Its been a while since my last post. I think I need to engage in some new and exciting activities so I have something good and interesting to write about other than whether I used peanut butter or cut up a banana in my oatmeal this moring (I did both today folks, how's that for variety.)
My first race is days away and I have to say it really doesn't feel like anything special. I'm not sure if it is because this will be the earliest I have raced in my entire life or because knowing my fitness level isn't 100% I am not putting much pressure on myself to perform. Whatever it may be doesn't matter too much right now. I know I will be plenty amped when I see the likes of Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander and the rest of the elite company racing. At this point I just hope to not embarrass myself too much in my first race back as a pro. Based I where I ended last year with my swimming and cycling I am pleased. My early season, and lingering, injury has, however, put a little damper on my spirits concerning my running ability. Thankfully for me it is a strength of mine so I may be able to fake my way through a little bit. Time will tell.
The good news is I received my new bike from Blue and from the rides I have done on it for the past week I am quite pleased. They really did a great job on their triathlon flagship, the Triad. The only complaint I have so far is it doesn't match our team kit. Otherwise the bike is great and Chance at Blue did a great job getting it to me in time for this race. So a special thanks to Chance for his troubles. I even asked him last minute to switch out my crank (I have been experimenting with a 170mm with positive results) and he got that done too. I did have to assemble the bike myself and it took around 4.5 hours but I wanted to make a few component changes so it worked out in the end.
Quick Movie Review
Monsters vs. Aliens + (good way to distract yourself on the trainer, not an instant classic though)
I love you, Man! ++ (funny and truthful)
Doubt ++ (powerful film)
Milk +++ (great acting)
Last house on the left + (story was decent, acting was mediocre but what would you expect)
Watchmen + (maybe better if I knew the story before)
Echelon Conspiracy - (rip off of Eagle Eye)
Butterfly Effect: Revelation - (should have picked something else)
Knowing + (interesting premise, lame alien interactions)
Zack and Miri make a porno ++ (funny, definitely worth seeing)
Nick and Nora's infinite playlist ++ (I'm a fan of Michael Cera- one funny guy)
Im out!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Training in the San Diego sun...Installment 1
I had the privilege of training in San Diego for a few weeks with a friend of mine from Mt. Horeb, Will Smith. Initially we were going to go to Boulder to get out of the Wisconsin winter because we had a place to stay for free but when a similar opportunity presented itself we ditched the Boulder idea. The tickets out there ended up being pretty cheap which made for a fairly inexpensive trip.
This was my second time in San Diego, the first being last year for work and it was just like I remembered- sunny, and warm. The day we got there I was dressed like a person who just came from subzero temps in WI and soon after landing I had to strip off most of what I was wearing to stop the pleasant lather I was working up.
At the airport we experienced the common, odd stares from the majority of onlookers as we wheeled our bike cases through away from baggage claim. It never ceases to amaze me how few people have seen, or know 'what could possibly be in those big boxes?' I am going to start telling people that it is a chemistry set or telescope for looking at other universes because the following conversation would be much easier than explaining how a bike could fit in something 'so small.' I digress.
We did run into a fellow cyclist who offered to abandon his wife and rent a bike to come riding with us. This gentlemen was also kind enough to puff up his chest and tell us all about the days when he used to race against Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, and the boys. He was ranked 15th back then and time trialing was his specialty. He puffed his chest up further when he told us how he liked to try to 'tear the cranks off the bike every time he rode it.' As you can imagine we were both floored by his impressive accolades and quickly bid he and his amber tinted glasses farewell before we could no longer hold back the laughter.
The riding in San Diego county is some of the best I have seen. If you want to ride the flats it is as easy as staying on the coast and bobble-heading your way from beach to beach. If you want hills just head inland and if you want mountains they have those too. The weather there is unreal, enough said about that (it was 13 degrees here today.) The traffic may concern some people and the amount of bicycle related deaths is also a concern but when you put that many people on the road I wouldnt expect there to be any less (I am not trying to be insensitive just logical.)
