100/100 looming

Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running, Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running, Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running....

Gearing up for the ST 100/100 challenge, loggin miles and time in sweet expectation of rocking these bad boys at my first race and finally having the base to race my run rather than survive it! I doubt I will get close to gold, or silver, but I am shooting for bronze (70 runs in 100 days) and I think I can do that so long as I can run a few times over the christmas holidays when we are in the wilds of the western Maine mountains...a challenge for sure!

Back in the GAME again!

After what seemed like an incredibly long running layoff while my heel pain subsided, I have now gone for three runs in the past five days. First was an easy 2 miler, minor twinges of pain, not bad afterwards. Then, two days ago I did another two miler, moderate to easy pace, and again felt no pain. Yesterday, I ran with my soccer team, did about 3 miles with some faster intervals, and there was no pain while running or afterwards. Finally! Feeling good! Now, I can start building back up again. Pool workouts start in two weeks. Can't wait to get back to training!

Mudmudmudmud...

Here are some older DQ Tri photos from July!

Snotty September

Since the last post, I have been on IR for about a week. I went out and scrimmaged with the kids on my soccer team last Monday, and the next morning, could barely walk with pain in my left heel. Otherwise sore in legs as well. No worries, felt better on Tuesday and even better on Wednesday, so much so that I went for a short run to try out my new Pearl Izumi Streak race shoes (very excited and very RED!). My heel started bothering me again, so I cut the run short at 2 miles. Went to practice, was scrimmaging again, and came down hard on my heel. Instant pain. Stopped, massaged, took advil at home, and next morning I could barely walk. So I was thinking PF. CRAP! Saw our trainer, and he thought it might be a combination of a heel bruise and some associated PF. I have been resting it, icing at night, massaging, stretching, and today it feels much better, but it is still there. I have the time to rest now since my racing is done and I was planning on maintainance this fall anyway, so I am eating poptarts and getting fat as I rest and relax. Also, lusting after a new bike, but that is nothing new!

Back in Jersey

Made the migration back to New Jersey, and we are now bracing for the start of school (Kids, us). My training has dropped off to maintainance now that my racing is done for the year. I flirted with doing the Endless Summer tri on LBI, but I will be helping run a local race that same weekend instead. My plan is to keep up with my running, add some more base miles this fall, maybe do a half marry in Novemer (Philly). Ride when I can on the weekends. Maybe swim once or twice a week in the fall. More as the plan unfolds, but I am thinking of ramping up for the Timberman 70.3 next summer, so I am thinking of the long(er) strategy.

Timberman Race Report

-- "More than a Feelin'" --

After spending too much time driving around trying to find my motel, having to backtrack, stop and ask directions from a bar (thanks, Google Maps), I found the River View Motel and settled in for a sleepless night in the last room, a smoking single. I had driven the bike course and seen the hills, and I was alittle nervous for this aspect of the race. So, I watched Michael Phelps grab gold #7, and then tossed and turned until 4, when I packed up and rolled to Ellacoya Park to get parking before the masses converged. Turns out I didn't need to, since most people arrived later than me, but I think having that extra time to settle in helped. The sky was ominous, but the air wasn't too cold and the water was a tepid 73 degrees- perfect. My transition number was set up right by the bike in/out, but at the opposite side of the swim in/run out gate. Still, I decided not to pre-clip my shoes since it was literally a 30 yard run on a carpet to the mount line. I had forgotten my goggles in my mad rush to get everything packed- a whole different and complex story involving septic systems, high water tables, laundramats, and a visit to Wolfeboro, where Leigh and I used to live and work...maybe I'll get into that another time- So, I bought a pair of Tyr goggles at the expo before the race and I was all set. Everything ready, headed off to the beach to get a swim warmup, and then it was time to ROCK! (Serious butterflies flopping around thinking about that bike and the elevation gains on the out leg...)

Swim: "I Feel Good."
Got to the outside from the start, and didn't see a sole near me the entire swim. Angled in tot he first buoy and then followed the leaders and stoked long and strong. Water was crisp, clear, and pretty shallow. I just tried to pace it out because I was worried about the hills on the ride. No worries for the swim at all!
Time: 9:00 flat, 120/990, 7th AG

T1: "We Jammin'"
I had a blast at the transition. They had a wetsuit stripping station that everyone was going to, but I just veered off, ran through some footwash tubs, and kept going to my bike to the shock of the strippers and some fans. I flew out of the suit, quick grab of the bike, and I was off. Fast and clean!

