Part I
Sunday is LSD day, and I got to spend the morning on the bike path with my friends Dave and Maria. Warm up was a moderate .8 mile walk, in a relaxed 14 minutes or so, followed by stretching. Then we set off west, at an easy jog, Maria and I chatting, with Dave loping off down the grass at the side of the path. Two weeks ago when we did this it was blustery and a good 15 degrees cooler, and we headed out into the wind. Today was calm, overcast and in the mid-40's - just right. The river was perfect mirror-image reflection still, and beautiful.
Maria hesitated just a tick at the orange bridge - it's one mile out and where I turned around last time out. But I kept going. And she slowed down just for two beats at the crossing leading into the cabbage patch, at 1.5 miles. But I kept going. 50 yards down I let her know I was aiming for the barricades at about 1.9 miles. 200 yards later, she asked me if I was going to cross the road and try for the 2 mile marker - and I told her I thought I could do that. I was a little worried about that road crossing, because after the barricade, the path drops down to cross the road that goes to the Lock, and I would have to go up the rise on the other side to get back on the path - but my legs felt good and strong, and I went up it just fine.
And then, we were there, at the yellow post, 2 miles out. It was a slog for sure, 28 minutes, but I ran all the way, talked all the way and did not stop either for the whole distance. Felt like I could have gone another half mile, too, but I didn't want to push. Other than a little dash up the hill to the barricade on the return, we walked and talked back to the parking lot, and declared that it had been a good run and a grand morning, and vowed to do it again soon.
Part II
Sunday morning is usually swim time me, but both cars were gone, and I had to wait for Jon to come back from his overnight with my car before I could get out to the Y. As he is not an early riser - his idea of an early start to the day is to get up at "crack of noon", he wasn't back until 2:30 pm, and I didn't get to the Y until after 3. This really isn't too bad, as the kids are done with their lessons by 1 pm on Sunday and the pool is pretty quiet, with lots of lanes open. Coach lifeguards from 11-4 on Sundays, and after we exchanged pleasantries and I updated him on the whereabouts and activities of the rest of the crew, I slipped into the pool. I pulled on my zoomers, spit into my goggles, rinsed them, slipped the strap over my head, and made each eye piece "suck face".
Warm up was a lap each of breast, back kick, back stroke and breast, followed by stretching. Then I slipped into an easy crawl, LSD-ing in the pool at 70 seconds per lap. I felt really relaxed and at ease, my breathing was unrushed, and I just felt good. I knew that today was going to be the day - and it was: my very first mile using just the crawl stroke and no stopping!
I felt a little tired around lap 26, and I felt my stroke getting jagged, but I was able to get back to fundamentals, stretching out my arms and rotating my hips. By lap 30 I knew I was going to make it. Just for jollies, I grabbed a quick peek at the clock before I started the last lap. I pushed through the lap - not exactly a Thursday night "melt-down" sprint, but I did it in 55 seconds - and I was pretty happy with that.
Total time: 43:03. Not too shabby for me.
Tonight's question: Will I be able to move tomorrow? I'll let you know.
See you out there.
After My First Tri: Pinebush '06
Me & Coach Andrea - Armed and Dangerous!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
First 5K of 2008 - Lessons Learned
I meant to do this in my first post on the subject, but I kind of got off into warm and fuzzy land. That was nice, but it's not going to help me get better. So, here goes.
I tried to relax and go out slowly, but I got out of breath and had to walk only 2:54 into this event. That was very, very disappointing, since I have been working on increasing my distance and increasing my speed. I have routinely been running miles at a little over 12 minutes, both on the track and outside, and I have routinely been running a mile or more at that pace. So, why am I getting gassed a measly 3 minutes in? Back to this question in a minute or two.
The second thing I noticed was that when I did resume jogging, I seemed to be going at a quicker than training pace, but only kept it up for a minute or two. By the time I was into my third mile, in fact, I tried to count 100 sets of footsteps per jog, but I could only maintain sets of 25.
Finally, someplace in the middle of my third mile, I noticed that my quads were getting fried, and by the time I hit the track and my last quarter mile, the Bionic Women jogging me home could have carried me faster than I was moving.
Back to the heavy breathing and premature cessation - this it what my friends think: "It's all in my head!" I believe they are correct. For my first two triathlon seasons, I experienced something very similar during the swim. I was fine in practice, but every time I raced, I was out of breath in a single length, and had to drop back into the breast stroke and hang on the wall to catch it. But in this season's two races, no problem. Why? I've trained harder, I'm more confident, and consequently, I'm more relaxed, and I go out easy. And, if I do start to get out of breath, I know that rolling to my side and looking up at the ceiling will allow me to catch it.
