So I finally decided to sign up for the Heatwave, an Olympic distance (almost) triathlon back home. I'm flying back home to help my family move to COS with me. I timed the trip to be after wife and son finished school and also to attend this race. I wasn't sure if I would do the race or just watch and visit, but last Friday I signed up. So I'm in.
I'm really not in shape to do this race. I took off 4 weeks after IMAZ in April and just started back training last week after a nasty sinus infection. This will give me about 3 weeks of training before the race. Training for endurance (IM) versus speed (Oly) is totally different. I have not trained for speed in quite a while. Did this race in 2:56 in 2006 and 2:42 last year. I would like to come in under 2:40, but I don't know if I will or not. It all depends on how well I bike, or not. The bike is my worst event of the 3. I'll swim ok. That is usually a given. So I have to make up time on the bike and run, which are 85% of the race.
At least I know the course pretty well. I have biked and run that course for training dozens of times. Hopefully, I will get in a little training between now and then, yet rest up enough before the race to have something left to give.
It will be fun seeing many friends that I have not seen in a while. Maybe my adrenaline will kick in somewhere along the way so I don't do too poorly. Hope to see you there!
Monday, May 19, 2008
IMAZ II - 27 weeks
Totals for week: Swim 2000, Bike 36m, run 18m, about 6 hours.
After moving to Colorado Springs, CO (COS), taking off a few weeks after IMAZ April, getting over a nasty sinus infection, I have finally started training. I did ok for my first week back. My strength and stamina are not fully back yet. I joined the YMCA so I would have a place to swim. There is a nice run path near where I am staying, which makes it easy to run after work. But I still don't know my way around very well as it pertains to bike routes. There are several good routes posted on some website links. I'll just have to "go explore" as one guy put it until I get comfortable with the area. I don't mind just heading out there somewhere. But I am more concerned about finding water holes for long rides. And traffic in town is an issue. This will take some planning and experience. May have to buy a camel back.
Mon: swam for first time in just over 4 weeks from IMAZ April. Swam well and easy. The pool is pretty busy here. Lots of kids splashing around. Two people eventually got in my lane. No big deal. But one of them was a large, slow man that swam down the middle of the lane. So I had to zig zag my way around him a few times until he finally left. Stopped at 2000 yards. Swam 2:10/100 pace. Not bad for my first time back. Will build from here.
Wed: Rode my bike through the Air Force Academy. It's awe inspiring to know that I am riding through the area where we train our men/women for military duty. The ride is beautiful and quite hilly. I started out going about 32 mph with little effort. Avg'd 29 mph for the first 4m. When I turned, I realized that I had been carried by a big tailwind that was now a big cross wind. Struggled up the long, long hill to the top. Then coasted fast down the backside. It was getting cold, so I stopped at one loop, 12m, and went home.
Thurs: Good tempo run. Ran 6m at 9:28/m pace, which is good for me. Found a good rhythym and stayed with it. Didn't do any intervals. Finished strong and felt good after.
Sat: Did a tough 24m bike with 3 people. 3 is really generous because two of them dropped me in a few minutes. We started east up hill with a strong cross wind. Then turned north into the teeth of a headwind up another long, long hill. Are there any flats out here? Not many. After one hour, I had gone all of 11m and was beat. At least we turned west and went down hill some. Finally, we turned south toward home with a nice tail wind. Was in mid 30's with little effort. So I pushed it some and maxed at 40 mph! Whooo Yooo! Was toast afterward. Went home and slept. Averaged 14.4 mph for the ride. Not good.
Sun: Ran 8m. Thought that after running so well Thurs night that this would be a piece of cake. In fact, I was only going to run 6m, but changed it to 8m. Was ok through 5m, then started to struggle. Stayed with it until 6m, then slowed down the final 2m just to finish. Finished at 10:15/m pace. Not great, but a start.
Did one round of strength work this week. Will try to get in habit of doing 2 rounds per week. Everything is coming together pretty well. I just don't have a good weekday route for 2 rides of 25m or so. Really need to get outside the city to ride. Lots of traffic in the city. But it takes a while to get outside. Will have to work on that. There are several posted rides throughout the week and weekend. But after doing so poorly Sat, I will pass on the group rides and go it alone for awhile until I can keep up better.
After moving to Colorado Springs, CO (COS), taking off a few weeks after IMAZ April, getting over a nasty sinus infection, I have finally started training. I did ok for my first week back. My strength and stamina are not fully back yet. I joined the YMCA so I would have a place to swim. There is a nice run path near where I am staying, which makes it easy to run after work. But I still don't know my way around very well as it pertains to bike routes. There are several good routes posted on some website links. I'll just have to "go explore" as one guy put it until I get comfortable with the area. I don't mind just heading out there somewhere. But I am more concerned about finding water holes for long rides. And traffic in town is an issue. This will take some planning and experience. May have to buy a camel back.
Mon: swam for first time in just over 4 weeks from IMAZ April. Swam well and easy. The pool is pretty busy here. Lots of kids splashing around. Two people eventually got in my lane. No big deal. But one of them was a large, slow man that swam down the middle of the lane. So I had to zig zag my way around him a few times until he finally left. Stopped at 2000 yards. Swam 2:10/100 pace. Not bad for my first time back. Will build from here.