Bike: "Flirtin' with Disaster"
I immediately felt good on the bike, and I had read on ST that some bike gurus had been suggesting pushing lower cadence and higher gears, so I tried that and it felt good, so I kept with it over the first few rollers. Passed some guys from the first 3 waves. Then, we hit the hill. It was about 2 miles of constant climbing, maybe 5% grade so nothing major, but a hurtin' for some of the riders. I danced up, flew by many guys, and felt great. I was shocked, but mashing was working and my HR wasn't through the roof. Hit the turn around, gobbled a Gel, and mashed up the last major climb, then a long, long descent that I really motored on (35-40mph mostly). Guys were weaving out into the road, and there were cars driving with us, so it was alittle sketchy. Then, I came up to a group of four guys stacked from the shoulder out, and a utility truck was next to them trying to pass. They did not streamline to the shoulder, but were riding next to eachother. I was out behind the truck trying to get some passing space, and motoring at 35 when the truck hit its brakes. A well meaning cop had tried to stop the truck by standing in the road and throwing his hands up. I thought I was a gonner. Went into a skid trying to brake, with no room to my right since the guys were stacked there, and oncoming traffic to the left. I was able somehow to swerve, miss the bumper of the truck, and slide in behind the last guy, and then recover. With the adrenaline pumping, I flew by those guys and never looked back, playing cat and mouse with another AG guy for the rest of the ride. Rolled in to T2 feeling good and ready to run.
Time: 45:55, 19.6 ave., 100th OA, 8th AG

(Course was out to mile 7 and back)

T2: "The Final Countdown"
In, out. Fast.

Run: "Disco Duck"
My legs took a long time to adjust to running, but by the end of the first mile, I was feeling good, HR where it should be, and I was passing guys! Often! I was passed by a few AG guys, but that was it. Then, it came! With 1/2 mile left ont he run, I passed this guy who looked like he might have some kick. He was tall, wearing a hot pink headband, blond hair flowing over the top, and rocking a psychadelic tie-dye speedo. My only thought as I ran the last 1/2 mile was to get enough space so that this guy was not in my finish photo (It was a looooong finish chute). Success, and I felt great and had some kick, too.
Time: 22:30, 7:28 ave, fastest 5k after a hard ride EVER!

In summary: This was my best complete race this year. There was nothing I feel I could have done better than I did, and though my final time and AG placing isn't great (1:22:xx, 13/67 AG, 120 OA), I am totally psyched with the race and the result and feel like it was a great final race of the summer for me. Pictures to follow!

Timber-mania

Next up for me is the Timberman sprint on Saturday. I had originally signed up for the half, my first foray into that distance, but then my hernia surgery came along and threw me back abit, and not thinking I could be ready training-wise, I downgraded to the sprint. Still, I am excited for the race, and I hope the weather holds. It should be fun!

Maine State Tri Race Repowt

Given the weather, I woke up unsure if this thing was going to fly at all. But, there was only a mild drizzle as I rolled out of bed at 4:45, so I geared up and hit the road sans coffee by 5 AM. Drive up to Bethel was quiet and uneventful, and I was in the lot across from Gould Academy by 6 for check-in. One of the bizarre traditions of this race is that you have to mark yourself, and after making one backwards 4, the offered to do my other arm (did I mention no coffee?), and then I was all set. Took a quick look at the run start/finish, racked my running stuff in T2, and headed down to the swim start/T1 rack 4 miles away. Got a great rack spot for T1, chilled with the locals, chatted up a Czeck guy who had a sweet Cervelo P3, and then did an easy swim warm-up in the gorgeous Songo Pond (lake). Still no rain, but the area was pretty well saturated. Waiting for the pre-race meeting, bumped into a couple of jokers I sat with last year, and we picked up right where we left off (jokes about banana hammocks, Maine small town charm, and the like). A great diversion before we went in wave one (all men). The race was smaller this year in numbers, but there was some serious club uniforms and bike bling. Bing-bang-book-racetime!

Swim: Decided to take it easy, pace myself, grove in the wetsuit for the 1K swim. Stayed outside on the start, clean water the whole time, easy sighting, good pace, and the water was beautiful in clarity and purity.
Time: 17.41, 31st OA, (17:51 last year- a good start)

T1: Quick exit of the rubber, grabbed the helmet, bike, and zipped out. The only fumble was on the flying mount, when I tried to get my feet in, I pulled out the 2nd straps on both shoes, so I had to fiddle with them to re-insert them as I rode, which was clunky and not smooth- oh well.

Ride: Felt good to start, motored along well. The pavement was fairly dry, and thought there was some road crack from the frost heaves, it wasn't bad. About 2 miles before the turnaround, I saw our car coming from the opposite direction, and there was the family cheering me on! A huge boost as I gave them my best Lance Armstrong 7th tour victory arm pump (no one around to give "the look" to)! At the turnaround, I scarfed down a Powerbar Gel and started pushing it. Got passed by a few guys, a few of the very fast womenfolk, but mostly held my own and cruised in on the hilly 25K course.
Time: 47:11, 28th OA, (last year- 50:49)

T2: Fast in and out, no worries- saw my wife and kids and gave them the high sign as they cheered me out of the chute. Another great lift to have them come and watch...!

