Welcome back to the freezer

Well today I decided to put tires to pavement. The temps were near 50F and Steph had left early for play practice so I had the afternoon to myself. Since the weather was nice and I had noting better to do I unhooked the Stomper from the trainer and went out to Middlebury. I hadn't ridden outdoors in Winter since 2009 so I dugout my tattered pair of wool socks and threw another pair of cycling socks over the top hoping that they would keep my feet warm as the only cycling shoes that had decent cleats were my tri shoes. I kept the route simple and did two loops of the Griskus Sprint bike loop. I took the first loop pretty tentatively as I focused on bike handling. It wasn't too windy and once I knew where the sand and pot holes were I was able to open it up. The S-curve at mile 3 and the turn on to Tomilson Rd at mile 4 looked like someone had dumped sandbags down, but there was still enough of a path that to fit the bike safely through. The fact there was very little traffic also helped. I did have an issue with the censor on my bike computer shaking loose on the second loop after hitting a pothole, so a mile and a half of the ride wasn't recorded. I was surprised I didn't bump into more riders but there were several runners. I finished the 20.50 ride in a little under an hour and a half averaging about 15mph. Not fast by any means but not bad for my first outdoor ride since August.

I got back to the car and threw on my Newtons and went for a 5k run down the Griskus Sprint Run course. I kept the pace moderate and I could feel that my feet are adjusting to the Newtons. I'm not ready to tackle any 10 milers yet but I have a feeling if I'm able to get through the next two weeks doing short runs between 3-6 miles I'll be able to get back into the high mile high speed runs. This week I've got some tough workouts on tap in the pool and on the trainer

RD

First run in Newtons and other training tales

Well yesterday I took my Newton's out for their first run. It went pretty well but until I fully "break in" the shoes I'm going to have to keep the miles low. I could really feel the lugs when I was going downhill, but not so much on the flats or going up hill. It also allowed me some time to reflect on my stride. My left foot seems to already land on my midfoot, where on my right foot I could still feel the lugs and it tends to pronate a little more. I know that as I get used to the shoes and my mileage increases, my stride will improve and I'm confident that my run splits will get faster this year.

I've also started getting back on the spin bike. My bike leg is what needs the most improvement and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get my cycling back to the level it was at in 2008 and 2009. The set that has been the most use to be has been 4x5:00 in big cog on the front with my 15 tooth cog on the back, working on getting my cadence up and building my endurance.

My swimming is back up to about 4000 per practice and the triathletes I'm coaching are improving and building up the yardage . that's more info for another post but so far I'm thinking that 2012 will be a good year.

R.D.

Back to the Pat...

Well I've signed up for the 2012 Patriot Half Iron in Freetown, MA on June 16. This will be the first time I've competed there since 2009, which was probably one of the best years for me competitively. While I was going through it 09 seemed to be an off year but looking at it in hindsight, it was the last year I sort of had some stability in training, work schedule, and life in general. Now things have started to calm down again, and while last year was a little over ambitious and I am trying to focus on getting myself back into hard core competition, and every year that I've done the Patriot good things have usually followed.
This year will be different than when I enter the Pat in 08 and 09. In those years buoyed by strong results in the previous year's tris I went into the Elite/ Open division to try to compete for a check...and promptly got smoked on the bike. 2008 actually went well I carried the #1 bib and set the day's fastest swim split. In 2009 I had a gearing miscue on the bike so I sort of fell out of contention pretty early indeed Speedy Claire was able to cross beating Bobby off her bucket list ( although I asterisk this as she was only doing the aquabike and didn't have to hold me off on the run.) granted I did throw down a pretty nasty run split, which would have put me higher up overall if I threw down my typical 2:45 bike split instead of a 3:00. This year I entered as an age grouper only because the competition has gotten exponentially harder, Karim from the Waterbury Y tri club won the 25-29 AG last year throwing down a 4:35 the best I did here was 4:55 with a short swim and speedy run in 2009. So my goal is to go under 4:45 and hopefully show myself as a serious competitor instead of a survivor like I was last year at Providence and Louisville.So the game plan for Patriot this year is to work the bike and the run. I'll still swim 3x a week but since I know I'll be able to do a sub 30 swim split pretty easily I won't have to throw doen the 5200yard death workouts I did for Ironman. 3000-4000 yards per workout should be plenty, granted they should be a quality 3-4k. My running is coming along and I'm hoping the Newtons will add some ammo to the tool kit. The bike is where I need to put my work but it's hard. Most coaches state that you need to do at least 100 miles a week to show improvement and at last check I still have a 9-5er, rent to pay, a relationship to maintain, so going out for 3x50 milers a week maybe out of the cards especially if i want to keep a job, keep the girlfriend and keep a roof over my head. So I may have to resort to the trainer and Good ol' coach Troy and Chris Carmichael shouting at me to get out of the saddle and try to unleash my inner Lance. So 2012 is starting to shape up after the Waterbury Y tri club kickoff and raffle on Feb 21 I'll have a better idea of what my season will look like.

RD

Learning how to ride like a roadie?

