Kind of back in it

Cleared to swim, I went to the pool for the first time since August. In my mind I was pretty sure I could knock out 600y in 100y increments. I figured I'd do 100's until I was tired or sore and see what that got me. I was apprehensive as I jumped in the pool and not exactly sure I would remember what I was doing. I also wanted to try some of the techniques I'd been reading about and watching on YouTube. The first hundred went pretty well. I had forgotten a lot of the good habits I had learned, but still did it without much trouble. I did a better job of not crossing mid-line with my hands, but my body rotation still needs work. I also need to work on my core and tighten up so my hips won't dip. I rode the trainer for 30 min. at the middle setting the other day as well. It felt good to sweat. All may not be lost for this season, even if I can't meet the goals I set before my injury.

Follow-up & Therapy

I had my post-surgical follow up Monday and started therapy on Tuesday. I'll be going three times a week and I have a home program to follow as well. The exercises are challenging. Form is the most important thing to follow. The doctor has cleared me to bike at 50% and I can swim or even run in the pool. It doesn't look like I'll be doing the Resolution Run, unless it's just to run it and not worry about a time. I go for my next appointment on Jan. 6th. I'm off work so I can concentrate on getting better. I've been working in the modeling studio quite a bit and I have a couple of commissions to keep me busy. I hate to think how far my fitness level has fallen in two months. I hope I can gain it back quickly. I think my season will have to start much later than I had hoped, but I think I may salvage a couple of races this year. We shall see.

Surgery

Well, this blog has turned into more of a injury blog than a training and racing blog. I got a surgical consult this morning and the neuro-surgeon wanted to move pretty quickly. He and my spine center doctor are concerned that if I don't act, I risk permanent nerve damage to the C5 nerve root. I was looking in the mirror and feeling my scapula and I already have noticeable atrophy in my shoulder. I was hopeful that with the absence of pain and some strength returning that I could escape surgery. My doctors agree that I still have nerve root impingement and all the healing that I have so far is the absence of inflammation. I'm very hopeful for a good recovery. I think I'm in good hands for the surgery. Being off work for a few weeks is something I'm looking at with some trepidation. Sitting around and watching TV sounds like a dream come true. I enjoy that kind of thing, but I'm not sure I'm going to enjoy being forced into it. I think I'll be back at training by the first of the year. I'm hoping that I've built enough of a base that I can get back the times and distances quickly. I'll miss the Turkey Trot, but I think I can be back at it in time for the Resolution Run 5k. I hope so.

Tests and off-season training

I get an EMG on Wednesday. After I saw the Spine Center specialist he said that my condition didn't indicate any need for epidural injections. I was happy to hear that. Unhappy to remain ignorant of my condition and what kind of recovery time I'm looking at. I expect a couple of things; a nerve entrapment caused by a lifetime of sports, or some nerve damage caused by some other weird problem. I've been getting better more rapidly after a few days of remaining at a plateau gaining back strength. I'm off medication for the most part including Tylenol and Advil. I still take some Tylenol PM at bed time.

I had intended to have a half marathon and the training that went with it to carry me into the off-season. Injury has precluded that. I also intended to be well into a strength program that would have me in better condition overall. Now, with the injury, it's just run and ride the trainer. I wish I could get out on the road and I also wish I could do a little single track riding. For the time being, it's 4 on Monday, 5 on Wednesday, and 3 on Friday. A return to 10k for a long run is surely in the near future. I ride the trainer on Tuesday and Thursday for an hour. Hopefully after diagnosis and treatment I can get back to strength training. If I can get back to swimming by February, I'll be on track to meet my goals. If not, I may have to skip a couple of races early in the season.

Results and referral

I got my MRI results the other day and with the help of a good friend who is a Radiology Tech, I was able to see some of the things that I read about in the report. I have a couple of bulging discs and narrowing in the channels where the nerve roots exit the spine. I got referred to The St. John's Spine Center. I was a little apprehensive about this based on the initial call. After a little research, I think this will be the best place for me to get treatment. I only hope they won't get their heads too wrapped around my discs and ignore what I think could be a peripheral nerve problem. Meanwhile, most of my pain has subsided. The numbness has reduced to about one square inch in the center of my deltoid. I can live with all this. The weakness is about intolerable to my mind. Working over my head is nearly impossible, I fatigue easily and I just can't do some stuff. I'll continue to train. My distances are going to change a little, and I'll still be stuck inside for cycling on the trainer. I was pretty lazy today. I'll get back on the horse tomorrow. I think I'll be doing M/W/F thing and 3,4,5 miles. I'll probably do the Turkey Trot, but I don't know if I'll make my goal of sub 24 minute finish time. All that is provided they don't sideline me after my Dr. appointment.