Run: Feeling alittle slow as I headed down the hill to the XC course and the 5K run, but I knew last year's run was bad, so I just got my heart rate down and ran. Hit a huge puddle that was knee deep and about 30 yards long, and that was the precursor for the wild run. There was mud. There were rocks. There were uphills with streams of water, and downhills with wet rocks. It was an adventure! But, I maintained good HR and paced myself. By the end, I had been flirting with the red line too long and had no kick and got passed by another guy in my AG, but other than that, I felt good.
Time: 27:24, 67 OA (Last year- 32:18 in good conditions!)

Final: 1:32:11, 26th OA, 6th AG, and almost 10 minutes faster than last years race!

More to come as I mull over the race!

Maine State Weatha!

Even before the race, this has the makings of an epic! Weather has flood warnings for the area, with 1-3 inches of rain, severe thunderstorms tonight giving way to steady showers, and possibility of hail as well! Awesome! When I called to check on the status, I got "Wheyl, those flood wahnins ayh feh up noth an west a' heyah. Th' race should be fiyun...long as its nowat thundrin, we'll race..." Oh, and did I mention the run course is off-road across a brook and on cross country trails? More tomorrow when its ALL OVAH!

NJ State Tri Race Report

I was anticipating this race all week, since last year I had a really good result and had a blast, too. When I rolled out of bed at 4:45, the bedroom was periodically lit up by lightening flashes...not a good sign. I had set everything up in the car last night so that I could literally grab some food, cold water, and hit the road for the 15 minute drive to the parking spot. I grabbed the food and cold water, hit the road, and watched the heavens glow with flashes. After wolfing down a pair of brown sugar cinnemon pop-tarts (the best food ever), I reached over for a swig of water. It was then that I noticed something awry. I pulled back a wet hand, and realized in the darkness that my entire Nalgene of water had spilled all over the passenger seat, both potentially soaking my cell phone, and more importantly, leaving me with no clean water for the race. So, I shook my fist at the gods, spun around, and thankfully hit an open Wawa that was about 500 yards away. Bought some water, and off I went. Got to the parking lot of a child daycare place that is about 1 mile from the lake/race site, and pulled in to park. Met two guys who had the same idea, one of whom I rode in with and then saw again for the rest of the race. I did not catch his name, but he was a really nice guy, had just raced IM CDA and was doing this as a tune-up for IM Pucon. We rode in, got marked, and then went to find our racks. Mine was perfectly placed, three rows from the bike exit/entrance and easy to spot. Chatted up my rack neighbor, a Lutheran minister and super nice guy, and then CB and I headed out to swim practice. Water was warm, rocked some new Tyr goggles that worked well, and I felt good. Before I knew it, the star spangled banner was being sung, and then off we went in wave 2.

The Swim: Have a drink on me!
I used the same strategery I did last year for the race, lining up way to the right and outside of the pack. Front row. Gun went, and off we flew. First strokes were good, got into an immediate rythm, and felt great. Then, about 50 yards from the turn buoy, I approached a breast stroker to my left (breathing side). Just as I was passing him, he saw me and decided to being a rabid crawl at the approximate time I was breathing- now drinking and breathing water. Took about 15-20 seconds to get my breath back, and then I rocked on, passed him and others, and exited clean and relatively fresh.
Time: 9:09, 143/1050- about 10 seconds slower than last year, but thats cool...

Transition: In and out with alacrity. The only flub was on my flying mount when a guy swerved and I lost my footing on one pedal, but I recovered quickly.
Time: 1:32

The Bike: Whammer Jammer
I had decided that I was going to hammer the ride, and I did for the better part, but my HR was hitting close to 180 at points, so I backed off for the final 2 miles. I saw multiple breakdowns and guys on the shoulder, more than I have ever seen in a race before. Passed multiple people, got swallowed by some young guns, but only one AG guys passed me, and we went back and forth the whole ride. Bike felt great.
Time: 30:08, 22.2 Ave, 58/1050

T2: Clean dismount, clean drop-off, and I hit the ground running with good legs for a change.
Time: 1:11

The Run: Time to dance!
As I left T2, my legs felt good, but I kept my pace conservative. By the time I hit the 1 mile mark, I was in a good pace and feeling cool. Put an ice towel behind my neck and that was awesome. Passed CB going the other way in turbo mode. Before I knew it, I was at the turnaround, so I started to push it. Caught the heels of a 50-55 AG guy who rocks and stayed with him for about 1/2 mile, and then let him go and cruised in feeling great. Nothing like the long straight going to a finish with stands on either side! Very cool!
Time: 24:00 flat, 7:45 ave, 165/1050

Total: 1:07:14, 60/1050, 7/54 AG SWWWEEEEETTT

The best part, though, is this: There were 3 guys in my AG in the top 10. And, they aged me up for some reason- If they had me scored as my current age, I would have finished 4th AG. Very pleased with the result, and now I have my sights set on the Maine State next weekend. Hope to show some similar gains there.

