Spinning

Holy spin class Batman!  I forgot how kick ass these classes can be.  The rec center at Western offers a variety of hour-long classes throughout the year.  I think it's great how they provide structured workouts that introduce students to new ways of staying active, like yoga, Pilates, crossfit, and other sculpting classes. I thought this was going to be a typical spin class where we do hill climbs, endurance intervals and up-downs for an hour.  So I planned to make it a tough bike workout for myself, based on HR zones but, after 30 minutes the instructor had us put the bikes away and grab mats.  She proceeded to destroy our quads and core with a HIIT workout consisting of jumping lunges, burpees, planks, pulsing squats and mountain climbers.

Now I've mostly been logging long runs and lactate-threshold runs lately, so this blew me up big time.  It was amazing and I'm still riding the endorphin high hours later.  Seeing a double rainbow through the liquid sunshine and changing leaves also had an impact.  I made sure to tell the instructor how tough and fun the session was.  Taking a day off from running is what I needed as my IT has been finicky the last couple of days.  I'm probably gonna feel it tomorrow.  So I'll probably stick to a long swim and a yoga class or two.  

Marathon Build

I'm sitting here during my lunch break thinking about my run yesterday.  It was a south-north route along the eastern side of Baker Lake.  I've been wanting to get on this trail all summer but the mountains with their peaks and views pull me another way.  It seemed fitting that this trail is 15 miles one-way and I had a 20 miler planned.  I started out with the intention of going 10 and turning around. At my turn-around there was this trail heading upslope called Noisy Creek.  I had to see what it was about.  One mile and 1,000 ft later I found the inspiration for its name.  The slow moving creek must have encountered a rock slide at some point in time because there I found a dam of trees, limbs and boulders.  Water like life, finds a way (cue Jeff Goldbloom.)  The falls wasn't grandiose like Niagra but it contained power nonetheless.  I welcomed the break from running and listened to its sound for awhile before gathering my energies for the return trip.  I haven't checked off half of the places I planned on seeing this summer but a friend once told me, we leave reasons to come back. Next Spring I'll do the whole trail and report back.  

Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention.  I'm tackling my first marathon this year.  I haven't nailed down which one but it'll be in December.  Either the Seattle or the Yukon Do It.  The training has been fun and it's great having an excuse to explore new trails in the area.

Summer Riding

It's been almost a month since I updated the blog and for a good reason.  A few days after finishing the Ocean Shores Half-Iron a friend visited me in Bham.  We took a drive up to Artist Point to get a view of Mount Baker in all its up-close glory.  We hiked around, threw rocks off cliffs and even did some butt-sledding down a few snowy slopes.  One of them was extremely steep and long.  Below is a clip of Brett sliding down after me.

You see that big rock on the right, sticking out through the snow?  Well, I started drifting toward it, so I used my hands to direct myself away from it.  In the process I hyper-extended my elbow and I've been in pain since.  Even now I can barely curl a ten-pound weight without some pain.  Needless to say, I haven't swam once since and I'm just now getting out of my depressed funk.

Since I can't swim, I've been really focusing on my bike and run workouts.  In the past I always had a hard time dialing back the intensity on long rides/runs but, lately I've taken a more disciplined approach to my training regimen.  Oh I still skip days when I'm not feeling up to it or when my legs don't have the zip.  I think it's a good thing to not blindly follow a training plan.  Duties get in the way and stress occurs.  In the end it's better to enjoy the workouts than have them be sub-par.  Which brings me to two bike rides I did this week.

Tuesday I drove down the North Cascades Highway (SR 20).  It's an stunning road, traveling from Sedro-Wooley, through wilderness and eventually making its way to the Methow Valley.

I parked my truck in Newhalem and made my turnaround at Rainy Pass.  It's 38 miles one-way and it climbs about 5,000 ft in elevation.  Every way you look there are mountains, waterfalls, rivers and lakes.

Diablo Lake

Frisco Mountain.  Rainy Lake is tucked in off to the right.

Don't know the name but this is just from the road.

Newhalem to Rainy Pass and back.

