032809 - Brick

I had a long brick today.  I rode the trainer for 90 minutes and moved outside for a 30 minute run.  I spent 75 minutes doing the Spinnervals Aero Base Builder workout and spent 15 minutes spinning at a high cadence.  My average HR on the bike was around 148.  After the transition, I kicked the effort up and ran two loops around the reservoir in 30 minutes.  My HR stayed right around 162 for the run.  I felt much better today and I think I am recovering well from the marathon.  Looking forward to an aerobic run tomorrow and that swim I missed yesterday.  I also plan to hit the hot tub after the swim to relax the legs a bit!

032709 - Brick

On Friday I missed my morning swim and went home after work for a brick.  I biked for 30 minutes and ran for 45.  On the bike, my HR stayed around 137 and on the run it stayed around 155 - 160.  I felt better than Thursday, but I needed to slow down the pace toward the end of the run because I was really feeling sore in the legs.  I covered the catholic - reservoir loop in just under 45 minutes.  I am planning to get the swim in on Sunday because I couldn't get it in today!

032609 - Bike

On Thursday I spent 90 minutes on the trainer.  The weather is still pretty crappy so I was stuck inside.  I kept my HR around 135 and my cadence in the upper 80s.  I was still feeling a bit tired so I tried to keep my effort in the recovery zone.

032509 - lift, bike, run

Hit the gym after work to lift, bike and run.  The lifting was a little rough, but I got through it in 40 minutes.  I then jumped on the bike for 15 and the treadmill for 15.  I was supposed to get 30 minutes on the run, but I needed to meet the wife and I ran out of time.  I kept my HR really low on the run (around 138).  It felt good to be running again and I was disappointed I had to cut it short.

032509 - Swim

Hit the pool this morning and covered 2100 yards in 45 minutes.  I was psyched to wake up easily and I was at the pool at 6 AM.  I didn't work as hard as a few weeks ago, but I did put a good effort in.  I think my body is still tired considering I crashed at 9:30 last night.  Swam 4 x 500s and with a 100 yard cool down lap.

032309 - Bike

On Monday I hit the bike again for a 45 minute spin.  I rode during my lunch break and kept the cadence in the upper 80s and the HR in the high 130s.  I felt quite a bit better and noticed that my recovery was quicker than expected.  Easing back into it, but ready for a rest day!

032209 - Bike

On Sunday I was pretty surprised I could do a ride because Saturday afternoon was a bit rough!  After the marathon I sprawled out on the couch and watched some March Madness!  There I was back on the bike Sunday afternoon.  I rode for 45 minutes and kept the HR well below 140.  It actually felt good to loosen the legs up and I was happy to get the active recovery work in.  

032109 - National Marathon Race Report

On Saturday I completed a major milestone.  The DC National Marathon kicked off at 7 AM and it was a brisk 35 degrees and sunny.  I got to the venue about 45 minutes early, hit the portajohn and took a light jog back to my car to warm up and drop off my warm clothing.  I got in line around 5 minutes before the start of the race and placed myself in the 7 minute to 7:40 area.  The gun went off and I was quickly off and running.  I loaded my fuel belt with GU and water and I honestly couldn't believe I was about to run a marathon.  Just 2 years ago I told people I would never attempt such a crazy feat and there I was, tackling a major milestone in my Ironman training!

I felt really good and well rested.  Prior to heading to the start, I ate a nice yogurt, cottage cheese, and strawberry breakfast.  I made sure to drink plenty of water and stretch out good.  I passed mile 1 at 8:15.  I heard someone mention the time and say: "let's pick up the pace".  I followed that someone and his buddy for the next 4-5 miles.  As I ticked off miles, I looked at my watch, quickly calculated my progress and determined when I would hit the next 8 minute mark.  You see I started this run with a goal of running at an 8 minute pace, but I noticed as time went on that I kept checking miles off at 7:30, 7:45, 7:50, 7:30 etc...

