Ramping up and Cramping up! - weeks 9-10

I'd like to think everything is about me, and frankly it is, but that makes for one boring blog. So, I feel it necessary to mention a few people that are merely close to the center of the universe.

First the youngest of my SCE teammates, Andrew Walgren finished 4th overall at the Marine Discovery Run 5K on Mother's day. He's 13 years old and ran an 18:55. Definitely can haz some serious potential.

If you haven't heard of Tommy Zaferes you should check out his blog. He's a local pro and all around great guy. He'll be competing this summer in a number of races.

Also my longtime coach and SCE leader Martin Spearings is moving the family to Chicago. I don't know maybe ether struck oil or something but I give it one winter and they'll be back!

Back to me-- unlike the previous two weeks, these last two weeks have been really really busy and eventful. I finished 3rd overall today in the Run for Shelter 5k. The first two places went to guys that were just at a different level. They finished in the mid 17's while I ran a lonely 19 minutes flat. I was out there by myself pretty much the entire race and really just kicked back and enjoyed it.

So a low mileage week at 21 miles on the run, with no swims and one ride.

The previous week was brutal with a low 25 miles running, but 3 rides, of which one ride included some very painful hill repeats and another was 20+ miles in Wilder State park on the mountain bike pounding myself to mush. And a couple of easy mid-day swims.

This week will be some two a days as I start to gear up for the season. So I plan on pushing distance and time a bit but no real intensity as I'm racing Saturday. Then I'm off to Japan where I'll be running the streets of Tokyo in search of glowing fish and iodine pills.

Sunday will be my first long race in over 20 years. It's the XTerra 20k in Wilder State Park. Fortunately it all on fairly flat land. I have no idea what to expect. It's a half-marathon distance but off road. I'm assuming there will be guys my age running mid 1:20's. My goal is 1:35 or 7:15 minutes per mile. I've done a couple of training runs at 12-14 miles at 7:20-7:40 pace so I'm hoping this will work out for me.

And lastly I ponied up for some minimalist trail shoes, Newbalance 101's. First pair but I'm running a lot of offroad and the Kinvaras and Avia Bolts I was using are not cutting it on some of the really rough terrain I've been on. The Avias started out great per my first review, but I eventually ripped the sides out. I still have 3 product reviews I need to finish and post....Getting there.

Gummy-worm-eye-brows! Weeks-7-8

It's been an interesting two weeks. My recovery from knee surgery has been, in my doctors words, "nothing short of spectacular". I'm not sure if it's a testament to the surgeons work, or my amazing powers of healing, but less then a week after, I was on the stationary bike and less than two weeks after I was running. And I mean good solid runs. Last Wednesday was a 5 miler, followed Thursday by a 7 miler and then Saturday I logged 10 miles at a 7:20 pace with no issues on the run or during recovery.

The big disappointment is the weight gain. I'd lost 17 pounds since January 1st (my goal was 12) and it took a fair amount of effort and discipline. In that two weeks I gained back a solid 3 lbs. And that ain't cool! A lot of it was the lack of calorie burn but a good part of it was the Easter candy and chocolate. Put those two things together and it's the Reese's Peanut Butter cup of weight gain!

By the way, here's the worlds ugliest Easter related item:

At first I used the term "ugliest Easter related cake", but after some research I determined that this was in fact the ugliest Easter related item ever produced. With the help of my brother-in-law, and my wife's cousin, we decorated this gem and managed to eat a good chunk of it. Tasted better than it looked......And yes those are gummy worm eye-brows, I'm glad you asked.

Back to training, I managed to run 22 miles this past week with no swims, and 3 rides. The best ride was a blurry eyed set of hill repeats on the 35lb Voodoo Canzo pictured below (notice the sexy Bike Station Aptos kit and how it highlights the belly, go there and buy stuff please):

Trying to get ready for the X-Terra championship series here in Santa Cruz on 5/11. I'm doing the short race and have like zero offroad skilz bra. I've decided to skip Wildflower again this year. Even with the fast recovery racing is not in the cards and it's an expensive weekend. So as such the season begins even later than I'd hoped, but no complaints, I thought I'd be out of commission for a good month.

Take Care!

Surgery Week-6

The doc chopped my knee on Friday. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared. Actually it went really well. I had a small meniscal tear with a fragment bouncing around in all the knee juice. When the fragment was in the wrong place, the knee was irritated and swollen. When not, it seemed fine. There's also a tad bit of damage to the cartilage but nothing to be concerned about for probably the next 15-20 years and by that time my children most likely will have damaged me in ways a bad knee never could.

Here's the fragment....

And here's the tear.....

And the fragment flipped int0 the joint.......

And the cartilage damage......

