Ironman Wisconsin total time: 10 hrs 7 min 41 sec ( or something very close to that)....
next year, trying to get into Ironman Arizona!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
wisconsin times
September 13, 2009- Ironman Wisconsin finisher!!
Swim: 1hr 2min 35sec
Bike: 5 hrs 19min
run: 3hrs 37min 41 sec
Finished 12th in 30-34 age group, and 61st overall out of 2391 finishers
Swim: 1hr 2min 35sec
Bike: 5 hrs 19min
run: 3hrs 37min 41 sec
Finished 12th in 30-34 age group, and 61st overall out of 2391 finishers
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ironman Wisconsin
Okay, so here begins the woeful tale of the boy who shot for the moon and only got to the launch site, but I guess shooting for the moon is better than nothing at all...Pages and pages could be written on each second of tradgedy and triumph, but in the interest of time and interest I can sum up my 2009 Ironman Wisconsin experience in 1 phrase: "10 minutes"....The time seperating me from a trip to hawaii...There will be no regrets, only sorrow( however short-lived), and as attitude is the #1 defining characteristic of character in triathlon, I will admit that my most recent performance was the best I could do at that stage in my life, and I will just have to work smarter and harder next year to achieve these things beyond mediocrity that I wish to achieve.
It gets harder and harder to keep perspective, but we are only on this earth for a infentesimally short time and I yearn to leave something above and beyond personal glory and/or personal satisfaction. If I have to leave a story behind when I am long gone, I want it to be one of love, of one that describes a person who loved everything he did no matter the outcome as defined by modern societies structure of winning and losing and who was loved because he believed in that love. A story of a man risen from the ashes to try to become a better individual in his short life, and a story of redemption.
Triathlon to me is a metaphor for life, especially Ironman. A long slog with various highs and lows, a definable beginning and end, and an atmosphere of struggle for a common goal, which I take to be a purpose and understanding of our role in the universe. I am proud to be an Ironman, and I am proud to be human when I envision the possibilities for positive achievement and understanding within all of us.
It gets harder and harder to keep perspective, but we are only on this earth for a infentesimally short time and I yearn to leave something above and beyond personal glory and/or personal satisfaction. If I have to leave a story behind when I am long gone, I want it to be one of love, of one that describes a person who loved everything he did no matter the outcome as defined by modern societies structure of winning and losing and who was loved because he believed in that love. A story of a man risen from the ashes to try to become a better individual in his short life, and a story of redemption.
Triathlon to me is a metaphor for life, especially Ironman. A long slog with various highs and lows, a definable beginning and end, and an atmosphere of struggle for a common goal, which I take to be a purpose and understanding of our role in the universe. I am proud to be an Ironman, and I am proud to be human when I envision the possibilities for positive achievement and understanding within all of us.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
another 70.3
Well, another 70.3 miles under my belt!! These miles were especially painful as my legs essentially stopped working about 6 miles into the run, however, still finished a respectable 41/1129 and 9th in my age group. It's the same guys up towards the top of this classification! I am thinking the top 10 guys in the 30-34 age group should get together and form a super triathlon-team! Travel the world, discouraging otherwise confident athletes worldwide!
The good thing about a bad race is that it humbles you and makes you keep wanting to get better. I know, for certain, that I have not had a "perfect race" yet, in fact, it doesn't exist...
Exactly 1 month until ironman wisconsin and as much as I hate to be ambitious about this type of thing, I must admit that I have been having delusions of grandeur about getting to hawaii...It seems I could be good enough, but there are so many variables that can change that one just never knows...
The good thing about a bad race is that it humbles you and makes you keep wanting to get better. I know, for certain, that I have not had a "perfect race" yet, in fact, it doesn't exist...
Exactly 1 month until ironman wisconsin and as much as I hate to be ambitious about this type of thing, I must admit that I have been having delusions of grandeur about getting to hawaii...It seems I could be good enough, but there are so many variables that can change that one just never knows...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
boulder long course
Getting ready for boulder half-ironman this weekend, in full taper mode....this is my last chance to get one of those homemade trophies they hand out!
Should be a great weekend!
Should be a great weekend!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
rubber ducky
I had a beautiful swim in the bathtub-"esque" waters of Grant ranch this morning in littleton, co...took this swim with my rubber ducky aka old, uncomfortable, wetsuit! This nickname just helps me feel more at home in this particular wetsuit which at times in the past has felt more like a straight jacket than a swim enhancing device...This new psychological technique seemed to work, as I proceeded to swim 2 miles in 46 minutes!
would like to thank mile high multisport for putting on these long open water events. Check out mile high multisport's website for more triathlon events.
would like to thank mile high multisport for putting on these long open water events. Check out mile high multisport's website for more triathlon events.
Monday, July 27, 2009
so close yet so far away
I am so close to swimming backstroke in my next race, just to see if it makes a difference! I can't remember all that has happened since last posting on this blog....Lots of swimming, biking and running I guess...Throw in some sleeping and eating and you pretty much have it all!
I continue to experiment with swimming, different wetsuits, different stroke styles, different warm-up's...Something might click someday and it will all be downhill from there, but until then I will just struggle on...
Finding myself obsessed with trying to get faster, better wheels, better wetsuit, need to get back to old self where I didn't take everything so seriously!
gotta run...
I continue to experiment with swimming, different wetsuits, different stroke styles, different warm-up's...Something might click someday and it will all be downhill from there, but until then I will just struggle on...
Finding myself obsessed with trying to get faster, better wheels, better wetsuit, need to get back to old self where I didn't take everything so seriously!
gotta run...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Results
Hey everyone!...I have finally mustered up the creative energy to recap this past weekend's race and the race season in general.
First and foremost, the fundraising for the Connecticut children's hospital is going well, and I have raced approximately 140 miles out of the 450-500 that I set out to race this year. I am hoping to raise 10 dollars for every mile I race so everyone's help is most appreciated, and try to keep up with me in the dollars to race miles count....
Secondly, the recap of the Boulder peak triathlon here in Boulder, CO. Overall I believe the race was a success. Rented a different kind of wetsuit, and experimented with a different swim style and felt very fast in the water, although the swim course was longer than advertised so my time seemed slow. Coming out of the water, I was flying, finished the bike in my usual time, no real surprises, and again felt fairly strong going into the run. This is where things got a little "interesting". In the bike to run transition my bike rack had collapsed, and I must have stood with my head on a swivel for a good 20 seconds before I found my run stuff, then I had to rebuild the bike rack, and THEN on my way out I crash into a guy coming in with his bike and he gets laid out, landing on his bike, but I had to keep running. Had a decent run, stunted by a few little hills, no big deal, but finished strong. No major nutrition or mechanical issues and just a few glitches in transition, but something always happens in every race and I guess i'll take it happening there as opposed to elsewhere.... Finished in 21st place overall out of ~1400, and 6th out of 106 in my age group so I can't complain...
Next race is the Boulder 5430 long course triathlon where I will be aiming for one of the homemade trophies that 5430 sports hands out. It's my last chance to get one of those things so I just have to keep up the good work and training and continue to be consistent.
will write when inspiration next hits me...
First and foremost, the fundraising for the Connecticut children's hospital is going well, and I have raced approximately 140 miles out of the 450-500 that I set out to race this year. I am hoping to raise 10 dollars for every mile I race so everyone's help is most appreciated, and try to keep up with me in the dollars to race miles count....
Secondly, the recap of the Boulder peak triathlon here in Boulder, CO. Overall I believe the race was a success. Rented a different kind of wetsuit, and experimented with a different swim style and felt very fast in the water, although the swim course was longer than advertised so my time seemed slow. Coming out of the water, I was flying, finished the bike in my usual time, no real surprises, and again felt fairly strong going into the run. This is where things got a little "interesting". In the bike to run transition my bike rack had collapsed, and I must have stood with my head on a swivel for a good 20 seconds before I found my run stuff, then I had to rebuild the bike rack, and THEN on my way out I crash into a guy coming in with his bike and he gets laid out, landing on his bike, but I had to keep running. Had a decent run, stunted by a few little hills, no big deal, but finished strong. No major nutrition or mechanical issues and just a few glitches in transition, but something always happens in every race and I guess i'll take it happening there as opposed to elsewhere.... Finished in 21st place overall out of ~1400, and 6th out of 106 in my age group so I can't complain...
Next race is the Boulder 5430 long course triathlon where I will be aiming for one of the homemade trophies that 5430 sports hands out. It's my last chance to get one of those things so I just have to keep up the good work and training and continue to be consistent.
will write when inspiration next hits me...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Peaking
i'm an old man, just had a birthday, and am now 31 years old...however when I see all the "old" guys kicking my ass in some of the races that I take part in it gives me hope that I may still have a few good years left to participate in these sporting events! In that spirit I hope to go faster than more 21 year olds this weekend in the Boulder peak race than the number of 41 year olds go faster than me...
The Boulder peak is classified as an olympic distance race, so it it a .93 mile swim, a 26 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run. I am very excited for this race, it should be a great weekend!
Alright, my brain work for the day is done, it's time to head out into the field where my daily manual labor fix awaits me...
The Boulder peak is classified as an olympic distance race, so it it a .93 mile swim, a 26 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run. I am very excited for this race, it should be a great weekend!
Alright, my brain work for the day is done, it's time to head out into the field where my daily manual labor fix awaits me...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
why ask why
people keep asking me, "are you going to continue to do ironman races and other races" and"why do you do this to yourself?". All I can say is I am going to do what makes me happy until my money or my health runs out, yeah days get hard , but at the end of more days than not i look back and say i've had a good day and I lay my head on my pillow and sleep like an untroubled child, and wake up the next day and watch the sunrise and smile.
Monday, June 29, 2009
training's hard, racing is easy
I am fully immersed in an Ironman training block and am feeling it. Saturday was a 5 hour bike ride followed by 45 minute recovery run, and Sunday was 3000 yards in open water followed about 5 hrs later by a 2 hr 10 minute run. My wife asked me yesterday, "do you have to go for a run?", and my reply was "No, i don't have to, but these are the days that separate the people crinkled up on the side of the road and those who finish strong and fast."
