Back at the Cliffs

Tonight I headed out to Shadow Cliffs for some open water swimming. Outside temperature was 87 degrees, so I figured the water would be warm as well. I decided to swim sans wetsuit. Well I took one step into the water and it was pretty cold. Oh wells. I figured it was good practice to swim without a wetsuit.

I still don't know what to do with the wetsuit situation for Vineman 70.3. According to USAT rules, wetsuits will be allowed if the water temperature is below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature is expected to be between 74 and 76 degrees.

Tonight I swam 7 laps, which is 14 lengths of 140 yards. Total distance = 1,960 yards (1.11 miles). Sadly, my finish time was approximately 46 minutes. For reference, I finished the 1.2 mile swim at Big K in 45 minutes. So my guess is that the wetsuit does make a slight difference. Really, i'm not going to sweat over the swim time difference. It's not as if there was a dramatic fall in time. I'm right around where I should be. I'm just hoping I can improve on my bike time, which is the biggest factor in overall time.

Today's Not the Day (to Go to the Hospital)

I had this grandoise idea to a double brick on Saturday. It actually sounded like what I needed before Vineman 70.3. The double brick was going to be a 30 mile ride and then a 5 mile run, done twice. A total of 60 miles bike and 10 mile run, which sounded very doable plus I really needed a BR(ICK!!) workout. And the fact that Saturday was going to be hot, made the workout even more perfect. Yes, sounds crazy, but hear me out. Vineman 70.3 has been known to be notoriously hot, so the best way to simulate it is to train in the heat.

I started at the train station in Danville at 8:10 am and proceeded towards the Highlands. The temperature was already in the 70s. I rode 15 miles out and then 15 miles back. I finished the first 30 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Then I got my run gear on to run the trail. The temperature must have been mid 80s. The run started off great. There was no soreness or cramps. About 19 minutes in, the quads began clenching. I thought to walk it off. Bad move, it only made it worse. It was better to keep running. At that point I decided to pop in the thermolytes I had bought last week. I turned around at mile 2.5. The quad cramping was off and on. So I guess the pills sort of worked. The heat was also increasing. It must have been upper 80s or low 90s. I was sweating like crazy. I walked a few times, but only for brief moments. I still finished the 5 mile run in 47:34.

It was so hot. I really debated about going home and calling it a day. I went to the air-conditionied Lunardis to buy some ice cold water. After a huge intake of water, I felt better. I got my bike out, refilled by bottles, and reapplied sunscreen. I proceeded to do the bike ride again. Nothing but hot breeze. It was actually cooler than stopping on the bike where I felt the sun beaming right on me. I was definitely taking in more fluids this time around. The 15 miles out went generally well. However the 15 miles back was bad. It must have been upper 90s.by that time. I wasn't sweating. I wasn't sure if I was deydrated or perhaps it was so hot that my sweat evaporated quickly.

I stopped at the park to get some water and I stood underneath a small tree to get some shade. Meanwhile my body was not feeling to great. I wasn't sure if I was drinking enough or maybe drinking too much, perhaps not getting the right salt/electroylte in take. Plus I was worried about getting a heat stroke. I pedaled on and rode the descents most of the way back. Probably about 3 miles to go, I pulled over and started spitting back up my Cytomax and water. I actually felt better. I rode the remaining 3 miles, finishing at 1:15 pm and decided to forgo the 5 mile run. I didn't need to end up in the hospital today. I dumped my bike in the car, ran across the street to the Subway (in full on spandex) and ordered a giant fountain soda. I filled the rim of the cup with ice and got some Sprite. It was so refreshing. I started the car and saw that the outside temperature was 104 degrees.

What's going on here?

Wow that Tri 4 Fun really messed me up. After landing on the left side of my body from the bike fall, my upper left back is has not felt the same. Fortunately, i'm going to see the Chiro today and hopefully can take care of this problem. Last night I ran 3 miles in 27:17.

This is Why Tri 4 Fun was Not Fun

Day 3 and my bruise looks like a sick pizza. It's the size of a baseball.

