Saturday was the last race of the 2011 season. I finished 4th in a 5k with a time of 17:29. I went out way too hard, but was happy with how it went. I'm confident I can go sub 17 next year.
I will be doing a 13.1 in March, so I'm starting the Jack Daniels plan. It's mostly 5 days of easy running and two days of quality workouts per week. The quality workouts can be a long run, intervals, or tempo runs mixed with easy runs.
I started biking again...ouch...I don't even want to know what my FTP is :). The plan is to do easy riding this month and start training hard again next month.
Psyched with the progress on ErgDB. I'm close to launching the standalone mode for people who do not have a Erg trainer. They will be able to download workouts and get a heads up display. Next is "Google Earth Videos" -which will show a route on google earth and synced up to a workout (can't control the device and google earth though).
Blog about my triathlon excursions.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Early 2011 Wrap Up
2011 is winding down, but it's been a great year. I started my training for Chesapeakeman on 1/1/11. The goal the whole year was to peak for that race, but I had some great races in between. My running has finally taken off, and continuing to progress. I wasn't happy with my bike progress, but recognized my weaknesses. Swimming was swimming...just did minimal work.
On Thanksgiving, I did the Turkey Trot at Millersville University, my alma mater. There was a great group there with fast races. I've been focusing on a 5k this weekend, so I started doing more run focus and some speedwork since November rolled around. I finished in 17:39, on a course that was on par with the race against racism. I ran mile 1 and mile 2 exactly the same (5:35), but backed off the last mile since I didn't have my inhaler. I feel sub 17 is in reach next year.
I'm gonna start biking again next month. I'm gonna take it easy for December, then start ramping it up in January. I'm excited to try out some new training tools. I may invest in a sufferfest video for my Saturday workouts, and the ErgDB tool I've been writing will open up workouts and GoldenCheetah is offering some killer features in the 3.0 builds (development).
I'm happy with how my season went. Morgantown 70.3 turned out to be an absurdly hard race, but I'd love to go back and do it again (on a road bike). The local sprints proved I've got some run speed, just need to work on the bike. The 5k's showed me I've got a long way still to go. Chesapeakeman proved my body can do the races, I just need to race and train within my abilities.
2012 is looking to be great. Here are a few goals.
Sub 17 5k
Sub 30 5 miles
Sub 37 10k
~1:25 13.1
Qualify for Boston at Harrisburg Marathon
top 5 OA in local sprints
Get bike w/g to 3.5
Sub 4:40 70.3
I may do a run focus this year and see how the bike works out. I'll be honest, I really wasn't happy with how things went last year on the bike, but a lot were due to fit, neck issues, and "over training". I think if I step back and do a re-evaluation, I'll be fine.
On Thanksgiving, I did the Turkey Trot at Millersville University, my alma mater. There was a great group there with fast races. I've been focusing on a 5k this weekend, so I started doing more run focus and some speedwork since November rolled around. I finished in 17:39, on a course that was on par with the race against racism. I ran mile 1 and mile 2 exactly the same (5:35), but backed off the last mile since I didn't have my inhaler. I feel sub 17 is in reach next year.
I'm gonna start biking again next month. I'm gonna take it easy for December, then start ramping it up in January. I'm excited to try out some new training tools. I may invest in a sufferfest video for my Saturday workouts, and the ErgDB tool I've been writing will open up workouts and GoldenCheetah is offering some killer features in the 3.0 builds (development).
I'm happy with how my season went. Morgantown 70.3 turned out to be an absurdly hard race, but I'd love to go back and do it again (on a road bike). The local sprints proved I've got some run speed, just need to work on the bike. The 5k's showed me I've got a long way still to go. Chesapeakeman proved my body can do the races, I just need to race and train within my abilities.
2012 is looking to be great. Here are a few goals.
Sub 17 5k
Sub 30 5 miles
Sub 37 10k
~1:25 13.1
Qualify for Boston at Harrisburg Marathon
top 5 OA in local sprints
Get bike w/g to 3.5
Sub 4:40 70.3
I may do a run focus this year and see how the bike works out. I'll be honest, I really wasn't happy with how things went last year on the bike, but a lot were due to fit, neck issues, and "over training". I think if I step back and do a re-evaluation, I'll be fine.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
ErgDB
Yesterday I launched ErgDB , a site to generate .erg and PowerAgent .xml workouts. Workouts are entered by a FTP%, then users just put their FTP in and it's custom to them.
I've got another project I'm working on, but I plan on pitching it to a few companies rather then releasing it.
Getting over a sinus infection, so workouts are kidna on hold. Hoping to do a few 5ks this winter and get my FTP up big time.
I've got another project I'm working on, but I plan on pitching it to a few companies rather then releasing it.
Getting over a sinus infection, so workouts are kidna on hold. Hoping to do a few 5ks this winter and get my FTP up big time.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Back to the grind
It's been just over three weeks since Chesapeakeman, but I'm starting to feel better. I've done a few sessions with a running coach, who's also a "Crossfit" guy and minimalist believer.
Surprisingly, he's had the most believable information. He wasn't preaching 5 fingers, instead saying minimalist/barefoot is great for learning "perception" and better form. This is what some of the top guys on slowtwitch are saying. I got some great drills and feedback on form, so I'll be focusing on those and a few 5k's this winter.
Biking is slowly going. I've got a better fit and have focused on working out the issues with my glutes to help stabalize and get rid of some nerve issues I've had.
Swimming is feeling better, I just need to focus on keeping the form for long sets.
2012 is right around the corner, and here are my lofty goals. I'm going to introduce speedwork into my running and more power focus to increase my FTP on the bike.
5k - sub 17
5 miles - sub 30 (haven't done a 5 miler in awhile
13.1 - sub 1:25
26.1 - BQ :)
local sprint races -AG wins or podium spot (will be tough)
sub 4:40 70.3
Surprisingly, he's had the most believable information. He wasn't preaching 5 fingers, instead saying minimalist/barefoot is great for learning "perception" and better form. This is what some of the top guys on slowtwitch are saying. I got some great drills and feedback on form, so I'll be focusing on those and a few 5k's this winter.
Biking is slowly going. I've got a better fit and have focused on working out the issues with my glutes to help stabalize and get rid of some nerve issues I've had.
Swimming is feeling better, I just need to focus on keeping the form for long sets.
2012 is right around the corner, and here are my lofty goals. I'm going to introduce speedwork into my running and more power focus to increase my FTP on the bike.
5k - sub 17
5 miles - sub 30 (haven't done a 5 miler in awhile
13.1 - sub 1:25
26.1 - BQ :)
local sprint races -AG wins or podium spot (will be tough)
sub 4:40 70.3
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Race Report (pulled from slowtwitch)
I'd
like to thank Kiwami and Xterra for supporting me this season. The
Konami tri suit is hands down the best suit I've ever had. I raced all
my races this year in it, from sprints to 140.6. My Xterra Vortex 3 was
the first long sleeve suit I had, and I had 0 jelly fish stings :).
Brian from PBN was a huge help dialing in my nutrition, it was a game
changer for me. desertdude, rroof, barryp (running plan) and others
from the forums answered questions about training/health/etc that kept
me going.
Race day - I woke up feeling great. It had poured the day before and overnight, so I was worried about my bike. Got into transition and my powertap was DOA...so much for riding my target watts. Had issues getting my tires pumped, so I knew the bike was gonna be a long day.
Nutrition - Breakfast was a bagel with peanut butter, then a bottle of gatorade/carbo pro sipped before the swim. On the bike, I had EFS gel and EFS/carbo pro in the water bottle. Sipped/drank those every 15 minutes and chased with water. Was peeing clear the whole bike/run. On the run, I did a shot of EFS gel at every turn (4.4+ miles) and then gatorade/water at every aid station - switched to soda at the half way point.
Swim (1:11) - I lined up at the outside buoy and took it easy. I did the ST method for training and slacked off in July/August. Finished and felt pretty good.
T1 - hot sweaty mess in the changing tent. Didn't wait for my own bag, just grabbed it and got changed (slowely). Need to remember to remove the plastic from the gel flasks
Bike (6:20) - I planned on taking it fairly easy (150 watts), but had to go off RPE since my PT was dead. 10 miles in I'm slowing down and hear a "thud thud thud" at my front tire...yep, first flat. Got it changed and kept going. 5 minutes later, what do you know? Another flat...this time the vavle stem failed. Got going again and a minute later I hear the air bursting out of my front tire...got a pebble in it and it was slashed. I was ready to throw my bike and call it a day, but the SAG wagon wasn't too far away. Waited for them and got a new front tire installed. Who knows how long I lost (30+ minutes), but I just wanted to finish the race. Got to mile 56 and a friend of mine had flatted twice and was DNF'ing. Stopped to see if she needed help and then went off. Hit the special needs and my neck was killing me. I had to sit up and just take it easy the rest of the ride. I'd love to go to Elite and get a good fit from DG to work out my neck and hamstring issues, but can't budget it right now.
T2 - In and out. Someone gave me tums and it was a huge help.
Run (3:48) - Since I didn't push the bike hard, my legs felt amazing. It was a three lap course, and I did the first lap around 1:12. Second lap I was running with a guy in my AG and took it a little easier than I wanted to, but was fine with it. Hit the half way point at 1:48 Third lap, I was still feeling good, but decided to run/walk the aid stations. At mile 20, my hamstrings were getting ready to cramp up and I just didn't have the run base I wanted to. Hit the last turn around and ran into the one and only, Wongstar. She was all smiles during the run. Got to run and chat with her for a few miles (22-24) which was a huge help for the mental side.
Finished in 11:29 and was ecstatic. They even gave my son a call out :) at the finish.
Tri Columbia did a great job as always. I think I'll hold off doing another 140.6 until I can ride longer than 4 hours without having issues.
Race day - I woke up feeling great. It had poured the day before and overnight, so I was worried about my bike. Got into transition and my powertap was DOA...so much for riding my target watts. Had issues getting my tires pumped, so I knew the bike was gonna be a long day.
Nutrition - Breakfast was a bagel with peanut butter, then a bottle of gatorade/carbo pro sipped before the swim. On the bike, I had EFS gel and EFS/carbo pro in the water bottle. Sipped/drank those every 15 minutes and chased with water. Was peeing clear the whole bike/run. On the run, I did a shot of EFS gel at every turn (4.4+ miles) and then gatorade/water at every aid station - switched to soda at the half way point.
Swim (1:11) - I lined up at the outside buoy and took it easy. I did the ST method for training and slacked off in July/August. Finished and felt pretty good.
