Spinning!

Had a great spin class this morning, as I definitely feel my ability to stay on pace with the class is progressing. Today, I was able to fully complete a couple of standing songs, pushing myself to not back down. I still was unable to the fast up out of the saddle and back down sets. But it felt good to do sustained amount of out of saddle spinning, at one point doing to full song intervals in a row! Hopefully I can continue this progress on Monday, and slowly build my core strength to the point where I can spring out of the saddle easily and fully complete sets of up-downs, maybe after a couple weeks.

River Races

Didn't quite finish that last post.

Then, the Hock river race is two weeks from sunday. This one has only one set of decent rapids, very close to the beginning. Unfortunately the water level was slightly low, so most of the boats as we approached seemed to grinding to halt on the rocks, and then having the current push them sideways until the rolled over the drop and tipped over. So as soon as we started to hit bottom, Dave jumped out of the back of the boat, lifted the rear, and ran us through the whole set of rapids. It actually worked, and we passed a half dozen boats that were struggling not to flip over. From there the river opens up to Union Pond, which you can easily burnout your arms trying to race across, arms you are definitely going to need later. At the end of the pond is a portage around the dam. Not quite as adrenaline pumping as the Scantic portage, it is just a long concrete stairway, dropping a total of about fifty feet. Then back on the river where for the middle third of the race it winds pretty tightly through forest, without rapids, but spots where it splits around tiny islands and you have to try to figure out the faster side, as sometimes one side is very shallow and beaches your boat, while the other side has most of the current. Then the last third it basically meanders very slowly and wide through a marshy swamp. Here is were you really need arm strength and endurance, as you basically don't move unless you paddle, and you are closing on the finish line, hoping to stay ahead of or pass other boaters in your class.

So, needless to say, I have been amped up for the past couple of weeks for these races to happen, and now they are only a week away. So hopefully Dave and I can get out Saturday and shake off a year's worth of rust, so maybe we won't tip at all in the race. Although that was part of the fun I guess, in a screwed up sort of way.

Running!!!!!

Well, it didn't work to go out for a run Wed am because it was pouring rain. So, in the evening after dinner and running a couple of errands, I brought my gym clothes with and stopped at Court House. I was shooting for a thirty-five minute run with five-minute cooldown, hoping to add five minutes to my time on Sunday. But unfortunately by minute twenty I really had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up doing a two-minute cooldown after minute thirty. But at least I was able to sustain a thirty minute run on the treadmill again. This time I did 3.1 miles in thirty, as after a five-minute warmup at about 5.5 mph, I tried to keep my speed above 6.0, varying it between 6.0 and a max of 6.6 throughout the random course setting, which had me running inclines up to 4.3. So I feel good that I have two 3 mile runs in, halfway through this week. I plan on spinning class again tomorrow, possibly a bike ride or run outside Sat, and then more weights and a treadmill run Sun.

Also, I hope to get out sat with my brother Dave, to canoe on the Hockanum River, as I got two river races coming up the next two weekends. The Scantic Spring Splash is a week from saturday and a lot of fun. It's approximately five miles long, with a portage around a dam halfway through. There are three sets of rapids that you have to cross. Last year we tipped over in both the first two sets. The frigid water (about 34 degrees F), just about took my breath away. Then the portage got me warmed back up, as you pull your canoe to the side and have to climb up about a 100 feet of elevation hill to a level spot and then drop back down that 100 feet plus another 50 or so of the height of the dam, on path in the woods. It was crazy, as there were several teams of canoes doing it at the same time, and both the uphill and downhill were muddy, no traction, especially with wet water shoes. I remember my uncle telling me that him and my cousin, in their single kayaks, carried their boats together, my uncle holding the front of both boats and Nate holding the rears. When the got to the downhill he was running and couldn't stop, so Nate let go, and Eric just slid out of control down the hill and plowed into another guy and his boat!!
Anyway it was definitely an adrenaline rush to say the least and got us warmed back up for the last set of rapids, the hardest yet, with successive series of drops from about 3 to 6 feet high. Thankfully my brother and I had started to get the hang of the boat, after our first two wet experiences and were able to keep ourselves straight over the drops and keep our weight back enough to not take on water. We scooted right through in front of crowd of a couple hundred spectators, as this set was right at the finish of the race.

Monday AM Spinning and PM Volleyball League

Well, it seems that spinning class is going to work out regularly for me, which is a good thing, as my running continues to be sporadic. This monday, Danielle got to come with and she actually enjoyed Deb's demanding class, as she is in good enough shape to keep up. I keep telling myself that if I keep going and working on improving each class, I eventually will be able to fully keep up w/ Deb.
Also, I've been playing in Court House's competitive volleyball league on Monday nights, for a few months now. We are about halfway through a twelve week season and my team though we started out slow, are really starting to gel. Last night we played really well as a team, win the first two games with a close margin and then really put it to them in the last match, going three and 0 for the evening which brought us to five hundred and a tie for third place. The top four teams make playoffs, so we are hoping to stay hot and possibly make some noise down the stretch. Although next week we play my brother's powerhouse team which is loaded with just the right amount of hitters and setters, with very few weaknesses. They've only lost one match and have a very comfortable lead over my cousin's second place team.

