A different brick...
Today the Ironteam, were doing a Spin/Run brick at track, I opted for a different type of brick. I started the morning with a reunion ride with a few friends from the TNT Spring Cycle team and past members who have also survived Coach Matt!
After the ride I was off to East Palo Alto to for Project Inspire, where 500 of my co-workers descended on the East Palo Alto Charter school for painting, building and gardening. It looked pretty good after we left, even if I do say so myself :-)
Painting Details:
1 Pot, Brush & Ladder
20 yards
2hrs 30mins
No heart data avaiable
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth):
2457 Feet of Climbing
30 Miles
1hr 55mins
Heart Rate:
100 bpm Avg
180 bpm Max
Speed:
15.4 mph Avg
34.2 mph Max
Labels: Cycling
The Ride with odd gloves
To mark the one week anniversary of my failed my bike ride, I was back for the same route, this time though I had brought my other bike and apparently due to a packing error some odd gloves (at least I still have a right and left even if they didn't match). I headed up Steven's Creek Canyon Rd, and continued up Redwood Gulch with great determination, I would not stop, I would succeed. As long as succeeding just means in this case getting to the top without stopping then my goal was meet, if it had been to keep my heart under my lactate threshold, then I still need to do some work. From Redwood Gulch, I continued up Highway 9, along Skyline to Highway 92. It was great afternoon and perfect route for very few stops. I came back along Canada Rd, through Woodside and Portola Valley, eventually getting back to Foothill Expressway to complete the route. It felt great to get a long ride in, this is never a disappointing route.
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth):
Distance:
64 Miles
Climbing:
8,311 Feet
Heart Rate:
154bpm Avg.
195bpm Max
Speed:
15.8mph Avg.
45.0mph Max
Labels: Cycling
The Ride that wasn't...
Today was not going as planned, I missed the morning's Ride and Tie practice, but I'd figure I would make it up with a good long ride, on my favorite Skyline Loop. I started off my ride from Chain Reaction at Foothill Crossing, I had one false start and returned to the car for a some extra layers, though the sky was clear and the sun was shinning it was cold. This was the first time I'd tried this route on the using my Triathlon bike which is not particularly suited to steep climbs with it's race gearing. I headed up Steven's Creek Canyon Rd, towards the legendary Redwood Gulch climb, my goal was to make it up the hill without any stops. It started off well and I was keeping my heart rate in check, but then just around the first steep turn, my chain came off. I stopped and put it on again, due the incline I went back down a little to get a proper start. It was a tough climb but things were going well, the grade then leveled out which gave me a few minutes to get my heart rate come down a bit. As the second part of my climb began the chain dropped again, I fixed and continued on. Moment later it came off again, however on close inspection the chain itself was broken, 7.6 miles and the ride was over. I had my cell phone so starting make calls, luckily someone was able to rescue me.
Technical Details (
click here to view on Google Earth)
7.6 Miles
1619 Feet of Climbing
Heart Rate:
144bpm Avg.
189bpm Max
Speed:
12.4mph Avg.
34.9mph Max
Labels: Cycling
Quick out and back on McKean
This morning was a short Captain's Ride with the Ironteam, we met near Almaden park to start the ride. The route was out on McKean towards Uvas out and back in 1 hour. Well when you just have hour to complete a ride you have to make it fast :-) We followed up with a short run afterwards.
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth)
58 Mins
19.63 Miles
1215 Feet of Climbing
Speed:
20mph Avg.
35mph Max
Heart Rate:
157bpm Avg.
190bpm Max
Labels: Cycling, Running
A little chase..
Today's ride started up at Edgewood and Canada Rd, where a number of great rides and long days have started this year. However it seems no matter how many times that I go there I always manage to underestimate estimated time to arrival, I arrived just a couple minutes before the ride began. I got geared up as quickly as I could and headed out, just 5 minutes behind the rest of the team. Nothing like a little chase to start a ride :-)
We started out by heading up Canada Rd, which is perfect for getting warmed up and catching up. I managed reach the front of pack and coincidentally my maximum heart rate for the ride. We turned around at Highway 92 and headed back towards Woodside, culminating the ride with a couple loops around Woodside.
