555 and Timberman

I know....I know...I've let another 2 weeks slip by without posting.  Well, it's been a busy 2 weeks.  I've been travelling the past two weekends.  Two weeks ago, I travelled down to Cape May, New Jersey, my home town to visit my family and participate in the 5-5-5.  The 5-5-5 is an informal, grassroots event put on by my friends Chad and Terry to raise money and awareness for cancer research....and it consists of a 5 mile ocean swim, 5 mile beach cruiser bike and a 5 mile run.  It's a total blast....having done it last year (inaugural).  For me, it's a reunion of sorts...as I get to see a lot of old friends.   Although the event is not a race, and is for fun, I decided that I really wanted to focus on the swim since it would help in my Kona prep....not to mention that it kicked by butt last year.  With the strong currents, the swim isn't really 5 miles....it's probably closer to 3-3.25.  But that's still a long swim!  I swam the entire course without stopping...which was one of my goals...and finished around 6th.  It was much improved from last year.  I mounted my beach cruiser and headed out trying to catch the people in front of me.  I think I must have been spinning at around 120 rpms!  I averaged around 18+ mph for 5 miles....not too bad for a beach cruiser.  Then onto the run....typically my strongest event.  As much as this is a fun event....as many of you know, I do have an ego...so I wanted to catch the people in front.  Well, I knew this was not going to be easy based on how my legs felt....like trash.  I could barely muster low 6 minute miles....which is typically ez for me.  This is where I realized just how much the ironman hurt me....3 weeks earlier.  Unlike last year, where I finished 4th....I was able to catch everyone in front and finish tied for 1st.  Again, it was a blast.  I even ran into an old, old friend (Joe)....who I learned was doing the Timberman 70.3 the following weekend....which I was planning to attend as a spectator.

After a bunch of text messages, Joe graciously allowed me to crash in his hotel room with him at Timberman.  I was supposed to camp...which I haven't done since I was 15....and thankful that remains the last time I camped!  Although I was going up to spectate the race, I had a training agenda to keep as well.  Saturday was a 4 and a half hour ride...with a 20 minute transition run and Sunday was a long run.  These were my first long workouts since the ironman (save for the long swim the previous week).  Both went well.  I rode with Matt Pokress and we rode strong.  I could definitely feel it in my legs...but happy to get it in.  The long run went as well as expected given how my legs felt.  I've now done 7 ironman races....but this past one did the most damage (fatigue) to me.  I'm just hoping to recover while still putting in the big weeks before Kona.

I took a bunch of pictures during the Timberman 70.3:

http://picasaweb.google.com/105289519986022195493/Timberman20102?authkey=Gv1sRgCPr98OyXybKjQQ&feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/105289519986022195493/Timberman20103?feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/105289519986022195493/Timberman2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqi4cC7md7IVA&feat=directlink

Slow and steady.

I'm now approaching 3 weeks post IMLP....and the legs are still a bit lethargic.  I've gotten a couple of runs in.  All have gone well, time wise....but my legs have been sore after.  I did get a decent ride in last weekend.  It was only 1:45, but I had some intensity in there....and it felt decent.  Next week the volume starts back up.  I'm scheduled to head up to Gilford, NH to do some training and watch teammates and friends race the Timberman sprint and half iron races.  I'm camping...which should be interesting (if you don't know this about me yet, I'm pretty much a hotel snob...I like my accomodations!).  I'm also going to meet up w/my coach who's also racing the 70.3 race.  It should be fun.

The one thing I have been doing is getting some open water swimming in....w/out the wetsuit.  I've been meeting on Wednesday mornings to swim at Mystic Lake in Arlington....and I got a pretty good long swim there last Sunday (over 60 minutes solo).  This coming weekend I'll be getting a lot of swimming in.  I'm heading to my hometown of Cape May tomorrow to visit w/family and friends, and do the 555 charity event/race.  It's a grassroots event.  5 mile ocean swim (fast w/current); 5 mile beach cruiser bike; 5 mile run.....all to raise money for cancer research.  It's basically a bunch of locals, ex lifeguards, and some invited guests getting together for the event and some post race festivities.  I did it last year and it was a blast.  I will, however, be wearing a wetsuit!   It's way too long to be in the water w/out one.

-P

Square One....

Man, I feel like I'm back at square one...like I was in November/December.  I honestly don't know how some people are coming off of their races at LP and putting in big weeks already.  I ran for the first time on Wednesday.  Although my time/pace was good....I could tell that I was a mess.  My knees were killing me afterwards.  Then, the following morning, I felt like crap.  I didn't feel well for 2 days.  Fortunately, I'm feeling better this morning....which is good, because I need to get out there on the bike!  After consulting w/my coach, the goal for the next few weeks is not to kill myself...but rather get some good training in while recovering.  It makes no sense to bury myself now.  As they say, Ironman is hard...or everyone would do it!  It takes a while to recover.

One of the tough things about training for IM are the sacrifices made.  My wife makes them all the time for my training.  This was very clear on Thursday night.  We had tickets to go see Interpol at the House of Blues....one of my favorite bands.  I had been dying to see these guys.  But, feeling the way I did, I decided to skip it.  I just couldn't afford to put myself deeper into a hole.  If it was February...I would have gone.  But, with only a handful of weeks to train for Kona, I decided that I needed the rest more than the show.  It sucks...but it's the path I chose.   Minimal on the larger scale...I know.  But a sacrifice nonetheless!

How I enjoyed my one week of Summer....

So, it's been a week since IMLP....and I haven't done one thing physically....really.  We got home last Tuesday and it literally took me until the weekend to fully unpack.  One of the cons to having a good race is the endorphin crash that inevitably comes a few days later.  It's like a hangover....and it takes a few days to recover.  This past weekend, Jenn and I took our dog Billie out to Great Brook Farm in Carlisle for a walk/hike through the woods.  It was fun.  We spent about 2 hours out there.  Even on an ez hike, all of the aches and pains from IM started surfacing.  So, it was good that last week was all rest.  My coach prescribed exactly that.  This week we'll start to get into training again...but it will be a slow start.  For me, the bigger thing is nailing my nutrition for the next 2 months.  I was at my lightest in 8-9 years when I raced IMLP.  I'd actually like to be a bit under that for IMH in October.  Jenn and I are really going to focus on buying the right foods.  We always eat healthy...but for the next 2 months...we're going to eat like we're on a mission...which we are.  Yesterday we finalized our travel plans to Hawaii.  I'm pretty excited.  We're staying for a little over a week in Kona for the race, as we always do.  But, this year we're flying to Oahu for 4 nights and staying on the North Shore.  I've always wanted to see Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, and Pipeline.  It will be a nice way to relax and unwind after a day of suffering in the lava fields.  Okay....resume training....Now!

-P