ND Tri Guy

End of workout cycle

2011-04-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

I give myself a failing grade for my workout cycle. My last post was January 22. It is now April 2 and I have hardly gotten off my couch. I am sick today an have been for the last week. But I actually ran 1.5 miles and did some light cycling. Spring has rolled around and the sun has come out around here. I saw some old pictures from 2009 when I was in pretty decent shape. I got a little nostalgic. No better time than now to start moving again.

I head off to Hawaii this week. This is a great time to get started again. I am shooting a reality-style TV show in Kona Hawaii with some Ironman athletes. Maybe I'll have a chance to start back in the water, on the back, and on the road.

Bringing It!: Guitar, ALS and Unstoppable Spirit . . . Film Dir...

2011-01-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Bringing It!: Guitar, ALS and Unstoppable Spirit . . . Film Dir...: "At 16 years old, Jason Becker had already become a legend in the guitar scene. At 20, he was diagnosed with ALS - a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's diseas..."

2 Weeks In

2011-01-22T20:48:00.001-08:00

I am 2 weeks into the program and I am doing okay. I have missed a few workouts but I have executed a few workouts as well. I am back on the the bike and in the pool. I am also doing very light weights.

This week was interesting. On Tuesday I did every lap of my 2500 yd swim and headed straight to weights. I am not a weight person anymore so I struggled immensely. It was a very successful day and for one day I felt I was back to where I was. The next day I woke up early and went straight on the bike without thinking. It was a good move because if I had an opportunity to think about it I would have skipped.

Thursday and Friday I skipped due to the crippling pain Tuesdays weights caused. Pathetically, I inflicted the damage by doing merely 3 sets of 10 squats with no weights. As I may have mentioned I am woefully out of fitness in the weight room.

But I am still at it. Training Peaks is the bomb. Every night my workouts are in my email. I have an opportunity to plan my day around my workout. My expectations are reasonable this go-around. I am allowing some skip days for recovery and scheduling reasons, but since I am committed to this, I get right back at it the next days.

Today was another miss due to my childcare responsibilities. We are toilet training Ainsley. Tomorrow I have a 1 hr bike and 1 hr run. Hoping to get them both in somehow.

2 Days Down

2011-01-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Two days into the training program. This is my third and I am taking the day off. The first day was a 45 minute bike. That I got on it was a huge victory, that I rode it for about 45 minutes was as well.

Yesterday was a swim with some light gym exercises. That I got to the gym was a huge victory, hat I got to the pool was as well. Once I jumped into the pool I realized how much this is going to suck. The last time I did Training Peaks was about 2 or 3 years ago and all the familiar memories came rushing back. Long workouts, cold days in the pool endless laps, fatigue. Triathlete are literally crazy people. I gutted through 30 mins of swimming in very cold water and did some half-ass exercises in the gym.

My life schedule does not have this much training built into it. The last time I was on this program I did not have kids in school and other kids not in school. Juggling these training hours is going to be really tough. Yesterday was a mother.

Today I am really really tired and need a break. I am going to lay off until I am ready to train again and then hit the workouts. Hopefully tomorrow I will be back in the pool and the gym floor.

Enthusiasm level - 2
Readiness - 1
Fatigue - 10
Happiness that I am back doing this again - 5

I am going to stick with this program as best I can. I will skip when I need to and I will not beat myself up mentally is I skip. Hopefully in this process I will find a healthy equilibrium for training.

18 months since my last post? Good God

2011-01-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened since I last posted. Good thing blogs age better than fruit. No one is supposed to read this so I don't care what I say but I need to do something to get myself back in gear physically. I mean I am in good shape for a bum, but for my adult sport of triathlon I am a mess.

For a few months I have been telling myself to get back into the swing of things. It's just so easy to do nothing. I mean no pain, so its easy to no gain.

It's not like I've done nothing for 18 months. I've actually worked out sort of regularly. In 2010 I focused a lot on cals (pushups and chins), and running, with some swimming and cycling mixed in. In my personal life I quit drinking. I also worked toward eliminating meat and dairy from my diet. I also dedicated myself to learning guitar by joining a band and taking lessons. All those changes have altered my life both physically and emotionally.

Physically I feel good but not great. My fitness is probably fine for beginners but I am way off what I was. But I am not sure what I want out of my fitness existence. I feel the Ironman/half-Ironman fitness level is an all-encompassing endeavor that causes tons of physical pain and ripples throughout our life. The sprint/Olympic fitness triathlon fitness level seems practical but even that is a commitment.

So now I am searching for continued balance in my personal by adding a fitness element. I'm back on the Training Peaks software after false starts on consecutive weeks. Each evening I am emailed next day's workout. It's a very good system and provides a solid routine for getting going.

Tomorrow is a 45 minute bike. I have the indoor trainer in my office but my bike is currently a coat rack and my workout area is a dumping ground. So now half my workout will entail digging out a workout space. If I get the bike on the trainer and find a pair of bike shorts it will be a monumental victory.

Current weight - 161 (I don't eat meat or cheese anymore so I eat much less fat)
Fitness level - weak
Readiness - Unbelievably not ready
Excitement level (1-10) - 2
Enthusiasm (1-10) - 1

Race 4 Recap

2009-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

I'm skipping my Race 3 recap and doing Race 4 because I didn't really feel like blogging Race 3. That will be incorporated in this recap.

Race 4 was the 2nd in the Fort Lewis Triple Threat triathlon series which are three identical races close to my house. I did Race 3 a month earlier. I was happy I finished because time was very tight with a newborn and family and work responsibilities. I hardly trained for Race 3 and I was very slow. The positives were that I raced, I practiced transitions, and racing conditions, and all the intangible stuff that can make the sport really hard.

This race I concentrated on getting a solid three weeks worth of work. My focus was on staying above 90 cadence, staying in the swim draft, and finishing "all out". I was able to rejigger my schedule around enough to get my training in. Instead of going to bed at 10:30, I would hit the trainer for 30-40 minutes of speed work. I snuck a few long rides in as well. In addition I ran a few times and employed "transition runs" after my bike rides to get used to race conditions. Finally I focused on simple acheivable goals that would guarantee improvement.

The race went really well. On Race 3 I somehow lost my line in the lake and wound up swimming by myself for the final few hundred meters. This race, I sighted towards the end to make sure I was always with someone. My swim last race was a disappointing 16 mins while this race I was a satisfied 15 mins over 800 meters. Out of the water I had a very good transition and smartly brought a tub filled with water to wash off my feet because they were filthy coming out of the water.

My bike started off pretty fast. Fort Lewis is flat and straight and ideal for practicing smooth, fast cycling. I maintained my 90 cadence which guaranteed me a much, much faster bike time. Psychologically I found myself hanging with some guys out there, which boosted my confidence. I finished the 15 mile ride on 49 minutes, thus besting my previous time by 11 minutes.

With two enormously successful legs finished, I could have hopped the three miles and been happy. But I wanted to put together a complete race that included a fast run and hunting down some of my competitors. I remember reading an article say that the last few miles of the run are all about guts. The three miles flew right by and I worked myself into my legs. I was tired but I wanted to finish "all out" just to understand the feeling of leaving everything on the course. I crossed the line at 1:30:ish with a full on sprint and found my way back to my gear.

Overall the race was a huge success. I trained hard, I stuck to my prerace goals, and executed them as well as possible. I came in 53 out of over 200, was in the middle of my age group and have a lot to build on. I can shave about a minute off my swim time, I can conceivably take 5 minutes off my bike, and there is always ways to run faster. I realize the only difference between below/average performance and very good performance is some good work prerace and an executed plan in the race. I'm not sure if I will get to do the third race in this series due a planned vacation, but I will get one or two more races in by the end of the season.

Race #2

2009-05-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

My second race of the year was this past Sunday May 17th. Heading into the race I was still up in the air about my seasonal plans. I still could probably pull myself together by my A race in September which is the Black Diamond Half Ironman. I could also pull it back and do an Olympic that day or a few others if I wanted to. An additional option would be to do some sprints and work on my skills at the sport.

There is a lot more to the sport than running swimming and biking long distances. Most top pros started races many many times per year on short distances, progressed into the Olympic/International levels, made their names at half-Ironman and eventually had what it take to win Kona. Last year I skipped a few steps and slowly trudged my way through 2 halfs with a low level of success.

Doing the second race of the season was a perfect way for me to continue working on the sport even though my time is limited with the new baby. I hadn't really trained much other than a few swims and a few runs, but since it was a sprint, the distances are not a problem.

The race was a tiny tiny field at my home gym, but hey, it's triathlon. Not every race needs to be Kona. Perfect place for me to work on the sport for the sake of the sport.

My swim was excellent. I came out of the water 2nd out of ten. I focused this time on going slow and pacing myself. I had plenty of energy at the end and was able to kick it nicely on my final lap. The bike was easier than before and I went faster than before, while pushing more power. I held my position, hydrated well and got myself ready for the run. The run was a quick two miles on an outdoor, dirt track. The footing stunk, and my first lap or so as always was difficult. But I settled down and went kicked it decently as I finished.

My times really mean nothing because of the way the race was set up but I averaged about a 1:36 in the pool per 100. That might be my best swim so far and while it is not very fast, I merely wanted to swim smooth and position myself for the rest of the race.

Moving forward, I am back in full gear for the season. Sprint races work well for this year because I can skip a workout and not worry about my race condition. I can miss a week for travel, or family, and not freak out. I can race close to my house and not worry about hotels, parking, race checkins, and whatnot. And, just like Sunday, my Saturday night can be all messed up and it will not force me to toss and turn all night. I have other races in June, July, August and most likely September so I will get plenty of work in this summer. I will also be doing some 5K runs and perhaps a long, 2 day bike weekend if time permits.

My bike is still of course my Achilles heel but I am working through it. I plan on getting out there much more and working in the saddle. More on that later.

Race #1 and Baby Girl #3

2009-05-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

April 19th was my first race of the year. Most spring races in the places where I have lived have been indoor. The water is just too cold and the weather in unpredictable. Since my January high, my February low, and my March rest, I had done a few workouts but nothing major. I had been focusing on work and family. The race was a layup because it was at my gym, it was short and was using a stationary bike.

I fully expected to have the baby before the race so I was a minute by minute decision. I woke up that morning, grabbed my gear and headed off. I took a couple gels, a six pack of Gatorade, and my swimsuit. Other than that no prep. The swim was 400 yds, bike was 8 mile on a trainer, followed by a 2 mile run.

