9 Miles at 8 minute pace

Ran on Sat with a buddy of mine and we did 9 miles in 1:12. I was feeling pretty sluggish and not entirely sure why. The pace is ok, but I felt like I was pushing it. HR was at 145, so it was more my legs were tired. I believe this has more to do with bumping up the training load. I would like to get my training times down to 7:30s in the near future for the longer runs.

Swim Update 5 x 300 at 6:05 avg

The first 300 I swam, I went way to hard... Shocker... I was feeling a little rushed and letting my anxiety get the best of me. I am happy with the improvement though.

I do feel stronger in the water. It seems like I am in a building stage and muscles I haven't used before are starting to fire. It is more of a glide then fast motion that is moving me forward. Not sure that makes sense, but to me it does.

My plan is to go to the pool a little more reguarly to continue to get more comfortable. I really want to get to the next level in swimming. I can smell it, but I want to taste it!

Swim 200s x 10 (2:00 avg)

I swam today and had an average of 2:00 on 100 meters. I am not sure if this is good or not. I definitely feel faster, but haven't a clue where I stand in comparison to others. I swam a 3:39 for my first 200 and really happy with that. It only took 2 or 3 more 200s before the time crossed into 4:00.

I think I just need to start spending more time in the pool in general. I am going to up my miles considerably in the next month. Maybe swim 4 times a week. Twice easy and twice regimented.

Ran 6.8 in 1:01:53 (7:50 pace)

I definitely pushed it pretty hard, so I am little let down. I had a warm of 1.8 miles and then pushed the final 6. The final six were run at 7:30s. The pace was good, but I was definitely pushing it.


I was tired from the swim in the morning and the run on Thursday, so I am hoping that is why I was sluggish....

Great swim in the morning though!

Run 4.6 at 35:00 - Fartek (7:30 pace)

I have no clue what to think about the time, but I do know I felt good. I ran for 5 minutes to warm up and then 1 minute on/ 1 minute off. 4 minute cool down.

Bike Trainer - 45 Minutes

I did the whole ride in a harder gear and my cadence was around 78. I am trying to build up some strength for next year, especially on the hills.

In the past I have been in way to easy of a gear while on the trainer. Basically watching TV on the bike...

Swam 45 straight - sore

My left shoulder was pretty achy, so I just took it easy. Felt ok considering. I still need to work on the smoothness of my swim though. I am wasting too much energy.

6 miles in 48:45 = Slow

My HR was around 147 and I averaged 8:08 miles. I was definitely dragging from this week and my legs were tired. I would like my HR at 147 to be at or around 7:30s. Train, Train, Train.

Argh!! Work sucks.

My J-O-B, got in the way this week. I had work people in town and we were up late and drank. I missed a swim workout and half a run. Not the end of the world, but annoying. Way to early in the season to start missing stuff.

Decent Swim (1 mile in 32:30)

I am terrible with flip turns, so I believe I probably add a good 3 minutes there. So I would like to think I am around a 29:30. I would really like to get my 1 mile swim at 30:00. Huge jump in time...

Ironman times

I have been trying hard to figure out what goals I should shoot for at Lake Placid. Normally I start with an easier goal and have that goal get more aggressive. This year, I am changing that. Here is the breakdwon on how I would like to finish this years IM. I have other goals included which will let me know how close I am to achieving that goal.

Swim 1:05
In order to achieve this I need to drop my 1/2 IM to 30 minutes. In the pool I need to get my 100s down to 1:30 for 10 x 100.

Bike 5:30
Goal for this will be a 2:25 bike split at Mooseman. A ton of work needs to go into this. Still considering a Powertap


Run - 3:30
A 1:25 in Feb at the Half Marathon. No question, I have to do this. I would also like to get my 5K down to 17:59 or a 5:48 pace.

Another 5K at 18:55 (6:06 pace)

I ran my second 5K in 10 days. MY time was the same and I placed exactly the same, 17th overall. Last race I was slighty hungover, this one I had a nagging injury. I pulled something in my neck and it definitely made the run interesting. I didn't feel like I ran well, so I am pleased with the outcome. My knees right is now bothering me, so that makes me nervous. I am sure I am fine.

I really want to hammer an 18:30 the next one I do. The real 5K goal is under 18, but have to start at a more attainable goal. The 17:59 is a huge goal, but I think it might be possible. That is a 5:48 pace!!! Scary fast....

Swim 100 x 10s in 1:46

The 1:46 was my average. I am going to try and get that down to 1:30... Not sure that is even possible, but I think that it might be. That will be my goal for the next month in swimming. Always about finding small goals to reach the bigger ones.

5K Race

I ran a 5K on Turkey Day and I am relatively pleased with the outcome. I ran an 18:50 and came in 17th out of 450. I placed 3rd in my age group and the pace was a 6:05. So I really cannot complain... An 18:30 would have been ideal, but I will take it. 1st mile was a 5:40, so started a too little fast!!

5 miles in 36:49

By no means blazing, it was a Fartlek run. This included my 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down. I ran 1 minute on and 1 minute off. So I believe I was probably running at a six minute mile for the time I was on.

