Eventually things catch up to you… Left Tricep still useless, hurts when I bend my elbow all the way (pulls) or when I stretch my arm (especially above my head). Last good swim was Tuesday last week, Saturday I tried to see how it felt, no progress at all even wearing a sling for 3 days. Hip was going downhill, and Friday got worse, I know I am stupid, should have stopped my run after 3 steps, I did not. Saturday morning it was worse than ever. Can’t swim, cant run, and really, between a very sore hip and a very sore (injured I should say, I just hate that word) tricep, I really shoud not bike either…
For the first time in 4 years one of the greatest things about this sport (diversity of training/sports) is not even helping. I am completely screwed in terms of training substitutions… I can’t even try to keep doing some cardio in the gym, without moving the legs or arms I don’t think it will really work. After 25 minutes floating on Saturday I arrived to the psychologically tough, but physically wise decision to take some time completely off, nothing, 0, nada. I really need to heal, not because of upcoming local races, but because I want to be good at Kelowna and the Worlds, real good.
Saturday and Sunday I did things I did not do in many many months, like going to the beach for a full day (picnic lunch style), read more than in the previous 3 months together, watched the Giro (still haven’t finished!) stages 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (yes, like 10hrs, I really had to “live” sports somehow), had breakfast in bed, hanged out with friends for like 6 hrs doing nothing, made a bbq, and the list goes on… I will stay off until I feel improvements, and then start slowly. The main goal is about 2 months from now, not next weekend.
This is clearly easier to write and say than to do, but if I keep saying it maybe I will end up believing it and it not going to be as hard to let go. Staying home on Sunday at 9am, 1.5 hrs before the Cypress Hill climb pretty much required a restraining order. I was proud, I think I have a long way to go on the art of patience and maturity as an athlete, but I proved myself I am moving in the right direction.
More rest, more Giro and more patience for me… I will crush it next race, whenever that is.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Much needed rest
When I was writing the post before Iron Mountain I purposely omitted mentioning 2 “injuries” that were bothering me in the week leading to the race.
First:
Since Monday or Tuesday a week ago I started feeling some minor pain on the right side of the hip. The pain is kind of somewhere on the outside of the hip between the hip flexors (front) and glutes (back). Through searching online I believe it is the Tensor Faciae Latae (TFL) which is part of the very famous Illiotibial Tract (runners devil). The pain was minor but consistent all last week, and as usual, adrenaline on race day makes all minor pains vanish. Monday and Tuesday after the race the pain was still there, and Wednesday after track it got a bit worse. Best idea: Take the afternoon off on Wed and stretch 30min (was supposed to ride 2hr) and Thursday completely off from running and cycling (as usual). Today after yesterdays stretching and icing it feels wayyy better, and I am tempted to do something in the afternoon, but I must not. I should have the same discipline for rest as I have for training and today I will ice again and stretch, I hope it goes away quick. Tomorrow will be running with Dave on Stanley Park, plans have been made...
Second:
On Thursday last week I was on my usual ½ day off and while I was stretching I pulled either a muscle or nerve on my left arm. It feels like it’s the Tricep, but cant be so sure… It hurt quite a bit Friday and therefore skipped swimming practice for the first time in 8 months. Got better during the day, swam on Saturday morning 40 min w/some sprints before Sundays race no problem… Sunday went smooth as well. Monday I could barely notice it there and so swam open water, Tuesday swim practice, Wednesday I could barely move the arm again without making a wimp face. Best idea: Skip Thursday workout, harder mentally than physically, I really needed rest. Tomorrow I will probably skip swimming as well, and go back on Saturday (like running, giving myself 3 days to see how it feels).
The last couple of weeks have been hard and I have not been giving myself lots of time to recover, especially after races. Eventually this is going to catch up to me if I dont listen... This is a sign that I should rest, and as hard as it is, I am doing so. Sunday I am still on for Cypress Hill Climb depending how the hip feels, but as of now is a big yes… Dave and I hit Cypress on Tuesday and went from the Mulgrave school sign to the powerlines in 37:35, looking forward to how much harder we can go on race day =) Colin will also be doing it so it should be fun fun fun.
Last but not least, pictures from Sundays race!
First:
Since Monday or Tuesday a week ago I started feeling some minor pain on the right side of the hip. The pain is kind of somewhere on the outside of the hip between the hip flexors (front) and glutes (back). Through searching online I believe it is the Tensor Faciae Latae (TFL) which is part of the very famous Illiotibial Tract (runners devil). The pain was minor but consistent all last week, and as usual, adrenaline on race day makes all minor pains vanish. Monday and Tuesday after the race the pain was still there, and Wednesday after track it got a bit worse. Best idea: Take the afternoon off on Wed and stretch 30min (was supposed to ride 2hr) and Thursday completely off from running and cycling (as usual). Today after yesterdays stretching and icing it feels wayyy better, and I am tempted to do something in the afternoon, but I must not. I should have the same discipline for rest as I have for training and today I will ice again and stretch, I hope it goes away quick. Tomorrow will be running with Dave on Stanley Park, plans have been made...
Second:
On Thursday last week I was on my usual ½ day off and while I was stretching I pulled either a muscle or nerve on my left arm. It feels like it’s the Tricep, but cant be so sure… It hurt quite a bit Friday and therefore skipped swimming practice for the first time in 8 months. Got better during the day, swam on Saturday morning 40 min w/some sprints before Sundays race no problem… Sunday went smooth as well. Monday I could barely notice it there and so swam open water, Tuesday swim practice, Wednesday I could barely move the arm again without making a wimp face. Best idea: Skip Thursday workout, harder mentally than physically, I really needed rest. Tomorrow I will probably skip swimming as well, and go back on Saturday (like running, giving myself 3 days to see how it feels).
The last couple of weeks have been hard and I have not been giving myself lots of time to recover, especially after races. Eventually this is going to catch up to me if I dont listen... This is a sign that I should rest, and as hard as it is, I am doing so. Sunday I am still on for Cypress Hill Climb depending how the hip feels, but as of now is a big yes… Dave and I hit Cypress on Tuesday and went from the Mulgrave school sign to the powerlines in 37:35, looking forward to how much harder we can go on race day =) Colin will also be doing it so it should be fun fun fun.
Last but not least, pictures from Sundays race!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Iron Mountain Triathlon Race Report
Edit: There was so many people that I knew I was going to forget someone... Good work Tyler on your first Olympic Tri! Looking forward to seeing you in more races =)
First of all I would like to say: This race was fun fun fun! Lots of friends racing made it very cool, it was great to see everyone before the race setting up transition, before the swim on the beach, on the run course (2 out and back, so many chances to see people), and after the race chatting at the food tent… Congratulations for an awesome race to everyone (Anthony, David, Ryan, Rob, Elliot, and company…) Also it was nice to see Colin who was supporting his girlfriend racing on the Sprint later on.