Well, for years I've struggled with the bike. Part of it's been mental, part of it's been my riding style and part of it has been my training. This year I seemed to have gotten a hold on 2 of the 3. The mental part always takes me a bit. If I'm unsure of a route or where a decent is going to take me I tend to ride ultra conservative, but once I figure out what I'm doing things fall into place. So on my second outdoor ride a loop of the Waterbury Ymca's suffer/hammer route with Alexei I wasn't surprised he was kicking the shit out of me on decents and crossing intersections. But there was one area where I was shocked, the climbs and the flats. Normally I tend to be a power rider. I usually push insanely tough gears, and crank out massive watts generating a world of hurt for my lower back, hams, glutes and calves. This year with all the indoor rides and actually showing up to spin classes on a regular basis I noticed a change in my riding style. I suddenly began to be able to push high cadence and noticed I was actually carrying a fair amount of speed. Now one reason I used to be a power rider was I figured that if I was going 100RPM in an easy gear I was going to be spinning a long at 15MPH quite literally spinning my wheels and going nowhere. Sunday's ride changed that. As Alexei and I cruised along Route 6 in Southbury ( after a few wrong turns.) I noticed that I was not in the biggest gear I could push but I was crusing along a 20mph with moderate effort. Likewise I noticed that I was actually able to launch sustainable efforts on the climbs and that I was able to give Alexei ( who is normally a much better cyclist than I am.) a good challenge to the top of some of the moderate climbs. What do I credit for this success? The sufferfest spin videos and classes run by the Y tri club. Every Tuesday we would ride one of these tough little workouts that would show snippets of pro-tours and would set a workout based on the race we were following. We simulated the climb up Alpe Du Huez, going into a break at the Tour de Sussie, TT riding the World Championship course, to the carefully crafted Sufferfest Videos. But one thing I noticed about the sufferfest videos was they preped us to ride like roadies, rather than tri geeks. John Hirsch had commented on his blog about how triathletes are not groomed to constantly push themseleves to the red line and recover and then make continual red line and recovery efforts like cyclists. Indeed in tri, the main goal is to hold a steady quick pace that won't thrash your legs too badly for the run. Sufferfest didn't work us like that. We were constantly put through over/unders, attacks, tempo riding, responding to attacks. essentially we were in roadie school. Part of me wonders: could my bike leg improve if I do a couple of surges strategically placed in the ride? In my ride with Alexei I held back a little on the decents and some of the straights focusing on good effort and strong cadence, taking a couple of tempo pulls at the front. I attacked on the climbs and noticed that for most of them I was either neck and neck or passing Alexei. Whether this was because he was worn from pulling or I had sandbagged a little./ planned my ride to have a stronger second half, or just picked the right times to kick it up, it felt good. So I'm wondering if this season maybe the year I'm actually able to put all three legs together and have a breakout. I'm definitely planning on keeping spin classes as part of my training regiment. While outdoor riding is great and makes the long ride more enjoyable. I think a good quality seesion indoors once a week might help me keep focus on good form and strength. So I'm going to see where this takes me because the results have been looking promising so far.

R.D.

First outdoor ride and What gives BAA?

Well Thursday I had an odd day off as part of my quarterly schedule. This week I was off Thursday, working Friday and Saturday and then off Sunday to go back in on Monday. But my quirky hours aside Thursday proved to be a good day to be out of the office. There were clear skies, temperatures hovering around 70 and a bike with a brand new chain and cassette chilling in the garage, my plan for the day was clear. I was riding and it was not going to be a trainer session. I spent about 20 minutes in the morning digging the end of one of my draw strings out of the waist band of my tri shorts, then packed The Bitch Stomper into my Subaru and made the now much shorter ride from Waterbury out to Middlebury to do some loops of the Pat Griskus Tri course. While part of me wanted to be adventurous and go and do my 50 mile Quassy to Waramaug route, I hadn't ridden outdoors in nearly six months and after this years brutal winter the roads were going to be pitted and most likely sand covered, so I stuck to the easy 10 mile loop through some "gentle rolling hills" and farm land. The first mile I was greeted by something that seemed missing on the trainer: a crosswind while going down hill at 30 mph no less. For a second I had to relearn how to handle a bike, as I felt the rear wheel going a little sideways and my bike being pushed to the right, just tried to go with it pushing left just enough to keep the Stomper from going off the road. The roads weren't too bad, there were only two rough spots, the bottom of the "s" curve and the right hander on to Tomilson road still had some grit which required me to coast at a lower speed than normal, but for the most part things went pretty smooth. The sufferfest spin Dvd's really helped this winter in that I focused more on climbing with a strong cadence rather than mashing heavy gears and I noticed that I was able to hold a larger gear than last season on the final climb at mile nine and I didn't need to get out of the saddle. Overall my speed wasn't too far off from normal either I averaged 16.2 mph for 20 miles. Not bad for sitting on an exercise bike all winter. I decided that since it was a georgous day to tack on a nice 8 mile run as a brick. My legs felt a little heavy as I tackled the opening 8 miles of the Rev3 Half run course. By the time I hit the dirt road portion of White Deer Rocks my legs had found their stride granted they still felt a little tight. I know if I want to do Rev3 and if I want to do well I'm going to need to work on running after hard climbing rides. All in all the run didn't go to badly as I popped my usual day dream of one day winning Kona and amuzed myself with the idea of one day being able to race pro. Ok yes I know that reallistically that neither may never happen but if it gives me the strength to push a little harder on a long training run then damn it I'm not going to knock it. And my time for the run was 1:12, not Crowie killing fast but good for the first brick of the season. And speaking of running, the Boston Marathon is coming up on Monday. So good luck to Mary the Iron Matron in the Patriots' Day classsic, and while I'm on the note of the Boston Marathon, what gives with the new qualifying standard? I had been surfing the HEAT forum and heard that the Boston Athletic Association ( BAA) had just lowered the time standards for the 2013 running of the Boston Marathon and put in bonuses for faster runners in 2012 ( ie the faster you run the earlier you get to register.) I'm not really opposed to the fast kids getting to sign up first, that's fair because hey if you run a 2:12 marathon you should be running in Boston, but did they have to make the time standard for guys under 35 3:05, I mean 3:10 was just starting to seem within grasp. Hell my girlfriend's mom even works in Hopkinton and she lives like 2 seconds away so I will even have a place to crash when I eventually qualify. If my Kona dream fell through this year I would try making a good attempt at a Beantown slot at the Hartford Marathon, but now it seems like that I might have to start training with Ryan Hall to even have a prayer at running Boston before I turn 35, granted even 3:05 doesn't sound that bad, but that's still 16 minutes I have to drop from my current PR but now it has to be 3:05:00 or under you don't even get the 59 seconds you used to. I mean I know it's Boston and it's a big deal but come on BAA , I think us New Englanders should get a break, I mean it's not like we're in Kenya or Cali where we have beautiful 50+ degree weather and mountains to train in all winter to prep for our qualifier and then the race, I think a New England winter is worth an extra 5 minutes because otherwise all your going to have is a bunch of college track kids, Kenyans, Ethiopians, and dudes from Cali towing the line in Boston, and I mean come on the Californians have the Frisco, Big Sur and LA marathons let us have NYC and Boston...please, pretty please? Well that's my two cents, happy training all R.D.

