Okay, I'm back, and I have less to say than ever. I have decided to keep this blog going, but not write nearly as much about the running, biking, swimming, or general endurance training that I plan to continue doing. That stuff is not even exciting for me to read, I can't imagine continuing to force it onto others.
I will keep this space to just put some general thoughts. Most of these thoughts will probably either be stolen quotes or stories that I find interesting. Maybe someone could find something I write helpful, or at least marginally coherant. I won't try to update daily, but will only make posts when I feel like I have something to say (hopefully this will happen a couple times a week). I guess we will just take it easy and see what happens. No expectations.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.” ~ Helen Keller
Later.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Patience
I know I'm supposed to be back to my blog this week, but I didn't get any work done over the holiday weekend and I have a super busy day, which starts in about 3 minutes. Maybe I'll have a few minutes tomorrow (or perhaps late this afternoon). I guess now is as good a time as any to practice patience and understanding.
Later.
Later.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
They Call it A Come Back.
I went for my first run this morning since my HIM. I had been dreading it and putting it off since all I can remember about running at the moment is how badly I felt during the 2.5+ hours of that 13+ miles on May 9. Turns out, the run today wasn't that bad and I actually feel a little better for doing it. Funny how things tend to never be as bad as you expect. Good reason to limit your expectations.
Anyway, I've been almost completely sedentary for the past week and a half. In which time my energy level has dropped, the quality of my diet has plummeted, and my general usefulness has declined. Now I am back at it, but am planning on doing most of my training before work to not miss out on so much family time. Since I already get up to swim before 5 three days a week, it only makes sense to get up at a consistent time every morning. I'm doing a marathon on September 6. I may as well get it out of the way before my 30th birthday, which from what I hear, is the day you officially start the process of dying.
Anyway, I have swimming and running covered, but am a little paranoid about letting my bike fitness slide. I'll have to make some time to keep it up as well.
I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with this blog, but had some thoughts during my run this morning (apparently that is the only time I have productive thoughts). I'll make an official decision after the upcoming holiday weekend.
Hope everyone has a nice Memorial Day weekend. Later.
Danny.
Anyway, I've been almost completely sedentary for the past week and a half. In which time my energy level has dropped, the quality of my diet has plummeted, and my general usefulness has declined. Now I am back at it, but am planning on doing most of my training before work to not miss out on so much family time. Since I already get up to swim before 5 three days a week, it only makes sense to get up at a consistent time every morning. I'm doing a marathon on September 6. I may as well get it out of the way before my 30th birthday, which from what I hear, is the day you officially start the process of dying.
Anyway, I have swimming and running covered, but am a little paranoid about letting my bike fitness slide. I'll have to make some time to keep it up as well.
I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with this blog, but had some thoughts during my run this morning (apparently that is the only time I have productive thoughts). I'll make an official decision after the upcoming holiday weekend.
Hope everyone has a nice Memorial Day weekend. Later.
Danny.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Free Time
It is amazing how much free time you have when you aren't working out 8-10 hours a week. I just finished my fourth day in a row of no exercise and am getting a little stir crazy. I actually had time to go to a bookstore last night and just look around for a while. It was strange.
Whatever will I do with myself? Well, it seems that the to-do list around the house has gotten pretyt substantial during the past 25 weeks. I have a small fence to build, a playground to put together, some furniture to move, and some painting to do in the coming weeks. As far as exercise goes, I am planning to get back in the pool in the morning and continue maintenance training through the summer. I am looking to possibly do a couple shorter distance triathlons, a 100 mile bike ride, and I I'll probably run the St. Jude marathon in December.
A really cool event that I have found is the Ragnar Relay. There is one in Florida in November. It is a 24 hour, 191 mile running race from the west side of Florida's peninsula to the east side (from Clearwater to Daytona Beach). It would probably take a 8-11 man team (depending on how far people would run). I may put out a couple feelers, but I really doubt I will have the time or energy level to make this materialize. There is just too much training and planning involved, and it is probably a little too soon after baby #2's planned arrival. I believe there is a Ragnar Relay in Texas in the spring. Maybe I will put more effort into that.
What will I do with this blog? I still don't know. I have actually enjoyed adding a post each morning, so I hate to let that go. Even if I have nothing worthwhile to say (which seems to be most days, like today), it is nice to have the opportunity to get some thoughts out. But it is strange to have no idea who, or how many people are reading what I write. I ran into an old friend the other day (she isn't old, but I've known her for a long time) who said she read about my race on my blog, which was really neat. That is exactly why I started this thing -- to be a little more open and honest with other people and with myself. I would love to know who (if anyone) reads this. If I'm all alone here I could just scribble on a post-it note every morning with the same effect. Even an anonymous "Hey, I read it," would be taken into consideration. I'm open to any and all suggestions.
If you would rather not leave a comment, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at d prestage at mitchell mcnutt dot com (just take out the spaces and make it look like an e-mail address).
Later.
Whatever will I do with myself? Well, it seems that the to-do list around the house has gotten pretyt substantial during the past 25 weeks. I have a small fence to build, a playground to put together, some furniture to move, and some painting to do in the coming weeks. As far as exercise goes, I am planning to get back in the pool in the morning and continue maintenance training through the summer. I am looking to possibly do a couple shorter distance triathlons, a 100 mile bike ride, and I I'll probably run the St. Jude marathon in December.