When I hit mile 13.1 I looked down at my watch and noticed that I was well ahead of my plan (1hr 40min)!  I thought to myself..."can I keep this pace up through the entire race".  My HR tracked steady in the 158 - 160 zone and I tried really hard to keep my HR under 160!  However, the next thing I knew I was at mile 20 and I was still running sub 8 minutes miles.  I felt good so I decided to keep up the pace.   I thought long and hard about going a little faster, but decided to wait until mile 24 to make that decision.  When I hit mile 24 I felt good.  I picked up the pace and ran around a 7 minute mile.  I started to feel some pain in my legs and a little cramping started to settle in.  I kept telling myself...You are strong and you are trained for this...Keep going.  I ran hard for the last mile and on a few occasions felt like my legs were going to cramp up and stop me in my tracks.  Thankfully it didn't happen and I crossed the finish line at 3:22 on the nose!  

I was very happy with this and very surprised at the accomplishment.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was capable of such a time.  I know that the training Max put me through and the sound nutrition advice was what got me there.  The prescription was one Gel every 20 minutes and 4-5 oz of water.  I enjoyed a number of vanilla bean, chocolate, and tri berry gels!  I am very much looking forward to the next race!  There is nothing like racing!

Thanks to Griff and Max for the motivation and encouragement in getting me here!

031909 - Run

On Thursday I had a last tune up run before the marathon.  I had plans to hang out with friends at Mister Days to watch the beginning of the NCAA tournament (an annual tradition) so I took the day off from work.  I ran in the morning and tried to take it very easy, but added two 1-2 minute pick ups to get my HR up over 155.  My average HR for was 144.  I felt really good and headed to the bar to watch the b-ball.  I did have a few beers, but took it easy to make sure I didn't overdo it.  I also tried to alternate in glasses of water to stay well hydrated.  Had a great time and felt relaxed and ready for the marathon.  I also took it very easy on Friday and made sure to have my traditional pre-race pasta and fish for dinner!  Enjoyed one helluva lobster fettucini dish at Maggiano's!

031809 - Brick

On Wednesday I went home after work and completed an easy brick.  I was in my marathon taper week, so all I had to do was a 30 minute bike and a 30 minute run.  I kept my HR average at 138 on the bike and 139 on the run.

031609 - Bike

Completed a 45 minute ride this morning before work.  I kept my HR average to 140 and my cadence average at 90 RPMs.  I shifted a lot during the workout to vary the stress on the legs.  I tried to do a number of 1 minutes intervals in hard vs. easy gears to keep it interesting.  I averaged about 18 mph.

031509 - Run

On Sunday morning I went for a long run in the AM.  I headed out around 8 AM and went from my house to the Rock Creek Police Station and back.  My HR stayed around 145 and I tried to take it easy.  Covered around 10.5 miles in 90 minutes.

031409 - Brick

On Saturday I had a brick.  I rode the bike on the trainer and did 90 minutes of the tough love video.  My HR stayed in the upper 150s during the bike.  After the bike ride, I went outside for 2 loops around the reservoir loop in 30 minutes.  My HR stayed in the lower 160s and I covered a little over 4 miles on the run.  I felt really good putting in my last hard workout before the marathon.  I am really looking forward to next Saturday.

031309 - Swim

Hit the pool after work and covered 2500 yards in 45 minutes.  Kept the HR up in the 150s.

031309 - Brick

With a flat tire at home, I decided to do my brick at the work gym.  I went during lunch and successfully completed a bike ride without a flat!  I rode the bike for 30 minutes and ran for 45 on the treadmill.  The gym has a new bike that has a screen and you actually steer the bike along a path.  It actually feels like you are riding outside and keeps me well entertained (trying to pass other riders on the screen).  It also has hills and you can change gears which makes it feel more like a real ride.  My average HR was 150 and my max HR climbed up in the high 170s when during the run.  I covered a little more than 5 miles while running.