The ride was beautiful but also difficult.  There are two climbs on the route.  The first one is through the Skagit gorge and tops out at Ross Lake.  It's only 15 miles of 2-3% grade.  It's a nice warm up and the views of Diablo Lake are distracting from the work.  The second climb is a doozy.  It's about 20 miles with an average 3% grade.  There are a few short sections of 6% and 7% grade tossed in there.  The length of the climb is really the tough aspect.  If you're training like me, staying mentally strong and keeping a steady rhythm is difficult.  If you're on a leisure through the park, a a break or two at one of the many trailheads would help.  I definitely recommend cruising through the park.  Try a weekday when there are fewer cars.  Remember to bring plenty of water.  More than you think you'll need.  I ran out at the top of the pass.  Luckily, a hiker I was talking to at the trailhead filled all four of my bottles up.  They barely made it back to the truck.  I'll bring my camelback next time.  All said, the total trip was 75 miles with over 11,000 feet of elevation gain.  Easily the biggest training day of my life.  I was feeling so good the next day, I was dreaming of the next adventure.

And it happened during yesterday's sufferfest up to Mount Baker.  This glaciated volcano in the upper North Cascades lies at the end of SR 542 from Bellingham.  I parked my car at Silver Lake, which is a few miles north of Maple Falls.  It's rolling hills along the Nooksack River until the beginning of the Mount Baker climb.  It's 10 miles of switchbacks with an average 6% grade.  There's a few 10% sections from Heather Meadows to Artist's Point.  At the top, you're treated to some close views of Mount Shuksan to the East and Mount Baker to the West.  Tough stuff, that's for sure.  Since I rode easy early on I wanted to give this climb a good effort.  I was spent once I reached the top but, it's all downhill from there.  I now know what it feels like to bomb down a mountain like the pros in Tour de France.  Finding the right line speeding down a switchback takes a hard nerve and lots of focus.  Don't let the bugs distract you because the slope on the other side of the guardrail looked very unforgiving.

Mount Shuksan

Silver Lake to Artist's Point and back.

There will be some more epic rides like these before Summer ends, that's for sure.  But before those I gotta see what Idaho has to offer next weekend.  Five days of golfing, trail running, mt biking, oh yeah and a wedding thrown in there too.  I'm pretty excited to meet up with a bunch of HS buddies for the celebration of my friends Kyle and Katie.  Let the dance battle begin, if my legs hold up.

2013 Ocean Shores Half Iron Triathlon

My race at the 2013 Ocean Shores Half-Iron Triathlon is by far the hardest I have ever pushed myself.  The headwinds on the bike were a curse and a blessing.  They put my head into a hole I wasn't sure I could get out of but left me with a lot of energy for the run.  When people talk about breakthrough performances, I now know what they mean.  A five-hour event leaves a lot of room for disaster to strike, but it's how those unpredictable events are handled that let us learn something deep about ourselves.  

Swim 1.2 miles: 37:47

This was an out-and-back course in Duck Lake.  Funny how a race on a peninsula in the ocean has a freshwater swim.  Though I didn't hear anyone complain, including myself.  I was really hoping for a better time but I was having a hard time getting back into a rhythm after the turn-around.  Plain and simple, I was tired, so my form fell apart.  Sounds like a pattern here?  Well it is.  Biking and running are just more fun.  "Go to the pool!," is what my inner competitor yells at me all the time.  

T1: 1:17

Stripping the wetsuit off was quick and my shoes were already clipped in.  Said hi to my dad and off I went.

Bike 56 miles: 2:41:43 (20.9mph)

Like I said earlier, the headwinds were killer.  This was an 2-loop out-and-back course.  Every time I turned West or North, I watched my speed drop from 22-24 mph down to 17-19.  It was very discouraging.  My lower back was tight during the first out and I wasn't sure if it was going to ease up but after the turnaround the pain went away and never came back.  More than likely it was from holding my legs up near the surface during the swim.  I counted nine bikers in front of me during the first lap and I passed one right before the end of the second lap but in the last 10 miles a couple of aero-wheel/helmet guys cruised past.  Every 15-20 minutes I ate 100 calories of either a Honey Stinger Gel or a Stinger Waffle followed by two big swigs off my water bottle.  The Stinger gels are my favorite for hard efforts because they go down so easy.  They have that honey sweetness and aren't thick like other gels, so they wash down quickly with water.  The second lap was similar in pace but I could feel my hips and upper thighs starting to fatigue.  I began to get discouraged and I found myself standing up a lot in order to find some power in my legs.  Prior to the race I aimed keep my HR between 155-170.  I averaged low 150s instead.  There are a lot of factors that could have caused a low HR.  Most likely, the effort just wasn't there.  The last five miles felt like an eternity.