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth)
Distance:
25.7 Miles
Climbing:
2,016 Feet
Heart Rate:
134bpm
173bpm
Speed:
18.1mph Avg.
39.2mph Max
Labels: Cycling
Speed, speed, speed...
Swim/Run at Gunderson.
Labels: Cycling, Swimming
Back on One
This weeks Captain's Ride was at Santa Cruz, I carpooled down with my Co-Captain Ann who organized this mornings ride. For change I actually arrived early, 7:30am ready for the 8am start. We started out at Natural Bridges, for a ride up Highway 1, the weather was perfect and not windy as it often is which meant for a nice fast ride. I went North on Highway 1 and turned around just past Davenport, to my favorite hill though only hit 36mph max today. After the ride followed a 30 minute run, along Cliff Road.
Technical Details (
click here to view route on Google Earth)
Distance:
25 Miles
Climbing:
2,300 Feet
Heart Rate:
158bpm Avg.
189bpm Max
Speed:
19.3mph Avg.
36.9mph Max
Labels: Cycling
Fall Team Practice Tri & Captain's Ride
This morning was the Fall Tri Team's Practice Tri, for their upcoming event at Treasure Island, so the Ironteam was there to volunteer and help with the proceedings. I stood on the shore thinking, I'm glad I'm not going that what water, just supporting events rocks!
Once the Tri team were all out of the water and on to their ride, it was time to get the Ironteam Captain's Ride started, which I was leading. It was a short loop over Mount Eden, with a out and back on Steven's Creek Canyon Road. Although a simple loop there were a surprising number of turns to navigate through the neighborhoods of Saratoga (yes, next time I'll be printing maps). Luckily the group managed to stay together well and there was no major disappearances on the ride. Following the ride there was a twenty minute run just get those legs use to pounding on the ground again.
Afterwards we joined the Tri team for a BBQ, while one of our Honorees Doug Booth talked about his experiences with Lymphoma.
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth)
17.23 miles
756 feet of climbing
Labels: Cycling
Iron University - Cycling
Today in Ironteam land it was all about bike! Knowing your bike and becoming at one with it, coaches included complex terms such as "units of cadence" also know as "RPM".
Other highlights included:
- How to maintain your bike. (Never use it in a swimming pool)
- Changing tires which inevitably results in me freezing my fingers off with C02 cartridges.
- Exciting maneuvers in the car park
- Cycling as slow as possible without falling off
- A stationary spin
- Finally ending with a little bit of hill climbing.
Perhaps, most importantly how to pose for a team photo.
Labels: Cycling, Spinning
First Ironteam 2008 Ride
The first Captain's Ride of the season, you have to start off easy and what better place than a cruise down Foothill Expressway for an out and back. Just a week after my "long" ride, I was only there to support and of course get a morning beverage and donut at Starbucks, it is a amazing how hungry you can get watching other people workout. Also this marks a the first time a 1 hour team ride had a support vehicle out on the course :-)
Labels: Cycling
My longest ever ride...
Details of the "long" ride can be found at my
508 blog.
My Grandfather...
Sept. 12th 1920 –
Oct. 6th 2007
You will be missed.
Labels: Cycling
A Year in Training...
Well I couldn't possibly imagine begin all that things I've experienced over the past year, here is a (fairly) quick recap of the past year:
August 26th 2006: In final preparations for my second Half-Ironman (Big Kahuna), I crashed my bike quite spectacularly on our team practice Triathlon. After a few hours waiting in the hospital, I found out I'd fractured my arm and would not be able to do my event which was in two weeks time.
September: Having missed my Trialthon, I was determined not to miss my next event which was my first
Century Ride. I hadn't done any training and my arm was still not fully healed, being only four weeks since the accident. So against my Doctor's best advice I went ahead completed my first century, it left me very sore wondering how I would ever run 26 miles afterwards.
October: Ironteam kick-off and the training began, I started to get a lot of good runs in and I completed my first Triathlon since the accident. Just 6 days before
Escape from the Rock, I was not able to swim with out pain in my arm, but come race day, I guess the water was cool enough to numb the pain.
November: Was a busy month with the
Treasure Island Triathlon and my second
Century Ride made for another busy month.