I am always nervous about the bike. I had not been in the saddle since January and felt a little uneasy. I got a decent warmup on the swim. When the gun went off I pushed off like my life depended on it. At 200 yds, I was totally out of gas. I felt like someone was pulling on my suit. I finished the leg in second place but I was pretty tired and a little dizzy.

The bike was 32 minutes of boredom. My only goal was to stay in a good gear, avg about 16 mph and get off the darn thing. I lost some ground to some folks on the bike. With a two mile run, there is pretty much no hope to catch anyone so I finished nicely at around 17 minutes and was satisfied with my times of around 6:45, 32:30, and 17:00.

The victory here was that I got off my butt and did the race, as small as it was. In addition, I was totally pumped by the day itself. It felt great to do a short, doable race to get my blood flowing and heartrate up. It was a tremendous boost to come out of the water before most of the field. Overall a real success.

The next day baby #3 came, healthy and everyone is doing very well. I absolutely love being a Dad and would welcome many more. It had been a long, challenging 9 months and I was just thankful the pressure had been lifted off my wife physically and we can begin the next chapter. The first month has been a little tiring but I have been able to squeeze a few runs in with th kids and a few swims. I will follow up tomorrow with a report on Race #2 and some thoughts on where I am headed this year and next.

Singing Sweet Home Alabama All Summer Long

2009-04-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ultimate hack song by an ultimate hack musician. But so catchy.

Yesterday I had a very good swim. I did a 400 warmup, then a 100, 200, 200, 100 pyramid. After two months off I still feel like someone is dragging me from behind but my endurance is decent so I am happy. I still have not committed to the race this weekend but it would be a good race to get done...even if it is my only race of 09.

Short Birthday Run

2009-04-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

For my birthday I ran a mile and a half very fast. I was short on time while waiting for my daughter's gymnastics class to finish. So I hit the track and did a few warm-up laps and then tried to chase down some kids that were doing a fitness test ahead of me. I was able to go a mile at a pretty hard pace. It was a really good speed lesson to raise the endorphins.

There is an indoor sprint race on Sunday. I am a gametime decision. My fitness is fine. But the baby is not here yet and its 35 bucks for a race that should be much cheaper. I'll play it by ear and decide the day before or the day of.

Got a Garnett Celtics T-shirt as a present which was pretty cool.

Good Week So Far

2009-04-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

After my March hiatus I am back at this working out thing. Today I swam for the first time in a while. I have gotten my work stuff out of the way and got some other stuff taken care of so the only thing left to do is start training. As mentioned on Monday, I ran on Sunday. I ran a couple miles again on Tuesday and today I swam about 1000 yds. Pretty easy workouts but who cares? There is a triathlon at my gym next week I am thinking of doing. It is really easy and would be a nice break to see if I have any fitness at all.

I am getting an idea of how I want to proceed this summer. I am thinking of doing a weeks worth of sessions over a two week period. That would allow me to train every other day on sport specific stuff and do alternative stuff such as weights, yoga or rest. I complained to my coach about needing more rest each week and he felt I would not be able to get my sessions in with more rest. But I thinks it amounts to over training, at least for me and my lifestyle, to crunch in 6 days over working out a week.

I am going to give this a shot and see how it works. But I feel great getting back out there again, I am pain free and stress free.

Baby Stepping back on the Horse

2009-04-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

The last two days had beautiful weather so I got back at it. I did some backyard stuff with the kids hanging off me on Saturday and I ran a few miles yesterday while pushing the stroller. My muscles had atrophied to the point that I was nearly dead so I am sore today. But I am ready to get back in it. No more hip pain and no more stress. I am going to follow a one on, one off schedule and keep it simple. Hopefully I get my smile back.

Not April Fool's

2009-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok I am going to run either today or tomorrow. Its been a long enough time, I don't want to lose fitness and I need to get some fresh air. More on that later...

Derailed

2009-03-04T12:48:00.000-08:00

My training for 2009 is officially off the tracks. I have not posted in about a month, I can't remember the last time I cycled, I have not run anything meaningful since mid-Feb and have been bothered by some hip soreness, and I quit using my coaching service because I don't have enough time to get my workouts in.

I think my problem was the stress associated with getting the workouts in each day, family, work, tax season, and a million other things. I was pretty sick yesterday and have been feeling really depressed and stressed out. I have a trip back to Boston next week and a few other work and family obligations to get settled before I re-evaluate.

My training had stopped being fun and started really bothering me physically and mentally. I'm going to see if I can get past this low and get back on the horse. But not for a few days.

What You Get Is What You Seek....Desire!!!!

2009-02-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

The first person who knows the 80s glam band that sang those lyrics and sends it in the comment section...RULES.

Today is Friday and I really don't feel like working out today. The baby is sick, I've been up since 5, went to bed at 1, work is bothering me, its tax season and on and on and on. I skipped yesterday to get stuff done. I have to do the same today and tomorrow is normal Saturday workout.

Monday is a big day however. I have a 30 minute time trial at race pace. I have no idea what race pace is. All I know is I need to be 100% for it. I might try to work a swim in today and a ride tomorrow though.

Tomorrow is the Cycle For ALS. It is the yearly Spinathon for my charity, The Blazeman Foundation for ALS. There is no event in my area but I will probably donate on my own or try to schedule a ride by myself. In any event CLICK HERE to learn more about Jon "Blazeman" Blais for he is the inspiration for this blog.

Song in my head - I was thinking about the War On ALS and figured Don't Stop Believing was most appropriate. Currently ALS has no cure and very little has been discovered to be effective in fighting ALS. The War On ALS is here to raise money but also to raise awareness about this horrible disease which is an automatic death sentence to anyone who gets it. Team Blazeman is currently funding a research grant and also raising awareness in the Multisports community. My personal goal is to keep Jon Blais' misson alive while he is no longer with us. Thank you for supporting my efforts by reading my blog.

Progress

2009-02-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

I went to bed last night thinking yesterday's post was a little moody and overblown and preachy. I considered taking it down or at the very least heavily editing it. However I woke up this morning with a call from Robert Blais, the father of Jon Blais, founder of Team Blazeman. He got to my blog through Facebook and wanted to reach out. It was a great conversation and really boosted my spirits tremendously.

With that, I set out on a 45 minute "easy" run today. My typical route is pretty hilly and by no means easy. I wanted to pick up the pace a bit so I decided to run to a marker about 2.6 miles away and run back home regardless of how long it took. My goal was to do it in 23 minutes. I ended up hitting my mark at 24, turned around and made it back by 46 minutes or so. I figure I ran at about a 9 minute pace. I felt really good, and I ran fast enough to make me think my season goal of running at an 8 minute per mile clip is attainable.

My workout routine is run-focused so I have a lot of opportunity to improve. I think this focus is good for me because I neglected my run last year almost entirely. It resulted in injuries and lack of fitness. This year, my goal is to build a strong run base and to get some speed in as well.

Song in My head - This Song by Kings of Leon. I have always been meaning to get into this band. I know they are really good, have awesome hair, and are multi-dimensional. Now I am into them.

What Have I Been Doing For 33 Years?

2009-02-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

This may be a long post folks so strap in. The title of this post sums up my overwhelming thought process during my 1 hr ride this morning. I was riding along and thinking about how far I am from where I want to be. Professionally, I am not there yet and had to dust myself off after falling off the horse last week. Training-wise I am working my butt off, but my progress is so slow I can hardly comprehend where I was to begin with three years ago.

Let me take a step back. In 2002/03 while bored in a Business School class I started one of those "Bucket Lists" of things to do before I died. I sensed a freedom after two years of business school, preceded by three years suffocating in New York City, and four years drinking in college. I had a decent list going, some are obsolete - as they no longer mean anything to me, while others have been attained. One of those items was to do a triathlon (I had no idea how long, how hard, or whatever). I spent the next year and a half in a similarly suffocating environment in Boston while traveling each weekend to New Jersey where my wife was. Finally I moved out of downtown and had the freedom to swim and run and knock off that triathlon thingy.

Three years later, here I stand suffering through another week of workouts in an attempt to reach my new goal of getting 5:30 in a half-Ironman. In the interim, I have taught myself how to swim pretty much from scratch. Now I am at the point I feel strong in the water over any distance between a mile and probably 2 miles. Similarly I can perform flipturns, do the backstroke, and a lot of other things. I no longer feel self-conscious in Speedo and I regularly pee in the pool with no qualms.

On the bike and run, I am still babystepping my way to proficiency...and it sucks. Yesterday I ran for an hour, but my pace is so slow, I am practically walking at times. Today I am on the bike dreaming about a real live tri-bike. But the whole time I am thinking to myself that I can barely clip in/clip out, I know nothing about road cycling, and could barely make it through one day of a two day endurance ride.

This whole experience left me wondering, if this is where I am after 4 1/2 years of working out religiously, three years of triathlon prep, and 33 years of living, then WHERE THE F*** WAS I BEFORE???? Back in 03, I thought doing a tri and knocking off a slot in Kona was as easy as doing it. I guess my point, is, setting goals is really important, but the followthrough should not be delayed for even a second. I am just starting to realize that because the process is so gradual, it's sometimes hard to even quantify.

If I was to impart any advice on any readers with similar unstarted goals, I'd say, "START WORKING ON THEM TONIGHT, YOU ARE NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER".

Song in my head - Another bucket list item was to learn to play guitar. I started playing in November (a full year and a half after buying one). I am killing myself for not learning it sooner. It's freaking easy. I am a huge Rock fan and always dreamed of kicking ass on stage. I have no real desire to play stadiums, but it would be awesome to know I was good enough to play anything I want. The two songs I have been practicing recently are the very simple but gorgeous Oasis classics Wonderwall and Live Forever. I have been practicing these like crazy for the past few days. I hope to be as awesome as Noel Gallagher one day. Til next time

Babe I'm Leavin' (not really)

2009-01-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

After a rest day which everything except babysitting my kids, went wrong, I woke up today and felt somehow energized. No idea why, makes no sense, I went to bed at 3AM and for some reason felt great. I guess today was a bootstrapping day where everything fell apart yesterday so there was no other choice today but to start from scratch and move on.

Okay the entire previous paragraph needed to be expressed. I realize it makes no sense to anyone but, hey, no one is reading this anyway. I know.

Today was a longer swim day than I had done in the previous two weeks. After a 300 warmup, I did 500 nonstop with flipturns, followed by 5 sets of 300 (150 moderate, 50 kick, 50 backstroke, and 50 hard). The 500 nonstop was easy, but as I got to the end of my 5 sets I noticed I was very much out of gas. I blame my nutrition.