Running on 302

Last year a buddy and I did a 120 mile ride in the White Mountains. Part of that was on 302 and it was probably the worst part of the ride. We did an epic climb and once we hit some flat ground, the down pour and hail started. Yes, hail in June with a sleeveless jersey, shorts, no sock or gloves. In addition to that I felt like Sh!T. My heart rate was so low that I probably fell asleep a few times on the ride. It was so tough mentally for me to get through the day, but at the end of it all it was a huge accomplishemnt.

Fast forward five months. Kate had to work a wine dinner at the Mt Washington hotel on Sat night. We had friends over on Friday night, so I wasn't exactly that excited to drive to Bretton Woods and basicaly sit around. Well the night ended up being really nice, so well worth it.

I have been spending a lot of time in hotels lately. I am not sure why, but lately I can not sleep well at hotels. Saturday night was no different, I probably got a sold

Swim 40 minutes straight

I swam for 40 minutes straight through today. I had to stop to move lanes and fix my goggles, but close enough. Not a good swim though. I didn't feel smooth and my form seemed terrible.

I think I need to get to the pool earlier so I don't "race" people in the other lanes. Seems childish of me, but for some reason I speed up when people are swimming near me. I don't intenetionaly go faster, but I start to get anxious and do. Its an annoying habit...

Another swim update

This probably getting old, but went to the pool again. My workout was to swim easy for 30 minutes. Even with all the races and swimming I have done, I still get anxious heading to the pool. Here are my results and feedback.

1400 Meters in 29:35
Pace = 1:56 per 100 yards


I am pretty sure this roughly the same speed if not slightly faster than where I was in April of last year. This great news. I have only been training seriously for a month now. In April I had been training for 5 months, so I am really excited with where I am at.

GOAL-----SWIM 30 MINUTES AT MOOSEMAN!!!

Swimming....again

Went to the pool to try and drown myself again. I have been doing a lot of speed stuff as of late. Speed is subjective when it comes to me, but faster than my old self. (That doesn't make any sense)

Anyway here are some speeds.

10 x 50 for an avg of 49 seconds

5 x 100 for an avg of 1:52 ( I am pleased with this)

5 x 200 for a speed of zero.... I bailed the pool a little early like a zero

Weird

So I got on the scale today was suprised to see I dropped 3lbs already. I was even more surprised that my body fat stayed the same. I would have thought it would have decreased, but it stayed the same. Weird.

Swimming has been kicking my ass! I am not a huge fan of swimming, but I can tell I am going to make a lot of headway. I am starting at such better spot than I did in the past. I really don't think I lost any form taking the last two months off. I am going to throw this out there right now.

Mooseman HALF IRONMAN- I WILL SWIM 1.2 MILES IN 30 MINUTES!!!

More goals to come.

Steady Swim Avg 100 yards in 2:07

Run 145Hr 8:05 Minute Mile

HERE WE GO!!! Monthly update

So I have decided to start the blog thing again. I just had my first week of structured training and it felt awesome! Small distances, but mentally it felt great. I do feel like I am at a better starting point than I was last year at this time. I was probably in slightly better endurance shape, but my form this year is a lot better.

Here is where I am at physically.


Weight 162
Body fat 15.5%
Running an 8 minute mile, HR 150
10 x 100m (1:45)
Steady swim 100 is at (2:10)
Bike - A better rider this year in general.
YOGA - Working on flexibility and strength.

I will update this monthly to show progress

Been a little while

Training has been pretty good as of late. I will start back on the Blog very soon....

Work Focus - Clean up all loose ends today

On the road for the rest of the week, so very important to take care of everything that is in "waiting"

Focus of the day - stay down in the aero bars

Plan is for 90 percent of the ride to be in the aero bars. Besides the 10 minute warm up and cool down. So an 1:40 minutes total ride with 20 minutes of warm and down. Goal is to be in the aero bars for 1:30.

Best swim to date (2:02 per 100)

I swam a 1500 in 30:40 on Friday. Really fast for this guy! I am pumped that I almost swam a mile in under 32 minutes. My goal is to swim a mile at 31:40. So I am pretty close considering I don't do fip turns. That is the next goal in the pool.

Mental update

My body has definitely changed in the last couple of months and I am pleased with the results. I feel like I slacked a little in Feb, but that is in the past and I cannot change it. March was good and April is going to be perfect. Moving forward I will not miss any workouts unless it is impossible. Control the controlables and stay positive. Pretty good mantra.

Great Bay Half (SUB 1:30!!!)

Ok, it was only by 30 seconds, but it was still under.

Race Report
The day started off with a mile and a quarter swim. It was actually one of my better swims in quite sometime. I felt relaxed and very comfortable. After that I went home and grabbed some waffles. (low fat) So I was able to get some carbs and hydrate a little more.

I got to the race about an hour early so plenty of time to pick up my packed, use the B-room and warm up. While getting my packet I ran into a friend that I haven't seen in quite a while. He mentioned that he was hoping for a 1:30. I mentioned that I would like to be close to that as well.