And a chihuahua standing on some cheeseburgers....

I'm up and walking and working and so forth and it feels pretty good for just having been done a couple of days ago. I'm thinking I'll be spinning lightly on the stationary bike in a week and probably a light run in three. No sense in pushing it.

Aside from that I had 3 good runs last week for a total of 15 miles, and one short stint on the trainer. Kinda tapered for the surgery like I would for any race.

So maybe there's hope for a May race! I missed everyone at the Santa Cruz half but a lot of teammates and friends did really well. You can see the results here. Teammate Ryan Hoffman was an impressive 9th overall.

19 and under... Week-5

5k anyone?

I decided early on in the week I was going to find a 5k to run just to see where I'm at. Kind of a before and after thing with the knee surgery. The only one I could find was about an hour away on Saturday morning. Not worth the drive. So instead I'd planned on resting up on Friday and Saturday and suckering some teammates into pushing me through a decent 5k on Sunday. That didn't work out so well either.

Daddy got a new pair o' shoes!

And then Friday morning rolled around. I was

tired and worn out from the previous Sundays 14 miler and two subsequent 5-6 milers. As I set out for what was supposed to be an easy morning in my new Zoot tri shoes, (shameless plug) I started feeling a bit anxious about the surgery. About a mile and a half in, I stopped, stretched a little and set the auto lap on my Garmin to 3.1 miles. I hit the start button and let it rip. The first mile was at 6:14, the second at 6:05 and at about 2.3 miles I started to worry. I hit a decent hill that really hurt. I pushed through thinking that I need

more hill repeats, and mile 3 ended up being at 5:50.

Needless to say I was surprised. But thinking back there was also a nice downhill. I ended up at 18:48. Not bad for a solo run on an off day. I felt great afterwards and definitely could have pushed it a bit more. 17 something is in sight but kinda of like seeing a car on the freeway from the window of a 747.

Numbers!

So this weeks run total was 28 miles including a 12 miler on Sunday, and two intense swims. Unfortunately the only cycling I did was with the trainer. I've also managed to lose the 12 lbs I set out to, and am now setting my sights on another 10. That would put me under 190. My high school weight.

Three days to go before the surgery....... I was really hoping to do the Mother's Day Run for Fun again this year but the fact that it's my wife's first Mother's Day and I will not have run much the month prior, I'm out. But you should do it. It's for a good cause and it's on May 8th in Watsonville.

Some other great upcoming races are:

The Marine Discovery Run also on may 8th in Santa Cruz. Last year my son Ben and I were able to see some of the dolphins and other rescue animals they are helping at the Long Marine Lab.

The Santa Cruz SandMan is also a great race. Lot's of fun and a great run on the beach. July 31st in Santa Cruz.

And for the spectacle, try the Warf to Warf on July 24th. 15,000 runners on a course better suited for 500. Lots of music and food and Santa Cruz weirdness along the way.

Cheers!

On Your Knees Boy! Week-4

Firstly, congratulations to Marty, Kelly, Sam, Jenn, and everyone else on the SCE team that ran the Oakland Marathon. Some great runs and great results. I ran with Kelly last Sunday at the tail end of her 70 mile week and she inspired me to run longer and faster. She'd put in a recent 20 miler and I thought to myself, I'd love to be able to do that, what a great goal for me.... without injury or needing 3 days recovery that is.

The Good News

So yesterday I put in 14 miles. Definitely my longest run since the summer after high school when I suffered through my one and only marathon. I've blocked out most of that memory but I had managed something close to 3 hours without proper training, and I paid a heavy price. But Sundays run was 14.12 @ a comfortable 7:48/mi pace. I was happy and functional the rest of the day and feel awesome today. My unofficial half marathon (13.1) PR is now 1:41:53! :)

The Bon Jovi News

At the beginning of the run, a car passed me and they were blasting Bon Jovi, "You Give Love a Bad Name".. It stuck in my head, for the entire 14 mile run. So I changed the chorus to "14 miles on a bad knee" and made up my own lyrics as I ran...

This weeks tally is 36 miles on the run, with a couple of swims and a couple of rides on the trainer. The rain was brutal so I biked in the living room.

The Bad news

I was thinking I'd run the Santa Cruz half coming up in a couple of weeks but I found out this week that I need to have a torn meniscus in my left knee repaired. Actually the torn part removed. (See the image on the left.) I'd had an MRI and saw the doctor on Thursday. I go in on Friday the 8th for Arthroscopic surgery, then I'm on crutches or the couch for the weekend. According to the Doc, I should be back at it in a month if that's all that's wrong in there. I could wait until fall and after the season to have this done, but that could cause some permanent damage to the cartilage resulting in a lifetime of pain. I can take the time off now and still be ok for later in the season.

