David Grant's Triathlon Blog

September 13th - Thank You LC Olympia Triathlon Team

2008-09-13T08:11:00.005-04:00

I would like to thank the members of the LC Olympia Triathlon Team in Wiesbaden, Germany. The entire team welcomed me starting the first day that I showed up for the first swim practice. If anyone is looking to join a Triathlon team in Germany, this is the one to join. Not only are the members friendly and helpful, but they are earger to help you become a better Triathete.

The team is also very well organized and have regularly schedule group training sessions on their website.

LC Olympia Wiesbaden

I would especially like to thank Victor Bonin for helping me love the hills. He spent weekends coaching and helping me get through them. For this is I will be forever grateful.

Best of luck to Shasha in Hawaii.

Thanks Everyone

September 13th - Getting back in the Groove

2008-09-13T08:00:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since my last update to my blog. After the Wiesbaden 70.3, I haven't been training as much as I should have however, I did do a Sprint Triathlon one week after the70.3. To my surprise, I did very well in both races.

The 70.3 was my first half and I did (in my mind) a very smart race. I went out easy on the swim (33 minutes) - rather conservative so that I would not be to tired on the bike. The bike course was very hilly. There was a 10% grade on one of the many hills. My time on the bike was 3 hours and 48 minutes. I ran fairly well for the first 8 miles but the last 5 miles were tough but I made it with a 2:14. Total time for the race was 6.42.

One week later I flew home and participated in the Island Lake Sprint (Michigan). I was a little apprehensive for a number of reasons, could I recover after the half a week earlier, would I have jet lag and I had my 17 year old road bike to use. As it turned out, the Sprint was my best time ever with a total time of 1:14. I finished the half mile swim in 12:26, the 11.6 mile bike in 35.?? and the 5K run in 24.??.

Well, I have been jogging and swimming lately. I'm getting ready for the Detroit half-Marathon in October and I'm going to be shooting for the Disney Marathon in January.

July 27th

2008-07-27T13:04:00.002-04:00

Well, it's my last full workout week before the Wiesbaden Half-Ironman. I have to have a good week this week and get in as much as possible to build my confidence heading into the final week.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Bike 40 miles and Run 4 miles

I had a good bike ride today and felt good on the hills. It's amazing what a little rest and some food will do for you. My speed was a little better on the hill to Hausen. I don't think I dropped lower than 6 MPH on the climb. Normally, I'm in the 5's most of the way.

Monday - Run 4.5 miles and Swim 3,000 Meters

Tuesday - Run 8 miles

Wednesday - Run 4 miles and swim 3,000 meters

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Bike 50-60 miles

Saturday - Bike 50-60 miles

Week of July 20th

2008-07-23T16:12:00.003-04:00

Having a family vacation in Europe. What fun. Workouts will decrease, especially on the swims and bike.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Run 12 miles

At this point in the trip, we are spending all day walking, so much, that we aren't resting of eating as often as we should be. We certainly aren't drinking enough water. Today, we stayed in Graz, Italy after spending the day in Vienna. Vienna was beautiful. The architecture of the old historical buildings was simply beautiful. I don't think we could have taken enough pictures.

Monday - Run 4.5 miles.

From Graz, we drove to Venice, Italy. WOW, I knew there were canals, but I didn't think that Venice would be so beautiful. The kids and Joanne loved it. We stayed in San Marco. To get to San Marco, we had to load our luggage on a fiery and take the boat to the island. It's truly amazing that everything, and I mean, everything, is done by or on a boat there. All the resurfacing of the buildings is done with boats and platforms, and the godola drivers navigate the godolas with precision.

Rest in Venice, also, no place to run.

Tuesday - Bike ride - approximately 40 miles.

Drove to Milan, Italy, to spend the night prior to heading to Zurich, Switzerland. Ran about 3 miles in Milan (what a dump). This was the city that I could not wait to leave. It was dirty and the the people (in cars) were like NASCAR drivers with horns. All I can say is, I've never seen such lack of discipline in driving. It seemed like there were no lanes, and people srove whereever they wanted. Like I said, I could not wait to leave.

The drive to Zurich was utterly amazing, the Alps we big and beautiful and all I could think of was how lucky the people were who lived in the small villages inthe hills of the Alps.

Wednesday - Bike 60 miles and swim 2,800 meters

Biked 60 miles. I felt tired and and my legs were tired. It much be fun all the walking and driving on vacation (time of rest). We must be walking 8-10 miles a day without food and water. My wife and daughter can go all day without eating and drinking. My son and I can't.

I also, swam 2,800 meters later in the day in Wiesbaden. I felt very good.

Thursday - Bike 40 miles.

Rest - Drive to Paris

Friday - Run 4-6 miles.

Ran ten miles in Paris. This was a great run. I had a chance to run under the Effiel Tower, by the Arc de Triumph and a few other monuments. Then we walked 10 miles throughout the day.

Saturday - Run 4-6 miles

Drive back to Wiesbaden

Week of July 14th

2008-07-15T16:52:00.004-04:00

Having a family vacation in Europe. What fun. Workouts will decrease, especially on the swims and bike.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Rest.

Th kids arrived in Germany and we spend the day together.

Monday - Run 4.5 miles.

I ran 4.5 miles on Monday. My time was a little off but I was still happy with what I did. I was still a little sore from my 66 mile ride in the hills on Saturday.

Tuesday - Bike ride - approximately 40 miles.

I rode 40 miles today on mostly flat, but I did do two of my favorite hills and worked them pretty good. I am still sore from Saturday's ride of 68 miles on the hills.

Wednesday - Run 4-5 miles

Rest Day - On account that we started our vacation and we drove to Sturtgart, Germany for the day and saw the Polar Bear (buddy-bear.com) exhibit. This was very cool. There were polar bear statues (one from each country) painted to best represent the county. From there we drove another three hours to Munich, Germany.

Thursday - Run 4 miles.

In Munich, I ran ten miles in the cold rain but it felt good. In Munich we did a lot of shopping and visited the Hard Rock Cafe as well as did some sight seeing. We also to the train to Dachal Concentration camp and took a tour of the camp. It's amazing that we humans are capable of inflicting the amount of pain and hatred on others and at the same time, as human, we are able to take on so much stress, pressure and pain and then rebound from it. I'll keep that in mind during the 70.3 in Wiesbaden on August 10th.

Friday - Run 4-6 miles.

Ran 4 miles easy in Munich throught the shopping area and the new city hall. It's really cool that my runs enable me to see so many historic sights some of which date back prior to the US being discovered.

