First Triathlon in almost 2 years!

Well, I'm still nursing some injuries including a pinched nerve in my neck and some type of turf toe but I had enough, it was time.  After bowing out of a duathlon and triathlon due to weather and costs I thought this is a make or break time for me.  If I didn't do this event it would be a downhill slide and I would keep making excuses to not do one.  I have only been in a lake about 3 times over the last two years so I new my swim was going to be weak.  I recently sold my tri-bike so this event was going to be done on my roady, the bike I built from the ground up with a Nashbar frame and 105.  I also bought some stability running shoes and a foot plate to help with the turf toe.  Going into this race I had no aspirations to win, I just wanted to embrace it, compete, and shake off some demons.  I wanted to keep the swim to around 10 to 12 min (I know, turtle speed) and not panic in the water.  For the bike I wanted to have a 15 MPH average and the run I wanted to keep a 10ish min mile.

I didn't have any nerves for the race like I have in the past, I don't now why.  Maybe with the pressure off to place it didn't cause anxiety?  Ann and I got to the event with a decent amount of time to get transition set up.  I registered, got marked and then found the place I wanted to be in transition.

The Olympic division started first so I had to wait a good 30 to 40 minutes for the sprint to start.  It was HOT!  I stayed in the shade until the last minute then put the wetsuit on and went into the lake to warm up.

It was our turn.  I didn't want to get hit and bumped too much so I lined up to the outside and went towards the back of our group.  The gun went off and I was off!  I got into a good groove early on.  By a few hundred feet in I started to overtake a few weaker swimmers but I was pulling to my right and getting in the "mix".  After getting kicked and hit some I readjusted and things cleared out a little.  I rounded the first buoy then the second and I was in the final stretches heading in.  As I came out I was quite winded, more than I used to be.  Ann yelled my time, "10 SOMETHING!!!" is all I heard.  I had to walk a little up the hill and to transition.

I dried off and got on the bike.  It took a few minutes for me to catch my breath.  I felt really good on the bike.  It was a 10 mile ride and the roads had a few small hills but nothing too bad.  I did drop the chain on one hill and lost about 20 or 30 seconds getting it back on.  When I got to about a mile from T2 I started to spin more and stretch my calves and hammies.  I knew they were tight.  Did I push too hard on the bike?  In the end, I wound up averaging 17 MPH on the bike, MUCH better than I anticipated.  I dismounted and everything locked up in the back of my legs.

After walking through T2 I started out on my 3.1 mile run.  The first half mile is usually a little rough for me and this was no exception.  I was tight and having issues.  I had to stop and rub my hamstrings and calves.  As I kept going I did something I never have done before.....I walked.  For whatever reason I hit a wall.  I wound up running a few hundred yards then walking a few hundred yards.  By the time of the turnaround my quads were cramping.  This was NOT the run I was hoping for, even with turf toe!  I resigned myself to "embracing the suck" and simply chalking it up to lack of training and prep.  I tried to simply enjoy it realizing this was something I hadn't done in quite some time. As I came in to the finish line I was hurting, out a energy and bonking, BUT I DID IT!

  

Overall, I did Ok.  I felt really good about my swim and bike!  As expected, I didn't win anything and came in 6th out of 8 in my age group.  Now that the dust has settled, my only thought is "when's the next race?"  LOL!

New running shoes!

I needed a new pair of running shoes so I thought I would give the Hoka's a try since Chris loves his soooo much!  Got a great deal on them since they were last years model.  Also ordered some "Speed Laces" with Zero Friction guides.  Now we just need some better weather!

Ann

Rehabbing herniated disc-Update

Well, I'm about 11 weeks post herniated disc, L5/S1. Didn't have much relief until I received an epidural 5 weeks ago. Shooting pain down the leg and calf almost gone but my back and hip still get sore. Since the shot and initial improvement following it I have seen a little improvement but nothing earth shattering. Slightly concerned that I'm approaching the 3 month mark and don't feel anywhere near healed. Haven't been able to do much other than light walking on the treadmill and some swimming with a swim buoy between the legs. Hoping this doesn't drag out 4, 5, 6 months and they say "let's operate". It would end my season. As it is I wanted to do a 70.3 and thinking that may be a long shot at this moment since I would need to start training around mid Feb or by the first of March. Trying to keep perspective of things saying to myself it's ok if I have to stick to sprints or maybe a late season Oly vs. not doing anything this year. Also doing some hanging on the inversion table to see if that helps!

Thoughts on the 2013 Race Season......

This year has been one of ups and downs. I certainly did not achieve all of my goals, but that gives me something to shoot for next year.