Training is the difficult part. Racing is fun. In a race you've got the atmosphere, all the people, and all your fellow competitors to race off of, and all the volunteers keeping you going. In training you could be by yourself on a deserted dirt road, a 40 MPH wind in your face, and your water running low with an hour or more to get home. Those days are what makes the racer not the race. Sure you have to execute on race day, however that performance is forged in many fires over many days past.
One of my neighbors recently told me she had the worst swim of her life, which made her most recent race not all that much fun. After talking with her for a few more minutes she says " although, I haven't been swimming all that much", and I thought, "well, there's the reason for the worst swim of your life feeling." Triathlon, like all other sports requires a sharp edge, a finely tuned "engine", however, inadequate attention to detail or preparation seems to be magnified in triathlon because it is such a unique combination of mental and physical. Yes, rest is good, but so is pushing, and testing yourself when you are out there training. You can't just turn the switch on and off unless you're just a freak of nature or one of these rare gifted athletes...It takes months, years to provide a platform for consistent, good performance, especially in triathlon, and if you don't want to get discouraged or injured, it is good to remember that fact.
Training is the difficult part. Racing is fun. In a race you've got the atmosphere, all the people, and all your fellow competitors to race off of, and all the volunteers keeping you going. In training you could be by yourself on a deserted dirt road, a 40 MPH wind in your face, and your water running low with an hour or more to get home. Those days are what makes the racer not the race. Sure you have to execute on race day, however that performance is forged in many fires over many days past.
One of my neighbors recently told me she had the worst swim of her life, which made her most recent race not all that much fun. After talking with her for a few more minutes she says " although, I haven't been swimming all that much", and I thought, "well, there's the reason for the worst swim of your life feeling." Triathlon, like all other sports requires a sharp edge, a finely tuned "engine", however, inadequate attention to detail or preparation seems to be magnified in triathlon because it is such a unique combination of mental and physical. Yes, rest is good, but so is pushing, and testing yourself when you are out there training. You can't just turn the switch on and off unless you're just a freak of nature or one of these rare gifted athletes...It takes months, years to provide a platform for consistent, good performance, especially in triathlon, and if you don't want to get discouraged or injured, it is good to remember that fact.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
easy, i don't think so...
So I'm training for an ironman, putting in alot of miles in training, so what's a sprint tri to me? Let me tell you, it's not easy, sprint racing is it's own unique animal, especially when you are building an engine for distance...As soon as you start to find a rhythm in the water, it's time to get on the bike, as soon as my bike legs were warmed up, it's time to run...I don't even wear a watch for these races because who cares about heart rate or what time it is?!! I just push myself as hard as I can go, there's no strategy, there's no pacing, there's no "I need to keep my heart rate at 75% through the first seven mintues of the bike, and then increase it 2.3%percent over the next 25, or whatever, you get my drift..." For me, right out of the gate it's just go, go , go, go, until they rip the chip off your leg!
Having said all this, I enjoy the danger of a sprint race, where every second is magnified, where if you slow your pace just a fraction, your pursuers will be all over you and then by you quickly...
So I finished in 21st place today, 8th in my age group...Damn this town, you could have the race of your life (which, of note, I haven't had yet), and 10 guys will still beat you...I'm kidding, I love Boulder, the competition can only be good for me, and after all, let me repeat one of the oldest sports cliches known to man, "that the most important thing is to have fun". I'd like to add, "and do well" to that line that seemingly drops out of my mouth without any meaning...However today I believe I did well and had fun, so there you have it, success!
Having said all this, I enjoy the danger of a sprint race, where every second is magnified, where if you slow your pace just a fraction, your pursuers will be all over you and then by you quickly...
So I finished in 21st place today, 8th in my age group...Damn this town, you could have the race of your life (which, of note, I haven't had yet), and 10 guys will still beat you...I'm kidding, I love Boulder, the competition can only be good for me, and after all, let me repeat one of the oldest sports cliches known to man, "that the most important thing is to have fun". I'd like to add, "and do well" to that line that seemingly drops out of my mouth without any meaning...However today I believe I did well and had fun, so there you have it, success!
Friday, June 19, 2009
recovery is a strange trip
it's funny, 2-3 days after a big race i feel better when moving again, the biking and the running seem to loosen up the muscles more...it's a noticeable progression, when I first started racing, a half-ironman would take me a week to recover from and now I only like to sit around for about 24 hours before I like to get moving again...
Just started my Ironman training block about halfway through, so this one will last three months culminating in Ironman Wisconsin! About 2800 yards in pool this morning, and some sprints on the bike this afternoon, about an hour...
Oh, and I got a flat tire yesterday on the bike and fixed the flat with CO2 for the first time successfully, took me 10 minutes, but it got done, so that was a little confidence booster...
prep for sprint tomorrow, probably will involve quick jump in the water and quick bike...
Just started my Ironman training block about halfway through, so this one will last three months culminating in Ironman Wisconsin! About 2800 yards in pool this morning, and some sprints on the bike this afternoon, about an hour...
Oh, and I got a flat tire yesterday on the bike and fixed the flat with CO2 for the first time successfully, took me 10 minutes, but it got done, so that was a little confidence booster...
prep for sprint tomorrow, probably will involve quick jump in the water and quick bike...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
no rocks, no cry
No rock hauling today! Brain work today....about 3000 very mellow yards in the pool and have some hill run repeats to do this evening.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
ironman kansas 70.3
70.3 miles in the books! It always feels good to get that first race of the year out of the way...mother nature threw everything at us, clouds, wind, rain, heat, humidity, however the entire race was completed.
Had my fastest swim at the 1.2 mile distance, finishing in 30 min 10sec despite having my goggles kicked off my face about half way through the swim, and then a couple of minutes later almost having them slapped off my face by the swimmer next to me! I felt like a crash test dummy for a little while...
Killed my legs on the bike through kansas hill country and wind and rain, however, finished in a good place, 2hrs 21 min later...
Felt good at the start of the run and the heat and humidity kicked in and I faded a little, finishing the run in 1 hr 30 min.
Total time was 4 hrs 26 min, 29th amateur to finish, 50th overall...
very happy with result, and had a great weekend camping, racing, driving alot!
Made the mistake of going to work on monday where we were in the process of ripping up a concrete driveway and then today was hauling rock mulch wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. My legs don't feel quite right...I definately need a complete day of rest after these races, oh well, I can rest when i'm dead...
Sprint triathlon in Boulder this weekend!
Had my fastest swim at the 1.2 mile distance, finishing in 30 min 10sec despite having my goggles kicked off my face about half way through the swim, and then a couple of minutes later almost having them slapped off my face by the swimmer next to me! I felt like a crash test dummy for a little while...
Killed my legs on the bike through kansas hill country and wind and rain, however, finished in a good place, 2hrs 21 min later...
Felt good at the start of the run and the heat and humidity kicked in and I faded a little, finishing the run in 1 hr 30 min.
Total time was 4 hrs 26 min, 29th amateur to finish, 50th overall...
very happy with result, and had a great weekend camping, racing, driving alot!
Made the mistake of going to work on monday where we were in the process of ripping up a concrete driveway and then today was hauling rock mulch wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. My legs don't feel quite right...I definately need a complete day of rest after these races, oh well, I can rest when i'm dead...
Sprint triathlon in Boulder this weekend!
Friday, June 12, 2009
no problems
No problems with the swim goggles last night and I had my fastest time ever at the 1 mile swim/3 mile run distance! Go to www.racingunderground.com to see results...I'm feeling confident going into the half-ironman in Kansas this weekend, and in fact am leaving in a few minutes! Rented a big dome tent for the weekend so we'll see how that works....Jess not excited about drive but to me it's one big adventure.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
rocks
discovered new weight training workout at my job as a landscaper. Carry around 75-100 lb pieces of flagstone for 6-8 hours on consecutive days! Remember to lift with your legs and take plenty of aspirin every 6-8 hours!
In full taper mode for half-ironman on sunday, however may compete in stroke and stride event here in boulder tomorrow evening which is a 1 mile swim followed by a three mile run. It will be a good final tune up and to test how long I swim before my goggles completely fog up...
In full taper mode for half-ironman on sunday, however may compete in stroke and stride event here in boulder tomorrow evening which is a 1 mile swim followed by a three mile run. It will be a good final tune up and to test how long I swim before my goggles completely fog up...
Monday, June 8, 2009
it's been a while
I know it's been a while...guess i sort of just burned out on the blogging every day. However, things are getting a little more interesting now that race season has arrived! Just completed my first "official" open water swim last thursday night in the Boulder stroke and stride series of which I have included a link to on the left side of this page...Still am a tremendously slow swimmer, but there is alot of good competition here in Boulder so I don't hang my head too low! Gotta get back work, but I will try to write more from now on until october and winter hibernation sets in again! Next race is the next stroke and stride in Boulder and then Ironman Kansas 70.3 on June 14th!!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
ice cream
I love ice cream, and I may be able to get used to working in an office except for being inside when the weather is good, however, I work my brain all day and get the physical release when I swim, bike or run ...3,000 yds in pool followed by 7.2 mile run in the morning...Been training now for almost 7 months so needless to say, i'm kind of ready to start racing again!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
days off
I was able to take three days off from training, go off into the high desert of New Mexico and not become a complete and utter pain in the __s! The weird thing is that I start to feel little aches and pains only when I take a couple of days off, maybe that's why they say that during stage bicycle races guys hate to take days off, it messes with their rhythm...You know you're addicted to training when you feel better when exercising then when sitting on the couch...
Anyhow, long story short, back in boulder and getting back on track; 3000 yards in pool this morning and 2 hrs on the bike this afternoon...
Anyhow, long story short, back in boulder and getting back on track; 3000 yards in pool this morning and 2 hrs on the bike this afternoon...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
brass tax
it's tax time, brass tax time, you know, the time when it becomes the responsibility of yourself to hold yourself responsible for yourself...or something like that...long story short, the tri season is almost here and like the previous two years I feel like i've forgotten how to race, but i'm sure it's like riding a bike...
I got the chance to see a real professional triathlete in practice mode yesterday as Tim Deboom was swimming one lane over....it's pretty cool to live in a town where that can happen.
Wednesday, 2600 yards in pool, then 48 min run with 28 minutes at a threshold pace...
Today was easy 1hr 15 min on bike ( trainer due to fickle colorado weather, it's supposed to snow tomorrow as well!), then 47 min run with 1 min sprints at about a 5 minute mile pace...