T1 - hot sweaty mess in the changing tent. Didn't wait for my own bag, just grabbed it and got changed (slowely). Need to remember to remove the plastic from the gel flasks
Bike (6:20) - I planned on taking it fairly easy (150 watts), but had to go off RPE since my PT was dead. 10 miles in I'm slowing down and hear a "thud thud thud" at my front tire...yep, first flat. Got it changed and kept going. 5 minutes later, what do you know? Another flat...this time the vavle stem failed. Got going again and a minute later I hear the air bursting out of my front tire...got a pebble in it and it was slashed. I was ready to throw my bike and call it a day, but the SAG wagon wasn't too far away. Waited for them and got a new front tire installed. Who knows how long I lost (30+ minutes), but I just wanted to finish the race. Got to mile 56 and a friend of mine had flatted twice and was DNF'ing. Stopped to see if she needed help and then went off. Hit the special needs and my neck was killing me. I had to sit up and just take it easy the rest of the ride. I'd love to go to Elite and get a good fit from DG to work out my neck and hamstring issues, but can't budget it right now.
T2 - In and out. Someone gave me tums and it was a huge help.
Run (3:48) - Since I didn't push the bike hard, my legs felt amazing. It was a three lap course, and I did the first lap around 1:12. Second lap I was running with a guy in my AG and took it a little easier than I wanted to, but was fine with it. Hit the half way point at 1:48 Third lap, I was still feeling good, but decided to run/walk the aid stations. At mile 20, my hamstrings were getting ready to cramp up and I just didn't have the run base I wanted to. Hit the last turn around and ran into the one and only, Wongstar. She was all smiles during the run. Got to run and chat with her for a few miles (22-24) which was a huge help for the mental side.
Finished in 11:29 and was ecstatic. They even gave my son a call out :) at the finish.
Tri Columbia did a great job as always. I think I'll hold off doing another 140.6 until I can ride longer than 4 hours without having issues.
Year Report
Well, now I've had a few days to reflect about the race, here is my year report. Just a warning, it will be long.
TRAINING
I started my training on 1/1/11. I rode the Columbia course on my computrainer to see where my bike fitness was. My plan was to do the Computrainer P.I.G training plan for 20 weeks to work into biking, then the BarryP 3-2-1 run trianing plan.
Jan/Feb went and I was making some progress. I was increasing my running mileage gradually and feeling great. Biking was going OK, but I was quickly realizing the Computrainer wasn't worth the money. Some people love the ERG mode, but I'd rather push my own watts then rely on something forcing me to it. The 3d software crashed, wigged out, etc. The real course videos wouldn't register for a month, then Kona had issues and Lake Placid had some "phantom" crazy hard hills. I was dissapointed because the majority of my training was going to be on the CT with Lauren pregnant.
RACE SEASON
Race season came in April, with my first sprint. I had a bad bike fit (self inflicted) and an asthma attack on the bike. I had to run/walk the run...I was not happy with that performance. I realized that my bike wasn't even close to what I was hoping to be at. I think I was in better shape the years before b/c I turned in the same time with better gear...oh well!
I did a local 5k race and finished a tough course in 17:40. I started feeling more confident about my running. I was still taking it "easy" on my runs compared to years before focusing on building base mileage. I did a 66 mile ride outdoor with some friends that felt pretty good, but started to bonk b/c of nutrition.
May had more training and a fast 5k. I ran 17:10 to get 2nd overall. I felt great and was really happy with my run training. My swim training had been going great too. I was only swimming 1-2 times a week, but got up to 3k sets.
June I had a sprint and a 70.3 race. Both I suffered from gearing issues on the bike. I was riding 165mm compact cranks with a 12/27 cassette. I was spinning out on hills and loosing time. The sprint went well, with another solid run. The 70.3 had a tough bike course. I went out too hard and suffered, but had a good run to land me 1st in my AG.
July I started getting PTTD in my right ankle. I had to back off my run training and decided to ride every day the tour did. I enjoyed this a lot. My long rides were on the trainer next to my mother-in-law's pool. I did a few 3 and 4 hr rides where I jumped in the pool to cool off. I did a sprint race and had a solid bike, but was still tired on the run. I missed 3rd OA by 30 seconds.
August came along with Isaac. We were new parents having no idea what was going on. Work gave me 1.5 weeks off, which I took advantage off. I got a 12 mile run, some biking, etc. My training dropped off, but I focused on my running until the race.
Last month I did a few 2+ hr rides, but a 16 and 18 mile run. My swimming dropped off, but I was fine with it. This leads me to the race. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, as my bike training was well below my target. I wanted to have 5 rides of 4 hrs of more and only got two. I wanted to have 4 16+ miles runs and only had 2. Oh well.
Check out my race report to see how I did. I'm doing a 15k in December and maybe another 5k, but will start formulating my training/racing plan for next year. Just waiting to hear back from a few companies about some opportunities. The big focus may be a 4:30 70.3 and a BQ at Philly.
TRAINING
I started my training on 1/1/11. I rode the Columbia course on my computrainer to see where my bike fitness was. My plan was to do the Computrainer P.I.G training plan for 20 weeks to work into biking, then the BarryP 3-2-1 run trianing plan.
Jan/Feb went and I was making some progress. I was increasing my running mileage gradually and feeling great. Biking was going OK, but I was quickly realizing the Computrainer wasn't worth the money. Some people love the ERG mode, but I'd rather push my own watts then rely on something forcing me to it. The 3d software crashed, wigged out, etc. The real course videos wouldn't register for a month, then Kona had issues and Lake Placid had some "phantom" crazy hard hills. I was dissapointed because the majority of my training was going to be on the CT with Lauren pregnant.
RACE SEASON
Race season came in April, with my first sprint. I had a bad bike fit (self inflicted) and an asthma attack on the bike. I had to run/walk the run...I was not happy with that performance. I realized that my bike wasn't even close to what I was hoping to be at. I think I was in better shape the years before b/c I turned in the same time with better gear...oh well!
I did a local 5k race and finished a tough course in 17:40. I started feeling more confident about my running. I was still taking it "easy" on my runs compared to years before focusing on building base mileage. I did a 66 mile ride outdoor with some friends that felt pretty good, but started to bonk b/c of nutrition.
May had more training and a fast 5k. I ran 17:10 to get 2nd overall. I felt great and was really happy with my run training. My swim training had been going great too. I was only swimming 1-2 times a week, but got up to 3k sets.
June I had a sprint and a 70.3 race. Both I suffered from gearing issues on the bike. I was riding 165mm compact cranks with a 12/27 cassette. I was spinning out on hills and loosing time. The sprint went well, with another solid run. The 70.3 had a tough bike course. I went out too hard and suffered, but had a good run to land me 1st in my AG.
July I started getting PTTD in my right ankle. I had to back off my run training and decided to ride every day the tour did. I enjoyed this a lot. My long rides were on the trainer next to my mother-in-law's pool. I did a few 3 and 4 hr rides where I jumped in the pool to cool off. I did a sprint race and had a solid bike, but was still tired on the run. I missed 3rd OA by 30 seconds.
August came along with Isaac. We were new parents having no idea what was going on. Work gave me 1.5 weeks off, which I took advantage off. I got a 12 mile run, some biking, etc. My training dropped off, but I focused on my running until the race.
Last month I did a few 2+ hr rides, but a 16 and 18 mile run. My swimming dropped off, but I was fine with it. This leads me to the race. I wasn't sure how it was going to go, as my bike training was well below my target. I wanted to have 5 rides of 4 hrs of more and only got two. I wanted to have 4 16+ miles runs and only had 2. Oh well.
Check out my race report to see how I did. I'm doing a 15k in December and maybe another 5k, but will start formulating my training/racing plan for next year. Just waiting to hear back from a few companies about some opportunities. The big focus may be a 4:30 70.3 and a BQ at Philly.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
And this chapter ends...
I'll have a full report up soon. I'd like to thank Xterra, Kiwami, and my family for the support this year. The race was amazing. I had a bunch of issues on the bike at the start, but still finished. My marathon time of 3:48 was good for 13th overall, with a finish time of 11:29.
I've got a lot to work out on the bike until I try this distance again, but I think with the time and training, i can join the sub 10 club.
I've got a lot to work out on the bike until I try this distance again, but I think with the time and training, i can join the sub 10 club.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Taper Time
Well, it's time to start the taper. This may be the last post before the big race. Saturday, I tried to ride but the quad would have none of it. On a whim, I decided to throw some KT tape on to see if the quad was a strain/tear.
Well, that seemed to do it. I took Sunday off and Monday did a great 18 mile run. Half was on the treadmill, then I got fed up with the humidity and decided to run in the rain...except it didn't rain. I was able to keep a 7:45 pace for outside, taking it pretty easy. The last three miles are tough because it was uphill, but I was feeling better.
My running is back to normal (somewhat). I think I'm just burned out on the bike. I still can't sustain high wattages, but that's fine. I'm not going to be pushing hard for the race.
Well, that seemed to do it. I took Sunday off and Monday did a great 18 mile run. Half was on the treadmill, then I got fed up with the humidity and decided to run in the rain...except it didn't rain. I was able to keep a 7:45 pace for outside, taking it pretty easy. The last three miles are tough because it was uphill, but I was feeling better.
My running is back to normal (somewhat). I think I'm just burned out on the bike. I still can't sustain high wattages, but that's fine. I'm not going to be pushing hard for the race.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I wanna be like Rapp
In the 90's everyone wanted to be like Michael Jordan, aka Mike. For me, I wanna be like Jordan Rapp.
Everyone in triathlon knows his story. He's lucky to be a live, lucky to be walking, lucky to be racing, lucky to have his family. While I wish my recovery was as fast as his, our paths are very similar. He's been a great inspiration, and this is why I wanna be like Rapp.
Everyone in triathlon knows his story. He's lucky to be a live, lucky to be walking, lucky to be racing, lucky to have his family. While I wish my recovery was as fast as his, our paths are very similar. He's been a great inspiration, and this is why I wanna be like Rapp.
| Rapp | Me | |
|---|---|---|
| 3/24/10 Crazy freak accident, he hit a car head that pulled out. Amazing to be alive. | 10/24/06 Crazy freak accident, total double malfunction skydiving. Amazing to be alive. | |
| Long road to recovery. Fractured scapula and clavicle, lost a few liters of blood and spent days in the ICU | Long road to recovery. Fractured neck, back and femur (that went undiagnosed for years). | |
 |  | |
Quentin Rapp - 6/21/11  | Isaac Maffett 8/3/11 (pound it)  | |
1st at IM Canada (1 year 5 months after his accident)  | My 1st IM will be Chesapekeman - 9/24/11 (4 years 10 months after my accident)  | |
Sunday, August 28, 2011
DOA
My left quad is DOA...haven't had a solid workout since last weekend. Getting concerned about my training and race. I've got a massage scheduled for Monday, hoping that he can work out anything going on.
Looks like my final weekends will be the following.
Sept 3 - 80-100 mile ride
Sept 4 - swim/recovery
Sept 5 - 18 mile run
Sept 10 - 60-80 mile hard ride
Sept 11- 16 mile run
Sept 17 - 40 mile ride at IM effort
Sept 18 - 10 mile run
Looks like my final weekends will be the following.
