Here's January:
Swim: 9,600 yards
Cycling (outdoors): 0 miles
Cycling (indoors): 3:30 (hours)
Run: 81.7 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 6 sessions
Approximate monthly total training/racing time: 24.75 hours
Weight: 166 - I feel a bit heavy, but the weight is fine. I think I've probably lost a little muscle mass and gained a little fat over the last few months. I'll just call it "insulation" for the winter!
January was, well, if you've been reading recently, you know that it had it's downs and ups. But it ended on a positive note. And that's what really matters as I head into the rest of 2009. I ran more in January than I have in any month since last June. But I didn't swim as much as I have been and I didn't take the bike outside a single time. Granted, it's been so awfully cold, that I'm friggin' happy I haven't felt obligated to ride outside. As I wrote the other day, my swimming has been going well. I wouldn't mind getting in the pool a little more often, but I know that if I'm gonna run Boston and be careful with my training volume, I've got to concentrate on the running.
Today I went on a great run. We're in Chevy Chase for the weekend visiting my in-laws. A mile or so from their house is a great path that runs through Meadowbrook Park and into Rock Creek Park. It's pretty quiet on the path, especially on a cold day like today. The path was also pretty icy and at some points covered in frozen snow, left over from the storm last week. It was really cold, but sunny and clear. Once I was warmed up, the cold air felt so refreshing and I loved listening the cracking ice below my feet. I'm still run/walking, but again, my knee felt fine during the run. It's a little achy tonight, but not too bad.
Indoor ride - January 30
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 119
Run/Walk - January 31
Distance: 10+ miles
Time: 1:40 (10 min. walk warm-up, 18 x 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Average heart rate: 139
Course: Chevy Chase, MD, Rock Creek Park
Conditions: Sunny, but COLD and windy (mid-20's, real feel around 18)
(Edited 2/2/09 to add weight at end of month and edited 2/3/09 to fix error)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
4:50am wake-up call
For the past few weeks, Thursday has been my longest scheduled training day of the week. A 50+ minute swim and a 45 minute run/walk. Coach John probably intends for me to split it up and do one session in the morning and one in the evening. But for various reasons, my Thursday evenings have been busy recently and I've known I wouldn't be able to run or swim after work. Lunchtime is sometimes an option, but not always a reliable one. One week I ran on Thursday and then swam on Friday, skipping my scheduled day off. I'd rather not miss my day off, so I figured out another solution: getting up really really early and doing a morning double.
The total training time is about 1:35, but I know that in order to it work without half-assing either workout and still get to the office on time, I need at least a few hours. So here's the approximate schedule that I've been following for the last 3 weeks:
4:50am - alarm goes off, eat half a Clif bar and half an apple, get dressed, force Charlie out of his bed to go for a short walk (he looks at me with such devil eyes at 5am!)
5:15 - walk out the door, head to the gym
5:35 - in pool for swim
6:30 - dry off, stretch, drink some Infinit, change into running clothes, relax for a few minutes
6:50 - on treadmill for run
7:35 - finish run, cool down, stretch and roll out my quads and hamstrings
7:50 - shower at gym, walk home
8:20 - breakfast at home, get dressed for work
8:45 - out the door again, head to work
Surprisingly, getting up at 4:50 on recent Thursdays has been easier than getting up at my normal 6:30. Today I was half-awake waiting for the alarm. Last week I was up before the alarm. And I finish the training feeling great about myself and what I've "accomplished" before the day has begun. There is also a little sense of pride in knowing that I'm one of the first people in the gym that morning and the only person in the pool for at least the first half of my swim. And that's another reason why this schedule works - the pool is relatively empty in the mornings until at least 6:30am and not having to worry about sharing lanes is a wonderful thing! I could definitely get through the workout about 20-25 minutes faster if I "transitioned" quickly from the pool to the treadmill, but I like taking my time and stretching and taking in some calories. Also, I've been trying to push the intensity a little on my swims, and I know that the short break makes my run better and helps me recover more quickly, too. I could also do it more quickly by bringing my work clothes to the gym, like I do any other day, but I like going home for breakfast, even if it costs me 30 or minutes of sleep.
