Natural Sprinters...

Man, this past Spring has been all over the place weather-wise! We have been able to get out to do some training runs and rides on the road and all, but over all, I haven't been out much to do much of anything else because of the training. We have been doing a lot of short rides 30-40 minute rides...and they don't add up to more than 7-10 miles at a time.

I can't help but think of this line from The Two Towers when Gimli says: "I'm wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

Okay, so this refers to running, but yesterday I got the same feeling while on my bike. Our longest ride this season was 16 miles and that was a hilly route that we took, but still 16 miles. Yesterday, we met up with Mark, Robin, Andrew and JB for a "friendly" ride to the end of Lower River Road. I wasn't feeling so good after we reached the end of the road and was in need of nourishment. As I mentioned before all of my rides have been training rides and I'm not in the habit of carrying food with me at this point. When the ride isn't more than 30-40 minutes at a time, there is no need. I'll be home soon enough! Yesterday I had a thought, with all the short distances that we have been riding, I've decided that I must be part Dwarf...hahaha. I like to think that I could be "Very dangerous over short distances!"

I love Time Trialing - I think that's where I am with my cycling. We have done the big rides, the goofy rides and rides with our friends. All good, but not as challenging as riding a course as FAST as you can. Riding fast on a course that is notoriously windy no less...that's where it's at for me right now.

Part dwarf. That's me!

Less Than Three Weeks...

Blue Lake here we come! Actually, registering for the event would be good...especially since this event is very popular. Maybe tomorrow...

Have been pretty diligent at following the training plan after doing the Shamrock Run and somehow I have been able to keep up with MOST of the training. Somewhere along the line, I lost a week of training (that would be within the last month) and now I'm down to the final three weeks.

I think I have had another break through with my swimming. All of a sudden I'm feeling pretty good about it, maybe knowing that the wetsuit will make the swim not so terrible is in the back of my mind...hmmm. Today I actually followed the workout as written and it was pretty much the best swim workout in weeks! Started out by swimming 100 yards and then resting briefly and then swimming 25 yards at a moderate pace with a brief rest at the wall...a total of 4 times. Then swimming the length of the pool and resting at the wall for the remaining time. It was sooo good! I've been feeling more confident the past few days - I'm so looking forward to June 11!

Also, last week I bought some ear plugs to help keep the water out of my ears, and those things are AWESOME! Not much water getting in, so no more water fluttering about in my ear.

Swim, Ride, RUN!

Wetsuits goooood....

Took the next step in my triathlon quest and got fitted for a wetsuit today. I studied up a little bit on how to don one of these...it's not that easy, that's for sure, but with the help of a plastic bag was good. At first I thought I was going to hurt myself trying to pull it on while being careful not to damage the suit. I damage I buy...THAT would be bad!

So, I got the wetsuit on and popped out and got someone's attention - looking a little confused usually helps. It fit really well and my goodness, NOTHING moves! I jumped around and no jiggling anywhere...hahaha!

The woman (who was wearing a m-dot pendant) was quite helpful and told me after a quick once over that things looked good and that it was a good fit. Thank goodness for that, I don't think that I would want to try on any others...them suckers are HOT! After a quick tutorial on how to unpeel the wetsuit we were on our way!

So this wetsuit is going to make swimming easier...yay! I wonder what would make running easier...hmmmm.

I'm REALLY excited now and after looking at the training schedule, I somehow got off track. I lost a week somewhere...it's all good though. I'm not going for any records here, just want to finish. I would also like to enjoy my first triathlon, for I may want to do more this summer!

Swimmin', Ridin' and Runnin' BAY-BEE!

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Crazy Thoughts

For some reason I have been thinking about half marathon training today. After a couple of quick searches I have found a plan that is doable - a training plan that will allow at least two rest days a week and will also allow me to continue cross training for triathlons. I am thinking, now that I'm getting closer to my FIRST TRIATHLON, that I will take a week off for rest after Blue Lake and then start my new running plan for a half marathon sometime this fall.