MRI Etc.

Well, I got my MRI the other day. No results yet. I'm heartened by the idea that I don't likely have a rotator cuff injury. At the same time, the unknown quantity of what kind of neurological problem I may have is bothering me some. I've talked to a couple of folks who seem to have had similar injuries. I'm hoping I can come out of this just needing a couple of cortisone injections and some therapy. I did get back to running. I decided to do what I could tolerate. I did three on the treadmill and that was no trouble at all. I ran an outdoor 10k on my regular route on Friday evening. I intended to do 12 miles today as a test for the half marathon. I woke up very sore this morning and decided it was the better part of valor to skip it, and move to an off-season mentality earlier than intended. The half marathon was a collateral goal for the year. I exceeded my intended goal way back in the summer. I think I've gotten the bug now. I can't hardly stand to skip a training session. I kind of felt like I wussed out by skipping the half marathon, but I really want to stay focused on multi-sport. If I triggered another neck episode like I had last time I would be kicking myself for doing something I'd been advised against.

Having an in home PT has it's benefits. She has me on an exercise program to help strengthen where I'm weak. It's helping quite a bit. This lack of stability is what's causing most of my pain anyway. And with some kind of program, I at least feel like I'm being proactive in getting better. For the off season, I think I'll be running every other day, and doing the trainer on the opposite days. Hopefully by February/March I'll be able to swim again. My strategy is to 3-5-7, or 4-6-8 miles, and 1-1.5 hours on the trainer. I've been advised to stay off the road on my bike until I have more strength in my shoulder. Should I begin to wreck, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the proper strength in my shoulder to protect myself and keep it from more extensive injury. I'm not digging this injury business. Nope, not one bit.

Diagnosis and motivation

I got this video from USAT's facebook feed. I thought it was very moving. Being faced with injury that has sidelined me for a bit with so much uncertainty at this point I was inspired by these athletes.

I went to the Orthopedic Doctor yesterday. He's confident that I don't have a rotator cuff tear. He believes I have an impinged nerve root in my neck. If not at the neck then somewhere else that's causing my issue. I get a little stronger each day. I still have trouble sleeping all night long and I'm still taking meds for pain. I go for an MRI soon. After that, they'll know if I have an impinged nerve root in my neck.

The Doc gave me license to do whatever I could tolerate. I decided that I would run on the treadmill in case I had difficulty. It went very well actually. I was a little slower as one might expect after taking over a week off from training. I'll try six on Friday and if that goes well, twelve on Sunday. If twelve goes well, I'll go ahead and do the half marathon. All of this is obviously based on whether or not news from the MRI and subsequent visits to the Doc allow.

Shoulder Injury

Seriously bumming over this. I've been training diligently for this half marathon coming up in November. It's looking like I'll have to skip it. I also had all these plans for the off season and the following triathlon season. Well, the best laid plans and all that. I have developed a shoulder injury that has all the symptoms of a torn rotator cuff. It started with a muscle spasm in the scapular area. I've had these before and they usually go away with massage, Advil and time. This one just seemed to get worse. I'm hopeful that I'm just dealing with a nerve entrapment or something similar that doesn't mean shoulder surgery. Shoulder surgery is going to mean a setback of roughly 9 months to a year with surgery, rehab and then getting back in shape. I'm trying to be positive, and take things as they come. I see the Orthopedic doctor next Tuesday. I expect that will be followed by an MRI etc. Meanwhile, I have quite a bit of pain and difficulty sleeping.

1/2 M training & IM Branson thoughts

Switching to training for the half marathon has been a little different. I miss the variety of training for multi-sport events. Now I run five days a week, when before I was running three times a week. I have added a bike ride or two just because I can and I enjoy it. I need to hit the pool sometime in the coming weeks just to see if I can apply any of the lessons I learned at the swim clinic.

