Son of a...

So today I was feeling really lazy after not getting in much of a ride yesterday, so I decided to crank out a tough speed session on the treadmill. The plan was to do a minimum of 8x400 with 90 secs active recovery. Well I made it through 12. I had a really bad buring on the sides of my big toes for the last couple of intervals. When I took my shoes off I was shocked to see the biggest blood blisters I've ever had on my feet. I mean these things are over an inch long on both of my big toes, and they are currently sticking out damn near a quarter of an inch. Oops. I guess thats what I get for trying to do a hard speed workout, in my Nike Free's, without shocks, when I haven't done any fast workouts in them for a long time. My only hope now is that the pressure will go down and they won't explode. Hopefully it will not hinder any of my training. If it does I can chalk this one up to my own stupidity.

Work out detail:
5 min warmup @ 10:00 pace.
12x400 @ 6:00 pace w/ 90 secs active recovery @ 10:00 pace.
5 min cool down.
Total dist. 5.5 miles.
Average pace was about 7:50.
No HR data.

I think I cut the cool down a little short due to the wicked buring going on in my shoes. Other than that it was a hard workout, but I felt pretty comfortable all the way through.

If my toes explode I'll post some pictures.

Training Update

Wow, this training thing is hard. So far training has been going really well. I am getting used to the sore and tired muscels and the two a day workouts. I am really trying to adjust to getting out of bed in the morning to get in early workouts. That part is not going so good. I Really Hate Morning Time!!! I drug myself to the pool last week in the morning and it was terrible. I was a cat in a bathtub. It was so bad that I gave up and went back after work to show myself I could do the workout. I think that if I get up early enough to get some form of caffine in me I can usually function on a some what normal level.

On the bright side, I am adjusting to the new bike and new riding position pretty well. I actually suffered through my longest continuous trainer ride on Sunday. A whole two hours! I know, I know that's not very long at all, but when I'm indoors my attention span for riding by my self is about five minutes tops. Then the mind starts to wander. I see my guitar sitting in its case and I can hear it calling me. Or, I just get bored and think of anything that I would rather be doing and go do it. Need to work on that!

Got to watch a little cycling the other day. The Tour of California is on the VS channel this week. Got to see Levi crash in the circuits of the first road stage. That sucks, he put in a great TT only to lose the yellow jersey and something like a minute due to the crash. I hope that I can catch a stage tonight, I forgot to DVR it.

Todays plan: Easy Spin, I may try to sneek outside for this, because it's like 40 degrees here. After that I have a tough pool workout, 3500 of fast intervals or something stupid like that.

Zurich, Zurich, Zurich!!!

The winners is...

Drum roll please...

And the tag goes to...

Clot Buster
T J
Taconite Boy

The above bloggers have been tagged with the following mission. Answer the six questions listed below and tag three other bloggers with them.

Here are the questions to answer:

1. Describe a memory of your first triathlon.
2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
6. What is THE BIG GOAL that you're working towards?

Ouch, I've been tagged!!!

I kept my head low for a while, but I've been tagged. Triboomer got me with the following questions. The only question that remains is who gets it next?

1. Describe a memory of your first triathlon.
My first race was a sprint. The thing that stands out most was the swim. I am far from a competent swimmer. The air horn sounded for my wave and off I went. Plunging into the cold and murky water. I made it about 200 yards or so before I felt like I could not get any air. Either side I would breathe on I was taking on water. So I rolled over onto my back only to see a helicpoter circling above the swim course making the already turbulant water much worse. I swam the last 200 or so with my head out of the water gasping for air.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
My most recent tri was a 70.3 race in MI. Again, this memory is of the swim, but this time it was positive. We got to jump off of a pier for the swim start, it was pretty cool. I just tried to swim nice and relaxed. I lifted my head to sight, thinking I was about half way, when I realized that I was about to round the final buoy and head for sure. Cool!!!

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
I don't know if most people would consider it embarassing, but it also comes from my first ever tri. I came cruising into T2 and misjudged the distance to the dismount line. I was only able to get one foot out of my shoe before getting of the bike. I had to hobble through the transition area with one shoe on and one shoe hanging on my bike. I don't know, I felt stupid!

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
So far, all of my races have been thrilling. But, the most thrilling moment may have been when I hit the pay button for Ironman Zurich 2007. I was kind of in a daze for a while.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
I have discovered that I have not discovered my personal limits.

6. What is THE BIG GOAL that you're working towards?
Ironman Zurich, Baby!!!

Super Bowl Spin!

The first annual Super Bowl Sunday Spin is in the books. We had a pretty good turn out considering the temperature never went above zero. It was actually pretty tolerable. It may have been the beer in hand action that helped defeat the cold, but you always have to stay hydrated right? Tac Boy and Iron Jenny were filming some video, so be sure to stop by their sites soon. Here are a few of the great images that were captured.

Yours truely staying hydrated

Dia's sweet ride.

Tac Boy impersonating Koach Kris.

Never went above zero!!!

Well, for what ever reason, my photos and captions are not working right. They don't want to line up all nice for me. Operator error???

It Just Looks Fast!!!

Here's a look at the new speed machine. 2006 QR Seduza with Zipp 999 wheels. Just picked it up yesterday. I upgraded the FSA cranks to Ultegra and added the new Serfas wireless speed and cadance computer. It will take me a while to get used to it. It feels so much different from my road bike that was set up like a tri bike. I can get aero without feeling cramped and without my knees hitting my elbows. Can't wait to get it outside.

It does need a name though. Any suggestions?