Now that I have taken a couple of days off, I'm feeling pretty good and motivated again!

Time Trials & Tri Training

VBC Time Trials...
Last night was our 3rd Time Trial and it was a good night! The day ended up being MUCH nicer than anticipated and there was a pretty big turn out...I know I spied someone wearing #35...there may have been a few more - we were lined up quite a ways out on the road. This week I was #10 and Tom was #11 - I like to leave before Tom so that when he passes me I'll have someone to look at for a little while. I also like to start within the first 10 starts or so...that way there will be plenty of people behind me and I won't feel like I'm going to be the last person on the course when I finally get my butt across that finish!

My start was a little slow (new start line pusher guy), but I got up to speed pretty quick hit the high 18s low 19s and tried not to blow up too soon - I tend to do that and then feel like I might die. In fact, I spend the first couple of miles wondering why I'm even Time Trialing. Oh, to challenge myself each week...that's right. Anyway, Tom passed me a few minutes in and then another rider and that was it for a few minutes. Soon enough then the TT bike riders started passing me...cheaters ;) I think fighting the wind was pretty equal going in both directions. I'm not good at tell what is a cross wind or not, but we had it all, except for a tail wind. THAT was pretty much non-existent. Gotta love Lower River Road!

Overall, I'm really happy with how my times are getting better. From the first week to the next ride which was two weeks later, there was no question whether or not my time would improve, the wind was THAT bad...fierce! The time improvement was about two and a half minutes. This week I improved my time by around 40 seconds, which seems more in the normal range of weekly improvement. I had to put in a lot of effort at the end when I caught sight of the finish, so much that I thought I might die! John says that if you are having a good time, then you are not doing it right. So I guess feeling like I might die is a good thing...hahaha!

I think we'll be working on the bikes sometime this weekend. After rooting around the Bike Garage a little I found that we have some shims that I can probably use to make my aerobars work on my Trek and get that all dialed in so I can start riding my fast red bike instead of my Fuji on Thursday nights. Finally implementing the plan that I thought up so long ago! The only problem I have with my Trek is that I will no longer have a computer to use since I have little real estate on my handlebars to support Aerobars AND a cycle computer. Dang it, I might have to get a new computer! Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea. That would work out just perfect so I'll know exactly how many miles I have put in Time Trialing each season...very clever ;)


Triathlon Training...
I'm nearing the end of my 7th week of tri training, and this week was one of those weeks that I just wanted to get through the workouts. Not that I'm feeling uninspired, maybe just wanting June 11 to be here already! What am I saying?! I'm not ready yet!!! There will be a Open Water Clinic put on by Athlete's Lounge on June 4th at Blue Lake. Perfect! That weekend is my last weekend of training before Blue Lake Tri weekend, so I think I'm going to get in on that. Might also think about registering for Blue Lake while I'm thinking of it too...oh and get that wetsuit reserved.




So, until June 11th it's train, Train, TRAIN!

Week 5 Complete

I've reached the half-way point! Woo Hoo!!!

So this week I will have a couple of willy-nilly days because I loaned out my Beginning Tri book to a friend and I didn't have a couple of workouts written down. I guess those will be a couple of wild card days. I figure as long as I'm doing something, it can't be all bad!

Nothing really stands out from my last training week; however I am feeling a little unsure about my swimming. I am glad that I'll be doing the Tri-It distance...a 1/4 mile swim. That's a little further than 50 yards, which is currently what I can swim as I get started with my swim workout in a POOL. I know that open water swimming will be much different, I'm hoping that I just don't freak out (too much at least). I will need to reserve a wetsuit at Athlete's Lounge, maybe even take a trip to the shop one of these Saturdays. I know that I can do the swim, just need to have the opportunity to swim past the swimming pool walls!

Now all I need to do at this point is get over my allergies. With the trees budding out at different times, it's hard to say when I'll actually be done being drippy. There is still time.

Six weeks to go!