Rocky Point - Los Palomas Triathlon

I don't think there's an 'e' on the end of Rocky Point. I asked a bunch of people that exact question on Sunday.


It was really nice.  I wish I'd have taken some pics.

Race was scheduled for 9:00 am. Olympic distance 1,000 m swim, 24 mile ride, 6.2 mile run.

They close transition at 8:45 which means you have to be ready to swim at that point. The first wave (Men under 40 doing the olympic distance) go first. We started about 9:05 am. Just like that little race I did the other day right up until race time everybody is laughing and joking and basically having a good time. At IM people look like they are about to be lead to the gas chamber an hour before the race.

We ran into the water about 25 to 50 yards then we started swimming. I have a real weird problem. Every single time I've been in an open water swim I have felt a great deal of panic at the start. I feel like I need to quit and turn around or stop and get pulled out of the water. I manage to supress it every time and after 10 - 15 minutes I get over it but there's always that feeling at the begining. Right after that I think I am exhausted and I feel the need to tread water. Again, I usually overcome this and push on until eventually I just start swimming.

This time was no different. I think I could have done better but I was so unsure of myself. The night before everyone that I was with assured me the water would be like glass at the start; unless it was like last year! When we got there the water was indeed calm but as we waited for th horn to blow the tide rolled in and with it the waves. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't glass.

Don, the guy who organized the whole trip was with me at the begining but he was able to keep swimming when I decided to start treading water. He got a small lead on me and extended it to about 3 mintues at the end. Ultimately he finished a minute or so behind me in the run but ran faster by that same amount. To that he was a minute faster in each transition so he finished a little over 5 minutes before me.

The bike was fun. I wish I had been in better shape for that. I'll make a note of that for next year. I would have like to have just hammered though the entire 24 miles but I really took it easy except for the one short hill. I went up that pretty hard but besides that I focused on keeping my HR low.

The run was very nice. I managed to hold about an 8 minute/mile pace and I wasn't in much discomfort at all. I think I could have gone much faster. I held back at the begining and at the end I thought maybe I hadn't eaten enough in the morning.

Fixed for next time would include: 1. Eating a big breakfast. 2. Being more prepared for the swim. 3. Not being afraid of going faster on the bike. 4. Knowing the run course better, there were lots of steep hills.

This race knows how to finish! They had a slip 'n' slide at the end. A lot of people complained that their legs hurt too much to jump on to it. That's a clue that I didn't go nearly hard enough. They had all the free Corona and tequilla you could drink available afterwards (another reason to do this race) and it was just generally a great time. Got drunk in a bar that night and did my best to offend the relay team from The Tilted Kilt bar.

Next morning I felt OK, I had tried to drink one water for each beer all night. I was actually thinking that a run would feel good when I saw Don putting his shoes on. We did 4 miles in a little over 35 minutes. That's faster than I wanted to do but with an 8 mile hilly run in SF this weekend it couldn't hurt. Drove back that morning.

That's my first trip to Rocky Point. I must be the only person to graduate from ASU without ever having been there. I'd go back in a second!

Pat's Run

Run - Walk - Honor

Keith and I signed up for the Pat Tilman run a few months ago while we were picking up his packet for PF Changs.  28,000 or so other people had the same idea.

The freeways we backed up for miles.  AZDOT had exits shut down for construction and others were closed for the race.  We took a detour and got there pretty quick but they delayed the start of the race by 20 minutes because cars were still lined up on the freeway at racetime.

Me and Keith waiting for the race start

I woke up Saturday morning and I thought that I wasn't going to be able to walk my calf hurt sooo much!  I volunteered to drive so I figured I would just take Keith down there and watch.  I started to feel better while we were waiting in the coral so I decided that I would just run until my leg hurt and then I would take a shortcut back to the finish.

When we finally crossed the start line almost 20 minutes after the gun I was immediately suprised that my leg didn't hurt at all.  I stayed with Keith the entire way and we held a sub 10 minute pace the entire time.  The race went by fast!  It took us more time to find our way out of Sun Devil Stadium than it took to run the 4.2 miles.