A really cool event that I have found is the Ragnar Relay. There is one in Florida in November. It is a 24 hour, 191 mile running race from the west side of Florida's peninsula to the east side (from Clearwater to Daytona Beach). It would probably take a 8-11 man team (depending on how far people would run). I may put out a couple feelers, but I really doubt I will have the time or energy level to make this materialize. There is just too much training and planning involved, and it is probably a little too soon after baby #2's planned arrival. I believe there is a Ragnar Relay in Texas in the spring. Maybe I will put more effort into that.
What will I do with this blog? I still don't know. I have actually enjoyed adding a post each morning, so I hate to let that go. Even if I have nothing worthwhile to say (which seems to be most days, like today), it is nice to have the opportunity to get some thoughts out. But it is strange to have no idea who, or how many people are reading what I write. I ran into an old friend the other day (she isn't old, but I've known her for a long time) who said she read about my race on my blog, which was really neat. That is exactly why I started this thing -- to be a little more open and honest with other people and with myself. I would love to know who (if anyone) reads this. If I'm all alone here I could just scribble on a post-it note every morning with the same effect. Even an anonymous "Hey, I read it," would be taken into consideration. I'm open to any and all suggestions.
If you would rather not leave a comment, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at d prestage at mitchell mcnutt dot com (just take out the spaces and make it look like an e-mail address).
Later.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Race (Sorry for the rambling, and probably for the typos as well)
Okay. So here is how the race went.
Jessi Bryce and I headed on down to Florida on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning I got up and went for a short bike ride and we spent the rest of the morning hanging out at the pool and the beach. Jessi and I headed to PCB mid-afternoon to get me signed in and my bike checked-in. After signing in and stocking up on some essentials at the expo, I headed to the beach for a test swim. I had never swam in a wetsuit before and wanted to at least try it out before doing 1.2 in it. My practice swim went fine and it was probably the only time I could have blended in with the crowd on Panama City Beach while wearing a Speedo and a wetsuit.
We skipped the pre race meal and meeting and headed back to Destin for dinner. After which, I packed, re-packed, and double-checked all my supplies for the next morning. I'm slightly anal about that type of thing.
My dad was making fun of me about being so careful with my packing. He told me that he "allegedly" found me flipping through a notebook the night before I started second grade and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was checking to make sure all my pages were okay. Sometimes it is good to be prepared.
My mom and Jessi's sister went to the race with us, and we left the house on race day at 4:00 a.m. for the hour drive to the race. Body marking started at 4:30 and the first waves started shortly after 6:00.
I got my transition area set up (mainly by copying whatever everyone else was doing and trying not to stand out), and wandered around listening to music and drinking water until the race started.
Once the first wave started, I walked out to the beach with Jessi, Bryce, Laura, and my mom, and stood around waiting. Some people were running around and warming up, but I figured I would have plenty of time to warm up during the race started. Bryce was having a big time and we went down to the water for a little bit. Unfortunately, while we were hanging out, Bryce was riding on my shoulders while my neck was covered in Body Glide. It was discovered after I started my race that Bryce is very allergic to Body Glide and his face turned red and began to swell. He's much better now though, so don't worry. He's a trooper.
So there I was, feeling completely unprepared and standing in the starting corral with the most competitive age group in the race. Less than two minutes before the start, one of the guys standing front and center was jumping around and swinging his arms to get loosened up. Then he began screaming curse words and dropped to the ground. He had dislocated his shoulder while waiting for the start. Medics swarmed in, one guy pushed his knee into the down guy's chest while another was pulling his arm trying to reset it. It really looked like (and sounded like) it hurt. And then the starting gun went off, so we all ran around the injured guy and headed into the water.
The swim was, go out a little over a half mile, turn left for a couple hundred yards, and then swim back. The water was fairly rough, but not too bad. There was a pretty strong rip tide or something that made it much easier to swim out than to get back to shore though. I thought I was doing okay, but was by myself for most of the swim. The water was also cloudy so I couldn't see much. About .7 or .8 miles in, however, a guy in a yellow swim cap (meaning he started after me) passed me doing the backstroke. It didn't know if he was a really fast backstroker, or if I was going really slow. I just stuck it out and finished the swim feeling strong and in a respectible time. My swim goal was 40-45 minutes. I completed it in 42.05. Very happy with that.
I saw the family and then took off on my bike. I had a pretty specific nutrition plan I was hoping to keep up with (taking in 400-450 calories per hour), which I think helped keep my mind off the time and the distance. I had to eat every 15 minutes, so all I was concerned with was 15 minute segments. I never had to go 56 miles, I only had to go 15 minutes at a time. The bike was flat and windy. A good portion of the road was pretty rough too. This is actually the same bike course as Ironman Florida (you just do it twice there). My bike was going perfectly until mile 40 when I couldn't eat anymore. I still felt fine, but felt sick when I would try and eat anything. This really concerned me and I figured that if I was going into a caloric deficit, that I would sure as hell stay hydrated, so I kept drinking all the water and Gatorade I could. I also had the terrible idea that if I was going to feel bad, that I should hurry up and get the bike portion over with, so I pushed just a little harder for the last 15 miles. I felt strong and fine, but just couldn't eat and was really concerned with what that would do to my run.