My friend Bill pointed out how ironic it was that I beat 12 out of 28 men in the water in my last tri, a "weaker" event for me, but only 9 out of 28 on the bike, my "strongest" event. Something to be said for training and relaxation.
Yesterday I did 35 good minutes on the stationary bike and then went over to the track to run. I only planned to do two laps, just to run through that brick feeling in my legs. I grabbed my IPod, put on the headphones and listened to Ryan Adams sing, "Elizabeth You Were Born to Play that Part" from 29, a pretty mellow tune. I set off at an easy pace, listening to the music, and before I knew it, I was "in" the music, and very relaxed. I finished my two planned laps and felt so good that I kept going - for 5 more laps. And here's the kicker - I did the half in 5:39, an 11:18 per mile pace, faster than I ever go. That was a revelation - the trick was not rock, but relaxation.
Since Friday's Raider Classic 5K was sponsored by Colonie HS, I'll frame my lessons learned in the form of the famous "3R's":
Relax - especially at the start of these races.
Rhythm - find the right rhythm in the music in my IPod, or the music in my head, but find it.
Run, Run, Run - I'm getting stronger , I can feel it. I just have to continue the regular training to build up my endurance and stamina, and I will get there.
OK - next event is coming up in 3 weeks, another flat 5K. Let's see if I can master my lessons and earn a "A" on that exam.
See you out there.
I tried to relax and go out slowly, but I got out of breath and had to walk only 2:54 into this event. That was very, very disappointing, since I have been working on increasing my distance and increasing my speed. I have routinely been running miles at a little over 12 minutes, both on the track and outside, and I have routinely been running a mile or more at that pace. So, why am I getting gassed a measly 3 minutes in? Back to this question in a minute or two.
The second thing I noticed was that when I did resume jogging, I seemed to be going at a quicker than training pace, but only kept it up for a minute or two. By the time I was into my third mile, in fact, I tried to count 100 sets of footsteps per jog, but I could only maintain sets of 25.
Finally, someplace in the middle of my third mile, I noticed that my quads were getting fried, and by the time I hit the track and my last quarter mile, the Bionic Women jogging me home could have carried me faster than I was moving.
Back to the heavy breathing and premature cessation - this it what my friends think: "It's all in my head!" I believe they are correct. For my first two triathlon seasons, I experienced something very similar during the swim. I was fine in practice, but every time I raced, I was out of breath in a single length, and had to drop back into the breast stroke and hang on the wall to catch it. But in this season's two races, no problem. Why? I've trained harder, I'm more confident, and consequently, I'm more relaxed, and I go out easy. And, if I do start to get out of breath, I know that rolling to my side and looking up at the ceiling will allow me to catch it.
My friend Bill pointed out how ironic it was that I beat 12 out of 28 men in the water in my last tri, a "weaker" event for me, but only 9 out of 28 on the bike, my "strongest" event. Something to be said for training and relaxation.
Yesterday I did 35 good minutes on the stationary bike and then went over to the track to run. I only planned to do two laps, just to run through that brick feeling in my legs. I grabbed my IPod, put on the headphones and listened to Ryan Adams sing, "Elizabeth You Were Born to Play that Part" from 29, a pretty mellow tune. I set off at an easy pace, listening to the music, and before I knew it, I was "in" the music, and very relaxed. I finished my two planned laps and felt so good that I kept going - for 5 more laps. And here's the kicker - I did the half in 5:39, an 11:18 per mile pace, faster than I ever go. That was a revelation - the trick was not rock, but relaxation.
Since Friday's Raider Classic 5K was sponsored by Colonie HS, I'll frame my lessons learned in the form of the famous "3R's":
Relax - especially at the start of these races.
Rhythm - find the right rhythm in the music in my IPod, or the music in my head, but find it.
Run, Run, Run - I'm getting stronger , I can feel it. I just have to continue the regular training to build up my endurance and stamina, and I will get there.
OK - next event is coming up in 3 weeks, another flat 5K. Let's see if I can master my lessons and earn a "A" on that exam.
See you out there.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Colonie Raider Classic - First 5K of 2008
One day I will tell you that I have run well, that I am satisfied. I will tell you that I have risen out of the ranks of wretched, passed through appalling and made it all the way to mediocrity. Not today.
Here's the bottom line from the finish line: 40:24, 13 minutes per mile average, walked more than I ran, and in a spate of leniency because we are just on the cusp of the season, I give myself a "C-".
Good news? I was not last - I managed to beat a 10 year old girl who was running her very first 5K - and, of course, her mother and her mother's two friends her were staying with her. Wow!
Deanne and Jen M, both 30ish, talked me into this. Jen and Deanne are like Mutt and Jeff: Jen, a sturdy 5'9" brunette; Deanne, a tiny 5' blond sprite. They have been running up a storm this Spring, each for her own reason: Deanne wants to reclaim her title as the fastest woman in OSC at the upcoming GHI Workforce Team Challenge; Jen wants to wear a bikini.