I definitely get tired towards the end of the day and it does take me a day or two, depending on our schedule, to recover from the early morning, and I know I couldn't do this kind of schedule every day, but once a week it works great!
(I know, I know, after that awful annoying bout of self-pity on Wednesday, I'm writing again. It feels good to write. This doesn't mean it won't happen again!)
Swim - January 29
Distance: 2,400 yards
Time: 52 minutes
Treadmill run/walk - January 29
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45 minutes (10 min. warm up, 7 x 4 min. run, 1 min. walk)
Average heart rate:
The total training time is about 1:35, but I know that in order to it work without half-assing either workout and still get to the office on time, I need at least a few hours. So here's the approximate schedule that I've been following for the last 3 weeks:
4:50am - alarm goes off, eat half a Clif bar and half an apple, get dressed, force Charlie out of his bed to go for a short walk (he looks at me with such devil eyes at 5am!)
5:15 - walk out the door, head to the gym
5:35 - in pool for swim
6:30 - dry off, stretch, drink some Infinit, change into running clothes, relax for a few minutes
6:50 - on treadmill for run
7:35 - finish run, cool down, stretch and roll out my quads and hamstrings
7:50 - shower at gym, walk home
8:20 - breakfast at home, get dressed for work
8:45 - out the door again, head to work
Surprisingly, getting up at 4:50 on recent Thursdays has been easier than getting up at my normal 6:30. Today I was half-awake waiting for the alarm. Last week I was up before the alarm. And I finish the training feeling great about myself and what I've "accomplished" before the day has begun. There is also a little sense of pride in knowing that I'm one of the first people in the gym that morning and the only person in the pool for at least the first half of my swim. And that's another reason why this schedule works - the pool is relatively empty in the mornings until at least 6:30am and not having to worry about sharing lanes is a wonderful thing! I could definitely get through the workout about 20-25 minutes faster if I "transitioned" quickly from the pool to the treadmill, but I like taking my time and stretching and taking in some calories. Also, I've been trying to push the intensity a little on my swims, and I know that the short break makes my run better and helps me recover more quickly, too. I could also do it more quickly by bringing my work clothes to the gym, like I do any other day, but I like going home for breakfast, even if it costs me 30 or minutes of sleep.
I definitely get tired towards the end of the day and it does take me a day or two, depending on our schedule, to recover from the early morning, and I know I couldn't do this kind of schedule every day, but once a week it works great!
(I know, I know, after that awful annoying bout of self-pity on Wednesday, I'm writing again. It feels good to write. This doesn't mean it won't happen again!)
Swim - January 29
Distance: 2,400 yards
Time: 52 minutes
Treadmill run/walk - January 29
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45 minutes (10 min. warm up, 7 x 4 min. run, 1 min. walk)
Average heart rate:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
On the other hand...
I did run three pain-free miles this morning and feel pretty good today. I'm also healthy, married to a beautiful woman, have a job, a kick-ass dog and some big life-plans in the making. And I'm complaining? Man. I need a swift kick in the head.
I'm f-ing moody these days... you'd better watch out.
Treadmill run - January 28
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
I'm f-ing moody these days... you'd better watch out.
Treadmill run - January 28
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Motions
"The Motions" as in "Going through them"
Training is coming along OK. I've been keeping up with the blog - I dutifully update the tables on the right every day - but I haven't been posting very often. My physical training and my psychological mind-set are in a weird place right now, which definitely affect my motivation to sit down and write.