My bike goal was 3:05-3:15, and I did 3:04:51. With the wind and the road conditions, I couldn't have gone any faster. I actually think that all my trainer workouts really helped me with this bike leg because it was flat constant spinning. There was one bridge we went over twice, other than that there were no hills at all. Almost the entire bike leg consisted of just getting comfortable and grinding it out, which is just my style on the bike. I did get to see a lot of nice bikes pass me though.
I was a little surprised after the bike that they expected me to immediately go out and run a half marathon. I hadn't eaten in an hour, and my belly was sloshing from all the water and gatorade I put away towards the end of the bike. This wasn't looking good. But my legs felt fine and I thought I would just run the first mile and then make a plan from there. Unfortunately, my legs were accustomed to moving fast on the bike and I ran the first mile in about 8:30. Combined with my lack of food, sloshing belly, and other physical things I had going on at the time, this was a terrible mistake. I immediately started walking and loaded up with all the different food I could carry at the first aid station. I tried to eat a gel and it didn't work. I tried to eat a Clif bar and couldn't. I then found what would be my only food that would work, oranges and bananas.
I felt absolutely terrible, and had no idea how I would do another 10-11 miles. I developed a little shuffle step which couldn't have looked good, and probably wasn't any faster than my walk, but felt okay. It doesn't make much sense, but as windy as it had been on the bike leg, there was absolutely no breeze on the run, mid-high 80s temp, and almost 90% humidity. It was going to be a long day.
The run portion is where the soul-searching begins. It was incredible to see all the people out there doing this event. As bad as I was feeling, there were people feeling much worse, and they kept going. I saw so many people that I was sure were going to die, but apparently they didn't.
I stayed in my shuffle/walk for the first half of the run hoping to get my belly in order and get some nutrition in me. I decided to go as slow as I needed to get myself in order. After about 6 miles we entered a park for 2.5-3 miles, which was miserable. There was no shade, no people, no buildings, just sand dunes and road. I thought I would never make it out of there. After exiting the park, I had a couple cookies and began to feel better. I then had some pepsi, and began to feel even better. After the 9 mile mark I felt better than I had all day on the run, and decided I would pick up the pace a little. I was so happy to feel better and be able to pick up my pace, but as soon as I sped up my left calf locked up. I dialed my pace back down and drug my leg around until it loosened up a little. I sped back up and the same thing happened. From that point on, I maintained the best pace I could without the cramp setting in (which wasn't fast at all). I maintained my hobble/walk/no cramp pace almost until the end. There was a great aid station in the last mile with music and people cheering that really got me going. I figured the longer I was out there, the worse things would get. I turned it up, drug my leg with me, and ran strong through the finish. This was the longest 13.1 miles (and the longest 2 hours and 45 minutes) of my life.
I had wanted to finish the run portion in 2:30, but it took me 2:43:26 due to the stomach issues. I really don't think it was a lack of conditioning, but was more of a nutrition issue. I am already sitting around thinking about what I could do differently, and how much better I could do.
After the race, I found 1 square foot of shade under a bush and sat in it. I gathered my things, loaded up in the truck and stopped by the closest McDonald's for a large diet pepsi and cheeseburgers.
I finished the race in 6:40:23. My ultimate goal was 6:30, and my back-up goal was 6:45, so I am pleased with my time, but know I could go sub 6:30.
This race was much harder than I ever expected. The training was much more intense and time consuming than I ever expected. Jessi has helped me tremendously through the past 25 weeks while I have pretty much done nothing but work and work out. Hopefully I can pay her back a little now with all my free time.
This race was also much more incredible than I expected. The atmosphere, volunteers, and competitors were all awesome, and I am so glad I did it.
I'm still not quite sure what the moral of this entire thing is, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with "Life is as simple as you make it," "Life is what's happening right now," and "It is what it does." I don't think I'm a triathlete, but I was last Saturday. It's pretty easy, actually, to be whatever you want. You just have to do it, and there is no reason you can't start doing it right now. There were so many people out there that were on the first half of their run that absolutely looked like death, but they were going forward. There was no way that they could finish the run at the pace they were going, but I bet they did. And they were all triathletes that day.
Now the question -- What do I do with this blog? What do I do with myself? What will be Bad Idea # 6348?
I'm getting things narrowed down and I'm thinking about:
1) a long, multi-day hiking trip;
2) a long, multi-day cycling trip;
3) a marathon
I'll let you know of any decisions, but things seem pretty wide open at the moment.
See ya.
Danny.
Jessi Bryce and I headed on down to Florida on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning I got up and went for a short bike ride and we spent the rest of the morning hanging out at the pool and the beach. Jessi and I headed to PCB mid-afternoon to get me signed in and my bike checked-in. After signing in and stocking up on some essentials at the expo, I headed to the beach for a test swim. I had never swam in a wetsuit before and wanted to at least try it out before doing 1.2 in it. My practice swim went fine and it was probably the only time I could have blended in with the crowd on Panama City Beach while wearing a Speedo and a wetsuit.
