Ups and Downs

Had some really good workouts at 8500 ft with some cycling up to 10400 ft with some 7:30 pace running afterwards. Then I did a climb with the same exact profile of 7.9 % grade as Alpe d'Huez of Tour De France fame. I managed a 29:00 for the 4 mile climb which is just past 1/2 of the aforementioned climb. I did it on my forward seat road bike and that kinda sucked. It starts at over 6000 which is higher the the top of the Alpe so not too bad.

The weather here has sucked to say the least. Gusting at 45 about everyday and so bad it is even too tough to run (esp with the stroller) bc of the blowing gust of sand bringing you to tears. Weight gain is in full force yet again. I HAVE to nail down lunch at work. Need to switch to protein and fat instead of so much carbs which has done me so well on the weekend. 10 hour days in a car sucks. Need the weather to get better so bad. I would even do back to 4 inches of snow bc then I could at least run. Well, hopefully I am done feeling sorry for myself but it is getting too much to get it in after work with the wee one. Looks like a lot of 5am mornings in the future.

SGTri Race Report

After having a day to mull over my experience I am quite a bit happier with my results and how to really nail it next time. My main mistake was not taking in enough calories before the race. I woke up on race day at 168.5 which is pretty good but I have been yo-yo ing down and just got into the loose weight mode too close to race day. I am fine with that bc maybe I can actually get to race weight at some point. I had a clif builder bar and a banana 3 hours before the race and about 70 cals of sport drink. I took on another 250 on the bike. On to the race.

1500M swim, 20.5 mile bike (this was on purpose for just one turnaround), 6.5 mile run (course was long, supposed to be 6.2)

I also got to meet David Warden of Tri-talk. He is a really nice guy and glad he was racing the sprint. More compared to him later.

Total time 2:04:04 8th of 357 finishers

My goal was 1:55 but the run course made it 1:57:00 which would have won it all.

Swim was 24:25 which was only 3 minutes out of first and 2 minutes out of second. The course was a 2 loop triangle. Here is a map.

The orange blobs are the buoys. I started on the right side and made my first loop in about 11 minutes. I know this bc the second wave left 10 minutes after and I got stuck behind and boxed into the slow people in that wave. The green X is where I started fighting. The green X on the left is where I had to fight back through to get to the outside to ramp. At the time I thought this cost me about two minutes and my time of 24:25 with 11 at halfway proves me right. The course seems accurate bc no one went under 20 and most fast times were around 23 so I am still VERY happy with my swim. The leaders were able to beat the group which was a bummer but I just have to get better swimming.

The bike is where I was starting to feel like I just didn't have it. I managed a 54:12 (22.7) for 4th best. 53:12 (22.9) was first. My 44x23 gearing was not enough (would have been any other day) for the big mile long hill. The course is VERY VERY rough. Enough so I am wondering about an event there in June but it is the only local place for triathlon. I may have needed a second water bottle but I think the nutrition is really what did me in.

The run started really well with a 6:03 off the bike for the first mile but I was just gassed and then the abs went from just pushing too hard with out enough energy and I faded. Official time as 43:40 but that was for 6.5 miles so a 6:43 pace as opposed to a 7:03. Was 4 minutes out of first which is what my first mile pace was at. Still 6th overall on the run somehow, it is a tough course with big long hills the whole way though.Sad thing was the first mile was a controlled mile.

I beat 7th place (he was 30 secs ahead this time) a month ago by over 4 minutes in a race half as long. If I had beat him by just 6 minutes this time I would have been in first. All week I just felt sluggish and the weather was snow and sleet all week so it was easy not to get in enough effort. I only had one real workout with only 5 minutes hard. I REALLY need to remember that I can train harder into a race. Resting before is about 0 for 7 now. At least I have a TON more confidence for my next race after having time to reflect on my race. Thats the trouble with doing as many races over 6 years as many of my friends do in a year.

David went 13 in the swim so I bettered him there and he went 23.1 on the bike so my time was not too far off and he went 6:23 on the run (I am fairly certain the short course was accurate bc my gps was still matching up at that point. Pretty stoked to be so close in times to the venerable David Warden)

April Totals and a misplaced blog entry.

Swim 1:22:00 4300

Bike 14:10:00 256.7 (18.2 mph)

Run 12:05:00 94.7 (7:40 pace)

Days off: 8

Workouts: 6

Key workouts

SHAC Triathlon 2nd Overall

BRICK 2x10 Mile 24:59, 24:57 (75, 79rpm 152 HR into 3.9 stroller run

3x5min TT (28, 27.5, 27.9 HR 161, Cad 82)

BRICK 25M 1:25:00 then 6x600 1:54, 1:58, 1:57, 1:58, 1:59, 1:55

BRICK 40k 1:07:20 then 6x600 1:58, 1:58, 1:57, 1:58, 1:57, 1:56

Totals were a lot lower then I wanted esp in swimming. I got in quite a bit of quality though and had a good race at the start of the month. Weight was up and down all month with the last day being a pound heavier then the first day. The eternal problem. I will get down to 159 sometime before August.

Here is the write up of the blog I missed. One of my better insights I think.

My mental, physical and emotional breakdown workout.

It may not seem as hard as it sounds but 3x5min on the trainer is pure agony. It so draining that it is hard to get psyched for. The avg speed is a set metric that stares into your brain telling you hey, last month you went 26.2 three times. You can go 24.9 for 23 minutes (rested slightly) so you at least have to hit that you weakling. A couple months ago you struggled to hit 26.6 but by number 3 you dropped to 25.5. You have even quit every time you finally hit 27 for the first one but it was just too much. My brain is not very nice when it is in cahoots with the stats of my workout log.

The numbers tonight

28 mph

27.5 mph

27.3 mph

Made it! Cadence was 82 and HR avg was 162 for all three sets. Was up at 169-170 for the ramped up parts though. I always think I will never do this workout again until I remember that is is the best for simulating a race with the anxiety, aprehension, and toughness required.