Embarrassing...

So it has been on my long list of things to do to post an update, I mean so many things go on through training that I think "Oh, dont forget to mention this"... then I just dont find the time to write it and opt to go to bed early instead. Which is actually an important part of training - sleep. But I had to share this non-training note... you know you are desperate when you are so hungry at 9pm at night (after a run of course) and have absolutely no food that you pour chocolate soy milk over granola. Wasn't too bad, did the trick, but dont think I will ever do it again!

Race pics

All, including official ASI Photos, are uploaded to 2008 Training Photo album - link on the right.

Ironman California 70.3 Oceanside Race Report

I will spare you the pre race Nutrition Summary details that I had to send to my coach... here is the race only report:

7:00am gel, water pre swim
7:33am Wave start race!
bike nutrition
Gel and water at 20 min, 1 hour, 1:45, 2:35 (finish bike at 3:20)
One bottle of 20 ounces Infinit plus estimate water in take of 40 ounces (60 ounces over 3:15 hours)
Pee’d 4 to 5 times on bike… midway or later realized was not taking in enough salt and was getting bloated from too much water. Stopped water intake except if needed to take gel. Minimized electrolyte drink mix intake until felt a bit better. Also began to take Enduralytes: 2 at 2:35, 2 at 3 hours I think.
Run: only Gatorade except when took one gel at mile 6 with water. Gatorade at every aid station except first one (at 0.5 mile into run), two or four more Endurolytes on run. Felt better fluid wise after first quarter of run.

Race summary: Heart rate review will be as best I can recall since I had to use my Timex HR watch rather than Garmin since I did not trust the Garmin would be dependable… it has been acting up lately and even the day before the race when turned on would not stay to one screen and was going nuts. Race HR average 145 max 181.

Swim – Plan: start slow and get into comfortable pace. Actual: Just went what I could. I can tell in wetsuit my stroke is just off (well of course it is terrible even out of wetsuit, but in wetsuit just feels worse). I think I hold a faster pace when breath on left but then don’t swim straight and can’t site unless breath from right. So since race swims I have to breath every stroke usually, I revert to right side breathing. Started fairly comfortable then would do bursts of pick up here and there. Before and after turnaround was choppy. Slowed a bit (I think) and just kept focus sighting on high-rise for return. Coming into harbor at picked up effort a bit until end. Looking back I am satisfied with swim. This is my best half swim time though compared to 2007 half races (although 2006 races were both faster but that is pre-shoulder injuries).

Bike – Plan: Settle into solid pace after out of harbor and onto base, after onto base, settle into top of Z2 for 3-5 minutes then gradually to Z3 so that Z3 over rollers and until hill. Hills Z3 and remainder of course. Actual: Overall slower than I would have liked today, I heard bike was very slow for all due to winds. Started out of transition and onto base just let myself settle heart rate and effort. Did take a while for HR to settle though into high Z2 (don’t know if I stayed in Z2 for the 3-5 mins) then worked into Z3 (150 I think) and maintained steady pace first 30 miles, average 18mph. Then hit wind and rollers, throughout next 15-20 miles average speed decreased to almost 16mph. Last miles kept effort high but not extreme. Over course of bike maintained consistent Z3 HR, long hills may have peaked above Z3 but not for long. Hills felt fine though it was more the wind that slowed me, even some downhills I think were into head wind! For the remainder just hung best I could. Over entire course did well with gearing too. Maintained aero most of course, got a bit sore on shoulders by end.

Run: Plan: Out 1 find legs, settle into pace, not easy but not too hard. Back 1 and Out 2 maintain pace, Back 2 pick up pace. Actual: First mile or two I think shins were bordering starting to hurt but went away after a bit thank god. The biggest accomplishment though was that this is my first ever run that I did not have to stop for the bathroom (GI)!!!! I was thrilled and surprised, trying to figure out what the difference could have been, still haven’t figured a reason though. Ok, the run… never got into Z2 to build to Z3. The run started in Z3, maybe higher, and never settled down. As I said earlier I am limited to what I recall, and all I remember is 170 HR on the run. I think it stuck at 170 the entire run aside from last leg, which was about 172. Aside from HR, Out 1 settled into pace and held that for back 1 and out 2 (about 9-9:05 min/mi). Dana (Brian August’s girlfriend) caught me at the final turn around, and she had a slightly faster pace, so my goal was to hang with her, which I was able to but then would lose a bit as I walked briefly at aid stations while drank fluids. But would catch back up with her and maintained her pace for finish (9 or slightly under 9 min/mi). This was my best half IM run time though, and aside from brief walk while at aid stations, I ran the entire race with no short walks.

Swim 42:01
T1 7:09
Bike 3:21:47
T2 4:14
Run 2:01:12
Final 6:16:23
Overall 1187 (1958 starters)
Age 65/117 (119 starters)
Women 248/486 (509 starters)

I need to write a new post..