Here is the report, pictures to come later...
Place Overall: 1/85
Place 20-29: 1/16
Total Time: 2:00:29
Note:
Swim: A little short
Bike course: Very very hilly/tough
Run course: Rolling hills
Saturday went alright, busy to say the least. Swam in the morning, then run, then speed theory to pick up the S2, then trainer, then lunch, race gear collection, race package pickup in Langley, race meeting in Maple ridge, back home to finish setting up race wheels and pads, dinner and bed (later than I wanted unfortunately). The night did not go smooth either as I was worried about the bike course. It did not seem like they had it very well marked/marshaled and my first time in Maple ridge was at the race meeting… Not very familiar with the course really…
Sunday morning I was feeling great despite sleeping only 6.5hrs. Felt very awake right from the first ring of the alarm at 4am. Small bowl of cereal, make a bagel with peanut butter and banana for the road and went downstairs to wait for Ryan. The weather was not looking very promising, it could start raining at any time, but it held off during the race and downpoured 10 minutes on the way back to Vancouver.
We got to transition only 1:15 before start which was not ideal. Got body marked and set up and there was only 50 min for warmup. I would have liked to have more time, but you know how it goes… Went for a 15 min jog and felt great, smooth and very motivated. Finished transition setup, got wetsuit on, 6 min swim, ½ min stretch and the race was underway.
Swim: Fought for the first 300m to get some clear water and get away from the pack. Got established in the lead and was feeling strong. Arms were grabbing lots of water but relaxed, a great swim. Exited the swim with about 1 minute lead.
T1: Excellent transition, best T1 ever! Wetsuit came off quickly and easily, got helmet and glasses on and off I went. Getting into the shoes was a piece of cake, practice makes perfect!
Bike: All out at the beginning. Knew that Anthony Toth is a machine on the bike and was going to be on the hunt (which it turns he was as he moved from 7th place to 2nd on the bike). Legs were not feeling great, maybe the lack of bike warmup. Also it was a little cold and calves felt like cramping for the first 20 minutes. First half of the course was downhill which was nice, however the second half was terribly hard. Average speed was at about 42kph for the first half and then total average was 36.6kph after several nasty hills on the last 10km (where my speeds were on the 12-13kph range)
T2: Rough T2. Did not know exactly when the dismount line was coming as I was not familiar with the course and the entrance to the lake was through a different place than the exit. Was only able to take 1 shoe off, and took the other one off while standing on the dismount line. Racked bike, slipped on shoes with some trouble and out into the run.
Run: 2 rolling loops out and back. Started very strong, did not know who was behind and did not want to be caught. Saw where Anthony and company were on the first turnaround 2.5km into run. Anthony was in second place about 2 min down. Kept it strong, but he was looking strong as well. Anthony is a long distance triathlete and he was not going to break down… 7.5km and lead was now about 4 minutes, awesome! Run split on exactly 27min, so it was possible to break 36. Run as hard as I could trying to relax upper body, swing arms to help and stay strong. 36:02, 2:00:29 total. Squamish is in 2 weeks and I will be hungry to go under 36 on the run and under 2hrs on the race =)
Post Race: Chatted with all the guys and ate lots after the race. Probably something like 2 large Costco muffins, 2 mini bagels with a heap of cream cheese, 3-4 small cookies, 2 bananas, lots of pretzels, grapes and watermelon. I felt stuffed but hey, last 3 times I have eaten lots after the race I have not been sore at all the day after. Today not sore either!!! Who knows, I like eating like a beast anyways…
Facundo
Ps: Also congrats to all the guys doing the Half and Sprint in Victoria this weekend (including my brother!) and congrats to Martina for an awesome 4th place in elite women at Coteau-du-Lac ITU Triathlon Premium Pan American Cup!
First of all I would like to say: This race was fun fun fun! Lots of friends racing made it very cool, it was great to see everyone before the race setting up transition, before the swim on the beach, on the run course (2 out and back, so many chances to see people), and after the race chatting at the food tent… Congratulations for an awesome race to everyone (Anthony, David, Ryan, Rob, Elliot, and company…) Also it was nice to see Colin who was supporting his girlfriend racing on the Sprint later on.
Here is the report, pictures to come later...
Place Overall: 1/85
Place 20-29: 1/16
Total Time: 2:00:29
Note:
Swim: A little short
Bike course: Very very hilly/tough
Run course: Rolling hills
Saturday went alright, busy to say the least. Swam in the morning, then run, then speed theory to pick up the S2, then trainer, then lunch, race gear collection, race package pickup in Langley, race meeting in Maple ridge, back home to finish setting up race wheels and pads, dinner and bed (later than I wanted unfortunately). The night did not go smooth either as I was worried about the bike course. It did not seem like they had it very well marked/marshaled and my first time in Maple ridge was at the race meeting… Not very familiar with the course really…
Sunday morning I was feeling great despite sleeping only 6.5hrs. Felt very awake right from the first ring of the alarm at 4am. Small bowl of cereal, make a bagel with peanut butter and banana for the road and went downstairs to wait for Ryan. The weather was not looking very promising, it could start raining at any time, but it held off during the race and downpoured 10 minutes on the way back to Vancouver.
We got to transition only 1:15 before start which was not ideal. Got body marked and set up and there was only 50 min for warmup. I would have liked to have more time, but you know how it goes… Went for a 15 min jog and felt great, smooth and very motivated. Finished transition setup, got wetsuit on, 6 min swim, ½ min stretch and the race was underway.
Swim: Fought for the first 300m to get some clear water and get away from the pack. Got established in the lead and was feeling strong. Arms were grabbing lots of water but relaxed, a great swim. Exited the swim with about 1 minute lead.
T1: Excellent transition, best T1 ever! Wetsuit came off quickly and easily, got helmet and glasses on and off I went. Getting into the shoes was a piece of cake, practice makes perfect!
Bike: All out at the beginning. Knew that Anthony Toth is a machine on the bike and was going to be on the hunt (which it turns he was as he moved from 7th place to 2nd on the bike). Legs were not feeling great, maybe the lack of bike warmup. Also it was a little cold and calves felt like cramping for the first 20 minutes. First half of the course was downhill which was nice, however the second half was terribly hard. Average speed was at about 42kph for the first half and then total average was 36.6kph after several nasty hills on the last 10km (where my speeds were on the 12-13kph range)
T2: Rough T2. Did not know exactly when the dismount line was coming as I was not familiar with the course and the entrance to the lake was through a different place than the exit. Was only able to take 1 shoe off, and took the other one off while standing on the dismount line. Racked bike, slipped on shoes with some trouble and out into the run.
