Recovery Week

After hammering away this weekend, I've got an easy week.

Saturday was a 3.5 hour power training ride. Really had to kill myself to hold the power target. Frankly, I was struggling a bit, but finished 1 watt higher than I planned and fell into the goal zone. Quads took a beating, and are still sore, but that's all good. Topped it off with a quick brick run for a couple of miles. Lots of bricks coming, and probably much longer runs off the bike.

Sunday was a 15 mile run, I set an overambitious goal of 7:50 pace, which didnt hold up so well, possibly in part do to the heat, it was closing on 100 degrees again, and minimal sleep, but it's fast for that distance for me today. I wrapped around 8:30 for just over 15 miles, and could have kept running easily. Negative split it, and had a few miles under 7:50 in the mix at the end. Coach said it was a good run. I'm of course never ever satisfied with my performance. Just can't accept "good enough." but I guess, its keeping the injuries at bay.

Key this run, for the first time, I took a lot of gels and drank a 3.5 bottles from the fuel belt. With continues practice, I can see how I'll be able to stay stronger, longer this way.

Achilles and plantar facitis are there, but under control. Doesn't stop me from running.

My buddy Kris KO'ed the Lake Placid Ironman in sub 13... raising the bar... i dig it.

Major Catchup... Coach Joe, Zipps, and NYC Triathlon

Long silence on "Hammering It" Blog...  I've not fallen off the radar completely, just running out of hours as the training volume keeps ramping up.

Since my last post... tons of training. especially on the bike. Biggest move was hiring Joe Petrush... a great Triathlon coach and athlete. He takes a very fundamental and science based approach to training. I dig it.

One of the first things Joe wanted was for me to train on POWER on the bike, not speed. This meant I needed a powertap unit laced into my rear wheel. Since I had been oogling a pair of Zipp 808 Carbon wheels, I bought a pair of Zipp 808 Tubulars... they are awesome, and I go faster on them. Really.

July 18th, I raced in the NYC Triathlon, at 2:39, I wasn't exactly stoked about the performance, but it was better than 77% of the athletes there if that matters. I'd really like to get to top 10% but that is going to take a lot of work!

I'm signed up for the Montauk MightyMan 70.3 (half ironman) in early October, which should be a great warm up for the full Ironman in Florida on November 6.

With a race under my belt, and a half on my radar... its racing season again, which adds such an important dimension to all this training.

This morning I did a great swim workout in a gorgeous 50 meter pool, love it, though it was hard enough to make me a little tired hours later. Really enjoyed that swim.

Back in the ocean tommorow for a open water swim with the 'Lafayette Beach Crew' in Long Beach.

Catchup Post: PR'ed distance on 103 mile bike, strong swim, and hammered it on a brick

Haven't been great about the blog posts lately, here is the catchup:

Last weekend, I did the Montauk Century Ride, actually about 103 miles all in. Just over six hours, good workout, but the lingering Adenovirus i caught had an impact. In anycase good day.

2.1 mile swim workout and PR'ed the pace on Tuesday

Today's brick was a PR as well, 72 mile bike at tempo, and a 10k run at a good clip. I'm kinda beat, but a great workout with my friend Domenic. Definitely qualified as "hammering it"

Adenovirus + Plantar Fascitis Beatdown!

It's been 2 weeks now that I'm doing anything but hammering it. What a horrible deal. I did get a good swim in this Tuesday, but not a single good workout since.

Been impossible to get out of bed in the AM most days. Put on bike shorts, but couldnt get on the bike yesterday. What a major, major bummer.

My left foot has been in bad shape with Plantar Fascitis. I got a magnetic roller that really seems to work, and the number of a highly regarded rolfer in NYC. I need some help!

Tommorow AM is an 80 mile ride with some friends. Hopefully I am up to the test of the day... I think once I break through the beat up and tired part of the AM, I should be good.

8.1 mile run... low heart rate at good pace...

8.1 mile run today, legs were still pretty sore from 8 mile TT on friday and this weekends bike drills. kept my heart rate way down though, and opened it up at the end and got up to the 5:30-6 min. mile range without reaching max hr. pretty cool.


Hoping to hop on the bike when i get home tonight. still dont have the new software to install my trainer at the office for early/late/lunchtime rides... anxious. legs are definitely getting stronger from the trainer workouts. quads fitting less and less into my jeans

Forced to skip Saturday, OK Sunday workout

Saturday's run was bagged. Achilles and plantar fascia were in too much pain to run on... the thought of running through the pain was there, but would not risk a serious injury.

Got in an early ride on the trainer for 1:30 --but on a day like today it should have been 3+ hours. Hard to fit it all in. Watched the movie "2012" while riding. Not great.

My friend David Brinker dropped a note with a few thoughts. Says my swim still sucks. I guess I have to get more serious on the swim, though i feel like the whole thing at this point is about the bike and bike-run bricks. the swim will get done, and a few minutes either way wont be such a big deal.

Might try and sneak in another bike trainer to get the miles up this evening.

Swim Progress

Just read one of my blogs from 2 weeks ago. did a 58 minute mile... this past week, KO'ed a 33:43 mile (in pool)

technique (and some decent sleep) trump brute force again.