End Of The Year

It has been an incredible year. I've seen myself grow. As someone that never considered himself athletic, I can now see myself as an athlete. I can see what I've accomplished and if asked 2 years ago if I would or could do any of the things I achieved this year, I'd say no way. This year has prepared me for things to come in the future. When I set out to run and then do triathlons, I wanted it to become a lifestyle. I didn't want it to become something I had to do, but something I wanted to do. That certainly has become the case. I'm about to set off on a new adventure next year. It's going to be a challenge to train as I won't have access to many of the training facilities I've had this past year. So I'll have to get creative. I'm not going to lose the fitness I've gained, not after being recognized for the work I've put in this year.

I was honored by the Atlanta Triathlon Club when they awarded my the "Most Dedicated Member" award this past weekend. I was shocked and left speechless. According to one of the coaches, it was unanimous. Thank you.

I have been inspired by many in the club. When you have a group like this, that is so encouraging, motivating and welcoming, it's hard not to get caught up in that energy. I couldn't have done it without the support of this club. If you're in the Atlanta area and looking for a group to train with, make sure you check them out. You won't be disappointed.

One of the highlights of the end of the year party is the slideshow. It's a great reminder of not only the accomplishes we've made as individuals, but the memories we've shared that can't be replaced that I will always carry with me.

How can you not want to be a part of this club. It's been hard training, but there have been some good times shared.

Since the season is over, I don't plan on posting my normal weekly training schedule. I have not stopped training. As a matter of fact, I'm working with a swim coach and she's helping me with my form. Already, I've taken 10 seconds off my 100 yard swim. I'm still running and although biking has come to a stop, I'm still doing spin bike sessions once a week.

Next year, training will be less structured. I'm not sure what I'll be posting. Depending on how creative I get in getting any kind of training, then that may be the subject that I'll cover. In the mean time, I'll go through and write up reviews of equipment I've put through the paces this year.

Atlanta Half Marathon - Another PR

Atlanta Half Marathon
Date of Race: 11/24/11
Total Time = 1h 45m 17s
Overall Place = 1218/8528
Age Group = Male 40-44
Age Group Place = 146/657

Pre-race:  I woke up early and had my normal cereal with soy milk and banana, followed by a cup of coffee. I had some extra time and did some stretches at home. Specifically with the foam roller and my IT Band. I've been having issues and was concerned when it would act up. I didn't have high hopes for a great race. I had been drinking plenty water the day before and drank a bottle of gatorade during the drive and while I sat in the car before the start. I also took 2 salt stick. This is probably one of my favorite races due to the location. I'm less than 10 minutes away and parking has been so easy the last 2 years. I had plenty of time once I parked. I wasn't too sure what to wear, except that I was definitely going with my tri shorts. I had the option for additional layers and decided against it and went with my long sleeve ATC tech shirt.

Atlanta Marathon - My 1st Marathon

Finally got around to writing my race report. The trouble with the Garmin delayed it and my trip to spectate at Ironman Florida.

Atlanta Marathon - 26.2 mile

Date of Race: 10/30/2011

Total Time = 4h 20m 30s

Overall Place = 500/1128

Age Group = Male 40-44

Age Group Place = 60/99

Pre-race:  Had my normal breakfast of cereal, soy milk, banana & cup of coffee. Race start was at Atlantic Station, so it was convenient to get to. I was a bit worried about traffic and parking. E-mail from the race said to use 16th street or Market street entrance and only pay $5 for parking in the garage. There was no one collecting for parking, just the normal grab a ticket and pay at the parking station. I thought that parking would still be $5. Turns out it was $12 and I was charged by the hour. There were several posts on Atlanta Track Club's Facebook page and some paid up to $14. There was a mix up or someone didn't show up in time. Hopefully they'll take care of this for next year.

Parking was not a problem. There were plenty of spaces. I drank about 16oz of Gatorade on the drive and before the start. 30 minutes before the start I had a gel and walked over to the staging area. 

Training Week in Review

Although technically I'm supposed to be tapering, I've increased some activities before my first marathon. I've cut my runs to only 2 days per week and distance has been decreased significantly. I got back into swimming 2 days per week and weight training. With just 2 weeks of lifting weights, I'm already feeling a bit stronger and can tell I'm toning up some areas that really needed to be toned up. I did my first ride since Augusta 70.3. It was a chilly morning of 40º, but it was not a hard ride. I didn't even bother to take any nutrition, just water.

I've got 5 days before my marathon. I'll definitely take it easier this week. No weights (well, maybe just upper body). Some easy swim and easy spin. I'm going try and keep my legs fresh for Sunday.

Date	Day	Activity
10/17/11	Monday	Swim - 2200 Yards
10/18/11	Tuesday	Rest
10/19/11	Wednesday	Cycle - Spin Weights - Legs
10/20/11	Thursday	Cycle - Spin Weights - Upper Body Swim - 800 Meters
10/21/11	Friday	Rest
10/22/11	Saturday	Bike - 1.5 hours
10/23/11	Sunday	Run - 6 miles

Training Week in Review

Still taking it easy on the run, but less knee pain, which means IT Band is getting better. At least I can run without having to stop. This week I double up on spin class since it's now being offered twice a week. I'm also getting back into weight training. I'm hoping by working out my legs, it'll help strengthen my legs and glutes and alleviate the ITB issues.

I ran 10 miles on Sunday at my marathon pace, about 8:40, which should put me at about a 3:50 marathon. My goal is to finish under 4 hours, so this gives me about 10 minutes of wiggle room. Pace felt good and I think I could go faster. My legs were still sore from lifting weights. If I had fresh legs, I think I could've gone faster. Right now my plan is to run 8:40 for 18 miles. Hopefully, I'll have enough in me to pick up the pace and either maintain an 8:40 pace or better on the hills.

Date	Day	Activity
10/10/11	Monday	Swim - 2200 Yards
10/11/11	Tuesday	Rest
10/12/11	Wednesday	Cycle - Spin Weights - Upper Body
10/13/11	Thursday	Cycle - Spin Weights - Legs
10/14/11	Friday	Run - 7 Miles
10/15/11	Saturday	Rest
10/16/11	Sunday	Run - 10 Miles

Training Week in Review

Been taking it easy since Augusta. No cycling only spin class. I've only been running 2 days a week. I've had some IT Band issues and have tried not to aggravate it any further. I ran 20 miles this week for my long run with the Atlanta Track Club Nike Pace Team. This covered about 80% of the Atlanta Marathon course. I felt pretty good and still had some knee pain due to the ITB issue, but I stretched at each water stop. I felt strong through out the majority of the run. It was on the last 2.5 miles that I started to slow down. Probably because that's where all the hills are. The pace leader mentioned that the last 6 miles are the toughest due to all the hills. I'll need to reevaluate my strategy for race day. I'm going to have to conserve some of my energy for those last 6 miles. I also haven't been taking in any nutrition on these long runs. I've only been drinking Gatorade. I'm going to need 3-4 gels if I'm going to have a good performance for my first full marathon.