Run: 2 rolling loops out and back. Started very strong, did not know who was behind and did not want to be caught. Saw where Anthony and company were on the first turnaround 2.5km into run. Anthony was in second place about 2 min down. Kept it strong, but he was looking strong as well. Anthony is a long distance triathlete and he was not going to break down… 7.5km and lead was now about 4 minutes, awesome! Run split on exactly 27min, so it was possible to break 36. Run as hard as I could trying to relax upper body, swing arms to help and stay strong. 36:02, 2:00:29 total. Squamish is in 2 weeks and I will be hungry to go under 36 on the run and under 2hrs on the race =)
Post Race: Chatted with all the guys and ate lots after the race. Probably something like 2 large Costco muffins, 2 mini bagels with a heap of cream cheese, 3-4 small cookies, 2 bananas, lots of pretzels, grapes and watermelon. I felt stuffed but hey, last 3 times I have eaten lots after the race I have not been sore at all the day after. Today not sore either!!! Who knows, I like eating like a beast anyways…
Facundo
Ps: Also congrats to all the guys doing the Half and Sprint in Victoria this weekend (including my brother!) and congrats to Martina for an awesome 4th place in elite women at Coteau-du-Lac ITU Triathlon Premium Pan American Cup!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Physical and Mental Recovery
This last training week (ending today) has been very taxing physically and mentally. Physically because of all the hard work done, mentally because there was a race involved, and several intensity sessions. And intensity gets even harder mentally when you are fatigued physically.
Monday started off with a 1.5hr run through UBC trails. Legs were still feeling tired from Friday and Saturday efforts and so I just cruised. Dont know how far I run, neither I care. In the afternoon I got 4 solid loops of the Open Water swim at kits, Patrice, Ryan, Vincent and Curtis were also there which made it more fun and a little more competitive (Patrice, thanks for whacking me in the head a couple of times, it really adds some race day feeling to it!).
Tuesday my lats and triceps woke up in pain. I guess 4.4km inside a rubber suit makes you work a bit harder to move the arms around. In the morning swim Patrice and I were both destroyed but still put out a decent effort. The afternoon involved a ride to Iona, 1st hour hammer, 2nd hour strong.
Wednesday was going to be painful with lots of intensity. I joined the leading edge crew for a track workout at 5:30 in the morning. Lots of good efforts despite not feeling warmed up until the last 30% of the workout, running speed and morning do not go together. At work I had a friends birthday and therefore I refueled myself with lots of pizza and chicken wings (my one allowed unhealthy meal of the week). In the afternoon I joined the leading edge crew for some 16k individual and team time trials. At this point, with 20 hrs in the bag and track workout in the morning, I did not know how fast I would be able to go. Surprise surprise, it was damn good... I left second to last and quickly bridged to the previous 2 people (Martina and Rob), from that point on the train got started and lasted until the end. On the second round we got put in groups of 4 according to the individual performances. I had literally given all on the ITT and had nothing left, our team average speed was slower than our ITTs.
Today I was glad it was Thursday for many reasons.
1) Yesterday I had great speed workouts and felt a confidence boost
2) After the morning swim I get the afternoon off
3) Today is the end of a tough 3 week block
4) Friday and Saturday should be easier before Sundays Race
5) Tomorrow is payday Friday
Besides training, work is going good. I have been busy for the last couple of weeks working on different things which is good, variety is good. I should get a new project soon, either today or tomorrow. At home everything is normal, the weather has cooled down a bit and so has the apartment, therefore I have been sleeping better. Yesterday Eze made pork teriyaki with broccoli and mushrooms, it was De-li-cious, the best so far (3rd time he makes it I think). He is now taking a class at UBC and still looking for work, but until he finds something he has pulled out the chefs hat and tried a couple of new things. Mom: you should have seen those empanadas...
Anyways, that is it for now. Physically I should be good and ready for the race by Sunday, but I am already feeling great mentally (odd how 1/2 day off and 2 easy days ahead play in your head). Wish me luck!
Facundo
Monday started off with a 1.5hr run through UBC trails. Legs were still feeling tired from Friday and Saturday efforts and so I just cruised. Dont know how far I run, neither I care. In the afternoon I got 4 solid loops of the Open Water swim at kits, Patrice, Ryan, Vincent and Curtis were also there which made it more fun and a little more competitive (Patrice, thanks for whacking me in the head a couple of times, it really adds some race day feeling to it!).
Tuesday my lats and triceps woke up in pain. I guess 4.4km inside a rubber suit makes you work a bit harder to move the arms around. In the morning swim Patrice and I were both destroyed but still put out a decent effort. The afternoon involved a ride to Iona, 1st hour hammer, 2nd hour strong.
Wednesday was going to be painful with lots of intensity. I joined the leading edge crew for a track workout at 5:30 in the morning. Lots of good efforts despite not feeling warmed up until the last 30% of the workout, running speed and morning do not go together. At work I had a friends birthday and therefore I refueled myself with lots of pizza and chicken wings (my one allowed unhealthy meal of the week). In the afternoon I joined the leading edge crew for some 16k individual and team time trials. At this point, with 20 hrs in the bag and track workout in the morning, I did not know how fast I would be able to go. Surprise surprise, it was damn good... I left second to last and quickly bridged to the previous 2 people (Martina and Rob), from that point on the train got started and lasted until the end. On the second round we got put in groups of 4 according to the individual performances. I had literally given all on the ITT and had nothing left, our team average speed was slower than our ITTs.
Today I was glad it was Thursday for many reasons.
1) Yesterday I had great speed workouts and felt a confidence boost
2) After the morning swim I get the afternoon off
3) Today is the end of a tough 3 week block
4) Friday and Saturday should be easier before Sundays Race
5) Tomorrow is payday Friday
Besides training, work is going good. I have been busy for the last couple of weeks working on different things which is good, variety is good. I should get a new project soon, either today or tomorrow. At home everything is normal, the weather has cooled down a bit and so has the apartment, therefore I have been sleeping better. Yesterday Eze made pork teriyaki with broccoli and mushrooms, it was De-li-cious, the best so far (3rd time he makes it I think). He is now taking a class at UBC and still looking for work, but until he finds something he has pulled out the chefs hat and tried a couple of new things. Mom: you should have seen those empanadas...
Anyways, that is it for now. Physically I should be good and ready for the race by Sunday, but I am already feeling great mentally (odd how 1/2 day off and 2 easy days ahead play in your head). Wish me luck!