I am training for Boston. It's now less than 12 weeks away. I've been slowly ramping up my running (and run-walking) for the last eight weeks. So far, so good. My knee is still achy sometimes, but strangely it doesn't hurt while I'm running and the bad days don't necessarily correspond to my running schedule. My worst day last week was Friday, which comes after Monday, Wednesday and Thursday runs and is my day off. So maybe that makes sense. But I woke up Saturday morning relatively pain-free and did my "long" run. No pain during the run and still now (Tuesday afternoon, after a run on Monday morning and indoor rides Sunday and this morning) no pain. That's great, right? Except it's impossible to learn from, or fix, my issues, if I can't figure out why they're happening. Also, after another month of taking the anti-inflammatory, I've been off it for about a week. Thankfully there hasn't been any noticeable change in my knee, but I am starting to feel a little bit of pain creep back into my low back/butt/hip area. And I've noticed that my hamstrings have gotten tighter. Am I just bitching? Should I just accept that no distance runners/triathletes can expect to be pain-free? Is this "pain" an acceptable level of pain that I should just suck it up. It doesn't really "hurt" so that's fine, but I am constantly worried that this is the first step to the next level of pain.
Every week John sets up my training schedule and every week I go out and do it. But my heart's not really into it. It's becoming more of a duty: "follow this schedule and you'll run Boston" instead of a reward: "have fun training and Boston is the icing on the cake." When it comes down to it, I'm nervous about my running "career". Just about every day I worry if the previous run, or the next one, will be my "last". (Not last forever, I know, but last for now.) Is this the run where my knee will really act up again? Will I feel that pain that I can't run through? I've accepted that that might happen. And it takes the fun out of it. Sure, I should probably look at it in a "glass half full" way and tell myself that because of my fears, I should make a point to enjoy each run as if it were my last. Easier said than done...
The short of it is that I'm still doing it. And I'm happy when I'm running or swimming (being the trainer on the other hand, is killing me). So I'm not going to stop. But the whole process - training, thinking about training and racing, reading Slowtwitch, keeping abreast of race schedules, etc. is not as much fun as it used to be, that's for sure. That's probably the biggest reason why I'm not posting very often. And even though I'm not sure what my running or tri schedule will look like for the rest of 2009, I am still certain that at some point I will get back to that place. For now though, feel free to ignore my whining...
Run/Walk - January 18
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 1:01 (10 min. warm-up walk, then 3 min. run/1 min. walk)
Location: Barton Springs Greenbelt trails, Austin
Conditions: Sunny, low 50's = really nice!
Indoor bike - January 20
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 123
Strength - January 20
Run - January 21
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate:
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Sunny and clear, but COLD (18 degrees, but "real-feel" was around 8)
Swim - January 22
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard time: 1:35 (1:17, 1:18)
Treadmill run/walk - January 22
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45 minutes (10 min. walk warm-up, 35 min. of 3 min. run/1 min. walk)
Run/Walk - January 24
Distance: 8.2 miles
Time: 1:20 (10 min. warm-up walk, then 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Average heart rate: 145
Location: West Side Highway
Conditions: Clear, cold (high 20s) and gusty winds = brrrr!
Indoor bike - January 25
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 119
Strength - January 25
Run/Walk - January 26
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 50 min. (10 min. warm-up walk, then 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Location: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Clear, 19 degrees, are you kidding me!
Indoor bike - January 27
Time: 30 minutes
Strength - January 27
Training is coming along OK. I've been keeping up with the blog - I dutifully update the tables on the right every day - but I haven't been posting very often. My physical training and my psychological mind-set are in a weird place right now, which definitely affect my motivation to sit down and write.
I am training for Boston. It's now less than 12 weeks away. I've been slowly ramping up my running (and run-walking) for the last eight weeks. So far, so good. My knee is still achy sometimes, but strangely it doesn't hurt while I'm running and the bad days don't necessarily correspond to my running schedule. My worst day last week was Friday, which comes after Monday, Wednesday and Thursday runs and is my day off. So maybe that makes sense. But I woke up Saturday morning relatively pain-free and did my "long" run. No pain during the run and still now (Tuesday afternoon, after a run on Monday morning and indoor rides Sunday and this morning) no pain. That's great, right? Except it's impossible to learn from, or fix, my issues, if I can't figure out why they're happening. Also, after another month of taking the anti-inflammatory, I've been off it for about a week. Thankfully there hasn't been any noticeable change in my knee, but I am starting to feel a little bit of pain creep back into my low back/butt/hip area. And I've noticed that my hamstrings have gotten tighter. Am I just bitching? Should I just accept that no distance runners/triathletes can expect to be pain-free? Is this "pain" an acceptable level of pain that I should just suck it up. It doesn't really "hurt" so that's fine, but I am constantly worried that this is the first step to the next level of pain.
