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
posted by Nick @ 10:00 PM
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