Hoping to get in at least one open water swim before june 14, but we shall see...
I got the chance to see a real professional triathlete in practice mode yesterday as Tim Deboom was swimming one lane over....it's pretty cool to live in a town where that can happen.
Wednesday, 2600 yards in pool, then 48 min run with 28 minutes at a threshold pace...
Today was easy 1hr 15 min on bike ( trainer due to fickle colorado weather, it's supposed to snow tomorrow as well!), then 47 min run with 1 min sprints at about a 5 minute mile pace...
Hoping to get in at least one open water swim before june 14, but we shall see...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Where was I?...sunday: 1 mile swim, 1 hr 35 min run later.
monday: 6 hours digging holes for plants
today: 2, 675 yds in pool, then supposed to do 1 hr 25 min on bike when 20 minutes into the ride my tube and tire blew out rendering both useless, my spare tube had been sitting on the back of my bike so long it developed a hole in it, dummy had no cellphone, no money either! Ended up using a phone inside the Sports Authority in Longmont to track down my wife, who was on the treadmill, she came and got me, I changed the flat at home, then rode back to where my car was...so I maybe got an hour in on the bike albeit with a little break inbetween...
need sleep...
monday: 6 hours digging holes for plants
today: 2, 675 yds in pool, then supposed to do 1 hr 25 min on bike when 20 minutes into the ride my tube and tire blew out rendering both useless, my spare tube had been sitting on the back of my bike so long it developed a hole in it, dummy had no cellphone, no money either! Ended up using a phone inside the Sports Authority in Longmont to track down my wife, who was on the treadmill, she came and got me, I changed the flat at home, then rode back to where my car was...so I maybe got an hour in on the bike albeit with a little break inbetween...
need sleep...
Saturday, April 11, 2009
mud
I've got an unorthodox core workout for all of you seeking an alternative to the gym: Digging 1.5 hrs in wet clay/dirt about 10 wheelbarrows full from digging a hole for a tree.
Mud slinging was friday, along with 3,000 yrds in pool and hill climbs on the bike. If you live in Colorado, try Linden Ave off of broadway with a tri bike gear ratio, it will have you crying for your mommy! What I mean by "gear ratio" is that, for instance, on my triathlon bike I have a 54/42, big ring/little ring(tooth count) set of chain rings with an 11-23 cassette, not to mention 175mm crank arms which essentially means that it takes longer to make complete rotations of your foot because the rings are bigger to fit all the teeth and there is minimal difference between each gear, so it's more of an ideal set up for flats and rollers, not necessarily straight uphill, but it's fun to try...
Today, Saturday, started off the morning with running sprints on the treadmill, and then completely ruined my legs on a four hour bike ride that was supposed to be easy, however turned into something else. I decided to ride up towards Estes Park for more climbing, I just can't get enough!! I've heard that Ironman Wisconsin has a few hills so it's all good...
Thank you to Vecchio's in Boulder for fixing my gearing as it was shifting like garbage a couple of weeks ago, but seems to have recovered...
Mud slinging was friday, along with 3,000 yrds in pool and hill climbs on the bike. If you live in Colorado, try Linden Ave off of broadway with a tri bike gear ratio, it will have you crying for your mommy! What I mean by "gear ratio" is that, for instance, on my triathlon bike I have a 54/42, big ring/little ring(tooth count) set of chain rings with an 11-23 cassette, not to mention 175mm crank arms which essentially means that it takes longer to make complete rotations of your foot because the rings are bigger to fit all the teeth and there is minimal difference between each gear, so it's more of an ideal set up for flats and rollers, not necessarily straight uphill, but it's fun to try...
Today, Saturday, started off the morning with running sprints on the treadmill, and then completely ruined my legs on a four hour bike ride that was supposed to be easy, however turned into something else. I decided to ride up towards Estes Park for more climbing, I just can't get enough!! I've heard that Ironman Wisconsin has a few hills so it's all good...
Thank you to Vecchio's in Boulder for fixing my gearing as it was shifting like garbage a couple of weeks ago, but seems to have recovered...
Thursday, April 9, 2009
thursday
today was the bike/run workout: 1 hr 15 min on bike trainer, then 30 minute run...too tired for any interesting insights, but i'll be back again tomorrow, hopefully with a calm mind and a savage wit...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
oh lord
Back in the saddle again (1978 green ford pickup)! 3 hours of hauling, spreading mulch, and even though mulch is considered one of the lighter landscaping products, my back was still in protest, not being used to the particular stooping and lifting motions of shoveling...yet...By mid-september I shall be cognizant of nothing except the satisfaction of my soul.
Oh, sorry, to the point, also 2800 yards in pool this morning, 54 minute run in the afternoon...
Oh, sorry, to the point, also 2800 yards in pool this morning, 54 minute run in the afternoon...
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
back in town
Back in Boulder, back to regimented training, Ironman Kansas in 9 weeks!
I got home to hear my wife tell me that while I was gone my bikes fell inside the garage, where I had them on some inane contraption to save space, right onto the car...I have been living in fear the last, i don't know how long, that this day would come, it's just not a good way to live! Thinking I might put my tri-bike next to my bed at night, just so I know it's alright! Maybe tuck a corner of the aerobars under my pillow...
Working hard on swim stroke, although sometimes I think too much and don't relax in the water....I fix one thing and another gets all out of whack...Needs constant attention, but needing to get to a point where I just get comfortable with a style ( however ugly it may be) and go with it, and leave all the tweaking for the next off-season. I'm never going to blow anybody away in the water, so it's just using less energy, becoming consistent, and improving technique to prevent injury...
People say "you should do duathlons since you struggle with the swim", but I say that it's the challenge of the swim that makes swimming enjoyable. My first triathlon two years ago, I could barely swim 200 yards without going to side stroke or breast stroke, and now, well, it's not much better, but I can free stroke the entire race at least!
Did 1.2 mile swim today follwed by two hours on the bike to see if the thing still worked....it seemed alright.
I got home to hear my wife tell me that while I was gone my bikes fell inside the garage, where I had them on some inane contraption to save space, right onto the car...I have been living in fear the last, i don't know how long, that this day would come, it's just not a good way to live! Thinking I might put my tri-bike next to my bed at night, just so I know it's alright! Maybe tuck a corner of the aerobars under my pillow...
Working hard on swim stroke, although sometimes I think too much and don't relax in the water....I fix one thing and another gets all out of whack...Needs constant attention, but needing to get to a point where I just get comfortable with a style ( however ugly it may be) and go with it, and leave all the tweaking for the next off-season. I'm never going to blow anybody away in the water, so it's just using less energy, becoming consistent, and improving technique to prevent injury...
People say "you should do duathlons since you struggle with the swim", but I say that it's the challenge of the swim that makes swimming enjoyable. My first triathlon two years ago, I could barely swim 200 yards without going to side stroke or breast stroke, and now, well, it's not much better, but I can free stroke the entire race at least!
Did 1.2 mile swim today follwed by two hours on the bike to see if the thing still worked....it seemed alright.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Washington D.C.
I've been spoiled, seen the good side of life, and reality comes crashing in. Case in point: Work on Tuesday until 6pm and I still had 1.5 hours to do on the bike, and was flying to D.C. the next morning and had to be up at 4am, so I said forget the workout, it's not worth stringing myself out before travelling... Am bound and determined not to become one of those neurotic people who get angry and worry about missing a workout, thinking " everyone is getting better and fitter while I had to work all day and now have no time to complete this workout!!" I will probably be better served in the long run by taking the time off...
Missing workouts here and there is not going to hurt you at all, what will hurt you is if you ram the workout down your own throat, go through the motions, wake up the next morning angry and tired, and spend the next three to four days trying to recover from your pride tempting you to forsake all intelligence and wisdom. It's only a sport after all, meant to enhance the quality of your life, not ruin it...
Washington D.C. and a much needed change of scene for training, and just because. Also seen some rain and heard some thunder. After wearing out the roads in Boulder, and not seeing a drop of rain in what seems like years, D.C. seems like a veritable green paradise, full of plants and water!
Theoretically speaking I should be doing a half-ironman race this sunday, so i'm in the last week of a five month program, tapering the exercise down to practically nothing. Went for 1 hr 15 min run yesterday, and did probably 3,000 yards in the pool this morning. Have added carrying around my nephew (~40 lbs) to the training regimen this week. It feels good to be in the early stages of spring and already be in tip-top condition, let's hope it lasts...
Not planning any more "formal" training sessions, just going to enjoy the time away from boulder with my family....I am going to be working hard enough the next six months, it's time to take a deep breath, enjoy the calm before the storm, so to speak....
Sunday, March 29, 2009
???
Started work on monday and am totaly lost as to what I have been keeping track of...Oh, have I been spooiled the last four months, now the real challenge begins!
There is the noticable difference, the main difference...It's maybe not that I have gotten slower in one week, but there is less time in between workouts so I feel the pain more, and over a six month period, all that pain will either wear me down or make me strong. The past two years it has resulted in the latter, although strong doesn't necessarily mean fast. However, I have sort of a quasi-office job so I am going to attempt to get workouts in at lunch to maximize the time between workouts. Like 95% of the triathletes out there, you have to deal with doing tough workouts late in the evening, getting up eight hours later for another one, and then maybe four hours later for another one...That's the life...This is where technique, stretching, and diet seperate the good from the injured, or the good from the bad!
Week 19 of 20 almost completed, just a long run this afternoon...
There is the noticable difference, the main difference...It's maybe not that I have gotten slower in one week, but there is less time in between workouts so I feel the pain more, and over a six month period, all that pain will either wear me down or make me strong. The past two years it has resulted in the latter, although strong doesn't necessarily mean fast. However, I have sort of a quasi-office job so I am going to attempt to get workouts in at lunch to maximize the time between workouts. Like 95% of the triathletes out there, you have to deal with doing tough workouts late in the evening, getting up eight hours later for another one, and then maybe four hours later for another one...That's the life...This is where technique, stretching, and diet seperate the good from the injured, or the good from the bad!
Week 19 of 20 almost completed, just a long run this afternoon...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
tuesday, wednesday
Tuesday: 3, 250 yards in pool/ 2hrs on bike.
Wednesday: 3,100 yards in pool/ 58 min run
tomorrow is brick workout....
