A Change In Weather!

Wow, it’s good to be in the South right now. Despite a short band of thunderstorms that came through Saturday night, we’ve had unbelievable weather for the last week. The temps have stayed around the high 60’s low 70’s in the mid afternoon. Spring is coming, and yes I know it’s still February but we’re close. In fact, I was just reading the other day that Day Light Savings Time has been moved up by 3 weeks! That means in just about 2 weeks I’ll have time to bike after work again. This is huge. I’m lucky to live in a community that attracts a lot of cyclists. This is largely due to the great support of a local bike shop, Homewood Cycles that serves as a starting point for most rides. Every Tuesday night a big group of cyclists head out from the shop for a 28 mile loop. This shop is a mile from my house and work. So needless to say I’m pumped about the change in time and weather over the next few weeks.

So how’s my training going? Well, pretty good as a matter of fact. I set a new PR for a 5 mile run at 34:11. Don’t know why. I just felt good that day. I’ve been feeling really good on the bike as of late. Between two rides this weekend, I logged 58 miles. 28 of that was part of a brick on Saturday. I’m still not in love with swimming right now. I have the most room for improvement here. I really need to work on form when I fatigue and breathing. I’m doing a few exercises to help expand my lungs and improve my endurance which are freaking killing me right now.

A big congrats to Levi Leipheimer who won the Amgen Tour of California this weekend. Levi did the unthinkable by keeping the Yellow Jersey from the first stage to the end. This is a huge confidence booster for team Discovery. Last year’s ATOC champ, Floyd Landis, went on to win the Tour de France.

On another note, Jan Ullrich is calling it quits. The former Tour de France winner was Armstrong’s biggest rival during his stretch of seven wins finishing 2nd to Lance 4 of the 7 times. If Armstrong’s retirement was like Babe Ruth retiring, Ullrich’s would be like Ted Williams.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Cue the Sound of Music soundtrack. In light of the up coming season (of which I’m getting more and more excited about each day), I’d like to share with you a few of my favorite things I’ve discovered in Triathlons:

1.I love to bike! Man, I am jonesing right now for a good ride. Nothing beats the open air and pounding those pedals.

2. Favorite energy gel – GU Strawberry Kiwi. 15 before every 45 it says. It’s the perfect size. I like the Powergels, but they take too long to get down.

3. Favorite sports drink mix – It’s gotta be the Cytomax Cool Citrus – It’s a little on the sweet side, but its heads and shoulders above the rest in taste. Oh yeah and in performance it kicks. 190 mg of sodium, 95mg of potassium, and 35 carbs.

4. I love my new Zoot tri shorts – comfortable as “all get out.” Plenty of padding in all the right places and they even come with a couple of pouches so I can stow fav #2. Thanks to Jeff M. for suggesting these.

5. Favorite run - Red Eye 10K – I don’t get to do this one very often, but every Saturday morning a group of local runners meet up to run through one of the ritzier parts of Birmingham. The distance is perfect for me as well.

6. Favorite ride – Cahaba Cycles 38 miler – great distance with a great group of guys. This ride features tons of back roads which sadly will soon be over taken by suburban sprawl. For now, it’s a fast course with little to worry about other than keeping up.

7. Favorite swim – don’t have one yet. Sometimes I love the pool, sometimes I hate it. Kinda hate it right now. Oh, but I do love the swim portion of races.

8.Favorite post ride ritual – Every Saturday ride is followed up with one of Super Sam’s own Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwiches!

9. Favorite time of race day – Oh, this is great. Pre-race in the transition is so weird, but still so cool. There’s a lot of nervous energy out there and it’s cool to see how different people prepare.

10. Favorite portion of the race – This has to be T2 – For most, this is the fastest transition. You’re tired, legs are burning, but this is the last leg and it’s time to go.

11. Favorite Tri Read – I’ll read anything about techniques for improving my “game.” Whether its gear, nutrition, or training regimes, count me in. Can’t get enough.

12. Favorite stat after the race: I love them all. Bike splits, pace per mile,

13. Favorite feeling – PAIN – I love to suffer. It’s when I know that I’m pushing myself the hardest. I remind myself that 99% of America is sitting on the sofa while I’m busting my tail to obtain my goal.

14. Favorite benefit – Community – The fact that we’re all quirky enough to post blogs and have group runs and training sessions are simply too cool. It wouldn’t be half as fun without the community.

