Sunday, August 22nd
So, off I go. A two mile walk. Whoopie! Not much to tell you about this other than my max HR was 104 and my average was 95.
Here is Frank’s response to my text informing him of the results:
“This sounds good, clearly your body is at point of (recovery-ability) simply stated over trained let’s stay the course two more days with an easy three mile walk tomorrow seeing how the HR responds in mile three”
Monday, August 23rd
Almost identical results as yesterday: 106 max and a 95 average. Not seeing any type of “recovery”, I begin to panic a bit and heed the advice of a few people to go see my doctor. Appointment is scheduled for Wednesday.
Tuesday, August 24th
Day off
Wednesday, August 25th
Day off
My doc listened to what I had to say, but didn’t seem too alarmed with any of it. He ended up doing an EKG and indicated that there wasn’t anything “acute.” I proceeded to go over to the lab and got some blood work done. Those results should be back next week. Ultimately, he wasn’t worried or alarmed at anything he saw. I think he had my resting HR at 56 and said 55 – 60 was completely normal for a person in my shape. He did, however, want me to follow up with a cardiologist just to be safe.
Thursday, August 26th
Day off
Made an appointment with a cardiologist for Monday, August 30th.
Friday, August 27th
In the last 15 days, I’ve accomplished the following:
12 complete days off
30.47 mile ride
2 mile walk
3 mile walk
After the initial clean bill from my doc, I had to get back after it. As a result, I put in a 4 mile run and actually felt good! Actually, I only wanted to run 3, but I got turned around in one of the neighborhoods and had to add another mile. After looking at the results, I had to chuckle. A 174 bpm average at only 9:14 minutes per mile! Maybe it’s just that my HR runs higher than others and I’ll have to deal with it. It will be interesting to read these blogs years from now and see the possible maturation process of understanding HR zones and such.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46348092
Saturday, August 28th
OK, I was so ready for a nice bike ride where I didn’t have to listen to my Garmin beeping and buzzing the entire time. Just get out there and enjoy myself. My only goals were to get between 40 – 50 miles while keeping a comfortable pace. When I got up, my quads were so stinkin’ sore, it was comical watching me go downstairs. I haven’t been this sore since I started running back in December/January! Who knew it would be like this after just 2 weeks! I knew that our typical west side loop was between 30 – 32 miles, so I found a couple of “detours” along the way to extend it a bit. I actually felt good and smooth through about 40 miles. It was right around this point where my already sore legs were telling me a little something. I was able to bring it home with some fairly solid results: 45.21 miles, 19.1 mph, and 150 bpm. Considering the layoff I had, I was pretty satisfied with this ride.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/46853872
Today, I met Frank at Lifetime Fitness so that he could video my swim stroke and evaluate. After a 300 yard warm up, he set up the underwater camera and had me do a series of 25’s. The camera was mounted to a rolling cart with some PVC contraption. He would walk along the deck while the camera followed me below. He took some overhead shots and head on shots too. All told, I think I did 450 yards before he said, “I’ve seen all I need to!” One of his first comments was, “Well, you still swim like you’re in high school!” What he meant by that is my pull stroke uses the “inverted S” technique that is no longer taught. That being said, he told me that since I’m so efficient at it that he didn’t want to change it. Other than some “tweaking”, he indicated that I looked pretty solid. Oh, and he said that I kick like a swimmer and not a triathlete. He had some reservations about whether I could keep up my constant kick for 2.4 miles and then ride for 112. He said that he’ll do some tests and if I can, great. If not, I may have to adapt a 2 beat kick.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
08/15/2010 - 08/21/2010
Sunday, August 15th
Day Off
Monday, August 16th
Day Off
Tuesday, August 17th
Day Off
Wednesday, August 18th
Day Off
Thursday, August 19th
Day Off
Friday, August 20th
Still had a day off, but I met with Frank Sole. He’s a teammate on One Multisport and is out on the soccer fields with us on Wednesdays. He is also a tri coach and the head swim coach at Notre Dame Prep here in Scottsdale. I figured that this overtraining stuff was serious enough that I didn’t want it to happen again. That said, we were able to get together over coffee and discuss my future. With the information I provided him, he pretty much confirmed that my symptoms were due to overtraining. He wanted me to get back into training with a 30 mile, zone 2, bike ride tomorrow with a zone 2/3 5 mile run on Sunday. I left our meeting fired up to get back after it. After all, it’s been 9 days.
Saturday, August 21st
In my mind, a 30 mile ride was going to take around an hour and a half to complete, so I figured that I could sleep in a bit and start later (around 7AM). James, on the other hand, was gunning for 80 miles and wanted to set out around 4:30AM. We worked it out that I would still start at 7 and meet him out during the ride. Before I left, I set the alarm feature on my Garmin to warn me when my HR rose above 133 (zone 2). Not 1 mile in, it started to go off. What? Already? 140? I couldn’t believe it. OK, just settle down and find a groove and it will balance out. Nope. The alarm must’ve gone off no less than 8 times in the first 4 miles. That’s when James called and asked where I was. After I informed him that I was less than half a mile away, he said that they’d slow down to let me catch up. Moments later, I could see them. James, Kyle, and Chris were all heading away from me, but keeping a real slow pace. Problem was, since my Garmin was buzzing and beeping already, I couldn’t pick up the pace to catch up. They ended up speeding away with an occasional look back to see where I was. Eventually, I caught up to them at a convenience store about 9 miles in. If you look at my HR graph, you can see that my HR only got down to about 121 while I sat and explained my new found woes for a bit. I ended up setting off before they were ready to go and was immediately met with a new flurry of buzzing and beeping. Shortly after I left them, the crew whizzed by me like I was standing still. I could hear James yell out, “Come on! Join the train!” Believe me, it took absolutely everything I had not to grab the last wheel and join in the fun. Even though we were taking the same route, this was the last time I would see them. I can honestly say that this was one of the absolute hardest rides I’ve ever done. Mentally, it was challenging to keep hearing my Garmin telling me that I was exceeding 133bpm while only going 10 mph on certain inclines. I actually started talking to it. I was saying things I won’t repeat here, but I can tell you it wasn’t pretty. Mentally, it was challenging to be passed by a couple of different riders. Physically, it was challenging to back off the pedals every time I needed to go back to zone 2. Physically, it was challenging to almost be in the smallest gear while going up the smallest of inclines so as not to exceed 133. When I got home, I fired of this text to Frank:
“Real struggle 2 keep HR in zone 2. 30 miles @ approx 2 hrs. Still run 2maro or walk & recover? May still b badly overtrained”
His response:
“Dan, no doubt let’s see how tomorrow goes. Go with a 2 mile walk let me know HR. Go early out of the freakin’ heat that along can effect HR 4-6 beats”
So, there you have it. I’ve been reduced to 30 mile rides (in 2 hours) and walking for my Ironman training. Hey, if that sounds like depression, it is. Depression, if you recall, is another symptom of overtraining. The question is, how long is this going to take?
