Day 47: 5/31/2010

Last day of May. I was up at 5:20 and out the door before 6:00 AM. I met a friend and we rode a pretty quick pace on an out and back on highway 60 towards Magdalena. We rode for 1:45 and 35 miles. Then it was off to Albuquerque to have a day of fun. I drooled over some new Specialized Transition bikes at a shop there in Albuquerque.

Although I'm not really very happy with the way May ended, I was pleased to see that I had to go all the way back to July of 2006 to find a month that I did as many combined hours. I finished with a little more than 46.5 hours for the month. I swam 11 times for a total of 35,900 yards (~20 miles), I biked 10 times for 370 miles and I ran 12 times for 98 miles total.

Like I said, I am proud of this but at the same time I know that I took too many days off and had to many single workout days during the month of May. If I matched some personal bests with this effort, I know I can surpass these marks next month. In 2004, I had 3 months where I had over 40 hours in the month. In 2006, I only had one, and I haven't been able to match these since. It feels good and I'm starting to notice I look a little leaner in the mirror.

Coming up, I have the Deuces Wild triathlon festival this coming weekend in Show Low, AZ. I have an Olympic distance race on Saturday and an Xterra on Sunday. I have done these races for the last 2 years and I plan to PR both races and be a little more competitive in my age group. After the festival I will have a solid 3 weeks of training leading up to BSLT 70.3 in Lubbock. This race will be a qualifier for Ironman and a race that I need to finish to validate my slot for Ironman. I PR'ed the race last year but not with a PR for the distance. I have some goals in mind for this year but more on that as the time comes up. After BSLT, the real Ironman training begins :^)

Thanks for keeping up with my diary.

Day 44, 45, and 46: 5/28 - 5/30/2010

The wheels fell off. I could come up with some reasons but the short story is that it just didn't happen. Friday and Sunday were ZERO training. Saturday I did run 2 hours.

Week finished with 7 total workouts and almost 8 hours of training.

Day 43: 5/27/2010

The wheels haven't fallen off but I didn't do much working out today. 2500 in the pool is all that happened. When I got home from school I quickly fell asleep for an hour and a half. That made me get to the pool late and that's that. Spent the evening at Wal Mart of Socorro shopping. I'll have a good Friday.

Right now, I am at 5 hours and 50 minutes for the week and 2 workouts of each sport. Tomorrow that goal is 2 hours and 10 minutes so that I can go into the weekend with 8 hours.

Another thing I have been spending some time on is thinking about specific Ironman training and coming up with some sort of plan. I read today "Success starts with a dream, a thought; but that's only the first step. Writing it down is the second step. Doing specific things to bring it

about is the third step." I read this and I liked it and also my buddy, Matt Napier and I exchanged some emails back and forth. Not this weekend, but next, hopefully Danny and I can talk some about what a good plan would be for Hawaii. One thing I must say is I have some great athletes and people in my corner. Between my brother Mike, Danny and Matt, they have completed a combined 8 Ironman World Championships.

Day 42: 5/26/2010

Didn't do my first workout till around 7 this evening and just finished my 2nd workout 10 minutes after 11. Not what I prefer but I guess I got the work done.

I ran the ditch bank loop and finally after 3 tries I was able to finish it in under an hour. Time for the 8 mile course was 58 minutes and change. That was great considering I was tired and irritable before I left. (Sorry Linds) I relaxed for a bit then started riding the bike on the trainer and watched an hour and 5 minutes of Ironman... The movie, not the race, on Blu Ray.

So total for the day was 2:05 and that puts my hours for the week at 5. This is the point last week when my wheels sort of fell off for a couple of days. None of that this week.

Day 41: 5/25/2010

5:45 AM run for :45. Nothing fancy or entertaining.

In the PM I met a girl from the high school for a swim workout. She is a senior who just graduated and will be swimming at the collegiate level at Adams State in the Fall. She was faster than me but she told me some things I could work on and she definitely pushed me to some faster times in the pool. We swam 3400 in just over an hour.

As we swam the things I worked on were having a cleaner hand entry into the water, only breathing every third stroke and streamlining longer off the walls. It all worked and reminded me of how I learned to swim 15 years ago when I would try to mimic another friend at the time who was also on her way to becoming a collegiate swimmer. I have always heard that to better at a sport to do as much as you can with people that are better than you. Good thing for me I know lots of people faster than me!