After using the restroom three times (good indication of being hydrated) I warmed up and ran around 1.5 miles. I just recently started doing this, but it works so well. Get the cramps and/or aches done with before the start.

Standing in the pack I ran into my buddy again and actually ran into another GSTC member. Team representing!!! There was a pace runner with a 7 minute mile on his back, so I went over to him. Depending on how I felt, I did want to go for a sub 1:30. With this in mind, I knew I needed to start off slow to see how I felt and make the call from there. A 7 minute pace would put me at 1:32, so if I felt good at the halfway point I could go for it.

After two miles of running at a 7 minute pace I picked it up a little and felt alright. There was a slight climb and a water stop. I grabbed some water. I usually only grab water towards the end of a half, but I am trying to practice drinking water at races. So every water stop, I grab water now. I am also starting to grab gels as well for the same reason. So with a slight push and a mouthful of water, I am surprised to see the pace guy ahead of me. Back to plan A and trail for a little while.

As we get to mile 3 I spot a younger guy moving along at a nice pace. I jump on his pace and we slowly slide a way from the pace guy. More water and more hills. I am really surprised how close to the coast we are and the size of the hills. Yet again, more training for Ironman.

The runner who's pace I have jumped on has a triathlon shirt on, so I cannot help but think, if he can run like a runner, so can I. We literally bounce back and fourth for the next 6 miles and we hit flat spot in the run. I look over and say "finally a flat". He smiles and responds with, " I don't know how there can be head wind in all directions". We make a few more comments and then it is back to racing.

We pass through a super windy section and he slides in behind. Yup, he is drafting me and it is killing me. He's a smart runner who got an opportunity and took it. No hard feelings now, but I was annoyed at the time. Considering it was him who got me on pace, I am glad he was there.

We leave the flat area and I realize I have 2 more miles to go. The pace guy picks it up and I let him go a little. Once I see he is going for it, I jump on it. I look at my watch and realize I have 10 minutes to run a mile and half. I begin passing a couple people every minute or so.

I feel sick. My head hurts. My legs ache. This really sucks. I want to stop. I keep pushing. I pass another guy and he gives me a glare. He is older and breathing really heavy. He is giving me everything he has and I owe it too him to do the same. Did I mention how awful I have felt for the last 20 minutes.

I see my friends Darcy and Jay as I am making the final shoot. Darcy yells my name and I hang my tongue out to the side like a sick dog. I see the finish line with a 1:29:19. I push the last bit and make it in at 1:29:43.


I did it. I broke the 1:30 barrier. The pain during the last couple of miles really did suck. I didn't think I had anything left, but I did. It feels really good to accomplish this goal, but I need to realize this is just a small step in achieving my real goal. Ironman.

I spoke with the guy I paced off after the race. Come to find out he is a runner not a triathlete! He is running Boston next month, so he isn't just a runner, he is a great runner. This feels good.

Focus of the Day - Hydrate

Race yesterday = Hydrated today. Maybe go for a quick run to flush the lactic acid out too.

Great Swim 100 at 2:09

I had been a slacker in the water lately, but I think I am finally back on track. I swam a mile in 33:30 on Sunday, so I am pleased with that. I want to get that down to 31:40 and I think it is possible. I had thought that goal would have come faster, but it has taken me longer than I expeced. At least improvements have. That being said, I haven't dedicated the time I should have either. Swimming in masters will hopefuly change that. My last 3 swims have been so much more comfortable, so really good news there.

Todays focus - Ride for two hours on the trainer

Well I did it, but it wasn't pretty. I was slightly uncomfortable the whole time, but I did it. I wanted to quit a few times, but I did. I have felt slightly under the weather, so that made it that much more challenging. I toughened up and did what I had to do. I was supposed to swim, but that got bumped until tomorrow. No big deal, just need to make sure I get there.

Masters

Yes!!! I finally enjoyed a masters swim. (masters is a coached swim team that allows people to drop in and swim with them) The people were friendly and I felt pretty comfortable. I am going to start going at least every Wednesday, so the swim times should be improving. (finally)

That run sucked!!!

For my second workout of the day on Thursday I had an hour run. Before strapping on the shoes, I was tired. Kate went on the run with me and we plugged along for the entire run. It is nice to run with Kate, so that made it better, but man it sucked. I have trying to make the most out of every workout, so it finally caught up with me. Whenever I feel tired and heading out for a run, I always think, "will I feel this good after the 112 miles on the bike" Scary to think about, but makes sense. Thinking that helps motivate me to force myself forward.

Focus 6 x 4 = 24 minute of pure focus.

That is it for the day, focus for 24 minutes. Each 4 minute interval is standing for 1 minute and the sitting and pushing hard for 3 minutes. I will probably want to throw up on the floor, but I am ready to do this. Good breakfast, already walked the dog, coffee was tasty and I am ready to go!!

Wednesday focus - Relax in the pool

I definetly did this!!! I swam masters and have finally got into a group that I enjoy. Back stroke and breast stroke aren't my thing, but I did well with everything else. FELT GREAT!!

