Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wasington DC

DC is awesome. I rented a bike yesterday and traveled all the way to Mount Vernon. I also have been running around the monuments. I have tons of pics and will have a new post soon!!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Week Totals - Ironman Week 12

4/21/2008 -Off
4/22/2008 - Swim 3,000m; Run 1:00:04, 7.80 miles
4/23/2008 - Bike 2:03:25, 35.02 miles; Run 21:01, 2.71 miles
4/24/2008 - Swim 4,500m; Run 50:02, 6.36 miles
4/25/2008 - Swim 4,000m; Bike 1:31:16, 27.31 miles
4/26/2008 - Bike 45:00, 13.66 miles
4/27/2008 - Run 2:14:00, 17.36 miles


Total Distance:
Swim: 11,500 meters (7.67 miles)
Run: 34.23 miles
Bike: 75.99 miles

Friday, April 25, 2008

Super Long Swim X 2

Guess what...I swam another long one again today. I swam 4,000 meters today. I am headed to D.C. for 5-6 days so I figured I would get my saturday workout done today. I did a warmup and that followed by 30 x 100. Yes...that is right...
30 X 100

I really hit my watch too many times today. My timex ironman watch didn't have enough memory to program each one at a time. I had to group them together. Time for rest...

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Super Long Swim

I went to bed after 11:30pm because I went to a Colorado Rockies game. I went with a bunch of friends. It was pretty good weather, but it was a little windy. I got up super early yesterday so I could get my 2 hour bike ride done in the morning. I was out the door at 5:30am. 2 hours that early in the morning was tough.


I had a super long swim this morning. I woke up early again. I woke up about 5 am and was in the pool at 5:47 am. I should have been there at 5:30 am. I finished right about 7:40 am. Yikes. I hurried to get ready because I had a general staff meeting at 8 am.


My swim today took a little longer than expected. I thought I was going to finish early and be to work early. My plan says: 1h 15m. The plan is never accurate.

Here is how I did:
4,500m Total = 9 x 500 free. Full recovery rest, or 2 minutes between, whichever comes first. I clocked each 200m and the last 100m on every 500.
1) 11:16.83 (4:31.38, 4:30.46, 2:14.99)
2) 11:11.93 (4:25.39, 4:33.33, 2:13.21)
3) 11:26.81 (4:26.22, 4:41.33, 2:19.26)
4) 11:23.15 (4:33.57, 4:34.15, 2:15.43)
5) 11:26.61 (4:31.69, 4:42.57, 2:12.35)
6) 11:06.86 (4:27.06, 4:30.43, 2:09.37)
7) 10:58.59 (4:23.91, 4:27.98, 2:06.70)
8) 10:34.84 (4:19.39, 4:17.78, 1:58.06)
9) 10:09.63 (3:53.38, 4:11.16, 2:05.09)

Total: 1:39:35.25
Avg: 11:03.92


I was very consistent. I like this. I am happy and exhausted. The last 500 was in the smaller pool so I get more push-off on the wall. I also had more than 2 minutes for a break. All the breaks were consistent too! I consumed about 8-10oz of Gu2O and 2 gu gels. I have my weight and strength training during lunch and a 50 min run later today. Time to brew some more coffee?


When ever I get tired during swimming I just think of Martin Strel and his journey swimming the Amazon River. Martin amazes me and I know I could swim longer...but not like him...that's too long.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Zoot Gu Riot

My Team Zoot Gu stuff came in today. I was starting to wonder when it was going to arrive. I was just so excited and needed more gels. I received:


1 Team Zoot Gu tri suit
2 Gu2O's Bottle/Cans - LemonLime and Raspberry
4 boxes of GU - Vanilla Bean, Tri Berry, Lemon Sublime, Strawberry Banana (48ct per box)
8 GU water bottles
3 GU Flasks
1 GU Flask with Bike Mount
The visor and socks will be coming soon. I have signed up and have all my info on the website. Now that I am official, I have tons of stuff to talk about. So much stuff...I will save them for other blog entries.
I took several pictures, but I didn't want to display all of them on the blog. I am not sure if you really care to see individual shots of gels. The photo below has a picture of me posing with my new Team Zoot GU Tri Suit and my new Rudy Sunglasses. Lookin' Good.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Week Totals - Ironman Week 11

