tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11471258950474428792012-02-16T06:11:49.859-05:00Macho Triathlon Donkey Wrestler ... Attempting a new challenge, but I has fear? A thousand times no. I never doubted myself for a minute for I know that my monkey strong bowels are girded with strength like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo ... dungSKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.comBlogger8411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-78450202611961964222011-08-14T11:54:00.002-04:002011-09-19T12:35:12.464-04:00

I wouldn't have thought the Distillery District was a great place to hold a running event, but the organizers put together a nice layout. Check-in, baggage, spectators, all in a nice little area. The morning was a bit warmer and more humid than I hoped for, but we all have to deal with the same conditions, eh?The 10-miler and 5k are set off at the same time, and I took a spot at the back of the

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-65131610437550936742011-07-17T15:39:00.003-04:002011-08-02T11:41:59.810-04:00

I'm writing this about a two and a half weeks late. Two reasons:1) A bit of disappointment in the result, and no desire to revisit it.2) I've been sick ever since. I don't know if I had the cold going in, and that's why things fell apart, or if I was immuno-suppressed post-race and caught the cold that day, but it's been fifteen days of "hit by a truck". I've been feeling a bit better, but every

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-42317235000533980712011-05-14T21:59:00.003-04:002011-05-27T15:53:43.127-04:00

We can this about the weather: It could have been worse. On the drive out, there were a few patches of some serious rain, but actually on course, it was a light drizzle, and the cool weather made it fairly nice. What wind there was would be right in our faces for much of the race, but that's always a risk on these point to point races.Due to a lack of parking by the race finish, we had to bus to

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-27987679915121355702011-05-01T14:22:00.001-04:002011-05-17T14:39:30.211-04:00

First of all, big thanks to the Daleys for putting us up last night. It's always good to get together with friends, especially when the kids get to play, and there's a race involved. Maybe that's just my opinion, but I stand by it.The weather was threatening when we arrived on course. There were predictions for serious rain, but it seemed to be holding off at least for a while. Once check-in was

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-61134557957335463812011-04-02T08:32:00.004-04:002011-04-02T10:12:54.847-04:00

DNS. Knee still wonky. Getting better, but not out of the woods yet. Pain is below the kneecap, and a bit inside. Sounds like "runner's knee", but I would have expected that to flare up from actually running, not after 3 days off. And it's taking a while to clear. Let's see what the doc says on Monday, then get to fixing things. If it is PFPS, then I need to get back to the stretching and prehab

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-36011258783713606822011-04-01T11:45:00.005-04:002011-04-02T10:13:39.122-04:00

1. Get my knee diagnosed (appointment on Monday) 1a. Get my knee fixed 2. Whatever time off is needed for above, build my mileage back up, hopefully to 80-90km/week by the time I go back to work (6 weeks). 3. Salvage something of the spring season, using occasional speedwork (if not too much time is missed) to run a couple of decent 5k's. 4. By run-commuting as much as possible, log lots of miles

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-42917022020165315432011-01-25T11:04:00.002-05:002011-01-25T11:45:01.348-05:00

Let's start by summarizing where I am. On hiatus from triathlon, I'm a runner again. I haven't been in a pool since August, and ridden anything but the commuter since July. But I've logged lots of miles on foot. And as a runner, here are the PBs:5k - 19:10 (2010)10k - 39:40 (2010)HM - 1:27:04 (2010)M - 3:29:12 (2008)The focus now is to bring down all of those numbers. In a big way.Let's start at

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-27373634703285000242011-01-15T11:10:00.003-05:002011-01-18T12:56:19.842-05:00

I just spent the last week running in shorts every day. The temperatures at home have been well below freezing, with lots of snow, but I'm not there. We've been visiting family in Bermuda, which has a much nicer climate than Canada in January. With the great weather and a fun off-road trail to run on, any plans for a taper this week went right out the window. I've tried to rein myself in, but

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-35758365679771097452010-12-15T10:59:00.003-05:002010-12-15T11:02:07.341-05:00

Miles make champions.Trust the system.Work works.Chop wood, carry water.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-36817306694289741582010-12-11T22:16:00.003-05:002010-12-14T11:36:30.081-05:00

Almost 3000 Santas. That's a lot of jolly. And there we were, lined up waiting for the gun to go off. I looked back over the crowd, and as far as the eye could see were red hats and beards.I thought this would just be a fun little event, something goofy to look back on as an outing with the little one, but the scale was bigger than I imagined. We arrived a couple of hours before the start, so I

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-16090348501955067232010-10-24T13:38:00.001-04:002010-10-27T14:02:11.429-04:00

Let's keep this short and sweet: some days you just don't have it, and you suck. That was my day.Yesterday, I felt great. I knocked out a ridiculously easy 10k averaging 4:35/km, 15-20 seconds faster than normal at the given intensity. I was so ready for this morning. We got to the race site about an hour before the start, with me doing the 10k run, and my wife pushing the stroller for a 5k walk.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-45939446632128764592010-10-19T10:32:00.003-04:002010-10-19T11:15:19.536-04:00

