
6.Continue the 2 mile ride / 800 meter run 3 more times
7.Cool down on the bike 30 minutes.

Right where I need to be

Actual:

Training in Boulder has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. It’s been wonderful training along side or bumping into greats such as Chrissie Wellington, Matty Reed, Steve Jones, Jenny B., and Joanna Zeiger to name a few. It’s almost like I’m now solar powered, feeding off the energy that such a beautiful place provides. However, the altitude at first demanded my respect like an untamed stallion but now after several months I've acclimated to it and it’s taught me so much about my limits and VO2 max. I’m excited to be racing at sea level and the ease that that will bring.

Living in Boulder to me has not been a physical vs. mental but union of both working together for the same goal. The mind is happy with the scenery (great backdrop of the Flatirons), and tells the legs to keep going so we can see more. The mind is in control, and the legs are ok with that. It’s a great leader, follower relationship and laid back approach to workouts and racing because this is where you want to be, this is where the dream lands you.

Mentally:

I’ve spent countless hours researching, reading, writing anything Triathlon and Triathlete related, but more than that I've studied up on technique of each event individually. I read Lance Armstrong’s book on biking, I've picked the brains of many great runners and reminded myself what it was to be a runner before I specialized on the off the ground stuff of Pole Vault. I will be a runner first last and always and had my bike as my primary mode of transport and freedom in my youth. Swimming on the other hand was relatively new. If you don’t compete in it and don’t get lost at sea then there isn’t much need for long distance swimming. Not being a fish I’m also not used to being in the water but I was born surrounded by water so I can remind myself that water can be my sanctuary.

The last month or so I've been trying to teach myself patience, and continue the transformation from sprinter to endurance (extreme) athlete. This means pacing, not going out too hard and letting adrenaline take over. Not to have quick reactions or decisions and not to dwell on events.

Physically:

I began this training with a goal and I took it one day at a time. In the winter months, I started in the weight room, lifting and trying to pack on the beef that would inevitably protect the rest of me from the intense training sessions ahead. I had a lot of cross training, cross fit, spin classes, yoga, kick boxing, shadow boxing, and various other sports and games. I wanted to start out as a well rounded student of the event and then specialize into the person that would be able to hang at the top of the list as a Triathlete.

In 9 months of training my weight has fluctuated, my over all body shape has changed and my energy levels varied, but at this point I can tell you that I feel like and even look like a Triathlete. My research has given me the ability to create some great training cycles, if you have been keeping up with this blog you already knew that each cycle had a specific focus. Sometimes the focus was mastered and other times it was recycled as an undertone.

Throughout some pretty demanding days, weeks and cycles made of blocks, bricks and intervals I've somehow managed to remain injury free. The usual culprits: poor riding position, imbalanced muscles, a weak core or just another birthday and that’s my secret. I’m well balanced, flexible, and have a strong core. That’s not to say I don’t feel beat up, but I’m confident that the damage that I have self inflicted is all recoverable during my tapper. The reason this has been such a surprise and accomplishment is that this has been my first time with so much distance and work load. I added on as much as 7, 235, 80 miles a month swimming biking and running, which was a huge increase from my previous trainings of a measly 1, 50, 25 miles/mo.

Right now I’m ready to execute the 70.3 course and become a member of the elite Ironman group.

I didn’t want to conclude without paying homage to the help and support I’ve received along the way. I wouldn’t have started without the events of NYC and the mental state I was in that was in need for a new project. I wouldn’t have even signed up if it weren’t for my sister planning to also do one. I wouldn’t have pushed myself as far as I have without the great training partners I have at my disposal (Kylee, Emma, Aaron, RR, BAM, SS, Chris, and others). And lastly it’s been great telling my story both here on this blog and on my fan page. I hope I’ve inspired some people and motivated them too to test their own personal limits and grow through learning all they can on their own subject of passion. I look forward to sharing the moment with those that choose to come out on race day and see what this whole Ironman thing is all about first hand, and provide additional energy.. because I’m sure I’ll need it.

Thanks

DS future IRONMAN