I was pretty tired after the Storrie Lake Tri, but not as bad as I had expected. We had a neighborhood party to get to once I got home, so I figured I'd just be hammered on Monday. I was pleasantly surprised to not be so bad, but I did get a lot of headrushes and had to be outside for my work a lot (I'm a project manager for our county municipal utility department). It was a busy day, but I did get a quick swim in just after work, right before having to rush over to Mila's pre-school to get her before they called child services. No, I made it before the "overtime" charges start, but just barely. Then, I felt tired.
We were so tired in the evening, and the kids just didn't want to get to sleep. That is when all of this extracurricular triathlon stuff gets tough. I have to step back sometimes and be sure it's not taking away from my family. When I think it is, then I back off. There are times when I get selfish and head out for a long training session, but those are getting few and far between now. It is mostly quickie 45 minutes to 1.5 hour sessions. Luckily, most races are only around 2 hours. I'll have to figure something out before the two long races later this year.
We had our Tuesday night time trial tonight. It was again quite breezy (unfavorably), dry, and "hot" for Los Alamos. We used to get some cool evenings with some moisture starting about now, but dry, warm, and windy has been the rule more often than not these past 3 or 4 years. Ugh, I'm tired of it. I could go for a month of rain about now.
The TT went better than the two previous ones. I had to change my gears on the back. I was trying to use my "in shape, tough guy gears" before, but I put on a much easier cog for the climb out of the canyon this evening. It worked. I didn't turn into a mess of lactic acid so badly and had something to give on the rollers from the ski hill turn-off to the finish at the back gate. I didn't have the big-11, but with the headwind, I didn't really need it. If our conditions get more favorable, I'll put the tough-guy gears back on.
Great to see people turning out. The "nooner" (as Dina likes to call it =) is also well attended. Great job to all of you. I'll get the results posted here and on the email lists sometime tomorrow, I hope. I'm in charge of that nasty construction project (among other things) in the Western Area, so I'm not as on top of things as I would like to be.
But, life is good and I can't complain.
Get registered and get to training for the rest of the open water series races! The course at City of Lakes is just so AWESOME! You all gotta go do it if you can!
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, May 14, 2012
XTerra Dread Mon Mtn Bike clinic Sat May 19th!
From Clay:
"I've been meaning to send out information regarding the mountain bike (and possibly also swim and run) clinic this weekend at Elephant Butte for the coming XTERRA Dread Mon in July. This is a little late in coming, but if you are planning on taking part in this super-cool race, it might be a good thing to consider coming down and camping (or moteling it in style...) and doing the clinic with us.
There is great camping at the Elephant Butte State Park, as you're probably aware from the Elephant Man tri, but there is also great camping at the Dam Site as well. That is actually where the XTERRA Dread Mon and the Dam It Man triathlons are, not at the State Park beach like the Elephant Man. Information on the Dam Site lodging, restaurant, and marina can be found at:http://thedamsite.com/ There is actually a lot of really cool options with an historic lodge, cabins, campsites, etc., and it's a very scenic and fun setting.
The mountain bike course for the XTERRA is quite challenging, so I've heard. I have not actually seen it myself, so the focus will be to develop a strategy on the most technical sections to limit time losses and make the experience as fun as possible. XTERRA events are a lot of fun and the atmosphere is a bit more laid-back than normal triathlons, but there are some technical differences between them and regular road triathlons, so this will be a good introduction to what you may expect, as well as getting a little more comfort with the whole thing.
Hope to see some of you there!"
[to sign up click here: http://www.dreadmontriathlon.com/mountain-bike-clinic ]
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Enchanted Forest Trail Festival
Enchanted Forest Trail Festival off-road Duathlon
First of all, a big thanks to those of you who made it out. I know it's tough to commit to something with family and on such short notice. But in the end, it was a great weekend for camping, hanging out and especially for doing this type of event. It's something that any of you who like off-road and mountain adventure should do.
I’ll spare you all the details of how we worked on getting this together and everything that I had to do to make it happen. Suffice it to say that I now realize that a day of chainsaw work is not all that detrimental to preparing for a ½ Ironman the following week =) A big thanks to Dina, who kept encouraging me and filling in the gaps left at home during the time that I was working on this race. It actually turned out to be a great course.
Speaking of the course, I thought it was beautiful. It was also challenging, especially at that altitude. I will admit that the run was a bit long: probably about 2.5km per loop instead of the advertised 2km per loop. Throw in the forest and mountain obstacles, and that turns out to be a pretty tough addition. The bike course was not much over the 10km per loop, but some thought it was longer than it was. Again, chalk it up to the challenge and altitude. I patterned these courses after what I’ve seen at XTERRA events, and in particular, the XTERRA Indian Peaks at the Eldora Alpine and Nordic ski areas. My bike time was exactly the same, but they do say their race course is 12km per loop, if that gives any reference.
The runs took in both wide and open xc ski trails, along with some very forested terrain that serves as the snowshoe trails in the winter. It had been raining a lot in the weeks before the race, so everything was green and wet.
Running at altitude is tough and takes a lot of people by surprise. I think we triathletes are especially surprised, but that is what makes doing these types of events great. They’re different! Even though I ran a grand total of only 51+ minutes at this little event, it served me well the following weekend at the half-IM I did at the Elephant Man because it was so tough.
The bike course was also very interesting and required a variety of skills. There were never any LONG sloggy climbs, but there were plenty of tough hills and slow stretches to make it a very hard workout. The return leg on the “Northwest Passage” xc ski trail had plenty of fast and fun riding, with just enough technical challenge thrown in to make it interesting for the real mountain bikers. This was a very ride-able course and Dina even enjoyed it. That’s saying something from an arguably non-mountain biker.
The cool gray weather, wet forest and green environment made for a beautiful day of racing. I was a little bummed that we weren’t able to see Wheeler Peak out on the “Piece de Resistance” (pronounced with a French accent) trail at the far end of the course, but the low foggy clouds and cold air made for a real Pacific Northwest experience. The course and challenge was hailed (almost universally) as awesome.
