Monday, August 27, 2007

Update and Product Of the Month

For a while now, there’s been a definite every Monday that I could count on. It’s not the dread of having to face another work week although I’ve certainly felt that at times. It’s not knowledge that it’s yet another Monday night that I’m not going to be able to watch one of the best shows to air in a long time, HEROES! That time is coming to an end soon thankfully. No, what it is though, it’s the after effects of a long weekend of training. For me that comes in the way of tired and sore legs. It’s been a Monday morning norm for the better part of this year. It’s the kind of tired that you can feel just sitting in your chair. The kind that makes you walk just a little funny or take a little extra time in getting out of your car, and I’m feeling it today.

Overall I had a good training weekend. Due to some work constraints I had a couple of days off toward the middle of last week so I felt fairly good going into the weekend. Saturday, I was up at the crack of dawn for my scheduled 2000 yard swim out at Oak Mtn. After that I rushed over to meet a group leaving for a ride from one of the local bike shops. This is a “no one gets dropped” ride, but it typically turns out to be fairly fast paced and difficult. About 13 miles into the ride, I was leading the pack and started to slow down for a turn. The guy behind was turned around looking back and didn’t see me slow down. Our wheels met and a clash of spokes and skewer knobs ensued. We both stayed up right, but our ride was over. Both of our wheels were warped due to the bent spokes. We both laughed it off thankful that we were ok, but down deep inside, I was truly thankful that my ride was over and that I could go eat. A bacon egg and cheese sandwich was on my mind after that. After a pick up and quick visit to the bike shop, we were both good as new.

Sunday started with a 45 mile ride. A small storm rolled in plenty of clouds and humidity, but no real rain. The clouds made for nice cover from the normal blistering sun. Following the ride, I made a quick change and knocked out 10.5 miles. Legs felt great, endurance felt great. I can attribute Sunday’s success to two things, fresh legs and nutrition. One day it’ll hit home how important nutrition is and that I need to practice it every time I train. It makes such a difference.

With that, I give you my Product Of the Month – The Gatorade Energy Bar. They carry 260 calories and 46 grams of carbs. These stats are great, but the reason I picked this bar as my P.O.M. is the ease at which I can open the wrapper while on the bike and that the bar itself is easy to chew. I’ve struggled mightily with opening sun-warmed Powerbars only to find out that the biggest struggle would come in chewing it up enough to get it down my gullet. Nothing gets me out of breath quicker than trying to chew and swallow something while on the bike. The Gatorade Energy Bar’s consistency is like that of a rice crispy cake, but watch out, an errant piece of rice crispy can get stuck in your throat causing worse problems. Solution.... flush with your favorite beverage. That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

New CD and Update City

Currently listening to Josh Ritter's new CD - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. His prior records are phenomenal, and I'm so stoked to have this new one to pour over. I'll attempt to get some sound bites up if possible.
Update, update: still focused on one more 1/2 Iron on Sept 30th. The workouts are a little more focused and a little more intense. I'm currently nursing some tired legs. I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Tonight was the regular Tuesday night group ride and it was pretty obvious I was a little tired. I kept falling off the back and having to fight my way back up. It's embarrassing, but just the way it goes sometimes.
For the last year or so, drivers and cyclists have been in a small war here in The Ham. Cyclists are fighting for their rights to share the road while drivers are writing into the local papers to complain about cyclists taking over the road, blocking traffic, and failing to obey stop signs. Cyclists are writing in as well complaining about careless drivers endangering their lives. Tonight I was able to see examples of both. It's ugly and scary at the same time. Near misses and could've beens are too close for me. I'd love to see our city designate some funds for bike lanes along less traveled roads. Believe me, in Alabama, we have 'em.
With major apologies to my summer loving wife, I think I'm ready for some cooler weather. I do recognize that this undoubtedly means that I'll have to face the torture of my Lauren's cold toes in bed each night, but it'd be worth it to feel a bit of a chill in the air. Until this past Friday, The Ham had seen 10 consecutive days of 100+ degrees temps. I don't want to hear anyone chime in from AZ about their temps. You choose to live in the desert, and you get some mountains and the grand canyon. So no complaining. It's not supposed to be like that here. There's no reason for it to be hotter than what sweet tea can cure. It's the South. That's just the way that it is.
Until later, my best to you all. Thanks for reading.

Monday, August 20, 2007

TAGGED

Well, I've been putting it off, but since Molly and Paul both tagged me, I guess I'd better get to work. Here goes:

Job's I've Held: Cook at KFC, Nursing Assist in an ER, Runner for a law firm, YMCA, Dental Assistant, Insurance Agent (current)

Movies I can Watch Over & Over: Snatch, All Tom Hanks movies, Gladiator, Old School.

