# Triathlon Training Journal



## ponyboy (Jul 30, 2003)

After having pursued the bodybuilding lifestyle for three years and having competed twice as a fitness model, this summer I decided to change things around and start training for something different.  

I honestly got a little disillusioned about the whole fitness model scene when I was put on stage against people who actually flat out told me in the lineup waiting to go on stage that they had just come off of Winstrol three weeks before.  I'm the first one to admit I don't have a good BB physique b/c I'm a classic ectomorph.  All excuses aside, it's definitely not a career for me.  

I decided to change things around and start training for multisport events (triathlons and duathlons).  For anyone who doesn't know what they are, they normally consist of a swim, followed by a bike and then a run all right after the other with no rest.  My first (which I just completed) was a 400m swim/10 km bike and 3km run.  Not so tough, but let me tell you it's a lot harder than it sounds when you are going flat out for a long amount of time.  

For my first one I did pretty well...placed 14th out of 70 people and 4th on my age category (males 25-29) with a time of 40:51.  Got bitten by the bug and now i'm training for a longer one on August, which is where this journal comes in.  Distances for that one are a 750 meter swim, 30km bike and a 7km run (considered a "sprint" distance).  

Planning on cataloguing my workouts (training) and nutrition for the most part.  Nutrition isn't as important as BB because you're not trying to get shredded, so some of you may freak at what I eat but it really doesn't make a lot of difference.  It's more eating to maintain proper glycogen stores and I want to try to maintain my muscle mass as much as possible as well.  

Comments are welcome!


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## ponyboy (Jul 30, 2003)

Yesterday (July 29th):

Swim workout:  100 meter intervals x 5, 50 meter sprints x 3

Working mostly on my technique with the help of a friend who was watching my form.  Swimming is my hardest part because I have NEVER swam for distance before.  The first time I got in the pool four weeks ago I thought I was going to die after one lap.  Now I can do 500 meters non stop, but I still need to build up to 750.  Would like to be able to swim 1km before the race.   

Meals:

8am: Cereal with skim milk

10:30am: Bran muffin w/ coffee

1pm:  Pasta (Tortellini) with alfredo sauce and a chicken breast

4pm: 500 ml skim milk (cafeteria closed...grr)

8pm: Chicken breast pizza with sun dried tomato and mushrooms (out for dinner).  Plus a beer!  

Today I'm going for a long bike ride and playing beach volleyball with my league team.


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## Jodi (Jul 30, 2003)

Goodluck Ponyboy!  When in August is your next triathalon?


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## ponyboy (Jul 30, 2003)

Thanks Jodi!   

It's August 30th...gives me just over four weeks to be able to do everything.  My first one last weekend I had only trained for four weeks, so I'm pretty confident.  The thing is, once you get to the higher distances the better racers come out to play...


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## Jodi (Jul 30, 2003)

Well Good for you, I wish you luck! 

My sister just ran the Kona Marathon in Hawaii and she placed 106th Overall with a pulled hamstring.  She is doing the Boston Marathon AGAIN next year but after that she says she wants to get into Triathalons instead.  She's bored with just running!


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## ponyboy (Jul 31, 2003)

July 30th, 2003

Biking yesterday and did my longest distance to date.  I actually didn't have my computer hooked up so have no idea how far I went, but biked for 35 mins at a good pace, so probably about 15-20 kilometers.  When I'm racing I can average 30km/h so that sounds about right.  

Then of course beach volleyball, where my team got totally ripped off in one game.  Pissed me off because it spoils our perfect record because the other team is a bunch of wussies  and knew they were about to lose.  One guy tried to keep slamming on me and missing into the net or getting blocked every time, by the end it was just pathetic.  

Meals yesterday:

5:30AM Cereal and water

8:30AM Three egg omlette with cheese

12:30PM Chicken Breast sandwich (flax bread) with Salad

4pm Chicken and vegetables

5:30-6:30 ride 6:30-8:30 volleyball

9pm burger and fries (eating out again) and more beer...that's becoming a really bad trend lately.  We always have beer after volleyball though.  

Day off today because of work (14 frickin hours!) and then running tomorrow plus a spinning course all weekend.  I'm going to be a machine by the end of all this!


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## ponyboy (Aug 1, 2003)

Friday August 1st

No training yesterday because of a 14 hour work day, which is standard for Thursdays.  Head out at 5:45AM and return home at 8:15PM...lovely.  Got to catch up with some clients though...and may have a couple of new ones on the way.  

Meals yesterday:

6AM Oatmeal

9AM Three Egg omlette w/cheese.  

1PM 500 mls milk

3:30PM Chicken and vegetables

8PM Chicken wraps with veggies.  These were freaking good!  

Today:  Swimming workout because I'm doing a spinning course tomorrow.  Didn't want to waste the legs on a run today.  Bought some new bike shorts...they make anyones ass look good, even mine.  

Timed swim intervals:  

100m plus rest for 3 minute intervals x 3
Doing all three between 2:15 and 2:25 per 100m...then rest to 3 mins and start again.  Damn that's slow.  

200m plus rest for 6 minute intervals x 2
Did the first one in 5 mins flat, second one in 5:15.  Still freaking slow.  Trying to work on my bilateral breathing (on both sides)

50 minute bilateral breathing practice intervals x 2
Breathing on the other side SEVERELY screws me up...I end up choking on water most of the time.  Makes me faster though.  Need to work on this.  

100m intervals x 2 to finish

Completed in total: 1000 meters today.  Would love to get this up to 1500, and start doing longer interval swims.  I need to be able to complete 750 without stopping for rest.  