Wednesday: 3,100 yards in pool/ 58 min run
tomorrow is brick workout....
Monday, March 23, 2009
weekly totals
Weekly totals from week 18 out of 20:
- 12, 400 yards in pool (~7 miles)
- 7 hrs 35 min cycling (~150-175 miles)
- 4 hrs 15 min running (~35 miles)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
catch-up
Okay, it's been a few day so I have to play a little catch up here with the daily training log...
Friday- 8X3min. cycling sprints/ total 1hr 35 min.
3,200 yards in pool
Saturday- Brick workout: 2 hr 30 min on bike (~50-55 miles)/ 55 min run (~7 miles)
Sunday- 1.2 mile swim time trial/ 1 hr 20 min run ( hasn't happened yet, but that's the plan)
Will do weekly totals tonight...
Friday- 8X3min. cycling sprints/ total 1hr 35 min.
3,200 yards in pool
Saturday- Brick workout: 2 hr 30 min on bike (~50-55 miles)/ 55 min run (~7 miles)
Sunday- 1.2 mile swim time trial/ 1 hr 20 min run ( hasn't happened yet, but that's the plan)
Will do weekly totals tonight...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
daily training log
today consisted of a 1 hr 30 minute time trial of sorts on the bike in the morning(~35 miles). By"of sorts", i mean that i held back a little bit from the pace I would try and hold during a race, by 10 percent or so. Afternoon brought a 1 hr run invovlving 5 X 4 min sprints with four minute recovery in between each one, i'm guessing i probably ran 8 or 9 miles...
Oh and in the same vein as my previous posting, check out www.chainlove.com. This site has amazing deals on cycling gear! Only one thing goes on sale every day but that one thing, whether it be road bike tires or shoes, or whatever can be up to 80% off...
Oh and in the same vein as my previous posting, check out www.chainlove.com. This site has amazing deals on cycling gear! Only one thing goes on sale every day but that one thing, whether it be road bike tires or shoes, or whatever can be up to 80% off...
shoestring
For the shoestring triathlete, the athlete on a budget, person who's 401K is tanking I thought it might be a good idea to share and talk about websites or deals or retailers that I find or that find me in the course of my Internet and/or other wanderings...Some of them may give me something in return, some may not, but you can be sure I have a damn good reason to mention them on this blog!
In that spirit, something found me today in the form of an e-mail. Hotels Combined http://www.hotelscombined.com is a search engine for hotels ( uh..,duh!..). More eloquently put, it is a one stop gateway for finding the best deal on lodging. For those triathletes who travel to races across the country and even internationally, the logistical aspects can, at times be mind boggling, time consuming, paranoia inducing ventures. This website takes a little of the hassle out of finding and acquiring a place to stay. The site is easy to use, has many search options such as hotel brands, amenities, star ratings and shows prices from multiple online vendors. You can also read reviews from independent sources. All pretty standard stuff, however, this company is also one with a conscience as they have pledged to donate money to charities such as the World Wildlife Fund, Make a Wish Foundation, and the Children's Miracle Network for spreading the word about their website. They also are a partner of http://www.Carbonfund.org, and so are "offsetting carbon emissions generated by its business operations by investing in carbon reducing intitiatives such as renewable energy, reforestation, and energy-efficiency products." (hotels combined -website)
So not only will you find low prices on a place to stay but you can also feel good that you are helping to support a company that is socially conscious, and is committed to ethical business practices.
Since the Connecticut Children's Medical Center falls under the umbrella of the Children's Miracle Network, I promised I would write and espouse a few impressions of hotelscombined.com, and there you have it, so please check them out for your next trip or just out of curiosity.
See, I told you, I would always have a damn good reason...
In that spirit, something found me today in the form of an e-mail. Hotels Combined http://www.hotelscombined.com is a search engine for hotels ( uh..,duh!..). More eloquently put, it is a one stop gateway for finding the best deal on lodging. For those triathletes who travel to races across the country and even internationally, the logistical aspects can, at times be mind boggling, time consuming, paranoia inducing ventures. This website takes a little of the hassle out of finding and acquiring a place to stay. The site is easy to use, has many search options such as hotel brands, amenities, star ratings and shows prices from multiple online vendors. You can also read reviews from independent sources. All pretty standard stuff, however, this company is also one with a conscience as they have pledged to donate money to charities such as the World Wildlife Fund, Make a Wish Foundation, and the Children's Miracle Network for spreading the word about their website. They also are a partner of http://www.Carbonfund.org, and so are "offsetting carbon emissions generated by its business operations by investing in carbon reducing intitiatives such as renewable energy, reforestation, and energy-efficiency products." (hotels combined -website)
So not only will you find low prices on a place to stay but you can also feel good that you are helping to support a company that is socially conscious, and is committed to ethical business practices.
Since the Connecticut Children's Medical Center falls under the umbrella of the Children's Miracle Network, I promised I would write and espouse a few impressions of hotelscombined.com, and there you have it, so please check them out for your next trip or just out of curiosity.
See, I told you, I would always have a damn good reason...
technical difficulties
Yes folks, I have run into the inevitable technical difficulties with the photos I had posted on this blog...I am the process of working it out. Sometimes I feel like a monkey with computers, I just want to hit the side of the CPU a couple of times and have the problem fix itself...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
goals for 2009; daily training
Okay, so I was talking about goals, strictly race goals (i.e. race times, etc..). Racing is good validation and recognition for all the hard work that no one ever sees, and good results, for me, validate all the hard work, and having fun comes from the good results that come from the hard work. Having said this, here are a few goals for 2009:
- to stay healthy, and have fun (per above description)
- Race 500 miles and I am working on a mileage ticker or tracker to illustrate my progress throughout the year.
- Times are so subjective that can be affected by weather, competition, etc...However I feel like I want to be in the top three percent of any race I enter. So if a race has 600 entrants, I want to be in the top 20, 1000 entrants in the top 30, 2000 entrants in the top 60 and so forth and so on...
Today:
3200 yards in pool followed by 1 hr run with 40 minutes at 6:30 mile pace(threshold).
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
race resume
3, 250 yards in the pool; 2 hrs cycling with 1.5 hrs at/or around a threshold level.
I have added my races on the side of this page since the fall of 2006 when I started racing to provide a base of results for my goals in 2009, in conjunction with those linked to the fundraising.
The fundraising goal is my main objective this year. I want to race 450-500 miles and link that to raising 10 dollars for every mile I race, and I think this is achievable. This goal has been clearly laid out and as spring approaches hopefully all the proverbial dominoes and ducks will be in a row regarding this side of my racing efforts.
Unfortunately, there is a dark side to my racing goals, a selfish, vain underbelly, but one in which I've worked hard to preen and nurture. All kidding aside, when one does something they should want to do it well, especially if they give so much of their time and/or effort to this one thing, and I am not exempt from this formula. Having said that, I do have some goals in mind in terms of time and placement in my age group, etc.., etc...
but I have to go cook dinner so I will continue this thought tomorrow,
chow...
I have added my races on the side of this page since the fall of 2006 when I started racing to provide a base of results for my goals in 2009, in conjunction with those linked to the fundraising.
The fundraising goal is my main objective this year. I want to race 450-500 miles and link that to raising 10 dollars for every mile I race, and I think this is achievable. This goal has been clearly laid out and as spring approaches hopefully all the proverbial dominoes and ducks will be in a row regarding this side of my racing efforts.
Unfortunately, there is a dark side to my racing goals, a selfish, vain underbelly, but one in which I've worked hard to preen and nurture. All kidding aside, when one does something they should want to do it well, especially if they give so much of their time and/or effort to this one thing, and I am not exempt from this formula. Having said that, I do have some goals in mind in terms of time and placement in my age group, etc.., etc...
but I have to go cook dinner so I will continue this thought tomorrow,
chow...
Monday, March 16, 2009
sunday and weekly totals
3,400 yards in the pool in the morning, and ~ 20 mile run in the afternoon...
Weekly totals: week 17 (heaviest week)
Weekly totals: week 17 (heaviest week)
- 13,000 yards in pool (~7.5 miles)
- 10 hrs 10 minutes cycling (~200 miles)
- 5 hrs 15 min running(~42 miles)
Only three more weeks to go, and then i'll probably do a few off season weeks ( more weight training, technique work), and then start the Half-Ironman program again about half way through...
After completeting about %85 of this plan I feel that I probably could have done more mileage, especially with my schedule being wide open, however, I don't have a race until June and this is my first go-around working with a plan. It was more important to me to improve technique and then relax as much as possible...
I figure the extra rest and extra time I have had these past five months has allowed me to work on infrastructure for the fundraising efforts, and to gauge how I will respond to the training level as prescribed...I know that when spring rolls around, working full time, stepping up to the Ironman training level, and racing in Colorado will be a good challenge so I may as well rest and relax a little now...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
friday and saturday
Yesterday, was about 3200 yards in the pool in the morning, hill climb repeats on the bike in the afternoon. There are a couple of climbs right outside boulder where it is possible to gain around 1,000 feet of elevation really quickly, roads where one might even have trouble turning over the easiest gear...Needless to say, these are perfect for pain inducing hill repeats...For me it's the first five minutes of a climb that hurt, once I get into a rhythm, and my legs get used to the effort it becomes, dare I say this, fun, then again i've always loved climbing, and the pain...
Today, was a loooooong day of cycling! Started early this morning on the trainer, then when the sun started to warm things up I headed outside for the final hour and a half. All-in-all, 4 hours 45 minutes cycling, the longest to date in the training plan. 6X 3 min sprints in the middle of an hour of running later in the day on the treadmill. Now, it was nice enough to run outside but sometimes I like to do the sprint workouts on the treadmill so I can control the consistency of speed and heart rate. Also running on the treadmill, you can get used to running above your comfort level for extended periods of time without worrying about hacking up a lung from the cold weather or the unexpected hill(which happens often here in colorado), which, for me, increases my ability to run faster, longer. Outside is good, don't get me wrong, dealing with wind and hills and cold ( and I practice this skill as well), but it doesn't always give you the controlled environment to learn how to pace at a faster rate for longer. Also, I am able to get a good read on my heart rate at different levels so that when I do run outside I can gauge where I am in terms of speed and power.