I pulled a real boneheaded move last week. I haven't given blood in some time because it would have meant a disruption in training and my race schedule. However, I decided that I could manage it with a couple of days rest. So, I gave. I decided AFTER I gave to research the recovery period. What I found out was much worse than I imagined. While my fluids would be back up in time for my eight mile weekly long run, my hemoglobin would take in the neighborhood of two-three weeks to get back to normal. Needless to say, my long run was a debacle. Average split was about a minute to a minute and a half slower than my last long run. I walked much more than I would have liked. Hydration is becoming an issue as well. I bought a fuel belt the other day so I don't have to worry about where to find a water stop anymore. I'm switching up my long run route too. I'll hit the Ozarks Greenways South Creek trail this Sunday.

I went down to Branson last Sunday to watch the athletes compete in the IM 70.3. I missed the swim, but managed to find a pretty good vantage point for the bike portion. I got to see all the leaders fly through. When the main pack came through I moved to the T2 are to see some of the run. The bike course is very challenging. I know because my last race of the season was the same route. Long and steep hills are de rigeur for this course. I knew several people that were doing the race. One friend got food poisoning and couldn't compete. Another finished, but got ill on the bike section. One acquaintance had reportedly killed on the swim and bike, only to bonk from dehydration on the run. My neighbor Dennis finished with a pretty fair time even though he tells me he walked some of the run. I salute all these folks for having the guts to train and enter this very grueling race. It's on my radar if they continue to have it. I'm reviewing training plans now. 2011? No. 2012? Maybe...

Swim Clinic & 10k

I attended a swim clinic sponsored by The Starting Block at the Meyer Center last weekend. Poor timing perhaps because, basically I'm done swimming for the year. I didn't want to pass up the opportunity for some coaching and my own underwater video. I was given some tips to help me, and I also identified a couple of things that should help me be more efficient and as a result faster. I'm told that there will be more of these in the future. I'll attend if I'm able.

I started my eleven week 1/2M training last week. Strength training has replaced swimming and I still bike some just to keep in the groove, and also because I enjoy it. Figuring out routes for long runs will be a challenge.

I did a 10k in Saddlebrook MO this past weekend. It was a very nice course and a beautiful morning for running. My good friend Don ran with me and helped me keep pace. I finished with a time 52:02, a PR for me including training runs. I should be on track for a fair pace in the 1/2M. We went to breakfast afterward and it was great to visit and catch up with Don. I'll probably do another 10k in October.

New bike & 10k coming up

I started shopping in earnest for a new bike right after the Tiger-Tri. Craigslist Kansas City, Tulsa, and Springfield were the main ones I looked at. I checked several times a day and waited patiently for an upgrade at a decent price. This one came up one Sunday afternoon and I was enthusiastic that it might fit the bill. I'm very happy with my purchase. It's a nice light bike. I added my pedals and saddle. I think I'll eventually swap out the handlebars for a wider set. I sold my old bike the very next weekend after I did some long overdue maintenance and repair. New brakes and a headset, then some slight adjustments. I think the girl that bought it has more bike than she was looking for, but I sold it at a fair price. Ironic that I get a new bicycle just as I plan to switch to training for the half marathon.

I'm doing a 10k this Saturday. It will be my first. I'm looking forward to seeing how I do. My long run these days is a 10k. I've been sub 9' pace the last two times, so I'm hoping for 8:40-8:50 pace in this race.

Looking ahead, I think I'll get back to triathlon training in February. For now, I'll try to maintain a base that will make the transition to multi-sport training easy. I did a swim clinic Sunday. I should have an underwater video to post soon.

End of the season

I raced my last triathlon of the summer yesterday. Since the last entry I raced in the Tiger-Tri in Republic, and the Mountain Man in Branson. That's a total of five sprints and one Duathlon for the summer. I have enjoyed almost every grueling minute.

Republic Tiger Tri- This was a very well organized race that fielded nearly four hundred athletes. Chris my neighbor Dennis and I rode over together. I had a good race. I knocked off about 45 seconds off of my time from Willard. I was a bit faster on the swim, but T1 and T2 were not as fast as they could have been. The ride course was advertised as "Flatter and Safer than last year". I would hate to have seen last years course. This course was not flat at all. But, what do you expect for this area. I had ridden part of the course on a training ride the previous week, so I was prepared. The run was pretty uneventful, and I did okay with an 8:24 pace. At the end they had Popsicles, my favorite post race treat, and pizza. Dennis managed to win third in his age group.

