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.

Fri and Sat Bricks!

Fri was a 1:30:00 towing the stroller ride and then my 600's on grass with a turnaround. (6x600 1:54, 1:58, 1:57, 1:58, 1:59, 1:55) for 3.6 miles.

Today I got to the pool and CLOSED. Suck, this happens triathletes all the time. Better make something of it.
Did a 36 mile ride with TWO 10 mile TT's not going into Zone 4. Avg HR for both was 152 and Cadence was 75 then 79. Did a south to north route and then a west to east route. 24:59, and 24:57 for 24.0 mph on each of the efforts. Got some work in away from them as well and some good rest but still held a 21.8 for the whole ride so need to hit more rest so the intervals can get up a bit. Did a stroller run of 3.9 miles in 30 minutes. Need to work on nutrition on the bike and keep getting in at least 35 miles in on the Tri bike. Swimming is gonna be big in the next few weeks as race day is May 15 and the bike is shortened to 33K.

March Totals a little late.

Been too busy to crunch the numbers but here they are.

Swim 6:13:00 20400
Bike 11:42:00 206
Run 15:03:00 114.6
Total: 32:58:00

Days off: 9
Workouts: 43
Key Workouts: 7:10 pace for the Loop (5.6 mile very hilly with stroller)
4x(5min Z4, 800) 2:44, 2:47, 2:48, 2:48
500 Yard PR 7:23

The swimming was big but I have realized I need to hit the pool a good six times the two weeks leading into an event. With the move in this month I feel pretty good. My run mileage has dropped and hoping to keep it above 30 for the remainder of the season which isn't bad with the stroller.
For April there was some moving adjustment and the couple weeks to get used to 5800 feet elevation. My mile stuff and higher is off but my 600's I did were good which is in line with the science so those will be my speed workouts for the rest of the year.

Sweet Action Brick

Went out for a 34 mile ride with a 40K TT in the middle and then 6x600 on a grass field with a small hill in the Vibrams and a turnaround. 4.1 miles total

Hit the ride in 1:37:00 for 21 mph overall and 22mph for the effort. This was the wind mostly and fading hard at the end. Went out in 39:30 and came back in 26:50. That return was with a VERY bad fade at around the 20 mile mark. I tried to ride at around 65-70 but on the way back I was HAULING in my 56x11 quite a bit around 85-90 just sitting at 34-36 mph for long stretches. Avg Cadence was 72 and HR was 145 for the total effort. I downed two bottles during the ride and one had 350 cals of Sustained Energy in it.

That intake helped with the following 6x600. I hit these in 1:58, 1:58, 1:57, 1:58, 1:57, 1:56. This made up for feeling like hell on the bike. I finally feel like my run off the bike is a true strength. Going for the Peter Reid strategy of running just as fast or faster off the bike as in an open race. I like this workout and am gonna go for just hitting more of the 600's or not having a semi cooldown at the end of the ride but the wind will dictate that

Race Report: So Close!

400 yard swim, 10 mile bike, 3.1 mile run.
Final time was 54:01. 2 overall to Ben Hoffman who was 50:45 and got second at the Desert Du and went 8:24 at IM AZ. so out of the 3:15 down I lost 2:15 on the swim, 15 seconds on the bike and the rest, 45 seconds on the run. The course was tough with 3 turnarounds at the bottom of hills and a 90 degree turn at the bottom of a hill. I was stoked to be so close to Ben. I beat another Pro who has a 70.3 PR of 4:09 as well. Granted they had had a big week though. 26:07 for the bike on the garmin for 22.9 mph as well.

I would have scored the course record so I will now claim the Amateur Course Record. I also missed a $100 dollar gift cert and only got the $20 buck and I have to buy shoes. Oh well. There was a lot of talk about Bens overall time not being legit so I feel a little better. I broke 18 on the run without being able to use my feet the first 1/4 so a good score there. I was either 17:54 or 17:24 bc of the timing and I messed up my garmin. The second half of the run was a 8:34 but I was much slower on the first 1/4 and the second 1/4 was downhill so the finish was the best finish of any race I have ever had. This race has me really pumped for the rest of the season.

More Utah training:
Did Kolob Canyon into the wind in 26:16 for 5.1 miles but no elav data this time. This is a perfect killer climb with everything and a little decent after about 17 min in. Made it 46 miles total and pulled the stroller in the main canyon for 2:45 of riding. Also been playing tennis (Normann Stadler style) to mix things up.