Wednesday, February 27, 2008

New Steeds


Hey All,
Cam said he wanted to see the new ride, so here it is. This is Aquaman and myself going for a spring ride. I'm not sure why Aquaman wanted to wear his wetsuit, goggles included, but hey who am I to judge his biking/training methods. He was in the lead here in this picture. As you can see I'm practicing my transitions, comin in with my feet out of the shoes.....oh wait looks like my pedals fell off. LOL Aquaman is so friendly, he's always wavin at the camera, rockstar!! Anyways there you have it, our new rides. Cheers,
Darryl

Monday, February 25, 2008

Bike for sale


Thought I'd put it here in case anyone knows of someone that wants a road bike. It's a 56cm frame(I'm nearly 6 ft) all ultegra cept for the rear derailer which was replaced last year. Alum. frame all in good shape. Carbon fiber seat post and fork. Asking 800 bucks, I believe it's a 2003, but I really only used it for 2 seasons. :P

Friday, February 22, 2008

Green Day lyrics

GREEN DAY LYRICS"Holiday"Say, hey!Hear the sound of the falling rainComing down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)The shameThe ones who died without a nameHear the dogs howling out of keyTo a hymn called "Faith and Misery" (Hey!)And bleed, the company lost the war
todayI beg to dream and differ from the hollow liesThis is the dawning of the rest of our livesOn holidayHear the drum pounding out of timeAnother protester has crossed the line (Hey!)To find, the money's on the other sideCan I get another Amen? (Amen!)There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)A gag, a plastic bag on a monumentI beg to dream and differ from the hollow liesThis is the dawning of the rest of our livesOn holiday(Hey!)(Say, hey!)(3,4)
"The representative from California has the floor"Sieg Heil to the president GasmanBombs away is your punishmentPulverize the Eiffel towersWho criticize your governmentBang bang goes the broken glass andKill all the fags that don't agreeTrials by fire, setting fireIs not a way that's meant for meJust cause, just cause, because we're outlaws yeah!I beg to dream and differ from the hollow liesThis is the dawning of the rest of our livesI beg to dream and differ from the hollow liesThis is the dawning of the rest of our livesThis is our lives on holiday[Thanks to Chris for correcting these lyrics][ www.azlyrics.com ]

There's the tune and the lyrics. I like this tune cause it makes me think. No, I'm not at all political and don't even care about the upcoming election. I realize this is aimed at the American Government, but hey ours isn't that far behind. What do you think of it?

Sorry I realize this has nothing to do with triathlon, but it's my blog and I'll post what I want...

Holiday, Green Day

In celebration of the upcoming election.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Swimmer eyes


This is about 5 hours after a swim? I get such horrible rings around my eyes, the picture really doesn't do it justice. I shoulda taken a pic right after the swim, they're really bad then. It's funny when I run right after at the talisman, people stare at me and I only realize after that it's because of the coon eyes. :P
PS: Please don't click on the picture for the close up, it's really scary and I can't be held responsible for any effects, you going blind, or screaming and throwing somthing, throwing up, etc.

Can't sleep

Hey,

I can't sleep so I figured I'd get up and sit at the comp a bit. I haven't blogged for almost a week, I know I know I"m slacking. I guess I don't have much to say, no news is good news right?

The swimming is still going well, come to think of it I haven't had a bad one for awhile. Weird I always have bad swims after good ones. Am I turning into a fish??? Heck I've even started flip turning at times. I haven't got it mastered yet, but I'm getting close.

I'm still going to most of the spin classes at the gym, however today I skipped. I got home and needed to do laundry, plus I wanted a nap so I skipped out. I actually rode the trainer today for the second time this week. I still hate it horribly but I'm trying it. The weekend was nice, I got a 2 hour run in. Just on the treadmill since I wimped out on Saturday. I did run outside on sunday for 45 min. I've been very good keeping my heart rate down, not doing any fast stuff. Oh I did pick it up for the last 20 minutes today. My reasoning is if I'm doing a half marathon end of april(maybe) I should add a couple faster runs. This is probably why I can't sleep, I did the hard 20 min at the end of my run which ended at 11 PM. Oh well I had a nap earlier, reason #2 I can't sleep now. Oh well I'm off to bed again, TTYL,

Darryl

Thursday, February 14, 2008

HTFU

Hey,

Next time you're feeling sorry for yourself, the day isn't going as planned, crappy workout, or a bad race, remember there's always someone that has it worse. All you need is a GOOD ATTITUDE. :)

PS: Check out the two videos

Ryan Levinson - Fox Sports Net (Nauitca Malibu Triathlon)

(Triathlete Profile)- Ryan Levinson

What an inspirational story!!!!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

LTHR

Hey,

I did somthing different in my training. I was reading some blogs and found a good LTHR (lactate threshold heart rate) test that's pretty simple to do on your own. Well not quite on my own, I did have a buddy taking down heart rates since I don't have a fancy heart rate monitor that gathers max heart rate every lap. Keep in mind this test is not super accurate, although I'm sure the more I do it the easier it will become to grade my efforts. The test is from Joel Friel, as well as Tim Luchinske(another really good coach).