We skipped the pre race meal and meeting and headed back to Destin for dinner. After which, I packed, re-packed, and double-checked all my supplies for the next morning. I'm slightly anal about that type of thing.
My dad was making fun of me about being so careful with my packing. He told me that he "allegedly" found me flipping through a notebook the night before I started second grade and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was checking to make sure all my pages were okay. Sometimes it is good to be prepared.
My mom and Jessi's sister went to the race with us, and we left the house on race day at 4:00 a.m. for the hour drive to the race. Body marking started at 4:30 and the first waves started shortly after 6:00.
I got my transition area set up (mainly by copying whatever everyone else was doing and trying not to stand out), and wandered around listening to music and drinking water until the race started.
Once the first wave started, I walked out to the beach with Jessi, Bryce, Laura, and my mom, and stood around waiting. Some people were running around and warming up, but I figured I would have plenty of time to warm up during the race started. Bryce was having a big time and we went down to the water for a little bit. Unfortunately, while we were hanging out, Bryce was riding on my shoulders while my neck was covered in Body Glide. It was discovered after I started my race that Bryce is very allergic to Body Glide and his face turned red and began to swell. He's much better now though, so don't worry. He's a trooper.
So there I was, feeling completely unprepared and standing in the starting corral with the most competitive age group in the race. Less than two minutes before the start, one of the guys standing front and center was jumping around and swinging his arms to get loosened up. Then he began screaming curse words and dropped to the ground. He had dislocated his shoulder while waiting for the start. Medics swarmed in, one guy pushed his knee into the down guy's chest while another was pulling his arm trying to reset it. It really looked like (and sounded like) it hurt. And then the starting gun went off, so we all ran around the injured guy and headed into the water.
The swim was, go out a little over a half mile, turn left for a couple hundred yards, and then swim back. The water was fairly rough, but not too bad. There was a pretty strong rip tide or something that made it much easier to swim out than to get back to shore though. I thought I was doing okay, but was by myself for most of the swim. The water was also cloudy so I couldn't see much. About .7 or .8 miles in, however, a guy in a yellow swim cap (meaning he started after me) passed me doing the backstroke. It didn't know if he was a really fast backstroker, or if I was going really slow. I just stuck it out and finished the swim feeling strong and in a respectible time. My swim goal was 40-45 minutes. I completed it in 42.05. Very happy with that.
I saw the family and then took off on my bike. I had a pretty specific nutrition plan I was hoping to keep up with (taking in 400-450 calories per hour), which I think helped keep my mind off the time and the distance. I had to eat every 15 minutes, so all I was concerned with was 15 minute segments. I never had to go 56 miles, I only had to go 15 minutes at a time. The bike was flat and windy. A good portion of the road was pretty rough too. This is actually the same bike course as Ironman Florida (you just do it twice there). My bike was going perfectly until mile 40 when I couldn't eat anymore. I still felt fine, but felt sick when I would try and eat anything. This really concerned me and I figured that if I was going into a caloric deficit, that I would sure as hell stay hydrated, so I kept drinking all the water and Gatorade I could. I also had the terrible idea that if I was going to feel bad, that I should hurry up and get the bike portion over with, so I pushed just a little harder for the last 15 miles. I felt strong and fine, but just couldn't eat and was really concerned with what that would do to my run.
My bike goal was 3:05-3:15, and I did 3:04:51. With the wind and the road conditions, I couldn't have gone any faster. I actually think that all my trainer workouts really helped me with this bike leg because it was flat constant spinning. There was one bridge we went over twice, other than that there were no hills at all. Almost the entire bike leg consisted of just getting comfortable and grinding it out, which is just my style on the bike. I did get to see a lot of nice bikes pass me though.
I was a little surprised after the bike that they expected me to immediately go out and run a half marathon. I hadn't eaten in an hour, and my belly was sloshing from all the water and gatorade I put away towards the end of the bike. This wasn't looking good. But my legs felt fine and I thought I would just run the first mile and then make a plan from there. Unfortunately, my legs were accustomed to moving fast on the bike and I ran the first mile in about 8:30. Combined with my lack of food, sloshing belly, and other physical things I had going on at the time, this was a terrible mistake. I immediately started walking and loaded up with all the different food I could carry at the first aid station. I tried to eat a gel and it didn't work. I tried to eat a Clif bar and couldn't. I then found what would be my only food that would work, oranges and bananas.
I felt absolutely terrible, and had no idea how I would do another 10-11 miles. I developed a little shuffle step which couldn't have looked good, and probably wasn't any faster than my walk, but felt okay. It doesn't make much sense, but as windy as it had been on the bike leg, there was absolutely no breeze on the run, mid-high 80s temp, and almost 90% humidity. It was going to be a long day.
The run portion is where the soul-searching begins. It was incredible to see all the people out there doing this event. As bad as I was feeling, there were people feeling much worse, and they kept going. I saw so many people that I was sure were going to die, but apparently they didn't.
