The Executive West hotel hosted an Ironman training weekend over the past few days. We made one loop of the Ironman bike course on Saturday (80 miles) and ran one loop of the new run course on Sunday (13 miles).
Saturday's 80 mile ride was my longest to date. I pushed a bigger gear than normal, so my legs were dead by the time I was done. I had trouble on the run because my legs were still really sore. To add insult to injury, I had a three hour ride on Monday (Memorial Day). It was suppose to be a race intensity ride, but my legs wouldn't allow it. Instead I rode 45 miles around Seneca and Cherokee park. It's amazing to think that a 45 mile ride is considered easy at this point.
Tina and the kids are flying to Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday. I found a good deal on airline tickets, the only problem is that I have to fly them out of Nashville. It was so much cheaper for them to fly from Nashville and you can't get a straight flight to Jacksonville from Louisville. They will be there for two weeks then her mother will be coming back here for a week. It will take me longer to drive from Nashville back to Louisville that it will take them to fly to Jacksonville.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
First Half Ironman
Unofficial Time
Swim: 00:45:53
T1: 00:04:20
Bike: 03:26:23
T2: 00:05:02
Run: 02:30:19
Total: 06:51:58
Today was an interesting day to say the least. I beat my goal time of 06:55, but how I got there was a bigger accomplishment in my opinion. The swim was good once I got going. The first half a lap was exactly as you said, little bit of anxiety and a combination of every stroke in the book. After I made the first turn, I put my face in the water and started swimming. Considering it took me over 13 minutes to make it to the first turn, I was pleased with my overall time. Thanks for letting me use your wetsuit, it worked great.
T1 was good, I wasn't in a huge hurry. I had allotted 5 minutes to get through the first transition and I accomplished that. I should have used the bathroom before heading out on the bike though. Ten minutes into the bike the problems began. I did as you said and didn't drink anything on the bike for the first ten minutes. It didn't take long before my stomach started cramping. I can't really explain it because I haven't experienced anything like it. I had cramps running up both of my sides. The only thing I can think of is that I swallowed too much lake water. Regardless of the cause, the cramps stayed with me the entire bike ride. At times, they were so bad it was difficult riding in the aero position. My nutrition plan was abandoned because I was afraid to take in anything. For the entire bike, I drank 32 oz of Gatorade (200 calories), 2 gels (240 calories) and about 8 oz of water. I wasn't able to push myself on the bike because of the cramps, most of the ride was in Z1.
I finally made it back into the state park and was ready to get off the bike. I tried to go to the bathroom thinking that might help with the cramps. After changing, I walked up the hill. As I got to the top of the hill, I realized I forgot to take off my cycling shorts. I had slipped them on over my tri shorts before heading out on the bike. I took them off and hung them on a sign.
I didn't really know how my stomach was going to react running. I drank some water at the first aid station and grabbed a couple of pieces of orange wedge candy. My legs were tired, but I was able to slowly run. Anytime my HR got up towards Z2, I started getting cramps. I decided my run was going to consist of a slow Z1 jog and some walking. The first couple of laps were pretty tough, mainly because my legs were hurting. My stomach slowly because to feel better. I took in a couple of gels on the run and my cramps subsided a little bit. I took in water at each aid station and sipped on Gatorade in between. During the last lap I was watching my time because I knew I wanted to beat 7 hours. I pushed myself during the last 3 miles to make sure I accomplished my goal.
At this point I don't really know what caused my stomach problems. I'm assuming it was the lake water because I hadn't really taken any nutrition before it started. I had a lot left in the reserve in terms of cardiovascular, but my stomach wasn't cooperating. I am pleased that I was able to push through and still accomplish my time goal. I do think that I would have crushed it if everything would have worked out.
I think I am going to start experimenting with different nutrition. I have heard a lot of good things about Perpetuam and the other Hammer products, so I am going to start experimenting with those.
Swim: 00:45:53
T1: 00:04:20
Bike: 03:26:23
T2: 00:05:02
Run: 02:30:19
Total: 06:51:58
Today was an interesting day to say the least. I beat my goal time of 06:55, but how I got there was a bigger accomplishment in my opinion. The swim was good once I got going. The first half a lap was exactly as you said, little bit of anxiety and a combination of every stroke in the book. After I made the first turn, I put my face in the water and started swimming. Considering it took me over 13 minutes to make it to the first turn, I was pleased with my overall time. Thanks for letting me use your wetsuit, it worked great.
T1 was good, I wasn't in a huge hurry. I had allotted 5 minutes to get through the first transition and I accomplished that. I should have used the bathroom before heading out on the bike though. Ten minutes into the bike the problems began. I did as you said and didn't drink anything on the bike for the first ten minutes. It didn't take long before my stomach started cramping. I can't really explain it because I haven't experienced anything like it. I had cramps running up both of my sides. The only thing I can think of is that I swallowed too much lake water. Regardless of the cause, the cramps stayed with me the entire bike ride. At times, they were so bad it was difficult riding in the aero position. My nutrition plan was abandoned because I was afraid to take in anything. For the entire bike, I drank 32 oz of Gatorade (200 calories), 2 gels (240 calories) and about 8 oz of water. I wasn't able to push myself on the bike because of the cramps, most of the ride was in Z1.
