Week 22 Wrap-up

This week, frankly, kicked my butt. It was a higher intensity week, which I made even more challenging by not getting nearly enough sleep. Also, my parents came into town for Easter, so I opted to take another half day vacation Friday afternoon and do my long run so I could have Sunday off to spend with them (and eating ham and cheesy potatoes)...which meant my normal Friday recovery day didn't happen before I did my long ride Saturday. But--I survived...and I'll hopefully do better on the sleep front this week.

My swim times continue to improve, although the rate of improvement has dropped a bit. But, I managed to shave about 2 more seconds off my 100m pace (while adding in 3 more 100m repeats from previous time trials)--at this point, I'll take whatever I can get. The bike continues to be progressive as well--I was pretty happy with the ride yesterday and the fact that, while I had to drop into granny gear for one hill, I stayed in the saddle (and, for the most part, the big ring) on all of the climbs. My handling on Tack is getting better, too, although I still hate right-hand turns (always have--don't know why) and I find myself riding my brake hoods through those instead of staying aero...I'll figure it out eventually. My running is also coming along nicely, although I used Thursday's run as an all-out chase-my-demons sort of run--I had a crappy day at work and took it out on the run, which worked OK as it was supposed to be a higher intensity run anyway. It made Friday's long run a little rough, though...as did the very humid and warmer than normal weather...but I got it done.

Theresa reminded me that Monday marked the 5-months-to-go mark for IM WI 2006...funny how time flies when you're too busy swimming, biking, running, working, sleeping, and eating to pause and think about it too much...but bring it on!!!

Here's the roll-up for the week...

Swim: 3:00:00 / 8100 m
Bike: 5:43:06 / 92.61 miles
Run: 3:42:16 / 23.32 miles
Total: 12:25:22 / 121.00 miles

Who needs McGuyver when you've got Michele??

Well, apparently the third time really is a charm, at least when it comes to solving the puzzle of my recent rash of flat tires on Tack. About 2 miles into Saturday's Wheelmen ride, I felt that all-too familiar feeling of a flat rear tire, hollered ahead to Sue and Michele (both of whom were also on the ride), and pulled off to the side of the road. Being the awesome friends and training partners that they are, Sue and Michele turned around and rode back to help me...which was a very good thing as I was very close to throwing Tack in the ditch in frustration.

Once we got the tire off, they both took a close look at the tire, tube, and wheel...Michele made the very astute observation that the plastic rim "tape" was not covering the spoke holes completely and that the tape wasn't flexible enough to reseat to cover them. So, after Sue mentioned something about being able to use a dollar bill to deal with spoke holes, Michele came up with a frighteningly simple and just frightening solution--the cue sheet. We tore up little pieces from my ride cue sheet, and she carefully covered each spoke hole with them after seating the rim tape as well as possible. We then held our breath (at least I did) while I inflated the tube...but it held!! So, after a 28-minute pit stop, we were off again...with me checking my back wheel about every 30 seconds for the next 10 miles or so--no wonder my neck is stiff today.

Other than another fricking flat tire, the ride was a great one--the weather was picture-perfect, except for a slight headwind that seemed to pick up near the end of the ride. The route was fairly challenging--a couple of big hills (one that, frankly, had me swearing up it the whole time in my granny gear, but at least I stayed in the saddle for all of the climbs) and a couple of rough patches in the roads, but all in all, a good ride. And, more excitingly for me, I rode most of the way in my big ring and still managed to keep my average heart rate to 73% with a decent average speed.

I have to admit, though, I was glad to be done--if for no other reason than I could stop worrying about the tiny little pieces of cue sheet that were preventing me from having yet another flat. I stopped by the Bike Shop on the way home to pick up some real rim tape--I'll tackle both wheels with that later tonight to make darn sure that spoke holes don't cause me any more grief.

Big huge thanks to Michele for her McGuyver-esque bike mechanic skills and to Sue for her patience throughout the whole endeavor...as always--you guys rock!!!

BTW--I'm also realizing that this will be the summer of tan lines--got a slight sunburn on my forearms with a lovely HRM band mark...and the bike short tan line has begun on my legs...good times...

Week 23 Wrap-up

Last week was sort of insane, even though it was a step-back week for both intensity and volume--I was out of the office three of the five days, with two of those being out of town, so I had some serious rearranging to do to get my training in. I managed to get everything in (except for most of Saturday's long ride due to some tire malfunctions--see the previous post for details there), but I was wiped out by mid-week. I basically crammed three days of training into two...doesn't sound like much, I guess, but when the days involve multiple workouts, it gets tough. I did Wednesday's bike Monday night, Wednesday's swim Tuesday night, and Thursday's swim Wednesday morning in addition to my normal Monday swim, Tuesday bike and run, and Thursday run. It worked out OK in the end, but I was drained by Wednesday--so of course I then had to sit through two days of offsite meetings (and, you may recall, I gave up Diet Coke for Lent, so I couldn't even fall back on that to keep me alert). Thursday morning's run was good, though--Pat (my boss who is also doing the Muncie 1/2 IM) and I ran around the lake at Lake Geneva (the site of our meeting)--pretty if unkept path that took us through people's backyards and along the beach. We ran a little faster than I normally do for training runs, but it was a beautiful morning and a good run--we even managed to get some work done along the way.