Saturday - Run 4-6 miles

Rest

Week of July 6th

2008-07-06T16:40:00.003-04:00

I had a relatively bad start to week due to a lot of work related activities and therefore, I didn't get to workout much. However, I closed the week relatively in good shape. I continue to hit the hills on both the runs and bike. I do need to work harder on the hills.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Rest.

Joanne arrived in Germany so I took the day off and spent it with her.

Monday - Swim 3,000 meters and Run 6 miles.

I ran 9.5 miles on Monday. I felt really good and overall the first 7.5 - 8.0 miles went very well. I felt a little tight on the last mile or so.

Tuesday - Run 6-8 miles

I ran 4.5 miles today and I pushed it on the hills and stretched it on the downhills. I had my best mile splits today with the lowest spilt at 7.45 minutes.

Wednesday - Swim 3,000 and Run 5 miles

I had to skip today due to work.

Thursday - Run 4 miles.

Friday - 3,000 meter swim

Saturday - Bike 70 miles

Week of June 29th

2008-06-29T17:10:00.005-04:00

I had a week of highs and lows. I did not get a chance to workout as much as I would have liked to due to work requirements but I plan to hit better this week. The new cassette works great on the hills. Last Saturday I stayed with the 23 cog on the hills to prove that I could do them, but Sunday was a difernt story. I was up late and the 70 miles took a lot out of me.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Bike 40 miles on the hills.

I did very well even though my legs were gone fort he first 20 miles from Saturdays workout and too much wine the night before.

Monday - Swim 3,000 meters

Skipped due to work.

Tuesday - Run 6-8 miles

Skipped due to work.

Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 and Run 5 miles

Skipped due to work.

Thursday - Run 4 miles.

I ran a combination of hills, flats and downhills for 6 miles. My legs felt very tight at the end. I didn't warm or down and I think that I need to.

Friday - 3,000 meter swim and a 3 mile run

I swam 3,000 meters and felt really good. I think it is because I was accidently coming out of a tapper. I also rean 5.5 miles afterwards.

Saturday - Bike 70 miles

I actually did a brick today. I rode 45 miles in the moutains between the villages and I felt better on the hills. After the bike, I ran 5.5 miles.

Week of June 22nd - Wiesbaden - Germany

2008-06-22T09:04:00.009-04:00

I had a second stong week of workouts this past week and I am working to put in another strong week. The hills are getting a lot easier now. I am moving through hills that at one time would have made me either stop or fight through it with pain. One thing that I am really looking forward to is getting a new cassette on my bike. I currently have a 12-23 cogset and I will be getting a 12-27 cogset. This should allow me to move through the 70.3 a little easier.

Here is a view from Saturday's bike ride.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Bike 48 miles

A picture of the vineyards just outside a small village called Hausen.

I took it easy today and only biked 48 of the 60 that I had planned. I did a 62 mile ride yesterday and then did the 6 mile run and therefore, I felt a little tight today.

Monday - Swim 3,000 meters

Tuesday - Run 6-8 miles

Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 and Run 5 miles

Ran 8.5 miles.

Thursday - Run 4 miles.

None, work.

Friday - 3,000 meter swim and a 3 mile run

No swim nor run. Work is starting to slow me down.

Saturday - Bike 60 - 70 miles

I biked 71 miles today although it was an ugly ride. About half way into the ride it started to rain while I was in the hills so I rode down to Lorch to get to the nearest town (about 10 miles way). I then got a flat abuot halfway between Lorch and Rudesheim. I did however, conquer two of my nemisist hills without stopping. I getting better.

Week of June 15th

2008-06-15T08:18:00.010-04:00

I had good workouts last week and I was pleased with my progress. I am more confortable on the hills in both the running and biking. I feel like I have figured out how to work the hills on the bike. I need to relax my shoulders and legs during the up hill. I recover nice ont he down hills and at times I am moving at over 30 miles an hour downhill.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Brick: Bike 52 miles and Run 4.5 miles.

I went a little longer on the bike. My legs felt a little tired today. Most likely from the 58 miles I did on the hills through the wine country. I skipped the run today to let my legs rest. I'll do the run in the morning on Monday.

Monday - Swim 1,500 meters

Swam about 1,300 meters. The pool was very crowded and I couldn't get my meters higher.

Tuesday - Run 5 miles

I ran 7 miles today and I really felt good. The first 3.5 miles were uphill and the last 3.5 miles were downhill. I took it easy coming down because my left heel and knee hurt a little again. It must be the way my foot/leg are landing as I come down the hills.

Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 and Run 6 miles

Work prevented me from swimming but I ran 5 miles very easy today. My left knee and heel are hurting a little. Although I took a different route through the forrest today, the hills were ever present.

Thursday - Run 4 miles.

I ran 5 miles. I felt good and I'm definitely getting stronger on the hills.

Friday - 3,000 meter swim and a 3 mile run

I swam 2,500 meters today with a 500 meter warmup, 5 - 200s, 100 easy and then 10-100s. Felt good in the pool. I just need to put more time in with better workouts.

Saturday - Swim 3,500 Meters and Bike 60 - 70 miles

I biked 62 miles today and then added a 6 mile run to the end (BRICK). I really felt good but my legs were dead at the end. I hope I didn't burn them out for another 60 miles on thebike tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures from my ride and run today.

Bike and Run Scenery

Week of June 8th 2008

2008-06-09T07:22:00.007-04:00

I am coming off a great weekend. I biked 52 miles on both Saturday and Sunday in the wine country and a little bit in the mountains. My pace was about 14.5 miles per hour which included a couple of stops for trains, navigating through small towns and exporing a bit. I plan to do the 2007 bike route on Saturday morning with a little extra to hit 60 miles.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Brick: Bike 52 miles and Run 4.5 miles.

This was a great victory today. I felt good on the bike and recovered pretty well after each hill. I didn't hit very hard ones, mostly because I wanted to do the run afterwards and also because I had completed 52 miles on the bike the day before.

Monday - Swim 2,500 meters in a wetsuit.

First time practicing in a wetsuit and it felt pretty good. The suit was little tight in the arm pits but I got used to it. Afterwards, I went to my favorite Irish pub in Wiesbaden and had a Genius and watched the European Cup Match.

Tuesday - Run 5 miles

Ran a good pace, roughly 9 minute miles for four miles. The first 2 miles was up hill and I pushed it going up and stretched it out a little ont he down hill.

Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 in wetsuit.

I decided to run 6 miles today rather than swim outdoors in a wetsuit. It was a little chilly for the water but prefect weather for a run. I ran my best 6 miles to date with a 9.0pace. What was good about the run was that I am hitting the hills harder than I use to and I'm improving. Tomorrow, I'll swim indoors and maybe jog about 2-3 miles.

Thursday - Run 4-5 miles.
REST

Friday - 3,000 meter swim and a 2.5 mile run

I decided to rest on Thursday and do a swim followed by a run. The run was relatively easy so that I could work on my biking on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday - Swim 3,500 Meters and Bike 60 miles

I did 58 miles today on the hills in the neighboring villages surrounding Wiesbaden. While on my ride this monring, I met up with a bike tour group and went with them through the hills. I met a couple of very nice people that biked about my pace. THe German people have been extremely friendly and always helpful. I skipped the swim because bike took a lot out of me today. I'm going to go 60 -70 tomorrow easy and then do a 6 mile run. Overall this has been a good week training.

Week of June 1st

2008-05-31T05:23:00.005-04:00

I really feel strong and I'm not sure why, maybe its the extra sleep and I'm not eating a lot of junk food. I'm loosing a little weight, I think I weigh around 176.

I think that real reason is that I did a lot work during the off season swimming and biking in early January. I think the USAT competition motivated me in the off season. I do need to work on my core. It's relatively in sad shape.

I plan to work more on the hills this week, but I do feel like I'm moving through a little easier now. Most probably because I know where they start and end now.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Brick: Bike 20-25 and Run 6 - 8 miles.

I didn't do a brick today. I had an opportunity to ride with Victor (one of the OC Olympia Triathletes). We went on a 40 mile ride through the Weingut (wine country). This was the most beautiful ride that I have ever been on. It's in the mountains overlooking the Rhein river. The hills are very tough though and I need a lot of practice if I am to do the Weisbaden 70.3.

Monday - Swim 2,500 meters and jog 3 miles (hills again)

Tuesday - Run 5 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 and Bike 20 miles
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 3,500 Meters and Bike 40 - 45 miles

Week of May 24th

2008-05-31T05:14:00.004-04:00

I'm starting to settle in and get into a routine. I'm gettign much more rest and I don't feel like I'm running out of gas in the afternoon anymore. Getting to bed around 10:30pm each night and waking up roughly around 5:30am. I'm keeping the windows open for fresh air (no air conditioning) but the outside noise in the morning with the sun wakes me up naturally.

I had two days off this week due to work. Miss out on swimming during the week, but I will swim tonight with OC Olympia Tri Team. The fourty miles on the bike today was great. I started at 6:30am (relatively no traffic) but I rode parallel to the Rhein River through a number of small German Villages. It was great.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Biked 20 Miles and ran 3 miles
Monday - Ran hills for 3 miles
Tuesday - Biked 20 miles
Wednesday - Ran 3.5 miles but pushed the hills and relaxed on the downhill
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 3,500 Meters and Bike 40 miles. The bike ride went very well. Felt strong the entire way (16 mph).

Week of May18th

2008-05-18T12:40:00.002-04:00

I arrived in Wiesbaden on Monday morning and after a bit of running around and getting settled, I had a chance to run a little bit. Felt very sluggish but I made it through about 4 miles. I started rebuilding my bike, and had some difficulty with the rear wheel and I also lost a bolt that holds the aero bars to the handle bars. I called Bikesport and they gave a few different bolts to my daughter and son and they sent them to me. I should be up and riding this coming week. So, with that said, I ran four times this last week and swam twice. I found as Tri club, but I am having some trouble getting in touch with them because of the language barrier. I plan to ask someone at the office to help me on Monday.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Ran 10.5 miles at about 10.28 minuts per mile and with an average heart rate of 162. Not bad, Wiesbaden is all hills and I'm still getting through jet lag. At least those are my excuses this week.

Monday - Swim 2,500 meters and jog 3 miles (hills again)
Tuesday - Run 5 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,500 - 3,000 in the evening and jog 3 miles
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 3,500 Meters and Bike 30 - 40 miles

Week of May 11th

2008-05-13T05:57:00.003-04:00

I did almost no training last week because I decided to spend more time with my family prior to leaving for Germany for 4 months. I left for Germany on Mothers Day around 5:30pm and arrived in Frankfort around 8 am. I spent the next few hours getting my luggage and bike and working my way through customs and baggage checks. A person from our office met me at the airport to drove me to my temporary home for the next four months. After unpacking, I went for a flour mile run and I have to say, I was pretty tired when I got done. The lack of sleep will do that to you. I plan to get back to running and biking over the next 3-4 weeks. I have entered the Wiesbaden half-ironman in August so I have something to keep me focused.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Travel to Germany
Monday - Run 4 miles
Tuesday - Run 5 miles
Wednesday - Run 3 miles in the morning and swim 2,500 - 3,000 in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles

Week of May 4th

2008-05-04T13:49:00.004-04:00

I had a slow workout week last week. Cold and wet weather, as well as, other committments prevented me from working out, although, that might be a cop out. A good triathlete should work through the weather. In any case, my run speed is picking up quickly and my heart rate is beginning to come down. My goal in May is to run a sub-8 minute mile during a four mile run.

I will leave for Germany on Mother's Day and will most likely not train.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - 20 Mile Bike and a 6 mile run
Monday - Swim 2,700 yards and Run 3-4 miles
Tuesday - Run 5 miles
Wednesday - Swim in the morning, Run 4-5 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles

Week of April 28th

2008-04-28T11:53:00.002-04:00

I just came off a good weekend workout schedule. On Saturday, I swam 4,000 yards with the FAST team and then rode my bike 32 miles in the afternoon. On Sunday, I ran 10 miles and I felt pretty good. My heart rate is really coming down with more and more runs that I do. I have to keep working my diet to get to my goal of 175 lbs. I signed up for the Wiesbaden, Germany half Ironman Triathlon on August 10th. I'm really looking forward to it. While living in Wiesbaden thsi summer, I will have lots of opportunity to bike and run the course.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Run 10 miles
Monday - Swim 2,700 yards and Run 3-4 miles
Tuesday - Bike 20 miles and run 3 miles
Wednesday - Swim in the morning, Bike 20 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles and long easy ride (30 miles)