Me? The race was a benefit for the Colonie HS Class of 2008, and since both my kids graduated from there, it was a good cause for me to support. Besides, the $15 is tax deductible, right? I also thought it would be a good early season test of how my recovery and training have been going. The weather was cool and the course was flat, both good things for me. Of course, it had also been pouring all day, and although it let up a little by race time, it continued to rain through out the event. This is not an excuse for my poor performance, however - I just sucked.
Donna was there, too, and she introduced me to a couple of people, both interesting in different ways. The first was older - over 60 - an obviously very competitive. Soon after we met, he began complaining because the last category for prizes was too wide - 50+. He was insistent that many runners wouldn't even come to a small race like this with such an inequity, that the usual groupings were in 5 year increments. First, he engaged the three little old ladies sitting at a table selling raffle tickets. They pointed out that they were just volunteers and directed him to the event organizer. He then bent her ear, while she, in the midst of trying to get this whole event launched, politely noted his concerns. I'm thinking you really have to be driven to kick up such a fuss over a plastic water bottle hung with a blue ribbon.
I confess that I did give some thought as to whether I might be the proud recipient of one of said water bottles, but I looked at it a little differently. I figured that since it was such a small race - about 70 people, and since it seemed to skew toward high school-aged athletes, that I had a shot at a prize, provided there were only 3 people in the race over 50 - including me. The gent described above made 1, so I still had a chance. Then another guy came in and he made two - but I was still in the race for a prize. When a third guy over the magic age came in, my hopes were dashed.
But wait - there was still hope! What if one of the guys tripped and broke and ankle, or had a heart attack and couldn't finish? As long as I made it, I could still win.
And then, because he knew Donna, he - Chuck - came came over to talk with her, and Donna introduced him. He was her neighbor, and a really nice guy. He often encountered her at these races. He hadn't been running too much lately, though, because he had been having some heart arrhythmias. He had been to the doctor and been treated, and he was fine now, but he was going to take it easy. I immediately felt really guilty about my stupid fantasy, and realized that what was important about these events didn't have a single thing to do with prizes or age groupings. They are about the experiences and most of all about the people.
Like the organizers and volunteers who give of their time for worthy causes. And the spectators who cheer for you and encourage you, no matter how slow you are or how far behind the leaders. And Donna and Jen and Deanne, who waited in the rain long after they finished their races, until I turned the last corner and headed out onto the track. There they joined me and kept me company through the last quarter mile, encouraging me all the way. That's pretty special and that's what I really love about these races.
See you out there.
Here's the bottom line from the finish line: 40:24, 13 minutes per mile average, walked more than I ran, and in a spate of leniency because we are just on the cusp of the season, I give myself a "C-".
Good news? I was not last - I managed to beat a 10 year old girl who was running her very first 5K - and, of course, her mother and her mother's two friends her were staying with her. Wow!
Deanne and Jen M, both 30ish, talked me into this. Jen and Deanne are like Mutt and Jeff: Jen, a sturdy 5'9" brunette; Deanne, a tiny 5' blond sprite. They have been running up a storm this Spring, each for her own reason: Deanne wants to reclaim her title as the fastest woman in OSC at the upcoming GHI Workforce Team Challenge; Jen wants to wear a bikini.
Me? The race was a benefit for the Colonie HS Class of 2008, and since both my kids graduated from there, it was a good cause for me to support. Besides, the $15 is tax deductible, right? I also thought it would be a good early season test of how my recovery and training have been going. The weather was cool and the course was flat, both good things for me. Of course, it had also been pouring all day, and although it let up a little by race time, it continued to rain through out the event. This is not an excuse for my poor performance, however - I just sucked.
Donna was there, too, and she introduced me to a couple of people, both interesting in different ways. The first was older - over 60 - an obviously very competitive. Soon after we met, he began complaining because the last category for prizes was too wide - 50+. He was insistent that many runners wouldn't even come to a small race like this with such an inequity, that the usual groupings were in 5 year increments. First, he engaged the three little old ladies sitting at a table selling raffle tickets. They pointed out that they were just volunteers and directed him to the event organizer. He then bent her ear, while she, in the midst of trying to get this whole event launched, politely noted his concerns. I'm thinking you really have to be driven to kick up such a fuss over a plastic water bottle hung with a blue ribbon.
I confess that I did give some thought as to whether I might be the proud recipient of one of said water bottles, but I looked at it a little differently. I figured that since it was such a small race - about 70 people, and since it seemed to skew toward high school-aged athletes, that I had a shot at a prize, provided there were only 3 people in the race over 50 - including me. The gent described above made 1, so I still had a chance. Then another guy came in and he made two - but I was still in the race for a prize. When a third guy over the magic age came in, my hopes were dashed.
