I am on the home stretch- just two more big days to go and this challenge will be history. But today was not a good day effort wise. Sometimes you get on the bike (or in the water/ on a run) and just don't have the legs. Today was that day for me. After doing the warm-up (nothing beats 3X30 in a 53/15), I realized my legs felt blah. What is blah you ask? An inability to get power, HR and cadence up- at all. So sometimes you have to accept that you can't go hard. So what I did today was spin easy for about an hour. My HR was low- about 120, power was low about 115-125, speed was slow- about 16-18 and cadence was low- about 75-80.
But I got off the bike feeling two things- 1) I road through a day I would have rather stayed in bed & 2) I just felt better. Legs still feel blah, but I know I will be ready for tomorrow and Sunday- 7-8 hrs total on the trainer.
The last 30 days have been a roller coaster for me at work and home. Things are not great and I am working on fixing both. What has been great is the challenge- day in, day out & working on improving my engine. I know I am stronger, faster and leaner! And the best part- Coach Troy is running a second challenge- Super6. Six weeks of training, 6 Days a week. So stay tuned!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
End of the Year Reflections
Today is 12/28/2011 and as I sit here, I amazed at how fast the year has blown by. And like many, this the end of December is often a time to think about the what has happened in the past year, as well as outline some goals for 2012. 2011 was a mixed year for me; racing, work and family. So here we go:
2011 Race Performance
Jan- Spa 23 Indoor Tri- 1st place Overall. Not sure I am a fan of the indoor racing format, but it was good to push my body up to race pace.
April- Sandy Hook Time Trial- 7 miles on a flat and windy course. I was happy with my effort- about 26MPH, but got crushed and finished in the 50s.
April- MainStreet 10k- 10th overall and 2nd in my AG- rainy day, but I ran pretty well- about 41:20.
May- JerseyMan Half 70.3- 29th overall, 5th in my AG - 5:15:21. Nutrition was a bit off on the bike which hurt on the run. But overall I was happy- first race of the season (not including the indoor) & things went pretty well.
June- DC Olympic Tri- 164 Overall, 13th in my AG (and Qualified for the 5150 Championships & 2011USAT AG National Championships) 2:23:29
July- Ironman Rhode Island 70.3- 213 Overall, 39 in my AG- 5:14:00. Raced a solid race- nutrition & Pacing were very good (swim sucked)
July Muddy Buddy with my son. Fun!
August- TriRock NY Sprint- 10th overall, 2nd in MY AG (Qualified for the 2012 USAT AG National Championships- 1:24
September- Toughman Half 70.3- 210 Overall, 27th in my AG- a TERRIBLE race. My nutrition was off- not enough pre race eating, and I walked on the run. But I learned a lot from this race (which I had very high hopes for since I did so well last year). Worst and best race of the year. 5:37:40
October- Ironman Pocono Mtn 70.3 (well 66.xx) No swim and a slightly shorter bike due to very bad weather. But I really did well. 111 Overall, 21 AG. 4:22. Likely would have PR'd and broke 5 hrs for a 70.3. The good news is everything I needed to learn from past races - taper, pre race eating and hydrating, in race nutrition, pacing, etc worked & worked well.
October Beach to Battleship 140.6- MY FIRST FULL IRON. 141 Overall, 27 in my AG. 11:38:13. I hurt my knee at a potty stop at mile 100 or so of the bike- just twisted it a bit, but it hurt on the run and forced me to walk about 8 miles of the run. (lesson learned- bring tylenol just in case). But it was a great experience and I am looking forward to my next full in 2012.
November -Turkey Trot 5K- 87 Overall 10 in my AG- 20:54 A bit slow for me, but I was definitely fighting some post B2B injuries (knee and toes) as well as trying to find new shoes- Damn you Saucony for changing the Kinvera! The Kinerva 2 is MUCH different on my foot.
2011 Job-
I switched from Dynamic Logic- a part of the WPP group (advertising) to a start-up -EachScape, a mobile app development company. Long hours, lots of commuting- not sure if it is for me.
2011 Family- Being a Husband, Dad, Employee and Competitive Triathlete is very tough. It is a balancing act that I am not always good at. I am sometimes very selfish about training & racing, but make sacrifices in the number of races I do. The reality is I want to race more, but don't and that sucks for me. 3 races that I did not do in 2011 were the HyVee 5150, USAT AG National Championships & the Ironman Timberman 70.3- all for family reasons. I know my wife does not love my triathlon training and racing- which sucks for both of us & and I am not sure what the next steps will be. I am trying to adjust my racing and training but if I cut back I am MISERABLE. And if I train off hours (early and late) I am exhausted.
2011 Wrap -up- A good year of racing with a lot of ups and downs. Good lessons learned. And more time needed in my day.
2012 Goals:
1) Improve my work, family and Tri dynamics- not sure how that is gonna work (new job without a 2HR commute might work) But real family acceptance could work as well.
2) Race in the USAT National Championships- am registering, but the race is one week after IM NYC (may be a tough fit, but will cross that bridge when I get there)
3) Break 5 Hrs for a 70.3
4) Break 11 hrs for a 140.6
5) Continue to have fun.
6) Find my new race shoes (see above- Damn you Saucony)
More to come on the race schedule for 2012.
2011 Race Performance
Jan- Spa 23 Indoor Tri- 1st place Overall. Not sure I am a fan of the indoor racing format, but it was good to push my body up to race pace.
April- Sandy Hook Time Trial- 7 miles on a flat and windy course. I was happy with my effort- about 26MPH, but got crushed and finished in the 50s.
April- MainStreet 10k- 10th overall and 2nd in my AG- rainy day, but I ran pretty well- about 41:20.
May- JerseyMan Half 70.3- 29th overall, 5th in my AG - 5:15:21. Nutrition was a bit off on the bike which hurt on the run. But overall I was happy- first race of the season (not including the indoor) & things went pretty well.
June- DC Olympic Tri- 164 Overall, 13th in my AG (and Qualified for the 5150 Championships & 2011USAT AG National Championships) 2:23:29
July- Ironman Rhode Island 70.3- 213 Overall, 39 in my AG- 5:14:00. Raced a solid race- nutrition & Pacing were very good (swim sucked)
July Muddy Buddy with my son. Fun!