Week of April 20th

2008-04-20T19:23:00.002-04:00

Last week was consumed with travel and household chores, along with three of my sons soccer games. He does quite well and I'm proud of him. This week I have a few meetings but I have to hit my workouts. I'm focusing on my bike a little more now while at the same time maintaining my runs.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Bike 16 miles (First Outdoor ride of the season)
Monday - Bike 20 miles
Tuesday - Run 3-4 miles
Wednesday - Swim in the morning, Bike 20 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles and long easy ride (30 miles)

Week of April 13th - Wiesbaden, Germany

2008-04-13T10:07:00.002-04:00

Ths was my second week in Weisbaden, Germany. I am very pleased with my training. I have found a lap pool in Mainz that has roughly 8 lanes to swim. There are a few slow swimmers but it is a lot better than the 50 meter pool in Wiesbaden. The hills are great for training. I'm getting a little fast on them now (both up and down hill). I can't wait to get on my bike when I get home. A majority of this week will be running, and I will sneek in a swim if I can.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Swim 3,300 yards
Monday - Run 3-4 in the evening
Tuesday - Run 3-4 miles
Wednesday - Travel back to US - Run 3 miles in the morning
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles and walk

Week of April 6th

2008-04-06T08:32:00.002-04:00

Ths was my first week in Weisbaden, Germany. I will be here for 16 days and I will not have my bike. However, I will be focusing on my running and swimming. The city of Weisbaden is very hilly and so that should allow me to build more leg strength. I still need to do some flat running to build speed as well. So far, my runs, regardless of the length, I have averaged around 10.5 and 11 minute miles. I am not yet use to the hills.

My workout schedule for next week is shown below.

Sunday - Long Run 8 miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 3-4 in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Run 3-4 in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles in the evening
Friday - Run 4-5 Miles in the evening
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles and walk

Week of March 30th

2008-03-29T11:38:00.002-04:00

I've been training all winter and just haven't entered an update to my blog for a while, so today I updated it to help motivate me to continue my training. I will be going to Germany for a couple of weeks and will focus on running, swimming and upper body stregth conditioning. If I had my bike, I would also be riding but with out it, I'll focus on the other events.

For the next couple of weeks, here is my workout schedule.

Sunday - Long Run 6-10 miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 3-4 in the evening
Tuesday - Run 4-5 miles
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Run 3-4 in the evening
Thursday - Run 4-5 miles in the evening
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2.5 - 3 miles

January 1, 2008

2008-01-04T20:17:00.001-05:00

WELL, 2007 was my second full yaer of training for and doing Triathlons. I set all the goals that I had intended to which included doing a long bike ride of 60+ miles, finishing an Olympic Tri and completing the Detroit Free Press Marathon.

I have also been competing in the USAT National Winter Competition and my off season training is more consistent, particularly in the swim and bike. I need to get out and run. My running is non-existent.

In 2008, I plan to again do the Detroit Marathon, and also a couple of half-ironmans, particularly the Steelhead half.

My weekly off-season training looks like this.

Sunday - Run x miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Bike an hour in the evening
Tuesday - Run x miles
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Bike an hour in the evening
Thursday - Run x miles in the evening
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim and Ride for an hour or more

November 23rd

2007-11-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

WELL, I DID IT - I ran and finished the Detroit Marathon - 26.2 fun filled miles.
Although I didn't hit the time I wanted I was very happy that I completed one of my life goals - "To Finish a Marathon". I plan to run the Detroit Marathon every year going forward.

It's been a few weeks since the marathon and I have put some miles in, but I need to start back up again so that I don't loose what I have gained.

My goals for 2008 include doing the Detroit Marathon, 2-3 half-ironmans and one or two 100 mile bike rides.

Sunday - Run 10 Miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Bike an hour in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Bike an hour in the evening
Thursday - Run 5 miles in the evening
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim and Ride for an hour or more

Week of October 7th

2007-10-07T17:48:00.000-04:00

Last week was basically a recovery week for me. I didn't do the six mile runon Thursday but I did do the two 4 mile runs. Me knees were hurting most of the week so I iced them and rested. I did swim three times last week and I'm feeling a little stronger in the water. Last week,I swam with the faster and stronger swimmers. It felt good althoughit was tough.

Today's 12 mile run turned into a 10 mile run/walk. I just didn't have it today. I got up early and unfortunately, I didn't get enough sleep and I don't think I was hydrated enough.

The Detroit Marathon is three weeks away and I'm looking forward to it.

Sunday - Run 10 Miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 3 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Run 3 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run 5 miles in the evening
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim

Week of September 30th

2007-09-30T19:24:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it. I ran 20 miles on Saturday at the RUNNING FIT 20 mle practice run on Edward Hines Drive. It was great. There were about 500 peopole there of all ages. I felt great and I finished in 3:09:55. This was almost my identical time for my 18 mile run a few weeks earlier. The weather was perfect, and I have to say, the volunteers had a lot to do with me enjoying the run. I think having the gatorade, water and GU helped a lot too. I have difficulty rationing water and gatroade on my runs by myself. I'm really pumped up and ready for the Detroit Marathon.

Sunday - Run 20 Miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 4 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Run 4 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run 6 miles in the evening
Friday - Swim in the morning
Saturday - Swim

Week of September 23rd

2007-09-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

Last week was a good week of running. Although I didn't get my nine mile run in due to traveling back from Germany, I did get my other shorter runs in. My minutes per mile pace is getting better. THe cool weather is really helping. On my last 5 mile run my pace was 8:36 per mile. That's pretty good for me considering that my previous pace was roughy 9:30. I really think my pace is gettign better because I'm running up to four times a week now.

Running in a little village in Trebur, Germany was very nice. I met a couple one night while running and ran about two miles with them. The man sppke English very well and his girl friend spoke it a little. As it turns out, she does Triathlons and marathons too.

Sunday - Run 14 Miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 5 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim in the morning and Run 5 miles in the evening
Thursday - Run seven miles in the evening
Friday - Swim in the morning
Saturday - Swim

2007-09-16T16:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I made it. I finished my longest run ever of 18 miles. It was tough, but I did it. I considered a major hurdle in my training considering both the distance and the condition of my feet and the pain in my knees. Both my feet have toe nails that are black or blue and each stride was to some degree painful. Monday's run was also tough, I found it difficult to keep motivated because Iw as a little tight from Sunday's run.

I traveled on Monday to Wiesbaden, Germany for two weeks. Last week I kept up my running even though it wasn't as schedule. I really enjoyed running in Germany this week. Running through the small Germany villages was really fun.