9 mile run of death and other training tales.

Well this week I've been able to get three back to back days of training so I'm starting to re-establish a pattern. Monday I went for a 9.45 mile run Tuesday some lifting and the sufferfest bike intervals and yesterday my first swim since Saturday, while it's not the ideal plan, I am coming back from a crash and burn week and some harder early season trianing than I've done in the past two years.

On Monday my 9 miler could be know as a run of death for two reasons, hills and traffic. Adjusting to life back in Waterbury has been a little bit of a change because for the past 5 years I've had established running routes out in Wolcott, 2 days a week do the 8 mile loop, on the long days I had a 12, 15, and 20+ mile loop set up. At my new place one of my dabblings has been to try to set up new routes that aren't going to get me killed by traffic or lead me into "da hood". While Bunker Hill is not "Da Hood" it does have traffic, dogs, uneven sidewalks, pot holes and some areas of questionable character. Likewise it has Hills and I don't mean the gentle rolling type. While Bunker Hill Ave. is a long gradual climb some of the surrounding side streets can have some nasty little or in some cases big climbs.

On Monday my goal was to run from my house to Holy Cross High School and run part of one of my old High School training loops before looping back home. Only problem with this was I would have to cross West Main Street/ Chase Parkway in Waterbury, which is a busy drag as it connects the West Side with Downtown and there are three highway exits within 2 miles of each other on this stretch. I started my run down Bunker Hill Ave which was pretty tame, there are plenty of sidewalks and crosswalks, as long as you paid attention to traffic you were fine. I cut up a Deleware Ave and another side road which took me up a pretty nasty hill, and left debating if leaving the fuel belt at home was a wise idea. i cut down a few more side streets and got a nice down hill run to West Main Street and as I saw the packs of cars lining up at one of the exits. Running at rush hour wasn't my most brilliant idea.

But being the type of adapter I am I decided I would run down Chase Parkway past the last I-84 exit, then shoot down Straits Turnpike into Watertown and go up the backside of Bunker Hill into Waterbury. The only problem Straits Turnpike is a major State Road, and after I had risked life and limb in a narrow shoulder on Chase Parkway, the one on Straits Turnpike wasn't much bigger. For a good two mile stretch I had cars whizzing by at 60mph ( afterall we all know that the speed limit of 45mph is the minimum right? yes I'm guilty of this too.) less than a foot away from me. I traversed the boondock section of Straits turnpike I kept trying to tell myself good things about this section is it was realatively flat and it was a residential as the minivans sored past, followed by a BMW, followed by some kid in a rice burner trying to set a state speed record. There were some moments my thoughts flashed back to one of my training partners, I'll just call him B. B had been a pretty decent runners in the 70's and 80's One night after a swim session I noticed and odd scar on his leg and the fact that he sort of limped. when I asked him about it he was like "yeah about ten- fifteen years ago a car hit me from behind when I was out on a training run, completely shattered my leg they had to put a steel rod in and when they went to remove it they would have had to rebrake the bone that grew around it so they just left it in." It was a sobering thought that wasn't helping as I was running with traffic, knowing at any moment I could be subject to "death by Honda" I mean come on if you have to die on a run it should be something bad ass like "I finished the Boston Marathon at 90 then had the BIG ONE" or "I ran out of fluids at Badwater" not "yeah some teeny bopper was looking for her Ke$hia CD and plowed her civic into me."

After about a couple of miles it turned into a commercial drag with Car Delaerships on either side, a few shopping plazas and sidewalks. Except for dodging the stop and shop rush, things went smoother from here, until I turned the corner to go up the Hill. The backside of Bunker Hill is a nice little climb and from Straits Turnpike to the Waterbury City line it's covered by sidewalk then back to dodging traffic for half a mile, then the nice little right hand turn at Our Lady of Loretto Church, and up the hill back home. seeing the outline of the hill was kinda intimidating but once you strat grinding it out it's not so bad. From here the run uneventful except for the fact I was thirsty as hell. Next time I do anything close to 10 miles I'm brinign the fuel belt. I managed to churn up the climbs at a pretty good rate, and finished my run in about 1:22. I don't think I'll be doing this loop again but it wasn't too bad of a workout.

The last two days I was indoors for bike training and the swim so I'm hoping to get out for my first outdoor ride today, at the very least I'll be running. Well that's it from me I'm burning daylight.

Happy Training

R.D.

So much for training...