Run focus today

Make sure my hips are loose and my cadence is high.

Everyday focus - Hydrate and stretch

I am starting a new outlook today. Not groundbreaking, but making sure that I keep everything in focus. I am going to pick one specific thing everyday and focus on that intensely. Today Is an off day, so my main focus is to hydrate and stretch some.

Coached swim workout

There was only three of us at the swim workout, so really hands on session wth the coach. My buddy Dave and a new member Chris were the other two. To put it lightly they are WAY better swimmers than me. Mentally painful, but I look at is an opportunity. My running really is at a pretty high level, so the swim and the bike is where I can improve.

I feel like my swim stroke is close to being "there" at some points and miles a way at others. I am really anxious in the water and need to get better at that. It is amazing how detail oriented swimming is. The slightest change in hand moevement can make such a difference. I believe I know what I need to do to improve, so it is by no means hopeless. Like anything, hard work will pay off.

I need to focus and bring my commitment level with swimming to another level. The last month I have slacked some with swimming, so it is time to step it up. Just writing this gets me pumped up and ready to go swim. Instead of looking at the swim as an obstacle, I am forcing myself to seeing it as an opportunity. An opportunity to better my overall race times and and as a way to overcome another challenge in my life.

Coached Workout - The run

The last two weekends we have had coached workouts and I am pretty excited to get in front of Suzan. Last week we only ran. It was a good day, slightly chilly, but still a good day. We ran on the track and did the bleachers. The bleachers are nice seeing how hills are non existent where I am.

Today was a run and then the swim. I would prefer the other way, but its better than nothing. The track workout was pretty good. We did some warm up and then ran a mile at or around 85% effort. I ran a 6:11 mile. I was happy with that, but wasn't sure if I was pushing to hard. Suzan thought the pace was good, so that is gospel to me. We ran for another 10 minutes and then did some hill sprints. We went back to the track and ran another mile. I ran this mile at 6:01 with a considerable slow down on the last quarter mile. Had I kept the pace, I would have ran around a 5:50. Again I was nervous I was pushing it too hard, but Suzan said it was a good thing. My HR AVG for the second mile was 168 and my target was 166. Scary... In a good way. I belive I can hold a 166 HR for a half marathon, so I am looking at running around 6:30 for the next FLAT half. (Not the Great Bay next weekend) Pretty exciting. Next update will be regarding the pool. Not so optimistic there unfortunatly.

1st time outside on the bike Wheels and aero bars

For my first ride of the year I pulled no punches. I put the new wheels on and pretty much hammered the pavement. After a 10 minute warm up I started a 50 minute high intensity ride. Including the warm up I averaged 20.7 miles an hour. That is pretty fast for me.

The new wheels are crazy fast. Its hard to explain at the same time. I definetly pushed hard, but it was super windy, so the benefits seemed kind of concealed. I can definetly average 21 mph for an hour without blowing up, but the conditions today hid the new benefits more than I would have liked. I should have warn my HR, but for some reason I didn't, so I am not sure exactly how hard I pushed. If I was to guess, I think my HR was around 145. My lungs were fine, I just felt that my legs were pushing hard. I did lift weights this am and ran for an hour yesterday, so the more I think about it, the better it sounds.

I stayed down in my aero bars for the majority of the ride and felt pretty good. My neck was a little tight, but that is due to being out for the first time. I never have to "look up" when on the trainer, so that was part of it. All in all I would give the comfort level a B. I was probably out of my aeros for around 5 minutes, so not too bad. The only times I got up was when I had some manuvering on the road or to climb at the top of a hill.

I won't breakout the race wheels for at least another month, so I am interersted to see how the next ride goes without them.

Overall Training - Strong

If I was asked to describe my training and where I was, I feel very strong. The major distances have not kicked in yet, so I continue to put on the power. I really feel this will help me in the race.

My speed running seems to be holding up. I can power through most runs around 8 minute miles. I always run on the treadmill at a 3% grade, so I think this is going to be super helpful once I start to really pack on the miles.

The bike - I have by far the best form I have ever had on the bike. I don't have the long distance legs yet, but I am looking forward to some long rides OUTSIDE. The trainer has kept me very honest though. My cadence is through the roof and I am able to stay down in the aerobars so much longer.

Swim - So Challenging. Masters, Masters, Masters.

1,000 in 22:52

Well that is isn't very good. I have been a slouch on swimming as of late, but confident I will get back on track. I am not pleased with that swim time, but I did feel good in the water as far as a relaxation point goes.

I feel like I am caught between stages in my swim. I have my body in the right shape, I just need to get a few details down. My hand entry is slightyl screwed up. I need to start pointing my hands down earlier. I am creating a drag that is slowing me down. The other issue is my strokes are to slow. I had been working on slowing the stroke down and I went too far. Now I need to find the middle. Once I do this, I think I will have a great break through.

Masters???

