Morning loop w/ Jen - 4 mi.
Total Time: 35:09
AP: 8:48
Ran the first four miles of Jen's 11 miler with her this morning. I was hoping to do five with her but we got a bit of a late start. It was overcast so the temp was a bit warmer than it has been on previous morning runs. By the end my left hamstring was feeling a bit tight so I made sure to stretch it out right after the run and again in the shower. By the time I was walking to the train it was not bothering me at all. Might be due to my shoes, good thing the new ones will be here in a few days. Overall it was a good run. Tomorrow I'm heading up to spin class then I plan on running Thursday and Friday mornings.
So I found a couple of races that I am thinking about doing next spring/early summer. Still haven't found an Olympic/international distance but I will keep looking. That's the nice thing about CA, there is always a race somewhere near by.
May 2008: SUN MAY 4th, 2008
NAPA VALLEY SPRINT TRIATHLON™
10th annual
1/2mi swim, 15mi bike, 4mi run
Lake Berryessa, Napa
June 2008 with Jen: SAT JUNE 7, 2008
Vineman Showdown at Sundown 2007
1/4mi swim, 9mi bike, 3mi run
San Rafel, CA
The Showdown at Sundown (gotta love the name) can be raced as an individual or as part of a team so we need to decide which we want to do before registering. We would race as part of the Forward Motion Racing Club (still need to sign up) depending on how many others are going to be at the event.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Out with the Group
Sunday Ride w/ Cyclepath Group - 40 mi.
Total Time: 2:22:23
Avg mph: 16.9
This weekend I did get out for a ride on Saturday but it was on the old bike since I accompanied Jen on her 20 mile run in the South Bay. It was a leisurely pace for me so I didn't really think of it as a "ride", but it was fun to go with her (and we went out for a great breakfast when we were done). That night we went out for a really good dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House with a couple of friends (one of them was celebrating his birthday).
Sunday morning I got up and headed over to meet up with the Cyclepath group for a ride. They were doing the same ride as the last time I was there so I knew I was in for some climbing and some nice descents. This time I rode with the A group and there was about 25 people to start. After about 7 miles there were 10 or 12 of us in the pace line, then it dropped to seven, then four, then there were three. We were keeping at around 19/21 mph but slowed a bit before beginning the climb. This time the pace on the climb was a bit faster and I think we averaged around 12/13 mph. When we were about 3/4 of the way up the climb one other person caught up to us and then I fell about 150/200 feet behind on the final ascent. We stopped at the top and waited for the rest of the group to catch up; I took off my arm warmers at this point too since the sun was out and I was warm from the climb. A few folks headed back but around 15 of us decided to go a bit further. At this point the road was rolling but consistently climbing; it gave me a good chance to practice cornering with some speed then standing up out of the saddle to carry the speed into the next climb. One thing I have really noticed when riding with the group is that I pick up a lot from just watching the more experienced guys riding with me. I've learned some riding techniques as well as some of the common hand signals such as obstacle in the road, slower rider or walker on the side of the road, and stopping - along with verbal signals such as gravel!, stopping! (when suddenly stopping), car up!, and car back!. (I'm sure I will learn a lot more as I join in on more group rides). At mile 20 I stopped to turn around since I wasn't sure how much further the group was planning on riding; turns out they were just going another 500 yards or so but I was fine with where I stopped since the views over the valley were spectacular. After getting a drink and eating a couple of clif blox the group came back by and I joined up with them for the ride back to Pleasanton. The descents were great and I got in some good cornering practice by riding in a line behind the more experienced guys and watching them take the same line into each corner. Once we hit the steeper hills the group spread out quite a bit and I was riding alone for a while so I took the opportunity to practice picking my own line into the corners. I'm not quite confident enough to get into my drops on the really tight corners but I did get down in them for some of the softer corners.
When I got back onto the rolling stretch at the bottom of the hill I was by myself and was trying to push it hard to catch up to the pace line. After a couple of minutes I noticed a helmet shadow on the ground under my bike and I knew someone had come up behind me. I continued to pull for another minute then pulled out to the side (after looking for cars) and moved back in to draft for a moment. This was the first time I really appreciated drafting. I had been going along at around 19/20 mph but now we were up to 23/24 and when he moved to the side and it was my turn to pull I was able to keep that pace. We rotated a few more times then he (I later found out his name was Tim) fell back and I was on my own for the final 8 miles back to the starting point.
Friday am swim at 24 hr. - 750m
Total Time: 14:12
Friday morning I was up at the gym to get some laps in since I have been slacking on the swimming lately. My speed didn't really suffer too much but I could definitely tell that I have not been in the pool much lately. I will try to get up there a couple times this week and maybe once on the weekend. After the swim I was looking forward to taking a nice steam but the steam room was out of commission so I settled for a few minutes in the sauna.
Total Time: 2:22:23
Avg mph: 16.9
This weekend I did get out for a ride on Saturday but it was on the old bike since I accompanied Jen on her 20 mile run in the South Bay. It was a leisurely pace for me so I didn't really think of it as a "ride", but it was fun to go with her (and we went out for a great breakfast when we were done). That night we went out for a really good dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House with a couple of friends (one of them was celebrating his birthday).