Date	Day	Activity
10/03/11	Monday	Rest
10/04/11	Tuesday	Rest
10/05/11	Wednesday	Cycle - Spin Swim - 500 Meters
10/06/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
10/07/11	Friday	Rest
10/08/11	Saturday	Run -20 Miles
10/09/11	Sunday	Rest

Augusta Half Ironman

Augusta 70.3 - Half Ironman Triathlon

Date of Race: 09/25/2011

Total Race Time = 5h 42m 48s

Overall Place = 967/3180

Age Group = Male 40-44

Age Group Place = 167/504

It took me a bit longer to write this up than expected. Actually, I wrote it up about a week ago and posted it on our club forum, but I also wanted to include some photos from the weekend. I finally got around to downloading them off my phone. It's a long race report and I'm trying to keep it to the most important details, but you may still need to grab a beverage as you read through. I'm hoping the photos help break up the page and provide some visuals from the weekend.

This race sold out a couple weeks before the event. It's the first time it sold out (only one other 70.3 has sold out) and we were informed that with almost 3200 athletes, it was the largest Half Ironman!

Training Week In Review

It's been a recovery week and it was much needed. Although tri season is over, I signed up for my next race. I'm doing my first full marathon on October 30. I'll be spending more time running and less on the bike. I'll still get some swimming in during the week.

The 21 mile run was cut short due to some knee pain that may be IT Band related. I've been stretching it out over the last couple of days. It's feeling much better. I also picked up a new pair of running shoes today. Typically when my shoes become worn out, I'll experience some pain. My K-Swiss Blade Lights have 320 miles on them, so it was definitely time for a new pair. I searched several stores and no one really carries K-Swiss. I headed up to All3Sports and they carry K-Swiss but were out of my size in the Blade Lights. I ended getting the Blade Light Kwicky. I hope they're just as good or better than the Blade Lights. I'll know in a couple days when I go for my run.

Date	Day	Activity
09/26/11	Monday	Rest
09/27/11	Tuesday	Rest
09/28/11	Wednesday	Cycle - Spin Swim - 1000 Meters
09/29/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
09/30/11	Friday	Rest
10/01/11	Saturday	Run - 19 Miles
10/02/11	Sunday	Rest

I'll get around to the race report this week as well. It's written up, but I haven't downloaded pictures that I took from that weekend. My race reports are a bit long, so I like breaking them up with some photos.

Training Week in Review

Taper! No training this week. There wasn't anything I could do this week to help me on Sunday. All I could do is rest and let the anticipation fuel my energy levels for Sunday.

Date	Day	Activity
09/19/11	Monday	Rest
09/20/11	Tuesday	Rest
09/21/11	Wednesday	Cycle - Spin
09/22/11	Thursday	Rest
09/23/11	Friday	Rest - Travel
09/24/11	Saturday	Run - 3 Mile Easy
09/25/11	Sunday	Race - Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman

Below are my goals for Augusta 70.3.

This is my A race & last tri of the year, so I'm going to give it everything I got. Primary goal is to beat my Gulf Coast time. I've been working on my nutrition and I shouldn't have the issues I had at Gulf Coast, so beating my time won't be a problem.


Specific Goals: 

Swim: 30-35 minutes
I'd be happy to finish in 35 minutes and take 2 minutes off my time from Gulf Coast (37:36). April (swim coach) feels that with the current I can do better and be closer to 30 minutes. Going to try for 30!


Bike: As close to 3 hours or better
Around 18 - 19 mph, but effort based on HR. (Gulf Coast 3:14:28)


Run: 8-8:15 pace or 1:45 - 1:50 time.


Transitions: 3 minute  or faster transitions

Overall Finish: 5:30:00  (Gulf Coast 6:25:03)


Next post will be the race report with all the detail from the weekend.

Training Week in Review

Tapering this week and saw the potential I have for my upcoming Half Ironman. Weather has been a bit cooler lately and it's really helping me on my runs. Despite that I'm supposed to be tapering my runs have been really fast and I'm not running in HR zone 5 either.

We had power problems at our regular swim facility, so no practice. Instead I went to another facility and swam 2500 meters. I did some speed sets, but the majority was on endurance. Tuesday's run was fast, 8:12 average with hills. I felt really good. I was going to do a couple sets of intervals on the bike Wednesday, but saw a lot of my team mates out there and that motivated me to do a lot more. I really pushed it on the bike and then did a 20 minute brick. Even after those intervals, I was still able to run a sub 8 min/mile pace. I took Thursday & Friday off. Saturday was an easy 40 mile spin kind of day on the bike. I did a 30 minute brick after the bike. Legs felt sluggish at first but within 1/4 mile my legs were turning over quickly. I got in a 7:15 min/mile average and was even running sub 7 minutes during the last 1/2 mile. I did 10 miles on Sunday. I started out at an 8:30 min/mile pace until mile 6. Then I started to pick up the pace and finished with an 8:18 min/mile average. If I can get my nutrition on the bike right, the run is going to be my strongest leg. Obviously the cooler weather has helped. I'm hoping the cool weather continues through race day.

Date	Day	Activity
09/12/11	Monday	Swim - 2500 Meters
09/13/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
09/14/11	Wednesday	Bike - 35 Miles Run - 20 Minute Brick
09/15/11	Thursday	Rest
09/16/11	Friday	Rest
09/17/11	Saturday	Bike - 40 Miles
09/18/11	Sunday	Run- 10 Miles Swim - Open Water ~ 1800 Yards

Training Week In Review

Lots of extra time this week. It's time to taper for Augusta 70.3 and that's easier said than done. I found myself with a lot of extra time and actually started to wonder what I'm going to do with all the free time when the season is over. Technically, Augusta is my last triathlon for the year, but I'm not going to just stop training altogether. There's still a marathon that's a possibility and a half marathon in November. I'm not worried about the half. All I have to do is maintain my current running schedule and I'll be fine. The marathon is a whole other thing. My longest run has been 18 miles and that's the only reason I'm considering doing a full marathon. I'd like to get to 20-22 miles before the marathon. It's my understanding that's when it gets difficult, and a large part is the mental aspect of it. We'll see. So far it looks like the Atlanta Marathon on October 30 will be my next race after Augusta. I'll keep swimming, but cycling will probably drop off significantly following Augusta.

Been back mountain biking. A couple of the guys in the club are also getting back into it and it provides a different aspect to the training and some fun rides.