Sept 3 - 80-100 mile ride
Sept 4 - swim/recovery
Sept 5 - 18 mile run
Sept 10 - 60-80 mile hard ride
Sept 11- 16 mile run
Sept 17 - 40 mile ride at IM effort
Sept 18 - 10 mile run
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Test race - 70.3
Saturday, a few of us doing Chesapeakeman decided to do a 70.3 locally to get a good workout in, and see how our fitness was. The course was a 1.2 mile pool swim, 56 mile bike (tough) and a two lap 13.1 mile run. We were basing T2/run out of my house, so we had everything setup for transitions, water, food, etc.
We got to the pool and it was packed, but the masters group let us take a lane. We took off and I felt well. My tri shorts were a little loose, so pushing off the wall was tough. From 1300 yards to 1700 yards I took it a little easy, but came in just over 32 minutes. Joe came in a 50 behind me and Angela was a 100 back.
I waited for them and then we all changed and took off for the bike. The route was hilly for 13 miles, then a rolling 30 mile out/back section and a repeat of the 13 mile hills. I wanted to hold 200 watts, but realized my gearing wasn't gonna let me hit my watts downhill. I focused on keeping my watts down on the uphills and quickly found out I was going to be in a better situation for the ride. My pace out on the first 13 mile section was about .5-.7 miles slower, but I felt great.
The 30 mile loop felt perfect. I was able to keep my target watts most of the time, focused on nutrition and feeling good. I averaged 20.5 mph with no aero gear/slow setup. I did this ride last year and hit the turn back home (13 miles to go) and felt horrible. This year was different, I knew I could keep it going. I was at a 19.9 average and felt I was at my 3/4 IM pace...not as hard as my half, but not as easy as a full.
The last 13 miles are tough coming back, but I made it. My tri shorts were chaffing bad, so I just wanted to get out. The sun was coming out and it was getting hotter, and I hit about every light possible.
Hit the house and changed into running gear. I was feeling good when I started the run, but hit about every light in the city losing a good minute. I felt like I was at 80%, but the heat was getting to me. I hit the 3.25 turn around just over 23 minutes and was a little concerned I was going too hard. By now, I was starting to overheat and was pouring all the water I had over me. The way back, I did a run/walk and came in at 50 minutes for the first lap. At that point, I decided to go hit the shower and cool off instead.
Joe and Angela finished the run and called it a day. I felt great and put my compression gear on.
Sunday, my dad and I did the covered bridge metric century ride. I wanted to take it easy, but since I was feeling good threw in some hard efforts. I took some pulls, attacked some hills, and had to do a chase for 1 minute to catch people who turned off (500+ watts :) ).
Yesterday I was coming down with something, but it feels like it was gone. Starting to catch up on my sleep and hoping to get back into 2 a day workouts for the last push. Feeling good about the race, just hoping that the weather cooperates.
We got to the pool and it was packed, but the masters group let us take a lane. We took off and I felt well. My tri shorts were a little loose, so pushing off the wall was tough. From 1300 yards to 1700 yards I took it a little easy, but came in just over 32 minutes. Joe came in a 50 behind me and Angela was a 100 back.
I waited for them and then we all changed and took off for the bike. The route was hilly for 13 miles, then a rolling 30 mile out/back section and a repeat of the 13 mile hills. I wanted to hold 200 watts, but realized my gearing wasn't gonna let me hit my watts downhill. I focused on keeping my watts down on the uphills and quickly found out I was going to be in a better situation for the ride. My pace out on the first 13 mile section was about .5-.7 miles slower, but I felt great.
The 30 mile loop felt perfect. I was able to keep my target watts most of the time, focused on nutrition and feeling good. I averaged 20.5 mph with no aero gear/slow setup. I did this ride last year and hit the turn back home (13 miles to go) and felt horrible. This year was different, I knew I could keep it going. I was at a 19.9 average and felt I was at my 3/4 IM pace...not as hard as my half, but not as easy as a full.
The last 13 miles are tough coming back, but I made it. My tri shorts were chaffing bad, so I just wanted to get out. The sun was coming out and it was getting hotter, and I hit about every light possible.
Hit the house and changed into running gear. I was feeling good when I started the run, but hit about every light in the city losing a good minute. I felt like I was at 80%, but the heat was getting to me. I hit the 3.25 turn around just over 23 minutes and was a little concerned I was going too hard. By now, I was starting to overheat and was pouring all the water I had over me. The way back, I did a run/walk and came in at 50 minutes for the first lap. At that point, I decided to go hit the shower and cool off instead.
Joe and Angela finished the run and called it a day. I felt great and put my compression gear on.
Sunday, my dad and I did the covered bridge metric century ride. I wanted to take it easy, but since I was feeling good threw in some hard efforts. I took some pulls, attacked some hills, and had to do a chase for 1 minute to catch people who turned off (500+ watts :) ).
Yesterday I was coming down with something, but it feels like it was gone. Starting to catch up on my sleep and hoping to get back into 2 a day workouts for the last push. Feeling good about the race, just hoping that the weather cooperates.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Training half
Most training plans call for a 70.3 4-6 weeks out from an Ironman. In a perfect world, that works out great, but finding one scheduled, getting time off, the costs aren't always there. A few of us doing Chesapeakeman have decided to do a mock half tomorrow. We'll do a 1.2 mile pool swim, then hit the roads for the bike and run.
I did a hard effort on the bike course last year before Timberman, so it will be interesting to see any differences. I've got "slower" gear setup for training, but am hoping to come in with the same time on a lot less effort. Depending on how the bike goes, I may try to push it a little on the run. The run course has some nice rollers/hills, but should have some shade.
Sunday, I'm doing the Covered Bridge metric century as a recovery spin day. Will be nice to get two solid days in the saddle, then it's the final push!
I did a hard effort on the bike course last year before Timberman, so it will be interesting to see any differences. I've got "slower" gear setup for training, but am hoping to come in with the same time on a lot less effort. Depending on how the bike goes, I may try to push it a little on the run. The run course has some nice rollers/hills, but should have some shade.
Sunday, I'm doing the Covered Bridge metric century as a recovery spin day. Will be nice to get two solid days in the saddle, then it's the final push!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Test Run
I like to do a few key workouts before races to see where my fitness is. Last year, I did a 13.5 mile run before Timberman, finishing just around 8:00 miles. I felt good and knew I'd have a decent time for the run. I ended up running 1:39 because of some great weather.
Today I wanted to do a 16 mile run to see how my legs felt. My longest runs have only been up to 13.1 miles, but a ton in the 11-12 range. After each of those runs, I felt like I had a bunch in the tank.
I decided to do a 4 mile loop near my house x 4. It's a modified 5k course, that has a killer hill finish. I started off feeling sluggish, but turned in a 7:17 first mile. Just kept my head down and finished the first loop in 28:55.
Second loop I needed to hit the porta potty around mile 2. Between that and traffic stops, I lost about a minute+. I finished the lap at 31:20 on the clock, but took it easy worried I'd blow up after the first lap.
Third lap was pretty good. Kept my head down and finished in 29:30.
Fourth lap I wanted to turn in the fastest split...I started off hard, but got past my house (.1 miles) and had to take another pit stop. I didn't get out of the house until 2:27 on the clock (dog, water bottle swap, etc). Add in some more traffic stops and I lost 2 minutes. I pushed the pace from the start and kept it up. I made sure I didn't back off too much, but wanted it to feel comfortable. The last mile is all up hill, so I kept the pressure up. Finished that lap at 30:37 (28:37 without the stops) for a total clock time of 2:00:22 (or 1:57 modified).
I know "rests" do help, but I don't' think I gained any time/speed from them. The only thing I got was less chafing from my fuel belt by getting rid of bottles for the last lap.
Happy to see where my run is going. Tomorrow I'm gonna do some hard intervals and get an idea of speed/power on a flat course.
Today I wanted to do a 16 mile run to see how my legs felt. My longest runs have only been up to 13.1 miles, but a ton in the 11-12 range. After each of those runs, I felt like I had a bunch in the tank.
I decided to do a 4 mile loop near my house x 4. It's a modified 5k course, that has a killer hill finish. I started off feeling sluggish, but turned in a 7:17 first mile. Just kept my head down and finished the first loop in 28:55.
Second loop I needed to hit the porta potty around mile 2. Between that and traffic stops, I lost about a minute+. I finished the lap at 31:20 on the clock, but took it easy worried I'd blow up after the first lap.
Third lap was pretty good. Kept my head down and finished in 29:30.
Fourth lap I wanted to turn in the fastest split...I started off hard, but got past my house (.1 miles) and had to take another pit stop. I didn't get out of the house until 2:27 on the clock (dog, water bottle swap, etc). Add in some more traffic stops and I lost 2 minutes. I pushed the pace from the start and kept it up. I made sure I didn't back off too much, but wanted it to feel comfortable. The last mile is all up hill, so I kept the pressure up. Finished that lap at 30:37 (28:37 without the stops) for a total clock time of 2:00:22 (or 1:57 modified).
I know "rests" do help, but I don't' think I gained any time/speed from them. The only thing I got was less chafing from my fuel belt by getting rid of bottles for the last lap.
Happy to see where my run is going. Tomorrow I'm gonna do some hard intervals and get an idea of speed/power on a flat course.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
and we're home!
Isaac Dillon. Born 8/3/11 - 20.25" and 7 lbs 11 ounces. He's doing great and so is mom. It was a busy few days, but now to try to get in some training again!
Work is amazing, allowing me to take the week off. I'll get some work done in the evening but I'm hoping to get some good SBR workouts in (1-2 hrs max) each day.
Work is amazing, allowing me to take the week off. I'll get some work done in the evening but I'm hoping to get some good SBR workouts in (1-2 hrs max) each day.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Panic time
Well, panic is setting in all around. I'm trying to wrap up a major project at work, haven't' been able to run in weeks, and Lauren is due soon. I finally found a great PT who is a runner, and he seems to have identified my issues. I also got a new pair of training shoes, and racing shoes (k-swiss kwickie blade lite).
I got lazy with my form, stretching and antagonist muscle strengthening. This is usually the root of most injuries, but I caught mine early enough. I did two miles today on the treadmill with no issues. I'm gonna try to do a longish run on Sunday to see how it holds up and go from there.
I've been biking almost every day, and am seeing huge gains. I'll continue this when my running kicks back up, building a better base for the race. I'm gonna do a fake half in August, and re-evaluate from there.
I got lazy with my form, stretching and antagonist muscle strengthening. This is usually the root of most injuries, but I caught mine early enough. I did two miles today on the treadmill with no issues. I'm gonna try to do a longish run on Sunday to see how it holds up and go from there.
I've been biking almost every day, and am seeing huge gains. I'll continue this when my running kicks back up, building a better base for the race. I'm gonna do a fake half in August, and re-evaluate from there.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Harrisburg race report
The Harrisburg sprint tri was the second course (3rd race) I ever did. The first time I did it, I had just gotten my cervelo and was ready to see how I could race. I was having knee problems, but had a few months of training. I went 1:23 and was happy, but had a slow bike.
Because of vacation and injuries, this was the first time I'd be able to race it since 2008. My only speedwork sessions this year have been races, but my speed has been great. I had an idea of what I wanted to do on the swim, bike and run. There was almost no current, but we were able to wear wetsuits. I finished 7th overall and 3rd in my ag. 3rd - 7th were separated by 30 seconds.
