I talked to Bill Wilson over at Camelback Coaching and he said that 30% of the time you can do everything right and still have your body break down nutrician-wise. He said that you can pace yourself correctly, take in the right nutrients, drink the right amount of water, and still your digestive system shuts down and you walk the marathon.
That would definitely suck!
While I don't like the idea of bringing the "X" factor into this I don't mind the odds.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
46 days and counting
So here's my question:
If I can swim 2.4 miles in 1:30:00 and I've ridden 112 miles sub 6:00:00 more times than I can count and it seems like I can maintain a 10 minute mile pace forever (this is a 4:20:00 marathon) why in the world won't I do a sub 12:00:00 Ironman?
None of those times individually is particularly impressive. In fact the 1:30 swim is pretty f-ing slow but if you look at the results from last year a 12:00 race puts me 94th out of 354 entrants in my age group and 459 out of the 1944 total entrants.
I guess I'll answer that question myself either way in 46 days.
If I can swim 2.4 miles in 1:30:00 and I've ridden 112 miles sub 6:00:00 more times than I can count and it seems like I can maintain a 10 minute mile pace forever (this is a 4:20:00 marathon) why in the world won't I do a sub 12:00:00 Ironman?
None of those times individually is particularly impressive. In fact the 1:30 swim is pretty f-ing slow but if you look at the results from last year a 12:00 race puts me 94th out of 354 entrants in my age group and 459 out of the 1944 total entrants.
I guess I'll answer that question myself either way in 46 days.
Monday, February 26, 2007
AWOL
Sorry I haven't posted anything lately.
The past two weeks have been an absolute bear! I had auditors in the office and I was starting my workdays a 6:00 am and finishing at 9:00 pm. I've done a whole bunch of rides where I watched the sun come up and set while I was on the road. That sure beats watching the sun rise and set from my office.
Last 3 weeks of intense training have started. 3 hour runs and 7 hour rides are as long as it gets with 2:30 rides, 1:20 runs and 2 hour swims during the week.
After that a rest week and I'm 3 weeks out from the race. I have no idea what the training will be like for those weeks.
I keep wanting to write a lot of personal stuff but I just keep running out of time. I'll try and get to that tonight.
The past two weeks have been an absolute bear! I had auditors in the office and I was starting my workdays a 6:00 am and finishing at 9:00 pm. I've done a whole bunch of rides where I watched the sun come up and set while I was on the road. That sure beats watching the sun rise and set from my office.
Last 3 weeks of intense training have started. 3 hour runs and 7 hour rides are as long as it gets with 2:30 rides, 1:20 runs and 2 hour swims during the week.
After that a rest week and I'm 3 weeks out from the race. I have no idea what the training will be like for those weeks.
I keep wanting to write a lot of personal stuff but I just keep running out of time. I'll try and get to that tonight.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Batman Sighting Puts Schools on Lockdown
My friend Carl sent this to me. I wonder if this guy is related to the freak I encountered a few months back.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- To an Arizona middle school, Batman! Three schools in the north Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek were on lockdown for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning after a student at Desert Arroyo Middle School reported seeing a person dressed as Batman run across campus, jump a fence and disappear into the desert, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.
The student described the person as 6 feet 3 inches tall and possibly male.
"We're assuming it was male, although they did have a mask on," Clark said.
Officers combed the desert around the middle school. A nearby elementary school and high school also were on lockdown as officers sought the caped crusader.
The result - no Batman.
"It's just one of those interesting little stories that we looked into but we couldn't find anyone," Clark said.
Nedda Shafir, a spokeswoman for the Cave Creek Unified School District, said putting all the schools on lockdown was a precautionary measure.
"We didn't want to take any chances," Shafir said. "We just don't want to put anyone at risk."
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- To an Arizona middle school, Batman! Three schools in the north Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek were on lockdown for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning after a student at Desert Arroyo Middle School reported seeing a person dressed as Batman run across campus, jump a fence and disappear into the desert, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.
