Hey all,
I've been slaving away, doing my own version of the July Legend camp..... at home though. I'm really happy I made it through despite all the rain, I think I had 2-3 indoor trainer rides and got dumped on a few times outdoors. I pretty much kept the trainer rides to the easy days. It sure would be nice if we could get some solid warm weather. Today since I have no workouts planned I actually don't mind another day of rain. Here is a summary of my virtual camp;
33 hours, 24 hours in the last 7 days
Saturday July 4
5 hour bike (upper/lower z2 work with the last hour at IM pace that hurt so bad)
30 min transition run (felt really good)
Sun July 5
2:15 long run with Curtis (felt really strong and we picked it up for the last hilly 5k) Ran an average of 7:45 per mile aprox
1:15 swim can't remember what I did
Mon July 6
40 min run at noon aerobic
2 hour aerobic bike in the evening (think it was a trainer ride, crappy weather)
Tues July 7
1 hour Swim morning (forget what the sets were)
2 hour bike after work (str low cadence intervals 6 min efforts)
30 min transition run (felt strong ran pretty hard)
wed July 8
40 min run at noon, 6x2min hard(3 min recovery btw)
90 min ride (think it was another trainer ride with bad weather)
1:15 evening swim
thurs July 9
2 hour ride? (don't know the time), went to Edworthy park since the weather was sketchy 15 Edworthy hills 1 mile in length
Friday July 10
40 min run at noon aerobic
1 hour swim in the evening
Sat July 11
long ride 5:50, 180k(lots of upper z2/IM pace)
40 min trans run after, felt good/strong
Sun July 12
Long run with Curtis(very very hard getting up in the morning was very sore from yesterday's ride), we ran for 2:30 - 29km at a pace just over 8 min per mile(a lot easier effort this week as the legs were hurting more) picked it up at the end though
1 hour swim in the evening
Now time to rest up and prepare for more!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Size Small?!?!?!!
Heya,
Just a quick update. Things are really starting to go well. I'm in the middle of a hard 9 day stint here. Since I can't make the July Legend Camp Greg has me doing my own volumn period. So far it's timing could not be better. I'm healthy, the weather isn't quite up to par(this weekend was a lil dicey getting the miles in) but I came through somehow with flying colors. A couple workouts I've done this week are thurs hill repeats. Cochrane hill 5 times followed with a 30 min transition run. Long ride yesterday went for just under 5 hours, the weather was really tough, cross wind the entire time, hardly any tail wind as the direction shifted on my way back. Went through rain, but still managed to get the last hour of intensity. Greg has me doing all kinds of hard stuff in my long ride, it's gonna make the IM ride so easy deasy. Oh well that's the point I really want to run fast off the bike. Today was the long run, 2:15 with some intensity at times on the way back. The last bit I really pushed the last rolling hills and the distance came to 28 km. You do the math on the pace it's under 5 min a km and would make me sooooooo happy to run that pace coming into Penticton come Aug. 30.
The training has always been easy, diet not so much. But I'm happy to say that I'm succeeding this year. I've been really really focussing on the fruits/veggies, cuttin out the crap(processed, coke, fast food, etc) and I'm coming out on top. I knew when I did this I would drop a ton of weight I've just never had the will power to do it. Well it hasn't been entirely on my own, Lisa is the mastermind behind this operation, I could never have done it with out her. I just have to eat what she makes or packs for lunch. :) What a jewel of a wife eh?? I have a few other people in my life that have given me heaps of advice. Some other things we've done is sub in brown/whole wheat pasta/rice and more and more veggies for snacks. At work I bring other snacks, granola bars, etc but they get eaten last after everything else is done and only IF I'm still hungry. So I've noticed a huge difference, it's taken a couple months to take the full effect, but I feel better and of course I'm not lugging all the weight around like I was before. At Christmas I was over 190 pounds, now I'm down to nearly 160 pounds, maybe 10 pounds under last years race weight? Don't be alarmed it sounds like a lot but I normally fluctuate quite a bit from the off season to race/training season. Just never this much and I still have almost 2 months to go. I'm fitter, stronger, and now lighter!!! I've noticed the biggest difference with the gravity, on the bike climbing hills is much easier, duhhhhh and of course running. I'm def. getting my running mojo back and the less weight I have to push up and forward the better.