Sunday morning I got up and headed over to meet up with the Cyclepath group for a ride. They were doing the same ride as the last time I was there so I knew I was in for some climbing and some nice descents. This time I rode with the A group and there was about 25 people to start. After about 7 miles there were 10 or 12 of us in the pace line, then it dropped to seven, then four, then there were three. We were keeping at around 19/21 mph but slowed a bit before beginning the climb. This time the pace on the climb was a bit faster and I think we averaged around 12/13 mph. When we were about 3/4 of the way up the climb one other person caught up to us and then I fell about 150/200 feet behind on the final ascent. We stopped at the top and waited for the rest of the group to catch up; I took off my arm warmers at this point too since the sun was out and I was warm from the climb. A few folks headed back but around 15 of us decided to go a bit further. At this point the road was rolling but consistently climbing; it gave me a good chance to practice cornering with some speed then standing up out of the saddle to carry the speed into the next climb. One thing I have really noticed when riding with the group is that I pick up a lot from just watching the more experienced guys riding with me. I've learned some riding techniques as well as some of the common hand signals such as obstacle in the road, slower rider or walker on the side of the road, and stopping - along with verbal signals such as gravel!, stopping! (when suddenly stopping), car up!, and car back!. (I'm sure I will learn a lot more as I join in on more group rides). At mile 20 I stopped to turn around since I wasn't sure how much further the group was planning on riding; turns out they were just going another 500 yards or so but I was fine with where I stopped since the views over the valley were spectacular. After getting a drink and eating a couple of clif blox the group came back by and I joined up with them for the ride back to Pleasanton. The descents were great and I got in some good cornering practice by riding in a line behind the more experienced guys and watching them take the same line into each corner. Once we hit the steeper hills the group spread out quite a bit and I was riding alone for a while so I took the opportunity to practice picking my own line into the corners. I'm not quite confident enough to get into my drops on the really tight corners but I did get down in them for some of the softer corners.
When I got back onto the rolling stretch at the bottom of the hill I was by myself and was trying to push it hard to catch up to the pace line. After a couple of minutes I noticed a helmet shadow on the ground under my bike and I knew someone had come up behind me. I continued to pull for another minute then pulled out to the side (after looking for cars) and moved back in to draft for a moment. This was the first time I really appreciated drafting. I had been going along at around 19/20 mph but now we were up to 23/24 and when he moved to the side and it was my turn to pull I was able to keep that pace. We rotated a few more times then he (I later found out his name was Tim) fell back and I was on my own for the final 8 miles back to the starting point.
Friday am swim at 24 hr. - 750m
Total Time: 14:12
Friday morning I was up at the gym to get some laps in since I have been slacking on the swimming lately. My speed didn't really suffer too much but I could definitely tell that I have not been in the pool much lately. I will try to get up there a couple times this week and maybe once on the weekend. After the swim I was looking forward to taking a nice steam but the steam room was out of commission so I settled for a few minutes in the sauna.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Spin on Wed, Recovery Run on Thurs
Wed am Spin at 24hr. - 1 hour
Was up early on Wednesday for the 5am spin class. It was hard but fun just like last week. I arrived about 5 minutes early this time instead of 20 minutes early like last week so I didn't have to stand around at all.
Thurs am recovery run w/ Jen - 5.5 mi
Total Time: 49:59
AP: 9:05
Jen joined me this morning since she had to do 12 miles again and we kept a nice pace on our loop around the neighborhood. My legs were a bit sore from the spin class yesterday but after about a mile or so they loosened up and felt great. I had planned on just running 5 with her but we ended up at 5.5 so I was scrambling to make it to the train on time (My schedule in the morning is pretty tight; a delay of even a few minutes throws me off). It was a nice clear morning and the moon gave us a little extra light on the streets that were lacking lamps.
Was up early on Wednesday for the 5am spin class. It was hard but fun just like last week. I arrived about 5 minutes early this time instead of 20 minutes early like last week so I didn't have to stand around at all.
Thurs am recovery run w/ Jen - 5.5 mi
Total Time: 49:59
AP: 9:05
Jen joined me this morning since she had to do 12 miles again and we kept a nice pace on our loop around the neighborhood. My legs were a bit sore from the spin class yesterday but after about a mile or so they loosened up and felt great. I had planned on just running 5 with her but we ended up at 5.5 so I was scrambling to make it to the train on time (My schedule in the morning is pretty tight; a delay of even a few minutes throws me off). It was a nice clear morning and the moon gave us a little extra light on the streets that were lacking lamps.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Saturday Bike Ride, Tuesday am run w/ Jen
Saturday Bike Ride - 31 mi. - Tiburon Loop
Avg mph: 17.5
Hills, Hills, and more Hills! I rode the loop we normally run in Tiburon on Saturday while Jen did her 18 mile run. It's about 6 miles of slow steady climbing with a couple of short but steep climbs mixed in. The nice thing about this ride is that after gaining all that elevation you lose it in about 3/4 of a mile on a steep descent - I hit my fastest speed yet on the bike, 40.6 mph. I also used my new arm warmers for the first time and they worked great! I ended up leaving them on for the whole ride which was nice because I didn't need to stop by the car to put on sunscreen. After the ride I drove the car up to our breakfast spot where Jen met up with me a short time later. That evening we went to a Halloween party with our friend Maritza and her boyfriend Matt.
I was planning on going for a ride with the Cyclepath group on Sunday but ended up going into the city with Jen to check out the Nike Women's Marathon (she ran it in 2005 as her first ever marathon). That afternoon we ran some errands then watched the Red Sox beat the Indians.
Tuesay am run w/ Jen - 6 mi
Total Time: 46:10
AP: 7:42
Jen joined me for 6 miles this morning (she was doing 12 total) so I changed the morning loop a bit to add some distance. We ended up having to do some small loops at the end to get in the last .4 mi. so I need to figure out a way to add that distance on so we can avoid that next time. As usual it was nice having someone with me, it always makes the run go by faster. Jen had her GPS so I am looking forward to hearing our mile splits since I have a feeling we sped up toward the end. It was on the cool side this morning but not really "cold".
Avg mph: 17.5
Hills, Hills, and more Hills! I rode the loop we normally run in Tiburon on Saturday while Jen did her 18 mile run. It's about 6 miles of slow steady climbing with a couple of short but steep climbs mixed in. The nice thing about this ride is that after gaining all that elevation you lose it in about 3/4 of a mile on a steep descent - I hit my fastest speed yet on the bike, 40.6 mph. I also used my new arm warmers for the first time and they worked great! I ended up leaving them on for the whole ride which was nice because I didn't need to stop by the car to put on sunscreen. After the ride I drove the car up to our breakfast spot where Jen met up with me a short time later. That evening we went to a Halloween party with our friend Maritza and her boyfriend Matt.
