Just Another Day

Just another day today, banged out a 7 mile run.
On with the weekend...

Swim, Walk. Bike, Kayak.

Went for my second pool swim on Wednesday. Arrived bright and early and waited a couple mins for the doors to open at the pool. Did 800 yards. Focusing on form rather than just trying to put in distance. Geesh, swimming is so technique oriented. You can swim for miles and miles inefficiently, or at half the effort efficiently. Since I haven't swum regularly since my race last November, I'm trying to correct a lot of the inefficiencies/bad form I had before. It's not easy, but I'm remembering a few tips I've received in the past and I think those are making a difference so far. Just building up that muscle memory now. Doing drills to solidify certain aspects of the stroke so I can hopefully put it all together and not have to think about every movement so consiously, and just swim more naturally.

Later in the day yesterday I was scheduled for a long run, but I passed on it, and ended up just walking about 4 miles. The heat and humidity have got me feeling a bit woosy, and I didn't feel like pushing the matter. Walking was fine enough.

On tap for Thursday/today: bike to/from work then some kayaking...

Flat, Flat, Flat, Flat

So I've flatted a few times on the road bike recently. One time a month or so ago, and then three times within the last 10 days. I blame the three most recent ones on two bad tires meeting a bunnyhop, gravel and a shard of glass. Ugh. So I need to update my tires... hopefully no more equipment failures!

Rode my tri bike this afternoon and it was ridiculously hot (85F+) and humid. Two sides of the coin by riding fast: the faster you go, the hotter you get, but also the more the breeze cools you. ... Between my botched morning commute (during which I flatted and just ended up going back and working from home) and my afternoon ride, I put in about 31 steamy miles today. I'll take the low 60s and rain of weeks ago over this weather!

Back in the Pool !

Yup, with just 15 weeks left until the race, I figured it'd be a good idea right about now to get back in the pool. So... up at 5am, out the door at 5:30am, ran 2 miles to the pool, registered for membership, in the water by 6:20am (no lollygagging around; swam a mere 500 yards for my first time back, but hey I'm just gettin' started!), outta the pool, quick de-chlorinating shower, put my running stuff back on to run back home 2 miles, stretch, proper shower, bowl of cereal and some cottage cheese, and now off to work at 8am. Not a bad Monday morning so far!

AC Milan vs. Inter Milan

Went down to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this afternoon with friends Vin, Mark and Jonathan to see AC Milan vs. Inter Milan (two rival Italian soccer/futbol teams). For those in Italy, it's somewhat akin to the Yankees vs. the Red Sox. Anyway, it was a great game and Inter Milan won, 2-0.

So seeing the game today reminded me of how my playing soccer (since the age of 12) has had a significant impact on my fitness. I feel fortunate that I was introduced to the sport and will try to write more about all that later...

Training and Random Sporting

12:00 noon

Given my increase in training volume lately, I awoke a little less enthused for my intended bike ride this morning. So I passed on it. Been trying to listen to my body, and letting it dictate to what extent I can train or should rest. Got out for a just a run instead, 7 mi. A mile in I kicked myself for not bringing either my hat or sunglasses for protection against the sun, it was hot and humid(!!) and so the shirt came off pretty quickly. About halfway through, someone on a bike pedaled up to me and asked: "Pardon me, what is that strap on your chest helpful for?" My quick response: "It's a heart rate sensor that relays a signal to my watch, and it's racing!"
...
So, last night I drove my car. And while that's not newsworthy on it's own (although I don't drive much these days), it was a particular point while driving that's of interest. Heh, heh - I know I've been training a lot when I'm driving up a hill and sense my legs involuntarily flex beneath me, as though I might have to pedal up the hill. And then tapping on the gas pedal, I somehow feel like I'm cheating the hill with this gas-powered propulsion. Wacky thought I know.

Yup, it's official - Lance placed 3rd in this year's TdF; already looking forward to his next year of racing under Team Radio Shack.

Also, congrats to Jim Rice (Red Sox left fielder in the 70s & 80s), today he gets inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I remember him knocking a few outta Fenway many a time back in the day. Good guy, good ball player.

Saturday Ride

Another great bike ride today, 35 miles total for me. Rode with Alyce and Neal. That's a pic of us post-ride, and then we went for some ice cream... much needed refreshment after a rather hot afternoon ride (hot for me since I prefer cool 60s F over the 85 F of today).

