Bike Porn is Complete!

First the important stuff . . .

 

Take a look at that hot mamma!!!  “War Pegasus” is ready to roll.

We rode the IM New Orleans 70.3 course this morning.  WOW!  The wind was killer!  I was putting the hammer down and when I HAMMER I can hold 23 to 24 MPH for a long time.  When I “Kill” it I can get up to 31 MPH without any wind on a flat run.

 

Today I was “hammering” and I was struggling to hold 14 MPH.  Are you kidding me!?  The good news . . . It is an out and back . . . THAT’S RIGHT!!!!  We were smoking it on the way home. 

 

I am feeling a bit better every ride.  My power is coming back but I have a while before the endurance is back to where I want it to be.

 

I am going to race in a very small Duathlon in Lake Charles this coming weekend, March 1^st.  It will be a good test to see if I have my racing feet under me . . . less than 40 days until IM NOLA!

 

Two things I’ve had trouble with on the new wheels:

 

1.     Getting the tufo sealant into the 1080 – I figured it our.  You have to put the sealant in before your tape it to the wheel.

2.     The brakes don’t work properly for the tubular wheels.  I may be learning something new.  Do you use different brake pads or something with tubular????

 

Have a great week.  It looks like the season is about to begin . . .

I am a HERO! A Guitar Hero . . .

Roose - Jamm'n to some Devil Went Down To Georgia - Guitar Hero Style!

This was a good weekend.

After spending most of Friday reading reports of the upcoming stimulus/bail out/experimental spending Bill to be signed on by the President Tuesday, I was able to enjoy myself.

Friday night I joined a group known as the Guitar Hero Nerds!  I have yet to see this game played much less play it.  Let’s keep this short and just say . . . I see an intervention episode on A&E for me in the very near future!!!!!!

Saturday I woke early with my long time great friend Roose and we headed down to Louisville for the Frost Bite 5k.  We were meeting my friend Cherokee and Cherokee was racing in his first 5k.

After a great hour and a half drive with most outstanding conversation we arrived at one of the most spectacular running parks I have seen.  Cherokee Park (no relation to my bud Cherokee) in Louisville KY is one heck of a place to run.

We picked up our race packets and numbers then visited with a college buddy Kevin who ran Cross Country at our Alma Matter.    It was good to see him.

As Cherokee, Roose, and I stood way back from the starting line talking we heard a horn . . .

Yep!  The race had begun and we were shooting the bull. 

I had the goal of finishing the 5k in sub 32 minutes.  My previous best (in November) was 42 minutes (I think – or somewhere near there).

It was a great race.  I had to weave in and out of people the first mile since we were caught with our pants down (figuratively!) but once I made it past the walkers I quickly got into a groove.  Roose was off like a cannon and I saw him twice on turn-arounds.   I saw Cherokee on one turn as he was running down a hill.

This was a hilly course.  I finished in 32:01 . . . THIRTY-TWO minutes and ONE second!!!!!!  But I was very happy.   Roose had come back to run with me about a quarter mile and once I had finished we both went back to run in with Cherokee.

We found Cherokee with about 1 mile to go and he was battling.  He had a smile on his face, but I could sense he was struggling.

We began slogging and he finished in under 1 hour!  My first 5k I raced in when getting on my weight loss was over an hour. 

We ended the afternoon by changing the flat tire I had on my vehicle when we returned to the car!  But, we worked it like a kyle petty pit crew!  Sort of . . .

Then came Sunday.

I put in about 4 EASY miles in the morning and prepped for the “Labor of Love” Valentines 2 miler which was held on the campus of my Alma Matter.

I met my college friend Jodi and her husband and we set off to kick tail on the 2-mile course.  Jodi is racing in a local marathon later in the year.  She is also doing a GREAT job getting into the running, exercising thing.

Today’s goal:  Sub 20 minutes.

It was a little chilly.  I took off.

Here is my most recent issue.  My surgery scar area is really hurting on my runs.  The first mile of and race/run is miserable and I think it just goes numb after that!!!  Today was a little worse than the past few.

The course was a little short (it was about 1.91 miles) and I finished in 18:22.  Heckle and Jeckle YEAH!!!!!!