Guilty Pleasures: TCBY, beer, hotdogs, hot wings

Places I Have Lived: I've pretty much stayed in the Birmingam, AL metro area (that sounds so boring)

Shows I Enjoy: Lost, Heroes, Survivorman, Dirty Jobs, History Channel, The Office

Vacation Spots: Glacier National Park, Banff N.P., Perdido Key Beach, Appalachian Mtns.

Favorite Foods: Did I mention TCBY?, Chicken and Dumplings, Pork Chops, Real Mashed Potatoes, Coffee (it's a food item right?)

Websites I Visit Daily: SI.com, Tri-fuel, Raceathlete, all of the blogs on the right, Forbes.com

Body Parts I have Injured: Broken Arm, busted eardrum (current)

Awards I've Won: A few podium finishes this year, perfect attendance award in 8th Grade, that's about it.

Nicknames I've Been Called: D, Big D, Ronald Mc Denton, (My full name is Ronald Matthew Denton)


Friday, August 17, 2007

Look closely - I don't remember this guy


Today I received an email from Brightroom Photography that the pics from the Mountain Lakes Tri are up for viewing and purchase. (Sorry Brightroom, I just ripped off one of your photos). Well, I'm scanning the pics and as usual none of them are worth buying as I usually have an odd look on my face, but I did happen to notice something in this pic.
I don't remember this guy. Not the bumble bee behind me. The next guy. The weird naked guy behind him. I don't remember seeing him on the run. Maybe that's what all the cheering was about.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Thoughts During Training

After this past Saturday's sprint finale, my workouts will now be decidedly longer and more focused on the 1/2 at the end of September. This plan started early on Sunday with a 10 mile run and has continued each day with extended sessions in the pool and on the bike. It's during these longer sessions that I have the chance to actually think and chew on things that I haven't been able to do during more speed oriented sessions.
When my training has been more focused on sprint distance races, my mind is usually focused on the burning in my legs or my lungs. I'm focused on making it to the next light pole on a sprint or staying under a certain time in the pool. My mind goes numb to conserve energy that my legs might need you might say. It kind of shuts down, and that's good to some extent. But now, since distance is more of the focus rather than speed, my mind has woken up and has started stretching it's "legs" again.
Lance Armstrong, who one might say was one of the fiercest competitors in cycling, was asked what he thought about during those long training rides. He replied, "Well, I think about the bike and my ride." That's not me.
Given the right road conditions, the bike is the last thing that's on my mind. Now I do have my days where I just relax and listen to the easy hum of my cadence or my foot falls, but mostly I'm hashing out conflicts, thoughts, or unresolved issues. I've come up with few blog topics along the way as well. Some have been published, and some were better kept to myself.
After sinking myself deeply into training for the last year, I have learned that I'm able to be a better husband after my workouts. Be it for feeling like I've accomplished something for the day, or because I've been able to clear up my head. It seems to take the edge off a bit. Whatever the reason, training has become a psychiatrist's couch for me. Thoughts, feelings, heartache, the good and the bad all find their way to the table. Training has been good for the heart (and gut) as well as the soul.
Now, I have been lucky in that there are very few "issues" that have come my way. For the most part, my life and my marriage have been fairly charmed. I praise God for that. That's His doing not mine. So as of late, my thoughts have generally fairly light hearted.
So, I'm really interested to hear what the general consensus says about where their mind is during training. Are you solely thinking about the task at hand or are you pondering the latest twist on last season's Lost? Are you focused on pace and cadence or are you bouncing around ideas on relationships or matters of faith? Give me a few words if you feel comfortable or just answer the poll on the right. As always, thanks for reading.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Right Now, This Doesn't Sound Like Fun At All

Here's a typical training schedule for Justin Daerr, an age-group triathlete. In the 2004 Hawaii Ironman he was the first American amateur in only his third Ironman-distance race. See if you could hang with his program.

