Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Training this Week

Monday I swam 1,850 yards (or meters - I still haven't measured the pool) - either way over a mile - and felt great! Tuesday was a 22 mile bike ride from home to Balboa Park and back.

It's exciting to me and I get nods of disbelief from friends when I tell them that my average/minimum workouts consist of either a 20+ mile bike ride, a 5+ mile run, or a 1+ mile swim, and sometimes a combination of the above. I am definitely in the best shape of my life - now I just need to get back to some resistance training and all will be golden.

Tonight is our coached swim - I'm expecting the usual few hundred yards of warmup, some drills, a cooldown, and some relay games. Then it's off for Thai food for a late dinner to ensure that nobody loses any weight (haha)!

Mock Tri

The Mock Tri on Saturday went VERY well!

The swim was in the form of a short loop, where we had to get out of the water, run back to the entry point, and swim the loop again (twice total) for a total of about 700 yards (a little shy of the actual Malibu Tri amount). The first lap was tough, I didn't warm-up for it. The second lap was much better. I used the wetsuit and while it was much better than before, it still felt constrictive. I'm now thinking that wearing the tri-top under the suit is part of the problem. I have two suits en-route to try out that are sized a bit differently, so we'll see if those help.

My practice on the bike mount and dismount paid-off handsomely as my T1 time went from over 3 minutes to just 27 seconds! It was no problem riding without socks and with sand in my shoes. I did put on socks for the run though. My T2 time was very short as well (I'm guessing under a minute). My Timex Ironman Triathlon watch didn't survive the day though - it got some water in it and died a very slow, painful death (it's now on the way to Timex for warranty repairs).

The run was difficult in the sense that after the first mile my blister, sore calf, and sore right hip started hurting, so I was hobbling along (smiling all the way though). I managed to run the entire 4 miles without stopping. Made a new friend: guy named Brian from the Westside team - we ran together for a couple of miles before one of the women started getting close so he took off - me, well, she passed me, but only because I just couldn't go any faster at that point.

I completed the whole thing in 1 hour 58 minutes - much better than my goal of 2.5 hours! I felt great afterward and the TnT coaches and mentors had medals for each of us and a carb spread that was like a holiday dessert (which I'm starting to figure out is why nobody seems to lose weight in this program).

All in all a great time and a great experience - I am so looking forward to the "big day!"

Friday, August 22, 2008

Blog Twiddling

I was about to put on my swimsuit and head over to the pool when I found that it was still wet from Wednesday night! Apparently swimsuits don't dry out very quickly in humid bathrooms. While it's in the dryer for a few minutes and I'm waiting, I thought I would write.

Last night after dinner I got some serious practice time in with my bike mount. I've decided that for tomorrow's mock tri I'm not going to do a "flying cowboy" mount (as it still scares me a bit) but instead to a "skateboard" mount, where you put your left foot on the left pedal, kick with the right foot, then swing your right leg over.

However, the problem usually is that you can't do this with clipless pedals/shoes as you can't run in them. So, I'm going to do a hybrid: clip the shoes in the pedals, then do the skateboard mount barefoot. Worked fine last night!

One hitch I had was getting my feet into the shoes while riding. After practicing about 20 times and working out a pre-buckling strategy for two out of the three straps on each shoe, I think I've got it down. I'll do a few run-through's tonight to make sure I'm ok with it and then we'll see how it works out tomorrow.

The other problem I have is that I get a blister if I run without socks. So I'm going to "hybridize" that too - I'll ride without socks, which should allow the sand and everything to wash off my feet while I ride (so I'm told), saving me "cleaning" time when I get to T1, and put socks on in T2 prior to the run.

Yesterday I rode 15 miles at Balboa (flat). I was supposed to do 18 but I was getting pretty tired and I didn't want to go overboard before the tri. When I got home I found that my front tire was partially flat: #2!

Ah - that's the dryer beeping - time for swim practice...

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Triathlons are Tame

If you think training for and competing in a tri is crazy then you haven't attemped to kite-surf in a hurricane.

The Flying Cowboy

There are 5 major parts to a triathlon: swimming, biking and running, of course, but also transitions (between swimming and biking, called "T1" and between biking and running, called "T2") and nutrition.

T1 usually takes longer than T2 as you have to get out of your wetsuit, get your bike gear on, get your bike, and go. Anything one can do to speed up their T1 time is a great way to effortlessly remove seconds, or even minutes, from their race time, as transition time counts!

A couple of weeks ago I took a clinic from LA Tri Club on transitions where they taught us the "flying cowboy" bike mount. Basically, you pre-click-in your shoes to the pedals, use rubber-bands to keep them top-up (and not dragging), and then when you are ready to ride, you run with the bike, plant your foot, jump in the air, land on the seat, and start pedaling on top of the shoes. When you are settled and able to breath, you reach down and slip your feet into the shoes. Voila: tons of time saved, and if you don't kill yourself in the process you look mucho cool.

