Swimming in the short pool.

Did some of this:

4x200 EBEH	50 E	50 B	50 E	50 H	Rest
Set 1	51.04	47.55	53.83	40.34	22.92
Set 2	55.04	48.67	56.92	41.62	24.31
Set 3	55.53	48.91	56.25	41.26	24.43
Set 4	52	51	58.5	40.96

Wasn't able to do a full hour because of pool rules.  But I put a solid effort into my warmup and my drills.  Didn't rest much at all.

Spinervals 17.0 - exhausted.

Put my trainer together last night.  Everything seemed to be getting in the way of actually accomplishing my ride by a reasonable hour... mostly me.  Once I finally got on the bike, it didn't take long for me to feel completely exhausted.  Actually it took about 22 minutes.  You can see from my HR data that I was pretty consistent up until about 30 minutes in and then I think I started to bonk.  I was able to keep things together, but man did it hurt.  I just felt tired.  It didn't help that my saddle is painful and my feet fell asleep.  Oh well, chalk it up to an early training day late at night.

Panhandle loops

Run 35: Aerobic base run Z2-Z3. If your HR goes too high. STOP.  Slower is better right now. Time doesn't matter, form and HR does. Use your inhaler. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/349916184

Golden Gate Park ride

Bike 45: 10 mins WU in small chain ring. 25 mins at a Z3 pace in whatever gear where natural cadence (80-90rpm). Don't go too hard - NOT Z4! 10mins CD. Spend the cool down working on getting your HR settled. Afterwards analyze your HR during the 25mins. Is the second half much higher than the first half? Remember to breathe. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/349916222

Bloggetty blog blog blog... RUN!

Okay, so I ran today.  My Nike+ crapped out on me after 10 minutes, which is lame, but Nexercise got the whole 35 mins.  I forgot that I have asthma... uh... duh.  And therefore struggled through this run.  I usually take a puff or two before heading out if I'm a fatass (AKA: not in shape) so that I can make it.  Today, I forgot.  But I pulled off the run anyway.  It took a lot out of me because I wasn't really taking in optimal levels of oxygen, but that's what I get for leaving my inhaler at home.  I won't likely forget again.

Ran the first 30 mins and walked the last 5 so that I didn't pass out.  Nexercise tracked 3.05 miles in 35:52.  Not awesome.  Not horrible. 

Today is also my first official day of Whole30.  Yesterday I intended to start, but the BF wanted to go to sushi and I wasn't feeling up for argument.  Haven't seen the poor guy in almost a month.  Figured I'd let it go for a day and start fresh.  I didn't have my first meal until late in the day, partially because I slept in and partially because I got distracted with work right away.  I will probably only eat twice today. 

New York City Triathlon

Tri Harder!

Goals:
Swim - 35 minutes (2'07 per 100y)
Bike - 1 hour, 35 minutes (16mph)
Run - 60 minutes (10min mile)
TOTAL: 190 minutes (3 hrs, 10 minutes plus transition)

Actual:
Swim - 21:49 (1'18 per 100y) - YAY! (Thank you Hudson River current...)
Bike - 1:48:35 (13.7mph) - a little slow especially on hills, but I had enough gas in the tank to finish
Run - 1:18:48 (12.75min mile) - a lot of slow running, walk through the hydration centers plus a potty break...
TOTAL:  209 minutes (3 hrs, 29 minutes plus transition)


Okay, so not super awesome, but not horrible either.  Plus I beat my arch nemesis' time by nearly half an hour, so all is well with the world.

Swim recap:
I actually felt alright with this one.  I swam straight, I maintained my focus, I sighted well.  In the first 1200m I probably swam 150m on my back, letting myself take some deep breathing moments and focus myself.  My wetsuit felt really tight around my chest so I was trying to stay calm and breathe deeply.  I swam the last 300m+ without flipping over and without altering my stroke.  I am very proud of the swim.  Last year, with training, I finished in 19:30.  A difference of only 2:19.  I'll take it.

Bike recap:
I rented a great bike (thank you, Bike Gods) from my favorite LBS, Sids.  A little Cannondale Synapse - carbon frame, lots of zip.  My average speed was around 14mph, which is down about 4mph from my "trained" speed, but I still was able to hit speeds of over 30mph almost every mile of the race.  Top speed (downhill, of course): 37.4mph.  zoom zoom.

Run recap:
This was not the greatest thing I have ever done, but I definitely went the way of "slow and steady".  I ran steadily when I ran, good form instead of sloppy.  I walked briskly if I walked - mostly through the hydration stations - and I smiled as much as I could.  It was a hot day, so I made sure to stay hydrated (definitely saw someone in non-responsive mode being taken away by the EMTs).  I also made a deal with myself: run the entire way in from the mile 5 marker.  I kept the promise, and had been running for about a quarter mile prior to that, so the last mile and a half were walk-free.

