Tired physically and mentally, I really appreciated having less to focus on my training and refill the batteries and be ready for the last 2 weeks of April, which should be exciting and intense.
Next week is Good Friday and my client is observing it, which means 3 days of training! The following week I will be taking 2 days off from work and head down to Lititz, PA, for a training camp with 3 other GCTRI members.
I am looking forward to this training camp. I did it last year and learned so much in 3 days. This year we are leaving on Wednesday night and things will get serious the following day. Swim, breakfast, bike, run, eat, sleep, repeat for 4 days, with some interval work during the long rides and runs. It should set the tone for May, and also be a good indicator of where I stand physically.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Bike Fit with Hilltop Bicycle
The weather is finally getting nicer in New York, spring is in the air, and a bike fit for this season was in order.
After my first year into the sport last year, I have great ambitions. The season has kicked off with Queens half marathon last month where I got my personal best in 1:20, a great sign as I still suffered from a Peroneal tendinitis at the end of January. Training is going great and the coach change I made at the end of last year has so far proven to be a good decision.It's now time to really focus on all three disciplines, and especially on the bike. I have to make sure that I train in the best possible conditions, with the best possible products, and surround myself with people that I can trust when it comes to working on my bike. Hilltop gives me this guarantee.
Chris' expertise with Bike Fitting is worth spending the extra $!
On Monday night I went to their Summit, NJ shop after work to get fitted on the bike. Chris looked at everything: Saddle position, handlebars position, knee angles, Tri and bike shoe positions (cleats), and of course he looked at my back to make sure that there'll be minimum stress on my shoulder blades while racing Eagleman Ironman 70.3, Ironman Zurich, and Ironman 70.3 World Championships later this year in Mont Tremblant, Canada.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Glenn and Raph rocked IM 70.3 Texas!
Some great results from TX today!
I have a lot of work to do to be up to par with Glenn this year. He kicked off his season at IM703Texas in Galveston today, and crushed it with a 4:14:40, 2'11 on the bike and 1'27 on the run...Blazing fast! That's a new PR for him, and a great start to 2014.
Raph shed 15 min off his previous PR, finishing in 4:37. What a great start of the season for him, and a huge boost of confidence before his IM Brazil in May and IM Canada in July.
That's exciting to see that my training buddies are doing great already. It gives me more reason to stay focus and give it all I'll have at IM 70.3 Eagleman, IM Zurich, and IM 70.3 Worlds in Mt Tremblant.
Back to training...
It was a tough weekend, especially today. 3.5 hours on the saddle in chill temperatures (37F average), followed by a 45 min brick run, going against the wind for a good 15-20 minutes. It was mentally challenging, and physically I felt limited as I did not do a good job with my nutrition on the bike. Though I carried around 950 calories, I only took in about 600 calories in 48 oz of liquids. That's not enough for a 3.5-hour ride (my intake should have been around 1,000). You don't necessarily realize it on the bike, but it hits you on the run.
Next week is rest week, and I'm looking forward to it!
I have a lot of work to do to be up to par with Glenn this year. He kicked off his season at IM703Texas in Galveston today, and crushed it with a 4:14:40, 2'11 on the bike and 1'27 on the run...Blazing fast! That's a new PR for him, and a great start to 2014.
That's exciting to see that my training buddies are doing great already. It gives me more reason to stay focus and give it all I'll have at IM 70.3 Eagleman, IM Zurich, and IM 70.3 Worlds in Mt Tremblant.
Back to training...
It was a tough weekend, especially today. 3.5 hours on the saddle in chill temperatures (37F average), followed by a 45 min brick run, going against the wind for a good 15-20 minutes. It was mentally challenging, and physically I felt limited as I did not do a good job with my nutrition on the bike. Though I carried around 950 calories, I only took in about 600 calories in 48 oz of liquids. That's not enough for a 3.5-hour ride (my intake should have been around 1,000). You don't necessarily realize it on the bike, but it hits you on the run.
Next week is rest week, and I'm looking forward to it!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
The weekend is off to a great start
Yesterday...
After a long work week, I could not get myself to wake up yesterday morning for my swim. I woke up but felt under the weather and decided to stay in instead. The week has been rough with the move to my new place, and sometimes staying in and getting an extra hour or sleep is better than pushing through another training session.