So this morning, after doing some core exercises and a bit of resistance training, I got the bike and some rubber bands out and practiced flying cowboy mounts in the street. I did it about 20 times and I think I've got the hang of it. I still need to work on getting in (and out) of the shoes while riding, but I've got 2 more days to get that down (our mock tri is on Saturday).

If you have any tips on this let me know!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Gelrilla Deal

I have made a deal with Lyramid, the company that makes the GelRilla Grip. Use the coupon code "TNTSM" (no quotes) when you order and you'll receive $1.50 off AND they will donate $1.50 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What a deal!

5 Miles......YEAH!!!!!!!!

Today's training update is brought to you by.....my left calf. Ouch!

Grabbed the kids, a couple of bikes, a lot of water, and off we went to Balboa Park for today's run.

Goal: flat run, 4 miles, with two 1-minute sprints.
Outcome: flat run, 5 miles, with two 1-minute sprints and 1 30 second sprint

If that weren't good enough, I ran the whole thing - no stopping, no walking!

And as a bonus, my daughter, age 8, completed the whole 5 miles on her bike, no (literally, none) sweat!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Vacation Training

Vacation...Training...Vacation...Training... and so the debate went on.

We went to Laguna Beach for the weekend, and I was debating whether I was going to take the weekend off and really relax or try and get some training in. The argument was settled when I realized I actually like swimming, biking and running, so into the car the bike and tri bag went.

Saturday we drove down and hung out at the beach. Finally screwing up my nerve to be the only person on the beach in a wetsuit and yellow cap, I got dressed and headed out. I swam from one side of Main Beach to the other and back, out past the surf, and it was great. The water was very clear, the suit adjusted itself accordingly, no panic, and I was able to swim just fine! I was very happy.

Sunday morning while everyone was still dragging themselves out of bed I got dressed, wheeled the bike downstairs, and set off for Dana Point, about 8 miles away down PCH. I ended-up going all the way through Dana Point to hit my turnaround at just under 10 miles. Somehow though, on the way back, I ended up on an end-segment of the freeway. That was entertaining, trying to move between off-ramps and the breakdown lane, until the freeway ended and I was back on a normal street. Scared the sh*t out of me.

Sunday afternoon, after lunch but before heading out, I donned the wetsuit again and repeated the prior day's swim, albeit a bit faster, and with that our vacation came to an end and we drove home.

I was especially psyched that I could handle the waves and the wetsuit (from f2r.com) and the suit kept me nice and warm.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Practice Practice

Last night was our regular Wednesday night coached swim. Nothing too special except that it felt a bit "light." We did a tire-relay at the end, using a pool float that looked like a tire and 2-4 people pushing or pulling it at one time - lots of fun but difficult to move around in a lane. Great exercise though. As usual we ended-up at the Thai place for dinner where everyone wolfed-down their food. Good times!

This morning Ryan and I embarked on a 6-mile run around Tarzana (Ryan of course rode his bike). I ended-up with a blister the size of a quarter on my right arch, started on Tuesday when I tried running without socks so I could see if I could race without socks, which would save a minute or so from my T1 time. I'm going to see if I can fix the problem in my shoe. Irrespective of that, I ran the best ever - very little walking, very little fatigue. The only thing I did differently this time was to have a GU gel about 10 minutes before we left, and to keep sucking down GU20 every 10-15 minutes (I usually use Gatorade). It was even decently warm out as we left late, which usually slows me down. I'm liking the Gu more and more.

After the run I did some full-body weight training at the house for about 15 minutes, followed by a recovery protein drink. Then it was back to work.

Tomorrow morning we're going to swim (should be interesting after the weights today). I'll also try some "flying cowboy" bike mounts to see if I can get that down (saving another 20-30 seconds of time in my T1 transition).

Fundraising-wise I'm $75 away from goal! Hard to believe but I'm just about there. A few people have pledged to donate and I'm waiting for those to hit.

Just a month to go until the big day!

For your entertainment, check out this video on YouTube of a guy surfing a 66 foot wave 100 miles off the coast of California (in open water): Crazy Surfer

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Training Update

So far this week I have swum 1600 yards (Monday at Braemar) and ran 5 miles (Tuesday at Balboa Park). Both times Ryan joined me. On Monday he helped me train for the swim by randomly blocking, hitting and kicking me while I did my laps (not hard - no bruises) and on Tuesday he pedaled behind me the whole way (his longest ride yet!). I think the other people in the pool were very curious as to what he was doing to me on Monday.

Tonight is our regular coached swim, should be 1600 yards at a minimum, and tomorrow I should be riding but we'll have to see as the kids are still at home in the morning. Friday will be another swim and then the weekend hits.

We have our Mock Tri at Malibu on the 23rd, so I'm considering that a race and gearing-up for it accordingly.

For those of you who are interested, I'm using GU20 for my hydration and electrolyte replacement, GU gels for fuel, and Cytomax Recovery or chocolate milk as my recovery drink/food. I'm also eating a banana every day or about an hour before a workout to help avoid cramping. I've found the GU brand to be very easy on the stomach, same with the Cytomax Recovery.