Today, was a loooooong day of cycling! Started early this morning on the trainer, then when the sun started to warm things up I headed outside for the final hour and a half. All-in-all, 4 hours 45 minutes cycling, the longest to date in the training plan. 6X 3 min sprints in the middle of an hour of running later in the day on the treadmill. Now, it was nice enough to run outside but sometimes I like to do the sprint workouts on the treadmill so I can control the consistency of speed and heart rate. Also running on the treadmill, you can get used to running above your comfort level for extended periods of time without worrying about hacking up a lung from the cold weather or the unexpected hill(which happens often here in colorado), which, for me, increases my ability to run faster, longer. Outside is good, don't get me wrong, dealing with wind and hills and cold ( and I practice this skill as well), but it doesn't always give you the controlled environment to learn how to pace at a faster rate for longer. Also, I am able to get a good read on my heart rate at different levels so that when I do run outside I can gauge where I am in terms of speed and power.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
fundraising update
I am really excited about this fundraising effort so far and how it has gone! To date, we have raised $531 for Connecticut Children's Medical Center and are 11% of the way to the goal of $5,000 over the course of 2009! Thank you to everyone donating and/or spreading the word, and please continue to check back in as the year progresses!
Brendan
Brendan
brick
Today was the brick workout. 2 hrs on bike followed by 45 minute run at high aerobic intensity...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
credit
It has come to my attention that I should give credit where credit is due for my strides with triathlon training. Although my body is doing all the actual work this resource has helped me focus my daily workouts, and given me some great advice on securing a smart training regimen.
It is no secret, and no unorthodox method, I am simply using a plan from Triathlete magazine's Essential week-by-week-training guide ( Warner Books, copyright 2006; $19.95) written or put together by Matt Fitzgerald, with data compiled from many sources. You can pick this book up in any reputable book store, I'm sure, or online. Due to my overreaching, ambitious enthusiasm, I go straight to level 10 but there are many different levels and plans for each length of race from sprint distance to full Ironman. This book also has off-season weight training and stretching programs as well. I would love to have a coach and a physical therapist and a massage therapist and all that but for the shoe string triathlete this book gives me enough guidance to get by...
You know what the real secret is and it really isn't that big of a secret? Having your days and nights completely tuned to your training. No stress from a real job, that is, like 9-5 or whatever. Your training is your work, and you complete all the workouts as prescribed and then you go home and have plenty of time to recover, eat, sleep, do whatever you need to do. No boss telling you to do this or do that, no overtime, no "we need you to come in this weekend", etc, etc... Recovery time is the key, and I don't know many people that will tell you otherwise. You'll never get faster if you can't recover, i mean, you're body will become used to a certain level of stress if you stress it, but for signficant progression in speed, power and efficiency there is no substitute for recovery time, period, and i'm living proof. Lately ( last 5 months) I can swim, run and bike faster and more powerfully, and efficiently because right now I have the time to leave myself 14-20 hours in between my last workout of the day and the first one of the next day. Now I have also devoted an inordinate amount of time to technique drills in each discipline, sometime devoting the entire workout to focusing on efficiency, which comes from good technique (one of the things my "coach/physical therapist/nutritionist/psychologist" has taught me). Maybe I won't bike faster, but i'll learn how to pedal with more power using less energy and my legs will be stronger for the run and effectully being able to run faster.
So in, summary, quit your job, focus solely on triathlon and you will become a better, faster triathlete. I must put a couple of asterisks next to this advice; The first being natural athletic talent, which is hard to quantify, and so could be given to everyone in differing doses, and could affect performance level. Secondly, is even harder to quantify and that is one's mental make-up. Everyone, anyone can do the same set of workouts, have the same lifestyle, but still, people are unique. Depending on the race and distance, what's inside a person's brain that makes one person push oneself longer, harder, smarter in some cases than another? Is it the collective life experiences of that individual which are unlike anyone else's, unique? Contrary to what may be believed out there, triathletes are not robots. Anyone can train themselves to the fullest possible limit of their potential at any one time, but could it be that what is inside one's soul could be the defining characteristic of seperating out the many layers of athletic beings that swim, bike, run the earth?
It is no secret, and no unorthodox method, I am simply using a plan from Triathlete magazine's Essential week-by-week-training guide ( Warner Books, copyright 2006; $19.95) written or put together by Matt Fitzgerald, with data compiled from many sources. You can pick this book up in any reputable book store, I'm sure, or online. Due to my overreaching, ambitious enthusiasm, I go straight to level 10 but there are many different levels and plans for each length of race from sprint distance to full Ironman. This book also has off-season weight training and stretching programs as well. I would love to have a coach and a physical therapist and a massage therapist and all that but for the shoe string triathlete this book gives me enough guidance to get by...
You know what the real secret is and it really isn't that big of a secret? Having your days and nights completely tuned to your training. No stress from a real job, that is, like 9-5 or whatever. Your training is your work, and you complete all the workouts as prescribed and then you go home and have plenty of time to recover, eat, sleep, do whatever you need to do. No boss telling you to do this or do that, no overtime, no "we need you to come in this weekend", etc, etc... Recovery time is the key, and I don't know many people that will tell you otherwise. You'll never get faster if you can't recover, i mean, you're body will become used to a certain level of stress if you stress it, but for signficant progression in speed, power and efficiency there is no substitute for recovery time, period, and i'm living proof. Lately ( last 5 months) I can swim, run and bike faster and more powerfully, and efficiently because right now I have the time to leave myself 14-20 hours in between my last workout of the day and the first one of the next day. Now I have also devoted an inordinate amount of time to technique drills in each discipline, sometime devoting the entire workout to focusing on efficiency, which comes from good technique (one of the things my "coach/physical therapist/nutritionist/psychologist" has taught me). Maybe I won't bike faster, but i'll learn how to pedal with more power using less energy and my legs will be stronger for the run and effectully being able to run faster.
So in, summary, quit your job, focus solely on triathlon and you will become a better, faster triathlete. I must put a couple of asterisks next to this advice; The first being natural athletic talent, which is hard to quantify, and so could be given to everyone in differing doses, and could affect performance level. Secondly, is even harder to quantify and that is one's mental make-up. Everyone, anyone can do the same set of workouts, have the same lifestyle, but still, people are unique. Depending on the race and distance, what's inside a person's brain that makes one person push oneself longer, harder, smarter in some cases than another? Is it the collective life experiences of that individual which are unlike anyone else's, unique? Contrary to what may be believed out there, triathletes are not robots. Anyone can train themselves to the fullest possible limit of their potential at any one time, but could it be that what is inside one's soul could be the defining characteristic of seperating out the many layers of athletic beings that swim, bike, run the earth?
wednesday
3100 yards in pool immediately follwed by 1 hr long run with 40 minutes at threshold pace(~6:30 mile).
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tuesday
3,250 yards in pool, then 2hours on bike trainer, luckily a european soccer game game on so I had something decent to entertain me, although Liverpool ended up routing Real Madrid 4-0!
Manchester United versus Inter Milan tomorrow, should be a good game, plan on doing workouts early, get them out of the way...
Manchester United versus Inter Milan tomorrow, should be a good game, plan on doing workouts early, get them out of the way...
Monday, March 9, 2009
This is my little cousin Jeremy and me. He is currently back in full health it seems, getting ready for baseball season! Obviously not a yankees fan, but I love him anyway... Jeremy is my motivation for this effort to give back in thanks to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center for having an integral role in saving Jeremy from a staff infection. I would also like to thank all the people who helped me get the proverbial ball rolling and also to all the people donating and/or spreading the word, not only about this specific effort but also simply about all the great work Connecticut Children's does for so many other families.
I currently live in Colorado, so in the future hope to expand this fundraising effort to encompass more hospitals under the umbrella of The Children's Miracle Network of which Connecticut Children's Medical Center is a part of. So please check out some of the links on the left side of this page if you haven't already and here's hoping Jer stays healthy!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Recovery week
Today was a good day...fast mile in the pool, (thank you masters swim class next to me providing waves, keeping me honest). Followed a couple of hours later by 1 hr 10 min run.
I am realizing there is a method to the madness because an hour long run does not even seem like anything these days! A couple of years ago I would have had to prepare for days and maybe rewrite my will before heading out on a run over 45 minutes...
weekly totals:
I am realizing there is a method to the madness because an hour long run does not even seem like anything these days! A couple of years ago I would have had to prepare for days and maybe rewrite my will before heading out on a run over 45 minutes...
weekly totals:
- 9,600 yards swimming
- 5hrs 45 min cycling
- 3hrs 20 min running
- Total hrs~13
Friday, March 6, 2009
Rejoice
Rejoice, faithful spam, I mean, blog recievers!! Brendan's hiatus due to a mildly to severely annoying head cold rendering his typing fingers listless is starting to lift, and unfortunately our fearless leader is not that coordinated with his toes, otherwise there would have been a steady stream of continuous blogging, you can be sure!
Anyways, let me recap what you may have missed...Sleep, swim, sleep, run, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, swim, eat, sleep, bike, etc, etc...Throw in a walk the dog every so often, and a trip to the library and you've got my week...
That's all i've got the energy for now but we should be up and blogging at full speed again soon....
Anyways, let me recap what you may have missed...Sleep, swim, sleep, run, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, swim, eat, sleep, bike, etc, etc...Throw in a walk the dog every so often, and a trip to the library and you've got my week...
That's all i've got the energy for now but we should be up and blogging at full speed again soon....
Monday, March 2, 2009
weekend
i've fallen behind by a few days but here is the catch-up:
Saturday: 4 hrs on bike; 44 min run with some sprints a couple of hours later.
Sunday: 1.5 mile swim with 300 yd warm up, 300 cool down; 2hr 20 min run in afternoon.
Weekly totals:
Saturday: 4 hrs on bike; 44 min run with some sprints a couple of hours later.
Sunday: 1.5 mile swim with 300 yd warm up, 300 cool down; 2hr 20 min run in afternoon.
Weekly totals:
- 12, 500 yards in pool
- 9 hrs on bike
- 4hrs 35 mins running
Now, unfortunately I am sick from descending the canyon I climbed on saturday soaking in sweat, the wind chilling me to the bone, so I must go rest...