Tomorrow spinning (group cycling) for probably 3 hours or so...that will be wonderful for my butt!


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## Jodi (Aug 1, 2003)

> Tomorrow spinning (group cycling) for probably 3 hours or so...that will be wonderful for my butt!



Ahhh, I miss spinning.  I had so much fun.


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## ponyboy (Aug 4, 2003)

Monday, August 4th

Been away for a couple of days so haven't had a chance to post...but I have had a chance to train!   

Took a spinning (group cycling teaching) course on Saturday, which was awesome...I'm looking forward to teaching it because it's more about the music and the connection to your mind and heart, and not how hard you're pushing people.  So I spent about 60 minutes on the bike that day (expected a lot more)...not hard at all.  

Yesterday, however...went to visit my friend who also does these types of sports..."Hey Dave, let's go for a 40km bike ride!".  Okay, sure...except he forgot to tell me it was uphill mostly for the first 15-20 km.  I was freaking DYING.  

The only good thing is, what goes up must come down, so the way back was mostly downhill...it's awesome when you're shooting downhill and can get up to speeds of 40-50km/h on a bike.  We rode for about an hour...it was really good.  

Then he let me try his wetsuit and we went swimming...it made a huge difference in my speed, so I'm definitely going to have to pick one up.  

My meals have sucked except for the Krispy Kreme donut I had yesterday...damn those things are good!  I'd never had one before.


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## dymas (Aug 4, 2003)

ponyboy -

looking forward to following your training journal! I did a few tris..small ones though and loved it. Wish I could dedicate more time for it, it's a great sport!

Spinning huh? Never been in a spin class...alot of my bike shop friends teach em but I never got into it. How does it compare to actually riding?

good luck and if your ass gets sore from longer rides you can try chamois cream. I know it prob. sounds nasty but man it sure helps if you spend 4 hours plus in the saddle...


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## ponyboy (Aug 5, 2003)

Chamois cream?  Isn't that what you clean your car with?  I'm not sure if I want my butt all shiny and waxed up!  

Thanks for the input, and please keep it coming...it is great to have support while training like this because it's freaking hard.  

Tuesday, August 5th

My buddy called last night and the distance we biked Saturday was only 27km    oh well, it was a good ride.  The great thing is that I'm really not sore at all...a good sign considering I think I spent a lot of time above my anaerobic threshold, which I'm trying to avoid.  

Went for a 5km run yesterday and it was no problem.  I could have done more, but I'm trying to stick to the whole add 10% a week theory so that I avoid hurting myself.  Next week I'll do 5.5, then 6, then by the time my race happens I'll be up to 7-8 km per run.  

Swimming tonight...going to try to do 1500 meters in total and see how it goes.  Also planning on practicing bilateral breathing...out of both sides so you can go faster.  Last time it was totally useless because my flexibility is far greater on one side.  We'll see how it goes this time.  Just need to get my neural pathways established and I'll be fine.


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## ponyboy (Aug 6, 2003)

No training yesterday...freaking day got away from me and I lost time because of unexpected work stuff.  Damn people actually wanting me to work and all.  

Meals:  

8:30AM Egg whites and rye toast

10:30Am Bagel and Coffee with Cream cheese

1PM  Chicken Breast on Ciabatta with grilled veggies

Had a long wait for food after this...damn cafeteria.  

7PM Grilled beef with rice

Today I'm definitely swimming (if the weather holds) and then beach volleyball.


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## dymas (Aug 6, 2003)

chamois cream is stuff for your bike shorts 

if you have padded shorts you can use cream on them. If you don't wear padded (chamois) shorts pick some up! I wouldn't think of riding anything over 30 miles without a good pair of riding shorts. I usually wear lycra shorts since I road bike but alot of mountain bikers wear normal shorts with a sewn in liner...

from branford.com website:

Q: How does chamois cream make riding more comfortable?
A: The purpose of a short's chamois is to grip, and stay in contact with, your skin. When your skin and the chamois move as one, painful chafing and heat buildup is eliminated. Chamois cream helps create a better bond between your bare skin and the short's chamois. It also kills bacteria and fungus that can lead to saddle soreness, blisters and infections.

Basically if you spend like 4+ hours in the saddle you are going to sweat...that build up cause heat rashes and festers bacteria. I use it for any ride over 4 hours. ANything less than that I usually don't bother unless it's silly hot and humid out.

Good brands I recommand:
Chamois BUTT'r
Assos Chamois Cream
Cafe Chamois Cream (from branford but $$$)


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## ponyboy (Aug 6, 2003)

Never realized there was so much involved.  I just have regular bike shorts with padding so that my nuts don't get too crushed and I can still try to have children in a few years.  

Thanks for the advice


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## ponyboy (Aug 7, 2003)

Thursday, August 7th,

Swimming yesterday and man, it was really tough for some reason.  I think I'm starting to get run down, which is why I'm taking a day off of work today to relax and recharge.  Also the fact I got my head clocked during beach volleyball didn't help at all.  

4 x 100 meter intervals

2 x 150 meter intervals

2 sprint intervals 50 meters

2 x 100 meter intervals

Did some kick work with a flutterboard...harder than it sounds for 150 meters

1 x 100 meters

Total:  1350 meters, short of my goal of 1500 meters.  My shoulders and my breathing were very poor.  Could also have been the weather because it was very hot and sticky yesterday here in good old Toronto.  

Going to rest today in the morning and then do a bike/run brick to see how it feels.


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## ponyboy (Aug 8, 2003)

Friday, August 8th...hard to believe it's almost halfway through August already.  