Total for the day was 1:55 and I'm at 2:55 for the week.

Day 40: 5/24/2010

Monday, Monday. Seems like if I start with a bang I tend to fizzle and if I start out easy I end up consistent and finish strong. Yesterday I invited some CC kids mountain biking. One of them got a new bike and was excited to get it dirty. The group ended up being 5 of us and we were gone for 2 hours but I'm only counting 1 hour towards my training because I spent a lot of time waiting for them. I gave up a little of my workout but these kids really enjoyed riding single track and I think they have a new appreciation for just how hard riding a bike can be. When they stopped they were usually breathing pretty hard and sweating but always had a big smile. They all had fun and want to do it again. We didn't make formal plans but they now know where the trail is. I'd love to see them get interested in something like that. A big goal I have for all the kids I coach is that they stop perceiving exercise as a chore and start running, swimming, or biking on their own.

So total for the day was 1 hour mountain biking.

Days 37, 38 and 39: 5/21 - 23, 2010

Friday - nothing :( Grace duty in the morning and I helped with graduation in the evening.

Saturday - great day! Out the door early before the wind for a 2 hour run. I felt good the entire time. I also made it to the pool for 3500 yards of swimming. My feet and calves were cramping the entire time. Next time, I need to bring along some salt tablets after a hard run effort.

Sunday - again I made it out the door early before the wind... sort of. I rode 2 hours and 7 minutes out and then came back in 1:38 for a 3 hour 45 minute bike ride. The afternoon was spent at a graduation party for one of my XC runners and a long nap. I may do something inside this evening as it is still howling at 25 mph outside.

Weekly Summary:

3 swims totaling 9700 yards in 3.2 hours.

2 bikes totaling 122 miles in 6.8 hours.

3 runs totaling 25.75 miles in 3.5 hours.

total hours: 13.5 hours.

I already have my best swim and bike month that I've had in several years. My run can do the same if I put an effort into it this week. One thing I would like to see for this next week is to up the number of workouts I do for the week. I don't think 8 workouts is enough? Only 2 rides is for sure not enough rides.

Day 36: 5/20/2010

Ok, so morning workouts aren't so much a thing I can plan for. With a 9 month old at home, if it can happen then I need to take advantage of it and if it doesn't happen it just doesn't happen. At 5:30, Grace wakes up screaming and I know and can tell that I need to take this one. I do enjoy having Grace fall asleep on my chest but no morning workout because everytime I try to put her down she would wake up screaming.

After school, lindsey had a physical therapist appointment so I had solo kid duty. Made it to the pool around 5:30 and swam a 2500 in :50. I did a 1000 yard TT and did it in 14:34. I wasn't very impresses as I have been swimming a whole bunch. I actually had a faster TT in January. I think I started too fast and struggled with my breathing and streamlines off the wall because of that.

Although I took the day off from work on monday and got in a long ride, I am now behind where I was at this point last week. If I want to catch up I need 2:10 tomorrow. Stay tuned. I have to be at graduation tomorrow at 6:30 so lay your bets down now. Do I make it or do I fizzle out?

Day 35: 5/19/2010

I was able to get up and out the door for an early morning workout today. I ran the golf course loop which has been a loop I've been doing for 16 years now. The loop is about 3.75 miles long and is usually accomplished under :30. Today however, was very blah and I limped home around :32 later. I walked a couple of times and finished discouraged.

After school and after some family time at the park I decided to get a better run in so I did the ditch bank loop which is 8 miles. It took some HTFU to get me out the door but I felt great and ran it in just barely over 1:00. Very similar to last week when I did it and was pretty excited about it.

So total for the day was 11.75 miles of running in 1:30.

Day 34: 5/18/2010

I was really really tired this morning. I hate excuses and I use this blog to help motivate myself not to use any since I have to actually write them out for the world to see. In other words, it lets me see when I need to HTFU. It keeps me accountable. But holy crap, I was really tired.

