tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139315412024-03-23T12:14:18.846-06:00Body AtomsTriathlon and Running BlogTonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.comBlogger297125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-23034242620213207022008-11-21T12:04:00.002-07:002008-11-21T12:07:13.603-07:00I've Moved<p>All of my posts are now going <a href="http://austinbitsandatoms.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-85229611753754671452008-11-17T07:07:00.001-07:002008-11-17T10:20:03.914-07:00Back To Running<p>The month of indulgence is officially over. This past month I took off from running to do two things; take a break from the past 11 months of training and two, allow my plantar fasciitis to heal. The foot pain has come a long way but is not completely healed. I think it turned into a form of tendonitis along the way as I was compensating for the plantar fasciitis. Ice has helped immensely. I put ice packs on the bottom of the foot three or four times per day and it was amazing how much it helped. I used ice for my shoulder after pitching oh so long ago but never applied it to the tendons in the foot or associated with it with running. It makes sense though.</p>
<p>I've put on an additional seven pounds the last few weeks. It could have been worse, much worse. I still ate good meals and no junk food--well occasional junk food cravings were allowed. After all, it's indulgence month, but I ate a few salads and went low-cal on several meals. I think I would have been even if it hadn't been such a drastic drop in cardio workouts.</p>
<p>I packed my running clothes for an afternoon run. The weather should be great. Something around 60 degrees and sunny with low humidity.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-68092754038210624212008-11-15T07:32:00.001-07:002008-11-16T09:53:36.252-07:00Just WhenJust when I think I know quite a bit of a certain subject, I'm reminded how little I do know. It's very humbling.Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-72867726249144110052008-11-14T19:11:00.005-07:002008-11-14T19:23:27.438-07:00The Day's Energy<p>Slipstream made its debut today with my 14-mile commute into work. Although the weather was perfect, my gut was telling me to drive in for some reason. I should have listened to my gut. It's correct 99.2% of the time. And if the gut was wrong then there's usually a foretelling event early enough in the morning to sway me in another direction. Experiencing something out of the norm or uneventful early enough in the day allows me to see where I jumped off track and to quickly get the day back on the rails it's supposed to be on. A flat tire within the first mile of the commute is an example of such an early event. One, if you notice it as such an event and two, you act on such an event. Within the first mile you can turn around, go home, change clothes and start the day over by driving to work.</p>
<p>I ignored the sign. So flat one was fixed and that left one air cartridge left with one spare tube and some patches.</p>
<p>As I had a meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Looking at my watch I still had plenty of time, even with the flat to make it to work, get some breakfast tacos and coffee and make it to the meeting. And then I took a wrong turn. My gut said to go east for another two blocks and then catch S. 5th Str going northward. Except I went left and tried to take a sort cut through a neighborhood. It sent me five miles in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>I regrouped after I saw the street I used to take into work. A little busier traffic-wise but doable. I wasn't five minutes on the road and I had another flat. I parked the bike at the bus stop and changed the second flat. I used the remainder of the second air cartridge but it wasn't enough. I had to ride out of the saddle until I could get to a bike shop.</p>
<p>As I approached the bike shop there weren't any cars in front of the doors. Noticing the hours posted on the front window the shop didn't open until 10:00 a.m. So much for supporting the commuters. I decided to ride another mile over to Lance Armstrong's shop called Mellow Johnny's. As they support the commuters I knew they'd be open.</p>
<p>They were open. Bought some air. Bought a tire. Broke a tire iron. Used one of Mellow Johnny's tire irons. Paid the equivalent of a full tank of gas. Packed up and went on my way.</p>
<p>I looked at my watch and it was 9:45 a.m. Late for the meeting I reajusted my expectations of getting to the meeting, of eating breakfast tacos or making coffee. I just wanted something positive to manifest itself in front of me. To have something to laugh at, admire, aha at. Something. Anything.</p>
