Baowolf's Beginner Banquet -Sorry all tables are full no room.. (Page 49)

Last long bike done.  56 miles in 3:30 at a 16mph average.  Wish it was a little faster.

Just realized this ride put my bike at 1522 miles.  Not bad for a bike purchased in April.

I tested a GPS app for my phone called Endomondo.  I tried it because it offers real-time tracking so my wife can look online whenever I'm out and know where I'm at.  It worked pretty good.  Just thought I'd share.

Today's ride

Nice ride, Dennis!  You're on the downhill slide to your HIM now.

Yep Steve, insurance idiocy is one of my least favorite things.  Happy they made us both smile

Nice run for me in the cool of the morning.  I've been dreaming all summer of days like today!

Ran 6 miles of my 10k.  Walked just a little.  ITB was fine until mile 4.  Walked a little then decided to press forward (smart right?) and finish strong.  The first few miles I took it easy and kept a 10:30 pace.  After mile 4, I upped it to 8:00 miles.  The ITB feels irritated currently but will hopefully recover quickly. 

Oh my final time, 59:52.  51 of 75 in AG and 462/825 overall.  Not bad for an injured newbie.  I was not fatigued at all at the end.

Very nice job, Dennis!  Sounds like you played it smart.  But what did you do to smell the roses?

So the guy I was worried about on the group ride a couple weeks ago showed up today with a brand new bianchi road bike.  Seems he has recovered .  Short brick for me today.  With the cooler mornings, I really just want to run.

Alright archery hill has topped out at 4 1/2 feet and although I need to throw another ton or 2 on it this week it is pretty close to done.  That should also finish off the remaining dirt from my landscaping.  I am basically sculpting the landscape on part of the property kind of like a really big zen garden.  Water needs to move where it is suppsed to go, gradients from lower to higher need to be smooth and gradual and big honkin rocks need to be  asthetically placed instead of um just everywhere.  I enjoyed actually shooting a couple 15 rounds of arrows yesterday with a blister on my finger today.  Archery is difficult because I am left eye dominant, but right handed.  This means that at 50 feet if I use my right eye for sighting that I line up with the right edge of the target so that it hits a foot and a half to the left of that.  I will have to read up on a more systematic way to work on that other than patching the left eye for a couple of weeks to rewire the brain as I don't have the time to do that and would look a bit odd at work and my right eye is my bad one. 

Dennis I hope your legs hold together for your HIM.  I would recommend taking some time off to recover after that or you may move into a chronic injury mode.... harder to recoup from. 

Hey Ceril, great to hear from you!  Love your times square sprint story .  Cool that your hubby is continuing to embrace this with you.  Are you guys aiming for a particular race, or mainly base building?

Dennis, how's the leg after your race?  You obsessing any yet about your HIM?

Steve, you don't do anything halfway, huh?  Most of us throw out a few bags of mulch, trim a few bushes and say we've done the landscaping.  You move tons of dirt and change the whole elevation/waterflow. 

Karen and Samantha, you out there lurking, running, etc?

Morning temps here have been awesome, and I've enjoyed a couple of nice runs.  Legs are still somewhat stiff and sore, but beyond the point of feeling like I might pull something.  Looking forward to the 10K on Saturday.  FIL to the ER on Sunday night with chest pain.  Tests came back OK and nitro seemed to do the trick, so the ER doc didn't push to admit him.  Skipped my longerish swim yesterday catching up on sleep from all that.  Bike is feeling neglected, so off to ride now

Knee is ok.  Not great but if 1 week straight off made it where I can run 6 miles, may 2 will give me 13.1.  I got my bike from the LBS yesterday after having them check it out.  He said besides the drivetrain being filthy it's in good shape.  So he cleaned that up for me and said any time I touch the chain and I get black from it, time to clean.  So I'm guessing weekly?

I'm not obsessing yet but should be.  I need to start reading every race report and viewing any video I can about the course.  Where to push, where to hold back before the big hills, how to aim for the swim exit.  I did ask here on BT about wetsuit legal and they said it has always been.  Yeah.  They also said that if it rains a day or 2 before the race, the currents could easily reach 5 MPH.  That's when I just need to be as little streamlined as possible so the current can just take me down river.

The run I know is pancake flat.  That's going to be good for the ITBS.  Lack up downhill should make a big difference in preventing a flare up.

So I plan on no more running and just a little walking from here on out, about 3 more bike rides (15,30,40) and probably 2 more swims(2500,2100).  I really swimming obviously.