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tricked
Oh man what a morning! 3100 yards in the pool, then come home, sun is shining, earth is still, so I head out on the bike for some hill repeats ( 1.5 hrs)....but Colorado had that god forsaken wind held in its back pocket to surprise all unwary travelers, so I had the unfortunate fortune to become one of these, battling against an unmerciful force seemingly bent on knocking me off my pretty titanium perch. Anyways the unpredictability of all this is half the fun, one must keep the perspective that adverse conditions will only make one stronger, or it will make you hate being outside in general, but lets hope it reinforces the former...
moral of the story, when one choses a path, see that path through even though you have no idea where it may lead or when it will end, it could go on forever, but it's the journey that counts anyway, not the destination, although at the "end" of some destinations there is a cold beer and a cheeseburger and good family and friends waiting for you, but is that really that the end of your trip, for some so called endings are just beginnings ?...
moral of the story, when one choses a path, see that path through even though you have no idea where it may lead or when it will end, it could go on forever, but it's the journey that counts anyway, not the destination, although at the "end" of some destinations there is a cold beer and a cheeseburger and good family and friends waiting for you, but is that really that the end of your trip, for some so called endings are just beginnings ?...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Brick
Just finished brick workout. 2 hrs on bike (inside) and then a 30 minute run (outside) in what can only be described as viciously gusty winds, it's just a test of will as soon as you get out there...
On a general note: this blog is merely one man's humble scribblings and opinions of daily existence using the scope and realm of his knowledge. It's just the world as I live it, see it, and hope for it to be. I will not acquiesce to profundity, absurdity, or hilarity on things which I have no personal experience or relation to.
On a general note: this blog is merely one man's humble scribblings and opinions of daily existence using the scope and realm of his knowledge. It's just the world as I live it, see it, and hope for it to be. I will not acquiesce to profundity, absurdity, or hilarity on things which I have no personal experience or relation to.
What is Triathlon, Part III: Olympic distance
If the sprint distance is the triathlon for "everyone and their mother", then the Olympic distance triathlon is for "everyone"!
This distance tests one speed stamina, whereas a sprint just tests speed, and it tends to attract the best "pure athletes" since much glamour and prestige surrounds this distance since it is the Olympic, as in the Olympics, distance so gets recognized on the international stage. At no other distance races will one see the full spectrum of athlete, from the best in the world to the working person who has 4-8 hours a week to train, maybe less, who's goal is to finish. From the young 16 year old kid to the 70 year old grandparent (rare, but i've seen it!) racing for the first or eight hundreth time.
Completing an almost 1 mile swim, 30 mile bike ride and 6.2 mile run is the perfect physical challenge that is very attainable with smart, minimal training, and involves some mental strength to keep pushing a high pace as long as one can.
The long and short, for most of us is to have fun, and the Olympic distance provides an arena that is enjoyable while pushing the physical limits a little further than the sprint distance.
This distance tests one speed stamina, whereas a sprint just tests speed, and it tends to attract the best "pure athletes" since much glamour and prestige surrounds this distance since it is the Olympic, as in the Olympics, distance so gets recognized on the international stage. At no other distance races will one see the full spectrum of athlete, from the best in the world to the working person who has 4-8 hours a week to train, maybe less, who's goal is to finish. From the young 16 year old kid to the 70 year old grandparent (rare, but i've seen it!) racing for the first or eight hundreth time.
Completing an almost 1 mile swim, 30 mile bike ride and 6.2 mile run is the perfect physical challenge that is very attainable with smart, minimal training, and involves some mental strength to keep pushing a high pace as long as one can.
The long and short, for most of us is to have fun, and the Olympic distance provides an arena that is enjoyable while pushing the physical limits a little further than the sprint distance.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
wednesday
Another tough day...but it's amazing how quickly the body adapts to new levels of stress, although the landscaping work has been fairly mellow, it's my wife having to deal with a sink full of dishes after work while i'm out running that doesn't adapt so well (no, no, i'm kidding...sort of...)!
3100 yards in pool, work, and then 58 min run with 38 at threshold intensity, which for me, is the fastest pace I could theoretically hold for an hour or so...
I also want to address what has been termed "a bitterness" about money and triathlon. Yes, it is my choice to train 20-25 hours a week, no one is forcing me to do that. I just wanted to lay out in a creative manner what I deem to be a pitfall of the sport, and to use my own experiences as a cautionary tale. There are always ways to make things work out if you really want them to. Like anything else in life, there is good, and there is bad, you just take advantage of the good and learn from the bad.
I am a firm believer that where you are and what you are doing is exactly how it's supposed to be and couldn't have happened any other way, and if you are always moving in a positive direction in your mind than that will manifest itself outside of your mind in the real physical world.
Brick ( bike/run) tomorrow, hoping for no wind, although it is colorado in february so we'll see...
3100 yards in pool, work, and then 58 min run with 38 at threshold intensity, which for me, is the fastest pace I could theoretically hold for an hour or so...
I also want to address what has been termed "a bitterness" about money and triathlon. Yes, it is my choice to train 20-25 hours a week, no one is forcing me to do that. I just wanted to lay out in a creative manner what I deem to be a pitfall of the sport, and to use my own experiences as a cautionary tale. There are always ways to make things work out if you really want them to. Like anything else in life, there is good, and there is bad, you just take advantage of the good and learn from the bad.
I am a firm believer that where you are and what you are doing is exactly how it's supposed to be and couldn't have happened any other way, and if you are always moving in a positive direction in your mind than that will manifest itself outside of your mind in the real physical world.
Brick ( bike/run) tomorrow, hoping for no wind, although it is colorado in february so we'll see...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
first day of real work
Alright, so all this training and blogging and fundraising is all well and good but show me some work you get paid for young man.
Well today was the day, a little glimpse into the future...With 65 degree weather here in Boulder it was back to landscaping today, so swim this morning, then work, then bike after work, dinner, write on blog, sleep...Man, I am going to be tired in eight months when the snow arrives again...
Well today was the day, a little glimpse into the future...With 65 degree weather here in Boulder it was back to landscaping today, so swim this morning, then work, then bike after work, dinner, write on blog, sleep...Man, I am going to be tired in eight months when the snow arrives again...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Part II: What is Triathlon?
I am still a little dizzy from my blog outburst last night so I wanted to add something a little more informative instead of mere literary indulgence...
Triathlon is a sport consisting of a swim, a bike, and a run usually in that order and following one another immediately. Triathlon races are of varying lengths and difficulty, i will outline the most commonly seen and used distances, although they may vary, especially the sprint distance, from race to race:
Triathlon is a sport consisting of a swim, a bike, and a run usually in that order and following one another immediately. Triathlon races are of varying lengths and difficulty, i will outline the most commonly seen and used distances, although they may vary, especially the sprint distance, from race to race:
- Sprint Distance- 1/4-1/2 mile swim, 15-17 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
- Olympic Distance- .93 mile swim, 28-30 mile bike, 6.2 mile run
- Half-Ironman- 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run
- Ironman- 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run
The Sprint Distance triathlon is the most achieveable for anyone looking to try the sport out and/or have some fun as it involves usually a small time and money commitment, and is most enjoyable, at least for me, for the pure adrenaline rush that distance provides.
Since I do not want to "shoot all my bullets" in one posting, I will profile the other distances and my thoughts on them in future blurbs...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
PART 1: what is triathlon?
At the behest or request of my blog manager, lone subscriber and reader not to mention lone father of mine, I am starting a series called "what is triathlon?" as I have come to realize that those not living in Boulder, CO may be completely oblivious to this sport and all its various subtleties, complexities, and vagaries...
OK, so what is triathlon?
Let me start by saying that triathlon is a siren, a harpie, a gypsy, a devilish woman who enchants, frustrates, fascinates, inebriates, and absorbs you, taking away your ability to function without her while slowly revealing all her cruel tendencies, creating a body that needs what its conscience and more importantly its wallet can't ascribe to! I know this may seem harsh, even bitter, but what the reader must understand is I am a poor man and this could be the only logical conclusion for those, like me, who don't aspire to $100,000 a year jobs in advertising, (and don't have the background for it anyway) but for whom life still must have a purpose and a meaning.
In short (for I feel I could go on a write a novella on this philosophical slant), triathlon is a sport that requires considerable "resources", both in time and money, money being the more important of the two since money can always buy time but the reverse cannot always said to be true. If you, poor reader, have fell as far as I have, you are probably eating a bowl of Rammen noodles in the dark with the heat turned down, freezing your ass off to save precious coins for your next bike tune up, gear purchase, nutrition need, gym membership, race fee, bus ticket, plane ticket, travel bike case, new pair of running shoes, new bike shorts and socks ( since most you own have holes in them!), etc, etc, etc.... The good thing about this situation is you learn how to be resourceful and make the most of what you have even if it means running and biking barefoot in see through tri-shorts with a hole in the crotch...
Since this is only part one I will end this now. Triathlon is for those extreme talents who discover the sport at a young age and continue with the sport and become pros, and for old middle aged people with too much money to burn and no idea what to do with it. My advice for all of you in between is to give your extra money to charity before you get hooked in to deep, and end up like me, considering compromising my principles to make money to support my "habit".
For me, triathlon is a great way to find purpose both physically and spiritually, but the eventual reward may have to great a dollar price, and that's the greatest shame of a sport I have come to love. I do not say this for pity or as a cry for help but just as a way to illustrate that triathlon really is an elitist sport sort of like skiing that not everyone should, could or would aspire to taking part in, a cautionary tale...
OK, so what is triathlon?
Let me start by saying that triathlon is a siren, a harpie, a gypsy, a devilish woman who enchants, frustrates, fascinates, inebriates, and absorbs you, taking away your ability to function without her while slowly revealing all her cruel tendencies, creating a body that needs what its conscience and more importantly its wallet can't ascribe to! I know this may seem harsh, even bitter, but what the reader must understand is I am a poor man and this could be the only logical conclusion for those, like me, who don't aspire to $100,000 a year jobs in advertising, (and don't have the background for it anyway) but for whom life still must have a purpose and a meaning.