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45818698
Day Off
Monday, August 16th
Day Off
Tuesday, August 17th
Day Off
Wednesday, August 18th
Day Off
Thursday, August 19th
Day Off
Friday, August 20th
Still had a day off, but I met with Frank Sole. He’s a teammate on One Multisport and is out on the soccer fields with us on Wednesdays. He is also a tri coach and the head swim coach at Notre Dame Prep here in Scottsdale. I figured that this overtraining stuff was serious enough that I didn’t want it to happen again. That said, we were able to get together over coffee and discuss my future. With the information I provided him, he pretty much confirmed that my symptoms were due to overtraining. He wanted me to get back into training with a 30 mile, zone 2, bike ride tomorrow with a zone 2/3 5 mile run on Sunday. I left our meeting fired up to get back after it. After all, it’s been 9 days.
Saturday, August 21st
In my mind, a 30 mile ride was going to take around an hour and a half to complete, so I figured that I could sleep in a bit and start later (around 7AM). James, on the other hand, was gunning for 80 miles and wanted to set out around 4:30AM. We worked it out that I would still start at 7 and meet him out during the ride. Before I left, I set the alarm feature on my Garmin to warn me when my HR rose above 133 (zone 2). Not 1 mile in, it started to go off. What? Already? 140? I couldn’t believe it. OK, just settle down and find a groove and it will balance out. Nope. The alarm must’ve gone off no less than 8 times in the first 4 miles. That’s when James called and asked where I was. After I informed him that I was less than half a mile away, he said that they’d slow down to let me catch up. Moments later, I could see them. James, Kyle, and Chris were all heading away from me, but keeping a real slow pace. Problem was, since my Garmin was buzzing and beeping already, I couldn’t pick up the pace to catch up. They ended up speeding away with an occasional look back to see where I was. Eventually, I caught up to them at a convenience store about 9 miles in. If you look at my HR graph, you can see that my HR only got down to about 121 while I sat and explained my new found woes for a bit. I ended up setting off before they were ready to go and was immediately met with a new flurry of buzzing and beeping. Shortly after I left them, the crew whizzed by me like I was standing still. I could hear James yell out, “Come on! Join the train!” Believe me, it took absolutely everything I had not to grab the last wheel and join in the fun. Even though we were taking the same route, this was the last time I would see them. I can honestly say that this was one of the absolute hardest rides I’ve ever done. Mentally, it was challenging to keep hearing my Garmin telling me that I was exceeding 133bpm while only going 10 mph on certain inclines. I actually started talking to it. I was saying things I won’t repeat here, but I can tell you it wasn’t pretty. Mentally, it was challenging to be passed by a couple of different riders. Physically, it was challenging to back off the pedals every time I needed to go back to zone 2. Physically, it was challenging to almost be in the smallest gear while going up the smallest of inclines so as not to exceed 133. When I got home, I fired of this text to Frank:
“Real struggle 2 keep HR in zone 2. 30 miles @ approx 2 hrs. Still run 2maro or walk & recover? May still b badly overtrained”
His response:
“Dan, no doubt let’s see how tomorrow goes. Go with a 2 mile walk let me know HR. Go early out of the freakin’ heat that along can effect HR 4-6 beats”
So, there you have it. I’ve been reduced to 30 mile rides (in 2 hours) and walking for my Ironman training. Hey, if that sounds like depression, it is. Depression, if you recall, is another symptom of overtraining. The question is, how long is this going to take?
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/45818698
Monday, August 16, 2010
08/08/2010 - 08/14/2010
Sunday, August 8th
Taking into consideration my recent HR concerns and my general overall fatigue, I decided to take today off. I’ve decided to make this week “Recovery Week” where I will pay particular attention to keeping my HR and length of workouts down.
Monday, August 9th
Rather than pick a moderate swim from the book, I took one of my favorite warm-ups and added an easy 500 to it. I kept my strokes long, slow, and smooth. The entire swim was done at “warm up” pace and looked like this:
300S, 300K, 300P
200S, 200K, 200P
500S
Tuesday, August 10th
I bagged my speed workout to put in a super easy 13 mile ride.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43954720
My speed swim was also scrapped in lieu of a nice long and slow workout. I pieced the following together:
500S
200K
5x100 Backstroke
300K
500S
Again, all done at warm up pace.
Wednesday, August 11th
I wanted to put in another low impact ride that kept my HR down. My next door neighbor indicated that he was going out for an hour to an hour and a half. This was perfect for me. Once out, he indicated that we were going to go up Cave Creek. I wasn’t so hot on the idea because it’s all uphill and would elevate my HR a bit more than I wanted, but figured that it would be OK. The only time I could really keep my HR in check was when we stopped to change my flat and on the downhill home. It was an enjoyable ride, but again, the scientific data wasn’t what I was looking for.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44091585
Erik had us in “active recovery” at the soccer field. Perfect! Here is what we were supposed to do:
Warm up – 3 laps
3x (¼ all out bursts, ¼ high knee skipping)
3 laps jogging
3x (¼ hands on hips running, ¼ jog)
3x (½ lap on, ½ lap off)
Cool down – 3 laps
Here is the e-mail that I sent to Erik the next day:
Dude, that was, by far, my most dejecting and disappointing workout to date. Right from the get go, my HR was 105....and that was AFTER a few minutes of deep breathing and trying to bring it down. My "warm up" laps saw my HR shoot up to 171! My "burst laps" saw my HR skyrocket to 190 and hover around the mid 180's for the "skipping." The following 3 jogging laps kept me between 175 and 186 with a 9:00 - 10:50 pace. I started the "hands on hips" drill, but my HR wouldn't go below 180 no matter how slow I ran. I couldn't keep this up for 3 more miles, so I started walking again (in an attempt to bring it back down). I told myself that if I couldn't get it below 140 after 2 laps, I was calling it a day. Since I couldn't get it below 152, I was done after just 3.75 miles. Active RECOVERY? Not with an average HR of 169 and a max of 190.