And I thought only beer makers made funny commerials...

Clif Bar one-up'd all the beer makers with this one. Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk

Tagged - my, my, my

Well, I've been tagged by Mr. Fistfight himself so here goes:


1: Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever: My first Tri was an Oly in Philadelphia, Miss back in 2004. It was in July mind you. I received an invite from a client to join him in competing in the tri and being the adventurous and cocky guy that I am, I jumped at the chance. The triathlon is just one of the many events during a two week county fair for this rural area of Mississippi. All of the stereotypes that you can think of would probably be justly earned. I was at about mile 3 of the 7 mile run portion when my client’s father comes riding by in the back of a pick up truck. “Hey Matt, wanna bair?” he yelled. “No sir, I do not want a beer, but stay close. I may want a ride” was my response. He laughed as they took off down the road.

2: Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon: My most recent tri was the Frantic Frog Sprint Tri in Scottsboro, AL. It was the first time I had incorporated proper nutrition in to my pre-race preparation. It was also the first time I was able to complete the race with gas in the tank. I finished going all out. To date, it was my fastest time in a sprint and drove home the importance of nutrition.

3: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri? I’ve been lucky so far, but my near breakdown in last year’s Heart O’ Dixie Oly Tri was enough get me to start training harder and being better prepared for races. I totally during the run portion of the race and ended up walking more than I ran. I nearly pulled out of the race. This more than anything is the monkey that I need to get off my back this year.

4: What’s the most thrilling thing that’s happened to you in a tri? No podium finishes or high age group placements to speak of, so nothing dramatic to report. But what I’ve enjoyed most is seeing my wife at the end of the race and having her tell me how proud she is of me.

5: What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons? I’ve discovered that mental toughness plays a major role in endurance sports. It’s been a bumpy road, but I’ve learned how to manage my mood during a race by focusing on positive thoughts rather than the negative. I’ve also learned what I look like without chunky cheeks. Face cheeks that is.

6:What is The Big Goal that you’re working towards? My “A” race this year is the Rock N Roll ½ Ironman in Macon, GA. I’d much rather be doing a sexier race such as one in the 70.3 series, but this one fits in the schedule.

My turn to tag. Let's go with ZBuck, Jeff, and Neese

Mercedes Half Marathon

Well, today was the big day. My first 1/2 Marathon. My first race of the 2007 season which I've decided will be my breakout year. The morning started off with a 4:00 am wake up call for breakfast. Two packets of Oatmeal and a Snickers (Half) Marathon bar. Because of careful planning the night before, I was able to jump back in bed and sleep for another hour. My stuff was all ready to go so why stay awake?

Lauren and I arrived at the race site about 45 minutes prior to the start. It was 28 degrees out. For all the northerners out there, that's pretty cold to us Southerners. So don't start. I wore shorts, a long sleeve shirt, a visor, and my biking skull cap (which I lost along the course!). There were approximately 3000 racers of which 800 were slated for the full marathon. The Mercedes is known for it's hills. Here's an elevation chart so you can see what I was facing:

As the race started, I couldn't get over the joy I had of running with a pack of people. They were my kind of people. I felt at home. Maybe it's because I've been running alone for most of my training, but it was a really odd (but enjoyable) feeling.

To find my pace, I started looking for the first mile marker around 7 minutes. Didn't see it. 8 minutes. No where in sight. What the hell? So I sped up. I couldn't start off this slow. At about 9:30 I figured out why I didn't see it. I was running too fast and ran past it without noticing. After 2 miles I clocked in at a total time of 13:10. Wow, too fast. I was planning on staying around a 7:30-7:40 pace so I was a little taken back. I slowed the pace a little, but I kept seeing times well below my expectation. Mile 3 - 7:07, mile 4 - 7:14, mile 5 - 7:15. Still feeling really good. I kept telling myself to not over do it. Don't peak too soon. Ahead was the dreaded Greensprings Ave. It's mile 5-6 on the elevation chart. Over a mile it gains over 200 feet in elevation. It's like the hill that never ends. It got my attention, and I put in a slower 7:45 for mile 6. Mile 7 - 7:24, followed by another two miles of elevation changes where I put in two 7:45 miles. It was down hill (elevation-wise anyway) from there. I hammered down a bit and put in miles of 7:35, 7:34, 7:21, and 7:20. This left one mile to go. Still feeling good and my times were still dropping so I hit the gas. The course didn't mark mile thirteen so I didn't catch my last split, but I crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 36 minutes. Unofficially though. I was really pleased with my time. It turned out to be around a 7:19 pace and for me, that was well above my expectations.