But today is not the day, but rather here is a great preview of Saturday's upcoming race!
http://coachvance.blogspot.com/2008/03/oceanside-703-race-preview.html

One a month ain't bad?

One post a month? At least my training is more consistent than my blogging. Well I will try to get better but no promises... just too busy between training, travel, work, Jake, GGTC (Expo finally over and I think a success) and assistant coaching TNT Spring Tri Team! I was able to take a great 'vacation' last weekend though... not the sitting your butt on a beach kind, but Training Camp! It was a lot of fun in Tucson and met a number of great people. The weekend consisted of:
Friday: Hour or so swim (in 42 degree air temp and rain but 80 degree outdoor pool) and 1:20 run
Saturday: 85 mile ride along Ajo Road. Our little group of Jessie, Kevin M, and me was the only group without flats, and didn't get in trouble for any hammering or splitting up.
Sunday: 46 mile ride with Jessie, Bart, Mike and me, hour swim, 5 mile run back to hotel from pool. Weather finally starting to cooperate too.
Monday: I was ordered to sleep in and skip the morning swim to rest my still rehabilitating shoulder. Climb 18 miles up Mt. Lemmon (44 mile loop in total) - 4 miles to Mt Lemmon, 18 miles of climbing, descend back to start - short run at hotel later. Here is a pic of the Mt. Lemmon ride, it just kept going and going, lots of snow up top too making is a cold descent for the first half or so!
Mt. Lemmon was one of the hills Lance used for his hill training for the Tour. It was beautiful and a nice steady climb, with a few steeper sections but in all not too bad.

Long time no post... nor swim....

Until today... ha! My longest swim since Ironman. A whopping 800 yards in 25:42. That is 3:12/100yds. I can doggie paddle through an IM faster than that probably... but I have to clarify this is only breast, side, and back stroke. So freestyle yet as we are still rehabilitating the shoulder post-surgery. So PT has me back in the pool (kicking and screaming) to stretch out the muscles and all that junk that has tightened up from surgery. Ouch! But rehab is progressing along, I am just so surprised how much hurts now outside of the actual shoulder where the surgery occur ed. I have flabby triceps and biceps now from lack of use. Oh how pretty!

But I still look forward to being able to swim again, although I still hate the pool. Why is it just so cold when you get in! Once I warm up I am ok, but the thought of the first 50 yds to warm up keeps me away from the pool completely. And unfortunately the pool is the only place to train around here (or at least the warmest). I despise the pool but I really enjoy the swim portion of any race. So not switching to duathlon just yet. But maybe someday.

TNT Spring Tri Team 2008 kicks off in two weeks... with a recently added assistance coach, moi.

Some of the Official Race Photos

Ironman Canada 2007.

What do you mean I can't see me in the swim... I am the one wearing the pink cap in a black wetsuit...

The Results

Surgery went well, at least the shoulder surgery part. I, on the other hand had a bad reaction to the anethesia so had to spend the night in the hospital. No big deal... all I was doing was sleeping anyway, and the breakfast was pretty darn good.
As for the surgery, it turned out I didn't have the labrel nor rotator tears after all that it looked like from the MRI. I actually had ligaments that were just loose and floppy rather than connected to where they were supposed to be. It did not mean something was torn, but rather it may have been this way for years and the swimming brought out the issues and discomfort. So now 6 weeks in a sling but I can remove it as needed. I just can't lift my arm much but I can use my hand at times so it is not as hard as I thought it would be with one hand. The only thing I cant do at this point is apply hair products or do any hair styling... no worries, just bad hair for a few weeks.
Here are some of the surgery pics. I have some video too so may try to load that somewhere also.

Here we go....

Shoulder surgery today... got a nice pre-op good luck hug from Rabbetz this morning. And I am starving. No food or drink, including water, until post-op. I am hungry. And thirsty. Guaranteed headache I am sure later today from dehydration. I look forward to eating dinner. I am sure I am whining, and besides, could use to skip a meal these days anyway. Will be an interesting few weeks ahead.

Nike Women's Marathon 2007

Finally... a repeat race. Well I guess Vineman 70.3 was my first repeat. But anyway, this year I completed the Nike Women's Marathon again here in San Francisco this past Sunday. It was a nice comparison from the 2005 race results, but a lot of differences. First, I just did Ironman two months ago, so running a full marathon may not be ideal, but I felt pretty good the entire race. Second, I did not focus on this race for my training the last few months like I did in 2005 where I focused on Nike for four months. This year, I took off almost an entire month following Canada and jumped into a Nike schedule about mid/end September. So not too bad, though of course I was hoping for a bit faster.

Final Results:
Time: 4:22:10 (2005 time was 4:33)
Overall Place: 610/4689 athletes
Female Place: 538/4382 women
Class Place: 98/754 (Class is women 30-34 years old)

Nike is a tough course too... over 4000 ft of elevation climbing. Some day I need to do a flat marathon!

Pics posted to the new album titled 2008 Training.