Well this week was supposed to be the start of hardcore training week and it started out well with a 13 mile run on Monday. My run went pretty well as I cruised down the REV3 half course in Middlebury. Granted I did take a wrong turn on Christian road and ran past the front of the Timex factory instead of behind it. I felt strong on the run and better than on some of my shorter runs as I brought my fuel belt with me so I was able to hydrate a little. But I have had no workouts since. Tuesday I came home and slept and just couldn't drag myself to the Y to swim. Yesterday I drove my mom out to Newport so my planned workouts for the afternoon were scrapped. I didn't get in until 1am, so an early morning workout was out of the question. I came home and passed out until 7:30 . While part of me believes my body may need rest and I should just write off tonight another part of me is thinking about setting up the trainer and hopping on for an hour to get my legs in shape for the Ironman. The down side is I don't have a DVD player in the basement so if the trainer does come out it's going to be a mental toughness ride for sure with no movies to dull the monotony. But most likely I'm just going to toss up today as another rest day and get in the pool tomorrow and Saturday and possibly break out the bike for a quick 20 miler on Saturday morning after the swim. I know I need to start training harder I'm not sure if I should get up earlier and try to get at least a quick run or swim in before work so that way I guaranteed at least one workout if I'm beat after work. All I know is I need to get workouts if i'm to have any chance to finish let alone qualify for Kona. RD I still haven't forked over much in the way of equipment as I'm adjusting to budgeting rent into the equation.

And so the training in earnest begins....

Well it's April, which means I now have less than 5 months to get Ironman ready. While I have been trying to keep my training levels consistent doing each sport 2 times a week, work and regular life have been kicking my butt hardcore. I'm notcing that I've been taking at least two rest days a week, which isn't a bad thing but is hard to comprehend for a type-a athlete type like myself. So this month I'm trying to cut my off days down to one or when I feel totally run down. On the plus side it's springtime which means I'm home in daylight, the snow has melted and I can begin my outdoor runs and rides again. No more treadmill halves for me. I've been trying to train on the Rev3 Half Iron course out in Middlebury to get my legs in shape for a possible attack at it in June and my onslaught of Ironman Louisville in August. It's been so warm the past few days that I've actually been able to run in *gasp* shortsleeves. Today there's some rain forecasted but a wet 13 miler isn't anyhing to worry about. Another sign of spring is I'm notcing my equipment is starting to reach it's max life. My jammer is getting see through, and my running shoes are approaching the 500 mile mark, likewise I need new racing flats, quick laces, fuel belt bottles ( as my current ones have little traces of mold in the creases. yet somehow I still continue to drink out of them, yes it's gross I know but when you hit mile 10 of a long run and you still have 5 miles to go you will drink anything.) I've also needed bike shorts for the past two years, but I just keep putting off some of the purchases until I have more money, or my naked butt cheeks are hanging out, or the writing wears off the soles of my shoes...etc but the time to bust out the wallet is coming and soon. And on the running shoes I'm stuck in a debate: Do I stick with Saucony or head back to New Balance? I mean for years I was a New Balance fan boy but last year I tried on a pretty sick pair of Pro Ride2's and except for some rubbing in a couple of long tread mill sessions ( in one case I ended up with a bleeding toe and turned my left shoe a lovely shade of pink because I didn't cut my nails.) have been pretty decent. I haven't had a lot of sorenesss except for the usual I just ran 10 miles at 8min/mile pace tightness and I just found a light weight trainer that would make a perfect racing flat. the problem is right next to it is an equally sexy New Balance lightweight trainer the would make an equally perfect racing flat. Granted the New Balance shoe is about $20 more. Unfortunately neither one is my signature Orange racing flat ( Saucony or New Balance please Sponsor me and make a limited edition Orange Racing Flat.) So it looks like I'll be a little harder to pick out in crowd of runners this season. So my week ahead looks like this Today a 13 mile run and a possible lifting or swim session Tomorrow: A sufferfest spin class and swim Wednesday a short run before I go into the office as I'm driving my mom out to Rhode Island Thursday a swim and trainer ride Friday: I'm supposed to see the girlfriend but I might be heading up on Saturday: so either a run or a swim Saturday: I really want to get 3 runs in this week so regardless or where I am I'm getting between 8 and 10 miles on the pavement. Next week I'm hoping public works will get out and clear the sand from this years epic winter off the roads so I can begin my loops of death out to Lake Waramaug and back. I'm hoping to do a 200k in July so stay tuned for details. Happy training every one. R.D.

Here we go again...

Well I finally committed to my third Ironman and this time it's a little closer to home.

Yep that's right I signed up for Ironman Kentucky. I've heard some good things from my teammates from HEAT who have done it in year's past. There will be somethings I'll have to get used to, first of all this will be the first Iron distance race I've done measured in miles, likewise it will be the first Ironman where I'll be biking on the right side of the road, and oh yes it falls in the middle of a good ol' hot and humid southern summer. The heat isn't serving as a deterrent as I've raced well in the heat. I nearly got a Kona slot a Eagleman a while back and I managed to podium in my age group last year at the Griskus. If I make sure I'm slathered in a good layer of sunscreen I should be fine. The other major change is this time my Ironman will be toward the end of my season instead of the beginning. Ironman New Zealand served as my season opener in 2008 and 2009, I put in training but had no races for nearly 4 months before, it will be interesting to see how I'll perform after a few races and nearly 6 months of training instead of the "Clyde Crashcup School of Ironman Training." I'm hoping that I'll be able to get that coveted Kona slot granted my fear is I don't want to burn my legs out early in the season. Likewise last season I didn't do anything longer than an olympic distance try or any runs over 20 miles. So there will be some more time spent in the weight room this winter trying to build my legs and core likewise I'm been putting in some marathon treadmill sessions, so mentally and physically I'll think I'll be tough enough to get this thing done.