Overall, it was a great experience and a great start to the year. I really needed this race to get started off on the right foot. There's a lot of vindication in doing well after working hard. So needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this year's season.

And I have to say thank you thank you thank you to my lovely wife who stuck it out in the cold and waited for me. If you knew how much she hates the cold, you'd know how big that is.

My Motivation

Everyone’s gone through it. Something bad happens during a race, and you never seem to recover. You might as well take it on to the house, because you’re done. Sometimes it’s your goggles filling up with water or a getting a flat on your bike. The typical response is to blow up. You’re pissed, and why not? You’ve worked really hard to get to where you are only to be held back by something out of your control. Or lets say you’re way off your expected pace. You’re not “feeling it” and you’ve realized you’re not going to put up the time you’d hoped. These events can all lead to you mentally breaking down and losing focus.
I’ve been worrying about this very thing all week. There’s a lot of anticipation building up for me in my first race of the season. I’ve worked hard and paid my dues. What happens if I tire? What happens when people start passing me? What happens when my expected time is starting to look like nothing more than a pipe dream?
Well, I ran across this video below and it reminded me of a story from “Every Second Counts” by the great Lance Armstrong. In 2003, Lance was going for his 5th straight Tour title. Throughout the tour Lance struggled mentally and physically to maintain the yellow jersey. Everyone was saying his was too old, too rich, or too American to win the coveted 5th title. Over the last couple of days, Jan Ullrich had begun taking big chunks out of his lead. With just three stages left, Ullrich was set to win it all. The press was having a field day with Lance’s demise. Ullrich’s team manager had made a snide comment to one of the Postal team’s staff about taking the Malliot Jaune after today’s stage. It was relayed to Lance who’d finally had enough. Lance told his teammates that the Tour was over. We will win it today.
At the foot of Luz Ardiden, the last major climb, Lance took off. Ullrich couldn’t keep up and Lance had dropped him by 20 seconds. Lance was literally breaking Ullrich when the unthinkable happened. As Lance passed the crowd, a young boy was waving his souvenir yellow Tour bag when it got caught in Lance’s front tire. Lance flipped over his handle bars and crashed. Ullrich took advantage and sped past to take the lead. A defiant Armstrong fixed his biked and took off like a mad man, screaming every profanity he could think of, and chased down Ullrich. What ensued would be one of the greatest recoveries ever in the Tour. Lance wound up winning the stage and putting Ullrich a full 1:07 behind him in the Tour thus virtually locking up the win. “How do you like me now! How do you f-in like me now?” shouted Armstrong to his teammates. Victorious! Check out the video clip. I’ll be thinking about this on Sunday during my race. I’m not giving up or giving in. This is my motivation.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RRJQoUVe2I

Protein+Protein+Protein = YUCK

I’m still following my coach’s guidelines for eating and such for this ½ Mary on Sunday. Tuesday, my directions were to eat soluble proteins and no carbs. I was actually looking forward to this. I mean who doesn’t love meat and protein smoothies? I started out the morning with a plate of Egg Beater eggs. High in protein and no carbs. No problem. Salt and Pepper to taste = delicious. Mid morning snack was an Apex Protein drink – 40g of protein with only 1g of carbs. Pretty good stuff. Lunch – more eggs and some ham. Getting kind of old. By the time my mid afternoon snack rolled around a headache had set in, and I was dragging. My snack was another delicious protein shake. Choked it down with a grimace. Finally dinner time rolled around, but my fridge was empty of all things protein! I had some Progresso Chicken and Rice soup – only a few carbs in there. I had to have some ham too as I was still hungry. The headache was getting worse and my energy level was still dropping. I felt like a wad of poo.
Needless to say, I probably could have set myself up with better choices to eat, but didn’t have a lot of notice on what to prepare for. Next time I’ll be better prepared. I know that I do need and crave carbs. Luckily today is a carb day. It’s still early and I’ve already had two bowls of cereal, Yo Crunch Yogurt, and some oatmeal. My headache is gone, and I’m feeling more energized.
Eating with a plan is still fairly new to me. This is only the second time I’ve prepared for a race this way. This first time was a huge success compared to my previous races. I know it’ll work out, but I’m not really looking forward to next time.