Thanks for reading! Pics to come!

Sport Beans

With the NJ State Tri coming up this weekend, I have been training with the thought of tapering later in the week. I did a solid 1000m TT on Monday (19 minutes at a cruise) and then did a 1000yd TT yesterday and clocked a 16:45 with alittle more effort by not pushing too hard. Went for a CRAZY ride with CB on Sunday. 99 degress, high humdity, and we did 30 miles starting at 2 PM. Rode the NJ course easy and then rode home with the (hot) wind. Not taxing in terms of effort, but definitely in terms of hydration. Feel pretty good going in to the weekend.

I think I zeroed in on my bonk at the DQ. I ate a Clif Bar on the ride over, but did not hydrate very much other than half a mug of coffee. I had pre-hydrated the day before, but I think the combination of the super-dry Clif and then having flat coke in the aerobottle and not drinking much water before race did me in. So, this race I am going to continue to hydrate more, and I am going to try a powerbar gel before the race, and then another on the bike. Water only in the bottle. I will test out the gel this week on a brink to see how it feels.

I also dropped some coin on both a USAT lisence (shame on me for not doing it sooner) and also put down the money for the Sport Beans club membership. I like sport beans, and our previous club has died out. There is another one in the area that is starting up, but it is mostly a masters swim group with some tri folks. Once the new pool is in here at Peddie, we will have a monster training facility, so I am hoping that maybe starting a sport beans club in the area might get people more excited. We'll see. Plus, they have great schwag for the price. Also found another pair of shoes on ebay to try out to see if they fit ok. My current Tri R3s are slightly too big and a pain to get on pre-clipped. Got a good deal on a once worn pair of the new Tri Fly2s, so we'll see if they both fit and work in a race.

All quiet on the crazy sister front....meaning bad moon rising!

DQ Tri race report

While I am not as prosaic with my prose as Tigerchik, I will try to do justice to my first race back after surgery this March. This race came up as a surprise when CB suggested it as a "training tune up" before the NJ State race in two weeks. So, wanting to race, liking that it was local, and feeling good about my training, I plopped down the active.com surcharge and signed up.
We woke to the humid haze after a sleepless night for me. Late yesterday, my ex-brother-in-law called to inform me of the recent antics of my sister, who is doing everything in her power to convince everyone around her that she has more than just a substance abuse problem. This was weighing heavily on my mind, since she is no longer talking to my mother or father, and my younger sister is too far removed and has her own baggage to carry around. The again, don't we all. So, when I beat the alarm to the 4:30 wake-up, I was far from refreshed. Still, it promised to be a hot and sunny day, a good day to race, and I was excited to race the new bike with the 404s, the aero lid, and run in my new mizunos.
We stopped off at a local guys house who was also racing with his wife, and they, a friend of theirs who is on their masters swim team, and we carpooled to Vincentown. Stopped at double D to pick up coffee, but CB and I already had some. On the road agian after a long line, and we made it to V-town at about 6. CB and I then drove one loop of the two loop ride course to scout it out. Flat and fast. Perfect. We then parked a ways away from registration, and shuttled our gear over early. Got a great transition spot right at the bike exit/entrance, so we both opted to put shoes on rather than pre-clip. We had to run a total of 10 feet to the mat, so why not! All looked good, until we saw the...ahem...lake.
What best way to describe the swim site? A kids dream fishing spot, perhaps? The good news was that it was short. The bad news was a long list starting with algae, and ending with mud. The shutes and lanes going out and back were narrow, too. We resigned ourselves to another paddle in chocolate milk, and got ourselves ready. 2nd wave, 35-44. Did a quick warm-up swim, and I immediately started to hypervent. The lack of vision was bad. The good news was that after swimming 100 yards in warm up, I settled down, and then I stopped swimming and looked up. There was CB about 100 yards further up, standing. Standing in the swim course. More than halfway through the swim course. Up to his waist. In muddy water. Yes, the deepest the "lake" got was 3 feet. Literally.
So, I line up behind CB and Derek, who runs the masters swim group, knowing that they are both fast and I can catch their feet. 2nd row outside center. Big mistake. Within the first 25 yards, I am cudgelled by everyone from the outside trying to angle in for the first bouy. That would be after about 50 yards. Started hyperventing again, breaststroked, settled in to some clean water, and tried to get a rythm. Finally, after walking around the turn bouy, I got in a rythm, but I couldn't see a blessed thing, so I had to sight on every other stroke. Walked the last 20 yards because it was 2 ft there and totally black, and off I went to transition: Swim time: 6:30 (46th OA)- not a good swim for me.