Sunday - Run 5 Miles Fast
Monday - Run 5 miles
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 5 miles
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Run 9 Miles
Saturday - Walk

Week of 9-09-07

2007-09-10T10:32:00.000-04:00

Last week was somewhat disappointing in the sense that my knees were hurting and I have two toe nails that are brused and most likely fall off in time. On the lighter side, I purchased a Garmin 305, which I love, and a new pair of Minuzo shoes. Because of the injuries, I did not run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (about 18 miles). I did substitute two shorter runs of 3 miles each to keep moving and to test my knees.

Because the tests went well, I did choose to run the 18 miles on Sunday. Although long, the run went pretty well. My knees hurt a little but nothing to bad. This morning, my left knee hurt quite a bit, but I'm icing it and stretching it a little. I felt that I recovered a lot easier after the 18 than the 15 last week.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 18 Miles
Monday - Run 5 miles
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 5 miles
Thursday - Run 9 miles
Friday - Swim
Saturday - Walk

Week of September 2nd

2007-09-02T20:31:00.000-04:00

Last week I hit all my running goals and my swimming goals. With theexception that my five mile runs were only 4 miles runs. I basically was trying tofit them in so that I could go to other events, such as, my sons soccer games and going to dinner with my daughter whom is back home from college.

Today's 15 mile run was very tough. I didn't feel like I was ready for the run in terms of getting pumped up for it. My legs felt very sore the moment I started and it took about 4 miles to loosen up. I just didn't have the leg strength today. I also made a big mistake today. I rationed my water too much and I didn't really start to drink my water and Excel until around the 6 - 7 mile mark. I think I dehydrated myself. Miles 12 - 14 were extremely tough and at mile 14 I was just dead until my wife showed up with cold water. That really saved me.

My toes are getting blisters on them and I'll have to get a new pair of shoes. I think my shoes have shunk a little from the water and the dryer and that might be causing the blisters.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 15 Miles
Monday - Run 5 miles
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and Run 5 miles
Thursday - Run 8 miles
Friday - Swim
Saturday - Bike Easy (Short Distance - 8 - 12 miles)

Week of August 26th

2007-08-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

Last week was a tuff workout week. We had lots of rain with temperatures and very humid conditions. All in all, I very pleased with my workouts. I put in all the miles that I was suppose to. I am finding the value of a good nutrious diet. I'm also finding out how soon I shouldn't run after a meal. I have to wait about 2-3 hours before running after eating. Twice last week, I ran to soon after eating and I felt like I was going to get sick during my workout. Today, Sunday, I did 13.5 miles without much effort and my run felt very good. The eleventh mile was a little tough, but miles 12 and 13 were very good.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 13 Miles
Monday - Swim in the morning and Run 5 miles
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and Run4 miles
Thursday - Run 8 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Bike Easy (Short Distance - 8 - 12 miles)

Week of August 19th

2007-08-21T22:31:00.000-04:00

Last week was a great workout wek for me. I comleted my first Olympic Triathlon and also completed a 12 mile runthe following day. I also hit all my training goals for the week, of witch I was happy.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 12 Miles
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Run 4 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and Run4 miles
Thursday - Run 8 miles
Friday - Swim
Saturday - Rest

Sylvania Trathlon

2007-08-12T22:08:00.000-04:00

The Sylvania Triathlon is located in Sylvania, Ohio. Approximately 60 minutes from Detroit Metro Airport. Theevent offers Sprint, Olympic and Duathlon events. I chose to participate in the Olympic event this year. MY FIRST OLYMPIC 1.5K Swim, 40K Bike and a 10K Run.

This event was very difficult in terms of the distance. I had a pretty good swim, finishingthe 1.5K in just over 26 minutes. I really felt good getting out of the water. Unlike the Clark Lake Triathlon, I swam in open water the entire distance with a few exceptions.

I felt really good on the bike for the first 18 miles. I'm guessing I averaged just under 20 miles per hour. I slowed down on the final 6 and still finished at just over 19 miles per hour. I was definitely hurting at the end. I finished this stage in 1:17.

During the run, my legs felt very heavy and I kept pushing myself through the stage. My finishing time for the run was 60 minutes. About 9:48 pace.

All in all, I felt I did rather well.

Sylvania Triathlon

Week of August 12th

2007-08-12T22:02:00.000-04:00

I can some up the weather from last week as hot and very humid. Highs in the mid-90s was constant all week with showers scatter througout the week. With that I was able to get in some runs, swims and a bike outing. Rather low key for the week. I didn't want to push too much bacause the Sylvania Tri was coming up on Sunday.

Sylvania Triathlon

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Sylvania Triathlon (1.5K, 40K, 10K)
Monday - Swim in the Morning, 12 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Bike 20 Miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and 4 Miles
Thursday - Run 7 miles
Friday - Swim
Saturday - Rest

Week of August 5th

2007-08-06T15:00:00.001-04:00

I worked out pretty well last week. I did my 11 miles runon Sunday, and also got all my swims and short runs in as well. I did a swim/run brick on Friday morning and it went pretty good. I also did a 32 mile bike ride on Saturday morning. It went well and I feel I'm ready of the Olympic Triathlon this weekend.

Sylvania Triathlon

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - 11 miles in the evening
Tuesday - 3 Mile run
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and bike 24 miles
Thursday - Run 6 miles
Friday - Swim and Rest
Saturday - Bike 40 miles

My 2005 Felt S32

2007-07-31T22:51:00.000-04:00

I purchased my Tri bike last year, and I have to say, I really love riding this bike. I had not had a tri bike before so it took some time to get used to leaning forward on the arm rests. My times are just startingto get better and I'm learning how to move thrugh the gears better than before.

Week of July 29th

2007-07-31T22:41:00.000-04:00

The Clark Lake Triathlon felt very good. I really felt that I could have worked a little harder in all three events. I really feel that I could have improved my swim if I had started on the outside of the pack at the start. This week on Monday I start out with an 11 mile run and then a lite run and medium distance on the bike int he middle of the week (basically a brick). I need to build up milage in prep for the Detroit marathon.

Detroit Marathon

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Clark Lake Triahlon (800 meters, 13 mile bike, 4 mile run)
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,300 yards) run 11 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and run 3 miles and bike 24 miles
Thursday - Run 6 miles
Friday - Swim and run 3 miles
Saturday - Bike 40 miles

Clark Lake Triathlon

2007-07-31T22:26:00.000-04:00

Well, the 2007 Clark Lake Triathlon has come and gone. Again, the Lions Club did a great job managing the activities. There was plenty of water during the run and the bike course well laid out very well.

