To say that I'm nervous and excited is a bit of an understatement.
I arrived in Kona on wednesday afternoon. The dense air, the heat, the wind; everything that I was expecting was a reality.
Thursday was a little swim in Kailua Bay, the site of the big race. Clear water, coral, parrot fish, and cruise ships were a little different from my last Ironman in Tempe Town lake. The oxygen difference between Denver and here is extremely noticeable while swimming; this should make for a pretty quick swim.
Today was a little ride on the Queen K and a little transition run to follow. the Queen K is the major highway that runs up the coast of Kona, therefore it's an amazingly busy road. the shoulder is nice and big, filled with plenty of glass and debris to avoid. The Queen K is nice and rolling throughout the ride, the wind picks up as you head further north. The forecast is causing for 8-10mph here in town, with winds at 18-22mph at Hawi; the bike turnaround. The gusts of 28mph will be coming head on as I climb the hill up to Hawi; it should be interesting.
Just a few hours ago I headed down to the race site to drop off my bike. Bike checkin along with registration was extrememly smooth and organized. On the way to bike checkin I ran into Scott Montgomery, the head of Scott USA (I ride a Scott Plasma). We chatted a little bit, as I met him before while working at Bicycle Haus, and turned around to see who Luisa was chatting to and it was Gérard Vroomen, the founder of Cervelo. Here were two of the heads of the most dominate triathlon bike manufactures chatting with us about their bikes. They then went on to argue, in a fun manner, about who's bike was faster and how both Luisa and I should switch to the other brand because their bike is faster; it was pretty cool.
A little hawaiian lady guided me to the spot for my bike and answered all of my questions about the traffic flow within the transition area. I racked my bike, cleaned off my tyres, racked my bike and run gear bags, and headed back to the condo. The process was very painless and got me very excited for the day tomorrow.
It's really hard not to be nervous about the race, but the excitement surpasses the nervousness. Tomorrow will be a great day, follow my experience here.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Swimming fast in BlueSeventy's PointZero3 Speedsuit - Review
A few years ago Blue Seventy, a company known for its swimming wetsuits, set out to design the fastest, FINA legal swim suit in the world. In order to be FINA legal, FINA is the governing body for international swimming (world championships, Olympics, etc...) the suit cannot provide buoyancy to the swimmer. Therefore the suit they designed is neutrally buoyant and extremely hydrodynamic: The PointZero3, a swim suit, or speed suit, with a coefficient of drag equal to .032 (50 times lower than the drag of your skin).
I'm not a paid athlete of Blue Seventy, I'm not sponsored by them, and I actually paid full retail for this suit. It's one of the more popular speed suits on the market and also one of the most affordable at $225. Additionally, it's legal to wear at triathlons which don't allow wetsuits (if the water temp is able 78 degrees, wetsuits are not legal); Ironman Hawaii in Kona is one of those such races.
I've been a competitive swimmer since I was 7. In high school I posted a 50 free of 21.8, a 100 free at 48.7 and a 200 free of 1:48, so I'm not the fastest guy in the water, but I'm pretty quick and have millions of yards of swimming under my belt. Also, my fastest Ironman swim time is 51:58 which puts me up there with the faster swimmers in triathlon.
I tried the suit on at home prior to heading to the pool and the fit seemed a little snug in the chest, I have a larger than average chest for a guy of my height and weight (5'8" - 160lbs), so I figured it would feel similar to the constriction that a tight fitting wetsuit provides. I wasn't excited about this fit, but figure that I'd get used to it after a few hundred yards and wouldn't even realize it, hopefully.
Immediately upon diving in the pool, the suit expanded and felt extremely comfortable. On each wall the suit would let in a little bit of water through the neck and arms upon push off, but this wouldn't be a problem in open water. If I were using this suit for shorter, swimming events (500yds or less), I'd size down, but for open water and triathlon, the sizing is perfect (Men's Medium - I'm 5'8" and 160lbs...remember).
After a 50 I decided to count strokes, 12. I kept counting for about a 200 and each lap was at 12, usually I'm in the range of 13-14 strokes each lap. So yeah, the suit is faster and more efficient just based on stroke count, which for a swimmer like me is a pretty dependable measurement (over a 3000 yard workout that single stroke decrease per lap translates to 120 fewer strokes or a 250 yard increase in efficiency). The question still remains, HOW much faster is the suit? Blue Seventy claims 3-5% faster.
The workout was a good test for gauging pace times as it involved 100s and 50s with quite a bit of rest after each interval (about 30 seconds). Overall my times were not only faster, but I felt less fatigued at the end of the workout. At the beginning of last week, before I packed on the swim yardage, I was swimming fast 100s at 1:03-1:04, today I swam my fast 100s at 1:00-1:02 or about 5% faster. So it's not very scientific, but it's for sure faster and since more than half of the athletes at Ironman will be wearing one, I will be too. After the 1hr+ workout, the suit was still extremely comfortable with only a slight increase in body temp and a small section of chaffing on the right side of my neck (I'm a dominantly right side breather). A little cooking spray will solve the chaffing problem and the water temp in Hawaii is usually at 79 degrees (a degree or two cooler that the DU pool)
The PointZero3 speed suit allows me to wear my 2XU tri suit under neath, therefore once I get out of the water all I have to do is take off the PointZero3 speedsuit and I'm already in my gear for the bike and the run. It's extremely difficult to put on a spandex tri suit when you are wet, so being able to wear the suit under my speed suit will save another minute or so over the savings that I will get in the water.
In recap, the Blue Seventy PointZero3 is a well designed and extremely fast product for warmer water races. I will even be wearing this suit in future races where the water temps are wetsuit legal, but on the warmer side of being legal (78 degrees of below is the legal water temp). Wearing a wetsuit is fast, but there are trade offs as they can cause you to overheat at borderline legal water temps; the speed suit will be great for races where the water is 74+ degrees. The stated increase in speed of 3-5% seems valid in my experience, and the increase in efficiency will be huge for Ironman. I now understand why so many swimming world records have fallen in recent months. In a sport that is measured in hundredths of seconds, a 3-5% decrease in times is ridiculous; the Speedo Lazr suit (worn by many swimmers in Beijing) is a product identical in purpose to the PointZero3.
If you are considering a speed suit to add you your triathlon swimming arsenal, the Blue Seventy PointZero3 is a great suit and the pricing is better than any other speed suit out there. For those looking for a race suit for pool competitions, the Blue Seventy Nero is specifically designed to meet the needs of the pool swimmer and was used in the Olympics by many of the non-Speedo sponsored athletes...all 4 of them...
I love tapering.
F
I'm not a paid athlete of Blue Seventy, I'm not sponsored by them, and I actually paid full retail for this suit. It's one of the more popular speed suits on the market and also one of the most affordable at $225. Additionally, it's legal to wear at triathlons which don't allow wetsuits (if the water temp is able 78 degrees, wetsuits are not legal); Ironman Hawaii in Kona is one of those such races.
I've been a competitive swimmer since I was 7. In high school I posted a 50 free of 21.8, a 100 free at 48.7 and a 200 free of 1:48, so I'm not the fastest guy in the water, but I'm pretty quick and have millions of yards of swimming under my belt. Also, my fastest Ironman swim time is 51:58 which puts me up there with the faster swimmers in triathlon.
I tried the suit on at home prior to heading to the pool and the fit seemed a little snug in the chest, I have a larger than average chest for a guy of my height and weight (5'8" - 160lbs), so I figured it would feel similar to the constriction that a tight fitting wetsuit provides. I wasn't excited about this fit, but figure that I'd get used to it after a few hundred yards and wouldn't even realize it, hopefully.
Immediately upon diving in the pool, the suit expanded and felt extremely comfortable. On each wall the suit would let in a little bit of water through the neck and arms upon push off, but this wouldn't be a problem in open water. If I were using this suit for shorter, swimming events (500yds or less), I'd size down, but for open water and triathlon, the sizing is perfect (Men's Medium - I'm 5'8" and 160lbs...remember).
After a 50 I decided to count strokes, 12. I kept counting for about a 200 and each lap was at 12, usually I'm in the range of 13-14 strokes each lap. So yeah, the suit is faster and more efficient just based on stroke count, which for a swimmer like me is a pretty dependable measurement (over a 3000 yard workout that single stroke decrease per lap translates to 120 fewer strokes or a 250 yard increase in efficiency). The question still remains, HOW much faster is the suit? Blue Seventy claims 3-5% faster.
The workout was a good test for gauging pace times as it involved 100s and 50s with quite a bit of rest after each interval (about 30 seconds). Overall my times were not only faster, but I felt less fatigued at the end of the workout. At the beginning of last week, before I packed on the swim yardage, I was swimming fast 100s at 1:03-1:04, today I swam my fast 100s at 1:00-1:02 or about 5% faster. So it's not very scientific, but it's for sure faster and since more than half of the athletes at Ironman will be wearing one, I will be too. After the 1hr+ workout, the suit was still extremely comfortable with only a slight increase in body temp and a small section of chaffing on the right side of my neck (I'm a dominantly right side breather). A little cooking spray will solve the chaffing problem and the water temp in Hawaii is usually at 79 degrees (a degree or two cooler that the DU pool)
The PointZero3 speed suit allows me to wear my 2XU tri suit under neath, therefore once I get out of the water all I have to do is take off the PointZero3 speedsuit and I'm already in my gear for the bike and the run. It's extremely difficult to put on a spandex tri suit when you are wet, so being able to wear the suit under my speed suit will save another minute or so over the savings that I will get in the water.