Took a "mental health day" yesterday to relax and train, I just didn't feel like working!  I think it helped because my batteries felt recharged this morning.  Of course, I'm still in trouble physically, but at least I had time for myself.  

Yesterday I did a bike/run brick.  A brick is basically one exercise right after the other just as if you were racing.  It is designed so that you get used to the feel of transition from one exercise to the other, because they do feel quite different.  

I biked I have no idea how far...probably about 15km, I'm thinking.  It was down a trail which was really nice but annoying because it has a lot of turns, and it is hard to turn on a bike travelling at 25-30km/h.  I was pushing myself fairly hard and feeling good riding.  Got behind this one guy who I passed, then he passed me, etc...we traded back and forth for a while (about 5km) and it was nice to have a pace to set with someone.  Biked for about 30 minutes.  Then came into the beach area, hopped off the bike...

Started running and felt okay at first, but my heart just wasn't in it.  I could tell my heart rate was too high and my legs started to burn after about 7 minutes (about 1.5 km).  I told myself run for 10 minutes, then turn around and run back.  However, when I got to the turnaround, I made the fatal mistake of stopping, and then my legs just wouldn't start again  .  I never should have stopped  .  

For my race in three weeks I have to be able to bike for an hour and then hop off of the bike and run for 40 minutes...so I'd better get my ass in gear if I want to be able to do this.  

The thing is, I know I can do all the events individually, but one after the other is going to be the issue.  Plus I don't just want to finish, I want to do well.


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## ponyboy (Aug 12, 2003)

Holy crap...what a weekend...and it's Tuesday.   

Didn't get a hell of a lot of training in this weekend because of friends coming down to party Saturday.  Then another friend came in Sunday who I eventually had to kick out because I was so exhausted.  

Tack that on top of stress because my psycho ex girlfriend is back in town (and vandalising my friends' cars) and it's going to be a long week.  Now...let's see...did I do anything over the weekend?  

Not much.  Damn.  Plus, I have NO idea when I'm going to have time to do anything this week or weekend.  

Okay, time to make a plan.  Today...hopefully leave work early, go home and go for a run (at least 5-6km).  Tomorrow swimming and beach volleyball.  Thursday is nutty busy, but hopefully I can fit in a bike ride at work.  Then all weekend I'm at a fitness conference.  

Countdown:  two weeks from Saturday to the major race!


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## Jenny (Aug 12, 2003)

Great journal Pony! 

I'm a spinning instructor too, gotta love it! 

I was planning on doing a triathlon in the beginning of July after I did my first Half Marathon, but my shins were killing me and it didn't happen  And I suck at swimming 

Looking forward to following this


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## ponyboy (Aug 12, 2003)

Thanks Jenny  Please feel free to kick my ass.  I'm kicking myself over the lack of focus lately.  

Definitely running tonight after I teach a stability ball class.  Even if it kills me.


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## ponyboy (Aug 13, 2003)

Grr...I'm very frustrated... 

Didn't run last night b/c my Dad wanted us all to go out for dinner...fine...had a grilled chicken pizza with veggies and thin whole wheat crust....yum!  Still, felt like a slacker.  

Get to work this morning, do my morning duties (I work as a corporate fitness/wellness coordinator for Microsoft) and decide to go for a run when I know nobody will be in the gym.  Best time is always around 9:30-11:30...

Get on the damn treadmill at 10:15AM and I'm ten minutes in and this freaking lady comes in to work out with a whole bunch of questions!  Grr!  At 10AM!  Shouldn't you be in a damn meeting or something like everyone else in the building?

Run gets interrupted, I'm pissed off and won't have another chance to do another run today...have to swim before volleyball.  

Just feel like throwing her out the wondow right now or telling her to leave me alone...rant over.


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## ponyboy (Aug 14, 2003)

Finally a good workout yesterday.  Went for a 45 minute bike ride, unfortunately I have no idea how far I went.  My legs are not too sore today at all, which is a good sign as well, although my body feels tired.  It was so freaking hot and humid here I had to drink about a gallon of water throughout the ride and then later at volleyball.  

Right now I'm starting to get pissed at my bike because it doesn't feel fast enough.  When I'm racing I need to be able to average about 32-34km/h...right now I'm doing about 28-30 I think depending on the terrain.  For the type of bike I have that's not bad...I really need to be able to measure my speed and distance so gotta get a good bike computer.  

I think I've figured out I want to date a volleyball player...tall, athletic, good shape, hair usually in a ponytail and doesn't mind getting dirty.  Great combination!  

This weekend is the big Canadian fitness conference so I'm out of commission for the weekend.  Doh.


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## ponyboy (Aug 14, 2003)

Okay, just got in a weight workout and wanted to log it so that I can come back and remember.  

HIT style workout total body - took me about 30 mins.  

Warmup - 5 mins. tmill 3.0MPH 6% grade
Rotator Cuff - external and internal rotation warmup
Incline Chest Press 1 set to failure
Straight 1 Arm pulldowns - back warmup
Chins (mid grip) 2 sets to failure 30 secs RI
SuperSet - Dumbbell Sumo Squats/Cable Crossovers 2 sets no RI
SuperSet - Straight Arm Pulldowns/Standing Calf Raises 2 sets no RI
Wood Choppers 2 sets/side (obliques)
Superset - Standing Dumbbell Curls/Cable Pressdowns 2 sets 30 secs RI.  
Stability Ball Crunches 2 sets 30 secs RI

Not a bad total body workout and it was fast and easy.  I think I'm going to keep doing this 2-3 times per week just to try and maintain my symmetry and lean mass a little bit.  