The first few days were spent off the coast riding up and down the smaller 1 to 3 mile climbs enjoying the warm spell that hit Southern Cali. I would say I enjoyed it too but developed a few pretty bad saddle sores after the first 90 mile day and suffered with it the whole way through. The first Saturday we were there we set out with a local cycling club called Celo (like the instrument) for about 35 miles before turing off and heading to Mt. Palomar. The group ride was more of a social event than a ride. During the first 2:30 hrs we only covered 33 miles. My undercarriage has never hurt so much in my life. It was like sitting on tacks- OUCH! After the hard section of that ride, which amounted to a 300 M climb that all the people who had been sitting in the whole ride tried to come to the front for, we turned off and headed to Palomar. Finally I started actually pedaling my bike so all the pressure wasnt directly on the two nagging pains I was riding with. We stopped for a drink refill and a quick snack at this Indian Reservation gas station and WHEW! did it smell like bleach. I think there must have been a gallon of it on the floor just fuming up the whole place. My eyes began to water and I headed for the door- MONSTER in hand, of course. We downed our drinks and mounted our bikes with the mountain in plain view. It was a daunting formation of scarce trees and naked rock covering the entire horizon. We finally started the acsent and it was anything but easy. My legs were fresh because most of the riding I had done was coasting in a group of chatty Cathy's. Twenty some switchbacks later and I found myself at the top of what seemed like the world, in So Cal at least. It was amazing being on top of a mountain and looking at the entire Pacific Ocean. I had never seen the ocean from a perspective like that before and it was something I will never forget. The ride was just over 120 miles that day and I wasnt ready for it, but it was still fun.
More San Diego stories to come...
This was my second time in San Diego, the first being last year for work and it was just like I remembered- sunny, and warm. The day we got there I was dressed like a person who just came from subzero temps in WI and soon after landing I had to strip off most of what I was wearing to stop the pleasant lather I was working up.
At the airport we experienced the common, odd stares from the majority of onlookers as we wheeled our bike cases through away from baggage claim. It never ceases to amaze me how few people have seen, or know 'what could possibly be in those big boxes?' I am going to start telling people that it is a chemistry set or telescope for looking at other universes because the following conversation would be much easier than explaining how a bike could fit in something 'so small.' I digress.
We did run into a fellow cyclist who offered to abandon his wife and rent a bike to come riding with us. This gentlemen was also kind enough to puff up his chest and tell us all about the days when he used to race against Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, and the boys. He was ranked 15th back then and time trialing was his specialty. He puffed his chest up further when he told us how he liked to try to 'tear the cranks off the bike every time he rode it.' As you can imagine we were both floored by his impressive accolades and quickly bid he and his amber tinted glasses farewell before we could no longer hold back the laughter.
The riding in San Diego county is some of the best I have seen. If you want to ride the flats it is as easy as staying on the coast and bobble-heading your way from beach to beach. If you want hills just head inland and if you want mountains they have those too. The weather there is unreal, enough said about that (it was 13 degrees here today.) The traffic may concern some people and the amount of bicycle related deaths is also a concern but when you put that many people on the road I wouldnt expect there to be any less (I am not trying to be insensitive just logical.)
The first few days were spent off the coast riding up and down the smaller 1 to 3 mile climbs enjoying the warm spell that hit Southern Cali. I would say I enjoyed it too but developed a few pretty bad saddle sores after the first 90 mile day and suffered with it the whole way through. The first Saturday we were there we set out with a local cycling club called Celo (like the instrument) for about 35 miles before turing off and heading to Mt. Palomar. The group ride was more of a social event than a ride. During the first 2:30 hrs we only covered 33 miles. My undercarriage has never hurt so much in my life. It was like sitting on tacks- OUCH! After the hard section of that ride, which amounted to a 300 M climb that all the people who had been sitting in the whole ride tried to come to the front for, we turned off and headed to Palomar. Finally I started actually pedaling my bike so all the pressure wasnt directly on the two nagging pains I was riding with. We stopped for a drink refill and a quick snack at this Indian Reservation gas station and WHEW! did it smell like bleach. I think there must have been a gallon of it on the floor just fuming up the whole place. My eyes began to water and I headed for the door- MONSTER in hand, of course. We downed our drinks and mounted our bikes with the mountain in plain view. It was a daunting formation of scarce trees and naked rock covering the entire horizon. We finally started the acsent and it was anything but easy. My legs were fresh because most of the riding I had done was coasting in a group of chatty Cathy's. Twenty some switchbacks later and I found myself at the top of what seemed like the world, in So Cal at least. It was amazing being on top of a mountain and looking at the entire Pacific Ocean. I had never seen the ocean from a perspective like that before and it was something I will never forget. The ride was just over 120 miles that day and I wasnt ready for it, but it was still fun.
More San Diego stories to come...