Was considering a run, but my left hamstring has been a bit tenuous, so I'm skipping the run today. Better to let the hamstring heal fully than to take a risk of outright straining it. I've already run more miles this week than last week, so I'm ok with that.

Re: the TdF today: Lance did great covering any moves Frank Schleck made going up Mont Ventoux. Pretty impressive all around comeback by Lance. The guy was 3.5 years removed from competition, and at 37 is racing at the top echelon of the sport, placing 3rd overall after tomorrow's ceremonial ride into Paris. Not to mention all the work that he does with the LAF (Lance Armstrong Foundation) in raising awareness and research funds for the global fight against cancer. Gotta respect his talent and dedication, both on the bike and with his activism.

Quick Brick

Waited out the rainy weather today for an afternoon workout. Fitting in a quick brick session: plan is for a very easy-paced 22mi bike ride followed by a 7mi run.

Big stage tomorrow in the Tour de France (TdF). 104 miles, where the last 14 miles climb steeply to a mountain-top finish up Mont Ventoux. All the makings for an epic finish. This stage will essentially determine the overall placing of the top riders. Will Lance Armstrong get a top-3 podium finish in Paris?

Tough Getting Out Today

It was tough getting out today for a run. I skipped my 13mi run home from work and instead opted for a short 4 miler after I got home. And it was raining when I stepped outside. Normally, I'd relish a run in the cool summer rain, but today's run seemed laborious. Yup, it's not all glamorous, some days are strictly utility. Thankfully, I know this will pass, and that rush of endorphins and fun will return soon.

Training Works

Last week I rode 182 miles and ran 25 miles. Not so coincidentally, I'm feeling pretty good on the bike these days, training works - what a concept! Got home from my biking commute in record time, and decided to do a brick workout, so went out for a 4 mile run. It's a pretty busy week, but trying to keep at it. Maybe will run every day this week, trying to build up my volume on the run similar to what I've been doing on the bike. Of course, also hoping not to overdo it - which can lead to overtraining, fatigue, and at worst, injury. Gotta be a bit aggressive with training, but at the same time conservative.

Afternoon Snack

3:30pm
Well, for the most part I eat healthily, but I do have my indulgences. Here's my yummy afternoon snack (ice cream sundae) at a work get-together. Something tells me I'm gonna have a peppy bike ride home today...

Perfect Running Weather

In my last couple posts, I described my runs as "easy", but I really meant "easy-paced". For most of my runs, I've worn my heart rate monitor and try to stay in my zone2 range (60-70% of my max HR). Keeping my intensity in this range usually amounts to a reasonable, easy paced outing. Of course, I still warm up and stretch before and after my workouts...

Tuesday was perfect running weather, mid 60s F with a light drizzle, so did a 7 mi run. Legs are pretty much recovered now from the long Sunday ride. Now back on the bike tomorrow for a commute ride to / from work.

Uneventful Monday

Yup, just another relatively uneventful Monday. Waited until the evening to pound out an easy 4 mi run. Legs felt a tad bit sluggish, but cardiovascularly felt very good. Normally my average heart rate is around 155, today's run had an avg HR of 144. Let's see how the next few days go. Hoping to get back on the bike by Wednesday.

Late Sunday Run

Came back home after the Climb to the Clouds and started eating to recoup. Later took a nap for a couple hours and then met up with my cousin Malay for an easy 3mi run along the Charles River. Couldn't believe how great my legs felt!

Climb to the Clouds

Note: Technical difficulties with my phone today. I tried posting at various points along the route, but after a couple posts, didn't realize that my phone encountered a "syncronization error" and none of my subsequent post attempts made it. Thus, here's my ride report:

The Climb to the Clouds bike ride was held today. It's a ride organized by a local cycling group; the ride attracts as many as 800 cyclists. My final total mileage was 102 mi.

I arrived at 6am to the ride kick-off site in Concord, MA in order to register for the ride. The sun was just on it's way up... the weather turned out to be clear skies and temps in the 80s F.

After a quick registration, talking to some other riders, and prepping the bike, my colleague Bjorn arrived and we set-off with a group of 6 others.

Just 9 miles into the ride, I flatted (rear wheel). Ugh. But no worries, I quickly pulled out my spare tube and inflator and fixed the flat. Fortunately, just in time for us to connect up with another group of 12 riders. Time for some fun peloton riding! Really enjoyed buzzing down the backroads in the group, alternating pulling at the front with drafting in the pack. There was some discussion about direction however... but we got on track.

