Week 12 Update.

So I managed to bike in Tuesday, and then did a sloppy long 'tempo' Wednesday - the area got 2 inches of rain, I think I ran during a good inch of that.  Truth be told it wasn't that bad.  Larry dragged me out and pushed me the whole way.  I laid of the gas because I think I have a low-grade cold.   We did the first 5 in 43 minutes and the second 5 in 42 minutes - Larry could have easily done 40 for the second 5.  I wished I could have went faster - but didn't want to weaken my immune system too much.  Today I did the normal 1300 in the pool.  I'm pretty convinced the pool is great therapy.  Helps the muscles, helps the head cold.  I felt great - although it's a sneaky workout for burning calories - because now I feel like going to sleep.  Tomorrow - 13 or 14 miles - and week 12'll be a wrap ('cept for the strength workout).  Hopefully I'll feel better next week - but I'm pleased to have (mostly) gotten through this week without having to miss any days.

High Tide Workout.

Yesterday, in a time crunch, I skipped the UCAP pool thinking it'd be quicker to run down to the beach for a quick swim.  12 minutes down, 17 in the water, 13 back up.  The thing is, the water was weird.  I didn't notice it right away, but it was very brown for ocean water.  High tide effect?  Toxic sludge?  Feeling the need to get the workout done - I stayed in and swam - but a weird feeling to be sure.  What happened to my beautiful swims this year?  Anyway, as the topper I biked home ~9 miles after work.  Felt good - but sweltery.  So the day ended up being a good cross-training day.

Tempo run Wednesday.  5 miles total (40 minutes).  Did the middle 3 miles ~7:20 pace.  Again, very hot and humid and hard.  A good workout - although I'm lacking on the 'long' tempo runs.  The training plan is going pretty well, but I am starting to feel like my mileage is way down.  I may do a 1/2 next weekend to 'test my fitness'.  I haven't run a race since May (???) - so a tune-up would probably be a good plan.  Hopefully I can get to a consistent bike/swim/weights every week (2 of 3 probably more realistic).  Although I feel the mileage is lacking - I do feel more fit than ever.  So that's good.

Come on Irene.

Kind of a scary weather development the last few days - heading into this weekend. Looks like we'll have a real legit hurricane in the NE for the first time in decades. I haven't let that deter my awesome training week. I did a tempo run yesterday with Larry (who was seriously chatty and dragging). I think I managed to drag him for about 2.8 miles - about 21 minutes (7:30s), 5 miles total (41 minutes). I continued with the biking - home last night and in to work today for about 18 miles round trip.

The topper was today - my last Shenny beach swim of the year. My birthday swim: I'm 40 today - happy birthday me! The water was choppy - not from Irene - but another system that's suppose to bring thunderstorms tonight. This turned out be good - I focused on breathing every 2 instead of every 3 - something I wish I did *before* last weeks triathlon swim. I really got the hang of it and the swim felt awesome - I even enjoyed the relatively large swells bobbing me up and down.

Tomorrow - a massive 10 miler. My total time for the week running should top 3.5 hours, mileage over 23. X-training time is already at 3:22 (over 12 'equivalence miles'). It actually feels like I'm training for a marathon again.

Start to a Good Week?

Question mark? Well, I haven't had many good weeks of late. But this week is starting out pretty bad ass. First - the weather's been great. Second - I did my first intervals of my 'marathon training' yesterday: 1600 (6:47), 800 (~3:20), 1600 (7:07) and then a good 2 minute hill climb. Solid, off-track effort. The topper - bike home last night and to work today - 18 miles and about a 1 hour 30 minute effort. Tomorrow I'll start with a good tempo run and then finish with another bike to and from work Wed evening/Thr morning. Hopefully, mileage will be good, x-training will be solid and I'll get in some strength. I'm looking for a 6-8 hour effort week.

So Long July.

A great month to be sure. I finished it off with a solid week. Monday I did a 4.5 mile run. Tuesday 51 minute strength workout. Wednesday I did run-swim at lunch: 4 mile run and ~10 minutes of swimming and then biked home - over 9 miles - 42 minutes of biking. Thursday I biked back into work. Friday I did a 5 mile run. Still hot! Saturday off. Sunday I did a 1 hour 7 minutes strength workout. The totals were nice and balanced: 1 hour 59 minutes running, 1 hour 35 minutes bike/swimming and 1 hour 58 minutes of strength training.

