Monday of last week marked 90 days until the Longhorn Half Ironman in Austin, and it was a good time to add some cross-training to my workout routine. I had not done any sort of weight-related training but have continued to read that I should be. So, I tapped a set of DVDs that I bought years ago, got out the weights, and set up a pull-up bar. I have also adjusted my diet to help me shed some fat while still being able to perform. Basically, getting my calories from a lower carb diet.
In some cases, my road and bike work has suffered from the addition of the cross training, but on other days I have been doing doubles to make up for the days where I cross trained but didn't run or bike. The goal is to do a double each day that it is possible, with tri sessions in the mornings before it gets too hot and cross sessions in the evenings, all while trying to keep an eye on over training. For the most part, the cross training is upper body, with some cardio and abs thrown in there, so with the exception of being more tired and worn down, I don't think that I will overtrain muscle areas, etc. Keeping an eye on it, however!
This past weekend, training took a fairly big hit when I had a big family reunion. I didn't train at all during the weekend (Fri, Sat, or Sun), but did do some cross-training cardio on Sunday night. I also had a few beers, which is off of the low-carb diet. But, this morning (Monday), I got back into the sattle (literally) and did an 18 mile bike. I would have thought and hoped to be rested after so many days off, but I wasn't as fresh as I expected. Not sure if this is a result of not getting enough rest, the cross-training, or something else. The bike courses that I have been riding are fairly hilly, due to where I live, so that is contributing to some slower speeds. I just need to determine if that means I can bring up my average speed on a flatter course.
So, training continues in earnest. I have some more work flexibility recently that I hope will continue so that I can continue to put in some good hours of training. We just need the weather to stay cooler than it has been, too. Biking and/or running in 90 or 100 degrees isn't fun and I am sure impacts my performance.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
First Olympic Distance Triathlon
I did my first Olympic distance triathlon on July 17th - The Sunset Challenge in Bridgeton, NJ. After coming out of my first tri, which was a sprint, I thought I needed a longer distance and that the sprint was too short. Well, I didn't come out of the Olympic thinking it was too short! The week of the event, the lake failed water tests, so they had to modify the tri to a run-bike-run, so maybe that had something to do with it (I hope!). I was really hurting at the end and, again, it reminds me how far I have to go in order to do the Half Ironman in October.
I finished the Olympic distance in 2:42:25, which placed me 27th out of 50 running the race. The winner did it in 1:58:38. The bike course had a decent number of hills, etc., which kept my biking pace slower than I wanted/hoped at 18.1 mph. The winner did the bike at an avg of 23.3 mph. The first leg (2.6 mi run) was at a decent split of 20:20 (7:49 min mile), since I was trying to just put together a good pace and not kill it prior to the bike. The bike (25 mi) was done at 1:22:56, missing my goal of a 1:15:00 split. The final run, a 10K (6.2 mi), was incredibly slow relative to what I thought I could and should do. Goal was to keep at an 8 min/mile pace (sub 50 mins), but I was struggling most of the run and finished in a time of 55:45 (8:59 min/mile). Both transitions were decent, each under 2 minutes. Considering the heat (90+ degrees), those transitions were good since I was both hydrating and dumping water on my head during each.
Not quite sure what to make of the Sunset Tri and my performance there. I could probably blame it on the heat and move on, but I have to think that it is actually related to a need to train far more in advance of the Half Iron.
I finished the Olympic distance in 2:42:25, which placed me 27th out of 50 running the race. The winner did it in 1:58:38. The bike course had a decent number of hills, etc., which kept my biking pace slower than I wanted/hoped at 18.1 mph. The winner did the bike at an avg of 23.3 mph. The first leg (2.6 mi run) was at a decent split of 20:20 (7:49 min mile), since I was trying to just put together a good pace and not kill it prior to the bike. The bike (25 mi) was done at 1:22:56, missing my goal of a 1:15:00 split. The final run, a 10K (6.2 mi), was incredibly slow relative to what I thought I could and should do. Goal was to keep at an 8 min/mile pace (sub 50 mins), but I was struggling most of the run and finished in a time of 55:45 (8:59 min/mile). Both transitions were decent, each under 2 minutes. Considering the heat (90+ degrees), those transitions were good since I was both hydrating and dumping water on my head during each.
