Hey everyone. What a crazy week. I don't have much timeto write but wanted you to know that if you haven't paid for your wetsuit yet, XTERRA suits are 50% off with the coupon code EXCUSE. I just paid 199 for the Vortex.
Happy warm swimming!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Week Ending 19 FEB 12: New Baby on the Way!
Blogger seemed to be having some issues this morning so I am writing this in word for an upload at a later time. All in all it was an interesting week. I started off Monday in poor form by skipping my trainer session, however I did find a Powertap on Zipp 303 wheels for $650.00 on craigslist, and am very happy about that. I also spent the Monday off from work celebrating Valentine’s day with my two girls. The biggest news however is that on Wednesday, Annie and I confirmed that she is in fact pregnant and we have a new baby on the way on or around October 9th, we are so happy!
Alex has posted some whacky pictures on his blog with him trying on crazy wigs, so that leads me to believe that he is doing well with his new treatment and feeling much better.
Workout Summary:
| LOG Totals | |||||
| Type | Distance | Duration | Avg Pace | # | Time in Zones |
| Bike | 74.0 mi | 04:16 | 17.3 mph | 2 | |
| Run | 19.9 mi | 03:07 | 09:25/mi | 4 | |
| Swim | 3900.0 yd | 01:30 | 02:18/100yd | 1 | |
| Trainer | 12.0 mi | 01:00 | 12.0 mph | 1 | |
| Total Duration: | 09:53 | 8 | |||
Finally feeling like I am getting back into the swing of training properly again.
Monday: I was lazy and skipped a trainer session to spend the day with my girls (I was off of work so this was our Valentine’s day.
Tuesday: Just ran about 20 minutes slow to work out the soreness from the -5 degree wind chill race from the weekend.
Wednesday: AM: Was supposed to be a recovery run, but because I had nothing to recover from I ran 50 minutes with a friend on a hilly trail at Fort Carson.
PM: Brutal indoor trainer session with 19 12 second sprints followed by 48 seconds rest on each. Thank you Donna for blogging about your pain cave, At least I know I am not suffering alone.
Thursday: Fort Carson to the Zoo Climb with Nate. AVG PWR: 176. AVG Cadence very low due to coast back downhill and climb. TSS score: 80/100. Thanks Nate for helping me salvage the week. This was a monster climb and a screamer back down.
Friday: Long 3900 meter swim set.
Saturday: Ran the Boulder 70.3 course. Did the first lap and then branched off for some other running. Quite the adventure. I missed the canal road the first time and had to double back. Climbed the no trespassing fence, ran into a coyote that thankfully wasn't hungry. Passed numerous signs reading, Certain Death if entered, swift cold water runs underground", climbed another fence, and finally entered the back side of the park without being eaten or arrested. AVG HR 161
Sunday: Rode the Boulder 70.3 route minus a 1 mile out and back stretch. Felt pretty sore still from run night before and it was very cold. Was a fairly fast course. I was only taking in 45 grams of carbs an hour from my drinks, needed some food. Running would have been difficult after the ride but not impossible. Power meter hub battery died so I have no data other than cadence at 79 RPM AVG including climbs and coasting. Briefly rode with Don who qualified for Hawaii at St George last year and two other locals from Boulder. It was interesting to pick their brains and try to hang on for dear life to their wheels.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Curt Takes on Ironman Arizona
I met Curt in the volunteer registration line at IMAZ 2011. Here is his early season interview. He and Christine are two of the busiest triathletes I have met. Good Luck Curt!
1. I am a engineering “functional safety” consultant (we help refineries and chem plants to not explode by measuring their risk and applying shut-down systems and other protective measures). I support the Gulf Coast and other states & countries when needed. I have 2 sons in college and a 13 yr old daughter and have been married for 23 years.
1. I am a engineering “functional safety” consultant (we help refineries and chem plants to not explode by measuring their risk and applying shut-down systems and other protective measures). I support the Gulf Coast and other states & countries when needed. I have 2 sons in college and a 13 yr old daughter and have been married for 23 years.