Transitions recap:
Setup in the morning went well.  I was fortunate to have my immediate bike "neighbor" missing AND I was right next to the end of a rack, which always means a little extra space.  Good position in an easy to spot row.  I didn't miss my rack running in either time, which is good on me!  The walk to swim start was lovely.  I probably jumped the gun with my wetsuit and put it on too early, but I thought I was making a good decision at the time...  Ended up biting me in the rear when I realized I hadn't used the potty and time was slipping away to do so.  This resulted in a moderately full bladder to start the race.  "Pee during the swim" you say?  I would love to... except I couldn't.  Mental block?  Inability to pee and move?  Exceptional potty training as a child?  Who knows... no dice.

So, that lead to bike transition.  I'm in Yellow, so we get 700m of barefoot running in a wetsuit.  Makes transition time a bit long.  I remembered to wipe my "Hudson beard" off nice and early and stripped down to my waist almost right away so that I could breathe again.  Took the actual transition into bike slower than normal, making sure to put on gloves (good idea) and open my shot blocks in advance (also smart) plus a hit of my inhaler (to be safe).  Not a bad transition, just a bit on the tortoise side of things...  Oh, and did I mention that I still had to pee?

Twenty-five miles of bumpy biking later, I transitioned into running gear - again taking some time and care.  I made sure to hit the ground running with a slow and steady mentality, plus smiling.  Smiling makes you faster.  A good thing, too, since I was wearing very little red (inside joke).

After about the second mile, I was really distracted by my bladder... so I did take the time to pitstop, which is obnoxious enough when you're wearing a trisuit.  Doubly so when you're wearing TWO.  I wore my regular trisuit under my team-issued garments (they are relatively cheap and ride up, causing VERY unattractive photos and minimizing comfort).  Potty break probably took 4-6 minutes.


Takeaways:
Train.  Duh.

Smiling is good.  Form is good.  Hydration is good.  Forgetting to use the bathroom is bad.

When it comes right down to it, I want to be a happy athlete.  And racing the New York Triathlon on a hot summer day makes me happy!

BLOG MOAR!!!

Okay, so I'm going to start blogging again to get my rear end back in shape.  Today I biked a total of 10 miles on the fancy Cannondale Synapse bike that I rented from SIDS.  I loved it.  What a great bike.  I'll have to keep it in mind for when I want to upgrade to a carbon frame.  All told, I wasn't averaging much speed, but we're starting with what we've got.

Yay bike!

NYC Triathlon Race Plan

Saturday, July 13 (my birthday!!): Put on your numbers.  Pick up bicycle - bring pedals and a pair of bike shorts / shoes to do a fitting.  Head to transition area to rack bike, make sure you are in small ring/15 to start - don't forget plastic bags for handlebars and saddle!  Go to team dinner, YAY!  Tonight, pack backpack: Swim cap, goggles, flip flops, helmet, sunglasses, trisuit, glide, socks, gloves, bike shoes, running shoes, sports bra, hat, race belt, RoadID, HR monitor, Garmin watch, wet suit, timing chip, plastic bags, towel (x2), GU, water bottle, add'l nutrition, transition bag, bike kit, sunscreen, ID, registration info.  In bed by 9pm.

Sunday, July 14: Wake up at 3:30am. Shower, fix hair, eat breakfast, grab transition bag and take subway at 4:00am to transition area. Check bike (ABC), set up transition items, hydrate. Take transition bag and swim stuff out of transition.  Use restroom, put on wetsuit/swim cap, double check transition area, pat yourself on the back - you made it!

Eat a GU 15 mins before race wave start.

Swim: Enter the water near the edge of "humanity", swim strong to get a good position, then recover in the water, pacing around 2' per 100y. Focus on your rhythm. Long, lean strokes. Focus on reach and glide, high elbows and strong pull.

T1: Take off cap/goggles. Peel wetsuit down to waist as you run. Transition smoothly into the bike - helmet, sunglasses, watch, nutrition, socks, shoes, GO! Unrack & run with bike on your LEFT.

Bike: Use the first five minutes (just over a mile) to get yourself in the zone. This is your strong sport, you are a good cyclist. Eat some nutrition in this first 5 minutes, drink some water. Now go! Power up hills and recover down. Pass smoothly and with purpose, don't slow down to pass - drive through. Stay down in the drops as much as possible, keep your body aerodynamic. Hydrate throughout - every 15 minutes take a drink, this is important - remember how dehydrated you felt running the CP Sprint. Eat again 45-55 mins in (or at turnaround). Finish strong.

T2: You know this one. Fast and smooth. Helmet, hat, shoes, GO!  Don't think.

Run: You are going to be tired. Let your body get into the zone. Eat a GU as you start the first part of your run. This is the last section of the race! You've got it! Let your legs loosen up for the first 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, go a little harder. Try to aim for a 10 minute mile and try to stay consistent at that pace for the remainder of the run. When you get halfway through, see how you feel, if you can give it more - do it. The last mile is all you - this is the last part of the race, you can give it all you've got. Stay focused, keep good form, finish strong and leave nothing in the tank. Great job!

Post race: Bask in the glory! You've just accomplished a great feat for yourself. This is a great day. Take your medal and get some food!

Goals:
Swim - 35 minutes (2'07 per 100y)
Bike - 1 hour, 35 minutes (16mph)
Run - 60 minutes (10min mile)
TOTAL: 190 minutes (3 hrs, 10 minutes plus transition)

Sunday afternoon - take bike back to the shop.  Great job.