I'll hone my swim skills while on the comeback. :) I have a great run and cycling base now and if I can get a few rides in on the trainer or jog on the track after a couple of weeks, I'll be good to go come May 1st. Wildflower is probably out of the question but that still leaves me 3+ months to get ready for a mid August shot at the old-guy triathlon National championship.

The big goals this year remain a sub 2 minute 800m and winning my age group at Triathlon Nationals in late August. I'm feeling really good about things, although worried about the upcoming recovery. For the first time I feel like I have a head start on the season, I'm ahead of any injuries and my base fitness is the best it's ever been. Last year I started out with an ankle problem and the year before I had surgery on my left foot. Maybe next year I'll start with no injuries whatsoever....

Thanks for reading and please send something to Japan. They still need your help.

A Wet Week-3

All in all not a bad week. 30 plus miles running again, a couple of good pool swims and I managed to get a lunchtime bike ride in between storms. Still all about droppin' lbs and running.

I did buzz through a 12 miler yesterday with some teammates. And at a good clip. All felt great and I had energy for the rest of the day. I actually feel really good today, but it's a rest day for me. I'll probably do a light swim tomorrow, drills and such. Or maybe just sit in the hot tub and then partake in either a good long tempo or the track... We'll see how I feel because two ays after something big always hurst the most for em.

Coach Marty the Smarty was quick to point out that was my longest run ever. Not true but in the last gazillion years there have been 3 12 milers and one excruciating 13 mile day. So I'm going to push the weekly Sunday run to 12 or more now and with 3 more mid week runs at 7+ miles I'll bump from 30 to 35 miles per week with plenty of recovery. We'll see how it goes but my goal is to be solid at 35-40 and then add the bike and swim on top.

I'm noticing this year how much more recovery I needed the last two seasons. I really pushed things right out of the gate and didn't build a good base. I have a feeling I won't perform as well early on, especially with the swim, but we'll see what happens in May.

My main numero uno goal is Nationals in late August, so no rush.

I'm considering doing the Santa Cruz Half Marathon now in mid April. It's right here in town and fairly laid back. I usually do my long run on Sunday morning anyway and what's another 1.1 miles? Maybe I'll push the little man (pictured below) in the BOB. Although he usually sleeps until 10 am. And I'm not sure he could take two hours in the stroller. Or that my knees could take two hours pushing the stroller. :) Either way YOU should join me!

Thanks for reading!

Is this loud enough for you or should I turn it up?

The Unweek- Week-2

Well as good as week one was, week 2 was as bad. Monday morning I woke up feeling a little "funky". By 4 pm I was done for. Tuesday and Wednesday I pretty much surfed the couch. But if there's a silver lining it's that I ate nothing but oranges, a couple of bananas, an occasional oatmeal cookie and tea. Talk about a crash diet, I dropped a solid 5 pounds this week. But not worth it. I hate being sick.

Thursday I managed to work for a few hours which included a trip to the Holy Land (Apple Inc. in Cupertino), which pretty much wore me out. But Friday I managed to eek out a painful 2 miles with Tori and Pauline from work. Combine that with Today's solid 8 at a good pace and I managed 10 miles. Better than nothing.

So 10 miles on the run this week, no swim, no bike, no wine no women, I think I'm turning Japanese.... Let's hope week 3 is a good one because WildFlower is looming.

Speaking of the massive "super sumo keep up with the Jones's equipment fest", I was contacted by Terry from tricalifornia events and was informed that 29" wheels would be allowed in the off-road race but preclude the rider from any awards. I guess they feel it gives some riders an advantage? While I'm not sure I agree, he did get back to me right away which was awesome and well appreciated. So I'll be rolling my Cannondale (pictured) which I was given by Bike Station Aptos in exchange for a whole bunch of work.(<--shameless plug)

So the only other thing this week is that I bought one of those orange rollers called "The grid" that's been advertised all to hell. I've used it twice and it's ok. Don't believe the marketing hype.

It's a foam roller and doesn't feel any different than the other two that were already taking up closet space. It's just mini-me'd. So $40 for half size, as opposed to the $12 I spent on the full length hunk of environmental disaster that I've been using for a couple of years now. But this week has been all about the orange.

Stay happy and healthy. Cheers!

The not Saturday 7 at 7. Week-1

This weeks post begs the question; Is it better to shove a whole cake down your face in one sitting, or eat a piece each day for eight days?

Before I tell you why I'm asking, I must say that the first week back was great. Five runs totaling 36 miles, two great swims and a single ride that was actually really good. Aside from a slightly sore achilles I'm in good shape. I've got like six weeks to get ready for Wildflower so it's definitely on.

