5/29/2006 Running and Kayaking

It's Memorial Day, a day of rest and relaxation right? No way! It's a day to work out and sweat my butt off. Well, maybe not that extreme, but I did get a couple of nice work outs in. I started early with a 3.3 mile run in about 30 minutes. It was nice to start off the morning with a nice light jog to get awake and loosened up for the morning's events.

The main event was getting out in the kayaks with Rick. We took the kayaks up to Stonelick Park outside of Owensville, which is a nice small lake that doesn't allow motor boats. We didn't stay out for a long time, maybe a little over an hour, but it was long enough to get a feel for the paddles and what I need to do to prepare for the Little Miami in October. We paddled a little over 2 miles. It didn't feel to bad. It seems the core workouts and the program Lisa set up for me is working. I'll have to keep up the workouts and try to get out on the kayak at least twice a month to get prepared for the race.

5/26-5/27/2006 Running and Bicycling

5/26/2006 Running

We did a little switch up in the running schedule on Friday. Instead of running in the morning we decided to do an evening run. I didn't find that I ran that much better or quicker in the evening than in the morning. If anything, I felt more stiff from sitting at work all day. It did feel good to stretch out and run though. It was a long run Friday, because I decided to go ahead and run instead of waiting for Rick.

I ran 6 miles in 51 minutes by myself to start. I stayed up on Filager and Meghan's Run. I ran 2 laps on Filager and then 3 laps on Meghan's Run. After Rick came in I decided to run with him. I didn't run the full distance with him, but I figure I ran another 2 miles in 20 minutes. It was a pretty tough run.

5/27/2006 Bicycling

I hit on an idea that I didn't think of to extend my normal route with out doubling back or starting on a different route. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before, but it worked out really well. Once I hit Owensville, instead of coming back down 133 to home I continue through Owensville to Rt. 50 and back around Rt. 222.

Odo: 364.7 miles
Dist: 26.90 miles
Time: 1:41:55
Avg: 15.8 mph
Max: 39.4 mph

I wasn't pushing as hard this ride, because I was feeling a bit sore from the running the night before, but it was a great ride. I'm such a stats geek, that it feels good to let go of the stats and the training and just ride.

5/24-5/25/2006 Swimming, Running, Bicycling

5/24/2006 Swimming

I was feeling pretty sore Tuesday after the race. I took the day off Monday and just relaxed, but I did have to a lot of driving, about 2 hours, and worked, which means sitting on my ass for 8 1/2 hours. I did get out and walk on my lunch break, which helped a bit. Tuesday morning I was feeling stiff and really wanted to do something. We took Aiden to our gym and the indoor pool to do some swimming. While they were playing around I decided to do a few laps in the lap pool to see if I have any swimming skills left. I also need to get in some more upper body work this summer to get ready for the fall Little Miami Triathlon.

It was pretty tough. I swam 10 lengths or 5 laps. That would be 250 yards or 228 meters. I'm not sure why this matters, but a sprint distance triathlon is 750 meters. So, if I want to do another tri, which I'm not planning right now, I'm gonna have to get that distance up. It is something that I would like to do again at some point, maybe as a change up when I get tired of the duathlons.

5/25/2006 Running and Bicycling

It was quite a busy day today beginning at 6 am with a run. Rick and I got out and ran our customary route on Meghan's Run and Filager. We pushed Rick's mileage up a bit from the 2.3 miles that he had been running to approx. 2.8 miles with the extra loop on the back side of Meghan's Run. It took approx. 30 minutes, which is shows progress. We are getting closer to getting him under a 10 min/mile which is where he needs to be to get a respectable race time.

I went on to run 3.6 total on Meghan's and Filager and an additional 3 mile loop around 222 and 132. I was able to run 6.6 miles in 61 minutes. I was very happy with the run, and was able to kick it up a bit at the end, which was even better. I split out a time on the 1/2 mile hill and came out with 5 minutes 5 seconds. It is getting easier to climb the hill, and I'm finding that the recovery at the top is easier.

Bicycling

I had some time yesterday while our dog was at the groomer, so I decided to get some cycling in on my old turf in N Ky. I rode from Ludlow out Rte. 8 and back. It's a nice long straight stretch along the Ohio River with lots of rolling hills. I stayed on this road along the river, so there were no major climbs, but the accumulation of the rolling hills was a very good workout and wore me out. Here are the stats:

Odo: 337.7 miles
Dist: 30.72 miles
Time: 1:51:33
Avg: 16.5 mph
Max: 32.2 mph

I found that I started to wear out at about 20 miles, and found it hard to keep up a pace above 18 mph. This isn't bad though, and much better than a cruising pace of 16 mph that I used to fall back on. A new goal I have set for myself for this year is to complete a Century ride, 100 miles in a day. I could probably complete it now, but it would definitely hurt a lot. By the end of the 30 mile ride my back was sore, and I was ready to get off the bike. It was a great ride along Route 8 and I finally got to see where the West direction ends. Lots of fun. :)

5/21/2006 Tri for Joe Race Day!!

