Well, it took two weeks after getting sick and racing in Boise to finally start to feel better...at least my asthma that is. I had a decent training week including a couple swim sessions, a couple good runs, and nice solid 80 mile bike ride yesterday. I finally started running again on Wednesday. I'll tell you what, I still had problems with my airway. It was not happy for me to be running again. It was slightly better the next day on my run. Today I did 8 with Meg and I could tell it was much better, but still not close to 100%. That being said I had a great ride on Saturday including a two loop time trial type effort around Hagg Lake as I Will be racing their in two weeks. I felt very solid on my bike.
So this next week will be about getting back to some quality volume, but making sure I don't aggravate the airway anymore and continue to let it recover. I will be backing down on the interval sessions during the week unless my asthma is completely ok. All in all, I think I'm on the right track. I need to be smart about my build to IMC or I will probably end up sick...again. So I might be incorporating a little bit more rest than I normally would in one of these big builds. We'll see. I promised myself I would listen to my body this year and I didn't prior to Boise. And guess what happened? Yeah, no wonder Yates. Oh well, lesson learned...again!
Next week marks Meg's first half marathon! I'm going to be pacing her. Should be a ton of fun! Thanks for taking the time to read,
-T
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Second Season
I spent the past week reflecting on the past 5 months of training and my race at Boise. I had scheduled to take 4 days off after Boise and re charge the battery before getting in a little of training this past weekend. I went out for a run Thursday night and made it 10 minutes before I had to walk due to my asthma. I jogged, yes literally jogged, home. I haven't worked out since. I gave my body a full week to recover. The incident Thursday night, 5 days post race, illustrated to me how bad my airway really was in Boise. I mean I hadn't done ANYTHING since Saturday night and I still couldn't jog without my airway completely shutting down.
So tomorrow I will try and get back at it. The remainder of my season is focused on Ironman Canada at the end of August. The first half of the season was to build a solid base so I can absorb some solid training blocks the next 6 weeks. After my race in Boise, I debated jumping into Pacific Crest Half Ironman this weekend as I feel like my performance last weekend was not an accurate depiction of my fitness level or ability. Then I had the incident Thursday and realized that I needed more time to recover and racing so soon would only set me back further. So instead, I'm excited to get back into some solid training. I will have 3 tough weeks that each will culminate with an Olympic Distance race (Hagg and Blue Lake respectively). I will then start to enter into a low and slow taper to get the body and mind right for Canada.
It's been an interesting season so far. I felt like my run was right on pace early season and once again was ready come Boise. I thought my bike was where it needs to be and I'm happy with how my swim has developed despite limited availability to swim most of the spring. All that being said, I don't have a race on the board yet that I'm happy with this year and that is frustrating. I'm proud of how I've fought through some races, but not happy with any of the outcomes really. That is what I love about this sport though. It's about more than the finish time. It's about the experiences you have getting to the start and the finish line. The moments you have in training and racing that you just can't describe to others that haven't gone through similar experiences. At the end of the day, I am just happy to be healthy! I wrote that before Boise I would be content knowing that I had given everything I had out there. As I sat in the ambulance getting O2 pumped in, I knew I had.
Thank you for all the kind remarks that I have received from you all in this blog and elsewhere. I keep this running tale of my experiences because I think it is fun and hopefully will help one of you out. Yet, I'll be honest, there are times when I drag my butt out of bed because I know you all would want me to! Thanks for reading everyone,
-T
So tomorrow I will try and get back at it. The remainder of my season is focused on Ironman Canada at the end of August. The first half of the season was to build a solid base so I can absorb some solid training blocks the next 6 weeks. After my race in Boise, I debated jumping into Pacific Crest Half Ironman this weekend as I feel like my performance last weekend was not an accurate depiction of my fitness level or ability. Then I had the incident Thursday and realized that I needed more time to recover and racing so soon would only set me back further. So instead, I'm excited to get back into some solid training. I will have 3 tough weeks that each will culminate with an Olympic Distance race (Hagg and Blue Lake respectively). I will then start to enter into a low and slow taper to get the body and mind right for Canada.
It's been an interesting season so far. I felt like my run was right on pace early season and once again was ready come Boise. I thought my bike was where it needs to be and I'm happy with how my swim has developed despite limited availability to swim most of the spring. All that being said, I don't have a race on the board yet that I'm happy with this year and that is frustrating. I'm proud of how I've fought through some races, but not happy with any of the outcomes really. That is what I love about this sport though. It's about more than the finish time. It's about the experiences you have getting to the start and the finish line. The moments you have in training and racing that you just can't describe to others that haven't gone through similar experiences. At the end of the day, I am just happy to be healthy! I wrote that before Boise I would be content knowing that I had given everything I had out there. As I sat in the ambulance getting O2 pumped in, I knew I had.
