February 26, 2008

Back on My Feet

I'm running again!!

Yesterday I ran for the first time since the RNRAZ half marathon, which I suffered through with a stress fractured calcaneous. I ran on the Trussville sports park trails for about 3 miles with my pup Max.

I felt great. I felt so good that I don't think I'll suffer any significant setbacks from the 6 weeks off. Max was impressive, running right alongside me and NOT tripping me the entire time!

I'm jumping right back into the racing scene with the Knights of Columbus 5k on Saturday. Maybe this will be the right time for that elusive sub 20.

So I read an article about Functional Threshold Power testing on the bike last night and tried to test mine this afternoon. I wasn't sure what power to set the computrainer to, so I picked 230 watts. Last season I was using 230 watts for my 3 minute intervals. Today I worked my ass off to pull 230 for the whole hour but I did it and survived. So for now, for what it's worth, I'm calling my FTP 230 watts.

After the FTP session I trekked to the pool with plans to cover 3000 yards. HA! I think the biking tapped most of my energy because after a fast 1000 to start, I was toast. I pulled up and did a few 200s and I was done.

I think I'm going to do a mile time trial later this week and see where I stand. Last year early season I made a goal of a 30 minute mile and never was able to reach it, but I feel like I can do it right now. We'll see...

Thanks for joining me for My Daily Spin...

February 20, 2008

God, Jesus, and Elvis

The kids and I rode past a cemetary on the way home from the bookstore yesterday. Tess noticed a group of perople gathered and asked why they were all standing there.

I explained, "Well, when people die sometimes they are buried. And that's called a grave..."

She then picked it up, "Oh and their families can come and see them whenever they want."

"Right, you got it."

"Well, Daddy," she continued further, "Who was the first person to die in the whole world?"

"In the whole world?"

"Yea..."

"Well, Tess, I'm not sure..."

Then Emma chimed in, "Was it God?"

"Well, no, because God is still alive and he's all around us."

Tess asked "Was it Jesus?"

"Well, Tess, Jesus did die but then he came back to life."

Then Anna, sweet sweet Anna, asked "Well was it Elvis???"

God, Jesus, and Elvis... We laughed all the way home.

February 18, 2008

Season Planning


9000 yards swimming in the last 7 days is the highest one week volume ever for me. This week is bike concentration. I'm starting to plot out the race season. I know it will include the Spokes for Strokes Century on March 16. It definitely will include the Powerman or Whistlestop Duathlon in April, the Bolder Boulder 10k on Memorial Day, and the 24 Hours of Triathlon in August. I think it will also include the Gulf Coast Tri Half Iron in May. I'm still not sure about IM CDA; it will cost me about 1500 to get an entry this late and having a little trouble stomaching the fee while trying to eliminate/pare down debt. Too bad Dave Ramsay doesn't have an envelope for IM fees...


February 7, 2008

Boys Will be Boys

I let Mars and Max roam free in my unfenced backyard to play with their friend Bowser from the house next door. They played merrily for about 45 minutes before they decided to venture into the woods behind my house. I went after them, but they were quickly out of sight.

I stayed in the yard, whistled, called their names (as if they respond to them...), and waited. Bowser has roamed free through the neighborhood for the last 3 years. Several times before he has followed the kids and I onto the trails, left us after a couple of mile, and then wandered back home sometime later. He always explores, and he hasn't gone missing. So I wasn't too concerned initially because I knew Bowser could lead my boys home.

So I waited about 15 minutes, although it seemed like hours. I had all 4 kids of my kids plus 1 extra with me at home; I couldn't just leave them to go chase dogs. But I cou;dn't just let my almost 6 month old puppies disappear either. So I herded the kids inside, threatened to withold dinner for anyone that left the house before I returned, and started hiking the trails to find the dogs. I made a quick 1 mile loop with no sightings. I looked down over the sports fields. Nothing.

I returned home dejected. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to just sit and hope they might find their way home. I loaded the kids into the truck and we went searching. We drove around for about 15 minutes, but no luck. I was beginning to think I'd never see my boys again...

We returned home, resigned to a dogless fate. I felt awful. I just adopted these dogs from the shelter 3 weeks ago. I have been given the responsibility to love and shelter and feed and care for them, and I lose them in less than a month.

We got back home and the kids went to the backyard to play and - THERE THEY WERE!!! Right where they had left from more than an hour prior. Except they were soaking wet, as was Bowser, and Max had lost his leash (both dogs were still leashed when they left). I'm guessing they must have ventured to the Cahaba River, about a mile away through the woods, to go for a swim.

Well, I guess all is well that ends well.... Those boys...

February 3, 2008

Ironman Switzerland 2007 Photos

I finally ordered my photos from Zurich, so here they are...

























Progress, and Sick?

I've been on the bike and in the pool more the last week. Total time not that impressive, but I feel like progress is being made. I'm slowly upping my sustained watts on the computrainer. Last year at this time I was doing 5 minute intervals with 170 watts, now I'm riding 175 indefinitely. Gotta love that!

I don't think I ever appreciated the cumulative benefit of training that you get from multiple consecutive years of training until this month. I've been swimming since July of 2006, with the exception of a couple months off in November and December. It's always been a struggle for me, and I was afraid the couple of months off would put me back at square one. NOT! The yards just flow by so easily it's amazing. I can push hard and then take rests by swimming with an easier stroke without having to grab the wall and gasp. Yesterday I stopped at 1000 yards - my shortest swim this in 2008 - because of a headache and feeling kind of pooped after a trainer ride.

Speaking of headache, I think I might be starting to get sick. I was watching UAB crush Marshall in basketball at Bartow Arena last night when I felt the first hint of a scratchy throat. That plus yesterday's headache and a little more achiness today than I can explain away with training soreness leaves me concerned that I'm about to get hit hard with flu-like stuff. YUCK! But I should expect it. I mean, the last couple of weeks in the ER probably half of the people I've treated had the flu. It's hitting us big-time this year, so watch out!

Until next time, thanks for joining me for My Daily Spin.