I stayed in my shuffle/walk for the first half of the run hoping to get my belly in order and get some nutrition in me. I decided to go as slow as I needed to get myself in order. After about 6 miles we entered a park for 2.5-3 miles, which was miserable. There was no shade, no people, no buildings, just sand dunes and road. I thought I would never make it out of there. After exiting the park, I had a couple cookies and began to feel better. I then had some pepsi, and began to feel even better. After the 9 mile mark I felt better than I had all day on the run, and decided I would pick up the pace a little. I was so happy to feel better and be able to pick up my pace, but as soon as I sped up my left calf locked up. I dialed my pace back down and drug my leg around until it loosened up a little. I sped back up and the same thing happened. From that point on, I maintained the best pace I could without the cramp setting in (which wasn't fast at all). I maintained my hobble/walk/no cramp pace almost until the end. There was a great aid station in the last mile with music and people cheering that really got me going. I figured the longer I was out there, the worse things would get. I turned it up, drug my leg with me, and ran strong through the finish. This was the longest 13.1 miles (and the longest 2 hours and 45 minutes) of my life.
I had wanted to finish the run portion in 2:30, but it took me 2:43:26 due to the stomach issues. I really don't think it was a lack of conditioning, but was more of a nutrition issue. I am already sitting around thinking about what I could do differently, and how much better I could do.
After the race, I found 1 square foot of shade under a bush and sat in it. I gathered my things, loaded up in the truck and stopped by the closest McDonald's for a large diet pepsi and cheeseburgers.
I finished the race in 6:40:23. My ultimate goal was 6:30, and my back-up goal was 6:45, so I am pleased with my time, but know I could go sub 6:30.
This race was much harder than I ever expected. The training was much more intense and time consuming than I ever expected. Jessi has helped me tremendously through the past 25 weeks while I have pretty much done nothing but work and work out. Hopefully I can pay her back a little now with all my free time.
This race was also much more incredible than I expected. The atmosphere, volunteers, and competitors were all awesome, and I am so glad I did it.
I'm still not quite sure what the moral of this entire thing is, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with "Life is as simple as you make it," "Life is what's happening right now," and "It is what it does." I don't think I'm a triathlete, but I was last Saturday. It's pretty easy, actually, to be whatever you want. You just have to do it, and there is no reason you can't start doing it right now. There were so many people out there that were on the first half of their run that absolutely looked like death, but they were going forward. There was no way that they could finish the run at the pace they were going, but I bet they did. And they were all triathletes that day.
Now the question -- What do I do with this blog? What do I do with myself? What will be Bad Idea # 6348?
I'm getting things narrowed down and I'm thinking about:
1) a long, multi-day hiking trip;
2) a long, multi-day cycling trip;
3) a marathon
I'll let you know of any decisions, but things seem pretty wide open at the moment.
See ya.
Danny.
Monday, May 11, 2009
It Wasn't Pretty, But It Got Did.
This was absolutely the hardest thing that I have ever done, and I would recommend it for everyone. The race was very well run, the volunteers were great (there must have been 1000 of them), and actually seemed glad to be there.
I have a lot to say about this race, and I would like to get a play by play report down on paper before too much time passes (I'm hoping that the bad memories fade much quicker than the good ones). But since I'm an idiot and don't really think things through (which we have established), I have 2 meetings scheduled for this morning and a big court hearing set for this afternoon -- so I won't be able to do any type of lengthy post this morning.
I should have some time to get my thoughts together and post the whole story tonight, because I'm sure as hell not working out.
Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Saturday --
SWIM: 42:05 (Couldn't have gone much better)
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 5:24
BIKE: 3:04:51 (Very happy with this time, but didn't feel great towards the end)
BIKE TO RUN TRANSITION: 4:40
RUN: 2:43:26 (Absolute longest 2:43:26 of my life. I wouldn't wish this on anyone).
FINISH 6:40:23 (I really wanted to break 6:30, but 6:45 was my back-up goal. Mission Accomplished).
Later.
Danny.
I have a lot to say about this race, and I would like to get a play by play report down on paper before too much time passes (I'm hoping that the bad memories fade much quicker than the good ones). But since I'm an idiot and don't really think things through (which we have established), I have 2 meetings scheduled for this morning and a big court hearing set for this afternoon -- so I won't be able to do any type of lengthy post this morning.
I should have some time to get my thoughts together and post the whole story tonight, because I'm sure as hell not working out.
Here is the Cliff's Notes version of Saturday --
SWIM: 42:05 (Couldn't have gone much better)
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 5:24
BIKE: 3:04:51 (Very happy with this time, but didn't feel great towards the end)
BIKE TO RUN TRANSITION: 4:40
RUN: 2:43:26 (Absolute longest 2:43:26 of my life. I wouldn't wish this on anyone).
FINISH 6:40:23 (I really wanted to break 6:30, but 6:45 was my back-up goal. Mission Accomplished).
Later.
Danny.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Almost there.
Well -- I am leaving for Florida today. The forecast for Saturday has gone from thunderstorms to sunny with 0% chance of precipitation. I have gone from confident to nervous to confident to scared to confident to terrified throughout the week. I just don't see how this is going to be a good thing. I also never completely got over my sickness from last week. It hasn't stopped me from working out and is more annoying, but I don't need anything zapping any energy in the next few days.