Swim: 14:29 (.6 miles) - my Xterra Vortex 3 was great. People complained of the heat, but I was fine. I lined up too close to the bouy though, and lost about :30 trying to keep a good line. I was happy with my time and position though.
T1: 1:20 - ok...need to practice removing the wetsuit. Since I wear socks and calf sleeves, it's slower...but ok with me
Bike: 35:43 (14 miles) - I was really happy with my time. I felt in control for most of it, and only had one "traffic" issue where I lost some time due to a cop car..oh well. I didn't push it too hard and still had some in the tank.
T2: :33 - fast as usual. Easy in and out.
Run: 17:06 (2.8 miles) - I'm happy with my run, but felt I could have done better. I didn't feel great at the start, but was still doing 6 minute miles. The 3rd place guy was about 10 seconds behind me at the start of the run, I just couldn't hang on (he outran me by 40 seconds).
I'm really happy with how the whole race went. I'm excited to do it next year, since I feel I can take off 3 minutes between all events. I know I have a lot more improvement I can do on the bike and run with some more interval work.
That about wraps up my race season. I've got the big race left, and am psyched with how well this year has gone. I'm keeping a positive thought on staying healthy and carrying this into next year.
Because of vacation and injuries, this was the first time I'd be able to race it since 2008. My only speedwork sessions this year have been races, but my speed has been great. I had an idea of what I wanted to do on the swim, bike and run. There was almost no current, but we were able to wear wetsuits. I finished 7th overall and 3rd in my ag. 3rd - 7th were separated by 30 seconds.
Swim: 14:29 (.6 miles) - my Xterra Vortex 3 was great. People complained of the heat, but I was fine. I lined up too close to the bouy though, and lost about :30 trying to keep a good line. I was happy with my time and position though.
T1: 1:20 - ok...need to practice removing the wetsuit. Since I wear socks and calf sleeves, it's slower...but ok with me
Bike: 35:43 (14 miles) - I was really happy with my time. I felt in control for most of it, and only had one "traffic" issue where I lost some time due to a cop car..oh well. I didn't push it too hard and still had some in the tank.
T2: :33 - fast as usual. Easy in and out.
Run: 17:06 (2.8 miles) - I'm happy with my run, but felt I could have done better. I didn't feel great at the start, but was still doing 6 minute miles. The 3rd place guy was about 10 seconds behind me at the start of the run, I just couldn't hang on (he outran me by 40 seconds).
I'm really happy with how the whole race went. I'm excited to do it next year, since I feel I can take off 3 minutes between all events. I know I have a lot more improvement I can do on the bike and run with some more interval work.
That about wraps up my race season. I've got the big race left, and am psyched with how well this year has gone. I'm keeping a positive thought on staying healthy and carrying this into next year.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
I will survive...
So the bike course turned out to be rougher than I expected. The top pro went just under 2:50, and few broke 3:00. My first lap was great, at 1:35 and I felt I could have turned in a 1:40...but my hip flexors and hamstrings started acting up quick on the first lap. I lost my gel at mile 12 and there was only one aid station, so I knew it'd be a long day.
The swim went pretty well. My googles were fogged from the start and I forgot to start my watch. It was a TT start with two people going at a time, so I didn't have feet to hop on. I took the first lap easy. Second lap, I stopped and cleared my googles but found I was a good 20 yards off course. I hit the second bouy and decided to bridge to a group. I felt great and made it about half way, making me feel much better for the 2.4 mile swim. My Xterra Vortex 3 was great. I was a little concerned that the size may be too big, but I have issues with tight wetsuits. I had no problems with water getting in and floated to a 33:00 swim to the dock.
Back to the bike...it was awful. I spent way too much time in my 34/27, or bombing hills trying to stretch. I kept expecting to see the elites/pro flying in the other direction, but they weren't gaining too much time. The second lap was miserable, and I really wanted to DNF, but just chugged along. I got into T2 and ran the first mile with the winner, but took it a little too fast (6:30). I hit a bathroom at mile 2, then just relaxed and settled in. I did negative split the second half, and passed a handful of people. I finished under 5:45, which was killer since the pro went 4:47 and an elite went 4:59.
I knew I did decent, since three in my AG were elites and I didn't see anyone pass me. My dad and I waited around for a few hours for results, but they were running into issues. They were posting "results" that were not official, and a few people were claiming first place awards who weren't even near the top...oh well!
The swim went pretty well. My googles were fogged from the start and I forgot to start my watch. It was a TT start with two people going at a time, so I didn't have feet to hop on. I took the first lap easy. Second lap, I stopped and cleared my googles but found I was a good 20 yards off course. I hit the second bouy and decided to bridge to a group. I felt great and made it about half way, making me feel much better for the 2.4 mile swim. My Xterra Vortex 3 was great. I was a little concerned that the size may be too big, but I have issues with tight wetsuits. I had no problems with water getting in and floated to a 33:00 swim to the dock.
Back to the bike...it was awful. I spent way too much time in my 34/27, or bombing hills trying to stretch. I kept expecting to see the elites/pro flying in the other direction, but they weren't gaining too much time. The second lap was miserable, and I really wanted to DNF, but just chugged along. I got into T2 and ran the first mile with the winner, but took it a little too fast (6:30). I hit a bathroom at mile 2, then just relaxed and settled in. I did negative split the second half, and passed a handful of people. I finished under 5:45, which was killer since the pro went 4:47 and an elite went 4:59.
I knew I did decent, since three in my AG were elites and I didn't see anyone pass me. My dad and I waited around for a few hours for results, but they were running into issues. They were posting "results" that were not official, and a few people were claiming first place awards who weren't even near the top...oh well!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Taking it in stride
I've got a 70.3 this weekend in Morgantown, WV. I was kinda psyched for the race a few months ago, but now am just viewing it as a good training day. I wanted to do a 70+ mile ride last Saturday, but seven miles in I slashed my rear tire and messed up my rim. Lauren picked me up, then I went home and did a solid 2 hr effort on the CT/eagleman course with a brick 1 mile run after (6:40 pace).
I had no motivation this week, so I just took it easy. My body is ready for the rest after the race, I seem to do well taking some time off during training. Last year, I had about 8 days off with my trip to the UK, and came back with a solid final month of training.
The course for Morgantown has changed again. There is now over 3,200 feet of climbing...it will be killer but good. If I can even get under 5:10, I'll be psyched. I'm excited to see how my run turns out. I did a 7.8 mile tempo run through killer hills last Sunday at a 7 minute mile pace and felt good.
I had no motivation this week, so I just took it easy. My body is ready for the rest after the race, I seem to do well taking some time off during training. Last year, I had about 8 days off with my trip to the UK, and came back with a solid final month of training.
The course for Morgantown has changed again. There is now over 3,200 feet of climbing...it will be killer but good. If I can even get under 5:10, I'll be psyched. I'm excited to see how my run turns out. I did a 7.8 mile tempo run through killer hills last Sunday at a 7 minute mile pace and felt good.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Crunch Time
Even though the race is 3 months out, it's getting to crunch time for me. We've got about 7 weeks till the little guy will make his first appearance. Basing off that, I'll have about 7-10 weekends to get long workouts in. Should be interesting and I foresee a ton of computrainer workouts, but I'm psyched.
RD emailed about the Morgantown half - they had to change the bike course. Oh Well, better finding out now versus race day.
RD emailed about the Morgantown half - they had to change the bike course. Oh Well, better finding out now versus race day.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
finding my running legs
Sunday was the Mason-Dixon (Pinchot) sprint tri. This was the first race I ever did in 08, and was the second time my Uncle Greg came in to do it. He had to do the dualthon b/c of a surfing injury, but that was an advantage for him.
I was psyched to test out my Kiwami Konami and my Xterra Vortex 3 wetsuit. The konami fit like a glove, but wasn't restrictive. I usually get to the run and am really hot, but was suprised that I didn't need to unzip due to the heat or feeling restricted. I was in between sizes of the vortex 3, but went with a medium since I'm doing longer races. It was great, even though it was a tad loose. I actually like the wetsuit like that since I'm prone to cramping.
I was out of the water 8th overall, but did a casual swim. Had I been aggressive at the start, I could have been out with the leaders. The bike was ok...I need to get out and do more TT's, and I didn't have enough low gears for the downhill, but after the first lap I wanted to turn in a good run. So I backed off a bit and rode smarter. I got through T2 quick and felt great on the run. I had a minor twinge in my calves, but after .5 miles I knew I could open it up. I was biking alone most of the time, and had no idea where anyone was on the run. I passed some relays/duathletes, but kept chugging along. The miles weren't marked, so I didn't know I was cruising till I was almost done. I hit the clock just under 1:27 but didn't have my race belt so it took time to register my number. I turned in the fourth fastest run, just under 18 minutes. My legs felt great and I was happy to find my running legs.
I've got 2.5 weeks of hard training before the Morgantown half. I plan on a 70+ mile ride Saturday and then a 11.5 mile run Sunday. The following weekend will be more of the same, then I'll do a 3 day taper before the race.
July I'm up in the air about the Harrisburg sprint...if Morgantown goes well and I recover, I may do it. But if not, I'll get long distances in then. My goal is to get 4 rides over 100 miles, and 3 runs of 16-18 miles in before Chesapeakeman.
I was psyched to test out my Kiwami Konami and my Xterra Vortex 3 wetsuit. The konami fit like a glove, but wasn't restrictive. I usually get to the run and am really hot, but was suprised that I didn't need to unzip due to the heat or feeling restricted. I was in between sizes of the vortex 3, but went with a medium since I'm doing longer races. It was great, even though it was a tad loose. I actually like the wetsuit like that since I'm prone to cramping.
I was out of the water 8th overall, but did a casual swim. Had I been aggressive at the start, I could have been out with the leaders. The bike was ok...I need to get out and do more TT's, and I didn't have enough low gears for the downhill, but after the first lap I wanted to turn in a good run. So I backed off a bit and rode smarter. I got through T2 quick and felt great on the run. I had a minor twinge in my calves, but after .5 miles I knew I could open it up. I was biking alone most of the time, and had no idea where anyone was on the run. I passed some relays/duathletes, but kept chugging along. The miles weren't marked, so I didn't know I was cruising till I was almost done. I hit the clock just under 1:27 but didn't have my race belt so it took time to register my number. I turned in the fourth fastest run, just under 18 minutes. My legs felt great and I was happy to find my running legs.
I've got 2.5 weeks of hard training before the Morgantown half. I plan on a 70+ mile ride Saturday and then a 11.5 mile run Sunday. The following weekend will be more of the same, then I'll do a 3 day taper before the race.
July I'm up in the air about the Harrisburg sprint...if Morgantown goes well and I recover, I may do it. But if not, I'll get long distances in then. My goal is to get 4 rides over 100 miles, and 3 runs of 16-18 miles in before Chesapeakeman.