The race went very well for me. I finished the 800 meter swim in 14:36 (time completing the swim). I averaged 18.8 miles / hour on the 13 mile bike route and I had a 9:30 per hour pace on the 4 mile run. My transition times averaged approximately 2 minutes. Not bad - expeience is everything.

Overall, my time was 1:39 which is a little lower than what I had expected to do. It certain inspired me to set goals to hit 1:30 next year. Lessons Learned: start the swim on the outside. It avoids alot of bumps, kicks and the general congestion on the start. Had a started on the outside and cut over, I would have had a better swim time.

Clark Lake Triathlon

Week of July 22nd

2007-07-22T18:18:00.000-04:00

The Waterloo Triathlon went very well, with the exception of the swim. The bike and run went good, but I have to quicken my pace on both. The field of 40-somethings clearly trains harder than I do. Although I have been doing the Triathlons for fun and exercise, I do want to improve my times. I think next year will be a bigger year for me. I'm starting to focus on running a little more because I'm training for the Detroit Marathon.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - 10 mile run
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,300 yards) run 3 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Bike 20 miles easy
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and run 3 miles
Thursday - Run 6 miles
Friday - Swim and run 3 miles
Saturday - Rest

Week of July 15th

2007-07-17T19:45:00.000-04:00

My workouts went pretty well last week. No injuries, and I had vacation last week as well.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Waterloo Tri
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,300 yards) run 8 miles in the evening
Tuesday - Bike 10 miles easy
Wednesday - Swim 2,300 yards and run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 16 easy
Friday - Swim and run 3 miles
Saturday - Brick (Bike 32 and Run 6)

Waterloo Triathlon - July 15th

2007-07-17T19:33:00.000-04:00

Well the Waterloo Triathlon was certainly an experience. I loved the course and the weather was great. I really enjoyed the trail run. Most of it was in the shade and the paths were pretty obvious. The Tri was an 800 yard swim, 16 mile bike and a 5 mile run.

Overall I did very well with a 2:08 at the finish. My swim was a disappointment. I figured that I would come in at roughly 16 minutes and I didn't get in until 21.35 minutes. The tri was the first time that I had worn a wetsuit and the experiment failed miserably. At about 100 yards into the swim, I felt very uncomfortable and eventually took the suit off and gave it to a canoeist. I got a two minute penalty, but I finished the swim.

My transitions went very well this time. I believe that I was about 2 minutes at each transition. The finished the bike segment in roughly 53 minutes (19 MPH). The bike course had quite a few rolling hills that we not to tough to move through. During the run I felt pretty good. I feel I could have pushed it a little more in retrospect. I finished the run in 50 minutes.

Waterloo Triathlon

Week of July 8th

2007-07-09T13:17:00.000-04:00

I did not hit all my workouts last week due to weather and the holiday. I celebrated a few nights and caused me to miss a couple of morning workouts. My achilles is fine and I am continuing to do bricks when I have the time. Last week, I did two bricks.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,500 yards) run 6 miles in the morning
Tuesday - Bike 20 miles easy
Wednesday - Swim 2,250 yards and run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 16 easy
Friday - Swim and run 3 miles
Saturday - Rest

Week of July 1

2007-06-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

Last week was a great week of me. I hit all of my workouts except for Friday's 3 mile run. I didn't do that one so that I would be rested for the FAST club practice Tri. I did the Olympic distance (1,200 yd swim, 24 mile bike and a 10K run). That was the first Olympic triathlon that I had done, so I was very pleased to finish. I completed the three events with times of 24.50, 1.25.00 and 64 minutes. The PT is going well. My achillies did not hurt at all and I stretched it out well afterwards.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - 2 miles easy
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,200 yards) run 3 miles at night
Tuesday - Bike 20 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,250 yards and run 3 miles
Thursday - PT and Bike 25 miles
Friday - Swim and PT and run 3 miles
Saturday - Bike 30 miles and 4 mile run

Week of June 24th

2007-06-24T16:07:00.000-04:00

I ran and swam three times last week and felt pretty good. My achilles is doing okay, however, it did swell up a little after my four mile run. I'm going to hold to the same workout as last week, but this time dothe biking. Work activites kept me off the bike last week.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - 4 miles
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,200 yards) run 3 miles at night
Tuesday - PT and Bike 20 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,250 yards and run 3 miles
Thursday - PT and Bike 20 miles
Friday - Swim and PT and run 3 miles
Saturday - Swim and bike 20 miles

Week of June 17th

2007-06-17T22:51:00.000-04:00

My leg is feeling better but I have to go slow. The swimming helps out alot to keep in shape however, I feel very sluggish in the water. Quite honestly, I think I'm swimming iwth faster swimmers and I'm not keepingupas much as I thought I would.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - 4 miles
Monday - Swim in the morning (2,200 yards) run 3 miles at night
Tuesday - PT and Bike 20 miles
Wednesday - Swim 2,250 yards and run 3 miles
Thursday - PT and Bike 20 miles
Friday - Swim and PT and run 3 miles
Saturday - Swim and bike 20 miles

Week of June 10th

2007-06-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

I have decided to rest this week and also start physical therapy. My first session went very well and I think the rest I have had has paid off. Joined the YMCA and have started swimmingin the morning to stay in condition. It should pay off and allow me to do the Willow Tri in July.

Based upon feedback from my therapist and doctor, I can work out but just as long as their in no pain.

This week my workouts are as follows:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Physical Therapy
Wednesday - Swim 2,250 yards and run 3 miles
Thursday - Physical Therapy and bike
Friday - Swim and Physical Therapy and run 3 miles
Saturday - Swim and bike

Week of June 3, 2007

2007-06-04T19:42:00.000-04:00

I've not been working out the last two weeks. I have achilles tendenitous and have not been able to do much. I have run a couple of times, and will try to swim more in the next week or so.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Doctor
Thursday - Rest
Saturday - Rest

Week of May 20th

2007-05-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

I need to start putting some solid weeks together back to back to prepare for some of the early Tri's. Unfortunately, I tend to do most of my heavy workouts on the weekend and this coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend. Lots of family things to do.