The student described the person as 6 feet 3 inches tall and possibly male.
"We're assuming it was male, although they did have a mask on," Clark said.
Officers combed the desert around the middle school. A nearby elementary school and high school also were on lockdown as officers sought the caped crusader.
The result - no Batman.
"It's just one of those interesting little stories that we looked into but we couldn't find anyone," Clark said.
Nedda Shafir, a spokeswoman for the Cave Creek Unified School District, said putting all the schools on lockdown was a precautionary measure.
"We didn't want to take any chances," Shafir said. "We just don't want to put anyone at risk."
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Where have I been!!!!???
I just looked and it's been like 9 days since I wrote anything.
Two Saturdays ago I was real concerned about my ride. This past Saturday I did 112 miles in 6 hours almost exactly! That included the usual red lights and stops for water during which the clock just kept running so I feel a little better about it. If the workout gods (small g) look kindly upon me I should be able to come in somewhere around 5:30. I'll be happy at 6:00.
Runs have been great! I did a little over 16 miles on Sunday and then Tuesday morning I ran over 8 with 4 really hard 7 minute efforts. 10 minute miles bring you in at 4:20. I can run 9 minute miles all day but I'm not that fast after riding. I get shin splints for the first mile and then I start to feel better. They say it takes a couple miles before you start to feel normal running. Prediction: 4:10
Swims? What can I say about the swims? My math is bad. I kept thinking I was on target for a 1:20 swim but it turns out there is a difference between meters and yards. It's not a real significant difference unless you are talking about 3,600 of them then you have to add quite a few yards to equal that. Prediction 1:35. Chad says just under 1:30 with the wetsuit.
So with a WHOLE BUNCH of luck and another 59 DAYS of prep I could wrap this thing up sub 12:00. I feel like such a schmuck writing that down because I'm going to feel like crap when I crawl in at 16 hours and I won't enjoy the idea that I just finished.
Confront the brutal facts but never lose sight of your ultimate goal.
Two Saturdays ago I was real concerned about my ride. This past Saturday I did 112 miles in 6 hours almost exactly! That included the usual red lights and stops for water during which the clock just kept running so I feel a little better about it. If the workout gods (small g) look kindly upon me I should be able to come in somewhere around 5:30. I'll be happy at 6:00.
Runs have been great! I did a little over 16 miles on Sunday and then Tuesday morning I ran over 8 with 4 really hard 7 minute efforts. 10 minute miles bring you in at 4:20. I can run 9 minute miles all day but I'm not that fast after riding. I get shin splints for the first mile and then I start to feel better. They say it takes a couple miles before you start to feel normal running. Prediction: 4:10
Swims? What can I say about the swims? My math is bad. I kept thinking I was on target for a 1:20 swim but it turns out there is a difference between meters and yards. It's not a real significant difference unless you are talking about 3,600 of them then you have to add quite a few yards to equal that. Prediction 1:35. Chad says just under 1:30 with the wetsuit.
So with a WHOLE BUNCH of luck and another 59 DAYS of prep I could wrap this thing up sub 12:00. I feel like such a schmuck writing that down because I'm going to feel like crap when I crawl in at 16 hours and I won't enjoy the idea that I just finished.
Confront the brutal facts but never lose sight of your ultimate goal.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Worry worry worry
If I told you that the thing I'm most worried about right now is the ride would you believe me?
Seriously.
I did a century Saturday. Kept it in level two for almost the whole ride except for 45 minutes during the last hour when I needed to be in level three. It took almost 6 hours!!!! I haven't analyzed the whole ride yet but I can't help but be disappointed in that time. WITH AERO BARS NO LESS!!!
After that I did the usual 2 + mile run just to make sure the nutrician is in check. Check! Felt a slight shin splint in only one leg and it went away pretty fast.
68 days to go. Very concerned right now.
Seriously.
I did a century Saturday. Kept it in level two for almost the whole ride except for 45 minutes during the last hour when I needed to be in level three. It took almost 6 hours!!!! I haven't analyzed the whole ride yet but I can't help but be disappointed in that time. WITH AERO BARS NO LESS!!!