August- TriRock NY Sprint- 10th overall, 2nd in MY AG (Qualified for the 2012 USAT AG National Championships- 1:24
September- Toughman Half 70.3- 210 Overall, 27th in my AG- a TERRIBLE race. My nutrition was off- not enough pre race eating, and I walked on the run. But I learned a lot from this race (which I had very high hopes for since I did so well last year). Worst and best race of the year. 5:37:40
October- Ironman Pocono Mtn 70.3 (well 66.xx) No swim and a slightly shorter bike due to very bad weather. But I really did well. 111 Overall, 21 AG. 4:22. Likely would have PR'd and broke 5 hrs for a 70.3. The good news is everything I needed to learn from past races - taper, pre race eating and hydrating, in race nutrition, pacing, etc worked & worked well.
October Beach to Battleship 140.6- MY FIRST FULL IRON. 141 Overall, 27 in my AG. 11:38:13. I hurt my knee at a potty stop at mile 100 or so of the bike- just twisted it a bit, but it hurt on the run and forced me to walk about 8 miles of the run. (lesson learned- bring tylenol just in case). But it was a great experience and I am looking forward to my next full in 2012.
November -Turkey Trot 5K- 87 Overall 10 in my AG- 20:54 A bit slow for me, but I was definitely fighting some post B2B injuries (knee and toes) as well as trying to find new shoes- Damn you Saucony for changing the Kinvera! The Kinerva 2 is MUCH different on my foot.
2011 Job-
I switched from Dynamic Logic- a part of the WPP group (advertising) to a start-up -EachScape, a mobile app development company. Long hours, lots of commuting- not sure if it is for me.
2011 Family- Being a Husband, Dad, Employee and Competitive Triathlete is very tough. It is a balancing act that I am not always good at. I am sometimes very selfish about training & racing, but make sacrifices in the number of races I do. The reality is I want to race more, but don't and that sucks for me. 3 races that I did not do in 2011 were the HyVee 5150, USAT AG National Championships & the Ironman Timberman 70.3- all for family reasons. I know my wife does not love my triathlon training and racing- which sucks for both of us & and I am not sure what the next steps will be. I am trying to adjust my racing and training but if I cut back I am MISERABLE. And if I train off hours (early and late) I am exhausted.
2011 Wrap -up- A good year of racing with a lot of ups and downs. Good lessons learned. And more time needed in my day.
2012 Goals:
1) Improve my work, family and Tri dynamics- not sure how that is gonna work (new job without a 2HR commute might work) But real family acceptance could work as well.
2) Race in the USAT National Championships- am registering, but the race is one week after IM NYC (may be a tough fit, but will cross that bridge when I get there)
3) Break 5 Hrs for a 70.3
4) Break 11 hrs for a 140.6
5) Continue to have fun.
6) Find my new race shoes (see above- Damn you Saucony)
More to come on the race schedule for 2012.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Spinervals Challenge Update- Sick Days
Sick Days-
I spent a long day in the car last Wednesday and was feeling kinda bad on Thursday morning. I did the normal set- an ABB, hit the pool for a short swim and then drove into the city. By the time I got to my office, I felt bad- head was in a vise and I had a low grade fever. So decided to head home and get some rest. I spent all of Thursday evening in bed and woke up Friday pretty much feeling the same. Since everything was above the neck, I decided to do a short spin- 30 minutes or so and then spent the rest of the day on the couch. Saturday I got up- feeling a bit better, but not ready for Tough Love, so I did a 45 minute spin, building to Threshold over the last 10 minutes. That really helped. I got a runners high from the workout and I think that helped to push whatever I had out fast. Finally on Sunday I did a 2:15 moderate spin at low zone two and about 180watts (yeah I finally have a power meter!).
Today is a rest day and I am taking it- I slept in until 7 AM and am taking it easy. I think my body will appreciate the rest. Tomorrow I am ready to hit it hard!
Hope everyone else is having fun with the challenge. Being sick sucks, but I definitely feel that the Spinervals 32 day challenge has had some awesome impacts on my fitness and motivation!
I spent a long day in the car last Wednesday and was feeling kinda bad on Thursday morning. I did the normal set- an ABB, hit the pool for a short swim and then drove into the city. By the time I got to my office, I felt bad- head was in a vise and I had a low grade fever. So decided to head home and get some rest. I spent all of Thursday evening in bed and woke up Friday pretty much feeling the same. Since everything was above the neck, I decided to do a short spin- 30 minutes or so and then spent the rest of the day on the couch. Saturday I got up- feeling a bit better, but not ready for Tough Love, so I did a 45 minute spin, building to Threshold over the last 10 minutes. That really helped. I got a runners high from the workout and I think that helped to push whatever I had out fast. Finally on Sunday I did a 2:15 moderate spin at low zone two and about 180watts (yeah I finally have a power meter!).
Today is a rest day and I am taking it- I slept in until 7 AM and am taking it easy. I think my body will appreciate the rest. Tomorrow I am ready to hit it hard!
Hope everyone else is having fun with the challenge. Being sick sucks, but I definitely feel that the Spinervals 32 day challenge has had some awesome impacts on my fitness and motivation!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Day 13 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Day 13- Another trip into the blue zone. The workout called for Spinervals 39- which I don't have yet, but one of the options was Spinervals 21 which I just got when I renewed my membership at CoachTroy.com.
If you have not done Spinervals 21 yet- go out and buy it. It only has 2 sets. A warmup set (the usual) and then just one more set. A SIXTY minute steady state effort. Nice! It is a nice long ride with Coach Troy having you changing gearing, cadence, hand positions and occasional short standing efforts. The goal of the rep is to stay aero- aerobic and aerodynamic (I added that part, but 95% of the hour you should be on your aero bars so a great way to practice solid technique and position).
I liked the workout a lot, although I definitely felt a bit slow- my legs were not as fast as I would like them to be. I felt like I was on the lower end of the cadence goals, but actually felt a bit stronger during the last 15 minutes (so I know I did not go out too hard). The other thing I noticed is I really need to get a new HR monitor strap- Several times my HR spiked to 240 in 15 degree increments and then down to 55-60. My effort was consistent, breathing was fine (not labored) and my focus was on maintaining good form and effort. So today I will head down to my favorite store in NYC - Paragon Sports and get a new strap for my Garmin.
Workout Details
Bike
Time- 1:25:23
Distance- 26.59 Miles
AVG HR- Blue Zone
Calories 1425 (approximately)
Tonight I am doing a 30-40 core Workout- planks, crunches, flutter kicks and all of those fun things!
Tomorrow we ride with the Harvest Bread Company- Spinervals 24-Hills.
