Hooray!

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Last night I watched the election results come in at a bar in Saint Paul with some friends. When Obama was finally called the winner the bar let out a roar. People were cheering, not for a football game, not for a basketball game, but for a presidential candidate winning. They were cheering for a African-American Presidential candidate winning. What a great night, what great day, what a great corner to turn for America.

Camping Trip Up North 08

Every year for the last three years I have gone camping with 3 friends (Matt, Kurt, Dave) from high school. The first two years we stayed on Kurt's land up near New Auburn, WI. He built a tree stand of sorts, a very large tree stand. We would spend the day hiking, canoeing, doing outdoorsy stuff, and then spend the night in the tree stand. Sleeping under the stars, in sleeping bags, with many layers. Usually it was only about 20-30 degrees at night.

Last year we went hiking on the Ice Age Trail, 14 miles on Sat and 7 miles on Sun. The hike was a little taxing, and Kurt received some flack for it, but the camping was fun.

This year we went to Temperance River State Park, about 80 miles north of Duluth on Lake Superior. It is incredibly beautiful. Matt brought an 8 person tent for the 4 of us, which was great. Matt made both dinners and breakfasts, which were great. Dinners were Pastes (meat, potato, and vegetable wrapped in a dough crust and cooked on the fire wrapped in aluminum foil), and bison meat burritos. Breakfast was sausage, biscuits, and gravy the first day, and omelets (I did not eat them) and hash browns the second day.

Saturday we went on a trail run, about 7.3 miles total, on the Superior Trail. Really beautiful trail, what an amazing park. The trail varies from grass, to hard-packed dirt, to rock, to broken rock, stairs, roots, etc. The elevation change is about 850ft.

Kurt got sick Saturday night\Sunday morning for some unknown reason, seemed like food poisoning. He ate the same as us, except for lunch on Friday, could have been the undercooked chicken he had, or maybe he could not handle Saturday's run. I guess we will never know the truth

Saturday night was pretty neat, it was windy and you could hear the waves on Superior hitting the shore as you went to sleep.

It was a great weekend with great friends.

Below is a short video of Matt and Kurt making the gravy on Saturday morning.

Season Done - Season Summary

So with the completion of the Longhorn 70.3 this long, satisfying, fantastic, educational, etc (nothing negative to say) season is over. I am a little sad, and happy, about it. I am sad (and angry, confused, frustrated) about a number of other things also. Those things are for a different discussion, a discussion about relationships, corporate greed, and politics. Above is a summary of my triathlon results for the last, and only, two years. I am pretty happy with the results. Also is a summary of my workouts broken down by month and run, bike, and swim.

I plan on doing not much for the next 3 weeks, maybe a little run and bike. I am not sure if I want to write really personal, unrelated to triathlon and workout stuff, on this blog. Something I need to think about.

Longhorn 70.3 - First Half-Ironman Done

So here I am sitting in a coffee shop\bar (Halcyon) in Austin, haveing one of my favorite beverages. No not a Maker's Mark Manhatten, a large vanilla latte. Mildly recovering from the number of beers I had last while enjoying an awesome blues band at pretty cool bar (Friends). Oh yeah, and recovering from the 70.3 I did yesterday. I actually don't feel too bad today. Some pain the left lower back, a little neck and shoulder pain, some pain in the left knee (nothing to worry about) and my hamstrings feel weird, not cramped, just not right. I am very thirsty, probably the beers last night did not help. So to the race.

