Nathan's Triathlon

This morning was my second race, and my first Olympic distance triathlon (1500m swim, 24.8 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) and I had a great time! I woke up this morning about 4:00am and started to get ready. Tristin and I left to get to the race at about 5:15am, getting there at about 5:45. It was still pitch black when we arrived, but luckily they had floodlights to light the transition area. After I got marked and my timing chip, I made sure everything was set up right on the bike, then I met back up with Tristin until the race started. My last race I kept my backpack and everything else with me in the transition area which all ended up getting in my way during the race, so this time I kept it very simple and only left the things I knew would be using in my transition area (helmet, bike glasses, race number, running shoes, biking shoes - already attached to bike, running hat and running sunglasses). I was lucky Tristin was cool with holding my backpack, I'm sure that sucked for her. Once the first wave started (the sprint distance pros) I went into the transition area and started pacing. I was nervous for the swim and was having a hard time calming my nerves down. When my wave was next to go off, I ate a pack of shot blocks and downed a pint of water. As I lined up I saw that my wave was much larger than I thought - instead of being just 25-29, it was all athletes up to age 39 - this made the start very crowded. Once we got into the water we had to swim 100 yds to the starting line. Once at the line it was hard as hell to see anything. The sun was coming up and the glare from the "lake" was pretty bad. Once the horn went off chaos ensued. While this was not the fastest swim for me, I did not completely panic like the last race and was able to swim freestyle for the entire time - except when I was trying to see where I was going. The first 400 meters of the swim were the hardest for me. I kept running into people, getting kicked, and really couldn't see where I was supposed to go. As I was trying to sight I heard Tristin cheering for me, "GO DEREK GO!", it was so great to hear. Once I heard her I stopped and started waving to her, which she then responded "KEEP GOING!". So for the first half of the swim I could hear the encouraging words of my wife, and that really kept me going. So I finished the swim at a fairly slow pace, but still much faster per 100 meters than my last race. I exited the water at 38:32 for a 2:34/100m avg., I was hoping for under 30 min, but I am still very happy with the time.

Transitioning from swimming to the bike was interesting. Getting out of the water I could hear Tristin cheering for me, which was awesome, but I had trouble finding the stairs to get out of the water. Once out, there was about a 40-50 yrd run from the swim exit to the transition area and my legs felt like jell-o. I had been practicing my transitions for this race much more than my last - which was one night after drinking and having Mom take pictures of me :). My total Transition 1 time was 1:21.

Once I got on the bike my plan was to take it easy since I didn't have my bike for almost 4 weeks. I stuck to my plan and never did push it too hard unless I needed to pass a group. This plan was probably the smartest thing I did for the race. For the ride I filled my aero bottle up with a pint of water and put an electrolyte tab in it and ate a pack of shot blocks w/ caffeine. I had thought they would have aid stations for the bike like the last race did, but I was wrong, so I ran out of water just after the second loop of the bike. On the bike course I passed a good deal of people, and got passed by a good deal of people. It was fun to see all the different types of bikes out there and I definitely got envious of a few. Tristin was set up in a good spot so I was able to see and hear her about 4-6 times during the bike. She wore a bright pink shirt and pigtails so she would be easy to spot. It was always fun to see her so I would stick my tongue out or make a silly face to acknowledge I saw her. Overall the bike portion went a little slower than I thought, but mainly because I had only ridden my bike 3 times in the past month. I finished the bike in 73:36 for a 20.22 mph avg.

Coming into T2 my legs felt strong and I was ready for the run, the only leg I had consistently training for the past month. I had a little trouble getting the first shoe on, but after that I was out like shout. T2 time was 1:33.

Starting the run I could tell I was dehydrated from the bike. At the first aid station I grabbed a Gatorade and a water. I dumped the water on my head and took a sip of the Gatorade and started choking on it. I decided after that I would walk through the aid stations to make sure I got the necessary liquids. Throughout the first 5k of the run I felt pretty good, but during the second 5k my quads started to cramp and I felt like I was going to puke but I kept going and I was determined to finish strong. As I made the last turn before the finish I see Tristin holding the camera saying "Who has two thumbs and is awesome?", which I reply "THIS GUY" giving a big thumbs up. I finished the run in 48:05 for 7:46 mile average.