So friday I'm in the Tri-it store and I've been wondering about possibly wearing a one piece. My top was riding up a bit last race, plus I chaf from the number belt, and I burn. Seeems like a logical solution right? Anyways the lady helpin me out eyes me up and gets a medium out. I try it on, usually mediums are hit and miss, somtimes they fit, other times tri gear seems to fit smaller people better and I have to go to a large. As I come out of the change room it seemed to fit just fine, they looked a bit then claim that it's a lil loose around my thighs and around my neck area/back. They don't have a small but they could order me one. Now my hearing isn't that great, but did you say small??? I never use a small in tri gear. What do the 130 pounders wear? Or do they have extra small for those guys. They weren't quite sure but when I mentioned I'm loosing more weight yet it was decided I need a small.
So there you have it I'm a small. Not that I need to loose weight or anything(my co-workers think I'm sickly already) but I do want to go faster, like zoom zoom fast one way to do that is to put solid fuel in me and to cut down the weight. Simple as that, plus it's given me such a good feeling to finally succeed at the one thing I have failed at so many many many times...... my diet
DP
PS: A few thank yous are in order;
Leslie: Thanks for all the advice you gave on the Penticton trip and for answering all my dumb questions. I even texted you a few times with questions. You probably get tired of them, but hey at least you see it's helping uh? Maybe you can use this story with some clients IE: Look if this dummy can get it and has the will power to do it, anyone can!!!
Curtis: You've been giving me advice for years, you only know how stubborn I can be. Sometimes I listen other times I'm like the goat who sees green grass on the other side of the fence. Little do you know I do hear everything you tell me and have learnt tons.
Greg: Thanks buddy for all the late night chats on msn, advice between swim sets, and of course the chats in the hot tub after a swim. Your advice and even the times you give me heck for not carrying water on my long runs or eating anything after a long run are def. needed. :P
Lisa: I couldn't have done it with out my baby. As mentioned she's the one behind this operation. Doesn't the saying go somthing like, "behind every successful man there's a woman" did I get that right? She makes my lunches and makes me super healthy dinners. She's learnt nearly from scratch how to cook and does and amazing job. :) She of course supports me and puts up with my crazy training schedules. I def. owe her big time for this journey to IMC. Maybe I can repay her with a trip to kona??? K, over and out this time,
DP
Just a quick update. Things are really starting to go well. I'm in the middle of a hard 9 day stint here. Since I can't make the July Legend Camp Greg has me doing my own volumn period. So far it's timing could not be better. I'm healthy, the weather isn't quite up to par(this weekend was a lil dicey getting the miles in) but I came through somehow with flying colors. A couple workouts I've done this week are thurs hill repeats. Cochrane hill 5 times followed with a 30 min transition run. Long ride yesterday went for just under 5 hours, the weather was really tough, cross wind the entire time, hardly any tail wind as the direction shifted on my way back. Went through rain, but still managed to get the last hour of intensity. Greg has me doing all kinds of hard stuff in my long ride, it's gonna make the IM ride so easy deasy. Oh well that's the point I really want to run fast off the bike. Today was the long run, 2:15 with some intensity at times on the way back. The last bit I really pushed the last rolling hills and the distance came to 28 km. You do the math on the pace it's under 5 min a km and would make me sooooooo happy to run that pace coming into Penticton come Aug. 30.