Mountain Man- This was a tough race and the longest of my season. Many of the participants of this race are prepping for the 70.3 in September. I wish them all luck. I did about as expected in the swim and my transitions went fairly well. The bike was the hardest ride I've ever done. One huge hill right right at the beginning, a long slow climb, followed by a short steep climb. The downhills were thrilling with speeds approaching 45mph. Everyone I saw was slowed to a walking pace several times by the challenging hills this course provided. The run was equally hilly and difficult. I had the worst 5k of my life I think. Pace was over 10 min. I don't know if it was the hilly course, or following a difficult bike, but I started cramping about halfway on the run. This was something new for me. I probably needed to hydrate better than I did for such a long race. One thing that was a little distressing and cost me some time was getting to the second aid station and finding they were out of cups. By this time I really needed water. I wound up grabbing a discarded cup to get a good drink. This alleviated the cramping for a while, but I still had to walk portions of the last half mile. This was along fairly steep up hill. By the time I got to the finish, I was about locked up. More water and some massage and I was okay. It was a fun race even with the difficulties. My friends Chad and Zach, and Dennis each won prizes for placing in their age groups. Congrats fellas.

It's been a terrific season. I want to do all of the same races again next year. I think I can improve on all aspects of my game. I'm done swimming for a while, but I'll stay on the bike to cross-train and switch to running farther to begin training for the half marathon in November. We'll see how training goes. My goal next year is to do the Concrete-Man long course. With that goal in mind, I'll have to train harder, but I should have a better base from which to start.

What's in a name?

When do you become a Tri-Athlete? Is it when you begin to train like one? After you complete your first swim/bike/run event? How big does that event have to be, sprint distance, Olympic, Iron man? I would like to consider myself a tri-athlete. But I think I have to say I'm more of an aspiring tri-athlete. I've been training seriously all year for sprint distance races. I've completed three and I'm on track to complete four for sure and perhaps five. I think I can call it a success when I've completed an Olympic distance, open water swim race. But will that even be enough?

Looking to the future; I know I want to keep on doing this. I've never felt better in my life. And it's not about the health. It's about the race. Without the races, I would not train with the same intensity that I do now. I wouldn't challenge myself in the pool, on the bike or on foot. As I said before, I want to do some bigger events. I also want to get faster in the shorter events. I'm not sure I have the inclination to do a full IM race. I may, someday, attempt a half IM. With my first season coming to a close, I'm finding it a little sad. I'll shift gears soon to begin training for a half marathon. If the training goes well, I'll do one in early November. In the near future, I expect to do a 10k or two, and a 5k or two before the end of the year. Shifting gears to a running only workout will be a little odd. I've gone back through this blog since I started writing it, and I'm pretty amazed at how far I've come. I have more to build upon for next year. I also have a lot to learn.

Concrete Man thoughts

I finished this race yesterday. It was my first open water swim triathlon. There was a simultaneous Olympic distance race going as well. The swim portion was a triangle and began in heats. I went in the last heat. I had a terrible time initially getting any rhythm going. I was even dog-paddling for a few seconds because the shear number of people in the vicinity made free-style swimming too difficult. My time was poor, but I met my goal of doing free-style for the entirety. I didn't have to resort to resting backstroke or side-stroke after I got away from the crowd. My plan was to swim outside the crowd, but I found that moving inside was better. I did get bumped and crowded a few times. I even had to hip-check one swimmer. I finished feeling good. The bike was uneventful as these things go. Me and a couple of other riders kept trading positions for the first half of the course. I finally left one of these guys behind and thought I had left the other one behind as well. He showed back up within the last three miles or so and stayed ahead of me slightly into the transition area. I passed him during the run and didn't have to worry with him the rest of the way. The run could have been slightly better, but with the heat and the general uphill of the first mile, I'm okay with my time. I finished 53 out of 117. I'm considering the Olympic distance for next year, although the thought of doing that swim loop three times sounds a little intimidating right now. I have to remind myself of something that my friend Mike tells me when the subject of swimming comes up; this time last year I was struggling to finish 100 yards. One more race for sure this year, with perhaps another if I feel especially good about it. Back to training tomorrow.