Every week John sets up my training schedule and every week I go out and do it. But my heart's not really into it. It's becoming more of a duty: "follow this schedule and you'll run Boston" instead of a reward: "have fun training and Boston is the icing on the cake." When it comes down to it, I'm nervous about my running "career". Just about every day I worry if the previous run, or the next one, will be my "last". (Not last forever, I know, but last for now.) Is this the run where my knee will really act up again? Will I feel that pain that I can't run through? I've accepted that that might happen. And it takes the fun out of it. Sure, I should probably look at it in a "glass half full" way and tell myself that because of my fears, I should make a point to enjoy each run as if it were my last. Easier said than done...
The short of it is that I'm still doing it. And I'm happy when I'm running or swimming (being the trainer on the other hand, is killing me). So I'm not going to stop. But the whole process - training, thinking about training and racing, reading Slowtwitch, keeping abreast of race schedules, etc. is not as much fun as it used to be, that's for sure. That's probably the biggest reason why I'm not posting very often. And even though I'm not sure what my running or tri schedule will look like for the rest of 2009, I am still certain that at some point I will get back to that place. For now though, feel free to ignore my whining...
Run/Walk - January 18
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 1:01 (10 min. warm-up walk, then 3 min. run/1 min. walk)
Location: Barton Springs Greenbelt trails, Austin
Conditions: Sunny, low 50's = really nice!
Indoor bike - January 20
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 123
Strength - January 20
Run - January 21
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate:
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Sunny and clear, but COLD (18 degrees, but "real-feel" was around 8)
Swim - January 22
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard time: 1:35 (1:17, 1:18)
Treadmill run/walk - January 22
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 45 minutes (10 min. walk warm-up, 35 min. of 3 min. run/1 min. walk)
Run/Walk - January 24
Distance: 8.2 miles
Time: 1:20 (10 min. warm-up walk, then 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Average heart rate: 145
Location: West Side Highway
Conditions: Clear, cold (high 20s) and gusty winds = brrrr!
Indoor bike - January 25
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 119
Strength - January 25
Run/Walk - January 26
Distance: 4.5 miles
Time: 50 min. (10 min. warm-up walk, then 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Location: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Clear, 19 degrees, are you kidding me!
Indoor bike - January 27
Time: 30 minutes
Strength - January 27
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Brrrr!
It's supposed to be warm in Austin, right? Well, not this weekend. I mean, it's certainly warmer than NYC, but mid-60's during the day and mid-30's at night isn't what I really expected. And yesterday I don't think it got warmer than low-50's. It is better than 12 or 17 or whatever it is today in New York, so I'll stop complaining.
Yesterday, when I got into town, I drove to Deep Eddy for a swim. As I said, the air temperature was in the low 50's. The pool is spring-fed and maintains a constant temperature between 68-72 degrees. Let me say that there is no way it was that "warm" in the pool yesterday! The water was definitely in the low 60's. After 20 minutes, I could barely feel my feet and knew it was time to get out. But getting out was WORSE! That's when I started shivering. I ran to the outdoor locker room for a long warm shower and then to my car to sit with the heat on full blast. I didn't stop shivering for a few hours! My run today was a much better experience!
I'm having a great time in Austin so far. We went out last night to my friend Charles' bar, Doc's Garage, on South Congress. Today was a lazy day for me, sleeping in, walking around, a run, some reading. Right next to our hotel, some organization is giving away and raising money for shelter dogs. There are some really cute dogs in little pens that I would think hard about adopting if I lived here. Tomorrow is another free day until the wedding in the evening.