Steve, you need to post some pictures of the archery range.  Sounds interesting.

if 1 week straight off made it where I can run 6 miles, may 2 will give me 13.1. 

Math works...now just hoping the leg does.

I got my bike from the LBS yesterday after having them check it out.  He said besides the drivetrain being filthy it's in good shape.  So he cleaned that up for me and said any time I touch the chain and I get black from it, time to clean.  So I'm guessing weekly?

I've been wondering about this too.  Considering the black grease marks on my right calf, I guess mine wouldn't pass the cleanliness test either.

That's when I just need to be as little streamlined as possible so the current can just take me down river.

Yeah, that part is easy .  Do you have to swim back against that current, yikes!

Swim is point-to-point, all down river.  To give you an idea of how fast it is, in 2010 Maxim Kriat(Pro) won Augusta with a 19:59 swim, his swim last week in Vegas was 25:34.  Augusta's swim was about 20% faster.  For my AG, Andras Heczey swam Augusta in 22:12, his Vegas time was 29:11.  That's about 25% faster.

So along those lines, if I would probably do it in 48:00, in Augusta I hope to finish the swim in around 38:00.

So what's my estimated time.

That's if my ITB behaves itself.  If it acts up, I suspect I'll have to walk half of the 13.1, which will slow me down 3:00/mile so just add 21 minutes for a 6:58.  Still sub-7 hour no matter what.

Hehe, I figure in the last year or so I have moved 30 to 35 ton of dirt, gravel, broken concrete etc.  with my wheelbarow.  It's getting pretty close now.  Well unless I want to do something else, like smooth out the front ditch so I can just mow it instead of weedwack it..... hrm.  That might be nice actually.  I moved so much dirt etc. lately that yesterday my chest was sore.  Not my pecks or shoulders the actual connectors like between ribs and etc.  It was very weird.  I didn't move any dirt lastnight.  I also have that blister on the bow string finger...  hehe live is so hard.  I am mostly just giving some muscle groups that were not coming around a better break.  I will start back up next week easy if things are alright... or maybe tomorrow.  Hrm. 

I just filed 10 years of casenotes, student files, trainings, administrative junk, paperwork related to maintaining 4 credientials/licenses, etc.  including all file cabnet drawers at work.  I have 1 foot of empty file folders from what I threw away.  Each of them had about 3 inches of paper work in them.  Hrm, what to do tomorrow.  I guess I could edit the condensed information for redundent information while I wait for the testing referrals to start piling up.  I probably shouldn't start teacher evaluations until they have been in session at least 1 month right?

Today's new term of the day is Cat 5 Tattoo.  Only a beginner would keep their chain and gears dirty enough that they leave a black mark on your calf.  Now you know and can ridicule all of the newbies on your group ride with them (check yourself before doing this).

Dennis - you kill me! Lots of cyclists in my neighborhood and I get totally distracted when in my car driving by them or stopped at a red light next to a nice bike - I wonder if they notice that I'm totally checking them out  (well, their bike anyway!) On the way out for a walk/run with the hubby last weekend, we saw a very near miss - car rolling through stop sign and biker right there swerved into the oncoming lane (lots of loud cursing there!)  Luckily no one was coming the other way.

Carol - Great job on your OLY!!  I am so impressed!  My husband is signed up for an end of season sprint in 2 weeks and I have a sprint in Jan. (In gym) and if all goes well, hoping maybe to train for an OLY in July 2012  I think I have a mental block about running....  Beginning to focus on diet as well as trying to get a regular training schedule back on track.

Steve - we want pics of the archery range!!  We have a sun-room on the back of the house that is getting kind of old and the hubby wants it ripped off and put back on again....eventually.  So I was playing with the idea of putting a swimEx in there - then I saw the prices - holy frijoles!  Guess I'll be sticking with the gym membership!

Ya if you have a pool within 40 miles it does not make any sense to buy one for your home.  The pool is just the tip of the iceburg, then you have to have a space to put it and your home may need a higher power line to run the engine.  Nope not planning on retireing anytime soon.  The hill looks less impressive then you might think, but 4.5 feet high by 10 feet wide by 25 feet long is a fair amount of dirt.  I wish I had not squanered my other dirt raising the back pad area of 100 by 10 feet about 1 to 1 1/2 foot dep.  We never really do get conservation of vollume. 

It is hard not working out, my routine is all screwy, but I know I want to be all healed up before I put in a huge build for next year's IM.  Skimping on recovery can trash an enitre season with nagging injuries that never quite heal and come back again and again to trash your training. 

