allthemiles

Mon (Apr 16): 105 min (4.6 mi) run
Due to the bike crash yesterday, we saved our run for today.  After work, we sprinted out to Bear Mountain to tackle miles 4-7 of the half-marathon course that we’ll be running in just two weeks.  Colette’s road rash was bothering her so we didn’t make it to the peak at the end of mile 7 – we turned around at mile 6 and did about 4.6 miles for the day.  We walked a couple stretches on our way out and I discovered two ticks crawling up my leg.  Bleh!  I had that creepy-crawly feeling for quite a while after that and took a scolding hot shower once we returned home.

Tue (Apr 17): 1250 yds swim + gym
Swam with Colette and then we hit up the gym to do a bit of weight lifting.

Wed (Apr 18): OFF

Thu (Apr 19): 50 min (5.2 mi) run
Ran with Colette and did the same hilly route we did last Monday.  Felt strong on the hills.

Fri (Apr 20): 1000 yds swim
Swimming laps is killing me.  It’s just like the treadmill – I am exceedingly bored the entire time.  I found myself stopping every couple hundred yards simply because I was frustrated with the boredom.  It probably didn’t help that I was the only person in the pool.  Maybe the boredom will subside as I become a stronger swimmer.  If it doesn’t then for my sanity’s sake I will have to forgo long training swims and focus on the bike and run to make up any lost time that comes as a result of short distance swim training.

Sat (Apr 21): 90 min (6 mi) run + 10 mi bike
Went back to Bear Mountain for the second time this week.  Colette was feeling pretty strong and we made it all the way to the peak at mile 7.  We hung around at the top for a bit and caught our breath while we enjoyed the warm, sunny day.  The run out was pretty easy since it’s mostly down hill.  Went for a bike ride once we got home.  The ride was probably our worst yet.  Colette wasn’t comfortable at all in the city traffic and while we waited at a stop light we were harassed by an elderly lady.  We were in the right turn lane on one of the few streets that permits right-on-red.  But, since we are bike riders we couldn’t hope to merge with on coming traffic.  So, as we waited for the light to turn green an elderly lady began to blare her horn and rev her engine.  When she did it the first time I turned around to see her motioning right.  I felt slighted that her hand gestures were so insistent that we move over so I gave her the thumbs up sign and turned back around to watch the light.  She blared her horn more and spun her tires on the loose dirt (left over from some recent road repair).  I turned around to see her stop just inches from my rear tire.  Now, with no intension of moving I gave her the one finger salute and turned back around to wait for the light.  The light finally turned green and as we clipped in and peddled through the intersection the lady laid on the horn again and returned the one finger salute as she sped by…then she quickly slammed on her breaks to stop at the intersection that was no more than 50 yards away.  I thought about pulling up next to her window to chastise her about our rights as bikers, but her erratic behavior made me reconsider.

Sun (Apr 22): OFF
Rained all day, bleh.  To make the best of it, we took a drive out to Lake Welch and scoped out the Harriman Olympic Triathlon course we’ll be doing in four weeks.  Holy hilly!  Colette summed it up best when she said, “I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to make the entire course uphill.”

Mon (Apr 9): 50 min (5.2 mi) run
Nice run with Colette.  This route features several hills for which Colette specifically requested after yesterday’s hilly four mile run.  No knee pains and felt quite strong on all the uphills.

Tue (Apr 10): 50 min (6 mi) run
Quick six miles; ran them as quickly as I ran five with Colette.

Wed (Apr 11): 1250 yds swim
Finally, built up the courage and wore the wet suite!  Holy buoyancy, batman! I can float on my back in the suite which is really neat because I sink like a stone when I try floating without it.  Due to the buoyancy, I swam a lot faster.  Interestingly, it was hard to kick because my legs were floating so much.  So, the increased speed was almost exclusively from my arms.  Swimming 1.2 miles will be a breeze, if I can wear the suite.

Thu (Apr 12): OFF

Fri (Apr 13): OFF

Sat (Apr 14): Rock Climbing
Went rock climbing at the Gunks today.  We tried to go two weekends ago, but we were rained out.  Today couldn’t have been a better day: temps in the low 70′s, sunny and clear skies.  We climbed a 5.2 to learn how to edge, belay, smear and repel.  Then we moved on two a 5.4 that we multi-pitched and repelled off.  The pitch was about 250′ high – we climbed higher than our winter climb by 150′!  The outing would have turned Colette and I into avid rock climbers if we weren’t already half Ironman/ultramarathon/triathlon training.