This week my workouts are as follows:
Sunday - Ride 40 miles and run 6 miles (non-brick)
Monday - 3 mile run
Tuesday - 20 mile bike easy
Wednesday - Swim or Run 4 miles
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bike 20 miles easy
Saturday - 4 mile run

Week of May 13th

2007-05-16T22:42:00.000-04:00

Last week I had my best week in terms of both distance and time in training. I have been tracking my training timeanddistance since January and I have noticed a trend. Whenever I seem to have a string of good weeks, namely three, I tend to have small set backs in training for roughly a week. I tend to think it is due to over training. I'm not having the injuries, with the exception of my achiles tenden. It aches a little and is stiff in the morning. I noticed the injury after the 61 mile bike ride two weeks ago.

Anyhow, its not slowing my training down this week. I plan to do a brick and try to get in a long bike ride on Saturday.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 8 miles
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Run 4 miles
Thursday - Swim or run 4 miles
Friday - Bike 25 miles easy
Saturday - Swim 2 miles and Bike 40-50 miles and run2-3 miles

Week of May 6th

2007-05-06T20:11:00.000-04:00

Last week started out very slow due to initiatives at work, however, I do feel I made the best of time ato the end of the week with a couple of runs and brick on Saturday. The brick was a little slow but it felt good for the first one of the year. I started out this week with a bang, Ihad a personal best on my bike with a sixty-one mile ride on Sunday. The third leg was a tough one, and so was the last leg, however, on the last 3-4 miles I felt rejunvenated as I rode closer to the finish line. I hope to do more rides like this this year and still want a personal best of 100 miles as my major accomplishment in 2007.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Bike 61 miles
Monday - Run 3 miles
Tuesday - Bike 20 miles
Wednesday - Run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 20 miles or Run 4 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 2 miles and Run 6-8 miles

Week of April 30th

2007-05-04T17:34:00.000-04:00

Last week was rather slow. I spent the week recovering. I felt that I pushed a little too hard on the previous week, but i also had a number o conflicts with things around the house and kids events. This week I'm focusing on my runs, with a little swimming and biking. I plan to do a brick on Saturday. I'm planning on doing bricks on the weekends.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run6 miles
Monday - Run 4 miles
Tuesday - Run 4 miles
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Swim 50 minutes
Friday - 4 miles
Saturday - Brick: 20 miles bile and 3 mile run

Week of April 23

2007-04-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

Last week I trained my best in terms of both mileage and time. Felt good, but I was certainly feeling tired and tight on Sunday. As you can see, I choose Sanuday as my rest day. Normally I tryto swim and bike on Sunday's but being tired and many household chores kept me from training. Saturday was my first time biking outdoors and the wind reallybeat me up heading out and I really felt it. I need to up my mileage on the runs. An will try to have long Sunday runs in the future.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Rest
Monday - Run 4 miles
Tuesday - Bike 120 minutes
Wednesday - Run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 90 Minutes (Spinervals Tape #4)
Friday - 4 miles
Saturday - Swim 3,700 Yards and 120 minute bike

Week of April 16th

2007-04-15T21:58:00.000-04:00

I'm doing very well so far. So good in fact, I'm trying not to push myself too hard as to inadvertently getting an injury that might slow me down. Still feeling strong on my swim and bike. Today I ran 6 miles and felt fine. It looks like the bike and swimming is also helping my runs. Since my mileage and training time is higher, I should start doing some low weight training.

This week my workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Run 6 miles
Monday - Run 3 miles and Bike 60 minutes (Spinervals Tape #4)
Tuesday - Bike 90 minutes
Wednesday - Run 4 miles
Thursday - Bike 90 Minutes (Spinervals Tape #4)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim 3,700 Yards and 120 minute bike

Week of April 8th

2007-04-07T18:32:00.000-04:00

I finally got out and ran outdoors last week. Although I only did 3 miles per run, my mile splits were coming down. My shoulder started hurting a little bit on my swim last week, however, I did get in 4,000 yards. The Spinervals 3 tape is a tough one but I'm completing all of it and also added 45 minutes to the end of it. I feel stonger on teh bike but we will see once I get outdoors.

This weeks workouts will push my milage to over 80 miles and my time will be about 8 hours of training.

Sunday - Bike - 120 minutes (Spinervals Tape #3)
Monday - Run 30 Minutes
Tuesday - Bike 90 minutes
Wednesday - Run 30 Minutes
Thursday - Bike 90 Minutes
Friday - Rest
Saturday - No swimming, so I'm going to do a Brick (90 minute bike with a 30 minute run)

Week of March 25th

2007-03-26T19:06:00.000-04:00

Again, I had to travel last week to Vegas on business. Without my bike, I continued to run roughly 30 minutes at a time. Running, at this point, isn't one of my strengths. I've got a lot of work to do. However, I really do feel much stronger swimming and on my bike. I did Spnervals tape nubmer 3 this week and although it kicked my butt, Ifinished the workout and felt strong at the end.

Sunday - Swim 5,100yards and Biked 60 minutes (Spnervals Tape #3
Monday - Run 30 Minutes
Tuesday - Bike 60 minutes
Wednesday - Run 30 Minutes
Thursday - Bike 60 Minutes
Friday - Run 30 Minutes
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,700 yards

Week of March 18th

2007-03-17T21:45:00.000-04:00

I had to travel last week and unfortunately, I didn't complete thetraining that I had planned. I reallywanted to step start varying my workouts. I especially missed my swimming and biking, however, that did force me to start my running as planned. My legs took a beating on the runs. Boy were they sore, but I did manage to run three times last week. I need alot of work on my running. One good thing that I noticed was that my left knee did not hurt like it did last all last year. Maybe the biking and swimming has helped it this yearso far.

I'm traveling again this week so I will make my training more manageable.

Sunday - Swim 5,300 yards (Try to bike around 60 minutes)
Monday - Bike 60 minutes - Run 30 Minutes
Tuesday - Run 30 minutes
Wednesday - Run 30 Minutes
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bike 60 minutes
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,700 yards

March 11th Workout Plan

2007-03-11T19:47:00.000-04:00

Swimming and biking are certainly improving. I'm finding that I'm picking up my pace in both events. I've moved up a lane at swimming and the Spinerval Tapes are great and should be improving my bike speed. This week's workout is as follows.

Sunday - Light Bike - 30 minuts
Monday - Bike 60 minutes - Run 30 Minutes
Tuesday - Bike 60 miunutes
Wednesday - Run 30 Minutes
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bike 60 Minutes - Run 30 Minutes
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,700 yards

Week of March 5th

2007-03-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

Swimming and biking are certainly improving. I'm finding that I'm picking upmy pace in both events. I've moved up a lane at swimming and the Spinerval Tapes are great and should be improving my bike speed.
This week's workout is as follows.