Tomorrow I tentatively start my marathon training. I'm still only 60-70% committed to actually doing a philly and the humid weather is going to make it tough to do the workouts - but I'll give it a shot.

Tri Results

Yesterday I completed the Pfi Sprint Triathlon at Eastern Point Beach. I did about average: 1 hour 21 minutes and 36 seconds (10th out of 23 men). Unlike previous years I had a decent bike, great T2 transition and a pretty good run. I struggled mightily in the water - especially considering that I've been swimming all winter/spring this year. The breathing just wasn't there. The swim took 14:42 - which was the 15th/23 men. I was hoping to be at least in the top half - if not the top 3rd. I didn't have a wet suite which may account for some of it - but I think I should've done about one minute better based on the times of people I know I can swim with. Oh well, something to work on. On the plus side, I did much better on the bike. I did 41:54 which was good for 12th/23. Not great - but not horrible. My T2 was pretty much the fastest - about 30 seconds faster than anyone else - since I didn't have to switch shoes (mentally - I think that puts me up into the top 10 or so). The run started very hard - probably > 8 min/mile pace for the first mile, but once I caught my legs - I had a decent final 2 miles and finished strong: 7:38 min/mile pace. Of my 3 attempts at this try - this is by far my best attempt - so I am happy about that. It certainly is a lot harder that your standard run race.

I've taken the week pretty easy leading up to this. Monday I did my final BRICK: 47 minutes on the bike and 17 minutes running. Tuesday I did 6x400s at ConnCollege. They felt great. I can't wait to get back to the track in 2 weeks. I was suppose to do 8x400s - but I wanted to take it a little easy just 2 days before the tri. I have a 8 mile run tomorrow or Sunday and I'm done for the week.

Monster Week

Wow. That was one hell of a week! I last updated Tuesday (a swim/bike combo day). Wednesday was tough. I started with the bike into work - not a big deal. Then I did a brutal 2x10 minute tempo workout. The workout was fine - but the heat was rough - total mileage 5.6 miles. Thursday was the easiest of the week: 3 miles running (only 1.5 each way) sandwiching a 1000 meter open water swim. The swim felt good - although my breathing felt a little labored - probably good I got one in this week. I'll try to do another next week. Today I did 8.2 miles around Groton with Greg. Weather was picture perfect but my legs were dragging - I think I'm ready for a rest. I'll probably rest both days this weekend and do a BRICK on Monday.

Summer Swelter

I had a solid swim Tuesday: 500 warmup, 1x200 slow; 2x200 build; 1x200 fast - did the last one in under 4 minutes. I then biked home - about 10 miles and 44 minutes. This morning I biked in (~47 minutes, almost 10 miles), then went for a run 2 hours later - very sluggish. 5 miles in about 43 minutes. I was suppose to do 7x400s - but maybe tomorrow, or I'll bag them all together. It's a little tough adhering to the 1/2-plan and squeeze in the bike work for the tri. I'm hoping the biking and swimming helps the running more than the intervals would - and I can do them later anyway...

btw, weather turned brutal today - horrible run. ughh.

Swim, Bike, Run?

Is there a Tri in my future? I thought not. I had done no biking until last week - and hadn't done much of anything through much of July. Yet I did manage to get out on the bike twice last week: biking home Wednesday and biking into work on Thursday morning. I also learned that the Pfizer tri wasn't until the 19th this year - so I may have time to get my bike muscles into gear. I have about 10 days to figure it out before I'll need to make a sign-up decision. Normally I'd go ahead and do it - but this week starts my 1/2 training plan - so I'll need to be a little careful on getting all these workouts in. Last week looked like:

• Sunday - strength workout - 40 minutes.
• Monday - sweaty sneakers mile: 6.5 miles running, one of those miles fast [~sub-7:00].
• Tuesday - swim - I think about 1400 - 34 minutes.
• Wednesday - biked home - took about 44 minutes.
• Thursday - biked in - took about 48 minutes. Also did a 4 mile run.
• Friday- mowed the lawn. Harder than it sounds.
• Saturday - short 3 mile run. Totals: 13.5 running + 9.5 xt.
• Sunday - Martian time slip day - not included in either of my training plans, therefore it didn't really exist.