I finally made it back into the state park and was ready to get off the bike. I tried to go to the bathroom thinking that might help with the cramps. After changing, I walked up the hill. As I got to the top of the hill, I realized I forgot to take off my cycling shorts. I had slipped them on over my tri shorts before heading out on the bike. I took them off and hung them on a sign.
I didn't really know how my stomach was going to react running. I drank some water at the first aid station and grabbed a couple of pieces of orange wedge candy. My legs were tired, but I was able to slowly run. Anytime my HR got up towards Z2, I started getting cramps. I decided my run was going to consist of a slow Z1 jog and some walking. The first couple of laps were pretty tough, mainly because my legs were hurting. My stomach slowly because to feel better. I took in a couple of gels on the run and my cramps subsided a little bit. I took in water at each aid station and sipped on Gatorade in between. During the last lap I was watching my time because I knew I wanted to beat 7 hours. I pushed myself during the last 3 miles to make sure I accomplished my goal.
At this point I don't really know what caused my stomach problems. I'm assuming it was the lake water because I hadn't really taken any nutrition before it started. I had a lot left in the reserve in terms of cardiovascular, but my stomach wasn't cooperating. I am pleased that I was able to push through and still accomplish my time goal. I do think that I would have crushed it if everything would have worked out.
I think I am going to start experimenting with different nutrition. I have heard a lot of good things about Perpetuam and the other Hammer products, so I am going to start experimenting with those.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Thank goodness my training is more consistent than by blogging
I haven't been very good about keeping this blog updated. My training for Ironman Louisville is going good. The only problem is that I don't have a lot of extra time to do other things, such as update this blog. When I registered for Ironman, I thought I had a pretty good idea about the commitment I was making. Now that my training load is reaching 15 hours a week, I am really starting to understand.
Everything else is going good. We have started attending a new church in Louisville call Sojourn It is a Baptist church, but has a focus on local missions. It is a mission focused church that is rooted in the word. They have stripped away a lot of the non-biblical things that have crept into the modern day church. This week will be our first visit to a Community Group.
I am trying to do a better job at reading my bible. I am reading the a New Living Translation of a 365 day Bible. I have done a pretty good job of keeping up so far. I have been taking it to work and reading during lunch.
Hopefully this will be a new day in my blogging life. I don't see myself updating it daily, but maybe I can get around to posting weekly.
Everything else is going good. We have started attending a new church in Louisville call Sojourn It is a Baptist church, but has a focus on local missions. It is a mission focused church that is rooted in the word. They have stripped away a lot of the non-biblical things that have crept into the modern day church. This week will be our first visit to a Community Group.
I am trying to do a better job at reading my bible. I am reading the a New Living Translation of a 365 day Bible. I have done a pretty good job of keeping up so far. I have been taking it to work and reading during lunch.
Hopefully this will be a new day in my blogging life. I don't see myself updating it daily, but maybe I can get around to posting weekly.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Back on track
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and my fan has been concerned (thanks Lindsey). I took last week off from training. My body needed a week off after working out all summer.
Now that I am officially in my off-season training I am trying to figure out what I am going to be doing between now and the beginning of January. I started swimming with a Master's swim team this week. They meet at 5:45 am, Mon - Fri. I am going to try and swim at least four days a week throughout the winter. During the off-season, you are suppose to focus on your limiter(s). Swimming is my weakest event, so I am really focusing on that. By swimming with a Master's group, I get access to a coach for a very small cost. Plus it is nice to meet other people every now and then.
I have hired a coach to help me train for Ironman. I am going to be working with him starting in January. It is a big expense, but definitely worth it. I am confident that I can get myself to the finish line of Ironman, but a coach will allow me to maximize my potential. I can't wait until January to get started.
My kids are off of school the next few days, so I have decided to take a couple of days vacation. We may go bowling or see a movie. Right now we are cleaning the house and I need to mow the yard.
Now that I am officially in my off-season training I am trying to figure out what I am going to be doing between now and the beginning of January. I started swimming with a Master's swim team this week. They meet at 5:45 am, Mon - Fri. I am going to try and swim at least four days a week throughout the winter. During the off-season, you are suppose to focus on your limiter(s). Swimming is my weakest event, so I am really focusing on that. By swimming with a Master's group, I get access to a coach for a very small cost. Plus it is nice to meet other people every now and then.
I have hired a coach to help me train for Ironman. I am going to be working with him starting in January. It is a big expense, but definitely worth it. I am confident that I can get myself to the finish line of Ironman, but a coach will allow me to maximize my potential. I can't wait until January to get started.