Sun (Apr 15): 40 mi bike + 105 min (6 mi) run
We planned to ride 50 miles; however, a bug had other plans for us.  5 miles into the route Colette lost control of her bike when a bug flew into her eye.  She ended up in a ditch covered in mud with a bit of road rash.  A few seconds after she crashed, a car pulled up and an exceedingly nice lady (who turned out to be a nurse) got out of her car and proceeded to not only clean Colette with bottled water, but she also applied a gauze bandage and secured it with sticky wrap.  From there we altered the course to leave out some of the more intense hills and found ourself exploring new territory and a long road called Hardscrabble.  Hardscrabble was a nice ride on the way out – we passed several large houses with well manicured lawns and enjoyed relatively light traffic.  That same road was quite bumpy and pothole filled on the way out.  Next time, I think we’ll tie it into a loop so we don’t suffer through so many potholes.

Mon (Apr 2): 44 min run
Standard run.  No knee pains!

Tue (Apr 3): 15 mi bike
Raced home from work and biked a lollipop out past the lake and back by the airport.  This is the first and last time I’ll ride this route; the road was unbelievably bumpy.  On the tail end of the lolli I passed a biker merging in – they were turning up hill and I was just coming off a large down hill.  I didn’t fly past them, but I did go by with speed.  I rode the rest of the lolli peddling my legs off.  As I came closer to the city, the traffic became more dense and I looked over my shoulder before sliding towards the middle of the lane (so I wouldn’t get doored).  As I was glancing over my shoulder I noticed the biker I had cruised by – he was right on my tail.  Race time!  I put my head down and peddled even harder and tried to put some distance between us.  This continued on for a few more blocks till we came upon a red light where the biker went left and I went straight.  I felt pretty strong until I noticed the biker was in his late 40′s or early 50′s.

Wed (Apr 4): 1750 yds swim
Longest swim yet!

Thu (Apr 5): OFF

Fri (Apr 6):  OFF
Up to Cuse for some HIM Syracuse course training!

Sat (Apr 7): 16 mi bike
We planned to ride all 56 miles of the Cuse course today, but it was wicked cold and windy.  The wind was really blowing Colette around so we called it quits about 8 miles in and biked back to the car.  About two miles from the car the wind started blowing even harder.  I was blown side ways from the shoulder into the lane – I glanced over my shoulder and Colette looked like a leaf in Fall.  Her handle bars were practically vibrating from the wind and her counter-steering.  When we arrived at the next intersection she said she couldn’t go any further.  I continued on to get the car and come back from her.  On the way to the car, I hit 34mph on a downhill stretch and was slowed to 24 mph by a large gust of wind.

Sun (Apr 8): 11 mi bike + 40 min (4 mi) run
Planned to ride 40 miles out to Skaneateles Lake, but we were turned back by the wind again.  To make up for the shortened ride, we went on a four mile run that includes a steep hill that’s about a mile long.  This route was one of the first I ran after I began training for my first marathon.  It’s fun to revisit the route from time-to-time and see how much stronger I feel on it now.

Mon (Mar 26): 1250 yds swim + gym
Wet suite arrived today!  I chickened out though and didn’t swim in it.  Worked on my form a bit today; tried to visualize how olympic swimmers place their hands and kick their legs.  1250 yds took FOR-EV-ER – I am pretty sure I swam more than 1250 yds because I lost count several times of how many laps I already swam.  It’s a lot harder to do math while I swim than when I run.  Did some weight lifting after the swim.  I haven’t lifted in several months and I’ve lost a lot of strength.  I think I’ll forgo the quest to regain the strength; I don’t want to add more bulk/mass.

Tue (Mar 27): 50 min (6.44 mi) run
I was flying on the road today.  I averaged 7:43/mile; it felt like one of my fastest runs ever.  No knee pain so the stretches appear to be working.  This triathlon training focuses more on the amount of time spent running verses the amount of distance covered.  I play a little game though to see how far I can run during the allotted time.   That small game aside I am not nearly as focused on distance/pace as I was for marathon training.  This has translated into runs that are much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Wed (Mar 28): 50 min (5.1 mi) run
Garmin wasn’t plugged in properly so instead of charging it drained…sigh.  On the other hand I enjoyed a nice watch free run.

Thu (Mar 29): REST

Fri (Mar 30): 1000 yds swim
Left my goggles and swim cap at the Y on Monday and they were not at lost-and-found. …sigh… Had to use my old pair of goggles which were TERRIBLE.  They are tinted which of course makes the whole indoor pool seem dark and sad.  They also fogged up every lap.  Need a new pair ASAP!