So breakout the Bourbon Boys Bobby's going to Louisville

R.D.

Snowpocalypse Now!

"You smell that salty smell, that smell smells like wet salt, that's brine, I love that smell, it smells like , like victory."

Ok before I start writing a 2 hour epic based on plow drivers stuck in the Northeast, loosely based on Conrad's The Heart of Darkness, I'll explain the title. The weather guys in the Northeast have been calling our continual storms Snowmagedon and Snowpocalypse. This week blizzard/ winter storm number 7 or 8 in a row is scheduled to hit Tuesday, Wenesday and Thursday, really throwing a crimp in my workout plans. ( Looks like no run or swim for Bobby, breakout the bike trainer.) Seriously this weather is starting to get old...in fact it's more than old I'm getting tired or cleaning my car every week and hearing how much over our annual average snowfall we are. I'm tired of my drive way being covered in a thick layer of ice. I'm tired of not being able to run on the streets because the snow drifts have clogged the far right lanes and shoulders I normally run in. I'm tired of snowmounds that are nearly double my size. I'm done with weathermen smiling with glee at their doppler radars and doomsday forecasts. I'm tired of this cold icy mess sucking my soul into a cold icy pit of despair. (Ok I went a little overboard on the last part.) Ok meltdown over. Last week was productive on the run front as I was able to gut out a couple of 4 mile speed session and a 10 miler on the treadmill. I did two pool sessions and hit the trainer. It looks like this week is going to be spent on the trainer, with my dvd collection. Likewise my income tax refund comes rolling in so I'll be able to throw down for my Ironman if there are still spots. Things are looking ok but there has been some personal/ family drama and like the snow it's more than old. I don't know why but my natural defense mechanism is to withdrawl and isolate myself, maybe I feel shitty if I go over in the corner and feel shitty by myself, it'll pass faster or make less people feel shitty but regardless that's besides the point, right now I just want to get my ass entered in some races and possible have a mid winter thaw show up so I can run outdoors again.

R.D.

Blizzard Training

Well, we are dealing with our second major storm within a week in New England. We just got two feet of the white stuff. My siblings and co-workers have heard my why the hell am I still in New England and not in California, Hawaii or someplace warm rant for the 50th + time. The roads are closed and with 2 feet of snow on the road and counting so I can't really run but the bike trainer is set up I have plenty of Dvd's and waterbottles so it looks like I'll be getting some bike base in.
With my cassette and chain wear I am able to keep the bike in the big ring on the front so I'll be keeping it on the 15 cog on the back, and focus on building aerobic strength. I'm hoping to send out my entry fee for Ironman Kentucky next week ( hopefully there will still be general entry slots.) My training has been hodge podge for the last couple of weeks with the storms, the holidays and a head cold that will just not seem to kick loose. Tomorrow after switching with a co-worker I'll have a day off so if the roads are passable I'll try to get a swim and a lifting session in ( with maybe an outdoor run or treadmill session.) I feel like I'm always planning but only follow through on a portion of what I want to get done. Upon stepping on the scale and seeing my weight was 179lbs ( from an underabundance of training and an over abundance of Candy, cookies and other Christmas treats.) I need to get my rear back in gear so I can be in ironman shape for August , granted I have gotten myself race ready in shorter time than this. But my goal is I want to qualify for Kona, and while 11 hours is a good time, I want to see if I can break into the 10 hour bracket. So today I have an hour on the trainer scheduled and then some corework.

Happy Training
R.D.

The Rut.

Well every winter we all hit it. That week or so where the training goes to hell in a hand bag, as the weather is bad or other obligations get in the way. This year I've hit the rut early with Christmas and a massive blizzard shutting down my Workouts and then New Years then this week a head cold and car troubles tonight kept me from the pool. So I haven't worked out in a week which has me feeling a little worried and a little down. I need to get my bike to the shop and replace rear cassette and chain so I can ride my trainer when all else fails. Essentially I have racing goals that I need to take care of this season and I want to be in better shape than I was last season. This week I was hoping to come out of the gate like a raging bull but I came down with a head cold which kept me laid up yesterday. Then today as I was making my way to the Y my car suddenly lost power on the highway and began making a loud clanking sound. In my head I ran through the check list of what could have let go. It wasn't a tire or anything in the suspension because it wouldn't effect the engine A belt? No The car sounded like it was misfiring but I just replaced the plugs and wires in the summer. I crept into a rest stop and called for my dad to come take a look at the car with me. I figured worst case I could use the roadside assistance plan I have through my wireless plan to get a tow. Upon opening the hood I noticed nothing was wrong with the belt. I turned the car on again and heard a misfire. My dad came down and noticed the spark inlet in the side of the block and the plug hanging by a wire. Apparently it had blown clean out of the block. After a trip to Auto Zone and then a trip back home for tools. We replaced the plug and wire, but not in enough time to get to the gym. But the most important thing my car is operational, and thankfully my dad was able to help me get it back up and running. Tomorrow I will have to set time in the morning to try to do doubles.

My run sessions haven't been as long as I've wanted but I have been getting some quality speed work on the treadmill and I have been using the spin bikes at the Y to try to get my cycling strength and cadence up. They are talking more snow this weekend, but I'm hoping that it won't be as heavy as the foot that received two weeks ago, so hopefully the shoulders of the road will be clear enough to run on.