Thank you for all the kind remarks that I have received from you all in this blog and elsewhere. I keep this running tale of my experiences because I think it is fun and hopefully will help one of you out. Yet, I'll be honest, there are times when I drag my butt out of bed because I know you all would want me to! Thanks for reading everyone,
-T
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Boise 70.3
"Trevor, what is your address?" I signed my address (with my hands). "Trevor, are you starting to feel better?" I looked at Michael, the paramedic treating me in the ambulance and nodded yes. I was starting to feel better, basically, I was able to breath a little bit. The neubilizer treatment of Duoneb had helped. Moments earlier I hadn't been able to breath too well. And when I say well, I mean it was tough to talk. Flashback to 15 minutes earlier right after I crossed the finish line at Boise 70.3, around 40 minutes later than I had anticipated. I looked at my Dad and said, "I will never do that again!" We both knew I was talking about racing while sick, not racing half Ironman. Hell I love this stuff. Back to the sick part...I contracted another sinus infection Monday of this past week. My Doc put me on antibiotics on Tuesday. My final dose was race morning. For those of you that don't follow my blog or know me too well, I'm a chronic asthmatic. I'm on daily inhaled steroids, albuterol, nasal spray, and everything else I can get my hands on!! So every time I get sick, could be the common cold or as severe as a sinus infection, my airway becomes inflamed.
Enough about post race, let's talk about the race. Here is how it developed age group position listed in parenthesis:
Pre Race:
I woke up feeling pretty good. I had managed to sleep 10 hours. Which actually kind of worried me. I was thinking, is my body telling me it isn't over this sinus infection and needs more rest? Well, I knew the answer to that. I was still sick. Oh well. Boise is a 2pm start which is unique for our sport. I dropped my run bag off at T2 in downtown and then we (Meg and my parents) headed out to Lucky Peak Reservoir. FYI, if you are doing this race and drive out to the reservoir, be prepared for a 10-15 minute hike uphill from the parking area to the reservoir on dirt road that you will want to carry your bike up.
Swim: 27:54 (4th)
My goal in the swim was to relax and not push hard. I was under strict orders to take it out easy for the swim and first part of the bike to not stress my airway. Boise does wave starts so we had to sit on the sweltering ashpalt as we waited for the pro waves to start. Then women 50-59 and men 40-49 or vice versa, can't remember. All I remember is I was sweating like a pig in my wetsuit and couldn't wait to hit the 60 degree water. BTW, the water was colder than 60. Not by much, but it wasn't quite 60. Anyways, I warmed up for a few minutes and was ready to go. My friend Evan immediately took off. We used to swim together in high school and I knew he was in better swim shape than I was. To follow him would have been suicide as he split a 25!! Nice job Evan. I finished the swim feeling strong and in control of my race. I ran up, got my wet suit stripped, and hopped on my bike.
Bike: 2:49 (Top 20, doesn't list it yet on results)
I was running a disc for this race which proved to be a terrible idea. We had woken up to no wind so I went with my disc. By the time we started the race the wind was blowing hard. Right after leaving transition there is a pretty significant downhill portion before turning left and climbing. I was getting blown all over with my disc heading down that descent. It was rather frightening. I sat up and let two people go past me. We made the turn left and started to climb. I quickly passed those two people and was told by a spectator that I was the 8th amateur to come by at that point. I was feeling ok, but was starting to get concerned about this wind.
The next 15 miles were a mix of rolling hills with one decent climb and descent as we headed out to 10 mile creek for our turnaround. The wind was, honest to god, sustained at 25 to 30mph. It was nuts. It was a cross or head for almost the entire way to the turn around. I had to ride a fairly significant portion of the first half in my drops instead of the aero position just to control my bike. I was honestly concerned about flipping my bike. Apparently I wasn't crazy, my folks actually saw someone flip on his disc. It was freaking brutal out there. The real problem for me?? I went into this race thinking I was going to split a 2:25 on the bike. With all this extra stress just controlling my damn bike I was wasting energy and I was aggravating my airway. I couldn't keep my heart rate down because even the flats and descents I was struggling to keep my bike steady.
The turnaround came and I knew I was still in decent position. Problem was I had exhausted too much energy fighting the wind. I really struggled on the way home. After you make it back to the reservoir you ride on a jogging path for a little while to get onto camp creek road to head back to Boise. Once I turned onto camp creek road I was riding into a straight headwind. Again, sustained at probably 20mph. It was demoralizing. As I pedaled into town I could tell my airway was shot. I was really struggling. Not from an energy standpoint, but from an asthma and motivational standpoint. I knew I wasn't going to be able to race the run because of the state of my airway.