Now to eat...three egg omlette with chicken and veggies..mmm


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## ponyboy (Aug 18, 2003)

Thanks to a busy weekend it was a little bit of a bust.  Went for a 4 km run Friday morning with a friend of mine and that went fine.  Actually he gave up before the end because of cramping, and it was a pretty easy run anyway.  Funny how these things get easier the more you do them.  5k for me at this point would be quite easy, I think.  After a swim and a bike, I have no idea.  

Weights today and then tonight is stressful...have to break up with a girl I'm dating and she's not going to be happy about it.  

I'm also going to start seriously focusing on my diet...it's been far too sporadic lately and I'm getting sick of it.  

Meals today:  

8AM:  Oatmeal
10:30: Chicken Breast and carrots
1PM: Chicken Sandwich with cheese on Stone ground bread


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## ponyboy (Aug 19, 2003)

Broke up with one of the girls I'm dating yesterday so it was a bad day.  The best solution to a bad day?

Go for a run!

Went over to a friend's house and instantly went out for about 20 minutes in total.  Her pace was a little too slow so I went forward without her and by the time I had run 10 minutes I was about a kilometer ahead of her, which was pretty cool.  I felt good and hopefully tonight when I'm running again things will be even better.  Biking tomorrow and then swimming Friday.  I'm going to try to get some weights in tomorrow and Friday as well.  

Funny how by now running 5km is like nothing to me.  I was feeling great, not tired, heart rate barely above 130-140 BPM.  And my pace was really good.  Awesome.  

Meals:  

4pm yesterday:  Chicken breast and veggies
7pm:  Subway Chicken breast sub...cheat


8AM:  Oatmeal
10:30AM:  Nonfat muffin with cheese
1PM: Roast beef sandwich on flax bread w/cheese.  

Need to eat something soon.


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## ponyboy (Aug 20, 2003)

Ran again yesterday as a date...which was actually really cool.  Nice to be out with a girl that enjoys being active.  Again, I have no idea how far we went but it was at least 5km and I was doing it no problem at all.  Have to figure out what type of workout I want to do tonight because I'm only going to have about 45 mins.  Not quite long enough for a ride...or actually, it is.  I'll go for a bike tonight before volleyball and then swimming I will save until Friday when I can do it at my cottage in open water.

Plan for the next few days:  

Tonight: Bike 45 mins
Thursday: Off (my long day)
Friday: Swim 30 mins open water
Saturday: Long Bike (at least 60-90 minutes)
Sunday: maybe run, but also putting that as an off day because it's a friends birthday Sat. night.  
Monday: Swim 45-60 minutes.  

It's weird to think it's only ten days away from my next race.

Didn't get a lot of sleep last night because I had to be up at 5AM...teaching yoga at 7:30 definitely helped with the whole process because now I feel great.  I'm going to get some breakfast and start my regular day.  

Actually, I have nothing to do today.  I might hit some weights later as well since I have the time to work out at work!


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## ponyboy (Aug 22, 2003)

Weight workout today:

Warmup: External cable rotations 2 sets
Incline Chest Press 2 sets 12/10 reps
Straight arm pulldowns 2 sets 12/12 reps
Close grip chins 2 sets to failure

Superset:  Dumbbell squats/Cable crossovers 2 sets 
Superset:  Calf raises/Lateral Raises 2 sets
Superset:  Dumbell Bicep curls/Pressdowns 2 sets
Wood choppers 2 sets/side

Pushed a little harder today and felt it, which is nice.  It's been a while since I've felt a good weight workout.  

Today is open water swimming at the cottage, then tomorrow I'm going to try for a hard workout...40km bike followed by a 10km run.  I might be dead afterwards, but at least I'll know I can finish the distance.


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## naturaltan (Aug 22, 2003)

Do you not think it would be good to know how far you're going, whether it be biking, running or swimming?

I know that from past experience, what I thought was a certain distance was quite a bit off, but then again, I'm not good at judging distances.


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## ponyboy (Aug 22, 2003)

Do you mean for the race, or when I practice?  I'm working on getting a good bike computer installed...if anyone has ever done this they know what a pain in the ass it can be.  Without that it's almost impossible to know how far I'm going and how fast.  Same with running...the paths don't have kilometers marked off, so I go on a regular circuit that I know is between 4-5 km and adjust from there.  

For this weekend I'm going to measure the distance in my car and then use that info tomorrow for the practice run.  At this point it's a matter of being able to actually perform continuous physical activity for 2 hours (my goal time).


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## naturaltan (Aug 22, 2003)

Yeah ... I meant for your training.  I always ran a path I marked out by driving first ... but I guess if you're running paths and such, that method minght not work  

I might try a marathon next year.  A friend of mine just finished The Great Canadian Death Race.    Tomorrow he's doing his first triathalon.  He's got a schedule that will hopefully get him to a full triathalon in 2 years.  If I could swim, I'd give that a go ...


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## ponyboy (Aug 22, 2003)

I would definitely encourage you to   it's totally addictive and fun.  I hadn't swum in ten years before I got back in the pool six weeks ago and now it's no big deal.  There is so much technique involved it's amazing.  You can even dog paddle for short distances...many people do!  

I can't even imagine doing a marathon...42km is crazy far.  I can't even bike that yet.  My goals are to complete a sprint this year, Olympic distance next year, maybe 1/2 Ironman the year after that and then maybe full Ironman.  It's a life goal.


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## ponyboy (Aug 24, 2003)

Sunday and I woke up today feeling like crap.  I made the mistake of going out last night for a friends birthday and I think after the workout I had yesterday it is going to hit me pretty hard.  I'm fighing a fever and my joints are really achey.  I'm pumping myself full of Vitamin C and eating soup and anything else I can get my hands on to keep my strength up.  If I get sick now I'm screwed.  

