I just read through the athlete's packet for The K-Swiss/ Amica Ironman Providence 70.3. There are 3 Clearwater and 2 Kona slots up for grabs in my Age group. So my margin for error has gone from having to podium to having to top 5 to be assured something and top 10 to have a chance. I just hope the bank has enough to cover this. I guess I have to look at it this way if Kona is meant to be then it will happen by some means. The best I can do is race my ass off and worry about getting there after I get there. I still have a 1.2 mile swim 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run to get through with New England's best young guns. Guys that in the past have been able to tear my race to pieces with blazing cycle legs and runs splits that make me look like a tortoise. Because of this there is still a shot I'd finish where I did last year and not even be in the neighborhood of qualifying. Hence it is a bridge I will cross if/when I get there.
Until then I've got to go like hell there are some things I can control and other things I can't. On July 12 the only thing I can do is move forward at a hopefully swift rate of speed, and maybe when the chips are down and the dust has settled I will have my Kona Slot and then I can work on the implications of that. But until then I've got to keep training,I've got to keep working, I've got to keep moving forward....
R.D.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Heart Issues Claim another one...
Everyone already knows about the tragic death of Steve Larsen from Cardiac issues. Unfortunately today I found out yet another uber biker had his career tragically cut short. Torbjorn Sindballe, retired (Click here for the story ) due to a malformed valve in his heart. Luckily he was able to catch it before it cost him his life, but still it sucks to see such a great athlete's career cut short but a genetic defect.
This leads me to think about my own athletic career. Heart Conditions run in my family. Part genetics, part high stress, part really shitty eating habits. I have a feeling that as I get into my40's and 50's residue of McDonald's burgers past will rear their ugly head, so I should probably start worrying about that now along with my bills, degree, trying to make something of myself, my job...essentially I should probably start eating better so I'm not forking over $75 a month for my Grandfather's Blood thinner cocktail...or worse...keel over on my 10 miler.
R.D.
This leads me to think about my own athletic career. Heart Conditions run in my family. Part genetics, part high stress, part really shitty eating habits. I have a feeling that as I get into my40's and 50's residue of McDonald's burgers past will rear their ugly head, so I should probably start worrying about that now along with my bills, degree, trying to make something of myself, my job...essentially I should probably start eating better so I'm not forking over $75 a month for my Grandfather's Blood thinner cocktail...or worse...keel over on my 10 miler.
R.D.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Busy Weekend: Or did Bobby get his Groove back?
The short version:
I donated Money to the Indians.
I rode my bike pretty quick on Saturday.
I rode my bike somewhat long and felt like my old self again on Sunday.
Friday: Casino Night
Well in our quest for Wampum we got wamped by the Mohegans.
Saturday: I went out to Lake Waramaug and did a nice "on the rivet" Time trial. I did one loop of the Lake in the small ring to warm up. Then 3 loops in the big ring riding "on the rivet" or right on the front of the saddle for optimum power. Let me tell you this is not the most comfortable postion on a bike but it is powerful. I was back up to my old speeds on the front half of the lake as I was hammering the whole 23+ miles (roughly 40k). I managed to average 21.5mph. Not as fast as the "good cyclist." But getting back in the right direction. I cooled down with a 2-3 mile spin in the easy gears for a total of about 33 miles.
Sunday: I met up with Josie at about 1:30 to get our long ride in. In her words either I was riding well or she was riding lousy ( recovering from a migraine) because I led most of the ride. Including the hills. Now this is shocking for three reasons.
1) Josie is built like a climber. She's small and she's light. She has about a 50-60 lbs. weight advantage over me when it comes to going up steep inclines.
2) She rides a compact crank...which means while I'm cranking out massive watts in my "Manly Climbing Gear" (The standard 39 tooth small ring on 52 X39 Crank set. Compacts usually have a 50 tooth Big ring and a 30-34 tooth small ring.) trying to get up hill, she can spin by merrily and more efficiently.
3) She rides a full carbon Spawn of Satan...I mean Cervelo. Regardless Carbon Fiber is lighter than Aluminum and definitely hurts less when you go over roads that haven't been paved since Jimmy Carter was in the White House.
Anyhoo the ride was pretty uneventful. I met up with Dave a fellow Tri geek as we did our loops of the lake and then on our second loop we hunted down an older Gentleman on a White Giant.
