Lightning and Shopping

I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke Monday morning to find that I was completely recovered from the Cow Creek century ride. Even my back that was VERY sore for the last 40 miles felt no worse for the wear.

I went to the North Lake College natatorium to do the lunch time swim after a bunch of morning meetings and the skies were pretty grey. There might have even been a raindrop or two as the lifeguards opened up the pool at 11:30 – but, hey, we’re already wet ... we’re IN THE POOL!

Got in about 350 meters when a loud siren started going off. Lightning Alert! ... everyone out of the water. All the patrons were a little bitter and disappointed because the pool would be shut down for at least 30 minutes, yet a look at the sky told us that the bad weather was already almost past us.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands. There is another branch of LA Fitness about a mile up the road from my office so I put on a t-shirt, put a towel on the driver’s seat and drove over there. I was able to get in an additional 1,250 meters before 12:30 arrived and I had to go and get ready for my afternoon appointments.

I also finished up some “tri shopping” and picked up an Innovations Air Chuck CO2 inflator and cartridges (no more carrying a pump), a race belt with loops for gels (no more pinning race number to my shirt), SaltStick electrolyte pills, and an AeroDrink water bottle (so I can rehydrate without having to let go of the handle/aerobars and reach down for water). Hopefully all this stuff will arrive before my next tri – this coming Sunday, July 1(!)

First (Almost) Century Ride

Woo-hoo, it was long and I am tired, but I finished a (nearly) 100-mile ride today at the Waxahachie Cow Creek Country Classic! I did 97 miles in 6 hours and 57 minutes (including all the rest stops), which is about 14 miles per hour - not blazing fast, but not bad in my book. The weather was really nice at the start (cool and cloudy) but it got sunny and warm around noon for the last third of the ride. Luckily, no sunburn - I guess I slathered on enough sunscreen at 7:00 AM to last the entire day.

The distance is kind of strange because I took a shortcut at around mile 83 that shaved off about 3 miles from the distance (see map - around Forreston). I had car-pooled to the ride with Don and since (I thought) he was about 5-6 miles ahead of me, I decided to take the shortcut so he wouldn't have to wait for me for too long. Well, that, and the fact that my back and gluteus maximum were very sore by that time!

The cool part is that this turned out to be a great decision timing-wise, because when I got to the last rest stop (about 5 miles from the finish), Don was there. So we were able to ride the last 5 miles together and cross the finish line at the same time. (So Don finished the entire 100 miles in 6:57 - great job!)

Jarrod and Derek did the 46-mile route and I rode with them until the fork where they had to turn off. Jonathan and Mike were also there and they did the 19-mile route.

Overall, it was a pretty good ride and frequent rest stops - that I took full advantage. There were a few stretches in the middle where it was uphill with headwinds (not fun) and some of the roads were rough, which slowed the speeds - it was nice to have some stretches of smoother asphalt or concrete later on. But I would definitely do this ride again.

Anyway, now that I'm home, cleaned up, and had some food, I feel pretty good. Hopefully, I will be able to have a full recovery by Monday. I don't plan to be doing this long of a bike distance again for a while (and it's not an option for most rides), but at least now I know I can do it. :-)

Ride Review:

• Course: 3/5 - road conditions were okay; some pretty rough roads; no sign for the 62-mile rest stop and I missed it (and I needed it)!; also, the end game was not well marked and confusing
• Rest Stops: 3/5 - standard fare - nothing special; pretty good spacing; nice volunteers
• Logistics: 3/5 - online registration was straightforward but non-https credit card form (ended up paying by check on race-day); good starting area at the Waxahachie High School (easy to find, real bathrooms); reasonable entry fee; nothing going on at the finish line (but maybe that was because we were nearly the last to finish)
• Overall: 3/5 - will probably do again; not the best course, but not many rides have the century option

Busy week

Busy week at work and home so not much time to post. But I have been keeping up with the workouts! :-)

After all the rain & thunderstorms during last weekend, which limited me to the in-home elliptical trainer, I was happy to start swimming and running again on Monday. Did 1,000 meters of swimming at North Lake College then ran for about 1.25 miles (two loops around the small lake/pond on campus) with Jarrod, Derek, and Don. And then swam another 250 meters to cool off. A good workout, but I ended very tired and the times were not good.