A list of events/accomplishments in the running/triathlon/endurance vein I'd like to check off before I'm "checked off":1. Boston2. Western States 1003. Qualify for 70.3 Worlds again, preferably not a rolldown4. Endurrun5. Sub-36. Sub-2:507. Sub-2:45 (see a theme?)8. AG podium at WDW Marathon9. AG win in a major race (2000+ finishers)10. Ultraman, either Hawaii or Canada11. Run the IMH course, as

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-61000587061971508112010-10-13T13:40:00.002-04:002010-10-13T14:11:31.308-04:00

I like to run. I like to read. I like to read about running. (I probably read more "sports" books than is wise, but I try to balance it out. That's why I'm muddling my way through Ulysses now.) And I just finished reading Healthy Intelligent Training, by Keith Livingstone. Keith is a coach, who as a runner was coached by Barry Magee, who as a runner was coached by Arthur Lydiard. (See where this

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-9759054517110232782010-10-07T10:37:00.003-04:002010-10-07T12:12:24.568-04:00

Some big news recently in the triathlon world. First, WTC has announced a foray into the (former) Olympic distance with the introduction of the 5150 series of races. Just as 70.3 is the total distance covered in miles, 5150 is the total distance in decameters(?). I think it's great that there is now a series culminating at national and world championships for age-group athletes at this distance.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-20131300586582425842010-09-26T09:53:00.006-04:002010-09-28T11:56:36.938-04:00

The alarm went off at 5:30. I rolled myself out of bed as my wife told me that she thought it best that she and the little one stay home from the race. Considering the cool weather and they were both fighting colds, it was a good decision. I wouldn't have my cheering section, but I knew I had their support.After my usual bagel with PB and honey for breakfast, I grabbed my gear bag and left for

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-1722970036093070892010-09-12T15:28:00.002-04:002010-09-13T16:01:22.442-04:00

It was just a 5k, so there isn't a whole lot of report in this Race Report. The family and I headed down to London the day before to stay and play with our friends, letting the kids eye up their competition for the next few years. The night went about as smoothly as it could, given that a four month old was expected in sleep somewhere other than her own bed for the first time. There were a few

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-3794851201861048082010-08-28T22:31:00.002-04:002010-08-30T11:25:23.627-04:00

Since I'm not particularly happy with this race, the report is going to be pretty short. But in all honesty, it was a good thing. The "race" was much more a party, done as a fundraiser for cancers below the belt for North York General Hospital. Personally, I almost doubled my goal, which is a testament to the high-quality people who are my friends and family.It was a very warm evening (28 C),

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-61728214499172150682010-08-18T13:20:00.002-04:002010-08-18T13:53:42.095-04:00

I read a lot of running books. More than would probably be considered healthy. The latest was the newest from Matt Fitzgerald, entitled Run: A Mind-Body Approach to Running by Feel. I won't get into a full review, but I wanted to touch on one of the topics discussed in the book, that of confidence-building workouts.It's an idea similar to Hudson's race rehearsal workouts, which are the last

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-38176308316885763662010-08-09T11:18:00.002-04:002010-08-09T11:47:26.849-04:00

Life Happens. I know, hard to believe, eh? But it's true, and when it happens, you need to be able to make adjustments. This isn't to say it's a bad thing. Sometimes it's good news, but changes still need to be made. And that's where I find myself.I've truly enjoyed my first two years of triathlon training and racing. What a fantastic sport! The training, the people, the races. All of it has been

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-35639873673005938512010-06-28T13:22:00.003-04:002010-06-28T13:40:14.312-04:00

Or in a public form of "print", I guess.I spend more time than is probably healthy considering my long-term racing goals. I guess the reasons would be that I like the novelty of being able to change focus somewhat on a regular basis. There are also just a whole lot of interesting races and activities out there that I'd like to be a part of, and since I can't do them all right away, I need to find

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-60640635420853540672010-06-11T11:11:00.002-04:002010-06-11T11:28:58.076-04:00

But that's how it seems to be going, isn't it?Let's be honest: For the most part, the training has been going really well this year. Sure, I still haven't ridden outside, and I'm not getting huge miles in the saddle, but I'm at least holding steady on bike strength, and probably a little ahead of last year. And even with the kidlet, I'm dragging my sorry butt to swimming more often than not, and

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-52020833871436966232010-06-03T09:54:00.003-04:002010-06-11T11:29:19.148-04:00

I've been back at work for a few days after taking two weeks at home to spend time with the new roommate. I used this as an opportunity to reset my training as well, going to a run-focus through the rest of year. With commuting by bike and one solid ride per weekend, I'd keep my cycling sharp enough. I'd still be swimming 2-3 times per week, depending on my sleep levels. That left me 4-5 runs

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-41965514790804130522010-05-10T12:46:00.002-04:002010-05-10T13:01:42.207-04:00

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you haveThe Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life"Human physiology is a weird thing. Through sport and exercise, I'd like to think that I've gotten more in tune with my body and understands its workings so much better. But I am constantly confounded by when it decides to have good days and bad days.I was really hoping to have a day

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-85772842940391964142010-04-18T14:46:00.002-04:002010-06-23T11:56:41.147-04:00