After the race I grabbed some of the post race food and met up with Tristin to sit in the shade and talk about all the fun things we witnessed during the day. I got to see some really cool bikes, while Tristin got to see some guy puke in the lake I was swimming (and most likely drinking) in. My total time was 2 hours 43 minutes and 07 seconds for a placing of 26 out of 53 males aged 25-29, and 145 of 422 of total males that competed.

I had so much fun racing today and I am so happy Tristin was there to cheer me on. Her loud, distinctive voice got me through the swim leg, and helped me actually have fun while I was racing. She is an awesomely supportive wife and I don't think I would have finished without her!.

Thank you Tristin!

I have attached some pictures from the race. I forgot to charge the camera and it died before the bike. I will post some little pics once the are on the race website.

Race Week

So my next race is at the end of this week and I am getting real excited about it. I am still a little nervous about the swim and bike legs, but am feeling pretty good going into this week. After getting the bike back Friday, I rode a total of 80 miles this weekend. It felt great to be back out there, but I could tell I had lost a lot of confidence. Every time I would see a car I would picture it turning into me. It took me a few weeks to get used to the bike when I first got it, so I am sure it will take a few more to used to it again. On Monday I went out to Saguaro Lake and practiced my open water swimming. I felt pretty good after I got going, not being able to see anything in the water scares me at first. I swam non-stop for almost 45 minutes and felt really strong in the water. The water was pretty rough and I still felt good, which made me feel pretty good about this Sunday. Thursday there is a Splash n' Dash at Tempe Town Lake that I should do to get some more experience swimming in a herd. I am kind of taking it easy this week with by shortening my runs and rides but keeping the intensity high. I will take Friday and Saturday completely off from running and biking so my legs will be fresh for Sunday.

Back in the Saddle

So i got my bike back yesterday (9/18) and was really excited to start riding again. I decided this weekend was going to be a bike focused weekend, so today I went out for my first road ride in 25 days. I rode slow and easy, not wanting to push it because I am still going for my long ride tomorrow. I was winded early and can tell my endurance has dropped. My confidence on the bike has also dropped, and I spent a lot of time out of the aero position. Overall I was very happy to be riding again and am excited about next week's race. Today I rode 30.77 miles in 1:43:52, for a 17.77 mph average. After the ride I went for a quick transition run. My legs were dead and I was extremely hungry, but was still able to run well. I ran 2.35 miles in 17:43. I didn't plan on running until half way through the bike, so my nutrition and hydration during were less than stellar and I could feel it during the run. I plan to relax the remainder of the day and get ready for tomorrow's ride.

For 2010 they changed the color of my bike, so the new wheel is a little different.

9/11 - 9/12: Mental Toughness

Friday morning was an off morning so I got to "sleep in" to 5:15 am - thats when my internal alarm clock goes off and gets me up. Work was uneventful, but lunch was amazing. I met Tristin at Ling and Louies, which is the best place for lunch in Phoenix, and we both got the newly added (to the lunch menu) Kung Pow Chicken/Beef. I got the beef and Tristin got the chicken, it was great! There is nothing at this place I have not liked. Anyway, after work I went for a swim. It felt great to be back in the pool, but my speed and stamina have definately taken a hit. Friday's set consisted of sets of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100. After I finished the second 300 my form had gone to crap, so I called it a night. I was ver happy with the swim, my times per 100 yds were almost back to where they were before the accident and ther was only minor pain while I swam. Saturday I woke at 6:00 am, had a cup of coffee, ate a pb and banana sandwich, and was out for a run by 7:00 am. The start of the run was rough, my legs felt dead and I kept getting a stitch in my side. Since this was my long run (a 2hr scheduled run) I had to keep going. After about 35 minutes I finally found my stride, about 10 minutes later I saw a runner in a bright pink shirt in the distance, about 10 minutes later I ran into the pink shirt - It was Tristin!!! She had left before me this morning, and it was really great to see her. She had stopped at the Special Olympics Triathlon (SOT) that was taking place in North Scottsdale. After seeing T, I kept trucking along. I got to a point where I would either have to run on the road (sidewalk ended and turned into a multi-use path) or run along the SOT run route, so I turned around and headed back. I finished todays run in 1:47:52 and covered about 12.5 miles. After the first 35 min, I felt pretty good. I wore my bet with all 4 bottles putting half a salt tab in two of them, and ate half a pack of shot blocks at 45min and 90min. My nutrition and hydration were good today and I was pretty happy with the run in all. After the run Tristin and I got some smoothies from Smoothie King, took a nap, then went out to watch the Cardinal game. I swear we are cursed! When we started watching the Cards were up 2-0, then when we turned the game on it became 2-3. We then got lunch, and when we left the Cards were up 6-5, but when we got home they had lost 6-7. Every game that has been televised in AZ they have lost, so I am scard to watch any more games.

