tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32545245418486136552024-03-05T15:39:59.949-05:00BalanceRamblings pertaining to my training, and life.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-68214635152174894122011-07-24T09:23:00.003-04:002011-07-24T09:30:15.594-04:00Another part of the balance routine....At the lake this weekend with the family and freinds. Besides our family of three, my freind is here with his son and their 3 dogs. On top of that his brother in law is here with his three kids his two dogs and the grandparents dog that they are sitting for. But wait that's not all he also brought two freinds of his son, His sister with her daughter and the daughters boyfreind AND another dog. So for a grand total in the ~1200 sqft cottage we have: 7 adults, 5teenagers, 2 kids, and 7 dogs! Good times for all. I did manage to get in a very hilly 6 mile run yesterday morning. And hopefully will go back out again this afternoon before we leave.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-88864268696933665082011-07-21T09:01:00.002-04:002011-07-21T09:07:02.428-04:00Big day in the mountainsNot for me but for the boys in le Tour. I'm home watching the Tour live. I started doing this a few years ago. Each year there is a "Queens Stage" that has the huge mountain stages and will most likely decide the race. Got up early this morning to ride a little and now just watching the stage with a big cup of coffee. Training is starting to pick up with my consistency going better this week. The heat has been miserable this week and no real end in sight.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-12390584895036660652011-07-18T19:42:00.004-04:002011-07-18T19:52:25.575-04:00Not much happening here lately. Since pulling out of IM the motivation to really train has been low. I've kept running a little and get on the bike once or twice a week. I did a sprint race last Saturday and took third overall. I told myself that I would get back at it this week but when the alarm went off this morning I didn't stick with it. I've been staying up to late and my internal clock is off. I had finally gotten adjusted to DST after a month of struggling but now it feels like I'm back to "real" time. Maybe once the Tour is over I won't stay up watching so much TV. Speaking of the Tour John Hoogerland is a STUD. See the pics below.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLdlZQuOSfr-jH0jhVaynBiB-kJUGgug01MAZK4p9waYxHogbp4TVJlteVqZyVZ5qTYbg3tnn34uSMdJVjUJ6w2g-9c5PgK8ROsBVWvZ3viKcG7xrjm_YDMKzJ44EJ0Tpd5Bd60R_99sS/s1600/bettiniphoto_0085495_1_full_600.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLdlZQuOSfr-jH0jhVaynBiB-kJUGgug01MAZK4p9waYxHogbp4TVJlteVqZyVZ5qTYbg3tnn34uSMdJVjUJ6w2g-9c5PgK8ROsBVWvZ3viKcG7xrjm_YDMKzJ44EJ0Tpd5Bd60R_99sS/s320/bettiniphoto_0085495_1_full_600.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630843626141063954" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG6tpPKdsfIZ9-_UF8RW7_VrHKRqzH54WZYXMUcIJ0IG-Obj2GWlc8lX7r6W5ZRGHEvne_Lfc3b-4nCi5ORODel-wg5KEKsIYwfYl1PYPYHtxbfgFmRzDIUF9r4KzJ97MaDtw9LnzDpqC/s1600/bettiniphoto_0085495_1_full_600.jpg"></a>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-77997030274219404582011-06-30T09:30:00.000-04:002011-06-30T09:39:44.311-04:00Ironman is outIt is official, I have withdrawn from IM Louisville. I've just accepted the fact I am not meant to do long races in hot conditions. I fooled myself into thinking I could learn to overcome it this summer. However the mild temps at Racing for Recovery putting my in the hurt locker for 6 hours proved otherwise. I gave myself 3 weeks to really think it through and the decision feels right. I'll get back in the swing of things here and find some shorter (Oly and Sprint) races to do. That has always been my real strength. I want to really build some fitness for a fast 1/2 marathon and then cyclocross season. Unfortunately this mornings run felt really sloppy not hard but not smooth either. I guess that is what comes with "variable volume trainging"(borrowed that term from Joghard) the last 2 1/2 weeks.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-21499222968728949742011-05-22T21:19:00.002-04:002011-05-22T21:27:38.603-04:00Pokagon TriathlonI had decided to do this race if I didn't get hung up running registration. Besides the timing guy oversleeping and getting us the chips 30 minutes late packet pickup went very smoothly. I decided to jump in the race and see what would happen. I wasn't really expecting much since I left the park at 8:30 on Friday night drove home and then let De talk me into meeting her at a school party. We got to be around 11:30 and were up at 5:00. Water was cold at 64 degrees but not a problem after the first few minutes. I lost some time taking off my wetsuit but still came out of the water around 24 minutes. For the bike I didn't have time to set up the race wheels and then forgot to pump up my tires before the race. Still felt strong and made up ground on the leaders. Actually I think I pushed a little to hard on the bike and didn't have the speed I wanted for the run. This is a very tough run course with lots of turns and constant hills. Felt good overall with my performance.