I was planning on going for a ride with the Cyclepath group on Sunday but ended up going into the city with Jen to check out the Nike Women's Marathon (she ran it in 2005 as her first ever marathon). That afternoon we ran some errands then watched the Red Sox beat the Indians.
Tuesay am run w/ Jen - 6 mi
Total Time: 46:10
AP: 7:42
Jen joined me for 6 miles this morning (she was doing 12 total) so I changed the morning loop a bit to add some distance. We ended up having to do some small loops at the end to get in the last .4 mi. so I need to figure out a way to add that distance on so we can avoid that next time. As usual it was nice having someone with me, it always makes the run go by faster. Jen had her GPS so I am looking forward to hearing our mile splits since I have a feeling we sped up toward the end. It was on the cool side this morning but not really "cold".
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Catching Up
Ran 3.4 mi Thurs am
Total Time: 27:12
AP: 8:00
Cut the run a bit short on Thurs because Jen was heading out of town and I wanted to get back to the house before she left for the train station. It was cool so I wore one of the long sleeve technical shirts we picked up at Primo's for placing in the top 50 in our races last Sunday.
Today (Saturday) I rode my bike in Tiburon while Jen ran her 18 miles. Will post about it tomorrow or Monday. I hope to get out with the group again tomorrow but we are heading to a Halloween party tonight w/ an open bar so we will see how chipper I am tomorrow at 8am.
Total Time: 27:12
AP: 8:00
Cut the run a bit short on Thurs because Jen was heading out of town and I wanted to get back to the house before she left for the train station. It was cool so I wore one of the long sleeve technical shirts we picked up at Primo's for placing in the top 50 in our races last Sunday.
Today (Saturday) I rode my bike in Tiburon while Jen ran her 18 miles. Will post about it tomorrow or Monday. I hope to get out with the group again tomorrow but we are heading to a Halloween party tonight w/ an open bar so we will see how chipper I am tomorrow at 8am.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Stationary Saddle
5am Spin class at 24hr.
Last night I set my alarm for 4:35am and got my stuff together thinking that I would get to the gym a few minutes early in case of a crowd. When the alarm went off I got right up, threw on my clothes, grabbed my water bottle and keys, and headed out the door. A couple minutes later I was in the car and based on the time I walked out the door I figured I had about 18 minutes to get to the gym. Once I was in the car I glanced down at the clock - 4:28. Huh? Looked at my watch - 4:29. Huh? Now sometime yesterday the power went out so the clocks were screwed up when we got home last night. I was soooooo happy that I didn't have to reset mine since I have the battery backup, but now I am questioning it's ability. Either the world went back in time about 15 minutes yesterday afternoon around 3pm (time of power outage) or somehow the battery backup pushed my clock ahead. Either way I ended up arriving at the gym about 20 minutes early; getting a bike was no problem.
The class was great. I remember the last class I took nearly killed me but on the train ride into the city today I realized that when I took that class it was because I thought I needed to get some cardio (I was only lifting at the time) and had not done any running, biking, etc. for months (I would run now and then but obviously it did not prepare me for spinning). We started out just spinning then we were up out of the saddle, back down, back up, spinning fast, spinning slow, out of the saddle, back in, back out, back in, etc., etc. for 50 minutes. By the end my shirt, hat, and shorts were soaked with sweat, my legs were burning, but I felt great! It was really nice to have fast paced music and someone changing up the workout every few minutes. Much better than just going to the gym and riding the bike.
Last night I set my alarm for 4:35am and got my stuff together thinking that I would get to the gym a few minutes early in case of a crowd. When the alarm went off I got right up, threw on my clothes, grabbed my water bottle and keys, and headed out the door. A couple minutes later I was in the car and based on the time I walked out the door I figured I had about 18 minutes to get to the gym. Once I was in the car I glanced down at the clock - 4:28. Huh? Looked at my watch - 4:29. Huh? Now sometime yesterday the power went out so the clocks were screwed up when we got home last night. I was soooooo happy that I didn't have to reset mine since I have the battery backup, but now I am questioning it's ability. Either the world went back in time about 15 minutes yesterday afternoon around 3pm (time of power outage) or somehow the battery backup pushed my clock ahead. Either way I ended up arriving at the gym about 20 minutes early; getting a bike was no problem.
The class was great. I remember the last class I took nearly killed me but on the train ride into the city today I realized that when I took that class it was because I thought I needed to get some cardio (I was only lifting at the time) and had not done any running, biking, etc. for months (I would run now and then but obviously it did not prepare me for spinning). We started out just spinning then we were up out of the saddle, back down, back up, spinning fast, spinning slow, out of the saddle, back in, back out, back in, etc., etc. for 50 minutes. By the end my shirt, hat, and shorts were soaked with sweat, my legs were burning, but I felt great! It was really nice to have fast paced music and someone changing up the workout every few minutes. Much better than just going to the gym and riding the bike.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
General Training
Tuesday am run - 4 mi
Total Time: 32:00
AP: 8:00
I got up this morning to do my before work loop and just ran and maintained a pace that felt easy. Since I don't have any events planned any time soon I am just going to try to get in a little bit of everything each week. Tomorrow I am planning on getting up early to make it to the gym by 5am for a spin class. I haven't done one for a couple of years and last time it nearly killed me so we'll see how it goes. I think I will look for a couple more running events in my area over the next few months before gearing up for my first full Tri season. Not sure what tri events I will do this year - any suggestions would be appreciated.
Total Time: 32:00
AP: 8:00
I got up this morning to do my before work loop and just ran and maintained a pace that felt easy. Since I don't have any events planned any time soon I am just going to try to get in a little bit of everything each week. Tomorrow I am planning on getting up early to make it to the gym by 5am for a spin class. I haven't done one for a couple of years and last time it nearly killed me so we'll see how it goes. I think I will look for a couple more running events in my area over the next few months before gearing up for my first full Tri season. Not sure what tri events I will do this year - any suggestions would be appreciated.