Monday, May 30, 2011
May day...may day
May was an interesting month. I had a great 60+ mile ride the first weekend after setting a 5k PR. I did some good computrainer rides, but then hit a lul....overtraining 101.
I had take three days off, which was great. The next day, my dad and I did a 65 mile ride that included swamp church road. This is the steepest paved road in Lancaster...and it's tough. Would be fun to do some repeats on, but it as halfway on the ride.
That started the "perfect" week for training...I've never had a week where I hit just about all workouts, but this week was it. I nailed a long bike, intervals, and FTP session. For running, I did a long run (11 miles), recovery runs, a moderate run (7.2) and then set a PR in the 5k at 17:10 and took second overall at the race.
I'm feeling better. This weekend is the Pinchot sprint, which was my first race three years ago. I'm hoping to turn in a solid performance, not overdoing it on the bike and finally linking a solid run. After that, it's 2.5 weeks of hard training, then the Mountaineer half in WV. After that, it's crunch time to get the long rides/runs in for Chesapeakeman.
I had take three days off, which was great. The next day, my dad and I did a 65 mile ride that included swamp church road. This is the steepest paved road in Lancaster...and it's tough. Would be fun to do some repeats on, but it as halfway on the ride.
That started the "perfect" week for training...I've never had a week where I hit just about all workouts, but this week was it. I nailed a long bike, intervals, and FTP session. For running, I did a long run (11 miles), recovery runs, a moderate run (7.2) and then set a PR in the 5k at 17:10 and took second overall at the race.
I'm feeling better. This weekend is the Pinchot sprint, which was my first race three years ago. I'm hoping to turn in a solid performance, not overdoing it on the bike and finally linking a solid run. After that, it's 2.5 weeks of hard training, then the Mountaineer half in WV. After that, it's crunch time to get the long rides/runs in for Chesapeakeman.
Friday, May 20, 2011
race season starting soon
I'm not doing too many races this year, but two of the three are coming up soon. Looks like my Uncle Greg, who got my dad and I into triathlons, will be joining us for Pinchot in June. I'm excited to see how this race goes, as it will be the first race in my new Xterra Vortex 3 and Kiwami Konami trisuit.
This was the first race I did in 2008, and am hoping to have a great showing. I skipped this race last year, but my buddy Chandler threw down a sub 1:30, which I'm hoping to come in around 1:25-1:30. My swim has been decent, and my bike has been great...running is just up in the air. My open times are great, but I haven't been able to link them in sprints.
I hit a dead end recently with my training...over training is more like it. I'm doing a little recovery now and trying to not dig myself into a deeper whole. We've got the baby shower in a week, then a 5k, then pinchot. Feeling great about my fitness though.
This was the first race I did in 2008, and am hoping to have a great showing. I skipped this race last year, but my buddy Chandler threw down a sub 1:30, which I'm hoping to come in around 1:25-1:30. My swim has been decent, and my bike has been great...running is just up in the air. My open times are great, but I haven't been able to link them in sprints.
I hit a dead end recently with my training...over training is more like it. I'm doing a little recovery now and trying to not dig myself into a deeper whole. We've got the baby shower in a week, then a 5k, then pinchot. Feeling great about my fitness though.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
plateau's and gains
I had a few weeks in April where I didn't think my performances were at what I expected. My CT intervals were getting tougher at the same wattage along with the tempo rides.
It looks like I just needed some time off May has been great for training. I needed a few days off after the race against racism, due to a knee problem. That week was pretty easy, but I did a great 2:30 ride on the CT, and my watts were about what they were for hard efforts in January. I did a 5 brick after, which was rough due to side stitches, but I learned how to breathe properly to help them.
I've got a long CT ride planned for Saturday, with a brick run after. Sunday will be a good tempo. Next weekend will be a long ride outside, with maybe an olympic pseudo race Sunday.
I'm happy with my progress and staying healthy. It's nice to be able to step back and not get focused on one or two races.
It looks like I just needed some time off May has been great for training. I needed a few days off after the race against racism, due to a knee problem. That week was pretty easy, but I did a great 2:30 ride on the CT, and my watts were about what they were for hard efforts in January. I did a 5 brick after, which was rough due to side stitches, but I learned how to breathe properly to help them.
I've got a long CT ride planned for Saturday, with a brick run after. Sunday will be a good tempo. Next weekend will be a long ride outside, with maybe an olympic pseudo race Sunday.
I'm happy with my progress and staying healthy. It's nice to be able to step back and not get focused on one or two races.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
another month down
April finished up pretty good. I had a solid two weeks of training with a lot of bike and running progress. After the race, I went out to Seattle to help present at the mobile app hackathon. I lost a weekend of training, but it was great to relax.
I did a bunch of rides on the computrainer, a few solid swims, and some decent running. I did a 10.5 and 10 mile run the last two weeks, which felt great. I also did a tempo run that was 3 mile w/u, then 3.2 at a 6:40 pace. I did 15 x 100's on 1:35 (scy) and felt pretty good.
Yesterday I did the Race against Racism and set a PR in the 5k. 17:43 for a 5:43 pace. First mile was around 5:25, second was 5:45, I hit the 2 mile mark at 11:10. Last year, I was 11:15, but fading quick. I held strong and finished 16th overall, and 3rd in my AG.
Today, I did a solid 66 mile ride with some friends. We kept an 18 mph pace, and it fell good. I flatted coming out of a downhill, which was scary, but I was fine. The computrainer feels MUCH worse, so I'm hoping to do 3-4 hr rides on those and build up.
Feeling great how April finished up. I only have a 5k at the end of May, so this will be another building block. I'm gonna keep building up my base mileage in all three sports, with a mini-peak in June for the pinchot sprint and morgantown half.
I did a bunch of rides on the computrainer, a few solid swims, and some decent running. I did a 10.5 and 10 mile run the last two weeks, which felt great. I also did a tempo run that was 3 mile w/u, then 3.2 at a 6:40 pace. I did 15 x 100's on 1:35 (scy) and felt pretty good.
Yesterday I did the Race against Racism and set a PR in the 5k. 17:43 for a 5:43 pace. First mile was around 5:25, second was 5:45, I hit the 2 mile mark at 11:10. Last year, I was 11:15, but fading quick. I held strong and finished 16th overall, and 3rd in my AG.
Today, I did a solid 66 mile ride with some friends. We kept an 18 mph pace, and it fell good. I flatted coming out of a downhill, which was scary, but I was fine. The computrainer feels MUCH worse, so I'm hoping to do 3-4 hr rides on those and build up.
Feeling great how April finished up. I only have a 5k at the end of May, so this will be another building block. I'm gonna keep building up my base mileage in all three sports, with a mini-peak in June for the pinchot sprint and morgantown half.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April showers
I took a look at my training log for all my training in April, and every year I've had a drastic drop off. I attribute it to two things. The first is that's when race season starts, so I cut back for a few key races to see how my fitness is. The second, I think I forget to log workouts.
This month has been hectic. My first race went ok, but outlined my weaknesses (mainly bike fit). But I'm enjoying working out more, building a base, and not killing myself (or getting injured). After next week, I'll be registered for all my races this season.
I'm excited for my first 5k race, that starts in front of my house. I'm hoping to go sub 18, but I've done no speedwork, so I'll take anything under 19 minutes. In June, I'm doing a sprint and a half, and finally racing in my Xterra Vortex 3 and my Kiwami Konami trisuit.
This month has been hectic. My first race went ok, but outlined my weaknesses (mainly bike fit). But I'm enjoying working out more, building a base, and not killing myself (or getting injured). After next week, I'll be registered for all my races this season.
I'm excited for my first 5k race, that starts in front of my house. I'm hoping to go sub 18, but I've done no speedwork, so I'll take anything under 19 minutes. In June, I'm doing a sprint and a half, and finally racing in my Xterra Vortex 3 and my Kiwami Konami trisuit.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
First race under wraps
Finished my first tri of the year, the Hempfield sprint. My training compared to last year is drastically different. Last year I couldn't run much (or bike), so I did all power/speed training. This year has been all base building.
Swim went better. I had about the same time as last year, but much more relaxed. Bike started off well, but 5 miles in my hip flexor started cramping. I wish I could have pushed it harder, but didn't want to kill my run. Transitions went much better then last year.
The run was miserable. I got off the bike and couldn't breathe...same issue I had last year at the Keystone Memorial triathlon. My abs and chest were tight...even walking wasn't helping. I finished at a7:42 pace, which was casual (and good to know for the full).
Post race, I packed up and went to breakfast with Lauren and my dad. When I got home, I tried my inhaler, which seemed to help. I think both cases were an asthma attack. I did take my inhaler before other races (and will now).
Trying to schedule a bike fit to work on the hip issues, otherwise I was happy with it. There were FAST guys out there, and it was great to gauge my fitness. I took a nap, and feel great after the race. I should be back to training tomorrow, which is a first. Now I see how my buddy Chandler does back to back races.
Swim went better. I had about the same time as last year, but much more relaxed. Bike started off well, but 5 miles in my hip flexor started cramping. I wish I could have pushed it harder, but didn't want to kill my run. Transitions went much better then last year.
The run was miserable. I got off the bike and couldn't breathe...same issue I had last year at the Keystone Memorial triathlon. My abs and chest were tight...even walking wasn't helping. I finished at a7:42 pace, which was casual (and good to know for the full).
Post race, I packed up and went to breakfast with Lauren and my dad. When I got home, I tried my inhaler, which seemed to help. I think both cases were an asthma attack. I did take my inhaler before other races (and will now).
Trying to schedule a bike fit to work on the hip issues, otherwise I was happy with it. There were FAST guys out there, and it was great to gauge my fitness. I took a nap, and feel great after the race. I should be back to training tomorrow, which is a first. Now I see how my buddy Chandler does back to back races.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
over training
People have been asking me a lot lately how to tell if I've been over training. For me, there are a few big standouts.
I woke up Sunday and debated doing the run, but I figured it'd give me the best simulation I've had so far of being tired. I did my 9 miles at a 7:53 pace, but it was rough. My legs were tired, and felt worse when I stopped.
Tuesday, my right ankle started bothering me. I tweaked it last week on a ride and decided to take some time off. I'm going to focus on swimming and see how running/biking goes the next two days. With my goal of Chesapeakman, I'm really backing off at the first signs of an injury, something I've never done before.
- Overuse injury - any kind of tendonitis, etc
- I wake up and do not want to do the workout
- I have no motivation to do workouts PERIOD
I woke up Sunday and debated doing the run, but I figured it'd give me the best simulation I've had so far of being tired. I did my 9 miles at a 7:53 pace, but it was rough. My legs were tired, and felt worse when I stopped.
Tuesday, my right ankle started bothering me. I tweaked it last week on a ride and decided to take some time off. I'm going to focus on swimming and see how running/biking goes the next two days. With my goal of Chesapeakman, I'm really backing off at the first signs of an injury, something I've never done before.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Race Schedule
I've got my race schedule set for the year. With Chesapeakeman being my main race, I'm not doing too many races this year. Below is how my schedule looks. I'll do a few road races and tri's. In May and July, I'll do long training sessions on my own to simulate races (oly/half). I've got a house booked for Chesapeakeman, and training is going great!