It's still aching. I've been icing it. I guess only time will heal it. Fortunately it hasn't kept me from training. Tonight I was back at the pool. I don't know why the 90 degree heat brings people and the kiddies to the aquatic center. If I wasn't training, i'd be at home chilling with my AC on. Anyways the line to get into the center was insane. Fortunately the folks weren't lap swimming.

Tonight's workout:

Warm Up:
200 LVL2 (20”RI)
4 x 50 (25 LVL2, 25 choice drill) (10”RI)
100 LVL2 (20”RI)
8 x 50 Distance Per Stroke (10”RI)

Main Set:
3 x 100 LVL3 (20”RI)
3 x 100 LVL5 (15”RI)
3 x 100 LVL7 (20”RI)
6 x 50 LVL8 (20”RI)

Cool Down:
100 LVL2

Total distance = 2,200 yards

Iron Horse Trail - Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Iron Horse Trail is like the Cheers of bars. There's always regulars. This morning I wanted to build on yesterday's sprint tri to try to run fatigued. I ran from Danville train station up to Rudgear Road and back, which came out to be around 10.22 miles. The run went pretty well. I wasn't dead tired. I was actually hoping to cramp in either the calves or quads because I had just bought some thermolytes and really wanted to see if they worked. Alas no cramps to test it out.

To my surprise the EB Tri team was out on the Iron Horse Trail. I saw a bunch of familiar faces, Jeff, Deb, Peter, Keiron and Kerri all on their way back. A little further up, I ran into old run teammate, Haakon on his bike. Last time I was out in Iron Horse, I ran into Belinda and Tiffany. Iron Horse is definitely the place to be.

Anyways I finished the 10.22 mile run in 1:40:40 (9:50/mile). So yesterday's bike fall left me with a giant bruise on the outside of my left thigh near my buttocks. Fortunately it doesn't hurt while running. The outer left arm is also banged up. Again doesn't hurt while running, but it's sure to impact my swimming motion. I think i'll take it easy this coming week.

TRI Not so Fun

Well I finished my second Tri For Fun today, with the first one coming 3 years ago. I figured the race would be a good tester before Vineman 70.3, which is 29 days away.

The Swim

What I forgot from the last time I did this race was that it did not start on time. The director yapped way too much and it would have been fine if he quickly talked about the course, but for me it felt like the talk was a lot of self promotion. So the swim didn't start till 30 minutes after the original start time. First wave was for competitive athletes. I hopped into the second wave, which was males from 18 to 39. I opted to go sans wetsuit, which was fine because the water was warm. 5 minutes after the first wave and we were off. I was in the middle of the pack. I could not break lose until the final turn. I wasn't trampled on or anything, but I was kicked from all sides and the slow folks were in my way. I was really annoyed by big dude who was doing the breast stroke and kicking me in the face. Seriously dude...breast stroke? So it was difficult to maneuver around people because there were people all around. It's like being in traffic, when you're behind the slow car and the lanes on either side of you are full of cars and they are going faster than you. I did panic a few times and that was because the faster people to the side of me were creating massive waves and the water would just gush into my mouth as I was gasping for air. I did miss my wetsuit out there because I noticed my legs dragging through the water. Well the swim was a good reminder of what to expect for Vineman 70.3. I finished the 400 yard swim in 9:32. T1 took about 2 minutes.

The Bike

I definitely improved on this part since the last Tri for Fun. This time i've come into it knowing how to use gears! The ride was pretty windy. Lots of headwinds. Oh I did have a fall. During the hairpin turn, homeboy in front of me couldn't decide quick enough whether to make a wide turn or sharp turn. I was behind him and I was pretty much at a standstill. I needed to move, so I decided to go in the inner lane. Well he came back sharp and I skidded away from him. I fell over on lots of gravel. Amazingly I wasn't cut up or bleeding. Just a little shaken up. I probably should not have cut him off, but I had to make a split second decision. Anyways, at this point, I was happy to see I was still keeping up with the guys. The last Tri for Fun, I was riding with the girls because they had caught up to me. I finished the 11 mile ride in 38:03.