But wait - there was still hope! What if one of the guys tripped and broke and ankle, or had a heart attack and couldn't finish? As long as I made it, I could still win.
And then, because he knew Donna, he - Chuck - came came over to talk with her, and Donna introduced him. He was her neighbor, and a really nice guy. He often encountered her at these races. He hadn't been running too much lately, though, because he had been having some heart arrhythmias. He had been to the doctor and been treated, and he was fine now, but he was going to take it easy. I immediately felt really guilty about my stupid fantasy, and realized that what was important about these events didn't have a single thing to do with prizes or age groupings. They are about the experiences and most of all about the people.
Like the organizers and volunteers who give of their time for worthy causes. And the spectators who cheer for you and encourage you, no matter how slow you are or how far behind the leaders. And Donna and Jen and Deanne, who waited in the rain long after they finished their races, until I turned the last corner and headed out onto the track. There they joined me and kept me company through the last quarter mile, encouraging me all the way. That's pretty special and that's what I really love about these races.
See you out there.
A "Short" Night at the Pool
Jess and Christina were back from DC, where they both did terrific:
Jess finished the DC Marathon in 3:55:17, chip time, 636/1387 overall, and 16/63 in her division, clocking 8:59 per mile.
Christina finished the DC Half Marathon in 1:33:33, chip time, 156/2640 overall, and 11/236 in her Division, clocking 7:09 per mile.
But here's the really interesting thing: while they were there they had access to the FBI's training facility pool and its underwater cameras, where they had their swimming strokes filmed and analyzed by one of the instructors. Jess learned that she was turning her fingers up slightly as she extended her arm, which was increasing resistance. She also learned that her arms, instead of going straight forward, should be angled more steeply, to get to the undisturbed water in front of and underneath her body. (At least I think that's what she said.) They both were able to correct flaws in their strokes and shorten their Strokes Per Length (SPL)by about 15%, meaning they were more efficient in the water.
They also noted that they while they were more efficient in their stroking, they were a little slower. As we Total Immersion fans know, the trick to increasing speed is decrease our SPL while increasing our Stroke Rates (SR), and, most important, to find the perfect balance between the two. The tricky thing for those of us who are not elite swimmers is that as we try to increase our SR, our form tends to break down, and we do more churning and less gliding. It's amazing how technical swimming can be.
Finally, to really, really get faster, you not only have to balance SPL with SR, you have to add power to your stroke. I'm afraid this all may beyond my abilities, as I am only mortal, and far, far from elite. But, what the hell, I'll talk to them some more next week, see what else they learned, and I try it out. Can't hurt, right?.
Coach also added a new 200 yard freestyle drill, shortening the time between sprints as follows: a length up at 50%, followed by a sprint back at 100%, repeated 4 times.
Our swim time was shorter, too. We had a good turn out, with all the women there, and me - Mike was working, Gil had to take care of a project at home and Steve couldn't make it. We all had a lot of catching up to do, we congratulated everyone on their recent accomplishments, and we were all pretty interested in Jess' and Christina's experiences with the FBI. Dodie was back, too, and had just had her stitches pulled. With all the talk-talk-talk, we didn't get started with warm-ups until 7:40.
Finally, our class time was shorter. Class is supposed to go from 7:30 until 8:15, but early on, Dodie asked if we could go until 8:30. Coach, being vary gracious, accommodated her request, and made sure his lesson plans kept us busy for the full hour. However, there is now a life saving class which meets at 8:15, meaning we have to abandon two of our reserved lanes at that time. We do get to keep the third lane, for the extra 15 minutes, though. As usual, Kelly took the time after class to swim extra laps, joined this week by Jess.
So, it was, indeed, a "short" swim night (you didn't think I was going to make jokes about the diminutive stature of my teammates, did you?)
Once again, the best part of the evening was Dodie - when she learned that we were losing 15 minutes off the end of our class, she immediately said to Coach, "Well, we will just have to start at 7:15, when the earlier class ends!" And who knows, maybe we will.
Jess finished the DC Marathon in 3:55:17, chip time, 636/1387 overall, and 16/63 in her division, clocking 8:59 per mile.
Christina finished the DC Half Marathon in 1:33:33, chip time, 156/2640 overall, and 11/236 in her Division, clocking 7:09 per mile.
But here's the really interesting thing: while they were there they had access to the FBI's training facility pool and its underwater cameras, where they had their swimming strokes filmed and analyzed by one of the instructors. Jess learned that she was turning her fingers up slightly as she extended her arm, which was increasing resistance. She also learned that her arms, instead of going straight forward, should be angled more steeply, to get to the undisturbed water in front of and underneath her body. (At least I think that's what she said.) They both were able to correct flaws in their strokes and shorten their Strokes Per Length (SPL)by about 15%, meaning they were more efficient in the water.
