Aaron Davidson's Group -- Closed. (Page 40)

Thanks everyone for all of your positive feedback and vibes.  You all have helped me get this far, so I look forward to letting you know how it turns out.

Jennifer - thanks for letting me know about the ironman.com tracking, I didn't know they did that.

Bib #1141
Wave 11 @ 6:51am


?

Edited by mdfahy 2010-05-13 1:28 PM

Thanks Matt.  We'll be watching.

Sunday looks like a nice start and then becoming a hot one but with minimal wind, but the humidity is supposed to be pretty reasonable.  Execute that plan!

Good luck to Rene in his half marathon this weekend!!!  We know you will CRUSH the competition!!

Go get it Rene.  And pass on some pacing for Matt!  You're both gonna smoke this weekend.  Can't wait to read these race reports.

I have to relay a story that makes me happy.  My wife has been patiently listening to me bablle on about the training and prep to get this old body in shape for a 70.3 in Sept.  I've assumed most of it goes in one ear and out the other, but I babble on anyway.

So a few weeks ago I tell her I'm debating adding a sprint at the end of May to get the half marathon blow-up out of my mind, and she says no.  She hasn't ever declined a request before, but I give her first right of refusal.  I expected it was just that she doesn't want me away on a Sunday, yada yada, but I ask her why not.  She says "how is racing a sprint and changing some workouts for such a short race going to help get you better prepared for HIM in Sept?  Wouldn't it be better to just add a quality long ride or brick be a better use of your time?"  I almost passed out!  And she's right!

That's a fine woman you have there!  I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten home from racing a tri, only to have my wife ask me, "so how was your marathon?"  She's very, very supportive and has gotten better over the years, but tri terminology is definitely not her thing.

By the way, the neck is feeling much better.  I'd say it's at about 85%.  Went to the gym today and did a 45 min recumbent bike workout.  Didn't want to risk aggravating the neck and it worked out well.  I should be back to some serious training hopefully by Sunday.  Maybe a long run.  Thanks everyone for the well-wishes.  Muscle spasms & pinched nerves can be a real b*tch!

One last parting note for Matt & Rene this weekend...

GO OUT AND KILL IT! 
TAKE NO PRISONERS! 
LEAVE IT ALL OUT ON THE COURSE! 
PLAN YOUR RACE; RACE YOUR PLAN! 
NO RETREAT; NO SURRENDER! 
EYE OF THE TIGER!

Oh, and have fun!

That's a great story Warren.  After 20 years, my wife still surprises me.  I e-mail my training schedule to her every Monday morning so that she will not volunteer me for something on an evening that is full of training.  Just this Wed after a swim, I was just tooling around the house trying to talk myself out of a bike ride.  When I sat down, she looked at me and said, "Aren't you supposed to be riding your bike right now?"  So, out the door I went.  I had no idea she even read my training schedule, much less memorized it.

That's an awesome idea Ray.  It's awesome that she's an additional accountability partner.

I think I'll start giving my wife (and sons) the weekly schedule.  My 13 year old will never let me forget it if I miss workouts after the pain I put him through when he misses his Jiu Jitsu!

Warren and Ray - I love that your SOs are so involved...mine is tolerant of my aberrant behavior and will tell me to HTFU if I am wimping out on a workout (he thought the whole premise of HTFU was hilarious and has now come up with a great variety of acronyms for HTFU other than the original). He will ask if I am done every day (or what else I need to do that day) and is very good about making sure I have the ability to do the work (help with the kids, etc)...but I don't think he's paid nearly as much attention as your spouses. Good on you!

That being said - my kids are VERY enthusiastic about what I'm doing and want to know when I'm next going swimming (so they can go too). I'm sure that as they get older, they might want to participate in the bike or run (right now, we are motivating our youngest to bike ride by telling her she will be able to ride to her best friend's house - which is about 2 miles away over country roads).

For Matt and Rene, I heard a quote that I liked and I tell you with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, "If you throw up before the finish line, you've gone out too hard. If you throw up after the finish line, you've not gone out hard enough. Your goal is to throw up ON the finish line. Then you will know that you have paced correctly."

Best of luck. Rene - show us how it's done! Matt - great mojo for the rest of the HIM participants!

Thanks everyone for the support!  Resting today.  My calf seems to be better but now, but I seem to be having this heal issue!!  Arggg!!  I iced it last night and am icing it today.  I don't think it is planter fascitis since it doesn't go into the arch of my foot just the back heal.  Still planning on running tomorrow.  Hopefully it heals up.

Warren, glad to see your wife is supportive, but on the other hand I think it would be VERY advantageous for you to do a tri or two before your HIM.  I am hoping to do at least a sprint and an Olympic before the half.  Look how much you learned (about nutrition) just by running the half marathon.  You will have a better feel and more experience for transitions and not be as nervous. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Matt and Rene, Kick A$$ this weekend. I'll be looking for those race reports. Have fun and to quote one of my favorite movies, "go that way, really fast, if something get's in your way...turn".

Warren, that's an awesome story. I keep trying to tell myself that...it would be awesome if my wife were to bounce it back on me.

I'm with Rene on doing a sprint. Sure the long brick may be more beneficial physiologically, but the sprint will help psychologically.  A race on the horizon may help keep the motivation level high.  Staying motivated is the key to consistent training, and consistant training is the key to improved fitness.  So in the long run the sprint may help improve your fitness more than the brick will.  How's that for rationalization?

I'm all about rationalization...Warren - I think we have quorum - you might want to try the sprint just to work out some kinks...if you pitch it that way - does your wife agree?

I love rationalizations, and you're pretty good at it - I'll come back to you when I need something again!

I do actually have two sprints and a near Oly (600, 21, 5) over the summer.  The first sprint is only 5 weeks away, so that should keep me going.   I've contacted the RD for next weekend's sprint and I can sign up even the day of the race, so I may just do it as a good training day.  I guess it depends if we come up to the lake or not.  There's a TON of work to do up here this year, as the winter beat up the cottage pretty good.  I've been busy all day and hopefully I can get a good ride in later today.  Crazy winds up here too, should make the ride fun.

My wife would be fine with me doing the race.  I was just floored she was even really listening to my ramblings!  I contacted the RD this past week and I could even sign up the day of the race, so if we don't go to the lake next weekend I'll do it for the group!

I have a question for bike climbing.

Today's ride included a big climb about halfway through which I love to do.  It's up a ski resort access road - 2.5 miles and about 800 feet per Delorme maps.  Three of the steep sections have grades over 10% for short sections, like 100 yards or so.  When I pedal up those sections, I'm going like 6-7 mph, in fact today I was at 5.6 at one point.  Is such a slow rate "normal" up sections that steep or do I need more work at climbing?

Edited by wbayek 2010-05-15 7:28 PM

Matt's out of the water: 37:16 at a 1:57/100m pace.

Almost 3 minutes ahead of goal.  Awesome start.

He's off the bike: 3:02:06 at 18.45 mph

Woot!

I knew he'd kill the bike. He's done some great riding and it's a fast course. Now he deals with the heat. Way to crank Matt!