This week - I'm starting my 1/2 plan. I did 5 miles running today - including 3 miles at pace that I'm estimating at sub 7:30. It felt good to run fast-ish. Tomorrow I'll swim and possibly bike home. Wednesday - bike in and maybe do afternoon intervals. Thursday and Friday are more open - but no running - since I'll be doing the John J. Kelly summer scorcher at Ocean Beach on Saturday - more of a 1/2-plan long training run - but If I'm feeling ok I'll push it a little.

Live every week like it's Shark Week.

I've managed 2 round trips on my bike the last 2 days - totaling about 40 miles over 3 hours. The weather's been very hot, so the biking is easier than running. Unfortunately, no swimming yet - and maybe that's a good thing during "Shark Week". Tomorrow will be my long run - about 9 miles from work to home.

Back in Mystic

So we made it up from a great trip to the shore on Wednesday. The kids seem pretty happy to be back with their toys and friends. Wednesday was a travel day. I'm thinking of getting them up earlier either Saturday or Sunday and heading over to Wakefield for the hot-air balloon show. They do a "glow" every night this weekend and start every morning off with a big fly (or so its says on the website). I think the kids might like it.

So yesterday I made it back to work just in time for a seminar talk - and a post seminar talk run. I talked Dave B into heading out and we ended up doing the 5.3 mile loop, which includes both Avery point and Jupiter loops. The pace seemed pretty fast - Dave B was thinking under 8:00 min/miles (we'll say 7:50). I can't find my watch anywhere - so I'll have to just guess until I get around to replacing it.

Today has been like my own mini triathlon: I biked into work (9 miles), ran (4.5 miles) and did my first Long-Island sound swim of the year (~0.5 miles; or 6 lengths down at the Shenny beach). I'll also be biking home (another 9 miles). So that about 4.5 eq. miles biking and 3 eq.miles swimming: 12 miles total by the time I get home today. Kinda makes up for light schedule earlier in the week.

Shore Weekend

So I'm down at the Jersey Shore to visit the in-laws and attend my wife's uncle's wedding - which was today. The wedding, in Ocean city and the reception, in Somers Point, were both great - wonderful food at the reception. It's actually been a good food week - I had a great Ahi Tuna sandwich earlier in the week in Boston during the lunch break of a software training class. And while the foods been tasty, my training has suffered a bit. I managed a round-trip bike ride on Monday and a run on Wednesday (4.7 miles), but I've been too busy traveling the last 3 days to get out - so the week's going to end with just over 10 miles running and 18 on the bike - my worst week in a while.

Some other things that have been bothering me are the allergies/throat - which feels like it's closing up when I sleep, and sleep in general - up a 5:00 on Thursday and 4:00 on Friday (to beat traffic) + a spotty night last night. Hopefully tomorrow I can get out again.

Off to a Good Week

Last week wrapped up with a great National Backyard Camp-out - which was my girls (3 and 5) first ever night under the stars (or, in our case, the clouds). We had a great night with our neighbors Saturday and the girls slept in the tent with no problems. I think they're ready for a real campout.

I made it out for another 4.7 mile loop with F.David on Monday and then did the bike into/from work today - another 18 miles round trip. I gotta say, the biking felt much better than last week. The morning ride in still feels difficult - I don't think it helps that I'm getting out the door late - so the whole ride feels rushed. I'll have to work on that. Bonus: I think the Sound water is warm enough to start swimming - should have my first of the season this week!

Biking In

Very hard bike ride to and from work today. Fortunately, I didn't have my watch heading in - so I have no idea how long it took - felt very difficult though. Weather still sucks. Hopefully it'll be getting better soon.

Weather in Connecticut

It certainly isn't getting easier finding nice days to run/bike. I biked home yesterday for the first time on my new Trek, and I'll be biking in soon. I'll probably run today at lunch as well - but Thursday? Not sure about Thursday or Friday...

