I spent most of the day sleeping, watching TV and being lazy. I decided around evening time, that I needed to get some exercise in, so I ended up heading to the gym to get some running on the elliptical.
The gym was mostly empty with a few souls like myself trying to get some activity in. I picked my usual elliptical spot and started my run.
Surprisingly 2 miles into it, I found myself having difficulty maintaining my pace and rhythm. I was not sure what the problem was, but I suspect it had to do with the fact that I had not been drinking enough water all day and my body was fairly dehydrated. I am planning on doing another run tomorrow to see if that was the case, or if there are some other issues that may have come up.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Group Bike & Run Training - June 14th
I was looking forward to this training since, I had plenty of sleep the night before to support it. I was glad I had put my bike in the car the night before, so it made it easier to get out of bed and get ready to head out.
Todays training was at Kensington, and while its a hike, its a fun bike & run time. Apparently a lot of other people thought so too, because the parking lot where we usually park was packed and I had trouble finding a parking spot. Between all the confusion, half of the group had already left and some of us were still trying to figure out what was going on. Eventually we decided to hit the road, and no sooner had we gotten out of the parking lot that my troubles started with the gearing. I tried to fix it a little, but it just got worse by the time we hit the next traffic light. I got off my bike to adjust it, and told the others to keep going. The problem with fixing it was, that I needed to fix the derailer in front as well as the back to keep the alignment, but with me holding the bike and trying to pedal at the same time required atleast 4 arms.
I just did the best I could and started off again. Unfortuantely I had never paid attention to the route we were going, so I went off in the wrong direction. About a few miles into it, I realized none of this seemed familiar, so I turned around and went another direction. That did not appear to look familiar either, and I had turned back a mile when I though I saw what looked like Ron on the other side pedaling hard. There were a few cars coming that way, so I could not quickly turn around to catch him. By the time I turned around, Ron was already up the hill and out of sight. I did my best to catch up to him, but everytime I started getting close, we would hit a hill, and I would lose my momentum again. At one point, we went up a steep hill to an intersection, and I lost track of which way Ron went. I once again started going down the wrong road, and about two miles in realized this did not seem right either. So I went the other direction and saw signs for Metro Park, and figured this is the best way to go as it should eventually lead me back to the parking lot. My troubles were not over, beacuse as I started going down that road, I found it blocked with construction signs. I ended up jumping on the trail which was shared by runners, and generally not a good thing to do. Eventually I moved back on the road, only to find Nick and Kevin catching up. Between all this confusion, I had biked 20 miles, while the rest of the group had done a little under 25 miles with the proper course, so I did not feel too bad about missing out on that.
We followed up with a short 3 mile run, which just seemed to be giving me trouble, but it was probably because of the temperate than anything else.
I think I am in good condition to tackle the event this weekend, just keep praying for me! :)
Todays training was at Kensington, and while its a hike, its a fun bike & run time. Apparently a lot of other people thought so too, because the parking lot where we usually park was packed and I had trouble finding a parking spot. Between all the confusion, half of the group had already left and some of us were still trying to figure out what was going on. Eventually we decided to hit the road, and no sooner had we gotten out of the parking lot that my troubles started with the gearing. I tried to fix it a little, but it just got worse by the time we hit the next traffic light. I got off my bike to adjust it, and told the others to keep going. The problem with fixing it was, that I needed to fix the derailer in front as well as the back to keep the alignment, but with me holding the bike and trying to pedal at the same time required atleast 4 arms.
I just did the best I could and started off again. Unfortuantely I had never paid attention to the route we were going, so I went off in the wrong direction. About a few miles into it, I realized none of this seemed familiar, so I turned around and went another direction. That did not appear to look familiar either, and I had turned back a mile when I though I saw what looked like Ron on the other side pedaling hard. There were a few cars coming that way, so I could not quickly turn around to catch him. By the time I turned around, Ron was already up the hill and out of sight. I did my best to catch up to him, but everytime I started getting close, we would hit a hill, and I would lose my momentum again. At one point, we went up a steep hill to an intersection, and I lost track of which way Ron went. I once again started going down the wrong road, and about two miles in realized this did not seem right either. So I went the other direction and saw signs for Metro Park, and figured this is the best way to go as it should eventually lead me back to the parking lot. My troubles were not over, beacuse as I started going down that road, I found it blocked with construction signs. I ended up jumping on the trail which was shared by runners, and generally not a good thing to do. Eventually I moved back on the road, only to find Nick and Kevin catching up. Between all this confusion, I had biked 20 miles, while the rest of the group had done a little under 25 miles with the proper course, so I did not feel too bad about missing out on that.