The Run

This was the toughy of the day. About 0.5 miles into the run, the quads were beginning to cramp. The lack of BRICK workouts had caught up to me. I needed salt, but there was none. I just ran at a slower pace and was constantly monitoring it. I don't think the quads play much of a factor in running except on hills. So I was able to run 2 miles with the quads wanting to cramp. Unfortunately the last 0.75 miles was brutal. The quads began to lock up, but I knew it was going to be over soon, so I just ran through it. I finished the 3.1 mile run in 30:23.

Total time = 1:20:32, a new Tri for Fun PR. (previous best 1:33:19). So I have lots to work in the next 29 days. I'm glad I did this race, but not sure if i'll ever do it again.

Uggh..Aerobars

I just cannot get use to aerobars. First they add more weight to the bike. Second I can't balance while on them. Lastly, I don't know how to install them properly. I learned that lesson today. My brake wires are all in the way of where I needed to place my aerobars. Well apparently if you move these wires, they alter the tension of the brakes. I found this out after riding 10 miles and could not figure out why it felt more difficult and I was going slower than my pace. Then I took a listen and heard a "tss, tss" sound. My brakes were gently rubbing my rims, thus slowing me down. I messed with the bracket and eventually was able to ride smooth. I finish 40 miles riding from San Ramon to Pinole and back. I'm taking the aerobars out.

Getting Ready

I ran Alameda last night. I tried not to push it since I have the Tri For Fun race this Saturday. I finished the 4 miles in just a little over 36 minutes. It was a little warm, but the breeze helped in cooling me down - albeit it slowed me down.

I Like Open Water Better

Back to the pool. Upon arrival, I was greeted with new Summer Hours for lap swim. So I wasted 30 minutes waiting until they let me in. Once in I did my swim workout for the day and I sucked so bad. I think I went too fast in the beginning and tired out at the end. Swimming in the pool is like running around the track. It's a great tool to try to get faster and stronger; however, it sucks. I much prefer open water swimming because i'm much more relaxed and could swim at my own pace. Nevertheless, I finished the workout and now am completely exhausted. Tonight's workout:

Warm Up:
400 LVL 2
8 x 50 (25 LVL 2, 25 choice drill)

Main Set:
5 x 150 (LVL 3-6 descending) 20" RI
1 minute rest
4 x 100 (LVL 3-6 descending) 15 " RI
1 minute rest
4 x 50 (LVL 3-6 descending) 10" RI

Cool Down:
100 LVL 1

Total distance = 2,450 yards

Running SmooOOOTH!

I had a great run on Saturday. I was a little apprehensive because i've been running 5 miles or so consistently for the past month and had not done anything longer in distance. I think the last longest run was 7.45 miles for Bay to Breakers. The goal on Saturday was to do 8 miles. I really wanted to do 10 miles since Vineman 70.3 is only a month away. I ran the Lafayette/Moraga trail and headed out to do 4 (possibly 5) out and back. I'm still without my watch, so I just decided to focus on the pure enjoyment of simply running. I ended up turning around at mile marker 4.5 and cruised on the way back because it was a decline. I finished 9 miles and felt like I could have done more. Good sign.

Best Open Water Swim EVERRRR!

Just got back from the best open water swim ever. Which is a big surprise since I was swimming at swamp world known as Shadow Cliffs. Yes, there was geese poop near the sand area and in the shallow parts of the lake. Even the gunk started sticking to my body as I dove right in. However, I did not see any fish. They must have died from all the contamination. Back to the swim...it was so rad! I swam a total of 12 lengths for a total of 1,680 yards. I never had any sighting problems and I wasn't bouncing to the sides of the bouys like I did last year. There was definitely a switch and I turned very optimistic. Last season when I would sight to see the end bouys, I would say to myself "Jeez...when am I ever going to get there?" Today, it was like "Yes! I'm going to get there very soon" and I did get there soon. So I guess being Mr. Positive pays off. The hardest part was putting on the wetsuit.