A good breakfast for me is a bowl of Cheerios or Oatmeal and maybe a banana with a good dose of water with coffee. I only had coffee and almonds because I was distracted all morning. I didn't bring any Gatorade or anything to the gym either. I also didn't eat well last night and went to bed hungry so my tank was empty. This has happened before and I suffered in the workout today. I still finished and did fine, but I learned the important lesson of sticking to good nutrition before and after training.

Song in My Head - Best...Song...Ever. I was in the supermarket after the gym and heard Desert Moon by Dennis DeYoung, former lead singer of Styx. I swear to God I had to stop myself from turning to the guy next to me and talking to him about this song. We had just got MTV when this came out in 1984/85 and they played this song ALL THE TIME. Awesome video as well I think I have heard this song three times since it was on the radio. Watching it again rules. Thank goodness for Youtube. Today is looking much better than yesterday.

Long May I Run

2009-01-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

Hey new and old readers. I am expecting a little bump in traffic. Hopefully the Blogspot servers don't crash. According to Google Analytics the vast majority of my hits come from me, but I am getting the word out there gradually and mingling in the blog world a little more, so perhaps I will have a few more regulars. For those of you reading for the first time, please come back, also leave a comment. Its nice to get them. In addition, a good way to keep up with additional posts is to feed it into Facebook or to get a reader such as Netvibes. Once you get hooked up you can add my blog and be notified whenever there is a new post.

Monday was my long run day. I have been complaining for the last few weeks on how much my long runs have been killing me. Today was going to be a 90 minute run so I was expecting a little more of the same. Fortunately it was a great day. I set out of the house on my usual, hilly course. My heartrate was a lot lower than usual, I got pretty far out and found a golf course to run around, by the time I exited, I was a lot further out than expected and made my way back home. I arrived home in 105 minutes, which I am guessing was about 10 miles.

My legs were sore but strong. I even kicked it pretty hard for the last half mile so I feel my legs are starting to come around. This was the longest training run I have ever completed and amounts to just under the distance I have to run in the race. With that as a guide I think I am in decent shape for at least finishing with nine months to go. I was certainly encouraged by today.

In addition, my 6 boxes of Mallomars. For those of you who have never been to the Tri-State Area, Mallomars are the greatest cookie ever made. They are popular in New York and the surrounding suburbs and virtually nonexistent any where else in the country. There is a good article on them here. In Washington, they are impossible to find. So I had to go onto Amazon.com to get them. But they are here and I have 6 boxes (whoops 5).

Song in my head - "Down About It" by Lemonheads. This is off their 1994 album, Come On Feel The Lemonheads. I am learning this on guitar now so I am getting closer to learning all of the songs from this album on acoustic. My life then will be complete.

Resting My Case

2009-01-25T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today is my official rest day of the week. When I last posted, I was not looking forward to Friday and dreading my Saturday workouts.

They actually went very well. To back up, I think I was suffering from some winter doldrums, which I am still in. It is cold and miserable here in the Pac Northwest, the sun rises at 7:30 and sets at 5 and there seems to be no time or energy to do anything. So to change my perspective, I threw on some Hawaiian music, swam, and basically had a little summer in January.

The swim went great. I had two sets of 500s plus 1000 in various warmup sets and whatnot. Did the 500s with flipturns with no problems. I have the timing down pretty well and I am learning to execute the turn with the perfect body position and streamline out properly. It is still tiring over 500 but any other distance is cake.

The next day I got up at 5:30, stared at the wall for 45 minutes, put my clothes on, and hit the Foothills trail for 2 hours followed by a 15 minute run. The ride went very well for my second time outside this winter. I was bundled well this time so no worries. My fitness was sluggish at first, but the second hour called for a few pickups so I sprinted on virtually every straightaway. It really made the ride fly by and I was happy with my speed.

To say I am beyond my fitness from last year is an understatement. I am doing well and trying to recover as best as possible. We'll see how next week goes.

Song in my head - Luchini by Camp Lo. This was a big song when I was DJing in college. I must've wasted $1000 on worthless CDs back then, easily, before Itunes. This was one of them.

When Will The Pain End?

2009-01-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

If you read this paragraph you are required to leave a comment. I am trying to figure out who reads this blog beyond just the basic Google Analytics. I don't care who you are and if you want to remain anonymous. Just leave a few words (in any language). Feel free to suggest a band (preferably melodic and pop-y), a cool product or anything to let me know this blog is not an internet black hole.

This a pre-workout posting because I am having a difficult time getting into the pool today. Very sore from yesterday. The muscles around my hips, and quads and everything are killing me. I am beginning to wonder if this is what my training experience will be like forever.

In my younger days when I trained for hockey or boxing, I would have a few weeks of soreness while getting fit for the sport, but then I would reach a plateau of feeling pretty good. That plateau has not come yet. I keep telling myself that I was in horrible shape last year and this base-building period is necessary to acclimate my body for the new level of fitness I am pursuing. If so, I apparently was very very far away from Half-Ironman fitness.

Today I swim. I wish my lifestyle would accommodate midnight workouts because that seems to be the time of day that I am most ready to embrace a workout. When I wake up again, my first thought is usually related to skipping or how I will fit the workout in around family, or whether I can hit the snooze again. It's now 9:30 and I am gradually getting around to embracing the idea of fighting with obnoxious kids in the pool's locker room, the frigid temperature of the pool the first 5 minutes after you jump in, 2 500s with flipturns which sap my oxygen, and the sleepy feeling I have for the rest of the day. And swim days are my easiest days.

I've been trying to get my head into a different space...more of a winner's headspace I guess. To paraphrase Lawrence of Arabia, the key is not so much the pain it's "not minding" the pain. Either that or I could tell myself its just a f*cking movie. I read a cool article by Mark Allen talking about the mental aspects of the race and how to think like a champion. So maybe I just have to spend a little more time on this in my own head.

Song(s) in my head - To change pace a bit I'm choosing a couple songs from 70's Hawaii band Kalapana. If you ever go to Oahu, you will most likely hear some really cheesy Hawaiian easy listening music kinda like Somwhere Over the Rainbow by Iz. A really good band in that genre is Kalapana, whose great songs include The Hurt, Nightbird, and the Hall and Oates cover When the Morning Comes. Check out KINE. At least once an hour is a Kalapana song. Puts you in that relaxed, Hawaiian state of mind. I certainly need it today. Well if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get some Hawaiian Sun Lilikoi and a bowl of Saimin and go swimming.

Riding Alone Where the Buffalo Roam

2009-01-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

I took yesterday off and rested and worked. Trying to squeeze as much rest into the base building phase without killing my fitness. So I have been resting outright on mild days while I am still pretty much constantly sore.

Today was a bike run brick which I was by no means skipping. I had been dying to get outside but hadn't been able to for one reason or the other. Once I get my bike on my car I am set, it is just a matter of getting from couch to car that is the problem.

Today was damn cold and nearly turned around about 10 times in the first 15 minutes during the ride. But I gutted the warmup out and was left with the final 45 minutes back to the start. The trail I used was really cool. It had been damaged in the flooding we had last week but the sights and sounds were awesome especially near the trailhead. I saw buffalo, rode through ice and moss and mud, and had a blast. One day I will write about how much more fun it is to ride outside.

I followed that up with the run, which, as well, was damn cold. I ran four miles. The first was basically me dragging myself at a pace not much faster than walking. I finally got fed up with myself and started moving out of sheer boredom and an urge to finish the run. I am pretty sure I was running in the 8:30-9:30 range when all was said and done. That's a good pace for me and I am going to use that as a guideline.

I go outside on Saturday as well and am very much looking forward to it. The roads are still dodgy and it is freaking freezing but well worth it in the end.

Song in my head: None, it is just ice. I'll think of one later.

A New Day

2009-01-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today was Tuesday and I am in the middle of a busy week at work and home and in the gym. I got a good swim in today. It was very short at 1800 yards but the reps within the main set were longish at 300 yds each. I did them with flipturns, which, as all of my reader(s) know, scare, intimidate, annoy, and nearly kill me. The 4 300s went very well and I had some good energy and completed them quickly. The flipturns are starting to get tighter and faster. I am starting to think about my form and improving them. That is exciting because my goal in the pool is to get really strong in training.

I've touched on this before, that I realize flipturns mean nothing in the race. yes I get it. But I am not interested in getting faster in my race this year. At least I am not interested in killing myself to beat my 42 minute time. I am interested in becoming a better swimmer wholistically. To me, that means getting better in training and in the pool. I feel that an improvement as a swimmer in training will translate to better performance in the water. Besides I would like to avoid the pool as mch as possible this summer. Therefore I am sure I will have plenty of time to work on my open water speed.

That was a little bit of a rant and probably made no sense, but hey, no one reads this anyway.

Song in my head: For posterity sake, they inaugurated the new President today. I thought the speech was really good although I usually don't lean too much one way or another. But I will recommend Bring It On Home To Me by Sam Cooke, the best song R&B ever written, bar none.

Model Numbers

2009-01-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

Back at it after some scheduling conflicts that made it difficult to shoehorn in my workout this weekend. Briefly, I skipped Thursday because I was tired but did it on Friday because Friday I could not cycle outside and was sick of cycling inside. Saturday I had to furniture shop all day and all night in Hell among other places because my daughter's crib has been recalled. All you childless readers prepare yourself for recalls, refunds, and store credits by saving your model numbers. Something I own apparently kills someone like once a month.

Hey that's a great idea for a website. A place to register your product so you are notified when they inevitably gets re-called.

Today was a 60 minute run of a little over 6 miles. I finished it pretty strongly. Last two miles were tough, other four were simple. Legs are getting there. I am actually starting to look forward to the 13 mile run now. I am doing a run focused routine now, which is exactly what I needed.

Tomorrow I swim. I'm looking forward to it.

Song in my head - It's About Time by my hero Evan Dando and Lemonheads. Be sure to check out a very young Angelina Jolie at the beginning of the video. I've been leaning it on guitar. It's easy. Buy their 2006 self-titled album, it's awesome.

My, My, My, It's A Beautiful World

2009-01-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

This post is not about triathlon training. I am going to talk music because, sarcastically speaking, I feel that my one or two readers NEED to know my thoughts.

If you are between the ages of 33-45, the day your town got cable was the greatest day of your adolescence. In my case I was about 7. It usually marked the day you watched MTV around the clock. MTV was all videos back then with few commercials. When you would watch a show, people would immediately turn to MTV during commercials and then back to their show. In the early days (pre-84), 3 bands dominated MTV: The Police, Duran Duran, and Men At Work. The last one, seems to have developed the image as a joke because their videos were a little wacky. Well after seeing a tape of them headlining 83's US Festival, I have revisited The Men and Colin Hay and can highly recommend his solo stuff.