I think about the Tri for Joe with a mixture of joy and frustration. I am very happy with my performance and once again exceeded my own expecations and goals set. On the other hand, I go back to look at the results and see that I finished 61 seconds behind the leader in my age group. I see that 61 seconds and I start to tear apart my performance to see if there is anywhere that could have made a difference. In the end though, I realize that I put forth my very best effort, and yesterday he was just 61 seconds faster than myself. I will take this experience and hopefully learn from it for future races.

The goals I had established: 1st 5K= 24:00 Transition 1= 1:00 Bicycle= 60:00 Transition 2= 1:00 2nd 5K= 24:00 Total: 1:50:00

Here are the results: 1st 5K= 21:25.52 Pace= 6:55 Transition 1= 01:06.87 Bicycle= 53:23.48 Avg= 19.7 mph Transition 2= 01:05.85 2nd 5K= 24:25.28 Pace= 7:53 Total= 1:41:27

For the record this was a very flat course. There was an announcement before the race stating that this was the fastest tri/du course in Ohio. This is true in theory, but what this course lacked in hills it more than made up for with head wind.

I decided before the race started that I was going to put it all out there this race and go as fast as I can. The first 5K pace and time pretty much proves that. The first 2 miles of the race I ran a 6:50 and 6:51 respectively. It was the fastest beginning of a race and the fastest 5K that I've run in a long time. It was an excellent beginning.

The bicycling portions of the races are beginning to frustrate me a bit. I am happy with my pace compared to what I was riding at last year and that should be enough. But, when I am out on the course and being passed by people riding at a 22-25 mph pace it gets a bit frustrating. I have to keep in mind that I'm still fairly early in my training. It's all about perspective at this point. I did have a very good ride as shown by the 19.7 mph average. One thing that did concern me was that I started to get some pain deep in my chest about 10 miles into the ride. It may have just been the beginnings of exhaustion but, I will have to keep an eye on it.

The second 5K was a test in pain. I thought I was in big trouble when I first got off the bike and back into my running shoes. My legs were aching and stiff unlike the Ceaser Creek race. It was probably due to the simple fact that I was pushing myself much harder this race. The first mile was agonizing and was making me wonder whether I was going to finish the race. It's all the fun of the duathlon. Anyway, somehow I managed to keep up a sub-8 minute pace. All in all, I am very satisfied with the results!

5/18/2006 Strength Training

It was an early morning strength training session. I added an extra 15 minutes of eliptical after the strength training.

eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Blue Bands - 12 each side.
Wall sit w/20 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25
eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning

5/17/2006 Running & Tri for Joe Race Goals

Rick and I hit our running again this morning. It was quite a nice morning, very cool and foggy. It was perfect running weather. I was coming off a late 2nd shift so I was a bit tired after getting about 4 hours of sleep. The run really woke me up and got me going for the day. We ran our customary 2.3 miles. I don't have a time on it, but I'm guessing it took about 30 minutes. Actually, mine was a little longer as I started to run toward his house to get warmed up. After we finished up I decided to run the 3 mile loop backwards. This means I ran down the .5 mile hill on Rt 132 and then back up the extremely steep .3 mile monster on Filager. That hill hurt... a lot.

I was running up to the base of the hill wondering what the hell I was thinking, and maybe if I walked just a little that would be ok. I didn't give in to those urges. I pushed on up the hill feeling every painful step and trying not to gasp for breath. I'm learning to better control my breathing while I run, which seems to be key to running a good race. If I can control my breathing and keep from gasping I find that I can recover more quickly once reaching the top of the hill and find my pace again. I ran 6.5 miles in approximately 65 minutes.

It shouldn't be an issue this weekend because it is a very flat course. I'm looking forward to seeing how the hills translate into flat speed if at all. I'm also looking forward to testing out the new shoes!! I have set up some very specific for the Tri for Joe.

Tri for Joe Du goals:
24 minute 1st 5K
60 minute Bicycle
24 minute 2nd 5K
1 minute per transition

Total: 1 hour 50 minutes

2005 Race Results

I've been looking up race results from 2005 to compare results and set goals for the races coming up this year. Instead of continually looking up results I decided to gather as many as I could and list them all in one place.