First of all, a big thanks to those of you who made it out. I know it's tough to commit to something with family and on such short notice. But in the end, it was a great weekend for camping, hanging out and especially for doing this type of event. It's something that any of you who like off-road and mountain adventure should do.
I’ll spare you all the details of how we worked on getting this together and everything that I had to do to make it happen. Suffice it to say that I now realize that a day of chainsaw work is not all that detrimental to preparing for a ½ Ironman the following week =) A big thanks to Dina, who kept encouraging me and filling in the gaps left at home during the time that I was working on this race. It actually turned out to be a great course.
Speaking of the course, I thought it was beautiful. It was also challenging, especially at that altitude. I will admit that the run was a bit long: probably about 2.5km per loop instead of the advertised 2km per loop. Throw in the forest and mountain obstacles, and that turns out to be a pretty tough addition. The bike course was not much over the 10km per loop, but some thought it was longer than it was. Again, chalk it up to the challenge and altitude. I patterned these courses after what I’ve seen at XTERRA events, and in particular, the XTERRA Indian Peaks at the Eldora Alpine and Nordic ski areas. My bike time was exactly the same, but they do say their race course is 12km per loop, if that gives any reference.
The runs took in both wide and open xc ski trails, along with some very forested terrain that serves as the snowshoe trails in the winter. It had been raining a lot in the weeks before the race, so everything was green and wet.
Running at altitude is tough and takes a lot of people by surprise. I think we triathletes are especially surprised, but that is what makes doing these types of events great. They’re different! Even though I ran a grand total of only 51+ minutes at this little event, it served me well the following weekend at the half-IM I did at the Elephant Man because it was so tough.
The bike course was also very interesting and required a variety of skills. There were never any LONG sloggy climbs, but there were plenty of tough hills and slow stretches to make it a very hard workout. The return leg on the “Northwest Passage” xc ski trail had plenty of fast and fun riding, with just enough technical challenge thrown in to make it interesting for the real mountain bikers. This was a very ride-able course and Dina even enjoyed it. That’s saying something from an arguably non-mountain biker.
The cool gray weather, wet forest and green environment made for a beautiful day of racing. I was a little bummed that we weren’t able to see Wheeler Peak out on the “Piece de Resistance” (pronounced with a French accent) trail at the far end of the course, but the low foggy clouds and cold air made for a real Pacific Northwest experience. The course and challenge was hailed (almost universally) as awesome.
That afternoon, the GetOut!NM team hosted a cyclocross clinic that actually had an impressive turnout. I was pretty psyched to see how many people were interested in the clinic and the camping. 
The next day, there were two (actually advertised as four different races) consolidated practice cyclocross races. These were a lot of fun and there were just enough guys and gals from around the state to make them interesting. We found a GREAT ‘cross course that had lots of real cyclocross elements: grass, grassy run-ups, boggy areas, really muddy corners, fast sections, wooded downhills, etc. It was a lot of fun.
I jumped in at the last second just to add to the mix. It was fast off the start with some quick-starting juniors, but the altitude probably got to them quickly and I was able to capitalize on the high concentrations of lactic acid coursing through their bodies and ended up on my own after the first lap. I worked on finding good lines and speeding up where I could, especially over the barriers. It had been a while since I’d done a ‘cross race, but I’ve done a lot of them in my life and the XTERRA racing I’ve done helped me to handle the run-ups and barrier sections. It was a blast.
Hopefully, this event will grow in popularity. We’ll likely attempt it one more time and see what kind of turn-out we get.
I jumped in at the last second just to add to the mix. It was fast off the start with some quick-starting juniors, but the altitude probably got to them quickly and I was able to capitalize on the high concentrations of lactic acid coursing through their bodies and ended up on my own after the first lap. I worked on finding good lines and speeding up where I could, especially over the barriers. It had been a while since I’d done a ‘cross race, but I’ve done a lot of them in my life and the XTERRA racing I’ve done helped me to handle the run-ups and barrier sections. It was a blast.
Hopefully, this event will grow in popularity. We’ll likely attempt it one more time and see what kind of turn-out we get.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sept 17-18th Trail Duathlon and Cyclocross Events course info!
Well, the Enchanted Forest Trail Fest weekend is set for Sept 17th-18th with a trail duathlon and cyclocross events and clinics for all levels and abilities! Proceeds from the event will benefit Los Alamos trail restoration efforts! There will be free camping at the venue (no hookups) and hotel discounts in Red River for participants! Check out registration, schedule and more details on the flyer on the Southwest Nordic Ski Club's homepage under Club News and Upcoming Events front and center.
Below is some info on the actual courses for the Trail Du and Cyclocross events courtesy of Clay:
After the mountain bike race in Red River on Saturday, Nina and I, and a couple of the Get Out! team juniors all went up to the Enchanted Forest trails to scope out the best possible course options. As of now, the trails are beautifully soggy, green and a bit muddy in places -- perfect conditions for a cyclocross and trail duathlon. Except for the altitude, it felt more like we were in Oregon or New Enland. Come Sept. 17-18, the trails will probably have had time to dry up just enough to make for a perfect weekend of trail events.
I can say that I believe we've come up with the best course for the cyclocross event, and the duathlon course is still being figured out with many more little sections of fun and scenic single track still being discovered. We found some nice terrain that will allow the advantage of real cross bikes to be maximized. The course is a blend of some more buffed out double-track "access" road, a short, steep natural run-up right where specators and campers will be, and a lot of rolling/twisty Oregon/New England-like woods that will be quick and fun. We tried to avoid too much steep grinding, or gnarly descents that favor mountain bikes. It'll be a real traditional cyclocross course that both racers and spectators will enjoy.
