Race Day for the Sprint Triathlon

The sprint triathlon is over.  So much training for 1:13 of run.  As is par for the course for me it rained, but only a little bit.  It was my first time on my new bike in the rain, so I was little worried.  The event was a Fishers FAST triathlon, in Fishers, IN.  Its a 500 meter swim in a pool, a 10M bike and 3M run.  Its also a really flat course.  So between the pool and flat course I expected it to be fast.  I haven't seen all the results yet, but there was supposed to be about 500 people.

I was able to start in the first wave of swimmers.  I'm very glad I did this, but wish that I had pushed up to the front more before the start.  I got a little caught in traffic and had to pass a couple of people, but another swimmer did pass me and we were 3 wide in a pool lane.  That did sort of give me the lake effect.  The flip turns were really awkard for me and definitely slowed me down, but still had to be faster than an open water swim.  I didn't like jumping in to start or climbing out to finish either.  So I'd say I wasn't a fan of the pool swim, but I can see why people like it.  If you are a novice swimmer this is a great safe place to start.

The transition was setup better for people who started early, and our bikes were closer to the pool and bike exit.  That should mean faster transition times, less times walking on biking shoes, since I didn't pre clip them.  I also took time to put on socks.  If I'm ever withing 30 seconds of 3rd place in my division, I'll skip the socks, but that day is not today.  Or any time soon actually.  The bike course was flat as expected.  I did almost wipe out on one turn.  I hit a rock during the turn and the ground was wet.  On the bike a motorcycle cut me off and blocked me out so I passed him on the left and got a penalty.  Ticked me off that I need to pass a motorcycle on the course and they couldn't stay out of the racers way.

The run seemed like it was all uphill.  My legs did the brick cramp as soon as I started moving.  I did walk a little trying to get the cramp out and just keep moving.  A few people were passing me on the run as I expected, but still less than I thought.  I don't know my splits but I feel like I ran considerably faster. 

A 42 year old won, and with like a 49 year right behind him.  That's a tough age bracket.  Overall I think it was a lot fun.  Girlfriend came with me, but she started the swim about 45mins after me, so I really didn't see her at all at the event.   I did meet up with a friend and we talked for a while, we cheered girlfriend into the bike transition and then waited at the finish line for her.  I missed her finish because at the exact moment she was coming in a judge was talking to me about the penalty.  After waiting there, I totally missed it!  I can't believe that.
Rest today, I guess we starting tomorrow :)

Week 3 - Day 4 - Already? Swim, Jog, Chalean

Chalean in the morning.  Cardio day.  I drank my muscle milk (1 scoop) before but my legs were still tired.  I think from the bike, it does sort of build up over a few days.  Chalean just has so much squatting, my legs are feeling it.  Then it was time to work.  A fine stressful day, so I was ready to work out again after work.  We went to the gym to swim and run.  The swim was like 400 yards.  Again pretty easy, even trying to push the 4x50's.  We go to LA Fitness and if your goal is a gym with a pool, you should skip this one.  That lack just about everything a swimmer would want except water.  They don't have a single clock with a second hand.  How much would it cost for an actual pool timer?  They don't have backstoke lane lines so you know when you are close to the wall.  My last complaint is not swim suit dryer.  Why bother with the pool.  The YMCA near is us is much better, but yes, it cost more, but at this point maybe I would consider going back.
Then we went to jog for 20 mins.  It had more jog and less walk this time.  4min jog and 1 min walk.  We jog at 6mph on our toes and walk at 4mph.  Not blazing a trail, but it keeps the heart rate low.  Its so hard to think that is actually a good thing.  Training has always been more of it and push harder, feel sore, half dead and try to recover.  This is not that.

Week 3 - Day 3 - A Day of Measuring

We did Chalean and no tri training.  One workout still seems light and easy now.    We did it in the evening, so no morning workout.  I like the morning better.  We are getting ready to do Burn it off now, its the longer one with the Ab workout.

We did some measurement checks yesterday.  Since the starting point I was about 179 lbs and I'm about 174 now.  I lost 1in in my arms and 1.5 inches in my waist.  Everything else is about the same.  What kind of flabby arms was I sporting to loose an inch in them?  I'm not thinking I need big arms to run a tri. 