Facundo
Monday, June 15, 2009
Weekend Update
Friday I ended my day pretty late (for me anyways) at about midnight. At that moment it was decided that there was no way I was going to make it to my morning swim after a 10k run on 5hrs of sleep. Alarm clock was turned off. The night was a little rough, a light sleep, and some cramping in my hamstrings made for a 7hr night. At 7:30 I was up and having breakfast, not much as I was still a bit full from the insane amount of food I had at the post race party the night before. The legs were feeling alright, not fatigued, barely sore, sort of like after a very hard track workout. Missing the swim allowed me to join the Leading Edge Squad for a “long easy ride” on the mountains. In summary, I ended up with 120km ride in 4.5hrs which included going up Cypress and then Seymour. Both climbs felt very very comfortable despite the race 14hrs before, quite pleasant and a psychological boost to say the least.
After the ride, I was having lunch and getting ready for a power nap, when I called Choppy to ask him what was going on tonight. He mentioned a wedding quickly on our bike ride but was not sure if I heard correctly. Plan confirmed, 5pm, wedding up in Grouse Mountain. I was very tired, and I was not going to be able to nap, but it seemed like a great opportunity to hang out with him, have some good food, enjoy the party and the view, and so on. Summary: The wedding was great, lots of fun, terrific food, and got to know Choppy better. I really had a good time, we never really hang out but definitely we should more often. Once again I went to sleep pretty late but it was worth it! (Choppy, keep the weddings coming!)
Sunday I watched my brother race the Splash and Dash (1.1km swim, 5km run) starting at Kits pool. I wanted to do it as well, but my legs could take no more running or cycling at fast speeds whatsoever. Instead I did the swim and watched him do it (faster than last time!). Like dad says, good job boy! After that I went to the gym, lunch, easy ride with my brother to prevent my legs from solidifying forever, laundry, cooking, and bed time.
Today I went for a long run in the trails around UBC and it was super fan. I wanted to run on trail so I did not know how much I run, just wanted to go by feel rather than by pace. Tonight open water should be fun. Patrice and Ryan will be there so it will be like our morning swim team practice but in the ocean!
Tuesday, Wednesday will be hard, Thursday 1/2 day off, and then easy until Sunday for the Iron Mountain Olympic Tri. I have put 3 weeks of solid work and really need to give my legs a rest.
Facundo
After the ride, I was having lunch and getting ready for a power nap, when I called Choppy to ask him what was going on tonight. He mentioned a wedding quickly on our bike ride but was not sure if I heard correctly. Plan confirmed, 5pm, wedding up in Grouse Mountain. I was very tired, and I was not going to be able to nap, but it seemed like a great opportunity to hang out with him, have some good food, enjoy the party and the view, and so on. Summary: The wedding was great, lots of fun, terrific food, and got to know Choppy better. I really had a good time, we never really hang out but definitely we should more often. Once again I went to sleep pretty late but it was worth it! (Choppy, keep the weddings coming!)
Sunday I watched my brother race the Splash and Dash (1.1km swim, 5km run) starting at Kits pool. I wanted to do it as well, but my legs could take no more running or cycling at fast speeds whatsoever. Instead I did the swim and watched him do it (faster than last time!). Like dad says, good job boy! After that I went to the gym, lunch, easy ride with my brother to prevent my legs from solidifying forever, laundry, cooking, and bed time.
Today I went for a long run in the trails around UBC and it was super fan. I wanted to run on trail so I did not know how much I run, just wanted to go by feel rather than by pace. Tonight open water should be fun. Patrice and Ryan will be there so it will be like our morning swim team practice but in the ocean!
Tuesday, Wednesday will be hard, Thursday 1/2 day off, and then easy until Sunday for the Iron Mountain Olympic Tri. I have put 3 weeks of solid work and really need to give my legs a rest.
Facundo
Longest Day 10K Race Report
First things first, the 10K on Friday afternoon (weekend update coming up later) I went home from work and had about 1 hr to relax, stretch, and have something to eat before the race. For some reason I was not feeling the race readiness I always feel, and I think it might have to do with the fact that the race was on a Friday afternoon. I like racing in the morning / noon, but not in the afternoon / night when energy levels are running low, especially after a regular day involving a swim and a regular work day.
As I was biking to UBC, perfect for getting 20 min bike warm up before the real warm up, I was trying to get myself pumped and excited about the race. I found this quite difficult, the spark was not there. I arrived to the race venue about 1 hr before race start with plenty of time to pick up my timing chip, change into racing gear, warm up and stretch. As time ticked I was getting somewhat ready psychologically as well (courtesy of the music on the background, runners warming up, and other friends racing), 10 minutes to go I was on race mode.
I had checked the results for the past 2 or 3 years, and I had seen that there was a possibility for good placing if I had a good run, so I lined myself at the very front on the inside line to the first turn. The gun went off and the switch flipped like it always does. The race was 2x5km loops around the UBC campus area, and my goal was to negative split them. Because I run a 34:20 in the Sun Run 2 months ago, I thought that under 34 minutes was a good goal for the race. The plan was to do 17 minutes in the first lap, and anything under that on the second. A few kilometers into the race and 3 of us were battling it out physically and mentally, continuously switching places and trying to get into the others head. First lap ends, the 3 of us 7 seconds apart, 16:40 my split, upppss too fast… Second lap it was getting harder, the legs started to feel the week of training, and I was not breathing as comfortably as I was on the first lap. Splits slowing down, Brad Cunningham (his blog at bradcunningham.blogspot.com) pulled away, I have no answer. 2 km to go and he is getting smaller, I was in second place, and third place guy (50m back) started to look bigger. 1km to go, Brad too far ahead, third place guy looking bigger (maybe 40m back now). 200m to go and I hear Brad finishing, looked back and 3 place guy 10m behind. Crap! I have no more reserves, nothing left in the tank, I lengthen my stride and try to hold on for dear life. 100m to go I was passed at the start of the finishing chute. No answer, nothing, let it go.
34:49, about 30 seconds off my PB 2 months ago. The final time did not please me to be honest, but there are things to be learned from the race, and that’s why I raced it in the first place (with no changes to my training week except for skipping 1.5 hr moderate ride at noon). I wanted to see what I could do on tired legs, and I did. I wanted to negative split the 5k, I did not. Maybe I went out too fast on the first 5km, maybe not. Maybe on fresh legs I can hold that pace and that will give me a 33:20 10k. The first 5km felt easy and smooth, but after that my quadriceps got 2 times heavier. Maybe I should do some longer runs, as I think I have some decent speed. There are many things I have to look back into to figure out the next steps regarding my running are. As for now, I might join coach Alan from Leading Edge for some track workouts and tips on Wednesday mornings. Overall it was a good race.