2. Best part of being a IM AZ 2011 volunteer, timing the Pros and meeting you guys. Also, enjoyed going to the to the finish and helping motivate the last contestants until the midnight hour. I literally was walking and coaxing the grandma who finished only minutes late…L
3. The real training will start 36 weeks out. Until then, I’m working on equipment, base-loading, and developing lifestyle patterns that will work for the family, work, and fitness goals.
4. Major goal race in preparation for the IMAZ is the IM KY 12 weeks before. (Yeah, kinda nuts, but I felt it might take some of the pressure off AZ if I go a slower pace at KY) Outside of it, I’m doing a 10miler with my wife. Other than those, I’ll just have to see what fits the buildup regime.
5. Why? Closure. My two other attempts flopped due to strategy (2008 AZ) and under-preparation (2010 UT). Turning 50 one month after AZ and just want it “out of my system”!
6. Strengths? Flexibility. I’ve got discipline to run anywhere & anytime my work can take me. Getting the water and bike time in remote places is not so easy.
7. Weaknesses? Swimming. Was self taught until the last 3 months. I’ve improved technique using a former U of Tx swim coach and this should help considerably.
8. Interesting fact about me? I experience places with my running shoes. When I go, I look for the running trails and then make my hotel reservations. “Roach motel” or not. When I was in Singapore, I ran for 23 days straight and the day I was leaving, the lights to their botanical gardens were turning off at midnight as I was passing themJ.
9. Tri experience. Started about 7 years ago after moving to Austin and getting into Lance Armstrong. Had never swam a lap and or owned a road bike. All were laughing when I showed up on a $10 bike I had gotten in a garage saleJ
10. My coach is my Swim coach who has a good perspective and lots of experience with newbies. For example, last year he had a team of 30 go to Coeur d’Alene. In Austin, there’s many to choose from, but who will know me better after working with him for 3 months. And my problem is that I’m a moving target…
11. Hours? 8-10 hrs/wk while in my base period and starting 24 weeks out before IM KY ramping weekends until a 16-18 hr/wk climax. Results there may provide a basis for change before IM AZ.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Updates on Team Alex, Knee Pain, and Cleat Position
I have done really poorly with my training the last week. I was having some knee pain after putting my new saddle on the bike and starting hard intervals so I had a recovery week. Mike at Bicycle Village moved my right cleat inward because my coach said I was riding a bit bow-legged on our hill climb last Sunday. This and a bump forward seemed to solve the problem. Back at it starting tomorrow.
In other news, I have also really been struggling with my MBA online class this term. I am still barely hanging on to my A, but my teacher called in the middle of the SuperBowl to help me with the problem set. Took me away from the game a bit, but really nice since this is her only out of office day.
Updates from Team Alex:
Alex will start an Avastin trial this Thursday.Avastin inhibits the growth of new blood cells and has been shown to be a promising drug for radiation necrosis. It seems to be a much better alternative than steroids. The only drawback is that it can cause clotting.
We are slowly weaning him off of IV nutrition and trying to get him to eat solid foods. This is a hard slow process. Nothing tastes good to him and many foods make him gag.
He has more energy now and is moving about more. He still is a bit shaky in his movements and he drags his foot a little bit when he walks. We are hoping that this is just a side effect from radiation and that it will clear up with the Avastin.
It is trials like these that donations to the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation benefit.
www.Razoo.com/TeamAlex
Thinking about doing a Battle of the Bands fundraiser for Team Alex. Any thoughts?
In other news, I have also really been struggling with my MBA online class this term. I am still barely hanging on to my A, but my teacher called in the middle of the SuperBowl to help me with the problem set. Took me away from the game a bit, but really nice since this is her only out of office day.
Updates from Team Alex:
Alex will start an Avastin trial this Thursday.Avastin inhibits the growth of new blood cells and has been shown to be a promising drug for radiation necrosis. It seems to be a much better alternative than steroids. The only drawback is that it can cause clotting.