Not quite sure what to make of the Sunset Tri and my performance there. I could probably blame it on the heat and move on, but I have to think that it is actually related to a need to train far more in advance of the Half Iron.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Long Bike
Sunday was my long bike day and it was a new PR for me, as I finished 38 miles, my longest distance, to date. Took me a little under 3 hours, which wasn't so great, but the course that I chose had some challenging hills (it sure wasn't flat!), and I was on the tow path the majority of the way. Oh yeah, and then there is the little thing of needing to get a road or tri bike... hybrid mountain bikes just don't cut it when you are trying to go fast...
It is always kind of amazing to me what you can make your body do, even when it is in pain and would prefer to stop doing whatever it is you are doing. Confirmation again that this race is going to be at least 50% mental. I have been working on getting my mind into a place where there are no doubts, no thoughts of stopping, only the thought of pushing on. Usually, this isn't a problem for me, but when you are planning to go on a 5+ hr race, that is a lot of mental work to stay motivated and keep yourself going, without thoughts of the pain, the time/distances left, etc.
My primary motivation in life has always been to do things that people said or thought that I couldn't do. It is that challenge and adversity that motivates me. To prove to them and to myself that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Problem is, I guess when you are 35 years old and tell people that you are training for a half ironman, they are only supportive. No one tells you it is impossible or that you can't do it! Everyone seems to think that you can do it, and they are just proud that you are willing to try! So, what am I to do?! ;)
Right now, my battle isn't with whether or not I can complete a half, or even a full IM, but whether or not I can do it in what I consider a respectable time. I know I can make myself complete any race like that, but can I do it without walking? While still pressing hard throughout the entire race? My motivation has shifted from the doubters and to my times. What do I need to do in training and how hard do I need to push myself in the race to hit an impressive time? To make the top 10 in my age bracket?
Time will tell whether or not I have been successful... ;)
It is always kind of amazing to me what you can make your body do, even when it is in pain and would prefer to stop doing whatever it is you are doing. Confirmation again that this race is going to be at least 50% mental. I have been working on getting my mind into a place where there are no doubts, no thoughts of stopping, only the thought of pushing on. Usually, this isn't a problem for me, but when you are planning to go on a 5+ hr race, that is a lot of mental work to stay motivated and keep yourself going, without thoughts of the pain, the time/distances left, etc.
My primary motivation in life has always been to do things that people said or thought that I couldn't do. It is that challenge and adversity that motivates me. To prove to them and to myself that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Problem is, I guess when you are 35 years old and tell people that you are training for a half ironman, they are only supportive. No one tells you it is impossible or that you can't do it! Everyone seems to think that you can do it, and they are just proud that you are willing to try! So, what am I to do?! ;)
Right now, my battle isn't with whether or not I can complete a half, or even a full IM, but whether or not I can do it in what I consider a respectable time. I know I can make myself complete any race like that, but can I do it without walking? While still pressing hard throughout the entire race? My motivation has shifted from the doubters and to my times. What do I need to do in training and how hard do I need to push myself in the race to hit an impressive time? To make the top 10 in my age bracket?
Time will tell whether or not I have been successful... ;)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Belmar 5 Mile
Well, today I ran in the Belmar 5 Mile. Goal was to complete it in 40 mins, with a stretch goal of 35 mins (7 min/mile). Time came in at 38:13 (unofficial), which is in the middle of both. Not a bad showing, but not ideal. Officially, I placed 278th (27th in age bracket) out of 2180 runners.
Started out WAY too fast, which has been typical for me, but I paid for it! About 2.5 miles in I was starting to hurt and the last mile was difficult and purely mental to keep going. All in all, it was an OK showing. It just reminds me, once again, that I still have a ways to go before the 70.3 in Austin. I have to get my distances up!