The post race food was just incredible. Burgers, European sausages, chips, fruits, yoghurt, tofu, cookies, chips, salsa, strawberry cheesecakes, iced teas, juices, and so much more. Even if I did not enjoy the race (although I did), I would be back next year for the post race party! Congrats to Graeme for the event! Thanks Patrice and Frederique for cheering me on! Congrats to Ryan for a 10k PB and to Brad for taking the race! I almost forgot, thanks to Jeremy from Speed Theory for leading us through the course on your Cervelo, it was a pleasant surprise to have someone you know out there =)
As I was biking to UBC, perfect for getting 20 min bike warm up before the real warm up, I was trying to get myself pumped and excited about the race. I found this quite difficult, the spark was not there. I arrived to the race venue about 1 hr before race start with plenty of time to pick up my timing chip, change into racing gear, warm up and stretch. As time ticked I was getting somewhat ready psychologically as well (courtesy of the music on the background, runners warming up, and other friends racing), 10 minutes to go I was on race mode.
I had checked the results for the past 2 or 3 years, and I had seen that there was a possibility for good placing if I had a good run, so I lined myself at the very front on the inside line to the first turn. The gun went off and the switch flipped like it always does. The race was 2x5km loops around the UBC campus area, and my goal was to negative split them. Because I run a 34:20 in the Sun Run 2 months ago, I thought that under 34 minutes was a good goal for the race. The plan was to do 17 minutes in the first lap, and anything under that on the second. A few kilometers into the race and 3 of us were battling it out physically and mentally, continuously switching places and trying to get into the others head. First lap ends, the 3 of us 7 seconds apart, 16:40 my split, upppss too fast… Second lap it was getting harder, the legs started to feel the week of training, and I was not breathing as comfortably as I was on the first lap. Splits slowing down, Brad Cunningham (his blog at bradcunningham.blogspot.com) pulled away, I have no answer. 2 km to go and he is getting smaller, I was in second place, and third place guy (50m back) started to look bigger. 1km to go, Brad too far ahead, third place guy looking bigger (maybe 40m back now). 200m to go and I hear Brad finishing, looked back and 3 place guy 10m behind. Crap! I have no more reserves, nothing left in the tank, I lengthen my stride and try to hold on for dear life. 100m to go I was passed at the start of the finishing chute. No answer, nothing, let it go.
34:49, about 30 seconds off my PB 2 months ago. The final time did not please me to be honest, but there are things to be learned from the race, and that’s why I raced it in the first place (with no changes to my training week except for skipping 1.5 hr moderate ride at noon). I wanted to see what I could do on tired legs, and I did. I wanted to negative split the 5k, I did not. Maybe I went out too fast on the first 5km, maybe not. Maybe on fresh legs I can hold that pace and that will give me a 33:20 10k. The first 5km felt easy and smooth, but after that my quadriceps got 2 times heavier. Maybe I should do some longer runs, as I think I have some decent speed. There are many things I have to look back into to figure out the next steps regarding my running are. As for now, I might join coach Alan from Leading Edge for some track workouts and tips on Wednesday mornings. Overall it was a good race.
The post race food was just incredible. Burgers, European sausages, chips, fruits, yoghurt, tofu, cookies, chips, salsa, strawberry cheesecakes, iced teas, juices, and so much more. Even if I did not enjoy the race (although I did), I would be back next year for the post race party! Congrats to Graeme for the event! Thanks Patrice and Frederique for cheering me on! Congrats to Ryan for a 10k PB and to Brad for taking the race! I almost forgot, thanks to Jeremy from Speed Theory for leading us through the course on your Cervelo, it was a pleasant surprise to have someone you know out there =)
Friday, June 12, 2009
10k Pre Race Report
Today should be an interesting evening…
In about 4.5 hrs from now I will be racing the Longest Day 10km up at UBC. It will be a nice “progress report” on my 10km run time, previous one was at the Sun Run at the end of April. Since then training has gone well, and I have biked, swam and run lots. So much in fact that my legs are constantly tired, and my recovery day barely does the trick… Today I will run on tired legs and see what my time is like.
Yesterday was my usual ½ day off, today was a hard swim in the morning (where I did 2000m with pull and paddles to save my legs) and I skipped my usual 1.5hr ride in the afternoon. I went for a 30 min jog yesterday and it was not good; form feeling off, stiff, lethargic, just not very encouraging for today. The reason was probably that I was just tired from 6 days of hard training and racing last Sunday. Anyways, yesterday was easy, and today is a new day with legs feeling a lot better.
I am off to the kitchen now to warm up some pasta, in about 2 hrs I will have a bagel with PB and a cup of delicious Mocha, and at 7pm I will flip the switch and let the fun begin =)
Facundo
In about 4.5 hrs from now I will be racing the Longest Day 10km up at UBC. It will be a nice “progress report” on my 10km run time, previous one was at the Sun Run at the end of April. Since then training has gone well, and I have biked, swam and run lots. So much in fact that my legs are constantly tired, and my recovery day barely does the trick… Today I will run on tired legs and see what my time is like.
Yesterday was my usual ½ day off, today was a hard swim in the morning (where I did 2000m with pull and paddles to save my legs) and I skipped my usual 1.5hr ride in the afternoon. I went for a 30 min jog yesterday and it was not good; form feeling off, stiff, lethargic, just not very encouraging for today. The reason was probably that I was just tired from 6 days of hard training and racing last Sunday. Anyways, yesterday was easy, and today is a new day with legs feeling a lot better.
I am off to the kitchen now to warm up some pasta, in about 2 hrs I will have a bagel with PB and a cup of delicious Mocha, and at 7pm I will flip the switch and let the fun begin =)
Facundo
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
WestSide Classic Race Report and misc stuff
Every day that went by since my last post I was more and more undecided about doing the race or not, until Saturday afternoon. There was a constant debate in my mind if doing this race was really worth it. I was super exited about doing my first road race “Giro de Italia” style, it was going to be fun, but I was really going to put myself and my bike at risk of crashes. Not all Category 4 and 5 are particularly skilled when handling the bike at high speeds (and neither am I, but now there will be 90+ of us tightly packed in a bunch). The weather was also undecided, and I was definitely not racing in the rain.
Saturday training was planned as if I was racing Sunday. I had a hard swim in the morning with lots of speed work, and then an easy flat 2hr ride around UBC and the race course. After that I had lunch, took a 1hr nap and headed to Jericho beach for Curtis Birthday BBQ. At the BBQ I chilled out, ate way way too many cookies (about a box of assorted cookies by myself), 2 smokies and lots of chips. Definitely did not feel great afterwards. I got a change to talk to Vincent, Choppy and Enej that I had not seen in a while, so that was great as well! Talking about the race with them also got me more and more into it and my chances of doing the race the following day were increasing rapidly.