We followed up with a short 3 mile run, which just seemed to be giving me trouble, but it was probably because of the temperate than anything else.
I think I am in good condition to tackle the event this weekend, just keep praying for me! :)
Group Swim Training - June 10th
I won't say I had fully recovered from the weekend race, but I was feeling a lot better. Our training was at my least favorite high school, and to make matters worse, the off ramp for the exit I needed to get off at was blocked. I saw a lot of smoke, so I am assuming something was on fire. I was running late, and all this additional aggravation was not helping.
In any case we started out with our usual 200 yd warm up, and the coach informed us the swim training today was going to be a little easier than usual (not that anyone of us believed him)!
We ended up doing sprint drills, going from one side to the next as fast as we could, and then the same thing back. After a few runs, it felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest, but I do know I was going really fast. If I could race at this pace, I would be done in about 15 mins in the actual race! ;)
We then did 75 yd drills with alternating speeds on each length, and this is where disaster stuck for me. I was in a separate lane, but I was focusing so much on speed, that I drifted out of my lane, into the oncoming lane, and I hit Bora head on!
It won't be the first time we have had a collision, but it sure did not make it any better. My head was still vibrating from the impact, and we both had a bump on our heads to prove it. It took a little while for me to get back into the swim routine, but this time I was much more cautious about what I was doing. Maybe it was an important lesson learnt, but not one I necessarily need to go through again.
I am sure by the time we got done with our swimming, we had done more than a mile, but I think we have quit counting that anymore.
The fun part of the evening was that we were given our tri shorts and singlet we had ordered a couple of months ago. The top seemed to be a little loose, but then again I had probably lost some weight since I last tried them.
Either way, I look forward to wearing them during our upcoming open water swim, should be interesting to see how it feels under the suit.
In any case we started out with our usual 200 yd warm up, and the coach informed us the swim training today was going to be a little easier than usual (not that anyone of us believed him)!
We ended up doing sprint drills, going from one side to the next as fast as we could, and then the same thing back. After a few runs, it felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest, but I do know I was going really fast. If I could race at this pace, I would be done in about 15 mins in the actual race! ;)
We then did 75 yd drills with alternating speeds on each length, and this is where disaster stuck for me. I was in a separate lane, but I was focusing so much on speed, that I drifted out of my lane, into the oncoming lane, and I hit Bora head on!
It won't be the first time we have had a collision, but it sure did not make it any better. My head was still vibrating from the impact, and we both had a bump on our heads to prove it. It took a little while for me to get back into the swim routine, but this time I was much more cautious about what I was doing. Maybe it was an important lesson learnt, but not one I necessarily need to go through again.
I am sure by the time we got done with our swimming, we had done more than a mile, but I think we have quit counting that anymore.
The fun part of the evening was that we were given our tri shorts and singlet we had ordered a couple of months ago. The top seemed to be a little loose, but then again I had probably lost some weight since I last tried them.
Either way, I look forward to wearing them during our upcoming open water swim, should be interesting to see how it feels under the suit.
Personal Run Training - June 9th
I am still in recovery mode after the tri I raced in yesterday, but I did want to get out and get the blood flowing through the body to facilitate muscle regeneration.
I ended up just going to the gym and doing a 3.1 mile run on the elliptical since it would not be hard on the body, and still get the desired effects.
Not a whole lot of excitement on this training day, but the good thing is everything seems operational so far! :)
I ended up just going to the gym and doing a 3.1 mile run on the elliptical since it would not be hard on the body, and still get the desired effects.