Swim - January 16
Distance: 1,200 yards
Time: 20 minutes
Location: Deep Eddy Pool, Austin, TX
Run/walk - January 17
Distance: 7.5 miles
Time: 1:10 (10 min. walk warm-up, 60 min. of 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Course: Town Lake, Austin
Conditions: Overcast, mid-60's
Yesterday, when I got into town, I drove to Deep Eddy for a swim. As I said, the air temperature was in the low 50's. The pool is spring-fed and maintains a constant temperature between 68-72 degrees. Let me say that there is no way it was that "warm" in the pool yesterday! The water was definitely in the low 60's. After 20 minutes, I could barely feel my feet and knew it was time to get out. But getting out was WORSE! That's when I started shivering. I ran to the outdoor locker room for a long warm shower and then to my car to sit with the heat on full blast. I didn't stop shivering for a few hours! My run today was a much better experience!
I'm having a great time in Austin so far. We went out last night to my friend Charles' bar, Doc's Garage, on South Congress. Today was a lazy day for me, sleeping in, walking around, a run, some reading. Right next to our hotel, some organization is giving away and raising money for shelter dogs. There are some really cute dogs in little pens that I would think hard about adopting if I lived here. Tomorrow is another free day until the wedding in the evening.
Swim - January 16
Distance: 1,200 yards
Time: 20 minutes
Location: Deep Eddy Pool, Austin, TX
Run/walk - January 17
Distance: 7.5 miles
Time: 1:10 (10 min. walk warm-up, 60 min. of 4 min. run/1 min. walk)
Course: Town Lake, Austin
Conditions: Overcast, mid-60's
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Yee-haw!
Today was freezing cold in New York and tomorrow's supposed to be worse. Thankfully, first thing in the morning I'm jumping on a plane to head down to Austin, Texas for Tad and Carrie's wedding and a weekend of warmer weather, time with good friends and probably/hopefully a little too much fun. I'm going to make time for at least one run and one swim. I'll plan on swimming tomorrow at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs and then run Town Lake on Saturday morning.
It was a little crazy in New York this afternoon, after a commuter jet flying from LaGuardia to Charlotte, NC had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. Supposedly, the plane flew into a flock of birds which knocked out at least one engine! My office overlooks the Hudson; while we're too far south to have seen the landing, we could see all the helicopters and police and fire vehicles heading to the site. And after the plane was evacuated, it was towed (tugged?) downstream, right past our windows. The picture below is awful. It's from my Blackberry. If you look closely, you can see the tail and if you use your imagination, you can even see the nose of the plane. Don't they say something about the day after a big accident is the safest time to fly? If not, they should. I'm sure every pilot in the air for the next few days will be using all their best evasive moves to avoid birds!
Run - January 12
Distance: 4.75 miles
Time: 55 minutes
Average heart rate: 134
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Clear and cold - 20 degrees, brrr!
Indoor bike - January 13
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 129
Treadmill Run - January 14
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes (+10 minute walk to warm-up)
Average heart rate: 150
Swim - January 15
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard test = 1:34 (1:14, 1:20). Best yet!
Treadmill Run/Walk - January 15
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37 minutes (+10 minute walk to warm-up)
Average heart rate: 133
It was a little crazy in New York this afternoon, after a commuter jet flying from LaGuardia to Charlotte, NC had to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. Supposedly, the plane flew into a flock of birds which knocked out at least one engine! My office overlooks the Hudson; while we're too far south to have seen the landing, we could see all the helicopters and police and fire vehicles heading to the site. And after the plane was evacuated, it was towed (tugged?) downstream, right past our windows. The picture below is awful. It's from my Blackberry. If you look closely, you can see the tail and if you use your imagination, you can even see the nose of the plane. Don't they say something about the day after a big accident is the safest time to fly? If not, they should. I'm sure every pilot in the air for the next few days will be using all their best evasive moves to avoid birds!
