Posts from — May 2009

Saturday (Day 128)

Bike (5+)
Swam (60+)
Ran (120)

Temp: 63º F
RPE: 7:7:9
Weight: 175

OK, I finally got a decent idea of what it’s going to be like.

Hell.

Biked to the Y and had time for a longish swim so I went for it and did some 400 free / 200 kick sets at the pool. It was a fun day. A bunch of families were there with their kids. Then I biked home, hopped in my running shoes and took off.  The wind was blowing out of the north from 12 to 20 mph. First leg of the run straight into it! My legs were already dead, but I made it through the course. I was about 7 minutes slower than I normally am on that same course. I guess what I need to be concentrating on in training is improving my speed even as I build my base. Otherwise, as each event starts adding on its performance burden to the ones that follow, there is no way I’m going to survive the long course – especially at 80-90°. Well, I probably survive, but I won’t make my finishing time.

Past a lady walking her white lab when I was on my bike. There’s a little section of the neighborhood trail that goes through some woods. The dog had picked up a log and was taking it home to chew. It was a good nine inches in diameter – only about a foot long though. As I was going by, I said, “Now that’s some stick!” She was like, “Yeah, he’s got his daily log .” I guess he picked up something everytime they took a walk. It was pretty funny. The dog had that look on his face that they sometimes get – half proud, half embarassed. His jaws were stretched so wide I bet he could have picked up a basketball.

Friday (Day 127)

Biked (9+)
Swam (30+)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Don’t actually know how far I went on the bike. Told mom I’d stop by, and I got off to a late start so I didn’t have time to do any of my standard routes. Biked to the Y, then back over to festival park and then back over to Centenial Park and then home with a visit to mom in there. Pool was OK. Didn’t do any kickboard drills – just did laps. Only got in about 1600 yards. Today was a paddle/fin day.

Thursday (Day 126)

Ran (73 min)
Swam (30+)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Nice run, but the humidity lately makes it feel like I’m running in Jello. Fortunately, it’s not that hot out because otherwise it would be unbearable. It’s been the wettest Spring in forever, but since the alternative is really hot and windy, I’m having a hard time enjoying my whining. Swim was good. Would have been longer, but I got into a discussion with Nathan the lifeguard about Whiteside YMCA’s pool. Turns out you can ask the lifeguards to pull a rope for you and they will do it for you. Hopefully it will keep the kids from divebombing you or swimming into your lane. Did 400 free / 200 kick sets.

Wednesday (Day 125)

Swam (45 minutes)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Good day at the pool. Colin came, and since it was a paddle and flipper day, I could actually keep up, nay, even PASS HIM! A big moment in Joe land. It livened up the whole swim session trying to catch up and pass. He was the only one of the regulars there tonight. Of course, without the paddles and fins he would have smoked my ass, but that’s life. He’s a fast swimmer that’s been doing it for a long time. Met the new guy who’s been showing up lately. His name was Jonathan. Turns out he’s from Africa too – alright, I was only there for the first three years of my life, but that counts!. He just in it for the exercise. Stopped by while I was stretching afterward to ask me why I was wearing fins and paddles. Gave him all the technical reasons, but I forgot to tell him the real overriding reason – because I can pass COLIN, even SCOTT! while I’m wearing them. Even slow guys like to feel fast occasionally. My equivalent of a mid-life crisis! I wonder if I can get a waterproof rug.

Tuesday (Day 124)

Ran (65+ minutes)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Great day for a run. Nice and cool. Kept waiting for it to rain on me, but I somehow managed to duck between storms. Oklahoma is getting wet this spring! Didn’t get a swim in. Went to see my niece play in the state semi’s instead. She did a good job. She’s a hell of a girl. IBA, varsity soccer, Key Club, National Honor Society, and a social life! I think her veins run pure Starbucks coffee. She’s off to California for college next year.