It was time to open the account for the season. It felt a little like checking my 403(b) balance during the economic recovery. It's pretty good, but I swear there should have been more there.Unfortunately, my running has been a little up and down this spring. I've had some hip and foot issues, gotten sick, and crashed my bike, and it always seems that I lose out on the running. I've also worked

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-85863312189046138402010-04-09T13:33:00.004-04:002010-04-09T13:47:21.361-04:00

Check out the sidebar. There is now an updated "tentative race schedule" for this year. Pretty exciting, eh?So far this has been a season of ups and downs, with some great fitness gains, and some really annoying injuries/sicknesses that have caused some setbacks. Still, I feel like I'm making some good progress, and I'm looking forward to some opportunities to show that off.The only guarantee on

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-13650495783612541802010-03-02T13:40:00.002-05:002010-03-02T13:47:15.374-05:00

I sure do like to plan way out in advance. I can construct a whole year's training (tentative, of course, but 80% on point) in the fall before the season. I usually know my major races for any given season at least a year before. And I have a rough guideline of my racing intentions up to 10 years out.Part of this plan is an intention to go back to the marathon, and where better than Walt Disney

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-30745024178455186792010-02-22T10:22:00.003-05:002010-06-11T11:29:33.816-04:00

So far this spring, training has been going exceptionally well. Everything is getting faster, and I'm well-recovered for all my sessions, such that the quality is high when it's supposed to be. The new coach continues to kill me in the pool, but in a way so that I'm getting quicker. (I still can't hold good form all through the workout when it's a tough day, but I'm getting better.) All the

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-41024097950062956122010-02-03T14:48:00.002-05:002010-02-03T15:03:53.498-05:00

It's still really early in the season (if there's going to be any kind of "season"), so right now I'm mostly logging time, trying to get some things straightened out while keeping/building some speed. Since commuting makes up the bulk of my base bike miles, the weather has kept me from my biggest miles. I'm still getting two solid rides on the trainer every week, with lots of threshold work. Add

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-7953990087587781042010-01-19T10:01:00.002-05:002010-01-19T10:34:05.629-05:00

I guess it's been a while, so I should update my one or two readers about how things are going. So here's a recap of what I've been doing, why I've been doing it, and what I expect to be doing.General philosophy:Starting three weeks ago, I've began a new and (for me) different type of training cycle. My workouts are no longer structured by weeks. My swimming continues to be Monday/Wednesday/

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-57553688175935088502009-11-29T17:02:00.003-05:002009-11-30T11:42:19.218-05:00

"80% of success is showing up."I woke up way too early for a Sunday morning run, but with activities planned, it was the only time I could get it in. It was a bit cold, a given at 7am on an almost-December morning, but nice to watch the sun come up. I've been trying to change my running stride for the last couple of weeks, and things aren't really going well. It's requiring more effort to go

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-66892685827912902902009-11-16T12:53:00.002-05:002009-11-16T13:00:37.443-05:00

But it could have been worse too.1. I didn't drown. (Obvious from the fact that I'm writing this.) This will be considered a major victory on the day.2. I started off really well, leading the lane, feeling pretty good and moving at a halfway decent clip.3. Then, after 30-40 minutes (of a 90 minute swim), the swimming muscles kind of "quit". The had gone unused for 8 weeks, and were apparently

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-80423990797221652542009-11-06T11:07:00.001-05:002009-11-16T12:47:51.140-05:00

I had my first dream about the first day of swim club last night. I hopped in, and was instantly gliding effortlessly through the water, faster than I've ever gone before. Perfect body position, excellent roll, catching massive amounts of water with every stroke.I have a sneaking suspicion that reality will be the exact opposite of that in ten days. :-O

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-57364444946876321672009-11-01T10:57:00.002-05:002009-11-04T11:12:52.845-05:00

You may have noticed a distinct lack of posts in the last couple of weeks. Part of that is due to vacation, but there's other reasons as well. It's not that I've stopped doing things, I have just stopped writing about it.I've decided to no longer use the blog as a daily training journal. I have to imagine any readers left are as bored reading about it as I am writing it. How many different ways

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-76357718696133111532009-10-24T23:31:00.004-04:002009-11-25T15:50:54.040-05:00

Author's note: Sorry about the delay in posting this. Racing in the middle of vacation can be an issue, what with the lack of access, and then real-life piling on once you get back. But finally, here it is.I've done a night race once before. Actually, that's not exactly true, since it was an untimed run, but it was Central Park at midnight. Needless to say, these don't pop up too often on the

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-72341522711752023982009-10-23T16:37:00.002-04:002009-10-31T16:42:17.269-04:00

Just to work out the kinks from the flight, and to try to get used to the heat/humidity, I knocked out an easy little run around the resort. There's a path around the lake that's just shy of 2km, so I did four laps, with a few sixty second pickups thrown into the second half. I felt pretty good, although I was doused with sweat by kilometer three. Hopefully it won't be too bad tomorrow night.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-66844532408184899062009-10-21T19:25:00.002-04:002009-10-22T07:28:39.560-04:00