Run - January 12
Distance: 4.75 miles
Time: 55 minutes
Average heart rate: 134
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Clear and cold - 20 degrees, brrr!
Indoor bike - January 13
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 129
Treadmill Run - January 14
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes (+10 minute walk to warm-up)
Average heart rate: 150
Swim - January 15
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard test = 1:34 (1:14, 1:20). Best yet!
Treadmill Run/Walk - January 15
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37 minutes (+10 minute walk to warm-up)
Average heart rate: 133
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tough ending
I'm trying to just be happy that the Chargers made it as far as they did. It was a frustrating football season. They just weren't up for it today. And the Steelers came to play. Anyway...
Training is coming along fairly well. I ran (or ran-walked) four times last week, for a total of more than 17 miles; my biggest week in months. Thankfully, I made it threw the week pretty well and don't feel any worse for the 17 miles. For the next few weeks, I'm going to s-l-o-w-l-y increase the run volume. Assuming I make it through January, I'll start bumping up the volume a little more quickly in order to get to the 18 or 20 mile runs I'll need for Boston. So far, so good.
Treadmill Run - January 7
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
Treadmill Run/Walk - January 8
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38 minutes
Average heart rate: 140
Swim - January 9
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard test: 1:37 (1:16, 1:21)
Run/Walk - January 10
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 1:07
Average heart rate: 143
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Cold (mid-20's), overcast
Indoor ride - January 11
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 127
Strength - January 11
Training is coming along fairly well. I ran (or ran-walked) four times last week, for a total of more than 17 miles; my biggest week in months. Thankfully, I made it threw the week pretty well and don't feel any worse for the 17 miles. For the next few weeks, I'm going to s-l-o-w-l-y increase the run volume. Assuming I make it through January, I'll start bumping up the volume a little more quickly in order to get to the 18 or 20 mile runs I'll need for Boston. So far, so good.
Treadmill Run - January 7
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 25 minutes
Average heart rate: 146
Treadmill Run/Walk - January 8
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 38 minutes
Average heart rate: 140
Swim - January 9
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 50 minutes
200 yard test: 1:37 (1:16, 1:21)
Run/Walk - January 10
Distance: 5.5 miles
Time: 1:07
Average heart rate: 143
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: Cold (mid-20's), overcast
Indoor ride - January 11
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 127
Strength - January 11
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
2008 Annual Summary
Looking Back on 2008
As I've made very clear since the first time my knee started bothering me last March, 2008 didn't turn out as I'd hoped. I didn't train or race as much as I planned - or as much as I would have liked. Between my knee and hip/back pain, it was a trying year physically and psychologically. I dropped out of two of my five scheduled races (Boston and the JFK 50) and didn't finish the Harriman Half Ironman. I went through relatively long periods of struggles to get motivated and really missed the training. But I did keep at it and can say that I did just about everything I could to safely keep myself in the game. And the year did have some highlights, with a huge race at Ironman USA and a great result at SOS. Even though I felt like I came into both races somewhat underprepared, I had a ton of fun at each and really surprised myself with my results. It's funny: compared to almost any year of my life, 2008 was a year of great accomplishments. The problem is that I can't help but compare 2008 to 2007, and think about the 2008 goals that I set for myself in December 2007. I know I have to keep that in perspective...