I went to a masters swim class and it wasn't a very good experience. The coach doesn't go on Wednesdays and I was stuck in the wrong lane. I mean the really wrong lane. The group couldn't swim a 100, literally. Now I am an average swimmer, but this was bad. I was really fustrated and ended up leaving early. Looks like I will be swimming on Thursdays at 6am. Its a 40 minute drive too, so I will be getting up at 5am to get there. Fun, fun.

Remind me again why I do this? Oh yeah, I am sick and quite possibly a sadist.

Much better week.

I have had to shorten my times a little on a run and bike, but overall good week. There is a training session this weekend and I have an hour and 50 minute run tomorow. (on a Friday??) I'll get it done though. A proving ground day.

Very bad week

Traveled a lot and only got half the workouts in. Next week looking much better for timing of workouts. Feeling guilty, but this will kick me in the ass and get it moving. Off to run for 30, swim for 45 and then run another 45 tonight.

2 Hour ride on Sat and a two hour run on Sunday. That'll get me back on track!!!

Pick from the half marathon

Pics from Mile 1 and 12. Still smiling at both!!

Hampton Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Hampton Half marathon and I am pleased with my time of 1:31:40. I ran this race last year and had an awful time. This year I took 13 minutes off my time. Last years race was my slowest half and this year was my fastest. Here is a quick race report. I planned on running this as a training run, so my lead in wasn't ideal... It is actually a little embarassing.


Friday Night
Pizza and Beer and a little wine. Yup, that was the carbo loading. I had three beers and two glasses of wine. Not a lot for the Paul of two years ago, but a real lot for me now.


Saturday
Morning - Breakfast - Left over pizza
Lunch - Chicken Tenders and mashed potatos
Dinner - Valentine's Day - Chicken and 2 glasses of wine. This is ridiculous

Saturday workout - Bike for 1:15. I biked pretty hard. Kept the rpms high, around 90 the whole time.

Sunday - Race Day
Breakfast - Bagel with Peanut Butter - Finally starting to get serious

I got to the race an hour early and did a nice warm up. I have needed to improve on this, so I am pleased with that. I usually start races to tight.

First mile marker and I am 6:50. I am feeling good and then I see Kate and Reggie!! Reggie (my Bullmastif) looks like he is having a ball, but Kate is trying to take pics and handle the 140lb pup, so she doesn't have the same enthusiasm as Reggie. Brings a smile to my face.

This was the last time I looked at my watch. I felt good, but did not feel like stressing over my time. Over the next mile or two I get passed by what seemed like 30 people.

At around mile 3, I am trailing 2 women who are obviously in a race within the race. Their running style is completely different and so is the body types. One women might be five feet and 100lbs. The other is around 5'8 and closer to 135lbs. Short and wired vs tall and power. The pace they are running at is just above comfortable for me, so they are great to pace off of. I believe it was around mile 5 and I hear the shorter of the two kind of mumble "oh shit" after looking at her watch. She then picks up the pace. She was obviously off her time. The other women follows the call and picks it up as well. This was my cue to pick it up too.

After two minutes of the new speed, we hit one of the only hills in the race. This was a wrench in the gear for the smaller racer. Her breathing got really heavy and she fell off. We had a right turn down the road and I then passed the other women and was on my way.

This whole time I was also running with two other men. One of the two was what I call a "leaner". I was on the inside and he kept leaning in towards me. I could feel myself getting annoyed, but kept my cool. It really does drive me nuts though. I pushed my elbows out a little and just kept my ground. The "leaner" and I continue to run side by side for another couple miles.

At mile 8 a younger guy caught up with us and we all picked up the pace. The "leaner" looks over to me and asks if I have an extra gel. Extra gel? I forgot to bring any gel at all. I politely respond "no, sorry" and we continue to run. He smiles and says "no problem". It is then that I realize his leaning in isn't him being a jerk, he probably just didn't realize he was doing it.

Right around the 8.5 mile, the "leaner" looks over and says, that was just a 6:18 mile! That is too fast for me and I think he felt the same way. I don't think we wanted to, but we backed off the pace a little. Now I am dieing to see where we are for time, but refuse to look at my watch. I knew if I checked the time and a sub 1:30 was possible, I would have pushed way too hard. It was killing me to not look though.

At mile 9 there is a water station and gels. For some reason I skip the gels and grab the water. I am trying to force myself to take water at every aid station to practice for my triathlon races. I tend to skip too many or get water galosh in the gut. Everything I do that isn't a tri race, is in preperation for a race. So skipping the gel was a bad training move, but I learned something for my future races. Point taken.

The last 4 miles were a nice run along the ocean. The leaner and I are still neck and neck the whole way. I let him get in front of me and pace off him the whole way back to the last mile. I could really of used a gel. I am slightly light headed and a little off. My legs felt pretty good considering the point in the race. My achilles was acting up some, so I was a little nervous about that. My thighs had a slight burn, but I was glad to see they were firing. In the past I had been running with my hamstrings way too much.

At mile 12.5 I see Kate again, this time no Reggie. Apparently somebody got brought home... Great to see Kate for motivation. I can see the finish line and I am still pacing off the leaner. I know I can pass him and take it home, but I don't do it. He was a runner and he was running this race. For myself this was a training run that I ran hard. Not much glory difference between 47th and 48th.