I was up at 3AM, actually about 2AM from the sounds of the bars getting out and traffic. I am on the 11th floor of the Hilton Garden Inn in Downtown Austin and I could still hear a ton of street noise, mainly honking horns. For breakfast I had the normal bowl of oatmeal , banana, and coffee, no donut, which I might have needed today. I picked up one of my fellow club members on the way to the race site and we got there by 5AM. Luckily, because as I understand it people who got there around 6AM had to wait almost an hour to park and get to the race site. That is why the race started about 20 minutes late. I get everything setup in transistion pretty fast, helps to put the bike there the night before. It was a pretty cool morning (65), the water was much warm than the air, barely wetsuit legal. Said the water was about 77.5. The swim went very well, I was surprised at my time, my goal was to go under 40min and I went well under that. Only issue during the swim was traffic and about 3/4 way through my left shoulder starting bothering me. Fairly long run from the water to the transistion, uphill run, of course. Bike course was fairly hilly and it was windy. The heat did not pick up until over halfway through. 4 aid stations, skipped the first, got water at the other 3. Dumped half the water on me and then took some in. Had a bottle of water on the bike and a bottle of gatorade, drank almost all the water and 3/4 the gatorade, plus two bloks. I felt pretty good coming off the bike. Like in my long training ride the only thing that bothered me was my lower back and neck a little. Once I got moving off the bike that pain went away. Of course coming into transition was the largest hill of the bike. It was a good bike course, I was surprised at how crowded it was. I definitely would have been faster if not for the crowding. I don't have the balls or the bike skills to manuever like some people in that kind of traffic. Now to the run. I felt pretty good for the first 4 miles or so, then things did not go well. It was hot and the course was extemely hilly. By far the hilliest course I have ever been on. It was two loops and there was 6 aid stations on each loop for a total of 12. They were life savers. I used everyone, they had sponges and towels, which was also a life saver. At about 5+ (near Quadzilla, truly a hell hill) I just stopped being able to turn over. It was not mental, nothing really hurt, not more than expected. I felt the tank of empty, no energy. For the rest of the run I alternated jogging and walking. I think I ran out of gas, I just did not take enough calories. I think I took on plenty of water and other fluids. The last couple miles I felt sick, like I was going to vomit. When I finished I went by the med tent near a garbage can, did not vomit. Nurse came out and asked if I was ok. Told her a felt like vomitting. Took me in the tent, sat me down, took my blood pressure (90 over 70) said I looked pale. Laid me down, gave me an IV and after that I felt wonderful. The tent was packed with people getting IVs The race was great, I great learning experience I can take into next year when I do more of them. Swim was great, bike was very good, the run was, well, the run. Last race of the season and I was very happy with it. After the race they had a party at Hill's Cafe that was buffet style with BBQ (Chicken and Pork) with live music. That was really good. So far Austin has been good to me. Off to Lance Armstrong's bike shop, Mellow Johnnies. Later I will post my stuff for the whole year. Well, another great season in the bag and looking forward to next season, and more half-IMs, olympics, sprints, and duathlons.....

Overall - 741/1929

Age Group - 97/219

Total Time - 5:46:43

Swim (1.2 miles) - 29:23 (1:31/100yds, second fastest split of the year next to Escape from Alcatraz current assisted swim)

T1 - 4:27

Bike (56 miles) - 2:50:48 (19.7MPH)

T2 - 2:26

Run (13.1 miles) - 2:19:37 (10:39 min/mi, ugh, what are you gonna do?)

On the Way Out to TX Soon

I am writing this from work (don't tell anyone). In a few hours I am going to the airport and not shortly after that I am will going to Austin with all my crap (Bike case, tri bag, laptop bag, bag with clothes). I am excited and nervous, excited and nervous to do my first half IM. Nervous about getting everything there, setup, and organized before the race. Hasn't been a problem this year yet. This is my 3rd fly-to-race this year and there have been no issues with the other two. If anything was going to happen it was going to be Alcatraz, and that went off pretty well.
I think I am well prepared, training for almost 10 months, 17 races prior to this one, and pretty good taper. Sleep has been not good this week, some soreness, pain in neck and back, not sure where that came from. Some stress from work. Once I get out of here and get going I think things are going to be good (great!). I just have to keep my eye on the goal, focus, not psych myself out (have not done that all year, not worried), and everything should be good.
The plan is to settle get comfortable at each event and then pick up speed, since I have not done this distance before, not sure how to attack. For a sprint or olympic distance I can pretty much go full bore and not worry about pacing, especially the sprint. Here, especially the run, I should come out a little slow and then build speed. Hopefully negative splitting.
Time to stop writing and get back to work. Ugh.

Fast Weekend and Long Workouts

The weekend went by really fast and I had a couple of really long workouts.  Workouts where I learned a lot.  I admit, during the week I had my doubts and thought about cutting the workout short on Saturday and Sunday, I am glad I did not.  I got up at 6AM, had oatmeal and 2 bananas, one more banana than usual.  Got to Bally's by 8AM.  Swam 41 minutes straight, went at least 2000 yards, lose track with all the flip turns.  I went more if anything, when I thought I lost track I would go down a 50, assume I was short.  After that I stopped at a gas station and got coffee, a donut, water, and Gatorade.  I drove to Stillwater, on the way there had the coffee, donut, and a little water and gatorade.  

I had the training wheels on the Seduza, new tires, because the old one had been wore, especially the back one from the trainer.  Put on two bottle cages, one of them with Gatorade, the other one was a bottle with the top cutoff so I could put food in it.  A bag of Shot Bloks (I think Strawberry) and fig newtons.  I left Stillwater (Stillwater is a beautiful little town, that gets crowded with tourists on the weekend) north to Taylors Falls.  What a beautiful ride and beautiful day.  My coach suggested this ride.  It is pretty hilly, nice wide shoulder, which is good since the traffic did get heavy at times.  I must have seen 100s of motorcycles.  The ride was good until about the 40 mile mark when my back started acting up a little.  I went a total of 52 miles in 2 hours 46 minutes, longest ride of the year.  My goal for the Longhorn 70.3 is 2 hours 45 minutes (56 miles).  It looks like I am in good shape.  