2008 Training/Racing totals:
Swim: 232,840 yards (132.3 miles or 9,313 lengths in the 25 yard pool)
Cycling (Outdoor): 1,874.4 miles
Cycling (Indoor): 87:38 hours
Run: 639.32 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 87 sessions
Approximate total training time: 429 hours
Looking ahead to 2009
Last year I charged into January with a full slate of races scheduled for both 2008 and 2009. This year, I'm going in a little more cautiously. I want to train and race; I know what races I would ideally do, but I'm also conscious of the fact that I'm still not 100%. As of today, I'm signed up for the Boston Marathon in April and Ironman Canada in late August. I am cautiously optimistic about Boston and little less so about Canada. In a call with Coach John on Sunday, I told him that I wanted to work towards Boston. I am going to train as if I'm going to be there on April 20, but with full knowledge that my knee and/or hip/back might not allow it to be. I'm going to play Ironman Canada by ear for at least a couple more months. That really means that it's highly doubtful. Last year, I had a great race at Ironman USA with less training than I'd planned. But I also had a much stronger base due to my 2007 injury-free season and a strong winter and early spring. This year, assuming I make it through Boston, I'll wake up in late April without having spent much time on the bike or in the pool. I'm not counting myself out yet, but I am being careful with my expectations.
I do have a back-up "plan". If I either can't get to Boston or do make it through and decide not to go for Canada, I'll take it easy this summer and continue to work on my recovery. That recovery will include more strength work and hopefully some shorter triathlons, road races and swim races.
Happy 2009 to all and thanks for following along with me!
Run - January 2
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 32 minutes
Course: Topanga State Park trails
Conditions: Mid-40's, sunny
Run/walk - January 5
Distance: 4.75 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: High-30's, mostly sunny
Indoor ride - January 6
Time: 30 minutes
As I've made very clear since the first time my knee started bothering me last March, 2008 didn't turn out as I'd hoped. I didn't train or race as much as I planned - or as much as I would have liked. Between my knee and hip/back pain, it was a trying year physically and psychologically. I dropped out of two of my five scheduled races (Boston and the JFK 50) and didn't finish the Harriman Half Ironman. I went through relatively long periods of struggles to get motivated and really missed the training. But I did keep at it and can say that I did just about everything I could to safely keep myself in the game. And the year did have some highlights, with a huge race at Ironman USA and a great result at SOS. Even though I felt like I came into both races somewhat underprepared, I had a ton of fun at each and really surprised myself with my results. It's funny: compared to almost any year of my life, 2008 was a year of great accomplishments. The problem is that I can't help but compare 2008 to 2007, and think about the 2008 goals that I set for myself in December 2007. I know I have to keep that in perspective...
2008 Training/Racing totals:
Swim: 232,840 yards (132.3 miles or 9,313 lengths in the 25 yard pool)
Cycling (Outdoor): 1,874.4 miles
Cycling (Indoor): 87:38 hours
Run: 639.32 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 87 sessions
Approximate total training time: 429 hours
Looking ahead to 2009
Last year I charged into January with a full slate of races scheduled for both 2008 and 2009. This year, I'm going in a little more cautiously. I want to train and race; I know what races I would ideally do, but I'm also conscious of the fact that I'm still not 100%. As of today, I'm signed up for the Boston Marathon in April and Ironman Canada in late August. I am cautiously optimistic about Boston and little less so about Canada. In a call with Coach John on Sunday, I told him that I wanted to work towards Boston. I am going to train as if I'm going to be there on April 20, but with full knowledge that my knee and/or hip/back might not allow it to be. I'm going to play Ironman Canada by ear for at least a couple more months. That really means that it's highly doubtful. Last year, I had a great race at Ironman USA with less training than I'd planned. But I also had a much stronger base due to my 2007 injury-free season and a strong winter and early spring. This year, assuming I make it through Boston, I'll wake up in late April without having spent much time on the bike or in the pool. I'm not counting myself out yet, but I am being careful with my expectations.
I do have a back-up "plan". If I either can't get to Boston or do make it through and decide not to go for Canada, I'll take it easy this summer and continue to work on my recovery. That recovery will include more strength work and hopefully some shorter triathlons, road races and swim races.
Happy 2009 to all and thanks for following along with me!
Run - January 2
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 32 minutes
Course: Topanga State Park trails
Conditions: Mid-40's, sunny
Run/walk - January 5
Distance: 4.75 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Course: Washington Square Park
Conditions: High-30's, mostly sunny
Indoor ride - January 6
Time: 30 minutes
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