'ike loa

The workout today was to ride up the coast 90 minutes out and then turn around and head back to the start, then do a 20 minute or so transition run — all at sub-lactate threshold.

The route was mapped for 52 miles, and I was able to keep a pace within the proper HR zones to complete 47 miles.  The ride was pleasant and felt good.  I was able to get into aero for a majority of the ride which gave me a boost to my pace.  The weather was cool at first with an overcast from the marine layer.  It was warming up a little by the time I made it to Oceanside and when I was turning around on Camp Pendleton, the sun was breaking through the clouds.

The run was just a light transition run.  Pace was easy and it was more about getting the body accustomed to running after long rides.  Building muscle memory is an important part of the training process.  Tomorrow will be the long run for the week.

Ride profile:

Run profile:

I finally received the replacement saddle – a Terri Fly Ti Gel.  I also received my Profile Designs Carbon Stryke aerobars and changed my road bike configuration into a road/tri configuration.  I would really like to have a true tri bike with a more compact and aero frame but maybe someday one will fall from the sky and into my lap!

Of course, this meant that I had to spend time on the bike adjusting the fit of the saddle and the feel of the bars.  Fiesta Island is the perfect place for this since it is a nice flat four mile loop that doesn’t have much traffic.  This meant lots of time to get into aero and work out on the comfort and fit.

I put in 6 loops, for about 25 miles.  I tweaked and settled into fit of the bars quickly, but the saddle was a entirely different matter.  This new saddle is a bit different than my old Terry Fly saddle.  For the first two loops I just couldn’t get comfortable at all.  I couldn’t find the right adjustment.  But when I adjusted the saddle height as well, it started to feel much better.  The saddle seems firmer and a bit longer than my old one and was a little harder on me in aero than upright.  But by the end of the sixth loop I was feeling more comfortable with the fit and everything is starting to come together.

I followed up the ride with a 4-mile transition run along the bay. This run felt good and I was able to maintain a decent pace and stay mostly in HR Zone 2. My run is slowly improving and I am feeling much better about the marathon distance in the Ironman.
Ride Profile:

Run Profile:

For the past week or so my training schedule was sacrificed for work and home commitments.  This week I am doing some short runs to get back into the groove.

It was a nice evening for a run, and I had an hour to spare so I did my standard out-and-back run in my neighborhood.  I have done this route so many times that I can probably do it blind-folded.  It isn’t very exciting, but it does have some small hills which are always good to make the run more productive.

Usual goal of staying in Zone 2 but I drifted into upper Zone 3 as I am still lagging from the trip to Atlanta. It is surprising how a lack of sleep can have such an impact on my performance.

My work schedule last week was packed and disjointed with a weekend trip to Atlanta from which I am still trying to recover.  This week, work is busy but I also have a over-night school function to attend tomorrow so once again, my training is off for at least the start of the week.

Goal was to run and swim, but I only managed to run as I just didn’t have the time to squeeze in a swim at LA Fitness while they were open.  That is one thing I miss about 24 Hour Fitness was that if I needed to go swim at midnight, I could.  The LA Fitness that I attend closes at 11pm on weekdays, so I have to get into the pool by 10pm.  Sometimes that just doesn’t work out for me.

I took advantage of a nice warm day in the upper 70s and my lunch hour to get a 4.5 mile run in.  The block around where I work is about 1.1 miles so I did 4 laps. It is all on concrete side-walks which isn’t that pleasant. It is also a little bit hilly with 130′ of elevation gain per lap which that makes the run a little more productive but pushed my HR into high zone 3 and zone 4 — a little harder than I wanted for this run.

I had a whirlwind business trip this past weekend – fly into Atlanta on Friday, do work on Saturday, and then fly back to San Diego on Sunday.  In all, I was in Atlanta less than 48 hours.  Serious jet lag kind of trip.