Monday, October 15, 2007
New 5k PR
Primo's Run for Education - Sunday, October 14, 2007
Total Time: 20:30
AP: 6:37
AG: 3rd of 26
Overall: 44 of 3,015
Well I set a new PR for my 5k, but as Jen has pointed out before I now have a fast PR and it might take me a couple of attempts to beat it. We got up around 6:10am on Sunday because the half marathon (which Jen was running) started at 7:30 and they were passing out the timing chips the morning of the race instead of at the expo on Saturday. After dropping her off I stopped back by our house to get ready for my race which would start at 8:30. Both races finished in the same place so I knew I should be able to finish my race in time to see Jen come in. I arrived at the start area about 30 minutes before the race was supposed to start so I found a little spot of sun which I stood in for a few minutes to warm up. Once I was warm I walked around a little bit and checked out the vendors. Clif had a tent set up and they were giving away bags of clif blox - I grabbed two bags and ran back over to the car to drop them off (can't pass up on free clif blox). By that time it was about 10 minutes to the start so I headed over to the start area and ran up and down the street a couple of times to get warmed up.
The start was your typical 5k start crowded with little kids and people that don't really give off the "I'm planning on running fast" vibe. I stood behind a guy I have seen before and know is fast so when the horn sounded I was able to get out away from the crowds before it got jammed up. This was the first race where I actually planned on running fast and it made me nervous at first; would I keep a good pace? Was I running too fast? Too slow? etc. etc. etc. My heart was pounding and I felt anxious as I ran through the first half mile or so. When I am out by myself it seems fairly easy to set a quick pace and stick with it, but when there are other people around my perception of my pace/speed gets a bit warped. After a bit I settled into a good groove but at the same time noticed that we had passed the area that I knew to be approx 1 mi from the start so I just kept my eyes peeled for the 2 mi marker. The run was starting to get a bit harder at this point but I kicked myself into gear by thinking "Gee, how do you think Macca felt at mile 20 of the marathon yesterday - HTFU Zach, HTFU!!" Right about this time I passed the two mile marker - miles 1 and 2; 12:58.
Right about this time I started getting the familiar feeling of "here come the dry heaves" but I just focused on the people in front of me and kept on running. The last mile comes around a corner where I could see about a half mile or so down the road. I knew that around the next corner was the finish so I pushed hard and started passing a few people. Now these weren't fly by passes but more like running right behind, then with, then slightly in front of, then past people. I rounded the last corner and pushed as hard as I could across the finish line. Last 1.1 mi; 7:31. As I crossed the line the volunteers pulled my tag off my number and put a sticker on my bib. I needed to get out of the chute ASAP since I could feel my stomach telling me that it was mere seconds till it took matters into it's own hands. I rushed out and walked toward the street and away from the crowds, took a few breaths, then walked it out for a couple of minutes. I am happy to say I remained master of my body and did not experience the dry heaves of last week.
After walking back to the crowds I saw the table with the technical shirts for the Top 50 finishers. Right about then I heard one of the ladies at the table say "be sure to mark their sticker once they get their shirt." I looked down and thought "holy shit! I have a sticker" Sure enough I had placed in the top 50 so I received a short sleeved technical shirt (the green shirt in the pics) and a long sleeve white technical shirt. Both are by Brooks and are really nice. At the end of the day I ended up with two more technical shirts (one short sleeve and one long) because Jen placed in the top 25 women in the half marathon but they only had large and med shirts so she gave her shirts to me! You can read her race report here. Be sure to check it out - she also placed 3rd in her AG and set a PR!
It was a great race for both of us. Here are some pics from after we were finished:
Total Time: 20:30
AP: 6:37
AG: 3rd of 26
Overall: 44 of 3,015
Well I set a new PR for my 5k, but as Jen has pointed out before I now have a fast PR and it might take me a couple of attempts to beat it. We got up around 6:10am on Sunday because the half marathon (which Jen was running) started at 7:30 and they were passing out the timing chips the morning of the race instead of at the expo on Saturday. After dropping her off I stopped back by our house to get ready for my race which would start at 8:30. Both races finished in the same place so I knew I should be able to finish my race in time to see Jen come in. I arrived at the start area about 30 minutes before the race was supposed to start so I found a little spot of sun which I stood in for a few minutes to warm up. Once I was warm I walked around a little bit and checked out the vendors. Clif had a tent set up and they were giving away bags of clif blox - I grabbed two bags and ran back over to the car to drop them off (can't pass up on free clif blox). By that time it was about 10 minutes to the start so I headed over to the start area and ran up and down the street a couple of times to get warmed up.
The start was your typical 5k start crowded with little kids and people that don't really give off the "I'm planning on running fast" vibe. I stood behind a guy I have seen before and know is fast so when the horn sounded I was able to get out away from the crowds before it got jammed up. This was the first race where I actually planned on running fast and it made me nervous at first; would I keep a good pace? Was I running too fast? Too slow? etc. etc. etc. My heart was pounding and I felt anxious as I ran through the first half mile or so. When I am out by myself it seems fairly easy to set a quick pace and stick with it, but when there are other people around my perception of my pace/speed gets a bit warped. After a bit I settled into a good groove but at the same time noticed that we had passed the area that I knew to be approx 1 mi from the start so I just kept my eyes peeled for the 2 mi marker. The run was starting to get a bit harder at this point but I kicked myself into gear by thinking "Gee, how do you think Macca felt at mile 20 of the marathon yesterday - HTFU Zach, HTFU!!" Right about this time I passed the two mile marker - miles 1 and 2; 12:58.
Right about this time I started getting the familiar feeling of "here come the dry heaves" but I just focused on the people in front of me and kept on running. The last mile comes around a corner where I could see about a half mile or so down the road. I knew that around the next corner was the finish so I pushed hard and started passing a few people. Now these weren't fly by passes but more like running right behind, then with, then slightly in front of, then past people. I rounded the last corner and pushed as hard as I could across the finish line. Last 1.1 mi; 7:31. As I crossed the line the volunteers pulled my tag off my number and put a sticker on my bib. I needed to get out of the chute ASAP since I could feel my stomach telling me that it was mere seconds till it took matters into it's own hands. I rushed out and walked toward the street and away from the crowds, took a few breaths, then walked it out for a couple of minutes. I am happy to say I remained master of my body and did not experience the dry heaves of last week.