So it goes somthing like this, put the threadmill at 3% grade. Give yourself a good warmup, make sure your heart rate is steady when you start and pick a good speed that is comfortable. Then move up the speed in increments of 0.3 mph and take the max heart rate on each speed. Use 90 second increments. Basically keep recording till you can't continue. As you get better at this you'll know when you have the data you need and won't have to go as far(it hurts towards the end).

From looking at Joe and Tim's examples I kinda knew what the graph should look like so when I plotted mine I knew the heart rate should steadily go up till it hits a certain part, there it should plane out a bit and finally jump up again. After the plane I think it jumps up and down. So in essence there are 3 sections, the steady rise(fat burning). As it planes out I'm guessing the body is burning more lactate acid at that point, and when it jumps up at the end the body can no longer remove the lactate from the blood and starts to store it. This is the definition of lactate threshold. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that is correct. I'm reading the book "The triathlete's training bible" and Joe Friel and Tim Luchinske both have blogs you can read.

So looking specifically at my graph I know it's not that obvious, you may be thinking that the little hump before it may be the actual threshold. I didn't think it was cause when I did the test my monitor was see sawing a bit so we tryed to kinda take the averages and if you follow the line it kinda averages out. Another thing is I noticed my heart rate was generally a little higher then during my long run on the weekend so I'm not sure how acurate this test was. Either way I'm learning and I have a ways till spring(when I'll actually use these numbers). I can do a few more tests to try and get it dialed in more. I noticed one small discrepancy. Joe marks his threshold at the front of the plain, while Tim marked his example at the back of the plain right at the point where it jumps up again. /shrug it's only a dif. of 2 beats for me so I'll go with Joe's definition.

Oh I almost forgot, what to do with the number we found. Joe Friel has a chart, so once you have the LTHR you can simply look it up and he gives you all your zones. Of course my test was for running only, to get your bike values all you need to do is simply add 10 for the bike and 15 for the swim. I'll include the chart for your info.

http://www.performancetrainingsystems.com/newstips/tips_zone_finder.html

I know Cam already knows most of this stuff and tests himself. This test is also a good way to analyze your fitness level. Maybe I can get lab tested some time this year. Cheers,

Darryl

Monday, February 11, 2008

7th ranked Ironman in the world

Yes that's right you heard/read right I'm 7th ranked..... Or so one of my fellow employees still thinks, I didn't feel like correcting him. I just didn't know where to start. This exactly what I found on a msn message one morning;

Hi, Daryl...
Yes... I remember now... Congra to your 7th ranking as the Triathlete Iron Man in the world...
Bravo to you...

I'm sure you've all heard many different variations of this. I have no clue where he got 7 from, I certainly didn't place 7th in my age cat. not even close. Even if I did how would that make me 7th in the world. Anyways I don't want to make fun of him, well maybe a bit, it was hilarous at the time, it certainly did cheer me up.

My main point is I"m sure all of you have met people that have absolutely no concept of Ironmans, marathons. If they realize you spend hours training a day, or if they heard you went for a 6 hour ride on the weekend they automatically think you must be a pro and or training for the olympics. I guess they associate the long hours with being someone hardcore. Hardcore = Professional. Then you(I rarely make this mistake anymore, it's a waste of time) explain that no I'm just an amateur/age grouper and yes I do train lots but I still have a regular job. Most of the time they loose interest at this point, if they haven't they certainly will when you explain that you have to actually pay to enter these crazy events. If you haven't already, please stop here, do not give them actual numbers. This will get you the craziest look on their face and some comment like, "You actually have to pay HOW MUCH to go out and swim 3.8km, 180km bike, then run a friggen marathon of 26.2 miles and you only get a stupid medal?!?!?! Man you'd have to pay me to DRIVE that far in one day." Not everyone's like this, I've gotten better at knowing how much I can say to whom.

Cheers, and happy training I hope I won't have to explain why I couldn't improve on last years ranking,

Darryl

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Cobblestone walking

I was browsing this months edition of "impact" the sports magizine in Calgary here. I think it's Calgary's magazine. Anyway one thing that caught my eye was these mats you could buy that had cobblestones on them. Then I looked it up on the internet and found a few interesting studies of the theraputic benefits of walking barefoot on cobblestones. They say it relates to reflexology and acupoints on your feet. One of these mats may actually be worth it. I know one time I may use it is after a long run, the soles of my feet often ache. I'm thinkin the recovery could be much better if i spent some time after the run walking on this thing. Anyways just a thought, I don't know if I'll actually get one. Interesting either way.