I will be back out on the bike tomorrow morning!! And I have scheduled to participate in an Olympic Tri next weekend and then a sprint the following weekend!
Started out WAY too fast, which has been typical for me, but I paid for it! About 2.5 miles in I was starting to hurt and the last mile was difficult and purely mental to keep going. All in all, it was an OK showing. It just reminds me, once again, that I still have a ways to go before the 70.3 in Austin. I have to get my distances up!
I will be back out on the bike tomorrow morning!! And I have scheduled to participate in an Olympic Tri next weekend and then a sprint the following weekend!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Week's Review and First Tri Official Results
Well, I got the official results of my first tri (the Parvin State Park Sprint) and I was fairly accurate in the numbers that I posted. I placed "officially" #209 out of 311 that competed in the Sprint Tri. Here are the times:
Swim: 8:26 (135th place) or 1:59 pace
Transition: 2:22 (189th place)
Bike: 44:52 (270th place - consistent with me seeing 135 people pass me!) or 16 mph avg
Transition: 1:28 (190th place)
Run: 23:45 (120th place) or 7:40 pace
OFFICIAL TIME: 1:20:51 (209th place)
__________________________________________________
This week was a good week. We are officially 16 weeks from the Half Ironman in October as of the start of this week, so thus begins the structured training program. Based on a lot of reading about training for races, etc., I have structured a 16 week program that consists of 9 weeks of base training, 4 weeks of speed/race training, and a 3 week taper. For the next 8 weeks, my distances will be gradually increasing to build stamina/endurance, but done at a moderate/non-race pace. Speed training will be faster speeds and small distances, and the taper will take me slowly down on total training time up until race day.
I was in Boston Monday through Thursday again, so I brought my hybrid bike (don't own another kind yet) with me in the car. Monday was a lost day due to exhaustion and the travel day, but I made up for it the remainder of the week. Here's what I did this week:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Brick - 6 mile bike followed by a 2.15 mile run (25:30/17:09, 4:15/mile or 14.2mph and 7:57 pace)
Wednesday - 25.5 mile bike out of Boston and into the suburbs to visit my uncle (was there for 15 minutes before I had to turn around and get back before dark!) (2:12:11)
Thursday - 4 mile run (33:20, 8:20 pace)
Friday - OFF because I had to take care of the little guys
Saturday - 5.45 mile run
Tomorrow is supposed to be a long bike day - 30 miles...
Swim: 8:26 (135th place) or 1:59 pace
Transition: 2:22 (189th place)
Bike: 44:52 (270th place - consistent with me seeing 135 people pass me!) or 16 mph avg
Transition: 1:28 (190th place)
Run: 23:45 (120th place) or 7:40 pace
OFFICIAL TIME: 1:20:51 (209th place)
__________________________________________________
This week was a good week. We are officially 16 weeks from the Half Ironman in October as of the start of this week, so thus begins the structured training program. Based on a lot of reading about training for races, etc., I have structured a 16 week program that consists of 9 weeks of base training, 4 weeks of speed/race training, and a 3 week taper. For the next 8 weeks, my distances will be gradually increasing to build stamina/endurance, but done at a moderate/non-race pace. Speed training will be faster speeds and small distances, and the taper will take me slowly down on total training time up until race day.
I was in Boston Monday through Thursday again, so I brought my hybrid bike (don't own another kind yet) with me in the car. Monday was a lost day due to exhaustion and the travel day, but I made up for it the remainder of the week. Here's what I did this week:
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: Brick - 6 mile bike followed by a 2.15 mile run (25:30/17:09, 4:15/mile or 14.2mph and 7:57 pace)
Wednesday - 25.5 mile bike out of Boston and into the suburbs to visit my uncle (was there for 15 minutes before I had to turn around and get back before dark!) (2:12:11)
Thursday - 4 mile run (33:20, 8:20 pace)
Friday - OFF because I had to take care of the little guys
Saturday - 5.45 mile run
Tomorrow is supposed to be a long bike day - 30 miles...
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