Tag: triathlon

Start of training 2012

After running an easy 10k turkey-trot over thanksgiving I am back to training. Or whatever you can say is training for triathlons. So far it is still out-season training at EN. So the volume is fairly low. But with enough other things to deal with , like moving, trip abroad, etc training takes a back-seat.
So I started this week with the plan to hit very day till I leave for my trip abroad. Still have to figure out the logistics of working out for tris while in Pakistan .

115 days to lake placid

My countdown clock tells me it is 115 days to ironman lake placid.
Here is more than the 4 point checklist triathletes describe.
1. Bike faster
2. Bike longer
3. Build run speed to sub 7 pace
4. Do brick runs at 8min pace
5. Swim swim
6. Contact charity and get stuff going

Ok so not 4 points and not all simple. But let’s get this done. Tomorrow is 114 days

D.C Heat

Another weekend and we are traveling again. This ti,e it is to dc to see my family. I have to take the bike along because it is another training weekend . I start off on sat around 12 and it is hot hot. Around 97 . I bike the wo&d loop by the time I have done the loop from regan to Vienna I am cooking. I start to try to cool down by throwing water on myself . That only helps a little. Get to dulles and I have to take a 2 min break because of the heat. I ride back to vienna and get to the car. Kamil meets me outside. I grab a water bottle throw it on my face and then grab the last of the infinit and start to run. After 70mi I meant to do a 4 mi run. The run around the park is enough to do me in. Stop at mariam’s house to grab more water.
My cousins are there, considering my state I think they wanted to stay well away. I was sweating buckets. I sit down for a while and then go back to fatimas’s house to take a shower and come back for a late lunch. Nothing better than a diet of nihari and haleem after a hard days workout.

2 down 44 to go

Just started the 12 week race-specific prep. In the words of crowie “Race Speeeecific Brriik” , need to add an Australian accent to that. 2 days of a long bike-run, followed by a long bike. Man my ass is sore, my legs are tired, my eyes have wind/sub burn and I am starting to think what the hell an ironman is all about. Did a 80mi bike ride, followed by 4mi run. Felt I was going to collapse. Total of 6hr of constant moving, a lot less than the 12 I am going for in an ironman.

The next day was a 60mi bike ride. It is almost a wonder I could get back on the bike. Lets just say certain parts of my anatomy were really really sore.

Debating a race

Somewhat recovering from being sick and I have full 1/2 IM race this week. The harryman triathlon. I was going to use it as a training race for the full distance race. Now I am debating whether it makes sense to toe the line, when I am at 40%. What good can come out of this. I already have my mental 6-pack of being able to run 13 miles with fever, not sure if I need to do 1/2 IM B race while still on antibiotics.
At the end I decided to skip the race and make it a full training day. I am going to 3000 yds in the pool, 70mile bike , 6 mi run. My own triathlon. With the option of skipping out if things get too bad. I race myself today. I race my body, my mind, and the conditions.

Bike Fit

So I finished my bike fit and went out for my sun ride. It’s been a while since I rode the titicus loop around Stamford, most of os has been doing the quick new cannan loop. Went out on long ride and I was quickly reminded of the hills, oh the hills of long ridge. I have never quite measured it but there are 2-3 long climbs on that road. I guess that is why the bike store is located at the end of the hills.
Anyway the bike felt great. I felt I was in more control and for a training ride I was avg at 17mph which for me is great.
Rode around the resivior and back to new cannan and then Stamford. R had parked the car at her office went re-filled on infinit and then went out for round 2.
This time i decided to do the reverse loop and rode from Stamford, to new cannan and then back. I could feel I had less juice in the legs. On the way down to long ridge I was wondering I didn’t cut this ride short. Got into the parking lot with 4hr of saddle time.
Got my running shoes on and tried to hammer out as quickly as possible.
The next day on Sunday was an easy 3 hr ride around Milford .
That is what I call the end of a good training week.

A good training week

So returning from a weekend with the family. And a somewhat avg training weekend. It was time to turn the dial up. It is called the ironman ! Not sleep on the couch, eat nihari, and pie man . Ok well maybe if they made that a triathlon I would participate anyway.

I knew each day counted this week. I was able to get all of the scheduled workouts in, even the swims. Which for the lazy ass I am at 5am is a surprise.

It started off with a good swim monday , and then a run. On tuesday I joined the masters swim, to get royally whiped by doing a total of 3800yd swimming. I felt like a drowned rat at the end of the swim.

Wednesday felt strong on the bike doing some serious interval work. On the bike to work I hit hammered it home, and then ended with a 3mi brick run. The legs felt good. I was thinking ok this is not that bad I know I can run 3 at interval pace after 30mi of hammering a bike.

On thursday did a long run for 1 1/2 hrs. Which felt decent had to cut it short because I was not feeling well. And then took friday swim off. Finished the week with a total of 15hr of training for the week.

Bad Weather Days

Nothing puts the dampener on the mood than bad weather. Or maybe more when the weather changes from winter to wonderful spring, and then cold harsh winter again. I guess most would call that living in new england. I just call it the weather gods playing with our emotions. They give us a couple of good days, and then a thunderstorm. They give us a clear sunny day, and then a tornado. I am sure my college roommate would have something more educated/informed to say about the weather all I can say is “I want good biking weather”.

Saturday was horrible went out for 60 mi bike ride in cold miserable windy 32F weather. Cut it down to 20 mi and returned bushy tailed from west haven beaches.

Sunday didn’t even bother with the run.

3 days off

So I am burnt. My mind is running in circles from thinking about work, about grad school, and then finally the IM. So my simple solution is that to take 3 days off from IM training. I am still in week 3/4 of the training, so the consensus seems to be that I won’t lose a lot of fitness.

So the end of my 3 days is tomorrow. So far it has been relaxing. I am always suprised how much free time I have when I am not training.