I got to the pool and swam 3650 in 1:10. Felt good but not great. I got home and dinner was ready and it was delicious. Lindsey had fresh mixed salad and lasagna with italian sausage. I couldn't resist and I'm still pretty full. No 2nd workout.

On another note, I weighed myself this morning and I was 163 lbs and 9% body fat.

Day 33: 5/17/2010

Mike and I rode 3 hours together and had lunch in San Antonio at the Buckhorn. Comparing to last week, I am on Monday night where I was on Tuesday night last week. So, things are starting off on the right foot. My plan is to have another 2 solid weeks of training then be ready for Deuces Wild in Show Low, AZ. Then I will get in another 3 solid weeks for BSLT 70.3 in Lubbock. After a little rest after BSLT then the real fun begins.

Day 32: 5/16/2010

3 workout day. Ran long with my brother, Mike, this morning. We ran along the bosque and the Rio Grande on a single track trail that I had never been on before. It was cool running through trees and along the river bank, run was 1:20.

Then a short 1500 swim for :30. No workout just a straight 1000, a 200 kick and an easy 300 cool down.

Then Mike, EP, and myself rode to San Acacia and back. Same ride as yesterday. 32 miles in 1:50.

Total for the week was 15 hours and 20 minutes. I had one of the best swim weeks I have ever had, I went well over 10 hours, and no days off. Nothing was really that hard, I was just consistent and got the work done.

Day 31: 5/15/2010

Lindsey had a workshop at school so I wasn't able to start anything till the afternoon. That is sometimes a good thing because I got to spend the morning with Emma and Grace and nothing beats that.

I got to the pool around 1:30 and swam a 5300 yard swim! Main set had 20x200's and my fastest one was my last in 2:41. I do remember once swimming a 5000 but I do believe this is my longest swim ever.

Lindsey and the kids showed up to the pool as I was finishing so I stayed a played a little before I left to fix a flat and head out for an easy bike ride. I rode 32 miles in 1:50.

Tomorrow I am planning on getting up early to do a long run before church. Thanks for checking in.

Day 30: 5/14/2010

7.85 mile run in 1:00. I did this same exact run May 5th and was 3 minutes slower than today. I also negative split the run today.

Day 29: 5/13/2010

I helped Emma go back to sleep last night and ended up spending the night... without my phone alarm. No morning workout.

I had a meeting at the middle school and high school for kids interested in running XC this summer and fall and I was pleased with the turnout. I really love XC and I'm happy to see the team grow and improve. Hopefully, by doing Hawaii I inspire some kid to try something new like running or swim team or whatever. It is so important for kids to gain confidence in themselves and I feel sport does just that. Team sports are ok but too many join just to be part of a group for social reasons. In a sport like XC, you get out what you put in and there is no hiding. The results of your training and dedication are on display for all to see.

Anyway, I mountain biked this evening for 1:45 and then ran a tempo run on the treadmill for :30 at 7:00 pace. 2:25 for the day and that makes 7:00 for the week. This is shaping up to be the first week in a very long time that I have no days off and have 10+ hours.

Day 28: 5/12/2010

It wasn't quite 5:00 am but I did get up and out the door by 6:00 am this morning. I squeezed in a :30 run before school. After school I watched Grace while Lindsey ran and then I headed over to the pool for a 3,600 yard swim. I had read some things about head position, elbow position in the water, and something called front quadrant swimming and I tried to keep all 3 of these things in my head as I swam. I know I have been swimming more also but I have to say I had the best swim I have had in a real long time. On a 200 set I came in at 2:42! My swimman worked awesome and I just cranked it out, it was awesome.

But as my sensei reminded me... it's all about the run. 100% true. I need to be running more and not always just "runs." I need some fartleks and tempo runs and I also need to challenge myself with some longer runs.

Training today was :30 run and 1:15 swim for a total of 3.75 miles running, 3600 yards swimming and 1:45 of training.

Day 27: 5/11/2010

So I have had a real hard time waking up early lately. With the windy days, the morning is ideal training time but I have been going to bed late and I try my best to be awake to help Lindsey with Grace during the night. I hit snooze a few times this morning and before I knew it 5:00 am turned into 6:30 am. No workout. After school it was super windy and both Lindsey and I had some obligations to attend to. I finally put the bike on the trainer and watched the new release, Daybreakers on DVD. I rode for 1:45 and to be honest, it went by pretty quickly.

