Checkpoint Charlie

A few items of note:

- Training Tri: The DC Tri Club did a training tri yesterday. I participated. It was intended to be a checkpoint... a way to see if I'm making any progress. I'm happy to report that things went well. The official results aren't in but I had my best time ever in the DC Tri Training Triathlon. The big difference was the run. I did the 5k with a pace under 8 minute miles. Not fast for many but definitely good for me. Additionally, a peer of mine... Paul Evans... finished behind me. I passed him on the bike and on the run as he appears to transition faster than I do. I went out strong on the bike and kept up the pace on the run but didn't really kick it until the last 200 yards. Then I went to another gear and that is when I passed Paul. Only one person passed me the whole race... some guy went by me on the bike and definitely dropped me.




- Sunday Training: Chad and KDOG were out of town this weekend, so I had to come up with a different Sunday training plan. I texted, emailed and phone several people. No one got back to me. I started feeling kind of sorry for myself and even imagined that no one else was interested in training with me. Paul offered to hook up when we were chatting at the training tri so we locked a plan. Unfortunately, Sunday morning, an equipment failure prevented Paul from making the ride.

However, I saw that Kip had finally replied to my text overture and I called him at 7 am. A quick word about this concept... triathletes will communicate with each other at times that most people would consider abnormal. Those of you who know me know that I wake early. So, sometimes... event with tri people, I can be a pest with early morning communication. So, I called Kip reluctantly. "Hello?" Kips groggy voice answered my call. I started by asking, "Is this too early to call?". Always quick witted, he replied, "I guess not." He agreed to ride and we got in about 53 miles from Hains Point out to Seneca and back. We hit all the hills... Mountain Gate, Old Anglers Inn, Esworthy and Massachusetts Avenue.

When we returned to Hains Point, Paul met up with me and we had some lunch and then got in 2000 in the Hains Point pool. I went over to Conte's later and, bless their hearts, they took great care of me. I bought some bike shorts that I intend to wear at the Total 200 which is not less than 3 weeks away.

Oh yeah... it was my first ride with the HydroTail loaded up. It was on the bike for the training tri but I didn't have anything in it. My spare tube fell out and got twisted in my bike wheel. Then, on the Whitehurst Freeway, an almost empty water bottle came out. Gone forever.

- Ironman Coeur d'Alene: A person I met through work is doing his first Ironman today. His name is Adam Edwards and I've been tracking his progress today here. We met at a Covad Partner Summit. I think we got to talking because I was wearing an Ironman hat, of course. He had done the California 70.3 earlier that spring. I think some friends were already influencing him to do a full Ironman but I like to think that my eyewitness account helped tip the balance. He has had some injury issues during training but had a clean bill of health today. Go get 'em Adam!

HydroTail

I received my HydroTail from All3Sports.com this week. As you can see, I attached it to my bike this evening. The Cervelo only has one bottle cage on the uptube. Attaching the HydroTail behind my seat will enable me to have two more bottles with me on rides.

Flying on Father's Day

Being a dad is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It's like everyday, that kid is still there and in need of something. I grew up in a time when dad was Mr. Brady and always seemed to have the right thing to say. I find that this isn't always the case for me. Many times, I am lacking in words and tempermant. Times were changing at the time of Mr. Brady and they are even more different now. But, I still think one thing hasn't changed... it takes a lot of time and effort to be a good dad... to be a father.

Barack Obama touched on it yesterday... what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child... it's the courage to raise one. He talked about setting an example of excellence for our children. He talked about how life doesn't count for much unless we're willing to do our small part to leave this world a better place for our children.

How does this relate to triathlon and more specifically, Ironman? Well, I have seen how my Ironman journey has had an impact on my daughter. She's already done two triathlons and a 5k... and she hasn't even turned 11 years old. She is very health-conscious and makes good food choices. She is very active physically and I think she enjoys riding a bike more than watching TV.

I took time out on Father's Day to ride a bike, myself. Well... I took about 6 hours. KDOG, Chad and I did the Capitol Hill to Sugarloaf Mountain loop again. I had a blast. It was a beautiful day and we were flying along pretty fast. Afterwards, we did 2000 yards at Hains Point. When I returned home, I gave my wife flowers and a card, as it was our wedding anniversary yesterday, too. 12 years. We cooked out with some neighbors and ate a nice dinner together. It was very nice.