They also noted that they while they were more efficient in their stroking, they were a little slower. As we Total Immersion fans know, the trick to increasing speed is decrease our SPL while increasing our Stroke Rates (SR), and, most important, to find the perfect balance between the two. The tricky thing for those of us who are not elite swimmers is that as we try to increase our SR, our form tends to break down, and we do more churning and less gliding. It's amazing how technical swimming can be.
Finally, to really, really get faster, you not only have to balance SPL with SR, you have to add power to your stroke. I'm afraid this all may beyond my abilities, as I am only mortal, and far, far from elite. But, what the hell, I'll talk to them some more next week, see what else they learned, and I try it out. Can't hurt, right?.
Coach also added a new 200 yard freestyle drill, shortening the time between sprints as follows: a length up at 50%, followed by a sprint back at 100%, repeated 4 times.
Our swim time was shorter, too. We had a good turn out, with all the women there, and me - Mike was working, Gil had to take care of a project at home and Steve couldn't make it. We all had a lot of catching up to do, we congratulated everyone on their recent accomplishments, and we were all pretty interested in Jess' and Christina's experiences with the FBI. Dodie was back, too, and had just had her stitches pulled. With all the talk-talk-talk, we didn't get started with warm-ups until 7:40.
Finally, our class time was shorter. Class is supposed to go from 7:30 until 8:15, but early on, Dodie asked if we could go until 8:30. Coach, being vary gracious, accommodated her request, and made sure his lesson plans kept us busy for the full hour. However, there is now a life saving class which meets at 8:15, meaning we have to abandon two of our reserved lanes at that time. We do get to keep the third lane, for the extra 15 minutes, though. As usual, Kelly took the time after class to swim extra laps, joined this week by Jess.
So, it was, indeed, a "short" swim night (you didn't think I was going to make jokes about the diminutive stature of my teammates, did you?)
Once again, the best part of the evening was Dodie - when she learned that we were losing 15 minutes off the end of our class, she immediately said to Coach, "Well, we will just have to start at 7:15, when the earlier class ends!" And who knows, maybe we will.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Two Kinds of Thor
The pun police are after me, but I can't help myself!
Two days after the tri, some observations about the aftermath of biking, and some additional lessons learned.
First kind of soreness – muscular soreness. Remarkably enough, my hams, quads, calves and glutes are all fine. My adductors
on the other hand (other leg? – oops, there I go again), the inner thigh muscles, are sore. These muscles are used to bring the legs in towards each other, and to stabilize the hips. I am speculating that my seat may not have been positioned properly, that it was a bit high, meaning my hips were "rocking", with my thighs flying out on the down stroke and moving in on the upstroke. The soreness would have been caused by the work these muscles did trying to compensate and keep me centered.
Second kind of soreness – pressure soreness. Every spring my butt (which is not really my butt but – how to put this delicately? - the region between my "zither " and my "zatch", i.e., front to back along the centerline of my bottom – gets sore during my first few longer bike rides. After a while, the riding gets routine, and the area "toughens up". Apparently "Ground 0" has not toughened up yet.
I generally wear bike shorts with a good pad in them to minimize the pressure and soreness. However, for this tri, I wore an older pair of bike shorts with a minimal gel pad, and I don't think there was very much gel left in it. This was good for the swim – I didn't have that "swimming while wearing a wet diaper" feeling that I get when wearing my regular biking shorts, but not so good for the bike. Hey, I figured I would be on and off in a flash, so what did it matter? (Don't even start! And in the same spirit, a new slogan –"Every time you climb into the saddle, make sure you are wearing the right protection!")
Good padding helps to prevent chafing when you're in the saddle, too, but the real key here is the judicious application of the proper lubricant to all tender parts and bits before putting anything else on. I favor A&D ointment, but there are a number of other products that work equally well. Whatever you pick, make sure it's waterproof, because moisture, from whatever source or cause, exacerbates chafing. This is a good tip for the long run, too, or swim for that matter. (The pun police are almost here...)
Lessons learned:
- Make sure the bike seat is properly adjusted before training or riding.
- Sometimes its OK to put a little padding where Mother Nature hasn't provided any of her own (no - I'm not going there)
- Muscles are activity specific. The best way to train the muscles used in a specific event is to do that event. The bike portion for the next tri will be outdoors on a "real" bike. Since the weather at this time more or less precludes training outside on my bike, the training will have to be done on a stationary bike. To best train for this, I will need to lower my RPM's to 85-90, increase the resistance to build strength, and vary the resistance to emulate hills.
