Training Log Archive: O Steve!

one more step to prep for inline event in September.....skated a bit longer......still unsteady the first 10 minutes and then get grooved in and can push just a bit....Need to keep improving this. Frequency is the key....This is some unexpected prep due to my limited running.....I had planned to train starting in 2 weeks but I have gotten a bit of a jump on it....

C • Inline Event 2

run test.....

recent protocol

10:00 at 5.5 mph (10:54/mile) 128 HRA 138 at interval end

I have the different recent results but check my day before and before activity....this one was based on a well rested before.....

warm up and down before run test....recent protocol

notes from the aging process....and more....

-My run has really taking a hit of about :45/mile in the past 2 years (and lets face it, I already sucked as a runner) and it doesn't make sense.....sure I had knee surgery on the meniscus but I wasn't out that long and I trained consistently before and after.....its now been 6 months. The only thing missing is consistent speed work and I guess that could cost me :45/mile......maybe....I am hoping I can get this back....I will give it a good shot but there are no guarantees....especially at 58. I am already thinking how I might train to get it back....next year.....this year I am just letting it go and trying to really limit my running so try and let healing progress farther before making a structured effort to get faster......

-Next year Kari and I have decided on a big hike trip to the Val Gardena area of Italy in the Dolomites . I am excited to go to one of the most scenic area in the world for hiking. We will also both compete in a mountain trail race thats kind of a big deal http://www.grossglocknerberglauf.at/en.html I will have to get my run back to be able to do this and not be off the back.....

-I have gotten to the part of life where some events I am interested in are beyond me.....so be it.....just have to look for adventures that are doable but I do have some regrets that I didn't do them when I was capable. The 2 day Canadian Ski Marathon comes to mind....sigh.....

-Recovery......wow, I didnt have major issues with this until the last 4 years and it seems to erode every year.....I need 4-5 days to recover from a hard race now....have to stick to easy recovery workouts when I used to bounce back and train hard after 2 days.....

-....and based on what I wrote above my "ramp up" training period to do speed work and prepare for an event is much longer now.....no quite double the time but I would say 75% more time.

-note on events: its easy to take the Heart of the Lakes Triathlon for granted since its always been there for so long....but its a really well done event. The swim is well marked rectangle with buoys frequent enough to site and the swim run and bike are great courses..... Its a great bench mark for me since they have not changed the course since 1996 when I first started doing it (assuming the run turn around for the short course is always in the same spot...and I think it is....this year was the first time I was not under 60 minutes......in 1996 I was doing it at 50 min flat....20 years later I am at 60....I likely will not do it next year but 2 years from now I want to come back and get under 60 minutes at 60.....racing my age or under might be a good goal from me....

-I have been talking about this but here is whats happen....Triathlon participation grew huge from 2008-2012 right after the great recession....lots of fun first timers on mt bike and women giving sprint biathlons a whirl...I knew it could not continue and expected a leveling off but what happened surprised me...it plunged!....we have lost 25-30% of participation in just 2 years.....the size of the drop has been surprising...where will it be in the next few years?...not sure

C • Plans 2

spin

run test.....same protocol as last week....

5:00 at 3.0 mph @ 4.0 % incline (98 HRA)

10:00 run test at 10:54/mile HRA 131....140 at end

5:00 at 3.0 mph....no incline (109 HRA)

recovery spin

recovery ride to Midwest mountaineering looking for information on the area we are going on a big hiking vacation next year in July.....they didnt have anything.....

Bertram Blast Off road Triathlon....

The short report (so you don't have to read anymore):

it was a blast and I did a bit better than my present shape would indicate with a solid result....obviously my run was MIA as expected so perhaps I can come back in the future and do even better.....

New event on the calendar that promised singletrack mt biking and run.... sign me up....I knew the RD and knew he wanted it to be a bid deal. In the end 81 individuals signed up for the Triathlon which in this current down market for Triathlon was solid.....they also had a duathlon, a trail run and relays which bumped up the participants and it felt like a solid decent sized event. More than I would have predicted....

The Swim....advertised as 1/2 mile but was actually 1/3 mile...its warm and humid...I go with full wetsuit while some opt out....glad i went with it...