Workout yesterday (Saturday) was awesome.  I went out basically just to complete the workout: 90 minutes in total of almost max effort cycling and running.  I would have added swimming but the winds had the lake way too rough to swim properly.  At least I got to try out my wetsuit, but I just bobbed around like a cork in a bathtub.  

Biked 30km in 1 hour and ten minutes...not bad considering the headwind I had, averaged 25.7km/h.  I took NT's advice and invested in a good bike computer on my way up to the cottage, and had the store install it for me, and it works awesome.  Didn't realize how much difference the wind makes until I had it behind me and all of a sudden I was going 33km/h.  Amazing.  

Then I hopped off of the bike, took 2 mins (transition time) and ran for 5km.  I was surprised because it felt great and actually pretty easy.  I did the 5km (actually 4.6) in 22 minutes, giving me a split time of 4:46 per km.  Which is a 7:38 mile...not a bad pace at all considering I was already over an hour into the workout.  

Race in less than one week, but if I don't get over this illness I'm going to be really pissed.  My goal time is as follows:  

Swim:  2 mins/100 meters = 15 minutes
T1: 3 mins
Bike: 28-30km/h average = 60-65 mins
T2: 1.5 mins (drop the bike and go)
Run: 5 min km's = 35 mins

Total time:  115-120 mins or under two hours, which is my goal.


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## ponyboy (Aug 26, 2003)

Tuesday...five days to race

Still not feeling 100%, but I'm committing to at least finishing this race and then getting ready for the next one.  Even if I place really poorly at least I can say that I've done it.  My goal time (should) put me near the top half of probably over 800 racers.  

Did a light ride this morning on a spinning bike for about 30 mins keeping my HR between 120 and 153.  Didn't want to push too hard because of how I'm feeling.  I'm a little nervous because I'm likely not going to have any time to swim between now and Saturday, and that's probably going to be my worst part.  Even though it only lasts for about 15-20 mins, it can still knock you out for the rest of the race if you take your HR too high.  

If I have any time to swim it's going to be tomorrow.  That will probably be my last workout before Saturday because I want to make sure I'm fully rested and ready for the race.  

Carbing up begins as well to make sure the glycogen stores are totally full...and sodium loading as well to make sure your electrolytes balance out on race day.  Just had another 3 egg omlette with a bowl of oatmeal and added salt to get some extra sodium in there.


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## naturaltan (Aug 26, 2003)

finishing in the top of half of 800 racers is an excellent goal!  I think finishing should be the short term goal ... *DO NOT QUIT* unless you are dieing ... and then, think about it twice!


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## ponyboy (Aug 26, 2003)

Don't worry about that.  I'm racing with three friends of mine, two women and my best male friend, who I'm determined to beat because he beat me in my last race by 200 meters.  

I'm the type of person that won't stop until I'm unconcious.  He actually called me yesterday and said I should drop down to the shorter distance race out of concern because of my illness...yeah, right...it's because he's afraid I'm going to KICK HIS ASS.


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## ponyboy (Aug 27, 2003)

Booked my hotel room yesterday so that I can get some booty before this race...thank god for female companionship...going back to the well, but any port in a storm, I always say.  

I was just looking at the times for last year's race...damn some of these people are fast.  I have to realize my limitations:

1) Have only been training this way for eight weeks
2) Have a normal hybrid bike...way slower than a road/tri bike
3) I'm not a competitive swimmer, runner etc...I'm a bodybuilder.  

At least I know I'll look the best with my shirt off!    

My meals have been good and consistent so far, and I think I'm totally over my cold, although I still felt pretty weak this morning.  I'm also having issues with my right shoulder - rotator cuff has flared up, which is a pain in the ass right now because it's going to limit my swim.  I'm going to see if I can book a massage for tomorrow or Friday.  

Tonight I pick up my bike from servicing and I'll probably go for a light ride just to try out my new bars.  Then volleyball, which I'm totally not looking forward to again.


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## ponyboy (Aug 28, 2003)

Thursday:  Two days to race day

Picked up my bike last night and they did an awesome job putting on the bars and moving stuff around.  My cook looks totally cool now, like a real racing bike!   

It also felt better too for some reason.  At one point I'm cruising along on a slght downhill in a 40km/h zone, looked down and realized I was doing 45!  It would be cool to get a speeding ticket on a bicycle!  The bars make quite a difference when you go right over, it really cuts down on the wind resistance...adds probably 2 km/h when you're like that, which would cut 4 minutes off of my overall time...not a lot, but when you think that it might mean the difference of 10 places, it does make a difference.  

Tried to swim last night but the pool was too freaking crowded...people were swimming all over the place and pissing me off so I did 400 meters and gave up.  

Then volleyball and I'm not doing any more workouts.  Tomorrow I'm getting picked up  and driven to the city where the race is.  If anyone has been following this journal along, wish me luck on Saturday!


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## naturaltan (Aug 28, 2003)

I have ... I'll be interested in hearing the results ... what you learned and will/might do different next time.  

Good luck PB!!


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## ponyboy (Sep 2, 2003)

Here's my official race report:  it's pretty damn long, but it was a pretty damn long race as well.  Could have been better, but considering the circumstances, I'm happy.  

My first triathlon, and it was a learning experience. Very humbling. I went into the race not expecting much, but I had two goals in mind: to finish in under 2hrs. and to beat my friend who has done three races to my one. I have only been training for tri for about eight weeks, and have a pretty cheap hybrid bike, so my expectations were not high for a great finish. Little did I know everything that was going to happen that day...