Date	Day	Activity
09/05/11	Monday	Rest
09/06/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
09/07/11	Wednesday	Rest
09/08/11	Thursday	Bike - 16 Miles Mountain Bike
09/09/11	Friday	Run - 8 Miles
09/10/11	Saturday	Bike - 48 Miles
09/11/11	Sunday	Rest

This week was also the club's signup for IM Wisconsin 2012. It sold out in less than 24 hours. Because of the financial commitment, I just couldn't pull the trigger. There were other reasons as well. When you factor in registration (almost $700), hotel, airfare & bike shipping the price gets close to $2,000. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, it isn't going to be in Wisconsin. After a year of training and achieving such a huge accomplishment, I'd like to reward myself with a little vacation and Madison, Wisconsin doesn't appeal to me as a vacation spot.  If I really wanted to do an IM for less money, I could always do The Great Floridian in Clermont, FL. Registration is $450 and I can register the day before the race if I wanted to. Not to mention, my family is about a 45 minute drive to the race site, so accommodations are free and I get to see my friends and family. Better yet, they can come out and see me race. There's also the option for Rev3 Cedar Point on the same day as IM Wisconsin and it takes place at a theme park. I'm disappointed that I won't be able to do the club's IM race. I will do one, and when I do, I'm going to make the best of it.

Training Week in Review

I think this is the peak week for my half ironman. Looking forward to decreasing the milage, tapering and building up my anticipation for Augusta 70.3. Skipped swim practice again because the legs just aren't fully recovered to get the maximum workout in the pool. Even Tuesday's run was a recovery run. Legs weren't feeling good again until Wednesday. I decided not to do the spin class and focus on an endurance swim to make up for missing Monday night. Started with 400 meters for warmup and then got some drills in. Using a kick board, I worked on my legs. I really feel this is an area that needs a lot of improvement and I can gain some significant speed if I had a strong and fast kick. Also used a pool buoy and worked on my arms. Afterwards, I just swam straight doing about 1800 meters. Felt good and at a consistent pace.

Scheduled called for a 5 hour ride on Saturday. At my pace, that's about an 80 mile ride and that's a bit too much with an 18 mile run the next day. Last week I rode 80 and had a slow 16 mile run. This week I rode 58 and had a really great 18 mile run on Sunday. The pace was fast. I held an 8:11 average over the entire run. Granted, it was cloudy and below 80º, but I don't think I've ever held that kind of pace for anything over 5 miles unless it was all downhill. Very happy with the run. Although I must say, mentally, it takes a lot to run that kind of distance. I question why I run that much and wonder if I'll even attempt a full marathon. I think after Augusta I'll feel differently as I'll probably cut my cycling by half, allowing me to experience my full potential on long runs.

Made it to the open water swim. Water was choppy. Since it was Labor Day weekend, there were lots of boats and jet skis on the lake. I felt really slow and the waves did not help. I choked on some water, but was able to regain my composure and then continue. I'm looking forward to using a wetsuit again for Augusta.

Date	Day	Activity
08/29/11	Monday	Rest
08/30/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
08/31/11	Wednesday	Swim - 2500 Meters
09/01/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
09/02/11	Friday	Rest
09/03/11	Saturday	Bike - 58 Miles
09/04/11	Sunday	Run - 18 Miles Swim - 1500 Meters OWS

Training Week in Review

Back to full training this week after a great PR at Peachtree City. I got busy on Monday and missed swim practice, but I made up for it the rest of the week. Thursday was a casual mountain bike ride with some of my team mates, but it was still quite a workout. The tacos and margarita post ride was a great recovery meal and a good way to hang out. Back on the bike Saturday. Felt really good, but had my quads starting to cramp 7 miles from finishing. I kept an easy gear and did some light spinning. I was supposed to do a 60 minute brick, but only managed to do 43 minutes. I pushed hard during the 1st 62 miles and I could feel it during the run. I need to remember to dial it back a bit during my half IM. I can't blow out my legs before starting the run. Sunday morning's run was not something I was looking forward to. My legs still hadn't recovered from the previous day. I wanted to get in as much as I could. I managed to get 16 miles in instead of 18. Although my legs were tired and sore, I started at a slow pace but was able to pick up the pace considerably during the last 3 miles. The faster turnover and longer strides helped to stretch the legs out and actually felt better. As tired as I felt, I still went to the open water swim. I didn't expect to do well. The water was cool and felt really good. I swam about 700 yards and kept it to a good comfortable pace. My form was good and I felt strong. My legs could've kicked stronger, but considering the workout I'd put them through the last 2 days, I'm very happy with how I moved through the water.

Date	Day	Activity
08/22/11	Monday	Rest
08/23/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
08/24/11	Wednesday	Swim - 1000 Meters Spin - 1 hour
08/25/11	Thursday	Bike - Mountain Bike
08/26/11	Friday	Rest
08/27/11	Saturday	Bike - 84 Miles
08/28/11	Sunday	Run - 16 Miles Swim - 700 Yards OWS

Tri Peachtree City 2011 - Race Report

Tri Peachtree City Sprint

Date of Race: 08/20/11

Total Race Time = 1h 18m 27s

Overall Place = 194

Age Group = Male 40-44

Age Group Place = 48/131

Pre-Race: Alarm went off at 3:30 am. I like getting up really early so I can ease into the morning without feeling rushed. I had a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. I already had all my gear packed the night before. I grabbed the bottles I had prepared the night before from the freezer and placed them in a small cooler. Since I haven't done a sprint since last year, I wasn't too sure what to do about nutrition. All I knew was that I wasn't going to go with Perpetuem. I was only going to do gels. I filled an aero bottle with EFS and mixed in some Hammer Gel. Froze that bottle with the drinking straw in place. I also had a second bottle of EFS that I would take on the bike as a back up. Left the house just before 5 am and drank 16 oz. of EFS on the way to Peachtree City. I had been hydrating the day before drinking water and Gatorade. Since I had heat related issues the week before, I didn't want to take any chances of dehydration. I arrived before 6 am and picked up my race packet and got body marked after I peed. I setup my transition and placed everything like I had rehearsed the day before. I talked to a few ATCers I saw out there and said hello to April (swim coach) who was one of the MCs for the event.

Training Week In Review

This was a real easy week. It was a recovery week in my 70.3 plan and it was also a taper week for my sprint race on Saturday. Swim workout was a tough one. All I remember after warming up was doing 10 x 100 yard sprints for time. I lead my lane and didn't think I would be able to hold that pace for all 10 sets. I was able to hold a 1:45 pace for the first 5 and then slowly dropped to 1:50-1:55. Coach actually called me out for hanging on the wall a bit and not doing quick turns. Wednesday's swim was more focused on technique and sighting.

Date	Day	Activity
08/15/11	Monday	Swim - 2200 Yards
08/16/11	Tuesday	Rest
08/17/11	Wednesday	Swim - 1500 Meters Spin - 1 hour
08/18/11	Thursday	Rest
08/19/11	Friday	Rest
08/20/11	Saturday	Race - Tri Peachtree City Sprint
08/21/11	Sunday	Rest

Had a great race and PR on the course. I still need to write up a race report and that's coming up next.