Afterwards we did the Kids run with Keith's kids Olivia and Ella.  They ran the whole way and I think they finished the .34 miles in 0:3:19.

First short race...

I did a short biathlon yesterday afternoon at Tempe Town Lake.  This is the first time I've ever done a race that wasn't Ironman or Escape From Alcatraz.  It's called the Splash and Dash and it's sponsored by Four Peaks Racing.  It's a really quick 750 meter swim followed by a 4 k run.

Note to self:  The shorter the race, the more important transitions become.

I rode my bike to work and then over to the race after.  Katie brought Paige and Ken down to watch.  It was fun but we probably got down there a little early.  The sun was pretty hot at 5:00 pm.  The race didn't start until 6:00.

Short races are a different world than IM it seems.  Everybody was walking all over the place talking, running, and having a good time.  At 5:00 AM before IM it's very quiet.  Most people are just sitting there staring into the blackness or checking their bikes over and over again.  There's a general feeling of dread in the air.  People get into their wetsuits with 45 mintues to go before the race.  Yesterday I noticed that with 20 minutes left nobody was ready to go.

I went into the transistion area and found a empty patch of ground and started to change.  Water temp was 67 degrees.  I thought that since people weren't in their wetsuits yet that maybe they weren't going to wear them.  Then people started getting ready.  As did I.

A quick picture of me getting ready.

At 6:00 exactly the race started.  I was shocked at how unprepared I felt immediately.  At first I felt really good and then before the first turn I was kind of tired.  I pushed on and saw what I thought was the final bouy but as usual there was another.  I thought about the fact that Alcatraz is 3 times as long as this swim and I got a little worried.  Then I felt like warmed up a bit.  My arms were loose and my breathing was OK.  I found that I wasn't resting at all.  I was hoping for 15 minutes in the water.  Actually I think I went a little faster than that but I can't tell because I forgot my watch and they didn't have a timing mat at the swim exit.

I really felt disoriented jogging up to transition so I walked.  I remembered that Alcatraz in 3 weeks has a 3/4 mile run from water to bike and started getting worried again.

I pulled off my wetsuit.  That seemed to take a while.  I got my shoes on pretty quick along with my heart rate monitor (next time I'll just leave it on for the swim) but I had tons of problems putting my shirt on!  I chose my 2008 Escape shirt because of the technical fabric (but also because I thought it would be cool at this event) but the polyester just got all sticky and I couldn't pull it over my shoulders.  Finally ready to go I started jogging out of transition.  I'm sure it took my 6-7 mintues but as I said, no watch.

I do know from my GPS that I started the run at 6:20 exactly.  It's an out and back 2 lap course of about 2.4 miles but my GPS said 2.29 when I was done.  200 yards into the run my calves really cramped up bad.  I ran through it but I must remember to eat, drink, and focus on electrolytes.

The rest of the run went OK.  The shirt turned out to be a poor choice on the run because of the decals.  The really absorbed the remaining sunlight and I got hot.  There's no zipper like on a jersey so I was pretty uncomfortable.  At the first turn I downed a dixie cup of water and poured another on my back.  I did get a few people commenting on how cool my shirt was, so that was a little nice.

Everybody was at the turnaround back at the start so I got high fives from everyone.  Second lap went pretty well, the cramping in my legs went away and I even had just a little left for a slight sprint home.  Final average pace was 8:03 min/mile. 

I was pretty happy with that until I looked at the results this morning.  They only give a final finish time.  At 38 minutes I finished 120 / 160.  I'm hoping that my T time was what hurt me.

We all went out and had a fun pizza dinner afterwards.

What started as a bad week

This week started bad.  Maybe it was just that last week ended so badly.  I didn't get to ride on Saturday and then on Sunday I just couldn't make myself get out of the house for a run.