- Finally, to make sure I approximate "real" conditions, move my stationary bike about ½ mile behind each bike being ridden by a sprite or an elf every time I go "up" a hill. Never too early for a dose of reality therapy.....
See you out there!
Two days after the tri, some observations about the aftermath of biking, and some additional lessons learned.
First kind of soreness – muscular soreness. Remarkably enough, my hams, quads, calves and glutes are all fine. My adductors
on the other hand (other leg? – oops, there I go again), the inner thigh muscles, are sore. These muscles are used to bring the legs in towards each other, and to stabilize the hips. I am speculating that my seat may not have been positioned properly, that it was a bit high, meaning my hips were "rocking", with my thighs flying out on the down stroke and moving in on the upstroke. The soreness would have been caused by the work these muscles did trying to compensate and keep me centered.
Second kind of soreness – pressure soreness. Every spring my butt (which is not really my butt but – how to put this delicately? - the region between my "zither " and my "zatch", i.e., front to back along the centerline of my bottom – gets sore during my first few longer bike rides. After a while, the riding gets routine, and the area "toughens up". Apparently "Ground 0" has not toughened up yet.
I generally wear bike shorts with a good pad in them to minimize the pressure and soreness. However, for this tri, I wore an older pair of bike shorts with a minimal gel pad, and I don't think there was very much gel left in it. This was good for the swim – I didn't have that "swimming while wearing a wet diaper" feeling that I get when wearing my regular biking shorts, but not so good for the bike. Hey, I figured I would be on and off in a flash, so what did it matter? (Don't even start! And in the same spirit, a new slogan –"Every time you climb into the saddle, make sure you are wearing the right protection!")
Good padding helps to prevent chafing when you're in the saddle, too, but the real key here is the judicious application of the proper lubricant to all tender parts and bits before putting anything else on. I favor A&D ointment, but there are a number of other products that work equally well. Whatever you pick, make sure it's waterproof, because moisture, from whatever source or cause, exacerbates chafing. This is a good tip for the long run, too, or swim for that matter. (The pun police are almost here...)
Lessons learned:
- Make sure the bike seat is properly adjusted before training or riding.
- Sometimes its OK to put a little padding where Mother Nature hasn't provided any of her own (no - I'm not going there)
- Muscles are activity specific. The best way to train the muscles used in a specific event is to do that event. The bike portion for the next tri will be outdoors on a "real" bike. Since the weather at this time more or less precludes training outside on my bike, the training will have to be done on a stationary bike. To best train for this, I will need to lower my RPM's to 85-90, increase the resistance to build strength, and vary the resistance to emulate hills.
- Finally, to make sure I approximate "real" conditions, move my stationary bike about ½ mile behind each bike being ridden by a sprite or an elf every time I go "up" a hill. Never too early for a dose of reality therapy.....
See you out there!
Monday, March 31, 2008
The Morning After.....
When I got out of bed this morning, after yesterday's tri, I was reminded of the punch line to an old (and very poor) joke:
"Me? I'm Thor."
"Thor? You're Thor? I'm so Thor I can barely move*!"
Believe me, I understand the feeling.
* The actual word used describes a bodily function, and would be pronounced with a lisp - but I'm already in trouble with the pun police, I don't want to offend the PC police, and I surely don't want to risk losing my PG rating - r.
"Me? I'm Thor."
"Thor? You're Thor? I'm so Thor I can barely move*!"
Believe me, I understand the feeling.
* The actual word used describes a bodily function, and would be pronounced with a lisp - but I'm already in trouble with the pun police, I don't want to offend the PC police, and I surely don't want to risk losing my PG rating - r.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Second Tri of 2008 Guilderland Y Indoor Tri 03/30/08
Nice event this morning. Lots of familiar faces, and it's nice to compete on my home "turf". Best of all, my buddy Kelly the Quick took a first overall for women, and her husband Craig took a first overall for men.
I had an 8:40 AM start time, which is very civil. For these indoor tri's, the trick to getting the later start time is to register later, but not so late that you get shut out. Turns out Kelly and Donna were in the second heat, which went off at 7:20 AM. Since the Y is only 10 minutes from my house, it was pretty easy to get over there early to cheer them on.
Kelly staked out lane 3 - she picked that lane because that's the lane she trains in on Thursday nites, and she felt comfortable there. Donna, who had just flown back yesterday from SC from her visit with the granddaughters, was over in lane 7. Because my wave didn't start until so much later, I got to watch and cheer for them in each event.
Super Steve was in the last wave, the one after mine, so he was in my cheering section for my swim, although I didn't get to cheer for him. I understand he did very well, 26 or 27 lengths in the pool, 7.5 on the bike and a very respectable 1.9 miles on the treadmill.