031209 - Bike

So I went home on Thursday with a plan on how to fix my flat.  I had a hole in the rim tape and I learned that the tire was popping right at the same spot where the whole was.  The solution was to patch the hole with some electrical tape (temporarily).  Unfortunately it did not work!  I got home and fixed the tire.  I put the bike on the trainer (it was cold outside) and started doing the spinnervals aerobic base video.  35 minutes into the video my tire went flat.  I quickly pulled the bike off the trainer, placed the junker bike on it and finished the workout.  I have to say this was a tough week to get my workouts in!

031109 - Everything

On Wednesday I couldn't get my ass out of bed in the morning so I had to Lift, Bike, Run and Swim after work.  I lifted at work, biked home, ran the reservoir loop and finished at the gym, swam for 45 minutes and then ran 5 minutes home.  I felt pretty good throughout the workout.  I am still doing squats with 65 lbs on each side of the smith machine.  I am doing step ups with 45s and I am doing my lunges with a 50lb dumb bell over my head.  While lifting my HR hit 177 and I had an average of 129. The legs were a bit tight when I got on the bike and the light spin home loosened them up.  On the run I had an average HR of 146 and a max HR of 157.  I swam 2300 yards.

030909 - Bike

Last Monday I had to do a 90 minute bike.  I got home from work to find that I had a flat tire.  I kept a positive attitude and figured this was a good opportunity practice changing a tire.  It was also the first time I would ever use a CO2 cartridge.  I took the busted tube out, placed a new tube in, filled the tire with CO2 air and all of a sudden the tire went flat again!  Realizing that something was wrong with the rim, I decided to ride my junker bike.

I went into Rock Creek Park and cruised the hilly route a few times. My average HR was only 126 even though I felt like I was working pretty hard.  I just couldn't get my HR up.  My max HR was 153.  Felt pretty good despite the 3 hour run on Sunday. 

030809 - Run

Today was a breakthrough for me.  Max put a 3 hour run on my plan and I have been thinking about it all week.  I have never run for more than 2 hours and with the marathon just on the horizon, I was feeling a bit uncertain.  I have been thinking about that marathon like I thought about Timberman!  What will it be like?  How will my body respond?  What should my nutrition be?  How fast will I be able to go?  

Today cleared a lot of this up!  I left at around 4:00 this afternoon and the weather was perfect.  I was planning to get out early this morning, but due to the time change and an alarm clock malfunction, I needed to push it to the afternoon.  I headed out from home with 9 gels, 4 eight once bottles of water and a new pair of cushy socks!  I had instructions from Max to consume 1 gel with 4-6 oz of water every 20 minutes.  I followed those instructions precisely and mixed up the Gu flavors to keep from getting flavor fatigue.  I ate a combo of vanilla bean, chocolate, and tri-berry.  They were not tasty but they did the trick.  I headed out to rock creek park and ran 10.7 miles to the Masonic Temple.  I couldn't believe I was able to run that far in 90 minutes and the last mile or so was all up hill!  My HR on the first half stayed in the low 150s with occasional peaks around 160.  I made the turn feeling really good and headed home at a little quicker pace.  I got home in 2:57.40.  My average HR was 154 and my max HR was 169.  My time could have been a bit quicker because I stopped along the way to fill up a water bottle at a fountain and I hit a few red lights along the way.   I felt that my nutrition was perfect for the run and it was a good learning experience.  I would never have thought to eat that often on my own and this is just another perfect example of why working with Max is so helpful.  I was really happy with my pace and the way I felt.  I am very confident now for the marathon and I really enjoyed this part of the journey to Ironman CDA!  

030709 - Brick

Yesterday I had to do a brick.  The weather was freakin awesome so I went into Rock Creek Park and spent 2 hours in the great outdoors.  I rode for 90 minutes at a good clip and found that I was working pretty hard.  My HR was in the low 150s at the start and cooled down after about 1 hour. I covered 27 miles, kept an average cadence of 85 RPMs and my average speed was 18 mph.  What was really good about this ride was that I finished the route much quicker than I used to last year.  When I finished the out and back, I had 15 minutes to kill so I did 3 hill repeats up a monster.  This really shot the legs and when I started the run, it was a tough transition.  However, I ran for 30 minutes and covered 4 miles on a pretty hilly run.  My average HR on the run was somewhere in the low 150s, but I felt pretty good once I got going! 