Run: 1:57:21 (18th)
The run was miserable. In all honesty, I spent a few minutes on the bike towards the end of the ride debating whether to continue. I knew it was going to be a death march. But then I thought, well, give it a try and if it is terrible and the airway won't allow me to run, then I will just drop out. The run is a two loop affair around the Boise river just a few blocks from Downtown Boise. It was a great run course. Spectators throughout which is always helpful!! On the first lap, the women's leader, Julie Dibens, came up next to me. She was on her second lap. I could tell she was really struggling. Shortly after catching up to me she started walking. I shouted some words of encouragement at her. Not sure if they made any difference, but she did go on to win :)
I was unable to run. I had to basically jog. I found if I elevated my heart rate above about 155, I couldn't sustain it from an asthma standpoint. I was starting to get concerned, but thought back to my half marathon in Eugene and realized if I just settled into a pace that wasn't too taxing, my airway would allow me to continue. Ultimately, this is what I did. I saw Meg and my parents at the half way mark and just gave them a sarcastic type smile and a shrug of the shoulders. The second lap was a little better. I started to sustain a pace of about 8:15 or so and pass some people. I made the final turn towards the finish chute and checked behind me. As I entered the long finish chute in downtown Boise there was nobody behind me. I looked up at the clock and realized I was about 40 minutes below my expectation of a sub 4:40.
Overall: 151st overall (out of 1400 or so) and 18th in my age group.
I will be the first to admit, I was rather disappointed with my race performance. I came here to make top 5 in my age group, not top 20. I was ready and fit enough to go sub 4:40 on Saturday, but I just couldn't do it with the asthma, sinus infection and outside elements (wind, etc). I will take away a lot from this race and live to fit another day! My main race this season is yet to come...Ironman Canada in August. My doc and I have a solid plan to try and avoid illness for this race. I want to thank all of those that continue to support me in this crazy sport, mostly my fiance and family. You guys are the best!! Below are some pictures from the race. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading,
-T
Warming up
And we are off!
One of my favorite pros, Chris Lieto getting out of the water.
4th out of the water!!
Damn, that bike is hot!!
Lieto and Crowie heading out on the run. Lieto would pull out a few miles later with an abductor issue.
First lap, hurting at this point!
Man that sucked. We started 13 min late, so finish time was 5:21. Way off of goal.
Lasted long enough to take a picture with Evan, then off to the ambulance.
Enough about post race, let's talk about the race. Here is how it developed age group position listed in parenthesis:
Pre Race:
I woke up feeling pretty good. I had managed to sleep 10 hours. Which actually kind of worried me. I was thinking, is my body telling me it isn't over this sinus infection and needs more rest? Well, I knew the answer to that. I was still sick. Oh well. Boise is a 2pm start which is unique for our sport. I dropped my run bag off at T2 in downtown and then we (Meg and my parents) headed out to Lucky Peak Reservoir. FYI, if you are doing this race and drive out to the reservoir, be prepared for a 10-15 minute hike uphill from the parking area to the reservoir on dirt road that you will want to carry your bike up.
Swim: 27:54 (4th)
My goal in the swim was to relax and not push hard. I was under strict orders to take it out easy for the swim and first part of the bike to not stress my airway. Boise does wave starts so we had to sit on the sweltering ashpalt as we waited for the pro waves to start. Then women 50-59 and men 40-49 or vice versa, can't remember. All I remember is I was sweating like a pig in my wetsuit and couldn't wait to hit the 60 degree water. BTW, the water was colder than 60. Not by much, but it wasn't quite 60. Anyways, I warmed up for a few minutes and was ready to go. My friend Evan immediately took off. We used to swim together in high school and I knew he was in better swim shape than I was. To follow him would have been suicide as he split a 25!! Nice job Evan. I finished the swim feeling strong and in control of my race. I ran up, got my wet suit stripped, and hopped on my bike.
Bike: 2:49 (Top 20, doesn't list it yet on results)
I was running a disc for this race which proved to be a terrible idea. We had woken up to no wind so I went with my disc. By the time we started the race the wind was blowing hard. Right after leaving transition there is a pretty significant downhill portion before turning left and climbing. I was getting blown all over with my disc heading down that descent. It was rather frightening. I sat up and let two people go past me. We made the turn left and started to climb. I quickly passed those two people and was told by a spectator that I was the 8th amateur to come by at that point. I was feeling ok, but was starting to get concerned about this wind.
The next 15 miles were a mix of rolling hills with one decent climb and descent as we headed out to 10 mile creek for our turnaround. The wind was, honest to god, sustained at 25 to 30mph. It was nuts. It was a cross or head for almost the entire way to the turn around. I had to ride a fairly significant portion of the first half in my drops instead of the aero position just to control my bike. I was honestly concerned about flipping my bike. Apparently I wasn't crazy, my folks actually saw someone flip on his disc. It was freaking brutal out there. The real problem for me?? I went into this race thinking I was going to split a 2:25 on the bike. With all this extra stress just controlling my damn bike I was wasting energy and I was aggravating my airway. I couldn't keep my heart rate down because even the flats and descents I was struggling to keep my bike steady.