Around mile 27, caught these nice views of the distant mountains and orchards.

Took several breaks (probably too many and for too long)... and over the course of the ride, ate lots of bananas, plums, powerbars, and my own PBJs.

Around mile 45, here's me ascending the 1 mile, 9% grade hill. I had feared this climb for the past week or so, given that my easiest gear is a 39x23. Despite this tough gearing (while others were using 39x25+, or had a triple), I was very pleased with how I rode it, sitting in the saddle for most of the way up. This brought us to the Wachusett Mountain visitor center.
After the major climb, normally the route continues up to the peak of Mt Wachusett, however this year they had to cancel that portion due to road contruction. Bummer, but trust me there was no shortage of climbing.

The rest of ride we encountered undulating climbs and descents. My max speed was 45 mph going down a long hill. Finally finished with the legs feeling great! This could very well have been a transformative ride, putting my body through some very positive physiological changes.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the ride and for the many good people I met along the way. It was a great day!

Support Your LBS

Visited a couple bike shops today. I do buy stuff on-line, but I also like to support the local bike shops (lbs) as well. Bought some bike tools and other general equipment.

Since tomorrow is a l-o-n-g and hilly ride, I'm taking today as a full rest day, letting a little ache in my left calf heal, as well as the blister from the other day that formed on the big toe of my left foot. Hope the weather holds for tomorrow's ride. I'll try to post a couple times from the road...

Starting next week, I'll post a more full view of my weekly training.

Easy Spin Today

Was an easy spin today to/from work because of plans to do a major ride this Sunday: the Climb to the Clouds, a 100 mi bike ride with over 6000 feet of climbing. The ride is organized by the Charles River Wheelmen (CRW). I'm excited about the ride, though a little fearful of a 1 mile stretch of climbing at a 9% gradient; that could be a bit tough! Stay tuned on Sunday for updates from along the route.

Hazy Hot Humid Headwind

Cut short my run home today (took a shuttle part way home). Ended up running ~6.5mi. Good thing I shortened it, not only was it hazy, hot and humid this evening, but I also ran into a headwind, and then ended up getting a blister, ugh. Biking to/from work tomorrow, it'll be hot (86 degrees F)!

Felt Like a Brick Today

Actually, what I mean is that I felt like doing a brick workout this morning. A brick workout is when you do two disciplines of workouts one after another, replicating the scenario in an actual triatlon. A brick can be swim-then-bike, or more commonly, bike-then-run.

Up and out at dawn, I intended to do about a 38mi ride, but about 8 miles out, I decided to cut the ride short and add a run in. The ride total was only 22 miles, and I added a couple ascents up Summit Ave in Brookline to practice my climbing. Once home, I switched up my gear and headed out for a 7 mi run along the Charles. Legs felt really good after about a mile or so of loosening up. I was back home before 9am.

Later after work, stopped off at Ben & Jerry's for some yummy Coffee ice cream, then met up with friends Alyce and Neal for another run - a nice, conversational 4mi loop along the Jamaicaway trails and ponds. Dinner capped off our evening. Another great day of training and fun with friends.

Sparkly Bike

Yesterday was another nice day here in Boston. But so many days earlier this year, from the winter months of early 2009 to just last week, had taken their toll on my road bike. All the wet weather, riding through icy slush and rain, etc. have brought road dirt and grime onto my bike, especially causing friction and wear on my bike's drivetrain. Finally yesterday (Tuesday), the bike got a tune-up like never before. This is supposed to be part of regular maintenance mind you. But with the help of bike afficionado Bjorn yesterday after work, my bike has a new sparkly, shiny look, and is spinning as smooth as butter...sweet.

Shady, Cool Grass

Usually the weekends are good opportunities to get a lot of training volume in. But yesterday (Sunday), I chose to rest instead. Earlier in the prior week I did my 13mi commute/run home and ended up straining my knee (ITBS, more on that later). I hadn't run for nearly a week when I did that run, and so I went too far too soon without ramping back up to that distance; bad idea. Anyway, instead of trying to push through the pain of a run, I opted to take all of Sunday off... Fortunately, I was able to kick back and hang out in the park with a friend for a while. It was so nice laying out in the shady, cool grass. And I think that one extra day of rest did the trick. I was able to put in a nice 4mi run today (Monday) with no pain whatsoever in the knee. Thank goodness.

I sold my bike!

