Can't believe that it is already two weeks since my last posting. It’s also Mother’s Day today, so congratulations to all moms…
The last couple of weeks have been real calm (more like, the calm before the storm). My mom was visiting and we basically focused on making her comfortable and keeping her busy, it was real nice to leave the standard routine for a little bit; and mostly, I am real glad she came over and we all spent some time together.
Aside from one training session per week, last Saturday (7 days to race day) I ran 10 miles that felt like I might have done a job on my right knee. On the next run, a 4 miler was all I could do for the rest of the week without risking injury right before my first race. So, no more runs.
On Sunday, did a short swim. I wanted to do some speed work as I had a long day ahead planned with the family and mom. Once on the water I realized I did not bring my stopwatch so I focused my swim on form. It was slow and making sure I could control each part of my stroke. Because this is a slow swim, I was only able to go for 1000 yards, about half of what I usually swim, but training is training and more importantly I did not just swim length.
On Tuesday, since my riding has plateau and no matter how much more I push in one week, it wouldn’t do much for my performance in less than a week, so I just did one ride at about 20 mph. Go the distance and enjoy the ride, something I haven’t really done in awhile. Bike for fun!
My weight has been stable at 185LB. This is great because I was concerned that the lower level of activity would affect my weight, and so far it hasn’t.
Friday Night – one day before my race
Getting everything I needed checked and rechecked, and then packed while dealing with a lot of stress was not easy. I wanted to be in bed by 10 but didn’t get to it until 11. Good thing my iPod has some motivational audio files, I slept like a baby and didn’t wake up until the alarm went off.
RACE DAY - Saturday morning
The alarm went off and I was up by 4:30 AM. Typical pre-workout breakfast: protein shake with a double shot of espresso. Now I’m wired and on the run. Got to ground zero (the race) by 6:00 AM and immediately setup transition (the spot where I will change from swimming to riding my bike and into my running gear). Then, went to check out the swim and warm-up. I do not have my official lap times but my overall was 1:10:47
The SWIM
Why didn’t the organizers check the tide times ahead? Turns out it’s low tide and the water was knee/thigh high throughout the entire course. This was a problem because my arms were actually longer than that. Finally, the organizer pushed the course about 200 feet into the bay. It wasn’t perfect but it was the best thing that could be done.
My swim didn’t go as well as I had planned and hoped for. I kept trying to find the bottom and stand whenever I saw someone walking the swim course. This caused some problems as I kept freaking out when I could not stand. Finally I made it to the last straightaway of the swim, and ran the last 200 yards. This may turn out against me if my legs get too tired.
My first transition or change into biking gear went super fast.
The BIKE
I had a little difficulty while pushing my bike on foot to the mounting location and that cost me a few seconds. The ride went awesomely well though. I kept on catching and passing people from the start until I found a rhythm and kept pushing with a couple of guys and a girl from the Tri Psych team. In my last race I could not get my legs to fire, or even find a rhythm, but this was different, and good.
My second transition was a flash, but my run did not start as well as I had hoped for. This is nothing a few brick runs can’t cure.
The RUN
My legs did not fire enough to help me run fast enough during the first 2 miles. This was all over a dirt trail, but once I got on the asphalt, I started feeling it all come back. I even noticed a younger guy (ok, a kid) pass by me like a bay out of hell, but he was sidelined about 2 minutes later, this scenario repeated itself two more times, with the same guy. Finally, after the last turnaround I was joined by two gals, one of them the same Tri Psych that kept me pushing hard on the bike. At about 1/3 mile from the finish line they stopped at the water station while I kept going. I am glad this happened because I became the hunter again and just went chasing the next guy and realizing I was that close to the finish, I pushed with my all. I remember asking this guy to join me and come to the line with me but he did not respond. I honestly hope he doesn’t think I was being an a**,
At the finish line, the ticker said 1:14:47 for me, considering I went on the second wave four minutes after the first wave. Once I find the official numbers online, I will post the correct time.
The last couple of weeks have been real calm (more like, the calm before the storm). My mom was visiting and we basically focused on making her comfortable and keeping her busy, it was real nice to leave the standard routine for a little bit; and mostly, I am real glad she came over and we all spent some time together.
Aside from one training session per week, last Saturday (7 days to race day) I ran 10 miles that felt like I might have done a job on my right knee. On the next run, a 4 miler was all I could do for the rest of the week without risking injury right before my first race. So, no more runs.