I've been taking it easy since Saturday too. All workouts have averaged somewhere in zone 2 or low zone 3. No runs, low mileage on the bike, low yardage and warm-up pace in the pool, and a complete day off on Sunday.
BRUTAL!
His response:
I hate to say it, but I think you are having overtraining syndrome: You are describing it to a T...you need to take time off because even lower intensity is going to not allow you to recover...the sooner you recover, the sooner you can start again---rest is highly underrated! Follow the recommendations in this article---I've heard from many people this is exactly what you need to do, and trying to work through it could cost you IM AZ versus some days to recover---you’re already really fast in the water and abundantly prepared for the bike...the run is a battle no matter what, so it's better for you to fix this now and prep for the IM fresh versus fight the constant dejection....plus you'll have a sense of urgency (I know this coming back from my shoulder) and you'll really focus for the final push to the race. Sorry
He gave me a link about overtraining syndrome that included these signs/symptoms:
• Washed out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
o Definitely tired, drained, and have lack of energy during the day.
• Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
o CHECK!
• Pain in muscles and joints
o CHECK!
• Sudden drop in performance
o CHECK!
• Insomnia
o Nope
• Headaches
o From time to time, but nothing alarming
• Decreased immunity
o Nope
• Decrease in training capacity / intensity
o CHECK!
• Moodiness and irritability
o CHECK!
• Depression
o I wouldn’t call it “depression”, but I am bummed about my running performances and constantly elevated HR.
• Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
o Nope
• Decreased appetite
o Nope
• Increased incidence of injuries
o Nope
• A compulsive need to exercise
o CHECK!
The remedy? Time off. How much time off depends on how badly I over trained myself. As a result of this, I’ve decided to take the next four days completely off and then re-evaluate my training.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44215127
Thursday, August 12th
Day off
Friday, August 13th
Day off
Saturday, August 14th
Day off
Taking into consideration my recent HR concerns and my general overall fatigue, I decided to take today off. I’ve decided to make this week “Recovery Week” where I will pay particular attention to keeping my HR and length of workouts down.
Monday, August 9th
Rather than pick a moderate swim from the book, I took one of my favorite warm-ups and added an easy 500 to it. I kept my strokes long, slow, and smooth. The entire swim was done at “warm up” pace and looked like this:
300S, 300K, 300P
200S, 200K, 200P
500S
Tuesday, August 10th
I bagged my speed workout to put in a super easy 13 mile ride.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43954720
My speed swim was also scrapped in lieu of a nice long and slow workout. I pieced the following together:
500S
200K
5x100 Backstroke
300K
500S
Again, all done at warm up pace.
Wednesday, August 11th
I wanted to put in another low impact ride that kept my HR down. My next door neighbor indicated that he was going out for an hour to an hour and a half. This was perfect for me. Once out, he indicated that we were going to go up Cave Creek. I wasn’t so hot on the idea because it’s all uphill and would elevate my HR a bit more than I wanted, but figured that it would be OK. The only time I could really keep my HR in check was when we stopped to change my flat and on the downhill home. It was an enjoyable ride, but again, the scientific data wasn’t what I was looking for.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44091585
Erik had us in “active recovery” at the soccer field. Perfect! Here is what we were supposed to do:
Warm up – 3 laps
3x (¼ all out bursts, ¼ high knee skipping)
3 laps jogging
3x (¼ hands on hips running, ¼ jog)
3x (½ lap on, ½ lap off)
Cool down – 3 laps
Here is the e-mail that I sent to Erik the next day:
Dude, that was, by far, my most dejecting and disappointing workout to date. Right from the get go, my HR was 105....and that was AFTER a few minutes of deep breathing and trying to bring it down. My "warm up" laps saw my HR shoot up to 171! My "burst laps" saw my HR skyrocket to 190 and hover around the mid 180's for the "skipping." The following 3 jogging laps kept me between 175 and 186 with a 9:00 - 10:50 pace. I started the "hands on hips" drill, but my HR wouldn't go below 180 no matter how slow I ran. I couldn't keep this up for 3 more miles, so I started walking again (in an attempt to bring it back down). I told myself that if I couldn't get it below 140 after 2 laps, I was calling it a day. Since I couldn't get it below 152, I was done after just 3.75 miles. Active RECOVERY? Not with an average HR of 169 and a max of 190.
I've been taking it easy since Saturday too. All workouts have averaged somewhere in zone 2 or low zone 3. No runs, low mileage on the bike, low yardage and warm-up pace in the pool, and a complete day off on Sunday.
BRUTAL!
His response:
I hate to say it, but I think you are having overtraining syndrome: You are describing it to a T...you need to take time off because even lower intensity is going to not allow you to recover...the sooner you recover, the sooner you can start again---rest is highly underrated! Follow the recommendations in this article---I've heard from many people this is exactly what you need to do, and trying to work through it could cost you IM AZ versus some days to recover---you’re already really fast in the water and abundantly prepared for the bike...the run is a battle no matter what, so it's better for you to fix this now and prep for the IM fresh versus fight the constant dejection....plus you'll have a sense of urgency (I know this coming back from my shoulder) and you'll really focus for the final push to the race. Sorry
He gave me a link about overtraining syndrome that included these signs/symptoms:
• Washed out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
o Definitely tired, drained, and have lack of energy during the day.
• Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
o CHECK!
• Pain in muscles and joints
o CHECK!
• Sudden drop in performance
o CHECK!
• Insomnia
o Nope
• Headaches
o From time to time, but nothing alarming
• Decreased immunity
o Nope
• Decrease in training capacity / intensity
o CHECK!
• Moodiness and irritability
o CHECK!
• Depression
o I wouldn’t call it “depression”, but I am bummed about my running performances and constantly elevated HR.
• Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
o Nope
• Decreased appetite
o Nope
• Increased incidence of injuries
o Nope
• A compulsive need to exercise
o CHECK!
The remedy? Time off. How much time off depends on how badly I over trained myself. As a result of this, I’ve decided to take the next four days completely off and then re-evaluate my training.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/44215127
Thursday, August 12th
Day off
Friday, August 13th
Day off
Saturday, August 14th
Day off
Monday, August 9, 2010
08/01/2010 - 08/07/2010
Sunday, August 1st
Set off at around 4:40AM to try and get in a minimum of 10 miles. The weather was overcast and perfect for a long run. Right out of the gate, I felt pretty good, so I knew it was going to be a fun run. To add to the excitement, I decided on trying out a new route too. Right around mile 5, I decided to take the only gel I had with me. It was a Power Bar banana/strawberry that I picked up from Fry’s. I typically use Gu, but since I had recently run out, I picked up a few of the Power Bar’s to get me by. You know, while it wasn’t my favorite, it seemed to work real well. I also liked how it wasn’t as thick as the Gu. This made it a bit easier to get down while active. I don’t think I’ll switch, but it’s good to know for future reference. Mile 7 is about when it started to drizzle. It was very refreshing and lasted for a few more miles. Mile 7 was also the point where the elevation started to head downhill. Most all of my previous runs ended in more of an uphill finish, so this was icing on the cake. My HR wasn’t as low as I wanted, so that was a disappointment. I was able to keep it below a max of 176 with the exception of the last hundred yards, or so. I had a bit left in the tank, so I decided to really push it. The result was a 182 bpm HR. My average of 170 was in the upper end of zone 4 when ideally, it was to be in the upper end of zone 2. Overall, the enjoyment factor of this run was extremely satisfying, while the “scientific” numbers were not satisfying at all.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42856496
Monday, August 2nd
One of my favorite “moderate” workouts is the force workout that uses the pull gear for the main set:
Warm Up – 300 swim & 300 kick
8x150 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:20 RI)
8x100 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:15 RI)
8x50 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:10 RI)
Warm Down – 100 swim
The workout felt great and so did my arms. I felt smooth and fast. I was really able to get after #8 in the descending sets.
Today, I was able to take advantage of an unbelievably insane/good offer from the bike shop (Airpark Bikes) that sponsors our road team. As a result, I dropped off my tri bike and will have to ride the BH for the rest of this week.
Tuesday, August 3rd
Double dip….Speed ride in the morning and speed swim in the afternoon. Once again, I utilized Rancho Paloma for my intervals and wanted to keep the workout to an hour. After a modest warm up, I headed off for my first sprint. I quickly realized that I was at my max about a third of a mile into it. Since I can keep an all out pace on my tri bike the entire time, this was a new experience. I came to the conclusion that I would give it everything for about a third of a mile, recover for a third, and then give it everything to the finish. On my very first recovery lap, there was a man walking in the bike lane coming towards me. As I got closer, it was clear that he was not going to move at all. Oh well, I figured that I would give him as much room as possible without swerving out of the bike lane and into the actual road. As I went by, he yells out, “MOVE OVER!” Wait, did I just hear a walker, in the bike lane, coming at me, say that? Wow. OK, so I make it back to start interval number 2 and it goes off without a hitch. On my recovery lap, the same guy turned around and is now walking in the bike lane WITH the flow of traffic (his back towards me). Since he was wearing a walkman, I wouldn’t be able to alert him to me passing him on the left, so I decided to stop and politely discuss the situation and my concerns over safety. BAD idea! Dude started yelling profanities at me and calling me every name in the book. I couldn’t believe it! I told him that I was just trying to be nice and that I wanted to talk to him about sharing the lane. He yelled at me some more and then actually got on the sidewalk as traffic stopped to see what was going on. Ultimately, we both went about our business, but the mood was set. I tried to keep the intensity up on each of my intervals, but I just couldn’t shake the “interaction” and became distracted. I was able to get in 7 intervals and 16.25 miles in one hour. I was a bit surprised, however, that my max HR wasn’t higher than 178. I mean, I really gave it some juice.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42993846
I picked the following anaerobic workout for today’s swim:
Warm up – 300S, 300K, 200P, 200S, 200K, 200P
4x50 BUILD (1:00 SI)
2x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
2x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
3x50 FAST (1:00SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
4x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
Cool down – 300S
Even though my efforts this morning were pointing towards some much needed recovery time, today’s swim workout went off without any problems. I was able to keep my fast 50’s between :26 and :30 the entire time. Total yards = 2550.
Wednesday, August 4th
Moderate ride in the AM and speed run in the PM.
I really wanted to get 50 miles today and keep my HR in check while doing so. That means that I would have to keep the pace up and the HR average in zone 2. James had some extra time, so he left at 5:30 whereas I didn’t, so I was rolling at 5. I was able to get in about 8 miles before meeting up with him. About 37 miles later, I headed toward home while he continued in a different direction. As I was getting closer, I realized that I was going to come up short of 50. Since this was one of my goals, I had to put in some additional miles close to home. Ultimately, I was able to get my 50 miles and was able to keep my average HR in zone 2.5. Pretty solid ride for me.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43156536
Today was another hot one for the soccer field intervals. Erik wanted us following this plan:
Warm up – 3 laps jogging
4-6x (2 laps “on” & 1 lap “off”)
The pace for the on laps was supposed to be steady, like you would in a competitive 10k race. He really wanted us to save some energy for the last rep so we could negative split it.
Cool down – 3 laps jogging
I started out fairly well at 7:15 – 8:10 min/mile and held that for the 2nd on lap as well. My pace slid down to 8:06 – 8:42 on the third. That’s when I noticed that my HR was between 180 – 185 and didn’t come down all that much (170 – 172) for my recovery “off” laps. I decided to go against Eriks orders and walk my next “off” to see how low I could get it before hitting the last “on” lap. I brought my pace down to over 18 min/mile and my HR down to about 149 bpm. My last on lap saw a pace between 7:17 and 8:21 and a near maxed HR of 187. Dismal. I can’t really figure this one out. When I confronted Erik about it, he indicated that I may be over-trained and in much need of some recovery time. I’d have to agree.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43251205
Thursday, August 5th
Long swim:
Warm up – 200s, 100k, 200s
4x150 BUILD (:20 RI)
4x50 K (:15 RI)
4x100 BUILD (:15 RI)
4x75 K (:15 RI)
4x200 DESC 2-2 (: 30 RI)
Cool down – 200S
Everything felt fine. No sign of fatigue. Total yards = 3000.