The turnaround came and I knew I was still in decent position. Problem was I had exhausted too much energy fighting the wind. I really struggled on the way home. After you make it back to the reservoir you ride on a jogging path for a little while to get onto camp creek road to head back to Boise. Once I turned onto camp creek road I was riding into a straight headwind. Again, sustained at probably 20mph. It was demoralizing. As I pedaled into town I could tell my airway was shot. I was really struggling. Not from an energy standpoint, but from an asthma and motivational standpoint. I knew I wasn't going to be able to race the run because of the state of my airway.
Run: 1:57:21 (18th)
The run was miserable. In all honesty, I spent a few minutes on the bike towards the end of the ride debating whether to continue. I knew it was going to be a death march. But then I thought, well, give it a try and if it is terrible and the airway won't allow me to run, then I will just drop out. The run is a two loop affair around the Boise river just a few blocks from Downtown Boise. It was a great run course. Spectators throughout which is always helpful!! On the first lap, the women's leader, Julie Dibens, came up next to me. She was on her second lap. I could tell she was really struggling. Shortly after catching up to me she started walking. I shouted some words of encouragement at her. Not sure if they made any difference, but she did go on to win :)
I was unable to run. I had to basically jog. I found if I elevated my heart rate above about 155, I couldn't sustain it from an asthma standpoint. I was starting to get concerned, but thought back to my half marathon in Eugene and realized if I just settled into a pace that wasn't too taxing, my airway would allow me to continue. Ultimately, this is what I did. I saw Meg and my parents at the half way mark and just gave them a sarcastic type smile and a shrug of the shoulders. The second lap was a little better. I started to sustain a pace of about 8:15 or so and pass some people. I made the final turn towards the finish chute and checked behind me. As I entered the long finish chute in downtown Boise there was nobody behind me. I looked up at the clock and realized I was about 40 minutes below my expectation of a sub 4:40.
Overall: 151st overall (out of 1400 or so) and 18th in my age group.
I will be the first to admit, I was rather disappointed with my race performance. I came here to make top 5 in my age group, not top 20. I was ready and fit enough to go sub 4:40 on Saturday, but I just couldn't do it with the asthma, sinus infection and outside elements (wind, etc). I will take away a lot from this race and live to fit another day! My main race this season is yet to come...Ironman Canada in August. My doc and I have a solid plan to try and avoid illness for this race. I want to thank all of those that continue to support me in this crazy sport, mostly my fiance and family. You guys are the best!! Below are some pictures from the race. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading,
-T
Dad and I before the start at Lucky Peak
Meg and I before the start
Heading down to the lake with my wave
Warming up
And we are off!
One of my favorite pros, Chris Lieto getting out of the water.
4th out of the water!!
Damn, that bike is hot!!
Lieto and Crowie heading out on the run. Lieto would pull out a few miles later with an abductor issue.
First lap, hurting at this point!
Man that sucked. We started 13 min late, so finish time was 5:21. Way off of goal.
Lasted long enough to take a picture with Evan, then off to the ambulance.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Get it
Meg and I arrived to Boise today. Took a little under 7 hours. It's not a bad drive, bu there is a lot of construction taking place on the interstate. We left rain in Portland and had some upon arriving in Boise late afternoon. The rain has since cleared and the sky was mostly blue prior to the sun setting tonight. Tomorrow should be close to 70 and race day Saturday is slated to be 75 and sun. Should be excellent racing conditions! I haven't bothered to check the reservoir temperature, but I know it will be cold. Luckily, this doesn't impact me like it does others. Growing up swimming, the temperature impacts weaker swimmers more than it does better swimmers.
It was windy as all get up today, but that should cease as the storm has now blown through. As far as me? Well, I'm trying to get over my sinus infection. I'm feeling ok, just not great. I'll get a ton of sleep tonight and rest a ton tomorrow. Luckily the race isn't until 2pm on Saturday which gives the antibiotics another half day to help prior to the starting gun going off. As far as my race plan, I'm going to have to alter it slightly because of the infection. I will be racing mostly on heart rate on the bike instead of attacking segments. That being said, if I'm able to go with some breaks and keep my heart rate in check I will. We'll see. I just don't want a repeat of Pacific Crest last year where I had to walk the half marathon and still ended up in the medical tent for an hour.
Race start for my age group is 2:13 Saturday. I still do not have any idea what my bib number is, but will post it tomorrow after registration. You can follow online at Ironman.com on Saturday if you wish. I might not be 100% come Saturday, but I'm as fit as I've ever been and will be relying on my fitness to help me have a fast race. One part of my race that will be 100% is my machine below. The Felt is ready thanks to the boys at Life Cycle. Thanks guys! And thanks for reading everyone.