Training Week in Review

This week I got off my training schedule a bit. Because I had a client photo shoot that I had to get ready for, I missed swimming on Monday night.  Instead, I went mountain biking with some friends and got a trail run in before the ride. I got some advice that I may be over training for a half ironman. Considering I rode 95 miles and I only need to ride 56 for my half ironman, I think he was right. I know I can ride the distance. I want to improve on my speed and riding longer doesn't really focus on speed only endurance. So I got some interval in during my 60 mile ride on Friday. However, that may have led to the heat issue at the end of the workout. I took Saturday off and rested and then got a 17 mile run in. For some reason 15 miles is when my feet start hurting and I start questioning if I want to do a full marathon. I also bailed on the OWS. My legs were tired and I would have not gotten the benefit of swimming on tired legs.

Date	Day	Activity
08/08/11	Monday	Rest
08/09/11	Tuesday	Trail Run - 5 Miles Mountain Bike - 12 Miles
08/10/11	Wednesday	Swim - 500 Meters Spin - 1 hour
08/11/11	Thursday	Rest
08/12/11	Friday	Bike - 60 Miles Run - 4 Miles
08/13/11	Saturday	Rest
08/14/11	Sunday	Run - 17 Miles

This coming week is a recovery/taper week. I time it out perfectly. I'm doing my first sprint race this year next week. Since this is the same race I did last year, I'll be able to evaluate my improvements. Hopefully there are improvements.

Heat Syncape/Stroke - A Cautionary Tale

First let me state that I'm sharing this event as a learning experience and hopefully sparing someone else the same experience.

I'll begin by defining Heat Syncope according to Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_syncope

Heat syncope is another stage in the same process as heat stroke, occurs under similar conditions as heat stroke and is not distinguished from the latter by some authorities. The basic symptom of heat syncope is a body temperature above 40°C (104°F) with fainting, with or without mental confusion, which does occur in heat stroke. Heat syncope is caused by mild overheating with inadequate water or salt.

Causes:

Heat syncope occurs when blood pressure is lowered as the body dilates (widens) arterioles (small blood vessels) in the skin to radiate heat. Also, water is evaporated from the blood, reducing the blood's volume and therefore lowering blood pressure further. The result is less blood to the brain, causing light-headedness and fainting.

Based on my experience this is exactly what occurred to me.

Training Week in Review

It's getting more difficult to keep up and post on the blog as training days get longer and I have less time during the week for other things. I started the week tired and feeling tired from the previous weekend's long ride & run. I still managed to take 2 days off for some rest. Because I was volunteering on Sunday at a local tri, I had to move my long run to Friday. I normally run these kind of distances with the club so it was difficult to do this on my own and I'm proud that I stuck to it and did the full 16 miles. I have to confess that at mile 15 I was questioning why I would consider running a full marathon. My feet were hurting and I just wanted to take my shoes off. The benefit of running a long loop is having to finish that loop.

I rode the longest distance so far, 95 miles and I almost cut it short. I rode the first 15 mile loop at a sprint pace. I needed to see how fast and for how long I could hold a race effort. I've got a sprint race coming up and I've been training long distances, so I needed to feel that out. It felt really good and I felt like I could easily run a 5k after the bike. The next loop was 48 miles and towards the last 10 miles, I started feeling tired. I pushed through and finished with a good pace. I think it was a bit more mental than physical. At this point I considered doing the 15 mile loop, but talked myself into riding 31 miles. Pace dropped a bit, but not by much. When you consider that my first 15 miles was average of 18.5 mph and I finished at 17.2 mph over 95 miles, I think that's a great accomplishment considering the hills in Cartersville.

I talked to a couple team mates and they feel I'm more than prepared for a half ironman. I can definitely do the distance. I can also feel the fatigue in my legs 3 days later. So I think it's time for me to dial back the distance and start working on shorter rides and concentrate on interval work and try to build some speed.

Date	Day	Activity
08/01/11	Monday	Swim - 2700 Yards
08/02/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
08/03/11	Wednesday	Weight Training Swim - 500 Meters Spin - 1 hour
08/04/11	Thursday	Rest
08/05/11	Friday	Run - 16 Miles
08/06/11	Saturday	Bike - 95 Miles
08/07/11	Sunday	Rest

Garmin FR60 - Review

I don't do many reviews and had planned on doing one on the Garmin FR60 for a while. It wasn't until the watch band started to crack that I thought it would be a good idea to do one. I've had the watch for 1 year, so I think I've put it through it's paces and can give a pretty accurate review. Keep in mind that since I've mapped my runs, I know exactly the distance I'm running and don't rely heavily on the accuracy of the footpod. I rely more on the heart rate data and cadence. Although the band did crack, it is not replaceable. Fortunately I had a good experience with Garmin Customer Support.

Training Week in Review

This was a weird week. I bailed on swimming all week. Not once did I get in the pool. I guess I just didn't feel like it. I needed a break. The previous week was supposed to be a recovery week, but I don't think I scaled back enough to fully recover. Guess I moved it back a week. By Saturday I was back at full training. I did the bike training on my own and rode 80 miles. That's the furthest I've ever ridden. For the most part, it felt good. There were times when my energy level dropped, but I think that was in my head. I had sufficient nutrition and fluids. I finished with an average speed just under 18 mph, which is a huge improvement, especially over 80 miles. The ride on Saturday affected my run on Sunday. My legs were tired and I pushed through 14 miles. I guess the team social on Saturday night had some effect, not to mention several beers I had throughout the night. Still, I'm pleased that I didn't skip the run and when we regrouped at the finish, I still went out to finish my 14 miles. Weight has remained about the same. I think I've lost 1 pound.

Date	Day	Activity
07/25/11	Monday	Rest
07/26/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
07/27/11	Wednesday	Rest
07/28/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
07/29/11	Friday	Rest
07/30/11	Saturday	Bike - 80 Miles Run - 4 Miles - Brick
07/31/11	Sunday	Run - 14 Miles

Training Week in Review

This was a recovery week and I found it difficult to cut back. I did take 2 days off, but kept the extra days of swimming and weight training. Even though my Saturday run had been cut back to 8 miles, I still pushed the pace and I'm pretty sure I was running sub-8 minute miles. Sunday's ride was supposed to be a 2 hour ride which meant about a 35 mile ride, but I hate driving almost an hour to only ride 35 miles. Instead I rode 3.5 hours and kept the power under control and used high cadence to keep it kind of easy. Surprisingly, I still managed a very good pace. I think the prior week's ride with some intervals thrown in helped. I think I'm going to try that again next week.

I keep working on my swim and I'm just not seeing any speed improvements. My technique is definitely better and I feel stronger, but it's not transferring to improvement on speed. It's possible that I'm just tired. I throw in weight training specifically to target muscles used in the swim and I can feel the soreness after the endurance swims. Maybe if I'm fresh I'll see the time difference.