<p>I arrived at the office parking lot with loose handlebars. That was not my sign. It was more of the same. I took it as a sign not to burst into the meeting late. I sat at my desk while cooling down and knocked out a quick article for one of the publications. As I sat there I knew something had to be done to change the energy of the day. This was definitely the most expensive commute I'd ever had and quickly hovering close to the worst commute, except for getting hit by the truck or the lady who ran me into the curb where I cut my ankle up pretty bad. No, those were way up there as the two worst commutes and three flat tires weren't even close to knocking them off their pinnacle of bad commutes.</p>
<p>I got a phone text request for lunch. That'll do it I thought. A good lunch can always change the energy. It did. The whole afternoon was bliss. The second meeting of the day went well. People were good to work with. The day had the Friday energy back. The commute back home was going to be tremendous. Until.</p>
<p>Until I heard a sound. It sounded like something fell off the shelf and there was the sound of air at the window. A minute later my coworker says, "Tony, I think your tire just went flat. I felt a breeze in my hair, I looked around and watched the back tire go from full to flat."</p>
<p><span style="font-style: italic;">Crap</span>. So much for a change of energy. I called for an extraction. Packed up Slipstream into the SUV. Took it home. Crawled into bed.</p>
<p>Sometmes the only way to change the energy of the day is to change the day.</p>
<p>BTW, Slipstream is the newest old bike added to the fleet. It's a freewheel single speed on a an old steel Schwinn frame.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-65796958849399843632008-10-31T09:06:00.004-06:002008-10-31T09:09:57.154-06:00Week Two Off of RunningIt's been a tough second week off of running. The foot still hurts so it's going to take at least a couple more weeks to heal. This is the best time of year to run but there's just no way.Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-15742608658469315032008-10-23T06:51:00.001-06:002008-10-23T08:59:56.384-06:00What a ShameI'll let you form your own opinion on <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/23/BACI13MAIT.DTL">this one</a>. It's a shame the race is now suspect as it raised $18 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Arien O'Connell, the real winner of the race, is not recognized on the <a href="http://insidenikerunning.nike.com/2008/10/20/congratulation-runners-on-a-great-race-2/">official site</a>. I should be cheering for the Austinite that was recognized as the winner, but the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Is this enough for you to switch brands?Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-89978739183473310062008-10-22T08:10:00.002-06:002008-10-22T08:13:06.936-06:00Sidelined From The RunI'm on the sidelines for a period of time until my plantar fasciitis in the left foot gets better. I ran 10 miles on Sunday and then iced the foot, massaged it, stretched it and could hardly walk the rest of the afternoon. Rather than do permanent damage, it's time to lay off.Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-46086075558253633242008-10-21T18:13:00.005-06:002008-10-22T08:09:32.834-06:00Xterra and I Need New BikeSo it's official on two points.
<ol><li>I hate riding long distances on roads. Let me restate that. I enjoy the fast pace of the sprint or Olympic triathlons. I dislike the slow pace of the 70.3 triathlon, 56-mile bike portion in 88-degree heat. But then again, I hated the century race when I did it, the 80-mile tour when I did it and also last year's 56-mile portion of the half iron race. So, I've done a couple 40-mile races that were enjoyable. Shorter is better, even if the bottom bracket is working or not (see the race report below).
</li><li>Off road trails have always been more enjoyable to me. The exception being the Ho-Chee-Min Trail in Memorial Park in Houston where I missed many one-foot bridges on a 100-foot-7-degree-descent, tumbling my bottom, end-over-end into a body of water. I don't think I'll enjoy the same today, 15-years later but if the trails are less sloped on the descent, then I'll definitely enjoy it more. I also enjoy running on dirt more than asphalt or concrete.</li></ol>So, it's a done deal. Get a new/used mountain bike to try an Xterra. Or if you know me, build one. The Frankenbike swap meet is this weekend. ;)Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-5853793825132675832008-10-19T12:34:00.004-06:002008-10-19T13:26:37.609-06:00Two Weeks After the Longhorn Ironmn 70.3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxz-bp8PIUyAY1h0c-8LYUBjXisjvUSXALutfC3qRl_UFcDjLm5TeNDHb-CnnZG8gHbdIHVLupHcxveRBKtDkalxyBZ7IiVD0D2-z3Iuy0CnDtyrkFZVaLu-ir7JAuvsGrx4pfw/s1600-h/longhorn_2008.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxz-bp8PIUyAY1h0c-8LYUBjXisjvUSXALutfC3qRl_UFcDjLm5TeNDHb-CnnZG8gHbdIHVLupHcxveRBKtDkalxyBZ7IiVD0D2-z3Iuy0CnDtyrkFZVaLu-ir7JAuvsGrx4pfw/s400/longhorn_2008.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258946123644950898" border="0" /></a>
