The Freeze Your Tail Off 75

When: This Saturday November 17, 2007 @ 1:30PM ( I have to work and it takes me about an hour to get up there so this is the safest bet.)

Where: Lake Waramaug State Park, Warren CT ( go past the beach club straight until the stop sign. Take a left at the stop sign the park is on the right.

What the ride entails: A multiple loop of the 7.5 mile lake ( about 10 laps bu t if you want to do less its cool It's not an organized event just one of my Ironman trainning rides but hey if i can share the wealth cool.) a possible excursion into the surrounding country side ( depends on traffic and weather)

What to bring: Cold Weather Cycling gear ( wool socks, long sleeves, tights ( optional), gloves, beanie, common sense stuff). Fuel ( gu, hammer gel, sport beans , clif bars, snickers, ham sandwich...what ever keeps you going.) Water, Gatorade, toilet paper (the out houses run out) Helmet, gear to change flats ( no mechanic on site).


Like I said this is a training ride not an official event I have no liability insurance, it just sort of a loose bring you bike and log some miles affair, so if you're looking at winning some sort of jersey, or post race rub down,this is not that kind of ride, it's sort of a kick back, log the miles and enjoy (hopefully semi-warm) weather with a couple other enthusiasts.

Hope to see some people out there.
R.D.
P.s. Ken, yes I am posting this info on the HEAT forum

Where are you Angry Runner........

Yesterday, in the course of my workday I hit up the ol' blogspot . I clicked on the familar link to The Angry runner's site for my daily dose of the nonsense that is the run seen in HOTford..the familiar links and Jack Abramoff photo popped up but no post. I clicked on the link to see all posts but nothing has happended. I checked last night after class and this morning but it seems Sir Angry is missing in action...has he been shut down by the FCC, booted by google, hijacked by software pirates... or worse....Angry if you're alive out there shout so we can hear you.

My 100th Post of 2007 : I'M GOING TO TAUPO BITCHES!!!

Yep that's right, one of my creditors made the mistake of increasing my line...( which means more for me to pay back but hey what's money if you can't spend it on what you need and what you enjoy.) So after a quick phone call to Ken Glah and the Crew and Endurance Sports Travel I have procured a lakeview studio at the Tui Oaks Motor Inn, and transport for me and The Bitch Stomper from Auckland to Taupo for under $1300. Below are pictures of my digs for that week: unfortunately Angry it's not the Marriot or the Hilton

(note to the folks at those companies try building a Residence Inn or Fairfield Suites in the vincity. It will be a gold mine.)

EST's not booking flights until Late Janurary so that is the only missing link but it will be paid for. So yes my crazy, half frozen New England ass will be gracing the start line at IM New Zealand.( Which will start another debate on whether or not I should shave down for this sucker...but I digress.) Ok good news over...more good news I can now turn my training from possibly doing and Ironman in March to DEFINATELY doing an Ironman in March. Yes now gone are the days of the half-assed 25 mile rides that were supposed to be fifty milers, the 45 min. trainer sessions which were intended to be an hour, the 12 mile runs....well ok maybe not the 12 mile runs...theasy 3000 yard swims 3 times a week. As of 5 am this morning Build Phase#1 got going which means the next 14 days are going to be loaded with distance, one race, and early
mornings.
Monday: yielded my normal "short" distance a 7-8 miler through the burbs.

Tuesday: I got in 4200 yds. in the pool. My freestyle stroke felt a little slow but and increase in work outs will help that.