In short (for I feel I could go on a write a novella on this philosophical slant), triathlon is a sport that requires considerable "resources", both in time and money, money being the more important of the two since money can always buy time but the reverse cannot always said to be true. If you, poor reader, have fell as far as I have, you are probably eating a bowl of Rammen noodles in the dark with the heat turned down, freezing your ass off to save precious coins for your next bike tune up, gear purchase, nutrition need, gym membership, race fee, bus ticket, plane ticket, travel bike case, new pair of running shoes, new bike shorts and socks ( since most you own have holes in them!), etc, etc, etc.... The good thing about this situation is you learn how to be resourceful and make the most of what you have even if it means running and biking barefoot in see through tri-shorts with a hole in the crotch...
Since this is only part one I will end this now. Triathlon is for those extreme talents who discover the sport at a young age and continue with the sport and become pros, and for old middle aged people with too much money to burn and no idea what to do with it. My advice for all of you in between is to give your extra money to charity before you get hooked in to deep, and end up like me, considering compromising my principles to make money to support my "habit".
For me, triathlon is a great way to find purpose both physically and spiritually, but the eventual reward may have to great a dollar price, and that's the greatest shame of a sport I have come to love. I do not say this for pity or as a cry for help but just as a way to illustrate that triathlon really is an elitist sport sort of like skiing that not everyone should, could or would aspire to taking part in, a cautionary tale...
Sunday and weekly totals
1.8 mile swim follwed by 1hr 20 minute trail run. Felt really good today, must be the steroids (kidding)...
Weekly totals: Week 14 of 20
Weekly totals: Week 14 of 20
- 12, 300 yards swimming
- 7 hrs 15 min cycling
- 4hrs 25 min running
Saturday, February 21, 2009
brick
Okay saturday brick workout which is named after some guy named Matt Brick, I forget the rest and most important parts of the story...Anyhow, it's a bike followed immediately by a run, like race simulation.
My problem is I go to bed to early, therefore get up too early, therefore it's still dark and ten degrees when I wake up, and on Saturdays this hurts me because by 6:30 am I am ready to go...So...2 hrs and 15 minutes on bike trainer, by then it was warmer and lighter so I towel off, get into outside running gear and head out for 55 min run, which actually felt good, the bike feels like a prolonged warmup on these days...
The brick workout is becoming my favorite workout, and I don't know if anyone would advise this in the outside world but since is this my own little made up one I can say this. I feel much better in all my workouts when they are back to back. Whether it be a swim/run; swim/bike; bike/run. I guess its just a nutrition thing, and really, it's the running. A swim or a bike before the run primes my system so I know where i'm at when I start the run and how I have to fuel as I am running. When I separate workouts out by 4 or 5 hours I feel like i'm playing roulette with my system....
I bet whoever is reading this (dad) never thought a person could give this much thought to digestion and I am sure that he didn't really want to know, but this is what my life has become, me against my stomach...how sad..
My problem is I go to bed to early, therefore get up too early, therefore it's still dark and ten degrees when I wake up, and on Saturdays this hurts me because by 6:30 am I am ready to go...So...2 hrs and 15 minutes on bike trainer, by then it was warmer and lighter so I towel off, get into outside running gear and head out for 55 min run, which actually felt good, the bike feels like a prolonged warmup on these days...
The brick workout is becoming my favorite workout, and I don't know if anyone would advise this in the outside world but since is this my own little made up one I can say this. I feel much better in all my workouts when they are back to back. Whether it be a swim/run; swim/bike; bike/run. I guess its just a nutrition thing, and really, it's the running. A swim or a bike before the run primes my system so I know where i'm at when I start the run and how I have to fuel as I am running. When I separate workouts out by 4 or 5 hours I feel like i'm playing roulette with my system....
I bet whoever is reading this (dad) never thought a person could give this much thought to digestion and I am sure that he didn't really want to know, but this is what my life has become, me against my stomach...how sad..
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday
I should come up with more clever names for these postings but would anyone really care?...
3100 yards in pool, sets of 300, drills, kick set, warm up, cool down.
hurricane force winds drive me inside once again to the trainer for 2 hrs, warm up, 9X 1.5 min sprints w/3 min recovery, cool down.
The inevitable return to Landscaping is near at hand, so I will be adding some non-traditional training to all this soon, i.e. dug trenches for four hours or shoveled rock mulch for two hours or got in fight armed only with a pick against Colorado clay soil to dig a whole for a tree and lost!
WORDS OF WARNING: I am a trained monkey, i mean professional, and would not try training for an ironman 20-25 hours a week and landscaping 35-40 hours a week unless you have sufficient hatred for yourself!
This may be the interesting daily anecdotal sewage, i mean spewage, we've all been waiting for.
3100 yards in pool, sets of 300, drills, kick set, warm up, cool down.
hurricane force winds drive me inside once again to the trainer for 2 hrs, warm up, 9X 1.5 min sprints w/3 min recovery, cool down.
The inevitable return to Landscaping is near at hand, so I will be adding some non-traditional training to all this soon, i.e. dug trenches for four hours or shoveled rock mulch for two hours or got in fight armed only with a pick against Colorado clay soil to dig a whole for a tree and lost!
WORDS OF WARNING: I am a trained monkey, i mean professional, and would not try training for an ironman 20-25 hours a week and landscaping 35-40 hours a week unless you have sufficient hatred for yourself!
This may be the interesting daily anecdotal sewage, i mean spewage, we've all been waiting for.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
thursday
1hr 15 minutes high aerobic on bike, wind kept me honest...
three hours later....1 hr 12 min run: warm up, 12 X 1 min sprints/ 3 min recovery, cool down....
have yet to figure out nutrition/meals for these days, stomach in shambles after run...Run on comletely empty stomach may be way to go, I know you'll be on the edge of you're seat wondering if i've solved another triathlon riddle!
three hours later....1 hr 12 min run: warm up, 12 X 1 min sprints/ 3 min recovery, cool down....
have yet to figure out nutrition/meals for these days, stomach in shambles after run...Run on comletely empty stomach may be way to go, I know you'll be on the edge of you're seat wondering if i've solved another triathlon riddle!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
wednesday
Another 3100 yards in pool, and then a 56 minute run 36 of those minutes at a pretty high pace...
In more exciting news ( like that won't be hard to accomplish) the Connecticut Children's Medical Center has created the official, real deal, website for my racing and fundraising efforts! I will hopefully be posting that link on the site here at the end of this transmission.
my new motto: "If you pronate, donate!"
In more exciting news ( like that won't be hard to accomplish) the Connecticut Children's Medical Center has created the official, real deal, website for my racing and fundraising efforts! I will hopefully be posting that link on the site here at the end of this transmission.
my new motto: "If you pronate, donate!"
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
back to work
Fresh off my "day off", another 3100 yards in pool, mostly short intervals (100 yards) at various speed (moderate to full out); Feeling very strong in pool, though it could have been the calm waters of the east boulder rec center! The old ladies swimming next to me don't create much of a wave, not that i'm complaining because i'm not...
Windy as hell here so got on bike trainer a couple of hours later for 1 hr 45 minutes ( two separate threshold sessions-20 minutes) .
Windy as hell here so got on bike trainer a couple of hours later for 1 hr 45 minutes ( two separate threshold sessions-20 minutes) .
Monday, February 16, 2009
sunday, end of week
Sunday, the long swim and looooooong run day....
2900 yards in the pool, 1.5 miles straight with warm up and cool down in the morning...
2 hr 10 minute run at moderate intensity in the afternoon...Might have pushed too hard, stomach was a wreck about the last hour and for a few hours after run...Have to figure out solid, better nutrition plan for these long run days including what I eat for lunch and how long I need to properly digest it, then what I actually need on the run.
For me it's easier to do a long run directly after a swim or bike because my body is already up and chugging, burning calories as I take them, so it's easier to gauge what I need.
Weekly totals: (~20 hrs)
2900 yards in the pool, 1.5 miles straight with warm up and cool down in the morning...
2 hr 10 minute run at moderate intensity in the afternoon...Might have pushed too hard, stomach was a wreck about the last hour and for a few hours after run...Have to figure out solid, better nutrition plan for these long run days including what I eat for lunch and how long I need to properly digest it, then what I actually need on the run.
For me it's easier to do a long run directly after a swim or bike because my body is already up and chugging, burning calories as I take them, so it's easier to gauge what I need.
Weekly totals: (~20 hrs)
- 12, 100 yards in pool
- 9 hrs on bike
- 4hrs 45 min running
Saturday, February 14, 2009
mental toughness
"mental toughness", whatever that really means, can be summed up in a short sentence: 4 hours and 15 minutes on the bike trainer. California and Florida triathletes, count your blessings!
Another tough, but speed and strength enhancing "track workout" on the treadmill: warm up, 11 X 1 min sprints w/recovery, cool down. Total: 1 hr 9 minutes It all comes down to form and determination those last three or four sets...on second thought, those are important in all of them...
"I asked pain to be my valentine and she said yes.."-Unknown
Another tough, but speed and strength enhancing "track workout" on the treadmill: warm up, 11 X 1 min sprints w/recovery, cool down. Total: 1 hr 9 minutes It all comes down to form and determination those last three or four sets...on second thought, those are important in all of them...
"I asked pain to be my valentine and she said yes.."-Unknown
Friday, February 13, 2009
friday
3100 yards in pool: warm up (400 yds), drill set, 5X300 (1 minute rest), 4X50 speed ( 20 sec rest), kick set, cool down (400 yds)
1 hr 50 min on bike: warm up, 8 X 1.5 minute climbs with 3 min recovery, cool down.
Also, for those of you interested, but not "facebook" people, I have also set up a "MySpace" page for fundraising for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and provided a link at the side of this page...Please check this out and the other links provided to give back to this worthy institution. Thank you.
Now on to the interminable job search...
1 hr 50 min on bike: warm up, 8 X 1.5 minute climbs with 3 min recovery, cool down.
Also, for those of you interested, but not "facebook" people, I have also set up a "MySpace" page for fundraising for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and provided a link at the side of this page...Please check this out and the other links provided to give back to this worthy institution. Thank you.
Now on to the interminable job search...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
thursday brick
Very cold, but sunny and still...went out for 1 hour 15 minutes on bike, probably covered 25-30 miles, follwed immediately by a 30 minute run, all at a high aerobic pace, so somwhere in between a medium pace and sprinting....I don't know, i'm learning how not to just red-line it all the time...