As for actual Tri stuff, keep up the good work.  And Dennis... take care of that leg.  You are not going to be hitting a podium pace so you just need to survive until race day.  You really won't be able to build any run fitness at all.  Double check your cutoff times for the race and then do the math on your paces to make sure you can hit them.      

Oh and only the truely OCD who clean their chain after every outing can keep their chain from getting any black on it.  The real key is to walk on the side of your bike that does not have the chain ring to avoid getting a chainring tat.  But yes do clean your bike chain and gears every 500 miles or every other month in the summer depending on your mileage and dust.   

That is the truth.  We used to have an in ground hot tub.  Replaced the heater, then the pump.  We called it the money pit.  Threatened to just start throwing greenbacks into it directly.  Finally found a guy that wanted it and would remove it.  Cured us from ever wanting a pool.

OK, what do you use to clean your chain and rings?  Then what do you use to lube them?

Back to 106 here yesterday, but hopefully that is the last of the 100+.  Got in a run this morning, and planned on getting in a swim, but found out the pool was closed for maintenance once I got there.  Not sure why my gym can send out endless texts and e-mails about the "deals" they are offreing, but can't notify us when the pool is closed??

I'm just going to leave this here.  I don't even know what to say.

Take Me SRSLY

Um alrighty then.  Moving on.

If you go to any tri or bike websight or even your LBS.. you can look up Park Tools or something like that.  You get a greese remover fluid, you put some of that in a device that goes on your chain and then you run the chain through it for a bit (bike on a rackl of some kind I use the fence, a chair and a piece of wood with, very high teck rack).  Basically you put the thing on your chain between the pedal and the back chain ring and pedal the chain through it for 30 seconds or so.  I run it through once with the greese remover, once with soapy water and once with clean water.   Then you take the back wheel off and use the brush with the greese removing stuff (citrise chain bright or whatever its called).  I think a cheep toothbrush works better than the brush that comes with the kit, but that's me.  So scrub a bit on the chain rings front and back, use a rag that you intend to throw out once it gets all covered to wipe down the chain and rings.  Rinse with water (just a bit), dry and then add less chain lubricant oil than you think you need directly to the chain.  I am sure there are endless youtube videos on this. 

I try to clean my chain every 300-400 ish miles, but if I am in high distance mode it might be 500-700 miles.  Some BTers clean their chain after every ride....really?   

Thanks Steve!  I starting to visualize my own high tech bike rack.  It involves saw horses and a couple of 1X4's.  Guessing my LBS will have the cleaner and lube stuff.  Maybe all that dirt is why I'm so slow (humor me, OK??).

33 mile bike followed by 3 mile run today.  Continuing to work out the nutrition stuff....went well until cooldown walk home with blood sugar tanking.  Frustrated w/ my continued lack of bike speed.  But considering I had to really psych myself up just to get out there at all, I guess it was a pretty good day.

Oh, and Dennis, I thought of the video when I was annoyed with my chatty neighbor for stopping me as I was starting my run.  I mean doesn't she understand I was in the middle of a brick?!

Hmmm...waves combined with tinted goggles on a cloudy morning were not my friends today.  I've been blessed previously with calm waters, so this was a new experience.  Wimped out and didn't do the whole swim route....just up and back a shorter route and close to the shore so I could touch down.  Swimming out felt like I wasn't moving at all, though somehow I got down the shore.  Probably didn't help that this was my only swim this week (gym pool closed for maintenance).  Steve I have no idea how you go from your pool straight to open water race swims with no practice?  Care to share any mental tips?

Happy to be doing a 10K race tomorrow....ON DRY LAND! 

I have swum in 2 foot wind waves on a number of occassions.  It takes quite an adjustment.  This year I was on a river, no wind, narrow enough that you couldn't get off track too much or you would be hitting shore.  This is probably the easiest IM ows for those reasons.  You can also stand up and rest if you get tired... water about 3 1/2 to 4 foot deep in most areas....very friendly for the water insecure.  CDA.... the complete oposite.. half mile stright out into 2 foot wind waves pushing you right off course.  You kind of have to time your breathing between waves if you can.  If you can breath both sides.... breathing on the downwind side is better or not looking into the sun.  Not strengths of mine.  I think I am going to have to start from scratch with swim this year and focus on drills for a 3 months and not do any significant distance. 

Getting out there is most of it.  Just the consistency of getting it done is what works. 

10K PR for me today, woot!!!!  OK, it was only by 9 seconds, but I'll take it !

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