After that I did the usual 2 + mile run just to make sure the nutrician is in check. Check! Felt a slight shin splint in only one leg and it went away pretty fast.
68 days to go. Very concerned right now.
Goofy Day
I have kept one of my New Year's resolutions. I got a haircut the other day.
So today I think we bought a new house. Add to my list of things to do: Get my house ready to sell. Welcome to the land of high mortgage payments for a while.
Second. Today has been all over the place. I was supposed to ride today but it turns out I forgot that I had to sign Paige up for preschool so I ran 8 miles this morning instead. Good time although I couldn't seem to push my heart rate up to where it needed to be. I think all the chicken wings I ate and beer I drank at Keith's last night got in the way.
Third, I was going to do a long swim this afternoon at lunch but I got over to LA Fitness and discovered I had forgotten my suit. I walked back and got the suit but when I got back to the gym they had started a swim aerobics class so I couldn't do any laps.
Ironman lecture tonight on equipment selection.
So today I think we bought a new house. Add to my list of things to do: Get my house ready to sell. Welcome to the land of high mortgage payments for a while.
Second. Today has been all over the place. I was supposed to ride today but it turns out I forgot that I had to sign Paige up for preschool so I ran 8 miles this morning instead. Good time although I couldn't seem to push my heart rate up to where it needed to be. I think all the chicken wings I ate and beer I drank at Keith's last night got in the way.
Third, I was going to do a long swim this afternoon at lunch but I got over to LA Fitness and discovered I had forgotten my suit. I walked back and got the suit but when I got back to the gym they had started a swim aerobics class so I couldn't do any laps.
Ironman lecture tonight on equipment selection.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
A couple good articles
Pictures of 2006 World Championship
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-and-cherie-gruenfeld-look-back-at-the-2006-ford-ironman-world-championship-in-kona
Some funny stuff here:
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-gruenfeld-explores-the-wealth-of-vocabulary-in-triathlon.
Article about how to raise your kids:
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-gruenfeld-offers-up-yet-another-hilarious-column-parents-take-note
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-and-cherie-gruenfeld-look-back-at-the-2006-ford-ironman-world-championship-in-kona
Some funny stuff here:
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-gruenfeld-explores-the-wealth-of-vocabulary-in-triathlon.
Article about how to raise your kids:
http://www.ironman.com/columns/gruenfeld/lee-gruenfeld-offers-up-yet-another-hilarious-column-parents-take-note
72 days and counting...
I can't believe that it's February already.
Swimming is progressing, nicely I think. I swam 2,500 meters in 56:30. I think that gets me out of the lake somewhere around 1:22. I'm thinking I'll probably get in another 40 swim workouts between now and April. I don't think I'm going to do much in terms of increasing strength by then so pretty much all time savings will come from form and interval training.
Still need to get a wetsuit.
The run Tuesday was an absolute blast! 4 x 7 minute efforts into level 5 after a long warm up. My total time out there was about 1:20. It was excellent. I really like running.
Lots of rain yesterday and today. It really better stop before Saturday. Doug, Ken, and I have a long ride ahead of us.
Anyway, lots happening in my life right now. Maybe I'll do a little personal stuff here tomorrow.
Swimming is progressing, nicely I think. I swam 2,500 meters in 56:30. I think that gets me out of the lake somewhere around 1:22. I'm thinking I'll probably get in another 40 swim workouts between now and April. I don't think I'm going to do much in terms of increasing strength by then so pretty much all time savings will come from form and interval training.
Still need to get a wetsuit.
The run Tuesday was an absolute blast! 4 x 7 minute efforts into level 5 after a long warm up. My total time out there was about 1:20. It was excellent. I really like running.
Lots of rain yesterday and today. It really better stop before Saturday. Doug, Ken, and I have a long ride ahead of us.
Anyway, lots happening in my life right now. Maybe I'll do a little personal stuff here tomorrow.
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