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wow! Winter is still here
I am growing tired of the white persistence in my front window view. I can tolerate many things- people, places, things, etc. I cannot, however, tolerate LONG winters. I have not run in 4 days and not swum in 3 days, all because I did not want to venture outside my doors because of the innclimate weather. Call me what you want (cussing aside), but I would have been enjoying a long bike and run had the snow and ice not seized the roads and left them barely drivable by car, let alone velocipede. I digress. I have been in a bit of a slump for the past few days. I am in the middle-zone between indoor training and the soon-to-be paradise of southern California. Some would be motivated by the fact that they will soon be riding and running, and swimming outside in short sleeved weather. I, on the other hand, find this troubling in the middle of January with at least 4 more months of cold, snowy, miserable days spent on the indoor trainer and treadmill. But I have an opportunity to transcend my training environment mediocrity and brush elbows with the worlds best. So I am taking it and will revel in it. When I get back I will try to imagine it never happened and I have been on the Computrainer and treadmill the whole time. Only I will have a nice tan.
Training has been going fair to mediocre lately. I have hit a little lull since my great ascension of Mt Evans last Sunday. I figured out that I am WAY ahead of where I need to be in January and burning out in June is not a goal of mine. So I have taken a half-step back from training and will go into S.D. well rested and ready for some long/easy miles in the mild California weather.
Today was somewhat special in that the Madison Bike Swap was going on at the Alliant Energy Center. I should have been smart and steered clear of this event like the bubonic plague, but alas I could not and went into it with an open mind and, unfortunately an open wallet. Damn! It was like a young child's first visit to Toys R Us. I saw it and wanted it. My first purchase was small- I found an awesome woven 'Silver' bar tape- that I just had to have. After that it was a mere formality. I bought everything that caught my attention; bars, cranks, brakes- I even talked my friend into a few purchases he did not really intend to make. Vicarious living! All in all I left with more than I intended on and felt guilty/smitten by the whole experience.
Training today was limited to a nice trainer ride and movie viewing- X2 The Last Stand and a little pyramid ride starting at a medium wattage and going up to AeT, then back down to Z1. I felt pretty good today despite having been on my feet all day and starting so late in the day. Tomorrow is a nice 90 min snowshoe and swim. More to come...
Training has been going fair to mediocre lately. I have hit a little lull since my great ascension of Mt Evans last Sunday. I figured out that I am WAY ahead of where I need to be in January and burning out in June is not a goal of mine. So I have taken a half-step back from training and will go into S.D. well rested and ready for some long/easy miles in the mild California weather.
Today was somewhat special in that the Madison Bike Swap was going on at the Alliant Energy Center. I should have been smart and steered clear of this event like the bubonic plague, but alas I could not and went into it with an open mind and, unfortunately an open wallet. Damn! It was like a young child's first visit to Toys R Us. I saw it and wanted it. My first purchase was small- I found an awesome woven 'Silver' bar tape- that I just had to have. After that it was a mere formality. I bought everything that caught my attention; bars, cranks, brakes- I even talked my friend into a few purchases he did not really intend to make. Vicarious living! All in all I left with more than I intended on and felt guilty/smitten by the whole experience.
Training today was limited to a nice trainer ride and movie viewing- X2 The Last Stand and a little pyramid ride starting at a medium wattage and going up to AeT, then back down to Z1. I felt pretty good today despite having been on my feet all day and starting so late in the day. Tomorrow is a nice 90 min snowshoe and swim. More to come...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
New Year is HERE
The first week of the new year is now past and with that the first Monday is come. All the New Year's resolutions are probably starting tomorrow- because why start mid-week, right? I have never been a big NY-resolutioner. If you are going to do something why not just do it because you should, not because walls all over the world are sporting new calendars. Enough said about that.
I saw a good movie over the weekend. 'The Wrestler' starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Its one of those movies that you would never choose to watch without some serious selling from someone who has seen it, but its good. The storyline is pretty obvious from the title, its about professional wrestling. Mickey Rourke on his way down from a promising career as a B-class pro wrestler and Marisa Tomei (who would have thought) is a stripper in a club that Rourke frequents. Check it out when you can.
After a few days of easy swimming my body was ready for some serious punishment in the form of the Mt Evans hill climb. This is no ordinary Colorado mountain. It is a 27 mile Goliath with an average gradient of about 6%. The last four miles is a series of relentless switchbacks at over 14,000 ft elevation where each time around you are begging and pleading with the mountain gods to make the pain stop and the end come. The goal was to establish my current AeT (aerobic threshold) to base my next block of training on. I felt really good and rested and was able to put down a really good effort for the two hour climb.