My favorite album for the past year has been Once Again by John Legend. With the exception of a couple blah tracks the album is as strong as can be. There are classic hits such as Save Room, PDA (We Just Don't care), Again, a very cool Motown-sound with Each Day Gets Better, and many others. I enjoyed it so much he was added to my shortlist of "artists whose albums I buy the second they are released no questions asked". It's a rare list that includes Evan Dando and Lemonheads, J. Mascis and Dinosaur Jr., and Badly Drawn Boy.

That was until I bought and listened to his new album Evolver which pretty much sucks. He better watch out because there is no more fickle a consumer than Hip Hop/R&B fans. Name one artist aside of Jay-Z (and Puffy doesn't count) that was big 10 years ago that still has a huge following today. Apparently he was too busy being famous or being a pretty lucky guy. Well anyway, Evolver was really rushed out and could have used another year of polishing. And why not? People were still being turned on to Once Again, they were still releasing videos. Bottom line, the album was very clumsy, unremarkable, bloated, soulless, and just whatever. My guess is they wanted to release something in 2008, had a couple hits in the can with Green Light and Obama's puke-inducing-Man-In-The-Mirror-WannaBe campaign song If You're Out There so they felt they needed to release the album and all would be well. Well it's not. Avoid Evolver and listen to Once Again, once again.

Song in my head - One of the one's above.

Only The Lonely Can Play

2009-01-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that Tuesdays are the most productive day of the week. See on Mondays, you are just getting into the swing of things, and all the other days everybody's workin' for the weekend. My training schedule is no different, so it seems. My biggest area of improvement is the run, and thus have my long runs scheduled for Tuesdays.

Today was 90 minutes of going around in circles at a "conversational" pace (i.e. 10 minute miles). Today I had the added pleasure of watching my daughter's gymnastics class as the track had a window into the gym where she trained.

I am gradually getting my legs back. I am sure experienced triathletes and anyone else reading this would be thinking "enough already". I am seeing slight improvement week after week, but my "in-shapedness" is coming slower than expected. I guess I have to think of the winter as a sloooooooowwwwwww build of strength and endurance. I will see improvement eventually but it will take time, perserverence, and patience.

Good news is, I am really happy with my swim progress from yesterday. I don't get winded in the water whatsoever anymore on long sets and my flipturns are just something I do now. They are no longer extremely difficult. I think have the opportunity to be really strong in training and in the water this summer. Looking forward to the journey.

Song in My Head - Harden My Heart by the Pacific Northwest's own Quarterflash. Do you think the guy on the far right is mad at the cameraman or te person that made him wear that outfit? For the life of me I will never know whether they were a ripoff of The Motels or vice versa.

Long swim and Chris Daughtry

2009-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

I took it easy this weekend. Friday was a skip day. Saturday was an easy ride and Sunday was another skip. I think I was pretty stressed out physically last week. I'd like to think I recovered nicely this weekend and am ready for the week. Today's swim was nice and long. I hit the pool warmed up nicely and did a bunch of long sets of 400s and 300s with a pull buoy and without. I used flipturns on my sets and felt great doing so. One of the sets ran into the other so I did it as a long set with flipturns. Therefore I did a 400 into a 300 with all flipturns. Normally that would leave me winded, but I did it with little problems.

My swim is coming along great. My shoulder is a little bit of a concern. All you long time fans of this blog will recall I had lots of shoulder pain last year and skipped a few months because of the soft tissue pain. I am trying to avoid that problem this year by focusing on proper form, and stretching out the muscle.

Song in my head - Right Now by SR-71 for for some unbelievable reason couldn't find a good youtube clip for learning this on guitar NOR a good photo of the band. But lead singer Mitch Allan wrote songs for Chris Daughtry who has plenty of awful pictures of him.

Spazzing Out on the Swim

2009-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not doing my scheduled run tomorrow. There I said it. My coach has been looking at my workout log and suggested that I might not be recovering from my workouts as quickly as I should be, since I am complaining of my legs being "mushy" etc. I think I am walking the line between "pushing myself to get in better shape" and "overdoing it." Yesterday was really tough, and followed another really tough day. Today was a tough swim and easy bike ride. But tomorrow is a skip (it should be a 30 minute run). I got a busy work day anyway so I am going to back of, rest, do some pushups and core and get ready for Saturday.

Today was a 2500 yd swim consisting of a 400 yd warm up, followed by a pyramid of sorts. I started with 3 50s, 3 100s, then 2 150s, 2 200s, and 2 150s followed by 3 100s, and 3 50s. All at a hard pace and with flipturns. The swim for me is my strength, but the workouts leave me very sleepy. I am proud of myself for pushing through the workout. Although my muscles were staring to spaz out in the water. It was weird. I felt my left foot seize, the my right, and then some kid came in my lane causing me to stop short and both my legs tightened up like crazy. Regardless, it made me very fulfilled at the end to finish.

I think with a little rest tomorrow, I will be able to head into Saturday fresh and tackle next week with a good level of commitment.

Song in my head - "You Are My Sunshine" and More Than Words because I am learning them on guitar. I am "EXTREMEly envious of Nuno Nettencourt's hair I will accept all suggestions of songs to learn.

The Old Man is Snoring

2009-01-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

Long day today. My daughteralarmlclock went off at 5:30. So I got up, changed diaper, made bottle, stared at the TV which was off, made coffee (or maybe I didn't) I forget, and headed into the office. I am taking of a few new projects at work that are really exciting but scary at the same time so my mind races like crazy at night. Today was a 30 minute run in the pouring rain, and an hour long bike ride that I did inside.

I was able to get hooked up with Google Chrome and Netvibes today. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me.

Yesterday's long run was great on one level. I finished it. But my routine is really challenging so nothing is coming easy. The good news is, I am training for the run harder than I have before, I am getting great swims in with little stress, and I am learning a lot more on the bike. Bad news is really just the constant level of fatigue in my legs. I am pretty certain that this is all just contributing to a greater base of fitness. As long as I stay injury-free I should see the other side of this fairly soon. If this works, I see nothing preventing me from working on my speed this spring and being ready to race this summer.

I read a great article on my favorite triathlon-related site today Slowtwitch regarding preparing for the winter months. It really focused me on what I need to accomplish this winter. Today I put that to good use and worked on my cadence for the bike. I made the gear really low (or is it high? basically I made the gear easy) and tried to sustain a high cadence throughout. It felt awesome, I went much faster than I was used to with less effort. I am going to start focusing on cadence, form, and my revolutions on the indoor trainer from now on and use my stopwatch to keep time. A really eye-opening experience.

This blog is starting to get good so stick around and feel free to leave comments. If you have a blog let me know and I'll go to it and do the same.

Song in my head - Just Got Lucky by JoBoxers. I saw the video on an old MTV clip of a Motley Crue interview and had completely blocked any memory of this song out of my head. I can vaguely recall this from MTV though. I remember when we first got MTV, I used to watch it morning, noon, and night and they played a lot of great obscure stuff like this. How this is never on one of those One Hit Wonder compilations? I love the "Come On Eileen" wannabee video. What was up with the video directors back then?

In the poo

2009-01-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Woke up a half-hour late today. No reason. Other than couldn't fall asleep last night. Work is getting ridunkulously busy (good). So my mind is racing. I am very much a night person. Always have been.

This blog may pehaps be getting more better so stay tuned.

I ran an hour today on the indoor track. I felt really good for the first 45 minutes. I was at a conversational pace. I must be really slow right now because I was passed by everyone else running. Granted very few people were going 5-6 miles, but I certainly would have like to pass a very people who were, you know, running. Instead everyone walking and over 70 had to eat my dust. My legs are starting to come around slowly but surely. I have reached the point yet where I feel I am in shape. But I guess that is the way everyone feels at this time of year. The more in more in shape I get, the more I realize how out of shape I was last year and before that.

I like the routine of a long Tuesday run. It is my most productive day of the week (and everyone else's statistically speaking). And the run is the area that has the biggest room for improvement in my racing. My mindset at this point is, I have the potential to turn in a very fast swim. I should be "in shape" for my ride, and if all goes well, I should be able to running strongly and steadily. I was watching Kona 2009 again and Craig Alexander looked so fluid and strong running. That is what I hope for.

Song in my head during the run - some awful Christian pop/punk garbage (sometime I hate living in urban sprawl Americana). That music is not heavenly whatsoever, so therefore I will substitute it with a punk band that has a singer that can actually sing so I choose Rise Against doing "The Good Left Undone"

Day 2: MUP

2009-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Day 2 7:54 - I'm up. 'mup. MUP!!!! Thanks to my lovely almost ten month old daughter, I did not need an alarm clock today. Instead I was able to feed and change my Ainsley twice between 6:36 and 6:46 AM. I was able to get up, get some Cheerios, make some coffee, watch a few seconds of the 2008 Kona telecast, and make a few calls to the East coast all before 8. With all three girls back in bed I can now get into gear. Now I just don't know what to do with myself.

Today is a relatively easy day, but not that easy. I have a 2500 yd swim and nothing else before my hour long run tomorrow. It appears that this may be a lighter load than previous weeks in preparation for more stuff next week. I am still very tired physically. My legs are dead, and every day is a new area of soreness. Today my groins are sore as hell and I have no idea why. I usually feel that way after hockey. Maybe it's just the morning and I'm cranky.

If anyone in triathlon-land has a legal, non-chemical way of recovering from long runs and bikes and swims that take place six out of seven days per week I would appreciate it. If your suggestion comes in powder form and is produced by a company called "such and such Nutition" don't bother, I tried it and it doesn't work. I wonder what the pros do (other than genetic doping).

This may be my last day doing a morning post. I am in such a better mood at the end of the day.

Day One of New Year's Resolution

2009-01-04T07:23:00.001-08:00

7:23 AM So my first day putting the Resolution of getting up before 7 is in full effect...and I'm a mess. It's such a simple, dumb goal but it has been a long time coming and is difficult (as witnessed by the shock that I am in right now). Today is best day to start this because it is a Sunday (my rest day) and everyone is not supposed to be up for a few hours so I have a couple hours to mope around the house like a zombie.

The goal is really about getting the balance back in my life as a Dad, real estate guy, and age group triathlete hoping to break 5:30 this summer. I've noticed trying to balance all three of these has become impossible and 1 or 2 of these has suffered. Dad always comes first for certain. But I have been have a difficult time shoe-horning my workouts in during day hours especially since runs require daylight and it begins to get dark at 4:30. There are a thousand other reasons but the simplest is there are just not enough hours in the day to complete long triathlon workouts if they are done during the middle of the day between work and kids, etc. Finally I have a few work things to get going and now is the best time, so I need a few hours to myself during the day without the kids running in and out of my office all day.