Sunday - Swim Appr. 4,000
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Bike 60 miunutes
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Bike 60Minutes
Friday - Bike 60 Minutes
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,700 yards

Week of February 25th - Start Running

2007-02-24T18:59:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling stronger on both the bike and in the water. I also believe that I'm way ahead of where I was last year. It feels good to sense that I'm improving. Of course, I won't know how well until I get outside with others.

My planned workout for next week is as follows.

Sunday - Swim Appr. 5,280yards
Monday - Bike 60 Minutes (16 miles)
Tuesday - Run 30 minutes (3 miles)
Wednesday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards
Thursday - Run 30 minutes (3 miles)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards

Week February18th

2007-02-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

My 5,000 yard swim last Sunday was pretty good. I felt comfortable and didn't feel too tired at the end. My biking is improving as well. And, the Spinerval 1.0 tape is a big help. My planned workout for next week is as follows.

Sunday - Swim Appr. 5,100yards
Monday - Bike 60 Minutes (16 miles)
Tuesday - Bike 90 minutes (20 miles)
Wednesday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Bike 60 Minutes (16 miles)
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards

Week of February 12, 2007

2007-02-11T17:03:00.000-05:00

I felt great on both the bike and swimming last week. On Sunday of last week, I swam 2 miles continuously. That was a personal best for me. My workout for the week is to focus on my biking and swimming. It's still too cold to run outdoors with the day time highs in the double digits. Maybe I'll try it in place of a bike day.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Bike 60 minutes (16 miles)
Wednesday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards
Thursday - Bike 60 minutes (16 miles)
Friday - Bike 60 Minutes (16 miles)
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards
Sunday - Swim Appr. 5,000yards

Week of February 4th - Recovery Week

2007-02-06T19:34:00.000-05:00

My workout for the week is to focus on my biking. It's too cold to run outdoors with the day time highs in the singel digit.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Bike 60 minutes (16 miles)
Wednesday - Bike 60 minutes (16 miles)
Thursday - Bike 60 minutes (16 miles)
Friday - Bike 60 Minutes (16 miles)
Saturday - Swim Appr. 3,500 yards
Sunday - Swim Appr. 5,280yards

Week of January 7, 2007

2007-01-06T14:04:00.000-05:00

Felt good last week. I had a few interuptions that caused miss to miss a couple of runs but that's okay. This week, I plan to go with the same workout. I don't want to push to hard to soon into the year. I am starting to look at the Tri's that I plan to do this year. My two big goals this year are the Whirlpool's Steelhead 70 and the Detroit Free Press Marathon. If I hit those two, I'll be pleased.

This week's workout.

Sunday, bike 20 miles
Monday, bike 20 miles
Tuesday, run 4 miles
Wednesday, bike 20 miles
Thursday, run 4 miles
Friday, bike 15 miles
Saturday, Swim at Schoolcraft

January 1 2007 - New Year

2007-01-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it's a new year and I've created my New Year's Resolution and amoung mygoals for this year are to increase my training and to manage nutrition better. This week's workout is a blend of training which includes Running, Biking and Swimming. Our FAST group won the USAT Competition for Decmeber in the swimming event and are looking forward to winning (or giving it our best) in January on the bike event. This event really has motivated me to work out more.

First week of 2007

Monday, Bike 20 miles indoors
Tuesday, Run 4 miles
Wednesday, Bike 20 Miles indoors
Thursday, Run 4 miles
Friday, Bike 20 miles
Saturday, Swim 2 - 3 miles

Training Week of December 24th

2006-12-26T17:30:00.000-05:00

Focusing on running with some biking during the week. I'm not swimming as much due to a case of carpal tunnel. I'm starting to feel stronger ont he runs. I'm mixing up tempo with my longer runs to push speed to some degree. This weeks planned workouts are:

Monday, December 25th - No training
Tuesday, December 26th - 4 Mile Tempo
Wednesday, December 27th - 4 Mile Easy
Thursday, December 28th - 4 Mile Tempo
Saturday, December 29th - 4 Miles Endurance Easy
Sunday, Decebmer 31st - 3 Miles Swim

Building Base For 2007

2006-12-21T17:37:00.000-05:00

I've been hitting the running more lately to get a jump on the early running events in 2007. Last year, running was my biggest weakness, although I wasn't particulary strong in any one event. The USAT National Competition has also motivated me to keep moving ahead with my training.

Planning for 2007 Events

2006-12-10T13:14:00.000-05:00

After the Detroit Free Half-Marathon in October, I've begun developing goals for 2007. As of today, my goals include: running the Detroit Free Press Marathon, 2-3 Olympic Triathlons, and a half Ironman (70.3).

Detroit Marathon

2006-10-29T12:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I finished my first half-marathon. It felt great coming down the tunnel into Ford Field and then eventually finishing the race. The race seemed togo by quickly and the scenery was great. Having the opportunity to run through so many historic sites, such as, the old tiger stadium, through Mexican village, across the bridge, through the tunnel and by the Fox theater to name a few, was certainly a great experience. The Race: felt great up until the last two miles. Ifelt that I had lots of energy left, however, my feet and hips hurt a little. I finish the half in 2:20. I look forward to train toward my first marathon some time next spring.

Detroit Free Press Marathon

2006-10-15T10:39:00.000-04:00

I've decided to run the 1/2 marathon as a transition to Olympic Triathlons in 2007. I have been running, stretching and lifting to build my endurance, as well as, strength. The race is October 29, 2006 and my goal is to finish.

Sylvania, Ohio Triathlon

2006-10-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

My second Sprint Triathlon. I felt great and my time improved significantly over the Clark Lake Triathon (even though the course was shorter). The swim was a little tough - mostly because we swam into the sun on the turn. My bike leg went very well - no flats this time. And my run went great. At the finish line, I felt that I had a lot more left. I really need to work on my transitions. I had roughly 6 minutes in total transition time. My final time for my second tri was 1.20.

Clark Lake Triathlon

2006-10-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

My first traithlon. Wow, I did it. Although the weather was hot, this was a great experience. A great sense of accomplishment. I felt good on the swim - with a time of 16 minutes for the1/2 mile. My bike was going great until I had a flat two miles from the finish. My run was not what I expected. I most lilkely should have consumed more water during the bike portion of the race. In any case, I finished my first triathlon and accomplished my goal. More to come.