<p>It's been two weeks since the Longhorn Half-Ironman 70.3 race. Each day of the last two weeks I've meant to sit down and write a race report but haven't. My heart wasn't into it. My heart wasn't into the race as well. The last month before the race I missed a lot of my workouts as I was taking care of my mom, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She passed the Wednesday before the race. Each day after her passing I went back and forth in my mind whether or not to show up.</p>
<p>I showed up not knowing what to expect. Last year, I went through all types of emotions. I was happy, sad, mad, elated. What would happen this year with so much that happened in the last week? Nothing happened. I was so emotionally drained by the time of the race I felt nothing for the six-plus hours on the course.</p>
<p>I finished which was the main goal of the day. Get out there and complete. But it wasn't easy. While the heat was a little less than last year, the temperature was still in the 80s and the UV Index was intense.</p>
<p>Nutrition-wise, I changed course a little this year. I downed gels on the bike with water and they seemed to work. They caused my stomach to be a little upset but it usually subsided within minutes. On the run I took between 2-4 endurolyte tablets each aid station. This really helped with the cramps. Those things worked fast. I also didn't take Gatorade but instead took water and flattened cola. For the run this worked great.</p>
<p>The swim was faster than last year and without much time in the pool. The run was faster as the nutrition was better. The only problem came with the bike section. My bottom bracket started to fail at mile 40. It would make a grinding noise. When I stopped where a bike support wagon was the guy sid by the time he could get me a replacement bike or fix it the race would be over. It was best if I could continue so I hopped back on and grinded out the last 16 miles.</p>
<p>I think I may have experienced my last 70.3 half ironman race. It's not that I'm displeased with the race. The organizers and volunteers do a fantastic job. I'm getting to where the bike portion of the race is my least favorite, even if the bottom bracket holds together. For this reason I'm going to switch over to Xterra-type events in 2009. Trail riding and running suit me more I think. I'm hoping for a more organic feel to the race.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-55455436519425298782008-09-17T13:54:00.005-06:002008-09-17T13:59:25.034-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34-CjVc5OeaOxC2vwG3nMW4r_BNI2cZSNBB_VHsx-e0TMVZaE1ecBEK4iI0b8e7JsIIjNum8PSNokG06Hn2USck_8_1tzqxVFTLFmqfgvUNgGSuytIKvxaQlVsH7K2II9sQwB1Q/s1600-h/surfside_beach_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34-CjVc5OeaOxC2vwG3nMW4r_BNI2cZSNBB_VHsx-e0TMVZaE1ecBEK4iI0b8e7JsIIjNum8PSNokG06Hn2USck_8_1tzqxVFTLFmqfgvUNgGSuytIKvxaQlVsH7K2II9sQwB1Q/s400/surfside_beach_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247081388829510786" border="0" /></a>
Seeing the images of destruction from Hurricane Ike are a little too much to handle. Surfside Beach, where I ran my last marathon looks devastated.
I hope the marathon organizers have a beach to work with for next year's race. It was such a cool event.Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-11400885380205098642008-09-16T13:51:00.002-06:002008-09-16T14:02:43.136-06:00All My Bikes Are Trashed<p>I finally finished stripping the paint from the frame I bought for $30. After all the Dremel Tool buffers and brushes I used, I could've had the thing sandblasted cheaper and I woul've kept a lot of crap out of my lungs. Not only that, as pieces of wire brush came off the bit, they eventually wound up in the bottom of my foot as I walked across the garage for my beer.</p>
<p>The bikes are all taken apart as I'm rebuilding the fixed gear up from the frame up, taking parts from each of the bikes and then will reassemble them with what works best for each.</p>
<p>The half ironman triathlon is looking real iffy at this point. The hip is taking longer to get well, as is the plantar fasciitis. The knee has healed up but my workouts have been less than required preparing for a half ironman with mom in the hospital. I've also strayed away from my diet and so the planned ten pounds of weight loss came off and has since reappeared in the last week eating in the cafeteria.</p>
<p>With that said, the best thing may be to plan for a season of half marathons and let this triathlon and bike time trial season go.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-37110302975887781042008-08-28T08:29:00.002-06:002008-09-16T13:51:33.541-06:00As We Age At Some Point We Should Not Jump Off Of Second Story Party Boats<p>Yeah.</p>
<p>That was Sunday and as soon as I did it, it felt like my right leg was pulled away from the hip. Ouch! It wasn't like I was trying <a href="http://www.nbcolympics.com/diving/news/newsid=235959.html#he+dominates+china">He Chong</a> the dive or anything. It just shows that as we age body parts work differently than they did before.</p>