Following the swim, I hoped on the bike for a ride. I wanted to go 30 miles, but I ended up riding only 16 miles. It just seems like the muscles that I used to cycle Tahoe was still pissed off or something. I was not feeling it on the bike, so I cut it short. I'm a little disappointed I didn't accomplish my goal for today, but perhaps it's a good thing to give my body a small break.

Good Swim

I had a very good swim tonight. I felt strong all the way through. I still have a month left till the triathlon, but am feeling pretty confident right now. It's going to get interesting this Friday as I will headout to the swamp known as Shadow Cliffs for some open water swimming. Tonight's workout:

6 x 400 (30" RI)

Total distance = 2,400 yards (1.36 miles)

And the Training Continues

I know never to undertrain for a century ride again. My quads, shoulder blades, neck are still sore. Still I made myself run around the lake tonight. Since my muscles were still torn, I figured it was good tri training - since my muscles would essentially be broken down for the run after the bike ride. I did take it easy tonight and kept the running at a manageable pace - never having to breathe hard. The only issue that had me worried was at the beginning of the run when my calves were tingling. Very strange. Eventually it went away. Perhaps it still has something to do with my brand new running shoes which i'm still trying to break in.

Century Ride #2: Undertrained Success

I don't know where to start. The good news is that the weather was perfect and I rode my fastest century. Total out time was 8 hours 47 minutes. I'm sure ride time was a lot less. The bad news is that I had a really bad time. It's no surprise because if you've followed this blog, you know my furthest training ride was 60 miles and i've consistently been doing 50 miles. So I guess there is something to be said for "time on the saddle." 4 hours on the bike is not the same as 8 hours on the bike. Also I ignored the altitude factor. There was nothing difficult about the climbs at AMBBR, but I was extremely winded during the climbs.

Team Phil + Rita w/Team Manager Hal

The first half of the ride went great, which included lots of sweet decents! I started the first ride with my Solvang pal - Rita for the first 15 miles. We soon got separated at the first climb. So I was solo after that. Riding solo sucks, because you don't have the advantage of a paceline. Yeah boo-hoo Phil right? After mile 44, my right quad and hamstrings began cramping. By mile 50, my body was done because that's how far it was trained to go. I pushed it through mile 62, but I was tiring out. The lunch stop was at mile 70 and I really didn't want to ride the remaining 30 miles. I wasn't even sure how to do it. I just told myself to just pedal, pedal! Unfortunately my body was zapped out. I had no energy. It was so bad, I had to stop every 5 miles. I was hungry, but I wanted to vomit. My heart was racing. On top of that, at one of the stops, I clipped out and my right quad locked up when I planted my cleat. I was screaming in pain. The only thing I could think of was to massage the cramped area thereby breaking up the adhesions. It worked and I was okay to ride on.

By mile 82, I just stopped. I wasn't sure if I had bonked, but I didn't want to move. I wanted the ride to be done. After a good 10 minutes, I decided to keep going. Only tough part was that I still had another climb to do and I wasn't sure how my quad was going to hold up. I just told myself to go slowly. It did the trick as I managed to prevent aggravating it. The last 10 miles was filled with annoying rolling hills. I was so fatigued, but pushed it the last mile to get to the finish line. Then I took an hour to shower and pack up before leaving and driving another 3.5 hours home. Yes, my ass hurts.

Run Stupid

What a bizarre running day. First I forgot my dri-fit visor. I never run without it. So I had to battle 4 miles of dripping sweat running down my face. Second I had mad struggles with brand spankin new running shoes. I hate new shoes. They're stiff as a board. After 5 minutes my feet were so stretched out from the stiffness, I had severe pain on the bottom of my foot. About a mile in, I just sat on the bench, took off the shoes, and loosened the laces up so I could get some wiggle room. I really wanted to turn around and call it a day. But I gave it another go, seeing how long I could tolerate the pain. I took it easy and it did the trick. No more pain. Still stiff as a board, but pain free. I turned around at 2 miles and headed back. I finished the 4 miles in just under 40 minutes (based on my car's clock - i'm still watchless) despite the brief pity party I had for myself at the bench.

Just My Luck