T1: Got in, too car of business, and got out. Time: 1:13.

Bike: Hit the ground screetching, and rode hard for the first 7 mile loop. Pavement was bouncy going out, but flat and fast, and the pavement was good coming back. Motored by lots of AGers form the wave in front of us, and reeled in some of my AG. Felt great. Bike was crisp and predictable. On the second loop, my plan was to ease up, which I did, but I got caught by the faster legs of the next wave and the disc brigade (at least a few of them). Caught up to Derek and we chatted during the last few miles, then sped on and hit T2 feeling great. Time: 40:07, 22.7 ave, 44th OA.- a solid bike.

T2: Fast: :52.

Run: Crap! The wheels fell off the wagon again on my run. I felt ok for the first mile as my legs adjusted, then I felt like I had no legs anymore. Lungs burned. Got swallowed by anyone with a heartbeat. By the final mile, I resigned to just cruise in as this was a training race anyway. Let a couple of young guys catch me at the line (they were 3 minutes behind me anyway) and tried to smile for the camera. I have to figure out the run recipe, as I tried to use flat coke on the ride, but I was burping and felt sick on the run. Run sucked: Time: 27:03, 8:44 pace (my worst race ever) 90th OA.

Total time: 1:15:10, 51/200, 9/28 AG.

What did I learn: I have to get some better nutrition plan in place before and during races so I have more kick on the run. I do not think I went too hard on the bike, but I was anxious before the race, and I did have some adrenaline on the swim due to getting slammed around, so maybe that did me in. I think I will try some Shot Gel or some SHot Bloks for NJ State. Bottom line: I had fun, raced well on the bike, but I have work to do on my running, though maybe it is only a reflection of nutrition and poor adrenal management. We'll see in two weeks when it is SHOWTIME! (Oh, and CB won AG and got 7th OA- He's an animal- but he was on the US Tri team back in the day) Pics to follow when they are posted!

Tick-tock

My sister was delivered home from her stay at her facility on Monday. She seems to be settling in to her new outlook fairly well, but she knows (and we know) that she has to take it one day at a time. There are a lot of issues laying under the surface there, and time will tell if she can handle them or if they send her spiraling back to the dark place.

I just got back from checking on our place in Maine. House was in good shape, weather was pretty nice, and I was able to do two really nice, hilly rides and a good run and a good swim while there for three days. Rode my touring/training bike, and I am glad I did since the frost heaves did havoc to the roads up there. Lots of monsta pot holes. It was nice to ride, though. Got back and signed up for my first race post surgery next Saturday. So far, I have:
DQ Tri in Vincentown, NJ (July 12th)
NJ State Tri later in July
Maine State Tri on August 3rd
Timberman Sprint on August 17th
A new race in our town in early Septmeber. Not sure of the date or details.

I am excited to get to race, but I am also nervous. Feel good, running well, cycling well, swimming pretty good, so I may as well go for it and see what happens. I will zing a race report after the DQ tri. Later!

The Grey Lady

Just got back from the big island of Nantucket late last night. Had a very good visit with my mom, though she did melt down at one point, but we worked through it. Kids had a blast, skimboarding, bodysurfing, digging in the sand, checking out the grey seals, and living the fantasy island lifestyle. Got in three good runs, two with solid tempo for the last mile. Also, was able to get in a great open water swim at Dionis- good head current going out, waves breaking over me, great workout. I did not bring the bike out because we already had so much crap to haul, but thats ok because I will get a lot of riding in over the next four weeks before race #1. Groin feels great, but I still have solid scars and some numbness. More family fun on the near horizon, so I am sure to post updates to any of you gluttons for schadenfreude.

Catching up

Much to catch up on, to those hallowed few who even read this blog: On the home front, the situation is fairly stable with my extended family, though it is certainly in flux. She is in a facility (pretty nice) that is expensive (understatement) and getting the care she needs, but it will be a long haul. As the point person, I have been all over the place coordinating finances, legal things, and managing family stress. She gets out at the end of the month, so then we will be into a new phase of treatment with a new set of problems and potential pitfalls.