We are slowly weaning him off of IV nutrition and trying to get him to eat solid foods. This is a hard slow process. Nothing tastes good to him and many foods make him gag.
He has more energy now and is moving about more. He still is a bit shaky in his movements and he drags his foot a little bit when he walks. We are hoping that this is just a side effect from radiation and that it will clear up with the Avastin.
It is trials like these that donations to the Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation benefit.
www.Razoo.com/TeamAlex
Thinking about doing a Battle of the Bands fundraiser for Team Alex. Any thoughts?
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Functional Power Test
On Wednesday before heading to the airport I took my first power test on the bike. I really did not know what to expect. I got to Bicycle Village at 9:45 AM after a short day at work and linked up with Gabe. He put a PowerTap wheel on my bike and got me set up on a trainer in front of a fan. The instructions were: warm up until you are ready, then ride as hard as you can sustain for 20 minutes attempting to stay steady with your effort. I started out a bit easy by picking a gear that I felt I could maintain a 85-90 rpm cadence. I ended up not changing the gear at all but slowly ramped up the cadence, this may have been the wrong technique. The middle was excruciating, but as I started working through the last 10 minutes, it felt easier and easier and I pushed higher wattage for the last several minutes. Now that I have the experience, I know I can push higher watts next time.
The results: AVG Watts 223, 1 hour sustainable watts 203, power to weight ratio 2.57 watts/kg.
What does this all mean and what can I do to improve on the second test?
Theoretically, the purpose of the Functional Threshold Power test (FTP Test) is to see how much power you can maintain for one hour. Most times this test is not riding for an hour, but rather a simulated process that has you building up to a 20 minute effort.
First I can determine my Power Training Zones: Formula from Active.com
Not sure what good this will do me as I am too poor to buy a power meter for training, but lets see what else we can determine.
Is the cadence right for me? Joe Friel recommends that athletes take their first test at their natural cadence, three weeks later at 10 rpms below, three weeks later at 10 rpms above the first test, and three weeks later back at their natural cadence. He says this will help the athlete determine if they need to make any changes to their cadence for optimal power output.
Where do I stack up?
This chart from saris.com puts me at a disappointing CAT 4 performance, but at least I know where I really am. http://www.saris.com/aboutus/PTS/HowDoYouStackUpWithWorkout.pdf
Oh well enough for this post. Before the next one on this topic, I plan to research the proper way to warm up for one of these tests and will let you know how a proper warm up and trying the lower cadence affects my results.
The results: AVG Watts 223, 1 hour sustainable watts 203, power to weight ratio 2.57 watts/kg.
What does this all mean and what can I do to improve on the second test?
Theoretically, the purpose of the Functional Threshold Power test (FTP Test) is to see how much power you can maintain for one hour. Most times this test is not riding for an hour, but rather a simulated process that has you building up to a 20 minute effort.
First I can determine my Power Training Zones: Formula from Active.com
| Level | Name | Target Power Range (as % of avg. watts in 20:00 max test) | Target Wattage | ||
| 1 | Active Recovery | 0 | 0.55 | 0 | 123 |
| 2 | Endurance | 0.56 | 0.75 | 125 | 167 |
| 3 | Tempo | 0.76 | 0.9 | 169 | 201 |
| 4 | Lactate Threshold | 0.92 | 1.05 | 205 | 234 |
| 5 | VO2max | 1.06 | 1.2 | 236 | 268 |
| 6 | Anaerobic Capacity | 1.21 | N/A | 270 | N/A |
| 7 | Neuromuscular Power | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Is the cadence right for me? Joe Friel recommends that athletes take their first test at their natural cadence, three weeks later at 10 rpms below, three weeks later at 10 rpms above the first test, and three weeks later back at their natural cadence. He says this will help the athlete determine if they need to make any changes to their cadence for optimal power output.
Where do I stack up?