Sunday AM workout

Well, my training may be more sporadic than I had hoped, but this morning I got in a great workout, and I am hoping to keep it going. Started out with a one-mile run to get warmed up, then went through my entire strength training workout, both lowers and uppers mixed together, with a focus on tri muscles and movements. Then Danielle, upon my request, drilled me through some core workouts, starting with planks and side planks, then single leg raises from a plank position, then raising and lower core from plank position. Then she had me do some abdominal workouts. By the time it was over, I felt sufficiently worked out to the core. Then we went back over to the treadmills for a 3 mile run to finish out. I have in the past always hated running on the treadmill as the constant pace seems unnatural to me. But today, I made a point to periodically change the speed as the random setting sent me up and down hills, kind like I would adjust my pace on the road. Also what really helped was to put all my focus on a rhythmic breathing pattern, inhaling through my nose through four steps, and exhaling through my mouth through four steps. This helped to keep my mind of my legs, and run through some of the pain that usually slows me down.

Mountain biking

Oh and I forgot I have kept up with at least one bike ride a week, as both of the past weeks since my plan began, I have gone out Sunday am for a two hour ride at Soapstone, with my brother and cousins. On these rides, I try to both keep my intensity up as much as possible, while still enjoying riding out in the woods. This last Sunday, we saw a deer and what seemed to be a fisher cat, which initially my cousins dogs started to chase, but thankfully thought better and returned.
Also, I finally purchased my own mountain bike, returning my brother's to him. I found a 2002 Giant Rincon in perfect condition on craigslist, seemed to get a great deal on it, as others I found were in fair condition for more money. So now I have front shocks at least, (the bike I was riding was a rigid fork) something wrists and arms are happy about. I was able to ride it last Sunday, but it was tough to get a feel for it, as the trails were so sticky with mud that it felt like we riding with a brakes partially clamped down on the wheels. So, I am itching for more this weekend, hopefully the weather doesn't mess up my plans.

Training Update

Well, my plan hasn't quite worked. I have got back in the gym for strength training, twice a week. One thing on that though, I feel like I need to work on my core strength, a lot more to help me endure longer times on the bike.
The running has not happened, except for one attempt to run on the treadmill at the gym. For some reason, I just can't get into a natural rhythm of the treadmill, it just never feels right. Running at a constant speed just doesn't work for me. I must vary my pace more than most people. And my thought to run before work outside kind of got screwed up by daylight savings time, and it's an hour later til sunrise now. I guess I should strap on the headlamp and go anyway.
On the bright side, Danielle and I switched gyms, from Cardio Express to Court House Plus. It has considerably more equipment and various free classes and it is much cleaner. One of the reasons for switching was the Spinning classes they offer, which I attended two of this week. Monday morning was with the notoriously hard teacher. She pretty much rides her bike in the front of class, screaming at us to keep up the intensity, and increase resistance and spin faster and on and on for an hour. I definitely had trouble with standing for a while, my back starts to give out. This is why I am thinking I need to work on my core some more, to strengthen my abs and back so they can hold my weight while I pedal out of the saddle.

Training plan for march

Well so far for the off-season, none of my training regimens have stuck. But lets try again for March. I went over to the Belding property this afternoon and put on my cross-country skis for the first time in 3 or 4 years and did the three-mile loop. Unfortunately the snow from Friday had mostly melted and I skied an icy and sometimes bare path but still nice to get out on the skis again. Mainly I figured I could scope out the spot for morning training runs before work. It is only a five minute drive, and there are several options for loops of up to 3 miles, so it should work out nicely. I want to focus on running for the month, seeing as all I did in February was the Half-marathon, without any training runs. The plan is:

3 mile trail run, 2 mornings per week
strength training at the gym 2 evenings per week
one bike ride and one 4-6 mile run per weekend

I will make weekly reports, hopefully all complete!!!

Colchester Half Marathon

Well, I did it again. This was my second year running the colchester half-marathon. And once again it proved to be brutal on my legs. I would say I was in slightly better shape this time around, although I did't even come close to my goal of running a couple times a week leading up to it. But I figured after a solid year of triathlon training and racing, my base fitness must be better. Well it only turned out to be 2 minutes better. I finished in 2:13:25, a average of 10:12 per mile. Once again the last 2 mile hill proved to be a killer, as up to mile 11 I was on pace for under 10 min per mile, my realistic goal, with none of previous miles over 10:35, but mile 12, I miserable plodded along in 10:45, before falling apart and walking a good chunk of mile 13 making it a 12:30 mile and coming in over my 2 hrs, 10 min goal time.
The positive is that Daniell ran it with me and it was great to "share" this with her. On the way there, she kept saying how nice it would be to run a race together. The only problem was at the first hill at mile 2, she dropped me as I had to walk a little. Then for the next two miles I watched her about 250 feet in front of me until the first water station where she kept going, (she was wearing a camelbak) and I had to stop for hydration. After that I didn't see her again until the finish line where she was waiting for me for seven minutes. Turns out she had a nice relaxing run, socializing with a few other runners! I on the other hand couldn't have talked even if they were around me, as I was giving it all out effort to try to catch back up to her. The toughest part was mile around mile 10, where there is a mile and a half stretch on a dirt road through the forest, it was the loneliest fifteen minutes for me, as no one was near me and due to the weather, it was a pretty gloomy, depressing scene.
But hey, I still had a 'great' time, and I beat my time from last year, so it was definitely worth it. Now to try and get out and do some more run training now that my legs have had a week to recover.