For those of you who went up to RR for the mountain bike race and got your butt kicked by that crazy (for lack of a better way to phrase it...) course, you might want to consider this event. Trail Du course will be a lot more flowing terrain with a mix of wooded double and single track with only short climbs and fun descents. This is the case for both the run and the bike. These are going be some fun events.
The cyclocross camp is going to feature several accomplished 'crossers giving instruction. If you're looking to improve your cross skills, come up and take advantage of this opportunity.
Below is some info on the actual courses for the Trail Du and Cyclocross events courtesy of Clay:
After the mountain bike race in Red River on Saturday, Nina and I, and a couple of the Get Out! team juniors all went up to the Enchanted Forest trails to scope out the best possible course options. As of now, the trails are beautifully soggy, green and a bit muddy in places -- perfect conditions for a cyclocross and trail duathlon. Except for the altitude, it felt more like we were in Oregon or New Enland. Come Sept. 17-18, the trails will probably have had time to dry up just enough to make for a perfect weekend of trail events.
I can say that I believe we've come up with the best course for the cyclocross event, and the duathlon course is still being figured out with many more little sections of fun and scenic single track still being discovered. We found some nice terrain that will allow the advantage of real cross bikes to be maximized. The course is a blend of some more buffed out double-track "access" road, a short, steep natural run-up right where specators and campers will be, and a lot of rolling/twisty Oregon/New England-like woods that will be quick and fun. We tried to avoid too much steep grinding, or gnarly descents that favor mountain bikes. It'll be a real traditional cyclocross course that both racers and spectators will enjoy.
For those of you who went up to RR for the mountain bike race and got your butt kicked by that crazy (for lack of a better way to phrase it...) course, you might want to consider this event. Trail Du course will be a lot more flowing terrain with a mix of wooded double and single track with only short climbs and fun descents. This is the case for both the run and the bike. These are going be some fun events.
The cyclocross camp is going to feature several accomplished 'crossers giving instruction. If you're looking to improve your cross skills, come up and take advantage of this opportunity.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Help out by snowshoeing and skiing!
If you are thinking about going up on the 'Canada Bonita' trails (see map under The Trail section on http://swnordicski.org/) on your backcountry skis or snowshoes this week, please consider making your own tracks (vs following in existing ones) to stomp out as much of the full width of the trail as possible - it will really help the groomers get the machines up there after the storm to make nice skate and classic ski lanes!
If it has NOT been groomed (ie no machine tracks of any kind) its actually helpful to snowshoe on the upper trails too despite the signs. The signs that say not to are only meant for when its groomed. So this is a good chance to get on the upper trail before the grooming closes access to anything but skis. 'Upper' trail is the trail that goes left at the first fork on the map (point A). You will see signs telling you not to snowshoe/hike/bring dogs on it when you are there.
Also, Paul, Dave, Tom and Donna made record time before this snowfall to create a brand new snowshoe specific (no machines on it!) trail off of main trail! Current info on it here. We are hoping to post official 'Snowshoe trail' signs in the next week on it. More info, map and photos to be posted soon on the swnordicski.org site.
The county has started a snowshoe rental and learning program. We will post links to it on http://swnordicski.org/ along with snowshoe trail info shortly.
Btw, the trail will be called Paul's Portal after our own Paul Graham since he was the one to find the best path while working with Tom and Donna. That path also luckily required less deadfall clearing than was originally expected. Dave W worked hard most of Sunday to clear the deadfall from the trail! Made for a brand new trail in about 2 days! Although more work to still be done with signs etc.
Come out an enjoy the snow and thanks for helping to stomp the snow out for the groomers!
If it has NOT been groomed (ie no machine tracks of any kind) its actually helpful to snowshoe on the upper trails too despite the signs. The signs that say not to are only meant for when its groomed. So this is a good chance to get on the upper trail before the grooming closes access to anything but skis. 'Upper' trail is the trail that goes left at the first fork on the map (point A). You will see signs telling you not to snowshoe/hike/bring dogs on it when you are there.
Also, Paul, Dave, Tom and Donna made record time before this snowfall to create a brand new snowshoe specific (no machines on it!) trail off of main trail! Current info on it here. We are hoping to post official 'Snowshoe trail' signs in the next week on it. More info, map and photos to be posted soon on the swnordicski.org site.
The county has started a snowshoe rental and learning program. We will post links to it on http://swnordicski.org/ along with snowshoe trail info shortly.
Btw, the trail will be called Paul's Portal after our own Paul Graham since he was the one to find the best path while working with Tom and Donna. That path also luckily required less deadfall clearing than was originally expected. Dave W worked hard most of Sunday to clear the deadfall from the trail! Made for a brand new trail in about 2 days! Although more work to still be done with signs etc.
Come out an enjoy the snow and thanks for helping to stomp the snow out for the groomers!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Swim/Cycle Series #4: Heron Lake
Where: Heron Lake
What: Open water swim (~1 hr.) + Bike (~2 hr.)
When: Sunday, Jul. 26
Time: 8 a.m.
Optional: camp out Saturday
Since Cochiti was so bloody hot last weekend and started out with dubious air quality, I propose changing venues and heading up to Heron. We'll aim for a Sunday morning swim/ride, as well as a Sat ride for those that show up early. We may be there Fri p.m., so give me a heads up if you want to meet for a ride. T-mobile service will invariably be spotty.
Lake Heron is ~90 miles north on the 84.
Here's the campground map: (I believe campsites were $8/night, cash only)
And estimated water temp.
Rachael's excellent report from last year's Heron trip.
Unless there is a better suggestion, the east side of Willow Creek seemed like a good set of campsites and swim start point. More details to come on carpool location/time. I recall a substantial distance from supplies/beer, so definitely stock up.
Good luck to all of the participants this weekend! Santa Fe, Mountain Man, Vineman!!!!
What: Open water swim (~1 hr.) + Bike (~2 hr.)
When: Sunday, Jul. 26
Time: 8 a.m.