Date	Race	Result 2005	Miscellaneous
11/24/2005	Thanksgiving Day Race 10K	50:15
10/28/2005	Run Like Hell 5K	???
10/2/2005	Little Miami Triathlon - Fall	2:59:48	Jake: 2:54 Chris: 2:53
9/24/2005	Kicks For Kids River Run 5 mile	43:31
9/5/2005	Mercy Metric 10K	52:29
7/23/2005	East Fork Backpack Trail Run	???
7/3/2005	Ft. Thomas Firecracker 5K	???
6/19/2005	Father's Day 5K	26:52	pushing Aiden in a stroller!
6/4/2005	Run For The Gold 5K	25:25

5/15/2006 Bicycling

I am so tired that I am going to keep this short and to the point. I had a nice ride today. It was a bit cold and windy, but otherwise it felt good to get out and ride. Here are the stats:

Odo: 289.6 mi
Dst: 30.31 mi
Time: 1:51:10
Avg: 16.3 mph
Max: 35.7 mph

I was lolligagging a bit and taking some pictures, plus I bonked a little bit at the end so the average was down a bit. That's neither here nor there, it was a good ride. I just noticed as I was looking at the pictures that I still haven't taken the numbers off my helmet from the Ceaser Creek Duathlon. Doh!

5/13/2006 Running

Brilliant run today! I didn't particularly feel up to putting in a tough run today, but once I got out there I was happy that I pushed on. I ran the 4.7 mile loop that includes the .5 mile hill, and then went on to run the shorter 2.3 mile loop with the shorter but steep hills for a 7 mile run with a time of 1:01:38. I ran it through a pace calculator which came out with a pace of 8:48. This was a very descent run for a training run.

Looking forward to next weekend's race.

5/11/2006 Running/Abs/Spinning

Running

Thursday 6 am Rick and I went out for our run. We did our usual 2.3 miles. I am going to suggest we pick it up a notch and add the back loop on to the run. We need to start building some distance for him. I went on to run an additional mile for 3.3 miles in 35 minutes. I kept it short knowing that I would be doing some spinning that evening.

Abs Class

I missed the first half of abs class due to crap traffic. So I got in 15 minutes of abs. I figure it's better than nothing.

Spinning Class

It was a 45 minute Strength Class. I dislike these classes the most, and I probably need these classes the most. I need to work on staying seated while pushing up hill and big gears. As we pedal "uphill" during strength class there is always a portion of the class devoted to seated climbing. It is sooo painful, but I'm guessing so helpful.

We will see next weekend, as I've signed up for the Tri for Joe Duathlon. It's gonna be 5k run 30k bike, and another 5k run. It should be a sweet race as it will be along Rt. 50 which is completely flat. Can't wait!

5/09-5/10/2006 Running/Strength/Bicycling

5/09/2006 Running

I'm feeling pretty pumped after coming off the Flying Pig. I really wanted to get out and do something on Monday, but there just wasn't enough time. I was able to get out early Tuesday morning with Rick to do some running. I ran the 2.3 miles with him at his pace. After he dropped off I went on to run an additional 3 miles for a total 5.3 mile in 56 minutes. I split out a time on the half mile hill which was approximately 4.5 minutes. I'm gonna keep working that hill as it seems to be helping.

5/10/2006 Strength Training/Bicycling

Strength Training
eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Blue Bands - 12 each side.
Wall sit w/20 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back
2x12 lat raises with 15lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.

Bicycling
It was a rainy day yesterday, but there was no way that was keeping me off my bicycle. It had been far too long since my last ride and I was itching to get back on the bike.

Here are the stats:

Odo: 259.2 mi.
Dist: 22.29 mi.
Time: 1:21:00
Avg: 17.1 mph
Max: 32.1 mph

I rode a route that was a little different this time. It was a little more flat and straight than my normal route, but it was a great ride. I'm questioning the distance a little bit, because it seemed that it should have been longer. This just may be because of the fact that it was a more flat ride, that it seemed longer. The usual ride has a mix of hills and flats that breaks up the ride into sections. The rain wasn't bad. It was intermittent, and it wasn't too cold. Lot's of fun!

I'm thinking of adding on a different race to my race schedule replacing the June Little Miami. There is a Tri/Du coming up in a week and a half that might fit in nicely, and it's less expensive. Besides the money factor I haven't touched a kayak yet this year, so I don't really feel very prepared. We will see...

5/07/2006 Flying Pig Race Day!