Can't skip 2 sessions in a row...
Last night I got home around 6:30 and prepared for a tough brick with 90' interval ride, followed by a 15min run in my aerobic zone. I got on the trainer around 7pm, after pouring approximately 300 calories between Carbo Pro and EFS (I am trying different flavors at the moment, and I have to say that EFS lime is pretty good, especially when it's cold). After 30' at an easy wattage, I had 10x3' at 103% of FTP (Functional Threshold Power), increasing by 1-2 watts after each interval. The legs burnt and my HR was through the roof in the last 4 intervals. I managed to get the 1-2 watt increase after each set, but had no juice left for the 15min cool down.
The 15-min tempo felt good. I expected it to be much harder, but after taking a look at my 310XT, I saw that my average pace was only around 7:20min/mile.
Today...
Nice and sunny out with temperatures reaching 50-53 degrees in the Liberty State Park. Though it made for a tougher run, I could careless about the wind as I was too happy to finally run in the sun! I got 85 minutes in with a 15-min warm up at an easy pace (zone 2), and 70 minutes in my zone 3. I felt good, and I think taking nutrition (around 300 calories in my fuel belt) helped in the last 15-20min.
I wrapped up the day with 6 striders before going to Connecticut this afternoon to hang out with Will, aka the guy who got me hooked onto the sport! Can't wait to see him and his family!
After a long work week, I could not get myself to wake up yesterday morning for my swim. I woke up but felt under the weather and decided to stay in instead. The week has been rough with the move to my new place, and sometimes staying in and getting an extra hour or sleep is better than pushing through another training session.
Can't skip 2 sessions in a row...
Last night I got home around 6:30 and prepared for a tough brick with 90' interval ride, followed by a 15min run in my aerobic zone. I got on the trainer around 7pm, after pouring approximately 300 calories between Carbo Pro and EFS (I am trying different flavors at the moment, and I have to say that EFS lime is pretty good, especially when it's cold). After 30' at an easy wattage, I had 10x3' at 103% of FTP (Functional Threshold Power), increasing by 1-2 watts after each interval. The legs burnt and my HR was through the roof in the last 4 intervals. I managed to get the 1-2 watt increase after each set, but had no juice left for the 15min cool down.
The 15-min tempo felt good. I expected it to be much harder, but after taking a look at my 310XT, I saw that my average pace was only around 7:20min/mile.
Today...
Nice and sunny out with temperatures reaching 50-53 degrees in the Liberty State Park. Though it made for a tougher run, I could careless about the wind as I was too happy to finally run in the sun! I got 85 minutes in with a 15-min warm up at an easy pace (zone 2), and 70 minutes in my zone 3. I felt good, and I think taking nutrition (around 300 calories in my fuel belt) helped in the last 15-20min.
I wrapped up the day with 6 striders before going to Connecticut this afternoon to hang out with Will, aka the guy who got me hooked onto the sport! Can't wait to see him and his family!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Looking for a Bike Bag? Check Scicon Bags!
I'll be traveling quite a bit this year for triathlon, going to Maryland for Eagleman, and then flying to Zurich for my first Ironman in July.
One of the biggest worries of us triathletes is our bike, and making sure that it gets to destination in one piece.
I found Scicon bags and I will get one soon! I cannot wait!! No need to disassemble the bike. Just remove the wheels and slide it in. That simple!
Check out Sciconbag's website: Sciconbag Website
And if that wasn't enough, check out Frederik Van Lierde's youtube video demonstrating how easy of use it is!
Youtube video: Click here
One of the biggest worries of us triathletes is our bike, and making sure that it gets to destination in one piece.
I found Scicon bags and I will get one soon! I cannot wait!! No need to disassemble the bike. Just remove the wheels and slide it in. That simple!
Check out Sciconbag's website: Sciconbag Website
And if that wasn't enough, check out Frederik Van Lierde's youtube video demonstrating how easy of use it is!
Youtube video: Click here
Undeniably the toughest bike workout I've done thus far!
What a tough workout!
I thought the 10x3' at 105% of FTP I did a month ago was a rough one...that was before tonight's training on the trainer.