There was one minor setback this week. Due to beer, really bad pseudo mexican food, my planned Saturday morning 7 mile run at an attempted 7min/mi pace turned into Sunday 8 miler at a leisurely 8.5. I've been wearing some Kinvaras, which are nice and light with plenty of support. They felt good off the pavement today, even with some mud and gravel.

Food Me!

The biggest issue will be keeping my fat ass out of the pantry. I likes to eat. I mean I don't just like it, I really like it! If there's something sweet around such as Girl Scout cookies, they belong to me no matter who says different and I will devour them until they are no more. Instead of tiger blood, I have K-9 blood. Just like a dog, It's not possible for me to stop at one box if there are three boxes on the shelf. So I must remove all temptation. In theory I'm all about organic whole foods and if that's all that is around, that's what I'll eat. So the goal of 12lbs dropped in the next six weeks will be a tough one for me and depend on shopping habits and schedule. But I'm confident I'll drop 10. Especially since I powered through all the GS cookies in one sitting. Hence the question about cake. Think of cake as a metaphor for cookies and you're with me.

Swim Stuff....

I'm thinking I might go back to Masters swim this week, we'll see. In past years I thought it cool to tell people I swim twice a week at 6am rain, snow, or shine. Even in January. OUTDOORS. People would ooh and ahh and say things, like "Dude you're hard core..." or "are you nuts?". I loved it. This year, I am pretty much over it, and the need for the oohing. No showing up to a dark icy pool deck on a January morning. That WAS nuts.

Oh also the Friday night swim around the warf has started up again. Really looking forward to doing that weekly and if you're local you should come out. I couldn't make it this past Friday due to work. Check the link if interested. No one swims alone and all abilities are welcomed. Provided you actually have the ability to swim.

Thanks for reading!

The Long Road, Kicking off the season!

Better, Stronger, Faster, .... And Older

In my own little world, in which I fully rule in every way, my season officially starts on Monday. Not sure what that means exactly but I have some events lined up and need to start my fat ass a trainin' on Monday. Fer reals.

In this my 3rd season of Holy Triathlon Wonderment, I'm focusing a solid run and swim base and will gradually add the bike in over the next 3 months. No coach Marty until maybe late March or April due to finances. But the bulk of events are late summer so we should be good. The first year I was with him we started in April and it worked out pretty well. The first time I met him, he looked at me like some fat dork who was never going to get anywhere in tri. That worked out well also as I'm always mucho inspired to prove people wrong.

I'm starting with WildFlower and the bulk of the SVE TT series. Just for fun.... or maybe not. I say that knowing I always have fun, but if I'm still fat and slow, it's a great excuse for early season embarrassments. :)

Surgery Anyone?

So as you may know we had a baby. He's just over three months old now and about two weeks after he was born, I woke up with a swollen left knee. It cost me a good 6 weeks of training, which I didn't have time for anyway. On top of that I needed to have minor surgery on both legs. One three weeks ago and one last Tuesday. So I've been laid up for a while but in between those two procedures I managed to put in a 30 mile week with a good speed workout where I hit 4 consecutive sub :60 400's. The entire week felt like I was at 110%. The time off has really done wonders for me physically and mentally and I'm ready to roll back into training. I'm not sure my wife and son are so I'm trying minimize it and give the utmost attention.

So what shall I do with my time?

Notice the big tree to the right-->

On most of my morning runs in Henry Cowell I run around this monster. I can go in front or around, I always run around out of respect. That thing was 500 years old before the baby Jesus hit the manger. So I do it our of respect. I guess if you live in Santa Cruz long enough, some of that hippy juice sticks to you.

So yeah lots of trail runs and hopefully lots of group runs. My last was a month or so ago at Nissene Marks. Saw probably 15 friends out there. Rich, Aimee, Martin, Aaron, and the list goes on....

It ended up being about 10 miles (9.67 per the Garmin Gods) at a good clip. I ended up at about a 7:20 pace which wasn't at all what I'd expected to do. I'd been doing a lot of faster 5 to 6 milers prior and just didn't think I had it in me at that point. The first half was a nice pace

with a lot of talking. A good warmup for the old ratchet knee.

but after the turnaround, I hammered it home in the rain and it felt great. There's just nothing like a good fast run in the rain and slop to clear you head, and your lungs. It just puts nature into perspective. I did think to myself, "what the hell am I doing out here in the rain at 9am on Sunday morning?" Most people are sleeping or at church, but that is my Church.

The long road....

SO it looks like a nice long road back to where I was last season, let alone being better and faster. I need to lose about 12 lbs, run a sub 0:2:00 800m, and cut a good 2 minutes of of my 5k pr. No problem.

Better, Stronger, Faster, and Older.