The New Steed

I was able to pick up a size Medium Quintana Roo Lucero without a crank or wheels on Slowtwitch.  I have been itching for a Tri bike again now that we are out of Maryland and the 1 bike limit. I had to get a new seatpost but as you can see it gives a lot more options then the old style. Should be able to dial in a great fit. The frame is one of the lighter Tri ones around so it will be more then noticeably lighter then my Kestrel.
Specs
Zipp Carbon Vuka Base Bar and Extentions with Carbon Tektro levels and Lizard Skins wrap.
Zipp Alumina Clips (tons of adjustments though kind of a pain to change)
Dura Ace FD and RD along with brakes, shifters, and chain.
FSA Gossamer 172.5 cranks with 52/38 TT rings paired with a Sram 11-25 cassettte.
Fizik Tundra 2 Mtn bike seat with upgraded seatpost.

2014 Year in Review

2014 Year in Review
Swim 2 hours 27 min             8600  yards
Bike  287 hours 52 min          4811 miles
Run   75 hours 53 min           552 miles
1:14:00  weights
Total:     366 hours 12 min

Averages

1:00:00 workout per day.   

7:00:00 workout per week. 
Days off: 146

Weeks over 10 hours:  10

Weeks over 14 hours:    1

Biggest week June 21:31 March

Swim 165 yards per week. 716 a month

Biked 92 miles per week. 400 a month

Ran 10.6 miles per week.  46 a month

Triathlons: 0 completed

Duathlons: 1

Running Races: 2

Weight in Jan 173, Aug 187 end 181.

Well, another year of no triathlons. Moved to Utah this March and then got injured for the first time. Pushed too hard on the bike in the mountains after making too much of a change with cranks and cleats.  Took until Oct to get it figured out and it was pain to nothing right away after adding a small shim and most importantly Specialized brand show inserts when riding.   While in Utah my job was worth a ton if I did overtime and then I just didnt want to run in the evenings. Tried a couple times at 5 am but that was just not happening. Coupled with some family medical issues at home this year was as bad as last.   Did a duathlon in Denver in Dec and came in Top 10 overall with the 5th best bike on these numbers for the past two years is the hopeful thing to look at in the data.  Have a power test and renewed motivation under my belt. Now to just figure out how to get a medium size Quintana Roo tri bike so I don't sit up like a sail and waste 50 watts (about what I came up with from Strava files during the DU).

March Totals: Back in Cedar City UT

Moved back to Cedar City UT to start a new job.  It has been crazy windy here but overall pretty good. Set a new time record for a workout week at  21 hours 31min.
Total hours: 48 hours 31 minutes
Start weight was 171 end was 170.
Key workouts: 10x400 in 1:27 (1:26-1:28) end in 1:23
C Trail in 53 min from parking lot.
5k in 19:13. Uphill out in 9:45 back in 9:27.

Missed 5 days working out with 3 out sick and 2 out for travel so that was the most successful month ever for that.   Planned to have an easy week after the 21 hour week but then the weekend had terrible weather and the wind was so bad I couldn't even have the garage door open.  Weather is supposed to break soon so April will have a slow start. Really going to try and focus on getting some speed sessions in after work if the weather is nice. On the brink of breaking through and still being able to build this year.

February Totals

Highest volume February on record and highest volume Jan/Feb combo on record.

Bike   32:31:00              593 miles (MTB miles converted based on effort)

Run    10:43:00             80.7 miles

Total  43:14:00 

            The weather hit really bad and only 1 hour of that is inside workout.  I need to start hitting the weights a little more and try to get a couple shorter workouts in. I hate to say it but the power meter (well its low numbers) is keeping me from the trainer.  I need to get an FTP test done at some point but just dont have the motivation to do it inside. I just figured out how to get a screen down there (the laptop overheats).  

           My running needs to become more regular. Been running speed on Wed and long on Sun with the Boulder Running Company and that has helped a ton. I think all the volume at altitude and with it being all outside in the wind is really going to come around in the next month or so.  

           Weight is at 171 and I was 187.4 one year ago this week.  Starting to feel like 165 is within reach. Not trying too hard but just putting in the miles outside on the bike. Gonna try a 5K this morning just to get outside of my comfort zone running. 

January

Got in a tad over 51 hours in. 44 hours of outdoor riding and just 43 miles of running but that is coming around. Did a couple group runs and won two $30 Brooks tech shirts in a raffle from Boulder Running Company.  Did a 10x400 on dirt in 1:27 and went swimming once. 1:35 pace was fine but 1:22 was an all out 100. Considering my swimming the past two years this was pretty sweet. I need to get back on the bands like I started at the begining of the month.  Prolly hop into a duathlon at the end of Feb to see how I am doin.  Been windier then normal here and this week is going to just the the first true winter test. Did ten miles today on 4" packed snow and it felt great minus a pretty big blister on the toe.  