Well I am starting to get all my workouts in anyways and my body is just starting to get acclimated to the workload. I write this at a time however when I can't move a muscle. Yesterday was the culmination of a hard week where I did an hour long bike followed immediately by a 30 minute run. I am just drained today and need to get some energy in my body ASAP. The day before I completed my longest swim of the season so far and did fairly well the same day that I did an hour and fifteen minute bike ride. Good news is, my legs are getting there. Bad news is. I need about six days worth of sleep. I hope to catch up today with Ainsley asleep this afternoon and would like to get to bed early tonight. If that goes as planned I should be ready for another week of workouts.

No song in my head because my head is still asleep.

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

This blog is not dead. It was only resting for the holidays. In addition, my 2009 training plan is not dead either. But just barely. The races are so far away I haven't even signed up for them yet. But I will, trust me. Thanks to the good people at trainingpeaks.com and D3Multisport, I am now emailed my workouts each and every day and I get feedback and input from their coaches. It falls into the category of "keeping me honest" and will really help me in the upcoming season. Some of the workouts are really hard and kill me the next day, but in this "base-building" time of year I am glad to be putting in lots of miles so that I will have plenty in the tank this summer.

New Years resolutions are: 1) get up early (7 at latest) and either begin work or workout - This really escaped my grasp as the kids started staying up later and the holidays took hold. I was forced to workout during lunchtime hours which filtered into worktime hours which killed my days. This sounds like a simple resolution but everything in my life that I need to adjust filters through this. Therefore if I can prioritize this I will be on track to accomplish all of my other personal goals. 2) Blog at least twice a week. The blog has always been a good diary for my training. It really helps focus me. If I procrastinate the blogging it usually means I am procrastinating in all other areas of my life.

A little bit of training housekeeping - I am all set for the winter since I bought myself some heavy winter running/cycling pants, a refelctive jacket for outside running and a Polar RS200 heartrate monitor. These are important training tools that help me get out there in the winter months and keep an eye on how hard I am working. I am thankful I have them and plan on putting them to good use.

Today is a tough Saturday brick that I must complete after a tough swim/bike day yesterday and in advance of my day off tomorrow. Looking forward to the rest tomorrow and I will update you on how I am progressing tomorrow. Happy New Year.

Song in my head - It's a Mistake by Men at Work. I saw the documentary of them at the US Festival this weekend. They headlined in front of 300,000 people. Unreal.

2008-2009 Begins Tomorrow Officially

2008-10-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Well I am back into the swing of things. I am looking at 2008-2009 in a similar manner as perhaps I would have looked at business school a few years back. I am now officially over the "hey, isn't this great I am working out" sensation. I am more looking at this upcoming year as an opportunity to build off of last year's base and get better at multisports.

After the last race in mid September, I relaxed for a few weeks, got back into my work, spent a lot of time with the kids (giving Adrienne a break), and drank a few dozens bottles of wine. The time off helped me heal up the knee and seal up the preceding. I then started thinking about what I wanted to improve upon this year. I need to get stronger, faster, and be in better shape for my races. This seems simple enough, but in the sport of triathlon achieving those goals requires a lot of work. While last year I was seemingly holding on for dear life during my races, this year I would like to attack the races and push through my previous times.

Right now I am in the weight room for about an hour three days a week (M,W,F) for the first time in a few years. I am just working on basic movements such as bench press, squats, chin-ups, dips and a few others that work muscles I need for the race. On off days I am in the pool working on kicking drills for the swim. Although the swim is my strength, my kick is weak. I basically do a breast stroke kick right now, which I would like to correct. If I can get more proficient with my flutter kick and get stronger I think I can be a lot faster in training and that will translate to faster in the race. This my third week on the program and I feel a lot better. I am constantly sore, so I am certainly doing the right thing and I am starting to get better at the kick.

This is what I am calling my pre-training phase. Once I get comfortable at this level I will begin bringing actual workouts into play and maintaining what I have done so far. But that should fall into place later. In the meantime, I have my first phone conversation with my coach for 2009 so wish me luck.

Song in my head: Shimmer by Fuel

Season Rewind 2008

2008-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am about a month removed from my final race of the season, the Black Diamond Half Ironman in Enumclaw WA. This race, unlike the July race was a success. I spent the intervening two months getting on my bike and getting some great long rides in. I also did some solid runs and even some bike/run bricks.. I didn't do much swimming, however, but had a few lake swims, so I was okay.

The portion was pretty hard and although I finished with a respectable 42 minutes, I suspect I was a little slower than normal. The bike was a daunting task but I was up for it. I got through the first 34 or so miles in an hour and a half and made it through my second loop in three and a half hours. I was extremely happy to finish the bike and I felt in great shape to start running. I was a little nervous because of a painful IT Band problem in my left leg. That forced me to run/walk the 13 miles but I finished in 7 hrs and 19 minutes.

The race capped a long season of training and stress but surprisingly I was in decent shape in the following days. I learned that I had to embrace my training and try to tackle the tasks I did not want to do. I also learned that a triathlon is a long race with lots of problems and pitfalls. It takes a clear head and a mentally prepared mind to get through it. But it is well worth the effort.

Stick around in the upcoming days to find out what 2009 has in store. Thanks for reading. Dennis

Couple days to think about things.

2008-07-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

After time to think things over, the race autopsy (nee racetopsy) results are in. Due to my carelessness and stupidity, my bike had tires that were severely underinflated. Usually racers with brains keep extra tires, tubes, and CO2 cartidges to handle these mistakes during the race. I did not. I was too focused on the racing itself that I neglected my equipment. Therefore, I was forced to do the 58 miles at an unbelievably slow pace while being passed by nearly every rider. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I believe I will be stronger for it.

The last few days have givven me an opportunity to get more acquainted with the wonderful world of tire inflation as I have spent time inflating, deflating, and then, re-inflating my tires. I will soon be getting back on the bike and working on some technique drills that I have been neglecting as well.

As for the race itself, it would have been nice to finish. But I was nearly dead after getting off the bike. A 13 mile run after that would have been a 13 mile walk, at a very slow pace and would have taken all night. Instead, I have two months to think about what happened and make sure it does not happen again. In the meantime I will be resting for a few days and then back at it as soon as I can. Thanks for reading.

70.3 minus 13.1 equals 57.2

2008-07-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tough day today at the race. I completed the swim in 40 minutes. Right on target for the best race of my life. That's the good news. From the second I got on the bike it was a nightmare. I had trouble getting in my shoes and was messed up for a good 15 miles. Then I had trouble getting my brand new Rudy Project glasses on and they fell off never to be seen again. By the time I took my first sip of water, my water bottle fell off the bike never to be seen again as well.

Then the real fun happened. I looked down at mile 30 and notice my tire was FLAT. With no spare or pump or help in site I had two options: quit in the middle of the course or gut it out on the flat. I somehow finished the bike but was past the cutoff and didn't run. I was okay with that since riding 40 ish miles on a flat killed me.

I was mad a myself and disappointed in my performance but I was able to take some good experience and look ahead to my September race. Lessons learned - Always inflate your tires, carry spares and train to your weaknesses. I am dead right now but I will be back to follow-up in a few days. Thanks for your support and I am sorry I could not finish. To all those who donated, we'll get them in September

Couple Days Away

2008-07-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Just wrapping up the final days before the race. This are going well. The short run was a little longer than I thought and I felt a little sore from it. My goal now is to prepare myself mentally for the race. I have been getting my ear together, been planning out the route, getting directions, and all the other afterthoughts so I don't have to worry about things. Tomorrow I plan to head to Lake Tapps for 4th of July BBQ with the relatives. At that time, I'll head into the water for a final swim whilst dodging all the jet skis and boats. No better time than at the last second to practice sighting in the water.

I found out the race has a couple pretty large hills. I am a little nervous but I just need to rely on my training and realize the race just represents the equivalent of a really tough training day. With that in mind, I should be in good shape. As long as I keep focused on that and not get rattled by little things, it should be a fun day. Ideally, I would like to finish the bike at about 3hrs 30 minutes and in good shape. If I can do that, I can run 13 miles at a comfortable pace with stops worked in if necessary, and I'll be ready for a final push in the last few miles. Sounds easy right? We shall see.

A Short Run

2008-07-01T17:47:00.001-07:00

My last real workout was a long, long run last Wednesday or Thursday (I can't remember anymore). After that I realized I needed to rest my body and get myself ready for the race. Well after eventually popping all my blisters, getting a pair of shoes that fit, doing actual work, and going out of town for a wedding; I was ready to get a few light workouts in. The days off were good because they let me cool down and rest myself in preparation for the race. But today it was back at it for the final push.

I got back on the road because I wanted to reconnect with what it feels like to be running up and down hills in the hot sun. I did about 5-6 miles near my house and up and down some nice hills. The new shoes feel great although I re-blistered a certain tender area. I ran very well though and am very excited with my progress. If only the race was a 10K I would be all set. Alas it's not, but I am not worried. Tomorrow I get on the bike for a few miles, rest on Thursday, Swim a bit on Friday with a warm-down run and then I prepare for the race.

The mental preparation is the most challenging because I need to overcome all my thoughts of self-doubt and everything. I find myself always second-guessing and whatiffing instead of shutting up and racing. I'm never happy its over, I am most happy when the wait is over and I am "doing it." Back tomorrow with my bike post.

Less Than A Week Away

2008-06-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

My blog reporting has gone dry in the last few weeks. I am frankly shocked at the response from a few of the readers. Yes thats right I actually had readers.

To get you up to date, the training has been going well. I am either training or sleeping from training. These last few days has been a lot of "not training". On Wednesday I had a really long run of about 10 miles. I was very sore the next day or two and had some blistering problems and whatnot and decided to take a few day of so that I can begin this week with some light workouts in preparation for Sunday's race. My days off were fine, I had some business meetings and got some new shoes and made one last adjustment to my bike in preparation for Sunday.

In addition I am scaling back my workouts in an attempt to avoid something I always have done in my life...cramming. For my last race I ran 6 miles two days before my race. Which is ludicrous especially since I was sore for my race. This time I am taking it easy, squeezing in some light workouts and working on preparing myself mentally. I will be blogging all week and thanks for reading

Progress and Lessons Learned

2008-06-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

Today's workout was tough. I was scheduled to swim 2600 at race pace in a series of drills. I decided I would use flipturns as much as I could from now on so I had to work real hard. Making things more difficult, I was going to do so without a warmup. A warmup is a great luxury to have because it allows you to get accustomed to the water and start off on the right track.

