Friday, December 31, 2010

Year Totals: A long post.

Weights 2:07:00
Swim 24:34:00 70800
Bike 192:42:00 3539.5
Run 165:32:00 1266.7
Total Time 382:48:00
Averages
1:o3:00 workout per day.
7:20:00 workout per week.
Weeks over 10 hours: 11
Biggest week Dec 25-31: 12:56:00
Swim 1316 yards per week. 5700 a month
Biked 68 miles per week. 294 a month
Ran 24.4 miles per week. 105 a month
Days Off: 89 (1.7 per week)
Workouts: 367
Triathlons: 4
Running Races:2



Things that I like to see are the monthly breakdown where Sept was my lowest totals but I hit some faster workouts at the time as well.
Easy things to pick out are getting my highest week in the end of Dec.
Swimming so little. I would like this to get to 3000 a week yearly avg.
89 days off is about 37 too many.
I would like to bike 100 per week but that can be tough so not too unpleased with the 68
Running needs to get to at least 30 if not 35 over the year

Wins
Overall: 2
Amatuer: 3
Losses: 1

Winnings out of $240 in entry fess.
$50.00
120.00 in Shoe Gift Certificates
A cookbook and a 5.00 gift cert.

Major developments
Wife got PhD.
2 year old is impossible and frustrating in winter. Stress levels very high.
Finances have hit an all time low.

I have a plan to get my professional triathlon license so that I can actually do some races seeing as money is still going to be a problem for a while. Now I will list the reasons why I do triathlon.

I need physical activity and challenges.
Triathlon lets me use my scientific mind.
Triathlon allows my adventurous side to be calmed and leave out the epic that is both dangerous and time consuming. This is more important that it might seem.
I like the comraderie that triathletes share as I have had trouble finding friends otherwise and in Utah in general. Thanks internet buddies.
Triathlon is an outlet for frustrations of daily life and an opportunity to challenge myself. I really felt this part in my last two races when I was able to push to new levels within myself. This is what gives me the drive.

I have built my triathlon career carefully and I am ready to go full force seeing as my racing plans are crap for a while bc I have no idea where I will be living or how much money we will have so this is the time to go big. At the end of it if I fail then things will have settled down and I can go back to entering every 5K and small local Tri. I can do either mentally but with the pressures I need a challenge other then the local stuff.



Monday, December 27, 2010

Lots of snippets.

Going to start doing a weekly report that will surmise workouts from Sat-Fri but since I have some stuff I thought I would get that out now.
Managed a hilly 14.2 mile run and didn't feel too good on miles 5-10. I have been noticing that a little bit and just need to get that figured out but it seems like a lot of people get that on long runs in the winter so no biggie. Also really on the weight loss push this time. Seriously I now don't have the excuses and my focus is really tightened bc of the upcoming race calendar is something that I will actually be able to do for once! This is really huge bc I really don't race that many tri's. Before this year I have only completed 2 tri's (one after 2 weeks out and still hacking phlegm) since 2006! Just crazy to me. Props on all my friends who race so much. Anyway it finally feels great to be at a point in life where I can get back to racing.
Did what I want to be my bread and butter workout this year. This was just an endurance effort with 1 hour on the trainer at 65rpm in high Z1 followed by a run to the track and 4x1 mile on the 7 min. It was pretty cold but managed (HR in parenthesis) a pretty good 6:34(146), 6:37(159), 6:44(161), 6:27(165).
I will eventually start working in efforts on the bike and then get up to 6-8 repeats on the 7. Coming down out of altitude with these times I should be rearing to go. The plan will also include some 200's in 38-39 seconds to bring the neuromuscular speed around for races. I think I can finally take living at 5800 ft and bring it around for races even though some of my run times are :15 secs per mile slower which can be frustrating and must be why I vent here about it all the time.
I also came up with monthly goals and Jan is find a training partner and swim 2x per week besides the big weight shedding since it will all be in vain otherwise.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

3 hour trainer ride then run.

Had to hop on the trainer for 3 hours today at about a 60-70 cadence most of the time. Went pretty well until the last half hour. Watched the 2009 and 2010 Ironman Champs on YouTube to pass the time. The trainer is physically harder then outside at 2 hours for me. The outside weather was 37 degrees and light rain when I went for my run. I ran about .7 to the track and then hit a mile at 6:19 and was too cold and wet already to hit the second mile so I went home. I was on pace for a 6:12 and didn't let up or feel anything on that last lap so I really knew it was time to be done. Need to take more cals in next time when biking that long. Really trying to stay on the weight loss and as always I overdo it. I had a big blueberry pancake breakfast and just didn't feel hungry.
Anyway this early in the build it felt great considering my trip to Disney World was full of activity but only one workout.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

November Totals and PhD

Weights 0:17:00
Swim 0:51:00 2700
Bike 14:49:00 272
Run 14:45:00 100.5
Total 30 hours 42 minutes
Days off: 9
Workouts: 33
Key Workouts: 11/10: 4x100 (1:17, 1:19, 1:19, 1:19)
Had a super good lead out until the awesome triathlon and then a few good days after that before the weather hit and I had time to think that I had ZERO race plans for next year. I really want to get into some better races as I am now expecting to break any bike and overall course records down here in southern Utah. My wife also defended her PhD so she is now a doctor so that means more time to train. Pretty good numbers this month with the 9 days off (my offseason).

There are two 5150 race in the area next year (Provo and Vegas) in June and Oct. The main thing about these races is that they offer $20,000 dollars to the pros. That means a top 3 age group means you can get your pro card. This has been a goal for a long time but I think that I have finally figured out how to race well on a given day. I was 3/4 this year and the day day I finally learned enough.
Now that life is getting back to normal I can finally train more then 7 hours a week. I have some really good plans for developing through the winter (leaving run speed until spring though). I start work again in April so until then I will be full gad looking at June 25 for the OLY in Provo. The Oct Vegas race is just a back-up so I wont get depressed if I get 4th-last.

I am also gonna find some people to train with this winter. There is a kid in town who runs sub 2 for the 800 and 26 something for 5 miles that is getting into triathlons (done one and has a road bike) so that should really help my running which will be limiting next year if my new swim plan continues to grow as it did this year. I am finally getting comfortable swimming and can see a breakthrough season approaching. My bike is also on the verge of busting through on an OLY course. My run is still the odd man out as far as achieving the consistency I need but the last sprint told me it too is laying there in waiting. Finally excited about a new year and have real goals and ideas on how to achieve those goals.