2 weeks to go until Pirate Tri

With a couple weeks to go until the Pirate Tri, I am feeling good. Last week, I got in about 9 miles running, 35 miles on the bike and a mile and 1/2 in the pool.

Highlight of the week was that Crystal and I actually got to go for a ride together. Reggie and Vicki watched the kids. We did a nice 19 mile loop. She did great.

I took it easy running because my legs were just not there this week. Not sure what is up with that...

I started doing a 14 mile loop last week. Nice 1.5 mile downhill. The first time I did it, I average 16.5. I reversed it this week with the climb at the end. I average 16.7. I attached the elevation chart. Pretty good climb at the end. Hills are a definite weakness for me, so I am going to use this loop for training a bit over the summer. Nice route. Mostly bike lane and the uphill is freshly paved :)

It was Memorial day this weekend. I did have a few beers. 8 to be exact.. I have dropped 5 pounds. Hopefully, I can drop another 5 before the race. I have not tried my wetsuit on yet. Should be interesting....

Training, Yard Work and no Shipyard...

The week started off great. I ran Monday and Tuesday at lunch. Both days I did my 4.6 loop. Starts flat with a few challenging hills. I took Wednesday off.

Thursday I headed to the pool. I got in 1 1/2 miles in the pool. Time was not fast, but I felt good. I am now confident that I can swim that distance. I am starting to feel comfortable / confident in the water. I did not think this day would ever come....

Friday, I got out and did a 5.2 mile run after work. Felt good at my 8 min mile pace.

I had planned on biking this weekend a couple of times. That did not happened.. Instead we had T-ball, mowed the lawn, fertilized the lawn, went to Lowes to get plants, fertilizer, stone edging, lumber, burned the winter long pileup of a burn pile, went to the pool store to get chemicals, went to the dump, took my studded tires off the Accord and put my summer tires on, installed 50' of gutters (twice, I am a computer guy, not a gutter guy I have found out), fixed the patio steps, rehung the flag - don't ask.. Needless to say, finding a few hours to bike was not in the cards..

Week 2 of no Shipyard.. I miss my buddy... :) But, I dropped 4 pounds this week.. It is working!!

Work week summary

After seeing from pics from last weekends race, it became very evident that I need to shed a few pounds.. (10 -15 for starters...) As such, I have said good bye to my good buddy Mr. Shipyard for the next month.. I will miss you my friend. I will visit with you after the Pirate Tri and we can catch up :)

I have also changed my eating habits. Instead of several coffees xtra xtra, I am down to 1 coffee and a bowl of Total with raspberries on it. I read an article that antioxidants can help prolong endurance. I have also increased my protein intake. I did notice a difference this week in my energy level. Getting out of bed in the AM was not as tough and my energy level was up all day.. I have dropped a couple of pounds already..

As far as training for the week, time was tight.. I got a 3 mile run in on Monday at lunch. After work, Nolan had T-ball. That did not get over until 7:30. Right after that I headed to ST Joe's. I got there and there was only 1 other person in the pool. That was cool. I got my mile in and was able to practice some flip turns without an audience..

Tuesday, I got 5 miles in at lunch. I left from work and did back cove. It is a 5 mile loop from work to the cove and back. It was windy and cold, but i felt good. 39 minutes.. I was happy with that..

Wednesday, I did not have time to get out at lunch. I was bummed.. Wednesday night though, i got 10 miles in on the bike. I got a flat pulling back into our development though.. This is a good thing. Crystal needs to learn how to change a flat, so I am going to show her tomorrow..

Thursday I got in 4 miles at lunch. I was planning on swimming but the pool was closed for graduation...

Today is Friday and my rest day. It is usually the day I hang out with my buddy Shipyard... He probably misses me too..

For the weekend, I want to get in a 20 mile ride and a 10 mile ride. I also want to get in a 5 mile run and a 3 mile run.. We will see. We have a T-ball game, a load of loam that needs to be picked up, a lawn to be mowed, a mower that needs a blade put on and there is some crazy holiday this weekend...:)

Pics are Crystal's new bike, Paige with a crazy face, Nolan getting ready for the MS Walk a couple weeks ago

Polar Bear Tri recap

I was laying in bed that morning around 3:00AM and woke briefly to hear it pouring on the farmers porch outside of the bedroom window.. I said to myself before falling asleep for another couple of hours, "Great, another wet one like last year.."