If you have not done Spinervals 21 yet- go out and buy it. It only has 2 sets. A warmup set (the usual) and then just one more set. A SIXTY minute steady state effort. Nice! It is a nice long ride with Coach Troy having you changing gearing, cadence, hand positions and occasional short standing efforts. The goal of the rep is to stay aero- aerobic and aerodynamic (I added that part, but 95% of the hour you should be on your aero bars so a great way to practice solid technique and position).
I liked the workout a lot, although I definitely felt a bit slow- my legs were not as fast as I would like them to be. I felt like I was on the lower end of the cadence goals, but actually felt a bit stronger during the last 15 minutes (so I know I did not go out too hard). The other thing I noticed is I really need to get a new HR monitor strap- Several times my HR spiked to 240 in 15 degree increments and then down to 55-60. My effort was consistent, breathing was fine (not labored) and my focus was on maintaining good form and effort. So today I will head down to my favorite store in NYC - Paragon Sports and get a new strap for my Garmin.
Workout Details
Bike
Time- 1:25:23
Distance- 26.59 Miles
AVG HR- Blue Zone
Calories 1425 (approximately)
Tonight I am doing a 30-40 core Workout- planks, crunches, flutter kicks and all of those fun things!
Tomorrow we ride with the Harvest Bread Company- Spinervals 24-Hills.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Day 11 and Day 12 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Day 11 I took the blogging day off, but not training! The plan for Sunday was do your own thing- keep it easy and definitely not a hard day. So I decided to go for a Run- a long easy run over some rolling hills. No music, just the sound of my breathing and the thoughts in my mind. It was cold- about 20 degrees F, but sunny. The first few miles were easy- my breathing, legs and mind felt great. As I progressed on the run, there were a couple of sections on the road with lots of ice and the temp was significantly cooler when in the shade. My sunglasses kept fogging - yeah the temp changes must have been 10-15 degrees. But that is what makes winter time running so much fun. My favorite time of the year to run outside is January and February so this was a good precursor to the next few months. This run was also the longest run I completed since Beach2Battleship & I felt really good throughout. I kept my pace easy- about an 8:30 pace And I ran in my pair of K-Swiss Blade Light Run's. My initial feeling on these shoes is great road feel, light and comfortable. But only suitable for Full Iron distance- they require a bit of work to get them on your feet since the tongue is not sewn into the shoe upper. I am going to try the K-SWISS Blade light race (they have the velco closure) as well to see if those shoes are better for shorter distance races.
Day 11 Details
Run
Time- 1:21:15
Distance -9.58 Miles
AVG HR- 145
Calories 915
Day 12- Spinverals 33 Pain Cave Is my favorite video so I was very happy to see it on the training schedule. I however did not get a good night sleep last night so I was dragging a bit when I first got on the trainer. The good news with Pain Cave is there is a longer easy spin warm-up compared to other videos in the 45-50 minute time line. So when it was time to do the usual Spinervals warm-up of 3 x 53/15's my legs were pretty close to ready.
The intervals on Pain Cave are hard- this is a threshold plus workout- and not just the sprints. They get progressively harder, but the rest sessions are long enough to keep from overloading. The sprints are something else- the 10 seconds where you are standing sprinting flat out seem to be the longest 10 seconds of your life- I think Coach Troy's watch broke! But when I finished I knew that I had completed a good workout.
Bike
Time- 51:04
Distance- 16.05 miles/ Max Speed During Sprints- 45.3 MPH
AVG HR- 150, MAX 208
Calories 868
Looking forward to getting a good night sleep tonight and a another strong workout tomorrow.
Day 11 Details
Run
Time- 1:21:15
Distance -9.58 Miles
AVG HR- 145
Calories 915
Day 12- Spinverals 33 Pain Cave Is my favorite video so I was very happy to see it on the training schedule. I however did not get a good night sleep last night so I was dragging a bit when I first got on the trainer. The good news with Pain Cave is there is a longer easy spin warm-up compared to other videos in the 45-50 minute time line. So when it was time to do the usual Spinervals warm-up of 3 x 53/15's my legs were pretty close to ready.
The intervals on Pain Cave are hard- this is a threshold plus workout- and not just the sprints. They get progressively harder, but the rest sessions are long enough to keep from overloading. The sprints are something else- the 10 seconds where you are standing sprinting flat out seem to be the longest 10 seconds of your life- I think Coach Troy's watch broke! But when I finished I knew that I had completed a good workout.
Bike
Time- 51:04
Distance- 16.05 miles/ Max Speed During Sprints- 45.3 MPH
AVG HR- 150, MAX 208
Calories 868
Looking forward to getting a good night sleep tonight and a another strong workout tomorrow.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Day 10 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
I have been looking forward to this day's workout for a while. Today's DVD was Spinervals 31 & it is one of the first DVD's in my collection. It is a series of long intervals- great for being on my aero bars at a steady pace. The intensity is high, but below threshold and after 9 days of the challenge I felt awesome! My legs feel like pistons- I know kinda hokey, but true. Plus I have dropped a couple of post Beach2Battleship pounds already.
Tomorrow is a low intensity day- the plan is to go out and spin for while- no video! My plan is to spin for 45-60 minutes and then run for 5-6 miles. And get in a nice core workout as well.
Today's Numbers:
Bike
Time- 1:48:37
Distance- 37.16 Miles
AVG HR- 140 (HR Monitor strap is ordered so I had to do some manual tracking)
Calories 2085
And this afternoon I am watching Army Navy. My wife's cousin is a senior and 2 time Academic All American for Navy - first time every at Navy. But while I am very proud of John, my loyalties to the Black and Gold of America's most senior service are not in doubt. GO ARMY!!!! beat Navy.
Tomorrow is a low intensity day- the plan is to go out and spin for while- no video! My plan is to spin for 45-60 minutes and then run for 5-6 miles. And get in a nice core workout as well.
Today's Numbers:
Bike
Time- 1:48:37
Distance- 37.16 Miles
AVG HR- 140 (HR Monitor strap is ordered so I had to do some manual tracking)
Calories 2085
And this afternoon I am watching Army Navy. My wife's cousin is a senior and 2 time Academic All American for Navy - first time every at Navy. But while I am very proud of John, my loyalties to the Black and Gold of America's most senior service are not in doubt. GO ARMY!!!! beat Navy.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Day 9 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
So the title is generic- the day was not! Today was Spinervals 22- timetrialpalozza. 4 Sets of time trial effort starting with 20 minutes and then working down to 5. Riding at or above LT- yeah this is a good workout.