<br /><br />Results: 2nd overall 2:16.xxPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-20462363373101734542011-04-29T09:16:00.002-04:002011-04-29T09:17:55.209-04:0016 years ago today......I pledged myself to the most wonderful woman in the world. I wouldn't be the man I am today without her and I feel thankful everyday that she has stuck with me. I love you De.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-53330333290762734292011-04-24T20:41:00.002-04:002011-04-24T21:03:51.533-04:00Feeling pretty good lately. The weather is starting to warm up and we had 2 days in a row with sunshine! That is almost unheard of around here lately. My training is going well. Despite having missed some workouts, I feel stronger/faster. The six week focus on VO2 was more difficult than I expected. I liked that style of workout at first but it seemed to wear on me more as the block progressed. I didn't make any gains on the bike but cut 32 seconds off my 5k test. Now it's back to threshold work and I'm feeling strong again. I think it's down to 18 weeks until Louisville but I've managed to not focus or really even think about it yet and that is good.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-92109867822361388352011-03-13T21:05:00.003-04:002011-03-13T21:13:14.916-04:00What a lucky weekend!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD1GrJihqh3zD72TpY0NVRucMNTZ2MJ6vKz4BwRNEUmgIfX_Z6__n6dKYgeuAcJ2PimnEqefV9cx34wahFbcTKnYU0KDeURYn9W2Djp_JJ-M57Ht42eGHpQZVgU8w-4OsGU27Cx5SVjG7/s1600/KX450F_PC_Prize.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD1GrJihqh3zD72TpY0NVRucMNTZ2MJ6vKz4BwRNEUmgIfX_Z6__n6dKYgeuAcJ2PimnEqefV9cx34wahFbcTKnYU0KDeURYn9W2Djp_JJ-M57Ht42eGHpQZVgU8w-4OsGU27Cx5SVjG7/s320/KX450F_PC_Prize.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583736039149494498" /></a><br />Above is a picture of the motorcycle I won last night at the Supercross races in Indy. The Traxxas rep said it will probably take 30-45 days to get the bike but I probably won't even ride it. It will get sold and the cash is going towards a new mountain bike and some other toys for the family. However it may have to go for a little test ride before it is gone ;) What an incredibly lucky day. Beer with old freinds, good races, and a new motorcyle(mountain bike).Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-3967734509082114522011-03-05T16:16:00.002-05:002011-03-05T16:26:13.577-05:00Well the first 8 weeks of the training plan are finished now. I did a second FTP test on Tuesday and am quite psyched by the results. I had a 47 watt gain over the last 8 weeks. But I also realized in analyzing the results that I misread the results last time. I've been doing the workouts based on thinking my FTP was 250 when it was actually 186. I guess I just wanted to kick my ass to get started. I adjusted the power zones for today's ride and it was quite evident that I was over reaching. 80-85% felt much more sustainable. Lessons learned. Now it's time to move on and build from here.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-72925809329625005942011-02-21T08:52:00.001-05:002011-02-21T08:54:01.700-05:00A Decision has been MadeI am officially entered in Ironman Louisville. Race date is August 28, 2011. Let the fun begin.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-70366031665524876262011-02-17T19:23:00.002-05:002011-02-17T19:27:55.738-05:00All is well.Training is going really well. I'm really enjoying the plan from EN so far. The only thing that is starting to bug me a little is almost every run is interval based. I'm starting to miss just going out and running. I know this is more focused and productive but being a runner at heart sometimes I just want to run to run. I'm supposed to go into a 6 week VO2 focus after next week but I may throw in a week of just cruising runs and rides. Time to put the munchkin in bed. Later.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-25517244487194026222011-01-30T13:12:00.000-05:002011-01-30T13:23:27.914-05:00I feel the start of something good...I'm 3 weeks into the <a href="http://www.endurancenation.us/">EN</a> Outseason plan and starting to feel the work paying off. Finally starting to shake the sinus infection with the help of some antibiotics. It's always fun to do the fast hard work so I think that is part of the appeal of this plan. Now the hard part is making a decision on a season goal. Ironman or ???? Louisville is still open but won't be open for long I suspect. I need to make a decision NOW!