After a 30 min warm-up, I had a 6x5' at 106-108% of FTP with 2'30 rest in between. I started really struggling after the second one, but kept up in the 3rd one. The 4th one was absolute torture. I had no juice left in the legs, and I could feel the lactic acid building up in my legs. The 5th one was beyond hard. My head started to hurt, and my body completely crumbled. I powered through the 5th one and somehow was able to stay within the power threshold.
The 6th one was one too many. I collapsed, almost throwing up and wondering what I was doing. I took 3 breaks in the 5' interval, but I needed them. I managed to finish it, way below my power threshold, only 102% of my FTP.
legs are shattered, but it feels good to push that hard. It will pay off, I'm sure...I hope!
Happy training all!
I thought the 10x3' at 105% of FTP I did a month ago was a rough one...that was before tonight's training on the trainer.
After a 30 min warm-up, I had a 6x5' at 106-108% of FTP with 2'30 rest in between. I started really struggling after the second one, but kept up in the 3rd one. The 4th one was absolute torture. I had no juice left in the legs, and I could feel the lactic acid building up in my legs. The 5th one was beyond hard. My head started to hurt, and my body completely crumbled. I powered through the 5th one and somehow was able to stay within the power threshold.
The 6th one was one too many. I collapsed, almost throwing up and wondering what I was doing. I took 3 breaks in the 5' interval, but I needed them. I managed to finish it, way below my power threshold, only 102% of my FTP.
legs are shattered, but it feels good to push that hard. It will pay off, I'm sure...I hope!
Happy training all!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
3rd OA and 1st AG at the Queens Half Marathon
Today's results
Total distance: 13.22 miles
Time: 1:20:18
Avg pace: 6:04
Avg HR: 170
46F feel like 42 Overcast 61% humidity
March 2013
Total distance: 13.22 miles
Time: 1:22:53
Avg pace: 6:17
Avg HR: 168
37 feels like 29 Sunny 44% humidity
What a great run today!
I did not know what to expect, and certainly had no ambitions to beat last year's PR of 1:22:53. I was looking to get back into the race atmosphere, and push myself like I always do. It's been a rough winter so far, with the foot injury lingering until the tail end of January, and bitter cold conditions that limited my runs and rides. It got more and more difficult to cope with the weather, and my patience has started to run thinner.
So this race came at the right time! Arriving at the race site and feeling the adrenaline, anxiety, and excitement of all athletes was fantastic. It turned out to be a beautiful day, despite the strong winds that made it a chilly day. I really can't complain if we compare with what the NYC half marathoners had to deal with (wind and sub 30F temperatures). I decided to wear my shorts instead of my running tights.
I felt great throughout the run, started slow to avoid burning myself out too quickly. I was able to build up my pace to progress towards a close-to or sub 6min/mile pace in the last 5 miles. The winds were strong, but my confidence really grew as I started passing more runners. I quickly found myself in 3rd, and held onto it from mile 10 to the finish.
Great race overall! I highly recommend it!
I'll write up a more detailed race report soon!
Total distance: 13.22 miles
Time: 1:20:18
Avg pace: 6:04
Avg HR: 170
46F feel like 42 Overcast 61% humidity
March 2013
Total distance: 13.22 miles
Time: 1:22:53
Avg pace: 6:17
Avg HR: 168
37 feels like 29 Sunny 44% humidity
What a great run today!
I did not know what to expect, and certainly had no ambitions to beat last year's PR of 1:22:53. I was looking to get back into the race atmosphere, and push myself like I always do. It's been a rough winter so far, with the foot injury lingering until the tail end of January, and bitter cold conditions that limited my runs and rides. It got more and more difficult to cope with the weather, and my patience has started to run thinner.
So this race came at the right time! Arriving at the race site and feeling the adrenaline, anxiety, and excitement of all athletes was fantastic. It turned out to be a beautiful day, despite the strong winds that made it a chilly day. I really can't complain if we compare with what the NYC half marathoners had to deal with (wind and sub 30F temperatures). I decided to wear my shorts instead of my running tights.
I felt great throughout the run, started slow to avoid burning myself out too quickly. I was able to build up my pace to progress towards a close-to or sub 6min/mile pace in the last 5 miles. The winds were strong, but my confidence really grew as I started passing more runners. I quickly found myself in 3rd, and held onto it from mile 10 to the finish.
Great race overall! I highly recommend it!
I'll write up a more detailed race report soon!
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