On the professional side I'm seriously looking at coaching. I was talking to one of my friend Alex who is a trainer at the Waterbury Y and one of the head honchos of the Y tri club. I ran the idea of tri coaching past him and he told my to get in touch with the head of the tri club to see if they would give me a shot. Part of me is scarred in that I'm a low tech, hodge podge rag tag triathlete that won't be taken seriously. I have decent results but let's face it I'm not Mark Allen or Dave Scott. I never won a race overall, and haven't won my age group in a race in nearly four years. I don't use a heart rate monitor myself, I eat what ever nutrition I can find on the sale rack essentially I'm not sure if my Clyde Crashcup school of training will work for everybody. I know the basics, I know how to coach swimmers and runners, I'm learning more on training in cycling. I've done two ironmans, three stand alone marathons, seven half ironmans 4 of those in under 5:05. According to some people I have something to offer, I'm just hoping my results have been by doing something right on the training front and not from being a freak. So I'll run it by the Y honchos either this or next week, figure the worst that anyone can say to me is no.

Well that's all from me
Happy Training.
R.D.

Surf Lake Taupo...

Well this morning I met up with Chris, another guy doing this thing solo, and we went for a swim from Tui Oaks to the turnaround ( Tui just happended to be the half way point between our hotels, he's in town and I'm out by the airport.) There was a fairly strong breeze from the lake toward shore and WHITE CAPS..yes that's right white caps on a lake. As we made our way out from shore to the bouys it was rough. The waves kept wanting to push you back to the shore as you tried to search forward...it was very similar to RI 70.3. Once we started on to the turnaround things got better..granted it was easier and faster to breathe to the left instead of the right. Chris and I got to the turn around picked our bouy and then swam to shore. I managed to get in pretty close to our bouy of choice but poor Chris was carried about 200 meters down the beach by the current. (To all Ironman NZ or Future Ironman NZ athletes...there is a current that pulls you back toward the Yacht club...so the 2nd half of your swim will be ungodly fast.) After changing out of our wetsuits he chimed up " Man that would be good to surf on ." It was if this guy from Cali was reading my mind as both of us kicked ourseleves for not having boards. He ended up meeting up with some of Ken's EST group includng Gus and Alicia from Mass. ( Mass being the New England State not a Cathloic/ Orthodox religious service.)

After breakfast stopped in at the Times they're running a follow up story and gave me Jude's number she retired last summer shortly after Catherine and Simon left. I got a massage to loosen my hip...Angry was right...the thing was tight as hell but this chick Tonnya from the massage service got it pretty loose and took care of the scar tissue in my ankle. Tonight I've got a 45-60 min run on tap tomorrow a bike ride and the town 5k then a get together with Catherine and company.

Things are going pretty well down here and I'm loving the $2NZD -$1USD exchange rate...I migt actually buy a few souveniers this time around.

Hanging Ten on the Lake.
R.D.

Ironman New Zealand Update: I'm Freakin', Freakin' Out Man!

Judi commented that I was sitting there with 9 days until my flight and I wasn't freaking out. Which she's right I wasn't ....now here it is 4 days before my flight and now I've hit freakout mode.

Reasons:

• Tri Club budget is due I have to get intouch with Jane to see if it's ok if I make Bjoern Treasurer...otherwise I have to use doctrines of executive power..man it's good to be President.
• Get to the shop and pack my bike.
• Pick up shorts from Modells, Sports Authority, or Dicks... any where cheap...I really hope they're running that 2 for $24 sale again....check the website..nope damn you economy!
• Retrieve my suitcase from home, clean it so it doesn't smell like mildew, pack.
• Christina's birthday is on Friday...so a combined birthday/ farewell dinner with her and Melissa.
• Two bills are due while I'm in NZ thank god for online bill pay :)
• 5 page paper due for history of Germany class...thankfully it's only a 5 pager...man in high school that seemed like a lot...
• Shave my legs before flying down or night before the race, that is the question...
• Somehow have to fit two swim sessions, two runs, and a couple of short spin sessions in.
• Jot down all my contacts for this gig.
• Call my bank's ATM department and let them know I'll be out of the country....I wish we had better hold music....alright did as I typed this.. that was easy...
• Price out compression socks... I heard they're good for recovery.
• Flowers for the lady at baggage check...maybe that'll get my bike on for free :) [just kidding on this one.]
• About six billion other things weighing down on me.

I know a lot of these are much ado about nothing but at least spouting them off keeps me from getting even more gray hairs, that and it makes them real to me. It's easy to put off something that's just a thought, it's much harder to put off something you write down on paper.

I've just got to settle down and take care of the list. On a more positive note some of the work that I was going to have to rush in to my professors this week has been pushed back, until after NZ....whew...also my income tax refund will hit any day now... a huge bonus.

I picked up a cold from my Grandfather... I know hell of a going away present...but I've been treating it with cough drops and orange juice...maybe increased vitamin C will compensate for lack of proper sleep and nutrition. ( I'm on the college student diet, where the 5 food groups are caffeine, grinders, pizza, fruit, and whatever's in the vending machine.) Also I don't know why. but I sleep like a baby on airplanes...maybe it's the idea of if the thing explodes/crashes while I'm asleep I won't feel it, maybe it's I'm just an easy going traveler, I don't know but I won't knock it.

So that's all from here

R.D.

Also I have not been put on TSA's DO NOT FLY LIST so apparently Barack Obama does approve of me going to New Zealand ;)

Ironman New Zealand Update: My leg survived 18 miles bring on that marathon!