In recap, the Blue Seventy PointZero3 is a well designed and extremely fast product for warmer water races. I will even be wearing this suit in future races where the water temps are wetsuit legal, but on the warmer side of being legal (78 degrees of below is the legal water temp). Wearing a wetsuit is fast, but there are trade offs as they can cause you to overheat at borderline legal water temps; the speed suit will be great for races where the water is 74+ degrees. The stated increase in speed of 3-5% seems valid in my experience, and the increase in efficiency will be huge for Ironman. I now understand why so many swimming world records have fallen in recent months. In a sport that is measured in hundredths of seconds, a 3-5% decrease in times is ridiculous; the Speedo Lazr suit (worn by many swimmers in Beijing) is a product identical in purpose to the PointZero3.
If you are considering a speed suit to add you your triathlon swimming arsenal, the Blue Seventy PointZero3 is a great suit and the pricing is better than any other speed suit out there. For those looking for a race suit for pool competitions, the Blue Seventy Nero is specifically designed to meet the needs of the pool swimmer and was used in the Olympics by many of the non-Speedo sponsored athletes...all 4 of them...
I love tapering.
F
Thursday, September 18, 2008
23 days away
3 months to Kona is no longer 3 months, but just 23 days. Yesterday I destroyed my last big training ride, 114 miles in 5hrs 55min or 19.3mph which on tired legs with slowing and stopping means that I'm pretty fast. From now until Ironman my long rides turn into more of medium length rides at about 80 miles, then shorten linearly as the race approaches. I know, 80 miles is still a really long way to ride your bike, but you have to see it in my eyes. For the past few months whenever I was on a long ride and hit the 2 hour mark, I still had to ride another hour before I even got to start going back home. Now, at 2 hours (or less) I get to start heading back, and that's kind of a big deal. Another way to look at it is my long ride this Sunday (4.5hrs) will take 25% less time to complete than my ride yesterday (that's like getting off work 2 hours early) Just like a long day at work, the last 25% of the ride is the part that hurts the most; your legs are tired, the fatigue settles in, your motivation drops and you just get bored out there.
So the remainder of the training isn't easy just because my long rides are over. I'm still logging more time working out in a week than most active people workout in a month. The difference is that my run and bike workouts are shorter and involve less intensity; they'll damage my already damaged body to a much smaller extent which allows me to actually recover a bit (you remember, two negatives make a positive...-1-1=2....the round peg goes in the square hole...still don't get it...Fannie Mae + Lehman Brothers + Freddie Mac = bankrupt ....). So my body is used to being pummeled with a high level of physical stress and now that physical stress is no longer as intense so I recover a become a stronger, faster, better human athlete: Francis 2.0
The excitement is certainly building for Kona. I'm swimming as good as I was back in 2000, my bike is steady and slightly improved from the Arizona edition of Ironman, and my legs still work while running. Beyond the good fitness, a bunch of my family and friends are sacrificing their time and money to make the trip to Hawaii to support me (not much of a sacrifice if you ask me). What more could you ask for? Your beautiful and insanely intelligent girlfriend to join you? Yeah, I got that too. Luisa is hitting top form for the race as well and should give the women's 25-29 age group a run for their awards.
Tonight I have a little swim, tomorrow is a run and swim, then Saturday is a day off as my mom is coming to town to visit. This is the home stretch, I love the home stretch.
So the remainder of the training isn't easy just because my long rides are over. I'm still logging more time working out in a week than most active people workout in a month. The difference is that my run and bike workouts are shorter and involve less intensity; they'll damage my already damaged body to a much smaller extent which allows me to actually recover a bit (you remember, two negatives make a positive...-1-1=2....the round peg goes in the square hole...still don't get it...Fannie Mae + Lehman Brothers + Freddie Mac = bankrupt ....). So my body is used to being pummeled with a high level of physical stress and now that physical stress is no longer as intense so I recover a become a stronger, faster, better human athlete: Francis 2.0
The excitement is certainly building for Kona. I'm swimming as good as I was back in 2000, my bike is steady and slightly improved from the Arizona edition of Ironman, and my legs still work while running. Beyond the good fitness, a bunch of my family and friends are sacrificing their time and money to make the trip to Hawaii to support me (not much of a sacrifice if you ask me). What more could you ask for? Your beautiful and insanely intelligent girlfriend to join you? Yeah, I got that too. Luisa is hitting top form for the race as well and should give the women's 25-29 age group a run for their awards.
Tonight I have a little swim, tomorrow is a run and swim, then Saturday is a day off as my mom is coming to town to visit. This is the home stretch, I love the home stretch.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The F#cking Water
On Saturday Luisa and I ventured out from our friends' place in Superior, CO (NW of downtown and SE from Boulder). It's a great place to start a ride as it's easy access to the Boulder roads which are some of the greatest rolling roads apart from Wisconsin. On our 5hr 45 min route we might have slowed down for about 6-8 stop signs and had to stop at lights 2-3 times, which puts the rides in Phoenix to absolute shame.
As I'm sure you can recall from my last post I was quite frustrated with this stomach issue that I was having while riding and the only thing I could think of was the tap water in Boulder county. Well, at our gas station stop around the 3 hour mark I picked up a "gallon" of Ice Mountain spring water instead of hitting the tap (i say "gallon" because it looks like a gallon, feels like a gallon, but it's only 3.5L or something absurd like that...does that extra little bit of water really make it that much more costly to produce? It's fucking water! but I digress). I was a little nervous about the bottled water because if it didn't work, I would have to scramble around to figure out a new nutrition solution for the biggest race of my life, which is now just 24 days away.
The 4 hour mark came and went, the stomach was holding up as I continued to fuel ever 20min of so. 5 hours and I'm still pushing the pace. 5hrs 45min and we're done, and no stomach issue for the first time since Mt Evans.
The ride was somewhat bittersweet since it did turn out to be just the water. Here I was thinking it was the altitude, my fueling, my hydration; ride after ride would finish horribly and after all of those shitty miles it turned out to be the fucking water. The water...the fucking water! Hundreds of training miles, countless hours in the saddle, diminished by crappy water...are you serious!? Wow, that really pisses me off...
Tomorrow is my last long training ride prior to Ironman Hawaii. One more solitary six, one more period of pain, one last devil day, and one final chance to gain a tick of extra fitness prior to my taper hitting its top gear.
As I'm sure you can recall from my last post I was quite frustrated with this stomach issue that I was having while riding and the only thing I could think of was the tap water in Boulder county. Well, at our gas station stop around the 3 hour mark I picked up a "gallon" of Ice Mountain spring water instead of hitting the tap (i say "gallon" because it looks like a gallon, feels like a gallon, but it's only 3.5L or something absurd like that...does that extra little bit of water really make it that much more costly to produce? It's fucking water! but I digress). I was a little nervous about the bottled water because if it didn't work, I would have to scramble around to figure out a new nutrition solution for the biggest race of my life, which is now just 24 days away.
The 4 hour mark came and went, the stomach was holding up as I continued to fuel ever 20min of so. 5 hours and I'm still pushing the pace. 5hrs 45min and we're done, and no stomach issue for the first time since Mt Evans.
The ride was somewhat bittersweet since it did turn out to be just the water. Here I was thinking it was the altitude, my fueling, my hydration; ride after ride would finish horribly and after all of those shitty miles it turned out to be the fucking water. The water...the fucking water! Hundreds of training miles, countless hours in the saddle, diminished by crappy water...are you serious!? Wow, that really pisses me off...
Tomorrow is my last long training ride prior to Ironman Hawaii. One more solitary six, one more period of pain, one last devil day, and one final chance to gain a tick of extra fitness prior to my taper hitting its top gear.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Something's in the water...
Today's 6 hour ride was the worst long ride that I've had during my Kona training. I dedicate so much time and effort to my training and to be struggling with nutrition at this point is ridiculous. I've tried tweaking everything and nothing seems to be working. On every long ride, with the exception of two rides (echo lake and Mt. Evans), I've had stomach problems about three to four hours into the ride. At first I just figured it was adapting to the altitude, then I figured it was dehydration, and now I have no clue. I'm doing nothing different from my Ironman training for Ironman Arizona; my breakfast is the same, my nutrition supplements are the same, my equipment is identical, my clothes are the same, my bike position is identical...nothing is different. Sure the routes are a little more challenging out here, but my legs are fine. Right now my legs are hardly sore, but my stomach is still going crazy. The last variable that I can think of is the water of Boulder County. An hour or so after refilling my bottles at a gas station or water fountain is typically when my stomach starts to go bad. Could it really be the water? For my sanity and my Ironman, I hope it is...