I had some minor technical difficulties- while riding during the first set, it seemed to get easier to pedal and my cadence went from about 95 to 100+ at about minute ten. My resistance seemed to get easier. So I quickly hopped off the trainer and adjusted the tension a bit (I was playing with the tension last night when I fixed the rear tire -had to put a new trainer tire on the rim). So after a quick adjustment, everything seemed normal on the bike. I also had some issues with my HR monitor- it was spiking 10-15 beats so I started at about 150 and then all of sudden it jumped up to 220 then back down to 105 and back up to 175 and then down again in the span of 2-3 minutes. I think I need to get a new HR strap since the one I have (for my Garmin 310xt) is almost 2 years old and gets used just about every day.
Today is one of those workouts that you really want a Power Meter- mine will be here next week (Cycleops PowerTap SL+) so I can't wait to start training with the most objective of measures- power! So regardless of my technical issues, today was a solid workout. Since I have spent a lot of time on my bike with it on the trainer, I am pretty well versed in what my PE, HR, Cadence and Gearing typically correlates to- and I was hammering pretty hard. The best thing about this workout is my legs feel great- gone is the soreness from earlier this week. My higher end Bike Fitness is definitely coming back strong.
Here are the details:
Bike
Time- 1:30:27
Distance- 30.54 Miles
AVG HR??? Equip issues
Calories - At least 680 (due to HR monitor issues I am not sure if the calculations are accurate at all)
Tomorrow is another one of my favorites- Spinervals 31- a long day of hard intervals. Can't wait!
I had some minor technical difficulties- while riding during the first set, it seemed to get easier to pedal and my cadence went from about 95 to 100+ at about minute ten. My resistance seemed to get easier. So I quickly hopped off the trainer and adjusted the tension a bit (I was playing with the tension last night when I fixed the rear tire -had to put a new trainer tire on the rim). So after a quick adjustment, everything seemed normal on the bike. I also had some issues with my HR monitor- it was spiking 10-15 beats so I started at about 150 and then all of sudden it jumped up to 220 then back down to 105 and back up to 175 and then down again in the span of 2-3 minutes. I think I need to get a new HR strap since the one I have (for my Garmin 310xt) is almost 2 years old and gets used just about every day.
Today is one of those workouts that you really want a Power Meter- mine will be here next week (Cycleops PowerTap SL+) so I can't wait to start training with the most objective of measures- power! So regardless of my technical issues, today was a solid workout. Since I have spent a lot of time on my bike with it on the trainer, I am pretty well versed in what my PE, HR, Cadence and Gearing typically correlates to- and I was hammering pretty hard. The best thing about this workout is my legs feel great- gone is the soreness from earlier this week. My higher end Bike Fitness is definitely coming back strong.
Here are the details:
Bike
Time- 1:30:27
Distance- 30.54 Miles
AVG HR??? Equip issues
Calories - At least 680 (due to HR monitor issues I am not sure if the calculations are accurate at all)
Tomorrow is another one of my favorites- Spinervals 31- a long day of hard intervals. Can't wait!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Day 8 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Today was an optional recovery day, or a technique high cadence short workout. There were a couple of different video choices and I was planning on using Spinervals 23 A Time saver. But my computer did not want to complete the download in a timely fashion- so I made up my own set.
I started with an easy spin warm-up and then the usual 3X30 53/15 Spinervals warm-up set & then did a 5 minute 20Son/10Soff 39/15 spin. During the 20 second on spin, my cadence was around 120-122. I could hear Coach Troy saying fast legs, fast legs over and over in my mind. Then a series of single leg drills with low resistance to practice pedaling through the entire pedal stroke. For my main set I did a 15 minute ladder set- Started at at 53/15 and then jumped my way back in one minute intervals to a 53/25 and then back down to the the 53/15 following the same format. As the resistance got easier, I increased cadence a bit, and on the way back down, the cadence went down. I kept my HR in the Blue Zone the entire time. I was not pushing hard power at all. As an example, my cadence normally at 53/15 is 85-88- today it was 77-80. Once I finished the main set, I did a 3 minute 20/10 at 39/15 and then a 53/17 set for 2:30 at a cadence of 90.
Following the ride, I decided to do a short run- it is cold today, but sunny (although it did snow last night, the road was dry). I did my normal 5K route- couple of short hills, but mostly flat. I kept my pace slow and just enjoyed being outside in cold, crisp air- a perfect way to finish a great workout.
Here are the details:
Bike
Time- 48:26
Distance- 15.03 miles
AVG HR 122
Calories- 373
Run
Time- 27:52
Distance- 3.37 miles
AVG HR 155
Calories 330
Tomorrow is a big effort day- Spinervals 22 Timetrialpallozza - 1 1/2 hrs of suffering enjoyment! And I might swim too.
Lastly I am in process of trying to find a new goto running shoe. The last 2 years, my race and training shoe has been the Saucony Kinvera- and I loved them! But like any good thing that ended. The Kinerva 2 is much different. I wear a 9 in the Kinveras, but a 9 in the Kinvera 2 is too small (learned the hard way for sure!) and the 9.5 feels squirley or sorta loose. And I run with elastic laces that allow me to speed through T2- so the 9.5 size in the Kinvera 2 is not an option and I am working on finding a new shoe.
The last few weeks I have been running in the Brooks Connect Pure. And I have mixed reviews. During the run it is pretty good, but that is with socks and taking my time to put them on. When I did a run without socks- there were a couple of areas that started to get a bit hot around the tongue within a couple of miles. And while I have them laced with elastic bungee laces- they do not slip right on- you really need 10-15 seconds a shoe to get them comfortably on your foot. And for me I don't wear socks for Sprint to Half Iron and my T2 times are typically 25-30 seconds - so spending that much time putting on shoes that are likely going to give me some hotspots means they are not going to make the cut. For a full Iron, they might be an option since I do wear socks (CEP compressions are my usual choice) and T2 is a slower process for sure so spending a few extra seconds per shoe is okay.
I do have 2 pairs of K-Swiss shoes coming- the K-ruuz 1.5 and the blade light run and I plan on giving each a good try out- sockless, bungee laces, T2 style etc and will post a review of each.
But what I am looking for from everybody is their suggestions on similar shoes to consider. I have a neutral stride, with a mid foot strike. My foot size is about 42.5-43 cm- so a 9-9.5 is my typical shoe size. I am open to trying any brand, except for Nike (I don't agree with their athlete sponsorships choices so I don't buy their gear). Thanks in advance for any advice!