All in all, I'm still pleased with how things are progressing. My swim progress has slowed a bit, but I'm still headed in the right direction from a time and endurance standpoint, and my run is still chugging right along. I'm interested to see how my bike progress looks after doing more of a road/trainer mix (vs. all trainer)--hoping that continues to improve as well. But, no complaints...other than I need to figure out how to get to bed earlier...but such is life.

Here's the roll-up for the week...

Swim: 2:45:00 / 7650 m
Bike: 3:51:51 / 44.59 miles (again, @#$%! flat tires cut things short)
Run: 3:19:07 / 21.08 miles
Total: 9:55:58 / 70.45 miles

Two States, Two Flats...

Well, it would appear that I'm now an "official" cyclist...as of last Saturday, I've now experienced the "fun" of a flat tire (two, actually) while out on a ride. Unfortunately, my tire-changing skills clearly leave a little to be desired, so I actually punctured the new tube I put on as well, hence the two flat tires...but it's all good in the end.

Erin and I decided to ride together on Saturday, and since she lives in the far northern 'burbs and has easier access to county highways and less traffic, we opted to meet by her place. We headed north and ended up crossing the cheddar curtain into Wisconsin about 10 miles in...which is where my fun began. We stopped to regroup just after crossing the border, and when we got going again, I noticed my ride wasn't as smooth as it had been. I tried to check my tires from my saddle--the back tire looked a little low, but it didn't seem too bad...until about another mile in, when I pulled over to discover it was completely flat. Of course it had to be the back tire...nothing is quite as fun as dealing with the whole chain thing, especially when you're fairly inept at bike mechanics like I am.

I got the wheel off and set about trying to get the tire off--Erin was a trooper and didn't laugh too hard as my tire levers flew everywhere and I made up new swear words along side of the road. I thought the tube, etc. was still in good condition, so I put the tire back on and had my first experience with my CO2 cartridge pump--worked like a champ. We set out again (this time headed back to Illinois just in case something else happened)...and we had just crossed the border when I again realized my @#$%! back tire was flat again. This time, I changed the tube, put the tire back on, and inflated it with my second CO2 cartridge (I happened to have two by some random stroke of luck)...only to hear the air whooshing out of my tire shortly thereafter. So, Erin took off to get her car and come back and pick me up--I sat by the side of the road and wrestled with my tire levers once again, to no avail. So, my ride (and, sadly, Erin's, too) was cut drastically short--but yet I didn't really lose my cool, for which I'm both thankful and actually rather happy about as I'm prone to getting stressed over things like this.

When I finally had the chance to look at the tubes and my tire, I was able to figure out (I think) what I did wrong...I think I actually pinched both tubes with my tire levers when I was putting the tire back on, a fact that I remedied last night by slightly inflating the tube before putting the tire on. I've been swapping out my back tire between a crappy tire for my trainer and a good road tire--my guess is pinch #1 happened Friday night when I was getting Tack ready to hit the road on Saturday. Pinch #2 was probably just an unfortunate occurrence made worse by my hurried repair along the Wisconsin roadside, but at least now I know how to reduce the risk of that happening again.

I did, however, stock up on CO2 cartridges and a couple more spare tubes...seemed like the prudent thing to do...

And, as far as the missed mileage and workout are concerned, I figure it's the first significant workout I've missed so far, and it was even a step-back week...so in the end it's all good...and now Tack has two properly inflated tires and is ready to go for this weekend...

Thoughts to live by...

Over the course of the past week, I've come across a couple of passages (one from a magazine column and one from a Broadway musical) that I think state things pretty well...thought I'd pass them along for your perusal and contemplation. The first is from John Bingham's (aka the Penguin) column in Runner's World--pretty much sums up the therapy that running can provide...as follows:

"Our running shoes are really erasers. Every step erases a memory of a past failure. Every mile brings us closer to a clean slate. Each footstrike rubs away a word, a look, or an event, which led us to believe that success was beyond our grasp."

The second is actually made of lyrics from the musical Wicked and the song "Defying Gravity" (which, though I haven't yet seen it, I understand is the closing song of the first act)--not so much typical of running, but certainly could be used to describe my life in recent years...

"Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by the rules/Of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap/It's time to try/Defying gravity/I think I'll try/Defying gravity/And you can't pull me down.../I'm through accepting limits/'Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I cannot change/But till I try, I'll never know..."

Good stuff, to be sure...

Happy Friday, y'all...

A Great Day...