December: The weather was getting colder but I was still getting some good miles in the
bike and the run.
On day of over exuberance, I ran 29 miles and cycled 25 miles.
January: I did my first practice
Triathlon with the Ironteam over at Treasure Island and more early morning runs and
rides.
February: This was another great month of training, good rides and runs. Plus my first on my own,
self supported Century Ride. I felt great and ready for Ironman but still had 6 months to go.
March: Perhaps one of the toughest months of the year filled with some regrets, I completed my first
Double Century Ride (in Death Valley of all places), finishing in 10th place and feeling pretty good. Although I took some recovery time I hit things little hard on the Ironteam,
practice Half-Ironman at Lake San Antonio, while I finished the practice well, I realized a week later I put
some serious wear on my legs that do cost me dearly.
April: Was a low key training month, I did my best to continue all the workouts but it was impossible run more than a mile without pain. I started going to a place called SMI, where they specialize in treating athletes with injuries such as mine. There treatment is very effective though describing it as painful would be an understatement. Still managed to get some good training including the
Ironteam Boot Camp weekend and
hill repeats on Mount Diablo brought my heart rate to a new high of 203bpm.
May: It was time for
Wildflower again, I was not fully recovered but decided to put in my best effort without damaging myself any further. I was fine until 5 miles into the run where I started having issues with my legs, I did my best to slowly jog the rest out with worsening things. I continued to cycle strong,
hit a top speed of 54.9mph (obviously I would of like to have gone faster but the speed limit was 55mph).
June: A new month and different goal, I had been training with the cycle team for
America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a Century Ride around Lake Tahoe. Training with the cycle team had been great though I'd only done a few rides with them, forgetting about that whole not being able to run thing was good. I completed the Century Ride strong and quickily, with a 5hr 10min ride time I was the fastest finisher of 1800 people, though I should point out it was not a race :-)
Just one week after Tahoe, I faced one of the Ironteam's toughest training weekends at
Lake Berryessa, a 2 mile swim followed by 98 mile bike ride with 13,000feet climbing with a run the next day.
July: The madness continued, with another brutal Century Ride in the East Bay with 12,000 feet of climbing (plus i got lost and did another 17 miles trying to find my way back). Then racing tried at
Vineman, completing my third Half-Ironman of the year and first with a sub 6 hour time. Not letting up for the month of July, the next weekend at the longest workout of the year, "
The Triple Brick", a 9 hour workout, 2 hours of cycling and 1 hour running, repeat 3 times!
August: This is the taper month, the first weekend was a on your own Century Ride, known as a "
Mental Toughness Ride" which I did up in Napa on the Vineman course. The following week I went up to
Donner Lake for 2.7 mile swim, I just need a long distance to find a rhythm. Now in full taper with just short workouts.
The above summaries are just the tip of the iceberg, the past year has been tough physically, mentally and emotionally in all aspects of life. While it has had it's challenges it has been an incredible year!
Labels: Century Ride, Cycling, Honorrees, Running, Swimming, Triathlon
The Art of Taper...
With Ironman Canada just a week away, I am now into the most important phase of training, known as "Taper". This is the time when the workouts are drastically scaled down to a minimum to allow the body to finally recover and strengthen. This has been fairly restful week, no early morning or late nights but just long days with much to get organized.
Wednesday night the team all met up at De Anza College, for a brief track practice, followed by a our send-off party, in which the most important part of taper was fully realized, yes cake!
Saturday morning I volunteered at the Summer Tri Team's practice Triathlon, in which I did some cheering but nothing too strenuous. I final shake down ride in the afternoon for just 45 minutes to make sure my bike was in good mechanical shape for shipping.
Sunday - Last Ironteam practice, which was short with just 5 miles of running we were down by 9am, a first for the Ironteam! We all meet up for breakfast afterwards which ended up taking longer than the workout itself. I then went home and frantically (talk about being organized) packed up all my Tri gear and bicycle to have it shipped up to Canada!