My kids are off of school the next few days, so I have decided to take a couple of days vacation. We may go bowling or see a movie. Right now we are cleaning the house and I need to mow the yard.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Still not feeling good
I have left work early the last two days from not feeling good. Fortunately enough, I have a flexible job so I am able to monitor things from home. It's a good thing I had planned on taking the week off, because I don't think I would be working out anyway. I went to the store and bought cold medicine and cough drops today, so hopefully that will make spending the day at work bearable.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tri for Sight Race Report
Today was my final race of the year. It was the Tri for Sight Triathlon/Duathlon in Lexington, KY. The race started at 7 am and check-in was at 5:30. We drove over from Louisville on Saturday and stayed in a hotel. The boys had fun swimming in the indoor pool and it was nice getting out of town for the day.
We still had to get up early and I didn't sleep well the night before. I was very congested and paranoid that I wouldn't wake up at 4:45. I set the alarm clock and had a wake up call just in case. We managed to get out of the hotel at 5:45 and drove over to the University of Kentucky's campus.
The swim was 800M in a 50M pool. I estimated my swim time at 20 minutes, so I had to wait about 50 minutes before starting. The swim went well. I did my normal slow consistent pace, which is all I can ask for. I have reached a point in my swimming that I can swim for a long time at a slow pace. When I try and swim faster, I end up expending more energy without a lot of time savings.
There was a distance of .25 miles from the pool to the transition area. I set a pair of sandals outside the pool because I didn't feel like running that far bare footed. I may have lost 15 seconds for doing that, but it was worth it to me. Once I finally got to the transition area, I suited up for the bike and headed out.
The bike ride was 18 miles of rolling hills. The support on the bike course was great. The police had all of the major intersections blocked and the volunteers were very encouraging. The course was 9 miles out and 9 miles back. I had never ridden it before and don't have a bike computer, so I was curious when I would hit the turnaround. I felt strong during the entire ride maintaining my heart rate around the 80% range (except on some of the bigger hills).
The run was 4 miles around the University of Kentucky football stadium and through the nature Arboretum. I averaged 9 minutes miles throughout the run which is better than I estimated.
All in all the race was good. I had a strong performance and will definitely do this race again. My final times were;
Swim - 19:04
T1 - 4:39
Bike - 1:02:48
T2 - 1:14
Run - 36:19
Total - 2:04:03
This officially makes me a middle of the packer, which I am completely fine with.
We still had to get up early and I didn't sleep well the night before. I was very congested and paranoid that I wouldn't wake up at 4:45. I set the alarm clock and had a wake up call just in case. We managed to get out of the hotel at 5:45 and drove over to the University of Kentucky's campus.
The swim was 800M in a 50M pool. I estimated my swim time at 20 minutes, so I had to wait about 50 minutes before starting. The swim went well. I did my normal slow consistent pace, which is all I can ask for. I have reached a point in my swimming that I can swim for a long time at a slow pace. When I try and swim faster, I end up expending more energy without a lot of time savings.
There was a distance of .25 miles from the pool to the transition area. I set a pair of sandals outside the pool because I didn't feel like running that far bare footed. I may have lost 15 seconds for doing that, but it was worth it to me. Once I finally got to the transition area, I suited up for the bike and headed out.
The bike ride was 18 miles of rolling hills. The support on the bike course was great. The police had all of the major intersections blocked and the volunteers were very encouraging. The course was 9 miles out and 9 miles back. I had never ridden it before and don't have a bike computer, so I was curious when I would hit the turnaround. I felt strong during the entire ride maintaining my heart rate around the 80% range (except on some of the bigger hills).
The run was 4 miles around the University of Kentucky football stadium and through the nature Arboretum. I averaged 9 minutes miles throughout the run which is better than I estimated.
All in all the race was good. I had a strong performance and will definitely do this race again. My final times were;
Swim - 19:04
T1 - 4:39
Bike - 1:02:48
T2 - 1:14
Run - 36:19
Total - 2:04:03
This officially makes me a middle of the packer, which I am completely fine with.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Not feeling good
I have my final race of the year in two days and I am not feeling good. I think it is allergy related, but I don't know. My throat is sore and I am very tired. I was suppose to have an easy swim and run today, but I am going to skip them all together.
We are going to be heading to Lexington in the morning. I have to check in for the race and attend a pre-race meeting at 12 noon. It takes about an hour to drive from Louisville to Lexington, so we will probably leave around 10 am. I am suppose to have an easy 30 minute bike ride in the morning.
The hotel we are staying at has an indoor pool, so the kids will be entertained tomorrow evening. The race starts at 7 am on Sunday, so I will have to drag everyone out of bed so we can get there on time.
We are going to be heading to Lexington in the morning. I have to check in for the race and attend a pre-race meeting at 12 noon. It takes about an hour to drive from Louisville to Lexington, so we will probably leave around 10 am. I am suppose to have an easy 30 minute bike ride in the morning.
The hotel we are staying at has an indoor pool, so the kids will be entertained tomorrow evening. The race starts at 7 am on Sunday, so I will have to drag everyone out of bed so we can get there on time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