Throughout the triathlon season my training schedule is continually changing. During the early part of the year my coach, Joe Friel, and I focus more on strength training and skills. I still spend a fair amount of time on the road, on the trails and in the pool, but the overall intensity of the sessions is low. After a solid strength foundation has been established I begin to ramp up the volume of my training along with the intensity. During this Base period of training I am swimming, biking and running nearly twice as much as in the previous Prep period. Strength training is no longer the primary focus, but is instead put into a maintenance mode. Aerobic volume has now become the number one priority. The Base period of my training ended this year before I headed off to Boulder, Colo. on Memorial Day weekend. Throughout this summer I have been incorporating more challenging sessions that revolve around race-specific intensity. No week looks identical to the last, but the following weekly schedule is fairly close to what you might see me doing during the 2005 summer in Boulder.
Monday: Today is a longer aerobic day, but the intensity doesn't generally leave me feeling wiped. I start with a 4-5K session in the 50-meter pool followed by a 45-60 minute aerobic run. After eating and possibly napping I head out for a 3-4 hour ride in the Boulder flats.
Tuesday: This day's main goal is some faster running on the track. I do some sessions that involve much faster running than I would ever see in an Ironman, but it helps my overall run economy. I also swim 4-5K afterwards, but it usually involves some easier sets. I end this day with strength training.
Wednesday: My favorite day: 5K in the pool with some harder efforts, followed by a 5-6 hour ride in the mountains. Lots of climbing and plenty of beautiful scenery.
Thursday: Lighter day. Normal swimming, easy two-hour ride and an easy 45-60 minute run. Friday: I tend to do my longest swim and run of the week today: 5-6K in the pool with harder efforts and a two-hour run in the hills in the afternoon.
Saturday: Very, very little. The main purpose of today is to recover.
Sunday: A two-hour ride with 90 minutes of higher intensity riding followed by a 30 minute tempo run off the bike. In the afternoon I may do an easy swim before doing it all over again on Monday.

Amateur? When does he work?

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Mountain Lakes Sprint - Race Report



Saturday was the Mountain Lakes Triathlon in Guntersville, AL. It's the AL State Sprint Championship so all of the big boys show up to see how they compare. This is the second year I've competed in this race. Earlier this year, I reconned this course in the Marshall County Du held in the same location so I felt pretty comfortable with the layout of the race.


The morning began at 4:00 am. Lauren and I stay with my parents 30 minutes north of the race site in a camper on Lake Guntersville. Nothing says comfort like a pull out sleeper sofa in a camper. I made it over to the race site a little early to ease some of the stress. There were 896 participants signed up for this race so I wanted to get there early to get a good parking spot and get set up. I had plenty of friends in this race so it was cool to be able to see them before the start without feeling rushed. I didn't feel the nervous anticipation with this race that I usually feel. For some reason, it was hard to really get excited about doing it, but this is the only race my parents will get to see me compete in so it's easy decision to compete.


The Swim - 600yds - I was # 204 so with a 5 second interval start for each competitor, I was a good 17 minutes behind the 1st guy in the water. The swim was fairly easy overall. I sighted well and only tired in the final 150 yards. I kept looking for some bubbly toes to stick on, but they were never there. I did however have some guy drafting on me the whole way. Overall, I'm not a great swimmer, and my time showed it. 10:36. (2006 - 11:10)


T1 - There's a 100 yard run up to T1 from the beach. The wet grass served well in getting the sand and debris off of my feet. I went with only a helmet, shades, and shoes on the bike. No time for a shirt. I was set up in the front of T1 so after a long run out the back I was out of T1 in 1:38. (2006 -2:22)


The Bike: As always, this is where I'm the most comfortable and where I make up the time I lost on the swim. The course is fairly flat or rolling. My plan was to stick to a certain speed and keep it there. There was no reason to be a hero. Save some for the run I kept telling myself. I made a point to encourage those that I passed on the bike that appeared to be struggling. They all smiled kept fighting just reinforcing my belief that triathletes are some of the nicest and least prideful people you'll meet.


My plan on the bike worked perfectly. I felt great coming into T2 and still put up a new PR for avg mph in a race. Just over 23 mph - 42:08. (2006 - 43:56)


T2 - Flying dismount with the shoes and a sprint to my spot. Helmet off. Shoes on and I'm gone. - 49 seconds. (2006 -1:44)


The Run - 3 easy miles. I could tell for the first time that the sun was having some effect. I started my race at 8:00 which is incredibly late. Out of T2 I grabbed a cup of water and threw in on my chest. The chill of the water let me know just how hot I'd gotten. Legs felt ok, but I was sucking wind. Don't know why to tell you the truth. 1st mile was 6:52, 2nd was 7:15. I was slowing down, and I don't think I really cared. Over the last mile, I toyed with the idea of turning it on for a strong finish. I felt like I could have, but just couldn't muster up the will. I was sucking wind and didn't want any more. I finished the last mile in 7:12 for an over time of 21:24. (2006 - 24:55)

Final time - 1:16:38. (2006 - 1:24:10) Not great, but about where I thought I'd be. My swim was slower than expected and I should have been a little faster on the run. Not a bad performance at all, but not one to tell the kids about. I was 11th in my AG and 69th overall. (2006 - 36th/359th)

Despite not being really excited about this race, I had a great time. Like I said, I had lots of friends there to see and chew the fat with. I even met the one and only Trisonq (Patrick). He's a very likeable guy and a great athlete. Zbuck was there and threw down on the race as well. He bested last year's time by 11 minutes. Congrats buddy!