Sunday night I ended up getting 5 miles or so in on the treadmill but I was pretty disappointed in my performance.

Monday I rode to work but ended up leaving just a little too late to get a swim in early.  I ate at lunch instead of swim so I was pretty bummed about it.

Tuesday again, I just couldn't get myself out of bed in the morning for a run but I did grab an early swim.  It was a 5 x 400 with 30 seconds rest.  I was pretty tired by the end.

Today I rode into work and swam right away early.  I swam about 3,000 yards straight through.  Took about an hour.  I still have to ride home but there's supposed to be 20 mph winds at my back with gusts of up to 40.  As long as no car or truck gets blown over into me I should be fine.

Shin Pain....Again

On Sunday March 7 I ran 13.2 miles in just under two hours.  I was pretty psyched about it then but since then my shins have hurt quite a bit.  I've gotten on the treadmill a couple times but only for a short time.

This morning I was going to try an 8 mile run over to Mike's house but as soon as I started running I could feel a hint of pain.  I really don't want to hurt myself so I'm going to take it easy today and just stretch and massage it off an on and see if that helps.

Try and get over to the pool later.

When did I get sooooo lazy?

3 years ago while training for my first IM I used to bounce out of bed at 4:45 and I'd be out running by 5:00 am.  There were days in the begining that I ran 6 miles and then rode to work and then swam 1,000 yards.  This was all before work!

I've always felt that the secret to my training been that I could run pretty much before the day started.  Even a long run on Sunday could start at 5:00 am and I'd be home by 8:00.  Weekday rides were pretty much to and from work which only adds 1/2 hour or so to my commute time going home and I was always able to swim at lunch.  Ideally the only time I ever have to take away from family is Saturday mornings and as we get closer to the race a little of the afternoon.  I can still then show up on race day in prime condition.  I know an accountant who trains about as much as me but he never sees his family and they hate him for it.

Anyway, the point of this is that I have noticed that since November it has been increasingly more difficult to motivate myself to get out of the house in the morning.  I have a treadmill upstairs but it's tough to run on it early or late because it wakes the kids up sometimes.  This morning I did manage to get to the gym and get a great swim in.  I ran on the treadmill Wednesday night and as soon as I started my first interval I felt a lot of shin pain so I figured I'd lay off running for a week.

I've been a real bum on the bike lately.  I have no excuse for that.

Swim Progress

I got into the pool for an hour at lunch today.  I really want to think that my stroke is improving.  I feel way more slick in the water and there's a nice rhythm to my swimming all of a sudden.

For the first 100 yards.  Then it kind of falls apart.  But I'm not discouraged the way I was a couple weeks ago.  I'm doing drills for the first 1/2 hour or so and they really seem to be helping.

For the first time I'm doing consistent sub 2:00 100 yard sprints and I'm not puking exhausted at the end of them.  I'm looking forward to being able to string a few of them together.  Maybe I'll do an LT test Friday and see where I stand.

Is it just me or is this kid cute!

 

My first rest week...

I am entering my first rest week of 2010 (not including the 3 weeks I was off from my surgery).

Last week went really well I think.  I would have like to have squeezed in another swim.  I am going to have to redouble my focus to find another hour during the week.  I did two very nice runs.  Friday I ran 8 miles to Mike's house in the morning before work and we carpooled from there.

Saturday I joined Doug and Matt for our Saturday ride.  A great time around Rio Verde.  Doug is strong as ever and Matt has used his layoff to his advantage.  I am now the weak link in this group.  Fortuenately Mike is out of commission with a cold and Ken is still recovering from a broken thumb or I would have had 2 more people pass me on the hills.  I got 80 in when all was said and done.  It really beat me up though and I decided to skip the run on Sunday.

I am still undecided about travel to San Francisco in April.  If I drive it will take longer.  A nice long weekend would be nice but I don't know how that will play at home.  Paige can't miss any more school.  I could fly but I'll have to either pay a hundred bucks to fly with me or at least that to have tri-bike transport move it.  Plus car rental and maybe hotel. 