Optional: camp out Saturday
Since Cochiti was so bloody hot last weekend and started out with dubious air quality, I propose changing venues and heading up to Heron. We'll aim for a Sunday morning swim/ride, as well as a Sat ride for those that show up early. We may be there Fri p.m., so give me a heads up if you want to meet for a ride. T-mobile service will invariably be spotty.
Lake Heron is ~90 miles north on the 84.
Here's the campground map: (I believe campsites were $8/night, cash only)
And estimated water temp.
Rachael's excellent report from last year's Heron trip.
Unless there is a better suggestion, the east side of Willow Creek seemed like a good set of campsites and swim start point. More details to come on carpool location/time. I recall a substantial distance from supplies/beer, so definitely stock up.
Good luck to all of the participants this weekend! Santa Fe, Mountain Man, Vineman!!!!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Cochiti Swim/Cycle Series #3 -> this Sunday
For those of you not participating in the Tour, we'll gather at Sullivan @ 7 am to do a brick at Cochiti this Sunday, the 12th. Based on the forecast, it should be a warm one. See you there.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Swim/Cycle Series Episode #2
Despite a less than desirable forecast, the day started off alright. Air temps ~70, probably the same for the water, overcast. The water level dropped significantly from last week.
(L to R: Max Light, Ben Davis, Bill Bearden, Bill Geist, Kim Meyer, Liz Miller, Peter Song, Paul Graham)
After a 2700 meter swim (thanks to Taraka for the kayak chaperone), we mounted the bikes for a long ride. The inclement weather caught up to us, however, and we finished a ~30 mile ride nicely wet. Al round good time, judging from the smiles. Thanks for coming everyone! Tentative repeat on July 12th.
Thanks Jian for the pictures!
(L to R: Max Light, Ben Davis, Bill Bearden, Bill Geist, Kim Meyer, Liz Miller, Peter Song, Paul Graham)After a 2700 meter swim (thanks to Taraka for the kayak chaperone), we mounted the bikes for a long ride. The inclement weather caught up to us, however, and we finished a ~30 mile ride nicely wet. Al round good time, judging from the smiles. Thanks for coming everyone! Tentative repeat on July 12th.
Thanks Jian for the pictures!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Swim/Cycle Series, episode #1
I think everyone had a good time last Sunday at Cochiti. The weather was excellent, the water quite nice (67-68 if I heard Tina correctly), and *I* missed the dogs.
Thanks to Bill for the use of his kayak and Taraka for chaperoning the swim.
For those of you not going to the Buff this weekend, we'll gather at Sullivan Field this Sunday @ 7 am for another round. This time a few of us will be swimming longer (~1 hr) and going for a longer ride. Hopefully the weather will hold.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Early Season Training & Racing
I haven't blogged about anything in a while, so I decided that now would be a good time to get something up.
It's been a tough start to the season thus far. With our "new" little one, Mila, in the picture, priorities have changed, schedules have changed, and pretty much life in general has changed. It's all a good thing, but getting back to the "other" things in life that have been such a big part of our lives for a while now, has been a series of fits and starts, and mostly stumbles. We had been doing pretty well during the winter with our xc skiing and the odd run or swim thrown in here and there. By the end of January, Dina and I thought we were doing pretty well and were feeling pretty fit, actually. But alas, putting little Mila into daycare where she was exposed to all of the Ninja baby-viruses, really started to take its toll on her and on us. Amazingly, she has done pretty well with it, but some of that stuff Dina and I hadn't had (or perhaps never have had) since we were little ourselves. Dina and Mila just picked something up again right after Jay Benson, so that put Dina out for another 10-12 days. Ouch.
So, with all of that, plus slow motivation and having family visits (both here and elsewhere) to show Mila off...well, you all get it. I know I'm mostly repeating everyone else's stories here. But, I've been the master of domain all of these years, being able to somewhat prioritize my workouts and fitness over going to social functions, family functions, work functions, etc., etc. Now, it's all catching up to me and I've had no place to hide. I figured that getting a slow, late start would be a good thing for building up energy reserves and recovering from years of abuse and all of that, but getting sick during all of that time was a major setback. We didn't see that coming. And poor Mila -- it's so hard to watch a baby be sick, but man, do they bounce back quickly, while we adults just have it linger for weeks.
So, all of this complaining aside, I have been able to get out and do a few events, and even an odd training session here and there. I am not so accustomed to just jumping into races so ill-prepared as I have this year, but I went out and did it anyway. I wonder what the outcome of this experiment will be, whether I will turn out stronger than ever, or fall flat on my face for lack of a slow-build base in the early part of the year. Hmm, only time will tell.
Earlier this year, Dina and I had to attempt to figure out what our plans/goals might be for racing and training. All of that has now changed due to finding out how volatile the situation can be with a baby that is still breast-fed and the apparent ease that viruses are contracted, by both baby and mother. It's weird. So, while I complain that getting back "into it" has been tough for me, it's been infinitely more difficult for Dina. She seems to be able to get in about four or five days-worth of light workouts before she either comes down with something, or injures something in her back or knee or some other critical biomechanical location. Ooof.
Anyway, I had planned to do more local stuff and perhaps give Dina the chance to do some events further afield while I watch Mila. Back in Februarly and early March, I signed up for La Tierra Torture mtn bike race (two days, short track and the cross-country), and for the Jemez Mtn. Run 1/2 marathon race. I figured I would have had time to properly prepare for both of those events, since they were all the way in May. In between, I'd throw in Jay Benson Triathlon because it's so easy and I'd certainly be able to go hard in that too. Funny how things didn't quite turn out the way I had envisioned.
Jay Benson was a rough one for me, but all-in-all, it was a good day, surprisingly. I expected nothing special, and while I didn't win, I'll take the 2nd overall I managed to pull off. A couple of days later, I went out on the LANL "Hard-Attack Tuesday" ride and my legs were so sore and hurting that I struggled to keep up. My legs just kept hurting every day, and I had the Jemez Trail 1/2 Marathon on Saturday, followed by a big group ride out into the Jemez the following day.