T2: 1:35

 My armpit felt a little chafed from the swim so I opted to run without my shirt.  Slipped the shoes on, grabbed my hat, said hi to my dad again and took off.

Run 13.2 miles: 1:29:43 (6:44min/mile)

As usual the legs felt stiff and wobbly for the first mile though I was surprised by my pace.  Just like the bike leg, this was an out-and-back with turnarounds for all three races.  Prior to the race I expected to hold a 7:30min/mi pace for the first 5k to let the legs warm up and make sure I don't blow up later on.  It is a half-marathon and all.  But I was rocking a 6:30 pace and it felt good, so I rolled with that.  At mile 2, I passed a couple of guys who overtook me at the end of the bike.  We exchanged positive words then I continued on my merry way.  Seriously though, I was feeling strong.  It was a huge confidence booster knocking out those fast miles.  My calves were a bit sore and crampy but on I sped.  

Around mile 4 the lead runner and I crossed paths.  Racers 2, 3 and 4 weren't far behind.  Down the straight 2/3 of the run I saw number 5 coming towards me.  I noted the time and place we crossed.  After turning around and coming to the sign where we passed one another, I realized he had about 4 minutes on me.  This isn't much time in a race this long so I figured I'd try and catch him.  Where I would overtake him, I wasn't sure, but I put my head down and dug deep to maintain that 6:30 pace.  The phrases, "reel him in, reel him in," "keep it up," and "stay strong and light" kept flowing in and out of my head.  I was saying them out loud too.  I didn't care if the other races thought anything about it because it worked!  It took 3 miles and a lot of self-motivation to catch up.  A mile after passing him I let myself look back, he was way back there.  I knew I had fifth place locked up, bearing in mind nothing catastrophic occurred.  I could feel my hamstrings and quads starting to seize up and my calves were burning bad at this point.  The sand wasn't making it any easier.  With 2 miles left I did some math and thought if I stay under 7 min/mi I might be able to log a sub 1:30 run and give myself a better chance of achieving my true goal of coming in under 5 hours.  The next 13 minutes was all out.  Foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath, fire in my legs all out.  Oh but was it worth it.  A fist pump across the finish line and I was done!  I couldn't believe what I had just done.  A huge PR of 55 minutes on the race and a PR of 4 minutes in the half-marathon.  Cloud nine. 

Total 4:52:02  Fifth OA, Second AG

Lake Padden Triathlon Race Report

This is going to be a two-part piece as I competed in the morning competitive division and also the run leg of a relay in the afternoon recreation race.  Firstly, I want to say "Hats Off' to Lance Romo, the race director, and all the the volunteers.  This was by far the smoothest local race I've competed in.  The fan support and small-town vibe let me focus on my best-executed race to date.  Let's just get into the thick of it already.

Overall 1:47:51  18th Place

Swim 800 meters-12:09 (1:31/100m) 47th
Being a small venue, the swim started in self-selected waves of 50 participants.  I knew I couldn't really hang with the top guns on the swim, so I opted for a later wave.  I used the facilities one last time and migrated down to the crowd funneling towards the water.  My lack of haste put me in the 4th wave.  The first 200 meters was somewhat chaotic as it seemed everyone on my sides wanted to swim on top of me.  I threw in a couple of hard bursts to get out of there.  After the turn-around I got into a good rhythm and found myself passing people from the previous waves.  I knew this because they were treading water.  A quick run up the grassy hill and it was go time.

T-1 1:03  9th
Prior to the start a spectator gave me a couple of rubber bands to hold up the heels on my pre-clipped bike shoes.  It probably saved me 10 seconds.  I did a flying mount for the first time and I was off.

Bike 21 miles - 1:00:15 (21mph) 23rd
This course is beautiful but challenging for the distance.  It starts and finishes with climb.  There's also one leaving Lake Samish right in the middle.  I've ridden this course a few times, so I knew what to expect on the hills.  I stayed aero on the flats and spun an average 100rpm cadence.  Even on the hills I hovered around 90.  I burn out quickly when I mash a hard gear because my legs aren't super strong but I can spin fast so that helps.  A couple weeks ago I lowered my handlebars to make a smaller wind target but didn't put in a lot of time in the saddle for my body to adjust.  I felt my lower back tightening up on the rolling hills heading West but it went away or I ignored it on the flat going back to the Lake.  At that point I thought I could make it under an hour but I wanted to run hard so I didn't push it.  Next year it's getting crushed.