Getting any kind of training in during this kind of trip is very difficult for me as there never seems to be enough free time.  In spite of my packed schedule, I was able to make some time on Saturday afternoon for a 4.5 mile run and some slow easy spin on the recumbent bike machine at the hotel.

The run was a pleasant mile loop, with some rolling hills around the hotel I was staying. Even a nice pond with ducks along the loop.  Didn’t stop to feed them though!  I was lagged from the trip and is apparent as this should have been a zone 2 run but ended up at zone 3.  I don’t usually sleep well on these short trips as it takes me a few days to become accustomed to the room and noises.  I tossed and turned quite a bit my first night and got maybe 5hr 30min of quality sleep.

A combination of work, family obligations, and travel to the east coast has sacked my training for this week.  A run or two might be possible, but doesn’t look promising.   Fortunately there are two LA Fitness clubs close to where I will be, but their hours don’t work very well with my travel schedule.

Rest is good for the body and mind so maybe it isn’t all bad.

Training stats since start of the season.  Doesn’t include swim miles nor short runs at work without my Garmin 310xt.

Biking:

Running:

For training today, on the schedule was a run for 8 miles.  I enjoy taking

my long runs along the north trail at Lake Hodges, and I went out for an afternoon run.

For our long run, we are supposed to stay sub-lactate, and ideally in HR zones 1 and 2.  I quickly settled into my pace and was comfortably in zone 2.  The north trail is hilly and a bit rocky at places.  About 1.3 miles into the run, I was running up a rocky hill

concentrating on the loose rocks and not twisting my ankle.  Near the top of the hill I suddenly saw something moving near the side of the trail in front of me and for somereason I instinctively hopped over it.  This was a good choice as it turns out it was a baby rattlesnake that was about 15 inches or so long.

It took me a second or two to get my bearings and then I turned around and it was already moving into the brush but I did manage to snap a few pictures on my phone.

I continued on my run but I found that myself constantly scanning the trail for signs of snakes.  This affected my pace and the overall feel of my run.

I have run hundreds of miles along these trails and I have never encountered a rattlesnake.  Normally it is rabbits, quail, and a lizard or two that quickly scatter when they see me coming down the trail. These trails are fairly active with runners, walkers, and mountain bikers and I was very surprised to see a rattlesnake.

The ride scheduled today was around 40 miles and 2700′ of climbing — repeats of the Del Dios hill climb.  It was a great day for a ride — clear, sunny, but not too hot.

We met at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach. After the team talk, we quickly got underway on the ride.  The first climb up Del Dios felt great.  Good pacing, good heart rate, and a good ride.  Turned round at the SAG point to head back 7 miles or so to start the second hill repeat.  On the way down the hill I hit a hole and and my front tire partially came off the rim so I had to stop, fix it and replace the tube.  All was well again and I reached the turn around point to start the trip back to the SAG point.

After climbing Del Dios for the second time and about a mile to SAG, my seat partially broke.  The rail on the left side of my seat sheered and my seat was no longer comfortable or functional enough to ride.  After speaking with Coach Ginger, we agreed that it was best to be sagged back to start at Fletcher Cove thus ending my ride for the day.

Tonight was track intervals at 75%-85% MHR.  It was a short but intense workout since the days are getting shorter and the track we use at Mission Bay High School doesn’t have lighting.

We did 3 x 400 warm-up, 4 x 800 intervals with core work between each interval, and 2 x 400 cool down.  I worked to get my HR up at the right level and kept my intervals under an 8:30 min pace.  That is fast for someone who does long runs in the 11:30-12:00 min pace!

Heart-rate based training is starting to pay off for me.  At the start of the season, my resting HR would be in the mid-to-upper 70s, and my normal sitting-on-the-sofa-heart-rate would be in the low-to-mid 80s.  Not very fit overall.  Today I had my HR monitor on while driving to track and at one point, while waiting for a stop light, my HR dropped below 70!  A major milestone for me! I am going to check my HR in the morning to see if it really lower or if today was just some strange anomaly.