Friday, May 29, 2009
Where's the sportsmanship?
I really wish triathletes were more like golfers ... especially this one.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Been a slacker
with the blog (not with the training!!). I'm at the tail end of a 3 week block following lake murray tri before bringing it down a bit heading into Festival of Flowers and Tri the Midlands. The calf injury is healed and I'm back to 30+ mile run weeks. Not quite at the volume I was before the injury but building to it and so far the intensity has been very minimal but is building as well.
After the June races it will be time to begin building up for Augusta 70.3 and B2B. I have a hole in the calendar between late June and late September and need to fill it with some longer races. Perhaps Hartsville Oly, and maybe AG Nationals in AL, but I would really like to find a late summer half. I don't know of any off hand ...
I should have some video to post soon of my top secret training hideaway. Speaking of which, I need to plan a weekend mini-training camp getaway. The biggest problem is that it's so darn relaxing there that it's hard to "get the work done" as jonnyo would say.
After the June races it will be time to begin building up for Augusta 70.3 and B2B. I have a hole in the calendar between late June and late September and need to fill it with some longer races. Perhaps Hartsville Oly, and maybe AG Nationals in AL, but I would really like to find a late summer half. I don't know of any off hand ...
I should have some video to post soon of my top secret training hideaway. Speaking of which, I need to plan a weekend mini-training camp getaway. The biggest problem is that it's so darn relaxing there that it's hard to "get the work done" as jonnyo would say.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
AOMM
Looks like I'll be heading to Spartanburg on Monday morning to take part in the Assault on Mt. Mitchell ride. It's 103 miles and ends with a climb of Mt. Mitchell, the highest mountain east of the Rockies.
Getting into this thing on a whim at the last moment and not having prepared in the least (apart from my normal tri training) my plan was to take it super easy until we hit the mountain (around mile 83 I think) and then suffer my way to the top. But .... since I'll riding in the 1st wave with JB and the other top cyclists, there is a very high probability that the pace will be very brisk getting to Marion. I have a feeling this will put my bike fitness to the test. I'm considering going old school ... almost primal ... with no computers, GPS, HR, etc. Totally by feel. I think this will help me get to know my body a little better. I have no time goals as this will be my first time riding Mitchell. I just want to get to the top without suffering so bad that next week's training is jeopardized. Here's a picture of my road bike outfitted for the ride (12/27 cassette included!).
Getting into this thing on a whim at the last moment and not having prepared in the least (apart from my normal tri training) my plan was to take it super easy until we hit the mountain (around mile 83 I think) and then suffer my way to the top. But .... since I'll riding in the 1st wave with JB and the other top cyclists, there is a very high probability that the pace will be very brisk getting to Marion. I have a feeling this will put my bike fitness to the test. I'm considering going old school ... almost primal ... with no computers, GPS, HR, etc. Totally by feel. I think this will help me get to know my body a little better. I have no time goals as this will be my first time riding Mitchell. I just want to get to the top without suffering so bad that next week's training is jeopardized. Here's a picture of my road bike outfitted for the ride (12/27 cassette included!).
Friday, May 15, 2009
Fuel
Every year on your service aniversery the company gives you a $5 gift card for the restaurant downstairs. Lucky for me they have my favorite food in the whole world ...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Quick Update
Just a quick update to let the world know I'm still alive and well.
Last week was the beginning of building back up the volume after two weeks in a row of racing - and it felt great to log some solid training time (14.25 hrs) without worrying about being semi-fresh for a race.
The week culminated on Friday with a long 75 mile bike ride followed by a 30 minute transition run. The first two hours of the ride I was joined by Woody. After cruising and chatting for a while and climbing Little Mountain, we laid down some good temp efforts.
The lower legs have still been a bit of an issue with running but are slowly coming around. I ran 5 times last week with 4 days consecutively from Wednesday through Sunday. The sessions were all very tempered, but I really enjoy the frequency. This week only has 4 run sessions with a long run of 90 minutes. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to some tempo work ... hopefully soon.
Still no day off training since Nov 26th. I'm not doing it as a goal ... coach just never schedules an off day. Recovery is built in and I haven't found the need to take a day off.
Next race on the calendar is Festival of Flowers olympic distance on June 7th, although I have yet to register. I've slacked so long that the entry fee is up to $80.
As I write this I'm bouncing emails back and forth with JB about riding Mitchell on Monday. I'm toying with the idea of trying to arrange it and he's telling me that "it is the premier SE mountain century. people come from all over to do it. maybe not as cool as Boston but still carries some weight when u say u did it." Doing it would take a lot of clearance ... wife, work, coach, etc. Maybe I'll have a ride report next week ...
That's about it in my exciting life. Oh, I forgot to say that we had a yard sale this weekend. I laid some sod (glad I don't do that for a living). We also went to a party at the Blashka's on Saturday, took some friend out to lunch on Sunday, and had my mom, dad and stepmom visiting at various times throughout the weekend. It was a very busy and fun weekend. Happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
Last week was the beginning of building back up the volume after two weeks in a row of racing - and it felt great to log some solid training time (14.25 hrs) without worrying about being semi-fresh for a race.
