Captain Nick verus the Loch Ness Monster!
How better the to end the year than with more one final crazy thing? Today I battled the Loch Ness Monster! A couple of weeks ago before I left for Scotland I was joking with my fellow Training Captains (Ann & Christy) that we should have an open water swim in Scotland and that Loch Ness would be the best place for it. Unfortunately when I get an idea like that stuck in my a head I like to follow through on it.
This took careful preperation, firstly I needed to increase my body fat to keep myself from freezing in Loch. I was up to the task and with a careful regiment involving eating Mince Pies, I was ready. Next I needed to pick the right day from a weather point of view with the help of the BBC's weather forecast the date of December 30th was chosen. Now it was by no means a warm day, the sun was out but the temperatures varied between -1C and 3C (33F to 37F), luckily water temperature was around 5C (41F) so no worries about overheating in my wet suit :-)
After a long drive up to Loch Ness, I was ready to start my swim just after 1pm in the warmth of the afternoon Sun. The area where started the swim was particularly rocky which made for a careful and lengthy entrance into the water. My feet, hands and face were numb as soon as they hit the water. The visibility in the water after leaving the shore was almost non-existent, my hands disappeared from my sight in less two feet down the water. Below me was an abyss, over 1000 feet deep, in which a monster waits and waits, but for what? Prey or a photo opportunity perhaps? While I was swimming a number of tourists begun to watch, perhaps to see if Nessy would pull me down into the depths of the Loch.
I didn't take long before a chill started in my hands and feet, so cold they felt like they were burning, as I had no support with me out in the water and I didn't want to end the year with hypothermia, I thought it best to head back to the shore. Just as was turning around I felt something brush by my leg, I momentarily stopped as if something were about to happen. All was quiet and still, I started off again realizing what brushed by my leg before was none other than my other leg :-) I made it back safely to shore to warm my feet and hands that were now shaking uncontrollably. I must go back again, maybe on a slightly warmer day, to seek out Nessy.
Labels: Swimming
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
Back in the bay
Today's Ironteam practice featured the first open water swim of the season. Despite the flashbacks of the chilling water and feeling like my head was stuck in an ice fire, from the swim at Aquatic park back in January; I still managed to get the courage to drive up to the city arrive late, spend an unusual amount of time putting on my wetsuit, then proceed to enter the water with only a few minutes left to go of the swim. Still was it my fault everyone started on time and only wanted to swim for 30 minutes? Obviously I love Aquatic Park in San Francicso and if I lived closer would probably be there every day, trying to work out why people swim there! It's cold in December :-)
After my brief but hearty attempt at swimming in the bay, the team headed out for a 5 mile run up towards the Golden Gate Bridge (ah, a nice dry land activity). It felt good and the weather was overcast which was perfect for running.
Run Details (
Click here to view on Google Earth):
Distance:
5.5 miles
Pace:
8min 21secs
Labels: Running, Swimming
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
The possessed trainer...
It was another Spin at Sport's Basement, I'd given out my regular trainer, which left me with my Computrainer. I had used it a number of times before with the a computer attached but never it's standalone mode, of course it would been a good idea to read the instructions before hand, but it has six buttons how hard can be? Well I got it going pretty easily, however after a few minutes it was clear I had know idea what I'd set it to. Every time I changed down the gear the resistance on the trainer increased, it wasn't until the end I realized I had it set to track to watts, so the best part of 45 minutes I was spinning at around 275 watts. I need to go read that manual now.
Labels: Spinning
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
Iron University - Weight Training
Continuing the Iron U series was the weight training class, which highlight the importance of weight training for Triathletes. After a quick talk we got some hands on experience with the equipment.
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
How better the to end the year than with more one final crazy thing? Today I battled the Loch Ness Monster! A couple of weeks ago before I left for Scotland I was joking with my fellow Training Captains (Ann & Christy) that we should have an open water swim in Scotland and that Loch Ness would be the best place for it. Unfortunately when I get an idea like that stuck in my a head I like to follow through on it.
After a long drive up to Loch Ness, I was ready to start my swim just after 1pm in the warmth of the afternoon Sun. The area where started the swim was particularly rocky which made for a careful and lengthy entrance into the water. My feet, hands and face were numb as soon as they hit the water. The visibility in the water after leaving the shore was almost non-existent, my hands disappeared from my sight in less two feet down the water. Below me was an abyss, over 1000 feet deep, in which a monster waits and waits, but for what? Prey or a photo opportunity perhaps? While I was swimming a number of tourists begun to watch, perhaps to see if Nessy would pull me down into the depths of the Loch.
I didn't take long before a chill started in my hands and feet, so cold they felt like they were burning, as I had no support with me out in the water and I didn't want to end the year with hypothermia, I thought it best to head back to the shore. Just as was turning around I felt something brush by my leg, I momentarily stopped as if something were about to happen. All was quiet and still, I started off again realizing what brushed by my leg before was none other than my other leg :-) I made it back safely to shore to warm my feet and hands that were now shaking uncontrollably. I must go back again, maybe on a slightly warmer day, to seek out Nessy.
