Fish Out of Water
Swimming at the Y has been difficult the last two days. I struggled out out of bed at 5am Thursday morning only to have the lifeguards not show. No guards, no swim; simple as that. My gear was not prepared for a bike or run, so I went home and had a cup of coffee. This morning saw the same 5am wake-up, and the lifeguards were ready, but apparently the pool was not; it was closed for repairs. Once again, I did not prepare my gear for a bike or a run, so I went home and had a cup of coffee. The bottom line is lots of coffee and no swimming make Batman nervous and cranky. Especially since my first olympic tri is 15 days away. Sunday I'm going for an open water swim...
On a less cranky note, yesterday my company's wellness department hosted a trail 5K. I did it in 23:10, or 7:27/mile. My times are coming down, and the outlook for this season is positive. The Mission Man sprint in July is the only repeat from last year, so that time will be apples to apples.
Next week, the boys will be at camp together, and my wife and I will be on vacation. There will be many workout opportunities as well and eating and drinking. I hope I don't everdo it, but if it happens, oh well. Have fun everyone.
Ramblings
Wow folks,
This has been a busy stretch. A recovery week is supposed to be peaceful, but mine has been anything but that. Work continues to intrude on my personal space, so I've had to give it some attention. I set up a surprise Mother's Day party for mine and a few other wives this past weekend. My oldest son was sent off to camp for two weeks; the young one will follow on Monday for a week. In the midst of it all, training has found a small but welcome spot.
Kerr Lake is just 19 days away. It will be my first olympic race, and I can't wait. I've been thinking more about nutrition during the race, which is a new thing. I've been incorporating more sports drinks in place of straight water during my regular training. Gels are another story. Staying ahead of my dog has been tough; he goes into my gym bag and eats them when I'm asleep. No wonder he's so full of energy in the morning. This week officially starts the "Peak" period according to Friel. It consists of more intense/less duration sessions and more brick workouts.
At the swim workouts with Assassin Steve we have been using more fins. It has really made a difference in my kick. Now that my lower body is actually doing something, my entire body is in a better position. So, I'm becoming a more streamlined rock!
I would like to say a formal congratulations to all that rocked the White Lake Half Iron. I enjoyed reading the reports; they were incredibly inspiring (and funny).
Race Report: Riverwood Sprint
After a cold morning, the race-day temperature warmed to the low 70s'. The swim was 300yds and I finished breathing heavy, but not destroyed. The bike was a great course; mostly flat with small rollers. Others said there was a big hill near the finish, but they must have confused it with the run. The last 3/4s of a mile went uphill in various levels of pain. It went from "Wow, I can't catch my breath" steep to "Mommy make it stop" steep.
My times were: swim(300yds): 5:47 T1: 1:20 bike(20K): 39:51 T2: 1:03 run(5K): 24:42 overall: 1:12:42
I'll take it. Base training with the club at the Y paid off. I gave my wife a huge hug and "thank you" for being a partner to my insanity. It was Mom's first experience at a triathlon, and after crossing the finish line, I said to her, "So, this is my new hobbby!" Next up, Kerr Lake Olympic...can't wait!