Sat (Mar 31): 1500 yds swim
Purchased replacement pair of goggles and cap.  AMAZING!  Using tinted/foggy goggles one day and then using clear/180 degree visibility goggles the next really highlights the differences.  Swam my longest distance yet and felt great the whole time.  I “raced” some people in the other lanes, but really it was just me trying to catch them on turns and swimming hard to make sure they didn’t catch-up to me.  The distraction really made the laps fly by.

Sun (Apr 1): 71 min (6 mi) run + Boot Camp
Woke up early and went out to Bear Mnt. to run more of the course.  This time I tackled miles 3-6 of the course which takes you to the highest peak.  Wasn’t sure how long I would be out so I wore a camel back – big mistake.  I haven’t run with a camel back in over a year (last year I ran the race with a handheld water bottle) and the extra weight was definitely noticeable.  I considered ditching the pack in a bush several times, but I was afraid I would lose it.  This section took me to one of the two peaks on the course and that climb was grueling.  I am not sure if it was the pack or – maybe I need to train more – but I had to stop and walk several times with the sound of my heart beating furiously in my ears.  Finally reached the summit and enjoyed it for a bit while I caught my breath.  Started to run down the back side of the peak and then I remembered how long of  a descent it was and I did not feel like turning around at the bottom only to have to climb all the way back up.  The run out was notable only because I ran into a heard of overly dressed and equipped people beginning their hike.  By the amount of gear they were carrying I hope it was going to be a long day for them otherwise they were seriously over packed.  A few hours later, I went to boot camp where we did a standing long jump into a burpee for 50 yards x 10.  The coach gave us 40 minutes to do all ten laps – I finished with a little under two minutes to spare.  I thought that was going to be our entire workout, so I really gave the last lap everything I had.  As I lay on the grass in agony the coach says, “Ok let’s do some core workout.”  20 seconds of scissors kicks + 10 second rest + 20 second leg raises + 10 second rest for eight minutes…it was brutal.  As Colette and I lay there writhing in agony we decided that all other planned training for the day was canceled.  Boot camp may be the hardest thing about our training.

Mon (Mar 19): REST
So much for making Fridays my rest day.

Tue (Mar 20): OFF
Crazy day at work. Need to chill out.

Wed (Mar 21): 1250 yds swim
New goggles and CWX hammers came in today. The goggles replace my tinted Speedo ones. Wow! It’s like a whole new world in the pool when you can see. Goggles fit great; so well that I forgot that they were even on.  Jammers were also amazing.  They replaced some short shorts from Speedo that were starting to wear.  The jammers are for tris so they have rear padding which wasn’t nearly as distracting as I thought it would be.  Not sure if it was because of the new gear or the two day rest, but I felt great in the pool. So comfortable; no trouble breathing. Felt strong for all 1250 yds. Oh and I breathed on my left side (every three strokes) for 75 yds!

Thu (Mar 22): 45 min (4 mi) run
First “hot” run of the season.  Made me think of Miami which wasn’t all together positive (due to our poor performance there).  Ran through several swarms of gnats – hate those bugs.  Besides the gnats and Miami thoughts it was a pleasant run.  I felt free, especially since I wasn’t bundled up in two layers of clothing.

Fri (Mar 23): 44 min (4.8 mi) run
Ran with Colette and her bum knee (she had a bike crash earlier in the week).  My knee started hurting right away and I am beginning to think that it’s because I am not running as frequently as I used to.  Crazy thought, but it sort of makes sense since it means I am not stretching as regularly as I did before.  Maybe I should do some light stretching every morning?  Ha!  That would actually require that I get up earlier than required and that doesn’t seem possible.

Sat (Mar 24): 30 mi bike  + 1000 yds swim
We started the day off by heading to Bear Mtn for another training run.  Not even 200 yards into the run Colette’s knee started bothering her.  It didn’t seem like a good idea to press on especially since the trail would be quite rocky and technical.  Went to the bike store after we came home and bought a new jersey (old one shrank) and new gloves (old pair was falling apart (last time I buy cheap gloves)).  Rode 30 miles with the new gear, including the new helmet I got earlier in the week.  Goodbye, old mountain bike helmet!  New helmet  is much lighter and offers wider field of view when looking over my shoulder.  Jersey is a tad too short (at least with the tri jammers I was wearing).  Swim went well (but no breathing on left side).  Still amazed at new goggles and tri jammers.

Sun (Mar 25): OFF
Too cold outside, too grey, to blah.