April 10 - Hempfield sprint
April 30 - 5k
June 5 - Pinchot Sprint
June 26 - Morgantown 70.3
August - ?? road race
September 24 - Chesapeakeman
April 10 - Hempfield sprint
April 30 - 5k
June 5 - Pinchot Sprint
June 26 - Morgantown 70.3
August - ?? road race
September 24 - Chesapeakeman
Sunday, March 13, 2011
CP (FTP) test and first race of the season
Friday I did another CP (FTP) test, following the computrainer PIG program. I did 20 minutes, but went out too hard at the start. Finished 7.5% higher than my last test, but it was rough. Great to see progress though. The next 10 weeks are going to be brutal, but will lay a great foundation.
Lauren and I went to Scranton for the St. Patrick's day parade. We both did the 2 mile fun run before hand. The weather was cool, but nice. I didn't bring shorts, so I ran in baggy pants...almost a huge mistake. Lauren finished around 20:30 and felt great. I came in at 11:15, but my lungs were killing me. I have done 0 speedwork, so it was tough. My legs felt great though, hoping I have the foundation to break 18 at the race against racism.
I'm happy with how the first race went. I won my AG, and placed around 6th or 7th overall. The top guys were college students (and one high schooler) on the cross country team, so not too shabby for a triathlete.
On a side note, I broke and fixed my treadmill. Learning a lot about how they work, but so far I've replaced the deck ($30 fix), the power switch/breaker ($40 with shipping). This time, the belt on the motor got loose, so it was slipping. After reading up online, I found some instructions and made the adjustment late Thursday night.
Lauren and I went to Scranton for the St. Patrick's day parade. We both did the 2 mile fun run before hand. The weather was cool, but nice. I didn't bring shorts, so I ran in baggy pants...almost a huge mistake. Lauren finished around 20:30 and felt great. I came in at 11:15, but my lungs were killing me. I have done 0 speedwork, so it was tough. My legs felt great though, hoping I have the foundation to break 18 at the race against racism.
I'm happy with how the first race went. I won my AG, and placed around 6th or 7th overall. The top guys were college students (and one high schooler) on the cross country team, so not too shabby for a triathlete.
On a side note, I broke and fixed my treadmill. Learning a lot about how they work, but so far I've replaced the deck ($30 fix), the power switch/breaker ($40 with shipping). This time, the belt on the motor got loose, so it was slipping. After reading up online, I found some instructions and made the adjustment late Thursday night.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
▲,▲,▼,▼,◄,►,◄,►,(B),(A),[Start]
I still remember learning the Konami code for Contra...I was in first grade and loved my nintendo. I was told I was obessed with it, but hey, I'm a computer programmer now so it must have all worked out.
Well, what does Konami have to do with triathlon? Kiwami Konami is an amazing long distance triathlon suit. Kiwami's Amphibian suit was worn as a speedsuit during Kona last year, but this is their ITU style suit...it's not an official speedsuit.
I'm psyched to be racing in a Kiwami Konami for 2011...and most likely 2012 as gear lasts me a few seasons. The suit has two back pockets, perfect for long rides, and built in gel pockets. I may take a trick from Jordan Rapp and stash salt tabs in those pockets on the run.
Definitely check out Konami suits. I think the Amphibian is an amazing short course suit, with the Konami covering the rest. Some pro's even race the Amphibian for 70.3 and longer distances.
Well, what does Konami have to do with triathlon? Kiwami Konami is an amazing long distance triathlon suit. Kiwami's Amphibian suit was worn as a speedsuit during Kona last year, but this is their ITU style suit...it's not an official speedsuit.
I'm psyched to be racing in a Kiwami Konami for 2011...and most likely 2012 as gear lasts me a few seasons. The suit has two back pockets, perfect for long rides, and built in gel pockets. I may take a trick from Jordan Rapp and stash salt tabs in those pockets on the run.
Definitely check out Konami suits. I think the Amphibian is an amazing short course suit, with the Konami covering the rest. Some pro's even race the Amphibian for 70.3 and longer distances.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Training, gear, etc
I've hit a plateu in my bike training. I'm waiting for the weather to get better so I can get some rides outside. Looking to do a 3 hr bike ride Saturday on the computrainer. Not going for speed, just to get the distance in. I'm really happy with my running though.
I'm hoping my swimming takes off this year, with big help with my new Xterra Vortex 3 wetsuit. I'm proud to be a part of Xterra for 2011. There is a poll on slowtwitch.com now asking "what your next wetsuit will be". It's no surprise Xterra is #1 right now. Their suits are top notch, and priced more competitive than others.
There is a big debate on slowtwitch about sponsorship. The pro's want more money, some "c" level athletes ask for the whole world, and a lot of triathletes are saying "I don't care who/what a pro uses". I think too many companies waste money on pro's. I don't buy something b/c Chris Lieto or Andy Potts uses it. The reason I was interested in Xterra was my dad purchased a vortex 3 himself and loved it.
Xterra shows amazing grass roots support. They sponsor the average joe, along with Triathlon clubs. Too many companies are overlooking this demographic, which is MUCH larger then what they target now.
I'm hoping my swimming takes off this year, with big help with my new Xterra Vortex 3 wetsuit. I'm proud to be a part of Xterra for 2011. There is a poll on slowtwitch.com now asking "what your next wetsuit will be". It's no surprise Xterra is #1 right now. Their suits are top notch, and priced more competitive than others.
There is a big debate on slowtwitch about sponsorship. The pro's want more money, some "c" level athletes ask for the whole world, and a lot of triathletes are saying "I don't care who/what a pro uses". I think too many companies waste money on pro's. I don't buy something b/c Chris Lieto or Andy Potts uses it. The reason I was interested in Xterra was my dad purchased a vortex 3 himself and loved it.
Xterra shows amazing grass roots support. They sponsor the average joe, along with Triathlon clubs. Too many companies are overlooking this demographic, which is MUCH larger then what they target now.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Week 7
So I'm in week 7 of my training. Effort wise, I'm at where I was in June (minus some speed work) of last year. My body is feeling good, but it's taking a toll. Today was one of those days I just wanted to sleep all day and do nothing. I did a 30 minute trainer ride...all I could muster up.
When I started training, I was hoping to be doing 3/6/9 miles now for running, have a 2.5-3 hr ride under my belt, and be around a 3.2-3.3 CP30/FTP. I'm waiting until March/April to do some real tests outside. My bike setup is drastically different from my last race at Timberman. I've gotten a better fit, went with compact cranks, and 165mm crank lengths. I've got an issue with my biceps femoris/fibular head in my right knee that causes extreme pain when I exert force past under 120 degrees of flexion. I can not do heavy squats because of this. I'm now focusing on a higher cadance, but always did.
I'm hoping to step it up on swimming. So far, my workouts have gone well. I'm doing 2-2.4k sets now, which was easy to build up. I attribute this to my climbing backround, and having the core/back strength.
I did a 3 mile run with Anne (dog), which had us at a 6:50 pace...but she was tired on the last mile. Other than that, I've been recovering well and enjoying the runs, just need to keep up with the recovery runs.
Biking has been odd. Some days are good, others are bad. I just need to get out and do a few TT's to gauge my progress and go from there. The weather is getting MUCH better though.
When I started training, I was hoping to be doing 3/6/9 miles now for running, have a 2.5-3 hr ride under my belt, and be around a 3.2-3.3 CP30/FTP. I'm waiting until March/April to do some real tests outside. My bike setup is drastically different from my last race at Timberman. I've gotten a better fit, went with compact cranks, and 165mm crank lengths. I've got an issue with my biceps femoris/fibular head in my right knee that causes extreme pain when I exert force past under 120 degrees of flexion. I can not do heavy squats because of this. I'm now focusing on a higher cadance, but always did.
I'm hoping to step it up on swimming. So far, my workouts have gone well. I'm doing 2-2.4k sets now, which was easy to build up. I attribute this to my climbing backround, and having the core/back strength.
I did a 3 mile run with Anne (dog), which had us at a 6:50 pace...but she was tired on the last mile. Other than that, I've been recovering well and enjoying the runs, just need to keep up with the recovery runs.
Biking has been odd. Some days are good, others are bad. I just need to get out and do a few TT's to gauge my progress and go from there. The weather is getting MUCH better though.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Ups and downs
Last weekend, I did my CP30 test. Came in at 3 w/g...not the best, but it's a start. I felt much better then past attempts though. I followed it up with a good 7.2 mile run Sunday and a swim.
Monday started a new week and I was hoping to have a week where I was able to complete every workout, including recovery runs. Wednesday, I had to bail on the recovery run after a mile due to back pain. Today, I stopped over half way into a tempo run due to my knee acting up. I'm NOT overdoing it this time.
I plan to take it easy this weekend with the running. I'll do a long bike Saturday, then maybe a 5k outside Sunday to see how the body is holding up. Swimming is going much better, but still a lot of base work to do. I feel much better compared to the beginning of the month, and am getting excited to see how my progress goes.
Monday started a new week and I was hoping to have a week where I was able to complete every workout, including recovery runs. Wednesday, I had to bail on the recovery run after a mile due to back pain. Today, I stopped over half way into a tempo run due to my knee acting up. I'm NOT overdoing it this time.
I plan to take it easy this weekend with the running. I'll do a long bike Saturday, then maybe a 5k outside Sunday to see how the body is holding up. Swimming is going much better, but still a lot of base work to do. I feel much better compared to the beginning of the month, and am getting excited to see how my progress goes.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
One Month Down
First month down...man did it fly. I started off with a CT ride of the Columbia, MD course and averaged 180 watts. It was tough (I went 1:13:24 in May last year). Started the 20 week P.I.G CT program and did a few 2 hr trainer rides and a bunch of tempo/interval rides.
I'm over 20 mpw for running, which isn't that much. I'm doing 2-3 recovery runs, 2 moderate runs, and one long run. So far everything has been going well and I'm staying healthy. I'm not focusing on speed/power, but building my base.
Swimming has been non-existent. I've hit the pool three times this year, but have done some long sets. I'll start doing two sessions a week, with one being endurance, and the other speed. I took an easy week last week, mostly because of biking intensity. My body isn't used to the effort I've been doing. I'm usually a 3-4 weeks on, 1 off type of person anyways.
I've got an FTP test this weekend on the CT. I'm hoping to hit 190-200 watts on the 30 minute test. My long run will be 7.2 miles at a 7.6 mph pace, so I'm getting close to the 1hr mark. Last year, it took me until May to hit 1 hr of running, but I did a lot of tempo/speed work. I did ramp it up in June/July though.
I haven't done any speedwork test, so I'm nervous about how that will be. I've got a few road races and sprints lined up that I'd like to compete in. I plan on adding some speework in March, but one of my moderate runs will be 20 min w/u and c/d, then the rest at a 6:30 pace. Once I hit 4/8/12 for my running, I will shuffle my mileage and get my long run up to 16 miles and just reduce my moderate runs to 6 miles. Due to previous injuries, I think I'll max at 16 (maybe 18) for my running and just do the full distance in the race for the first time.