The Jemez 1/2 Marathon was OK. Chip took off hard and I felt really heavy and didn't even try to keep it up. I just paced myself and as long as the hills weren't too steep, I was able to fake it. When we hit the Mitchel trail, I was hurtin' and had to back off. My hips, thighs and back were just so overworked that I couldn't muster much more than a shuffle on the upper steep pitches. Once over the top, I tried to kick it back in and actually felt my running legs get under me a little bit. That was encouraging.
I managed to catch one of the guys who had passed me on the steep stuff and hoofed it in for 4th. It wasn't quite what I was expecting in terms of time (...didn't care about placing much), but I had to be somewhat pleased with the final push.
The next day, I struggled BIG TIME on the tough-guy ride out to the end of the pavement past Fenton Lake. It was over 80 miles on tough terrain with INCREDIBLY sore legs. I still had fun and had another epiphany about my nutrition when I'm really tired: I need to take in more calories to keep from bottoming out when I'm at the end of my body's workload limit. At one point, I was struggling just to turn the pedals and didn't really feel very hungry, but took in almost all of my food at once and then a few miles down the road I really felt it get into my blood stream and I recovered to finish strongly on the ride, feeling actually better than I had in the early parts...another good sign.
A little rest the following work week (more like helping out around the house more...) and a couple of good workouts in the rain the following weekend, and I finally started feeling fit and strong again. That was great. Next up: The Deuces Wild XTERRA for me, and the Olympic-distance for Dina.
We're finally catching up to the speed of the season.......
It's been a tough start to the season thus far. With our "new" little one, Mila, in the picture, priorities have changed, schedules have changed, and pretty much life in general has changed. It's all a good thing, but getting back to the "other" things in life that have been such a big part of our lives for a while now, has been a series of fits and starts, and mostly stumbles. We had been doing pretty well during the winter with our xc skiing and the odd run or swim thrown in here and there. By the end of January, Dina and I thought we were doing pretty well and were feeling pretty fit, actually. But alas, putting little Mila into daycare where she was exposed to all of the Ninja baby-viruses, really started to take its toll on her and on us. Amazingly, she has done pretty well with it, but some of that stuff Dina and I hadn't had (or perhaps never have had) since we were little ourselves. Dina and Mila just picked something up again right after Jay Benson, so that put Dina out for another 10-12 days. Ouch.
So, with all of that, plus slow motivation and having family visits (both here and elsewhere) to show Mila off...well, you all get it. I know I'm mostly repeating everyone else's stories here. But, I've been the master of domain all of these years, being able to somewhat prioritize my workouts and fitness over going to social functions, family functions, work functions, etc., etc. Now, it's all catching up to me and I've had no place to hide. I figured that getting a slow, late start would be a good thing for building up energy reserves and recovering from years of abuse and all of that, but getting sick during all of that time was a major setback. We didn't see that coming. And poor Mila -- it's so hard to watch a baby be sick, but man, do they bounce back quickly, while we adults just have it linger for weeks.
So, all of this complaining aside, I have been able to get out and do a few events, and even an odd training session here and there. I am not so accustomed to just jumping into races so ill-prepared as I have this year, but I went out and did it anyway. I wonder what the outcome of this experiment will be, whether I will turn out stronger than ever, or fall flat on my face for lack of a slow-build base in the early part of the year. Hmm, only time will tell.
Earlier this year, Dina and I had to attempt to figure out what our plans/goals might be for racing and training. All of that has now changed due to finding out how volatile the situation can be with a baby that is still breast-fed and the apparent ease that viruses are contracted, by both baby and mother. It's weird. So, while I complain that getting back "into it" has been tough for me, it's been infinitely more difficult for Dina. She seems to be able to get in about four or five days-worth of light workouts before she either comes down with something, or injures something in her back or knee or some other critical biomechanical location. Ooof.
Anyway, I had planned to do more local stuff and perhaps give Dina the chance to do some events further afield while I watch Mila. Back in Februarly and early March, I signed up for La Tierra Torture mtn bike race (two days, short track and the cross-country), and for the Jemez Mtn. Run 1/2 marathon race. I figured I would have had time to properly prepare for both of those events, since they were all the way in May. In between, I'd throw in Jay Benson Triathlon because it's so easy and I'd certainly be able to go hard in that too. Funny how things didn't quite turn out the way I had envisioned.
Jay Benson was a rough one for me, but all-in-all, it was a good day, surprisingly. I expected nothing special, and while I didn't win, I'll take the 2nd overall I managed to pull off. A couple of days later, I went out on the LANL "Hard-Attack Tuesday" ride and my legs were so sore and hurting that I struggled to keep up. My legs just kept hurting every day, and I had the Jemez Trail 1/2 Marathon on Saturday, followed by a big group ride out into the Jemez the following day.
The Jemez 1/2 Marathon was OK. Chip took off hard and I felt really heavy and didn't even try to keep it up. I just paced myself and as long as the hills weren't too steep, I was able to fake it. When we hit the Mitchel trail, I was hurtin' and had to back off. My hips, thighs and back were just so overworked that I couldn't muster much more than a shuffle on the upper steep pitches. Once over the top, I tried to kick it back in and actually felt my running legs get under me a little bit. That was encouraging.
I managed to catch one of the guys who had passed me on the steep stuff and hoofed it in for 4th. It wasn't quite what I was expecting in terms of time (...didn't care about placing much), but I had to be somewhat pleased with the final push.
The next day, I struggled BIG TIME on the tough-guy ride out to the end of the pavement past Fenton Lake. It was over 80 miles on tough terrain with INCREDIBLY sore legs. I still had fun and had another epiphany about my nutrition when I'm really tired: I need to take in more calories to keep from bottoming out when I'm at the end of my body's workload limit. At one point, I was struggling just to turn the pedals and didn't really feel very hungry, but took in almost all of my food at once and then a few miles down the road I really felt it get into my blood stream and I recovered to finish strongly on the ride, feeling actually better than I had in the early parts...another good sign.