<p>With the hip business going on, I tried to run on Tuesday and got about 20 feet before turning around, went back into the house and grabbed my swim gear. Outside of no runs, all the other workouts have been the same.</p>
<p>The neighborhood pool has been filthy the last two Tuesdays, which is the day after the cleaning, so I don't know who's dropping the ball there. I couldn't even get into the pool this morning as my access card wouldn't work. Maybe they cut my access for complaining about the filth. I might have to go to plan b and swim at another pool for the rest of the season.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-61570954657428777402008-08-22T09:16:00.003-06:002008-08-22T09:20:20.529-06:00Just Found<p>I just found this gold nugget of information.</p>
<p>"Since muscles which go through growth in size but not in length, when one muscle grows through hypertrophy its opposite side muscle (the antagonist) will have to lengthen, and absolute flexibility is the term to describe a muscle's length, in and of itself, where relative flexibility is the flexibility of a joint, as compared to its antagonistic movement[1]."</p>
<p>"For example, the calf muscle extends the foot towards the ground (plantarflexion) and the shin muscle flexes the foot in the opposite direction (dorsiflexion). If a person's calf is overly strong it will not be as flexible as the opposite shin muscle, and plantarflexion will be exhibit relatively inflexible as compared to dorsiflexion using the person's weaker, but more flexible shin muscle."</p>
<p>So as I've been strengthening the calf muscles, I've been increasing the likelihood of plantar fasciitis. I either have to increase the strength of the shin, or reduce the strength work of the calves.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-45436707529415872162008-08-19T12:49:00.003-06:002008-08-19T13:49:28.793-06:00Still Learning<p>Long time, no post.</p>
<p>I was sick for a week and I've had plantar fasciitis since April. I finally licked the PF with some new <a href="http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/productSearch.do?method=doProductDetailsLookup&searchArg=46">Dr. Scholl's Heel Pain Relief Orthotics</a>. I've been transferring the one pair of orthotics to each pair of shoes I wear so they're constantly with me. They have made a huge improvement in the PF pain. It's almost non-existent at this point.</p>
<p>When I looked back I had quit wearing my orthotics in the spring when I got some new shoes. In the new two or three pair I received, I didn't place orthotics in the heal and subsequently felt intense heel pain. I blamed it on one 10K I ran on hard roads and not on removing orthotics from the shoes.</p>
<p>The pool's chemicals were jacked up the day before I got sick. It didn't help that I had almost no sleep the night before and woke to do a swim, bike and run to exhaustion. I didn't get the flu but a bad sinus infection where I'm still slingin ' snot rockets as I run. I think most people just call it "The Crud."</p>
<p>Outside of the congestion, training got back to a serious level last week. I don't think I'll be ready for a Sept. 1 Olympic, but I just may be ready for the Oct. 5 Half Ironman, here in Austin.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-46064275879383501312008-07-24T12:10:00.000-06:002008-07-24T13:03:06.915-06:00Recently<p>The new image up above came from my commute in last week. It's taken from a section of the Shoal Creek trail, underneath one of the bridges. You can smell and hear the bats living within the bridge's crevasses as you pass through. For over a year I missed this section as I took another route past retail shops, hopping back and forth onto the sidewalk, depending on the traffic and the temperament of myself and the drivers. I no longer go that route, instead trading it for the Shoal Creek trail.</p>
<p>As Poi Dog Pondering said in their song, <i>The Ancient Egyptians</i>, "...you get to know things better when they go by slow."
</p>
<p>Point in fact... swami bike man. I call him that as he rides with his arms extended over his head and his hands together in prayer position. I have yet to see swami bike man lower his arms. I mean he has to when he gets to an intersection. Right?
</p>
<p>I also found myself crossing paths on my commute with thong bike man. The guy had nothing on but a thong. He walked his bike across the intersection. I knew that's what you wanted to know. Right? Heh heh.
</p>
<p>I'm really getting to enjoy <a href="http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/">the Tour</a> this year. It's definitely easier with Versus showing the stage thee times per day. <a href="http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/stage/detail/77838">Yesterday's L’Alpe d’Huez</a> was absolutely everything it should've been. And best yet, was no news of drugs during the day.