One word about some of the better athletes that participate in these events. Some of these people are animals. I can't believe how fast they are able to swim bike and run. Getting lapped by the first wave wasn't really demoralizing as they started ten minutes before, but some of them moved past so fast I felt like I was treading water. Then on the bike, I was moving along at a decent 20-21 mph and I heard this WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH. Then I get passed by someone on a high tech time trial bike with aerodynamic wheels. The next thing I know, he's at the top of the next hill and gone. I find it all pretty amazing. I wish I had started this sport much earlier in my life.

Concrete Man Results

ConcreteMan and beyond

I registered for the ConcreteMan Triathlon which is this Saturday. I'll be doing the short distance; 500y swim, 12.5 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I've been reluctant to register for this race because the open water swim was a little intimidating. I started training at Table Rock Lake every week to see if I can get my head wrapped around it. I finally got in a practice swim of some substance last Monday, so I pulled the trigger and decided to do it. I gathered some confidence in the pool a few days earlier when I did a mile total. I two small breaks. One at 1000, the next at 1500. Both were just long enough to set the stopwatch, and rinse the goggles. Look for results when I get done.

I still plan to do the Tiger Tri in Republic. I think Chris will be doing that one with me and perhaps another old Friend. My sister in law is planning to do it as well. I found out that there will be one in Branson the following week. I may do it as well. I find that I'm a little sad to see the season come to a close. my efforts will then turn to training for a half marathon in November. We'll see how the training goes before I commit. I'll miss my swim training, but I'll cut that off until next February.

Open water swimming

I've been practicing open water swimming as a test and preparation for the Concreteman triathlon in July. I'm still a little intimidated by an open water swim. Not having that breathing break and push-off every 25 yards will be a bit of a head game for me. Swimming the other night, I had to remind myself that I was still breathing and breathing just fine. I've been swimming across the swim beach near our boat slip in Table Rock Lake. It's about eighty yards if I swim next to the rope. I need to work on my sighting, because I've been using the rope as a crutch to guide me. The Concreteman has two levels; the long-1k yard swim, 25 mile bike, 5 mile run, and the short-500 yard swim, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run. I'll be doing the short this year and hopefully the long next year. I need a lot of pool time and open swim time before I'll have the confidence to to 1k yards in the lake. I am enjoying the journey as much as anything though. I'm trying very hard to remain injury free, and so far so good. One thing I've discovered; success in racing seems to breed success in training and vice-versa.

Willard Triathlon & DuSeries

I did the DuSeries duathlon as planned with my good friend Don. It was a 2 mile run 11 mile bike 2 mile run event. I had a great time and with Don pushing and coaching me, I did fairly well. With an average speed of 18.5 for the eleven mile bike, it was faster than I usually do. We were really cranking on the downhill curves before we reach the crushing stairstep hills up the dam on the west side of the lake. My legs were shaking when I got into the transition area. The 2nd 2 mile run was a booger. Much slower than the first but we finished strong. They had popsicles at ther end and I believe they were the best I've ever had. There are usually four races in the series, I think I'll try to do them all next year.



Well, I got another race under my belt. The Frisco Runaway Triathlon was yesterday. My wife's stepbrother, my sister in law and myself participated. It was my sister in law's first tri. I had a terrific race. The swim was a snake swim without ropes which caused me no less than two head on collisions. My time suffered as a result, but better training could have helped even more. The bike course was challenging to say the least. The first 5 miles were okay and it would have made for a very nice ride if the rest of the course was flat. The middle four were a terror, lots of curving uphills that chewed up the legs. The run was fairly flat being on reclaimed railroad bed. I can't really say I had a PR, because my last race had different distances, but I was thrilled to see that my average speeds were significantly better for the bike and run portions. Some improvement is exactly what motivates me to do more and do it better. I'm considering The Concreteman in July which is an open water swim, and I'll definitely do the TigerTri in Republic in August. This race was a great little event that will make my schedule next year as well.

The Results

Duathlon Tuesday

Tomorrow I'll run a 10k training run and then rest on Monday. Tuesday, I'm running 2 mile run 11 mile bike, 2 mile run duathlon. I think my friend Don is going to do it with me. He's a much better runner and cyclist than I am, so I expect to be pretty far behind him. I'm hoping the heat isn't unbearable. The event is at 6pm on a Tuesday, so at least the sun will be low in the sky.