I had intended to write some about my nutrition plan and my race time predictions, but I have a crazy busy morning trying to get things wrapped up around here. I don't have time to post much, but just wanted to get something on paper this morning. If I could describe how I feel about this race and my past 6 months of training I would do it here:_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.
I'm drawing a blank right now - apparently a little overwhelmed - but I'm sure I'll have plenty to say after the race on Saturday (I'll have plenty of time to get my thoughts in order). Maybe I'll check in tomorrow, but I'm not sure.
*** Last night was a 45 minute high cadence spin session/3.5 mile run brick. I felt great, especially after the first couple miles.
Later.
I had intended to write some about my nutrition plan and my race time predictions, but I have a crazy busy morning trying to get things wrapped up around here. I don't have time to post much, but just wanted to get something on paper this morning. If I could describe how I feel about this race and my past 6 months of training I would do it here:_______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.
I'm drawing a blank right now - apparently a little overwhelmed - but I'm sure I'll have plenty to say after the race on Saturday (I'll have plenty of time to get my thoughts in order). Maybe I'll check in tomorrow, but I'm not sure.
*** Last night was a 45 minute high cadence spin session/3.5 mile run brick. I felt great, especially after the first couple miles.
Later.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Finally caught a break . . . almost.
This morning was my final swim workout before the weekend. It stormed all night and I knew that my chances of swimming were somewhere between slim and none (much closer to none), but when my alarm went off at 4:45 it was not raining - it was not lightning - and I swear there were birds actually chirping outside my house (I went out to check). Desperate for a swim workout, I got up, got dressed, and headed to the pool even though I was all but certain I would be the only one there.
I arrived at the pool, and was surprised to see people there. There were only a few of us there to swim, but the coach said we could give it a shot as long as there was no lightning. I was amazed. I haven't had any good luck like this in training in a long time. I was really looking forward to one good last swim workout, since that is obviously the discipline that I am most undertrained in. Things were finally looking up. It was as if the storm had passed and the sky had unexpectedly opened up just for my benefit. I got down to my speedo, strapped on my goggles, stood at the end of my lane, did a couple quick stretches, and witnessed the most perfect, perhaps largest, bolt of lightning that has ever crossed the sky. Swimming was cancelled before I touched the water this morning. My next swim will be in Florida. Crap.
Last night I worked pretty late, but had a really good bike workout after getting home and putting Bryce to bed. Then I changed the tires on my bike. I was really due for a tire upgrade, plus my rear tire was pretty worn due to all the trainer riding I've been doing. I can change a tire and tube no problem, but I know next to nothing about actual bike maintenance and I think I knocked my rear derailuer (I'm not even sure how to say that word, much less spell it) off track a little. My bike doesn't seem to be shifting nearly as smooth in the rear, and is actually missing a couple shifts. But my tires look great. I'll mess with it a little more tonight and see if I may have really damaged something. I may have to make an emergency call to my buddy Jonny for an expert opinion.
*** Last night I had a trainer ride just under 1.5 hours. I also changed my tires which has to count for something.
Tonight, I have a 45 minute ride and 30 minute run. Busy day at work today trying to get everything wrapped up so I can get out of here Thursday afternoon (I just realized that is tomorrow. . . crap).
See ya.
I arrived at the pool, and was surprised to see people there. There were only a few of us there to swim, but the coach said we could give it a shot as long as there was no lightning. I was amazed. I haven't had any good luck like this in training in a long time. I was really looking forward to one good last swim workout, since that is obviously the discipline that I am most undertrained in. Things were finally looking up. It was as if the storm had passed and the sky had unexpectedly opened up just for my benefit. I got down to my speedo, strapped on my goggles, stood at the end of my lane, did a couple quick stretches, and witnessed the most perfect, perhaps largest, bolt of lightning that has ever crossed the sky. Swimming was cancelled before I touched the water this morning. My next swim will be in Florida. Crap.
Last night I worked pretty late, but had a really good bike workout after getting home and putting Bryce to bed. Then I changed the tires on my bike. I was really due for a tire upgrade, plus my rear tire was pretty worn due to all the trainer riding I've been doing. I can change a tire and tube no problem, but I know next to nothing about actual bike maintenance and I think I knocked my rear derailuer (I'm not even sure how to say that word, much less spell it) off track a little. My bike doesn't seem to be shifting nearly as smooth in the rear, and is actually missing a couple shifts. But my tires look great. I'll mess with it a little more tonight and see if I may have really damaged something. I may have to make an emergency call to my buddy Jonny for an expert opinion.
*** Last night I had a trainer ride just under 1.5 hours. I also changed my tires which has to count for something.
Tonight, I have a 45 minute ride and 30 minute run. Busy day at work today trying to get everything wrapped up so I can get out of here Thursday afternoon (I just realized that is tomorrow. . . crap).
See ya.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Isolated Thunderstorms
The PCB forecast for race day is high of 85 with isolated thunderstorms and 30% chance of precipitation. Fortunately, this seems to be the standard weather forecast for the florida panhandle because no one can predict the weather more than a day or two out. Weather systems move/form/break up quickly down there and a thunderstorm or rain shower can come and go quickly.