I started with an easy spin warm-up and then the usual 3X30 53/15 Spinervals warm-up set & then did a 5 minute 20Son/10Soff 39/15 spin. During the 20 second on spin, my cadence was around 120-122. I could hear Coach Troy saying fast legs, fast legs over and over in my mind. Then a series of single leg drills with low resistance to practice pedaling through the entire pedal stroke. For my main set I did a 15 minute ladder set- Started at at 53/15 and then jumped my way back in one minute intervals to a 53/25 and then back down to the the 53/15 following the same format. As the resistance got easier, I increased cadence a bit, and on the way back down, the cadence went down. I kept my HR in the Blue Zone the entire time. I was not pushing hard power at all. As an example, my cadence normally at 53/15 is 85-88- today it was 77-80. Once I finished the main set, I did a 3 minute 20/10 at 39/15 and then a 53/17 set for 2:30 at a cadence of 90.
Following the ride, I decided to do a short run- it is cold today, but sunny (although it did snow last night, the road was dry). I did my normal 5K route- couple of short hills, but mostly flat. I kept my pace slow and just enjoyed being outside in cold, crisp air- a perfect way to finish a great workout.
Here are the details:
Bike
Time- 48:26
Distance- 15.03 miles
AVG HR 122
Calories- 373
Run
Time- 27:52
Distance- 3.37 miles
AVG HR 155
Calories 330
Tomorrow is a big effort day- Spinervals 22 Timetrialpallozza - 1 1/2 hrs of suffering enjoyment! And I might swim too.
Lastly I am in process of trying to find a new goto running shoe. The last 2 years, my race and training shoe has been the Saucony Kinvera- and I loved them! But like any good thing that ended. The Kinerva 2 is much different. I wear a 9 in the Kinveras, but a 9 in the Kinvera 2 is too small (learned the hard way for sure!) and the 9.5 feels squirley or sorta loose. And I run with elastic laces that allow me to speed through T2- so the 9.5 size in the Kinvera 2 is not an option and I am working on finding a new shoe.
The last few weeks I have been running in the Brooks Connect Pure. And I have mixed reviews. During the run it is pretty good, but that is with socks and taking my time to put them on. When I did a run without socks- there were a couple of areas that started to get a bit hot around the tongue within a couple of miles. And while I have them laced with elastic bungee laces- they do not slip right on- you really need 10-15 seconds a shoe to get them comfortably on your foot. And for me I don't wear socks for Sprint to Half Iron and my T2 times are typically 25-30 seconds - so spending that much time putting on shoes that are likely going to give me some hotspots means they are not going to make the cut. For a full Iron, they might be an option since I do wear socks (CEP compressions are my usual choice) and T2 is a slower process for sure so spending a few extra seconds per shoe is okay.
I do have 2 pairs of K-Swiss shoes coming- the K-ruuz 1.5 and the blade light run and I plan on giving each a good try out- sockless, bungee laces, T2 style etc and will post a review of each.
But what I am looking for from everybody is their suggestions on similar shoes to consider. I have a neutral stride, with a mid foot strike. My foot size is about 42.5-43 cm- so a 9-9.5 is my typical shoe size. I am open to trying any brand, except for Nike (I don't agree with their athlete sponsorships choices so I don't buy their gear). Thanks in advance for any advice!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Day 7 of the Spinervals 32 Day challenge
I got a bit of late start this morning- it was my turn to take the kids to school. So instead of getting up at 4:30, I slept in to 6. Then I did my dad duties- getting the girls dressed, fed, and ready for school. After doing that it was time to crank out Spinervals 17- another aero base building day. The goal of today's workout was again to stay in the blue zone to build aerobic endurance and focus on burning fat- I certainly did that. And today was a recovery day from yesterday's hard effort.
This was my first time using Spinervals 17 and I am glad I now have this DVD- long intervals but with a twist. After each minute you get a 15 second break- just enough to have the HR come down 5-8 beats, but not enough to change your effort level. This was a definitely a good workout although I had to cut it about 10 minutes short- sometimes work really has a way of getting in the way of things!
I am looking forward to an easy spin and strength training tomorrow. I am planning on an easy run as well.
Stats for the day:
Time- 1:01:19
Distance- 20.75 miles
AVG HR- 139
Calories 650
This was my first time using Spinervals 17 and I am glad I now have this DVD- long intervals but with a twist. After each minute you get a 15 second break- just enough to have the HR come down 5-8 beats, but not enough to change your effort level. This was a definitely a good workout although I had to cut it about 10 minutes short- sometimes work really has a way of getting in the way of things!
I am looking forward to an easy spin and strength training tomorrow. I am planning on an easy run as well.
Stats for the day:
Time- 1:01:19
Distance- 20.75 miles
AVG HR- 139
Calories 650
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Day 6 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Today was a hard day. After a couple of days of aero base building sets, today was big gear, low cadence work. With some off the bike lunges. My quads feel like they should after this workout- crushed. The good news is I felt great during workout- better than yesterday for sure! Today's program was Spinervals 11. It has a mix of hard effort standing intervals along with 1 minute on (very hard) 1 minute off (easy) intervals. And then during the middle, you get to hop off your bike and do a series of 3X15 lunges- with or without dumbbells. Yeah I went without. But I really like this workout for a couple of reasons; you get to redline your HR a lot- most of the hard intervals I was above LT, you get to practice getting off your bike- sorta like a brick (more on this), and it is a hard day- you know you crushed it (you being the it) when you finish. And of course Coach Troy had a strength training exercise waiting for us when we finished- OUCH.
So more on the brick concept. I did two separate sets of knee lunges- 1 3X15 and 1 2x15. During each, I pulled my feet out of my cycling shoes while at speed, kept pedaling for a few seconds then hopped off the bike. I had a pair of running shoes with Yankz in them to quickly slip on- this was brickish part one. Pulling on running shoes while the HR was high & my legs were rubbery is very much like coming into T2. Then after the crushing sets (yeah no dumbbell for me) (brickish part 2), I removed my sneaks and hopped back on the bike- pedaling with my feet out of the cycling shoes until up to speed. Then I slid each fit into the shoe- very much like mounting the bike leaving T1. So it was good practice- rubber legs, focusing on multiple tasks (speed & shoes) and it really worked the quads. I liked it so much the first time, I decided to do it again- yeah that hurt!
Once I finished the ride, I started part 2 of the workout- strength training. And since I am really concentrating on core work, I did a series of crunch, plank, flutter kicks, leg lifts and twist for 30 minutes of joy.