"Cobblestone-like walking paths are common in China. The activity is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and relates to some of the principles of reflexology, in that the uneven surface of the cobblestones stimulate and regulate "acupoints" located on the soles of the feet. These acupoints are purportedly linked to all organs and tissues of the body. Although there is considerable anecdotal evidence indicating the health benefits of cobblestone walking, (e.g., pain relief, sleep enhancement, improved physical and mental well-being), until recently no controlled studies have been undertaken to scientifically evaluate its benefits and efficacy.
"We visited China and noticed that adults of all ages spent about 30 minutes each day walking, standing, and sometimes dancing on these beautifully laid paths of river stones in the parks and gardens of large cities. They did this for their health every day of the week. We used manufactured mats that replicated these cobblestone paths and developed a special protocol so that participants gradually got used to walking on the uneven surface of the mats," reported Fisher. Participants in the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging (Grant AG20470), were divided into an experimental group -- the cobblestone mat walkers -- and a control group which took part in conventional walking activities for one hour, three times per week for 16 weeks. At the end of the study, mat walkers were found to have better scores on measures of balance, physical function, and blood pressure than those in the conventional walking group. This new physical activity could provide a different choice of physical activity that is therapeutic and health-enhancing and that can be done quickly and easily in the comfort of one's home. The mats are available directly from the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Oregon. Please phone 541.484.2123 for more information."

Source http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050630055256.htm "Science Daily"

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Ian Thorpe interview

Hey,

I posted a interesting interview with the swimming star Ian Thorpe. It's in 4 parts each about 6 min. in length. I had a bit of a problem posting it. What's with Men and asking for directions??? If anyone else doesn't know how to post YouTube things on your blog take my advice, just go get directions from the help page. It's quite different then posting regular pics. :P Cheers,

Darryl

Ian Thorpe: In the deep end FOX8 interview P1 of 4

Ian Thorpe interview P1

Ian Thorpe: In the deep end FOX8 interview P2 of 4

Ian Thorpe interview P2

Ian Thorpe: In the deep end FOX8 interview P3 of 4

Ian Thorpe interview P4

Ian Thorpe: In the deep end FOX8 interview P4 of 4

Ian Thorpe interview P4

Saturday, February 2, 2008

long run.... long post

Heya,

Well today I braved the winter. I was already packed and ready to go to the gym to run on the treadmill for 1:45. My first choice would have been the talisman, but the talisman is like 12.50 now to get in,.... a lil pricey. At the last second I changed my mind though, the sun was shining and I called myself a wuss for not going outside. I don't like to be called a wuss, so I got out the winter running clothes, put em on and headed out the door.

The first part of the run went ok except my heart rate monitor wouldn't work. I wanted to keep it below 135-140 but it read 60-80 the whole run.... My average heart rate ended up as 71....... Anyways as I was saying I managed to go by feel and keep the pace down, not killing myself. I ran from my house to barlow, then across deerfoot, along the river past oclare and to 10th st. I crossed the river there and ran home. Coming back across Barlow I come into the bad neighborhood. It's right behind the church by franklin station. Now I realize the people living in this neighborhood had nothing to do with the latest murder. My apprehension about running through it is strictly based on my own experiences.

Today was no different, I had another guy beakin me off as I ran by. He came racing around the corner in his half ton and I guess I was too far in the driving lane(I was running up a big hill and it was the only clean ashalt to run on). So I called him a moron for driving so fast, he basically drove right at me half in the parking lane half on the road and he was beakin the whole time to his buddy about me. Then as I pass him he rolls down the window to make sure I could hear some of it. Fun stuff, friendly neighbors I have. I know I should just keep my eyes glued to the road and not say anything to provoke idiots like that. I guess I can't help it. I'm really considering carrying some bear spray or somthing, I've had some close calls, sometimes I've actually feared for my safety.

So I get home after that happy to be safe, and glad my neighbor didn't beat me up or somthing. As soon as I stop my asthma kicks in and I cough. It feels like I have to take short breaths to limit the coughing, but I still hack and hack till I can somtimes hear weazing in my chest. This is the main reason I don't run outside in the winter. I used to do it all the time with no problems, I would cough, but not to the point that it would bother me that much. Now after a coughing fit like that I can end up with a cold in a few days.

So in conclusion, maybe I need some bear spray and wait till it warms up a bit more?? Stupid I can't even run in -6, I'm sure some of you are laughing by now. I used to run in -30 no problem in manitoba, course then my neighbors wouldn't yell at me either like that. They would just approach me in church and ask if I was going to the olympics. It also seems a shame that I have to avoid running outside because I'm afraid of city people. Last fall I had a pitbull(or somthing that resembled it) come after me in that same area as today. I guess the spray would have helped there too. I've also nearly been hit by a super big gulp full of soda from a car going highway speed. I have other stories but I'm tired of typing now. Sorry if my posting was too long to read, I was rather bored tonight since I quit playin wow. Although if it was too long to read you wouldn't be reading this..... ok, I'm out, Cheers, have a good weekend,

Darryl