After the finish line the leaner and I shake hands and congratulate each other. Good race.

I hit a couple tough points in the run and couldn't help but think about the Ironman. If a half feels tough, then how is that going to feel. It just makes every training session that much more important to me. The last mile of the race sucked, but I was thinking about how it is going to feel when I run down the shoot at Lake Placid and hear the words, "Paul Cavanaugh, you are an Ironman"

Heart Rate Dropping......

I am starting to notice that my HR in comparison to my perceived excersion is quite a bit different. I am running 8 minutes miles at the bottom of my HR zone (134). I had to do a speed workout on Thursday and it was tough. I felt good, but I had to keep my HR between 156 and 165 for five minutes, times five intervals. In order to get my HR that high, I had to run a 6 minute pace. I was definetly pushing it, so it was a tough workout.

The total run was 43 minutes and it was roughly 6 miles. The 43 minute included 9 minutes of warm ups and 2 minute jogs between each interval. I am happy with a 7 minute pace for a race, so I was really happy with this time on a training run.

Swim Goal is 1,000 in 19 minutes. Currently 20:54

I started reading the book, Going Long. I found one bullet point particularly interesting/appealing to me. It stated that you should try and focus on your swim so you can swim 1,000 meters in 19 minutes. Looks like I just found a new goal.

Today I swam 1,000 meters in 20:44 seconds. That was without a warm up and stopping to let a swimmer in the lane, so I believe I would be closer to 20:15. Not completely off from the goal, but still a long way to go. The required pace is 1:54 per 100. I am somewhere between 2:00 and 2:05. I am not sure when my next 1,000 is, but I need to spend more attention on drill focuses. Getting in front of the coach a few more times will be key too.

Week going as planned

2 strong bikes so far and one killer run. Weights have felt good, but the pool has been a little blah. I swim a straight 1,000 tomorrow, so looking forward to that. I am hoping to do it under 19 minutes. This is my new temporary swim goal. I will expand on this later...

Nothing else really to report. Feeling good and looking forward to running the half this weekened.

Feeling good about the week

I am really looking forward to this week. I feel strong and recovered, so I am looking forward to hitting it hard. I have a a half marathon on Sunday, so I am anxious to see where I am at. I am thinking I will run it around 1:38, but not really sure. I haven't done a ton of longer runs, so this should be interesting. I will ride the bike for 1:30 on Saturday, so its not like I am going to try and break a PR. In the past I have said that I was laid back about a race, but I really wasn't. This time, I am serious. I won't jog, but I plan on running comfortably. I don't want to be miserable, so I am going to run without looking at my HR. That way I will keep at a truly comfortable pace. If my HR is low, no big deal. No pressure, just run.

So it wasn't the wine

I actually had a little germ, not quite flu something. It lasted for a couple days, but not bad enough for me to not train. Physically I was off, so I didn't do everything I had hoped for, but still had a long ride on Sat and and long run on Sunday.

The Sat ride was supposed to be 1:45, but it was only 1:30. To put it way to bluntly, my junk was killing me. Well not the actual business, but the surrounding neighborhood was extremely sore. I was a little flu like too. So I just spun lightly and tried to work on form. The bike is going to be key this year.

The run on Sunday was great. I ran for 1:40 minutes and felt good. It was warmer, so I ran in shorts. A couple times I did get a little chilly, but for the most part I was in good. I was back at the house at the 88 minute point and wanted to just go straight into the house. But I menaged to muster up the guts to run past the house for 6 minutes and then head back.

We then went and had two beers at the brewery! Yum.

Stupid wine

Our friend Steph came into town and we went out for a great meal at A.Jans in Kittery. Food was good and the wine seemed great. I had a glass of white with my salad and red with the main course. Much to my surpirse I woke up this morning not feeling too hot. A little bit of a headache and my stomach was leaning to the right. 2 glasses and I get a hangover??? There has to be a ton of sulfites in one of the wines. I don't really drink that much anymore, but two glasses of wine is a walk in the park.

My run this morning wasn't miserable, but not exactly pleasurable either. I will hydrate a ton today and probably power nap so I can have a good swim and second run.

Mooseman Target swim update

On Jan 12th I broke down my swim times so I can goal a 28 minute swim at Mooseman. In order to hit the goal, I figure that I will need to be able to swim a mile in 31:40 in the pool. The way I planned my target goal is that I would need to shave off 6 seconds every week off my 1 mile swim.

Heres the update for the 1 mile swim

Jan 12
34 minutes or 2040 seconds

23 Days later

Feb 4th
33:40 or 2020

20 seconds faster and ON TRACK FOR GOAL!!!

Good swim, I guess..

Today I had my fastest mile swim to date. 1 mile in 33:40. I really didn't feel good at all in the pool I was super tired and had a hard time getting going. I lifted and had a hard ride yesterday, so a bit sluggish to say the least. So the swim was tough, but my time was great.