The good news about an indoor tri is that all the events take place in a confined area, so it is easy to see the competitors. The bad news is that, other than the swimming, there's not much to see, since neither the stationary bikes nor the treadmills go anyplace, and neither do the athletes using them. From a competitor's a point of view, though, this is an ideal situation, because you can hear your friends cheering you on during every minute of each event, and that's great.
The Score Card
Swimming: Not bad. I did the crawl stroke for the entire time, kicked off the walls much better than during the last event, minimized my "hang time", that is, the amount of time I grabbed the walls and rested. I covered 25.5 lengths, a full 25 yards farther than during my Febraury tri, and I met my goal. Of course, if I hadn't stood up once at the end of the pool, looking at my watch and adjusting my goggles (and being truthful - catching a short rest) and if I had been just a little quicker off the walls a few times, I could have covered 26 laps. Still - pretty good (Thanks, Coach!) 67 points; A-
Bike: Pretty good. I knew we were using spin bikes, so I looked up the bike settings last night from my last indoor race and memorized them. Knowing these let me set up the bike as soon as I got out of the water, which gave me a quicker transition to the bike, and meant that I had a minute more of rest time between events. I knew enough to pedal at high RPM's and low resistance, and I knew that I could get over 120 RPM's, the highest number on the bike computer and that the computer would still register the distance.
Two minor screw ups - I forgot to start my stopwatch at the beginning of the race, and tried to set it about 2 minutes in, with the help of the lead volunteer in the room. Good idea, except I straightened up to do this, I forgot about pedaling - not a good idea since the flywheel kept turning, and so did the pedals, which are fixed - no coasting on a spin bike. Consequently, my feet came out of the straps, and I had to slow down to try to slide them back in. Being a slow learner, this happened again before I finally got the stopwatch going - one of the volunteers helped me slide my foot back into the cage this time.
Other than that - a pretty good ride. 7.29 miles, over .8 miles better than in February. 76 points; A-.
The Run: A disaster. I made the assumption that since the February indoor tri had us all running on the track for the third event, we would be running on the track this time, too. That's the way I trained, transitioning from bike to track when I was practicing the bike, and running on the track, or outdoors when I was practicing for the run. Wrong! Last night Kelly let me know that this event was going to be held on the treadmills. And, no touching the rails during the entire event.
I hate the treadmill - I think it's a tyrant! When I run, I slow down or speed up a lot during a workout. Walk whenever I want to, too - no problem to vary the pace. Not the case on the treadmill. I have to hit the up or down arrows repeatedly to go from a run to a walk, or vice versa. And I inevitably grab the side rails or the front of the machine for balance during abrupt speed changes like run to walk, or during sprints.
This news freaked me out - I worried a lot about it last night, and didn't sleep too well. I was afraid if I tried to go too fast, I would lose my balance and fall, or grab the rails and get disqualified. I decided to be very conservative, and alternated between 4 mph walking and 4.6 mph jogging - 13 minute mile pace. And that's what I did.
Every now and then I tried to go faster or longer by getting into a zone and using the dis-associative technique that was described in the NY Times running column last week - staring at a distant object, counting my footfalls and synching my breathing up with them - but each time I did, I started to lose my balance. So I went back to the slower pace, and the results show this clearly. 1.1 miles; 40 points; D.
Lessons Learned: Ask questions about the events and the equipment. If I had done this, I would have trained on the accursed treadmill and done better for sure. After all, I am routinely running 12 minute miles or so during my training - I can do better!
On the positive side - I am very pleased with swimming and biking. I trained hard to improve, and I did.
Two minor notes: No body markings for this event - I felt cheated! And, we had to wear swim caps in the pool. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to try to pull one of those things over my head - like trying to put on a giant condom, but without the payoff.
The IPod Factor: Not a factor. The powers that be decided that since runners are no longer allowed to use IPods in road races (courtesy of the lawyers and their fears about liability lawsuits, we would not be allowed to use them either. Or more accurately, the people in waves 3-7 would not be allowed to use them, because it took them 2 waves to figure this out. This logic struck me as more than a little flawed, since it was not a road race, and there certainly was no danger of being hit by a car while inside the YMCA. Not to mention inconsistent in its application.
But, this seemed to be the only flaw in a very well organized and well run event. My applause and congratulations to Kerry and all the volunteers who put this event together and made it a great success.
I had an 8:40 AM start time, which is very civil. For these indoor tri's, the trick to getting the later start time is to register later, but not so late that you get shut out. Turns out Kelly and Donna were in the second heat, which went off at 7:20 AM. Since the Y is only 10 minutes from my house, it was pretty easy to get over there early to cheer them on.
