Sunday, September 28, 2008

One week from right now....

One week from right now I hope to be finished....or dang close to it. With the minor nagging issues I have had lately, I have abandoned all thoughts of trying to predict a goal time. I plan to cruise Longhorn 70.3 as best I can. I have not been able to ride nearly as much as I would have liked but I think I will be okay. I had a nice short ride on Friday (which happended to also be my 49th birthday), then I swam a mile and rode 90 minutes yesterday. Today was a hour and 15 minute run and that pretty well does it. I have a 3 sport short run through early this week and then it is just spin a little, swim a little, run a loosen up run and then SHOWTIME!!

It sure seemed further away when I signed up at the beginning of the year but it has finally arrived. I am going to do my best to enjoy the day. Goals -- finish with a smile on my face and don't puke....

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Down to 2 weeks...

Did a cool 10.25 mile run this morning since I couldn't do a long ride. Felt really good surprisingly. I will swim and run tomorrow and then the taper begins..... Of course the taper for a HIM is still a pretty tough training week in my book. I hope to be able to be back on the bike sometime this week.

Please start shooting the good karma this way.....70.3 miles is a LONG way......LOL! Two weeks from tomorrow....

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

No really....is this a new post....wow....

And now for a little feel sorry for myself.... In addition to a absolutely horrid stock market - I am having a relapse of the infection that I suffered from 2.5 weeks ago. No bike per doctors orders until I go see him again on Monday. I had micro surgery yesterday and am recovering well. I am free to run and swim starting tomorrow. This really sucks. As strange as this might sound, I was really looking forward to this long week. I really like how a long workout makes me feel. So I am a little wigged out...imagine that....I feel I am fine fitness wise but my nugget (brain) is trying to undermine what confidence I have.

I do feel pretty good and honestly, I had no choice - there was no way I could get on a bike seat yesterday. I am also on some nuclear anti-biotics. The thought is I might have picked up some bacteria in an open water swim that is attacking me. The good news is that one of the anti-biotics supposedly makes you VIOLENTLY ill if mixed with alcohol....so I am likely to lose a few ounces over the next two weeks of medication. Also, with these meds, I am guessing that I won't get sick or suffer from another infection.

Pray for me......sTRIve.....17 days, 10 hours and counting

Monday, September 1, 2008

The Austin Triathlon

Today was the second annual Austin Triathlon. There was a sprint and an Olympic. Following is my race report. This was my second Olympic, the first being CapTexTri. The courses are pretty similar as they are both held right in the middle of downtown Austin, TX, definitely a triathlon city.

It is currently about 3:30 Monday afternoon and my day was excellent. I feel great....I feel totally recovered which seems a little odd but I could use a short nap from the early wake up call.

Time is unofficial...off my watch...but I think I am around 3:02....was hoping for under 3 but I will take it....it was a non-wetsuit swim and I think my swim was the same as in May so I was very pleased with that - maybe that was my 1 or 2 minutes lost to no wetsuit....LOL...bike was average 19.5 mph unofficially and the run was about a 1:05, or 1:06. Again, it was a pretty hot day but did not seem to bother me like the one in May. It was almost the same course as the one in May so I think the comparison pleases me. I felt my nutrition was dialed in, which is why I feel very recovered now I am sure. So I got up, had a bagel and peanut butter and then a banana, followed by a little caffeine fix. Walked over to transition as it opened, got body marked and then set up my little area....it was clean, I am trying to cut down the clutter in all areas of my life. I then walked back up to the room to relax for a few minutes. Back down with plenty of time to spare (I HATE to be late anywhere). Shawn Colvin, a country musician from Austin sang the national anthem and the open wave was off. I was in the fifth wave so I got to stand around a little and then it was into the water with no wetsuit - the temp was 78 so it was wetsuit legal however I made the decision to go sans wetsuit in case my 70.3 is non-wetsuit, I wanted to be comfortable with the swim. No real contact, no bumper bodies, no amusement park ride at the beginning so I just swam. I am pleased with the swim, felt good getting out, HR a little high but okay.

The bike was interesting. There were a couple of tight turns and a couple of turnarounds and a few gradual grades and one hill, I hit it pretty hard and am very pleased with what Polar says was my pace - 3:05 per mile - I will look forward to checking it when the official chip times get posted. I passed several people on the 3 loops and got passed some.

And then there was the run --- ah, the run. I came out of T2 at about 1:56 or 57 and thought, hey, let's see what happens. I knew the bike took a little out of me but hey, I like to ride. Heat was building, sun was bright, it was a beautiful day - so it was just left, right, repeat.......I really would like to see the halfway split, I am pretty sure I may have run the second half faster than the first but I guess I will never know for sure as I didn't hit the lap function on my watch.

Great party after with massage, ART Active Release Therapy, pizza, beer, smoothies, ice cream, fruit, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies, etc. Put the bike on the back of the truck, took a shower, checked out of the hotel and headed for home.

Approaching the highway, I-35, we saw it was blocked and empty. So, slowly moving with everyone else on the service road, I realized it was for President Bush to travel from Austin down to San Antonio to make an appearance. He met with hurricane volunteers and evacuees in Austin and then in San Antonio (I think he also came to watch me participate in The Austin Triathlon - ROFL). Then, here came all the police, ambulance, bomb truck looking vehicle and a bunch of black suburbans, some with the back windows open and some mean dudes looking out backwards, followed by several press vans and then more police. That was cool, then the highway re-opened and we were able to get out of some of the traffic.

I had hoped to break 3 hours today but it was a PR nonetheless and I feel really good about how I feel now. Next up, Longhorn 70.3!!!!

What a great Labor Day!