It was a fantastic day and a fantastic race! I am so happy with the results from this race. I saw a large improvement in this race over the Mini-Heart. It was a very different course, but to go from a 8:30 pace to a 7:44 pace is improvement all the way around. One reason for the faster time is that I felt a little extra motivation since I was running as part of a relay team, and I really wanted to set the fastest pace. It brought out my competitive nature.

There were 4 legs to the race:

Leg 1 6.8 miles: 1:03:57/ pace: 9:24
Leg 2 5.2 miles: 47:57/ pace: 9:13
*Leg 3 7.3 miles: 56:33/ pace: 7:44*
Leg 4 6.9 miles: 57:10/ pace: 8:17

These times were taken from the chip breakdown of the different legs, and then run through a pace calculator for the resulting pace. The *third leg* was the longest leg, and also one of the flatter legs along with the 4th leg, so it may be a little unfair to compare between the legs, but it was not completely flat and had some tough, short, steep hills that I like to call momentum killers. They are deceiving, because they look short, but they will sap you in a hurry. I had faced these hills a few years ago in the Mariemont 5K. They crushed me then, but not this time. I was feeling strong and quick.

Here is the breakdown of the 7 miles from my stop watch. I'm not sure how the .3 worked in because the race started before the 12th mile and after the 19th mile, so it was a little hard to tell where the total leg began and ended with the exchange area.

mile 1: 7:06:78
mile 2: 7:45:88
mile 3: 7:54:69
mile 4: 7:32:57
mile 5: 7:39:00
mile 6: 7:37:46
mile 7: 7:30:82

My goal was to run it in 60 minutes and at a 8 minute pace. I definitely exceeded those expectations, and between this race and the Mini-Heart I have a good base of information to set my goals for upcoming races. My next goal is to do a 5K race with a 7 minute pace. This may be reaching a bit to bring my pace up that much, but I think it's time to start challenging myself.

More information on this race:

Flying Pig Marathon

Sight and Sounds

Cincinnati Enquirer Article

5/04-5/05/2006 Everything

5/04/2006 Strength Training, Abs, Spinning

eliptical = 10 minutes on Fat Burning
JC Bands Lunges with rows, Blue Bands - 12 each side.
Wall sit w/20 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1minute
shoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.

I was thinking it was going to be a quick workout today and then on home. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I ran into Lisa and was quickly roped into staying for spinning class. I'm actually glad it happened, because I needed a kick in the ass to get me in gear. I was feeling a little lazy and not wanting to workout at all. The strength training was good; I went up from the yellow bands to the blue bands for the lunges and rows. Everything else remained the same.

Abs class was also good today. I can definitely feel a difference between where I am now and the last time I took the class. All the exercises that require me to hold my legs over my head are still a bitch. It feels like the blood is running out of my legs, and it is nearly impossible to keep them up. I wonder if this is the case, or if I'm just a wimp! It was a 30 minute ab class.

Spinning Class was a 45 minute Strength class. I must admit I went in to it thinking that I was only going to put forth 60% effort. Once I got into the class I probably put out about 85% effort. Get me on a bike and no matter how bad I feel I'm gonna put forth a good effort. Besides, she was playing my song. Actually, she was playing the mix I made for the class, which made me happy. :)

5/05/2006 Running

A very light running day with Rick. I ran the 2 miles with him and called it a day. It was a nice little stretch out after last night's classes.

I am now in resting mode until race day Sunday.

4/30-5/01/2006 Strength Training & Running

4/30/2006 Strength Training

eliptical = 15 minutes on Fat Burning
JC BandsLunges with rows, 12 each side.
Wall sit w/20 lb. wts.
bicep curls = 1
minuteshoulder press = 1 minute
walking lunges = width of court/back doing lat raises with 15lb. wts
hip adductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
hip abductor=2 sets/12 reps 85 lbs.
lower leg raise w/overhead 8lb (abs) 2x25

It has been almost 2 weeks since my last strength training session. oops! I'm gonna have to be a little more consistent and try to get in once a week.

5/02/2006 Running

Rick and I ran the first 2 miles again. He's looking pretty good, although it's pretty obvious he's not enjoying this at all. Some people just aren't runners, but I'll keep working with him as long as he wants to. After finishing up the 2.3 mile loop I threw down and decided to go long. I ran the 4.75 mile loop through Batavia by myself. It will probably be my last long run before the Flying Pig and it felt damn good. I'm really looking forward to this race with my buds. The total for this run was 7.05 miles in 75 minutes...approx. once again no stopwatch. It's all good.