I started off with 4 200s with flipturns. It was okay but I felt real sluggish and even muffed a turn. To execute a flipturn you have measure a certain distance from the wall, flip over, push off the wall, twist your body and begin your stroke. As the set goes, on and you get more tired, it becomes harder and harder to execute the turns properly, plus you lose your technique and all sorts of other things happen. It feels really awful to mess up, lose your stroke, have water go up your nose etc. etc.

My next set was 500 yds with flipturns. I screwed up a turn early in the set and lost my stroke. I wanted to stop the whole workout but I pressed on, gather myself and vowed to finish the set. It stunk though, I had snot all over me, water in my nose and it took me about 45 strokes to get to each wall.

My final set consisted of 6 200s. After doing one of them without flipturns I was able to complete six of them. I went from wanting to quit and almost walking out of the pool, to finishing the set strongly and even doing an extra 200. I kept thinking to myself 'is this ever going to be easy'. I guess the simple answer is, 'as long as I keep working on them'. It doesn't really feel like I have made progress but the flipturns are going much better. I can easily complete them on 100s, 200s are getting better and as seen today, I can survive on doing them over 500. Plus I am pretty much doing them throughout the workout, so I am not far away from doing them as a rule.

Song in my head "PDA" John Legend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4R_oswROic

Freaking out, well, sorta

2008-06-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

Yes its been a while since I wrote. I have been away. I went on vacation to Boston, Cape Cod, and Martha's Vineyard. Good time, but with work and family obligations I could not find an opportunity to work out. I thought I could but it was not in the cards. So I spent my time re-calculating my workouts so I could be on track for the race. I realized that when I got back home, I and screwed unless I stick to the program to the letter until race time. No excuses anymore. Work will take a backseat, family will have to wok in conjunction with training. I am not about to repeat the madness that was my first Olympic race, where I was severely under-trained, and thus suffered during the bike and run.

This week was good. I got back on Monday and cycled, ran, cycled some more and swam. Tuesday was a tough one. I was scheduled for an easy 50 minute run. But it was raining so I went to the gym and did a 30 minute run; 20 minutes less than needed. When I finished the run I bumped into some of my triathlon friends and started chatting just as they went into the spin room. Although I did not need to spin that day, I went in anyway and did 30 minutes easy. I then followed them to the track and did a tough 30 minutes on the track. It amounted to 90 minutes and my legs were dead (a good dead). Very happy I did that. There is a big difference between finishing a workout okay and finishing a workout gassed. I experienced the latter, and hopefully it pays off in the race.

Wednesday was a hard, yet short bike. Thursday I intended to skip, however Mary Anna needed to get out of the house. Therefore, I put together my stuff and instructed my wife to bring Mary Anna to the pool after my workout so we could swim together. It worked out great. I did the workout and swam with Mary Anna. I used all flipturns and set myself up for a nice rest day on Friday. Saturday is a monster day but I can rest easy knowing I totlly brought it all week.

Flipturns and more Flipturns

2008-05-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

My last post was in reference to the fact that I have started using flipturns in my swim training. It is no secret that swimming has been my most successful event so far and my preferred training event. My running has been virtually nonexistent (that changes when I go back to Boston) and my cycling can be described as a work in progress. But I am pretty much there for my swims. I started using flipturns a bit last Tuesday.

Last Friday, I hit the pool again with a long workout of 4 x 300s using all flipturns. It is much much harder to do a full flipturn workout. By not coming up for air at the wall, you increase the stress of the set tremendously. You are constantly gasping to get more oxygen, thus your output decreases, causing you to lose form and go slower. As your body adjust you get more comfortable and normalize. As mentioned before it will not help in the race on that level, but by not touching the ground and not getting the extra breath, you better simulate the sensation of being in the middle of the lake.

Yesterday was another milestone. I had 5 sets of 500s with 200 warm down after each set. I continued to try flipturns. I was much better yesterday for the first 300 but started to tire and have difficulty heading for the last 200. I really wanted to quit and my upper body was throbbing, but I kept at it and completed 3 500s and 2 200s with flipturns. I was really beat down by the end but the confidence I have now is extraordinary. I am going to rest today because I am tired. Tomorrow I am scheduled to cycle, and swim again on Friday. Friday will be a short time trial of 1000 yds continuously. I will be using all flipturns on this set. It should be very difficult but I am up the challenge.

Kaizen - Continuous Improvement

2008-05-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a shorter swim than I have had as of late. I focused on technique, breathing, and flipturns. My goal is for a smooth day out on the water. Although flipturns are useless in a race situation, I want to be able to train in a way that simulates the seemlessness of racing. Oftentimes, in training I will be doing a long set (say 400 - 800 yards) and I will take a breath and touch my feet down when I hit the wall. This works against the feel I am trying to achieve since I will not have that opportunity to touch bottom in the race. Therefore, my goal now is to swim using flipturns as much as possible, and to avoid touching my feet when I hit the wall. It will take some time and will be a huge, painful adjustment, but when I am through, hopefully my swim workouts will be much more effective.

Wednesday is my first bike/run brick. I have not run much this season, so I am a bit nervous. My goal is to cycle 15 miles and run for three or four. It's about the distance of a long sprint and will be a great challenge. I think I am up for it.

Sunburn

2008-05-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

It usually happens on the golf course. But this year my first sunburn happened while hitting a new high on the bike. Today I rode 30 miles in 2 hours. A new personal distance best, and yes, I have my first sunburn of the year. It was one of those Ferris Bueller-type days where the whether is sunny and perfect and a great opportunity to blow off work. I got out there and rode to E. Puyallup and back (twice). No real breakthroughs as far as technique or speed, just distance. But I felt great. I am gradually getting more and more comfortable with the bike and my base is building nicely. Tomorrow I swim.

On a side note, I have been delaying my run workouts to get my bike distance dialed in. But now that I have hit my numbers as far as bike times is concerned it is time for me to start running. Plus, I will have plenty of opportunity to work on running when I am in Boston over the Memorial Day holiday since I will have no bike.

In work news, I was interviewed today via an deal that I thought I was disqualified for. It seems that I may not have been disqualified and my group were one of only a few competing for the contract. Not sure if I want the job or not, but it was fun talking to a reporter from a paper I read all the time. I am sure I will be misquoted but at least I will have a clipping to show to my Mom.

Tired but making progress

2008-04-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

There are times when I think I am ready for the race. That is usually followed by an overwhelming reality check that I am NOT EVEN CLOSE to be ready for my race.....But I am making progress.

On Sunday, I decided to stop making excuses already and get out on the bike. On the road. Before, there was always an excuse. "It's too cold." "It's raining." "I need new wheels so I don't have to waste time changing around tires." "I have too much work." These were all excuses used by me within the last month. Finally I went to the Foothills trail for the first time. I almost died. There is no possible way to properly train for a race as well as being on the road or in the lake. I only made it a few feet before I nearly panicked. First, I barely got on the bike (my seat is so high I have to literally jump on the saddle). Second, I couldn't get my feet in the shoes for a good mile or so. Third, when I did get my feet set, I could not reach down and adjust anything because I was so uneasy on the bike. This was a real wakeup call. I thought my time on the trainer was sufficient. It wasn't by a longshot. Just like during my boxing days, the only way to train properly is trial by fire.

After that setback, I vowed to get on the bike as often as possible until the race. So I was on it for 10 miles on Monday and 15 miles today. I desperately need to get as much roadwork done as I can (at least on the bike before the race).

My fitness is improving gradually. I have been doing my swim workouts to the note. With that out of the way, my next goal is to focus on hitting the cycling goals (on the road this time). I really am not sure how much running I will be able to do before the race time. But now, as I write this, I will make an effort to at least run a little before the race. My lack of running was a detriment back in 2006 so I know I have to get out there.

Until next time...

Big week so far

2008-04-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

First off, we have the baby, which puts the training in a tailspin. Then everyone gets sick for about four weeks. Finally work intervened keeping me really busy.

But I'm back this week with a vengeance. I had snuck a couple rides in along the way. Tuesday I got in the pool for the first time since early March and went roughly 1200 yards. It was a short workout but I felt really good. The swimming tires me out like crazy. Wednesday I went out to the garage and spent an hour and a half on the trainer. Finally on Thursday, I did the entire 3100 yd. swim workout which equals roughly 1 and 3/4 miles. That is a little over the race distance so I am in shape for the swim portion of the tri.

Today or tomorrow I am going to head outside on my new $600 racing wheels. First time outside in a couple years I'm very nervous but it is supposedly a long path. I'm psyched.

For the Blazeman

2008-02-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Click here to see Blazeman in Kona 2005

Tuesday Triathlon

2008-02-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

I woke up at the gawdawful hour of 4:30 and joined my gym's triathlon training group for our weekly session. Its a great idea. We start off at 5:45 and swim for a half hour, then quickly head to the spin room for a half hour, and then run outside for roughly a half hour. The timing is always a little off, but it works out to a decent swim (especially if you get there early and warm-up). A brief, but effective bike. And finally a very good run of about 3-4 miles.

Today was much the same. These workout are the next best thing to actually doing a sprint race because it gives you the feel of what it is like to work all three muscle group in succession. The best part about it is the run since it has always been the portion I give the least attention to. So far in my racing experience I have had horrible runs. It is usually because I am under-trained for the bike and then basically dead when I run. This workout is going to be great for helping remedy that.

Very tired now but fired up. A little update on my shoulder: I still feel the pain a bit but I spent a good ten minutes before my workout warming up with weights and felt very little pain in the water. I will rest it for the rest of the week and see how it feels next week. Perhaps a little ice as well.

Song in my head: "Ridin' the Storm Out" REO Speedwagon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6F5xm0QooE

Back in the Saddle Again

2008-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

Greetings bloggees. My last post referred to me resting my shoulder. Well, the injury, the ensuing holidays, turned me into a fat mess in very short time. Basically I fell awkwardly playing hockey and did something to my shoulder muscle. After a couple x-rays and some time on the couch, I eased back into things in early January and February. I still could not swim; as every time I got into the pool, I immediately felt the familiar pain. So I started focusing on light weights and lots of shoulder movements and began training the other two disciplines, by far my least favorite.

So now I am back. Last week I spent Tuesday doing all three with a group at the gym. Thursday was weights and running. This week should be more of the same.