Distance: 750m/30km/7km

The day began with a light breakfast and we hit the course early. Managed to score the first spot on the rack for my AG, which I thought was a good sign. Tons of people around, they were expecting about 1000 people between the tri-a-tri (first) and the sprint. It's intimidating when you look at the other racks and see that your bike is almost the ONLY one that isn't a road or tri bike. Damn budget! Mental note...save for new bike...this will become more important later.

Before the race began there was a death during the tri-a-tri...a gentleman drowned due to unknown circumstances. The girl I was with is a nurse who attended and helped to revive him, but he was DOA at the hospital. I don't think many people were even aware it happened. It was a pretty big eye opener and made me extra nervous. I think my HR going into the start was probably about 120. 

Swim: First ever mass start...not bad, actually. I found some space and just kept stroking along at an easy pace. I didn't want to kill myself because I wanted to make sure I could finish. Everything was fine until the 2nd buoy when some jackass swum right over me and almost put me under. It was also hard to see because of murky water. Got out of the swim at literally the exact same time as my friend. 
19:03 - 2:33/100m, 44/51AG, 455/590 overall

T1 and 2 were both awesome and smooth, that's probably the part of the race I was happiest with. 1:30 and :45 respectively. 

Bike: This is where the fun began. My friend left T1 2 seconds ahead of me. My strategy was just to keep up with him (he has a proper road bike) and pass him on the run. About 2km in I managed to pass him and just kept going. My elastic laces were loose so every 3rd rider was telling me to watch they didn't get caught in my chain. And trust me, I got passed a LOT. About 20km in my seat decided it was giving up the ghost and broke, leaving me at the bottom of my post setting. I hopped off and tried to fix it, but no dice, so I figured I would just keep going. It probably looked like I was riding a Huffy bike with the high handlebars because they were almost eye level. 
About 25 km in my chain slipped off going up a hill and got jammed in between my gears and the frame. Hopped off again and tried to wrench it free, but again, no dice. Another competitor came to help and we managed to get it free and I could keep going. Awesome how tri athletes will help someone in need. By now I was just laughing because people who started 12 minutes behind were now blowing past me. My friend was only about 5 minutes ahead of me at this point, because I had managed to stay with him for the first 25km. Good news is my legs were fine because my biking was so start and stop. 
1:07:49 - 26.5km/h (ouch!), 47/51AG, 507/590 overall. 

Run: Got into T2 and out quickly, and my support was back from the hospital, so I focused on catching my friend, not knowing how far ahead he was. Another guy from my AG started right along with me so we matched paces and drafted off each other for a while. About 1.5 km in I spotted my friend plodding along and that gave me enough energy for a boost. Slowly passed him at about 2km and decided to just keep going. Of course, by this time my HR as about 185 and I'm dying. About 5km in my left quad started to cramp and feel like it was going to fall off. I just kept taking in Gatorade and water and just kept going and going and going...it felt like forever. Came around for the final km and saw the clock was at 1:58, so I knew my time goal was gone, but still decided to finish strong. My friend was nowhere in sight. Plodded slowly across the finish line and felt wonderful. 
35:43, 5:07/km, 38/51AG, 322/590 overall (180 spots higher than the bike). 

Total: 2:04:37, 44/51AG - strictly back of the pack baby! 

Beat my friend my 5 mins...turned out he puked on the run after I passed him. 

Lessons learned: Get a new bike. Have proper hydration during bike to prevent cramping in the run. Don't change gears standing going uphill. 

That was probably the hardest thing physcially I have ever done, and I've done kickboxing marathons for eight hours. It was awesome. I have one more race this season and then I'm going to start getting fired up for next year.   I'm planning on continuing lifting in the off season to maintain my muscle mass. 

Next race in 18 days, which is a duathlon - 4km run, 23km bike, 4km run.


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## naturaltan (Sep 2, 2003)

Nicely done!!


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## MUMatt05 (Sep 2, 2003)

Congratulations!  

With a hybrid, you really had no chance against the rest of the AG, but that wasn't the point, was it.  Well done on your finish, and most importantly, having fun.

The problem with the chain is an easy fix at your bike shop, or by you, if you're brave.  It's just a minor adjustment to the lower limit screw on your deralieur.  I'd recommend the shop though, because if you do the wrong screw, the wrong way, you will end up throwing your der. into your spokes.

Remember when you go looking for a road bike, the FIT is the most important, by far, thing to consider.  It is paramount.  A $2,500 carbon fibre bike that doesn't fit, will be worse than what you're riding now.

Good luck with your training & your upcoming duathalon.


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## ponyboy (Sep 3, 2003)

Thanks for the advice!  Good to hear...it's getting really hard right now to resist running out and investing in a new bike because I really think that's my limiting factor right now...however, I do have to realize that it is my first year racing and I can't expect much.  I'm going to wait until after Christmas and save some cash for a bike that will be good to race with for the next 3-5 years hopefully.  

Scary to think you can spend $5000 on a bicycle...I'd be afraid to ride the damn thing in traffic.  My insurance broker would probably laugh if I asked to insure a bike.  

Okay, here's the plan for the upcoming weeks - don't need to swim anymore, which is a good thing because it means I can devote more attention to the bike, which is obviously where I need to make up time.  This next race is two runs and a bike in between.  I know I'll have no problem completing it, I just need to work on my speed.  I would like to be able to run 4:30 kilometers (7:12 miles) for this race on average, and hopefully under 7 minute miles for the first 4 km.  That's pretty damn fast, but since I have been doing 8 minute miles in race conditions, I am confident it can be done.  I just need to keep track of my heart rate while running and hit my thresholds.  