Two things happened today that I think are definitely blog-worthy--more evidence that my life is very much different than it used to be. First, when I got home tonight and got my mail, my mailbox was crammed with stuff--it was apparently a banner day for catalogs and magazines. But, when I pulled everything out, I had to laugh a little--I had a Triathlete and two Runner's World magazines...just a little change from my normal magazine repetoire of Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Real Simple, etc....all of which, incidentally, I've stopped subscribing to because I found I no longer had time to read when I started training. Good thing I know some great recipe websites to feed my cooking habit...and of course the staple, Cooking Light, which will always grace my mailbox. Anyway, it was a pretty good dose of my new reality.

Also, and way more of a milestone, I bought size 10 pants for the first time in my life (actually three pairs representing two brands, so while I'm sure I'm still sort of between sizes, it seems like a trend is developing). Theresa (who has also had a lot of success with WW) gave me a pair of hand-me-down 10's a few weeks ago, and surprisingly, they fit...and after I got chain grease on a pair of khakis and needed some replacements, I figured I'd try some more 10's on and make sure it wasn't just a fluke...and it wasn't!!! Might not seem like a big milestone to some, but considering that size is less than half of where I started, I still haven't stopped smiling. Not a bad Monday, all things considered...actually, it's been a pretty damn good day!!!

Weeks 25 and 24 wrap-up

OK--real life, training, and sleep have officially started encroaching on my blogging time...guess I shouldn't be too surprised by that, and it was bound to happen at some point, but still...it's a little irritating as I've discovered that I really enjoy unleashing my random musings into the crazy web world...but I digress...

Overall, training continues to go well. Last week (week 25) was a high volume week, and man could I tell it by the end...I think every single little muscle fiber in my body was wiped out by the time Sunday night rolled around. The main swim workout nearly killed me--it was a set of 10 150m sprints (85+% HR, which is brutal) after a long warm up. It's really a swell feeling to gasp for air and realize you're inhaling water...but I survived and am probably a better person for it (or at least that's what I'm telling myself). I had a random realization when I got done with my long run on Saturday--my pace for that run (12.6 miles) was about 2 seconds off my first half marathon pace, but my HR was about 20 bpm lower--which basically means my fitness level has increased dramatically over the past 6 months, which, in turn, is obviously good news.

Last Sunday, I rode my first ride with the Wheeling Wheelmen (of which I am now a member as well). Sue, Michele, Erin, and Pat joined in the fun as well--it was a gorgeous day to be outside--about 50 F and low wind, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It's a good thing I had the beautiful weather to focus on during the ride...otherwise I'd have to worry about the fact that I got absolutely smoked by a good chunk of the other riders. I also learned the distinct difference between road cyclists and triathletes--we triathletes go it alone and ride either single-file or by ourselves, but the roadies ride in a peloton-style pack. Given the fact that Tack and I are still getting used to each other, I think it's best that I stick with the triathletes...at least until I get more comfortable with handling Tack in a crowd. Nonetheless, the ride and the brick run after were an awesome way to end the week...

Week 24 (this past week) seemed like a step-back week in both volume and intensity...a way good thing. I had some rearranging to do with my weekend training as I was out of town from Friday night through Sunday (at the risk of facing some ridicule, I will even admit that I was at a quilting retreat with my great aunt and cousin...and I had a great time--in a way, it was refreshing to be around people for whom the whole concept of endurance sports, triathlon, etc. is about as foreign as a nine-patch square or seam allowance would be to my triathlete friends). I actually ended up taking a half-day vacation Friday afternoon to get my long run and follow-up short bike in--it was odd being on "vacation" and still running around the tech center and ending up in the fitness center, but it worked. That gave me Saturday off--seemed to make the most sense as I wanted to spend time with my great aunt, cousin, and company, and I knew that I could get my long bike in on Sunday when I got back to my place. I forgot (or maybe purposely pushed from my memory) how @$%! hilly Dubuque (the site of the retreat) is--it's a good old river town on the Mississippi, and my quads are hating me right now for getting in my 4-miler this morning before I headed back. After attempting unsuccessfully to keep my HR under 75%, I gave in and decided to turn the run into a good hill repeat endeavor...we'll see if I can walk tomorrow without regretting that decision. I made it back about 10 minutes before it started to pour--great timing on my part for once...and got my long bike in (on the trainer again...that's just brutal after being outside for the last two weekends) when I got back. Oh--I also finished a queen-sized quilt for my parents (it's off to the handquilters now) and got another quilt top pieced together...not bad for a novice quilter turned triathlete...

Here are the roll-ups for both weeks...

Week 25:
Swim: 2:58:00 / 8100 m
Bike: 5:55:15 / 96.01 miles
Run: 4:44:27 / 29.51 miles
Total: 13:37:42 / 130.58 miles

Week 24:
Swim: 2:52:00 / 7850 m
Bike: 5:31:01 / 87.04 miles
Run: 4:03:15 / 25.59 miles
Total: 12:26:16 / 117.53 miles

One last random comment...I detest the transition to daylight savings time--I know I should be asleep by now, but my body is fighting it for some awful reason...which means tomorrow monring is going to come really really early...and so begins Week 23...