4/14/2008 - Bike 1:10:28, 21.03 miles; Run 50:00, 5.79 miles
4/15/2008 - Swim 3,150m; Bike 1:00:00, 22.63 miles
4/16/2008 - Bike 1:40:00, 27.66 miles; Run 30:00, 3.71 miles
4/17/2008 - Swim 2,500m; Run 30:55, 4.66 miles
4/18/2008 - Off Day!
4/19/2008 - Run Greenland 25K 1:54:44, 15.65 miles
4/20/2008 - Swim 2,500m; Bike 2:58:48, 50.73 miles; Run/Brick 15:36, 2.13 miles

Total Distance:
Swim: 8,150 meters (5.43 miles)
Run: 31.94 miles
Bike: 101.02 miles

What can I say? Another week goes by, and pretty quicky too. My swimming total distance went down this week, but it still felt like I was in the pool for long periods of time. I hit 30+ miles this week. Close enough. I can't remember the last time I had this much running? I am feeling great too. I didn't cycle as long this week, but I didn't have a 5 hr bike ride either.

Overall I had a pretty darn good week. The Greenland 25K may have been a bit much? My body is now recovered from the run. My ankles were pretty sore and I still have a few new blisters.

I will start using my brand new Mizuno Shoes on 4/21/08. I am not sure how many miles I have on my old pair, but it is at least 400-500+ I bought 2 pairs back in October, so I am good.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Greenland 25K Race Report

I woke up about 5:15am and I quickly got ready. I met Brett, my co-worker, at his apartment at exactly 6am. We were off to Greenland, CO. It's only a 40-45 minute drive, so we had plenty of time. We were planning on leaving earlier, but the distance wasn't as far as we thought.

We arrived at 6:45am which is pretty darn good for a race. We got a good parking spot and I was able to check in early. I was also able to utilize the restrooms without lines. Of course, when I had to go the last time at 7:30, the line was huge. Oh well. At least I had time.

The race started at exactly 8am. I made a mistake and was at the middle of the pack. I had to wiggle my way and fight extra hard to get up front. I will get towards the front at my next race. The 8 mile, 25K and 50K runners started at the same time.

The weather was awesome! It was supposed to get to the mid 70's. It was warm enough to wear running shorts and a long sleeve shirt. The wind was pretty crazy. The snow was mostly melted. It snowed pretty hard on Wednesday and the pictures looked rough. I am glad that most of it was gone at race day.

The first loop was great. I ran the first 7.5 miles in under 55 minutes. When I looked at my watch, I noticed that the time was much later than I thought. I had no gels, and just a swig of Heed. Yikes. I grabbed a hammer gel and sucked it down. I didn't have the whole packet, but I got a good amount. I thought I was getting cramps right after I took the Heed and gel. It did go away. After the first loop, I started to slow down a little.

I used the Galloway method of running for this race. I run 1 miles, walk 30 seconds. It works pretty well, but it was hard during a race. There were several people who caught up with me and passed me. When I was done walking, I had to work extra hard just to catch them. Once things got settled. I only had one person pass me.

The second loop was tough, but I was doing negative splits. I started slower at first, but I kept getting faster and faster. The downhill parts were awesome!! There were too many quick right turns and left turns...that's trail running for ya. My feet didn't like this too much...I hate blisters. I have never done a trail race before, so this was a different experience. I saw Brett at the aid station which was a huge surprise.

The finish was good. I had one mile left to go. I started walking at mile 15 just like every other mile. I walked for less than 15 seconds because I had someone pass me. I tried my hardest to keep up, but he had been holding his energy? I was running faster and faster...and so was he. I was running at 6:30/mile pace. I am not sure what he was running?