Sunday I woke up feeling alright. The night was not ideal; a little short (about 7hrs), light sleep, and a little “worried” about my first road race, but I was ready to race! My older bike (Trek 1200) was set up with my new carbon wheel on the front, and stock on the back (as the new wheelset is 10sp and the Trek is 9speed). Had usual race day breakfast (baguel w/PB and glass of chocolate milk) and was off to the race start which was conveniently 20 blocks from my house. Warmed up and lined up at the start.
The race was interesting and as dangerous as I was afraid of. Loosing concentration at any point during the 73.5km would not be a smart thing, hands on the hoods and fingers on the brakes 99% of the time, even on the big hill on Camosun. You never know if the guy in front of you blows up and then you need to slow down quickly. The average speed of the race was about 39km/h, not very fast for a pack of 90+ riders. As expected in a bike race, the speed was never constant and it was decided by the people/teams at the front (and their respective attacks!). I found myself riding at a very comfortable pace everywhere on the course with the exception of Camosun hill where I could either push hard, or get dropped to the back and make my way to the front again through the remainder of the lap.
On lap 3 of 7, I was riding on the middle of the pack on the left side. I suddenly hear hard braking, people yelling, and nasty carbon cracking sounds (lots of them). When I look to the right, also about the middle of the pack, I see a mix of 15 people, bikes, and wheels piling up/flying all over the place. At that point 3 things came to my mind: 1) Holy crap, I am so glad that this lap I went on the left of the group and not to the right, that could have been me… 2) This is why I did not want to do this 3) Well, now I am in the front of the pack, so lets stay in the top 10 riders for the rest of the race. The smaller the number of people in front of me, the smaller the chances of going down because of a crash in front of me. Sure, drafting wise is not ideal, but I couldn’t care less; I did not want to be one of those people in my snapshot. The rest of the race was much safer, staying in the lead group and every once in a while taking a turn at the front of the paceline to keep the speed high and drop people on the climb. For the last lap I found myself very close to the front, top 5 or so. 1km to go I had a chance to get away about 10 meters from the pack, but was caught with about 400m to the finish, I really wanted to TT it but that hill had taken it out of me. Last turn (200m to finish - uphill) I find myself in 5th place (another 2 or 3 people wiped out right besides me, again nasty carbon cracking sounds). After the turn it was all out for the money (first 5). I can TT with a constant power output, but these guys (cyclists, not triathletes) can definitely sprint. I finished 11th in a field of 90+, and I finished in one piece, could not be happier. Congrats to David Roulston that also finished right in there, awesome race buddy!
After the race I had a recovery drink and headed home. I was feeling fine and my legs were quite fresh, so I went out running for 1hr20 and had one of the best runs in a long time. Pace was high, cadence was good, and felt effortless! I had lunch after and took the afternoon off.
Monday was good, no post race soreness. Went out for a 2hr easy ride before work and then in the afternoon swam 4 loops of the Vowsa loop in the Ocean ~4.4K. Ryan was there as well and we swam together the whole time, which was nice and made things more fun. At home I had a delicious pizza made by my brother (100% whole wheat shell, 100% home made). It was a great end of the day, and worth going to sleep later than usual for. By the way Eze, thanks for the extra workout you gave me while eating the pizza, just genius!
Its been a long post, but there were many things to write about! Now, picture time! Enjoy…
Facundo
Saturday training was planned as if I was racing Sunday. I had a hard swim in the morning with lots of speed work, and then an easy flat 2hr ride around UBC and the race course. After that I had lunch, took a 1hr nap and headed to Jericho beach for Curtis Birthday BBQ. At the BBQ I chilled out, ate way way too many cookies (about a box of assorted cookies by myself), 2 smokies and lots of chips. Definitely did not feel great afterwards. I got a change to talk to Vincent, Choppy and Enej that I had not seen in a while, so that was great as well! Talking about the race with them also got me more and more into it and my chances of doing the race the following day were increasing rapidly.
Sunday I woke up feeling alright. The night was not ideal; a little short (about 7hrs), light sleep, and a little “worried” about my first road race, but I was ready to race! My older bike (Trek 1200) was set up with my new carbon wheel on the front, and stock on the back (as the new wheelset is 10sp and the Trek is 9speed). Had usual race day breakfast (baguel w/PB and glass of chocolate milk) and was off to the race start which was conveniently 20 blocks from my house. Warmed up and lined up at the start.
The race was interesting and as dangerous as I was afraid of. Loosing concentration at any point during the 73.5km would not be a smart thing, hands on the hoods and fingers on the brakes 99% of the time, even on the big hill on Camosun. You never know if the guy in front of you blows up and then you need to slow down quickly. The average speed of the race was about 39km/h, not very fast for a pack of 90+ riders. As expected in a bike race, the speed was never constant and it was decided by the people/teams at the front (and their respective attacks!). I found myself riding at a very comfortable pace everywhere on the course with the exception of Camosun hill where I could either push hard, or get dropped to the back and make my way to the front again through the remainder of the lap.
On lap 3 of 7, I was riding on the middle of the pack on the left side. I suddenly hear hard braking, people yelling, and nasty carbon cracking sounds (lots of them). When I look to the right, also about the middle of the pack, I see a mix of 15 people, bikes, and wheels piling up/flying all over the place. At that point 3 things came to my mind: 1) Holy crap, I am so glad that this lap I went on the left of the group and not to the right, that could have been me… 2) This is why I did not want to do this 3) Well, now I am in the front of the pack, so lets stay in the top 10 riders for the rest of the race. The smaller the number of people in front of me, the smaller the chances of going down because of a crash in front of me. Sure, drafting wise is not ideal, but I couldn’t care less; I did not want to be one of those people in my snapshot. The rest of the race was much safer, staying in the lead group and every once in a while taking a turn at the front of the paceline to keep the speed high and drop people on the climb. For the last lap I found myself very close to the front, top 5 or so. 1km to go I had a chance to get away about 10 meters from the pack, but was caught with about 400m to the finish, I really wanted to TT it but that hill had taken it out of me. Last turn (200m to finish - uphill) I find myself in 5th place (another 2 or 3 people wiped out right besides me, again nasty carbon cracking sounds). After the turn it was all out for the money (first 5). I can TT with a constant power output, but these guys (cyclists, not triathletes) can definitely sprint. I finished 11th in a field of 90+, and I finished in one piece, could not be happier. Congrats to David Roulston that also finished right in there, awesome race buddy!
After the race I had a recovery drink and headed home. I was feeling fine and my legs were quite fresh, so I went out running for 1hr20 and had one of the best runs in a long time. Pace was high, cadence was good, and felt effortless! I had lunch after and took the afternoon off.