He Proceeded to charge in front of us on a quick up hill. I proceeded to chase him down and drop him like a bad habit on the flat. ( OOORAH Man Gear!) The rest of the ride was Bobby vs. the Climbing efficiency of the Compact as I tried to put out as many watts as my legs could muster. decided to borrow a tip from Normann Stadler in which he said " I like to suffer on the bike...I need pain I just love it." So on Route 109 I went out with full intensions to make myself suffer. In Bethlehem this worked well as I usually had a nice decent to help give me momentum up the climbs but as we hit Woodbury Josie climbing advantage won out yet again. I managed to get around her on the flat and hold her off back to the car. The ride went pretty well we averaged just over 17 mph including the "rest loop" around the lake.
While I'll probably not be up to Speedy Claire's Blazing Bike splits anytime soon...and Josie will probably be back to her Lance Armstrong style climbing skills that kills, it was a good day in the saddle. Hopefully I can at least match my bike split from Providence Last year and maybe...dare I say it. Get that slot I've been coveting for the last 3 years.
Today not much on tap an 8-9 mile run and 3500 yard pool workout. Just enough to keep in shape.
R.D.
I donated Money to the Indians.
I rode my bike pretty quick on Saturday.
I rode my bike somewhat long and felt like my old self again on Sunday.
Friday: Casino Night
Well in our quest for Wampum we got wamped by the Mohegans.
Saturday: I went out to Lake Waramaug and did a nice "on the rivet" Time trial. I did one loop of the Lake in the small ring to warm up. Then 3 loops in the big ring riding "on the rivet" or right on the front of the saddle for optimum power. Let me tell you this is not the most comfortable postion on a bike but it is powerful. I was back up to my old speeds on the front half of the lake as I was hammering the whole 23+ miles (roughly 40k). I managed to average 21.5mph. Not as fast as the "good cyclist." But getting back in the right direction. I cooled down with a 2-3 mile spin in the easy gears for a total of about 33 miles.
Sunday: I met up with Josie at about 1:30 to get our long ride in. In her words either I was riding well or she was riding lousy ( recovering from a migraine) because I led most of the ride. Including the hills. Now this is shocking for three reasons.
1) Josie is built like a climber. She's small and she's light. She has about a 50-60 lbs. weight advantage over me when it comes to going up steep inclines.
2) She rides a compact crank...which means while I'm cranking out massive watts in my "Manly Climbing Gear" (The standard 39 tooth small ring on 52 X39 Crank set. Compacts usually have a 50 tooth Big ring and a 30-34 tooth small ring.) trying to get up hill, she can spin by merrily and more efficiently.
3) She rides a full carbon Spawn of Satan...I mean Cervelo. Regardless Carbon Fiber is lighter than Aluminum and definitely hurts less when you go over roads that haven't been paved since Jimmy Carter was in the White House.
Anyhoo the ride was pretty uneventful. I met up with Dave a fellow Tri geek as we did our loops of the lake and then on our second loop we hunted down an older Gentleman on a White Giant.
He Proceeded to charge in front of us on a quick up hill. I proceeded to chase him down and drop him like a bad habit on the flat. ( OOORAH Man Gear!) The rest of the ride was Bobby vs. the Climbing efficiency of the Compact as I tried to put out as many watts as my legs could muster. decided to borrow a tip from Normann Stadler in which he said " I like to suffer on the bike...I need pain I just love it." So on Route 109 I went out with full intensions to make myself suffer. In Bethlehem this worked well as I usually had a nice decent to help give me momentum up the climbs but as we hit Woodbury Josie climbing advantage won out yet again. I managed to get around her on the flat and hold her off back to the car. The ride went pretty well we averaged just over 17 mph including the "rest loop" around the lake.
While I'll probably not be up to Speedy Claire's Blazing Bike splits anytime soon...and Josie will probably be back to her Lance Armstrong style climbing skills that kills, it was a good day in the saddle. Hopefully I can at least match my bike split from Providence Last year and maybe...dare I say it. Get that slot I've been coveting for the last 3 years.
Today not much on tap an 8-9 mile run and 3500 yard pool workout. Just enough to keep in shape.
R.D.
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