It's so nice to be living the dream! I say don't let the dream die!
wake up, walk dog, breakfast, go workout, come home, shower, eat, nap, walk dog, write on blog, prepare dinner, eat, an hour or two of TV, walk dog again, sleep....
It's so nice to be living the dream! I say don't let the dream die!
wake up, walk dog, breakfast, go workout, come home, shower, eat, nap, walk dog, write on blog, prepare dinner, eat, an hour or two of TV, walk dog again, sleep....
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
tuesday training
In the pool at 8 am to do 3100 yards...warm up, drill set, 16X100yard sets, kick set, cool down...
Got on bike at about 12:30pm, watched some rain or snow fall about 3 miles closer to the mountains, tried to stay east of them, home at 2:15pm...Approx. 35-40 miles
A little tired but I got coffee going, so I can commence my daily job searching...
Got on bike at about 12:30pm, watched some rain or snow fall about 3 miles closer to the mountains, tried to stay east of them, home at 2:15pm...Approx. 35-40 miles
A little tired but I got coffee going, so I can commence my daily job searching...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Day off
Today is my day off before ramping it back up tomorrow-Sun...I will take full advantage of these days now, because in a couple of months, when I'm back out in the fields, shoveling dirt and carrying stone, i'll be wishing for days like this...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Fundraising update
Fundraising for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center is going well with $270 donated through my facebook site(check out the link on this page!). That site has various ways to donate:
Also, currently in the process of getting more letters and e-mails out to extend the networking for this effort, and thank you to those who have already participated!
- through facebook
- through Connecticut Children's website
- by mail
- I have created a link to a gift form where your donation goes into a Conard/Hall Alumni fund. Just print the form out and mail in.
Also, currently in the process of getting more letters and e-mails out to extend the networking for this effort, and thank you to those who have already participated!
End of Week 12
Tough .93 mile swim this morning with waves and counter-currents in pool due to Masters swim class right next to me...I was feeling good, so I did my 1 hr 20 minute run (~11 miles) directly after the swim, and it also feels good to sweat off all that chlorine!
Week 12 (recovery) of 20 in the half-iron training plan is over!
Week 12 (recovery) of 20 in the half-iron training plan is over!
Weekly totals:
- 9, 375 yards in pool (~5.33 miles)
- 5hrs 15 minutes on bike (~115-120 miles)
- 3hrs 40 minutes running (~30 miles)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
fooled me
Woke up this morning, sun was shining, birds were chirping, trees were still, so I suited up and got on my bike (~7:45am)....
About an hour later, this cold, north wind starts blowing and I start to freeze....
Get home from bike at 9:15 am with wooden feet, a euphemism for I can't feel them... and immediately head out for 45 minute run this being my weekly brick (bike follwed immediately by a run) workout...
Home by 10:20 am to a warm cup of coffee made by my loving wife, and the entire rest of the day to enjoy!!
About an hour later, this cold, north wind starts blowing and I start to freeze....
Get home from bike at 9:15 am with wooden feet, a euphemism for I can't feel them... and immediately head out for 45 minute run this being my weekly brick (bike follwed immediately by a run) workout...
Home by 10:20 am to a warm cup of coffee made by my loving wife, and the entire rest of the day to enjoy!!
Friday, February 6, 2009
daily training log
Very windy today in Colorado...Got in 2300 yards (Roughly 1.4 miles) in the pool this morning, warm up/drills/5X200 at fast controlled pace/ some sprints/cool down...
Still windy this afternoon, can't bring myself to go outside: did 1 hr 5 min on bike trainer: warm up/8X 1 minute sprints with 2 minute recovery in between each sprint/cool down...
till tomorrow...
Still windy this afternoon, can't bring myself to go outside: did 1 hr 5 min on bike trainer: warm up/8X 1 minute sprints with 2 minute recovery in between each sprint/cool down...
till tomorrow...
Sucessful test
Blog photo sharing is a success!! Look for more pics apropos of something in the future!
St Louis?
Hey dad, this one's for you! The infamous cross country trip...This is the inaugural test run for posting photos to this blog, hope it works!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
daily training log
Per request of one who shall remain nameless for his own good...probably...I am going to start posting my version of "the daily grind", which maybe should encompass the type of coffee I drink on that particular day...Alas, that may not happen, but what may evolve is a quick log on how much time and effort it takes to train for long-distance triathlons on a daily basis as I go through it. Only your eyes will get tired, my whole body will be sore! WARNING! This material may not be suitable for couch potatoes (spelling?) or for those who do not believe in masochistic behavior...
Oh, so today: 1hr 15 min moderate bike ride outside because it was 70 degrees in Boulder today...47 minute run with 6 one minute sprints with 3 minute recovery, so roughly a 10 minute warm-up and cool down...
And, no, I don't run on Dunkin', it was sumatran bean coffee in the morning and an espresso roast after lunch....
Oh, so today: 1hr 15 min moderate bike ride outside because it was 70 degrees in Boulder today...47 minute run with 6 one minute sprints with 3 minute recovery, so roughly a 10 minute warm-up and cool down...
And, no, I don't run on Dunkin', it was sumatran bean coffee in the morning and an espresso roast after lunch....
Race miles as of 02/05/2009
As of right now, I am committed to do 338.8 miles of racing in 2009...I also hope to add the Denver Marathon and another 50-70 miles of racing as my schedule permits and so hope to be up around 400 when all is said and done.
This is in addition to the various "unofficial" races that Boulder, CO offers, for instance, a one mile swim and three mile run combination every thursday evening during the summer, of which I will most likely go 5 or 6 times...
All in all my goal of 450-500 miles of racing, be it official or more like official practice, is looking very attainable!
The parrallel goal of trying to raise 10 dollars for every mile I race is a trite ambitious, I admit, but I have never been one to shy away from setting big goals...In my mind, you set your goals high and if you don't get there, well, at least you tried.
Check out this website for three of the local races I am doing this summer in Boulder:
http://www.5430sports.com/
Also this is the website for Ironman Wisconsin if you want to check out what all the fuss is about:
http://www.ironmanwisconsin.com/
-beezer
This is in addition to the various "unofficial" races that Boulder, CO offers, for instance, a one mile swim and three mile run combination every thursday evening during the summer, of which I will most likely go 5 or 6 times...
All in all my goal of 450-500 miles of racing, be it official or more like official practice, is looking very attainable!
The parrallel goal of trying to raise 10 dollars for every mile I race is a trite ambitious, I admit, but I have never been one to shy away from setting big goals...In my mind, you set your goals high and if you don't get there, well, at least you tried.
Check out this website for three of the local races I am doing this summer in Boulder:
http://www.5430sports.com/
Also this is the website for Ironman Wisconsin if you want to check out what all the fuss is about:
http://www.ironmanwisconsin.com/
-beezer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New site
I have just recently been made aware by my contact at Connecticut Children's Medical Center of their new events website, so here it is, check it out:
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thanks
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have checked out my donation page on Facebook and written notes of encouragement or donated! This effort is still in its infantile stages and hopefully I will continue to have the time and energy to build momentum and interest for this worthwhile cause....In the meantime please continue to pop in to my facebook cause site and this blog to see updates and changes and spread the word...Thanks again,
B
B
Monday, January 19, 2009
Pictures
As of right now, I have a blog that only a mother could love, but for those of you even in the very least interested, I am in the process of trying to get some photos, etc.. on this blog. Due to the overachieving slowness of dial-up and maybe the speed of the blog site my patience is being tested, however, one way or another there will be some exciting visuals to accompany the mind blowing dialouge at some point...
B
B
tough weekend
Just finished a tough training weekend, the work is ramping up now as I am almost half way through the first six month training block since my last Ironman...Almost six hours on the bike, about three hours running, and a couple of hours swimming...Today is my one day off a week, however, and am going to try to recover!
All this work will pay off, even if it's six months from now, so I grin and bear it...It's tough to be patient and slowly nurture and grow something but I guess that's where the satisfaction of all the hours of labor comes in.
Speaking of work, I mean work one gets paid for, I gotta go job hunting,
B
All this work will pay off, even if it's six months from now, so I grin and bear it...It's tough to be patient and slowly nurture and grow something but I guess that's where the satisfaction of all the hours of labor comes in.
Speaking of work, I mean work one gets paid for, I gotta go job hunting,
B
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
i've created a monster
The upside of being unemployed temporarily is the amount of time I have to bore myself to tears. Due to these non-existent time restraints and my penchant for unearthing outlets for outward introspection, you all get to join me as I continually mold my virtual self.
Now that I have a blog, I feel as though I have to pay attention to it, to feed it, to nourish it, feeling invisible arms grab hold of me in an unalterable grip.
This has nothing to do whatsoever with racing or fundraising so in an effort to stay true to the original charter of this blog here are some relevant notes:
I'm not sure if this works, so feedback is greatly appreciated.
Now that I have a blog, I feel as though I have to pay attention to it, to feed it, to nourish it, feeling invisible arms grab hold of me in an unalterable grip.
This has nothing to do whatsoever with racing or fundraising so in an effort to stay true to the original charter of this blog here are some relevant notes:
- Please check out my facebook page with this link:
I'm not sure if this works, so feedback is greatly appreciated.
- This is a link to my first big race of this year, in Lawrence Kansas though I may do a race or two before then:
Till next time...
Monday, January 12, 2009
First, I would like to say welcome if you have made it this far to witness the inaugural posting for me of invisible blogging pen to paper, joining the hopeful millions aspiring to be interesting. Secondly, I apologize that you have made it this far only to find out that it's some egotistical meglomaniac writing to brag about his own achievements...
In all seriousness, I have set up this page for a good cause. For those who may not know, for the past two years I have been competing in triathlons here in Colorado and around the country. This year, however, I have decided to race while fundraising for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center http://www.ccmckids.org/, an institution that is important to me personally. They do so much good work and this is just my small way of giving back in thanks. My goal is to race 400-500 miles this year and to raise $4000-5000 for Connecticut Children's. So, this page will serve to let interested parties know how my racing season is going as well as my fundraising efforts, with possible insightful and witty commentary if I can find someone else to write this posting for me.
I currently have a fundraising effort up and running on Facebook, and am hoping to get a website created with help from Connecticut Children's so please check back in as I will be adding links to race websites and fundraising sites, photos, etc...
This being just a welcome note I will now release you to your other aimless online wanderings...
brendan
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