I also saw where the water temperature at PCB is 79, which would make wetsuits illegal during the swim. Wetsuits are not allowed if the water is warmer than 78 degrees (or if water temp is 78 degrees or warmer, not sure which). This could be either good and bad. My wetsuit felt comfortable when I tried it on, but I have never swam in it. They "allegedly" make you faster and provide pretty substantial flotation. I would probably be more comfortable swimming without a wetsuit, but 1.2 miles is a long way and I could use all the help I can get. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. I'll just wait and see.
Nothing substantive this morning, I have a hearing in another county in a bit.
*** Last night I went for an easy 30 minute jog. Felt good. Tonight I have an easy 1 hour bike ride. I'm really enjoying this taper thing.
Later.
I also saw where the water temperature at PCB is 79, which would make wetsuits illegal during the swim. Wetsuits are not allowed if the water is warmer than 78 degrees (or if water temp is 78 degrees or warmer, not sure which). This could be either good and bad. My wetsuit felt comfortable when I tried it on, but I have never swam in it. They "allegedly" make you faster and provide pretty substantial flotation. I would probably be more comfortable swimming without a wetsuit, but 1.2 miles is a long way and I could use all the help I can get. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. I'll just wait and see.
Nothing substantive this morning, I have a hearing in another county in a bit.
*** Last night I went for an easy 30 minute jog. Felt good. Tonight I have an easy 1 hour bike ride. I'm really enjoying this taper thing.
Later.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Final Week
Okay. 5 days to go. I had a full weekend and the rain didn't make it easier. Saturday, my scheduled 8 mile run was stopped after 6.5 miles. I felt great, and didn't shorten my run just because of rain, which I don't mind, but thunder, lightning, and tornado sirens tend to spook me a bit. I don't mess around with lightning, at all. I think my fear of lightning is pretty valid since I am usually the tallest person in the vacinity.
Anyway, my weekend workouts went fine. I'm feeling much better (physically) and I think skipping a couple workouts last week was exactly what I needed to do. I'm still not sure whether I have the ability to do this race, but I'm ready to give it a shot.
After my last 50 mile bike ride, Jessi asked me whether I felt like I could run a half-marathon. Obviously, I answered her with a "no." I have never "felt like" I could run 13 miles in my life (even when running 13 miles). The good thing is that you don't have to "feel" like you can do something in order to do it. When I do my 10-milers, I never "feel" like I could do it -- but I do.
I've never seen a star ward, but have heard Yoda quoted more than once this weekend. It may not be completely correct, but the quote I have heard goes something like -- "Do or do not, there is no try."
The only thing I will be focused on Saturday will be the next mile, or maybe the next 500 yards, or maybe to the next tree, or maybe the next step, or maybe the cold beer at the finish line. As long as I keep plugging away and keep my nutrition in check, the time and distance will pass and the rest will take care of itself.
I am actually considering a little bit of a run/walk during the event if necessary. It may be stupid to try something on race day that I have never practiced, but I fully expect to feel like hell by the time I get a few miles into the run and will probably be in need of a "Plan B" (or maybe "Plan G" by that point). It will slow me down a bit, but I am thinking of maybe falling back to a 5 minute run, 1 minute walk if things get too bad. As long as I could keep my run pace under (or around) 10:00 min/mile, I could still make pretty good time. Maybe I'll try it out a little this week and see how it feels. Maybe I should also see how long it takes me to crawl a mile just in case.
*** This weekend (last weekend before tri) I had a great 6.5 mile run in the rain on Saturday. I actually felt much stronger when I finished than when I started. On Sunday, I did a 2.5 hour hard trainer session and felt good. I am so glad to be done with my long trainer sessions -- that thing gets old.
I swam this morning. I guess the swim portion is the biggest unknown variable of the race. I'm sure it gets lonely with your head in the water a half mile from shore, even with other people kicking you in the face from time to time. I haven't done the straight distance that I will be doing in the race, but I have been routinely doing more yardage during my swim workouts. I know I can finish the swim (what other choice do I have), but am worried about feeling wiped out afterwards. That's what's crazy about this event. It's one thing to swim 1.2 miles, but it is a completely different thing to swim 1.2 miles and then be able to bike and run for another 5.5-6 hours.
Later this week I'll try and do some race calculations and post my time goals and prep lists. Oh crap.
Later.
Anyway, my weekend workouts went fine. I'm feeling much better (physically) and I think skipping a couple workouts last week was exactly what I needed to do. I'm still not sure whether I have the ability to do this race, but I'm ready to give it a shot.
After my last 50 mile bike ride, Jessi asked me whether I felt like I could run a half-marathon. Obviously, I answered her with a "no." I have never "felt like" I could run 13 miles in my life (even when running 13 miles). The good thing is that you don't have to "feel" like you can do something in order to do it. When I do my 10-milers, I never "feel" like I could do it -- but I do.
I've never seen a star ward, but have heard Yoda quoted more than once this weekend. It may not be completely correct, but the quote I have heard goes something like -- "Do or do not, there is no try."
The only thing I will be focused on Saturday will be the next mile, or maybe the next 500 yards, or maybe to the next tree, or maybe the next step, or maybe the cold beer at the finish line. As long as I keep plugging away and keep my nutrition in check, the time and distance will pass and the rest will take care of itself.