On Sunday, did a short swim. I wanted to do some speed work as I had a long day ahead planned with the family and mom. Once on the water I realized I did not bring my stopwatch so I focused my swim on form. It was slow and making sure I could control each part of my stroke. Because this is a slow swim, I was only able to go for 1000 yards, about half of what I usually swim, but training is training and more importantly I did not just swim length.
On Tuesday, since my riding has plateau and no matter how much more I push in one week, it wouldn’t do much for my performance in less than a week, so I just did one ride at about 20 mph. Go the distance and enjoy the ride, something I haven’t really done in awhile. Bike for fun!
My weight has been stable at 185LB. This is great because I was concerned that the lower level of activity would affect my weight, and so far it hasn’t.
Friday Night – one day before my race
Getting everything I needed checked and rechecked, and then packed while dealing with a lot of stress was not easy. I wanted to be in bed by 10 but didn’t get to it until 11. Good thing my iPod has some motivational audio files, I slept like a baby and didn’t wake up until the alarm went off.
RACE DAY - Saturday morning
The alarm went off and I was up by 4:30 AM. Typical pre-workout breakfast: protein shake with a double shot of espresso. Now I’m wired and on the run. Got to ground zero (the race) by 6:00 AM and immediately setup transition (the spot where I will change from swimming to riding my bike and into my running gear). Then, went to check out the swim and warm-up. I do not have my official lap times but my overall was 1:10:47
The SWIM
Why didn’t the organizers check the tide times ahead? Turns out it’s low tide and the water was knee/thigh high throughout the entire course. This was a problem because my arms were actually longer than that. Finally, the organizer pushed the course about 200 feet into the bay. It wasn’t perfect but it was the best thing that could be done.
My swim didn’t go as well as I had planned and hoped for. I kept trying to find the bottom and stand whenever I saw someone walking the swim course. This caused some problems as I kept freaking out when I could not stand. Finally I made it to the last straightaway of the swim, and ran the last 200 yards. This may turn out against me if my legs get too tired.
My first transition or change into biking gear went super fast.
The BIKE
I had a little difficulty while pushing my bike on foot to the mounting location and that cost me a few seconds. The ride went awesomely well though. I kept on catching and passing people from the start until I found a rhythm and kept pushing with a couple of guys and a girl from the Tri Psych team. In my last race I could not get my legs to fire, or even find a rhythm, but this was different, and good.
My second transition was a flash, but my run did not start as well as I had hoped for. This is nothing a few brick runs can’t cure.
The RUN
My legs did not fire enough to help me run fast enough during the first 2 miles. This was all over a dirt trail, but once I got on the asphalt, I started feeling it all come back. I even noticed a younger guy (ok, a kid) pass by me like a bay out of hell, but he was sidelined about 2 minutes later, this scenario repeated itself two more times, with the same guy. Finally, after the last turnaround I was joined by two gals, one of them the same Tri Psych that kept me pushing hard on the bike. At about 1/3 mile from the finish line they stopped at the water station while I kept going. I am glad this happened because I became the hunter again and just went chasing the next guy and realizing I was that close to the finish, I pushed with my all. I remember asking this guy to join me and come to the line with me but he did not respond. I honestly hope he doesn’t think I was being an a**,
At the finish line, the ticker said 1:14:47 for me, considering I went on the second wave four minutes after the first wave. Once I find the official numbers online, I will post the correct time.
This finish time to me is short of something amazing, and it reinforces this blog to me. Last year I completed one single race, the distances were very similar yet, my time today was about 17 minutes faster. Heck that is 25% faster. Considering the swim took about 15 minutes and my run started real slow, I have to think the biggest improvement was the bike, which is also were I felt most dominant. I am so excited about the progress I have made and can’t wait to get my official times.
Regarding my weight
This week with even less physical activity and a few slips like ice cream and less salad and fiber, I gained about 3 LBs. Although I am well within my safety zone, this kind of behavior is dangerous and I must get back to healthier eating habits so that even with less activity, I keep off the weight. I can not get too controlling but I can not let it get out of control. Getting back on lo-carb mode is necessary. Just in case there's any doubt of how my body has evolved take a look at my most recent picture. If I can get here, you can too! and triathlons are a great motivator.
I am now back to focusing my training so that I can shed a few more minutes on my next race, scheduled for June 6, which is in four weeks.
To my readers and followers. Thanks for reading my blog. Leave me your honest but positive comments and check back every two weeks to see how I do in this journey. I’d love to hear from you.