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Peak Training weeks
To start off I'd like to congratulate all my friends who competed at Ironman Wisconsin today:
Kristin (#103), Becca(#1899), Riley(#87), Blake(#10), Paul(#335), Mike(#211), and Christina (#230)-I'm sorry if I'm leaving anyone out...I swear I didn't know...so please comment below to inform me of how it went.
With 5 weeks to go until my Ironman, I'm preparing myself for a week and a half of ass-kicking training. This peak period is very important to any endurance athlete. It's the time of the year to see what your body can handle and to get in those last few key workouts before the taper hits. The peak is the culmination of your fitness. To this point the training has been hard, it has gone well on occasion and bad on others, but the peak is when everything should go right. It's the time to put into use all of the lessons that you have learned throughout the season of training because if you don't nail it during peak training, you won't nail it during Ironman.
My peak starts off in top gear: a 1.5hr run and 4500m swimming tomorrow, then right into a 6hr ride and a 3000 swim on Tuesday. Wednesday I use to recover and prepare for the rest of the week by spinning easy on the bike. Thursday I hit my longest training run at 2hrs and another 4500 in the pool. Friday is another recovery day (swimming) before another 6hr ride with a 30min transition run on Saturday...it's a big week and by the end of it I will have logged about 24 hours worth of training.
For the first time in about a month I'm really excited for training; this past week of recovery was needed so very badly. The end of Ironman training is in sight...Hawaii is almost here.
Kristin (#103), Becca(#1899), Riley(#87), Blake(#10), Paul(#335), Mike(#211), and Christina (#230)-I'm sorry if I'm leaving anyone out...I swear I didn't know...so please comment below to inform me of how it went.
With 5 weeks to go until my Ironman, I'm preparing myself for a week and a half of ass-kicking training. This peak period is very important to any endurance athlete. It's the time of the year to see what your body can handle and to get in those last few key workouts before the taper hits. The peak is the culmination of your fitness. To this point the training has been hard, it has gone well on occasion and bad on others, but the peak is when everything should go right. It's the time to put into use all of the lessons that you have learned throughout the season of training because if you don't nail it during peak training, you won't nail it during Ironman.
My peak starts off in top gear: a 1.5hr run and 4500m swimming tomorrow, then right into a 6hr ride and a 3000 swim on Tuesday. Wednesday I use to recover and prepare for the rest of the week by spinning easy on the bike. Thursday I hit my longest training run at 2hrs and another 4500 in the pool. Friday is another recovery day (swimming) before another 6hr ride with a 30min transition run on Saturday...it's a big week and by the end of it I will have logged about 24 hours worth of training.
For the first time in about a month I'm really excited for training; this past week of recovery was needed so very badly. The end of Ironman training is in sight...Hawaii is almost here.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The best shape of my life...maybe...
At this point in my training I've accomplished a lot, a lot of miles on the bike, enough yardage in the pool, and as many run miles as I can handle before getting injured (not a lot). Regardless of the numbers, I'm feeling fit physically and ready to race mentally, but am I really ready?
I know that I'm getting fit, and going crazy; this revelation came over the weekend when I knocked out a rough 95 mile ride that ended with dizziness, stars, and dehydration. I woke up the next morning feeling lazy; a product of skipping my transition run because I didn't want to risk passing out with the homeless people along side Cherry Creek. Also, as the big mileage piles in, I start to forget about the big workouts that I complete just days after their finished. It will be a Monday and I'll start wondering when my next big ride is because the last one seemed so long ago...like on Saturday.
In the past few months I've had a lot of great rides and a lot of rides that didn't go so well. This past weekend I established a new hypothesis for my shitty rides; there's always a reason, figuring it out is the hard part. Dehydration is my suspected culprit. Colorado is insanely dry, I'd actually go out on a limb and say that the typical humidity, when there's not a storm front coming through, is lower than Phoenix. So the dry air dehydrates you from the inside as your breathing rate increases, then you add some consistent sunshine, high altitude, and only drinking a bottle an hour and you are left with a dehydrated Francis. For some dumb reason I have only been averaging a bottle of water an hour on my long rides when I should be hitting 1.5 to 2 bottles an hour. Okay, so I think I have that resolved and will be able to test it out on the 3-six hour rides that I have left in my training. That's right, just three more really big rides, a few 4.5 "shorter" rides and then Ironman. That's exciting news, very exciting.
Since I'm in a recovery week, there won't be too much to write about, but the next two weeks are going to be big, really big. This week involves getting mentally prepared for the weeks to come; then it's taper time and I love taper time.
Go workout.
I know that I'm getting fit, and going crazy; this revelation came over the weekend when I knocked out a rough 95 mile ride that ended with dizziness, stars, and dehydration. I woke up the next morning feeling lazy; a product of skipping my transition run because I didn't want to risk passing out with the homeless people along side Cherry Creek. Also, as the big mileage piles in, I start to forget about the big workouts that I complete just days after their finished. It will be a Monday and I'll start wondering when my next big ride is because the last one seemed so long ago...like on Saturday.
In the past few months I've had a lot of great rides and a lot of rides that didn't go so well. This past weekend I established a new hypothesis for my shitty rides; there's always a reason, figuring it out is the hard part. Dehydration is my suspected culprit. Colorado is insanely dry, I'd actually go out on a limb and say that the typical humidity, when there's not a storm front coming through, is lower than Phoenix. So the dry air dehydrates you from the inside as your breathing rate increases, then you add some consistent sunshine, high altitude, and only drinking a bottle an hour and you are left with a dehydrated Francis. For some dumb reason I have only been averaging a bottle of water an hour on my long rides when I should be hitting 1.5 to 2 bottles an hour. Okay, so I think I have that resolved and will be able to test it out on the 3-six hour rides that I have left in my training. That's right, just three more really big rides, a few 4.5 "shorter" rides and then Ironman. That's exciting news, very exciting.
Since I'm in a recovery week, there won't be too much to write about, but the next two weeks are going to be big, really big. This week involves getting mentally prepared for the weeks to come; then it's taper time and I love taper time.
Go workout.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Managing the fatigue: fight the mind
It has been a long season. I'm sure that I've said it before, but I'll say it again: starting your training in November and ending in October makes for a long season of big training. Sure there was the month after Ironman Arizona that I didn't do too much, but with the World Championships looming in the future it's hard not to sneak in a 3 or 4 hour ride here and there.
Mentally, I'm ready for Kona, physically, there are still gains to be made in the pool, on the bike, on the run, and in nutrition. There is a lot of work to be done, and only 6 weeks and 5 days (counting today) to get it done. What that translates to is a week of recovery, 2 more weeks of hard running, 3 more weeks of hard riding, and 4 weeks of hard swimming to get through. The reason for varying weeks from sport to sport is that I tier my taper depending on the sport. This is a method that 6-time Ironman World Champion (Kona) Mark Allen used and a method that I've been practicing for me and all of my Ironman clients the past few years - it works.
I am getting a little nervous. Leading up to Ironman Arizona I never had an issue with nutrition during my long rides. This time around I've had maybe 2 rides that have gone without a hitch. I'm not sure why this is happening; I haven't changed any aspect of my nutrition. It could be that I've been riding a bit harder during my long rides, it could be my taste buds getting angry, or it could be something else. All I know is that I have a backup plan if all goes wrong; slow down and start boozin'...High Life anyone? On a very positive note, my shoulder has been holding up to some of the longest swim workouts that I've completed since training for Ironman...Lake Placid...8 years ago. So that's a big plus and I'm just hoping that it can make it through the last month of hard swimming. Once that taper hits, I'm cleared for a fast swim. On the running front, everything is holding up. My foot constantly hurts, but it hasn't been getting worse. I've been running a few 1.5hr runs here and there, so now the test is going to come with the slightly longer runs. I'm hoping to tag one 2 hour run prior to the beginning of the run taper (in 2 weeks). I won't be too upset if that doesn't happen as I've ran marathons on much less training, although it would be nice to have some additional miles in the legs.
Overall, I'm excited about racing in Kona. Besides being a life goal of mine, I've been training at altitude, riding longer and harder rides at a faster tempo, and my shoulder is tolerating some yardage. Also, I have a huge support group joining me in Kona: my mother, my uncle Bob, my uncle Frank, my aunt Mary Ann, my cousin Michelle, and my Phoenix friends Sandie and JT. Luisa's parents are also joining the crew, which brings the support crew to nine; that's huge. There's nothing like being shit deep in pain and hearing your family and friends cheering you on, it's great.
Back to training.
F
Mentally, I'm ready for Kona, physically, there are still gains to be made in the pool, on the bike, on the run, and in nutrition. There is a lot of work to be done, and only 6 weeks and 5 days (counting today) to get it done. What that translates to is a week of recovery, 2 more weeks of hard running, 3 more weeks of hard riding, and 4 weeks of hard swimming to get through. The reason for varying weeks from sport to sport is that I tier my taper depending on the sport. This is a method that 6-time Ironman World Champion (Kona) Mark Allen used and a method that I've been practicing for me and all of my Ironman clients the past few years - it works.