On Tuesday, I finally broke down and joined the LA Fitness gym near my house (I had used it last month on a week-long trial pass). Did about 1,500 yards of swimming and then filled out all the membership paperwork. On Wednesday, I went there and did 30 minutes on the StairMaster (of which 10 minutes were at level 10 - and it goes to 20! - and the other 20 minutes at level 6 - this machine is still TOUGH) followed by 1,000 yards in the pool. Their pool still feels small, but I love how it is completely empty (as is much of the gym) during lunch hours. At North Lake, I have to share a lane almost every time these days.

Today, I did another swim-run at North Lake. Swam 1,500 meters with some breaks every 500 or so to listen to tips from Jonathan and Jarrod's Team-In-Training tri coach who had met them there. Followed that up with the same (approximately) 1.25 mile run we did on Monday. This time the run was much easier than it felt last time - we finished it in about 12 minutes. It could be the cooler weather. Derek is going to bring his GPS watch to the run next time so we can measure the exact distance.

Jarrod gave me an old pair of aero-bars today to use on my road bike. I'm going to install them Friday at lunch time so I can try them out this weekend and use them for the next tri. Also, Jonathan's road bike is ready at Mad Duck Sports (he ordered it last week) so I'm going with him in the afternoon to help him bring it back and also to pick up some a CO2 inflator/cartridges for our upcoming ride.

Other than these activities, I'll be taking tomorrow off to rest up for Saturday's Cow Creek Country Classic bike ride in Waxahachie, TX. Don and I are planning to do the 100 mile route (and there is a 75 mile option as well). I haven't rode my bike since last Tuesday (June 12) so hopefully I won't fall off! ;-)

Rain, Rain, Go Away ...

Was planning to bike this morning, but the thunderstorms rolled in just as I was getting out of bed.

Ended up just doing 2 miles (in 64 minutes) on the elliptical. Combined with 1.85 miles in 60 minutes on Friday afternoon, I think I am finally starting to get my money's worth out of this machine.

On another note, my weight loss has resumed, albeit ever-so-slightly. I'm now about 15.5 pounds below starting weight. This is only a pound and a half less than my weight on June 5, but every little bit helps - I'll certainly take it.

2 Plus 2 (Well, 1.75)

Really cranking it up.

Due to a rash of vacations (Don & Matt), sickness (Wilhe), jet-lag (Derek, post-Hawaii), and personal commitments (Jarrod), I had to swim all by my lonesome today. Watching all the accomplished swimmers in the lanes next to me flipped a switch and got my competitive juices flowing. I started off with 500 m in 11:58 (and finished the first 300 m in 6:54 - getting faster!) and another 500 m in another 12:40. Decided to see if I could do another 1,000 ... it took 26:30 (definitely a slower pace) and I was so tired at the end that I thought my arms were going to fall off, but I finished! For a grand total of 2,000 meters or 2K. (I get a kick out of measuring my swim distances in kilometers. Quite an ego boost. :-)

After work, I climbed back on the elliptical trainer with the goal to do 2 miles at my normal ramp/resistance settings. Didn't quite make it; after about 54 minutes and 1.75 miles, I had to call it quits - just too tired. Oh well, I have a goal for next time.

I think part of the reason that I couldn't go further was due to hunger/lack of glycogen - especially after the long swim. Next time, I'll take a PowerGel or Gu before starting and keep another pack nearby and suck it down after the first 30 minutes on the elliptical - along with chugging a lot of water (which I am already doing). Hopefully, that will help.

No more swimming until Monday. I'm going to try get in some biking and/or running this weekend, but the weather is looking iffy (possible thunderstorms). We shall see.

Back On The Horse (Or At Least The Elliptical)

After the tri, I was planning/expecting to take it easy for a few days for recovery, but I actually felt pretty good on Monday. The only parts that hurt (a little) were my shoulders and lower back from the bike portion. I still should have taken the day off, but since I planned to have an off-day on Tuesday, I decided to do a little swimming at lunchtime. It was slow-going and I only did about 800 meters, but it was very rejuvenating.