Not a whole lot of excitement on this training day, but the good thing is everything seems operational so far! :)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Ann Arbor Triathlon - June 8th
Total Participants: 650
Distances:
- Swim - 0.5 mile / 0.8 km
- Bike - 15.2 mile / 24.46 km
- Run - 5 mile / 8 km
Total Race Time: 2:14:33
Overall Ranking: 318
Category Rank: 40
Swim Time: 20:43
Overall Swim Rank: 247
Category Rank: 27
Transition 1: 5:31
Bike Time: 46:07
Average Speed: 18.2 miles/hr
Overall Bike Rank: 233
Category Rank: 34
Transition 2: 3:09
Run Time: 59:06
Average Speed: 11:50/mile
Category Rank: 42
I am not really sure where to start on this day, as it seemed to be an extension of yesterday. I went to sleep at 11:00 pm, suffering from insomnia and by system being wired with all that Gatorade I had been having all day. I woke up at 3:30 am and started getting my stuff in order to head out, to pick up Bora around 4:15 am. I could not be any more nervous than I already was. It was raining cats & dogs outside, and I was feeling like I should just stay in. However the committment of picking up Bora was on my mind, and it got me to get in my car and head out to RO. I picked up Bora, and we had a little bit of effort to get his bike in, and organized so it did not damage the other bike or itself in the back.
We got there around 6 am, with plenty of time to spare before the event started. We found ourselves a nice parking spot, unloaded our bikes and ran a through check of all our gear. We helped out Courtney, a random dude (who was extremely appreciative & nervous).
By the time we had gotten our race packets and timing chips, the rest of the gang joined us as we were heading up the hill to the transition area. I was the only one in our group, who was in the first wave, so it was kind of un-nerving. I racked my bike and set up the transition area, and then had the girl mark me on my shoulder and right leg. I had Bora accompany me down to help into my wet suit, and took a quick 50 yd swim in the lake to get over the initial water shock. In retrospect, this lil exercise helped me avoid the panic factor associated with 100 people hitting the water as well as the temperate factor as well.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Group Swim Training - June 7th
This was our first open water swim since we had started training back in Feb, and just in time considering our first real triathlon was tomorrow!!
The team kind looked like a bunch of fantastic four wannabes, except we were more like the fantastic 14, but either way, skin tight wet suits have a a personality of their own. :)
The water temperature was probably in the high 60's, still cold, but the suits helped absorb the initial shock, and also help in retaining heat in the body. It helped to just jump in the water and get yourself all wet so that the initial shock is over. However what was very different from all our usual swim trainings is that, the water was so dark, that you really could not see the bottom. This was totally different and there was definitely hesitation in doing any sort of swim. It was a mix of being in open air, the open water, the smell of the water, even the taste, the visibility in the water, and it was hard to just accept all these changes in one day.
Coach Ray also had some company with Stu being in the water with us, and the extra help was much needed with so many question
s and concerns. We started out with a few lengths from one end to the next to get acclimated to the environment, and even though I appeared to be doing good, there was a sense of apprehension about all this. The one good thing is, I atleast know what to expect in tomorrow tri, because had I been doing this for the first time in the race, I would be in serious trouble.
Our session consisted of a number of speed sprints, and some additional lengths, and in my case, even a collision with my good friend Bora. It was funny, because I was in total confusion, rather than being worried about what happened to my head. It felt like I had run into a wall, but what I could not figure out was that there even was a wall. My mind kept racing to rationalize what had happened, and then I started speculating I had some how swam out of the swim area and hit a boat, or maybe the boat some how got into the swim area. When I actually got out of the water and saw Bora, I was atleast relieved that it was not a boat. But I was still prepelexed on how I had a collision with Bora. I know my swim direction was not consistently straight, but I did not imagine it was so bad that I collided with someone head on, when we were both swimming in the same direction!!!
So this is what actually happened...I was finishing my last length and then we were supposed to swim towards the beach. Apparently Bora had just finished before me and he was going in a direction perpendicular to mine towards the beach. Somehow he missed that I was still heading back at full speed, and we timed it so well, that we ran into each other head on. Regardless, he sure knows how to knock some sense into me now! ;)
Ann Arbor Tri.....here I come!!!