</p>
<p>I finally got my time trial time back to what it was at the end of last year. To the tenth of a second I tied my best Tuesday night. I just bought a Limar Crono Time-trial carbon helmet a few days before the race on eBay. I'm sure it helped to reduce the time but there was also a ten mph head wind coming back the last four miles of the course. So I cut a minute off the front four miles and gained a minute, ten seconds on the way back. And it was also 100 degrees at the time. So the conditions weren't the same as a few weeks ago to really get a gauge of whether I'm faster or the helmet made me faster.
</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-6519072752380788752008-07-01T14:46:00.003-06:002008-07-01T14:49:57.804-06:00Dara Torres<p>What a great <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/magazine/29torres-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all">article</a> in the NY Times this past weekend. It's about the 41-year old swimmer, Dara Torres that's competing for a spot on the Olympic Swim Team. There are little gold nuggets of information throughout the article plus a stretching video with some new ones in there.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-59965045214230396812008-07-01T07:55:00.001-06:002008-07-01T12:07:22.673-06:00Mornings Are Fresh<p>Changing over to the morning run wasn't easy. I got into waking up early last year but for some reason, this year I like sleeping later. So if I had any doubts about it, today the air in Austin will be more polluted by the afternoon. Not only that, the CNN broadcast this morning had a report about how many of the sunscreen products got failing grades. Mine was one of those listed. Ug! So in the wee hours of the morning the air is cleaner, the UV is less or non-existant, the pool water is cleaner and the temperature is cooler. All will be well once I embrace 4:30 AM once again.</p>
<p>From Bicycling Magazine's August Issue, "According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, as many as 64,000 people a year in the United States die prematurely of causes that are related to air pollution. One of my neighbors passed a week ago. He was 71 and cycled every day for a couple of hours. The autopsy showed high levels of pollution in his lungs. I guess cycling in the middle of the day is a bad idea.</p>
<p>I have to get into the habit of looking at the pollution levels as I have been with temperature and humidity. it just makes sense.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-55989887814599376762008-06-30T13:48:00.003-06:002008-06-30T13:56:42.619-06:00Summer Pollutants Are Forcing Me To The Morning<p>
"The time has come," the Walrus said,<br>
"To talk of many things:<br>
Of heat index--and ozone--and carbon monoxide--<br>
And why the air is boiling hot--<br>
And whether pigs have wings."</p>
<p>I was just getting acclimated to the heat. I had my NUUN tablets, the amount of water intake, the colder shower, the post-run Accelerade and potassium drinks working and getting me back to normal. Nooooooooooooooo. It's all gone. The friggin' ozone levels and the carbon monoxide levels are reading at unsafe levels for sensitive groups. It's not like it's a one day out of the week thing. It's forecasted for tomorrow too and with the way this weather pattern goes, so goes the air.</p>
<p>Get this. In my August Bicycling Magazine Dave Zabriskie says, "...but Zabriskie laughs when news shows characterize moderate air-quality days as unhealthy for "sensitive" people. 'It's unhealthy for everyone.' he says."</p>
<p>So rather do more damage to my body than the good I'm receiving by running, I'll just push the runs to the mornings again when the air is clean, or as clean as it's going to get.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-15446263396786836222008-06-26T08:06:00.000-06:002008-06-26T09:12:34.847-06:00Bike Fit<p>I was reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Ride-Chris-Carmichael/dp/0425196011/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214492910&sr=8-3">Chris Carmichael's book</a> the other night and it mentioned Greg LeMond's formula for seat height (inseam x .883). I took mine which came out to 28.25 and then went and ran the ruler on the three bikes. The fixxie was closest at 30" and that's after I kicked it up an inch last week. So it was really close. The tri bike and the road bike were both set to 33". The considerably over the 28.25 with the LeMond formula. I drug out my bike fit measurements that Jerry at <a href="http://www.castlehillfitness.com/">Castle Hill Fitness</a> did last year or the year before and it was 75.3 cm or 29.6". Crap. No wonder I have no power on the flats. I was overextending the legs big time.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-69063048170209350162008-06-26T07:28:00.003-06:002008-06-26T07:50:51.390-06:00Feeling Hot Hot Hot<p>We've been under a high pressure system for what seems like weeks now. I've tried to run in the mornings when it's cooler but it's just so humid. I forgot the woman I got this from but she said she wouldn't run when the temperature and humidity numbers summed were over 125. So if the temperature is 90 and the humidity is 36% she's at the point where she won't run. Her point was that once it got to that point, the body took too long to recover. Experimenting with this I find it's true for me as well.</p>
