Training Schedule June 30 - July 6

Monday: Day Off
Tuesday: Run 30 minutes
Wednesday: Coached Swim
Thursday: Swim for 40’ minutes
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Coached RUN
Sunday: Bike Ride 50 minutes

This week's focus is RECOVERY again. Time to take a little break.

Citation & Brick Training

Yesterday I went for a ride on my bike before work. We have a bike path not too far from our home so I have always ridden on the sidewalk to the bike path. The reason I have always ridden on the sidewalk is that I live on a really busy road and people tend to drive like idiots, it just seems like a safer idea to me. Yesterday I was just about back home and I was riding on the sidewalk, when directly behind me a cop turned on his siren, I looked at him and he flagged me down. To make a long story short, I ended up getting a $20 citation for riding my bike on the sidewalk. The sidewalk is for pedestrians only and he told me that I was lucky to only get a $20 citation as he could give me one that would be the equivalent of driving a car on the sidewalk. He told me the reason that he noticed me was that I was go SO fast and that it was a dangerous speed for the sidewalk. When I saw that my fine was only $20 I decided to keep my mouth shut, but he almost got a lecture about why he was harassing me when there are real criminals to deal with. I cannot afford a bigger ticket right now so I ended up having to thank him for setting me straight about riding on the sidewalk. So what have I learned from this: “Ride more slowly on the sidewalk as to not draw the attention of bored cops.”

Today we had our first BRICK practice as a team. We met at Griffith Park and we rode our bikes hard and fast then after we were done we had to ride quickly to where we were parked, jump off our bike, quickly take off our biking shoes put on our running shoes and go for a run. At this point as well you want to remember to take off your helmet as running in a helmet I am sure would be no fun. I have to tell you the first 12 minutes of the run, my body felt like jello, things felt like they were not working right. It was an effort to get into running mode, the coaches had said that it would be weird and let me assure you it was. After 12 minutes things finally seemed to work themselves out and I was able to get a pace going. This transition is called T2, it is the transition that we do from biking to running. There is also the T1 transition that is from swimming to biking (I am sure that will be interesting as well when we get to do that one.)

Blogging Is Hard

Wow, blogging more difficult than I thought it would be. It is tedious to try and remember to sit down and write a few words often.

I am dealing with a little bit of “runner’s knee”. Who would have ever thought that would be a term associated with me. Essentially that means that I am having a some knee pain below the knee cap. I have a friend of mine that has given me some great advice to help it as well as I need to make sure that I ice it after every training session.

Last night I got some biking and running in. I rode my bike to the gym, ran for 45 minutes and then went for a short ride after that. Atticus has been getting involved with my training and going biking with me. Since I focus on where my heart rate is I look really funny riding next to him as he rides real casual. I keep a really fast cadence (rpm), hence I pedal really fast, but do not go very far. What is really funny are the days when it is cool enough and I go running outside, Atticus bikes while I run and to keep himself entertained he smokes a cigar while biking next to me.

This last week has been brutally hot; we are finally back into our normal heat. Last Saturday the team running practice was at Griffith Park we start pretty early in the morning while is is cool and we are typically done by 9:30 so that it is still cool. When we got done this last Saturday and I was leaving it was 98 degrees. I was really finally like I was dragging during the training, now I know why.

Tonight is swim practice.

Training Schedule June 23 - June 29

Monday: Swim 60 minutes
Tuesday: Day Off
Wednesday: Coached Swim
Thursday: Run 60 minutes
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Coached BRICK—Bike and Run & Transition T2 Clinic
Sunday: Ride 75 minutes

This week's focus is QUALITY.

I'm behind this week...

I am behind on my training plan for this week. I was not feeling well on Sunday, so I decided to take Monday off. Then Monday I received news that someone that is very special to me passed on, so that took me out of Tuesday as well.

Last night I did get my swim in and hung out for dinner with the team. Then when I got home I went on a long walk. Tonight I am going to run as I felt so much better last night getting some edorphins moving.

Training Schedule June 16 - June 22

Monday: Swim 60 minutes
Tuesday: Day Off
Wednesday: Coached Swim
Thursday: Run 45 minutes
Friday: Day Off
Saturday: Coached Run & Running Clinic
Sunday: Run 50 minutes on rolling hills
This week’s focus is TECHNIQUE.

I can now change a tire!

So at Tuesday night's bike clinic, I had the opportunity to change a tire, so that I now had a grasp on. Actually, I had changed my tires before, but now I know so tricks as well. Also, we learned how to adjust the derailleurs on our bikes (for those that don't know that that it, it is what moves the changes from one gear to another). So when I got home, I decided that I needed to tinker with my own bike, so I adjusted my derailleurs myself. On Saturday morning when I got to bike practice my chain was rubbing. After practice one of the coaches nelped me adjust it, I had not quite done it properly. So it is people like me that keep bike mechanics in a job, I just cannot help myself but to tinker a little bit.

Here is a photo of the team that we took after a bike practice:

Update

On Saturday we had our first team bike practice at Santa Fe Dam/Encampo Park in Duarte. I had never been there before. It was a really cool place with a great bike trail. It was really nice to not have to worry about traffic and it was neat to ride on top of the dam.

Saturday night was a great party at one of the mentor’s house. Some of the past team was there as well; it was great to meet and talk to them about their experiences with training and with the race.

Monday’s training went well, I had planned to get a little extra training in on Monday later in the day, but that plan was derailed when Pharaoh had another cardiac event. For those of you that do not know Pharaoh is my cat/master and he has cardiomyopathy. So I stayed home with him until later in the evening.

Tonight we have a bike clinic, where we will learn how to do some minor repairs to our bikes. On race day, if something happens we have to deal with it ourselves with no outside help.

That is all for now, I am off to learn how to repair my bike.

Training Schedule June 9 - June 15

June 9 - 50 minute Swim
June 10 - Day Off
June 11 - Team Coached Swim
June 12 - 50 minute Bike Ride
June 13 - Day Off
June 14 - Team Coached Bike Ride
June 15 - 60 minute Bike Ride

There seems to be focus on riding my bike this week. Should have a sore butt by the end of it. I am also told that this week’s focus should be to establish CONCENTRATION in each workout. I am to be aware of my posture, breathing, and heart rate.

Breathing!! It is more difficult that I realized!!

Tonight we had team swim practice. I think that I swim pretty well except for one “major” problem. I can only breathe well by tilting my head to the left. When I tilt my head to the right, all I seem to do is lift my head out of the water and open my mouth. I do not actually inhale. This is bad when every third stroke I am supposed to alternate sides that I breathe on. So what is happening is that I am breathing every 6 strokes and that is not nearly enough. I have been concentrating on the breathing on the right and it seems that when I concentrate on it that I stop kicking every time that I need to breathe. I think that I must have a wire loose somewhere in my head that I cannot breathe on the right and kick at the same time.

Tonight after practice I was awarded a Team In Training dri fit cap. Myself and one other person on the team got one as we had reached a certain dollar amount of fundraising by May 31st. Thanks to everyone that has been so supportive and donated. I cannot express how much I appreciate everyone’s generosity.

Training Schedule June 2 - June 8

June 2 - Day Off - Helping Someone Move
June 3 - 40 minute swim
June 4 - Team Coached Swim
June 5 - 30 minute Run
June 6 - Day Off
June 7 - Team Coached Bike Ride (Team Party @ Night) :-0
June 8 - Day Off

Should be a good week. This week's focus is RECOVERY. I am to concentrate on, don’t go to “empty” on a workout, improve your hydration & nutrition, stretch, self massage,
and get some extra sleep. It has one less day of training than I have been doing, should be a good week of recovery.