It's on the brink of vacation time, and tomorrow I get to head south to sunny Florida. While it's not the point of the vacation, I will be doing my last race of the year, and depending on how I react to the heat and humidity, I hope to do fairly well. I won't have computer access while I'm away, so the lead-up and race report will be written and back-dated upon my return.And to keep things loose,

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-14144865563835784052009-10-20T23:59:00.002-04:002009-10-21T12:10:45.311-04:00

This is it, the end of the line. All that remains is a couple of easy runs, a couple of openers to wake up the legs after travelling, then it's time to toe the line for the last time this year. Seven weeks without a race has been a bit strange after a packed summer, but there's been enough other business to keep me occupied. But I'm ready for one more kick at the can.Tonight was pretty easy in

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-2584645320568170242009-10-18T15:27:00.002-04:002009-10-18T15:47:45.882-04:00

Today was the last day with a race-pace effort. Similar to those previous, it was five hilly miles, at a relatively easy pace, then all-out for three miles, shooting for my projected race speed. I was able to shave off a few more seconds from last time, and I had to dig pretty deep to get that.First thing settled: the 310xt does not accurately measure speed/distance with the footpod indoors. My

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-46257407854222963352009-10-17T15:41:00.001-04:002009-10-18T13:48:01.682-04:00

Another two hour ride, again spiced up with a couple of half-hour efforts. I felt pretty good, and didn't feel like I was that close to any threshold. It was just a good piece of work, followed by an afternoon of yardwork. Lots of raking and mowing. If you own a maple tree, chop it down before it's too late.I've added the Garmin speed/cadence sensor to my bike, so I can keep recording all of my

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-4990308779750988452009-10-16T18:24:00.000-04:002009-10-17T14:25:02.234-04:00

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-45528666431633185012009-10-15T19:26:00.003-04:002009-10-16T13:58:28.167-04:00

We're at the point now where there's some hard work in each day, but with extra rest. So today had some T-pace intervals, but with three minutes of rest instead of the usual one. This kept a fair bit of energy in my legs, considering by the end of it I had twenty minutes of harder running completed. That's when the fun began, with a 12 minute acceleration run. For this, I started at a moderate

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-26663640559188052632009-10-14T18:37:00.000-04:002009-10-15T18:38:30.050-04:00

Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-65547328708017113462009-10-13T19:02:00.003-04:002009-10-15T16:19:35.852-04:00

Along with the 310xt, I picked up the footpod. What this allows me to do is get speed/distance readings even when I'm running inside, based on calibration to my stride.(It is also useful outdoors, as it can track cadence, or be used as a surrogate any time you lose the satellites.)Now, I don't believe that the readings will be perfectly correlated to outdoor speed, just as I didn't believe that

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-35562160793206506612009-10-11T15:19:00.002-04:002009-10-13T15:31:41.495-04:00

So first, the run. It was cool, almost cold, although it was starting to warm up in the sun by the end of the day. The wind, however, was pretty sharp. Any time I was exposed it seemed to drop a few degrees, and progress was slowed. (It turns out the wind was over 25 km/h, gusting over 35.) But even with that, I had a really good day. The first lap went at the usual pace, followed by a relaxed

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-78746979928273558582009-10-10T10:14:00.002-04:002009-10-12T10:17:22.785-04:00

Tonight I'm off for Thanksgiving dinner, so it was a must that I get in a good ride beforehand. An hour and a half, two by twenty minutes at a decent effort, and all was right with the world. I feel good, pleasantly taxed, but ready for a good run tomorrow, that will include a bit of a surprise.Bike: 90 minutes, zone 1-2, w/2x20 minutes @ 250w

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-2520862686834577112009-10-09T23:04:00.001-04:002009-10-10T11:06:24.518-04:00

Due to the Thanksgiving weekend, we got sent home early from work, so I took advantage and got a bit longer run in. Still nice and easy, just a couple of extra miles.Run: 5 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-64515856828144171272009-10-08T20:33:00.002-04:002009-10-09T13:42:06.703-04:00

We're now at the point that the high-end should be built, so less work is needed up there. Instead I got a little more of T-pace, with just a couple of really fast intervals. The run went really well, I was surprised by how well I handled the first I-pace interval since it followed short rest, but I guess some days I have better legs than others. I hope this keeps up for another two weeks or

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-74194469861136540312009-10-07T21:42:00.000-04:002009-10-08T09:44:39.026-04:00

Anyone else bored of me going for short recovery runs?Run: 3miles @ 7.5 mphI did take a look at tomorrow's run. Now I have to admit to a little bit of nerves. It shouldn't be that bad, but it could be. I guess I'll find out about 40 minutes in how bad it will be.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-85488464918799919792009-10-06T21:34:00.002-04:002009-10-07T11:49:13.218-04:00

Tuesday is T-pace day. It seems to fit doesn't it. Tonight was as much work as the 3x12(2) workout of a few weeks ago, but shorter reps (and subsequent shorter rest). Six times through, 6 minutes on, one off. I'm not sure about my reaction to this. My breathing seemed more laboured than I would expect, but deep into the workout it remained the same, and my legs always felt good. So, some good