I finished! 15.65 miles according to my Garmin watch. I finished 2nd in my age division, and won a pint size glass. The 1st place winner was the guy who passed me at the end. Crap. OH well. Brett volunteered so we left the race at 2pm. He was able to go home early. It was enjoyable to watch all the 50K runners come around for the last loop.

I walked for at least .5 miles before we left and I did some shopping later that evening. Nicole and I went to Wal-Mart, Big Lots and a bunch of other stores. I was limping like an old man...only because of my blisters.

My official time was 1:55:02, with a pace of 7:25/mile. If I do the race again I might not include the walk breaks??

BFitBday

Friday, April 18, 2008

Greenland 25K coming up

I have signed up to run the Greenland 25K. I think 50K would be too far, so 15 miles will be great. I run the race tomorrow morning at 8am. I will be getting up extremely early because my co-worker, Brett, is volunteering for the race.

We both are carpooling up there. It's not as far as I thought. Greenland, CO is only about 40 miles from my house. I am meeting Brett at his house at 5:45am. That gives us an hour and 15 min to arrive. Brett reports at 7am.

The race report will be coming soon!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Week Totals - Ironman Week 10

4/7/2008 - Birthday Triathlon! Swim 59:51.75 (2miles or 3,000m), Bike 1:32.21 (28 miles), Run 1:01:49 (8 miles)
4/8/2008 - Swim 2,900m
4/9/2008 - Bike 1:00:00, 17.79 miles; Run 1:10:43, 8.30 miles
4/10/2008 - Swim 2,000m; Run 40:01, 5.10 miles
4/11/2008 - Bike 1:30:02, 23.0 miles
4/12/2008 - Swim 3,400m; Run 52:14, 7.0 miles
4/13/2008 - Bike 4:52:14, 88.04 miles

Total Distance:
Swim: 11,300 meters (7.06 miles)
Run: 28.4 miles
Bike: 156.83 miles

A great week of training. My birthday triathlon started this week off. I took the day off work and played professional triathlete for the day. My swim was awesome, breaking new barriers. My cycling has been faster. I think the weather played a role into this, plus I just swam 2 miles. My run was right on target. I love it when things go right.

I ran 4 days, swam 4 days, biked 4 days and went to the gym for weights 2 days. This was extreme. I hope next week is less workout sessions. My b-day triathlon didn't help the matter, but these 2-a-day workouts are getting tough...mentally.

Sunday was crazy. I took my Grandma to church (we go every 2nd Sunday of the month). This gives me a chance to spend good quality time with Grandma! We should have gone to church earlier. I didn't get home until 2:30. Yikes. A 5-hour bike ride and I started at 3pm. It was nearly dark by the time I finished. I need to change things up next time. I went over to my friend Joe's house after the ride was over. I planned it just right so I would finish at his house. I was a little shy of 5 hours, but close enough. The weather was awesome! Not too hot or cold. The bugs were fierce. I think I got a little extra protein along the way.

Monday, April 7, 2008

My Birthday Triathlon

My birthday has added a new challenge to my life. My schedule showed that I had the day off, but I changed this because I wanted to do the B-Fit B-Day Triathlon Challenge. I am going for Gold!!
In order to get the Gold, you must do all 3 events within 24 hours.

The Swim
I left my house to the pool around 8:30. When I got there the lanes were open for lap swim. I set all my clothes, shoes, socks, helmet and other stuff out nicely for a smooth transition. I was preparing for a cold bike and run so I had several layers. I put my wetsuit on an instantly felt like a superstar. I wanted to wear the wetsuit because it would be good training. I started swimming right at 9am.

I swam almost the whole way through. I stopped for a few brief moments to grab some water. I ended up drinking almost 16oz of water.