First the downs. I found training very difficult this year. Between the winter that refused to leave, an extremely intense work schedule and injuries, it has been a mental as well as a physical challenge to keep going. Ending the year with a stress fracture of my foot would certainly bring anyone down and there were days that I have questioned if I want to keep doing this after I heal.

Which leads me to the positives. Throughout all of the frustrations, I DID keep training. I ran, I biked faster than I ever had before and I swam further and longer than I ever had before. I did the last tri of the year in the fastest time that I ever had....with a broken foot! How cool is that! Will I do this again next year when my foot is healed? DAMN RIGHT I WILL!!!  It is by overcoming the obstacles that are in our path that we prove to ourselves who we really are, and by simply getting up off the couch and moving, I am already a winner, even if I finish dead last.

Races:

2 5K's
1 Duathlon
2 Sprint Tris

Ann


As Ann said, it's been a year of ups and downs.  After recovering all last winter from rotator cuff surgery and a winter that would never end, I was anxious to get outside and start training.  The spring stayed cold and wet but I did my best to get out and train.

My first race of the year was a 5K.  My time was horrible which early season races always are for me but for whatever reason I podiumed!  My second 5K in early May was a little better time wise and for the second time I podiumed!  Ann and I did a Duathlon towards the end of May and it was a decent start to tri season with a good first run and decent bike.  Second run was a little rough.

The first tri of the year was a sprint race in the rain.  For whatever reason I panicked on the swim which never happened before.  I managed to pull it together and have a good bike and decent run.  The second sprint race I had some redemption having a great swim, and a good overall time.  Third sprint race was a small event.  My head wasn't in it and once again, I had a bad swim and struggled. I was frustrated.  Wanting to up the challenge, I did my first olympic distance tri in September.  Had a good overall race and was thrilled to end the season on a high note!  Currently I am dealing with a back/hip problem since the oly tri that's prevented me from running or biking and frankly it frustrating  I have however been able to get back in the gym and do some lifting.

Goals for the winter and into 2014 is to burn some fat off and lose about 10 pounds.  I feel better racing at a lower weight.  I need to do more "dreadmill" work over the winter and I plan on hiring a swim coach.  My swimming needs more work.  If all goes well and I can stay injury free, I plan on doing my first half ironman next summer, maybe Racine?  

Races:

Two 5Ks
1 Duathlon
3 Sprint Tris
1 Oly Tri

Chris

Tri-ing for Children's Triathlon - Sprint Course

Second sprint triathlon of the year and I needed some redemption from the last tri where I didn't do too well.  I thought about doing the olympic distance but training wasn't the best and had those demons in my head so Ann convinced me to do the sprint and do it well.  

Woke up about 4AM, had some coffee and got ready.  Ate oatmeal in the car on the way to the event.

Had a lot of time after setup to watch the oly waves go out, roughly about 30 minutes.  Gave me time to settle in and warm up.  

Swim 1/4 mile
One of my best swims ever! Breathing was good was able to draft a little and before I knew it I was rounding buoys! As I rounded the last one I got caught up in the wave ahead of mine and got a little turned around. I figure I wasted maybe 15 seconds getting my bearings straight. When I exited the water my wife Ann told me I was 7:45 on time which was over a minute faster than normal. The mat to clock time was up a ways on shore so that's how I got the 8:18 time. 

T1 - 2:15  
For whatever reason I completely spaced out once I got my suit off. My transition area was in dirt and sand and I was trying to figure out how to get the sand off and get bike shoes on.   

Bike - 15 miles, 44:28 min,  20.12 MPH
Took a while to get going fast. Felt like I was in a headwind the first half of the bike. I only averaged around 19MPH on this stretch. Second half I was flying (at least for me) doing 21 to 22 MPH. 

T2 - 1:20
Better and hamstrings didn't lock up up last time.

Run 5K - 25:56 min, 8:12 pace
Felt pretty good. Didn't cramp coming off the bike and after settling in I was able to maintain a nice pace.

Finished strong and wasn't as exhausted as I was last time.  MUCH better race than my last one!  

Chris

Swim Training day!

Well, the weather is finally cooperating a little and it turned out to be a nice day for a swim.  Time still isn't coming down much but we have been working on form.

First Duathlon of the year!

Cooney Duathlon!

Well, this year we traveled down to Oconomowoc to take part in an early season race, the Cooney Duathlon.  It was a 2 mile run, 21 mile bike and another 2 mile run.  The weather was ok.....cool, around 50 and cloudy, but it was quite breezy also.  At least the rain held off!  Woke up at around 4:30.  Thought it would be easy to find a cup of coffee in the hotel, I was wrong!  Searched everywhere, wound up make a single cup in the room.  Woke up Ann around 5:30.  Found out no breakfast until 7AM on a Saturday, good thing I was prepared and brought oatmeal and bananas.  Got ready, dressed and loaded the bikes. 