Anyway, I heard back from the bike shop today - my wheel has been ordered and they expect it within the next week. I would be very upset if I don't have it by Wednesday. Once I get the bike back, it will be riding everday until I feel comfortable again.

Here are a few more pics from the "accident".

9/10: Back to Work

So I have started training again. I still don't have my bike back, so I took the mountain bike out on the multi-use path for a ride. I rode 53 min 51 sec at a decent pace. It felt good to be back onto my schedule. My shoulder is still pretty sore, but the bruising has gone away and my cuts have started to heal. This has been a pain in the ass and a learning experience. I learned to never trust anyone, I learned to always call the police no matter what, I learned that I hate people, and I learned that people will not always do the right thing. Anyway, I want to put this whole experience behind me and get on with my life. I hope to get my bike back soon because my next race is in 17 days.

8/25/2009 5:50 am

So I have been out of training for a little while. On Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 5:50 A.M. I was hit by a car that was 1 - not using a turn signal and 2 - not paying attention to the cyclist that was lit up like a x-mas tree. So the last two weeks have sucked. I hurt and have no bike. I will not even go into the stupid shit that is happening with the psuedo insurance card the kid gave me. It has been an extremely frustrating two weeks. The accident left my right shoulder all messed up, and a bunch of cuts on my hand, elbow, knees, and ankle. The impact from the ground caused my helmet to crack, and my head, face and shoulder took most of the impact.

8/20 - 8/22

Thursday was a good ride. I had gone about three weeks without seeing any improvement in my Tues/Thurs ride times and today I finished my 17 miles in 53:45 which is about a minute faster than my best for this loop. It was a good confidence boost.

Friday I ran 59 min 48 sec for 7.12 miles. It was my tempo run so the first 15 min was at an easy pace, then 30 minutes hard, and 15 more easy. I felt great except the outside of my right foot started to hurt and the pain hasn't really gone away two days later. After work I went for a swim and it was pretty crappy. I had eggs and salsa for dinner and during the swim I kept feeling like I was going to burp up my dinner.

Saturday was my long ride. Friday night we had some wicked storms, so I didn't think I would get the ride in. But I left at 6am after waking up at 5am and having a pb & banana bagel and some coffee. The first 60 min of the ride was great, I felt strong and rode really well. Then I saw a dead rattle snake, not too big of deal, then about 400 yds later I saw a tarantula. I have never seen one of these in the wild, and it freaked me out a bit. Anyway, I was still riding strong until about 1:15 into the ride I had to pee. I rode for another hour searching for a safe place to pee - which was not easy because i did not want a tarantula or a snake to catch me in the desert. Finally I found a port-a-potty at about 2:15 into the ride, after that everything was smooth. I rode a total of 61.18 miles in 3:25:49. It was a good feeling knowing I could ride the full 56 miles for my race.

This is me being a dork in my new wetsuit.