Details:
Bike
Time -1:16:19
Distance- 21.81 Miles
AVG HR 138 MAX 179 ( I did about 15 minutes of Cool Down- which definitely pulled my AVG HR down a bit)
Calories 761
Core WU
Time 30:02
Sets
4X Crunches
4X Flutter Kicks
4X V Situps
4X Leg Extensions
4X Side Leg Lifts
4X 10 Push Ups (just to get a little in)
4X Plank X 30
3 X Standing Crunch (lift Left Leg to Right arm and reverse)
3 X Twists
3 X Side to side
3 X Squats
Calories- about 250
Today was a good workout. And I am wearing compression socks to aid in recovery. Tomorrow is another aero base builder day and I can't wait for 4:45 AM to roll around!
So more on the brick concept. I did two separate sets of knee lunges- 1 3X15 and 1 2x15. During each, I pulled my feet out of my cycling shoes while at speed, kept pedaling for a few seconds then hopped off the bike. I had a pair of running shoes with Yankz in them to quickly slip on- this was brickish part one. Pulling on running shoes while the HR was high & my legs were rubbery is very much like coming into T2. Then after the crushing sets (yeah no dumbbell for me) (brickish part 2), I removed my sneaks and hopped back on the bike- pedaling with my feet out of the cycling shoes until up to speed. Then I slid each fit into the shoe- very much like mounting the bike leaving T1. So it was good practice- rubber legs, focusing on multiple tasks (speed & shoes) and it really worked the quads. I liked it so much the first time, I decided to do it again- yeah that hurt!
Once I finished the ride, I started part 2 of the workout- strength training. And since I am really concentrating on core work, I did a series of crunch, plank, flutter kicks, leg lifts and twist for 30 minutes of joy.
Details:
Bike
Time -1:16:19
Distance- 21.81 Miles
AVG HR 138 MAX 179 ( I did about 15 minutes of Cool Down- which definitely pulled my AVG HR down a bit)
Calories 761
Core WU
Time 30:02
Sets
4X Crunches
4X Flutter Kicks
4X V Situps
4X Leg Extensions
4X Side Leg Lifts
4X 10 Push Ups (just to get a little in)
4X Plank X 30
3 X Standing Crunch (lift Left Leg to Right arm and reverse)
3 X Twists
3 X Side to side
3 X Squats
Calories- about 250
Today was a good workout. And I am wearing compression socks to aid in recovery. Tomorrow is another aero base builder day and I can't wait for 4:45 AM to roll around!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Day 5 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Today was another recovery day planned. And if you read yesterday's post you will know that I did Spinervals 18- which was on the schedule for today. So at 4:45 this morning I rolled (more like drug myself) out of bed and made my way down to the pain cave. My plan was to do the planned workout and then help my wife get the kids ready for school. Then once they were off, I would drive to the gym to get a short swim in before heading to work.
When I got on the trainer, I was definitely feeling the increased effort of the last few days. During the first 30 minutes or so, I really felt like bailing on the swim plan, but as my body got into a solid routine, I started to feel good. Spinervals 18 is a solid recovery workout and the long intervals are great for working on solid form. One thing that I did wrong this morning was getting my garmin turned on correctly. Yesterday I ran after the ride and switched from bike to run. Today I started in Run, and switched on the fly to Bike- for some reason the garmin did not record mileage, although it was recording speed and cadence. Electronics can be fickle sometimes! So my mileage is an estimate based on my speed and time.
Once I finished the ride, I decided that yes I would swim. I really wanted to get some pool time since my last session was a week ago and I just got a new toy- the Finis SwimSense watch. The watch auto counts laps, distance and stroke type- can you say cool! And it worked pretty darn nicely- although I did not use any advanced features- just turned it on and hit the water. I did a series of different sets- some with paddles (which I really like using- great resistance) and some without. Total distance was 1225 yards- which I think is pretty accurate (it might of missed/ added a lap but I did not count- just focused on following the black line.
My legs & arms are definitely tired, but I am looking forward to tomorrow's set- big gear training. Tonight I am planning on getting a good night sleep- 4:45 will come early tomorrow!
Workout details
Bike:
Time- 1:20:04
Distance-24 miles
Calories- 650
AVG HR 134
Swim
Time- 24:18
Distance- 1225 yards
Calories- 239
For more details on the swimsense check out this link:
http://swimsense.finisinc.com
When I got on the trainer, I was definitely feeling the increased effort of the last few days. During the first 30 minutes or so, I really felt like bailing on the swim plan, but as my body got into a solid routine, I started to feel good. Spinervals 18 is a solid recovery workout and the long intervals are great for working on solid form. One thing that I did wrong this morning was getting my garmin turned on correctly. Yesterday I ran after the ride and switched from bike to run. Today I started in Run, and switched on the fly to Bike- for some reason the garmin did not record mileage, although it was recording speed and cadence. Electronics can be fickle sometimes! So my mileage is an estimate based on my speed and time.
Once I finished the ride, I decided that yes I would swim. I really wanted to get some pool time since my last session was a week ago and I just got a new toy- the Finis SwimSense watch. The watch auto counts laps, distance and stroke type- can you say cool! And it worked pretty darn nicely- although I did not use any advanced features- just turned it on and hit the water. I did a series of different sets- some with paddles (which I really like using- great resistance) and some without. Total distance was 1225 yards- which I think is pretty accurate (it might of missed/ added a lap but I did not count- just focused on following the black line.
My legs & arms are definitely tired, but I am looking forward to tomorrow's set- big gear training. Tonight I am planning on getting a good night sleep- 4:45 will come early tomorrow!
Workout details
Bike:
Time- 1:20:04
Distance-24 miles
Calories- 650
AVG HR 134
Swim
Time- 24:18
Distance- 1225 yards
Calories- 239
For more details on the swimsense check out this link:
http://swimsense.finisinc.com
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Day 4 of the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge
Today was a planned recovery day. Not a day off, but just an easier day doing some solid blue zone aerobic work. The specific schedule called for 1 hour using Spinervals 28- which I don't yet have. So I decided to use Spinervals 18 (which I just got) for the first time- I really liked this session. Long intervals with some shifting, but perfect for staying aero, working on pedaling technique, mental focus and maintaining specific cadence. I have to say this is now one of my favorites and I get to do it again tomorrow since that is the specific workout on the plan (guess I should have read ahead- oh well). I felt really good on today's ride. And was able to keep my HR right in the sweet spot: 138-142 for pretty much the entire session.