I am getting a little nervous. Leading up to Ironman Arizona I never had an issue with nutrition during my long rides. This time around I've had maybe 2 rides that have gone without a hitch. I'm not sure why this is happening; I haven't changed any aspect of my nutrition. It could be that I've been riding a bit harder during my long rides, it could be my taste buds getting angry, or it could be something else. All I know is that I have a backup plan if all goes wrong; slow down and start boozin'...High Life anyone? On a very positive note, my shoulder has been holding up to some of the longest swim workouts that I've completed since training for Ironman...Lake Placid...8 years ago. So that's a big plus and I'm just hoping that it can make it through the last month of hard swimming. Once that taper hits, I'm cleared for a fast swim. On the running front, everything is holding up. My foot constantly hurts, but it hasn't been getting worse. I've been running a few 1.5hr runs here and there, so now the test is going to come with the slightly longer runs. I'm hoping to tag one 2 hour run prior to the beginning of the run taper (in 2 weeks). I won't be too upset if that doesn't happen as I've ran marathons on much less training, although it would be nice to have some additional miles in the legs.
Overall, I'm excited about racing in Kona. Besides being a life goal of mine, I've been training at altitude, riding longer and harder rides at a faster tempo, and my shoulder is tolerating some yardage. Also, I have a huge support group joining me in Kona: my mother, my uncle Bob, my uncle Frank, my aunt Mary Ann, my cousin Michelle, and my Phoenix friends Sandie and JT. Luisa's parents are also joining the crew, which brings the support crew to nine; that's huge. There's nothing like being shit deep in pain and hearing your family and friends cheering you on, it's great.
Back to training.
F
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Rain, rain go away
It's been raining for two straight days. Yesterday I woke up at 6:30am and looked at the temp, then looked out the window, and went back to bed. There was no way that I was going to do a 3 hour ride in 53 degree weather and rain. In addition to the ride being tossed out the window, I wasn't able to swim either. The University of Denver pool which I usually swim in is closed for maintenance and the city pools that are open are outdoors. Well, the city pool canceled lap swim due to the weather. So yesterday turned into a rest day.
Right now there is a thunderstorm going on outside. Nice and dark, steady rain, and claps of thunder with a bit of lightning. It's not too violent of a storm and usually I'd just go and run on the treadmill on a day like today, but with a 1.5 hour ride on the agenda there is no way that I'd last on a treadmill. An hour, yes, I can do an hour on a treadmill; I can't do much more than that.
If in a few days I'm writing about how I'm sick, you know why...it's time for my run and I can't skip this one.
Right now there is a thunderstorm going on outside. Nice and dark, steady rain, and claps of thunder with a bit of lightning. It's not too violent of a storm and usually I'd just go and run on the treadmill on a day like today, but with a 1.5 hour ride on the agenda there is no way that I'd last on a treadmill. An hour, yes, I can do an hour on a treadmill; I can't do much more than that.
If in a few days I'm writing about how I'm sick, you know why...it's time for my run and I can't skip this one.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The planning
I just finished outlining the rest of my training along with getting a vague idea of what my taper is going to look like. Planning for me is always difficult and always very optimistic. I'm not one to skip workouts if they have already been planned out and written down. Unfortunately, I do skip workouts if I just go day by day without a schedule. The hardest part of training is the inevitable frustration that will occur.
I know my body very well, I know how I will feel after a hard day of riding, running, swimming, or any combination of the three sports. It is a learning process, but over 20-some-years of sports I've learned what my body can and can't do; until there is an injury. When injuries come my workouts aren't a matter of what my body can do, but what my body can tolerate before it gets hurt. Muscle fatigue and the associated burn is a feeling I enjoy and look forward to. That sensation that you are pushing your body to its limit, then saying "Fuck You" to that limit as you push harder; that is why I love sports. Injury pains are something I'm not very good with, and I'm currently dealing with two.
My shoulder and my foot. Junior year of high school was my first encounter with a true sport injury. My previous injuries, pulled muscles and strained whatever, were healed with a little time off and a little bit of care. Junior year I felt a good pop in my shoulder as I was hammering hard during a swim workout. The pop happened at the end of an interval as I was finishing in from the flags (the last 5 yards). As I attempted to continue with the set, I had no strength and a high amount of pain. That injury, whatever it is or was, has stuck with me and has never gone away. Ice, heat, ultrasound, doctors who know everything, magnets, massage, more doctors, acupuncture, lifting...anything that I can think of helping, I've tried. Rest is the only thing that truly helps the healing process, and still, that is only temporary. After 6 months off from the pool, I get about 3-4 months of solid, smart training before it returns. My right shoulder is the most frustrating aspect of training for triathlons. I have forgotten how to enjoy the pool since the pool causes so much consistent frustration.
My foot is a relatively new injury in its current form, but ever since picking up running I've struggled with injuries. Years ago, while training for my first Ironman, I was able to have a whole season without a running injury. Since that year, 2000, I have not had a full season of running without encountering an injury eventually. In 2000 I ran more than I ever had and ever would. Each week I was consistently hitting 40-45 miles and I was fast. Since then it's been the shins, ankle, foot, or shins. Currently it's plantar fasciitis. The plantar fasciitis hit in the two months prior to Ironman Arizona and did not go away afterwards. Apparently it takes a few months of complete time off from running in order to get rid of plantar fasciitis, good thing for snowboarding season.
So in scheduling my training plan, it's not about what I want to do, but what I can do before an injury becomes intolerable. I push the limits of my injuries in hopes of them standing up to the challenge. So far the foot is okay, it's the shoulder that really worries me. When it comes down to Ironman Hawaii I will finish the swim regardless of my swimming fitness, but I want the fitness to finish the swim feeling better than I did at Ironman Arizona. Starting 112 miles of biking in the scorching heat feeling worn out from the swim, is not how I run a good marathon.
Spread the word... http://3monthstokona.blogspot.com
I know my body very well, I know how I will feel after a hard day of riding, running, swimming, or any combination of the three sports. It is a learning process, but over 20-some-years of sports I've learned what my body can and can't do; until there is an injury. When injuries come my workouts aren't a matter of what my body can do, but what my body can tolerate before it gets hurt. Muscle fatigue and the associated burn is a feeling I enjoy and look forward to. That sensation that you are pushing your body to its limit, then saying "Fuck You" to that limit as you push harder; that is why I love sports. Injury pains are something I'm not very good with, and I'm currently dealing with two.
My shoulder and my foot. Junior year of high school was my first encounter with a true sport injury. My previous injuries, pulled muscles and strained whatever, were healed with a little time off and a little bit of care. Junior year I felt a good pop in my shoulder as I was hammering hard during a swim workout. The pop happened at the end of an interval as I was finishing in from the flags (the last 5 yards). As I attempted to continue with the set, I had no strength and a high amount of pain. That injury, whatever it is or was, has stuck with me and has never gone away. Ice, heat, ultrasound, doctors who know everything, magnets, massage, more doctors, acupuncture, lifting...anything that I can think of helping, I've tried. Rest is the only thing that truly helps the healing process, and still, that is only temporary. After 6 months off from the pool, I get about 3-4 months of solid, smart training before it returns. My right shoulder is the most frustrating aspect of training for triathlons. I have forgotten how to enjoy the pool since the pool causes so much consistent frustration.
My foot is a relatively new injury in its current form, but ever since picking up running I've struggled with injuries. Years ago, while training for my first Ironman, I was able to have a whole season without a running injury. Since that year, 2000, I have not had a full season of running without encountering an injury eventually. In 2000 I ran more than I ever had and ever would. Each week I was consistently hitting 40-45 miles and I was fast. Since then it's been the shins, ankle, foot, or shins. Currently it's plantar fasciitis. The plantar fasciitis hit in the two months prior to Ironman Arizona and did not go away afterwards. Apparently it takes a few months of complete time off from running in order to get rid of plantar fasciitis, good thing for snowboarding season.
So in scheduling my training plan, it's not about what I want to do, but what I can do before an injury becomes intolerable. I push the limits of my injuries in hopes of them standing up to the challenge. So far the foot is okay, it's the shoulder that really worries me. When it comes down to Ironman Hawaii I will finish the swim regardless of my swimming fitness, but I want the fitness to finish the swim feeling better than I did at Ironman Arizona. Starting 112 miles of biking in the scorching heat feeling worn out from the swim, is not how I run a good marathon.
Spread the word... http://3monthstokona.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Redemption...The Return to Mt Evans
129 - 8:30 - 9409 - 15,652
As the alarm spits out some hip-hop, I have no desire to get out of bed at 6:45am. My legs are tight, my room is dark, my desire is low, but it's Mt. Evans day. I peel off the bed glue, do my morning thing, eat breakfast (plain bagel w/fake butter, Fierce Grape Gatorade, and some electrolyte tabs), and get into my gear.