I'm also giving FRS a try for a "natural" energy boost - I'll tell you the results in a couple of weeks.

Castaic Tri II

The first tri had 104 people competing - the second had 214 - a vast difference!

It was most evident in the swim portion, where over 100 guys ran into the lake at the same time, all going for the same point/turn. I decided to swim with my new wetsuit (provided by LLS) and within 100 yards was in a full-blown panic attack. It was tough to breath, I was getting pummeled and kicked while swimming, and forward motion was very difficult with all of those bodies in the water. After hanging onto a lifeguard's board for a few minutes, I was able to resume and complete the swim portion. Whew!

My transition to the bike wasn't bad and I flew - my recent training was having the desired effect.

I also did much better in the run this time, walking far less.

Overall, I completed the race in just over 1 hour and 14 minutes, 4 minutes better than my first race. This would have been better by a few minutes if I didn't freak-out in the swim.

Alas, I did not beat Kevin this time. He overtook me in the run and beat me by 24 seconds, a stinging defeat for sure!

The next day, Sunday, I joined the team for an open water ocean swim in the wetsuit and things were a bit better. I've taken to putting on the suit for 30 minutes every couple of days around the house to try and get used to it - hopefully I'll be ready to go for another swim this weekend.

Also on Sunday I participated in a "transition clinic" put on by the LA Tri Club. Very cool stuff - I can now get my T1 transition (from swim to bike) done in under a minute, as opposed to the 2-3 minutes it was taking me before. Really great clinic and great tips.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Tuesday Shmuesday

Dragged the kids to the pool yesterday. Actually, drag isn't the word. They were really excited to go to the pool. Why? What would make kids excited to go to the pool and watch their old man swim? Well, I promised them each a sundae if they swam 15 full laps (30 lengths). That's about 750 meters. And you know what? They did it. Ryan of course chimed in with "That was tough, I thought it was going to be a piece of cake! I'm going to do that every day so I can earn a sundae" to which I responded "Great! Just so you know, since you completed the 15, you'll have to do 20 next time!" He groaned, but I could tell he was going to go for it.

Today he wasn't feeling well and refused to pedal along behind me while I ran so I ended-up on the treadmill. I really hate the treadmill. Next to being on an airplane without a book it's just about the most boring thing in the world. But I did it, however I gimped out and didn't do the full workout because, well, on a treadmill you don't have to. You just push that little button for a few seconds and the whole world slows down. And if you know me, you know I have the willpower of a 3-year old. I made up for it a bit with 5 minutes on the rowing machine, which hopefully will help my back a bit.

Castaic Tri is in 3 1/2 days!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

First Ocean Swim

Today, bright and early, I packed-up and headed over to Zuma Beach in Malibu, site of the forthcoming Malibu Triathlon, to join about half the team and Joy, our assistant coach, in an open-ocean-water swim. At the last minute I borrowed a wetsuit and into the freezing Pacific we dove. We did a small swim out past the waves, up the beach about 100 yards, then back in. Then we did it again.

I've swum in the ocean before so it wasn't a first for me. What was a first was going out that far and swimming without a boogie board, in a wetsuit, with goggles. The water was so clear you could actually see the bottom! It was still a bit disconcerting though, but the second lap we did was much easier than the first. I'm very happy we did this, the ocean is as different (or more) from a lake as a lake is from a pool.

We all got out, warmed up, and hit the bikes for a 25 mile ride along the route to be used in the triathlon. That went pretty well, and I was amazed at just how many hills are on PCH. I noticed while I was riding that I was getting chain noise when in the low-front gear and low rear gears, more than before. When I got home I took the bike in and Kevin told me that there's a trim adjustment for the low front gear as well as the high front gear (which I did know about). That fixed the problem - guess you learn something new every day.

The bike by the way is holding up very well.

We came back and talked for a few minutes, and I drank 12oz. of protein as a recovery drink. Someone then suggested going for a 2 mile run so I switched shoes and off we went. At about 1 mile I had some pretty bad heartburn, and 1.5 miles I could taste the drink, so I slowed to a walk. After a few minutes I picked-up the pace again to the end. Feeling sick to my stomach I rested for a few minutes and everything settled down, so I jumped in the car and headed home.

Total time: Arrived 7:50am, departed 12:30pm. What a great training session! Special thanks to Joy for organizing and running it and Ali for loaning me the wetsuit!

Bike: 2008 Giant TCR C2
Recovery Drink: Cytomax Recovery (Mocha)
Hydration: GU20 drink and gel

Friday, August 1, 2008

Morning Swim Practice

Nothing exciting: 1,450 yards (29 full laps) in the pool this morning, in 45 minutes, including 400 yards (8 full laps) of drills. Haley, however, did 12 full laps! Maybe we'll see Haley running a tri in a few years....

Quote of the Day: If your relationship is going well, you're not training enough!