Labels: Cycling, Running
Donner Lake 2.7 Mile Swim
Swimming has been my weakest of the three and after a disappointing swim at Vineman I wanted rebuild my confidence with one last big open water swim in before Ironman. Having just decided to do the Donner Lake Swim, at around 3pm yesterday, I started the long drive up to Donner lake just before 9pm, I arrived in Truckee just gone midnight. Having barely slept I left the hotel at 6am, wearing my wetsuit, with my first port of call at the supermarket to get something for breakfast, surprisingly I didn't really get any strange looks. I guess it was a little premature to start wearing the wetsuit as the swim was not going to start until 8am, but it did bring me back to the good old days of wetsuit week :-)
By 8am I was in the water and ready to start, it was not nearly as cold as I thought and the majority were going without a wetsuit. Just before the start I asked someone exact where the finish was as there were no buoys in sight, I was then pointed to a small orange dot in the distance at the far side of the lake, with the advice of just using the mountain to sight from.
The swim started with 300+ swimmers with a wide starting line from beach, it was a little crowded at the beginning but nothing as bad as the beating you get at the start of a triathlon. My goal was to keep a consistent pace and keeping swimming the whole way. For a while at the beginning I was near a kayak which was helping lead the swimmers, this stopped me from making any wrong turns and helped with the pace. With the lake being very long and wide the pack spread out and after the first mile I left like was all alone. Now a pessimistic person would start to think everyone else had finished already and that they were the last remaining swimmer, while I not the best swimmer thought didn't even cross my mind. Instead I took the optimistic approach and pretended I was leading the pack and having the best swim of my life, there is nothing better than a positive attitude to keep you going strong. However the best will in the world can not prevent the occasional issue, firstly I got a cramp in my leg, staying relax and let it gradually ease away did the trick through it slowed me down. Secondly at around 2 miles into the swim I found really need to pee and was becoming uncomfortable (here is the part of the story where I let people use their imaginations of how I resolved this). Needless to say I kept going with a couple course corrections as I finally sighted the finishing point. With just merely 500 yards to go, two people came out from know where and swam by me. I picked up the pace a little and started kicking more to get my legs ready for the land. I ran out of the water very nearly stumbling and landing flat on my face, my time was 1hr 41mins on clock.
Swim Details:
1hr 41minutes
1045 Calories
169 Max Heart Rate
134 Avg Heart Rate
It felt strange to not be able to go jump straight onto my bike, instead I got some food in the finishers area and then caught a bus to the beginning. Once I got my to my car I changed to my bike gear and set off for a ride up Donner Pass. I hadn't planned on a long ride as I was in entering the taper phase of training and also exhausted. Obviously the first thing I realized was it is a heck of lot quicker go from one end of the lake to the other by bicycle. I then started to climb Donner Pass, which offers some spectacular view of the lake, I found my self stopping a number of times to take pictures...
The views were striking, and my heart rate was raising along with the elevation, tried to take the ride easy and was very cautious on the decent. I completed the ride with a loop around the other side of the lake. While it was a short ride the swim was worth the trip up to Donner Lake.
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth):
55mins /12.5 miles
1,499 feet of climbing
Speed:
13.5 mph Avg
41.0 mph Max
Heart Rate:
133 bpm Avg
171 bpm Max
Labels: Cycling, Swimming
The Mental Toughness Ride
Today on the training schedule was something called a "Mental Toughness Ride", this was suppose to be a on your own self supported ride without the team. After what could be described as comedy of mishaps yesterday I ended up getting home very late, with a mere 4 hours of sleep I set out early to start my ride. However instead of just doing a local ride I thought I'd drive up to Napa and do a couple laps of the Vineman course to get my 100 miles in.
Cycling tired is one thing, driving tired is another, although I was full conscious and able to operate my motor vehicle safely I was not doing so well on the directional front. I made only one mistake but it was a big one, the next thing I knew I was no longer on 880 but instead crossing the Bay Bridge. When I reached San Francisco for some reason instead of turning around I just headed through and out over the Golden Gate. After completing my tour of the bay, I finally reached my starting point in Napa just gone 9am. After fiddling about, getting my bike and nutrition ready for the day I started my ride at 9:40am.