Luisa and I are riding at 7:50am. We head south down the Platte River bike path, until we can head west on some side roads. An hour of warm-up and we are at the edge of the foothills, climbing up through the town of Morrison and past the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Luisa's plan is to ride to Echo Lake and then head back home, rocking off 95 miles and about 10,000 vertical feet. As we ride through Evergreen toward the turnoff for Echo Lake, I find myself going a little harder than I desire; Luisa is in the process of dropping me up some of the steep hills on Highway 74. Luckily, the crest the hill is near, I power through 5 or 6 huge pedal strokes and accelerate fiercely to catch up on the downhill. You see how I accentuate the power of my pedal strokes, when in fact it's just the extra 60 pounds that I have on Luisa that lets me get back on her wheel...she is one hell of a rider.
We ride nice and steady up CO-103. The grade is good, the traffic is low and my legs feel great. For the most part we ride side by side, dropping back to single file as cars approach, chatting and just enjoying the beautiful Colorado mountains. Sufficient water, good nutrition, and good pacing made the ride to Echo Lake quite uneventful, for once.
After a stop at the souvenir shop for more fluids I say my good-bye to Luisa and start the 14.4 mile ride up to the end of the road near the summit of Mt. Evans. 14,000 feet...I've never ridden a bike to this altitude before, and really, I've never done much of anything at this altitude before. The highest altitude that I've ever experienced, not counting flying in a plane, was when I was visiting my sister in Bolivia a few years back. We headed to the Salar de Uyuni and the areas beyond where we hit an altitude of 18,000 feet or so; I was pretty useless at that altitude.
The climb starts off serious, a solid grade finds me in my easiest gear, a 39x25 just working to stay at 8mph. This grade doesn't let up, I pass the 4 mile mark and am now above tree line, at the 5 mile mark I'm along the side of the mountain with amazing views to the east, at mile 8 the grade lets up at a false flat. After that false flat I get my first breather, about 1/2 a mile down to Summit Lake on some really shitty roads; at least they are paved. Then it's back to business.
Once above about 12,000 feet I am no longer able to just enjoy the ride. Instead I focus on the road in front of me, and not riding off that road. As the oxygen in the air decreases, my focus increases in order to keep progressing. Narrow roads, switchbacks galore, steep and rocky drop-offs, a plummeting temperature and here I am riding drunk, 5 hours into a ride, just trying to stay on the road. It's a great feeling.
I pass the 13 mile marker and know that I'm close. Mile 14 cruises by and I spot the observation tower that sits on the peak, almost there. Rounding the final switchback I keep pedaling with complete tunnel vision through the line of cars and people who are "summiting the mountain"; lazy fucks. To say that you've summited a fourteener by driving up to 14,100 feet, then hiking a little path another 100 vertical feet to the top is just plain absurd. But I digress, I've made it. 5 hours and 30 minutes after leaving home, I'm at the end of the road at the top of Mt. Evans.
Pee break, water, talk to the Forest Ranger for too long (she just kept asking questions!), down I go...freezing my ass off, and I blame the ranger for that one. Just a mile downhill I'm shivering, trying to negotiate these switchbacks (still drunk on altitude), dodging mountain goats (seriously) and my hands are going numb.
After gaining feeling back to my fingers, the rest of the ride home went really well. Sure my legs felt a little heavy up the last few hills, but surprisingly, this was the best long ride that I've had here in Denver. I didn't blow up, I didn't bonk, I knew where I was going (first ride without a map), and I felt like I could keep riding.
I know that the morning is going to be rough after today, but it was a great day: 129 miles - 8hours and 30 minutes of ride time - 9409 calories burned - 15,652 vertical feet climbed.
I really need a job to keep me from doing these rides...so if you know anyone in the Denver area in need of a guy with HR, Training, and sales experience, just let me know.
Stay healthy.
As the alarm spits out some hip-hop, I have no desire to get out of bed at 6:45am. My legs are tight, my room is dark, my desire is low, but it's Mt. Evans day. I peel off the bed glue, do my morning thing, eat breakfast (plain bagel w/fake butter, Fierce Grape Gatorade, and some electrolyte tabs), and get into my gear.
Luisa and I are riding at 7:50am. We head south down the Platte River bike path, until we can head west on some side roads. An hour of warm-up and we are at the edge of the foothills, climbing up through the town of Morrison and past the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Luisa's plan is to ride to Echo Lake and then head back home, rocking off 95 miles and about 10,000 vertical feet. As we ride through Evergreen toward the turnoff for Echo Lake, I find myself going a little harder than I desire; Luisa is in the process of dropping me up some of the steep hills on Highway 74. Luckily, the crest the hill is near, I power through 5 or 6 huge pedal strokes and accelerate fiercely to catch up on the downhill. You see how I accentuate the power of my pedal strokes, when in fact it's just the extra 60 pounds that I have on Luisa that lets me get back on her wheel...she is one hell of a rider.
We ride nice and steady up CO-103. The grade is good, the traffic is low and my legs feel great. For the most part we ride side by side, dropping back to single file as cars approach, chatting and just enjoying the beautiful Colorado mountains. Sufficient water, good nutrition, and good pacing made the ride to Echo Lake quite uneventful, for once.
After a stop at the souvenir shop for more fluids I say my good-bye to Luisa and start the 14.4 mile ride up to the end of the road near the summit of Mt. Evans. 14,000 feet...I've never ridden a bike to this altitude before, and really, I've never done much of anything at this altitude before. The highest altitude that I've ever experienced, not counting flying in a plane, was when I was visiting my sister in Bolivia a few years back. We headed to the Salar de Uyuni and the areas beyond where we hit an altitude of 18,000 feet or so; I was pretty useless at that altitude.
The climb starts off serious, a solid grade finds me in my easiest gear, a 39x25 just working to stay at 8mph. This grade doesn't let up, I pass the 4 mile mark and am now above tree line, at the 5 mile mark I'm along the side of the mountain with amazing views to the east, at mile 8 the grade lets up at a false flat. After that false flat I get my first breather, about 1/2 a mile down to Summit Lake on some really shitty roads; at least they are paved. Then it's back to business.
Once above about 12,000 feet I am no longer able to just enjoy the ride. Instead I focus on the road in front of me, and not riding off that road. As the oxygen in the air decreases, my focus increases in order to keep progressing. Narrow roads, switchbacks galore, steep and rocky drop-offs, a plummeting temperature and here I am riding drunk, 5 hours into a ride, just trying to stay on the road. It's a great feeling.
I pass the 13 mile marker and know that I'm close. Mile 14 cruises by and I spot the observation tower that sits on the peak, almost there. Rounding the final switchback I keep pedaling with complete tunnel vision through the line of cars and people who are "summiting the mountain"; lazy fucks. To say that you've summited a fourteener by driving up to 14,100 feet, then hiking a little path another 100 vertical feet to the top is just plain absurd. But I digress, I've made it. 5 hours and 30 minutes after leaving home, I'm at the end of the road at the top of Mt. Evans.
Pee break, water, talk to the Forest Ranger for too long (she just kept asking questions!), down I go...freezing my ass off, and I blame the ranger for that one. Just a mile downhill I'm shivering, trying to negotiate these switchbacks (still drunk on altitude), dodging mountain goats (seriously) and my hands are going numb.
After gaining feeling back to my fingers, the rest of the ride home went really well. Sure my legs felt a little heavy up the last few hills, but surprisingly, this was the best long ride that I've had here in Denver. I didn't blow up, I didn't bonk, I knew where I was going (first ride without a map), and I felt like I could keep riding.
I know that the morning is going to be rough after today, but it was a great day: 129 miles - 8hours and 30 minutes of ride time - 9409 calories burned - 15,652 vertical feet climbed.
I really need a job to keep me from doing these rides...so if you know anyone in the Denver area in need of a guy with HR, Training, and sales experience, just let me know.
Stay healthy.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tuesday Morning
Tomorrow is the big day, 130 miles, 12,000+ vertical feet, summiting Mt. Evans and riding back home. This will be the most challenging ride that I've ever attempted, and I couldn't be more excited to see how this body will respond.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Still Hurting
My recovery week has come about five days before planned. The past few days I've spent training, but without the training part. The day after my epic bonk, I laid low and ate. Yesterday I went out for a run and called it after 10 minutes as I was feeling really dizzy, on the verge of passing out. I then went to the pool for30min of frustration; this damn shoulder keeps pissing me off. Today I went out for a three hour ride that lasted an hour, then another 20min of splashing around in the pool.
I have been doing my best to hide the fact that I completely killed myself on Tuesday's 130 miler, now I'm realizing that I did just that. My original plan involved two big days of training tomorrow and Sunday, then a recovery week. Well, since I've been recovering since Wednesday I think it's best just to continue recovery and start up another bout of ridiculous long rides next week; along with some running and swimming of course.
I have decided that I will be attempting the Mt. Evans ride before my Ironman training is finished. Luisa has committed to the insanity as well; misery sure loves company.
I have been doing my best to hide the fact that I completely killed myself on Tuesday's 130 miler, now I'm realizing that I did just that. My original plan involved two big days of training tomorrow and Sunday, then a recovery week. Well, since I've been recovering since Wednesday I think it's best just to continue recovery and start up another bout of ridiculous long rides next week; along with some running and swimming of course.