8/19: Run and Swim and the Knee Pain

So this morning I went for my long run. I was supposed to go 90 min, but due to the pain in my right knee I only went for 73 min for a distance of 8 miles. I felt great everywhere else and had a good rhythem, but didn't want to hurt myself more than I already have. I iced the knee after the run and probably will again tonight. I don't like pain when I run, it makes me angry.
During lunch I went for a swim. Today was my long interval day. After a 3oo yd warm up, I did 6, 400 yd repeats with 30 sec rest in between, followed by 100 cool down. By the end of the 6th 400 I was getting tired and was swimming very slow. Overall it was a good swim.

8/17 - 8/18

I had Monday off from work so I slept in until 6, then went for an easy 29 min 08 sec run for 3.6 miles. I still felt really tired from the weekend so I was happy with the 8:05/mile pace. After the run I went to the pool for some speed work. After warming up for 300 yds I did 30, 50 yd repeats on 1 min intervals. By the end I was dying. I flopped around for 200 yds to cool down, then headed home to do nothing for the rest of the day.
Tuesday I rode 17 miles in 56 min 26 sec. I don't know if it being dark the entire ride slows me down, but I am riding the same loop about 2 min slower than I was several weeks ago. I guess I just need to push myself a little more.

8/14 - 8/16

Wo this past weekend I took Friday off work and have Monday off also, it was nice to have an extended weekend. On Friday I went for my long run, I ran 1:41:47 and went 11.4 miles for a 8:56 min/mile pace. During the run I felt good, I brought only water with me and a pack of blocks and that was all I needed. After the run I went to the pool and swam for 41:11. I wanted to swim longer but my legs started to cramp so I just ended it early. I was able to swim a straight 1500 yds in 24:40, so that was good. Hopefully I can swim that fast in my next race. After the swim I picked up Tristin for lunch the went home a relaxed.

Saturday I went for a 3 hour ride. I got to ride up in to Cave Creek which is a neat town. I tried to take the ride a little easier so I wouldn't start cramping like my last long ride. I ended up riding 51.8 miles and averaged a 17.27 mph pace. I ended up bringing an extra bottle of water with me and I think it really helped, I just felt really weighed down with about 90 oz of water with me. By the end of the ride I was tired and was glad I had nothing to do the rest of the day. Later in the day Tristin and I went out for some drinks and I think I had one too many cause I'm still pretty exhausted and its now Monday. Also on Saturday my new tri wetsuit that Tristin got for me came in the mail, so I got to try it on and have a little fun with it.

8/10 - 8/12

The training hours are really starting to get up there this week. It will be interesting to see how my body feels the next few days.

Monday started off with a 30 min interval run. I ran 30 second building sprints every 2 minutes after a five minute warm up. I felt good and rested Monday morning. After work I went to the pool at 6pm (the summer hours have ended) and was surprised that is wasn't very crowded. My swimming volumes really starts to increase this week and today I swam 49 minutes and covered 2,500 yards total. The workout started with a 400 yd warm up, then my main set consisted of sets of 100, 200, 300, 400, 400, 300, 200, 100 resting ~15 sec between sets, then a 100 yd cool down. I felt strong and fast during the swim and my swim confidence is starting to increase again.

Tuesday was a bike only day. I woke up early had a banana and was out the door before 5am. It was dark almost the entire ride, which I did not like. I need some more lights or reflective gear cause I didn't feel very safe. I rode 17 miles in 26:23 for a 18.09 mph average. During this ride I tried to add in some intervals as my bike fitness is starting to plateau. My HR stayed pretty low, so I guess I am not pushing it hard enough. Maybe Thursday's ride I will pay more attention to my HR.

Wednesday morning was my tempo run. I started off with 15 min easy, then 30 min hard, and 15 easy. I felt very sluggish today and my legs were a little sore. I still was able to cover 7 miles in 58:26, so my pace was still good. After the run I sat in a cold bath to try and help speed my recovery. During lunch I went to the pool for a swim. I like going to the pool in the middle of the day because no one is ever there. After a 400 yd warm up I completed my main set of 10 x 200 yds on 3:45 intervals. I consistently had 30 sec of rest after each 200 which means my pace was about 1:37 / 100 yds. I hope I can transfer this speed into the open water. After my main set I did 4 - 25 yd sprints, then 200 cool down. for total distance of 2700 yds. I am tempted to do a 1000 yrd time trial Friday to see how much I have improved since my last one on July 5th (19:38).