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-67339540981836207042011-01-20T10:42:00.000-05:002011-01-20T10:47:42.826-05:00It's been a weird week. Had some weird pain in my right knee that wouldn't go away for over a week. I skipped a few workouts last week and did some extra stretching but it just hung on. I think I ramped up the intensity too quickly and it bit me in the ass. Able to workout this week but it is just in the background a little. Being careful to do more stretching and keep it in check. I like the limited hours and structure of the EN plan so far but it is weird to do such intense workouts this time of year. Had to do a run on the treadmill yesterday because it was just ice everywhere outside and impossible to do the speedwork required.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-55387589999283303262011-01-08T19:48:00.000-05:002011-01-08T20:40:06.491-05:00First Post of the New Year!Well the first week of 2011 is over and today is Gavin's 5th birthday! Unfortunately he came down with a bad fever this afternoon. So we've had to postpone his party from tomorrow until next week. Below is a picture of the truck that I painted up for Gavin. He wanted a Batman party and I am giving him one of my old RC trucks as a gift so got a new body and painted it up. A shame it will end up destroyed but that's the way it goes with plastic bodies.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInlT8CCuRJ2qu6bYnLoSeRQwJui3qFyFhxPMAifyl7WatdCXEXnFZmJHK2PgstgZAgRtVkadFvOtxus-vVQmeAZ45uW6IbrXPY54loIOBz_2QimpG-yxnegX0TsdL26HZy8aLxT7se-pG/s1600/051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInlT8CCuRJ2qu6bYnLoSeRQwJui3qFyFhxPMAifyl7WatdCXEXnFZmJHK2PgstgZAgRtVkadFvOtxus-vVQmeAZ45uW6IbrXPY54loIOBz_2QimpG-yxnegX0TsdL26HZy8aLxT7se-pG/s320/051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559992864164034130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLmbH5lt7NDvcgw97g9pJFRWJmg79wiABh9t6BIEili18eO_ypd5agE59pQmCfbnFm7GRG5puIyJtsLXLsFBgvM2_ZvEL97teDgQ9fq1eJgUTsK4BdUv9UBmZ2gt_1kd-lXCSRiaxdF8d/s1600/053.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLmbH5lt7NDvcgw97g9pJFRWJmg79wiABh9t6BIEili18eO_ypd5agE59pQmCfbnFm7GRG5puIyJtsLXLsFBgvM2_ZvEL97teDgQ9fq1eJgUTsK4BdUv9UBmZ2gt_1kd-lXCSRiaxdF8d/s320/053.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559993512798002882" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KHMRIxLCjZtN0KlO9ZJGE8lyZqqjxBP1f0FjZlAerLze5IuL36VcTPI45qgn59N2zBIo-wEqzKhyT4xef6wjJUyj79dap5DXTbxdI6_0yOa1GhJ-sypErGi5YYmZYKwd791HebT1XsGS/s1600/052.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KHMRIxLCjZtN0KlO9ZJGE8lyZqqjxBP1f0FjZlAerLze5IuL36VcTPI45qgn59N2zBIo-wEqzKhyT4xef6wjJUyj79dap5DXTbxdI6_0yOa1GhJ-sypErGi5YYmZYKwd791HebT1XsGS/s320/052.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559993300497474306" /></a><br /><br />I've decided to purchase an <a href="http://endurancenation.us">EN</a> training plan and give it a go this year. They specialize in 1/2 and full Ironman training but their Outseason plan is supposed to be great for building speed for the shorter races as well. I'll be putting my training log stuff here this year as I gave up on Buckeye Outdoors.com It just got too slow after his redesign and I couldn't keep up with entries when it was so slow. Basically going back to pen and paper for the logging.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-44365010779505586052010-12-24T09:14:00.001-05:002010-12-24T09:16:18.913-05:00Merry ChristmasWell December has been a big let down. No mojo for training at all. That's OK this is supposed to be the off season. I feel it coming back slowly and will be like the New Year Resolutionaries and start working more consistently in January. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-63767856528244027962010-10-03T12:39:00.000-04:002010-10-03T12:43:32.969-04:00It's been a nice week off. I didn't need the time off physically but mentally. It was nice not feeling like I should be doing something or the pressure of missing workouts. I have the urge to start training again and that is what I was after. I want to start building up toward a good run at the HUFF this year. I'm also toying with the idea of a longer ultra run somewhere next year. Still looking at the options out there and what sounds like fun.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-81395134497981990782010-09-26T08:52:00.000-04:002010-09-26T09:20:40.030-04:00Had a surprisingly good <a href="http://www.fort4fitness.org/">race</a> yesterday. Finished 24th overall and 3rd in AG with a time of 1:23.45. A new PR by 15 seconds. Looking back through my training I really can't believe I ran that well. I tried to go into this race with no expectations but did want to run well. A difficult balance to achieve for sure. Started off relaxed and went out in 6:40. Then had a nagging blister on back of left heel and stopped at Mile 5 to grab a bandaid. It ended up not helping as my shoe was soaked in blood at the finish. Ran a 6:00 mile from 5-6 attempting to catch up with the pack I was in but then settled back into 6:25 pace. Mile 9 was tough with some sharp hills and lots of turns but going in from there the pace steadily picked up. Finished with 5:55 last mile and felt pretty good. I gave up a few seconds as there was a challenged walker finishing in front of me at the line and I didn't want to be the guy that sprints past a walker at the line. I was really amazed by teammate, Mark Miller, that ran a 1:22 after doing 2 Ironmans in the last month.