-T
It was windy as all get up today, but that should cease as the storm has now blown through. As far as me? Well, I'm trying to get over my sinus infection. I'm feeling ok, just not great. I'll get a ton of sleep tonight and rest a ton tomorrow. Luckily the race isn't until 2pm on Saturday which gives the antibiotics another half day to help prior to the starting gun going off. As far as my race plan, I'm going to have to alter it slightly because of the infection. I will be racing mostly on heart rate on the bike instead of attacking segments. That being said, if I'm able to go with some breaks and keep my heart rate in check I will. We'll see. I just don't want a repeat of Pacific Crest last year where I had to walk the half marathon and still ended up in the medical tent for an hour.
Race start for my age group is 2:13 Saturday. I still do not have any idea what my bib number is, but will post it tomorrow after registration. You can follow online at Ironman.com on Saturday if you wish. I might not be 100% come Saturday, but I'm as fit as I've ever been and will be relying on my fitness to help me have a fast race. One part of my race that will be 100% is my machine below. The Felt is ready thanks to the boys at Life Cycle. Thanks guys! And thanks for reading everyone.
-T
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Colds and stuff
Less than a week to go to Boise. The time has flown by. I feel fit and ready to race. I fought off a cold last week and seem to be OK. My asthma was negatively impacted. Not sure how much it will impact my race, it will, but I don't really care. The weather, my asthma, anything else...it doesn't really matter if you race to your full potential. I'm going to go out hard on the swim, attack segments of the bike, and try to execute a pr on the run. Obviously, I'm asking a lot of myself. At the end of the day I will be happy if I know I crossed the finish line with nothing left.
This past week I started to back off the training a little. I actually took 2 full days off and limited my weekend workouts to about 50-75% of normal volume with limited intensity. In fact today I ran 9 miles instead of the usual 12-15 and maintained a HR below 130. My legs felt pretty good. This week will include limited volume workouts, but good intensity. The most important thing this week is sleep. I will try and get plenty of it! As of today, the weather does not look that great for Saturday. Oh well, what are you going to do? Thanks for taking the time to read,
-T
This past week I started to back off the training a little. I actually took 2 full days off and limited my weekend workouts to about 50-75% of normal volume with limited intensity. In fact today I ran 9 miles instead of the usual 12-15 and maintained a HR below 130. My legs felt pretty good. This week will include limited volume workouts, but good intensity. The most important thing this week is sleep. I will try and get plenty of it! As of today, the weather does not look that great for Saturday. Oh well, what are you going to do? Thanks for taking the time to read,
-T
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Boise in my sights
In just over a week we will be heading to Boise, ID for my first 70.3 of the season. Actually, it will be my only 70.3 of the season! I feel like everything is clicking right now. My swim is coming around nicely, 15.5k in the pool last week!! I'm hoping all my winter miles translate into a PR on the bike, and my run has felt stronger in the past two weeks than it ever has. I can honestly say that if I ride within myself next weekend, I feel that I can challenge my 1/2 marathon time from Eugene in regards to my run split at Boise. We'll see. In all honesty, I just want to race to my potential. The big dance is still 3 months away, but next weekend will give me some insight into how fit I am and where I need to spend more time in my big training block leading up to Canada.
I never feel like I have enough time in the day, and the past few weeks at work have helped to prove this point. I'm happy for a little rest from training the next week as I enter into a modified taper...I need the extra hours to get ahead at work!! All else seems to be good. I was a little concerned about a cold I picked up last week, but I kicked that to the curb. All I can do now is get some proper rest and hope for the best next week. For some reason the bib numbers are not up yet, but I'll post my number when I receive it. If you are interested in following, the race is on June 12th and has a unique start time...2pm. You can track results on Ironman.com.
Well, that's it for now. As always, thanks for reading!
-T
I never feel like I have enough time in the day, and the past few weeks at work have helped to prove this point. I'm happy for a little rest from training the next week as I enter into a modified taper...I need the extra hours to get ahead at work!! All else seems to be good. I was a little concerned about a cold I picked up last week, but I kicked that to the curb. All I can do now is get some proper rest and hope for the best next week. For some reason the bib numbers are not up yet, but I'll post my number when I receive it. If you are interested in following, the race is on June 12th and has a unique start time...2pm. You can track results on Ironman.com.
Well, that's it for now. As always, thanks for reading!