After walking back to the crowds I saw the table with the technical shirts for the Top 50 finishers. Right about then I heard one of the ladies at the table say "be sure to mark their sticker once they get their shirt." I looked down and thought "holy shit! I have a sticker" Sure enough I had placed in the top 50 so I received a short sleeved technical shirt (the green shirt in the pics) and a long sleeve white technical shirt. Both are by Brooks and are really nice. At the end of the day I ended up with two more technical shirts (one short sleeve and one long) because Jen placed in the top 25 women in the half marathon but they only had large and med shirts so she gave her shirts to me! You can read her race report here. Be sure to check it out - she also placed 3rd in her AG and set a PR!
It was a great race for both of us. Here are some pics from after we were finished:
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sleepin in
Total Time: 1 extra hour
Enjoyment: 100%
I went home early yesterday with a horrible headache (which also makes me nauseous) and climbed into bed around 3:30. I didn't really "sleep" but got to the happy half sleep stage and after a couple of hours I felt quite a bit better. I'm not sure if I was just run down or what but I'll tell you that getting 8.5 hours of sleep last night was freakin awesome. Tonight I will either head up to the gym for a quick swim or just go on an easy bike ride. Jen is going for a run after work so I might ride up the trail and meet her toward the end of her 11 miles. Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in again then going for a short easy run on Saturday before racing on Sunday. My race goals are as follows:
Pleased: sub 22:00
Excited: sub 21:30
Ecstatic: sub 21:00
Enjoyment: 100%
I went home early yesterday with a horrible headache (which also makes me nauseous) and climbed into bed around 3:30. I didn't really "sleep" but got to the happy half sleep stage and after a couple of hours I felt quite a bit better. I'm not sure if I was just run down or what but I'll tell you that getting 8.5 hours of sleep last night was freakin awesome. Tonight I will either head up to the gym for a quick swim or just go on an easy bike ride. Jen is going for a run after work so I might ride up the trail and meet her toward the end of her 11 miles. Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in again then going for a short easy run on Saturday before racing on Sunday. My race goals are as follows:
Pleased: sub 22:00
Excited: sub 21:30
Ecstatic: sub 21:00
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Breaking Seven
am Run - 4 mi
Total Time: 27:48
AP: 6:57
Today was my last hard run before the 5k this weekend and I hit my goal of sub 7 minute miles. It's true that I do have two stops in the run, one at around the 3 mile mark and another around 3.75 but I know I can hold that pace for at least 3 miles without stopping. This morning I was sooooooooo looking forward to that second stop but someone was already at the intersection and as I got close I saw the light change to walk. Since it gives you 30 seconds to cross I didn't stop but continued running into our complex. I had to stop at this point because my stomach decided it was time try and empty itself - fortunately I don't eat before the morning run so all I had was air. Sort of like dry heaves during a hangover without the hangover (Come on, you know you've been there before). After about 30 seconds of that I finished off the run and was excited to see that I had broken the 7 minute mile mark. It was a bit early to let out a Woo Hoo! so I settled for some fist pumps in the air. I am looking forward to the race this weekend and hope the weather is nice (we had our first real rain yesterday evening).
Total Time: 27:48
AP: 6:57
Today was my last hard run before the 5k this weekend and I hit my goal of sub 7 minute miles. It's true that I do have two stops in the run, one at around the 3 mile mark and another around 3.75 but I know I can hold that pace for at least 3 miles without stopping. This morning I was sooooooooo looking forward to that second stop but someone was already at the intersection and as I got close I saw the light change to walk. Since it gives you 30 seconds to cross I didn't stop but continued running into our complex. I had to stop at this point because my stomach decided it was time try and empty itself - fortunately I don't eat before the morning run so all I had was air. Sort of like dry heaves during a hangover without the hangover (Come on, you know you've been there before). After about 30 seconds of that I finished off the run and was excited to see that I had broken the 7 minute mile mark. It was a bit early to let out a Woo Hoo! so I settled for some fist pumps in the air. I am looking forward to the race this weekend and hope the weather is nice (we had our first real rain yesterday evening).
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Pull Buoy is Strange
am Swim at 24hr - 1150m
500m - 9:02
500m w/ PB - 10:41
3x50 - :45, :42, :41
Ok - so the pull buoy is strange. I'm not sure what I was expecting it to be like but for the first couple of laps it just felt awkward. My legs felt like they were sinking a bit even with the buoy between my legs. I moved it down toward my ankles but then it pulled my feet too high. Eventually I noticed that once I was moving my legs sort of pulled themselves to the surface, but it was still a strange feeling. For the next couple of laps I really focused on pulling myself through the water and keeping my speed up. I was able to go six or seven strokes before having to breathe; a change from the three I normally take. At this point my opinion of the buoy is neutral - I'm going to try it out a few more times before making any real decision on it. After swimming 1000 I decided to do a couple of quick laps with breaks in between. This was a nice way to end the swim and I think I will start adding speed work to a couple of swims each week. Today was the first morning in a while that the steam room wasn't working - I had to settle for a stretch in the sauna.
500m - 9:02
500m w/ PB - 10:41
3x50 - :45, :42, :41
Ok - so the pull buoy is strange. I'm not sure what I was expecting it to be like but for the first couple of laps it just felt awkward. My legs felt like they were sinking a bit even with the buoy between my legs. I moved it down toward my ankles but then it pulled my feet too high. Eventually I noticed that once I was moving my legs sort of pulled themselves to the surface, but it was still a strange feeling. For the next couple of laps I really focused on pulling myself through the water and keeping my speed up. I was able to go six or seven strokes before having to breathe; a change from the three I normally take. At this point my opinion of the buoy is neutral - I'm going to try it out a few more times before making any real decision on it. After swimming 1000 I decided to do a couple of quick laps with breaks in between. This was a nice way to end the swim and I think I will start adding speed work to a couple of swims each week. Today was the first morning in a while that the steam room wasn't working - I had to settle for a stretch in the sauna.