T-2 1:04  84th
I'd never worn these shoes w/o socks before.  They say don't try anything new on race day. 
Dang socks.

Run 5.2 miles - 33:20 (6:24min/mi) 14th 
I left transition hard and didn't let up until the finish.  The course is 2 loops around the lake. The first 1.5 miles on the south lakeside of the 2.6 mile loop is hilly then it's flat coming back around to the start/finish.  I am the most proud of this part of the race.  I've been working hard on the run lately and it really paid off.  Below I highlighted the flat parts of the race.  I knew there was only a mile to go so I jumped on the pain train, kept my shoulders down and pulled every last drop out of my legs.  It hurt, bad, but it also felt great to finish strong. 

It should say Comp: 2 laps, Rec: 1 lap

As I said before, this is a two part report.  I met up with a couple of guys who also competed earlier, well one did, the other thought the races were the next day.  At least he remembered in time for the recreational race.  Tom swam the 1/4 mile and Jon biked the 10 miles before I got the timing chip.  My goal was to run another sub-17 minute lap but within 1/8 mile my stomach rebelled.  I could maintain 6:45 min/mi but anything faster and the bouncing really cut into my side.  I realized later it was probably the one hard-boiled egg white I had in between races.  It was still fun to be part of a team.  Also we were the first relay team to finish and fifth overall, so not a bad shot in my book. 

Now on to the next challenge.  Probably Ocean Shores 70.3 July 13.  Since I must have slightly rolled my ankle, it's time to jump back in the saddle.  With Summer finally here, I'm thinking some new bike rides are in order.  Mount Baker, I'll see you soon.

PR and Lake Padden

For those who don't know, PR stands for personal record.  I still use Strava as a training and motivational tool for my many of my workouts.  When planning a bike ride or run, I like to use certain loops and segments as fitness tests within the workout.  After downloading my watch data to Garmin Connect and Strava, I can analyze my effort on two platforms.  Both have unique positive characteristics.  For example, Connect has a calender of uploaded activities and planned workouts.  Strava has a network of running and biking segments where I can compare the day to my previous times and against others on a leader board.  Since I do most of my workouts solo, it brings out the competitor in me on days when I need that external motivation. 

Another aspect about Strava is the challenges section they offer.  I'll talk about the most recent which was called 10k Any Way.  The challenge was to run your fastest 10k (6.2 miles) and upload it to a leader board and see where you stack up.  The minimum distance was 10k but if you ran further, they would take your average time/kilometer.  In fact three ran fast enough half-marathons to get on the top 10.  In all 14,283 people from around the world ran at least 10k in one day.  I happened to be the 99th fastest of them.  This was me putting the hammer down and hoping for the best.  I planned to PR since it's been two years since my last stand alone 10k but landing in the top 100 was something I didn't expect.  It's the exact motivation I was hoping for, a week before this Saturday's triathlon.

Oh did I mention a triathlon?  That's right folks, my first of the season and right in my backyard.  Lake Padden, Bellingham, WA.  It's gonna be a blast because Amanda and Chad are coming up to race too.  I have to give big credit to Amanda for how I've come to this point.  We ran XC together in high school and when I got back from Europe, she was leading track workouts for West Sound Tri Club.  After just a few nights of being around triathletes, hearing their stories, I knew I had to give it a shot.  Thanks Amanda for the introduction!

This Saturday's morning race starts with a 800m swim, a 21 mile bike and 5.2 mile run.  The bike leg will be a challenge for people who have neglected hills because there are 2 climbs that are nothing to laugh at.  The run leg is two loops around the lake.  There is also a recreational race starting in the afternoon.  It's more or less half the distance.  Somehow I got wrangled into doing the run leg as part of a relay.  Our name is Team Second Wind, because all three of us are doing the competitive in the morning.  I'm curious how well I am going to run after giving it all in the morning.  Like Lance Romo, the race director, said to me this morning,"It is only one lap."  With some downtime and lots of recovery fruit, I'm sure I can hold my weight for another 18 minutes.