Florida is still an issue as well.  Same problems but driving is not a possibility.

I haven't had a chance to check out bike rental shops.  That would solve a lot of problems.

Pretty good day

I caught a swim at lunch today.  Good times.  I'm really focusing on drills.  We'll see if that makes me faster.

Katie had the kids on the other side of town tonight so I ran on the treadmill right after work.  I remember when I could actually motivate myself to get out of bed in the morning and run, OUTSIDE!  Now I'm like "Treadmill guy".  I don't get it.

Afterwords I ran out to Total Wine and grabbed some beer that should last through the week.  One week to go until Lent.  I think I say this every year around this time but I think I need lent this year.  I'm really looking forward to some good workouts and some good nutrician and some serious weight loss.

Stupid fun stuff

Another picture from Lance’s new book.

I blogged back in 2006 that a hotel we stayed in was the nicest hotel I’d ever seen (http://marcstdf.blogspot.com/2006/07/7202006-day-4-col-des-aravis-to.html)

It’s so nice that it turns out that when the tour went through Annecy last summer it’s where team Astana stayed. 

The tour guide from Trek Travel told us that the hotel used to be a castle that dated back so long that the legend is that it was the inspiration for Cinderella's castle.  My wife pointed out that Cinderella was probably a German, not French fairy tale.

Today

Good time yesterday.

I got everthing set up and started running while watching "Supersize Me."  I couldn't watch "Role Models" because I only have it on Blu-Ray and my computer won't play that.  Instead I watched the first 20 minutes of "On a Clear Day."  If you have never watched this movie you should. 

Ened up getting in just under 13 miles.  I must admit that it was very tortuous to go that long on a treadmill but I can say I've done it now.  I don't know how people in colder climates do their long rides on wind trainers though.

Tonight

Normally I would blog on and on about a great time this weekend or drone on and on about a rotten weekend I had feeling sorry for myself.

Not tonight. 

Had a decent weekend.  Had a lot to drink and a ton of wings at my brother's house during the game but I am going to run for 2 hours on the treadmill watching "Supersize Me" and part of "Role Models", if I have the time.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Why we work out

A bullshit ride is when you ride up a hill; sometimes hill after hill until somebody in the ride (usually me) screams out, "This is bullshit!"

In March 2007 I went for a three hour run and halfway through my knee collapsed and by the time I got home my leg was completely locked up.

Training for IMAZ April 2008 I got really bad shin splints and every time I went running it hurt so much I wanted to crawl.  I ended up walking the marathon at that race.

I suck at swimming.  Imagine that every time you put your face in the water you felt like you were going to drown.  That's what I feel like now.

It's been so hot sometimes on the bike that my handlebars hurt to touch.

I've run out of water, bonked, felt like shit, crashed, gotten hurt, had to replace equipment, ridden into the teeth of 40 mph winds, and just had all around rotten rides.

When it was finally over I've never, never, not one time, ever thought to myself, "Boy, I wish I had just stayed home."

Been a good week so far...

Except for swimming that is.

Don't get me completely wrong, I've gotten in the pool a couple times this week and I plan to do another.

It's just that I'm really bad at it.  I've gotten in a couple decent runs.  I did four really strong intervals on Monday and 30 minutes at threshold this evening.  I rode to and from work yesterday and I'm hoping to haul my butt out of bed tomorrow in time to do it again.  I didn't do the best workouts on the bike but it was better than not riding which is what I've mostly done this year.

The swim is what is bad.  My buddy Matt is a pretty strong swimmer and he's thinking of doing a triathlon race later this year.  I'm going to try and get some tips from him and join a Master's class at the gym in addition to getting down there a few times per week.

I am going to work on posting more pictures.  I think it's more fun to read blogs with pictures.  I think it's more fun to read just about anything with pictures.  But that's just me.