-T
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Peaking
If you are an athlete, especially and endurance athlete, you know what it means to be "peaking." I'm there. Tough part is not doing too much before taper. I've made that mistake before. I won't repeat it. I had a solid track workout tonight after smashing out a solid 4k in the pool this morning. I have a decent weekend scheduled, but nothing over the top. I will enter into taper next week. Because I'm still over 3 months out from Canada, I'm primarily going to be racing on base miles with one training block that included more intervals. That being said, I'm there. Not where I will be in 3 months, but where I wanted to be for this upcoming race. I had a smile on my face all day. Time to get some rest. I've been battling a cold I picked up Monday so today was my first outdoor workout. I've been sleeping a ton and avoiding the outdoors as much as possible as it has been cold and rainy. I'm feeling near 100% today and as I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely peaking from a fitness perspective. It's a great feeling. Thanks for reading,
-T
-T
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hagg Lake Swim
Another race in the books. This past weekend flew by. Saturday was another big day of training, including a solid long run for me. I woke up early Sunday to drive out to a friend's house to hop on our bikes. Our plan was to ride from his house in Sherwood out to Hagg Lake for an open water swim that the 3 of us were registered in. It was just under 35 miles each way from the lake. We set out for our ride before 7:30am and before I knew it we were pulling into the lake. We had a great ride out, and were now ready to jump into the lake for a long swim.
There were three distances to pick from at the lake swim. We were doing the longest distance, a 4k which is just over the Ironman distance of the swim at 2.5 miles. My Dad and Mom came out as well as my Dad was swimming in the race. My buddies, Jer and Josh were there two. I pulled on my new Xterra wetsuit and made my way down to the lake. It was freezing!! Race director said he recorded the temp at 64. A friend of my father that was out swimming out there last weekend recorded a temp of 54. My guess was it was somewhere in between. Either way, it was incredibly cold. My goal was to stick with Jer for as long as I could.
The countdown commenced and before I knew it we were off. I quickly jumped to Jer's feet and stayed there to around the first buoy. He was just too strong for me that day. I hadn't been swimming a lot so I was really looking at this race to boost my swim training and test my fitness. My goal was mid 50's for my time. I went a 55:07 at IMAZ, and we figured the 4k was about 2 minutes slower based on distance. Well, I think the triple the day before and the ride out took it out of me a little bit as I struggled to keep feet that I know I would normally stay with. As I started the second of two loops, I figured I was in about 7th place or so. I started to gain speed and strength and passed an athlete. As I continued on the second loop I just started to wear down. I chalk this up to the lack of swim training last few months. I tried to finish as strong as I could, but got passed by a few athletes the last 10 minutes. I finished in 58 something. Which, if the course was accurate, after subtracting time to equal the Ironman distance, would put me right about where I came out at Arizona. I'm ok with this!
Jer came in 3rd, not sure about Josh, but believe he was two minutes ahead of me. My Dad had a good race as well after overcoming the cold shock of the water! In fact, the cold affected most of us as we struggled with cramps. My other two friends that I rode over with finished strong and both had respectable times. Well, we grabbed a few burgers and hopped back on our bikes and rode the 34 miles back to Sherwood. My day was done! This is my final week of tough work before entering into taper for Boise. Can't wait!! Here are some pics from this past week...
There were three distances to pick from at the lake swim. We were doing the longest distance, a 4k which is just over the Ironman distance of the swim at 2.5 miles. My Dad and Mom came out as well as my Dad was swimming in the race. My buddies, Jer and Josh were there two. I pulled on my new Xterra wetsuit and made my way down to the lake. It was freezing!! Race director said he recorded the temp at 64. A friend of my father that was out swimming out there last weekend recorded a temp of 54. My guess was it was somewhere in between. Either way, it was incredibly cold. My goal was to stick with Jer for as long as I could.
The countdown commenced and before I knew it we were off. I quickly jumped to Jer's feet and stayed there to around the first buoy. He was just too strong for me that day. I hadn't been swimming a lot so I was really looking at this race to boost my swim training and test my fitness. My goal was mid 50's for my time. I went a 55:07 at IMAZ, and we figured the 4k was about 2 minutes slower based on distance. Well, I think the triple the day before and the ride out took it out of me a little bit as I struggled to keep feet that I know I would normally stay with. As I started the second of two loops, I figured I was in about 7th place or so. I started to gain speed and strength and passed an athlete. As I continued on the second loop I just started to wear down. I chalk this up to the lack of swim training last few months. I tried to finish as strong as I could, but got passed by a few athletes the last 10 minutes. I finished in 58 something. Which, if the course was accurate, after subtracting time to equal the Ironman distance, would put me right about where I came out at Arizona. I'm ok with this!
Jer came in 3rd, not sure about Josh, but believe he was two minutes ahead of me. My Dad had a good race as well after overcoming the cold shock of the water! In fact, the cold affected most of us as we struggled with cramps. My other two friends that I rode over with finished strong and both had respectable times. Well, we grabbed a few burgers and hopped back on our bikes and rode the 34 miles back to Sherwood. My day was done! This is my final week of tough work before entering into taper for Boise. Can't wait!! Here are some pics from this past week...