I'm over 20 mpw for running, which isn't that much. I'm doing 2-3 recovery runs, 2 moderate runs, and one long run. So far everything has been going well and I'm staying healthy. I'm not focusing on speed/power, but building my base.
Swimming has been non-existent. I've hit the pool three times this year, but have done some long sets. I'll start doing two sessions a week, with one being endurance, and the other speed. I took an easy week last week, mostly because of biking intensity. My body isn't used to the effort I've been doing. I'm usually a 3-4 weeks on, 1 off type of person anyways.
I've got an FTP test this weekend on the CT. I'm hoping to hit 190-200 watts on the 30 minute test. My long run will be 7.2 miles at a 7.6 mph pace, so I'm getting close to the 1hr mark. Last year, it took me until May to hit 1 hr of running, but I did a lot of tempo/speed work. I did ramp it up in June/July though.
I haven't done any speedwork test, so I'm nervous about how that will be. I've got a few road races and sprints lined up that I'd like to compete in. I plan on adding some speework in March, but one of my moderate runs will be 20 min w/u and c/d, then the rest at a 6:30 pace. Once I hit 4/8/12 for my running, I will shuffle my mileage and get my long run up to 16 miles and just reduce my moderate runs to 6 miles. Due to previous injuries, I think I'll max at 16 (maybe 18) for my running and just do the full distance in the race for the first time.
Friday, January 28, 2011
great/easy week
This week has turned out to be pretty mellow on the training side. With the snow and some other stuff going on, my training was limited. But my body was real happy.
Tuesday I turned 29, another year closer to my 30th birthday challenge. Wednesday, we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby. Took them awhile to find it (scary), but the midwife came in and found it right away then.
Looking to do a 2 hr ride Saturday, 6.6 mile run Sunday, and then a swim. Starting next week, I'll be back to morning workouts and then an FTP test next Saturday. Right now, I'm coming in low for the CP30 test (~3.05 w/kg), but feel pretty good. I don't think I was too much stronger at Timberman, where I went 2:39 with a pit stop, rain, and a conservative ride.
Tuesday I turned 29, another year closer to my 30th birthday challenge. Wednesday, we got to hear the heartbeat of our baby. Took them awhile to find it (scary), but the midwife came in and found it right away then.
Looking to do a 2 hr ride Saturday, 6.6 mile run Sunday, and then a swim. Starting next week, I'll be back to morning workouts and then an FTP test next Saturday. Right now, I'm coming in low for the CP30 test (~3.05 w/kg), but feel pretty good. I don't think I was too much stronger at Timberman, where I went 2:39 with a pit stop, rain, and a conservative ride.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Fearless
After my accident, a great friend (and best man in my wedding) Ash recommended "Fearless", a movie with Jeff Bridges and how his personality changes after he survives a plane crash. His character feels invulnerable, able to survive anything.
That was me for a few weeks. After, reality settled in. I was not making the progress during my recovery I wanted. I had become fearful of what the future held. Would my doctor decide six months later I did need the surgery? Would it be another year after of recovery?
What if I had cut my main away? What if I would have done something? For three years, I replayed the accident in my head. Even though I had a world champion CRW Dog tell me "You survived, you did everything right", I still felt there was something different I could have done.
A year after my accident, there was a 100 Canopy Formation attempt. A long time CRW jumper found himself in a similar condition as me. He hit hard and was in the hospital for a few days, but he wasn't as lucky. He passed away four days after the accident.
I still have issues watching scenes with falling. Even video games get me. I no longer take big risks. I'm hesitant climbing, riding, and in general in life. I don't let fear control me, but I'm far from being "fearless".
This fear has kept me from telling my story, trying to get the special interest Kona slot. What if another group tells me "Sorry, we need video of you hitting the ground", and denies any requests I have. The media is quick to move on to the next story and I'm fearful of not necessarily being forgotten, but told "your story isn't interesting, we have nothing to gain from it".
That was me for a few weeks. After, reality settled in. I was not making the progress during my recovery I wanted. I had become fearful of what the future held. Would my doctor decide six months later I did need the surgery? Would it be another year after of recovery?
What if I had cut my main away? What if I would have done something? For three years, I replayed the accident in my head. Even though I had a world champion CRW Dog tell me "You survived, you did everything right", I still felt there was something different I could have done.
A year after my accident, there was a 100 Canopy Formation attempt. A long time CRW jumper found himself in a similar condition as me. He hit hard and was in the hospital for a few days, but he wasn't as lucky. He passed away four days after the accident.
I still have issues watching scenes with falling. Even video games get me. I no longer take big risks. I'm hesitant climbing, riding, and in general in life. I don't let fear control me, but I'm far from being "fearless".
This fear has kept me from telling my story, trying to get the special interest Kona slot. What if another group tells me "Sorry, we need video of you hitting the ground", and denies any requests I have. The media is quick to move on to the next story and I'm fearful of not necessarily being forgotten, but told "your story isn't interesting, we have nothing to gain from it".
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
My road to Chesapeakeman
My story is not well known. I made the front page of the local newspaper and did an interview for the local fox station. I had national news groups calling to do interviews, but there was one small problem. I wouldn't release footage of me hitting the ground. Why not? Well, for one, I didn't think it was needed, and two it didn't exist. No one knew I was in the mess, and our camera man was tracking down gear to recover. When I spoke to the national media, they said "Our viewers will not be able to understand the story without seeing you hit the ground". That ended it for me.
Kona is a triathletes dream. We all know the special interest stories they do. I was confident I could get a slot from NBC to celebrate my five years. I wish I could have been like Jordan Rapp, or others, back after a catastrophic accident in a year. But my body wouldn't allow it, and I used all my luck in simply surviving. I'm in amazing shape given my accident, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
External circumstances (will post about later :) ) did not allow me to be in Hawaii for Kona this year, so I decided to do Chesapeakeman as "My Kona". I'd rather support a local race, which my family can attend, to celebrate my recovery and progress from the accident.
Here you'll find more about me, my story, my training for Chesapeakeman. I'm hoping a few companies will support me during my triathlon season, and getting my story out.
Kona is a triathletes dream. We all know the special interest stories they do. I was confident I could get a slot from NBC to celebrate my five years. I wish I could have been like Jordan Rapp, or others, back after a catastrophic accident in a year. But my body wouldn't allow it, and I used all my luck in simply surviving. I'm in amazing shape given my accident, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
External circumstances (will post about later :) ) did not allow me to be in Hawaii for Kona this year, so I decided to do Chesapeakeman as "My Kona". I'd rather support a local race, which my family can attend, to celebrate my recovery and progress from the accident.
Here you'll find more about me, my story, my training for Chesapeakeman. I'm hoping a few companies will support me during my triathlon season, and getting my story out.
The home stretch.
The first sprint of 2010 went well. I set back to back PR's in 5k races, along with a 5 mile road race. Columbia went well, finishing in 2:29 after not being able to ride for more than 20 minutes without pain and run more than 5 miles. After the race, my knees were in rough shape, but I decided to try KT Tape after seeing it on racers. I was able to recover quicker and started using it for long runs. This helped my accelerate my PT and allow me to get the long distance training in. I was able to do 10 miles on the bike, but my knee started acting up again. After a sprint race in June, I spoke to a massage therapist who diagnosed me with weak glutes and gave me some exercises to do. I also tried a knee brace and stretches for my biceps femoris, which allowed me to train with minimal pain. I had two months to train for Timberman.
After a great vacation in the UK, I had less then a month to get down to business. I survived a 100 mile bike ride, did a few 45+ mile bike rides and multiple 10+ mile runs. I was feeling great and ready for the race.
Timberman was perfect. My swim was ok, but my bike was great and my run was top notch. I broke 5 hrs with a finishing time of 4:58. I felt like I could have given more, but was happy with my progress. I got home, and decided to take some time off and rehab my injuries. I got a new bike fit, switched to compact cranks, and 165mm crank arms. This seems to have resolved my knee issues. I can now ride pain free without a knee brace. For the first time since 2005, I was going into the winter healthy. My wife and I got ourselves a computrainer for Christmas, allowing me to build my FTP with a guided plan and focus.
After a great vacation in the UK, I had less then a month to get down to business. I survived a 100 mile bike ride, did a few 45+ mile bike rides and multiple 10+ mile runs. I was feeling great and ready for the race.
Timberman was perfect. My swim was ok, but my bike was great and my run was top notch. I broke 5 hrs with a finishing time of 4:58. I felt like I could have given more, but was happy with my progress. I got home, and decided to take some time off and rehab my injuries. I got a new bike fit, switched to compact cranks, and 165mm crank arms. This seems to have resolved my knee issues. I can now ride pain free without a knee brace. For the first time since 2005, I was going into the winter healthy. My wife and I got ourselves a computrainer for Christmas, allowing me to build my FTP with a guided plan and focus.
Hitting my stride.
Training for Florida went well. I had prepped enough and hoped to break six hours. The non-wetsuit swim was rough, I pulled my hamstring on the bike, and my ITBS flared up on the run. It was a disaster that I would pay for the rest of the year.
Two weeks after, I won my AG at a local sprint, but had to hobble through the run. I decided to end my race season and try to fix my knee. My biceps femoris was extremely tight, and caused pain in the head of my fibula. It would take another year to heal and diagnose. Our wedding was that summer, with a great honeymoon in St. Lucia. A great friend of ours got us entries to a local half marathon as a wedding present. Disaster number two of the year. My ITBS was killing my training, and I made it six miles before I had to walk.
I ended another season on the injured list. Another season of losing a lot of my fitness. I couldn't ride or run from October until January. My ITBS got better, but my biceps femoris was still causing problems. It wasn't until February that I was able to do more than 10 minutes on the bike. We had registered for Timberman 70.3 and the Columbia Triathlon at the end of 2009, so I needed to get in gear.
Two weeks after, I won my AG at a local sprint, but had to hobble through the run. I decided to end my race season and try to fix my knee. My biceps femoris was extremely tight, and caused pain in the head of my fibula. It would take another year to heal and diagnose. Our wedding was that summer, with a great honeymoon in St. Lucia. A great friend of ours got us entries to a local half marathon as a wedding present. Disaster number two of the year. My ITBS was killing my training, and I made it six miles before I had to walk.
I ended another season on the injured list. Another season of losing a lot of my fitness. I couldn't ride or run from October until January. My ITBS got better, but my biceps femoris was still causing problems. It wasn't until February that I was able to do more than 10 minutes on the bike. We had registered for Timberman 70.3 and the Columbia Triathlon at the end of 2009, so I needed to get in gear.
So it begins.
January 25, 2008 wasn't a normal birthday for me. I was going out to dinner with family and friends, playing rock band and living life again. I also had my first date with my wife to be. She was also getting into triathlons, which was great. We started swimming together on Sundays, riding on the weekends, and doing some runs together.