I learned some good lessons from the experience. I was following a workout program a little too strenuously and not allowing enough time in between for rest. I'm not out there to win the race, I am out there to compete in it. I feel like my body was telling me to slow down, give yourself an off-season to recharge, and get back at it. Last week's pool workout was pretty easy even though I was out of it since Dec 1. Plus the running and cycling have caught up so I am in good position to move forward. I also learned to try to give myself plenty of rest. I never really though of myself as over-training. But, I would feel really bad if I missed a workout Now, if I need an extra day for rest or I need to focus on work for the whole day I will take it and re-charge myself for the next day.

I am in a much more confident place with my training now than I was last fall and I am totally excited for this year.

So tomorrow I will get in the pool at a nice easy pace, do my cycling and then its off for a run. I can't wait. As long as I can get up at 5AM. Pray for me.

Song in My Head: "Lazy Eye" Silversun Pickups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjXwbmjumAg

Still Resting the shoulder

2007-12-10T19:29:00.001-08:00

Song in my head "Last Christmas" Manic Street Preachers (its a Wham cover) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiYu9KtA4I

Typing with One Hand

2007-12-03T00:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday's workout was the last day of my first program. I swam twenty minutes straight (no warmup). I got about 1200 yards and I was pretty satisfied with my progress. After I cycled for about 20 minutes and ran for 20 as well. I did everything nice and easy. My goal is to restart the program (thus saving about 60 bucks) on Monday and have much better performance on a day to day basis. I went out way too hard last time around. The key here is pacing and preparing myself for the upcoming season.

I played hockey on Sunday night for the first time in almost a year. I dogged it a bit because I had not been on the ice in a while and had never played out west before. I did score a few goals though so that was nice. I'm not really interested in competing in a difficult league, I just wanted to get a good skate in. Problem is, I hyperextended my shoulder on the last play. Serves me right, I wasn't paying attention and fell awkwardly. I'll try to ice it tomorrow, hopefully it feels better. At least I scored on the play.

Song in My Head - "Can't Take My Eyes Of of You" by Manic Street Preachers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPPv9d0nETU

Relaxing

2007-11-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

This has been a slightly boring week as I am in taper mode. Wednesday was a 30 minute bike ride. Very simple. Thursday was an easy swim much like Tuesdays. I was surprised how quickly I finished. Following that, I was on the treadmill for a half hour. I have to admit that I did not run much during this training period but I felt great yesterday. I got a couple miles in, just nice and easy, with a little walking as a warmup and cooldown. No pain this time. The taper period has been great. I am planning to go ahead with the program I just did for the second time. I think I will have a much better success rate from workout to workout.

Song in my head - "Don't Let Him Go" by REO Speedwagon of High Infidelity awesome guitar work by Gary Richrath. They get a lot of flak but that album is a classic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDIP1nUisUc

I did a triathlon today, in a way

2007-11-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

Today was a good workout. I was scheduled to try all three legs. The workout has now made it to its taper phase where the workouts typically ease up in anticipation of a race. I am really off schedule because of the two week break so the easy workoutsw are fine with me. But anyway, I swam a 300 warmup, 6 50s, 6 100s, and a 200 warmdown. The workout was very easy but I still felt tired in my upper body. I then hit the bike for 15 minutes and ran for 15 minutes. I was supposed to go for 60 minutes and 30 minutes respectively, but honestly, all I wanted to do was get the blood flowing. I think I really shot myself in the foot at the beginning of the routine by going all out. Now my goal is to get set up for when the season begins in April. Therefore I want to maintain my swim pace, gradually build up my cycling and running throughout the offseason and be in position to really kick butt by April.

Song in my head "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses ("bah humbug")

Its been 14 days since my last confession...oops, entry

2007-11-27T00:53:00.000-08:00

Well then, after a week of rest and a trip back East, I got back on the bike yesterday. The new fit felt great but I only did about a half hour. No pain, no soreness after a while. All good. I am sort of off program at this point, but I am not really worried. My program is winding down. I guess it would be in the taper phase so the workouts themselves would be easy. Tomorrow I am scheduled for all three but due to appointments I will lucky to get them in.

Two doors close, one opens

2007-11-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Its been said that, "We can't control the things that other people do or say, we can only control our reactions to what people do or say." That type of modus operandi is a lot easier said than done sometimes. Today was one of those days when I was on the recieving end of some seemingly unpleasant news when I was first waking up this morning.

My dilemma this morning was how to react to the news. What I wanted to do and what I knew I should do were opposites. I figured the best way to change my attitude was to hit the gym and do my planned workout. Perhaps at the end of the session I would feel better.

My swim was scheduled to be a long one. Warmup was 1000 yds followed 4 100s, 3 800s, 300 yd pull, and 8 25s, finishing with a 200 cool down. This was by far the longest I had ever swum at one time (4500 yds or about 2.5 miles). I went easy for the warmups. When I got to the sets of 800, I went for length; counting my strokes the whole time. I averaged 19 throughout the 2400 yds which was great. I was able to finish the 4300 (no cool down as the pool closed) in about an hour and a half.

My focus was on point. I started to mull over what had happened this morning, but was forced to forget it as the sets got more intense and much more focus was required. It started to creep back in my head throughout the workout and again had to cast it aside in order to focus on my form, my counting, and my breathing.

I can't say that I am completely over things, but I am in a much better place mentally, because the thing on my mind right now is how much my triceps hurt and how hungry I am.

Song in my head "Why Can't I Be You" by The Cure. They played it on Dancing With The Stars (Mary Anna is obsessed with that show her favorite dancer is Mel B. from the Spice Girls). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eCsS_-Hf9U

I'm Only Home In My Galaxie

2007-11-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

Just got back from my friends, Odessah and Nannette's housewarming party. I wish I stayed all night. I was drinking some red wine and having a grand ole time but, it was time to leave. I am still off the bike. Each day I am feeling better, but, there is no need to rush because it is offseason, so I will wait. Thanks to Odessah, Nannette, Auntie Letty, and Uncle Ernie. What a party!

Song in my head Galaxie by Blind Melon off of "Soup" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfjjKzL5Id8

Much better

2007-11-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

I had a good workout today. I swam 2900 yds. I started with a 300 yd. warmup, 4 200s pull, 8 100s, 200 kick, 6 100s, and a 200 yd. cooldown. Starting with the pull set, I just started stretching. I was hitting the wall on 15 and 16 strokes. As I kept going I kept getting 18s and 19s when I hit the wall. It wasn't a legendary performance but I felt back on track from Tuesday. I hate to say it but getting back on the Optygen may have been the trick. At least it put me in a better spot, mentally.

Also had my new seat installed yesterday. The fit is much much better. I have a few more days to rest it before I get back on, but I am very excited.

Don't want to but I have to...

2007-11-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

I want to cycle in the worst way, but I am staying off for a few days. I am still getting a little pain in my knee and want it to heal fully before I get back on. It is really annoying to be training for next summer without actually training. Fortunately I can swim. No soreness from yesterday, which figures because I sucked. In the meantime, I am clearing off my desk of extra work in hopes to get back on the bike next week. Maybe I will run a bit. Probably not.

Ann Murray song my head today "No I Don't Think Time". Slow day.

One Step Backward

2007-11-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

After my elation of last Friday, I took the weekend off. I am not sacrificing fitness by doing it, and I am hoping to eliminate the pain in my knee. It's still here but perhaps getting better. I refuse to get on the bike until I am pain free.

Today I was back in the pool for 2600 yds. The first set was 4 200s, followed by 500 yds, then 6 200s at race pace. Again I didn't want to get in the pool but made it there. I can only describe the workout as SLUGGISH. I usually get to the wall at 19 strokes or less. Here 19 was the best I could possibly do. Most times I was hitting at 21 or more. I literally felt like someone was pulling me back or that the wall getting further and further away.

But how could that be? Friday was so great. During the swim I was searching for answers. Was I dogging it? No, I was working my a$$ off! Was I tired? Yeah but that's no excuse. Lazy? Sure, always. Was it because I had little breakfast? Maybe but not very likely. The only answer I could come up with was I had stopped taking my vitamins and Optygen for a few days since last week. I sort of slack off on the weekends as far as vitamins. I kind of vedge-out during football Saturdays and get distracted with church and family stuff on Sundays. No more. This is crazy. I'm back on the vitamins and the supplements religiously from now on.

Song in my head "Do You Love What You Feel?" Rufus and Chaka Khan "Stompin' At The Savoy"

I'm toast

2007-11-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the gym. Very relieved to be finished and I feel great. Saying I did not want to go was an understatement. I went kicking and screaming. The whole thought of a swim workout was nauseating. Having to go to the gym, signing in, undressing, showering before the workout, then walking onto the pool deck freezing from the shower, getting into the cold pool and warming up all sounded awful to me. Plus, I had to complete the workout which, no doubt, would wear me out. My only positive thought would be how good it would feel going into the weekend knowing I completed two good cycles and a really good swim workout.

The workout went swimmingly. My warmup was 300 yds plus 300 yds as a drill (I chose fisting). My main set was to be 8 100s followed by another 8 100s at the best avg time of the previous 8. I then had to do 400 with just arms and a buoy and a 200 yd warmdown. In all 2800 yds. I had no stopwatch, so instead, I focused counting my strokes.

Because I was so anti-workout today, I decided I would lengthen my body as much as I could and go easy. The key today was smooth. My first warmup laps got me to the wall at 19 strokes. I had to have counted wrong, I thought, because I usually avg about 21. But it kept coming up as 19. As I got to my main set, I was regularly getting to the wall in 18 strokes very easily. So I then started to challenge myself and shoot for 17. I stretched and stretched and started hitting 17s with regularity. As it was happening, I started to get over the drudgery of the swim and really started to enjoy myself and the challenge of hitting 17s. I would say my average for the day was 18. As I got a little more tired, I started to get 19s and even a 20 or so on an easy lap.

But the workout was a success nonetheless. Counting strokes is one of the best ways a swimmer can use to achieve optimum form. Although it's never possible to have perfect form in the water, you are always trying to go further, faster, with less effort, and in the most efficient manner. That is, you should strive to glide like a fish rather than thrashing like a dog. A 17 stroke lap means that I was getting a good push off the wall, I was stretching my arms straight, and using my triceps to propel myself. It also means I was breathing by twisting my body rather than pulling it out of the water.

I am very happy with my performance today. 17 stokes was probably a number I hit only a few times before. I used to try to strive for under twenty. Now that I have a new goal, that's attainable, I can strive for making that my new norm, and thereby, ensuring better and better swim technique. Alright no more typing, my triceps are killing me.