So at the end of the ride, I threw on my running shoes and did a short 2 mile run. It was the first run since Thanksgiving and I really wanted to test out my left knee without wearing a knee sleeve. I had tweaked the knee during a porta potty stop at mile 100 during Beach2Battleship at the end of October. And since that race, I have been wearing a neoprene knee sleeve. I don't like wearing the knee sleeve at all- and during the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5 K, my left calf hurt a bit during the run. So I took a week off from running to let the knee and calf heal (no pain on the bike). I am glad I took the break (I am learning!) as today I felt very relaxed and pretty much pain free on the run. I did not run too hard- pretty much a 7:58 pace, but was happy to get back on the road (it was cold but nice enough to run outside).
I likely won't be running all that much during the next month- probably 2 times per week and likely 3-5 miles at time, but running rocks! And after taking a relatively easy month following Beach2Battleship, it has been great to get back to some focused and higher intensity training.
Here are the details of today's work:
Ride
Time- 1:05:26
Distance- 21.77 miles
Calories-689
AVG HR- 134
Run
Time - 17:39
Distance- 2.21 miles
Calories- 205
AVG HR- 150
Tomorrow is a repeat of today- Spinervals 18. And I am planning on getting some pool time too.
So at the end of the ride, I threw on my running shoes and did a short 2 mile run. It was the first run since Thanksgiving and I really wanted to test out my left knee without wearing a knee sleeve. I had tweaked the knee during a porta potty stop at mile 100 during Beach2Battleship at the end of October. And since that race, I have been wearing a neoprene knee sleeve. I don't like wearing the knee sleeve at all- and during the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5 K, my left calf hurt a bit during the run. So I took a week off from running to let the knee and calf heal (no pain on the bike). I am glad I took the break (I am learning!) as today I felt very relaxed and pretty much pain free on the run. I did not run too hard- pretty much a 7:58 pace, but was happy to get back on the road (it was cold but nice enough to run outside).
I likely won't be running all that much during the next month- probably 2 times per week and likely 3-5 miles at time, but running rocks! And after taking a relatively easy month following Beach2Battleship, it has been great to get back to some focused and higher intensity training.
Here are the details of today's work:
Ride
Time- 1:05:26
Distance- 21.77 miles
Calories-689
AVG HR- 134
Run
Time - 17:39
Distance- 2.21 miles
Calories- 205
AVG HR- 150
Tomorrow is a repeat of today- Spinervals 18. And I am planning on getting some pool time too.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Day 3 of the Spinervals 32 Day challenge
Today was the first big day on the schedule- 2:20 on the bike and 30 minutes of Strength training. Since I have been doing a pretty regular core workout 2-3 times a week, I decided to stick with the core drills (mostly crunches, flutter kicks and planks) instead of the strength workout.
Today's program on the trainer called for Spinervals 30.0 Muscular endurance. Unfortunately that is one of the titles I don't own (yet) so one of the alternates was Spinervals 13- Tough Love. And yeah it is tough! It is a 3 hour near LT sufferama with lots of long intervals. But the intervals aren't just shift into a gear and go for 30 minutes or so, instead there is lots of shifting, and standing. Yeah it is tough- I think I might have said that before. Standing when you are in a 53/23 sucks- there is no other way to say it!
At one point in the video Coach Troy said this hurts me (him) as much as its you (me)- I was ready to throw my laptop off of the ladder it sits on. If I had a remote I would have thrown it at my TV (fans of coach troy should get that one).
I decided before I started that I would ride 2:30- 2:20 doing the intervals and then a 10 minute cool down. However as I finished 2:20 I was about 4.5 miles short of 50. So I decided to stay another 15 minutes or so to cross that line. It was a good decision!
So my numbers for the day:
Bike
Time-2:36
Distance- 50.04 miles
Calories- 2761
AVG HR-130
Core 20 minutes
5X Crunch
5X L/R Oblique Crunch
5X Flutter Kick x 20 Seconds per set
3X Plank x 30 Seconds per plank
3X Pushups 10 per Set (i know easy)
3X Twists (20 Per Set)
3X Side Bends (20 Per Set)
On the ride I drank one bottle of Fluid Performance Mix (100 Calories + Electrolytes) and ate 2 Gels- 1 GU Roctane (100 Calories) and 1 Crank Sports e-gel (150 Calories). I have been using GU for 2 years and I like them, but got the Crank Sports Gel through an Active.com Schwaggle and since this is the off season I decided it was a good idea to experiment with different nutrition products. I did like the eGel although the flavor I had was Mountain Rush and it was a bit sweet for me (although with some water to dilute the flavor might work). More to come on the nutrition testing.
Post ride I drank a mix of Fluid Recovery (chocolate wave) and coffee, toast with Almond butter, a banana and an orange. Body and mind both feel great. Long workouts are hard, but feel awesome afterwards.
A note about FLUID- I have been using their recovery drink since last year and it works great for me. Fluid performance is a brand new product of theirs designed to be consumed during racing/ training and so far I really like it as it does not create any GI issues, especially during longer training days. Plus the founder is a real scientist who both knows his stuff and is happy to help with questions.
Lastly Active Schwaggle- think of groupon for triathletes.
Links to check out:
Spinervals- www.spinverals.com
Fluid Nutrition- www.livefluid.com
Crank Sports- www.cranksports.com
GU- www.guenergy.com
Active- www.active.com & schwaggle.active.com
Today's program on the trainer called for Spinervals 30.0 Muscular endurance. Unfortunately that is one of the titles I don't own (yet) so one of the alternates was Spinervals 13- Tough Love. And yeah it is tough! It is a 3 hour near LT sufferama with lots of long intervals. But the intervals aren't just shift into a gear and go for 30 minutes or so, instead there is lots of shifting, and standing. Yeah it is tough- I think I might have said that before. Standing when you are in a 53/23 sucks- there is no other way to say it!
At one point in the video Coach Troy said this hurts me (him) as much as its you (me)- I was ready to throw my laptop off of the ladder it sits on. If I had a remote I would have thrown it at my TV (fans of coach troy should get that one).
I decided before I started that I would ride 2:30- 2:20 doing the intervals and then a 10 minute cool down. However as I finished 2:20 I was about 4.5 miles short of 50. So I decided to stay another 15 minutes or so to cross that line. It was a good decision!
So my numbers for the day:
Bike
Time-2:36
Distance- 50.04 miles
Calories- 2761
AVG HR-130
Core 20 minutes
5X Crunch
5X L/R Oblique Crunch
5X Flutter Kick x 20 Seconds per set
3X Plank x 30 Seconds per plank
3X Pushups 10 per Set (i know easy)
3X Twists (20 Per Set)
3X Side Bends (20 Per Set)
On the ride I drank one bottle of Fluid Performance Mix (100 Calories + Electrolytes) and ate 2 Gels- 1 GU Roctane (100 Calories) and 1 Crank Sports e-gel (150 Calories). I have been using GU for 2 years and I like them, but got the Crank Sports Gel through an Active.com Schwaggle and since this is the off season I decided it was a good idea to experiment with different nutrition products. I did like the eGel although the flavor I had was Mountain Rush and it was a bit sweet for me (although with some water to dilute the flavor might work). More to come on the nutrition testing.