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-22413478374821048062009-10-04T10:45:00.002-04:002009-10-05T10:53:32.954-04:00

My long runs are alternating between overdistance for my upcoming race, and essentially the race distance with a fast (race effort) finish. Today was another fast finish. I opened with about five miles at a reasonable but not taxing clip, through the hills to get some good work into my legs, then set out for three miles at a hard effort. As long as I could keep my focus on what I was doing, I

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-15909714388974796452009-10-03T19:24:00.002-04:002009-10-04T19:29:14.159-04:00

I really enjoy rides like this, even if stuck on the trainer. This is something like my usual modus operandi when riding outside, and I find it to be a real benefit. I'm never killing myself, and I don't feel shattered at the end, but I know I've done a solid bit of work. Long intervals, in the no-zone (Z3). Some say this is useless training, but I really get something out of it. At the very

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-10262418116296803062009-10-02T12:31:00.002-04:002009-10-02T12:33:39.187-04:00

I went out for a nice little run this morning. I hoped to get in about 5 miles, but called it a day at three, since my hip was still a bit off and I could feel my stride compensating. Tomorrow is one the bike, so I should be healed for the long run on Sunday.Run: 3.19 miles, ez

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-63928604546775929342009-10-01T21:25:00.000-04:002009-10-02T12:31:24.876-04:00

Tonight was the same workout as two weeks ago, with the short I-pace efforts on short rest, but with an extra time through. Like last time, it's the two minute efforts that kill. By rep four or five, it's a state of oxygen deprivation during the last few seconds. But I survived, and I'm getting stronger. I can feel a little stiffness in my hip, so I probably ended up overstriding to keep up with

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-21252755243100158492009-09-30T22:52:00.002-04:002009-10-01T10:54:46.853-04:00

Turns out, I actually had work to do at work today, so no lunch time run. But I was able to get my after-work miles. I considered going a bit longer to make up for missing earlier, but with house guests figured I shouldn't push it.Run: 3miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-6949709057370619042009-09-29T20:21:00.002-04:002009-09-30T13:31:43.023-04:00

And tonight I learned how to just hang on. Although the pace was a bit down from previous workouts, the length of the effort was the highest thus far. One set, forty minutes. Luckily, even Dr. Daniels knows this can be tough, so there is an adjustment to T-pace for the workout. I got an extra 13 seconds per mile, or from 9.3 mph to 9.0. After warm-up, I moved the pace up, and just tried to find a

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-23477374503110868182009-09-27T12:33:00.003-04:002009-09-28T12:50:24.962-04:00

And this morning it was time to run. There was a fair bit of rain overnight, but just overcast and drying through the morning. Fine weather to run in. This was going to be my longest run of the year (I think), at 12 miles or so. I held a nice effort through the first five mile loop, and finished a bit under 40 minutes (like 0.2 seconds under 40), then kept the pace easy for a nice two-miler. Then

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-77440003324163792009-09-26T14:49:00.002-04:002009-09-27T14:55:17.826-04:00

Or watching a race where I was a participant.I'm not fast enough to make the actual coverage. (Or look haggard enough, since that's the other way to make the broadcast.) To keep myself entertained during today's ride, I dialed up my tape of the 2008 70.3 Worlds. It IS pretty fun watching a race, thinking "I remember that part" or "Oh yeah, that hill sucked." It makes the time fly by, even when

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-16228736246894337622009-09-25T18:45:00.002-04:002009-09-27T06:47:53.202-04:00

I guess since it's a recovery day, it's not really a big deal, but because of work circumstances, I only got one of my runs in. Not surprisingly, I feel pretty rested about now.Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-18734674777199268002009-09-24T20:49:00.002-04:002009-09-25T10:53:17.930-04:00

This was another time through the I-pace work. I really suck at this high-end work. It just kills me every time. Even though this wasn't as hard as some workouts I've done, I could really feel this one, even as I was doing it. Usually it takes until later that night or the next morning to know exactly how roughed up I am. Tonight, I knew at about minute two of the last interval.But I should be

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-92183099039320568312009-09-23T22:11:00.000-04:002009-09-24T10:12:34.871-04:00

Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles, @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-19574004510944413642009-09-22T20:05:00.002-04:002009-09-23T15:11:31.152-04:00

I like tonight's workout. It's very simple and straightforward. Warm-up, run 20 minutes fast, cooldown. Simplicity. The joys of the T-pace run.And that's what I did. Honestly, the effort was harder than last week. Even at the 12 minute mark, I was working harder than I was 12 minutes in last time. Could be fatigue, not likely to be losing fitness if I'm running ~40 miles/week. It may just be

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-89049725632664718152009-09-20T11:10:00.001-04:002009-09-21T11:48:32.394-04:00

Today was a pseudo-race rehearsal. With a relatively hard ride yesterday, and a bunch of fatigue in my legs, I wanted to see what I could do over a similar distance to the race. The first five miles would be over hilly terrain, but not at any real effort, then the last three would be guns blazing on the flats. At least, that was the plan.The first loop went well. I purposely held back as much as

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-87355565136189906652009-09-19T20:41:00.003-04:002009-09-20T20:46:44.255-04:00