I'm not really ready to run in the heat. Biking isn't so bad, you get a little breeze. I am going to have to do something about all the sweat. It stings my eyes when I wear sunglasses.

Got my swim back pretty quickly. I think I'm on schedule to do about a 7 minute swim for the Willard triathlon. That event is coming up quickly. I'm ready to get another event behind me.

I'm already thinking about some longer events for next summer. I'm thinking the long version of the Concrete-man triathlon may be a goal to attain for next summer. A half Iron Man...I think that's a little further down the road.

Summer means the lake

Getting my swim back. Tomorrow I'll extend another 100 for a total of 900. I think my stroke technique is getting better. I'm trying to extend further and keep my arms in the water longer. I think I'm faster, but I don't really remember my splits from before. I've been taking some great rides these past few days. The heat is starting to have an effect on my training. My biggest discomfort is the sweat running in my eyes. We're taking our boat to the lake on Monday. I'm going to try my hand at open water swimming for a little distance I think. Today I did a strength workout with some friends. I was going to cut out early because I needed to do a four mile run. One of my friend says, "Hey you do two more reps with us, and I'll run four with you." I reluctantly buckled and said okay. I got revenge on the run. He was tired at mile 2 and dying after about mile 3. After 4.45 we walked it in.

Training training training

I got back in the pool week before last. I've been working on getting back some running endurance, and the bike is going great. I've been on some great rides lately, and one that was a little harrowing. I got into some horrendous hills thinking I would only have to hit them once. Then I got to the low water bridge. The creek was high and I thought about carrying my bike across, but saw gravel road and decided to go back the way I came. It was tough! I gained some confidence in my climbing ability though. I ran an 8k race a while back and got a fairly decent time. I ran in the rain, but it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. My good friend Don gave me decent Brooks hat and I'm happy to say I've used it a few times since then. I'm looking forward to my next race in Willard on June 19th. I guess I better get registered.

We just finished our SORT recerts and I have to say that all this exercise was a huge help. I finished out obstacle course in the top 5, and felt great afterward. The physical challenges were met pretty handily, but the mental ones were a little tougher. Some written tests were challenging and our MO course was a BITCH! Passed it, officially on the first attempt. Unofficially, after the third and final attempt. Glad it's over for another year.

Trying to maintain

Took a fantastic ride on Sunday. I found the plaques in downtown Springfield that mark the spots where Wild Bill Hickok and Dave Tutt stood for their infamous gunfight in which Hickok gunned down Tutt over a gambling dispute. In total I rode 22 miles on a crisp spring afternoon. Today I took a tough hilly ride that was not so glorious, but it has given me some confidence in hill climbing. My legs are burning tonight. I emptied out my hot tub while I was out riding, and now I wish I could get in it.

I'm somewhat back on a training schedule I'm already having difficulty getting a balance with real life. I got back to interval training. I did a workout with the fellas the other day that included sections of the SORT obstacle course as well as some other challenging tests of strength. Hopefully I won't injure myself in the process. I plan to run an 8k race on Saturday. I'll register tomorrow. I'm pretty sure Don and his girl Ronna are doing it as well. We'll see who else shows up. I would kind of like to see if my 5k time has improved, but I think I'd rather challenge myself a bit on the 8k. I should get back to swimming in May. Hopefully I won't lose much over the month's break.

Back in training

I started right back where I left off. My next race is in about two months. I think I'm looking to compete in this one. If I can get my average speed on the bike up to 16-17, and get my 5k time a few seconds better I can improve on my outing in Claremore. I have to admit that I wasn't even thinking about longer distance races, but now I am.

My other hobby has definitely taken a back seat though. This is what I feared. I'm hopeful that when the new wears off of Triathlons I'll find the drive again. I find lately that my time in the studio is not as enjoyable as it once was. I think that will end when I get a few projects off my backlog. After I get a couple of dioramas finished, I'll start some new work and see of lightning strikes. Till then, it's run/bike/swim!