8/8 & Anniversary 5k

Saturday I went for a ride. My normal route was blocked off by two police officers, so I found a hilly loop and did repeats. I rode 25 miles in 1:26:26.

Today was mine and Tristin's 1st anniversary. It is amazing how fast this year has seemed to go by. We started the day off with a 5k at South Mountain Park, which was a lot of fun. We are resting now and plan to have some fun the rest of the day.

8/3 - 8/7

8/3: I have decided to switch plans for the remainder of my training, so this week is now a recovery week and I took today off. It was nice to not have anything to do but rest.
8/4: Tuesday I woke up, had a banana, drank some water, and started my run. I took this run easy, or at least I tried to. My HR was really high, my lungs burned, but I didn’t feel like I was really pushing myself. It was probably due to my cold, it being super hot, and the fact that my legs were still hurting from Sunday’s ride. This run was 4.6 miles in 42:20.
8/5: I slept in today until almost 6:00am! No running or biking today, just swimming. I went to the pool at noon, and since one of the area pools is closed this week for cleaning it was super crowded. I had to share a lane with one other person, but because these lanes are so large it was no big deal. Today’s workout was 100 yd repeats every 1:55. I did 14 or 15 of them, I can’t remember exactly. I kept a pretty consistent 1:30/100 yd pace for all but the last few. With my warm up and cool down I swam 1850 yds in 36:00.
8/6: This morning I got up, ate my banana, drank some water, and went for a ride. It felt miserable outside – hot and humid all before 5am. The sun is coming up later now so most of the ride was in the dark, which is a little scary – I probably need to pick up some reflective clothing. I rode 17 miles in 57:06 while keeping my cadence over 90 RPMs. I am feeling much better than the last few days and my HR was not spiking like it had been the last few days. After work it was off to the pool for another swim. Today I swam a total of 2100 yds. Starting with a 400 yd warmup, then 8 x 25, 4 x 50, 2 x 100, 200, 2 x 100, 4 x 50, 8 x 25 intervals at a 30sec per 25 yds, then a 300 cool down. Total time was 43:33. I am supposed to be swimming 60 min eat workout, but am having a hard time getting to that time.
8/7: Today I got up, ate a banana, drank some water, then went for a run. I felt great. I didn’t feel as hot and I no longer feel like I have a cold. I ran an easy 10 min, then pushed it for 20 min, then caught up with Tristin and finished out the run with her which was nice. I saw her in the distance and played a game of catch up like it was a race. Total run was 5 miles in 42:49.

8/6/2009

Today you biked. Just to give you a weather update. At 4:51am it was 93* and 29% humidity with 5mphSE winds. So technically it was hotter temperature yesterday. However looks like the humidity was higher today... but they both are awful to exercise in!

8/5/2009 ~ HEAT WAVE!

It is hard to believe a year ago we were in StL. The weather was a lot nicer there than it is here. CRAZY STUFF. Think of all the stuff we accomplished together. You didn't think you'd have run a full marathon. In fact... you weren't mentally going to do a full marathon until you started joining me on my runs in November... and even then you were just about the 10k. I guess I just beat you down. Now you want to do an Ironman. You rock D!

8/1 - 8/3: Can't Believe it's Already August

So July just flew by, much like the rest of the year. Hopefully August will too, then it will start to cool down here. Saturday was my long run. I woke up early and grabbed a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, then 30 minutes later I left for the run. I brought my water belt with me filled with 2 waters and 2 cytomax. I ran 9.1 miles in 1:19:07 for a 8:41/mile. During the run my feet and right knee started to hurt a little, but nothing too bad. After the run I went to Road Runner Sports and got a new pair of shoes. I stuck with the Nike Skylons that I have been using for the past year, they are cheaper than most shoes and I know how they will fit.