Next post will be a breakdown on the Mooseman swim target

The bike - new upgrades

What started as an entry level bike, is now looking pretty bad ass. With the wedding last year, we have been on a pretty strict budget, so purchases have been coming incrimentaly. I have also purchased some tools and have started to work on my bike at home. I don't have a bike stand yet, which can make the operation annoying, but I survive.

Upgrades on the bike from the last 2 years.

Wheels - Flash Points 60m aero wheels. (got a crazy deal on these, $600 under cost)
Aerobars - HED, no deal there, but proffesionally fitted. WAY more comfortable.
Crankset - Compact Sram Red - Decent deal installed this along with the BB my self.
Bottom Bracket - GXP w/ Ceramic Bearings, silky smooth
Seat - Fizik Gobi, bad move here. Should have gone with the Arione.
Cassette - Sram Red 11-23 Crazy light and stiff.

January totals

January's totals:
Bike: 10h 45m 30s - 117.8 Mi
Run: 12h 22m - 83.5 Mi
Swim: 7h 09m 43s - 19610 Yd
Strength: 9h 45m

Running is still going well. Nothing ground breaking, but no major aches or pains.

Swimming is really improving. I am always working on a certain part, so that keeps me focused.

The Bike - I need to focus more. I have a hard time staying motivated while on the trainer in front of the tv. Live music dvds are going to be a must. I tried it last night and it worked great. I was super motivated and my heart rate was up the whole time.


I had a pretty good head of steam going through most of January, but slipped a little at the end of the month. I missed a bike and a run due to timing and lack of sleep. I am trying to be super conscious of not getting sick, so if I feel a little tired, I completely back off.

Nutrition is ok. I still need to buckle down some. For the most part I do great, but when I slip up and buy something I shouldn't, it is in the house and the inevitable happens. The amount of health food I eat has increased, 4 or 5 servings of veggies/fruits everyday. I am also consuming well above 64 ounces of water too. One big thing I need to work on is big meals at night. Quite simply, I LOVE TO EAT!!!

Another good swim!!

I was a little tired, but had a 2000 meter workout today. I swam, used the pull buoy and zoomers and then swam some 100 meters distances. With downtime it took me 42 minutes. The pull buouy slows me down but the zoomers speed me up. So all in all really happy. That 28 minute goal at Mooseman might become a reality.

What my week looks like

Here is a rough outline of what my week looks like.

Sunday Swim for 1 hour
Bike 1 hour

Monday Swim for 40-50 minutes
Run for 40-50 minutes

Tuesday Off (but usually go and lift some weight)

Wednesday Bike 1 hr to 1 1/2hrs
Lift if I didn't on Tuesday for an hour
Abs for 20 minutes

Thursday Swim 30-40 Minutes
Run in the am 20-30 minutes
Run in the pm 50 minutes

Friday Bike 1 hour
Abs 20 minutes

Saturday Bike 40-50 minutes
Run 1:30
Weights 1 hour

Weekly updates

I usually update the weeks work, but last week was a recovery week so, no need. Going into the recovery week I felt great and didn't think I need any downtime. But once the week started, I was wiped. I had to travel quite a bit, so it worked out well.

I had a coached training on Sunday and I think it went well. I was lapping people in my swim lane that were equal to me if not better a year ago. I should have been in the fastest lane, but I didn't know if I was ready. Next training I am heading to the fastest lane to push myself.

In February I am going to start swimming in Masters. I am pretty intimidated by the swim group there, but it will make me faster. After a couple sessions the intimidation should pass and it will no longer be a mental struggle to get there.

My swim yesterday was pretty tough. I kept wanting to cut it short, but I made myself stay mentally strong and go for the whole time. Its crazy, mental toughness is truly the hardest part. If the mind commits, the body will follow..

Weekly totals - 187 days til

Big week. I missed a bike and part of a run, but still a big week.
Total time
599 Minutes or 1 minute under 10 Hours!!!

Swim 1 hour 48 minutes
Bike 2 hours 35 minutes (missed an hour bike)
Run 3 hours 6 minutes
Strength 2 hours 30 minutes

Hmmm. Everything good...

This week is a recovery week and I think I need it. I have slugged through the last couple workouts, so I think I am ready to have a light week of training. Shoveling at least an hour and half can't help.

I had my second "bigger" run so far. Just under 10 miles at an 8 minute pace. I am happy with the speed, but my legs felt like tree trunks. And cold?? Around 12 degrees. I never really got into the grove. I kept checking my watch way to often. Makes for a long run even longer. I know I will be thankful come July for all this early since punishment.

Feeling blah

I had to conduct a wine dinner at Sugarloaf mountain on Thursday and I have been feeling a little blah since. I had a couple drinks and didn't sleep well at all.I acutally missed my bike workout yesterday because of it. I just wasn't feeling that good, so I skipped it. A little bummed that I did, but not the end of the world. I am allowing myself to miss one workout of each segment every month. I will keep a tab just to make sure it doesn't get out of control. I will obviously not the long distance workouts.