It should say Comp: 2 laps, Rec: 1 lap

With all that being said, I'm excited to kick off the season and some.  I've been feeling strong, even though finals and landscaping has really cut into my training time.  There is less than a month before Ocean Shores 70.3.  I get a little anxious thinking about my lack of consistency but I'm hoping the century training will let me ramp it up here for the next two weeks.  One week of tapering should be just about right to dial everything in.  On that note, I'm off to the pool.  Catch ya next week with a race report.

It's All About Your Perspective

It's funny how we as Western humans tend to focus on the negative.  The local news is filled with up-to-date segments on the bad happenings in the area and anyone can spend hours watching "Fail" videos on Youtube.  It's no wonder that I was feeling down about my lack of training the last few days.  For one thing, it is not at all in tune with my "70.3 Plan" and that is always a concern because it's planned out with specific purposes.  But then again, I don't have a typical nine to five job and listening to the body is important.  So after a look into my training log, I realized I didn't hit the trails or jump on the bike because my back and legs were asking for a break.  Well that and I've been putting in 6-9 hours of landscaping in everyday for two weeks.  Back to the point, I'm slowly bringing the bike back on-line after a major break.  That century training really made me miss running.  Here's a photo breakdown of what I've been up to since my last post.

May 30 Thursday

 

The original plan was to ride the Padden Triathlon course but after a dropped chain on the hill coming into Fairhaven, the wind left my sails.  I just cruised on home past Boulevard Park in the late afternoon sun.

 May 31 Friday

 

The swim was uneventful, really just going through motions there.  On the run I wanted to explore some of the outlying trails at Lake Padden.  I was not disappointed.  I'm putting this area on my top lists in the area.  Soft trails, mud pits and silence make for a lovely time.

June 1 Saturday

 

I called this 14 Herons because that is exactly what I saw during the section where I turned north on Lummi Point.  Most were standing around but a few must have been disturbed by me and made long swooping arcs away over the water.  They are quite graceful birds.  Then I dropped my chain and I was pissed but also bonking.  I was not a happy camper when I walked in the door.  Reminder: don't bonk on any ride, nonetheless 30 miles.

Jun 2 Sunday

 

Since I always find my HR hovering in Zone 3, I thought I should work on my pure aerobic system while building a stronger foundation in my legs.  Prior to the run I was dreading this long, slow run w/o music but it allowed me to focus on my breathing and form.  I usually up my effort on hills but this time I made a conscious effort to keep the HR low. 

June 3 Monday

This was the first time I swam with anyone all year and it goes to show that it should happen more often.  I saw a post on FB Bellingham Tri Club and thought it a good chance to meet some new folk.  I love open-water swimming.  There are no excuses to quit when in the middle of a lake and I have no discipline in the pool by myself.

June 4 Tuesday

  

I was craving a test on my climbing ability so I rode over the campus and did three laps up to through the arboretum.  First lap was in the lowest gear and I stayed seated throughout.  Second lap was lowest gear but I stood up on some of the steeper spots.  Third lap was in second gear and shifting up/down when necessary.  No HR but I was breathing hard on every lap.

June 5 Wednesday

 

This was by far the most fun I've had running.  Fitting for National Running Day.  No shirt or HR monitor, split-shorts and cool temps in the shade of the trees.  See that big hill in the middle.  It was tough and I loved every minute of it.   I was even able to knock some quick miles out afterwards too.

 June 9 Sunday

 

 

I really wanted to do a long ride the day before but after shoveling dirt most of the day, all I could think about was food and resting my back.  So this morning I squeezed this in before another day of back-breaking(stengthening?) work.

Overall I am happy with my progress the past few months.  I'm chocking it up to the fruits, veggies, and stretching.  Even with all the landscaping, I've been able to keep inflammation in check.  Self-massage and hearty doses of vitamins help me put in work w/o getting burned out.  It's a feather-light balance of too little and too much.  The key is listening to the body and pushing it when it is able but backing off at other times.  It is difficult to describe the relationship between mind and body and expect others to understand because we all have our own way of communicating.  What I'm trying to say is, focus on how you feel, quiet your mind and tune into the unspoken language of your personal energies.  Too often we are distracted by external forces and fail to see the signs of over-training.  So, have some tea, sit on the ground and chat with your body.  You may learn something.