My pre race (night before) meal. Man I love pizza
Not enough body glide on the neck resulted in some new nicknames at work. How about Bolt?
This cute little guy was waiting on my BBQ when I went to grill up a buffalo burger
Thanks for reading!!
-T
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Coming together
Over the past few month or so I was seriously doubting my training program. I had been very diligent about my base build up and here it was, late April/early May and I felt slow. I also felt like I was still carrying a few extra lbs that I should havealready lost. But then I had the Eugene 1/2. Although the race didn't live up to my pre race time goals, I was dealt a tough card and was able to still put forth a solid effort with a very compromised airway. That gave me some confidence, maybe I knew what I was doing all along?
Fast forward to today. After multiple 40+ mileage run weeks recently and consistent high volume bike mileage the past few months...well, I was starting to feel pretty fit. I went out this morning with Meg for a run. I had 14 on the docket and she had 7. Now let me be very clear about one thing...this was to be Meg's longest run in almost 2 years. This poor girl has dealt with all kinds of injuries to get back to running! She was doing so well that she said she wanted to run a 1/2 on July 4th. I broke open the computer and set her up with a training plan. Today was a big day for her. There was a point after a couple hundred feet of uphill that I put my arm on her back and smiled at her. I was so proud of her at the moment. For never giving up when so many people would have. She is a trooper. She turned and smiled at me and asked me what was up. I looked away and wiped my eyes so she wouldn't see me crying and looked back and said, "I just love you."
Anyways...sorry...as usual I digress! So I turned around with Meg half way through and then went back for seconds. I took off man. I was feeling so good. The first mile is uphill. 7:55. The second mile is slightly uphill, but levels out: 7:45. Third mile: 7:27. Fourth: 8:02 (not sure what happened there?). Fifth: 6:59. Sixth: 7:15. Seventh: 8:16 (cool down). Overall pace for the second half of the run was 7:34. The best part was my average hr for that 7 mile portion was 150. For me to average 7:30s at a controlled HR of 150 for the last 7 miles of a 14 mile run in the mud, gravel, and rolling hills of Forest Park...that tells me I'm fit. I polished the day off with a swim workout and later I spun out the legs on the trainer. To put this in perspective, I was running a little over 20 seconds per mile slower than I averaged at the Eugene 1/2 on a muddy course in the middle of a big training block, at nowhere near the effort I put in at Eugene. This makes Trevor very happy! One of my goals that I have for Boise is to try and put together a run in the same time area as the Eugene 1/2. This will be tough after the 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike, but I'm feeling very good as the event gets closer.
Tomorrow should be fun. I'm riding out to Hagg Lake with some friends. 35 mile ride out. Then we are competing in a 4k open water swim. Then we are getting back on our bikes and riding back. I'll be interested to see how I do in the swim. I'm definitely not quite race ready in the pool, but I'm getting closer. Overall, I'm no longer doubting my plan. I set it up for a reason and, as the title of this post states, it's coming together. The great news is my plan has my truly peaking in August for Ironman. Boise in 3 weeks will be great, but my fitness will be even better in 3 months up in Canada. Thanks for reading :)
-T
Fast forward to today. After multiple 40+ mileage run weeks recently and consistent high volume bike mileage the past few months...well, I was starting to feel pretty fit. I went out this morning with Meg for a run. I had 14 on the docket and she had 7. Now let me be very clear about one thing...this was to be Meg's longest run in almost 2 years. This poor girl has dealt with all kinds of injuries to get back to running! She was doing so well that she said she wanted to run a 1/2 on July 4th. I broke open the computer and set her up with a training plan. Today was a big day for her. There was a point after a couple hundred feet of uphill that I put my arm on her back and smiled at her. I was so proud of her at the moment. For never giving up when so many people would have. She is a trooper. She turned and smiled at me and asked me what was up. I looked away and wiped my eyes so she wouldn't see me crying and looked back and said, "I just love you."
Anyways...sorry...as usual I digress! So I turned around with Meg half way through and then went back for seconds. I took off man. I was feeling so good. The first mile is uphill. 7:55. The second mile is slightly uphill, but levels out: 7:45. Third mile: 7:27. Fourth: 8:02 (not sure what happened there?). Fifth: 6:59. Sixth: 7:15. Seventh: 8:16 (cool down). Overall pace for the second half of the run was 7:34. The best part was my average hr for that 7 mile portion was 150. For me to average 7:30s at a controlled HR of 150 for the last 7 miles of a 14 mile run in the mud, gravel, and rolling hills of Forest Park...that tells me I'm fit. I polished the day off with a swim workout and later I spun out the legs on the trainer. To put this in perspective, I was running a little over 20 seconds per mile slower than I averaged at the Eugene 1/2 on a muddy course in the middle of a big training block, at nowhere near the effort I put in at Eugene. This makes Trevor very happy! One of my goals that I have for Boise is to try and put together a run in the same time area as the Eugene 1/2. This will be tough after the 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike, but I'm feeling very good as the event gets closer.