Wed: Rode my bike through the Air Force Academy. It's awe inspiring to know that I am riding through the area where we train our men/women for military duty. The ride is beautiful and quite hilly. I started out going about 32 mph with little effort. Avg'd 29 mph for the first 4m. When I turned, I realized that I had been carried by a big tailwind that was now a big cross wind. Struggled up the long, long hill to the top. Then coasted fast down the backside. It was getting cold, so I stopped at one loop, 12m, and went home.
Thurs: Good tempo run. Ran 6m at 9:28/m pace, which is good for me. Found a good rhythym and stayed with it. Didn't do any intervals. Finished strong and felt good after.
Sat: Did a tough 24m bike with 3 people. 3 is really generous because two of them dropped me in a few minutes. We started east up hill with a strong cross wind. Then turned north into the teeth of a headwind up another long, long hill. Are there any flats out here? Not many. After one hour, I had gone all of 11m and was beat. At least we turned west and went down hill some. Finally, we turned south toward home with a nice tail wind. Was in mid 30's with little effort. So I pushed it some and maxed at 40 mph! Whooo Yooo! Was toast afterward. Went home and slept. Averaged 14.4 mph for the ride. Not good.
Sun: Ran 8m. Thought that after running so well Thurs night that this would be a piece of cake. In fact, I was only going to run 6m, but changed it to 8m. Was ok through 5m, then started to struggle. Stayed with it until 6m, then slowed down the final 2m just to finish. Finished at 10:15/m pace. Not great, but a start.
Did one round of strength work this week. Will try to get in habit of doing 2 rounds per week. Everything is coming together pretty well. I just don't have a good weekday route for 2 rides of 25m or so. Really need to get outside the city to ride. Lots of traffic in the city. But it takes a while to get outside. Will have to work on that. There are several posted rides throughout the week and weekend. But after doing so poorly Sat, I will pass on the group rides and go it alone for awhile until I can keep up better.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Moved to Colorado Springs, CO
Haven't posted in a while. Been extremely busy moving, working, and not training.
Accepted a job in Colorado Springs (COS), CO the week before IMAZ. So Monday after the race, I flew back home. Tues, I finished up things with my former employer. Wed, I packed my car with as much stuff as I could and drove to COS. Took two days to get there. Arrived in COS on Thurs night. Fri, spent one day in the office. Sat, flew to San Antonio, TX and then drove to Mexican border for a mgmt meeting at the ranch of our CEO. Tues, flew back and finally got in the office for good on Wed. Whew!!!
So I have been in COS since 4/23 now, about 3 weeks. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! The Rocky Mtns in the background are gorgeous! They look like a post card or something! Can't wait to do some hiking or biking up there.
I finally found a house on Sat, so I know where we will be living once the owners move out. I should be in there by end of May.
Last week, I came down with a nasty sinus infection. I have had well over 100+ of these over the last 20 years and this was a doozy! Knocked me for a loop. I was planning to ride long on a Sat, but woke up feeling terrible. By Sunday am, I was feeling worse. So I fumbled through the yellow pages hoping to find a doctor on Sun am that would see me. Fortunately, I found a clinic opening at 9:00. I was there by 9:15 to get some meds. He gave me 3 weeks worth because it was so bad. One week down, two to go!
One week later and I am feeling much better, but still not fully well. I will attempt to start training again tonight with a swim of 2500 yds and some strength work. Hopefully, this will be the start of getting back into training mode. I feel like I lost all of my fitness and will have to completely start over from scratch.
I only have 3 weeks to train before the Heatwave Triathlon back home on June 7. I'm flying back home that week to help my family move up to COS. While I am there, I plan to do the Heatwave unless my sinuses prevent my training. If I don't do it, I'll at least attend the tri to see friends and cheer for them. It will be good to see some old friends, both from my tri group and at my church.
Accepted a job in Colorado Springs (COS), CO the week before IMAZ. So Monday after the race, I flew back home. Tues, I finished up things with my former employer. Wed, I packed my car with as much stuff as I could and drove to COS. Took two days to get there. Arrived in COS on Thurs night. Fri, spent one day in the office. Sat, flew to San Antonio, TX and then drove to Mexican border for a mgmt meeting at the ranch of our CEO. Tues, flew back and finally got in the office for good on Wed. Whew!!!
So I have been in COS since 4/23 now, about 3 weeks. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! The Rocky Mtns in the background are gorgeous! They look like a post card or something! Can't wait to do some hiking or biking up there.
I finally found a house on Sat, so I know where we will be living once the owners move out. I should be in there by end of May.
Last week, I came down with a nasty sinus infection. I have had well over 100+ of these over the last 20 years and this was a doozy! Knocked me for a loop. I was planning to ride long on a Sat, but woke up feeling terrible. By Sunday am, I was feeling worse. So I fumbled through the yellow pages hoping to find a doctor on Sun am that would see me. Fortunately, I found a clinic opening at 9:00. I was there by 9:15 to get some meds. He gave me 3 weeks worth because it was so bad. One week down, two to go!
One week later and I am feeling much better, but still not fully well. I will attempt to start training again tonight with a swim of 2500 yds and some strength work. Hopefully, this will be the start of getting back into training mode. I feel like I lost all of my fitness and will have to completely start over from scratch.
I only have 3 weeks to train before the Heatwave Triathlon back home on June 7. I'm flying back home that week to help my family move up to COS. While I am there, I plan to do the Heatwave unless my sinuses prevent my training. If I don't do it, I'll at least attend the tri to see friends and cheer for them. It will be good to see some old friends, both from my tri group and at my church.
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