The week culminated on Friday with a long 75 mile bike ride followed by a 30 minute transition run. The first two hours of the ride I was joined by Woody. After cruising and chatting for a while and climbing Little Mountain, we laid down some good temp efforts.
The lower legs have still been a bit of an issue with running but are slowly coming around. I ran 5 times last week with 4 days consecutively from Wednesday through Sunday. The sessions were all very tempered, but I really enjoy the frequency. This week only has 4 run sessions with a long run of 90 minutes. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to some tempo work ... hopefully soon.
Still no day off training since Nov 26th. I'm not doing it as a goal ... coach just never schedules an off day. Recovery is built in and I haven't found the need to take a day off.
Next race on the calendar is Festival of Flowers olympic distance on June 7th, although I have yet to register. I've slacked so long that the entry fee is up to $80.
As I write this I'm bouncing emails back and forth with JB about riding Mitchell on Monday. I'm toying with the idea of trying to arrange it and he's telling me that "it is the premier SE mountain century. people come from all over to do it. maybe not as cool as Boston but still carries some weight when u say u did it." Doing it would take a lot of clearance ... wife, work, coach, etc. Maybe I'll have a ride report next week ...
That's about it in my exciting life. Oh, I forgot to say that we had a yard sale this weekend. I laid some sod (glad I don't do that for a living). We also went to a party at the Blashka's on Saturday, took some friend out to lunch on Sunday, and had my mom, dad and stepmom visiting at various times throughout the weekend. It was a very busy and fun weekend. Happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Lake Murray Triathlon Race Report
It was a tough day at the Lake Murray triathlon this year. I'm a little disappointed with my 10th place finish and rather flat performance.
Here's my looooong list of excuses/encouragements to make me feel better ... 1) I'm not focusing on short course triathlon 2) my run volume has been super low in the last 4 weeks as I've been getting over an injury 3) I finished 10 places higher than last year 4) it was a very deep field today 5) I was less than 30 seconds off 7th place.
I said in my prediction post that I'd be happy to be in the top ten ... and I'm trying ... really, I am (it's just not working that well). Speaking of the prediction post, I was very correct in some areas and VERY incorrect in others. I must apologize to JB and Woody as I underestimated their abilities in a big way. Great job guys ... I'll be the first to admit that you put me in my place!
I arrived at the race early enough to get a sufficient warm-up swim this time which made a big difference in my comfort level. Starting out the swim there was a little contact which put some water in my sighting-side goggle, but other than that it was pretty calm. I felt relaxed and in-control throughout the swim and was glad to be in a small pack the whole way. We stayed pretty much side-by-side the entire time and didn't take turns working at the front. When we exited the water I saw it was Cameron Dorn and Parker Roth that swam in the pack with me. This was a sign of a decent swim for me but also meant I would get a chance to see how I staked up to these guys on the bike. The official time with run to transition was 12:07, ranked 16th overall.
Here are some pictures of Cameron and I doing T1 (0:28):
It didn't take long for Cameron to come past me on the bike. A short time later Parker also made his way past. Then another guy. Hmmm ... I'm not really used to getting passed like this. By the third time I had resolved myself to ride my own ride and not get caught up in the "race" within the race, although I kept hoping I would make my way up to Mark. Looking at the results, Mark and I were riding the same speed but he was already 1.5 minutes up the road. I just kept turning the pedals and held on to this position for the rest of the ride. The coolest part about this ride is that Paul and Lucas from Harrell's were out on a scooter taking pictures of me and encouraging me along the way. I should have some good photos of my position on the bike to post to the blog soon. Official split was 39:21, 24.4 mph avg, ranked 11th overall.
Coming off the bike I had a quick T2 (0:55) as you can see here, unfortunately there were too many bikes (6) on the rack!
Immediately starting the run I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant one as I could feel the calf with every foot strike. Much to my surprise I pulled within sight of Cameron before we reached the first offshoot and I started closing the gap. I found out later that his hamstring had cramped which slowed him down quite a bit. Apparently seeing me close to him at the turn around got him going again because I wasn't making anymore progress on him by mile 2. As we closed on mile 3 Aubry came flying past me and I had absolutely no response for him. It wasn't a good run (19:04) and was my worst ranking (23rd) of all three disciplines today. I am most disappointed with the run! Here's a video of me coming into the finish line ... you can tell that I'm protecting my right side.
In the end it was a fun day, as always, but not everything I hoped it would be as far as the result goes. I gave all that I had on the day and have to be content with the effort I put forth. Next year hopefully the result will be better. I just need to figure out how to ride at the level of these guys (and for that matter, swim and run too). I can say for sure that the fire is stoked and that I aim to be more of a factor in the races to come!
In my mind the most impressive performance of the day was Parker Roth who exited the water with Cameron and I and then posted the fastest bike split and ran his way to 2nd place and within 50 seconds of Dan Moss.