Since tomorrow is a shorter run, today is a longer bike ride. Nothing too significant, since this isn't a time to focus on cycling, but a bit of length and a couple of pick-ups. I watched Roadhouse, which made the time pass quickly. What a great piece of 80s cinema.Bike: 120 hours, zone 1-2, w/2x30 minutes @ 210w

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-52222173771666512352009-09-18T19:57:00.001-04:002009-09-19T07:58:15.631-04:00

I'm still not convinced this is rest.Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-16307315489831846702009-09-18T14:45:00.002-04:002009-09-19T07:57:06.161-04:00

Wow, I've put a whole bunch of stuff out on the interwebs, eh? And to think that of that, there's maybe one or two posts of any real usefulness.Since this seems like an odd little milestone, I'd add a little comment post, rather than a boring recovery run post (THAT will follow). I guess I've been doing triathlons for two years now, and perhaps I'm still just in the newlywed phase, but I can see

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-19701694196436084582009-09-17T21:44:00.003-04:002009-09-23T15:06:44.915-04:00

Tuesday was long sets of running pretty fast. I'm still a bit sore and tight. Tonight was shorter sets of running really fast. The total time at effort wasn't that much, and none of the sets were particularly long, but the short rest made it pretty tough. The plan, after warm-up, was four times through the following: 2 minutes hard, 1 minute easy, 1 minute hard, 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard,

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-40226351295502517892009-09-16T23:19:00.002-04:002009-09-17T11:21:25.340-04:00

When did two runs totalling over five miles become "rest"?Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-67688757118039005492009-09-15T20:07:00.002-04:002009-09-16T14:04:02.887-04:00

We're less than six weeks away from the last race of the year (for me), and so preparations begin in earnest. With swimming off the books and cycling drastically reduced, I'm pretty much a runner now. And so, my schedule now has two "hard" run workouts every week (Tuesday and Thursday, except the last week with only one. Hence, the countdown starting at eleven). There will still be some work done

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-57388276581358342992009-09-13T10:56:00.002-04:002009-09-14T11:05:09.240-04:00

With big races all over the globe, I was contributing to the effort by knocking out my ten-miler this morning. Rather than two hilly loops, though, I started with a 2 and 3 mile loop of relative flat before a hilly five. The upcoming race is essentially flat, so although it's always good to do hills for strength work, I need to spend more time on level terrain.My pace to begin was way too fast. I

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-15727259652220880552009-09-12T11:28:00.002-04:002009-09-13T11:35:15.752-04:00

Since the season is over, it's time to move the tri-bike back to the trainer, and spend the next few months staring at the wall. I'll actually only be doing one session a week on the bike, Saturday mornings for 90-120 minutes (length in inverse proportion to length of Sunday run). Just to keep my mind in the game and try to keep a little bit of cycling strength, I'll be tossing in a couple of

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-30920682058593668002009-09-11T14:08:00.002-04:002009-09-12T14:21:52.633-04:00

Due to the holiday and some pool closures, this, our last week of swimming, was reduced to one day. This weekend marks pretty much the end of the local racing season, with Muskoka 70.3, and a few people off at IM Wisconsin. This also marks the end of the work with my present swim coach, who's leaving for other opportunities. I'll admit that it makes me a little sad to have it all come to end.

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-82139668095770423742009-09-10T22:53:00.000-04:002009-09-11T10:54:20.297-04:00

Second verse, same as the first.Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/1 mile @ 8.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-17906933074609735322009-09-09T22:19:00.002-04:002009-09-10T10:22:24.958-04:00

With the triathlon season pretty much over, I'm taking this week as rest. I really feel like I need it, with my last race in shambles. This will allow my body to rest and get right before a solid six week run-training block to be ready for the Tower of Terror. So I've been getting to sleep in a bit, and very little work outside of the commute to work.Run: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/1 mile @ 8.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-31474929221823034882009-09-07T09:43:00.001-04:002009-09-08T10:12:38.062-04:00

U-G-L-Y. That is the only description of the race. There are days when you have it, and days when you don't, and today was a day that not only didn't I have it, I owed it to someone who would break legs if I didn't pay up. I would love to just put down the time and call it that, but in case I ever want to revisit this, I'll provide all the gory details.With a 7:30 gun time, it was an early

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-39024823940743969542009-09-06T14:19:00.002-04:002009-09-06T14:23:13.859-04:00

I just knocked out a really easy hour on the trainer this morning to stretch things out and get the system primed for tomorrow. Stretching afterwards showed some tightness, but I should be good in the morning. Now it's a day for relaxing.Bike: 60 minutes, z1-2

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-53639671916666025262009-09-05T11:09:00.006-04:002009-09-17T14:34:49.284-04:00

This was the end of the road, the last triathlon of the year. I wanted to end the season on a good note, so I set out planning on turning in my best possible race. I was a little nervous on the beach because I really wanted to do well, and a little sad that the year was coming to a close. Once things got going, it seems like the summer flew by. I got a good warm-up in the water, slightly delayed

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-28688627021616320672009-09-04T13:33:00.002-04:002009-09-04T13:39:36.814-04:00