Jodi did GREAT!  She finished in around 22 I think??????

Also spent a lot of quality time with Roose’s family and the Vieth and Listerman family at Chuckie Cheese today.  One note on Chuck’s Chz – SCARY!

Fun weekend.  

Now for my “Newbie” thoughts of the day. 

Last time I wrote about Nipple Guards.  LIFE SAVER!

Today I wanted to mention recovery drinks.  I must stress how important this is.  I have heard all the nay sayers and I say to them . . . shut it.  OK, not really because I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I am felt the proof of recovery nutrition.

 

I use Recoverite from Hammer Nutrition. http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=REC&PROD.ID=4051&OMI=10140,10082,10047&AMI=10140

It ain’t cheap.  I go through about one canister per month, but it is more than worth it. 

About a year ago I began working on cutting my spending on triathlons and training.  The areas I addressed were:  massage, nutrition, race cost, and personal trainer.  I cut nutrition because I felt everything else was more important than fueling my body.

I IMMEDEATLY felt the impact of not using the recovery fuel.  I hurt, I felt weak, and I was SO VERY sore and exhausted after a long training session.  I thought I might be sick.  I looked at my training schedule and I hadn’t increased any area of my training.  It came down to one item that had changed . . . My recovery nutrition.

I began using the recoverite and truly saw an immediate impact in a really great way.

Nutrition before, during, and after is important.  I will address the other two aspects of nutrition on a later post.

There are SEVERAL recovery supplements out there.  Power bar, Gatorade, Endorux, and many other companies make products specifically for recovery.

Fins one that you like and that works for you.

Have FUN and TRAIN HARD (and smart).

Hello Nipples!!!

Sorry Sorry Sorry . . .

I have been backed up with work and so many other issues the past month I have neglected my blog . . . BUT this time away has given me a fresh view on my blog.

I have neglected the people who visit my blog as “newbie’s” to triathlon or healthy living in general.

My good friend Roose, Jett, and Cherokee as well as MANY others I have visited with and TRAINED with over the past two weeks have allowed me to realize that I might want to focus on some beginner issue and items I have not focused on in a long time.

 As I trained with several folks it hit my square in the nose that I have actually learned AL OT and become quite the aficionado when it comes to most things training. 

 Now let me be clear.  When it comes to the intricacies of training such as training programs and specific detailed individual metabolic issues you should seek a professional as I do. www.4thdimensionfitness.net

 But for the basics of training, nutrition, race day procedure, I am a fairly good almanac and I plan to use the next few posts to discuss specific items that I think are important to everyday training, race day needs and expectations, and all other things training.

 I will post links to the products and websites I use in these specific areas and I hope this is all very helpful.

 I want to start with one of the more important items that I have become a BIG fan of.  My friend Roose and I were on a short 5k run early one morning and the discussion of nipple chaffing came up.

 

I have been blessed with baby nursing type nipples!  TMI I KNOW!  But, Amanda finds them kinda sexy.  The issue is that when I train and race their senses are heightened even more than normal.  I did the Body Glide (which I am a big fan of) band-aids, and even duct tape (that one was a VERY bad idea)

About a year or more ago I was introduced to NIP-GAURDS. www.trisports.com/nip-guards-10pk----.html

 

 HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!

 They are not cheap, but after several ruined bloody Tech T Running shirts and countless skin ripping band-aid and taping sessions – I have decided these are MORE THAN WORTH their cost.

This is a fun one to get the training ideas from Tri-Ing Fat Man started! 

 

I am going to discuss Recovery supplements on the next post.

 

 

As for me:

 

I have been hitting it hard.  I got in about 16 hours training last week and 14 hours in this week so far.  Today is an off day.  I will run in a little 5k race with my friends tomorrow and put in about another 10 miles tomorrow afternoon before fun V-Day activities with the spectacular wifey.  Sunday there is a fun 2 mile run and I will again put in some extra miles afterwards.  I should get in about 16 to 17 Hours training this week.

 

I need every bit of it with Ironman New Orleans coming up in a month and a half!

 

Keep it up folks! 

 

Talk to you soon.