Arrived at the event.  Weather was cool, around upper 40's and cloudy.  It was fairly breezy out too.  Got our tribags and bikes off the rack and headed to transition.  Found our spot and prepared the area for T1 and T2.  About 40 minutes before race start I got in line to go to the bathroom one last time.  Ann jogged around warming up  There were only 4 porta toilets, so I stood in line until about 10 minutes before race start so I didn't have as much time to warm up as I wanted to.   

The race started in waves, we were last which I don't like because it makes me feel like I'm back of the pack!  LOL!  The buzzer went off and so did we.  I was wearing my new Hoka's and trying to run with my new "faster cadence" stride.  I felt a little winded but held out enough and made it to transition.  Time - 7:51mi.  Grabbed my bike and off I went!  Heading out I knew I needed to practice more transitions.  I had a hard time getting my feet into my shoes and took longer than I should.  These early season races usually give me a reality slap or two!  As I kept pedaling, I realized I made a HUGE mistake.  A few days earlier I posted my fit on ST and had responses of "Your seat is to high".  So, I lowered it almost 2 cm and then it rained and I had no time to test it out prior to race day.  The entire 21 miles felt like I was under powered and too short on my peddle stroke.  I also made the mistake of not trying out my new fabricated water bottle mount  prior to race day and couldn't get anything out of my drink tube, so no hydration!  The roads were ROUGH with potholes and it was windy which didn't help.  Result?  One of my slower rides clocking in at 19.7 MPH.  I had every intention of hitting a constant 21+MPH day.  Came into transition, racked the bike and off I went.  My lower inside quads were really sore (from too short seat height) and I was exhausted from the bike and knew my run wouldn't be great.  It wasn't.  I posted an 8:35 per mile time.  Came into the finish line and frankly was happy it was over, grabbed some water and a protein bar and watched for Ann to come in on the bike.  A few minutes later she came in and looked tired.  The wind and rough roads got to her also and her magnet came loose on the front wheel so she had no clue what her speed, or anything else was.  She looked like she needed a little push so I started to give her   some positive reinforcement that she was doing great and to keep it up!  She asked if I would run with her.  I hesitated because I was still tired myself but I sucked it up and did.  She did great and finished.  All in all it was a learning experience.  I thought my run would suck ( I  suck at running ) and my bike would be good.  It was the exact opposite!   I broke every rule of racing (don't do anything new on race day) and I paid the price for it.  It wasn't my worst race, but one I will remember.  Next up....a Sprint tri in a few weeks!

Start!

coming in from first run

coming in from first run

coming in from bike

heading to transition

finishing!

First "Brick" of the year!

Decided to try my first "Brick workout of the year.  Started off on the treadmill and ran 2 miles at around 7 MPH or so and came out to 16:20 for a time.  Then jumped on the bike and kept in the 90 RPM range for 10 miles.  Of course I didn't want to end it there so I jumped back on the treadmill and ran another mile.  So in effect I guess I did a super sprint Duathlon!  LOL!

Chris

Triathlon Season coming to an end.....

Well, the weather has changed and it's getting cold.  Events are pretty much done for the year and all that's left is hoping for a few nice days to get outside and train before the snow flies.  It's been an "interesting" year for us.  Ann came on like gang busters and after doing a duathlon and a couple running events she finished the season doing 2 triathlons within one week of each other!  I have been nagged by injuries all year starting with a weightlifting injury back in February that hampered my lifting all year then a hip flexor issue that prevented me from doing any half or full marathons and then an accident that messed up my shoulder.  I ended up completing a duathlon, 3 triathlons, 2 running events and a swim event.  My times were very good, completing races faster than I anticipated.  Were I fell short was moving up in the ranks to longer triathlons.  I'm hoping to get my shoulder issue resolved one way or another so I can begin a strict and intense off season routine that will get me to the next level.    

First race of the year tomorrow!

Ann and I signed up for the Cinco Du Mayo Duathlon in Stillwater, MN.  Ann will be doing the sprint course which is a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike, and a 2 mile run and I'll be doing the long course which is a 3 mile run, 20 mile bike, and another 3 mile run.  Weather is looking "ify" with some rain in the forecast so I'm praying it holds off and the road dries up a bit or the bike portion will have to be a bit slower.  This will be a great test for my knee which has had a "click" in it for about 3 weeks after I banged it hard accidently.  If all goes well we are looking to do a triathlon the first weekend of June down in Lake Mills which would be Ann's first tri!  We need to get into the lake and get some swimming time in though.  We should have some pics and video of tomorrows event so stay tuned!

Chris

Tri Bike Shoes vs. Road Bike Shoes

My new ride!