Song in my head "Big Girls Don't Cry" Fergie but since that sucks I'm going to switch it to "Become the Enemy" Lemonheads because you gotta listen to their new album, its a masterpiece.

Whoever says "in shape" people don't get sick...

2007-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

...is a liar. I got a cold out of the blue Tuesday. I spent Wednesday with tissue up my nose (but I still cycled). Thursday was a swim day but I still felt like crap so I stayed away from the gym. Now I am scheduled to rest, but I am off to the gym. I have to admit, I do not want to go. The minute I got up, I did this morning yoga thing with Mary Anna to wake up. Then I just put my clothes in my bag, and took my vitamins. I also made my drinks the night before. These things help make the decision to go to the gym less cumbersome because everything is set up eliminating any excuse not to go. So I am dragging myself off to the gym. I DO NOT WANT TO GO! Just in case you did not know already.

The focus for the day, slow and smooth.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't swim yesterday because I was exhausted. But that's okay. My swimming was my strong suit by far, therefore, skipping a minor workout is okay to keep me fresh for today.

I'm a little sick today, my nose won't stop running. But instead of skipping a second day I got on the bike for the 1:16 I was prescribed. As always, my main concern on the bike is finishing the workout pain-free since my knees were keeping me on the shelf.

I definitely felt a little strain in the back of my knees during the ride so I stayed in a lower gear and just spun it out. But I was able to get through the entire 1:16. When I finished, I felt very good. The pain during the workout was more of a muscle soreness than a knee ligament or tendon pain. I was very tired but I am starting to get more comfortable on the bike.

It was a very encourtaging day. It's not every day that you see improvement in the training. Also, I am starting to get over the "bike is my overwhelming weakness" plateau. With the new sizing of my bike and the alleviation of pain, I am able to get two workouts in per week, minimum. Now I am becoming more comfortable on the bike. I am sensing my muscles that are needed for the bike getting stronger and the pain going away quicker. This is a great sign for me.

People always talk about setting clear, reachable goals for the season ahead to guide your training. At this point, I am not self-aware enough to know how good I am and how good I can be. I am still just starting to learn how to swim and cycle. It takes a lot of time in our busy lives to buy a bike, buy a trainer, a computer, to learn how to use all of those things, to start spending time in the saddle, to get over the muscle pains experienced from starting out from scratch. I've been at this for almost two years and I'm just starting to feel comfortable on the bike. Just starting.

The same with swimming. At first I couldn't find goggles that worked properly and my suit was way too loose and I could barely get from one end of the pool to the other. Now I'm averaging 1:40 per 100 yds. The thought of that was inconceivable even two months ago.

I guess the moral of the story is, you gotta keep at it. The Japanese use the term kaizen which means constant improvement. That has been the goal of my training; to constantly improve my swimming technique, to spend more time on the bike, and to squeeze a run in. Hopefully it pays off this summer.

Back on the Bike

2007-10-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

After a few days off I was scheduled for an hour and a half on the bike. The bike has been a love/hate thing for me since I started training. It is my major weakness mainly because I've never cycled before and because living in Boston had made it difficult in the past. Plus I fell a bunch of times when I was first learning and it hurt. Now that I have an indoor trainer I have no excuse...right?

Yes and No. I was off the bike for a few weeks due to pain in my left knee. It turns out my seat was way to low thus crunching my outer calf muscles. The pain was getting worse the more time I spent in the saddle. Finally I shelled out some bucks to have my bike re-fit to my height and dimensions which has all but eliminated the pain. So right now I have been cycling until I feel the familiar pain and then getting off.

Hopefully I can just gradually build up the muscles at this pace for a while and be 100% pain free by late winter.

Today I did 70 minutes at a pretty good cadence for a relatively pain free workout. Tomorrow I swim so I should get some decent rest. I am glad I have been resting on Saturday and Sunday. We are still a good ways out from race time so the extra rest won't kill me and I can be ready for the week ahead. So far so good.

Love the Last Two

2007-10-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

Art of War

2007-10-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

"Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought" - Sun Tzu The Art of War

"So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will win a hundred times in a hundred battles. If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you win one and lose the next. If you do not know yourself or your enemy, you will always lose - Sun Tzu The Art of War

Rest Day

2007-10-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

I've found my two races for next year and signed up for one of them. I am doing the Lake Stevens Triathlon in Washington on July 6 and the Black Diamond Triathlon. Both are Half-Ironman distance and give me a good opportunity to know the races that I am gunning for well in advance. They are also well into the season which allows me the opportunity to book a few sprint races and an Olympic in time for the races. I am psyched.

Song in my head - Somebody Come and Play Today from the show "Play With Me Sesame" on TV.

Time trial

2007-10-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

My workout today called for a time trial, which was to follow a good warm up. I was to swim for 1000 yds keeping a steady, race-like pace, but I was not supposed to go out so hard as to burn myself out by the end. At the end, I needed to figure out my avg. split time for each 100 yd. interval, which would give me a good estimate of my improvement. My previous best was 1:48, meaning I completed the 1000 yds. in 18:03.

I used to hate warming up thinking that I would tire myself out for the main set. That's such BS. Its impossible to swim at your best if you get in the water cold. I need to swim at least 300 yds. before I am used to the water.

After a good warmup, I started the main set, wayyyy fast. By 200yds., I was virtually out of breath and starting to struggle. By 300 I was checking the clock just in case I needed stop. At that point I realized I wouldn't finish unless I relaxed, focused on my breathing, and lengthened my body. By 700 I was still out of breath but swimming well and excited about the home stretch. I finished the set 16:43, crushing my previous time and averaging 1:40. Sick.

It was a great set, I really pushed myself and worked hard. Swimming is counter-intuitive, so when I say I worked hard, I mean worked hard mentally and stayed as calm and composed as I could. Therefore, I could go faster. When I got out of the pool, my lats (muscles in the back under the tricep) and triceps were shredded. My chest was pumping too. I musta done something right. Plus, I felt nothing in my shoulders which tells me my form was good.

Although I am physically shot, I am pretty pumped. Tomorrow I am scheduled to bike and Sunday I am scheduled to run. I haven't really worked out on the weekends much in favor of resting and getting set up for the week ahead. It'll be a gametime decision whether I get on the bike. I am supposed to do 3 hrs, but if I rest until Monday I may be better off.

To answer Veronica's comment - I don't really think about much underwater. I spend most of the time counting strokes from wall to wall. If I am swimming really well I can make it to the wall in 19 or 20 strokes. But my average is probably 21. If I am swimming poorly or losing focus I am more like 23 or 24. This topic deserves more discussion so I will come back to this over the weekend.

Off to see my niece and goddaughter who was born this morning. Kai'leia Doreen Corpuz 7lbs. 8 oz.

Here's a video of the Lemonheads song from before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9M-iH42nMI

Song in my head - Who You Wit'? Jay-Z from "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1" I am so stuck in the 1990s its pathetic "Doe to get, More show to rip, I suggest you wanna roll with the clique, Who You Wit'? Frozen wrists, and flow's is sick, more 0's than you know exist @#$%^, Who You Wit'" Best rap song ever.

Friday was supposed to be a rest day...

2007-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

But Thursday ended up being a rest day. So my swim test is today. I am a lot less sore today. Last night I did some pushups and ab work while watching the Red Sox in Game 2 because I was bored. Mary Anna adds some good resistance by jumping on my back during the pushups. She's tipping the scales at about 33 lbs now so its some good weight.

Some wise@$$ named Veronica was wondering if "talking to myself" is what gets me through the swim workouts. The quick answer is "sort of"... I spend a lot of time in the water counting. But I will write about that later on in the day. For now, here is a picture of my bike, isn't she a beaut?

Song In My Head - "Let's Just Laugh" Lemonheads from Lemonheads

Sore

2007-10-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit slower today but I have an easy workout. Today I'm in the pool and after a typical warmup I go 1000 yds at race pace. Its supposed to tell me my avg. time over 100 yds. My last few times I have been hovering around the 1:46 - 1:48 range. I am not sure how much better I will be, but I don't care I just want to swim well. I might use a few flip turns. I need to start integrating them as part of my workout more often. After that, it's weights.

Oh and we're having a girl. Feel free to suggest names.

We've moved

2007-10-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just found the box Mary Anna was wrapped in

Done with Bike

2007-10-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to ride for an hour...and I did. My schedule was for a 10 minute minute warmup and 5 sets (5 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy). Started to feel a little pain my knees, then I went easy for the rest of the workout. I feel great ready for the Red Sox, Game 1 of the World Series.

Swim Recovery, Some Bike, and a Surprise

2007-10-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I swam 4000 yds. 400 warmup, 5 sets (500 yds, 100yds, 50 yds sprint, 50 yds off stroke) 100 cool down. This was my longest workout ever. By the beginning of the second set thought my arms were going to fall off. I started talking to myself at the beginning because I was sure I could not make. By the middle sets I felt better and better. By the end, the sense of accomplishment was awesome. Did some weights too but very light weight, just enough to move the blood around.

Today I feel good, but pretty tired. I have an hour on the bike and some running but will only be able to squeeze it in. I will go easy and keep a close eye on my knees to make sure the soreness does not return.

First Post

2007-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to create this blog as a way to write down my training thoughts as I prepare for my races. A bit of background. My name is Dennis, I am 31, married with a 2 and 1/2 year old daughter. I started training in early 2006 because I started feeling like it was getting too late to get in great shape (and I had always wanted to try a triathlon). I started on the exercise bike at the gym, and went into the pool a few times for a few laps and thought it might be fun. A friend soon told me, "Just sign up for a race, by then you will be committed." The rest is history.

In 2006 I did 3 races (shoulda been four). The longest distance I completed was a grueling International distance triathlon which set me on my way. My performance was horrible. I could barely swim. I was one of the worst cyclists in the race (each time I raced), and I could not run since the bike would usually kick my butt.

I worked out throughout the Fall of 2006 and Winter of 2007. Swimming started to become my strong suit as I focused on "swimming pretty". I was soon training at a half-Ironman level and cycling and running at a much better pace. Due to a cross country move I was unable to compete in any races in 2007, but I am ready to go for 2008.

I joined Team Blazeman which raised money and awareness for ALS research (Lou Gehrig's disease more on that later). Through the team I recieved free training workouts through trainingpeaks.com and D3Multisport. My only problem was I started to get rundown from fatigue, and getting distracted by a million other things. It became very easy to talk myself out of working out or getting bogged down by work, family and whatnot. This blog is here for me to put my boring thoughts down and keep me focused on training. Feel free to email me comments or suggestions. Other than that, ENJOY!