The first thing I saw out on my ride was a Policeman stopping the traffic and directing me through, while this might seem a little odd it just happened that there were a couple Triathlons going on that morning on the course I was riding. What a coincidence? The day I decide to drive up to Napa for a solitary ride, there happened to be a full course setup with Police to direct the traffic, water stops, race photographers and of course people cheering. Well fancy that?
My course was actually not identical to race course but had a rather significant overlap, but at least the first 5 miles were different. That was also the most challenging part, though I had done the route a couple times before I had never done it on my own and it is amazing how all roads seem to look the same. I took those first miles carefully to get on the right track, the people racing had all set out a lot earlier than I had so I was most definitely behind the wave.
As I was riding it occurred to me I actually knew a 3 people who were racing, even though I was tired these things started to come back to me. There were two races the full Vineman (Ironman distance) and Barb's race (all female Half-Ironman), one of teammates (Mike) was doing Vineman and the other two friends were doing Barb's Race. While I knew I wouldn't catch up with Mike has this race started much earlier, I thought I may catch my other friends.
Neither of the races had a large number of competitors, which meant the roads were still fairly empty, as I got into mile 15 of my ride I started passing more and more people. Of course I had an unfair advantage, I'd done no swim and didn't need to save my self for the run, so I let it all go. It is a fairly flat course so it was easy to maintain a good pace, as the miles went on I the police continued to get me though every intersection and I was offered water and Gatorade, but being self sufficient I declined.
It was just past mile 40 when my heart rate hit it's peak for the day, was it a big hill or fast sprint? Neither having come just come down a small hill, I was coasting along then all of sudden, while my mind was drifting elsewhere, my bicycle was drifting into a ditch. Hitting the ditch at around 20mph, my heart rate shot up and my focus was now crystal clear, I had to keep the bike steady to avoid a wipe out. With only a few weeks left until Canada now was not the time to have an accident. I manage to gradually slow down then get back up the road. A woman who was cycling just behind witnessed the excitement and complemented me on my recovery. Finally at around mile 45 I caught up with two of my friends from the team, I not sure the first one even realized it was me as I cheered her on as I went by. When I came up to my second friend I chatted a while and wish were luck and continued on.
When I completed my first loop, I took a quick pit stop and refueled. I realized I hadn't even gone through my water bottles. While two water bottles is just about average for me, today was hot and getting hotter.
I felt I pushed it too hard the on first loop, as I started the second I lowered my pace so I'd last the next fifty miles. I knew where I was going the second time around (which always helps) however by ride did take me directly through the run course, which made for some careful riding. 70 miles into the ride, the heat and exhaustion were getting too me, while I was not delirious I felt the ride was going on forever and was starting to suspect I missed the next turn. How could miss a turn on a clearly marked course? Well thinking I did I started to back track, but shortly behind me was one of the racers, so I turned back around and continued in the right direction again, sure enough the turn was right up head.
Although I managed to last the first loop with the water I was carrying, the next time around I was consuming it twice as fast, lucky for me there were water stops on the way. As I past through the next one I grabbed some water and continued on. The temperature was apporaching 90°F, and I was sweating as much as I was drinking. The second loop seemed to drag on, but the people cheering at the water stops helped, also I was happy knowing I didn't have run after the ride to contend with. With a few more burst of energy I made it up the final hill and it was then plain sailing from there.
At the end I was some what dehydrated and generally exhausted. The lack of sleep and heat through out the day had made for the perfect "Mental Toughness Ride".
Ride Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth)
104 miles
6,020 Feet of climbing
79.4°F avg.
91.4°F high
Heart Rate:
156 bpm Avg.
193 bpm Max
Speed:
17.4 mph Avg
40.0mph Max
Labels: Century Ride, Cycling
The Triple Brick
This was it, billed as one of the toughest training days of the year, the 9 hour workout! Last year the team had suffered as it was during a heat wave, so the stories had certainly made me nervous, but it also made me go in prepared with lots of fluid to keep me hydrated. Our starting point was Edgewood and Canada, that would be our transition area for the day, as switched off between cycling and running.
We started our first 2 hour ride just gone 8am, the root took us towards Woodside then up King's Mountain. I was doing a good job of maintaining my heart rate until I hit King's Mountain, our instructions were to do 25mins of climbing then come back done, however with the top in sight a couple of us took the extra time to make it to the top. Of course what followed was a nerve-racking descent back down what can be a treacherous route. Back through Woodside and out towards Portolla Valley complete our first two hour ride, making up the additional time with an out and back on Canada Rd.