Well today I decided to take advantage of good weather and decide to put a little "insurance policy" in my legs. Stupid, too type A what ever I needed to know how my freshly healed Achilles would handle 15+ miles. I needed to know if I could run that marathon in Taupo or resign myself to walking with a glow stick. So I decided to loop it from home. the first sign of any discomfort on the 2nd loop and I could bail. Loop 1 went well. The pace was easy kept hydrated, and listend to the body. The hips were a little tight and all the pressure seemed to be in the front of my legs instead of the back. The second loop was slower and I decided to bail on to an easier loop( my legs were feeling tight and let's face it 18 miles two weeks out was risky enough.) I managed to complete the run in 2:41.29 or at roughly 8:51 mile pace, roughly the same pace as my marathon from last year. I stretched and iced, and took precautionary anti inflamatories. The ankle is feeling pretty good although after the Ironman I'm not running for a month, figure that will give it plenty of rest to before I tackle the summer season. I'll spend time in the weight room and on the bike post Ironman, getting myself into better shape. But that's for another time.
Right now I've gotten that pesky long run out of the way and now I can taper with piece of mind.

Feeling good.
R.D.

Ironman New Zealand Update: 9 days until I fly out.

And I still have a lot of training on tap. The weather sucked yesterday and I slept through my alarm so I didn't run. Today I'm thinking about foregoing my swim session to get some miles in on pavement, and the trainer. Saturday I have either a long run or a long brick on tap. Sunday depending on the weather will be my last long ride, then next week turns into swim /run focus maybe a Tuesday or Wednesday pre-bike pack trainer session. I'm hoping to get at least a 15-18 mile run in before the Ironman...I'm hoping it's not over doing it as I've only been at about 10 miles since the injury. Tonight will be about 6 miles maybe more if I feel like it...although one part of me is thinking the track or treadmill might be a smarter option...but I hate the treadmill for long distance. Saturday is going to be my long run...go until I feel confident. Figure a 40-50 mile ride at the lake and a 15 mile run....but it depends on time. Sunday a long ride hopefully 6 hours on the road or a 6 hour trainer if the road sucks. Then clean the Stomper and get it ready to pack. Next week they're talking rain/ snow and 40F highs Just scoped out the forecast for Taupo, rain this weekend then 70's and sunny...perfect racing weather.




For the first time in a while I'm actually feeling excited to race.


I went down to the Bike Rack in Waterbury yesterday, and Al fixed my bike. My brake cable was shot so we changed it out along with the rear deraileur cable and made some adjustments to the front deraileur. He spouted a litnany of explictives and how internal cable routing has him to the point of commiting cycling ki supu: Riding a fixed gear down hill on to a highway at rush hour.( I know I spelled ki supu wrong and now some samauri warrior is going to make me perform it to save the honor of my grammar school teachers.) Regardless the Stomper is in tip top shape and should fly in NZ.



As seen by the pictures in my previous post I got a haircut, personally I think I went a little too short on this go round but maybe it will aid in aerodynamics.
Now I've just got to start packing....

R.D.

How I spent my weekend:

Well my long weekend was well...long.

Saturday I got in a 9mile run grnated I twisted my ankle during it not once but twice...the second time I stopped to make sure I didn't tear anything...I didn't but stretched extra to make sure. My Friend Nicole had a gig at this Resturant in Litchfield so I helped out by recording a few songs, unfortunately they won't load on you tube so I tried to upload one here, but just like you tube it won't up load ARGGGG! at least I have some stills....to check out her work click here

The second annual Freeze Your Beans Ride ended up like the first a 40 miler. Bjoern and I went to the Lake and ended up meeting up with Roadie Greg, we went one loop around the lake then "escaped the wind tunnel" and rode up into Warren. We did a portion of the original Nutmegman Half Iron, before dropping Greg at his home by the lake then Bjoern and I proceeded to do a couple loops before packing it in at 41 miles. Average speed 16.5 miles per hour after a 1 mile continual climb. Next week depending on weather a century ...hopefully there will be no snow ...please...no more ... we've gotten enough for one winter thank you very much.

Monday I helped Bjoern move back in to his apartment before heading to the Y for masters. I managed to get some squats, hyperextensions and corework in before Stef ran me through 4900 yds. I know my swim leg is going to be blazing this year. The bike hopefully better than last year and the run maybe about the same, I always tend to run good on a little rest. Well that's it from me I've got an early morning run on tap.

He's here he' there he's everywhere.
R.D.

Bob-o Runs again!

Well after 4 days of hitting snooze, I finally got up and went for a pre work run. I initially wanted to go at 6:00AM but it was still fairly dark so I snoozed until 6:30 and then left on my 8 miler odyssey. This was the first time in nearly a month I ran my normal hilly route. I tried to pay heed to the advice of don't do any hills in your first week back but where I live that's an impossibility. The leg held up pretty well, still a little scar tissue in the ankle that I just can't make go away, but there was no pain. My legs are tighter than normal, probably because I'm coming off a nearly month long hiatus... I still managed to do the run in 1:18 not as fast as I'd like but it's still pretty good. I found that looking ahead instead of down, my stride improves also it helps to keep me focused on other things, instead of constantly looking at my feet to see how each one is hitting the ground. I tend to prefer about morning runs instead of evening runs is you tend to run into the sunrise, instead of the darkness. At about the five mile mark I pass a small farm at the top of a hill the way the sun hit it made feel bad I didn't have a camera because it was a stereotypical New England scene, absolutely gorgeous. As I started making my way back home the wind kicked up a little bit, but to horribly. So it was a good workout. Tonight I'll ice and trigger point after work, just to maintain my leg , that and I didn't have a lot of time to do anything be stretch before work this morning. So hopefully these "comeback runs" will continue to progress and I'll be able to throw together a half way decent marathon.