I'm off for a short 3 mile run to keep the legs fresh.

Weekend and Down Hill Problems

Well, it’s Half Mary week. This is the final week before my first Half Marathon on Sunday. I’m a little nervous about it, and I’m wondering just how I’ll do. This is my first race of the season as well, so there’s some anticipation there as well. I just received some diet instructions from my coach for the week and forwarded them over to my wife who by now is having a cow because she just went to the grocery store yesterday and stocked up on groceries for the week. Now we get to go back for more.

I did swim this morning, but that’s about it for the week except a few runs to keep the legs fresh. I hit a PR for the 1000 m at 16:31. Feeling good right now about my swim, but I still need to work on form and being fluid. I’m a bulldozer in the water.

The camping trip this weekend was a blast. Not as cold as I expected. I even stayed on my “diet” and stayed away from too many fatty foods. I packed several pieces of fruit to curb any cravings. We did however end our trip with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. You gotta live a little right?

I picked up with a buddy of mine, Justin, on Sunday afternoon for a ride with some of his friends. Justin raced for 7 years on the pro circuit and has calves the size of my thighs. The boy can move. Luckily, he took it easy on us. The guys we were riding with were a little more experienced than I was and were all riding road bikes while I was on my “Tri” bike. I ride a 04 Cervelo Dual. It’s been a great bike, but I’m learning that it was meant for going straight not for hair pin turns and the down hill. For one thing, I’m a big ole sissy when it comes to going down hills. I can stand about 37-38 mph, and then my back bone turns to yellow and cat whiskers start growing on my face. Roadies just blow me away. It has a lot to do with my nerves, but also a lot to do with my bike. Tri bikes have a higher center of gravity than typical road bikes which make it more susceptible to a speed wobble. This only sharpens the color of yellow on my back and the makes the whiskers on my face grow even longer. I may even throw out a “meow” or two.
Luckily, I’m climber and was able to catch up and pass these guys going up hills. Except for Justin who’s waiting for us at the top.

More on the ½ Mary latter this week.

Back in the Pool and Camping. What?

Well, I was back in the pool this morning for 2000 m. I didn't know how it'd go, but after pretty much taking the last two days off, I was anxious to push myself again. Here are the stats:

1000 m - 17:02

500 m - 7:52

300 m 4:46

200 m 3:02

Not too terribly bad. It wasn't my fastest 1000 m, but I was happy with the other times. I beat my previous week's 500 m by 22 seconds, the 300 m by 3 seconds, and the 200 m by 6 seconds. I'll take that.

As for the camping, I'm headed to the woods this weekend to "live deliberately" per Mr. Thoreau. Camping and hiking were my first big interest prior to this wonderful sport called Triathlon. Nothing too exciting, just some friends hanging around a campfire eating meat and being men. Both of the guys I'm going with are having a rough stretch around the house and desperately need some time away. I'm glad I can fill that need and be a little selfish by enjoying myself too.

By the way, I hate hate hate "office" coffee. It's not doing the trick this morning.

The Blahs

Do you ever get the blahs? "The Blahs" according to Webster's dictionary is the "lack of emotion or general excitement about training." It's true. I just looked it up. Right now, I'm just kind of bored with training and generally just not as excited about it as I usually am. It's not indicative of my life in general right now. Things are great. I just don't have the drive right now. I noticed it for the first time last Friday. I was in the pool for a relative easy session, but I found myself just wanting to get out, find a book, and read for a while instead. I had plenty of energy, but it just didn't interest me to keep doing laps. Yesterday, after work I had a five miler scheduled. I had planned to run with a group from the Trak Shak. There are always some elite runners there that let me tag along. These guys do a good job of pushing me to run a little faster. They were no where to be found. Was it too cold? It was 43 degrees per the Rover, not teeth chattering cold but chilly. So with no one to run with, I took it to the house. It just didn't interest me to run at that point by myself. This is disappointing, but as I'm typing this I think I need some more training partners. Maybe that will help. I think the community aspect of training with friends is key for me. Nothing gets me more excited than riding with a group on the weekends, but the thought of monotonous sessions alone at 6:30 in the morning is just beginning to wear on me. Sorry for the depressing posts, but what's a blog for anyway? Today, it's for hashing out a few thoughts.