Ken running 6mph at the zoo

Ken running 10 minute miles at the zoo.

He got up to 7 mph or roughtly 8:30 miles for a short distance.

From this weekend

I found Ken up on the counter in the kitchen trying to get a glass of water.  I asked him how he got up there.  He showed me instead.

Fun Friday

Katie is in San Francisco with her friend Christine until Sunday so I took today off to watch the kids.

I did my usual wake up at 1:00 AM but I since I was alone I could turn on the tv in the bedroom instead of having to go downstairs.  I fell right back asleep.  At 2:00 Ken came in the room and woke me up to ask what I was watching.  I sent him back to bed and turned off the TV.

Ken woke me up at 4:00 by kicking me in the ribs in HIS sleep.  I don't know how he sneaks into my room without me hearing him.

We all had a good breakfast and then I rushed Paige to school thinking I was late.  I got really worried when I saw that there really weren't a lot of people in the parking lot but it turned out we were 20 minutes early!  The wouldn't let her into her classroom so we stood outside and I took this picture.

Ken and I had a fun morning.  I ran 6 miles on the treadmill while he and I watched Star Wars.  Then we ate lunch and went to the park.  I was going to swim but the day care at the gym ended at 12:00 and doesn't start again until 4:00 pm.

I think I'm going to go get my bike trainer and put it upstairs with the eliptical and the treadmill.

From Lance Armstrong's New Book

I was reading Lance's new book Comback 2.0:  Up Close and Personal.  It's really just a big picture book but I did enjoy this caption.

For the slower members of the audience the part I like is that he'd like to do the IM World Championship someday. 

A couple years ago I finally got over trying to tell everybody I met that I did Ironman.  I am a shameless self promoter but heck, if they can't read my license plate I don't feel the need to bring people up to speed.  Anyway back when I used to tell everyone I met that I did Ironman they would almost always ask, "Oh, that race in Hawaii?"  The race in Kona was the first Ironman, it was started back in the 70's by a bunch of Navy Seal types that were trying to decide who were the fittest athletes.  Nowadays Ironman, which is a trademarked name, and ironman length races are held in hundreds of places in many, many countries all over the world.  All have different characteristics; Canada is hilly, Arizona is hot, Florida is flat and fast, etc. but they are all the same length.  Kona is the most well known and the most mythic.

If you do very well, and by very well I mean finish within the top 3 - 5 of your age group you are allowed to race in Kona.  There are also a very limited number of entrants that get in via a lottery and some who get in because of a personal story or compelling reason.

Not really something I've ever been interested in.  I don't really feel like totally screwing up a vacation in Hawaii by killing myself for 13 hours.

We went to Maui on our honneymoon in 2000.  We did one of those bike rides down the volcano.  Go to http://www.bikemaui.com/ for more details but I said back then that what I would really like to do is ride up it.  http://cycletothesun.net/. 

Someday.

Getting ready to start again.

I am pretty much completely healed.  I still have a touch of pain but it feels more like it's on the surface as opposed to inside where the hernia was repaired.  It feels like the nerve endings are just starting to come back to life.

I'll probably start with a short run on the treadmill tomorrow.  Maybe a swim this afternoon.  Darn cold and they are expecting rain so riding might be out for one more week.

My weight has me concerned.  Ever since Novembember it has fluctuated daily up and down with a general trend towards "up" but the last few days there has been no "down" at all.  I'm 6 pounds heavier than I was a week ago I think.  I track my weight daily on myfatsecret.com and they allow people to track everything they eat as well.  They have a really nice android app called "calorie counter" which synchs with the website.  It's very difficult to track what you eat but I might give it a shot.

Yesterday for lunch I had two double cheeseburgers from McDonald's.  They are nice enough now to actually print the nutritional info on the wrappers.  After I ate them I noticed that a double has 440 calories.  I swear I would have guessed 1/2 that.  Today I had a bowl of Special K with skim milk.  I measured everything and it turns out that I eat two servings and not one.