A little rest the following work week (more like helping out around the house more...) and a couple of good workouts in the rain the following weekend, and I finally started feeling fit and strong again. That was great. Next up: The Deuces Wild XTERRA for me, and the Olympic-distance for Dina.
We're finally catching up to the speed of the season.......
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Heron Lake Brick Report
The brick workout and club camping trip up at Heron Lake a couple weeks ago was great! Most camped the night prior (after patiently snaking our way through a couple campgrounds with a five car caravan to find enough empty sites together) with great weather and a fun setting for the kids... it's a really beautiful area and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The next morning we got organized around 8:00 a.m. and got in the water. We didn't communicate very well on the "group" swim, and so we got separated along the route leaving a few of us to swim on our own for a good part of the route; next time if we choose a destination OR a time, that should help. Or perhaps a staggered start with slower swimmers going out first? It ended up that people swam between 45 min. to 1 hr. 20 min... I was glad to have a full-length wetsuit on but it was great conditions and a nice morning to be out in the water. The water was glassy-calm and maybe in the mid-60s? The sun was out with clear skies as we headed out on a fun, 2-hr. ride out toward the Brazos Cliffs (absolutely gorgeous route). We came back and cooled off in the lake and joined in the kids catching crawfish, then packed it up and headed out. Thanks everyone for joining in. It was a lot of fun and we'll do it again next year. Here's a few pics:
Monday, August 18, 2008
Heron Lake Brick INFO--Sunday, Aug. 24
Meet at Sullivan Field Saturday, Aug. 23 at 3:30 pm to caravan up to the lake and find a camping spot(s) for the group.* This should put us at the lake around 5 p.m. to set up camp, have dinner and hang out. Again, families/friends are welcome! It costs ~$10 for a campsite per night and there are no fire restrictions right now. So far, the camping group includes me & family, Jeff and Susie & family, Kim, Ben, Taraka, Paul... Please let me know if you plan to caravan or not so we know to wait for you at Sullivan Field.
Sunday Aug. 24, 8 a.m. Swim + Bike:
- We can swim out to the island in the middle of the lake and back to camp/shore, which is approx. 1600m... or, if we want extra distance, we can swim around the island or make a triangle and swim back along the shore. We can always split into two groups depending on if people want to do a shorter or longer swim. Please note: Clay suggests wearing TWO swim caps and pulling them as low as you can to cover your forehead and to wear a full-length wetsuit. The water temp. on one site lists the lake at 59, and Ben found another fishing site that lists it at 70, so error on the side of caution and prepare appropriately for colder temps.
- Ride back out on Hwy 95 that runs along the lake, cross 84 and head up toward the Brazos Cliffs on 512 (this is apparently a really pretty area), then loop back south on 162 through Tierra Amarilla, back up 84, and head back on 95 to the campsite for an approx. 2 hr. ride.
More INFO on Heron Lake State Park:
Link to the state park (directions, park map and brochure): http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/heron.htm
Weather: Average weather in August: High: 83°F and Low: 48°F -- the weather for Los Ojos Sat. night is low: 49 and Sunday: 78 with scattered thunderstorms. Another report lists a 95% chance of rain that day.**
* If you want to join in the workout, but don't want to camp Sat. night, please let me know so we can look for you Sunday morning. You should be able to find us easily as apparently the camping sites are located right off the road that travels around the lake (Hwy. 95).
** I will send out a confirmation (or cancellation) email on FRIDAY afternoon depending on the weather report for the weekend. PLEASE check your email that evening if you are planning on joining in.
Sunday Aug. 24, 8 a.m. Swim + Bike:
- We can swim out to the island in the middle of the lake and back to camp/shore, which is approx. 1600m... or, if we want extra distance, we can swim around the island or make a triangle and swim back along the shore. We can always split into two groups depending on if people want to do a shorter or longer swim. Please note: Clay suggests wearing TWO swim caps and pulling them as low as you can to cover your forehead and to wear a full-length wetsuit. The water temp. on one site lists the lake at 59, and Ben found another fishing site that lists it at 70, so error on the side of caution and prepare appropriately for colder temps.
- Ride back out on Hwy 95 that runs along the lake, cross 84 and head up toward the Brazos Cliffs on 512 (this is apparently a really pretty area), then loop back south on 162 through Tierra Amarilla, back up 84, and head back on 95 to the campsite for an approx. 2 hr. ride.
More INFO on Heron Lake State Park:
Link to the state park (directions, park map and brochure): http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/heron.htm
Weather: Average weather in August: High: 83°F and Low: 48°F -- the weather for Los Ojos Sat. night is low: 49 and Sunday: 78 with scattered thunderstorms. Another report lists a 95% chance of rain that day.**
* If you want to join in the workout, but don't want to camp Sat. night, please let me know so we can look for you Sunday morning. You should be able to find us easily as apparently the camping sites are located right off the road that travels around the lake (Hwy. 95).
** I will send out a confirmation (or cancellation) email on FRIDAY afternoon depending on the weather report for the weekend. PLEASE check your email that evening if you are planning on joining in.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Heron Lake Brick--Sunday, Aug. 24
Where: Heron Lake*
What: Open water swim (~1 hr.) + Bike (~2 hr.)
When: Sunday, Aug. 24
Time: 8 a.m.
Optional: camp out Saturday, Aug. 23, families included
* more details will be sent out the week prior as they get worked out! Since I've never actually been to Heron Lake, I will depend on others who have to provide some guidance on where exactly to do the swim and bike + where camping is available etc.? Any input is much appreciated!
The Aquatic Center will be closed for their annual cleaning & maintenance (2 weeks?) after the LA Tri, so this is a great opportunity to get some training done in open water in preparation for any races coming up in late summer & early fall. And, the group camping will be fun too, with the bonus of not having to make the drive up early in the morning!