I think the crowning touch was a card Jessica Rose gave me for Father's Day... there is a picture of Darth Vader on the front... it reads

Across the centuries and the galaxies, one question has plagued mankind - "Why?"

And dads have the answer...

when you open the card, you hear Vader's voice declare, "I am your father".

And it reads, "That's why. Happy Fathers Day."

I'm flying on the road... and in my spirit. It was a great Fathers' Day.

Hot & Humid

Summer Washington DC weather rolled into town over the weekend, producing the steamy training conditions that will prevail into September. I managed to squeeze a run into a overbooked Saturday and got a long ride in this morning. 73 solo miles in just under 4 hours in Howard and Anne Arundel counties. Drank plenty of fluids. I've dialed in on sipping every twenty minutes, taking a hammer gel every 45 minutes and eating a Clif bar every 90 minutes. This plan keeps my nutrition in line and keeps me from bonking.

Swim today was in the Hains Point pool. It is 50 meters so you have half the turns. It is outdoors, too. The past week was my highest volume of swimming yet in the training year.

I haven't posted my workout log in the past 4 weeks... so... in case you were curious... here it is:

Relentless

I am feeling a little overwhelmed today. The training is relentless. I'm going to get a swim in this morning and do a weightlifting routine at lunch today. This week has been very busy with work, family and community commitments so fitting in the training has been a struggle. This weekend is supposed to get real hot and I again have things going on both Saturday and Sunday that will force me to get workouts in open spaces on the calendar. There won't be much time for rest and it is likely I'll be unable to avoid staying out of the heat and humidity. Stay tuned...

Biking the Berkshires

Over Memorial Day weekend, I attended Chad and KDOG's wedding up in Massachusetts. Other DC Tri Club members were in attendance and everyone brought their bikes, of course. We rode on Friday and Saturday through the Berkshires. Lots of climbing over hills that never seemed to end. I got in 45 miles on Friday and 44 on Saturday. I gained some good confidence through the rolling hills and long, steep climbs. We stayed at a place called Bucksteep Manor which was at the top of Washington Mountain Road. I am certain that though Ironman Florida is a flat course, this training will be good for me as it is helping make my legs stronger. I felt a lot of power when I was on the flat road around Hains Point yesterday morning.

Taper Week?

If you asked me on Friday what my Sunday post would be about, I would have said, "Definitely about my *taper* week." Then Saturday and Sunday happened. I did a brick down in the Annapolis area on Saturday. It rained like the dickens in the morning so we (my sister Jessica Ann rode along, too) got started late. Rain was just tailing off when we got out there. So, it made for a messy ride. Took me about 30 minutes to clean my bike. I got in 37 miles and then ran right off the bike for about 20 minutes. I had to cut it short as we got started so late and I had to do some stuff with Jessica Rose.

Today, however, was the big kahuna. Chad, KDOG, Kip and I went out for a little Sunday ride. Ha! Kip had the great idea of riding all the way out to Sugarloaf Mountain. Ummm... from Capitol Hill Then when we got there, he suggested that we ride to the top... which Kip and I did. Chad was not interested as he did a long run yesterday so he stayed at the base. KDOG had to head back home after 30 miles. Great view at the summit. However, I think the ride up toasted my legs because from about mile 60 to mile 80 of the ride I was in bad shape. No power at all on the hills. Serious suffering. I had also eaten a $.99 bag of potato chips during our food break at around mile 55. That didn't sit well in my stomach and I learned a little lesson there. Altogether, 102 miles in about six hours and twenty minutes.

Something I'll observe about my experience with long rides... it always seems like that at 60% to 80% of the mileage (like, miles 60 to 80 on a 100 mile ride... or miles 48 to 60 on a 78 mile ride) are "times of darkness". It's hardest at that point of the ride. My mind goes to strange places and my legs tell me to "quit now and never ride again". I have to mentally prepare myself for this fact as in an Ironman... that 112 mile ride is followed by a marathon. I need to be tough and not "get out of the light".

So, this past week, I lifted weights once... on Monday. I took two days off of tri exercises... Monday AND Thursday. And I didn't swim at all. But, getting a century under my belt, with over 7000 feet of climbing... the day after a brick... kind of balances it out, what do you think?