Date	Day	Activity
07/18/11	Monday	Rest
07/19/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
07/20/11	Wednesday	Strength Training Swim - 700 Meters Spin - 1 Hour
07/21/11	Thursday	Rest
07/22/11	Friday	Swim- 2200 Meters
07/23/11	Saturday	Run - 8.4 Miles Swim - 2000 Meters OWS
07/24/11	Sunday	Bike - 62 Miles Brick - 30 Minutes

It also seems that several of my team mates and coaches think I'm doing an Ironman this year. I guess my improvement, dedication and consistent training has people thinking I'm up for the challenge. Makes me feel good, but I think I'd be working much harder and doing longer distances if I was doing an Ironman.

Training Week in Review

This was a high volume week. I got a lot of miles in. This is the first time I've ran 30 miles in 1 week. I was also able to get in 4 days of swimming. There are times when my swim feels like it's getting stronger and others when it feels quite the opposite. Monday's swim felt great. I felt more powerful and was leading my lane once we got done with kick drills. It was fast paced and I was keeping up with the pace. It was a great day. Wednesday I did my own endurance swim and focused on technique. Friday's endurance swim is when I started feeling slow. I think it had to do with the fact that the other swimmers were strong swimmers, really strong. Coach said my technique looked good and suggested some interval workouts to improve my speed. Saturday's open water swim didn't start well. There was no warmup and the pace took off quickly, I tried to keep up, but the pace was too fast and I started getting that panic feeling. I actually had to stop, regain my composure, get back into my head and focus on technique and my swim and not everyone else's. After that, it got much better. I still couldn't keep up, but by the end I was catching up and had closed the gap.

My running felt really strong this week. I took it easy early in the week because temp & humidity was so high. It improved greatly by the weekend. Saturday's 14 mile run felt great in cooler weather. I didn't push the pace. I ran at a comfortable pace and was able to hold a conversation. I'm feeling more confident on the run. I don't know that I'm improving on speed, but I can do the distance without too much fatigue.

Skipped the organized group ride and opted for a smaller group. Rode comfortably for the 1st 15 miles and then picked up the pace. I lost a water bottle on a bump and used that opportunity to work in some intervals to catch up with group. I got 60 miles in, I should've gotten 70-75, but I really worked on maintaining a fast speed on the last half. I was concerned about my legs getting tired and what that would do to my brick, so I maintained a good solid pace using high cadence so that I wouldn't burn out my legs for the run. The run felt a little sluggish as expected, but within a 1/4 mile my legs were starting to get comfortable. My pace picked up and I think I was averaging about 8:15 8:20 pace. When I finished my run, I was not spent, I could've run a lot longer. I felt I could run a half marathon.

Next week is a recovery week and based on this last week, I'm going to need it. I'm feeling a little drained today and not looking forward to swimming.  It'll be difficult to cut back so much after feeling so good about this past week.

Date	Day	Activity
07/11/11	Monday	Swim - 2500 Yards
07/12/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
07/13/11	Wednesday	Strength Training Swim - 1600 Meters Spin - 1 Hour
07/14/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
07/15/11	Friday	Swim- 1800
07/16/11	Saturday	Run - 14 Miles Swim - 2200 Meters
07/17/11	Sunday	Bike - 61 Miles Run - 4 Miles

Training Week in Review

The week started off with the Peachtree Road Race. I had a tough weekend workout and I didn't expect any significant results on Monday's race. I didn't taper, I just trained through it and considered the 10k a tempo paced training run. My only goal was to finish under 50 minutes. I got 49:09, so I'm very happy with that.  I'm a little disappointed in myself for not getting more swim time in this week. I was planning on it and I got hung up with a project I was working on and was running 15 minutes late for practice. If they kept the pool open longer on Fridays, I would have gone and stayed longer, but I choose to skip it if I couldn't get a full hour in. Saturday's long run ended up being tough. I kept up with the fast group for 8 miles and then dialed it back down for 2 miles and then headed out on my own to get the additional 3. As the temperature rose and my energy level dropped, those last 3 miles proved harder than I expected. I'm going to have to learn to slow down and pace myself better. Sunday's ride was more of a recovery ride. My legs were still tired from Saturday's run, so I took it easy while trying to maintain consistency. I was able to do that, but I feel I could have pushed harder. I also experimented with my nutrition and I think I was at the bottom end of calorie intake. Only 135 calories/hour. I've been as high as 400 and have found that I need to be between 230-270. Maybe that contributed to my slow pace, but I didn't feel exhausted.

Date	Day	Activity
07/04/11	Monday	Race - Peachtree Road Race 10k
07/05/11	Tuesday	Recovery
07/06/11	Wednesday	Spin - 1 Hour
07/07/11	Thursday	Swim - 2200 Meters
07/08/11	Friday	Recovery
07/09/11	Saturday	Run - 13 Miles
07/10/11	Sunday	Bike - 63 Miles

Training Week in Review

As the previous post pointed out, I did not have a great swim last Monday. I decided to get back into the pool a couple times a week and to incorporate some resistance training that targeted muscles specific to swimming.  Probably not a good idea to work out your upper body and then swim afterwards. It was slow and tiring, but I got a good workout in. On Friday I showed up for our endurance swim. Turnout was low and 4 of us got one on one time with our coach. He viewed my form and technique and was able to correct it. It took me about 100 meters to get comfortable with the change, but I could immediately feel the difference. By the end of the swim, I had muscles tired that I had never worked out before (may have been a combination of the upper body workout 2 days before since I was still a bit sore). I could tell that I was swimming more efficiently and slightly faster. It hard to explain, but my reach was too long. My arms were going into the water too far in front. I needed to shorten my reach and then use my delts & lats to pull my arm through the water. It feels awkward at first. It also helped with my hip rotation and allowed me to breath easier on my left side.

I ran a pretty good pace on Saturday. I didn't concentrate on pace, just HR and rate of perceived exertion (RPE).  I was happy to see my pace just under 8:25 /mile over 12 miles. Sunday's ride started out really well, but the second loop really messed with me mentally. I started feeling sluggish and I was uncomfortable. First of all, I rode in my Pearl Izumi bike shorts. They are more padded than my tri shorts, but they were uncomfortable in the aero position. I also had a bit of pain behind my right knee. It's probably a result of raising my saddle 2 weeks ago. Although I didn't have a problem when I rode right after I made the adjustment. I also rode the 2nd loop by myself. 32 miles by yourself when you've already ridden 32, can be difficult. I had no one to pace off of, in front or behind. I also didn't want to blow up. I knew I could do the distance, so I just slowed my pace down a bit and pushed through. My average speed dropped, but I'm okay with that. Sunday was just a day to do the distance and not so much about speed. I needed to save my legs for Monday morning's Peachtree Road Race.