Friday, August 6th
I wanted my moderate run to be between 5-8 miles with a goal of 160 bpm or lower. Ultimately, I’d really like to keep my average HR in zone 2 for this run, but considering the latest results, I didn’t think that was going to be possible today. Knowing that my pace was going to be real low, I started out at 4:30AM. I didn’t really have a planned route, so it was kind of an “exploratory” run. I was on some main roads, on the golf course, and in neighborhoods. The only interesting thing I saw was an owl that was hooting on top of someone’s house. That being said, this was a very enjoyable run that had a low pace, new territories, and a couple of obtainable goals. I ended up with 7 miles and an average HR of 153. While this isn’t quite zone 2, I was still pleased that I could keep it down.
Picked up my new ride from Airpark today. Pics to follow tomorrows entry.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43369576
Saturday, August 7th
Last week, our bid to ride the Ironman course was negated by the weather, so we planned on tackling it today. The day started out with this exchange of texts:
3:50AM [JAMES] It’s raining……we doing this again?
3:55AM [ME] It’s raining HERE. How about on the Bline & Tempe? Risk it?
3:57AM [JAMES] I looked @ weather radar map & FH (Fountain Hills) is same as here – 40% all morng which means rain. Yeah, lets do it
3:59AM [ME] B @ ur crib in 30. I’ll drive.
4:00AM [JAMES] I thgt I was driving
4:05AM [ME] ok, c u in 30. ur driving.
4:06AM [JAMES] Make up ur mind
4:07AM [ME] u r driving.
4:29AM [JAMES] It’s windy & lightning outside….?????
At this point, I was already outside of James’ house and he was right. It was windy and lightning. Since we didn’t know what the weather was like where we were going to start, we racked the bikes and drove off. On the way, there was lightning and rain all around us. When we got to Shea and the B-line Highway, we could see that the storm wasn’t going to be a problem and rolled off at just before 6AM. Before we did, however, I told James that the ride had, “disaster written all over it.” I don’t know what it was, but there was a buzz in the air that led me to make the statement. About 8 miles in, James got a flat. After some quick work, he had his tube in, wheel on, and we were off again. 7 miles later and he got another. This time he had to use my spare tube and one of my CO2 cartridges. We also had to use some spare electrical tape to cover up some small holes in the tire. It was at this point, we made the executive decision to start heading back to the truck so James could grab a 3rd tube. Just under half way back, we realized that the new tube was low again. We had to use our last CO2 to top it off. We were now completely out of spare tubes and CO2. When we got back to the truck, we found out that the tube was down to 50 psi (from about 110), which means it was going flat again. I ended up calling the ride and we headed home defeated again. The only solstice I can take from this ride was that I was able to stay in zone 2. OK, the UPPER end of zone 2, but still zone 2 none-the-less. Oh, and the new ride worked perfectly. Total miles ridden = 28.85.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43820308
The new ride:
Set off at around 4:40AM to try and get in a minimum of 10 miles. The weather was overcast and perfect for a long run. Right out of the gate, I felt pretty good, so I knew it was going to be a fun run. To add to the excitement, I decided on trying out a new route too. Right around mile 5, I decided to take the only gel I had with me. It was a Power Bar banana/strawberry that I picked up from Fry’s. I typically use Gu, but since I had recently run out, I picked up a few of the Power Bar’s to get me by. You know, while it wasn’t my favorite, it seemed to work real well. I also liked how it wasn’t as thick as the Gu. This made it a bit easier to get down while active. I don’t think I’ll switch, but it’s good to know for future reference. Mile 7 is about when it started to drizzle. It was very refreshing and lasted for a few more miles. Mile 7 was also the point where the elevation started to head downhill. Most all of my previous runs ended in more of an uphill finish, so this was icing on the cake. My HR wasn’t as low as I wanted, so that was a disappointment. I was able to keep it below a max of 176 with the exception of the last hundred yards, or so. I had a bit left in the tank, so I decided to really push it. The result was a 182 bpm HR. My average of 170 was in the upper end of zone 4 when ideally, it was to be in the upper end of zone 2. Overall, the enjoyment factor of this run was extremely satisfying, while the “scientific” numbers were not satisfying at all.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42856496
Monday, August 2nd
One of my favorite “moderate” workouts is the force workout that uses the pull gear for the main set:
Warm Up – 300 swim & 300 kick
8x150 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:20 RI)
8x100 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:15 RI)
8x50 Pull (Desc 1-8) (:10 RI)
Warm Down – 100 swim
The workout felt great and so did my arms. I felt smooth and fast. I was really able to get after #8 in the descending sets.
Today, I was able to take advantage of an unbelievably insane/good offer from the bike shop (Airpark Bikes) that sponsors our road team. As a result, I dropped off my tri bike and will have to ride the BH for the rest of this week.