The training has always been easy, diet not so much. But I'm happy to say that I'm succeeding this year. I've been really really focussing on the fruits/veggies, cuttin out the crap(processed, coke, fast food, etc) and I'm coming out on top. I knew when I did this I would drop a ton of weight I've just never had the will power to do it. Well it hasn't been entirely on my own, Lisa is the mastermind behind this operation, I could never have done it with out her. I just have to eat what she makes or packs for lunch. :) What a jewel of a wife eh?? I have a few other people in my life that have given me heaps of advice. Some other things we've done is sub in brown/whole wheat pasta/rice and more and more veggies for snacks. At work I bring other snacks, granola bars, etc but they get eaten last after everything else is done and only IF I'm still hungry. So I've noticed a huge difference, it's taken a couple months to take the full effect, but I feel better and of course I'm not lugging all the weight around like I was before. At Christmas I was over 190 pounds, now I'm down to nearly 160 pounds, maybe 10 pounds under last years race weight? Don't be alarmed it sounds like a lot but I normally fluctuate quite a bit from the off season to race/training season. Just never this much and I still have almost 2 months to go. I'm fitter, stronger, and now lighter!!! I've noticed the biggest difference with the gravity, on the bike climbing hills is much easier, duhhhhh and of course running. I'm def. getting my running mojo back and the less weight I have to push up and forward the better.
So friday I'm in the Tri-it store and I've been wondering about possibly wearing a one piece. My top was riding up a bit last race, plus I chaf from the number belt, and I burn. Seeems like a logical solution right? Anyways the lady helpin me out eyes me up and gets a medium out. I try it on, usually mediums are hit and miss, somtimes they fit, other times tri gear seems to fit smaller people better and I have to go to a large. As I come out of the change room it seemed to fit just fine, they looked a bit then claim that it's a lil loose around my thighs and around my neck area/back. They don't have a small but they could order me one. Now my hearing isn't that great, but did you say small??? I never use a small in tri gear. What do the 130 pounders wear? Or do they have extra small for those guys. They weren't quite sure but when I mentioned I'm loosing more weight yet it was decided I need a small.
So there you have it I'm a small. Not that I need to loose weight or anything(my co-workers think I'm sickly already) but I do want to go faster, like zoom zoom fast one way to do that is to put solid fuel in me and to cut down the weight. Simple as that, plus it's given me such a good feeling to finally succeed at the one thing I have failed at so many many many times...... my diet
DP
PS: A few thank yous are in order;
Leslie: Thanks for all the advice you gave on the Penticton trip and for answering all my dumb questions. I even texted you a few times with questions. You probably get tired of them, but hey at least you see it's helping uh? Maybe you can use this story with some clients IE: Look if this dummy can get it and has the will power to do it, anyone can!!!
Curtis: You've been giving me advice for years, you only know how stubborn I can be. Sometimes I listen other times I'm like the goat who sees green grass on the other side of the fence. Little do you know I do hear everything you tell me and have learnt tons.
Greg: Thanks buddy for all the late night chats on msn, advice between swim sets, and of course the chats in the hot tub after a swim. Your advice and even the times you give me heck for not carrying water on my long runs or eating anything after a long run are def. needed. :P
Lisa: I couldn't have done it with out my baby. As mentioned she's the one behind this operation. Doesn't the saying go somthing like, "behind every successful man there's a woman" did I get that right? She makes my lunches and makes me super healthy dinners. She's learnt nearly from scratch how to cook and does and amazing job. :) She of course supports me and puts up with my crazy training schedules. I def. owe her big time for this journey to IMC. Maybe I can repay her with a trip to kona??? K, over and out this time,
DP
Saturday, July 4, 2009
better late then never???
Hey there,
I really thought I'd get out of a race report. I appoligize, but I will make it a quick one as there is new stuff to report on. If I'll report it, well that's to be determined.
K, as much as I remember, we drove out the day before, got a hotel in Cranbrook. The race head quarters as well as the pasta meal and race meeting/registration were held at a hotel there as well. The race meeting was brutally hot, and with the bad humidity saturday it was nearly unbearable. I remember looking around to see if anyone would pass out. Nope no one did, we got a surprise though as we walked out. I'm not sure if everyone saw but there were like 6 cops pulling a car over and the one officer had his gun drawn and was yelling for the punk with the hands up to back up very slowly. Yikes!! I've never seen that even living in Calgary, who knew I had to go to Cranbrook to witness this. Oh well we went to East Side Marios for dinner, met an old running buddy from Manitoba there. We used to train together on the track, he was a rock star back then with a 2:45 marathon PR. Now he's a lil older and joined the triathlete ranks. It was good to chat with him again, he lives in Calgary now too.