Date	Day	Activity
06/27/11	Monday	Swim - 2600 Meters
06/28/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
06/29/11	Wednesday	Resistance Training Swim - 1800 Meters
06/30/11	Thursday	Run - 7 Miles
07/01/11	Friday	Swim - 2200 Meters
07/02/11	Saturday	Run - 12 Miles
07/03/11	Sunday	Bike - 63 Miles

Swim Training- Technique & Form

I didn't have a great swim this past Monday at practice. I slowed down considerably towards the last couple of sets. I also didn't feel as fast or strong as I had in previous weeks. Since last week was a recovery week, I shouldn't have felt that way. I do know that I haven't been in the pool as much as I had been before my Gulf Coast race and thought I needed to get back and start working on my technique.  Monday's practice confirmed my thoughts.

I haven't done any weight/resistance training at all this year. I decided to hit the weights and work on muscles specific to swimming. Primarily my upper body concentrating on my triceps, deltoids and lats. I also brought a video camera to record portions of my swim for analysis once I got back home.


I guess one way to look at it is that there's room for improvement. It took me a couple times and to view it frame by frame to see what I was doing wrong. Here's what I noticed and will be focusing on during my next training sessions.

1. I need to keep my fingers close together. My fingers are relaxed in the video and water is just flowing through them. Keeping fingers close together, but relaxed will allow me to pull more water through.
2. My hands keep crossing to the center line. They need to extend straight forward as they enter the water into the catch phase of the stroke.
3. It seems that at times my right arm swings outward in an arc. My left arm seems straighter, but both should bend at the elbow and continue through the recovery phase giving me high elbows out of the water.

There are probably more things wrong with my technique, but I'm only going to focus on these 3. I'll record my swim again at a later date and will try other angles. I can't tell from underwater how well my body is rotating and if I'm getting high elbows on the surface.

I think this was a great exercise in helping me recognize and correct the mistakes I'm making. I'm sure an experienced swim coach would catch a lot more. Getting the opinion from my swim coach is not out of the question, but I want to work on the things I know I can see and fix and them move into more specific items that I may be missing.

K Swiss Blade Light Run - Review

I've put these shoes through 377 miles of asphalt, concrete, training runs and a half ironman distance. I have to say I'm extremely please with these shoes and are my number 1 choice in shoes. This review is in no way a formal or technical review. It's just my perception/opinion after months of use.

I'll start off by saying that I've tried several of the K Swiss brand shoes and have had mixed results. Only one bad experience, but it had to do with my biomechanics and not being in the right shoe. Sometimes you have to make some mistakes to find exactly what you need. I decided to go with K Swiss as I got drawn into their marketing and sponsorship of professional triathletes. I figured it was good enough for the pros, it was good enough for me.

I like the idea of drainage ports on the bottom of the shoe and I must say, it works. You can see the drainage ports along the sole of the shoe. I also like the "Flow Cool System" a series of ventilation holes on the toe and heel section of the shoes. On my second run with the Blades, I got caught in a rain shower and discovered that as good as they are in allowing water to flow out, they're just as good in letting water get in. As I ran across puddles, I could feel the water seep from the bottom. You would never get that feeling with regular running shoes. However, I never got the squishing sock/shoe that you get with other shoes. During my half iron distance race in Panama City Beach, I ran without socks and really discovered how the drainage ports and "Flow Cool System" works. At aid stations, I would pour water over my head, grab sponges and at times run by someone spraying with a hose. All of these were used to keep cool in the heat. I realized that my shoes were dry by the time I got to the next aid station. Meanwhile there were other runners with wet shoes and sock, causing blisters and an uncomfortable running experience. I just used some talcum powder in my Blades before the run, so they would slip on easier and never experienced any discomfort or rubbing from running sock-less.

As I mentioned before, I had a bad experience with a previous K Swiss model. It was the Keahou II. It's not a bad shoe. It's just not the shoe for my feet and I didn't realize it until I switched to the Blades. The Keahou's have a wider toe box and is quite comfortable. Due to my biomechanics my foot tended to roll outward. Little did I know that this was the cause of the pain in my hip. I thought it had to do with all the running and the beating(impact) I was taking on the training runs. As you can see from the photo below the sole was wearing out from the outer portion of the shoe.

You can see the sole wearing out along the outer (left side) edge of the shoe.

I noticed this since everything I was reading said I should be landing on my mid foot. I had recently adjusted my running from being a heel striker to a mid foot striker, but the shoes showed otherwise.

After only about 250 miles I switched to the Blades and quickly noticed the pain in my hip go away. How quickly? In about 2-3 weeks it was nearly all gone. I noticed the Blades had a narrower toe box, which made for a more snug fit and more support. Even though both shoes are classified as being neutral, the fit still made a difference and affected my body and how I ran.

In the photo below is the K Swiss Blade Light Run's sole after 377 miles. You can see the wear pattern is centered in the mid foot area.

I now run pain free and I don't feel the impact from running as I once did. I've already picked up a 2nd pair and posted a photo of the sole for comparison.

I was just getting used to the bright yellow color and it's no longer available. This year's model is all white and silver. There is still some drawbacks to the sole's design. You can see in the yellow sole in one of the drainage ports a small pebble stuck. This is a common occurrence. Even between the blades, you'll collect dirt and pebbles. It doesn't affect your run or the shoe's performance. It's only when you arrive home that you'll see dirt on your floor. If you have wood floors, those pebbles will scratch those floors. I've gotten used to checking the bottom of my shoe and pulling the pebbles from the ports.

I also have a suggestion to K Swiss. Since these shoes are marketed towards triathletes, you should devise your own no-tie lacing system or elastic lacing system. I've tried Yankz and I find them cumbersome and not easy to adjust. I also think the Yankz lacing system ruins the aesthetic of a good shoe. I'm trying out a new elastic lace system called Flatlines. Looks promising and is used by K Swiss sponsored pro triathlete Julie Dibens. I already had some comments from some of my training buddies on today's run.

I've considered the new Kwicky Blade-Light, but have been told they are also wider and I may have similar results to the Keahou II. I also want to buy a pair of the Blade Light Recover. They look and feel really comfortable.

Overall I'm really pleased with my Blade Light's and my run's are more enjoyable. That fact alone has allowed me to train more often and make significant improvement in my speed. As long as K Swiss keeps making the Blade Light, I'm never going to switch to another shoe.

Training Week in Review

Real easy week. It's a recovery week and I have my parents in town. I got in 3 days of running instead of my normal 2 and missed the bike all week. Should help me get stronger for the next week.

Date	Day	Activity
06/20/11	Monday	Swim - 2600 Meters
06/21/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
06/22/11	Wednesday	Recovery
06/23/11	Thursday	Recovery
06/24/11	Friday	Run - 7 Miles
06/25/11	Saturday	Recovery
06/26/11	Sunday	Run - 8 Miles

Training Week in Review

Just a regular training week. Did an LT test on the spin bike and although I felt stronger, I arrived late and it took me about 20 minutes to warm up and my HR was lower than it should have been and affected my overall average. I rode with a faster group on the Thursday night ride and as I track my average speed, it's getting faster. Brick after the ride felt good (except for the hill). I had a good pace getting of the bike.