That would describe today's pair of workouts. With most of the club prepping for Muskoka, I was the only person getting the boot early today (minus the recovering Kona-qualifying IM racer), so I put in a good effort, felt really good in the water, then popped out feeling ready to go. During the few quicker efforts, I was doing a hard, but sustainable, 1:30-:135/100m pulling. That's doing all

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-24634334926469328792009-09-03T21:06:00.002-04:002009-09-04T09:09:18.838-04:00

Last chance for some speed before the weekend. It was the usual, just a couple of short pick-ups to open things up. I think I should be ready on Saturday.Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph, w/2x90s @ 9.3/9.5 mph + 3 minutes recovery

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-54138048148249524742009-09-02T21:01:00.002-04:002009-09-03T09:04:35.787-04:00

A good mix of activities today. A little swim, a little run, a little bike. The swim wasn't as astounding as Monday with dramatic improvements, but I'll keep trying to groove any gains I can make. The run was pleasant with beautiful weather, and the bike was a good session to clear my legs.Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull2x(100 back, 30"200 free as 25 head-up/75 ez, 30"300 pull w/

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-6579113338651541192009-09-01T21:48:00.001-04:002009-09-02T09:50:38.522-04:00

Tuesday of race week = a couple of very easy runs. I like this day, it gives me a chance to get my legs under me again, and I can feel the energy coming back.Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-63916695428860912282009-08-31T09:35:00.002-04:002009-09-01T09:45:14.192-04:00

Here we are, less than two weeks from the end of the triathlon/swim program season, and now is when I decide to have a bit of a breakthrough in the pool. Right before I take at least six weeks away from the pool. I'm a genius, eh?The first half of today's workout was a lot of scull/pull sets. I really tried to get a good feel for the water and make the most of it. As I was finishing the last one,

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-74822822347687568352009-08-30T11:04:00.002-04:002009-08-31T11:12:04.559-04:00

It wasn't supposed to be such a late night. I mean, it was going to be late, but not that late. When I finally got to bed around 3am, I didn't expect much of myself this morning. And while I was dragging around after waking up at 7:30, I really didn't have high hopes. But I laced up and pushed out the door anyway.It was a perfect morning to run, just a bit of a breeze and just a bit cool. I

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-29629225414291699272009-08-29T15:13:00.002-04:002009-08-30T15:28:05.133-04:00

Things were a bit messy this morning. There were some predictions of showers, but the biggest issue was a low-lying fog in the area. Since this was really my last real chance for a long ride outside this season (excluding next week's race), I wasn't going to miss it due to rain/fog, so I loaded my pockets with a rain cape and set out from Lake Wilcox. Amazingly, I was the only car in the parking

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-88796640480018259452009-08-28T18:43:00.002-04:002009-08-29T06:53:18.405-04:00

My elbow is finally better. It made it all the way through today's swim without issue, although we didn't do much high speed work today, so I think that helped.Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull400 free as 25 head-up/75 ez free, 30"100 non-free, 30"400 free as 200 race opener/200 ez, 30"100 ez non-free, 30"400 pull w/paddles, 30"100 non-free, 30"400 free as 100 hard/100 ez, 30"100 ez

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-73627397078204000662009-08-27T20:10:00.003-04:002009-08-28T08:17:40.546-04:00

So this is it, the last run speed session of triathlon season. (We won't mention that I have a bunch of them to do in my run-block starting in 2.5 weeks. Let me enjoy this a little.) And as usual, I was looking forward to/dreading it all day. I like the feeling of running fast, and the sense of accomplishment from completing a tough workout, but man, does the middle of this workout suck.I did

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-73212868463842762212009-08-26T21:06:00.000-04:002009-08-27T09:11:23.368-04:00

I had expected a good day in the pool, as my muscles felt rested from the weekend, and I wouldn't have the same issues I did on Monday. I got through the warm-up pretty well, and my form felt nice, but as the set progressed, I could feel my elbow getting inflamed. I wasn't painful, but whatever I did on Sunday/Monday was coming back. So I pulled the plug early, calling it a day at 1600m. It's

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-34197863957593851942009-08-25T20:23:00.003-04:002009-08-26T11:34:09.033-04:00

Tonight was my last meeting with Coach Troy for a couple of months. Once triathlon season ends in a week, I'll be doing a run-focus block through October, which will only include one session on the bike each week, and easy stuff at that. So I had to make this one count. I was following up with a repeat of the workout from two weeks ago, Time Trialapalooza, but with greater intensity.Last time I

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-53623448611434258782009-08-24T15:23:00.003-04:002009-08-24T15:28:25.658-04:00

I've gotten up and gone to swimming after almost all of my races. I like splashing around, it helps work out any kinks, promotes good recovery, and it's not like I can't use the practice. I felt pretty good this morning, and the workout didn't look too tough, so I followed the plan. But I guess my muscles were more tired than I thought. I was never able to feel really good about my stroke, felt

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-33820278741876479972009-08-23T11:42:00.002-04:002009-08-24T10:29:06.972-04:00