My first mile was awesome. I started slowing down towards the end. I was struggling and kept thinking of Martin Strel's journey with the Amazon Swim. I just kept swimming. I may have slowed down because of the consumed water?? It wasn't too bad...

The Bike
I had my plan all set out. Out 14 miles and back 14 miles. The transition from pool to home made it a little tricky because I had to stop by the bike store before the ride. I purchased some extra tubes in case I got a flat. I had no spares so I needed to be prepared. I did not want to be stuck with no support on my birthday.
When I got home I was nearly ready to go. I put my fluids on the bike, grabbed a few other things, made a quick video and off I went. I was a little nervous about the weather because the sun went away and the clouds looks fierce.

Fierce indeed. It started snowing about 6 miles into my ride. The ground was warm enough that the snow wasn't sticking, but man it felt like a blizzard. It was coming down hard and I was cruzin' along. The wind was pretty strong too. The snow managed to stop and the road was pretty dry. No crashing today!!

I rode just a little over 28 miles. It was 28.12, but close enough. I had one gel just before the ride, one during, and one just after. This seemed to work pretty well. I consumed almost 32oz of fluid. I mixed my Hornet Juice with the Gatorade. This made an interesting mix. Not too bad!

The Run
I made a quick transition and made another quick video. I could tell that I was cold. My face was all droopy, and I could barely talk. I grabbed my race bib (I wanted to be official), a few other things and I was off. I had one gel just before the run and one at 45min. I started to get cramps around 45min and they went away...for the most part.

The miles went by pretty quick. It was still cold, but I felt that I was pretty well prepared. My goal was to finish 8 miles in an hour. I missed it by just a minute or two. The run wasn't too exciting, and nothing big to share. Not too many people were out. I got stopped by a few stop lights. The uphill was tough, but I managed. I was slowing down towards the end. I walked for 30 seconds after every mile. I like this method.

When I finished, I walked a little. I decided to go back home and grab my dog. Pazu and I went around the complex for a easy cool down. We walked almost .5 miles, but it was pretty slow. My watch timer is set to pause at 20:00/mile pace and I think it stopped a few times.

Here are my results:

Swim
: 2 miles - 59:52
Mile 1: 28:48, Mile 2: 31:03
200 splits: 3:30.31, 3:52.58, 3:48.73, 3:54.67, 3:52.28, 3:56.36, 3:55.45, 4:06.64, 3:59.19,
4:06.10, 4:11.34, 4:07.77, 4:22.69, 4:02.14, 4:04.15
Avg 200m: 3:59.45

Bike: 28 miles, Avg: 18.2mph - 1:32:21

Run: 8 miles, 7:44/mile pace - 1:01:49


Total Time: 3:34:02
(38 miles)

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Week Totals - Ironman Week 9

3/31/2008 - Run 1:10:32, 9.56 miles
4/1/2008 - Swim 3,600m
4/2/2008 - Swim 4,000m; Run 15:00, 2 miles
4/3/2008 - Swim 3,000; Bike 1:20:00, 24.64 miles
4/4/2008 - Off Day!
4/5/2008 - Off Day!
4/6/2008 - Run 1 (RMRR Trophy Series) 24:41, 4 miles, 6:10/miles; Run 2 cool down 8:41, .90 miles; Endurance Run 1:30:02, 8:36/mile, 10.47 miles

Total Distance:
Swim: 10,600 meters (6.63 miles)
Run: 26.93 miles
Bike: 53.80 miles

I became a fish this week. I was at the pool at least 4-5 hours this week. It was pretty tough being in the pool for over an hour and a half. So many people came and went. I still swam. The high school group was on spring break this week so it was nice that I was able to continue swimming.

My running seemed to be about the same distance as last week. My cycling on the other hand was lacking. I was supposed to have this coming Monday off, but I decided to change it with Saturdays workout. I missed 2:20:00 worth of cycling and another 2,500m swim. I will make this up on Monday because I will be doing the B-Day Fit Challenge Triathlon.