So far this week I have only 2 workouts for a grand total of 3 hours. I really need to start waking up early and getting in some doubles. I know I am not where I need to be but I'm a long ways ahead of where I was and where I would have been without this golden ticket. These workouts that I do need to just be a priority and I cannot be OK with letting things slide. I gave my XC kids a quote not too long ago, "Procrastination is like a credit card; it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." My due date is Saturday, October 9th at 7 AM.

Day 26: 5/10/2010

I just got in my new swim workout book from Trisports.com and I have been excited to try a workout from there. I already own vol 1 but I wanted vol2 because the workouts are longer in the 2nd edition. Today I tried to finish the first workout in the book which was 4400 yards total but I ran out of time as our pool here has shitty hours. I was able to swim 3700 in 1:15. My favorite part of the workout was doing a broken 250 where I went hard for a 100, then 3 50's. The 100's were under 1:20 and the 50's were under :40. I was :Pleased. Next time I will have to get to the pool with enough time to finish some of these!

Day 25: 5/9/2010

Well, all I can report from the last 4 days is that track is over. Kids did great and I am very proud of all of them. Boys team was 5th and girls were 7th. Hopefully, more than anything, I hope they left the state meet with a fire in their belly that they want to be better. I look forward to XC and to see who will come out guns a blazin!

Tomorrow starts 3 weeks of great training for the Deuces Wild triathlon festival in Show Low, AZ. I have an Olympic distance race on Saturday and an Xterra on Sunday. Emma may even get in on the action with the kids duathlon.

Day 21: 5/4/2010

Swam a 3000 and ran 8 miles in 1:05. My swim felt good but my run did not. The run was right after the swim and I don't know if that has something to do with it but I didn't feel speedy. It felt labored and uncomfortable.

Day 20: 5/4/2010

3200 swim. I don't understand why they keep the pool here so freakin warm... 84 degrees does not feel good when it is 84 degrees outside. On the positive side, the weather is awesome! I am looking forward to the opening of the city pool though which is long course and not heated (at least not to the extrene the university pool is) so the water is always refreshing.

Day 19: 5/3/2010

Ran with the track team after school for :45 then 6x200 @ mile pace. Wanted to swim after that but decided at the last minute to go meet the family at the park in the neighborhood. I also gave our dog, Kona (nice, huh) a bath and washed the yukon. That's my day!

Side note: Mike and I are making some plans for some epic training at Elephant Butte Lake in the near future, stay tuned.

Day 18: 5/2/1020

Today I went up to Albuquerque for the Run for the Zoo 10k. I was secretly hoping to break :40 but I finished in :42 and 6:47 pace. Not bad, not great. I'd like to say my legs were a little tired from yesterdays bike ride :) I didn't feel "tired" but my legs just couldn't turn over any faster than that today. I finished 45th overall and 6th in my age group out of 1328 finishers.

I was even more happy that my wife and mother-in-law ran the 5k and Emma ran the fun run mile. We spent all morning there at the zoo in the cold drizzly weather cheering each other on.

This week I'm looking forward to my last week of track practice and meets and some better weather. One thing I need to do is not have a breakdown in training and do very little on Friday and Saturday when I am in Albuquerque for the state track meet. Stay tuned.

Day 17: 5/1/2010

Longest ride in a very long time and I felt great to boot! I started out riding South on NM state road 1 but was forced to turnaround after 20 miles because of rain, wind and cold (WTF it's May?). I stopped by the house at mile 40 and got some arm warmers on and continued North of town to Polvadera and back to add another 27 miles for a grand total of 67 miles in a moving time of 3:46 according to my trusty Garmin. I averaged 17.7 mph and burned almost 4,100 calories. I feel awesome!

I started a little too late so by the time I got back, ate, and relaxed a little the pool was already closed so no swimming. Tomorrow I am running in the Run for the Zoo in Albuquerque. I am doing the 10k and I am excited because it has been a very long time since I ran an open 10k. I think the last one was Run Old Mesilla and Mike laughed at me when I crossed the line in like 45 minutes. Sucked.