This morning I got to the Y at 5:45am and crammed in a 3000 yard practice before work. Again my freestyle felt a little slow so Tommorrow I will probably work it a little more. After work I got in a 12 mile run on the almost pitch black roads of Wolcott. My first 7 weren't bad as the sun was just starting to set and I was on roads that actually had street lamps. The "back 4" down Route 322 were dimly lit, along with a pitted shoulder and drivers hugging the white line as if they were in Some race to see who could get to Southington first. After dodging cars and nearly twisting my ankle twice on the pitted shoulder I decided this route is not a good one to do during the evening hours, or at least not without a headlamp. The last mile to two miles back home weren't bad at all ...except for trying to cross route 69 as rush hour traffic was streaming in from the DirtyWater ( Waterbury) from the south and the Little New Britain ( Bristol) from the North. All in all I got it in 1:45 so my goal of doing a 4:00 marathon or better seems to be in reach, as long as I can get my long runs and bricks in over the next three months. So on tap: tomorrow an early morning 3000-4000 yard swim work out followed by work, getting booties and wool socks to protect my footsies on my 60-70 miler this week end, maybe a 6 miler around campus, class and lifegurading. Friday an early morning trainer workout 45 min. to an hour, followed by work, and a 3000-4500 yard workout at Waterbury Masters ( note to Angry: Steph Karas is running it and we do have easier workouts, also she can help straighten out your stroke to prevent that nagging shoulder injury.)
Sat. Work then a 60 mile ride ( most likely at Waramaug of from Woodbury to Waramaug.) followed by a moderate warm up run.
Sunday: Speed Work! the Chichetti 5 miler brought to you by Wesson oil: Home of the crazy conveience store manager that made my summer of 05 a layer of hell! (pay back's a bitch!..oops well if it wasn't for my crummy stint there I wouldn't have try to find anyhting better than my gig at the video game store so in essence it helpped me believe in myself...ok pulling good from a bad situation moment over.) followed by some love time in the pool or a shorter ride maybe 25 miles in Woodbury or on the Cheshire trail, or if the weather sucks a trainer ride post race infront of my blasting heater. All in all the hardcore training period has begun.

The self -torturing triathlete
R.D.

Freezing my Beans off....

Ever notice how biking conditions in New England go from this
To this in about 2 weeks.

Well that's the phrase that best explains how I spent my weekend. Friday, after much drama at the Bank, the cops showed up and long story short left us a man down, I went to masters and actually got in a well deserved 4000 yard work out in the confines of the heated pool....that would be the warmest I'd be all weekend. On Saturday after 3 hours at the ball and chain...which helps me pay for the sport I love so dearly...I threw down $60 at the bike rack on sexy new tights and toe covers...then it was off to Woodbury for what was supposed to be a 50 miler.....key word supposed to be. After taking my chances with a foilage covered "s" curve I decided to skip going down the "steep hill" on the Griskus Olympic course and shot out on to Route 6 via Cat Swamp , ( same amount of desecnding but broken into 3 small hills instead of the drop off the face of the earth. After climbing up Route 132 in to Bethlehem..(see my Mother of all Bricks post for route description). I was hit with a savage cross wind as I descended toward Weekeepeemee rd. Now I have a habit with coasting with my left knee elevated so the wind blowing my to the left made feel like I was going to go down hard, seeing gravel on weekeepeemee rd. didn't ease my mind so I made the semi-executive descion to keep on Route 132.....Enter drop off the face of the earth hill here...

I descended at about 30mph unclipping my right shoe and sticking my foot out when I thought I was going to go knee against asphalt....I had a small burner after it which I breezed up and the I was met with....the Wall.....

Instead of manning up and climbing it I dismounted had a normann stadler moment in my mind....the walked back to weekeepeemee being passed by a dude on a trek . When I got to weekeepeemee I decided to walk the bike down it was then I discovered the gavel was washed to the sides, but the influx of volunteer firefighters crusing out to the main road...and the uncertainty of the cross winds..made me decided to walk the bike another half mile until I reached asphalt....needless to say I was ticked I climbed up to Flanders road and descended back to route 6 ( by passing the climb past the abbey and condemning another hot young thing to the convent....I mean allowing a young lady to enter religious life without my interference...) I climbed up cat swamp and finshed the remaing portion of the Griskus bike loop. I got back to the car after a 26 mile bike/1 mile walk. and did I loop of the run course. Not a bad day...but pretty pathetic for Ironman trainning.

Today I decided on doing loops of Lake Waramaug. Now I figured it was safe no traffic..brutal crosswinds, yet flat terrain...I figured I'd do about 8 to 10 loops figuring it was sheltered...well I got 2.5 done before the wind got the better of my feet . I did three loops and packed it in....I almost ran but the setting sun, freezing feet and the gathering of park rangers ready to ticket my car if I kept it after the 4:30PM close time derailed that plan. So with that being said it looks like I've got a lot of long trainer sessions and purchases of wool socks ahead. Which leaves me with a brillant new event idea:

The Lake Waramaug Freeze Your tail off 100.

15 loops of the lake, with the state park as the start /finish...it has ample facilities ( out houses, parking so you can store excess food, water bottles, foot warmers, ) Come on I know someone out there's carzy enough to do this thing with me....well maybe not....Well now I've got to rest up and tabulate how much more debt I can rack up buying the equipment to train for this Ironman.

The Icy Ironman

R.D.