Monday, October 8, 2007
First Group Ride
This weekend I planned on going for my first group ride on Sunday so on Saturday I headed up to the gym in the morning to get a swim in.
Swam 1650 @ 24hr
Total Time: 29:55
1500 @ normal pace, 100m in 1:19, 50m in :40
Wasn't really sure how far I was going to swim when I got to the gym but finally settled on 1500m. I felt good the whole time and tried to focus on my form and stroke count. Lately I have noticed that floating is becoming easier for me as "pushing my buoy" becomes more natural. At the end of my swim I decided to do a fast 100m which I did in 1:19 - the last 25m were tough but I pushed through and finished strong. I rested for a couple of minutes then did 50m fast which took me 40 seconds. I was bummed out when I went to the steam room and it was not working but a couple of guys from 24 hr. worked on it and got it working. The downside was that it was REALLY working - the steam was coming out for 15 minutes without pause!
SUNDAY
Group ride with Cyclepath on Calaveras Road
Total Miles: 28
Total Time: 1:42:54
Avg mph: 16.2
This weekend was my first group ride on the bike and it was great! I headed down to Cyclepath in Pleasanton not really knowing what to expect when I got there. I arrived around 8:40 and was one of the first people to arrive. One of the guys from the group (Scott) introduced himself and then I looked around the store for a bit. I was wondering if I should have worn a long sleeve shirt since many of the other people arriving had on jackets, long pants, long sleeve shirts, etc. It was a bit chilly out for sure (around 50) but I knew that once I was out riding in the sun I would heat up (and I was right). Once everyone arrived and was ready to go we headed out as one big group (around 25 riders) and took over the road. This was pretty cool to me since I am used to riding in the bike lane solo - these guys took over the whole lane and cars had to wait to pass us or go around when they could. There was not much traffic out so this wasn't really a problem. For the first 7.5 miles we rode at 24/25 mph then stopped at the intersection of Pleasanton Sunol Road and Calaveras Blvd. (Hwy 84). At this point the A group took off on Calaveras and I hung back with Scott and two other guys (John and Chad). We waited for the rest of the riders to catch up with us and once they arrived we took off up Calaveras with one addition (Don). Scott, Don, Chad, John, and I formed a pace line and were going around 20/22 mph when all of a sudden Don moved to the side and it was my turn to lead! I wasn't really sure of what to do - was my pace ok? Too fast? Too slow? I just kept on at the pace we had been going and after about 5 minutes John overtook me and picked up the pace for a couple more minutes. We stopped again at the beginning of the hills and waited for some people to catch up. Scott and I headed up the hills at a nice easy pace and shot the shit for a while. After climbing for about 20 minutes Chad and John caught up to us and we climbed the last 1/4 mile together. When we stopped at the top Scott explained that it wasn't actually the top, there was another 6 miles or so of climbing then some rolling hills followed by a steep descent known as "The Wall". After about 5 minutes we turned around and headed back down the hills we had just climbed and it was FUN! I didn't push it too hard since there were quite a few twists and turns and it was my first time on these hills. At one point I came flying around a corner to see a deer standing in the road about 100 feet ahead of me. He moved out of the way in time but it was a good reminder to keep alert at all times. I came out on the bottom of the hill to see Scott, John, and Chad up ahead of me and I pushed hard to catch them. I took me about 5 miles to close the gap and I was working the whole time. We got back to Cyclepath around 11:45 then I took off to get some breakfast. Next Sunday I have a 5k race but I will definitely be back for another ride the week after that.
MONDAY
Morning run - 4mi
Total Time: 30:26
AP: 7:36
After riding hard yesterday I decided just to run fast but not too fast this morning. I figure I can push myself on Wednesday then do a recovery type run on Friday before racing on Sunday. It was chilly this morning but not too bad so I was still in short sleeves and shorts. I picked up a long sleeve technical shirt this weekend at Sports Basement but probably won't be wearing it for a couple more weeks.
Swam 1650 @ 24hr
Total Time: 29:55
1500 @ normal pace, 100m in 1:19, 50m in :40
Wasn't really sure how far I was going to swim when I got to the gym but finally settled on 1500m. I felt good the whole time and tried to focus on my form and stroke count. Lately I have noticed that floating is becoming easier for me as "pushing my buoy" becomes more natural. At the end of my swim I decided to do a fast 100m which I did in 1:19 - the last 25m were tough but I pushed through and finished strong. I rested for a couple of minutes then did 50m fast which took me 40 seconds. I was bummed out when I went to the steam room and it was not working but a couple of guys from 24 hr. worked on it and got it working. The downside was that it was REALLY working - the steam was coming out for 15 minutes without pause!