Ok the morning of the race, I'm really nervous as usual. It kinda annoyed me, this is just a training race, not a major goal, yet I'm nervous to the point where I'd like to get into the vehicle and drive away. Why do I get so nervous??? Oh well I went through the motions, had a long walk to transition from the parking spot we got along some road. Everything went smoothly, picked a spot and tryed to memorize the location, but I was nervous about that part. They had numbers at the end of the rows, but most of the people were putting their transition gear over it. I got a spot nearly right across from Trevor. I'll be chasing this rock star swimmer even with the short swim. So I get on my wetsuit and head down to the lake. It was warmer then I thought it would be, must be really shallow. We watched the sprint come and go, man that swim looks aweful short.
The gun goes off and away I go, right near the front. There's some body contact but no more then usual. I even appoligized to some fat guy who was intent on swimming into me, oh well keep the peace right? Not sure why but I kinda got a panic attack nearly 200m into the swim?? I suddently felt really claustraphobic, I have no clue why. My breathing didn't seem that bad, I would normally assume it's the asthma acting up, but I felt calm. I had to really concentrate, breath deep, relax, and don't stop. I really wanted to pull out, but I was surrounded, what else could I do but swim?!?! That feeling passed and I got near the first turn. I've never had that clear a corner, I kept looking around but there was no one around me. Usually someone cuts in sharply, but not this time. I think I did the first turn with out getting touched, that was bizzare, and I wasn't behind I came out probably just ahead of the middle of the pack I think maybe in the top 1/3. Oh well that's a first for me, onward to the next bouy where I finally met with some arms and legs, now that's more like it!! Boy this swim feels short, I still felt great and I actually started to push a lil harder on the way back to shore.
Got up looked at the watch 20 minutes somthing!!! I guess I was right, short swim, oh well I feel like I'm in the right position, still felt really good on the swim. Long run to transition where the mats were to end the actual swim, 22 minutes almost exactly. Maybe with the run up to transition it was 1500 meters? Course running the last 250m is kind of a bonus. Found my bike ok got changed and ran out. Lisa was yelling for me at the mount line. The first part of the bike went around the park area, onto one highway, then to another, a straight out and back. No wind today, lil rough road for my liking but manageable. I had a little trouble getting going, my heart rate gets so high on the swim I have a really hard time getting relaxed for the bike. Did I say relaxed? An olympic distance tri is not a time to relax, time to push and push some more. I hate these distances, I'm never comfortable, I have a tough time pushing that hard. There's no time to recover. Aughhh oh well good training right? I think at about the turn around I see Trevor, he looks really good, but not that far up the road. On the way back I found my mind wondering, occasionally I'd have to mentally ask myself if I'm pushing the pedals hard enough, can we shift up?? So I'd shift up for a bit and find I'm loosing efficiency not going faster, back down I shift. So anyways the park came up again, looking at my time I figure I'm gonna be well over an hour. booooo I run into transition and can't find my spot!!!! I knew this would happen, the transition looks sooo different with no bikes in it. Although that is a good sign(I might have passed a few swimmers) I ran back and forth for a bit, it felt like for ever in reality probably only like 30 secs. Finally I found it after cursing got changed and ran out. 1:10 bike with a slowwwww T2.