Tuesday, August 3rd
Double dip….Speed ride in the morning and speed swim in the afternoon. Once again, I utilized Rancho Paloma for my intervals and wanted to keep the workout to an hour. After a modest warm up, I headed off for my first sprint. I quickly realized that I was at my max about a third of a mile into it. Since I can keep an all out pace on my tri bike the entire time, this was a new experience. I came to the conclusion that I would give it everything for about a third of a mile, recover for a third, and then give it everything to the finish. On my very first recovery lap, there was a man walking in the bike lane coming towards me. As I got closer, it was clear that he was not going to move at all. Oh well, I figured that I would give him as much room as possible without swerving out of the bike lane and into the actual road. As I went by, he yells out, “MOVE OVER!” Wait, did I just hear a walker, in the bike lane, coming at me, say that? Wow. OK, so I make it back to start interval number 2 and it goes off without a hitch. On my recovery lap, the same guy turned around and is now walking in the bike lane WITH the flow of traffic (his back towards me). Since he was wearing a walkman, I wouldn’t be able to alert him to me passing him on the left, so I decided to stop and politely discuss the situation and my concerns over safety. BAD idea! Dude started yelling profanities at me and calling me every name in the book. I couldn’t believe it! I told him that I was just trying to be nice and that I wanted to talk to him about sharing the lane. He yelled at me some more and then actually got on the sidewalk as traffic stopped to see what was going on. Ultimately, we both went about our business, but the mood was set. I tried to keep the intensity up on each of my intervals, but I just couldn’t shake the “interaction” and became distracted. I was able to get in 7 intervals and 16.25 miles in one hour. I was a bit surprised, however, that my max HR wasn’t higher than 178. I mean, I really gave it some juice.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42993846
I picked the following anaerobic workout for today’s swim:
Warm up – 300S, 300K, 200P, 200S, 200K, 200P
4x50 BUILD (1:00 SI)
2x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
2x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
3x50 FAST (1:00SI)
1x50 EASY (1:00 SI)
4x50 FAST (1:00 SI)
Cool down – 300S
Even though my efforts this morning were pointing towards some much needed recovery time, today’s swim workout went off without any problems. I was able to keep my fast 50’s between :26 and :30 the entire time. Total yards = 2550.
Wednesday, August 4th
Moderate ride in the AM and speed run in the PM.
I really wanted to get 50 miles today and keep my HR in check while doing so. That means that I would have to keep the pace up and the HR average in zone 2. James had some extra time, so he left at 5:30 whereas I didn’t, so I was rolling at 5. I was able to get in about 8 miles before meeting up with him. About 37 miles later, I headed toward home while he continued in a different direction. As I was getting closer, I realized that I was going to come up short of 50. Since this was one of my goals, I had to put in some additional miles close to home. Ultimately, I was able to get my 50 miles and was able to keep my average HR in zone 2.5. Pretty solid ride for me.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43156536
Today was another hot one for the soccer field intervals. Erik wanted us following this plan:
Warm up – 3 laps jogging
4-6x (2 laps “on” & 1 lap “off”)
The pace for the on laps was supposed to be steady, like you would in a competitive 10k race. He really wanted us to save some energy for the last rep so we could negative split it.
Cool down – 3 laps jogging
I started out fairly well at 7:15 – 8:10 min/mile and held that for the 2nd on lap as well. My pace slid down to 8:06 – 8:42 on the third. That’s when I noticed that my HR was between 180 – 185 and didn’t come down all that much (170 – 172) for my recovery “off” laps. I decided to go against Eriks orders and walk my next “off” to see how low I could get it before hitting the last “on” lap. I brought my pace down to over 18 min/mile and my HR down to about 149 bpm. My last on lap saw a pace between 7:17 and 8:21 and a near maxed HR of 187. Dismal. I can’t really figure this one out. When I confronted Erik about it, he indicated that I may be over-trained and in much need of some recovery time. I’d have to agree.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43251205
Thursday, August 5th
Long swim:
Warm up – 200s, 100k, 200s
4x150 BUILD (:20 RI)
4x50 K (:15 RI)
4x100 BUILD (:15 RI)
4x75 K (:15 RI)
4x200 DESC 2-2 (: 30 RI)
Cool down – 200S
Everything felt fine. No sign of fatigue. Total yards = 3000.
Friday, August 6th
I wanted my moderate run to be between 5-8 miles with a goal of 160 bpm or lower. Ultimately, I’d really like to keep my average HR in zone 2 for this run, but considering the latest results, I didn’t think that was going to be possible today. Knowing that my pace was going to be real low, I started out at 4:30AM. I didn’t really have a planned route, so it was kind of an “exploratory” run. I was on some main roads, on the golf course, and in neighborhoods. The only interesting thing I saw was an owl that was hooting on top of someone’s house. That being said, this was a very enjoyable run that had a low pace, new territories, and a couple of obtainable goals. I ended up with 7 miles and an average HR of 153. While this isn’t quite zone 2, I was still pleased that I could keep it down.
Picked up my new ride from Airpark today. Pics to follow tomorrows entry.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43369576
Saturday, August 7th
Last week, our bid to ride the Ironman course was negated by the weather, so we planned on tackling it today. The day started out with this exchange of texts:
3:50AM [JAMES] It’s raining……we doing this again?
3:55AM [ME] It’s raining HERE. How about on the Bline & Tempe? Risk it?
3:57AM [JAMES] I looked @ weather radar map & FH (Fountain Hills) is same as here – 40% all morng which means rain. Yeah, lets do it
3:59AM [ME] B @ ur crib in 30. I’ll drive.
4:00AM [JAMES] I thgt I was driving
4:05AM [ME] ok, c u in 30. ur driving.
4:06AM [JAMES] Make up ur mind
4:07AM [ME] u r driving.
4:29AM [JAMES] It’s windy & lightning outside….?????