SUNDAY
Group ride with Cyclepath on Calaveras Road
Total Miles: 28
Total Time: 1:42:54
Avg mph: 16.2
This weekend was my first group ride on the bike and it was great! I headed down to Cyclepath in Pleasanton not really knowing what to expect when I got there. I arrived around 8:40 and was one of the first people to arrive. One of the guys from the group (Scott) introduced himself and then I looked around the store for a bit. I was wondering if I should have worn a long sleeve shirt since many of the other people arriving had on jackets, long pants, long sleeve shirts, etc. It was a bit chilly out for sure (around 50) but I knew that once I was out riding in the sun I would heat up (and I was right). Once everyone arrived and was ready to go we headed out as one big group (around 25 riders) and took over the road. This was pretty cool to me since I am used to riding in the bike lane solo - these guys took over the whole lane and cars had to wait to pass us or go around when they could. There was not much traffic out so this wasn't really a problem. For the first 7.5 miles we rode at 24/25 mph then stopped at the intersection of Pleasanton Sunol Road and Calaveras Blvd. (Hwy 84). At this point the A group took off on Calaveras and I hung back with Scott and two other guys (John and Chad). We waited for the rest of the riders to catch up with us and once they arrived we took off up Calaveras with one addition (Don). Scott, Don, Chad, John, and I formed a pace line and were going around 20/22 mph when all of a sudden Don moved to the side and it was my turn to lead! I wasn't really sure of what to do - was my pace ok? Too fast? Too slow? I just kept on at the pace we had been going and after about 5 minutes John overtook me and picked up the pace for a couple more minutes. We stopped again at the beginning of the hills and waited for some people to catch up. Scott and I headed up the hills at a nice easy pace and shot the shit for a while. After climbing for about 20 minutes Chad and John caught up to us and we climbed the last 1/4 mile together. When we stopped at the top Scott explained that it wasn't actually the top, there was another 6 miles or so of climbing then some rolling hills followed by a steep descent known as "The Wall". After about 5 minutes we turned around and headed back down the hills we had just climbed and it was FUN! I didn't push it too hard since there were quite a few twists and turns and it was my first time on these hills. At one point I came flying around a corner to see a deer standing in the road about 100 feet ahead of me. He moved out of the way in time but it was a good reminder to keep alert at all times. I came out on the bottom of the hill to see Scott, John, and Chad up ahead of me and I pushed hard to catch them. I took me about 5 miles to close the gap and I was working the whole time. We got back to Cyclepath around 11:45 then I took off to get some breakfast. Next Sunday I have a 5k race but I will definitely be back for another ride the week after that.
MONDAY
Morning run - 4mi
Total Time: 30:26
AP: 7:36
After riding hard yesterday I decided just to run fast but not too fast this morning. I figure I can push myself on Wednesday then do a recovery type run on Friday before racing on Sunday. It was chilly this morning but not too bad so I was still in short sleeves and shorts. I picked up a long sleeve technical shirt this weekend at Sports Basement but probably won't be wearing it for a couple more weeks.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Mission Bay Triathlon Pics - a bit late
Friday, October 5, 2007
Starting to get chilly
AM Run - 4 mi.
Total Time: 28:17
AP: 7:04
Well the time for me to start putting on a long sleeved shirt for morning runs is fast approaching. Not that I really have much am running experience, but I know it was cold when I was walking to BART in the morning last October. Getting up this morning was tough since Jen is out of town; she does a great job of pushing me out of the bed with her feet in the morning. Once I was up and out the door I warmed up and settled into a groove. The plan was to run fast this morning which I think I did for the first 1.5 and last 1 mile. They were probably all pretty consistent but once I am a ways into the run I always feel like I slow down a bit then pick it back up at the end. I haven't run with the GPS lately so I'm not sure of my splits; it will be interesting to see what they are like in the race next weekend. I read today that the top 25 males and females in each race (there is a half marathon and 5k - Jen is doing the half) get a technical tee afterward. I checked last year's results and to be a top 25 male in the 5k I would need to run sub 6:20 - yeah, that's not going to happen. I do think I have a good chance of getting a PR (22:21) which would be pretty cool.
Total Time: 28:17
AP: 7:04
Well the time for me to start putting on a long sleeved shirt for morning runs is fast approaching. Not that I really have much am running experience, but I know it was cold when I was walking to BART in the morning last October. Getting up this morning was tough since Jen is out of town; she does a great job of pushing me out of the bed with her feet in the morning. Once I was up and out the door I warmed up and settled into a groove. The plan was to run fast this morning which I think I did for the first 1.5 and last 1 mile. They were probably all pretty consistent but once I am a ways into the run I always feel like I slow down a bit then pick it back up at the end. I haven't run with the GPS lately so I'm not sure of my splits; it will be interesting to see what they are like in the race next weekend. I read today that the top 25 males and females in each race (there is a half marathon and 5k - Jen is doing the half) get a technical tee afterward. I checked last year's results and to be a top 25 male in the 5k I would need to run sub 6:20 - yeah, that's not going to happen. I do think I have a good chance of getting a PR (22:21) which would be pretty cool.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Back at it
Morning run - 4mi
Total Time: 31:43
AP: 7:54
After the tri this weekend we took Monday as an off day and then yesterday was a nice short swim followed by an evening off. At this point I am not really training for anything specific (well I have a 5k next weekend where I'll go for a PR but nothing else planned after that) so I need to put together a new off season plan. I will be running in the mornings w/ Jen two days a week and solo one day; then swimming the other two mornings. I'm going to keep biking on the weekends and try to get to a spin class or two during the week and maybe throw some weights into the mix. So basically I have a bunch of ideas that need to form themselves into some type of plan.
This morning I was planning on running a nice slow pace since this was my first post-tri run but I ended up running sub-8. I wasn't really trying to run fast and the pace didn't feel too hard but I definitely was not running slow and relaxed. Friday and Monday I am going to do some faster runs then slow it back down on Wed and Friday of next week before the 5k which is on Sunday.
Total Time: 31:43
AP: 7:54
After the tri this weekend we took Monday as an off day and then yesterday was a nice short swim followed by an evening off. At this point I am not really training for anything specific (well I have a 5k next weekend where I'll go for a PR but nothing else planned after that) so I need to put together a new off season plan. I will be running in the mornings w/ Jen two days a week and solo one day; then swimming the other two mornings. I'm going to keep biking on the weekends and try to get to a spin class or two during the week and maybe throw some weights into the mix. So basically I have a bunch of ideas that need to form themselves into some type of plan.
This morning I was planning on running a nice slow pace since this was my first post-tri run but I ended up running sub-8. I wasn't really trying to run fast and the pace didn't feel too hard but I definitely was not running slow and relaxed. Friday and Monday I am going to do some faster runs then slow it back down on Wed and Friday of next week before the 5k which is on Sunday.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Mission Bay Triathlon Report
Official Time: 1:08:03 - 29/116 in AG, 307/1500 overall
This weekend was my first Triathlon (excluding the Tri for Fun in August) and it was awesome.
We left Dublin around 5:45am on Saturday after making a mandatory stop at Starbucks for a Mocha and Lattee. The traffic was fine the entire way down (LA had the customary traffic, no surprise there) and we made it to the pre-race check in 7:37:42 (yes, I used my stopwatch).