R.D.

Pushed! and the 2nd well ok we're in 09 so I guess third Annual Freeze Your Beans Ride

Well after finding out one of the girls in my history thesis course speaks fluent tri geek, we decided to meet up at the CCSU pool for a swim workout last night.

After deciding to split the lane, and getting the whole" you'll probably lap me spiel" we started on a 500 warm up. Now from what she was telling me pre workout I was expecting her to be 5-10 yards behind...she's a former competitive swimmer so I wasn't expecting to lap her. That entire 500 we were lead swaping. It was going to be a tough night. Now normally my training partner was doing between 2500 and 3500 yards, with my Ironman training I've been pushing 3500-4500 yards, so after we got through the warm up (500 Free on 7:30- 300 kick, 500Pull on 7:30, 5x100 Drill/swim on 1:35, 200 kick) we decided on a main set of 4x500's on 7:00. The first one was pretty fast I did it in 6:45:11 and she was right on my heels coming in at about 6:46-6:47. The second I held a 6:45:71 and she was in a little further behind about a 6:48, 6:50 she decided to warm down and I went on with number 3 pulling a 6:45:61. I flaked after this as Bjoern needed help moving in to his new place so 3500 yards wasn't a bad night.

Come one come all to the Second , well technically Third Annual Freeze Your Beans Ride!

Bjoern, my classmate, and I will be riding at Waramaug this weekend. She's itching to try out her (ugh) Cervelo P2C, Bjoern wants to get on the road and I'm getting tired of rolling solo for hours on end. We'll be leaving from the town beach at about noon....don't know how long we'll roll for but if anyone else is interested in showing up for a few loops the more the merrier. Coffee at DD or Marty's to follow depending on time.

When: Feb 15, 2009 12PM

Where: Lake Waramaug, New Preston, CT leaving the town beach accross from Doc's resturant.

What to bring: Cool weather cycling gear, nutrtional products, essential repair gear, NO SAG vehicle provided, positive attitude and desire to ride for a long time.

Warning Disclaimer ahead!!!!
Disclaimer: This is a loosely organized training ride. It is RIDE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! Hence if you do something crazy, like ride with no handle bars, try to use a unicycle, play chicken with motorists, or the planets align in the wrong formation and you crash I am not responsible/ liable for any damages/ destruction to person and/or equipment. By showing up you assume the philosophy of Shit happens and will not sue me for anything that goes wrong...plus I really don't have all that much you can sue me for..I mean if you want my ancient laptop make me an offer.

OK Disclaimer Done! In today's sue happy enviroment I have to cover my bases.

Alright that about covers it. Tonight after class I have another pool workout on tap with some lifting. Tomorrow an early morning swim session or Trainer session and an evening run. Friday Masters. Saturday I'll pobably cram in a brick most likely in Middlebury or Wolcott, figure a 30-40 mile ride and a 6-9 mile run depending on road conditions and the ankle. Sunday the above "Freeze your beans off".

That's all from my neck of the woods. Now I've ot to go figure out this online free version of Turbo tax...so I can get my refund.

R.D.

Ironman New Zealand Update: More long rides than last season.

" You can ride wherever you live but nothing will prepare you for the Kona winds." - Al Trautwig on the 2008 Ironman highlight show.

Al I got news for you buddy...ride at Lake Waramaug in winter and you'll be in for an icy prequel.

Today I skipped Mass and after breakfast I made my way up to the Lake for the Second Straight day. As I drove up I could hear the wind blowing...shouldn't be too bad I thought to myself. The temperature was about 45F(7.2C). I threw on an extra long sleeve jersey and my rain jacket to guard against the wind. It was really blowing along the easiest part of the loop, and not in a small annoying normal wind way. At the most unprotected section of the ride I was going sideways and forward, as the wind was blowing me across the yellow line. In my head all I could think about were all those Kona highlights I watched growing up. All the stories of people being blown off bikes or blown sideways or being in the low gears spinning their legs going nowhere rang true. "Riding in shit like this builds toughness" I muttered to myself as I pushed along. For as brutal as the wind was approaching the state park, it shot me out like a cannon on the otherside of the lake. Barely pedaling going 20mph(32km/h) and for 9 laps, 70 miles (112km) or 4:14 min I rode my loops. A lot of runners were out and a couple more cyclists, but no one was doing near the mileage I was. I felt bad for one guy who rode for a mile into the wind, said "Fuck this" and rode back to his car. On one of my loops I had a Lt. Dan moment cussing at the wind asking it this was all it had, as my bike was going more of a left to right instead of a forward direction. I had initally planned to go 10 loops or 77 miles but as I completed loop number 9 it was already 4:40PM and I didn't want to be riding into the dark ( although I kick myself now because I had another 20 minutes of daylight.) Despite not being the distance I wanted I reflected alot as I rode. I had gotten more long rides in than I had last year. 2x 70 milers instead of the one last Jan. Part of me reflected on the injury, it has been a blessing and a curse., but probably more of the former. Had I been able to run more I would have focused on that, and let the bike collect dust, instead I have been forced to become a better rider, I have had to devote time to cycling to stand a chance, and instead of seeing it as work I'm actually starting to enjoy being in the saddle. For the first time since childhood I really enjoy going out and riding, and this summer I'm expecting some more improvement in the few races that will grace the reign of terror. But for right now I have 140.6 miles ( 226.2km) awaiting me on March 7 and I'm feeling pretty confident, just need to get a couple of long runs in to make sure.

Windblown Warrior
R.D.