This chart from saris.com puts me at a disappointing CAT 4 performance, but at least I know where I really am. http://www.saris.com/aboutus/PTS/HowDoYouStackUpWithWorkout.pdf
Oh well enough for this post. Before the next one on this topic, I plan to research the proper way to warm up for one of these tests and will let you know how a proper warm up and trying the lower cadence affects my results.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Your Donations to Team Alex Fund Test Cures Like These
http://www.lohud.com/article/20120119/NEWS02/301190035/Westchester-program-clinical-trial-give-hope-brain-cancer-patients
Alex had am MRI the other day and found out that tumor is 5-10% bigger. The change was very subtle. Alex and his family are taking it as good news from the perspective that Alex hasn’t had any substantial chemotherapy for about a month and a half. If this was as aggressive as originally thought would have seen far more growth. Alex's body is having a hard time with teh chemo, so the doctor wants to try a new procedure that targets just the tumor. I am attaching a link to this about a similar procedure. Donations to The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation help fund research that leads to these cures.
Alex Strong!
Alex had am MRI the other day and found out that tumor is 5-10% bigger. The change was very subtle. Alex and his family are taking it as good news from the perspective that Alex hasn’t had any substantial chemotherapy for about a month and a half. If this was as aggressive as originally thought would have seen far more growth. Alex's body is having a hard time with teh chemo, so the doctor wants to try a new procedure that targets just the tumor. I am attaching a link to this about a similar procedure. Donations to The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation help fund research that leads to these cures.
Alex Strong!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Week Beginning 1/16/12
Week Totals | ||
Type | Distance | Duration |
Bike | 75.8 mi | <> <> 05:34 | <> <>
| Run | <> <> 20.3 mi | <> <> 03:20 | <> <>
| Strength | <> <><> <> | 00:25 | <> <>
| Swim | <> <> 5000.0 yd | <> <> 02:10 |
Total Duration: | 11:29 | |
Team Alex: Alex came home from the hospital after platelet transfusion. The doctor is going to try a new procedure that targets the malicious cancer cells without attacking the rest of his body. Alex Strong! Fundraiser is up to $684 dollars but did not move much since the first week. I really need to get creative and find some ways to get it moving.
Monday: 90 minute bike ride with Coach 1 hour Swim: Main Set 10 x 100s between 1:33 and 1:35, very happy with this set
Bicycle Village Spin Class: Added simulated hill climbing session this week.Tuesday: 20 minute Tempo Run Main Set, it was 3 degrees with wind chill at the Fort Carson Track, this was rough and slow. After did 20 sets of 10 pushups/10 situps.
Laps: 1-1:52 HR 144
2- 2:01 HR 158
3- 2:00 HR 162
4- 1:58 HR 165
5- 1:58 HR 168
6- 2:00 HR 168
7- 2:00 HR 170
8- 1:59 HR 171
9- 2:03 HR 171
10- 1:53 HR 172
Wednesday: 50 minute recovery run, 85 push ups, and 6 sets of Tabata situps
Bicycle Village Spin ClassThursday: 3K Swim. Main Set 1200m took me 22 minutes.
Friday: I was dying, so took unplanned rest day.Saturday: Straight from log: This Sucked. Wind...West At 40 To 60 Mph With Gusts To 70 Mph Or More. Local
Gusts Over 80 Mph Will Be Possible Across The Higher Peaks And
In The More Wind Prone Areas Along The Eastern Slopes.
Windiest ride ever. Almost doing a track stand uphill and fearing for my life on the downhill. 1 hour climb fro 10 miles against wind, 15 minutes on the return then a 4 mile loop.
File for IMAZ 2012. When the winds kick up, I can tell myself I have ridden in 3-040moh sustained winds.
Sunday: 100 minute trail run at Rampart Range Reservoir. It was beautiful but slow.Gusts Over 80 Mph Will Be Possible Across The Higher Peaks And
In The More Wind Prone Areas Along The Eastern Slopes.
Windiest ride ever. Almost doing a track stand uphill and fearing for my life on the downhill. 1 hour climb fro 10 miles against wind, 15 minutes on the return then a 4 mile loop.
File for IMAZ 2012. When the winds kick up, I can tell myself I have ridden in 3-040moh sustained winds.
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