030609 - Brick

This evening I did a 75 minute brick.  I rode the bike on the trainer for 30 minutes and kept my HR around 140.  I am still feeling a little soreness on the saddle, but muscled through it.  I ran for 45 minutes outside in shorts (thank god for the warm weather) and kept my HR around 145.  I covered 5.5 miles on the run.  I am really looking forward to working out this weekend in the great outdoors!  The forecast is 70s and sunny!

030609 - Swim

Hit the pool at 7 am and covered 2500 yards in 45 minutes.  I swam a 200 yd warm up and then did 5 x 100s on 130s with 10 seconds rest.  I then swam 1000 yards in 16 minutes and then 2 x 300s.  I cooled down with an easy 200.  My HR during this workout stayed around 150 - 160.  I felt really good and was happy to get the good workout in.

030509 - Run

I was supposed to bike for 90 minutes today, but I decided to avoid time on the ass and put some time in on the legs.  I was feeling a bit better this afternoon, so I went out for a 40 minute run around the catholic/soldiers home loop.  My HR monitor battery is dead so I went without any monitor.  I ran like hell and felt quite good.  The running did not seem to aggravate my health issue so I was happy with that.  Based on my perceived effort, I would guess that I kept my HR in the high 150s for the entire run.  

030409 - Missed Lift, Bike, Run

I decided to rest and stay away from the lifting, biking and running on Wednesday.  I read a bit online about my health problem and figured it would be best to avoid the strain.  I really felt guilty and wanted to go workout.  It was hard not to, but I want to make sure to rest so I would be prepared for the long run on Sunday.  With the marathon coming up, I really need that long run to get mentally prepared!

030409 - Swim

Went for a Swim on Wednesday and covered 2500 yards.  I was really feeling lousy, as mentioned in a previous post, but I figured, I could not do any further damage by swimming.  I started with a 200 yd warm up and then swam 1000 yards as fast as I could.  I was happy to complete 1000 in 15 minutes.  I then did a 300 and a set of 5 X 100 on 1:30 with 10 seconds rest.  I did another 300 and then a 200 yard cool down.  I am still trying to keep my swim pace up a bit to make better use of my two days per week in the pool.

030409 - Bike Gone Bad

On Monday night, I rode the bike indoors for 90 minutes.  I was pretty tired from the previous days run and I was not feeling very good.  Never the less, I jumped on the trainer, put a movie in the computer and rode steady with my HR at around 135-140 for the duration of the ride.  After this ride, I started to feel pretty bad and it resulted in screwing up my Wednesday and Thursday workout schedules.  Despite having Tuesday off, it was not enough.  I developed a bad case of serious "Pain in the Butt" and I stayed away from lifting and biking on Wednesday and Thursday. Finally today, I started to feel better, and was able to get a run in.  I hope my problem is gone for good.

030309 - Run

Went to the gym and ran on the treadmill last Sunday for 90 minutes.  I felt really good and tried to go at a solid pace.  I covered 11.75 miles in the 90 minutes and I varied the pace from 7.0 - 8.0 on the treadmill.  I found it pretty cool to watch my HR while I was at different paces.  When at 7.0 my HR stayed around 158 and when I kicked it up to 7.5 it jumped to the low 160s.  at 8.0 my HR was at 165 and stayed there for around 20 minutes.  I know this is not really a great gage for my HR/Pace, because I was running on flat ground, but it was helpful to see where my HR was at different paces.  Overall, I felt this was a good run indoors and I am really looking forward to the warmer weather to get outside!

022809 - Brick

Did a brick last Saturday evening.  Spent 60 minutes on the trainer and went out for a 30 minute run around the reservoir.  Kept my HR at around 145 for the duration.