Heading out for an hour and 20 minute run today. I already lifted for an hour this morning, so a pretty big day today. As I mentioned I am feeling gross, so I am not to pumped to go run in 12 degree weather. Like it or not, I am going. I know once I get warm and grab my pace, I will enjoy it.

Weights no longer wiping me out

I have been able to lift without needed to sleep for days lately. I think my problem in the past was I was trying to lift weights like I used to. Not taking into consideration I am swimming, biking, and running like a maniac. Now that I have it in check, I am feeling a lot better.

My old lifting strength is coming back some. My biceps and triceps aren't nearly the size, but the strenght is comprable. Chest? Not even close. I used to be able to bench 225, now I might be able to get up 175. I am very happy with the trade off though. Having a neck is pretty cool too.

Best swim to date

I had my best pool swim so far today. I swam 1 mile in 34 minutes. To some that is by no means "blazin", but I am a slow swimmer who will get better. Considering I swam Mooseman at 34 minutes (.93) two years ago, I am pumped. I swim so much faster in a race, that my 28 minute goal for Mooseman, isn't that far of a stretch. If I swam like I did today at Mooseman, (wetsuit, no turns and hopefully some drafting) I think I would have swam around a 30 minute race. Nice!!

How I came up with that,

34 minutes in seconds is 2040 seconds.
Multiply 2040 x .93 (distance of Mooseman) = 1897.2
Convert 1897.2 into minutes you get 31:40
Throw in the bouyancy of a wetsuit and take a way all the wall turns and I get

30 Minutes!

What I need to do to get down to 28 minutes.

Be able to swim 1 mile at the pool in 31:40.

In order to do that I have to shave 6 second off my mile swim every week. Sound like a lot, but it is only 1/3 of 1% improvement the each week.

195 Days

Seriously, this is going fast already.

Another week another mile.. or mileS

This past week was a pretty heavy increase on my workout load. Swimming was pretty standard but I ran and biked a more. The real increase was on the running. I ran four times this week including a 10 mile run on Sat. The weather has been pretty tough, but I have not let it slow me down.

My flexibility is continously getting better too. I missed a stretching after a ride and I was so tight. It just stressed how important my stretching has become. I have been forced to run on the treadmill more and that makes the stretching that much more important.

Swimming is good. I will swim a mile tomorrow to see how far I have come. I am hoping that I come in around 32 minutes. With the new stroke, I think it is possible if I don't get anxious and lose my form.

Running continuous to be the strength. I have never commited myself to anything like this, so it is really cool to see the changes. My steady pace is around 8 minute miles now. Not blazing fast for a race, but for training runs I am pumped.

I am still adjusting to my new aerobars on the bike. They are a HUGE improvement, but still adjusting. For my 1 hour ride I really only need to sit up for a minute or two. That is huge for me. It used to be every 15 minutes I would need to sit up. Some lower back strength training has made a big differnce.

I rode the trainer today for 1 hour 30 minutes. That really is mentally challenging. The physical part is obvious, but it is tough to just sit there and spin properly. I can could just hop on and just spin, but that doesn't gain much. I have got to the point where I realize that every workout is to get better, not just to workout. Much easier to say that typing on the computer than when I am on the bike!!!

Weekly totals 9 Hours biggest week since the summer for training hours

Swim 1 hour 10 minutes
Bike 2 hours 40 minutes
Run 3 hours 10 minutes
Strength 2 hours

Weight 154
Nutrition B rating for this week.
Overall - A bit tired yesterday and this morning from long run and ride, but feel good going into the new week.

December Totals

Total Time 1,574 Minutes (26 hours 20 minutes)
Swim Time 405 Minutes (6 hours 45 minutes)
Bike Time 434 Minutes (7 hours 14 minutes)
Run Time 396 Minutes (6 hours 36 minutes)
Weights 337 Minutes (5 hours 36 minutes)

Total Weekly Time AVGs 6 hours - A little light, missing 3 days to the ice storm hurts...

Distances Totals
Seeing how I am not on the road with the bike, miles are very skewed.

Swim 29,400 yards or 16.7 miles
Bike 88 miles
Run 40 miles

General Update

I am in my 8th week of training and everything is going well. I have the typical aches and pains that are always present, but overall I feel good. The biggest thing I have noticed is how heavy my legs feel. They have definetly gotten bigger, so when I first start to run, I feel it. The cool part is after I warm up, I feel like I can run forever. I have been really enjoying the run workouts lately.

I believe I am about to make a major break through on my swim. I was swimming yesterday and changed my stroke a little. The slight change caused a nice smooth glide with my right arm. I couldn't get it down with my left, but it will happen. I only swam like that for a little while, the pool was crazy busy, but I am going to be back at it tomorrow. This could be a major break through. I am really looking forward to some swim coaching.

The bike is continuosly getting better too. My shoulders start to ache after an hour or so, but that will steadily decrease. I am working on my cadence and trying to keep it above 90 rpm. I have been able to do that most of the time. My legs are usually pretty wiped when I climb on the bike, so I am interested to see how a fresh set of legs will work at a race.