Week 3 - Day 2 - I love my bike

I think I have said it before.. but I love my bike.  I have posted it before, but yesterday was a 10 mile ride, and I really enjoyed it.  I think I was accelerating uphill.  I think I am going to have to train again on my old bike soon, so I have the extra weight working against me.  It was just so fun.  That said I may have not gotten the route right according to Girlfriends GPS, but we got where we wanted to be.  We biked over to the Fort again, but didn't go into the park.  This is one of the most challenge hill rides in this part of Indiana.  I brought my GPS, if I can figure out how to load the elevations I'll do that.  Its very hard to find any hills in Indiana and this was by no means some great feat of conquering mountains, but it was more difficult than our race course will be.  So at the point we get to the top of the largest hill on our route, excited to get some speed and maybe relax a little we encounter a construction sign.  The bridge is out at the bottom of the hill.  We ended up getting off the bikes and carrying them across the construction zone.  Girlfriend did look pretty hot in pink with her blue bike on her shoulder walking thru a construction zone.  I'm just saying.  Of course after a down hill there must be an uphill, and so it was a dead stop up climb, that put my legs in some pain.
Odd thing is that we only had to bike today, no Chalean so it felt like a day off.  In the morning we were sort of like, now what.  You mean no work out, what do we do?  Even Girlfriend came over to my desk, sort of bewildered about how nice it was out and what a shame it was that it wasn't a running morning.  More exercise seems to lead to a need for more exercise..

Week 3 - Day 1

Took Saturday off, which was a good break.  We are basically not going to be doing the extra cardio workout from Chalean, on top of the tri training.  That is not so unreasonable.  Sunday we did Chalean again, increasing the weights on many exercises again.  At this point, I'm using the biggest ones I have and I'm not sure I want to bigger ones.  I don't want to be bigger, but I don't want to waste me time.  Girlfriend tried to surprise me with new weights, however only a weight showed up.  Which wasn't going to work out.  No big deal.  I can go light or go home one more week, I don't mind. 
After Chalean we stepped out in the heat and ran 25 mins.  It was supposed to be 30, but the girl with the watch was going to vomit so stopped.  I'm not going to complain, it was hot.  I'm really liking the walk run training.  I feel like I work pretty hard, but not too hard.  I'm not sore the next day and my legs don't need ice or anything crazy.  I'm not sure I'm getting any faster.  I have been running on my toes for the jog part.  I still haven't decided if this is good or bad, since it is unlikely I would run the race on my toes.  I am jogging on my toes longer each time we do it and that seems good.

Week 2 - Day 6 - Unplanned exercise

Today called for a swim with a Chalean.  There was no getting out of bed this morning, we were tired.  I went kayaking with the kids on the lake, it was pretty hot and when we got out of the no wake zone we jumped over relaxed.  Then I decided that my son could paddle some on the way back and I would swim.  He thought I meant the entire way back, which turned out to be around 1300-1500 yards.  Glad I was able to actually swim it, because he was off and I only saw back as he continued to get smaller in the distance.  Then we got a snack and went to the pool.  We decided to start a pattern I guess and delayed Chalean until tomorrow.  By the time we got done at the pool we were starving.  Sushi it was, how bad can raw fish be?  Now we just need to get up tomorrow and do the workout.

Week 2 - Day 5 - Bouncing back in the morning

I was up until midnight reading stuff for work.  Doesn't exactly set you up for a great sleep.  The alarm at 6 am was my iphone, if it was anything else I would have tossed it out the window.  It was Burn Circuit 3, basically my nightmare of squat hell and shoulder work.  Seriously, on the squat machine, I squat 300+ 10-12 times and I hate her squats in this workout.  They are just never ending reps.  The shoulder work went well.  I haven't up the weight for those yet, but at least I'm back to full weight.  On all the other ones I have increased the weight.

Stupid scale
I was trying not to step on the scale until the weekend, so I wouldn't drive myself nuts about things that don't matter.  It didn't work, I did it this morning and I regret it.  2lbs heavier than the weekend of beer!  At least I was 2% lower in body fat.  I need to stay off that stupid thing.

Biking after work was 6 miles.  We biked at the Fort again.  It was so hot.  The temperature on the bank sign read 101 on the way to the Fort.  At least there are trees covering much of the path there.  There is a pretty good hill for Indiana, my speed was up to 32 mph, which is my fastest on this bike yet.  It was great to be out on that bike.  I almost love it more than my Mac, but lets not get crazy.

Like a crazy person, I stepped on the scale before I got in the shower.  Lets just go with stupid.

Its time for a good night sleep and some swimming in the morning.