Who schedules a race for 8am? Especially when I have to drive 90 minutes to get to the race site? This required an unnecessary 4:50 wake-up call, followed by the fastest "make coffee, pack car" I've done in a while. I wanted to be in Orillia by 6:30-7, so I needed to be on the road way too early. Luckily, traffic was light, so I made excellent time.I should note that I switched up my pre-race

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-10623632620312295052009-08-22T17:01:00.002-04:002009-08-22T17:04:35.534-04:00

Just hit the trainer for an easy one this morning. One hour, a couple of pick-ups comprising 5 minutes at ~280w, and a lot of easy pedaling. That should wake me up enough to give it full gas tomorrow. It will be an early morning, with 8am start, preceded by a 90 minute drive. Almost everything is packed, so now I'll eat a bit, and relax for the night. See you on the flipside.Bike: 60 minutes, z1-2

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-4709475331053474742009-08-21T13:19:00.003-04:002009-08-21T13:27:23.950-04:00

A solid swim this morning, with a wide variety of efforts. For the most part, I felt pretty good, but sitting here now a few hours later I can really feel it in my shoulders and back. I felt like I was swimming pretty well, except for the first time through the 300 race pace set. I'm not sure why things fell apart, but they did. When I made the second attempt, I was able to keep my form together

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-58480371253649131432009-08-20T23:19:00.000-04:002009-08-21T11:21:27.220-04:00

Thursday of race week, it's a short run with a couple of pick-ups, just to feel race pace. Anyone surprised? Nope, didn't think so.Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph w/2x90s @ 9.3 mph, 3 min recovery

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-53241514038515324972009-08-19T19:07:00.001-04:002009-08-20T13:12:19.009-04:00

It feels like a little cliche now, my describing my taper week workouts. There's truly nothing interesting to them, just a little bit of work to keep things humming along, while getting as much rest as I can. And since I have nothing interesting to say, here's a recap of the day.Swim: w/u - 200m each free, non-free, pull15x100 free, 10", as 25 drill/75 ez free(1-3: scull, 4-6: catch-up, 7-9:

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-35089760472424194622009-08-18T20:52:00.000-04:002009-08-19T08:54:33.684-04:00

There's nothing to exciting about the pseudo-taper week. I know it seems odd to take a rest-like week after only one hard week, but I have better races when I come in a bit antsy. So I have to stick with the plan. And as such, all of today was a couple of very short, very slow, runs.Run: 2.5 miles, ezRun: 3 miles @ 7.5 mph

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-70958070934609915382009-08-17T13:15:00.002-04:002009-08-17T13:36:08.717-04:00

Some mornings it is just not there. I think I may be drinking a bit too much caffeine recently, and it's affecting my sleep quality. No matter how tired I am, it's taking me a while to drift off, and I'm not getting the most restful sleep. Because of that, this morning was a bit rough in the pool. I didn't have necessarily a bad swim, but the speed wasn't there, and I was working too hard for

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-27826381634929032982009-08-16T14:21:00.002-04:002009-08-16T14:30:38.271-04:00

If yesterday was testing fluids on the bike, today was the test on the run. And today I was left a little dry. When I set out for about 10 miles, I only took a 24oz bottle of Gatorade with me. On a cool day, this would be plenty, but today, if I hadn't been rationing, it would have been empty by 45 minutes. I still had a good run (39:57/37:28, second fastest big loop I've done, and fastest after

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-42184295387679769902009-08-15T14:11:00.002-04:002009-08-16T14:18:47.354-04:00

Last weekend I learned that I don't respond well in the heat if I don't get fluids, so when I set out this morning, I took more than I usually would. And good thing too, since I easily took down 3 full bottles in just over two hours. I was soaked by 40 minutes, and just kept replacing. This is a very important lesson for the future. If I power through that much at 85-90% effort, then I definitely

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-70641692531399239892009-08-14T12:24:00.003-04:002010-07-26T12:01:48.428-04:00

This was another option morning at swimming. With three out of six in my lane having IM events coming up, we could do an IM workout (3x1K), or the shorter, faster workout of the rest of the group. I chose shorter, faster. And it was. Good efforts all the way through, although my times in the last effort wasn't what I expected, but I guess after all that work, including a paddle set just previous,

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-17444668384475461752009-08-13T20:44:00.001-04:002009-08-14T08:53:53.853-04:00

Jack Daniels is a sick individual. He might have forgotten more about running than I'll ever know, and there's no doubt his programs work, but man! are some workouts tough. If you read the book, he seems to advocate doing just enough to improve fitness, but not so much you can't get back at it the next day. But then the workouts try to kill you.The reason I use a treadmill for all my faster

SKMDThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07353212956070029720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1147125895047442879.post-42798347632040305012009-08-12T09:28:00.003-04:002009-08-13T09:37:00.398-04:00

Another good morning in the pool. With the crowd either recovering from IMUSA or tapering for IMC-IMLou-IMMoo, it fell to folks like me to lead the charge. And so I somehow ended up leading the lane. I guess if I'm the only one under orders to push the efforts, I have to drag everyone else along. But it was another fun morning, with a mix of efforts. I chose the pull option during the 1K set

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