I have decided that I will be attempting the Mt. Evans ride before my Ironman training is finished. Luisa has committed to the insanity as well; misery sure loves company.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Google Earth + determination = dumb
Once again on Monday night I found myself writing up another new training route for a long ride. This time I wanted some aerobar time, so the route was going to avoid the mountains. A few hours of planning and I had the perfect 5-6 hour ride.
I woke up kind of late due to not getting finished with my planning until 12:30am. This wasn't a big deal due to the mild weather forecast: mid to upper 70s with scattered t-storms. I topped off my water bottles and headed out. The route takes me north past Boulder, through Lyons, around Longmont, back through Boulder and then back to the city. My long planning session was time well spent. All of the roads had a bike lane or shoulder, which in terms of sanity is vital on a long ride.
I stop in Boulder to fill up my bottles, and so as to not run out in the middle of the farmlands, then continue to pedal to Lyons. The 70 mile mark flies by and the legs are feeling great. Then, suddenly, at mile 85, out of the fucking blue I hit it...a wall the size of Everest engulfs my body and everything is hurting. To this point I'm cruising, averaging in the 22-23mph range; now I'm spinning at 16-17mph and every hill hurts...I've bonked.
When the bonk comes there isn't too much you can do about it besides start over. Get in a lot of calories, rest a bit, hydrate, and wait. Once you get the calories down it takes about 30-40minutes for your body to react, if it reacts at all. You know that you've bonked when a few things happen: you suddenly slow dramatically (yup), your desire to continue the current activity is finished (sure thing), and the majority of your thoughts revolve around food (donuts, hamburger, and fries specifically).
The first gas station I come across fails me, only prepackaged donuts and that's not on my list. Did I mention that you get stubborn when you've bonked? I keep riding with the alertness of a turtle, but somehow I spot it...a donut shop. I swing in and pull up to the door with 30 minutes to spare until closing time. The pickings are slim and I settle on a chocolate long john for $2; I wasn't aware that donuts could be so expensive but by the time I actually realized what I paid, the donut was already in my stomach. The donut lady kindly fills my water bottles with ice and water, which makes the $2 donut even more worth it. It's 3:40pm, I'm still 30 miles from home, shit.
Those last 30 miles were really slow and painful. The time on the bike did allow me to reflect on the day that had been and the mistakes that I made leading up to that day. Primarily an increase in training volume combined with a lack of sufficient calories. Starting off with a half tank makes a long day in the saddle a big challenge. It's not like I haven't been trying to eat a lot, it's just really hard to eat 5-6,000 calories a day. For example, my typical Chipotle burrito (standard burrito fare just without dairy) nets me about 855 calories. To get in 6000 calories I'd have to eat 7 burritos in a day. Imagine how rough you'd feel after 4 of those things in a day, now add 3 more; that's a lot of food. So you see that I'm fighting an uphill dietary battle.
Luckily on days that I ride long I know pretty well how many calories I need to get in due to my Garmin telling me the amount of calories that I burn during the ride. It uses my weight and height combined with my heart rate throughout the ride to calculate the approximate calories expended. On yesterday's ride-130 miles, 7hrs 15min of ride time, and over 8 hours out on the road-I burned 7891 calories or 9.23 burritos. It's time to eat.
I woke up kind of late due to not getting finished with my planning until 12:30am. This wasn't a big deal due to the mild weather forecast: mid to upper 70s with scattered t-storms. I topped off my water bottles and headed out. The route takes me north past Boulder, through Lyons, around Longmont, back through Boulder and then back to the city. My long planning session was time well spent. All of the roads had a bike lane or shoulder, which in terms of sanity is vital on a long ride.
I stop in Boulder to fill up my bottles, and so as to not run out in the middle of the farmlands, then continue to pedal to Lyons. The 70 mile mark flies by and the legs are feeling great. Then, suddenly, at mile 85, out of the fucking blue I hit it...a wall the size of Everest engulfs my body and everything is hurting. To this point I'm cruising, averaging in the 22-23mph range; now I'm spinning at 16-17mph and every hill hurts...I've bonked.
When the bonk comes there isn't too much you can do about it besides start over. Get in a lot of calories, rest a bit, hydrate, and wait. Once you get the calories down it takes about 30-40minutes for your body to react, if it reacts at all. You know that you've bonked when a few things happen: you suddenly slow dramatically (yup), your desire to continue the current activity is finished (sure thing), and the majority of your thoughts revolve around food (donuts, hamburger, and fries specifically).
The first gas station I come across fails me, only prepackaged donuts and that's not on my list. Did I mention that you get stubborn when you've bonked? I keep riding with the alertness of a turtle, but somehow I spot it...a donut shop. I swing in and pull up to the door with 30 minutes to spare until closing time. The pickings are slim and I settle on a chocolate long john for $2; I wasn't aware that donuts could be so expensive but by the time I actually realized what I paid, the donut was already in my stomach. The donut lady kindly fills my water bottles with ice and water, which makes the $2 donut even more worth it. It's 3:40pm, I'm still 30 miles from home, shit.
Those last 30 miles were really slow and painful. The time on the bike did allow me to reflect on the day that had been and the mistakes that I made leading up to that day. Primarily an increase in training volume combined with a lack of sufficient calories. Starting off with a half tank makes a long day in the saddle a big challenge. It's not like I haven't been trying to eat a lot, it's just really hard to eat 5-6,000 calories a day. For example, my typical Chipotle burrito (standard burrito fare just without dairy) nets me about 855 calories. To get in 6000 calories I'd have to eat 7 burritos in a day. Imagine how rough you'd feel after 4 of those things in a day, now add 3 more; that's a lot of food. So you see that I'm fighting an uphill dietary battle.
Luckily on days that I ride long I know pretty well how many calories I need to get in due to my Garmin telling me the amount of calories that I burn during the ride. It uses my weight and height combined with my heart rate throughout the ride to calculate the approximate calories expended. On yesterday's ride-130 miles, 7hrs 15min of ride time, and over 8 hours out on the road-I burned 7891 calories or 9.23 burritos. It's time to eat.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
10,000 Feet Later
I have a tendency to get really creative, and stupid, when planning my long rides here in Denver. The process is pretty straight forward: upload a route to Google Earth that I've ridden before, then add or deviate slightly from that route to create a new and exciting ride. Below is the route that I decided to use as a base for today's ride...kind of...
After a great day of training yesterday, an interval run and speed work in the water, I was feeling especially ambitious last night in the planning of today's route. I decided that I would ride from my place in central Denver through Evergreen, up Squaw Pass and to Echo Lake. Echo Lake is right after the turnoff to the highest paved point in North America, Mt Evans, so this would be the perfect ride to see if riding up Mt Evans and back was actually feasible...it's not...
The climb up Squaw pass is a grueling 15 miles that starts at 7,800 feet and peaks at 11,202 (according to my Garmin). The pass itself is a tough endeavor, not to mention the 30 miles getting to the climb and the 30 miles home. Now top that off with being stupid and you have yourself a nice little Thursday ride.
As I climb through Evergreen toward Squaw Pass I know that nutrition is critical on a ride like this. Hammering down a good amount of calories and a lot of fluids is key to staying safe, sane, and upright. Today I'm having trouble with my nutrition, my Inifinit isn't playing nice with my stomach and, well, I'm just being dumb. I run out of water 8 miles from Echo Lake, too far to make it to the lake (there's a restaurant/gift shop right before the lake) and too far from Evergreen for a refill. Luckily, there is a ski resort about 7miles from Echo lake called, appropriately enough, Echo Mountain. There is no summer operations at this resort, but I am betting that there is going to be a place to fill up water. Naturally, it isn't as easy as pulling into a parking lot, topping off, and heading out. Nope. Instead I'm greeted with open arms by a steeply graded dirt road who is egging me on, "I see that you are extremely tired, kind of shaky, and not really riding straight, why don't you ride down my made-for-a-4x4-truck, loose and rocky terrain? Oh, and watch out for the potholes and deep sand." Seriously!? I'm the dumb one after all. A few grave moments on the dirt give way to one glorious event, an open bathroom door with an endless supply of tap water! Not gonna lie, I was getting pretty scared.
I ride at my limit up that dirt road to avoid walking/falling and then it's clear, I'm going to make it to Echo Lake. Now there's that old saying in the mountain climbing world, getting to the top is only halfway there. In the case of Echo Lake you have to ascend about 1,000 feet to get to the top of Squaw pass before the downhill starts. The legs burn, and I'm not talking about that good burn, but the thought of 15miles of downhill make another 1,000 feet of climbing not too big of an obstacle.
The ride back is going really well, and very fast, until I hit the edge of Denver. Today the forecast for Denver calls for temps in the low 100s and at about 2pm, it's hot. The perfect weather of the upper 70s at Squaw pass is 80s in Evergreen and then 90s in Denver. I am greeted by Satan at each stoplight as he lights a fire under my ass just to make sure that my sweat rate is purely ridiculous. Extremely depleted, hungry, thirsty, and lightheaded I am happy to be finished. The time has come, after 100+ miles of riding and 10,000 feet of climbing, to relax and refuel in the comfort of my climate controlled apartment. Wait, the A/C at our place is broke? 97 degrees outside when I finish the ride, 90 degrees inside...Fuck.