When Crystal and I rolled out of bed around 5:00 to start getting ready, the rain had stopped. It was 50 and cloudy, but no rain..

On the way up, Crystal and I did not talk much. This was only her second tri. It would rain for a bit and then stop. She was checking the weather on her iPhone. It said rain.. As we got closer to Brunswick, the sky started to clear. While setting up transition, (which seemed extremely tight this year) the sun started poking through. You could almost see everyones spirits pick up.. By the time Wil starting talking, the sun was out... This was a good thing!!

Crystal and I were in the same swim wave..wave 7. Right before our turn to swim, Reggie and Danny showed up with Nolan to watch the race.. It was great.. Crystal and I got into the same lane. That was pretty cool.. Crystal works with a lady named Donna. Her husband Rick entered this year. This was his first Tri. He was in the lane next to us.

At the horn, I got out a bit in front of her because I do not like someone swimming right next to me. I can be a bit of lane hog. I stayed about a 1/2 lap ahead of her. I was out of the pool in 10:45. That is a PR for me..

T1 went slow. I had to pull shorts over my new fancy tri shorts I got. Those tri shorts are just a bit to revealing for me... As I was leaving T1, Crystal was coming in from the pool. She looked great..

Off on the bike I went. My speedometer was not working. Just like last year, I hit the sensor while setting up transition (or someone did) and was fliing blind.. I felt good though. I kept my cadence up. About 6 miles in, a group of 4 girls went by me on a hill. At that point, I said, hey it's race day, let's kick it up a bit. I ended up catching them and passing a couple. I stayed with the other 2 until the end of the bike.. I saw Katy with about a mile to go. That was cool. She drove up to see me and Crystal.. Ending up doing the bike in 39. Last year I was 46. Another PR for this course for me. (Last year I cramped up on the bike)

T2 was fast. I wear my running shoes on the bike so just a quick stop. Off I went on the run. The first 500 yards was tough. Calfs were cramping.. They loosened up and I settled into a good pace. When I hit the woods though, (2 miles in the woods), I started to struggle. Not sure what is was. Ground too soft, too many roots or whatever, it was not a good run for me. You have to do 2 loops in the woods. On the second loop, I saw Crystal just starting her first loop in the woods. I yelled out to her.. "Go Crystal!" She heard me.. I then said, I should try to catch her. She was about 400 yards a head of me. I did, but it killed me... I gave her a slap on the ass when I went by her.. I am sure she loved that :)

I then emerged from the woods and onto the sports field. From here there is 200 - 300 yards to the finish. As I came onto the field, I saw Nolan. He came out onto the field and ran the last 200 yards with me. It was great!. I finished the run in 25 or so. Normally I would be disappointed with 25 for 3K, but today, the sun was out, Cystal was racing with me and Nolan went over the finish line with me. The 2009 Polar Bear was a great event this year for me. I cannot remeber ever having such a good time at any other event..

1:19:18 for the Race.. More to come

Had to post a pic of Nolan doing the last 200 yards with me. This was the highlight of the race for me...

Only a few days until our first Tri of 2009

This Saturday is our first tri of 2009. Crystal has been doing great. I am also in much better shape than I was last year at this time. Last year for this race, I think my bike leg was around 48 minutes. I am hoping to take close to 10 minutes off that this year. We will see. They are saying chance of rain and in the 60's.

After reading my cousins Tri blog, http://coachlogan.blogspot.com/ I feel as though I have been slacking though... My running partners also are not shown in Triathlete magazine either though... Great job on your training Logan. You have been in inspiration to me when I am having trouble getting off my ass....

As far as training, I am doing about 10 - 15 miles a week running, 1 -2 miles in the pool and 15 - 20 miles a week on the bike... My numbers really need to start climbing after this race if I want to be ready for the 1/2 Ironman this fall..

Spring is near.. I just know it...

Had a good week of training. The snow is melting so it is nice to be able to get out and not be all bundled up. On Tuesday at lunch, I was heading out to do my 3.5 mile loop. Chris from work was also heading out. He was going to do a 5 mile loop. He asked me to join him so I did. It is a nice loop from the office to Back Cove and back to the office. I think we did it in around 47 - 48 minutes.