12 heats of only 10 (I assume relays were mixed in?) to spread people for the single track...I am in heat 4 set up by predicted total finish time (which with a singletrack mt bike and trail run was had to guess right obviously)

Taking recent lessons learned I decided to get in a decent warm up of 8 minutes and do my new "relax, strong, soft entry" style on the swim to get a fast time like last week.....

lined up in my heat and noticed a guy I know of, who is my same age, and usually can beat me soundly in Triathlons lined up next to me wearing black and white tri suit (BW)...

The beach is smooth, pebble free sand and honestly one of the best I have ever launched from in 31 years of triathlon.....air horn goes off and BW runs out in front of me on the beach run start.....after a couple dolphin strokes I pull even with BW and after a few strokes, still trying to keep in smooth and not frantic and I drop him and am out front....

The water is perfect and pristine and no wind or chop and I spend the rest of the swim sighting the large blow up day glo green T Rex "swim buoy" turns and keeping it relaxed and smooth with no splash entry...half way I can feel myself warming in the 80 F water in my full wetuit but its manageable....I sight perfect, swim straight by myself the entire way and pop up at the beach with in 8:38 and trip the mat at T1 in 9:12......9th best swim of the 81 person field....swimming this year has been a pleasant surprise....

C • Great job and nice report 4

smooth transition.....perfect wetsuit strip/stomp....threw on a sweat hand band to keep sweat out of my eyes on this humid/sauna day.....2nd fastest T1 of 81 and I had a wetsuit when other did not.....

off on the 6 mile mostly singletrack mt bike ride.....

what a hoot!....first part after a bit of straight line doubletrack we are on the flow trial with berms.....one guy passes me and promptly biffs it but hangs on on a short hill right in front of me but I slow just a bit to allow him to right himself and only lose a moment.....I am flying much faster than my regular pace and its a total rock and roll show on the single track the Adventure O used the week before.....I am on the edge of my technique but manage everything well and after getting passed once and passing two others I figure I am having a good ride....a young'en passes me on a doubletrack section but he promptly gets sideways in a sand section and almost takes me out but veer wide and avoid the 2nd close call....

Just great fun ant full speed and I notice BW hasn't come back on me so I am feeling good about what I have done so far.....

past events have demonstrated I am better on road Time Trials on my Triathlon bike than I am on my mt bike but I had a solid ride....

fly down the final hill and in to T2 with a split 36th of 81 bike split...

I bobbled a bit here with a couple small mental mistakes....first I overshot my rack and had to take a few steps to correct (lost 5 seconds)....and I ran out towards the wrong exit with another guy and tripped the timing sensor which then recorded my official bike time as a bit slower and my T2 times as only :13.....I corrected these in this log. the wrong run out cost me another :05...

since I had put on trial run shoes to bike in in T1, T2 was just drop the bike and helmet, throw on my hat and run out.....actually about 30th of 81 actually, could have been about :28 with no mistakes.....

its warm and humid....conditions that make it difficult for me and I am heading out on the 3 mile trail run with the knowledge this is a huge weakness this year due to knee issues and lack of training.....

BW did not catch me and I am feeling good about that....thinking if I can just get it home I will have a decent result despite it all.....

the vast majority of the run is on mt bike single track so its slow going with hills, twists and turns.....I can feel the effort and I try to insure I relax, run my best, and try to keep my effort gauged so I don't go under....this requires an almost tip toe effort on some uphills....

I am still surprised BW, a better runner has not come around so I just keep at it.....its tough running in the moist sauna (thank goodness for the shade and overcast day)...with a mile or so to go BW comes around and I just keep at it......the last mile seems mismarked as its shorter than the first two but I end up getting home with a 35:08 and an 11:43 pace which is very slow for me traditionally but solid given my current fitness....

1:22:30 overall......38 of 81 overall....happy with that and thinking if I can get my run back in the future I can do a bit better....

Great fun was the main thing and I predict the word of mouth will be good on this event.....I look for this event to grow in the future despite triathlons general downturn in participation...

swim warm up

bike check and warm up