At this point, I was already outside of James’ house and he was right. It was windy and lightning. Since we didn’t know what the weather was like where we were going to start, we racked the bikes and drove off. On the way, there was lightning and rain all around us. When we got to Shea and the B-line Highway, we could see that the storm wasn’t going to be a problem and rolled off at just before 6AM. Before we did, however, I told James that the ride had, “disaster written all over it.” I don’t know what it was, but there was a buzz in the air that led me to make the statement. About 8 miles in, James got a flat. After some quick work, he had his tube in, wheel on, and we were off again. 7 miles later and he got another. This time he had to use my spare tube and one of my CO2 cartridges. We also had to use some spare electrical tape to cover up some small holes in the tire. It was at this point, we made the executive decision to start heading back to the truck so James could grab a 3rd tube. Just under half way back, we realized that the new tube was low again. We had to use our last CO2 to top it off. We were now completely out of spare tubes and CO2. When we got back to the truck, we found out that the tube was down to 50 psi (from about 110), which means it was going flat again. I ended up calling the ride and we headed home defeated again. The only solstice I can take from this ride was that I was able to stay in zone 2. OK, the UPPER end of zone 2, but still zone 2 none-the-less. Oh, and the new ride worked perfectly. Total miles ridden = 28.85.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43820308
The new ride:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
07/25/2010 - 07/31/2010
Sunday, July 25th
Sunday is typically reserved for my long run, but I was afforded the opportunity to ride with an old high school / college friend that I hadn’t seen in years. Jon and I ended up agreeing on a meeting place about 9 miles from my house and on a 40ish mile ride. The “Small West Side Loop” is about 30 miles and was perfect for what we wanted to accomplish. The ride was great. We were able to catch up on old times, talk about different friends we’ve lost contact with, the Tour de France, and pretty much everything else under the sun. We kept a nice steady pace and just enjoyed the moment. Hopefully our schedules will allow us to ride together again soon. Ultimately, I was able to grab 51.56 miles (9 miles to rendezvous point + ride + ride back from rendezvous point) while keeping my heart rate in check.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41924804
Monday, July 26th
Since I didn’t do my long run yesterday, and I wasn’t going to be able to swim this afternoon (my son’s birthday party with the family), I decided to get in a morning run. I intended to pound out 8-10 miles, but after just 2, I knew I didn’t have it in me. For some reason, I was feeling sluggish and uncoordinated. I thought that I might get loose after another mile, or two, but it wasn’t meant to be. I took a detour and headed back. Right around mile 5, I noticed that my heart rate was hovering around 177 – 180 and had been above 170 the entire time. I decided to try and bring it back down by walking a bit. After bringing it down to about 142, I picked up the pace again. I was able to keep it below 170 for the next mile or so before it crept back up towards the finish. Overall, I was severely disappointed with this workout. I was averaging zone 4-5 the entire time, was pushing a paltry 9:32 pace, and walked a bit. While there’s nothing wrong with talking a little stroll during a run, it just added to my overall dissatisfaction. I ended up netting 7 miles, so at least it wasn’t a complete waste.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41924813
Tuesday, July 27th
On tap was an Endurance – speed workout that looked like this:
Warm up – 300 swim, 200 kick, 12x25 MOD (:10 RI)
4X
300 swim (MOD) (:20 RI)
2x75 swim (FAST) (:15 RI)
400 kick
*100 EASY, 200 MOD, 100 EASY
Warm down – 100 swim
Everything felt fine and as it should. I’d say that I was satisfied with today’s workout. Total pool yards was 3200.
Wednesday, July 28th
Wednesday’s have been pretty predictable for the last 2 months. Moderate ride in the AM and speed run in the PM. James and I both wanted to get in a 3 hour ride, but he was able to leave about 30 minutes later than me. As a result, I saddled up at 5AM with the intention of meeting him (and our friend Chris) out on the course. After about 16 miles, I was able to meet up with James and then set out to meet Chris some 7 miles later. This was a great ride where I was able to keep my average heart rate in zone 2. Averaging almost 18mph, I was able to put in 54.14 miles.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42195881
My speed work started at 5PM. Today wasn’t as hot as previous Wednesdays, but it sure was humid. The overcast skies provided a nice relief from the blazing sun too.
Warm up – 3 laps (1 mile)
6x (1 lap on & one lap off)
Cool down – 3 laps
When I got out on the field, I realized that I forgot my chest strap at home. Oh well, guess I won’t be able to confirm that I hit my max heart rate for each “on” lap. When I was out there, I felt really good for the first 3 “on” laps and then felt like I was struggling with the rest. After looking at the data, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to get down to a 6:21 pace and held it within a pretty tight range. The last “on” lap is actually quite interesting in that I was able to get my pace down to 6:44, but immediately plummet to over 10 before finishing just under 9. I was COOKED! The data includes my warm up, warm down, and all water stops. I’m not quite sure why the map has me running down the middle of the field, because I never did that. Maybe it was the cloud cover affecting the GPS? Overall, I covered 5 miles and felt pretty good about this workout.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42296961
Thursday, July 29th
I was all set up to do my long swim today, but lightening kept the pool closed. James mentioned that if we couldn’t swim, he would like to run later in the evening. I’ve never started a run at 8:30PM, but that’s what we did. James wanted to get in 7 miles and indicated that we could net 6 if we ran just the cart paths of the golf course. By adding on a small detour, we could get 7. As we set off, it quickly became apparent that there were going to be lighting issues, water issues (from the rain), and landscaping issues. While there was a bright moon, it was covered by the rain clouds. The rain and sprinkling system created huge puddles on the paths and tree branches that were visible during the day become camouflaged clotheslines at night. Speaking of the sprinkling system, it was really nice to get cooled off when the mist hit you in the face. That is until we realized that it was reclaimed water. Overall, this was one of my more memorable runs this year. I really enjoyed it and had fun.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42412903
Friday, July 30th
Since I couldn’t get my long swim in yesterday, I scheduled it for today. I picked the following endurance swim:
Warm Up – 300 swim, 200 kick, 6x75 [50 build, 25 B-3 (:15 RI)]
8x50 swim DESC 2-2-2-2 (:15 RI)
4x75 kick (:15 RI)
2x(3x200) @ T-PACE (:20 RI)
1:00 bonus rest between rounds
16x25 odds build, evens fast (:35 SI)
Cool down – 200 swim
This was an exceptional workout. Just enough rest and intensity to keep the heart pumping! The main set of 200’s was a real challenge. Overall, I really enjoyed this swim and was satisfied with the results. Total yards were 3450.