My first race was survival mode, but I did it. A few days later, I decided to do the same course in two weeks with my dad. He couldn't do the original race with myself and Uncle Greg, so I wanted to be there to support him with my "new pro knowledge". That race went much better and I had caught the bug. A few weeks later I bought a tri-bike and was off. Another sprint race was in the bag for the summer, then we did a metric century. Near the end, another rider was zoning out and went off road, did a flip and landed on his head. I pulled over to stop and help him, but a group behind was not watching and I got t-boned. My right leg never made it out of the pedals and I suffered a severe sprain. A break would have been better as far as healing times. From mid August until November, I could not run or bike.
This was a huge let down emotionally. Again, the fitness I had built up was gone. But I was enjoying this sport. My dad and I decided to attempt a 70.3 in Florida. Hey, the course is flat, how hard could it be? To end the year, I got engaged, which helped me not focus on triathlons and just enjoy them.
My first race was survival mode, but I did it. A few days later, I decided to do the same course in two weeks with my dad. He couldn't do the original race with myself and Uncle Greg, so I wanted to be there to support him with my "new pro knowledge". That race went much better and I had caught the bug. A few weeks later I bought a tri-bike and was off. Another sprint race was in the bag for the summer, then we did a metric century. Near the end, another rider was zoning out and went off road, did a flip and landed on his head. I pulled over to stop and help him, but a group behind was not watching and I got t-boned. My right leg never made it out of the pedals and I suffered a severe sprain. A break would have been better as far as healing times. From mid August until November, I could not run or bike.
This was a huge let down emotionally. Again, the fitness I had built up was gone. But I was enjoying this sport. My dad and I decided to attempt a 70.3 in Florida. Hey, the course is flat, how hard could it be? To end the year, I got engaged, which helped me not focus on triathlons and just enjoy them.
From there to triathlon
Recovery and rehab was draining physically and emotionally. It took two weeks to find a doctor locally who accepted my insurance, then he just wanted to do surgery. The hospital discharged me saying I did not need to wear a neck brace, but my neck fracture was my worst. From November 2006 until February 5, 2007, I was getting checkups and hoping things would heal. My last checkup in February was with a new doctor who was great. He reviewed my case and got me in PT right away.
The next three months I was building up my core strength and regaining my flexibility. I was rock climbing again and making progress. Everything was going great, until July 3, 2007. I bent over to pick up a computer and pulled something in my back, but the pull was a pinched nerve. I could not move much until November, stuck sitting in a lazy boy with back pain. It was over a year since my accident and I lost all strength and flexibility gains, setting me back to square one.
December 23, 2007 I got an early Christmas gift. My doctor had discharged me, saying my neck was good to go. I just needed a follow up in six months. At this time, my dad had started talking about trying a sprint triathlon. His brother (my Uncle Greg), had been doing them for years, missing Kona by minutes in the 90's. We agreed on a sprint locally and training started. With my trusty 12 speed Schwinn from the 1980's, I was ready. Biking was new to me, but I had grown up a swimmer and had done a 33:50 5 mile race in college. But I was starting from scratch, I had lost anything after the accident.
The next three months I was building up my core strength and regaining my flexibility. I was rock climbing again and making progress. Everything was going great, until July 3, 2007. I bent over to pick up a computer and pulled something in my back, but the pull was a pinched nerve. I could not move much until November, stuck sitting in a lazy boy with back pain. It was over a year since my accident and I lost all strength and flexibility gains, setting me back to square one.
December 23, 2007 I got an early Christmas gift. My doctor had discharged me, saying my neck was good to go. I just needed a follow up in six months. At this time, my dad had started talking about trying a sprint triathlon. His brother (my Uncle Greg), had been doing them for years, missing Kona by minutes in the 90's. We agreed on a sprint locally and training started. With my trusty 12 speed Schwinn from the 1980's, I was ready. Biking was new to me, but I had grown up a swimmer and had done a 33:50 5 mile race in college. But I was starting from scratch, I had lost anything after the accident.
The long road starts here
I wake up and I hear whistles. We used these to communicate when it was time for someone to rotate. I'm being carted to the ambulance and give a thumbs up. I look over and see the helicopter. I wonder how long I was out for, how bad shape I was in. How did Skydive Arizona know to call for a helicopter? I found out that TR's wife Anne knew I was in the mess in the air, she knew it was going to be serious.
I was asked if I wanted pain meds, but I wasn't in pain. "That's not good. We'll give you some though. You should be feeling pain". I'm glad they gave it to me because I was. I tried to relax and enjoy the ride to Phoenix, AZ. As we were landing, I asked where we were, trying to explain "I work for a company in Flagstafff, I'm familiar with the state".
Off to the trauma center I go. This started my three day stay at the hospital. Initial MRI, CT Scan, and Xray tests showed I sustained fractures of C5 and C6 (chipped off the spinus process), T7, T8 and L1. These were fractures in my neck, upper back and lower back. But it was not life threatening. My neurosurgeon debated a fusion of C5 and C6 but wanted to make sure it was necessary. I was 24 and did not want a fusion.
The next few days went quick. Tests showed that I did not require surgery, but had a hip issue I did not bring up. I was given a walker and flew home to PA to start my recovery.
I was asked if I wanted pain meds, but I wasn't in pain. "That's not good. We'll give you some though. You should be feeling pain". I'm glad they gave it to me because I was. I tried to relax and enjoy the ride to Phoenix, AZ. As we were landing, I asked where we were, trying to explain "I work for a company in Flagstafff, I'm familiar with the state".
Off to the trauma center I go. This started my three day stay at the hospital. Initial MRI, CT Scan, and Xray tests showed I sustained fractures of C5 and C6 (chipped off the spinus process), T7, T8 and L1. These were fractures in my neck, upper back and lower back. But it was not life threatening. My neurosurgeon debated a fusion of C5 and C6 but wanted to make sure it was necessary. I was 24 and did not want a fusion.
The next few days went quick. Tests showed that I did not require surgery, but had a hip issue I did not bring up. I was given a walker and flew home to PA to start my recovery.
Don't F@#$ Up
Those were the last words my team said to each other before a jump. It's what was said before every C.R.W jump, so why should this one be different? It was the sixth round of the USPA 4-way rotation event in Eloy, Arizona. It was supposed to be a rest day, with 4-way sequential teams competing, but the cloud ceiling was too low. We got a call at 8:00 am to get to the drop zone and get ready.
"Don't F@#$ up", we said it and lined up to leave the plane. I was last out, and last in the formation. The jump was going well, and we hit 7 points. Just as time expired, Alan came in too fast. All I needed to do was "get big" and spread my legs/arms out, but instead, I went to grab his lines and get the last point...bad move #1. He came in too fast and I got entangled in his lines and his canopy wrapped me. "3,500 feet", a teammate calls out. We've got 500 feet to do something before we hit the "hard deck" of 3,000 feet. At that point, you don't screw around, you go to your reserve and land. I start working out and get the left side out, but I'm still stuck in the mess. "2,500". Alan cuts his main and goes to his reserve. I'm left wrapped in his parachute.
A wrap is very common in CRW, we review what to do each time. We had them in practice and they were uneventful (except for the crowd watching). Sonny had my canopy still in the stack and was directing me to the ground. He was going to guide my canopy to the landing area, and worst case I'd have a hard PLF. 2,500 feet I see my canopy take a dive and I'm thinking "W@#$@#$@#$. This isn't time to be doing any hard maneuvers", but when I looked up, I was met with my own canopy wrapping around me. Alan's canopy still, still wrapped around me, partially inflated and disturbed the air. For some reason, my canopy took a dive down and around me. This was the "OH @#$@" point for me, but things were going so fast, I had no idea what was going on.
At this point, I was out of Alan's canopy, but stuck in his risers and spinning to the ground. At no point did I think I'd hit it, I figured I'd pull something out, and then go to my reserve. During one rotation, I saw the ground...it wasn't that far. I needed to dump my reserve and get fabric out. I pulled my reserve handle without cutting away my main...bad/good move. I replay this moment in my head. "If I cut away my main, would Alan's have gone with it?". But we'll never know. What I do know is my reserve barber polled up my main. All I had was Alan's partially inflated parachute guiding me to the ground. I tried to pull his risers apart to inflate air...great move #1. By doing this, I was keeping my body parallel to the ground.
Another rotation goes by and the ground is close, another and it's closer. I still have no idea what's gonna happen. Then I hit the ground and let out a loud grunt. I lay there in pain, but I move my fingers and legs...I'm still alive...still breathing...still able to move. Then I black out. I'm one of a few people to survive a double malfunction.
"Don't F@#$ up", we said it and lined up to leave the plane. I was last out, and last in the formation. The jump was going well, and we hit 7 points. Just as time expired, Alan came in too fast. All I needed to do was "get big" and spread my legs/arms out, but instead, I went to grab his lines and get the last point...bad move #1. He came in too fast and I got entangled in his lines and his canopy wrapped me. "3,500 feet", a teammate calls out. We've got 500 feet to do something before we hit the "hard deck" of 3,000 feet. At that point, you don't screw around, you go to your reserve and land. I start working out and get the left side out, but I'm still stuck in the mess. "2,500". Alan cuts his main and goes to his reserve. I'm left wrapped in his parachute.
A wrap is very common in CRW, we review what to do each time. We had them in practice and they were uneventful (except for the crowd watching). Sonny had my canopy still in the stack and was directing me to the ground. He was going to guide my canopy to the landing area, and worst case I'd have a hard PLF. 2,500 feet I see my canopy take a dive and I'm thinking "W@#$@#$@#$. This isn't time to be doing any hard maneuvers", but when I looked up, I was met with my own canopy wrapping around me. Alan's canopy still, still wrapped around me, partially inflated and disturbed the air. For some reason, my canopy took a dive down and around me. This was the "OH @#$@" point for me, but things were going so fast, I had no idea what was going on.
At this point, I was out of Alan's canopy, but stuck in his risers and spinning to the ground. At no point did I think I'd hit it, I figured I'd pull something out, and then go to my reserve. During one rotation, I saw the ground...it wasn't that far. I needed to dump my reserve and get fabric out. I pulled my reserve handle without cutting away my main...bad/good move. I replay this moment in my head. "If I cut away my main, would Alan's have gone with it?". But we'll never know. What I do know is my reserve barber polled up my main. All I had was Alan's partially inflated parachute guiding me to the ground. I tried to pull his risers apart to inflate air...great move #1. By doing this, I was keeping my body parallel to the ground.
Another rotation goes by and the ground is close, another and it's closer. I still have no idea what's gonna happen. Then I hit the ground and let out a loud grunt. I lay there in pain, but I move my fingers and legs...I'm still alive...still breathing...still able to move. Then I black out. I'm one of a few people to survive a double malfunction.
Welcome
Welcome to my blog. I hope to be posting updates about my training and racing in 2011, as I attempt Chesapeakeman in September. October 24, 2006, I was in a skydiving accident in which I fractured vertebrae in my neck and back, along with a fracture of my femur. Recovery was a long road, but triathlon was a great way to stay in shape. After my first race, I was hooked.
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