Kelly staked out lane 3 - she picked that lane because that's the lane she trains in on Thursday nites, and she felt comfortable there. Donna, who had just flown back yesterday from SC from her visit with the granddaughters, was over in lane 7. Because my wave didn't start until so much later, I got to watch and cheer for them in each event.
Super Steve was in the last wave, the one after mine, so he was in my cheering section for my swim, although I didn't get to cheer for him. I understand he did very well, 26 or 27 lengths in the pool, 7.5 on the bike and a very respectable 1.9 miles on the treadmill.
The good news about an indoor tri is that all the events take place in a confined area, so it is easy to see the competitors. The bad news is that, other than the swimming, there's not much to see, since neither the stationary bikes nor the treadmills go anyplace, and neither do the athletes using them. From a competitor's a point of view, though, this is an ideal situation, because you can hear your friends cheering you on during every minute of each event, and that's great.
The Score Card
Swimming: Not bad. I did the crawl stroke for the entire time, kicked off the walls much better than during the last event, minimized my "hang time", that is, the amount of time I grabbed the walls and rested. I covered 25.5 lengths, a full 25 yards farther than during my Febraury tri, and I met my goal. Of course, if I hadn't stood up once at the end of the pool, looking at my watch and adjusting my goggles (and being truthful - catching a short rest) and if I had been just a little quicker off the walls a few times, I could have covered 26 laps. Still - pretty good (Thanks, Coach!) 67 points; A-
Bike: Pretty good. I knew we were using spin bikes, so I looked up the bike settings last night from my last indoor race and memorized them. Knowing these let me set up the bike as soon as I got out of the water, which gave me a quicker transition to the bike, and meant that I had a minute more of rest time between events. I knew enough to pedal at high RPM's and low resistance, and I knew that I could get over 120 RPM's, the highest number on the bike computer and that the computer would still register the distance.
Two minor screw ups - I forgot to start my stopwatch at the beginning of the race, and tried to set it about 2 minutes in, with the help of the lead volunteer in the room. Good idea, except I straightened up to do this, I forgot about pedaling - not a good idea since the flywheel kept turning, and so did the pedals, which are fixed - no coasting on a spin bike. Consequently, my feet came out of the straps, and I had to slow down to try to slide them back in. Being a slow learner, this happened again before I finally got the stopwatch going - one of the volunteers helped me slide my foot back into the cage this time.
Other than that - a pretty good ride. 7.29 miles, over .8 miles better than in February. 76 points; A-.
The Run: A disaster. I made the assumption that since the February indoor tri had us all running on the track for the third event, we would be running on the track this time, too. That's the way I trained, transitioning from bike to track when I was practicing the bike, and running on the track, or outdoors when I was practicing for the run. Wrong! Last night Kelly let me know that this event was going to be held on the treadmills. And, no touching the rails during the entire event.
I hate the treadmill - I think it's a tyrant! When I run, I slow down or speed up a lot during a workout. Walk whenever I want to, too - no problem to vary the pace. Not the case on the treadmill. I have to hit the up or down arrows repeatedly to go from a run to a walk, or vice versa. And I inevitably grab the side rails or the front of the machine for balance during abrupt speed changes like run to walk, or during sprints.
This news freaked me out - I worried a lot about it last night, and didn't sleep too well. I was afraid if I tried to go too fast, I would lose my balance and fall, or grab the rails and get disqualified. I decided to be very conservative, and alternated between 4 mph walking and 4.6 mph jogging - 13 minute mile pace. And that's what I did.
Every now and then I tried to go faster or longer by getting into a zone and using the dis-associative technique that was described in the NY Times running column last week - staring at a distant object, counting my footfalls and synching my breathing up with them - but each time I did, I started to lose my balance. So I went back to the slower pace, and the results show this clearly. 1.1 miles; 40 points; D.
Lessons Learned: Ask questions about the events and the equipment. If I had done this, I would have trained on the accursed treadmill and done better for sure. After all, I am routinely running 12 minute miles or so during my training - I can do better!
On the positive side - I am very pleased with swimming and biking. I trained hard to improve, and I did.
Two minor notes: No body markings for this event - I felt cheated! And, we had to wear swim caps in the pool. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to try to pull one of those things over my head - like trying to put on a giant condom, but without the payoff.
The IPod Factor: Not a factor. The powers that be decided that since runners are no longer allowed to use IPods in road races (courtesy of the lawyers and their fears about liability lawsuits, we would not be allowed to use them either. Or more accurately, the people in waves 3-7 would not be allowed to use them, because it took them 2 waves to figure this out. This logic struck me as more than a little flawed, since it was not a road race, and there certainly was no danger of being hit by a car while inside the YMCA. Not to mention inconsistent in its application.
But, this seemed to be the only flaw in a very well organized and well run event. My applause and congratulations to Kerry and all the volunteers who put this event together and made it a great success.
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