Going Strong

Still going strong. After last weeks recovery/test week I was able to get in two workouts each day this week except for Thursday and Friday.

My tests last week went great. My swim test on Friday was 3x300 with 30 seconds rest in between. I was able to average 5:27 per 300 (1:49 per 100), which is very fast for me. My bike test was a 5 mile square just north of Bellingham, the sun came out so I was able to do the test outside and on my test route. I completed the 5 mile rectangle in just over 15 minutes about 20 mph. Not too screaming fast but I felt good about the ride this early in the season. I did my run test on Sunday on a track. After warming up I ran 2.77 miles (10 laps in lane 6) in 17:57 or 6:30 per mile. Again this was fast and felt great.

This was a tough week though, Alex got sick last weekend and after a few days of not really eating or drinking was very dehydrated, Debbie took him to his doctors office on Wednesday (21st) this week and he was down 5 pounds (that's over 15% of his body weight - imagine you or I loosing 15%) since his 4 year checkup a few weeks earlier. They had us take him to the hospital. We was put on an IV on Wednesday and spent the night at the hospital with Debbie. Hopeful to come home on Thursday, he still wasn't eating enough so I spent the night with him on Thursday night. He came home Friday and is almost back to his normal kid self.

I did my first 'brick' workout of the year today. A BRICK is a Bike ride followed by a Run, people have come up with the BR -ICK label cause they are tough. I've always been able to quickly get into my running legs after my bike rides and today's first BRICK was the same, I did the bike on the trainer in the garage and had a fairly quick 4 minute transition into dry running clothes and shoes and felt like my normal running legs within a quarter mile or less. For some, this change from biking legs to running legs can take a lot longer, but it is important to get this down because in a triathlon you need to be ready.

Nice and easy 2 hour hilly trail run planned for tomorrow!

New Bike Course for IMCDA

The new bike course for the Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d'Alene has been posted to the race web site. It can be found here.

The course goes north through Hayden instead of west through Post Falls.

On the bike I ride about 3 blocks from our Hotel 4 times. The course uses the same first out and back section where the riders head south along Lake Coeur d'Alene which is about a 14 mile loop. The large loop goes north and is about a 40 mile lollipop the stick section connects Couer d'alene with Hayden and then the loop is to the north of Hayden. Looks like beautiful countryside up there.

Family Weekend

I got up early (well normal time for me about 6) on Saturday and rode 2 hours on the trainer before we loaded up and went to the race. I put in my new Spinerval 26.0 Hardcore 100 DVD and did the first two hours of this 5.5 hour workout. Two hours was my plan, but Coach Troy said on the DVD many times that if you start this workout you need to finish, but I didn't have time for all 5.5 hours. I will have to build up to that. I thought the part that I did do was good and am looking forward to extending and possibly finishing the full 5.5 workout.

After finishing my 2 hours, I loaded the car and we went to a running event that the GBRC puts on this time each year called the "Two for the road" where you run with a partner and finish together. Debbie Ran with Jacob and I ran with Alex. Jacob did great finishing the 5k in about 50 minutes, the course runs through Whatcom Falls park and has a nice long downhill, but you have to come back up. Alex did great too, issuing many "Good Job" and thumbs up to lots of other runners from his seat in the stroller. The course is two out and backs so he got to see lots of people and lots of smiles. We were the first Parent/Stroller pair and Alex went up during the awards to get his blue ribbon and a box of candy, he was very surprised and happy to share the candy with the whole family.

After the race we drove to Edgewood to visit and let the kids play with their cousins.

Sunday morning I went for a run, I went from Edgewood down the hill into Puyallup and followed East Main into Sumner and then back up the hill into Edgewood and made my way almost to Milton and back to Debbies parents house. Nice tour of cities. I was hoping for almost 2 hours and took about 1:37. My GPS had troubles so guesstimate about 11.5 miles. I was particularly happy about running with no stops or walks up the hill from "The Cannery" in Sumner to Edgewood.

After showering and an awesome breakfast, we started North to Seattle to visit and exchange birthday gifts at my parents house with my extended family. We were celebrating birthdays ranging from December through March and included Alex, my Grandma, my Dad and my brother Marc. My Mom made a lunch that I remembered from growing up, country style spare ribs, VERY good.

The Durango made it home just about dusk and Debbie and I relaxed while Jacob helped Alex play with his gifts.

Caught the Bug

Well I had to sit out a couple days this past week because I caught the bug thats going around. Not too bad, stayed home from work one day and in the other, but skipped out on all training for those two days. I think this worked out well.



As part of my training plan I schedule recovery days. These recovery days may not mean total rest and relaxation, but a lighter workout and not as long. It is when you rest and recover when your body can regenerate and actually realize some of the hard work your putting in.



I did get in my key workouts for the week, my long bike and my long run. I got about 2:15 on a nice bike ride with Kevin. We went to Lynden and back at a relatively easy pace. No rain until the final 10-12 miles or so. As I'm out of the 50k, I ran alone and from the house up Galbraith and then down to Haggens and home, just over 2:00, perfect, no pain in my injured area.



January 2007 Recap: 51 hours and 24 minutes of training. As you can see only 18% of my time was on the bike. I need to get more bicycling in. It will come.