1st Brick workout of the 2015 season & new kicks (IQ EM Tri N2)

Today's workout marked the start of my 2015 season. It's been a while since I last trained with a goal in mind, a finish line to day dream about on my long rides or runs, and simply with the excitement of constantly pushing myself. I enjoyed 8 weeks of much needed rest, spending my time doing some muffin rides with Mariesa, going to my first college football game (NC State got crushed by GT 56-23!), and enjoying some good restaurants along the way. It was good to be social again. For now though, I'm ready to get back into it.

I went for a 2.5hr bike ride and a 30min run in sunny but cold conditions (34F feels like 25F). I don't mind these conditions as I know I have the gear to keep warm, as long as I don't stop for a muffin. I did not get down on the aero bars a lot, but that was besides the point today. I was looking to get back on the TT and get a quality ride in, within the zone I was supposed to ride in. Hills, flats, downhills, and some concerns over leaves covering up the road and potential black ice, but all went well. The power, HR, and consistency are far from being what they were back in September, but I'd worry if that was not the case. That leaves room for improvement!

New kicks: IQ EM Tri N2! 

My 30-min brick run went surprisingly well. I maintained a good pace throughout and tried to focus on my form, and on my HR. I ran almost 4 miles and covered 179ft of vertical ascent total, which is not bad for a first run.
I have been dealing with some pain on my left foot throughout last season. I took a 10-day off from doing any sort of running. I also went back to Josh's clutch PT to get it checked out. His opinion matters a lot to me. He did not think that I had any serious injury, but advised to take some time off running before my training kicked off. I've been stretching my calf a lot, and though I don't know if there is any correlation with the foot getting better and the stretching, I've been enjoying a "pain-free" left foot (neither during my runs or while walking in work shoes).



I've also decided to try new kicks; the Pearl Izumi EM Tri N2. When you look at Jesse Thomas' performance last season, one would think that they must make good kicks, right?
Though it's tough to make an opinion after just 30 minutes running in them, my first impressions are good. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the shoes don't not look as "bulky" as displayed on IQ's website. The aesthetics of the shoes is cool, with a slick design and nice colors (green). What surprised me was the absence of tongue. The shoe is more like a slipper you slide your foot in, with the speed laces making sure that the foot stays snug. On that end, I know I've been only running 30 minutes with it, but it seemed a bit too snug for my foot. I hope that, as I put more miles in, it'll start to break in a little bit and get  more loose. I think my feet tend to swell a bit in the bike shoes, and that could be a concern when starting the marathon leg of an IM. Hopefully that will change as I break them in, but for a first run, I like them. The sole is a bit stiffer than what I'm used to. I'm not sure yet whether I like it or not, but again, I'll only be able to tell later this month.

1st Week back after 7 weeks off

St Maarten

It's been close to 8 weeks since my last race and a much needed break. During those 8 weeks I enjoyed a nice "bike, wetsuit, running shoes - free" vacation in St Maarten where it was all about enjoying the island, the food, and relax. But I didn't sped 8 weeks there, otherwise, I'd probably come back to NY jobless. We spent 5 days there, 5 good days.

Few muffin rides on the road bike, which I missed riding! Easy pace, no focus on the computer to make sure I was hitting my targets, just the
basic and good old riding. More outings with work and friends, and yes, few beers and glasses of wine here and there. It's good to be social again.

But all this has to come to an end, and I have to say that I'm very excited about returning to training. Though I needed the break, I missed the morning (but not so much the evening) workouts.

Last week was the first week I had some drive to get back into it. With my left foot still not feeling well, I focused on getting back in the pool (I did not plan on going back until December) and getting back on the trainer. The first impression was "where did my fitness go??" I did not expect to lose that much in "only" 2 months.

In the pool, my lungs hurt, my legs couldn't kick, and I was spent after 1,000 yards. On the trainer, I could barely maintain a decent HR at 60% of my FTP. My HR went through the roof after only 10
min in my trainer ride.
I guess I did not expect my fitness to drop by that much, and with an exciting, yet heavy 2015 schedule, I need to get back into it. If anything, it gives me the motivation to get back closer to the level I was at in September before the Worlds. I'm hoping to get there by January or mid February.
Lots of things to improve from last year, especially on the run. Kevin Danahy, my coach (www.tricoach.us) will have to come up with a good plan!
Happy training all!