Post ride I drank a mix of Fluid Recovery (chocolate wave) and coffee, toast with Almond butter, a banana and an orange. Body and mind both feel great. Long workouts are hard, but feel awesome afterwards.
A note about FLUID- I have been using their recovery drink since last year and it works great for me. Fluid performance is a brand new product of theirs designed to be consumed during racing/ training and so far I really like it as it does not create any GI issues, especially during longer training days. Plus the founder is a real scientist who both knows his stuff and is happy to help with questions.
Lastly Active Schwaggle- think of groupon for triathletes.
Links to check out:
Spinervals- www.spinverals.com
Fluid Nutrition- www.livefluid.com
Crank Sports- www.cranksports.com
GU- www.guenergy.com
Active- www.active.com & schwaggle.active.com
Friday, December 2, 2011
Day 2 of the Spinervals 32 Day challenge
This morning the alarm was set for 5am, but I was up at 4:40. So I decided to answer the call and get moving downstairs to my pain cave. I was looking forward to Day 2 since the workout is one I know well- Spinervals 16.0 Aero Base Builder. It is just under 90 minutes and is a straight forward set with a lot of repetition. And following yesterday's threshold test using Spinverals 27.0- a welcome relief.
But it is not an easy set by any means. You really need to stay focused on the intervals since you need to make sure you stay aerobic and not creep up to AT. It is a good day to spend in the aero bars working on maintaining good form and consistent cadence.
Today was also the first day of using my new Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid trainer. I switched from the Cycleops Fluid2 since the power curves were pretty high- It made staying in a 53-15 near a max effort which for me is not realistic based on my Iron/ Half Iron and Olympic Bike splits. I can easily maintain 20-21 MPH for Half and Full Iron distances and 23-24 for Olympic distances. But on the Cycleops Fluid2 I struggled to maintain 19-20 for more than 5 minutes. So I am keeping the Cycleops to use when I need to mash a big gear/ work on simulating hills, but the Kurt is much more realistic effort/ HR wise (plus I ordered the power meter so I can start monitoring power output).
My numbers this morning:
Time 1:30:03
Distance 27.81
Avg Speed 18.5 (Lots of low resistance, high cadence spinning today!)
Calories 1475
AVG HR 140 (my AT is 158 so I was right where I needed to be - about 10% under threshold)
Good Start to the day!
For more info on the Challenge go to www.spinervals.com. And for more info regarding Cyclops and Kurt Kinetic visit the following sites:
www.cycleops.com
www.kurtkinetic.com
But it is not an easy set by any means. You really need to stay focused on the intervals since you need to make sure you stay aerobic and not creep up to AT. It is a good day to spend in the aero bars working on maintaining good form and consistent cadence.
Today was also the first day of using my new Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid trainer. I switched from the Cycleops Fluid2 since the power curves were pretty high- It made staying in a 53-15 near a max effort which for me is not realistic based on my Iron/ Half Iron and Olympic Bike splits. I can easily maintain 20-21 MPH for Half and Full Iron distances and 23-24 for Olympic distances. But on the Cycleops Fluid2 I struggled to maintain 19-20 for more than 5 minutes. So I am keeping the Cycleops to use when I need to mash a big gear/ work on simulating hills, but the Kurt is much more realistic effort/ HR wise (plus I ordered the power meter so I can start monitoring power output).
My numbers this morning:
Time 1:30:03
Distance 27.81
Avg Speed 18.5 (Lots of low resistance, high cadence spinning today!)
Calories 1475
AVG HR 140 (my AT is 158 so I was right where I needed to be - about 10% under threshold)
Good Start to the day!
For more info on the Challenge go to www.spinervals.com. And for more info regarding Cyclops and Kurt Kinetic visit the following sites:
www.cycleops.com
www.kurtkinetic.com
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Spinervals 32 Day Challenge & 2012 race schedule
Just a quick note on a couple of updates.
1) I am doing the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge. Day one was today with Spinervals 27.0 Threshold testing. My stats- Weight 181 (which is about 10 pounds over race weight), AVG HR 158, Max 166. So this lines up with previous testing, although using my fluid cyclops fluid 2, I feel like I am pushing more watts that I would on the road. I have a power meter coming- so more to come on that.
If you are interested in joining the challenge visit the spinervals page here- www.spinervals.com
I will try to post a bit everyday- I am really excited about participating in the challenge!
2) My 2012 race schedule is pretty much dialed in:
March- IM70.3 Puerto Rico
June- Rev3 Quassy Olympic
June-HITS Hunter MTN Half
July- IM 70.3 Rhode Island (Round 2)
August- IM US Championships NYC (mostly NJ!)
August- USAT AG Nat Championships - It is the week after IM NYC, but I have not done the race yet- so maybe since I already qualified for this year
Sept- Toughman Half (Round3)
Sept- IM Pocono Mtn 70.3 (Round 2 and hoping the swim happens!)
I may try to fill in something in April/ May but that is a crazy family time with a lot of kid obligations (which is a good thing).
1) I am doing the Spinervals 32 Day Challenge. Day one was today with Spinervals 27.0 Threshold testing. My stats- Weight 181 (which is about 10 pounds over race weight), AVG HR 158, Max 166. So this lines up with previous testing, although using my fluid cyclops fluid 2, I feel like I am pushing more watts that I would on the road. I have a power meter coming- so more to come on that.
If you are interested in joining the challenge visit the spinervals page here- www.spinervals.com
I will try to post a bit everyday- I am really excited about participating in the challenge!
2) My 2012 race schedule is pretty much dialed in:
March- IM70.3 Puerto Rico
June- Rev3 Quassy Olympic
June-HITS Hunter MTN Half
July- IM 70.3 Rhode Island (Round 2)
August- IM US Championships NYC (mostly NJ!)
August- USAT AG Nat Championships - It is the week after IM NYC, but I have not done the race yet- so maybe since I already qualified for this year
Sept- Toughman Half (Round3)
Sept- IM Pocono Mtn 70.3 (Round 2 and hoping the swim happens!)
I may try to fill in something in April/ May but that is a crazy family time with a lot of kid obligations (which is a good thing).
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