Got off the bike and ran north out of Stillwater.  Maybe a bad idea for the hour run.  Going north out of Stillwater takes you out of the river valley.  Which is uphill.  The half hour out was almost all uphill.  On the way back, I had to walk at about the 4 mile mark and 5 mile mark.  I did go about 6.2 miles in the hour.  Good thing about the run was that the back pain from the bike was gone. 

Took awhile to cool down.  Then I went down the street to Whitey's Bar, thought I would eat in Stillwater since I was there.  Had a huge, and delicious club sandwich and mound of fries.  I think I was driving the bartender crazy with how fast I was downing water and Diet Coke.  On the way home I stopped at Dairy Queen for an Cherry Arctic Float (Soft Serve, Ice, and Cherry flavor mixed up, Yum).  Matt (him and his wife are my best friends all the way back from high school) called and told me that the family (Jen's parents also) were going to Pad Thai for Matt's Bday.  Pig out time.  In the span of about 3-4 hours I had the huge club and fries, the DQ float, roast duck curry (with rice) and a 22oz Kirin Ichban, along with all the water, diet coke, etc.  Not even that full.  

After dinner and going back to Matt and Jen's house for a bit, met Eric to see Burn After Reading.  Pretty good movie, you have to like the Coen brothers to like this movie.

On Sunday, up at 5AM to volunteer at the Iron Girl Duathlon in Bloomington.  I got to stand at the top of long steep hill and warn cyclists of the railroad tracks at the bottom on the first lap, second lap warn of tracks and the turn for transition, also a lot of cheering.  It was really fun.  I am going to volunteer more next year.  Watching people do triathlons and duathlons is amazing.  To see the looks on people faces, there reactions, just fascinating, fun, just a great experience, an experience you don't get to enjoy as much when racing.

In the afternoon I ran 2 hours (13.6  miles) longest run of the year.  Not too bad.  Ran down to the Mississippi, along the Mississippi on both sides and back home.  Hotter than I thought it was going to be.

I was tired today and sore, not too surprising.  Most soreness in quads and hamstrings behind the knees.  I felt dead, but kind of good, for the 3100 yard swim workout I had tonight.  

I can't believe that I am training like this near the end of the year.  I feel good, which is great.

Things are progressing well as this season comes to the end.  I feel good about doing my first 70.3.  The goal I set of 5 hours 5 minute seems possible.  40 minute swim, 2:45 on the bike, and 1:35 on the run.  I think the run is going to be really the only push.  It will be a learning experience, which will be great.  

This is the longest post I have written, I think.  Time to stop blathering.

3 Years of Duathlons

So, I am tired after racing last Sunday and working out everyday this week.  Work on Friday was frustrating.  I have mixed feelings about Saturday, which will be a simulated 70.3 (40 min swim, 3 hour bike, 1 hour run), which be my longest workout of the year, and a 2 hour run on Sunday.  No rest day until Friday Oct. 3. Not complaining, just saying.  I am very excited, and nervous, to be doing the Longhorn 70.3.

On to the point of this entry.  I ran cross country and swam 3 years in high school, plus a year of track my senior year.  Then I went to college, then I went to grad school, then I got my first "real" job and essentially stop exercising for 10-12 years.  I started running\jogging 5-6 years ago.  When I moved to Saint Paul 4+ years ago I got a little more serious about running, and then about 3 years ago I added some biking to my training.  I bought a new bike (Lemond Sarthe) in early April of 2006 and did my first duathlon (Gear West Duathlon) in May.  I was slow and it hurt.  I did 6 duathlons that year and a lot of 5Ks and a couple 10Ks, without a lot of training in between.  I was kind of winging the training.  In Oct of that year I bought my first tri-bike (QR Seduza) and did the Green Bay Duathlon with it, probably about 2 weeks after I bought the bike.  It was a painful summer, but I loved it, and it led me to start swimming so I could do triathlons in 2007, which lead me to spend more money on equipment, and eventually hire a coach this year.  In 2006 I weighed about 225, in January of 2008 I was about 205, and now I am currently about 185, sometimes a little closer to 180.  I have tried to change my diet over this time.  Cut out regular soda, drink barely any diet soda (trying to quit that also, get most of my much needed caffeine from coffee, yum), more fruits and vegetables, trying to cut back on the beef, eat a little more chicken, etc.  

Above to the right are the results for my duathlons for the last 3 years.  I think next year I will probably do the same 4 duathlons, I would like to do 12-14 triathlons next year.  After the Longhorn 70.3 I will post my triathlon results for the last 2 years, and my workout summary for the last 2 years.  Exciting!