What: Open water swim (~1 hr.) + Bike (~2 hr.)
When: Sunday, Aug. 24
Time: 8 a.m.
Optional: camp out Saturday, Aug. 23, families included
* more details will be sent out the week prior as they get worked out! Since I've never actually been to Heron Lake, I will depend on others who have to provide some guidance on where exactly to do the swim and bike + where camping is available etc.? Any input is much appreciated!
The Aquatic Center will be closed for their annual cleaning & maintenance (2 weeks?) after the LA Tri, so this is a great opportunity to get some training done in open water in preparation for any races coming up in late summer & early fall. And, the group camping will be fun too, with the bonus of not having to make the drive up early in the morning!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Cochiti Lake Brick #2
Sunday, July 13
Meet at Sullivan Field at 6 a.m. to carpool
~2500m swim + 24mi bike (feel free to adjust the distance for your own training needs)
Tina (or her son) will be kayaking behind the swimmers IF we can locate a kayak to borrow for the day... anyone have a spare one for such an occasion (and a way to transport it)? Last time the water temp. was around 72 and should be even warmer in a few weeks. Remember to bring lots of hydration, sunscreen, and a bright-colored swim cap.
FYI: Friday, July 25 has also been proposed as another date to do more training at Cochiti as well as a camping/brick outing to Heron Lake in mid-to-late August. More details soon!
Sunday, July 13
Meet at Sullivan Field at 6 a.m. to carpool
~2500m swim + 24mi bike (feel free to adjust the distance for your own training needs)
Tina (or her son) will be kayaking behind the swimmers IF we can locate a kayak to borrow for the day... anyone have a spare one for such an occasion (and a way to transport it)? Last time the water temp. was around 72 and should be even warmer in a few weeks. Remember to bring lots of hydration, sunscreen, and a bright-colored swim cap.
FYI: Friday, July 25 has also been proposed as another date to do more training at Cochiti as well as a camping/brick outing to Heron Lake in mid-to-late August. More details soon!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Track Workout for Wednesday, June 25
If any of you are up for a group track workout, I think I'll be there at noon. The suggested workout is as follows:
400m warmup
Pyramid at 10km pace (fast group ~1:30 / 400m...adjust for your pace accordingly):
400m warmup
Pyramid at 10km pace (fast group ~1:30 / 400m...adjust for your pace accordingly):
- 1x200
- 1x400
- 1x600
- 1x800
- 1x1000
- 1x800
- 1x600
- 1x400
- 1x200
See if you can pick it up on your way back down the pyramid. Use quick turnover and don't "overstride."
See you there.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Suggest swim workout and 400 timed interval
Many of you did the Cochiti swim yesterday and may not be ready for the "regular" Monday swim workout and timed 400. But, if you are, or can wait a day or two, here is a suggested workout:
6/23/08 Workout:
warm-up 500 yards
5 x 200 yds - alternate slow & fast each 50 (slow, fast, slow, fast)
100 easy kick: 1x50 flutter kick, 1x50 breaststroke kick
1 x 400 timed interval
200 to 500 yds, easy…pull bouy, paddles, fins, whatever…just easy
Total = 2,200 to 2,500 yds
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Cochiti Lake Brick -- Report
**Follow-up to Cyndi's report: So sorry for your unlucky sequence of events... hopefully this won't completely deter you from joining future group bricks at Cochiti, because as you can see from the report below, sometimes it turns out really well.**
Kim, Susie, Paul, Tina, Rob A, Laurie, Ben, Bill, Joe and I and got up bright and early Sunday morning to head down to Cochiti for a swim/bike. After a slow reorganization of carpoolers etc., we headed south and got to the lake at about 8:10 and got all set up. Bill brought his kayak and Tina kayaked behind the group -- it was reassuring to know she was behind us if something came up. The water was around 72 degrees and pretty calm; everyone seemed glad they had their wetsuits on, which made the swim really comfortable. We swam a little more than a mile (well, OK, maybe more like 2800 meters, but who's counting?) which took ~1:10. We got all geared up, Laurie stayed to warm up from the swim and Tina joined us on the bike ride. We biked 24 miles through beautiful, rolling country into Cochiti Pueblo and back, taking ~1:40. A few firsts for people: this was Laurie's first open water swim, Joe rode his new bike (see pic!), Susie wore a wetsuit for the first time ever, and I tried out a full-length tri wetsuit for the first time--loved it by the way! Great group, great support, and a really fun "course". I'm already thinking about when we go back and do it again in July. In fact, I had so much fun that I came home and registered for Elephant Man! Here's a couple pics:
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tough Tuesday evening time trial!
Ooof! That was one dry, windy time trial. My throat is still stripped raw from that. It's always a shock to go out and make a hard effort for the first time in conditions that are that dry...and the wind made it a lot worse.
I felt pretty hurtin' the whole time. I was expecting that, as it seems to be the status quo this year. I tried a little harder than last week, where I sort of "dogged" it somewhat. After that water tank on the new bypass road, I was feeling pretty weak and just had to focus on getting the pedals over smoothly and not break form. That "not breaking form" thing really helps me when I'm not feeling so hot in all sports that I do: xc skiing, swimming, running, and biking. It helps to focus on that rather than how bad you may be feeling.
After all was said and done, I was not too disappointed in the effort...it will improve, hopefully. It was a tough day, and going through those always seems to help the next time you race or do a hard training effort.
The results are posted on the Triatomics website:
http://www.triatomics.org/bike_activities/bikeactivities.htm
I felt pretty hurtin' the whole time. I was expecting that, as it seems to be the status quo this year. I tried a little harder than last week, where I sort of "dogged" it somewhat. After that water tank on the new bypass road, I was feeling pretty weak and just had to focus on getting the pedals over smoothly and not break form. That "not breaking form" thing really helps me when I'm not feeling so hot in all sports that I do: xc skiing, swimming, running, and biking. It helps to focus on that rather than how bad you may be feeling.