I sold my bike! What!? No, not what you're thinking, not my latest road bike or triathlon bike, I sold my OLD bike, the one that's been sitting in my folks' attic for the past 8 years. It was a Bianchi Strada LX and I have so many fond memories of it. After riding a good ole' department store 10speed for my early teenage years, somehow I decided I wanted to ride farther and faster, so I was in need of an upgrade. Always supportive, my dad took me to a bunch of bike shops, and I finally settled on my first "fancy, sleek racing bike" over at International Bicycle Center (http://internationalbike.com/) . I rode that thing practically everywhere. That very fall I competed in a biathlon (run 5k, bike 30k, run 5k). In college I rode it to and from class, even through the winter months; through rain, sleet & snow, uphill both ways ;^) I rode it with the cycling team at college. I rode it to my summer jobs and even occasionally to my first job after college. I rode it in every direction hammering away many of life's little stresses. As far as I'm concerned, that bike has soul. It's been in purgatory long enough. Time for it's new, reconditioned life, no bike should sit still for that long. Farewell my two-wheeled friend.

Morning Ride & Plastic Bottles

Got up and out before 6am today for a morning ride, went 74 miles. Decent ride, felt a bit low on fuel over the last 20mi. Aside from waffles for breakfast, on my ride I ate a banana 1 hr in, a powerbar at 2hrs, and a GU gel around 3hrs; I also drank 1.5 bottles of gatorade. Should have eaten an extra power bar and drank some more gatorade while out there. Anyway, just happy I got out for the long ride, another notch in my "morning person" persona.

So it occured to me recently, with this whole plastic-bottle-BPA thing, that I should actually check the bottles that I use while riding to see if they're safe. I would often carry these bottles around and drink out of them at work and in general, but got a SIGG bottle (http://www.mysigg.com/) a few months ago to use instead. However I still use plastic bottles on the bike. So here's the quick check: Look at the bottom of the bottle for the arrowed triangle symbol. The ones with a 1, 2, 4 or 5 are "safe". The others (3, 6, 7) are not. My bottles have a 4 and so are ok. Attached is a quick reference graphic, and here's a link to a PDF file with more detailed safety information: http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refid=77083

Kayaking on the Charles River

Last night after work went kayaking on the Charles River with buddy Vin. Another great workout, and I definately can use more upper body workouts. Kayaking isn't quite a replacement for swimming but at least I'm getting closer to the water...! We were out there for 1h50m covering an estimated 8 miles up and back part of the river. Not bad, and I wasn't even sore the next morning.

The Masala Bhangra Workout

Last Sunday morning, at 6:30am, I had the fortunate occasion to join "The Masala Bhangra Workout" (R) conceptualized and instructed by Sarina Jain (aka the "Jane Fonda of India"). Bhangra is an Indian/Punjabi folk dance characterized by energetic bounding with arms and legs to a staccato rhythmic beat of a drum (dhol). Sarina has turned this art of dance into a fun, highly aerobic workout. For one hour, class members "performed" increasingly challenging combinations of bhangra moves, creating a full body workout. Sarina warmed the group up with some introductory stretches and basic moves and then jumped right into the fun. It's hard to describe otherwise, so here's a taste of her class I found on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf6qq5EZgSs

Needless to say, I really enjoyed the workout and sweat my butt off!

For more info and a class near you, visit: http://masaladance.com/

(Picture above was taken at the end of our class.)

My Attitude

It occured to me that I might seem to be downplaying my accomplishment of finishing IMFL these last two years. It's not that I'm disappointed in myself, in my training, in my race performance, but rather that I know I can do better. I have relished in finishing these races, crossed the finish line with a smile, arms raised high in a sort of victorious state. When I first contemplated (back in 1993) doing an Ironman, I thought that it would be the ultimate endeavor, that I would hang up all my athletic equipment and stop doing anything, because that was the pinnacle of athletic pursuit. Of course, I've gained some perspective since then. There's a whole breadth of athletic achievements that one could pursue. And definately, after doing one of these races, I got the taste for it and wanted to do more. So here I am embarking on #3. But anyway, I've digressed a bit...