Monday (Day 123)

Swam (30 minutes)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Scott in the pool, so I talked to him for a while instead of hitting it hard, I meant to get in more time than just 30 minutes. Finally got moving though, 200 free / 200 kick sets. Good swim, once I got started.  Enjoying the Vita Mix. I’ve been doing at least 3 smoothies a day since I’ve bought it. My diet’s really changed. Hopefully, it will make a difference in my health. Discovered a substitute for the PB sandwiches which I can no longer have – I’m gluten free now since the Doc said I have Celiac Disease (gluten allergy). I just smear the PB on top of a rice cake – quick easy protein. Good before and after the swim. One of these days, I’m going to make the Rice Cakes (Francois?) that I got the recipe for at the TAT meeting,

Ingredients
1 Cup Sushi Rice
3 eggs
Bacon or ham
Choose other ingredients as desired
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Soy Sauce
Honey
Fruit

Directions:
Cook rice, scramble eggs, cook bacon if needed. Mix cooked rice, eggs, bacon in pan. Add chosen ingredients (sweet or savory). Press mixture into firm layer. Cut square portions. Wrap in tin foil. Ride and Eat.

Saturday (Day 122)

Ran (60+ min)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Cool day, great run. Wasn’t sure if I’d make it before I got rained on, but it all turned out alright. Sometimes I love running, sometimes I don’t. Today it was a good day. Under the influence of this article, (The painful truth trainers: Are expensive running shoes waste of money) I decided to forgo the $100+ running shoes and try something a little different. Bought a couple of pairs of $30 shoes from the local sporting goods store and am just going to rotate them for a while. Today was my first run in them and, actually, my feet and legs felt little different after I finished. Maybe the change  will make it easier to throw out my old running shoes. I swear, I have three old pairs all tasked for walking/yard work/cleaning car/ etc. I really only need one, but it just feels wrong to throw out a hundred dollar pair of shoes with perfect uppers just because the souls worn out.  Didn’t get my swim in today. Missed the opportunity this morning.

Wednesday (Day 121)

Swim (45 min)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 7
Weight: 175

Scott and family showed up. Fun watching them all swim together. Split a lane with a water aerobics woman for a while, but I finally got the lane to myself. Just did 200 free / 200 kick board sets.

Tuesday (Day 120)

Swim (30+ min)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 6
Weight: 175

Interesting swim. The pool was full of boy scouts getting their certification. I guess you have to get swim certified each year if you want to go to scout camp or do scouting activities around the water. I waited a bit and then they opened up a lane. Did 200 free / 200 kick board sets. At one point they almost succeed in drowning me. 20 young guys lined up along the edge of the pool furiously flutter kicking the water – in the lane next to mine. It was like trying to swim in a blender!

Monday (Day 119)

Swim (60+ min)

Temp: 60º F
RPE: 6
Weight: 175

Finally recovering! Came down with that respiratory crud that was going around. I’d start to get better and then play a soccer game and relapse again. Finally took last week off and did nothing. It made a difference. The antibiotics didn’t seem to help at all. Mom was, of course, pissed. … you aren’t taking care of yourself, etc. Oh well. It felt good to be back tonight. Did the paddles and fins – 200 free / 200 kickboard sets. Tomorrow I’ll run and see how it goes. Lots of people in the pool.

Bought a Vita Mix and have been doing the smoothie thing every morning.

Loving it.

Also have made fresh salsa – great, hummus – great, soup – well, it was an experiment. Mom brought me a fruit salad from Jason’s  Deli  – and I blended it. Not a bad smoothie. Little weird with the lettuce aftertaste though. I’ve been adding apples to my smoothies too. Just chop them in quarters and throw them in – seeds and all.

Delicious!

Tonight I added protein powder to my smoothie after the swim – it was great. Have been also keeping a diet log – just a blank notebook where I write down everything that I eat. I’m working up to doing the whole carbs/calorie/protein computation thing, but I thought I’d just get an overview first. I want to gradually ease into it. I’m trying to avoid making a huge deal out of my diet – tiptoeing towards improving it. Still reading Friel’s book “The Paleo Diet for Athletes.” First chapters lost me, so I started reading the final chapters which helped. Now I’m trying to read the first ones again. I think it’s a pretty good book. He talks about the difference that it made in his training. How he couldn’t train more than 12 hours a week prior to the diet without having his system break down with a respiratory disease like a cold or flu. That really struck a chord with me – that seems to happen to me. I’m willing to put in the hours, I just can’t afford the breakdowns.