Claremore OK Sprint Tri done

I'm happy to say I did respectably well in my first triathlon. I was thrilled with the swim result and moderately happy with the bike, and slightly disappointed with the run. All in all it was a terrific experience. I plan to do at least two more this summer. After that I'm considering a half marathon in October. That ought to fill my year. There will probably be a 5k or two in the mix as well. The event Chris and I ran last Sunday was full with four hundred participants. Three-hundred-forty-one finished. I can't thank my friends the Lamphears enough for helping us out by picking up our packets and taking some extra pictures of us. Mike was especially helpful with advice and encouragement along the way. I feel like I have a base to work from now. I want to shave four minutes off my time when I do this event next year. The miraculous thing is, I feel great, no significant joint pain, no real muscle soreness. I am ready to train again. My next Tri will be June 19 in Willard MO. I'll be back in the pool early in May, if not sooner.

One week to race day

This time next week, hopefully I will be chilling after a good supper waiting for my first race. When I first decided to do this I was looking only to complete a race. Now I'm looking to finish with a respectable time for my age group. Barring injury or damage to my bicycle, I think I'll do okay. I've been timing my swim and get about 2:10/100y. My ride is pretty good with average speed around 18mph, and my run is decent at about 7-7.5 mph. After this race, I think I'm going to take a week off and reassess for my next race in June. I have never enjoyed training more than I have these last three months. I look forward to each element every day and I've even managed to build on the foundation I started with in January.

Next week, I have to be out of town for a training session. There will be a certain amount of PT I'm sure. Outside of that, I'll take it a little bit easy before race-day.

Stay tuned for results a week from tomorrow.

BRICK!

My first Tri is coming up soon. April 11th in Claremore OK. Chris Tallman and I are going to go down and stay the night and then get up early and try to act like we're athletes. I've been working hard, and I know Chris will be up to the challenge by race day as well. He has done this before, but it's all new to me. I have talked to more experienced friends about tri-athlon logistics, and I think they have given me some good advice. I'm still worried about the swim, but more about being competitive than completion. I've managed to get up to 700y in a session and that's pretty close to my theory of going double distance on all three events. I'll do my first brick Sunday. It'll have to be indoors though. I plan to go 40 min. on the trainer and then 20 min. on the treadmill at about 7 mph. Since I've been training in the pool, I've managed to get more confidence. I've gone from swimming 25y and having to rest to swimming 100y and still having some gas in the tank. It's encouraging, but I still lack the confidence to just crank out 500m. It's coming though.

Dogged determination

I hate to miss a workout these days. I have manipulated my schedule to insure that I don't actually. Other than small modifications to accommodate a race, I don't think I've missed one this year. I am going to have to skip a couple in the coming weeks and I hope that it doesn't serve as a setback. I'm going to have to push a little in the coming weeks to get a little faster on my run and hopefully the bike as well. It's difficult to tell how I'm doing on the bike as I have been riding indoors on the trainer about 90% of the time. One outdoor ride this year actually. As it warms up I expect to change up my routine some. I also should be starting "Bricks" this month, but I will likely put that off until I get into mid-late March. That should be interesting. Swimming is going well. I came to the realization that I'm going to have to push a little harder in the pool if I intend to get any better. A couple of revelations about rhythmic breathing have helped me out some. Some coaching would be of great benefit. I made my goal of 600 yards in a 30 minute session. I'm now working on closing the rest gaps. With seven sessions left, I'll probably buy another value pass to get me up to race time. Next year I think I'll join the Meyer Center for three months and see how I like that. Meyer has more lap lanes and some instruction available as well. I've started grappling once a week with my SORT brethren, and that has added an extra half hour to an hour on to my weekly routine. I don't think it's going to be much help in the Tri-athlon. Looking forward to swimming today to see if I can push ahead a little.

An hour a day

I started tracking my training on Training Peaks. It's kind of interesting to see how much time you spend training and how much time you thought you spent training. I find that on average I spend an hour a day. I've given up my rest day to do strength or swimming. I thought I would regret that, but I haven't yet. I came upon a realization as I was swimming my last fifty the other day. I've been having difficulty with this rhythmic breathing business. Despite the advice I've gotten from some more accomplished swimmers I've struggled with this particular aspect of swimming. The realization is this; I don't need to gasp a huge lung full of air every time I breathe. Just take in what I need. Why the hell I thought I needed to gasp a big amount of air is beyond me. I don't breathe that way when I run or bike. So, I'm putting together more pieces of the puzzle and I'm looking forward to spending some time in the pool Saturday to work on that aspect of my stroke. The running and biking are really just moving along steadily. When it starts to warm up, I think I'm going to extend my mid and longs by a half mile or so. My goal this summer is to do three events. Claremore OK in April, Willard in May and Republic in August. Next year, if I complete these three, I'm going to try to actually compete in at least one. After that, I want to do an open water swim event. I really miss playing volleyball, but this is starting to take it's place as my favorite sport.