The run in Wasa is awesome, I love the winding pathways, roads and dirt trails you get to run on. It keeps my mind busy, anyways the run takes you around the huge transition first, then out on a path. I ran as hard as I could, which wasn't that fast, but I did what I could. Dusty demoralized me as he gaver by me at maybe 3k? I had forgotten about him, I thought he might catch me, but I was disappointed that it was so soon. Oh well I give him credit, he's obviously worked on his swim/bike. At the turn I saw Trevor, nope not going to catch him. There were some campers out to watch and cheer, that was nice, and I waved back when I could. Saw a few more from Greg's group. I saw Mark(not the cook Mark the other one) he looked good only a couple minutes behind. Passed Darren maybe 4k into the run. So I ticked the km's off, I'm really glad I went to the meeting for one reason. They have you run a long out and back, when you get back to transition you might think you're done the race, but you're not. You got like 2k to go, so they have you run around the transition again, run down to the lake, some over sand, then do a 1k out and 1k back to the finish line. It's nice to know those kind of details. Oh I saw Julie nearly back in transition(no I wasn't that far ahead of her, the women started later). She looked really focussed and didn't even see me, I think I managed a word or two. Did the out and back and realized I was actually close to a PB, the PB is from years ago in Manitoba. Yes I actually started tris in 97 or 98, I had a big break in between. And that was a short swim as well, oh well the finish was nice with Steve King announcing. Finished in 2:15, pretty good time 43 or 44 min 10k. Not my best either but about what I expected. The weather was pretty well perfect, it may have gotten a little hotter after I finished, it sure felt like it.
There you have it, I skipped through this pretty quick maybe missed some details, but all in all I was pretty happy the way things went. I didn't place or anything in my age group, all the times were pretty quick with the swim that was maybe 250m short? The race is really well run, the only thing I really don't like is the huge narrow transition. I don't have any clue how to make that better, maybe split the sprint and olympic??
K, I'm gonna hit the sack after 5 hours on the bike, 30 min run, Transformers movie, and one late late Race Report unedited and typed as fast as I can possibly go(actually that's pretty quick I can type at over 50 wpm) I am pooped. night all
DP
I really thought I'd get out of a race report. I appoligize, but I will make it a quick one as there is new stuff to report on. If I'll report it, well that's to be determined.
K, as much as I remember, we drove out the day before, got a hotel in Cranbrook. The race head quarters as well as the pasta meal and race meeting/registration were held at a hotel there as well. The race meeting was brutally hot, and with the bad humidity saturday it was nearly unbearable. I remember looking around to see if anyone would pass out. Nope no one did, we got a surprise though as we walked out. I'm not sure if everyone saw but there were like 6 cops pulling a car over and the one officer had his gun drawn and was yelling for the punk with the hands up to back up very slowly. Yikes!! I've never seen that even living in Calgary, who knew I had to go to Cranbrook to witness this. Oh well we went to East Side Marios for dinner, met an old running buddy from Manitoba there. We used to train together on the track, he was a rock star back then with a 2:45 marathon PR. Now he's a lil older and joined the triathlete ranks. It was good to chat with him again, he lives in Calgary now too.
Ok the morning of the race, I'm really nervous as usual. It kinda annoyed me, this is just a training race, not a major goal, yet I'm nervous to the point where I'd like to get into the vehicle and drive away. Why do I get so nervous??? Oh well I went through the motions, had a long walk to transition from the parking spot we got along some road. Everything went smoothly, picked a spot and tryed to memorize the location, but I was nervous about that part. They had numbers at the end of the rows, but most of the people were putting their transition gear over it. I got a spot nearly right across from Trevor. I'll be chasing this rock star swimmer even with the short swim. So I get on my wetsuit and head down to the lake. It was warmer then I thought it would be, must be really shallow. We watched the sprint come and go, man that swim looks aweful short.
The gun goes off and away I go, right near the front. There's some body contact but no more then usual. I even appoligized to some fat guy who was intent on swimming into me, oh well keep the peace right? Not sure why but I kinda got a panic attack nearly 200m into the swim?? I suddently felt really claustraphobic, I have no clue why. My breathing didn't seem that bad, I would normally assume it's the asthma acting up, but I felt calm. I had to really concentrate, breath deep, relax, and don't stop. I really wanted to pull out, but I was surrounded, what else could I do but swim?!?! That feeling passed and I got near the first turn. I've never had that clear a corner, I kept looking around but there was no one around me. Usually someone cuts in sharply, but not this time. I think I did the first turn with out getting touched, that was bizzare, and I wasn't behind I came out probably just ahead of the middle of the pack I think maybe in the top 1/3. Oh well that's a first for me, onward to the next bouy where I finally met with some arms and legs, now that's more like it!! Boy this swim feels short, I still felt great and I actually started to push a lil harder on the way back to shore.