<p>The morning weather has seen temps in the high 70s with humidity in the 80% range. This combines for a total of 150 and clearly over the 125 threshold. I've included a few morning runs but the afternoon runs, even with temps at 100 degrees, are more comfortable. The humidity is around 17% and with a temp of 100, the combined total is below the 125 threshold. Comfortable, given I have electrolyte tablets with me, sunscreen, run at an easy pace and then cool off in Barton Springs or with the outdoor, cool water shower at the end of the trail.</p>
<p>I took the fixxie into work with me yesterday. At lunch I rode down to Mellow Johnny's, Lance Armstrong's new bike shop at 4th and Nueces. I expected all the merchandise to be expensive but was pleasantly surprised that their were ranges of prices. Yeah, you could spend $50 for a pair of gloves but I found a pair of Trek gloves for $12 that were just fine. Looking at the bikes the same range applied. There were entry-level Treks for around $700 while a Pinarello Prince for $8500 sat right next to it. They provide free showers for commuters and a coffee shop at the back of the shop.There are so many bike shops in Austin I don't know how they can all survive but I hope Mellow Johnny's is around for a long time to come.</p>
<p>Bad news for Da Fish. I saw him limping down the hall yesterday. It seems the same injury to his knee he felt while running six months ago, happened again while he was cycling the other day. He may be sidelined for some time. he said he's just going to swim for the next few weeks. I think he needs to get it scanned to see if he has a tear or worse and then get it fixed or rehabbed.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-46258827344289823312008-06-24T07:30:00.000-06:002008-06-24T15:27:08.793-06:00June Workouts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS43l_W-4HOmXFAR9TEMvq5tLFU0RTns-1dDFDKpeMORSmaPkX3r-0AfKjCtZgBELRc_bAMo-DRupLz79L5zc8MYbVorQwrvWWW25W0iyLeQ0DgW611YKOwmUtJoq7PzyTQ9hpZQ/s1600-h/strength_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS43l_W-4HOmXFAR9TEMvq5tLFU0RTns-1dDFDKpeMORSmaPkX3r-0AfKjCtZgBELRc_bAMo-DRupLz79L5zc8MYbVorQwrvWWW25W0iyLeQ0DgW611YKOwmUtJoq7PzyTQ9hpZQ/s400/strength_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215562573586526946" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBStLbmmRyem92S_COjL8pUFwd6HMJtH9SwVlkmljQmEdW90EKPaiasxl_oCTBUyRL6SYjhlFnlo-j3yNKDUBRTN7NHLuddYQr0P4j-I-y-EUHpV_QoKjbEYmlKaPWzHjrXKPvA/s1600-h/base_schedule_june.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBStLbmmRyem92S_COjL8pUFwd6HMJtH9SwVlkmljQmEdW90EKPaiasxl_oCTBUyRL6SYjhlFnlo-j3yNKDUBRTN7NHLuddYQr0P4j-I-y-EUHpV_QoKjbEYmlKaPWzHjrXKPvA/s400/base_schedule_june.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215562487453243186" border="0" /></a>
<p>Here are the June workouts, along with a revision to the Strength Workout #1.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-7650358454515266362008-06-23T13:49:00.003-06:002008-06-23T14:06:08.938-06:00Back<p>Everything would have worked if the service provider hadn't dropped my page every week or so. I'd come onto the page only to find it was 0 kilobytes, meaning there was nothing there. For those that don't know, I had dropped this blog for a free consolidation of all my Web properties. It was ok but lacked the simplicity that Blogger offers. So I'm back and blogging here again.</p>
<p>To catch up I've only really had one event since leaving. That was the CapTexTri, Olympic distance. Long race report short, it reflected my training to a tee. The swim was almost as good as the end of last season with only one or two swims before the event. The cycling, which is was I did most over the winter months, increased 3 mph over my best time last year. My run was horrible as by the time I got to the run, it was blistering hot. Overall I was pleased.<p>