Tuesday came around and Jonathan wanted to go bike shopping, so Don and I met him at the local bike shop for lunch. He got measured/fitted, got quotes for a few models, and then we ate some (okay, maybe a lot of) Asian buffet. That was a mistake because later that afternoon Don and I decided to do some bike riding around my neighborhood after work. Since it was after 4:30 PM, the Texas sun was quite hot - and the orange chicken and California rolls were weighing me down. We got in about 12 miles in 50 minutes (with a few decent hills) before I had to go pick up KC from day care.

Today, the swimming was a little easier. Did about 1,300 meters in about 45 minutes with various breaks, but it felt good to put in some good laps. I also timed myself for two 300 meter runs and did them in about 7:15 each time. My goal is to be able to do 300 meters in 6:30 during training (no swim cap and baggy swim trunks) so that I can do the 300 yard swim portion of the upcoming Pioneer Power Sprint Tri in 6 minutes or less.

Since my next tri is rapidly approaching (and I'm still entertaining the thought of doing an Olympic length tri in mid-July), I really need to ramp up my training. So tonight I added some elliptical trainer time to the mix. I was able to do 1.03 miles (at highest ramp and resistance) in 30 minutes. Just a week ago, it took me about 32 minutes to do 1 mile so I am getting faster/better. :-)

I'm going to try to do the elliptical at least 3 times every week in order to improve my running. I'd try to run outside, but it is just too hot at lunchtime and after work. Additionally, the mornings aren't convenient - except for Saturday and Sunday - but those are the mornings that I plan to bike (to avoid traffic).

Signed Up For More

Jarrod and I are signed up for another tri! - the Pioneer Power Sprint Tri on July 1 at Texas Women's University. Jonathan also signed up - it will be his first.

This one is a pool swim (and only 300 yards) so we don't have to worry about open water swimming. Jarrod attended TWU (despite the name, guys can go there :-) and is familiar with the run and bike course. He says it is a decent course, but the run will be hilly - even so, this should be a much faster race than the MST (since it is shorter).

The competitive juices are flowing ...

[June 13 update: Derek, who just got back from Maui and the King's Trail (Olympic) Triathlon, has also signed up for the Pioneer Power Sprint. So now there are four!]

First Tri Complete!

Well, I am officially a triathlete! I finished my first tri today, completing the 800 meter (1/2 mile) swim, 27 km (16.74 mile) bike, and 5 km (3.1 mile run) of the Metroplex Sprint Tri in 1 hour, 50 minutes, and 42 seconds.

This time got me 59th out of 62 (yay, I wasn't last) in the 35-39 men’s age group, and overall, 440th of 506 finishers (with 559 total participants counting the DNF's). My teammate, Jarrod, was 45th out of 52 in the 30-34 men’s age group and 376th overall with a 1 hr, 43 min time (good job, Jarrod). Here are my splits:

• Swim: 17:29.3 (2:11 for every 100 meters)
• T1: 3:37.4 (swim-to-bike transition)
• Bike: 53:54.3 (18.7 mph)
• T2: 1:13.8 (bike-to-run transition)
• Run: 34:39.9 (11:06/mile)

[Full results (including the winner’s insane times) at http://www.doitsports.com/results/page.tcl?id=43446.]

In terms of time, overall, I did better than I expected - the swim and bike times were better than my normal speeds (albeit the bike segment was much shorter than any of my distance rides). However, I think I wore myself out and didn't have enough energy left for the run and had to walk 12-15 times during the 5K. At any rate, now I know what kind of speed/times "real" triathletes can do - and even though I'll never come close to the winner's 1 hour, 8 minute time, I can now set some realistic targets for improvement.

Jonathan was very helpful as chauffeur (hauling me and Jarrod - and all our gear - to and from the race), spectator, and videographer. I hope I can watch the tape sometime soon and see what was going on around me - and how quickly the top finishers got of the water, finished transitions, etc.