Starting to look for a job for the summer so might end of someplace else for a while so gonna try and be ready for anything. I think I will try a pair of Hoka One Ones if I do get a job to try and up the mileage running. 

2013 Year in Review

2013 Year in Review
Swim 4 hours 28 min                 15200  yards
Bike  246 hours 28 min     4824 miles
Run   85 hours 10 min 653 miles
0:44:00  weights
Total:     336 hours 6 min

Averages

0:55:00 workout per day.   

6:28:00 workout per week. 
Days off: 151

Weeks over 10 hours:  8 

Weeks over 14 hours:    1

Biggest week June 16:05 

Swim 292 yards per week. 1200 a month

Biked 93 miles per week. 400 a month

Ran 12.6 miles per week.  53 a month

Triathlons: 1 completed

Running Races: 0

Weight in April 192 end 172
Key Workouts:
Numerous Strava KOM's in DE,MD,PA area.

Quote from Last year.
"This was the year of moving to Maryland. Longest drought in blog history. Been battling with really hating this place. Workout wise the cycling is pretty good but everything else sucks.  Won't go too much into it as I am trying to stay positive but let it has worn on me and we still have a while left. Might end up being a whole year of no races, or 1 or 2 off key events."

Well, it didn't get any better. By March I had quit working out entirely and was up to 192 pounds and feeling really sorry for myself. A lot of crappy things happened with 3 of the jobs the wife applied for. Two were previous undergrad hires (which sucks bc when she was working at her undergrad she didnt even make the interview cut) and then someone with lots of money raised in the past.

We are now out in Littleton CO for two years and I think things are gonna turn around a bit. It was rough at first and I have NO idea what I will be doing for work here. The State Park stuff pays 9 an hour for nights, weekend, and holidays to be a Ranger. Well, onto training.

I have a powermeter bc my trainer fried and I was able to get a new trainer and a powertap with a Joule 2.0 for basically $150 out of pocket.  I also have a new GT Zaskar 29R mountainbike bc the kiddo and I do not have a car so I have to tow or push her to pre-k and any hiking or playgrounds we want to go to.

I am gonna start to focus on training just to have something external and under my control to focus on. Have some races lined up as well. We will see how it goes.
Goals:
Avg over 10 hrs a week.
Less then 30 days off.
Race 7 times.

St Peters Rec Plex Triathlon.

Swim 525 Meters:  1:40 per 100m or 1:32 per 100y (36 overall!!!)
Bike 18.1 miles: 23.4 mph (5th overall)
Run: 4.8 miles: 32:01 (6:40/mile) 29:31 adjusted (6:09/mile) (25th or 6th overall)
1:29:02       1st in 30-34 AG and 5th overall of 350 with one pro.

Link to results:  http://racesonlineresults.com/events/rec-plex-spring-triathlon/results/2013?page=1

Swim
Prior to this race I had swam twice in the past year for a total volume of 1600 yards for the year! The swim is in a pool and you go under the lane lines so it can get kinda crowded. At one point with only 5 meters left in the lane there were SIX people in front of me. I slipped in between 2 and then pushed the wall and went deep and came up first in the next lane. I passed prolly 18 people in the pool alone which is tiring.  I was SUPER happy with the swim considering my swim volume.
Bike
EDIT: After checking strava I noticed I did 1 mile more then at least one of the top bike times by the best biker in the area. The extra mile had a hard turn with water on half the lane and then lots of rocks before a turn around. So 4 extra 90 degree turns and slow rocks worth at least 3 minutes.  That is a lot more in line with what it seemed like with others. The course was flooded and there were no volunteers at the flooded section so this was just part of this race and no blame on anyone but it is really nice to know my bike was a lot faster comparatively that I had believed.
I passed around 50-70 people on the bike with slick roads. I would say 20-30 were riding on the left AND weaving. This coupled with the fact my legs never did come around from the past two weeks meant it was a pacing race.  I rocked out a 3rd, 4th, and 5th place KOM on Strava while biking so still a solid ride. Left about 3 minutes on the course on a good day.  Overall fairly happy given everything.
Run
I forgot my race belt and lost 30 seconds getting it (second time ever and the first was this race in 2004) and then went straight thru a turn and lost another 2 minutes. There was no sign at the turn and I looked at my watch for the first time and noticed I hadn't hit it with the race belt fiasco and that pause made me miss it.
This did nothing for my placement luckily and I was able to finish quite strong after taking forever to catch people I had passed a 1/4 mile back going 13min pace.  It was tough to keep it from sprinting in anger. Good lesson at least.
Overall
Since this was my first tri in over a year I was pretty happy with the results and no one younger then me beat me. Would have liked the bike to have been better but given the travel and weight being 192 in April I am just going to use this as a stepping stone. I think I could have done the same pace (minus the swim bc of sore arms) all over again about 10 minutes after finishing and I was running all around after finishing. I also feel really good right now.   Should really come around in about a month.