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-77060476182806539822010-09-12T11:03:00.001-04:002010-09-12T11:21:02.199-04:00Tri Season is Over<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKtz05Sua5iMzYjMCsp1no3AcXuAJPqG2FtzYddBkvBlpZMqbGSpFBbRQdAORGnUzGRNi4wVKRokj5TZqLzkE-P2T_A2OYWGWEIHQr-TPbNwrj4gZX41ghnuwZLsAHCSv0WadZWA07h7_/s1600/021+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKtz05Sua5iMzYjMCsp1no3AcXuAJPqG2FtzYddBkvBlpZMqbGSpFBbRQdAORGnUzGRNi4wVKRokj5TZqLzkE-P2T_A2OYWGWEIHQr-TPbNwrj4gZX41ghnuwZLsAHCSv0WadZWA07h7_/s320/021+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516046694130702082" /></a><br />I completed the inaugural SWAT tri at Chain O'Lakes State Park yesterday. I went in to it with mixed expectations. Not really expecting to do well with the lack of real bike training this last few months but hoping I might eek out something from the legs. It turned out the accumulation of miles over the last few years does help. I had a better than expected swim in which I believe I caught everyone from the wave ahead of me (4:00 seperation). Once on the bike I just kept telling myself to conserve yet push a little if that makes sense. The run was challenging due to the hills in the park. It was difficult to pick out the age groupers from the collegiate racers that were 15 min ahead and part of a seperate race. Plus the sprint and Olympic races were going on simultaneously. At one point I was pretty sure I was leading the race even with a 4 min cushion on a few guys that were in the wave behind. However there was a 20 year old age grouper that I must have mistaken for one of the collegiate racers. He beat me by :10 seconds. If I had known he was that close would I have been able to make up the time? Hard to say. Just another lesson to always go as hard as you can when racing with wave starts. Two second places this summer for not pushing hard enough at times. Aside from the racing it was a miserable day out with rain and cool temps. Big props out to my wife for coming out to support me. She hung out with Gavin and our newest addition to the family, Tucker.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-43690269352505838062010-09-07T19:51:00.000-04:002010-09-07T19:56:10.692-04:00FatigueIt seems strange to be compaining about fatigue with what little training I've done. Maybe it's just the time of year? I think after this 1/2 marathon I'm going to actually take 2 weeks off completely. Of course I may change my mind completly tomorrow.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-75114012226018276532010-09-05T20:44:00.000-04:002010-09-05T21:11:03.743-04:00A Fun SummerWell it has been a poor training summer but it's been fun. I've stayed in shape and done some races all the while still placing well. Did 3 xterras and placed 1st or 2nd in AG in each. Almost won a first year sprint race that was basically local. (Got beat by a guy in the wave behind me that I'm not sure I could have beat heads up but wish I would of had the chance to see.) It's been so hot around here this summer that I have done very few outdoor rides. Without Ironman looming on the horizon there just didn't seem to be a reason to push through the heat. I did a local 5k yesterday that I won last year when I was peaking for IM. Yesterday I was caught in the last 1/2 mile by 2 youngsters and just couldn't make the move to go with them. <br />Started racing RC trucks indoors last winter and have done a few outdoor races this summer as well. Having fun rebuilding the track at a Mark's farm and driving/racing with his nephews. We've been getting onroad cars ready for the indoor season this year and it feels like a whole new hobby. Should be fun to see how we do this winter.<br />We didn't do any long or big vacations this year. We did a short trip to Cincinnati to see the zoo and <a href="http://www.newportaquarium.com">aquarium</a> in Newport,KY. Then went to the Indy zoo on the way home. De and I did a weekend away in Grand Rapids and Grandhaven,MI. We then swung by home to pick up Gavin and Kona for a few days with our friends at their lake house. We are planning some camping trips this fall hopefully at some good mountain biking locales. <br />Racing wise I have the Fort 4 Fitness Half-Marathon and an Olympic distance tri in the next 3 weeks then it's all up in the air. I've got the itch to do some cyclocross but no wheels and then I got a flyer about a short adventure race happening in FW that I may try and get my wife to do with me. Who knows????? As long as we have fun it's all good.