Here are some of the random thoughts that ran through my head during the race:

• Swim (about 2/3 done, glancing at my watch that read 12:xx): 12:(something)? That can't be right, this swim is fast - maybe too fast!
• Swim (exiting the water): Hmm, that wasn't too bad. Hey, there's Jonathan at the top of the ramp - smile and wave to the camera.
• T1: Ouch, my feet hurt (from jogging on the pavement in the transition area)! Oops, almost forgot to put on my helmet and glasses.
• Bike (starting): What's that clanging sound? - oh no, bike computer sensor must have been bumped by my neighbor. [Stop and fix at mile 3]. Oops, now I moved it too far, no speed reading. [Stop and redo it again, clanging returns]. Forget it, I'll figure out my speed later from the splits - let's not let anyone else pass me (about 20 bikes have already)
• Bike (midway): Dang it, lots of people are passing me. I'm too slow. Note to self: Must get aero-bars before my next tri. I just got passed by a 58-year-old. [Race ages are marked on entrants' right calves]. Hope I'm still able to do this in 21 years.
• Bike (2/3 done, accelerating UP a hill): Hey, I got my second wind. Now *I* am passing people. I like this. I just passed the 58 year-old who passed me earlier. [I'm in no way gloating - his wave started the race about 4 minutes after I did - so he is still way ahead of me.]
• T2: Let's make this fast. Lose the helmet, lose the glasses, swap bike shoes for running shoes. Time to go!
• Run (starting): Oh boy, already tired after the first 150 yards. Gotta walk. Not good.
• Run (midway): I guess my second wind is gone ... and there ain't gonna be a third wind :-(
• Run (midway): My sweat-soaked T-shirt is uncomfortable (making me hot) and must weigh three pounds. Next time, I'll get a tri-belt and pin the number to that and go shirtless.
• Run (3/4 done): Did the announcer just say that pizzas are on the way? Greatness!
• Run (250 yards to go): No more walking, let's end strong. Hey, there's Jonathan and Jarrod ... and the FINISH LINE!

I have tons of thoughts running through my head about what I did wrong and what I can improve and already looking forward to the next event. But this is just my perfectionist and competitive nature coming out. I really am very pleased with the results and still smile thinking about all that I've accomplished in only two months.

In early April, I was a couch potato (or at least a rusty, somewhat-out-of-shape, 30-something, former runner/biker guy). Today, I am a triathlete. :-)

Not Good

I should be asleep - I gotta be up at around 4:30 AM to do last-minute packing and then head to Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake (Grand Prairie, TX). Instead, I've been skimming through tri articles on the web (Swim More Efficiently, Transitions 101, Tri Packing Checklist), rereading my packet info, and (obviously) writing this blog entry.

Today, Jonathan met me (and my 4 year-old) at our community pool and he showed me a few of the things he learned at the open-water swim clinic.

It feels weird having gone the last two days without any training.

Okay, time to get some sleep.

Fresh Gear

Got some toys today. I had placed an order at tri-zone.com on Monday for a transition bag, Bento Box, a couple spare tire tubes, and other assorted goodies. I didn't think I would receive it before this Sunday's tri, but the FedEx tracking info was correct and the package arrived this afternoon.

I was also able to pick up the Specialized Allez from Don. I think I am going to ride it on Sunday. I just need to get it inspected tomorrow (according to the docs, tri requires inspection sticker on bike and helmet) - no biggie, the bike shop is only about 4 miles from my house.

Swim, Swim, And Then Swim Some More

Didn't want to stress my legs today with a run so no brick today - I just did a lot of swimming at the pool. (Additionally, Jarrod didn't swim with us today - he did an open-water swim clinic with Jonathan in the evening.) Ended up doing 1,000 meters in just over 25 minutes (12:25 and 12:50 for the first and second 500 meters respectively). Rested about a minute and a half and then did another 500 m in 12:55.

Felt pretty good after doing the 1,500 meters. Would like to be able to move up to 2,000 meters after the sprint tri to start preparing for the olympic distance. Oops, best to not get ahead of myself ...

Thou Shall Not Covet ...

... Thy Coworker's New Bike.

But gosh it is tough! Don just got some Felt F1 hotness today. Omigosh, I think I can lift his entire bike with my pinkie - literally just my pinkie.

Anyway, since one must definitely try out new toys immediately, Don hopped on his new fancy wheels and I got to ride his Specialized Allez, which I may buy later as my own "upgrade". We rode about 15 miles around the DFW Airport (the Airfield Drive loop for you locals) in about an hour. Even with the nicer gear (for both of us) it was a tough ride with 10+ mph winds in our face most of the time. The 90 degree weather didn't help either, but I figure we better get used to a little heat and sweat if we're going to do HHH in late August.