Monday was good, no post race soreness. Went out for a 2hr easy ride before work and then in the afternoon swam 4 loops of the Vowsa loop in the Ocean ~4.4K. Ryan was there as well and we swam together the whole time, which was nice and made things more fun. At home I had a delicious pizza made by my brother (100% whole wheat shell, 100% home made). It was a great end of the day, and worth going to sleep later than usual for. By the way Eze, thanks for the extra workout you gave me while eating the pizza, just genius!
Its been a long post, but there were many things to write about! Now, picture time! Enjoy…
Facundo
Start Line
Camosun Hill 1
Camosun Hill 2
Sprint Finish 1
Sprint Finish 2Friday, June 5, 2009
Happy Friday!
Payday Friday!!! Fridays are always good, but sunny warm payday Fridays are even better =) I actually even kind of forgot how miserable I was at night, when I woke up pretty much every hour lying in an oven.
Let me explain, our apartment is on the top floor, which means all day long we have the sun hitting on the roof. It is also on the south west corner of the building, which means that once the afternoon comes, and temperatures are high already, I get the sun to hit all the exterior walls for another 5 or 6 hours. By 10pm the sun is down, but because of the buildings “thermal mass”, heat is still released into the apartment for a couple more hours. By 4 or 5 in the morning, just around the time the alarm goes off, it starts getting cooler. Thanks! Last night the window fan was not even that useful, getting hot air blown is better than nothing, but I still felt I was in an oven with a fan. And lets not even get into the sweat topic, just not cool. Anyways, I got it out of me, now I feel better. I talked to other people before the swim with the same problem, so at least I know I am not the crazy one with temperature control/regulation issues.
Yesterday was my half day off, only had a swim in the morning and then the afternoon was off. There was an event/art show at work with lots of good catered food from 4.30pm to 6.30 pm. After that I headed back home, crossed out some tasks in my whiteboard and went to bed at 8pm. It was not an ideal recovery afternoon (or night for that matter) and therefore today I am still feeling a little tired. I might take it easier than planned in the afternoon.
On Sunday there is a cycling road race on the Point Grey/UBC area that I am seriously considering in doing. Its 7x10.5km laps, it should be lots of fun and quite fast, but kind of risky as well. I would be racing in Cat4/5, which will probably average about 38-40kph for the race. Being in a pack, speed seems very doable. The risky part comes from cornering / drafting at those speeds with lots of inexperienced riders (including myself). Someone hits the brakes / goes wide in a turn and then bam! 4 or 5 of us go down. My plan, if I race it, is to stay clear of trouble. Riding close to the front of the pack or on the sides seems like the best idea compared to being literally in the middle of the bunch, where you are stuck, caged, and forced to follow everyone else. I would race on my training bike, not putting my carbon at risk, but will be using my new race wheels. It seems that some other people from Speed Theory will be racing as well so we might have a “team” and work together.
Let me explain, our apartment is on the top floor, which means all day long we have the sun hitting on the roof. It is also on the south west corner of the building, which means that once the afternoon comes, and temperatures are high already, I get the sun to hit all the exterior walls for another 5 or 6 hours. By 10pm the sun is down, but because of the buildings “thermal mass”, heat is still released into the apartment for a couple more hours. By 4 or 5 in the morning, just around the time the alarm goes off, it starts getting cooler. Thanks! Last night the window fan was not even that useful, getting hot air blown is better than nothing, but I still felt I was in an oven with a fan. And lets not even get into the sweat topic, just not cool. Anyways, I got it out of me, now I feel better. I talked to other people before the swim with the same problem, so at least I know I am not the crazy one with temperature control/regulation issues.
Yesterday was my half day off, only had a swim in the morning and then the afternoon was off. There was an event/art show at work with lots of good catered food from 4.30pm to 6.30 pm. After that I headed back home, crossed out some tasks in my whiteboard and went to bed at 8pm. It was not an ideal recovery afternoon (or night for that matter) and therefore today I am still feeling a little tired. I might take it easier than planned in the afternoon.
On Sunday there is a cycling road race on the Point Grey/UBC area that I am seriously considering in doing. Its 7x10.5km laps, it should be lots of fun and quite fast, but kind of risky as well. I would be racing in Cat4/5, which will probably average about 38-40kph for the race. Being in a pack, speed seems very doable. The risky part comes from cornering / drafting at those speeds with lots of inexperienced riders (including myself). Someone hits the brakes / goes wide in a turn and then bam! 4 or 5 of us go down. My plan, if I race it, is to stay clear of trouble. Riding close to the front of the pack or on the sides seems like the best idea compared to being literally in the middle of the bunch, where you are stuck, caged, and forced to follow everyone else. I would race on my training bike, not putting my carbon at risk, but will be using my new race wheels. It seems that some other people from Speed Theory will be racing as well so we might have a “team” and work together.
Westside Cycling Classic - Lap
Westside Cycling Classic - Lap Elevation
I am still looking for a ride to Cranbrook; however I have a couple of alternatives. If I don’t get one soon, I will be doing the bike race this Sunday, a 10km run next Friday, and the Iron Mountain Olympic Tri a week later. All these race talk is making me hungry, must eat right now.
Facundo
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Awesome Running
Yesterdays run was marvelous... 1hr20minutes of running along Jericho Beach, UBC and SW Marine Drive. The weather was perfect, clear skies, sunny, not too hot, not too windy. My shin splints have been gone for quite a while now, mostly due to 5 months of work on my technique/form/gait than a magical miracle. Cadence is always slightly above 90, maybe 91/92/93, midfoot strike, heels high on the return… It’s hard to describe, but my last couple of runs have been effortless, fun, fast, pain free, floaty, just magical!
Training with some sort of physical injury is doable; I used to run 30km a week on shin splints and left knee pain for about 4 years. There was nothing I could do that would stop them (or I that’s what I thought at the time). I tried many different shoes, running surfaces, treadmill, strengthening the lower legs, everything! My run splits went down during that time, but mostly due to fitness gains, and little because of consistent running. I was forced to take 2 weeks off at the time, just to come back, run another month, and repeat. My running had to be spaced out with 2 to 3 days in between; otherwise my shins would not take it.
Last December I had enough; I took 4 weeks off from running, and was not going back to the same old story. Technique was the key for progress. I wanted to run better, faster, pain free. Feel that “float” that runners talk about, run effortlessly for once, feel running like I feel when biking; smooth, natural… I slowly started to work on cadence and foot strike, then moved into relaxing the lower body and straightening my upper body to the “ideal” position, keeping my heels high on the return, driving my knees high, landing my feet underneath my center of gravity. Well, it worked… I have seen huge changes in my running form, endurance and speed over the last 5 months. Running finally feels GOOD, and running splits are going down drastically.