Sunday I woke up, had a bagel with pb, then went for a ride. I rode for 2:22:00 and was dying by the end. The last 30min was a struggle. I don't know if my legs were still tired from the day before, or if I just didn't eat enough before or during the ride. My calves even started to cramp up, which has never happened before which makes me think I didn't drink enough water, or I lost too many electrolytes and did not replace them well enough - something to think about for the next ride. For the ride I still ended up going 41.8 miles for a 17.66 mph average. I wanted to swim in the afternoon, but was just too tired.

7/29 - 7/31

So I am almost finished with my swim heavy week and I have noticed some really good gains. I have decided to skip the run heavy and bike heavy weeks because I don't think it is very safe. So Wednesday started off with a banana and some water then off for a Tempo run. My goal was one hour, but I ran the second half a little faster and finished 6.3 miles in 55:16. The first 15 min were easy, then for the next 25 I increased to a hard yet sustainable effort, followed by 15 easy. Felt good and pain free and finished the run off with a 10 min soak in cold water. During lunch I went for a swim. Today's workout was short, fast efforts. After my warm up I did 20 - 50 yd repeats on every minute, followed by a cool down. I was wiped out afterwards. Total swim was 1400 yd in 31 min.

Thursday I woke up, had a banana and some water (this has become my meal before shorter workouts when I don't have time for the food to digest, otherwise its a pb sandwich and coffee) then went out for a ride. Today I focused on cadence trying to keep a high RPM. When I finished my legs were not as tired, but my lungs defiantly got worked harder. Thursdays ride was exactly the same time and distance as Tuesdays (17 miles in 54:47) - weird. After work was another swim. Today's swim was a long constant swim. I warmed up for 200 yds, then swam 1700 straight. I had never swam that far without stopping before, and I did it much faster than I usually swim - 1:41/100 pace rather than the 2:00/100 I have been sitting at for the past several months. It was a great confidence builder.

Today is a rest day and I plan on doing absolulty nothing!

July Totals Are In!

July's totals:
Bike: 15h 39m 23s - 275.11 Mi

Run: 9h 25m 19s - 63.31 Mi

Swim: 8h 00m 43s - 22000 Yd

This was a pretty heavy month, but it will only get tougher in August.

7/27 - 7/28 - Swim Week

So this week is a swim focused week. So I get to go to the pool everyday! Which is kind of nice cause I like the new pool. Monday I really started to feel like I got over the cold and my energy levels and sleep are back to normal. Monday morning I went for a 5am run. I am starting to feel really good when I run and am having no real pain. I ran 3.6 miles in 30:37. I didn't eat or drink any calories before the run and was starving about 20 minutes in. After work I went to the pool and swam. My workout was a 1650 yrd ladder interval, where I start with 275 yds, then 250, all the way to 25. I kept each interval at a 30sec per 25 yd pace and noticed that I am starting to be able to swim much faster. The total workout with 200 wu and 150 cd lasted 41:21.
Today I woke up, ate a banana and went for a ride. I have been trying to ride harder each week and I have noticed some nice gains in my bike fitness from it, I even reached 35.5 mph today! I rode for 17 miles in 54:47 for a 18.62 mph average. After work it was off to the pool for another swim. Todays workout was 10 x 100 yds every 1:55. I was able to keep a pretty steady pace of 1:30 per 100, leaving about 25 sec of rest between each one. Maybe its swimming in the sun, but I have been swimming so much better at the new pool.

Time flies while we're having fun!

5 weeks til I'm in STL celebrating Ellie's birthday!

9 more weeks until the Nathan's Olympic triathlon.

10 more weeks until Kristi's wedding (just a couple days after your race and we'll both be in St Louis!)

13 more weeks until the Soma Half Ironman.

19 more weeks until the Vegas/ Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon.

25 more weeks until the Chang's.

Make sure you're getting enough rest and recovery in... the next few weeks are gonna FLY BY!