Plan:  Run 2x per week for at least 5km.
Bike 2x per week for at least 45-60 minutes.
1 brick per week (either bike/run or run/bike) for 60 minutes combined.  Maybe longer if time permits.  
Weights 2x per week still total body circuit - today will be my first workout after the race.  

Goal time for next race:  90 minutes.  This would be running 5 minutes per kilometer average and biking at 29 km/h average for the bike portion.  I think my 26.5 was low for this race because of my problems and because the course was VERY hilly.


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## ponyboy (Sep 4, 2003)

Okay...ended up doing more than I thought yesterday but everything turned out okay.  I was planning on doing a run, and then relaxing but I ended up doing a 5k run, a 12k bike and then playing beach volleyball (which thank god is finally over...my team sux  ).  

People call me competitive but I say why play something if you don't want to compete.  If you don't want to compete then play in the rec league...we play advanced.  Also, I was the ONLY one on my team who actually showed up every week for the season.  Slackers piss me off.  Last night was just pathetic.  Needless to say I'm not playing with that bunch again.  Okay, rant over...back to the workouts.  

Did 5k in just over 26 minutes, which is 8:20 miles.  Not bad, but I was also not trying to push myself really hard.  For the first little while (I was on a tmill) I was keeping my HR around 130 BPM to see how my legs felt.  No problem, so after the first mile I pushed it up and felt okay, even though my HR was around 160-170, which is where I need to be training at.  My last mile was in 8 minutes.  

Then in the afternoon after fixing my bike seat (finally) I went for a short ride, about 20-30 minutes.  One good thing was that my legs felt really strong and I found I could go in a higher gear than usual, which is great.  Don't know exactly how far I went but overall for the evening I went about 15km.  

Weights today for sure.  Also a full stretch session for my legs, hips and upper body.


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## naturaltan (Sep 4, 2003)

> Did 5k in just over 26 minutes, which is 8:20 miles



I think you got your numbers reversed.    8 miles in 26 minutes puts you in the 3 minute mile club ... and I'm not sure there is even a club formed for that yet.    Perhaps you meant 5 miles (or 8k) in 26 minutes.


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## ponyboy (Sep 4, 2003)

3 minute miles!  Goddamn I'm fast 

You would be right...if I didn't mean eight minutes 20 seconds  

Just finished my weight workout:

Warmup - rotator cuff external rotations 2 sets

3 sets flat dumbbell press (1WU, 2 working) - 12 reps, 10, 8
2 sets cable crossovers - 8 reps, 8 reps
2 sets Arnold presses - 12 reps, 10 reps
2 sets 1 arm tricep pressdowns - 10 reps, 8 reps
30 seconds RI throughout

Basically chest, shoulders and tris...although very short.  I'm a little concerned b/c my rotator cuff is starting to flare up on my right side, which is usually my GOOD side.  That one I've only injured ONCE.  

I'm thinking I really need to get back into a regular weight training routine so that when I do get back into full on lifting I'm not going to kill myself.  I'll put together a routine and post soon.


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## naturaltan (Sep 4, 2003)

I've decided to do a mini-eco challenge and 24 hour mountain bike race next year.  I was running out of enthusiam and a point to going to the gym.  I have no desire to get any bigger, so I needed something to focus on to keep going.  Now I have a reason.  Although, I'll be upping the cardio over the winter.   If I could swim, I'd give a triathalon a go.


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## ponyboy (Sep 4, 2003)

NT, how about duathlon?  Doesn't require any swimming and is just as challenging.  

Eco-challenge...that would be awesome.  I am hoping to do an adventure race next year as well.  Not too sure where to begin though in Canada...where are you doing yours?  

I hear you about needing new motiviation, which is exactly why I started this whole thing.  It's been great fun learning about new training methods and challenging my body in new ways.


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## naturaltan (Sep 4, 2003)

duathlon ... interesting.  I shall see what I can find out about any here.  thanks!

Ummm ... not sure.  A friend of mine recalls seeing a mini eco challenge.  I'll see if he can find any info.  Maybe it will be somewhere we can meet.


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## ponyboy (Sep 5, 2003)

Gotta love goddamned migraine headaches.  

That is all...I'm going to lie in a dark room and try to not throw up for a few hours.  What a pain in the ass.  

If I recover I'm doing back and biceps today...spinning class tomorrow morning and then some added core exercises.


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## ponyboy (Sep 6, 2003)

I had forgotten how good it feels to wake up and actually be sore from  good workout...to feel like I have done something to make myself stronger.  I'm loving the endurance work, but something about lifting just calls to you after a while...and I'm going to answer!  

Back and Biceps yesterday...after a brutal migraine...so I was not 100% at all.  Had the gym to myself though, on a Friday evening except for one hot girl, which is great!   

Barbell Rows:  1 WU set, 3 working sets 12 reps, 10, 8
Assisted Chins (Wide Grip): 8 reps, 8 reps
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 1 set to failure (14 reps)

Barbell Curls:  12 reps, 10 reps, 7 reps
Hammer Curls:  10 reps, 8 reps

Stability Work: Squats on a stability ball...2 sets of 6 reps.  

Woke up this morning and my bi's are actually sore, which NEVER happens...tells you how freaking weak I am right now and how my body is craving lifting again.  After my next race I'm putting together a plan for the off season to gain something somewhere...can't make up my mind yet.  

9 hours of sleep and I feel much better...still feeling the residual effects of the headache but I think it's done.  Spinning this morning, which I'm looking forward to and possibly lunch with the cute instructor afterwards  !


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## Jenny (Sep 6, 2003)

Congrats on the race Pony  Great job!!