I'll leave y'all with some pictures of standout performances from the day (obviously not of me LOL):
Here's a picture of Mark Woody after he absolutely butchered the swim in 10:33
Another flawless (from my perspective) performance from Dan Moss. The guys on the scooter commented after the race on how smooth and fast Dan was riding off the front. Here he is coming in for the overall win.
More pictures from the race
Here's my looooong list of excuses/encouragements to make me feel better ... 1) I'm not focusing on short course triathlon 2) my run volume has been super low in the last 4 weeks as I've been getting over an injury 3) I finished 10 places higher than last year 4) it was a very deep field today 5) I was less than 30 seconds off 7th place.
I said in my prediction post that I'd be happy to be in the top ten ... and I'm trying ... really, I am (it's just not working that well). Speaking of the prediction post, I was very correct in some areas and VERY incorrect in others. I must apologize to JB and Woody as I underestimated their abilities in a big way. Great job guys ... I'll be the first to admit that you put me in my place!
I arrived at the race early enough to get a sufficient warm-up swim this time which made a big difference in my comfort level. Starting out the swim there was a little contact which put some water in my sighting-side goggle, but other than that it was pretty calm. I felt relaxed and in-control throughout the swim and was glad to be in a small pack the whole way. We stayed pretty much side-by-side the entire time and didn't take turns working at the front. When we exited the water I saw it was Cameron Dorn and Parker Roth that swam in the pack with me. This was a sign of a decent swim for me but also meant I would get a chance to see how I staked up to these guys on the bike. The official time with run to transition was 12:07, ranked 16th overall.
Here are some pictures of Cameron and I doing T1 (0:28):
It didn't take long for Cameron to come past me on the bike. A short time later Parker also made his way past. Then another guy. Hmmm ... I'm not really used to getting passed like this. By the third time I had resolved myself to ride my own ride and not get caught up in the "race" within the race, although I kept hoping I would make my way up to Mark. Looking at the results, Mark and I were riding the same speed but he was already 1.5 minutes up the road. I just kept turning the pedals and held on to this position for the rest of the ride. The coolest part about this ride is that Paul and Lucas from Harrell's were out on a scooter taking pictures of me and encouraging me along the way. I should have some good photos of my position on the bike to post to the blog soon. Official split was 39:21, 24.4 mph avg, ranked 11th overall.
Coming off the bike I had a quick T2 (0:55) as you can see here, unfortunately there were too many bikes (6) on the rack!
Immediately starting the run I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant one as I could feel the calf with every foot strike. Much to my surprise I pulled within sight of Cameron before we reached the first offshoot and I started closing the gap. I found out later that his hamstring had cramped which slowed him down quite a bit. Apparently seeing me close to him at the turn around got him going again because I wasn't making anymore progress on him by mile 2. As we closed on mile 3 Aubry came flying past me and I had absolutely no response for him. It wasn't a good run (19:04) and was my worst ranking (23rd) of all three disciplines today. I am most disappointed with the run! Here's a video of me coming into the finish line ... you can tell that I'm protecting my right side.
In the end it was a fun day, as always, but not everything I hoped it would be as far as the result goes. I gave all that I had on the day and have to be content with the effort I put forth. Next year hopefully the result will be better. I just need to figure out how to ride at the level of these guys (and for that matter, swim and run too). I can say for sure that the fire is stoked and that I aim to be more of a factor in the races to come!
In my mind the most impressive performance of the day was Parker Roth who exited the water with Cameron and I and then posted the fastest bike split and ran his way to 2nd place and within 50 seconds of Dan Moss.
I'll leave y'all with some pictures of standout performances from the day (obviously not of me LOL):
Here's a picture of Mark Woody after he absolutely butchered the swim in 10:33
Another flawless (from my perspective) performance from Dan Moss. The guys on the scooter commented after the race on how smooth and fast Dan was riding off the front. Here he is coming in for the overall win.
More pictures from the race
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Lake Murray Prediction
This is probably not a very wise thing to do, but here is my prediction:
1. Daniel Moss (just placed 3rd at Du Nationals)
2. Chris Olson
3. Parker Roth
4. Peter Kotland
5. Cameron Dorn
6. Me
7. Mark Woody
8. Jeff Brandenburg
9. Joe Sroka
There are a couple of wildcards in there ... Chris Giordinelli, Ryan Payne, Mike Wendt, etc. and always some fast age group athletes (like JB) that may break into the top 10. So I will be happy to be anywhere inside the top 10 for this one since there are some many talented athletes racing, the including pro / elite guys.
1. Daniel Moss (just placed 3rd at Du Nationals)
2. Chris Olson
3. Parker Roth
4. Peter Kotland
5. Cameron Dorn
6. Me
7. Mark Woody
8. Jeff Brandenburg
9. Joe Sroka
There are a couple of wildcards in there ... Chris Giordinelli, Ryan Payne, Mike Wendt, etc. and always some fast age group athletes (like JB) that may break into the top 10. So I will be happy to be anywhere inside the top 10 for this one since there are some many talented athletes racing, the including pro / elite guys.
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