It has arrived!  Visiting our son in Winona and stopped into a bike store to buy a part I needed to complete my custom road bike build and came across this.  I had no intention of buying it and NEVER make those types of impulse buys but Ann said "Happy B-Day" and said I deserved it.  Hmmmmm, who am I to argue with such a smart woman! 

How to build your own foam roller inexpensively!

We all know that foam rollers help us runners and triathletes prevent injury to our tendons and muscles but the cost to buy some of these products can be quite costly.  I saw this article on kineticloop.org and thought I would repost it here for everyone!

How to Build a Foam Roller

As everyone knows the craze for foam rolling has taken off. If you haven't heard of foam rolling you can go to www.kineticloop.org . On our site Kinetic Loop Training System we have a free article called Rolling the Hot Spots using the Kinetic Foam Rolling Loop method with step by step instruction on full body foam rolling. 

How would you like to learn how to make a foam roller for under 20 dollars??? You will need the following items below:
1. Blue camping mat from Walmart (8.00 dollars)
2. 3 inch diameter by 20 inches in length PVC pipe from Lowe's or Home depot(cost 3.00)
3. Super adhesive Spray number 77 (3.00 dollars )
4. Duct tape (3.00 dollars)
5. Razor blades (2.00 dollars)

Instructions:
Roll out camping mat and measure 12.75 inches in height and 21 inches in width.
Cut measurements with razor blade.
Wipe off any dust on the PVC pipe and spray with adhesive.
Wrap mat around the PVC pipe
Make sure the mat wraps up evenly on the PVC pipe and both ends touch.
Take the duct tape and wrap around the camping mat.
Wrap and cut the duct tape a section at a time.
Make sure to pull firmly.
Now you have your very own home made foam roller.

Ann's racing bike is done!

Put new 10 speed shifters, new cassette, new chain, new rear derailleur in additin to the already upgraded 105 compact crank, racing rims and tires.  All 105 or higher end components.  Only thing left that's original is the frame, fork and seatpost.  Should really help Ann in her time in races!  

Lunges!

If you want to build a "balanced" leg that will help in all areas

 of your fitness then lunges are a great workout!

Bodyfat and weight coming back into line....

After my "bulk phase" in the winter I added a fair amount of muscle mass.  Along with it I also added a little bodyfat which is very common.  At the height of my bulk I was up to about 13+% bodyfat and a weight of about 165Lbs.  Since I've started a "cut phase" about 6 weeks ago I have now dropped my body fat down to about 9.5% and weight to about 160.  My race weight during the summer last year was around 145 to 150Lbs. at about 9% bodyfat so the additional 10+ pounds this season are mostly in the form of muscle this time around.  I would like to drop maybe another 5 or so pounds just to make running and swimming a little easier but I really don't want to drop all the weight because that will mean I've lost muscle.

Diet is similar to what I was eating during my bulk phase but with less calories and around 2100 per day.  I used to eat an additional meal in the early afternoon consisting of a vegetable, wild rice and some type of lean meat and have replaced that with 1/2 cup of oatmeal.  I've also try to avoid a lot of carbs in the evening because if you have a surplus of carbs at night it tends to turn into fat storage (at least on me).

Goals will be to lose another 1 to 2% bodyfat and drop another 5 or so pounds in the next few weeks.

Chris

First outside time trial run.....

Well, I did my first real time trial run outside today.  It was good in some ways and not so good in other ways.  I was able to track my heart rate with a used heart rate watch we picked up for $20 and it surprised me that my heart rate was stable and in a good range for the whole run considering I haven't ran outside since last fall.  On the downside, I could tell my legs felt "heavy" compared to last year and thus my time reflected that.  I do have more size (muscle) on my legs and body since last fall so I expect that I will gain speed as I get a little smaller over the next couple months.  I highly suggest that anyone that runs or does cardio to pick up a heart rate watch/monitor and the type with a chest strap.  I found out I can use this on the treadmill and the treadmill will pick up the signal and display it on the machine!

This is what we bought.  Brand is Oregon Scientific.  Measures heart rate continuously, you can set an upper and lower alarm for training, has a stop watch, alarm and time.  Does not have a GPS for distance but for $20, we couldn't complain.

Chris

Spring is here and that means.....

...Race season is upon us!  That's right, running events, duathlons and triathlons will be in play from here on out!  We began our training a few weeks ago doing some HIIT training on the treadmill (will do some videos illustrating this in the near future), some "bootcamp" type workouts and metabolic workouts in addition to our weight routine.  If you are interested in doing any kind of racing event here are a few good links!

http://www.trifind.com/

http://www.runningintheusa.com

http://www.active.com/

If anyone has some other good sites please let us know!

Ann & Chris