As for me, I just got back from a 10 day cycling tour with 27 students and 6 other faculty. We rode from New Jersey, through Amish Pennsylvania, Gettysburg, down to Harper's Ferry, WV, and on to Washinton, DC. It was very cool, camping every night and having the kids take responsibility for cooking for the group. Many miles in the saddle, many MONSTER climbs on my very heavy touring bike to work the legs. I feel like I am in great biking shape now. Last night, Chris and I were filmed by a running guru, and he broke down everything in our stride and position, much like we did with swimming. Once again, humbling how much I have to work on. I have not swum in a long time, but we head out to Nantucket this weekend, for a visit with my parents, so I plan to bring my wetsuit and get some open water swimming in a few times, a long with some great running. Thats it for now....

The Dark Place

My training, and many other aspects of my life, was thrown off last Friday when I received a phone call about a family member who has possibly hit bottom after a long history of substance abuse. It is a heartwrenching situation because there are kids involved, but ultimately it is for the best for her, them, and the rest of the family. After several days trying to tie up all of the pieces so that she can get the help she needs in a long-term facility, I have not had any consistent training, so hopefully life will stabilize for me and my family this week and I can get back to taking care of my wife and kids (and get back to the training!). It amazes me that there are so many public rehab facilities, but they are held in such low regard, and that there are so many private ones that do not accept insurance but are supposedly the best. It really puts tension in an already difficult situation. It is no wonder so many addicts do not recover easily. Anyway, more to come as this situation unfolds.

She's gonna BLOW!

At least, thats what it felt like as I swam a set of 10 x 50s with my stroke cadence metronome in my cap. Of course, it also felt like my lungs were going to explode as well. Still, in many ways it makes sense to use this device, since it is like interval running or cycling. I did the 50s with 20 seconds rest for the first 5, but then I had to up to 30 seconds rest for the next 5. Greg had originally said to do 25s with 30 rest, but I thought that was too short and too long a rest. I may go back to his rec, though. Its all about muscle memory and increasing fitness at speed. I was swimming my 50s at about a 1:20 pace (40 secs each). I then did a 500 that was torture, but by the last 100 I was feeling better. In the parlance of "racing your strenth and training your weakness" I am going to race my swim and bike and survive my runs by building volume. We do have a run coach who has offered to work with Chris and me on position and cadence, so I will likely do that too. Chris and I did a 20 mile ride yesterday, and I definitely need to work on bike fitness...

Tale of the tape

So, I finally was able to get taped in the pool on Friday with Chris. Greg took the tape after two 25 yd passes, and then converted it on his computer/software. What an amazing program! It was very cool to see my stroke broken down, and the harsh reality of what I am doing wrong with my position/catch etc. The big issue he saw with my stroke was in my catch (too vertical) and my stroke rate (too slow). For the next few weeks I am going to swim with a metronome that you wear in your swimcap that beeps out a cadence. I also plan to work with some special arm paddles that reinforce proper elbow height through the catch phase. Other than that, Greg said my stroke looked good, with the exception of my hip rotation being too slow and not leading my stroke but following it. Lots to work on! Still, so many triathletes are bad swimmers that even at my very humble level, I was ranking in the top 5 AG in most races, and I know I can go a lot faster! Thats it for now...

Spinning...

Went for a short ride this weekend to see how my neck would feel after the last ride. Put on the Zipps to test them out as well. Bike rode well, lots of headwind going out, but I motored coming back. My average was low (17 mph) but I think something might be wrong with my computer because I reset the tire size and I may have messed that up. I did not feel any neck issues, so I posted my position on ST and got some good advice (and only a few flames). Put the longer stem back on to get more stretched out, and raised the seal alittle because it was on the low side for comfort. I am looking forward to coaching being over so I will have more time to ride. I can sneak in runs and swims, but riding takes so much longer and I just don't have those windows when I am going full tilt teaching/coaching. The Zipps rode well, but I noticed a lot of chain skip. They have a DA 9 speed cassette on the rear, and I run almost the identical cassette on my Ksyriums, so that should not have been the problem. When I got back home, I noticed the cassette was loose. Not sure why, but I will try to tighten the locknut to see (hope) if that helps tighten things up. The wheels have Tufo tubie/clinchers (giro twix), and I am too lazy to swap them out- but I am skeptical of their traction at the moment. We'll see. Can't wait to ride more!

Plan this week is to do some video finally with our swim coach so he can adjust my stroke/position and give me some drills to work on to break out of the 1:35 rut I am in. Mostly, I think fitness will be the main thing to develop, but if I can hold a better position and get more efficiency from my stroke, that will be great. Weather sucks at the moment.

Another day...