The team kind looked like a bunch of fantastic four wannabes, except we were more like the fantastic 14, but either way, skin tight wet suits have a a personality of their own. :)
The water temperature was probably in the high 60's, still cold, but the suits helped absorb the initial shock, and also help in retaining heat in the body. It helped to just jump in the water and get yourself all wet so that the initial shock is over. However what was very different from all our usual swim trainings is that, the water was so dark, that you really could not see the bottom. This was totally different and there was definitely hesitation in doing any sort of swim. It was a mix of being in open air, the open water, the smell of the water, even the taste, the visibility in the water, and it was hard to just accept all these changes in one day.
Coach Ray also had some company with Stu being in the water with us, and the extra help was much needed with so many question
s and concerns. We started out with a few lengths from one end to the next to get acclimated to the environment, and even though I appeared to be doing good, there was a sense of apprehension about all this. The one good thing is, I atleast know what to expect in tomorrow tri, because had I been doing this for the first time in the race, I would be in serious trouble.Our session consisted of a number of speed sprints, and some additional lengths, and in my case, even a collision with my good friend Bora. It was funny, because I was in total confusion, rather than being worried about what happened to my head. It felt like I had run into a wall, but what I could not figure out was that there even was a wall. My mind kept racing to rationalize what had happened, and then I started speculating I had some how swam out of the swim area and hit a boat, or maybe the boat some how got into the swim area. When I actually got out of the water and saw Bora, I was atleast relieved that it was not a boat. But I was still prepelexed on how I had a collision with Bora. I know my swim direction was not consistently straight, but I did not imagine it was so bad that I collided with someone head on, when we were both swimming in the same direction!!!
So this is what actually happened...I was finishing my last length and then we were supposed to swim towards the beach. Apparently Bora had just finished before me and he was going in a direction perpendicular to mine towards the beach. Somehow he missed that I was still heading back at full speed, and we timed it so well, that we ran into each other head on. Regardless, he sure knows how to knock some sense into me now! ;)
Ann Arbor Tri.....here I come!!!
Personal Run Training - June 5th
I had been resting my leg most of the week to let it recover for the weekend triathlon. I had missed my swim training due to being occupied at work later than usual, so I was motivated get some training in to remind my body, it was still very much needed. I was not ready for running outside yet, because I am still working with my physical therapist to figure out how exactly to fix my left leg issue. She has advised to ice it couple of times a day, and that seems to be helping some, but not really fixed the problem.
Anyways, I figured I would just go to the gym and run on the elliptical and get my heart rate up this way. I hydrated myself, got my iPod plugged in, filled a bottle of water and started on my training at level 10.
I had targeted to finish the 6.2 mile run at a rate of 10 min/mile, but realized that my training is supposed to be hard, so I shifted into high gear towards a target of 9 min/mile. By about the 3 mile mark, I seemed to be very close to that goal, just shy of 20 seconds on the timer. I increased my strides from 180 to 190 and kept that up till the 5 mile mark, when I realized that I was running 6.2 miles and not just 6....so I increased my stride to 200ish, and when I put my hand on the heart rate monitor, it should be in the low 170's, which is probably pushing it, but then again, what better way to train it! ;)
At last check, I finished the 6.2 miles in 55 minutes on the dot, meeting my 9 min/mile target. Suffice to say, I was drenched in sweat and towel I had to dry me up was also too wet to really absorb anything more. I am sure there were a few awkward stares at me....oh well! :)
Anyways, I figured I would just go to the gym and run on the elliptical and get my heart rate up this way. I hydrated myself, got my iPod plugged in, filled a bottle of water and started on my training at level 10.
I had targeted to finish the 6.2 mile run at a rate of 10 min/mile, but realized that my training is supposed to be hard, so I shifted into high gear towards a target of 9 min/mile. By about the 3 mile mark, I seemed to be very close to that goal, just shy of 20 seconds on the timer. I increased my strides from 180 to 190 and kept that up till the 5 mile mark, when I realized that I was running 6.2 miles and not just 6....so I increased my stride to 200ish, and when I put my hand on the heart rate monitor, it should be in the low 170's, which is probably pushing it, but then again, what better way to train it! ;)
At last check, I finished the 6.2 miles in 55 minutes on the dot, meeting my 9 min/mile target. Suffice to say, I was drenched in sweat and towel I had to dry me up was also too wet to really absorb anything more. I am sure there were a few awkward stares at me....oh well! :)
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