As for the ride to the top of Mt Evans and back...it's not possible if I ride like I did today. With proper nutrition, my road bike (I rode my tri bike today...not an uphill bike), and good hydration, riding those extra 24 miles is insanely possible.
After a great day of training yesterday, an interval run and speed work in the water, I was feeling especially ambitious last night in the planning of today's route. I decided that I would ride from my place in central Denver through Evergreen, up Squaw Pass and to Echo Lake. Echo Lake is right after the turnoff to the highest paved point in North America, Mt Evans, so this would be the perfect ride to see if riding up Mt Evans and back was actually feasible...it's not...The climb up Squaw pass is a grueling 15 miles that starts at 7,800 feet and peaks at 11,202 (according to my Garmin). The pass itself is a tough endeavor, not to mention the 30 miles getting to the climb and the 30 miles home. Now top that off with being stupid and you have yourself a nice little Thursday ride.
As I climb through Evergreen toward Squaw Pass I know that nutrition is critical on a ride like this. Hammering down a good amount of calories and a lot of fluids is key to staying safe, sane, and upright. Today I'm having trouble with my nutrition, my Inifinit isn't playing nice with my stomach and, well, I'm just being dumb. I run out of water 8 miles from Echo Lake, too far to make it to the lake (there's a restaurant/gift shop right before the lake) and too far from Evergreen for a refill. Luckily, there is a ski resort about 7miles from Echo lake called, appropriately enough, Echo Mountain. There is no summer operations at this resort, but I am betting that there is going to be a place to fill up water. Naturally, it isn't as easy as pulling into a parking lot, topping off, and heading out. Nope. Instead I'm greeted with open arms by a steeply graded dirt road who is egging me on, "I see that you are extremely tired, kind of shaky, and not really riding straight, why don't you ride down my made-for-a-4x4-truck, loose and rocky terrain? Oh, and watch out for the potholes and deep sand." Seriously!? I'm the dumb one after all. A few grave moments on the dirt give way to one glorious event, an open bathroom door with an endless supply of tap water! Not gonna lie, I was getting pretty scared.
I ride at my limit up that dirt road to avoid walking/falling and then it's clear, I'm going to make it to Echo Lake. Now there's that old saying in the mountain climbing world, getting to the top is only halfway there. In the case of Echo Lake you have to ascend about 1,000 feet to get to the top of Squaw pass before the downhill starts. The legs burn, and I'm not talking about that good burn, but the thought of 15miles of downhill make another 1,000 feet of climbing not too big of an obstacle.
The ride back is going really well, and very fast, until I hit the edge of Denver. Today the forecast for Denver calls for temps in the low 100s and at about 2pm, it's hot. The perfect weather of the upper 70s at Squaw pass is 80s in Evergreen and then 90s in Denver. I am greeted by Satan at each stoplight as he lights a fire under my ass just to make sure that my sweat rate is purely ridiculous. Extremely depleted, hungry, thirsty, and lightheaded I am happy to be finished. The time has come, after 100+ miles of riding and 10,000 feet of climbing, to relax and refuel in the comfort of my climate controlled apartment. Wait, the A/C at our place is broke? 97 degrees outside when I finish the ride, 90 degrees inside...Fuck.
As for the ride to the top of Mt Evans and back...it's not possible if I ride like I did today. With proper nutrition, my road bike (I rode my tri bike today...not an uphill bike), and good hydration, riding those extra 24 miles is insanely possible.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Florida is Wet
This past weekend was the longest overdue trip of my life. When I tell someone that I'm going to visit, I visit them. I book a flight within a few months and I'm there hanging out. I'm that guy that you never want to invite to stay at your place unless you sincerely mean it. It works the other way around too, but no one ever takes me up on my invites...you should.
Some two years ago my cousin Michelle (My mom's older brother's daughter, who is adorable and single) decided that she had enough of small town Illinois and headed a thousand miles away to Jacksonville, FL. Naturally I was invited to visit and I accepted. Well, this past weekend I actually headed out there. The timing was nice. Just a few coaching clients at this point, so work is light (I'm accepting applications for new clients...), and I reworked my training schedule for a nice recovery weekend.
I did get out for two runs, two really hot and wet runs. The last time I can remember training in 90+ degree heat with 100% humidity was in Madison, and this was worse. Toward the end of that first run the road wasn't staying in one place very well and I struggled to maintain a straight and logical path. I would run on the sidewalk, then on the road, then to the side of the road in the grass, then back on the sidewalk all within about 100 yards. That last 1/2 mile was the worst as I ran out of water on the final stretch toward heaven, my cousin's 74 degree townhouse. Whose dumb idea was it to train at 10am anyway? After arriving in 74 degree bliss I stood soaking wet in the bathroom chugging a glass of water. As I finished the glass I was pretty confused; an equal amount of water that I was ingesting was present on the floor below me. After a moment of worrying that I unconscientiously peed myself, I realized that I was sweating at the same rate as I was drinking, truly amazing.
Beyond the normal training, I did manage some good cross training: wake boarding, skydiving, staying out late while boozin' excessively (endurance training...duh...), and eating a lot.
A truly great weekend of hangin out with my cousin, meeting her awesome friends, and experiencing another new city in this great nation of ours.
Some two years ago my cousin Michelle (My mom's older brother's daughter, who is adorable and single) decided that she had enough of small town Illinois and headed a thousand miles away to Jacksonville, FL. Naturally I was invited to visit and I accepted. Well, this past weekend I actually headed out there. The timing was nice. Just a few coaching clients at this point, so work is light (I'm accepting applications for new clients...), and I reworked my training schedule for a nice recovery weekend.
I did get out for two runs, two really hot and wet runs. The last time I can remember training in 90+ degree heat with 100% humidity was in Madison, and this was worse. Toward the end of that first run the road wasn't staying in one place very well and I struggled to maintain a straight and logical path. I would run on the sidewalk, then on the road, then to the side of the road in the grass, then back on the sidewalk all within about 100 yards. That last 1/2 mile was the worst as I ran out of water on the final stretch toward heaven, my cousin's 74 degree townhouse. Whose dumb idea was it to train at 10am anyway? After arriving in 74 degree bliss I stood soaking wet in the bathroom chugging a glass of water. As I finished the glass I was pretty confused; an equal amount of water that I was ingesting was present on the floor below me. After a moment of worrying that I unconscientiously peed myself, I realized that I was sweating at the same rate as I was drinking, truly amazing.Beyond the normal training, I did manage some good cross training: wake boarding, skydiving, staying out late while boozin' excessively (endurance training...duh...), and eating a lot.
A truly great weekend of hangin out with my cousin, meeting her awesome friends, and experiencing another new city in this great nation of ours.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Mt Evans, Breckenridge 100, and riding the Front Range
The past 5 days have found me venturing throughout the greater Denver area for road riding, dirt riding, and relaxing. This past Saturday was the Mt Evans hill climb, and event which Luisa was signed up for and I was planning on just riding along. My plan was cut short at about the halfway point when a race official stopped me about a mile past the fee station for Mt Evans, informing me that the road was closed to non-racers and that I'd be ticketed if I continued to the summit. I was pretty pissed off. I had my mind set on climbing that damn hill and this jackass in a Subaru just burst my bubble completely.
I rode down for a little while and caught up with Luisa, who was racing the climb and started about 20min after I took off. I told her that I'd just meet her back in Idaho Springs where the car was. I continued riding for a little while up and down Squaw pass, but not down the whole pass. Then headed back to Idaho Spring to wait for L. I was really bummed, but at least I can head back and ride the country's highest paved road some other day.
After the hill climb we went up to Breck to support two of our friends, Mike Melley and Kimo Seymour, who were competing the the Breckenridge 100 MTB race. This race is crazy with something like 15,000 vertical feet of climbing. I was amazed, but had no desire to compete in such an event. 10+ hours on a mountain bike is my idea of a sore ass, not my idea of fun. Mountain bike races have such a cool vibe to them, with a completely laid back feel, lots of people hanging out, and not the hyper stressed out environment of triathlon. Speaking of triathlon, two of Kimo and Mike's Boulder friends were there hanging out: superstar triathletes Tim and Nicole DeBoom. It was a fun day.
To cap off the weekend, Luisa and I met up with our friends Nate and Erin for a scorching hot Rockies game. The pre-game meal found us hanging out at Falling Rock Tap House for a few pints and some grub. Then the Rockies pulled off a nice run about halfway through the game. Fun Times.As for training, this week is going well. Mountain biked yesterday for 4 hours then bricked a 30min run. Both the bike and run found me struggling to keep my heart rate low. The bike was steady in the 160s throughout with stints in the upper 170s and peaking around 186. I typically don't see a heart rate above 185 unless I'm really pushing myself through my pain threshold (I race Ironman around 145-150 bpm). Then on my run I just couldn't go slow enough to stay in a controlled zone, so I just went hard; problem solved.