I am actually considering a little bit of a run/walk during the event if necessary. It may be stupid to try something on race day that I have never practiced, but I fully expect to feel like hell by the time I get a few miles into the run and will probably be in need of a "Plan B" (or maybe "Plan G" by that point). It will slow me down a bit, but I am thinking of maybe falling back to a 5 minute run, 1 minute walk if things get too bad. As long as I could keep my run pace under (or around) 10:00 min/mile, I could still make pretty good time. Maybe I'll try it out a little this week and see how it feels. Maybe I should also see how long it takes me to crawl a mile just in case.
*** This weekend (last weekend before tri) I had a great 6.5 mile run in the rain on Saturday. I actually felt much stronger when I finished than when I started. On Sunday, I did a 2.5 hour hard trainer session and felt good. I am so glad to be done with my long trainer sessions -- that thing gets old.
I swam this morning. I guess the swim portion is the biggest unknown variable of the race. I'm sure it gets lonely with your head in the water a half mile from shore, even with other people kicking you in the face from time to time. I haven't done the straight distance that I will be doing in the race, but I have been routinely doing more yardage during my swim workouts. I know I can finish the swim (what other choice do I have), but am worried about feeling wiped out afterwards. That's what's crazy about this event. It's one thing to swim 1.2 miles, but it is a completely different thing to swim 1.2 miles and then be able to bike and run for another 5.5-6 hours.
Later this week I'll try and do some race calculations and post my time goals and prep lists. Oh crap.
Later.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Workouts Cancelled (But Not Because of Swine Flu)
I cancelled my workouts last night and this morning. Last night I only had a short run planned, so I bagged it in favor of taking it easy and having a good dinner at a reasonable time. I also skipped swimming this morning because I didn't feel well when I got up. I'm feeling better now and am kicking myself for not swimming. I only have two more real swim workouts until I leave for Florida. But I think the rest was probably a good decision.
I'm just trying to put myself in a position to have strong workouts this weekend and get my head around what I'm about to do. My confidence level is a little low at the moment. I'm confident about each of the three distances, but am not sure about my nutrition plan. There is a big difference in a 3-4 hour workout (which I'm okay with) and a 6+ hour workout (which I have never done). A lot can happen to your body and your stomach during that extra 2+ hours. If I get off my nutrition plan during the bike, or if something goes wrong, the last 13.1 miles is going to suck.
I have a triathlon magazine that includes an article explaining that immediately after completing a full ironman your body ages 20 years. Of course you get back to normal 2-3 weeks afterward, but that is still a pretty serious thing to put yourself through. Of course, I'm just doing a half-iron distance and don't expect anything that severe, but I'm still pretty sure that my body will not appreciate what I'm making it do on May 9. I just have to get myself to the starting line healthy and then deal with the rest.
Jessi and I were talking about races and endurance sports on the way to Double Decker last weekend. I was telling her that one thing I really like about this type of stuff is that it is pretty much impossible to cheat. In most sports, you can claim to be better than you are and nobody will know. More times than not, you can even cheat if you are so inclined. That's not easy to do in endurance sports. When you step to the starting line in a race, there isn't much you can do but finish. You can't skip a mile, take a break, or anything else. You have to swim/bike/run the entire distance on your own. It's not always pretty or pleasant, but it doesn't always have to be -- there's not always an easy way out (plus almost all race results are posted online so you can't lie about your results).
***No workout last night or this morning. I plan on a light bike ride tonight ramping up for my weekend workouts.
See Ya.
I'm just trying to put myself in a position to have strong workouts this weekend and get my head around what I'm about to do. My confidence level is a little low at the moment. I'm confident about each of the three distances, but am not sure about my nutrition plan. There is a big difference in a 3-4 hour workout (which I'm okay with) and a 6+ hour workout (which I have never done). A lot can happen to your body and your stomach during that extra 2+ hours. If I get off my nutrition plan during the bike, or if something goes wrong, the last 13.1 miles is going to suck.
I have a triathlon magazine that includes an article explaining that immediately after completing a full ironman your body ages 20 years. Of course you get back to normal 2-3 weeks afterward, but that is still a pretty serious thing to put yourself through. Of course, I'm just doing a half-iron distance and don't expect anything that severe, but I'm still pretty sure that my body will not appreciate what I'm making it do on May 9. I just have to get myself to the starting line healthy and then deal with the rest.
Jessi and I were talking about races and endurance sports on the way to Double Decker last weekend. I was telling her that one thing I really like about this type of stuff is that it is pretty much impossible to cheat. In most sports, you can claim to be better than you are and nobody will know. More times than not, you can even cheat if you are so inclined. That's not easy to do in endurance sports. When you step to the starting line in a race, there isn't much you can do but finish. You can't skip a mile, take a break, or anything else. You have to swim/bike/run the entire distance on your own. It's not always pretty or pleasant, but it doesn't always have to be -- there's not always an easy way out (plus almost all race results are posted online so you can't lie about your results).
***No workout last night or this morning. I plan on a light bike ride tonight ramping up for my weekend workouts.
See Ya.
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