After all was said and done, I was not too disappointed in the effort...it will improve, hopefully. It was a tough day, and going through those always seems to help the next time you race or do a hard training effort.
The results are posted on the Triatomics website:
http://www.triatomics.org/bike_activities/bikeactivities.htm
Wednesday Track Workout 6/11/08
Track Workout courtesy of Scott Valdez:
Track workout out suggestion for 6-11/6-12-2008
Be at track ready to start warm-up at exactly 12:00pm.
1600 warm-up on grass
6x600 at 5K pace with 200 slow jog recovery between.
800 cool-down on grass
Ab work 3 x 25
crunches 3 x 10
hanging leg lifts 3 x 10
leg lifts lying down
Track workout out suggestion for 6-11/6-12-2008
Be at track ready to start warm-up at exactly 12:00pm.
1600 warm-up on grass
6x600 at 5K pace with 200 slow jog recovery between.
800 cool-down on grass
Ab work 3 x 25
crunches 3 x 10
hanging leg lifts 3 x 10
leg lifts lying down
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
How not to Train for Deuces Wild!
A few lessons learned from a senior individual. First, buy new bike (need to post that soon), don't ride bike until the week before the race. Ok, there were extenuating circumstances. I got a cold the week after AtomicMan, was sick for the SinkodeMile meet, had my Mother come in for Mother's Day followed immediately by my son. Lost another week to a business trip to Berlin. At least I got in 3 four mile runs there. So I found myself with six days to train, seriously jetlagged and desperate. The new bike is a Kestrel RT700 set up for triathlon. So it is a lot different from the roadbike. I rode it Tuesday and figured out it was definitely not as stable. Only fell once when the new pedals didn't release fast enough and the chain went on the inside of the cogset going uphill. No serious injuries. Deborah put me back together with a great massage on Tuesday and gave me some hints. The Thursday ride was better. Friday I dragged out the wetsuit and tried it out in the pool. Boy was it tight! I'm sure it shrunk over the winter..... Threw the gear in the car and drove to Show Low.
The race was interesting. I did the Olympic. We had Max Light and his son, Max, as well. The wetsuit went on a lot easier. Could have been all the oil I put on to warm up my muscles and sunscreen. The water was.....icy. Somewhere between 53 and maybe as high as 60 in parts of the lake. My feet fortunately went numb after 5 minutes or so of aching. I did warm up a little and stayed in the water. The men went first so we had about 130 swimmers going out of a narrow inlet to the lake. I had a hard time seeing the buoys, but managed to keep swimming. It was hard to get comfortable. You didn't see the next guy until you ran over him. My time was pretty good - under 31 minutes. But I was really woozy getting out and needed help. Hence, the bruise marks on my upper arm. Getting the wetsuit off set off cramps in both legs. So I spent 5 minutes on the sidewalk in recovery mode. The support people were extremely helpful, keeping an eye on me and helping rub my legs. I finally got to my feet and hobbled to the bike. The bike leg went surprisingly well. I had only one problem with the drink system. I'm working on that. I averaged 16.6 mph, which is good for me. The run was the usual - run/walk/run/walk/walk.... I was running with the younger Max most of the way. We would trade the lead. He finally left me and I finished about a minute behind him. But I did finish and the time was - acceptable. I got sunburned on my shoulders and the backs of my legs. I didn't take the time to add sunscreen during transition. My daughter has advised me to get a spray to speed it up. So, I ended up 4th in my age group out of 4. But I did OK. I accomplished my goals which were primarily getting ready for Buffalo Springs. The new uniforms worked great. I was dry in 10 minutes from exiting the water. I need to add sunscreen to my back where a small gap exists. So on to the next race!
Max was the only 70 year old and was not the last finisher. He did an outstanding job and I hope I'm still racing when I get to that age. Clay and Laurie Goddard did the Xterra. Clay took second overall. Laurie had a great time as well and was the only one in his age group. He would have beat me anyway. These are well run events and I really enjoyed going.
The race was interesting. I did the Olympic. We had Max Light and his son, Max, as well. The wetsuit went on a lot easier. Could have been all the oil I put on to warm up my muscles and sunscreen. The water was.....icy. Somewhere between 53 and maybe as high as 60 in parts of the lake. My feet fortunately went numb after 5 minutes or so of aching. I did warm up a little and stayed in the water. The men went first so we had about 130 swimmers going out of a narrow inlet to the lake. I had a hard time seeing the buoys, but managed to keep swimming. It was hard to get comfortable. You didn't see the next guy until you ran over him. My time was pretty good - under 31 minutes. But I was really woozy getting out and needed help. Hence, the bruise marks on my upper arm. Getting the wetsuit off set off cramps in both legs. So I spent 5 minutes on the sidewalk in recovery mode. The support people were extremely helpful, keeping an eye on me and helping rub my legs. I finally got to my feet and hobbled to the bike. The bike leg went surprisingly well. I had only one problem with the drink system. I'm working on that. I averaged 16.6 mph, which is good for me. The run was the usual - run/walk/run/walk/walk.... I was running with the younger Max most of the way. We would trade the lead. He finally left me and I finished about a minute behind him. But I did finish and the time was - acceptable. I got sunburned on my shoulders and the backs of my legs. I didn't take the time to add sunscreen during transition. My daughter has advised me to get a spray to speed it up. So, I ended up 4th in my age group out of 4. But I did OK. I accomplished my goals which were primarily getting ready for Buffalo Springs. The new uniforms worked great. I was dry in 10 minutes from exiting the water. I need to add sunscreen to my back where a small gap exists. So on to the next race!
Max was the only 70 year old and was not the last finisher. He did an outstanding job and I hope I'm still racing when I get to that age. Clay and Laurie Goddard did the Xterra. Clay took second overall. Laurie had a great time as well and was the only one in his age group. He would have beat me anyway. These are well run events and I really enjoyed going.
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