After checking in and getting our shirts, swim caps (yellow for me, pink for Jen) we headed down to the race start to drop off our bikes. This was a great decision since we both ended up getting great rack position and it saved us some time in the morning because we did not have to load the bikes onto the car. That evening we had a nice pot-luck dinner with my parents and some of their triathlete friends; ribs, pasta, garlic bread, Caesar salad, and carrot cake - it was delicious.
The next morning we were up at around 4:50am and arrived at the start around 5:30 - parking was already getting crowded but we managed to find a spot and head over to the transition area to get set up. After spending a few minutes over there we made a restroom stop and went over to the car to get our wetsuits on before walking over to the swim start. Jen started 5 minutes before me so I watched her swim out and start the race. Right when her wave took off mine got in the water and swam over to the start line.
In this picture I am directly above the guy in the foreground on the left.
Official Swim Time: 9:45
T1 went well but I'm sure I can cut some time off of it in future races. Getting the wetsuit off was not too big of an issue and I was fairly organized but I did have to keep reminding myself to move quickly (I felt like I was taking my time with drying my face, putting on my shoes, etc).
I took off on the bike and started passing people right off the bat. This lasted until about the halfway point when I saw Jen. I rode past her and said hello and we wished each other good luck; a few seconds later - woosh, woosh, woosh - the 30 somethings started blowing by me. These guys were fast and it was quite a humbling experience to see them go by; however, it also gave me some encouragement since I knew most of those guys had been riding for a few years and I saw what I could work towards. Once we were off Fiesta Island and back into the Sea World area I got stuck behind a couple of guys in the tight areas but was able to get past them and back to transition. We found out after the race that the course was longer this year - instead of 9.1 mi it was closer to 10.5!
Official Bike Time (plus T1 and T2): 35:25
T2 was quick - shoes off, shoes on, helmet off, hat on, go, go, go!
My first thought on the run was "crap, I'm going to have to walk at some point" but that never happened. I guess my 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 from miles .5 to 2.5 carried me through; for some reason counting really helps me stay focused. My first mile came in at 6:45 and I thought it must have been a bit short, mile 2 was 8:07, and the last 1.1 was 8:01 - I may have been off a little bit since my official time came in a few seconds longer than that. The run was pretty much flat overall but there was a bridge we had to go up and over twice; it wasn't too steep but it wasn't flat either.
Official Run Time: 22:53
After I was done I hung around the finish chute for a couple minutes and then saw Jen come in. She looked strong and had a smile on her face. We hung around for a while cheering on other finishers then went to the beer garden and met up with some of the San Diego Triathlon Club members. They were all really friendly and we enjoyed meeting them. Then it was off to a post-race brunch and some relaxation before heading home the next morning.
This morning I decided to do a short swim at the gym and then take a steam.
500m - 9:20
Legs = Heavy, quads a bit sore
This weekend was my first Triathlon (excluding the Tri for Fun in August) and it was awesome.
We left Dublin around 5:45am on Saturday after making a mandatory stop at Starbucks for a Mocha and Lattee. The traffic was fine the entire way down (LA had the customary traffic, no surprise there) and we made it to the pre-race check in 7:37:42 (yes, I used my stopwatch).
After checking in and getting our shirts, swim caps (yellow for me, pink for Jen) we headed down to the race start to drop off our bikes. This was a great decision since we both ended up getting great rack position and it saved us some time in the morning because we did not have to load the bikes onto the car. That evening we had a nice pot-luck dinner with my parents and some of their triathlete friends; ribs, pasta, garlic bread, Caesar salad, and carrot cake - it was delicious.
The next morning we were up at around 4:50am and arrived at the start around 5:30 - parking was already getting crowded but we managed to find a spot and head over to the transition area to get set up. After spending a few minutes over there we made a restroom stop and went over to the car to get our wetsuits on before walking over to the swim start. Jen started 5 minutes before me so I watched her swim out and start the race. Right when her wave took off mine got in the water and swam over to the start line.
In this picture I am directly above the guy in the foreground on the left.
Official Swim Time: 9:45
T1 went well but I'm sure I can cut some time off of it in future races. Getting the wetsuit off was not too big of an issue and I was fairly organized but I did have to keep reminding myself to move quickly (I felt like I was taking my time with drying my face, putting on my shoes, etc).
I took off on the bike and started passing people right off the bat. This lasted until about the halfway point when I saw Jen. I rode past her and said hello and we wished each other good luck; a few seconds later - woosh, woosh, woosh - the 30 somethings started blowing by me. These guys were fast and it was quite a humbling experience to see them go by; however, it also gave me some encouragement since I knew most of those guys had been riding for a few years and I saw what I could work towards. Once we were off Fiesta Island and back into the Sea World area I got stuck behind a couple of guys in the tight areas but was able to get past them and back to transition. We found out after the race that the course was longer this year - instead of 9.1 mi it was closer to 10.5!
Official Bike Time (plus T1 and T2): 35:25
T2 was quick - shoes off, shoes on, helmet off, hat on, go, go, go!
My first thought on the run was "crap, I'm going to have to walk at some point" but that never happened. I guess my 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 from miles .5 to 2.5 carried me through; for some reason counting really helps me stay focused. My first mile came in at 6:45 and I thought it must have been a bit short, mile 2 was 8:07, and the last 1.1 was 8:01 - I may have been off a little bit since my official time came in a few seconds longer than that. The run was pretty much flat overall but there was a bridge we had to go up and over twice; it wasn't too steep but it wasn't flat either.
Official Run Time: 22:53
After I was done I hung around the finish chute for a couple minutes and then saw Jen come in. She looked strong and had a smile on her face. We hung around for a while cheering on other finishers then went to the beer garden and met up with some of the San Diego Triathlon Club members. They were all really friendly and we enjoyed meeting them. Then it was off to a post-race brunch and some relaxation before heading home the next morning.
This morning I decided to do a short swim at the gym and then take a steam.
500m - 9:20
Legs = Heavy, quads a bit sore
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