Tuesday night I headed to the pool. I have been doing 1 mile each session. 1/3 mile freestyle, 1/3 mile with flippers and a 1/3 mile with a pull buoy.

Thursday I got out for another run at lunch. I just did my 3.5 mile loop. That night I headed to the pool to get in my mile.

Over the weekend (Sunday) I went out for what I thought was going to be 6.2 My neighbor Renee told me about a nice hilly loop she is doing to train for the Beach to Beacon. After Crystal got back from her 4.5, I headed out. I got to the point in the run where the 6.2 could turn into a 7.5. I took the 7.5 turn. When I got to the point where the 7.5 could turn into a 10.5, I took the 10.5 turn.

So, almost 2 hours later I made it back home, a bit sore with a major blister on my little toe, an upset wife because I was gone for so long and she had gotten worried that I was dead in a ditch. But, I was psyched. 10.5 miles. No stopping. I have never run that far in my life! And today is Monday and I was able to walk. Actually walk!!! A little sore, but not bad.

So for the week, 2 miles in the water and 19 miles running. No miles on the bike though.. I know I know.. I plan on going to the gym tomorrow to try to get on the stationary. My bike is still in for a tune up. It is ready to be picked up, but it is in Freeport. We are waiting until this weekend to go up, because Jaimie is getting a Scott S30 in for Crystal to try out. Nolan is not feeling well tonight though. I may need to stay home with him tomorrow. If that is the case, I will not make the gym...

1 month until race

Well, I have not been updating the blog much. My appologies to the many many fans I have :) For the month of March, i have been working out fairly regularly. I am running between 10 and 15 miles a week, and swimming a couple of miles a week. I just found a new five mile loop at lunch. I run from the office to back cove, run the loop and then run back to the office.

I dropped my bike off at National for Jamie to tune up. Should get it back this weekend. From there on out, I will be doing some riding. Roads are still in very rough shape right now.

I feel really good that I will have no issues with the swim and run. I need to spend more time on the bike. I plan on hitting the gym Wed and Friday to ride the bike.

Off to the pool... Here is a link to next months race
http://www.tri-maine.com/Races/PolarBear.html

Back at it

Took a good week off. I was not feeling well. I did sign up for the Beach 2 Beacon. I think this will be the last year for that. It is a 10K race. It was online signup only. Site kept locking up and tons of people were unable to sign up. There are many other road races that donate a larger % of their profits to a wider array of charities... FUn event, but starting to be a project just to get into the race.

This week I hit the pool Monday and Tuesday night. Mollie, Jamie and Jen were there. They are going to be in their first Tri this year. I gave them some pointers... Do as I say, not as I do!!

Also, I was looking to get out of the lane I was swimming in. There were two other guys in the lane. One had on a wetsuit and one was related to Phelps I think. Needless to say, I was in their way...

Felt really good overall though. Much better than I did a year ago leading up to the Polar Bear. Also I have started to run at lunch. I have a 3.1 mile loop and a 4.5 loop. I am going to try to get my road mileage up to 20 miles a week leading up to the Polar Bear tri the first of May.

I really need to get some miles on my bike though. That will be my major concentration over the next few weeks. Also, Crystal is looking for a bike. 52 - 54cm in the $600 to $800 range. At least Tiagra comps.. If anyone is selling or knows someone selling, let us know!

14" more inches of snow this week

It is official. I am sick of winter..!! Good news though, today U2 released their new album. Hard to be down when something like that happens!!!

So last Thursday, I went to the pool and it was actually open!! Had a great swim. Swam for about an hour. Had the pool pretty much to myself. It was nice. I was able to practice some flip turns. This is best done without an audience believe me...

Saturday was in the 40's and I was able to get out and do the 5.5 loop. Finished in just over 45 minutes. I was happy with the time and was not sore at all. Another couple weeks at 5.5 and I am going to start stepping up the mileage.

Tonight I went to the pool after dinner. It was close to 8:00 by the time I got into the pool. Swam a little over a mile. I am starting to get a cold. Felt OK but struggled to get air.. damn breathing issue that is not going away.... I need to figure out why I can't seem take more than 1 stroke without coming up for air....