Update: biked in - 44:30 vs. 45:00 yesterday - but I did ~10 home yesterday and ~9 in today - so faster going than coming. Also ran 5.3 today at lunch. Weather was great, but the legs were sore from the bike. Nevertheless - a pretty good day.

Saturday's the Tour 'd Noank - a difficult hilly race that I normally avoid - but it's close to my house and Larry may run. We'll see.

Daddy Day Care.

So I've been on daycare duty the last few days. With the girls at preschool, I headed over to the Mystic River (CT, not MA) and did a 5.5 mile run down river road. It was a perfect spring day. Temps aren't too hot, nice breeze. I took it pretty easy heading upriver: 8:37 min/mile pace, and 7:38 min/mile coming back. It felt great. First real spring day of the year.

Yesterday I took the girls to the Y and did 8.6 miles on an exercise bike, then headed to Kelly's pace to get some new Brooks Adrenlines. Odd news of the month: my foot grew! Apparently. I'm 10.5 and a little snug at that. I tried the ASCIS 2140s: unbelievable comfort - I have serious buyers remorse - but didn't want to risk a return of the Plantar Fasciitis.

I may head back to the Y tomorrow and do some more biking to round out the week. It ended up being pretty good: 18 miles running and at least 2, probably 4 xt-miles. I'll also try and do my intervals Sunday - so next week can get off to a good start.

The Tough Part...

...is over! Yesterday I capped my Tarzan Brown training with my final set of intervals: 5x2000s (or, since I wasn't running on the track, 5x8:30s) on a run from my work in Groton, to my home in Mystic. I did the Mumford's Cove route, to add a little extra flat distance, since I didn't want to be doing an interval over the Brooke Street hill. The workout, like those before it, was difficult - but I think it actually felt better than the 2 previous ones. Maybe I'm pacing a little better, or running a little slower, or just getting a little stronger. Total mileage for the workout was 9.7 miles, which took 1 hour, 24 minutes (including breaks between intervals, which were 4:30).

This morning I biked the route back - but did the Brook Street hill - about 9 miles in 5o minutes, including some walking to let the blood back into my frost-bit feet. The ride felt good, but cold - I'm glad to be all warmed up now.

Mileage for the week was 18.75 miles running, plus 5.85 miles of cross training: 24.6 total. My largest in a while. Moreover, the week encompassed a little of everything: swim, bike, trail run, tempo run, intervals and long run. Next week I can take pretty easy - although I may hit a track for some 18x200s, or something - just to keep the legs use to moving fast.

Roundtrip Bike

9 miles in, 9 miles back - 18 miles total and 4.5 'equivalence miles'. This week is turning out okay despite some disappointments (rain out day, intervals cut short). I'm in position to either do my long run, a good swim - or some combo of both tomorrow, and I'll be filling out the week with over 20 miles - which isn't great - but isn't horrible. Most importantly - my legs feel pretty good. I'm obviously out of running relevant pictures, so I give you: Gossamer. He does have sneaks on.

Last Brick Workout

Today I took the bike out for a 13 mile bike ride which took 46 minutes to finish. I then racked the bike at work and ran for 15 minutes. It felt very difficult and I felt pretty overheated afterwards. The triathlon is Thursday after work.

Fall Training Schedule

Looking forward to the fall (cool weather!). A lot of this can change, but I like having some plans. Each week works out to ~25 miles. I tried to keep the track intervals pretty easy: only a few 400 and 600 burners (hopefully a 10x400 in August won't kill me). Then a progression: 1200, 1600 and 2000s. The hope is that my plantar fasciitis won't return. The 2000s are almost more like doable (I hope) tempo runs - probably at a 6:50 pace. I threw in the New Haven 20K, basically as a long tempo run - although I hope to start slow: 8:20s, and finish faster (~7:40s) - so hopefully it won't be too far off from last year. Realistically though - there is a good chance I don't run that race.

Saturday Update: Made it on a ~11 mile bike ride today. Perhaps longer - but I'm not really sure. It took me 25:30 to head out past Old Mystic via River Road, and then 23-flat coming back. The bike felt better. I'll try again Monday from work. My weekly equivalence mileage topped off at 25 - pretty good considering I only did 2.75 Friday/Saturday.