Saturday, July 31st
James and I agreed on a ride that would include 2 laps on the actual Ironman course. If we were successful, we would be able to get about 90 miles. When I woke up and rode to James house, it was still dark, so I didn’t really notice the rain clouds. After waiting outside of James house for a bit, it started to drizzle. By the time we were rolling, it was coming down steadily, but we needed to get it done. After about 6 ½ to 7 miles in, the rain let up and I took some pics to try and capture the mood/moment. We could see some low hanging rain clouds over the route we wanted to take, so we quickly adjusted our route to head north (instead of south to Rio Verde). The idea was to stay closer to home in the event that nature turned really ugly on us. At any rate, the rain picked up again and was pretty steady for the next 25 miles. We actually had the conversation about whether we were accomplishing anything or if we should bag the ride until tomorrow. Ultimately, we decided to roll on. Eventually, the rain cleared and we were able to get in a great 80 mile ride. Actually, we would have come up about 5 miles short, but ended up putting in some garbage miles to get to our magical number.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42856486
Sunday is typically reserved for my long run, but I was afforded the opportunity to ride with an old high school / college friend that I hadn’t seen in years. Jon and I ended up agreeing on a meeting place about 9 miles from my house and on a 40ish mile ride. The “Small West Side Loop” is about 30 miles and was perfect for what we wanted to accomplish. The ride was great. We were able to catch up on old times, talk about different friends we’ve lost contact with, the Tour de France, and pretty much everything else under the sun. We kept a nice steady pace and just enjoyed the moment. Hopefully our schedules will allow us to ride together again soon. Ultimately, I was able to grab 51.56 miles (9 miles to rendezvous point + ride + ride back from rendezvous point) while keeping my heart rate in check.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41924804
Monday, July 26th
Since I didn’t do my long run yesterday, and I wasn’t going to be able to swim this afternoon (my son’s birthday party with the family), I decided to get in a morning run. I intended to pound out 8-10 miles, but after just 2, I knew I didn’t have it in me. For some reason, I was feeling sluggish and uncoordinated. I thought that I might get loose after another mile, or two, but it wasn’t meant to be. I took a detour and headed back. Right around mile 5, I noticed that my heart rate was hovering around 177 – 180 and had been above 170 the entire time. I decided to try and bring it back down by walking a bit. After bringing it down to about 142, I picked up the pace again. I was able to keep it below 170 for the next mile or so before it crept back up towards the finish. Overall, I was severely disappointed with this workout. I was averaging zone 4-5 the entire time, was pushing a paltry 9:32 pace, and walked a bit. While there’s nothing wrong with talking a little stroll during a run, it just added to my overall dissatisfaction. I ended up netting 7 miles, so at least it wasn’t a complete waste.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/41924813
Tuesday, July 27th
On tap was an Endurance – speed workout that looked like this:
Warm up – 300 swim, 200 kick, 12x25 MOD (:10 RI)
4X
300 swim (MOD) (:20 RI)
2x75 swim (FAST) (:15 RI)
400 kick
*100 EASY, 200 MOD, 100 EASY
Warm down – 100 swim
Everything felt fine and as it should. I’d say that I was satisfied with today’s workout. Total pool yards was 3200.
Wednesday, July 28th
Wednesday’s have been pretty predictable for the last 2 months. Moderate ride in the AM and speed run in the PM. James and I both wanted to get in a 3 hour ride, but he was able to leave about 30 minutes later than me. As a result, I saddled up at 5AM with the intention of meeting him (and our friend Chris) out on the course. After about 16 miles, I was able to meet up with James and then set out to meet Chris some 7 miles later. This was a great ride where I was able to keep my average heart rate in zone 2. Averaging almost 18mph, I was able to put in 54.14 miles.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42195881
My speed work started at 5PM. Today wasn’t as hot as previous Wednesdays, but it sure was humid. The overcast skies provided a nice relief from the blazing sun too.
Warm up – 3 laps (1 mile)
6x (1 lap on & one lap off)
Cool down – 3 laps
When I got out on the field, I realized that I forgot my chest strap at home. Oh well, guess I won’t be able to confirm that I hit my max heart rate for each “on” lap. When I was out there, I felt really good for the first 3 “on” laps and then felt like I was struggling with the rest. After looking at the data, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to get down to a 6:21 pace and held it within a pretty tight range. The last “on” lap is actually quite interesting in that I was able to get my pace down to 6:44, but immediately plummet to over 10 before finishing just under 9. I was COOKED! The data includes my warm up, warm down, and all water stops. I’m not quite sure why the map has me running down the middle of the field, because I never did that. Maybe it was the cloud cover affecting the GPS? Overall, I covered 5 miles and felt pretty good about this workout.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42296961
Thursday, July 29th
I was all set up to do my long swim today, but lightening kept the pool closed. James mentioned that if we couldn’t swim, he would like to run later in the evening. I’ve never started a run at 8:30PM, but that’s what we did. James wanted to get in 7 miles and indicated that we could net 6 if we ran just the cart paths of the golf course. By adding on a small detour, we could get 7. As we set off, it quickly became apparent that there were going to be lighting issues, water issues (from the rain), and landscaping issues. While there was a bright moon, it was covered by the rain clouds. The rain and sprinkling system created huge puddles on the paths and tree branches that were visible during the day become camouflaged clotheslines at night. Speaking of the sprinkling system, it was really nice to get cooled off when the mist hit you in the face. That is until we realized that it was reclaimed water. Overall, this was one of my more memorable runs this year. I really enjoyed it and had fun.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42412903
Friday, July 30th
Since I couldn’t get my long swim in yesterday, I scheduled it for today. I picked the following endurance swim:
Warm Up – 300 swim, 200 kick, 6x75 [50 build, 25 B-3 (:15 RI)]
8x50 swim DESC 2-2-2-2 (:15 RI)
4x75 kick (:15 RI)
2x(3x200) @ T-PACE (:20 RI)
1:00 bonus rest between rounds
16x25 odds build, evens fast (:35 SI)
Cool down – 200 swim
This was an exceptional workout. Just enough rest and intensity to keep the heart pumping! The main set of 200’s was a real challenge. Overall, I really enjoyed this swim and was satisfied with the results. Total yards were 3450.
Saturday, July 31st
James and I agreed on a ride that would include 2 laps on the actual Ironman course. If we were successful, we would be able to get about 90 miles. When I woke up and rode to James house, it was still dark, so I didn’t really notice the rain clouds. After waiting outside of James house for a bit, it started to drizzle. By the time we were rolling, it was coming down steadily, but we needed to get it done. After about 6 ½ to 7 miles in, the rain let up and I took some pics to try and capture the mood/moment. We could see some low hanging rain clouds over the route we wanted to take, so we quickly adjusted our route to head north (instead of south to Rio Verde). The idea was to stay closer to home in the event that nature turned really ugly on us. At any rate, the rain picked up again and was pretty steady for the next 25 miles. We actually had the conversation about whether we were accomplishing anything or if we should bag the ride until tomorrow. Ultimately, we decided to roll on. Eventually, the rain cleared and we were able to get in a great 80 mile ride. Actually, we would have come up about 5 miles short, but ended up putting in some garbage miles to get to our magical number.
Link to workout:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/42856486
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