Rode the Jackson County Brevet on Saturday. I got a total of 66 miles and average 18.1 mph. Up until mile 50, I was averaging about 19 mph. The last 10-15 miles were uphill. Just a gradual climb over several miles and it decreased my average. Overall I'm happy with my ride. I rode it at a HIM pace and made my SAG stops short (last one was a little long mile 50). I practiced my race nutrition and I think it worked well. I probably could have used more calories in the bottle. I supplemented with 1/2 PBJ and some Oreo cookies. Compared to last years ride, I've made some significant improvements. Last year I rode a 15 mph pace and cramped at mile 55 and struggled during the last 5 miles. It wasn't easier this year, just faster and mentally had to push those last 10 miles.

Date	Day	Activity
06/13/11	Monday	Swim - 2600 Meters
06/14/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
06/15/11	Wednesday	Spin Class - LT Test
06/16/11	Thursday	Bike - 24 Miles Run - 2.6 Miles Brick
06/17/11	Friday	Recovery
06/18/11	Saturday	Bike - 66 Miles
06/19/11	Sunday	Run - 11 Miles

Training Week in Review

Average week of training this week. Only difference was an added day of mountain biking. It was a great ride as I rode with one of my bike coaches. Did my best to push the pace and then keep up. Got a great workout in as well as a scraped knee when I wiped out. I rode 52 miles on Sunday and I approached it as a HIM  bike leg.  There were only 3 short breaks as our small group regrouped at an intersection and checked for directions, since this was a new route. I maintained a 17.3 mph average pace, nothing like my 19 mph the previous week and this was an easier ride. Having biked Thursday & Friday had to have had an effect on my performance on Sunday. Overall it was a good ride at a steady pace. It also gave me an opportunity to evaluate my nutrition plan. I upped the calories, but had some small stomach cramps. I think it had more to do with lack of hydration and not being able to digest that amount of calories (326 calories /hour). I've done as low as 200 cal/hour and as much as 326 cal/hour with very little difference in how I felt. I think 250-270 cal/hour is probably where I need to be. I'll try again this weekend on my 60 mile ride with several stops for water. As I look back at the week, I didn't get a recovery day in. This probably explains why my Sunday ride did not match up to the previous week.

Date	Day	Activity
06/06/11	Monday	Swim - 2600 Meters
06/07/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
06/08/11	Wednesday	Swim - 1500 Meters Spin Class - 1 Hour
06/09/11	Thursday	Bike - 24 Miles
06/10/11	Friday	Bike - Mountain Bike 16 Miles
06/11/11	Saturday	Run - 9.6 Miles
06/12/11	Sunday	Bike - 52 Miles Run - 25 Minute Brick

Training Week in Review

Training this week has been sporadic, but I'm getting it in. Since I put in some serious workouts in on the weekend, I used the holiday Monday to rest and get some stuff done around the house. Got back into swimming on Wednesday nights before spin class. Pool is setup for 50 meters and I'm going to have to get used to that (no more breaks at 25 meters). Finally got to ride Thursday night. Buckhead Bellyache is a tough ride especially when the temp gets to 95º F.  As tough as this ride is, it did not feel as difficult as it did when I rode it last year. That means I'm getting stronger. It'll never get easier because I'll keep pushing the pace. Besides, I'm starting to like riding hills. We are now swimming Friday nights outdoors in a 50 meter pool. It's a shallow pool and it's warm. Coach setup buoys similar to a triathlon race course and we would simulate race conditions swimming in a group, practicing sighting and even drafting. Great workout. No workout on Saturday. I volunteered down at the Macon race and then took photos of those racing in the club. Bike ride on Sunday and I didn't expect too much of a workout considering I was still dehydrated from the previous day and had lost some sleep with early morning wake up calls. So I was surprised that I was averaging about 19 mph over the 48 mile ride. It's the fastest I've ever ridden up in Cartersville (normally a 17 mph pace). I even got to ride with the Red Group (fast training group) for most of the ride. Looks like I'm getting stronger and that motivates me to keep pushing and keep improving.

Date	Day	Activity
05/30/11	Monday	Holiday - No workouts
05/31/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
06/01/11	Wednesday	Swim - 1000 Meters Spin Class - 1 Hour
06/02/11	Thursday	Bike - 24 Miles
06/03/11	Friday	Swim - 2200 Meters
06/04/11	Saturday	Macon HIM- Volunteer
06/05/11	Sunday	Bike - 48 Miles

Training Week in Review

Since I don't have any target race in the near future, I'm just maintaining my base level for a HIM. Hopefully gaining some speed and strength. I'll most likely do Augusta 70.3, so if I can keep doing mid to high milage, when it's time for me to ramp up, I'll be ready. It funny to think that I now consider my 7 mile runs as short when a couple of years ago, 5 would have been long. Saturday was a great day. I got a 9 mile ride in, then did some mountain biking (which I haven't done in 8 months) and then meet our club for an open water swim followed by a cookout. I was wiped. I also got a great ride in on Sunday doing 52 miles. I really pushed those hills. I concentrated on power and cadence to push the pace, but never really felt fatigued during the first 31 miles. The last 10 were more of a easy pace to spin out the legs, which is kind of what I want to do during a HIM. Nutrition is going well. I've been experimenting with the amount of calories I take in. Currently I'm taking in about 200 calories per hour. I should probably be closer to 250. I've got a century ride coming up in a couple weeks and that will be a great opportunity to really test things out.

Date	Day	Activity
05/23/11	Monday	Swim - 2050 Yards
05/24/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Miles
05/25/11	Wednesday	Spin Class - 1 Hour
05/26/11	Thursday	Bike - Cancelled T-Storms
05/27/11	Friday	Rest
05/28/11	Saturday	Run - 9 Miles Bike - 12 Miles Mt. Bike 1500 Meters - OWS
05/29/11	Sunday	Bike - 52 Miles

Training Week in Review

Started the week off with a 46 mile bike ride. I had originally planned for 62 miles, but this was a small group ride and nobody was doing that distance (2 were planning on riding almost 100 and that was too much for me right now). I worked on my nutrition and had only 1 bottle of Perpetuem and some Hammer Gel. For a total of 585 calories or 212 calories per hour (2.75 hour ride). Which works out pretty well with what I've heard about your body only being able to consume 200 calories per hour. I felt pretty good and did a 20 minute run afterwards and I didn't have any of the issues I had during my half iron race. I might try to get 250 per hour, but anything more will probably be too much. Back in the pool Monday (first swim since my HIM) and it was tough, but I got faster. I got a 1:36 100 meter set. Previously I had gotten 1:45. Ran on my own the rest of the week, but set some good paces. Finally running sub 8 minute mile on hills. Didn't work out at the end of the week. I volunteered at the Getting 2 Tri training camp. What a great experience and phenomenal group of individuals. Completely inspired and love what the training camp is all about. Next week I'm back to a full training schedule. Should be great.