Banged out a few days of running lately, then the weather turned nice, so I was able to catch a 25 miler this weekend. Rode out with a group of rec riders who meandered at an easy 16 mph, then at the turnaround, I hammered 20 mph in the aero position for about 10 miles. I built up my new frame, a fuji aloha, this winter, so this was the first time I really rode hard in the aero position on the road. Sort of a shakedown cruise. Everything went fine, felt great afterwards, aside from a sore neck and upper back from my low front end. Because I plan to only do sprints this summer as I build back up, I should be able to hold the position for 40-45 minutes no problem. This morning I did my usual Monday TT, and I held a solid 1:35 for the full distance without finishing too winded and with negative spliting the last 200. Soreness is almost totally gone, though I do still have the healing ridges, and I do have loss of sensation above my "junk."
Looking forward to more work this week as we get closer to the summer!

It's On like Donkey Kong

After the whirlwind week, the dust is slightly settled, but other storms are on the horizon. Last night, I pulled the trigger and signed up for the NJ State Triathlon, sprint version (short and sweet) with tri-buddy Chris Bright. I have been swimming and running more lately, and I do think I can get my fitness up so that I can be competitive (top 10 AG is my goal- last year I was 9th). My swimming is going better, and I hope to get filmed and analyzed this week to figure out how to streamline my stroke. Bought a pair of Fastwitch 2s on ebay, but they got stolen out of the guys car before he could mail them and I am still waiting for the refund- hope I am not getting hosed but fear I am. Lots of games this week- Just beat a team 9-0 (they were not good) yesterday, and we have three more before the end of the weekend. Hope to get out for a short run this afternoon before practice, and then a drill set tomorrow AM in the pool. Thats it for now-

The Little Things

This will be my last blog for awhile as we have a crazy week this week: I have two away games, my son's birthday is today, I have duty tonight and Wed (after both away games), my son is playing trumpet at the Trenton Thunder game on Thursday, my inlaws will be in town, my wife will be out of town for a few days at a memorial service up in Maine, and there is more but it is tiring even writing it down.

So, the little things: Did a nice ride yesterday, and though I went too hard on the way back, and I was sore last night, today I feel good, so that is great news. Did a 500yd tt in the pool this morning to break things up, and I finished at 8.30. Nothing special and I did not sprint the last 200 yds. But, then I had one of the coaches watch my rotation (which I have been working on) and she noticed I was dropping my head too far back when breathing (a tri habit to get clear air, no doubt). When I adjusted my head so that it rotated on its axis, my times went down, my stroke got cleaner, and my kick improved. Something to remember on Wednesday when I do my next session.

More to follow early next week...

Springing along

After having such a good day on Wednesday with my swim, I decided to roll the dice and do a 2 miler on Thursday. This decision came about 200yds into the run, when I said "f -it." Took it easy, about a 10 m/m pace. Felt good the whole way. It helped that it was 70 degrees and sunny, and I was rocking to the ipod. Last night, popped some ibuprofin and slept well. This morning, I woke up with trepidation, remembering the last time I tried 2 miles (thinking of Clubber Lang, "I predict Pain."), but when I rolled out of bed, I felt good. Did another short swim this morning, focusing on drills. The main one I did was 100 yds with feet bound to check on buoyancy and balance. My legs sank, but I knew that going in. I plan to try this each day to see if it helps my hydrodynamics- got it from Slowman on ST in one of his posts. So, the long and the short is that if I have a good bike ride this weekend, I will really feel like I can do all three disciplines in training. A good few days! We'll see how Sunday's ride goes, an easy 20 miler on the touring rig...

Sunny, high in the 60s...

After my pilgramage north, where the snowbank in front of our house was so high I needed a neighbor with a backhoe to dig out to the front door and create a path to our propane tank, the NJ spring seems to really have hit. Did an easy 1 mile jog yesterday to test out the legs and make sure I could run pain-free. That worked out well. Did an easy 500 yd swim working on reach today, and still feel great. I finally feel like I can start to train, but I will take it slow and build. CB mentioned possibly signing up for the NJ State Tri in late July, and I am now considering it as a possible first race. Easy swim, short flat bike, shaded run, great crowd, decent shwag. More as the workouts continue...

Headin north!

Tomorrow I am heading north to check on our place up in Maine. Pretty excited since I haven't been up since we went up for Christmas. There are some good outlets up there, a Pearl Izumi and an LG, and they always have good cycling/tri stuff to check out. Still getting random pain at incision sites, nothing major, but frustrating since I want to get back to training but sense that my body is telling me to relax and take it slow. I am listening!

Three random events

On duty on study hall tonight, so I have the luxury of reflecting on the past few days. First random thought was our class adventure to rainy Philly on Sunday. Everyone had a fine time, some terrific reflections were posted on my class blog (http://peddielitoftravel.blogspot.com/), and Jackie took a few photos on the bus ride back for posterity.

Item the second is my excellent swim today, where I did a random 1000yd workout, working on pulling with finger sculls, balance with pull buoy, and flip turns. I still feel some mild pulling in the groin area- not sure if this is usual.