<p>I took three weeks off of running after that event. It's the only time of the season where I can take that much time off. My knees thanked me. they feel much better now. They also feel better as a result of my Saturday yoga sessions. Yoga for runners every Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. It's amazing how much of a workout it entails and how much my hips, hams and quads get out of it. My legs feel much more rubbery afterwards.</p>
<p>Another change for this year is staying off the concrete and asphalt. It's only trails, grass or dirt from now on unless it's for a race. I've been cycling on the fixed gear bike to and from the trails. The legs aren't as stiff by staying on the trails.</p>
<p>I'll post the new schedule for the summer in the next day or so.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-90526683868642945652008-03-07T13:19:00.003-07:002008-03-07T13:27:08.169-07:00Working On The Weaknesses<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxZJlbqrw9906KCgWE6en9GxWk4VQGpgjvF7rT4BrekmNobpcwlfpVFVcZ3IvOBB9KD3oWN9ChxXshbyKPFQcmZ_ssv_UNI5Fq-_bsSxT8BCoI7dBQ0CikKkhx6zTwPb6PAeC-g/s1600-h/RockDaWeakness.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxZJlbqrw9906KCgWE6en9GxWk4VQGpgjvF7rT4BrekmNobpcwlfpVFVcZ3IvOBB9KD3oWN9ChxXshbyKPFQcmZ_ssv_UNI5Fq-_bsSxT8BCoI7dBQ0CikKkhx6zTwPb6PAeC-g/s400/RockDaWeakness.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175097287646457074" border="0" /></a>After the marathon I kept lifting regularly up until last week. I don't know if I'm burned out, in transition between running season and triathlon season or just fooling around with different workouts.</p>
<p>This week I decided to change gears and do a workout that, a) doesn't require a gym and b) works on my weaknesses of abs and chest while c) still keeps some fitness going with the legs. The workout in the image reflects an hour workout that also includes a 20-minute warm-up on the stationary bike. This is replacing my gym workout. I'm still running three times a week with much less mileage. Cycling is whenever I have some free time.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-63859037634866562842008-02-18T06:24:00.002-07:002008-02-18T15:33:02.847-07:00Surfside Beach Marathon Race Report<p>It's been over a week and the race report is not finished. I don't know if it'll ever get finished. I don't have much enthusiasm to finish it. I can sum up the race in that it was great for the knees and ankles, bad for the quads and it may have been great for the quads if it hadn't been so hot. Either my stomach shut down, it was too hot and I underestimated the amount of fluids to take in or I'm just not cut out to go 26.2 miles in a short amount of time.</p>
<p>This was supposed to be my last marathon. I'm not saying never again but I will be looking at shorter running races this year and specifically in the ten-mile or half marathon length course. The marathon monster spirit may get into my head again but it's gone for now.</p>
<p>I worked the medical tent of the AT&T Austin Marathon yesterday and seeing the battered and fatigued marathoners just reinforced my decision to go with shorter distances from now on.</p>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13931541.post-62683710781679692852008-02-10T19:49:00.000-07:002008-02-10T20:06:31.394-07:00Surfside Beach Marathon Race Report<div><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFIAWItkjQP2OMcNo9HGB8DdQqZ-nsYeYRsFP6usDxubGBgfRff25KMOQtMm_3yxskzTng41NPfjoKp73ZGcBRn6Jz3L5OSf4JM2h47t072HEAiRbmzHA5JmsQD5R1JP_mhnFxw/s1600-h/sunrise2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFIAWItkjQP2OMcNo9HGB8DdQqZ-nsYeYRsFP6usDxubGBgfRff25KMOQtMm_3yxskzTng41NPfjoKp73ZGcBRn6Jz3L5OSf4JM2h47t072HEAiRbmzHA5JmsQD5R1JP_mhnFxw/s320/sunrise2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165551452829416402" /></a> The top photograph is how the marathon started. Sixty-one or 62 degrees, a nice breeze, a picturesque sunrise and a total field of runners at or about 500.</p></div>
<span><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTsCdWvE86NgArKp3LB2mMjwj6BsVqshLI4pItGpfZiNcWbqTDUujRz-MjTW333nDLCcZyaozXaXnDsGw15CYCYp0mXYesFWzoE2OWC2lsAA8oHXOC2929A8ckn_BS4DObWAUIg/s1600-h/finish_fog.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTsCdWvE86NgArKp3LB2mMjwj6BsVqshLI4pItGpfZiNcWbqTDUujRz-MjTW333nDLCcZyaozXaXnDsGw15CYCYp0mXYesFWzoE2OWC2lsAA8oHXOC2929A8ckn_BS4DObWAUIg/s320/finish_fog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165551680462683106" /></a>The bottom photograph is how the marathon ended. That's not a sand storm in the background but fog. Seventy-degrees, 95% humidity, a very slight tail wind and about 50-feet of visibility.</p></span>
<span><p>...more to come</p></span>Tonyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02293646583064012362noreply@blogger.com0