Got up looked at the watch 20 minutes somthing!!! I guess I was right, short swim, oh well I feel like I'm in the right position, still felt really good on the swim. Long run to transition where the mats were to end the actual swim, 22 minutes almost exactly. Maybe with the run up to transition it was 1500 meters? Course running the last 250m is kind of a bonus. Found my bike ok got changed and ran out. Lisa was yelling for me at the mount line. The first part of the bike went around the park area, onto one highway, then to another, a straight out and back. No wind today, lil rough road for my liking but manageable. I had a little trouble getting going, my heart rate gets so high on the swim I have a really hard time getting relaxed for the bike. Did I say relaxed? An olympic distance tri is not a time to relax, time to push and push some more. I hate these distances, I'm never comfortable, I have a tough time pushing that hard. There's no time to recover. Aughhh oh well good training right? I think at about the turn around I see Trevor, he looks really good, but not that far up the road. On the way back I found my mind wondering, occasionally I'd have to mentally ask myself if I'm pushing the pedals hard enough, can we shift up?? So I'd shift up for a bit and find I'm loosing efficiency not going faster, back down I shift. So anyways the park came up again, looking at my time I figure I'm gonna be well over an hour. booooo I run into transition and can't find my spot!!!! I knew this would happen, the transition looks sooo different with no bikes in it. Although that is a good sign(I might have passed a few swimmers) I ran back and forth for a bit, it felt like for ever in reality probably only like 30 secs. Finally I found it after cursing got changed and ran out. 1:10 bike with a slowwwww T2.
The run in Wasa is awesome, I love the winding pathways, roads and dirt trails you get to run on. It keeps my mind busy, anyways the run takes you around the huge transition first, then out on a path. I ran as hard as I could, which wasn't that fast, but I did what I could. Dusty demoralized me as he gaver by me at maybe 3k? I had forgotten about him, I thought he might catch me, but I was disappointed that it was so soon. Oh well I give him credit, he's obviously worked on his swim/bike. At the turn I saw Trevor, nope not going to catch him. There were some campers out to watch and cheer, that was nice, and I waved back when I could. Saw a few more from Greg's group. I saw Mark(not the cook Mark the other one) he looked good only a couple minutes behind. Passed Darren maybe 4k into the run. So I ticked the km's off, I'm really glad I went to the meeting for one reason. They have you run a long out and back, when you get back to transition you might think you're done the race, but you're not. You got like 2k to go, so they have you run around the transition again, run down to the lake, some over sand, then do a 1k out and 1k back to the finish line. It's nice to know those kind of details. Oh I saw Julie nearly back in transition(no I wasn't that far ahead of her, the women started later). She looked really focussed and didn't even see me, I think I managed a word or two. Did the out and back and realized I was actually close to a PB, the PB is from years ago in Manitoba. Yes I actually started tris in 97 or 98, I had a big break in between. And that was a short swim as well, oh well the finish was nice with Steve King announcing. Finished in 2:15, pretty good time 43 or 44 min 10k. Not my best either but about what I expected. The weather was pretty well perfect, it may have gotten a little hotter after I finished, it sure felt like it.
There you have it, I skipped through this pretty quick maybe missed some details, but all in all I was pretty happy the way things went. I didn't place or anything in my age group, all the times were pretty quick with the swim that was maybe 250m short? The race is really well run, the only thing I really don't like is the huge narrow transition. I don't have any clue how to make that better, maybe split the sprint and olympic??
K, I'm gonna hit the sack after 5 hours on the bike, 30 min run, Transformers movie, and one late late Race Report unedited and typed as fast as I can possibly go(actually that's pretty quick I can type at over 50 wpm) I am pooped. night all
DP
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