I just finalized some plans to go out to San Diego for a few weeks of training with a friend of mine Will Smith. He arranged a place to stay and we found some really reasonable tickets so the whole dilly is going to be dirt cheap. We also have the opportunity to do some of our riding with Floyd Landis who will be prepping for the Tour of California. Floyd is said to be flying right now so we will only be able to do his easy days with him but it will still be pretty cool to ride with a former Tour winner. Thats all the news for now.
I saw a good movie over the weekend. 'The Wrestler' starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Its one of those movies that you would never choose to watch without some serious selling from someone who has seen it, but its good. The storyline is pretty obvious from the title, its about professional wrestling. Mickey Rourke on his way down from a promising career as a B-class pro wrestler and Marisa Tomei (who would have thought) is a stripper in a club that Rourke frequents. Check it out when you can.
After a few days of easy swimming my body was ready for some serious punishment in the form of the Mt Evans hill climb. This is no ordinary Colorado mountain. It is a 27 mile Goliath with an average gradient of about 6%. The last four miles is a series of relentless switchbacks at over 14,000 ft elevation where each time around you are begging and pleading with the mountain gods to make the pain stop and the end come. The goal was to establish my current AeT (aerobic threshold) to base my next block of training on. I felt really good and rested and was able to put down a really good effort for the two hour climb.
I just finalized some plans to go out to San Diego for a few weeks of training with a friend of mine Will Smith. He arranged a place to stay and we found some really reasonable tickets so the whole dilly is going to be dirt cheap. We also have the opportunity to do some of our riding with Floyd Landis who will be prepping for the Tour of California. Floyd is said to be flying right now so we will only be able to do his easy days with him but it will still be pretty cool to ride with a former Tour winner. Thats all the news for now.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Dec Training Camp ends
Today was the last day of the last training camp of 2008. For the last week I have been staying with my boy Dennis and his wife Margo enjoying a solid week of training and some really good cooking. We put together a solid block of trainer workouts and filled in the days with treadmill runs, strength sessions and pool work. All in all I feel pretty good about what we accomplished and have a big head start on my fitness going into 2009.
The 2009 season is starting a lot earlier than it ever has before with a 70.3 race in New Orleans in April, which is why I am ramping up the training already. Normally I would be enjoying a little time away from structured training and adding a little fun to the training equation. However, after finishing last season on somewhat of a high I am really motivated to ride the wave of form and improve my swimming and cycling so I can shorten the gap between myself and the top pros. So far so good. Now all I have to do is tighten the reigns on the diet a little and get back to my fighting weight. Before and after pics to come in April.
The 2009 season is starting a lot earlier than it ever has before with a 70.3 race in New Orleans in April, which is why I am ramping up the training already. Normally I would be enjoying a little time away from structured training and adding a little fun to the training equation. However, after finishing last season on somewhat of a high I am really motivated to ride the wave of form and improve my swimming and cycling so I can shorten the gap between myself and the top pros. So far so good. Now all I have to do is tighten the reigns on the diet a little and get back to my fighting weight. Before and after pics to come in April.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Do I smell chlorine?
I normally don't mind the smell of chlorine but over the years I have become quite sensitive to it and usually spend hours wiping and blowing the dripping faucet on my face post swim. Since my normal pool has been closed due to locker room repairs and snow days I haven't swum in over a week and my form was abysmal because of it. Dbo and I met up with a few of the other athletes I coach for a nice swim and core workout. Twenty-five 100's made up the bulk of the swim workout and left me plenty hungry. After the swim I took the boys up to the gym for a quick abs of steel workout. It was quite amusing watching the onlookers faces change from inquisitive to confused as three grown men performed, what I know as 'normal' core exercises, simultaneously. To them it must have looked like the 'African anteater ritual' (Movie reference.) The funny thing of it is if I went back there next week I bet I would see at least 2 people doing some of the same exercises we were-incorrectly no doubt. Tomorrow is looking like a nice day for a 60/30 brick as it will be in the low 40's, which is a heatwave for WI right now.
My new slippers
Believe it or not but these are NOT real tigers on my feet. These are my Christmas slippers given to me from my brother and sister-in-law. They are just what I asked for. Little did I know at the time how much use I would get out of them lounging around the house. Thanks Bro and Sis!
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