Tomorrow should be fun. I'm riding out to Hagg Lake with some friends. 35 mile ride out. Then we are competing in a 4k open water swim. Then we are getting back on our bikes and riding back. I'll be interested to see how I do in the swim. I'm definitely not quite race ready in the pool, but I'm getting closer. Overall, I'm no longer doubting my plan. I set it up for a reason and, as the title of this post states, it's coming together. The great news is my plan has my truly peaking in August for Ironman. Boise in 3 weeks will be great, but my fitness will be even better in 3 months up in Canada. Thanks for reading :)
-T
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Passing the torch
Role models are important in life. Since as far back as I can remember, my parents have been mine. They are the most amazing, loving, considerate, successful, and gracious people I know (well maybe a tie with Meg!). I am lucky to have them in my life. I mentioned successful, but don't know if that term does justice to what they have accomplished and continue to accomplish. This past weekend Meg and I had the pleasure to spend some time with them and toast my Mom's recent success...let's just say I will soon have two Dr.'s for parents!! That and a lawyer for a wife...man everyone is smarter than me!! Anyways, I digress. 3+ years ago I decided to change my life. I was overweight and unhappy. I had been successful at work, but my previous success in athletics was a distant memory. In fact, you would have not been able to guess based on my appearance.
Why triathlon? Well, I blame my Dad!! Just kidding, but the fact I was a former swimmer and loved my bike helped. Couple that with my Dad's history of Ironman and I figured I would train for my first triathlon. 3 years later I'm eying my fourth season of triathlon racing, training for a few milestones at the half Ironman and Ironman distance this summer. This includes racing on the course that my father tore up back in the day. This past weekend we were able to spend some time together on the bike. Actually, about 4 hours :) You can't imagine what it means to each of us to be able to do things like go on 4 hour rides together. People, this main is old enough to collect social security yet is still an animal on the bike! It was great to reflect on his past experiences and my training/racing.
As the summer season approaches and Boise and Canada continue to get closer, I'm reminded of why I push myself so hard. There are a few reasons, but the main reason is my desire to be the best I can at all I do, athletics included. That being said, having a role model that has been involved in Ironman at an elite level is wonderful, because Ironman has a dark side as well. My role model keeps me focused on putting in my tough training blocks, but also is instrumental in making sure I dial it back when needed. Next month when I'm struggling through the run portion of Boise trying to keep my pace down so I can reach my goal, I'm going to think about this past weekend. My Dad can still kick some ass on the bike, but the torch has been passed. The best part about this is, the torch is still glowing very bright and he will always be there to help me keep it lit. Some pictures below from our ride together to celebrate his birthday.
This past week was great. I ended up at 202 miles on the bike and 40 miles run. I backed off my run on Sunday by a few miles due to fatigue in general. I'm feeling much better today and just got my 1 hour track session done on the treadmill. Hope everyone is happy and healthy,
Why triathlon? Well, I blame my Dad!! Just kidding, but the fact I was a former swimmer and loved my bike helped. Couple that with my Dad's history of Ironman and I figured I would train for my first triathlon. 3 years later I'm eying my fourth season of triathlon racing, training for a few milestones at the half Ironman and Ironman distance this summer. This includes racing on the course that my father tore up back in the day. This past weekend we were able to spend some time together on the bike. Actually, about 4 hours :) You can't imagine what it means to each of us to be able to do things like go on 4 hour rides together. People, this main is old enough to collect social security yet is still an animal on the bike! It was great to reflect on his past experiences and my training/racing.
As the summer season approaches and Boise and Canada continue to get closer, I'm reminded of why I push myself so hard. There are a few reasons, but the main reason is my desire to be the best I can at all I do, athletics included. That being said, having a role model that has been involved in Ironman at an elite level is wonderful, because Ironman has a dark side as well. My role model keeps me focused on putting in my tough training blocks, but also is instrumental in making sure I dial it back when needed. Next month when I'm struggling through the run portion of Boise trying to keep my pace down so I can reach my goal, I'm going to think about this past weekend. My Dad can still kick some ass on the bike, but the torch has been passed. The best part about this is, the torch is still glowing very bright and he will always be there to help me keep it lit. Some pictures below from our ride together to celebrate his birthday.
This past week was great. I ended up at 202 miles on the bike and 40 miles run. I backed off my run on Sunday by a few miles due to fatigue in general. I'm feeling much better today and just got my 1 hour track session done on the treadmill. Hope everyone is happy and healthy,-T
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