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-47391016783415094212010-01-01T13:36:00.000-05:002010-01-01T13:39:08.046-05:00Happy New Year2009 is done and in the books. There is nothing I can do to change what did and did not happen. The best I can do is learn from my mistakes and try not to replicate them. Here is to looking forward and doing my best in every endeavor. Happy New Year!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-52481868748124223892009-12-20T10:15:00.000-05:002009-12-20T10:18:07.233-05:00BowlingOh yeah, Just to follow up on some non-endurance sports of mine. I rolled a new high score on my first trip bowling this season -- 265 --. I was quite happy but then reality came back into focus and followed up with a 132. Along those lines a big CONGRATULATIONS to my best friend Mark for rolling a 300 game at his league. Way to go bud.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-90871291260591321612009-12-20T10:07:00.000-05:002009-12-20T10:14:29.119-05:00HUFF 50kWell it's been a really long time again. I'm still not getting the hang of this regular writing thing. My latest adventure was the HUFF 50k trail race yesterday. We had our first real snow of the season the night before so it was a true HUFF experience. Slippery and beautiful all in one. I did only 2 long runs going into this race a 20 miler last week and a 16 miler the week before that. My only goal for the race was to finish. I did that and actually had a very good race. This was my first ever race at marathon or longer distance that I was able to complete with no walking. Big thanks to PMAC a teammate from TriFort that ran with me. Just having him there was a big push to keep moving at some of the rough times. Once again my performance in the cold was good. I just wish I could get that to transfer to warmer races.<br />Results from yesterday: 4:52 21st overall and 4th in AG.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-79775958897087877732009-09-17T19:57:00.000-04:002009-09-17T20:08:16.595-04:00Post Ironman bluesWell things definately did not go as planned. I started puking at 60 miles and just couldn't pull it together. I avoided a trip to the med tent but never got past the 72 mile mark of the bike course. I didn't even feel like I was sweating on the bike. It started to get warm but I was just cruising and staying relaxed the whole time. Just after the special needs pick up I took a swig of the new bottle and it was even chilled still but the taste was off and it just set my stomach off. I sat at the aid station for 30 minutes in the shade but the thought of getting back to Madison and starting a marathon in that heat made me vomit again and start to get dizzy. The temps had gotten up to 87* I heard later and it sure felt like it. I really think I am done with Ironman until they put one in Antarctica. I'll stick to the Olympic distance that I am competitive at and throw in a few halfs as well. Maybe I can get to a sub 4:30 for a half-Iron???? As this week goes on it is getting easier to deal with another DNF but some times it still makes me cry. I just wish someone could tell me why it happens. The stomach issues not the crying.<br /><br />Big props go out to the other guys in the club that finished the race. Especially to Jerry 3rd in his AG just missing a slot to Kona by less than a minute. 11:04 was a rocking time on that day. Tom also had a great race going 11:42 with minimal training this summer. Way to go guys I'm extremely proud of all of you and glad that I got to train with you this season. It's all about the journey right?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3254524541848613655.post-49146887355531790632009-08-31T21:20:00.000-04:002009-08-31T21:33:29.803-04:00Taper????Well it is now 13 days until Ironman Wisconsin. I'm back to feeling very confident. I know that I will finish and that really helps to take a lot of the pressure off. I still have it in my head that I would like to come in close to 11 hours. That will mostly depend on what the day gives me. I truly believe that the fitness is there and if I EXECUTE on race day it will happen. Of course that is the biggest challenge on race day. Executing the plan and making it through the dark periods that we all face during an IM.<br /> I am attempting a different type of taper that I believe will help on race day. In years past with Ironman and marathons I've done 2-3 week tapers. After reading posts by ChuckieV and talking with Zach Ruble. I am going with very little taper. While both of these guys essentially say that training through the race will give you the best results I have decided to train through but at a slightly lower volume. I am still doing hard efforts this week and next week but the volume this week will be at approximately 90% of the last few weeks and next week will be at 65%. As always it is an experiment and the results are purely subjective. How can you really measure the effectiveness of a taper? If I feel good on race day it was a success, if I'm tired it didn't work out so well. Stay tuned for the results.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16651892856987878336noreply@blogger.com0