Running this week (current training week ending tomorrow)
-Friday: 50min Track (5x2km main set)
-Saturday: 0.5hr Tempo on Treadmill at 5%
-Sunday: 1hr Treadmill increasing speed every 5 min (moderate to fast)
-Monday: Off
-Tuesday: 1hr20min Long Run
-Wednesday: 50min Track (10x1km main set) (Coming up later in the afternoon today)
-Thursday: Off
Message to take away: If your running is giving you shin/knee pain, your swimming is giving you shoulder pain, your biking is giving you low back pain; look at your technique and form and find improvements. Once you do, you will be more comfortable, smoother and faster…
Facundo
Training with some sort of physical injury is doable; I used to run 30km a week on shin splints and left knee pain for about 4 years. There was nothing I could do that would stop them (or I that’s what I thought at the time). I tried many different shoes, running surfaces, treadmill, strengthening the lower legs, everything! My run splits went down during that time, but mostly due to fitness gains, and little because of consistent running. I was forced to take 2 weeks off at the time, just to come back, run another month, and repeat. My running had to be spaced out with 2 to 3 days in between; otherwise my shins would not take it.
Last December I had enough; I took 4 weeks off from running, and was not going back to the same old story. Technique was the key for progress. I wanted to run better, faster, pain free. Feel that “float” that runners talk about, run effortlessly for once, feel running like I feel when biking; smooth, natural… I slowly started to work on cadence and foot strike, then moved into relaxing the lower body and straightening my upper body to the “ideal” position, keeping my heels high on the return, driving my knees high, landing my feet underneath my center of gravity. Well, it worked… I have seen huge changes in my running form, endurance and speed over the last 5 months. Running finally feels GOOD, and running splits are going down drastically.
Running this week (current training week ending tomorrow)
-Friday: 50min Track (5x2km main set)
-Saturday: 0.5hr Tempo on Treadmill at 5%
-Sunday: 1hr Treadmill increasing speed every 5 min (moderate to fast)
-Monday: Off
-Tuesday: 1hr20min Long Run
-Wednesday: 50min Track (10x1km main set) (Coming up later in the afternoon today)
-Thursday: Off
Message to take away: If your running is giving you shin/knee pain, your swimming is giving you shoulder pain, your biking is giving you low back pain; look at your technique and form and find improvements. Once you do, you will be more comfortable, smoother and faster…
Facundo
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Busy Life
The last couple of days have been hard. The weather has been great for at least 10 days, which means there is no excuse not to train. After Shawnigan I took a couple of easy days, 3 to be precise. On Thursday I had my usual day off and from then on it has been lots of work.
Friday: Swim (1.5), Track (1), Bike Tempo (1.5)
Saturday: Swim (1.5), Bike HB+Cypress (3), Run Hills (0.5)
Sunday: Gym (1.5), Run (1), Bike (2)
Monday: Swim (1.5), Bike Hill Repeats (1.5)
Today: Swim (1.5). After work, Long Run (1.5), Bike (1)
That makes about 20.5 hrs of training in 5 days, and therefore I am looking forward to Thursday day off very very much. Next week will have a similar dose of training, a little less volume and more intensity before the Wasa Lake Tri in Cranbrook in about 12 days from now.
Everything else seems to be in working order. My new tubular wheelset is finally finished, all glued up and ready to roll. Thanks to the guys at Speed Theory for showing me how to properly glue them, I can tell you that even with their help it was a lot of work and many tricks. Doing it on my own would have been a disaster and many more hours until I could even slide the tubular on the rim…
My brother Eze has been back for 10 days now from a trip to Argentina, and therefore some days I get some dinner. It is not very often that this happens, but he makes it up in many other ways. Last week he cleaned most of the apartment, something that I enjoy doing (yes, I actually do love leaving everything spotless) but only when I have time. Now days I am too busy, and if I end up with 3 or 4 hours in the week that I don’t have anything to do, cleaning is not an option. So, thank you bro for cleaning! And yes, you are welcome for yesterday’s dinner!
Open water swims started yesterday. They are fun, especially when its windy and choppy, at least for me anyways. Yesterday I missed the first practice because I thought that they were going to go over all “rules” and stuff that I have heard countless times before, but I will show up either next Thursday or next Monday. These are great to practice some sighting, swim for 3/4km non stop (which is surprisingly tiring compared to doing 30x100 in the pool), and for getting used to the cold water!
That’s it for now; I should get back to work so I can leave early today. If everything is on schedule I might be able to watch the last ½ of Stage 12 of the Giro. I also heard I MUST watch the Madrid Triathlon that happened this weekend, its supposed to be an inspiring race.
Facundo
Friday: Swim (1.5), Track (1), Bike Tempo (1.5)
Saturday: Swim (1.5), Bike HB+Cypress (3), Run Hills (0.5)
Sunday: Gym (1.5), Run (1), Bike (2)
Monday: Swim (1.5), Bike Hill Repeats (1.5)
Today: Swim (1.5). After work, Long Run (1.5), Bike (1)
That makes about 20.5 hrs of training in 5 days, and therefore I am looking forward to Thursday day off very very much. Next week will have a similar dose of training, a little less volume and more intensity before the Wasa Lake Tri in Cranbrook in about 12 days from now.
Everything else seems to be in working order. My new tubular wheelset is finally finished, all glued up and ready to roll. Thanks to the guys at Speed Theory for showing me how to properly glue them, I can tell you that even with their help it was a lot of work and many tricks. Doing it on my own would have been a disaster and many more hours until I could even slide the tubular on the rim…
My brother Eze has been back for 10 days now from a trip to Argentina, and therefore some days I get some dinner. It is not very often that this happens, but he makes it up in many other ways. Last week he cleaned most of the apartment, something that I enjoy doing (yes, I actually do love leaving everything spotless) but only when I have time. Now days I am too busy, and if I end up with 3 or 4 hours in the week that I don’t have anything to do, cleaning is not an option. So, thank you bro for cleaning! And yes, you are welcome for yesterday’s dinner!
Open water swims started yesterday. They are fun, especially when its windy and choppy, at least for me anyways. Yesterday I missed the first practice because I thought that they were going to go over all “rules” and stuff that I have heard countless times before, but I will show up either next Thursday or next Monday. These are great to practice some sighting, swim for 3/4km non stop (which is surprisingly tiring compared to doing 30x100 in the pool), and for getting used to the cold water!
That’s it for now; I should get back to work so I can leave early today. If everything is on schedule I might be able to watch the last ½ of Stage 12 of the Giro. I also heard I MUST watch the Madrid Triathlon that happened this weekend, its supposed to be an inspiring race.
Facundo
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