Are you planning to do another one soon?


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## ponyboy (Sep 6, 2003)

Thanks Jenny  my next (and final) race of the season is September 20th...its a duathlon, a 4k run, 23k bike and another 4k run.  

Did a spinning class this morning for 55-60 minutes...wore my HR monitor and tried to keep my heart rate around 160-180 the whole class, which was pretty easy.  Whenever the instructor wanted us to get up out of the saddle I just stayed down on mine and increased the intensity like I was going uphill on my bike.  

At one point at the end I got out of the saddle for some jumps...my HR hit 191 at one point.  Yikes!  My HR maximum is (supposedly) 192.  

Stretched the snot out of myself and then went for lunch with the instructor   ...we'll see if that goes anywhere...she's awesome and in great shape.


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## hikerchick (Sep 6, 2003)

Hey ponyboy  great journal and congrats on the race!   Ironman here you come!  
I wish I could do triathlons, always wanted to but after 2 marathons I realized I shouldn't be running.  Anyway, good luck!


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## ponyboy (Sep 8, 2003)

Monday

Spent the whole weekend recovering from that damned migraine...went out Saturday night, but not late...spent Sunday not doing much but focusing on my diet and trying to correct whatever the hell went wrong last week...my system was just totally messed up.  

I'm off caffeine for good, that's for sure...I think that was a major part of what was wrong.  Also shifting back into my high protein diet because I think it is much better for my system.  So far I feel okay...I was starting to get a little worried.  

Taught a 45 minute kickboxing class today I was totally not prepared for...therefore it kind of sucked, I think but the people didn't know any better.  They were happy and sweaty so it's all good.  

Tomorrow weights and then hopefully a bike ride or run.  Definitely biking on Wednesday so probably run tomorrow.


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## naturaltan (Sep 8, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by ponyboy *_
> ... then went for lunch with the instructor   ...we'll see if that goes anywhere...she's awesome and in great shape.



at the very least, you'll have a hottie friend to hang out with!


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## ponyboy (Sep 10, 2003)

Wednesday Morning...

Didn't manage to get a run in last night.  I was planning to this morning and then someone came in to work out at 9:45AM!  WTF!!!  Go away!! Don't you have to work or something!

Did a core workout last night just briefly at my other gym...spent a lot of time there chatting with members and ran into two old clients who want to sign up with me again now that summer is over!  Good deal!  

Did a tri set: all reps were a 3-0-3 tempo.  

Weighted Stability Ball crunches (40 lb. dumbbell) 
Wood Chop (Top to Bottom)
Weighted Stability Ball Hyperextensions (2 kg. medicine ball)
3 sets each, 9 sets total workout

For some reasons the hyperextensions killed me...which is a good thing.  I also can feel the other abdominal work today, which is a nice feeling.  Going for a run tonight and then playing beach volleyball...last game of the season, which is a good thing as well.


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## ponyboy (Sep 11, 2003)

Definitely doing weights today even though I'm freaking exhausted.  Yesterday was a long day and today isn't going to be any shorter.  

Did a brick workout yesterday and it was surprisingly easy.  

Bike:  About 15km, keeping it in highest gear...average speed for most of the ride was above 30kph.  At one point when I got over into aero position I was doing about 35-37 kph, which is awesome speed considering the bike I'm on.  

Then I hopped off of the bike and ran for 16 minutes.  Don't know how far I went, unfortunately, but my goal was to just keep running after the bike workout.  What I need to practice now is going from a run to the bike immediately.  Good news was, the more I ran, the easier it seemed to be and the faster I could run.  I'm getting a good guage as to exactly how far and fast I can go.  

Then I played beach volleyball for 90 minutes, which was actually fun this week because we had the perfect amount of people.  Quite an active day considering I didn't get a weight workout in!


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## ponyboy (Sep 15, 2003)

Yikes what a lazy and fun weekend.  Only workout ended up being on Friday when I went for a run with some friends.  Thier pace was too slow so I ran ahead.  Managed to get a good kilometer ahead of them over about 5km because of my pace, which felt awesome.  If I can do that running pace this weekend I'll be good to go.  

Just to go over the goals again for this weekend:  

1st 4km: 5 minute kilometers (8 minute miles) = 20 minutes
Bike leg:  23 km at 27 km/h = 50 minutes
2nd 4km: 5 minute kilometers = 20 minutes

Whole race in under 90 minutes.  I think that's realistic.  My plan is also to (again) beat my friend...he's even borrowing someone else's bike which is an actual racing bike to try to beat me.  Listening to him last night I could tell he was really pissed about getting smoked at the last race.  I know he has a faster bike, but I'm a much better runner.  

Workout plan this week:  Teach kickboxing tonight...weights and a run tomorrow and then a good long brick workout on Wednesday and then that's it until race day Saturday!


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## ponyboy (Sep 18, 2003)

Thursday...2 days until race time.  

Did a 45 minute spin ride last night on my own.  The music helps a hell of a lot when you're really trying to push yourself.  Good thing I wasn't teaching because I could barely speak.  I was taking my HR up and down to simulate hills most of the time, keeping it above 160 and around 170 for most of the ride and occasionally easing back down to 140.  

Now is when the carb and sodium loading begin.  Last I had a whole whack of beans with a steak.  One difference between this race and the last one is that I'm going to eat in the morning before the race this time and hopefully that will help things out.  Race begins at 8:30AM Saturday, therefore my last meal will be 6AM Saturday morning right before leaving for the site.  

Need to make sure my bike seat is solid for this race, so I'm going to check my whole bike out top to bottom tonight to make sure everything is cool.  Then it's race time baby!


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