Ready for some warmer weather

I don't mind running in the cold. My threshold is about 20F with the windchill. Lately that's not been the problem. We've had so much snow that the sidewalks on my regular routes have been covered. My two of my last three runs were outdoors. I'd much rather be outdoors. Swimming is going well. My strategy is to get to 600y by adding 25-50y every session. When I get to 600, I'll work on closing the gap on my rest periods. It sounds good on paper, we'll see how it works out in practice. At some point soon I'll have to figure out my 400m time so I can gauge my starting place for my first tri. Mark me cautiously optimistic...........

Nutrition?

Making a bit of progress in the pool. I looked at a video about the Navy SEALs combat swim stroke. I used it some during yesterday's training. It worked surprisingly well. I pushed a little and completed 425 yards in under 25 minutes using short breaks in between sets. I did 25s on 10-20 seconds rest for 100y as a main set. I also did a couple of 50s. I think what I'm going to do is work up to a distance of 600y and then work on closing the rest gaps. That will mean about an hour in the pool each time. This should work fine, but I am giving up my rest days to do it. I may combine my swims with my lighter run days in the future.

We went out for supper last night and I had a huge meal. I think I paid for it today when I went for my 10k run. It was like I was hungover. I only had one drink, but I think the rich food had the same effect as several drinks, especially when trying to perform in any manner afterward. In the future I intend to show a little more restraint when I eat out.

Training is having an effect on my desire to take up my other hobbies. When I'm not working out I don't feel like doing much, so getting in the studio seems like a struggle. I need to get over the hump on a project and get it finished for the MFCA show and then maybe I'll get past this personal slump.

Following the program

I have set out to follow an 11 week program I found on the web. I doubt I'll follow it to the letter, because I am ahead of the running portion, slightly ahead on the cycling and right at the mark on swimming. Swimming will be the most challenging for me to follow. I went the other night and swam 25s for 200 yards. I thought I had kind of wussed out by not going 300, but when I looked at my program, that's exactly what I was supposed to do. When I swim next time, I'm supposed to do 50's for part of it. This should be interesting. Breathing is where I struggle the most. Today I'll try to exhale more forcefully so that I don't take a breath with half a lung full of air. It looks like I'm giving up my rest days for a bit. I'm not sure this is wise, but I don't know how to get the workouts in if I don't. Instead of a rest day, it's really more of a light day. Strength training is making a return. Pull-ups and push-ups is really about the only thing I'm doing. Again it's a time and energy thing. I don't want to become a slave to this thing, but I do want to succeed. Success is finishing a triathlon without feeling like a zombie afterward.

Time to get wet

Looking at the schedule that I'm planning on following (loosely), it's time to swim. I'm going to quit putting it off and start getting in the pool once a week. A value pass to the Chesterfield seems like the best deal. I may change my mind on that. Lap swim time is kind of restricted. Going to have to go in the evening or the early morning. I'll try evening first. I did a little reading in "The Triathlete's Bible" about swimming drills and workouts. I'm going to start with technique first and hope that distance will follow. More on that later.

I ran a 5k last Saturday. It was really nice to see some friends and family there. I managed to shave about forty seconds off of my Turkey Trot time.

Indoor training

This past few weeks has brought a cold snap. Wind chills below zero have driven me indoors for all my training. I was finally able to get in four miles yesterday outdoors. It was nice. I finally bought a decent pair of cycling shoes. I need to get the correct cleats for my pedals now. The date for my first Tri is April 11th. It's in Claremoore OK. It has a 400y serpentine swim, 12 mile bike and 2 mile run. Sounds like a good way to start. A friend at work suggested it to me. He and his son are going to do it, and I think Kathi's step-brother is going to do it with me. I'll probably do another one in Willard, MO and a third in Republic. That should be enough for a first season.