The third excellent item is our first win of the season, a thrilling, sloppy, hard fought 3-1 win over Hun, a school we generally lose to. We were down four players due to illness and injury, so with only 5 subs, and 2 starters out, we rallied and the kids played well.

Off to Maine on Friday, but I will likely post before then.

Working out the kinks

Went down to the pool on Friday ready to work my stroke and get reacclamated to the water, but the pool was still closed for spring break. Decided to go for a run instead. Did a very slow 2 miler, but it felt great to be out and moving pain free. It was the most comfortable I have felt running since November. On Saturday, I felt it, though, as I can't remember being that sore from exercise. Today I take my class to Philly for a fieldtrip/adventure. The walking will be good for the body!

Green Light! Deploy!

After a long three week wait, got in to see my surgeon today, and he check out his handiwork. He filled me in on the swelling, numbness, and other assundries, and then he said I could get back to the routine. Tomorrow, I hit the water for my first swim, and I plan on an easy 500 yds to work out the kinks. My goal is to start running on Monday and build base miles, swim miles. Not sure how the bike will feel, but I will be getting on the road soon as well.

Family photos

This is one of the whole family on Sabbatus Mtn, near our house in Maine.

A few shots of the kids doing what they do:

This one is my daughter Phoebe, playing defense.

More to follow

Post Surgery Update

Inspired by fellow triathletes Chris Bright and ST-er Rocketshoes, I am on the mend after open bilateral inguinal hernia surgery. This coming Thursday marks my 4 week appointment with my surgeon, and hopefully I will get the green light to begin training again. I plan to periodically update the blog with thoughts, pictures, musings, updates on fitness, and other such assundries.
So, here is the backstory: I have noticed general groin discomfort for the past few years, usually only when I am kicking left footed when playing soccer, which I coach. Also noticed that I could not cut as hard as usual when playing lacrosse, which I also coach. Long story short, this past November I was playing indoor soccer with my players (high school JV) and noticed this growing pain in my left groin. I kept playing, which in hindsight was maybe a good thing, but then again maybe not, and left a significant "pop" in the groin when sending a left footed cross. Pain was evident, stopped playing, went home, iced, etc. Within a few days, I could barely walk, lower ab was very sore, and I knew I did something bad, but I figured it was a groin or ab tear and I rested it. By early December, still couldn't run, do a sit up, and went to the doc. No hernia, but she noticed swelling on both sides. Rested more. Started running again on January 1st, though it was painful and short. Gradually built up distance and speed, but the pain was always there on the left side. The right side, though was swelling and would not go down. Mid Feb, I went back to the doc for the swelling. Sure enough, he diagnosed inguinal hernia on the right, but not on the left where there was pain.
Not wanting to prolong the pain, and wanting to heal before tri season, I went to a surgeon who said I had inguinals on both sides and scheduled me right away for the open mesh surgery.
I was on spring break from school, so I could recover without hastle during vacation. The day before surgery, the surgeon's office called to say that when I had my pre-admission testing at the hospital (Mercer in Trenton, which is pretty good), the anesthesiologist flagged by EKG as abnormal. Now I had to get cleared by a cardiologist to have the surgery. But first, I had to find one at 1:30 on a Thursday who could see me that afternoon. No small task in an HMO. Luckily, I did, and the doc looked at my EKG, asked a few questions, said nothing is absolute and OKed me for the surgery.
Surgery morning, I get there for my 11:30 surgery at 9:00. They hook me up, get me ready, and I am sitting there watching 80s sitcoms with my wife when, at 11:30, the anesthesiologist comes in and says she still isn't 100% about my EKG. She has them do another, which is the same as the pre-test, and then we have to contact my primary and have him fax over one I had done last year during a routine physical. All are the same, with some inverted t-waves. So, she clears me and in I go at 1:30, significantly later than I was supposed to, and having not eaten or drinken anything since 9 the previous night.
I had to go in under general anesthesia, which I was abit nervous about, but I came out fine. Immediately post-op, they gave me something to drink, and when i finally had my wits about me, I was taken back to waiting with my wife. Then, given all of the numbness and the lack of food or drink, I had to urinate but couldn't. They finally catherized me, and the pain/pleasure was a unique experience.
Once home, I had to urinate every hour for the next day, but that finally settled down. After the first 24 hours and the first BM, I got off the Oxycodone and just took extra strength advil. The pain meds didn't really help me at all anyway. I have intentionally not exercized, other than short jogs and throwing the lacrosse ball at practice, dog walking, and the constant movement that being the father of 3 requires. My four week appointment with the surgeon is on Thursday, and if he gives me the go ahead, I plan to ease back into training: On the horizon is Timberman, which I opted to move down to the sprint from the half once I found out about my situation. No way I would have been ready for a half, even in August. More to come later!