Today was suppose to be a 5+hour ride, so I mapped out a little ride through the front range, covering all of the climbs and routes that I know of. I fell about an hour short of my predicted saddle time; the ride only took 4.5 hours. I wasn't too bummed though since my legs where pretty well fatigued from yesterdays threshold fest. I just maintained a nice steady tempo throughout all of the flats and the climbs, then spun easy on the downhills. I spent the whole ride being chased by rain, but escaped with just a few sprinkles and one really close lightning strike just off the Evergreen exit of I-70. That strike made me climb that exposed climb a lot faster.
As I looped around a sub-division just south of Morrison I spotted a lawn decoration that looked quite tacky in front of this million dollar home. Who decorates their lawn with deer decor? As I get closer I start to think that some people really don't know what to do with their money, but wow, that lawn ornament looks pretty life-like. Wait, that ornament's mouth is moving, and there's two. Those things are real! Well, that's a first for me. Riding through a subdivision with countless cars passing by and two doe are just chilin', eating some finely manicured grass. Crazy. Then, as I continue riding and thinking just how strange seeing a deer in the front lawn of someone's house, I see three more, bucks this time. I slow down and pull out my phone and snap a few pics, as I was pretty amazed.
The strange thing about the deer sighting is that I just finished riding through the mountain wilderness and all I saw up there were some birds, a few squirrels, and road kill. Then, I see 5 deer as I'm cruising through this remote southwestern suburb of Denver. Crazy.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A little tired
Nearly two weeks into real training with a few hundred miles of riding at altitude, a bit more running than I usual do (did I mention that I'm not a huge fan of running?), and consistent swimming has left me a little low on energy. Sometimes you think that your body can work miracles overnight. Well, without some of that good stuff that Riccardo Ricco is on, your body takes a little bit to recovery from a hard training session, two nights of good sleep and an easy two hour ride doesn't quite make you feel tapered.
This morning on my 50 minute run I struggled to maintain any sort of tempo, then at swimming my shoulder felt as if they had just completed a sprint set. Come on, that sprint set was on Wednesday, it's Friday! My swimming is way out of shape.
Tomorrow I've decided to rest up and take a leisurely ride up some 6,724 vertical feet in 29 miles to the top of Mt Evans. Seriously, I love riding my bike and new rides like this get me really excited. I know that my legs will feel a little heavy, but after the first few miles I'll set my effort a bit below threshold and just ride.
It's going to be a great day.
GrandpaMungo.com
This morning on my 50 minute run I struggled to maintain any sort of tempo, then at swimming my shoulder felt as if they had just completed a sprint set. Come on, that sprint set was on Wednesday, it's Friday! My swimming is way out of shape.
Tomorrow I've decided to rest up and take a leisurely ride up some 6,724 vertical feet in 29 miles to the top of Mt Evans. Seriously, I love riding my bike and new rides like this get me really excited. I know that my legs will feel a little heavy, but after the first few miles I'll set my effort a bit below threshold and just ride.
It's going to be a great day.
GrandpaMungo.com
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
100+ miles in Colorado
In preparation for Ironman Arizona I must have ridden 15, 100 mile or more rides. Today was the first such ride here in Colorado as I gear up my training for Kona. There is something a little different about 100 mile rides here, altitude and hills...and a lot of both. The ride took Luisa and I from our place just south of Downtown Denver up around Longmont, into Lyons, through Boulder and back to Denver. The terrain reminded me a lot of training in Madison, WI; not a flat spot out there. You are either riding up a hill or down a hill, you're always shifting and you are always trying to maintain some sort of rhythm.
The ride out to Lyons felt pretty good, but the ride from Lyons to Boulder along Highway 36 just hurt. I regained some feeling and groove once out of Boulder, but never quite felt good again. It was hot, I got hungry, and ran out of Infinit (my favorite nutritional supplement). On the way back to the apartment, Luisa and I made a stop at REI to grab some food, caffeine, and soak our tired legs in the river. There's nothing like a nice cool leg soaking to jump start the recovery process.
The first 100 miler, 111 actually, is always the hardest. Now it's time to just keep logging miles.
The ride out to Lyons felt pretty good, but the ride from Lyons to Boulder along Highway 36 just hurt. I regained some feeling and groove once out of Boulder, but never quite felt good again. It was hot, I got hungry, and ran out of Infinit (my favorite nutritional supplement). On the way back to the apartment, Luisa and I made a stop at REI to grab some food, caffeine, and soak our tired legs in the river. There's nothing like a nice cool leg soaking to jump start the recovery process.
The first 100 miler, 111 actually, is always the hardest. Now it's time to just keep logging miles.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The first week
The first week back into a real training schedule is always tough. During the time since Ironman Arizona in April I've been getting in some good miles here and there. A bunch of mountain biking, a bit of swimming and enough running to keep some sort of form. I have been taking about two days off a week and enjoying a little more relaxed schedule.
Last week it was a tri-cubed week. Three swim workouts, three bike workouts, and three run workouts. I haven't done a cubed week in a while due to running injury issues, a dislocated shoulder, and a lack of motivation.
The week went pretty well beyond the last two days. I put in a bunch of miles in the mountains on the bike during the week and headed with Luisa to Lyons, north of Boulder, to do some mountain biking yesterday. The ride started off with tired legs and a lot of frustration due to the technical nature of the beginning of the ride out at Hall Ranch. I didn't have the legs to keep good momentum up the technical climbs and my focus was off. After stopping to refocus and just enjoy my environment, the rest of the ride was awesome.
Then it was off to Boulder to meet up with friends: Nate, Bryan, Kate, and Erin. I worked my magic on the BBQ, put back a few too many brews, and just hung out until crashing at 1am.
8:30 on Sunday morning hit fast and it was back to Denver to get my run it. It was kind of rough going until I found the groove. I hit a few fast miles and then I was done after about an hour. It was slow going back to the apartment.
Tomorrow will be a much needed rest day.
Last week it was a tri-cubed week. Three swim workouts, three bike workouts, and three run workouts. I haven't done a cubed week in a while due to running injury issues, a dislocated shoulder, and a lack of motivation.
The week went pretty well beyond the last two days. I put in a bunch of miles in the mountains on the bike during the week and headed with Luisa to Lyons, north of Boulder, to do some mountain biking yesterday. The ride started off with tired legs and a lot of frustration due to the technical nature of the beginning of the ride out at Hall Ranch. I didn't have the legs to keep good momentum up the technical climbs and my focus was off. After stopping to refocus and just enjoy my environment, the rest of the ride was awesome.
Then it was off to Boulder to meet up with friends: Nate, Bryan, Kate, and Erin. I worked my magic on the BBQ, put back a few too many brews, and just hung out until crashing at 1am.
8:30 on Sunday morning hit fast and it was back to Denver to get my run it. It was kind of rough going until I found the groove. I hit a few fast miles and then I was done after about an hour. It was slow going back to the apartment.
Tomorrow will be a much needed rest day.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The History of it
Being the best was always a goal of mine, and being the best at my sports has always been highly important.
In grade school I had to run the fastest mile in gym class, I had to be the fastest swimmer, and needed to be in a starting role on the team sports that I played. This changed slightly in high school as I was introduced to a much larger pool of talented athletes. I was no longer the fastest runner or the fastest swimmer. I realized that with a lot of hard work and dedication that I could be the elite of my sports, but never the absolute best.
At 16 I saw the Tour de France on TV and decided I wanted to ride bikes. My mother bought me my first real road bike from a shop in Wheaton, IL called Spokes. The bike was amazing, a Lemond Zurich with Shimano 600 and Reynolds 853 steel tubing.
I started out with the hardest 20 mile rides of my life. Soon it was 30 and then 50; 50 was a really long ride. After a few weeks of riding I decided that I liked being on the bike. I already knew that I enjoyed swimming and so triathlon was the next step.
When I first started training for my first triathlon, I knew that competing at the World Championships, Ironman Hawaii, was the ultimate goal. I was prepared to take the steps and put in the training to reach this goal; I was unaware of how long it would take to qualify for Kona.
11 years, 3 Ironmans, and countless short course races later I have finally qualified for Kona. October 11th, 2008 is the day; now it's time to train.
In grade school I had to run the fastest mile in gym class, I had to be the fastest swimmer, and needed to be in a starting role on the team sports that I played. This changed slightly in high school as I was introduced to a much larger pool of talented athletes. I was no longer the fastest runner or the fastest swimmer. I realized that with a lot of hard work and dedication that I could be the elite of my sports, but never the absolute best.
At 16 I saw the Tour de France on TV and decided I wanted to ride bikes. My mother bought me my first real road bike from a shop in Wheaton, IL called Spokes. The bike was amazing, a Lemond Zurich with Shimano 600 and Reynolds 853 steel tubing.
I started out with the hardest 20 mile rides of my life. Soon it was 30 and then 50; 50 was a really long ride. After a few weeks of riding I decided that I liked being on the bike. I already knew that I enjoyed swimming and so triathlon was the next step.
When I first started training for my first triathlon, I knew that competing at the World Championships, Ironman Hawaii, was the ultimate goal. I was prepared to take the steps and put in the training to reach this goal; I was unaware of how long it would take to qualify for Kona.
11 years, 3 Ironmans, and countless short course races later I have finally qualified for Kona. October 11th, 2008 is the day; now it's time to train.
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