Date	Day	Activity
05/15/11	Sunday	Bike - 46 Miles 20 Minute Brick
05/16/11	Monday	Swim - 2050 Yards
05/17/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Mile Tempo Run
05/18/11	Wednesday	Spin Class - Hills & Intervals
05/19/11	Thursday	Rest
05/20/11	Friday	Run - 8.4 Miles Hills
05/21/11	Saturday	Rest

Training Week in Review

This was a recovery week after Gulf Coast. I took it a bit easy, but still got some good workouts in. Recovery is just as important as training. I took an easy recovery run on Tuesday and used that time to recount Gulf Coast stories and talk about future races while on the group run. I pushed it during spin class. This was an interval workout with full recovery between sets. I got my heart rate higher than I have in the past and showed me what I'm capable of doing when I focus. I was also able to control my heart rate and hit a specific heart rate at a specific time. That's going to help on race day. Ran hills on Friday and did a tempo pace on Saturday. I was able to run sub 8:00 /mile pace for the entire distance. The first time, but it was a flat course. It reminded me what I should have been able to run at Gulf Coast if I had gotten my nutrition right. Recovery week is over, time to start the hard work again.

Date	Day	Activity
05/08/11	Sunday	Rest & Beach Time!
05/09/11	Monday	More Beach Time & Drive Home
05/10/11	Tuesday	Run - 7 Mile Recovery Run
05/11/11	Wednesday	Spin Class - Intervals
05/12/11	Thursday	Rest
05/13/11	Friday	Run - 6 Miles
05/14/11	Saturday	Run - 8.4 Miles

I'm going to do a separate post on my nutrition at Gulf Coast and some things I've learned since then in a later post.

Gulf Coast Triathlon 70.3

Gulf Coast Triathlon - 70.3

Date of Race: 05/07/2011

Total Race Time = 6h 25m 03s

Overall Place = 532/746

Age Group = Male 40-44

Age Group Place = 80/104

ATC - Atlanta Triathlon Club

PCB - Panama City Beach

OWS - Open Water  Swim

EFS - Electrolyte Fuel System by 1st Endurance

Okay, this is going to be a long one. I think I did this race in less time it took to write about it. I got into the nutrition detail, so that if anyone has any suggestions or ideas, I'm open to hearing them. I think detailed race reports are very helpful to a newbie like me. This is my 3rd triathlon. I only did 2 sprints last year. I trained over the winter, dropped about 8 pounds(14 in the last year) and really worked on the swim. Swim used to be my weakest and I would never have considered myself a swimmer until this race. I set a good base to build on and improve upon on. It's going to be a great year.

Training Week in Review

This was the last week of training/tapering before the big day. It was a busy week with some work projects and I didn't get a lot of training done, but any training I did this week would be of no benefit on race day. I was pumped all week and really looking forward to the race. I'll go into a more detailed race report and race preparations in the next post.

Date	Day	Activity
05/01/11	Sunday	Rest
05/02/11	Monday	Work
05/03/11	Tuesday	Errands & Packing
05/04/11	Wednesday	Rest/Work
05/05/11	Thursday	Drive down to Panama City Beach
05/06/11	Friday	Ocean Swim 3 mile easy run
05/07/11	Saturday	RACE DAY!!!

Training Week in Review

This was a really easy week. Good thing I'm tapering. Not much to say, but I'm feeling good about each leg of this race. It's when I put all 3 together that I start worrying a bit. Specifically, fuel & nutrition during the race. It seems that I'm not taking in enough calories to fuel long workouts. I felt drained during an 80 mile ride a couple weeks ago and it had to do with not consuming enough calories. So now I'm totally reevaluating my nutrition on the bike. I'll need to take in more calories to not only sustain the 56 mile bike ride, but get me at least half way through the run. I'll be taking gels on the run, but I'll need some additional calories to feel strong when I first start out on the run. As I write this today, I'm only a 4 days away and I still need to pack and I've got a ton of stuff going on between now and when I hit the road on Thursday. Feeling pumped, but also starting to feel a little stressed. Anyway, I'll post something in a day or two before I head out of town.

Date	Day	Activity
04/24/11	Sunday	Rest
04/25/11	Monday	2500 Meter Swim
04/26/11	Tuesday	7.1 Mile Run
04/27/11	Wednesday	1 Hour Spin Class
04/28/11	Thursday	20 Miles - Intervals 20 Minute Brick
04/29/11	Friday	8.4 Mile Run
04/30/11	Saturday	Rest

Training Week in Review

Started the week with a high milage ride before starting to taper for Gulf Coast. I started my ride pushing myself since I felt really good. However, I started to pay for it as I started to bonk a little bit. After 35 miles, my legs started to slow down and then it became a mental game. I knew I could finish the first loop, but I needed to take in more calories and fuel up. I slowed the pace and finished the loop. I started to consider not riding the second loop, but I knew I couldn't just give up. I decided to ride it at a more moderate pace and continue taking in calories. That plan worked really well because I was able to pick the pace back up for the last 14 miles and got a 30 minute brick in. Of course the run started slow, but I was picking up speed and feeling pretty good by the end of the 30 minutes. I'm glad I pushed the first loop because it gave me some perspective on what not to do on race day. It also allowed me to deal with overcoming the mental part of it. Sometimes the mind tells you to quit and that can really affect the outcome of your race and performance. I played the mental game, continued to push and was able to come out of it feeling pretty good.

The rest of the week was easier as I go into a 2 week taper. I also did a Bike LT test. I pushed hard since I had problems during the previous test. This time I was more consistent from the start and was back at a 164 Functional Threshold.  I also did a 3000 meter swim because I feel I need to get comfortable swimming that kind of distance as well as to know what it's  like to feel tired and still swim with proper form. Since I missed last weeks open water swim, I joined in on an informal group swim on Saturday. Water felt a little bit colder than last time. As I started out I didn't feel quite as comfortable in the wetsuit. I felt like it was rubbing the back of my neck. After a quick adjustment it went better. The more I swam the better I felt and more efficient I seemed in the water. We simulated a couple group starts and I was able to catch up and pass a few individuals and that gave me more confidence.

Date	Day	Activity
04/17/11	Sunday	80 Mile Bike 30 Minute Brik
04/18/11	Monday	2200 Meter Swim
04/19/11	Tuesday	7.1 Mile Run
04/20/11	Wednesday	1 Hour Spin Class - LT Test
04/21/11	Thursday	Rest
04/22/11	Friday	3000 Meter Swim
04/23/11	Saturday	8 Mile Run 2000 Meter Open Water Swim