Don's going to lend me the Allez for a while and I might even use it for this weekend's Metroplex Sprint Tri. I have to balance the siren call of the newer, nicer and lighter Specialized bike versus the trusty Centurion which, if nothing else, I am used to.

Decisions, decisions.

In other news, I picked up my tri packet at lunch today and started going over all the info - where the tags/numbers have to be clipped to the bike and the front of my running shirt, starting times for the different waves (they're broken out by age group; so unfortunately, Jarrod - who is, I believe, 4 years younger than me - and I will be starting at different times), and various information about how your body is marked for the swim (they do it) and specifics about parking and the transition area (only use the north entrance and once you set up your bike you can't go back in there until the race time!)

It's only one sheet of information but still seems like so much to digest!

Hey, This Scale is Stuck!

Well, I knew it had to happen sooner or later - my weight loss has pretty much leveled off. I have stalled at about 14 pounds down from where I started. This is still a little above where I'd like to be - I'm still about 8-9 pounds heavier than when I got married - but hey that was almost seven years ago and I'd like to think I've gained a few pounds of muscle during the last two months of training as well.

Not much to report today. I did 32 minutes on the home elliptical trainer - it's a weird amount of time because my goal was to do "1 mile" at the highest resistance and highest incline settings. Mission accomplished. :-)

Don and I may do a little bike riding tomorrow afternoon if work is kind to us - i.e., executive/customer forest fires don't hold us hostage into the evening hours.

Another Swim-Run

Jarrod and I did another swim-run today. Basically a repeat of last Tuesday: 1,000 meter swim and a jog around the North Lake College campus. We were a little faster this time: 25:30 for the swim (Jarrod was probably 30-60 seconds faster) and 16:50 for the run (same route as last time).

Tomorrow, I'll try to do some time on the elliptical trainer and then plan to do another swim on Thursday - which will probably be my last workout until the tri on Sunday.

Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride

Had a great ride today. Don and I did the Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride this morning.

1. The weather was awesome. Started out cloudy (but no rain!) and ended up being sunny by the end of the ride.


2. The 56-mile course was pretty well laid out with good traffic control and good rest stops. Some parts of the course had rough roads, but I guess nothing is perfect.


3. I finished the 56-mile route (my bike computer said 56.5) in 3 hours and 34 minutes. Averaged over 16 mph even with the breaks.

I was very pleased with my time as it was more than 45 minutes faster than my Cross Timbers Classic "50 mile" time for a slightly longer ride. I think the improvement could be attributed to several factors:

1. Hopefully, I'm in better shape than I was two weeks ago.


2. The Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride course was fairly flat - I had many flat or slight decline stretches where I was doing 18-20 mph. Although there were a few hills (some big) in the last 6-8 miles.


3. Funny story: During a discussion with Derek about biking, he mentioned that tire pressure is important - 115 psi vs. 90 psi makes a big difference. While pumping up my tires last night with my new pump, I realized that my tires were probably around 40 psi - I had pretty much rode 50 miles at the Cross Timbers Classic on two flat tires! Fully inflated tires definitely made this ride went much easier.


4. Hopefully, I'm in better shape than I was two weeks ago.

I still don't think I'd like to do a full 100 miles for the Hotter'N Hell race in August, but with my improved times, at least I can expect to finish the metric century (100 km or 62 miles) route before noon and thus avoid the worst of the heat.

Ride Review:

• Course: 3.5/5 - fast, fairly flat course, but lots of rough roads in the middle; good traffic control; good start area with National Anthem
• Rest Stops: 5/5 - excellent stops; well spaced-out; great snacks and drinks, no complaints
• Logistics: 5/5 - easy same-day registration, reasonable entry fee, could pay by credit card, decent T-shirt, good post-race lunch (Outback Steak House chicken sandwich, assorted chips, Blue Bell ice cream, sodas and other drinks); easy to get to - right off 635!
• Overall: 4.5/5 - definitely will do again; if they can find better roads this will be a 5/5

Praying for No Rain

Hoping that rain will stay away from Mesquite, TX tomorrow because I'm really looking forward to the Mesquite Rodeo Bike Ride 2007.

Looking for my lucky rabbit's foot and crossing my fingers and toes ...