First Spring Ride

I was able to get out with my neighbor Barret for a couple of hours of riding yesterday. It's amazing that we're half-way through March and this is the first time I've been out this month. I got 3 rides in during January, 1 or 2 in February and it was MUCH colder and crappier then.
We got 30 miles in and battled a little wind, but nothing too serious. Hoping to make it a regular weekend thing. It's a big difference being able to ride with someone...you push a little more and that's always good.

I got my Coach Troy Louisville Ironman bike route DVD this past week and I have to say it's very motivating. Watching four people ride their bikes around the Louisville area may not seem that exciting, but knowing I'll be riding that route this summer with Chris and racing that same route next August (2011), it's a big psychological advantage.

As I focus more on the swim and run, I have to remember to keep and maintain my cycling form and conditioning. Putting in a Wednesday spin workout along with the weekend distance rides should help keep the cycling legs rolling.

As always yoga has to be a key component of my training. This past week was rough and the yoga sessions I squeezed in made a big difference. We decided to take Kyra off bottles this week due to really bad diaper rash and that made for some interesting and LONG nights. It didn't help that one of my EDTECH projects just wouldn't cooperate and I spent many late hours trying to fix the problem. Even more late hours were used reconstructing the entire project...that sucked!
So my workouts suffered last week. I'll be looking to pick up the frequency this week. The intensity won't be greater, just the amount of workouts for the week.

Brittany and I went to the YMCA to swim together today (Sunday) and work on some Total Immersion drills. It was a big help to have her there looking at my technique. Most of the time was spent working on balance in the water, easy kick, shoulder rotation, and breathing.
The biggest lesson learned today - Open your mouth to breathe! I've discovered that I don't open my mouth wide enough to take a good breath. That's probably a big reason why my heart-rate elevates so easily during my swim workouts.

So today's workout:

• 40 minutes of swimming drills

• 20 minutes of running (2 miles total)

My workout plan for this week:

• M/T/Th/F: Swim drills and 20 minute run
  

• W: 45 minutes spinning intervals

• Sat: Swim/Run

• Sun: Long Ride

And as always - Looking to improve each week!

Swim workout

So I got myself out of bed and got a swim workout in this morning. Normally I go in the evening, but it's suppose to thunderstorm tonight, and I didn't want to risk either cutting it short or not getting to swim at all. Up to this point I have put in about 500 yds in about 17-18 minutes. Today, I put in 800 in 29:51.

The "ah ha" moment of the day came after 400 yds. I felt slow and a little "off." Then I swam the next 100 yds. and felt better, even a little smoother. Then another 100 yds. with less perceived effort and the heart-rate dropping to the 60-70% zone. Finally, one last 100 yd set and I felt great. Then I realized, "Oh yeah, the first 300-400 yds is your warm up, dumb ass!" On the run it takes a mile to warm up, on the bike it's about 5-10 and I'm ready to go.

For the swim it's 300-400 yds. point taken.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the rain either holds off or isn't too bad to get a nice morning ride in tomorrow.

Like the zen master says, "We'll see."

Calm Air

So this evening I got in one of my weekly "swim/run" workouts at the YMCA. Overall it felt like a good workout and I left feeling energetic not drained, which is good.

Swim: 500 yds. focusing on keeping my body balanced, both head to toe and side to side. I noticed my feet "sinking" from time to time, but I was able lower my head slightly and quickly correct my form. It was the first time my heart-rate never went over 150 during a workout. I credit smooth form for that little milestone. Total time: 17:51.

Run: After a 1/4 mile warm up, I set the treadmill to a 9 min/mi pace and settled in for 2 miles. I took another 1/2 mile break and finished up with another 1 mile at a 9:30/mi pace.

Total time/distance: 3.5 miles in just under 38 minutes.

The hardest part right now is staying slow. I keep reminding myself to build up my endurance and not worry about "winning" the race during that particular workout. So far so good.

The other thing I MUST remember is to consistently use my inhaler. I didn't notice any major issues today, but I could tell my breathing wasn't as smooth and calm as it has been this past year. About a month after I began using my inhaler regularly ( 2-3 times/day) I noticed a HUGE difference in my physical performance, especially after I finished a workout or race. I was not wheezing or coughing after I was done. When I was racing 5-7 years ago, I sounded terrible after a race and it would take my hours to feel better.

It's amazing what you can do when you can breathe!

I am very excited about the DVDs I ordered today: Total Immersion for Free Style swimming and the newest Spinerval training ride - Ironman Louisville! It's a virtual ride through the actual bike course from the IM Louisville race. That will be priceless in my preparation for next
August. I also bought myself and official Ironman running visor. I won't race with it until next year's IM, but I will use it during my training. Anything for motivation.

Hopefully the weather holds out so I can do a nice long Saturday morning ride and Sunday morning run. If not maybe my DVD will come and I can use it this weekend. I guess we'll find out soon enough!

It begins!

After many years I have finally decided that it's time to make the commitment and prepare to race the an Ironman triathlon. I've wanted to do this since I was in high school. I'd watch the championships from Kona, Hawaii every year, just dreaming of what it would be like to cross the finish line with my hands raised in victory. So begins the journey, in 2010. This actually began last season with my return to duathlon. I had been away from the sport for about 4 year...and had the body to prove it. I participated in three races: Tim-man in May (just happy to finish and feel good), Columbus International triathlon sprint race in July (placed 3rd out of 4 in the 35-39 age group) and picked up a second third place finish in late September at the Toyota Challenge sprint race. The Saturday after my last race, I went for a 100 mile bike ride to celebrate my birthday. That was a good week, athletically speaking.

Now it's time to make the leap into triathlon. I've been swimming for the past year, working on technique and rediscovering my exercised-induced asthma. Actually, the asthma discovery was a good thing. It's under control and I can breathe better than I have in years! It's awesome! I have yet to do any type of open water swim, so I'm both nervous and excited at the same time. In a couple of months I'll find out just how much the pool workouts have paid off. The swim has always kept me away from doing a tri, but now I feel more comfortable than ever in the water. My breathing is calm, my body rotation is smooth and I feel like I'm gaining speed and endurance with every workout.

So here's the plan:

2010
May 23rd - Tri-Tech Triathlon at Caesar Creek (Sprint race 1/2mi. swim, 13mi. bike, 5k run)

June - train, train, train

July 17th - Columbus International Triathlon at Antrim Park (Olympic distance)

August - train, train, train

September 26th (Britt's B-day) 1/2 Ironman race at Deer Creek.

2011
May 24th - Little Smokies 1/2 Ironman at Shawnee State Park in Portsmith, OH

June - train

July - train

August - train, graduate from Boise State, Full Ironman triathlon at *Ironman Louisville, KY
*If all goes well then 2012 will be spent preparing to race in the Ironman World Championships in Kona! The dream will be realized!

So that's the plan. Yes, it's very general with little detail as to "how" I'm going to get there, but that's where the other entries come into play. This blog will help to keep me on track and working towards my goals, both short and long term. This is where I can reflect on individual workouts and races, evaluate what is (and is not) working, make adjustments and continue on. As I reflect on my workouts the details will laid out and full plan will come together.

Wish me luck!

See you on the starting line.