My attitude has to do with my competitive nature. Finishing those first two races was about survival. I proved strong enough to endure the suffering throughout 140.6 miles (2.4mi swim + 112mi bike + 26.2mi run), depite not training adequately. Now, I want to know exactly how fast I can go when I actually do train properly. My fellow racers are certainly well trained. They say the average Ironman competitor trains for 7 months, with weekly averages of 7mi of swimming, 232mi of cycling, and 48mi of running. I have no idea how they do all that and in many cases have jobs and families, and otherwise keep themselves active and busy. These people are an exceptional bunch and I pride myself just for being associated with them; in order for me to feel truly among them though, I need an attitude adjustment. I can't suffice with simply finishing the race, I've already done that. I need to reach my potential. And to reach my potential I have to look back, understand what I've done thus far (which involves being a little tough on myself), and then strive to do better.

2008 IMFL

IMFL 2008

I was supposed to take all my lessons learned from my first race in 2007, and do much, much better at IMFL 2008. Not quite. Well, as you can see (see image from a couple posts ago), relative to 2007 - I rode a bunch more, and ran marginally more, but swam even less (as if that was possible!), and really made a tough time of it for myself. As I’ve alluded to before, there’s no hiding in a race like this. I managed to finish 43 minutes faster in 2008, but definitely left a lot of time on the table based upon what I feel my capability is.

Totals for 22 weeks:
Swim 14 miles (26,280 yards). Bike 1083 miles. Run 147 miles.

Swim
My swim technique needed improving. I spent a little time watching some on-line videos and reading some articles and forums about swimming drills to better my stroke, but there’s only so much those can do without direct feedback in the pool. Luckily, my friend, colleague and fellow Ironman Matt came up to Boston for a work visit and spent some time with me in the pool giving me some great tips. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to solidify those tips (e.g. generate enough muscle memory in my stroke) prior to my event for me to hold form in my race. My swim training was dreadful, and my result showed this. I had enough confidence to be able to finish the swim leg, but I wouldn’t be tearing it up by any means. I’m definitely writing this shaking my head, wondering what result I was possibly thinking I could achieve with so little training. I’m feeling far greater motivation now to train for a better result this year at IMFL 2009.

Bike
Felt so much better on the bike in 2008. After the first 72 miles in 2007, I slowed down considerably in the last 40 miles. This year, I sped up. Legs felt great in those last couple hours. I have to say a couple things about the bike course at IMFL. First, it’s pancake flat. There are a couple tiny hills, like the ones over bridges, but across the whole 112 miles, there’s only about 1000 feet of “climbing” – compare that to some of my rides out of Boston into the local suburbs, where through only 30-40 miles I reach the same amount and more of climbing. Florida is darn flat. The plus is that there are no major climbs; the minus is that you end up using one muscle group in the same way for the entire distance – which can be taxing on the bike, and treacherous when you try to run afterwards. Second, for me, the bike portion represents a subtle psychological win. Since I’m such a slow swimmer, I end up passing tons of folks on the bike throughout the bike leg. There definitely is a boon to my feeling good on the bike. In 2007, my position improved by 171 racers during the bike leg. And in 2008, my position improved by 329 racers. Hopefully this year I won’t come off the swim so slow, but I’m already feeling that I’ll be much stronger on the bike since I’ll be putting in so much more time on the bike.

Run
I felt great on the run for the first 6.55 miles – to the first turnaround. Then the day and lack of run training started to catch up with me. You find solace in those suffering right along with you. Some are running, slowly plodding along, walking and a few even limping along. We all provide encouragement to one another. At some point my run turned into a walk. Many times I would alternate between running and walking throughout the rest of the race. It’s a tough place to be. The run is through a residential neighborhood, and you can see folks settling in for their evening dinners or watching tv. I remember wondering if any of those locals would mind if I just walked into their living room and took a short little nap on their sofa. Just 10 minutes, that’s all I needed! But alas, we must keep on, keepin’ on. I remember one time that I slowed to a walk, a fellow racer ran past me and seeing my pause, he said: “That’s ok buddy, take a break – then find it.” He emphasized those last two words. And those were the words I needed to hear. We all have that someplace deep down inside, a place where only we know exists, a place you save for when you really, really need it – it could be physical, mental, spiritual, intellectual, whatever. This fellow racer reminded me that I have a place like that. I think it was far more a mental place than anything else, and I summoned myself there. The night had fallen dark, there was some cheering, but a good part of the course was pretty quiet, and long gone were the endorphins that masked the pain – all you have sometimes is yourself and what you believe you can do. So while I walked a lot during the middle part of the run, I “turned it on” over that last 6.55 miles and finished strong, simply repeating to myself in a chant – “find it, find it, find it…”.