So where to now? I'm looking forward to not racing for a little while. I'm going to enjoy being in town for a while and dedicating some weekends to training for the So Carolina Half at the end of Sept, but I'm also going to get some much needed things done around my house. Being out of town 3 out of 4 weekends will leaves quite a few honeydoes left undone around the casa. So, thanks for reading, I've got work to do.


Friday, August 10, 2007

BIKE PORN!!!!!!


Go ahead, indulge yourselves you sickos.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Two Tough Days

Wow, could it get any hotter here? The last two days have been oppressively hot. Hot as in full on humidity and 98 degrees hot. I was out last night installing my new bike rack and the temp on my truck said 99. I'm not sure if that's accurate as it was about 8:30 at night, but you get the picture.
Monday, I do believe I was possessed by someone else for my swim. I made it over to the gym at lunch and knocked out 2000 consecutive yards at race pace. Don't know how or why I did it, but it felt great. As I mentioned to some of you in the past, I've been at war with swimming this year. I've hated it like the Middle East hates peace. Now I love it like a fat kid loves cake. Going back after it today for some intervals.
Tuesday started out with an easy hour run and ended with the Tuesday night group ride from Homewood. There was nothing easy about this ride. Somehow I missed the group and ended up riding with another Age Grouper who's preparing for IMKY. The dude was a beast. He was easily 42 or so and kicking my tail on the bike. It was impressive to watch. After the long run and hard ride, my legs were toast and ready to rest. Powerbar's recovery drink and an ice bath did wonders to aid my recovery.
Despite all of that, my highlight of the day was meeting up with ZBuck for lunch. We met over at DREAMLAND for some 'healthy' ribs and sweet tea. It's always good to hang with that guy.
This weekend is Alabama's USAT Sprint Championship in Guntersville. The race sells out each year with about 890 participants and all the big boys show up. Should be a fun event, but it's going to be freaking hot! This is my last sprint of the year so looking forward to going out hard.
Thanks for reading.

Monday, August 06, 2007

All Good Things Must Come to an End

As previously posted, Lauren and I spent the weekend down at the beach. I say "beach" meaning that I'm actually there at the beach, but truth be told I haven't touched the sand of the beach in any of my trips down this year. The Condo sits on the riverside of the tiny strip of land splitting the gulf and Old River. The beach is just a couple of hundred yards away, but I'd rather sit by the pool and watch the oversized boats sail by on the river. Some people's egos are more prominently displayed than others. The size of these boats scream, "look at me!, but I'm just fine with my borrowed raft.

For the most part, I treat the mornings down at the beach like a mini training camp. I'm usually up and out the door fairly early so as to beat the day's heat. Lots of swimming, biking, and running filled the menu until 9:00 am or so, then it was strickly relaxation time. I cued Lauren in on my formula for recovering, "Why run when you can walk? Why walk when you can sit? Why sit when you can lay down? Since you're laying down, you might as well sleep." And that's what we did.

Lauren completed her goal of finishing the final book in the Harry Potter series while soaking up the sun as well. I would have completed Soul Survivor by Phillip Yancey, but Jack Welch's "Winning" got in the way. Well that and those darned naps.

Overall a good weekend. We both feel refreshed, but are desparately hungry for another trip down. Now, it's back to work and back to life. (This is the point where Molly would break out in that "Back to Life, Back to Reality" song)

Thursday, August 02, 2007

HEADED TO THE BEACH!


Lauren and I are headed to the beach tonight for a little R&R. Of course I'll be taking my swimmies, bike, and running shoes. Gotta work on that odd cyclist's tan you know? But I'll also be taking along a couple of books and a strict napping schedule. Tonight I'll be dining on the Gulf Coast's finest (grilled of course). Much love to all who are racing, recovering, or training.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Questions Questions


If we're the evolved ones, why are monkeys so much stronger than we are?

Would you rather be exceptionally smart or exceptionally athletic?

Do you prefer a long gradual hill or a short "oh my gosh" steep hill? (Going up of course)

Why does my dry fit/wicking shirt always get drenched with sweat and weigh 10 pounds after each run?

Why are cyclists typically stuck up and triathletes the nicest people you'll find?
When will professional cycling clean up their act for good?

Why does something called "Chamois Butt'r" not go on my butt?