The first run took me up Edgewood Rd, into the park on the trails, having worked hard to the bike ride to stayed hydrated my first goal on the run was clear (find a quite area). My pace as fairly good and I decided to try walking for one minute out of every ten, to give my heart a chance to recover. Along the trail I did a take a small fall, which might of been nasty if I hadn't braced my impact with a the water bottle I was carrying, before I knew it was time for the the next ride.
The second ride took us North on Canada Rd, up towards Crystal Springs then looping back down as we had one in a ride back in June. Back at Edgewood and Canada we took Edgewood over the hill into Redwood City where we navigated through the suburbs, then through Woodside again and back to the starting point. Now 5 hours into the workout my legs were tiring, and I was not looking forward to the next run.
On the second run I followed through the same loop as before but with a slightly different loop on the trails. My pace and definitely dropped from the last run but I knew I still had another 3+ hours ahead of me so pushing things too hard would be a mistake. I paced alongside a teammate until I from most of the run this certainly helps knowing your not the only crazy person out there.
Next the final ride, unfortunately unlike the previous two rides I did not have anyone to pace with so I heading out on and my own occasionally seeing another teammate. It was a simple loop I'd done before heading down to Palo Alto and loop back through Portolla Valley. This was wear the mental aspect hit me, I was exhausted had no one ride alongside me to complain too and onto of that there was a nasty head wind on a uphill. With all this in mind I remember things good be worse and certainly felt better than I did a few nights ago as I slaved in front of my computer burning the midnight oil as a wrote up exciting status reports. Here it was the Triple Brick and I was in the stage with only another couple of hours left.
The morning started with our Honoree Captain, telling us about Mathew an 8 year boy who had been fighting Leukemia for the last two years. These past 6 months he had not been doing well a and couple days ago he passed away. It is never easy hearing stories like this especially about someone who was so young. Thinking about it put everything perspective and I finished my final out and back on Canada Rd.
One more run to go and my this point my legs were now hurting, I decided not too push but was also determined to complete the workout. This time I headed out alongside Canada Rd, still some hills to contend with but less than Edgewood park. My pace a dropped but I wasn't walking yet, I ran alongside a few of my teammates who were also pleased the end was in sight. I was just tracking my time and knowing I'd probably be slower on my way back I turned around earlier.
After 9 hours, I had cycled 95miles (with 9691 feet of climbing) and run 13 miles it had been one longest continuous workout of the year with the Ironteam, but I can now say I survived the "Triple Brick".
Brick 1 Cycle (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
31.21 Miles
3,650ft of climbing
Speed:
15.8 mph Avg
40.3 mph Max
Heart Rate
149 bpm Avg
185 bpm Max
Brick 1 Run (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
4.83 Miles
598ft of climbing
Speed:
10:23 Avg pace
6:52 Max pace
Heart Rate
153 bpm Avg
177 bpm Max
Brick 2 Cycle (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
33.12 Miles
3,471ft of climbing
Speed:
17.3 mph Avg
39.0 mph Max
Heart Rate
152 bpm Avg
176 bpm Max
Brick 2 Run (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
4.26 Miles
559 feet of climbing
Speed:
11:28 Avg pace
7:01 Max pace
Heart Rate
160 bpm Avg
182 bpm Max
Brick 3 Cycle (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
31.40 Miles
2,570ft of climbing
Speed:
16.0 mph Avg
34.2 mph Max
Heart Rate
154 bpm Avg
180 bpm Max
Brick 3 Run (
Click here to view route on Google Earth)
3.98 Miles
260ft of climbing
Speed:
12.09 Avg pace
7:40 Max pace
Heart Rate
152 bpm Avg
174 bpm Max
Labels: Cycling, Running
Today the Ironteam, were doing a Spin/Run brick at track, I opted for a different type of brick. I started the morning with a reunion ride with a few friends from the TNT Spring Cycle team and past members who have also survived Coach Matt!
2457 Feet of Climbing
Heart Rate:
Speed:
