What a Weekend

Here are a few things that happened this weekend (and sorry if it sounds like a pity party):

I put my bike on my trunk rack and left my saddle bag on my trunk when I drove off, basically losing all my little bike accessories. 

I did my first official 5k run in a long time and finished in about 38 minutes. I was actually really happy with this. It pushed my weekly run total to 12 miles which is really good for me, and the course was really hilly so I think I might have even gotten closer to 30 minutes on a flat course.

I went out on a bike ride and broke a spoke 3 miles into the ride. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't check my bike carefully enough.

I pulled my bike off the trunk rack when I got home and noticed a crack in the head tube. This is the thing that has me really bummed. There's not warranty since I'm not the original owner, and I know that frame cracks can be really bad. Anyways, here's a pic.

Sorry if this is a totally depressing post. My training is actually going really well, and I'm finally getting more comfortable with running. I'll be sure to do a happier post in the next few days.

My New Favorite (And Longest) Ride

I set out today not knowing how long I wanted to ride, but I had a new route I wanted to try out. I headed down south, and basically took this road south of Utah Lake. It was really nice. The roads were pretty new, so they were smooth, but there were hardly any cars. I passed probably 30 other riders, some in groups and some alone, so I guess I'm the only one who didn't know about this road. On my way back, this guy pulled up next to me, and we ended up riding together for about 10 miles. It was really cool, and one thing I noticed is how easy it was to carry on a conversation with him. I felt like kind of a dork when he introduced himself and held out his hand to shake, and I was basically like "umm....I'll pass. I don't want to wreck". 

So, I ended up riding for 44 miles. It took me about 3 hours (2:58), so I wasn't going super fast, but I felt really good throughout most of the ride, and I was really happy with how it turned out. See below for the route.

I have been sick for the last few weeks, and so when I ran yesterday, I could really tell that I've lost some of my running fitness. I ran for 28 minutes, and I was dying. So, now I have to work extra hard and try to get back to where I was and keep getting better.

Training Update + My "New" Bike

First of all, I know it's been a while, but here's a little update. My actual tri training schedule started 3 weeks ago, and it's been going really well. I have done at least 4 of my 6 workouts every week. I have a hard time doing every single one, but I've come a long way. Last Thursday I had my long run, and I ran 44 minutes on my new treadmill (thanks Clint) without stopping. It was awesome. I had my heart rate up pretty high for most of the run (155-160), but I was able to sustain my speed and everything, so I was really happy. It was pretty huge for me. I think I'm doing a 5K on May 3, and I feel like I'll actually be ready, so I'm excited.

The other news of late is that I got a "new" bike. My father-in-law gave me an old ('81) Bianchi roadie that he got as payment for some furniture he built. It was basically way too big for me, and I talked to a friend of mine who had an old bike that was too small for him. We ended up trading, and now I'm the proud new owner of a 1996 Specialized M2 Comp, complete with Araya aero wheels and blade spokes. It's a pretty awesome bike, and It'll make a nice commuter. I think it's the first 105 with integrated shifters, and it's an 8-speed. The best part is that he had changed the handlebars, but he gave me the original ones along with some yellow bar tape, so I taped them up myself. I didn't do an amazing job, but it was really fun. Here are some pics of the old and new bikes.


The bummer is that I actually gained a pound at my last weigh in. I'm not too worried because my fitness is improving and everything, but I need to be more serious about eating less and what not. Thanks everyone for all your support.

A Sign From The Heavens

Or, as was said in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "A blessing from the Lord". 

I was riding my rollers tonight, and the bulge on my front tire was growing. I needed to ride an hour, and I hit about 1:02 total time, so I figured that was about 55 minutes active time. I got a little drink, and looked down at my tire, and the bulge on the side of the tire had grown quite a bit. I honestly thought in my head "I guess this will be my last ride on these tires. And that will make a cool picture for my blog". I started pedaling, and I honestly pedaled about 4 revolutions before I heard a loud pop, followed by a fairly loud hissing noise as all the air rushed out of my tire. At first, I was just kind of scared. I was able to stop and get out of the saddle before I tipped over, so that was good. Here are a few pics. I tried to get some good ones, but it was kind of hard.

Basically, these are the tires that came with the bike when I bought it, and they're the original tires (the bike is a 2004), so they're old. They were pretty shot, but since I've been riding on my rollers so much, they're completely bald now, and there are quite a few holes in the tires. I actually bought some new tires around christmas because they were having some killer deal at Nashbar. I actually used them once on that infamous day when I broke a spoke, but I put my roller tires back on afterwards. I was planning on using these ones all winter until I started riding outside, and then I was going to put the new ones on permanently. So, I take this as a sign from the Heavens that my indoor riding for the year is over (hopefully the Heavens will keep up their end of the deal with some good weather). Anyways, it was a good ride, and I actually got 1:00:07 active time. I don't know how I always get it right on the nose, but it's pretty funny.

Last week was a rough week. I missed my last 2 workouts of the week, and I just wasn't feeling motivated, but I'm feeling really good now. I got the "Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training" book, and it's been really good so far. Anyways, I think I'm back into the swing of things, and I'm actually looking forward to my runs for this week. 

My First Real Training Schedule + Weigh-In for February

First of all, I had my monthly weigh-in last night, and I am down to 265. I was a little disappointed, but that means that I've lost 10 pounds since the beginning of the year. I would like to lose a little bit faster, but I'll honestly be happy if I can maintain this same pace. I'll post some pics in the next day or two.

Anyways, so far this year, I've just been training when I feel like it, and it's worked pretty well. I've been staying aerobic as much as possible, and just training as long as my body would let me. I've noticed lately, though, that it's harder to stick with my training if I don't have a set schedule. My actual Spudman training starts in exactly 3 weeks, so I'm pushing back my 3 mile running goal until then. So, I want to be able to run 3 miles by March 8.

So, I don't really have any experience on what kind of time I should be putting in now, but here's what I came up with for this week.

Mon: Bike 60

Tues: Run 45 

Wed: Bike 90

Thurs: Run 30

Friday: Off (date night)

Saturday: Bike 120

So, the times for the bike are active minutes, so basically how long I'm actually pedaling/moving. The run times are run + walk times, so basically the total time I'm out there suffering. Tonight, I rode 1:01 active time, and it was a great ride. Since I knew that I was riding that amount, it made it a ton easier to actually do it. I listened to a little Fredcast, a little IGN podcast, and a little bit of loud music. 

One thing I've noticed is that my heart rate just drops super fast once I stop pedaling. For example, at the end of a similar workout back on January 8, my heart rate dropped from ~158 to ~114 in about 2.5 minutes. At the end of tonight's workout, my heart rate dropped from ~152 to ~108 in 1 minute. Whatever that means, I feel like I've come a long way. My average cadence has also gone up to about 80 rpm, so that's pretty good. I've heard people say that 90 is kind of the sweet spot, so we'll see if I can get there.

An odd week so far

So, I went running on Monday, and about a mile and a half into my run, without getting too specific, I had some pretty horrendous chafing issues. Basically, I was trying a new underwear regime, and it backfired. Anyways, I was still in pretty bad shape last night, and I also just didn't feel like running or riding in general. 

Tonight, I rode my bike for about an hour, and basically just got kind of tired of it. I'm getting sick of riding/running inside, so I think I'll try running outside tomorrow. Maybe it's not even that, and I just needed a few days off in general. I've basically had a hard time being motivated this week. I don't know exactly what's causing it, but I've taken it pretty easy since Saturday, and at least I feel like exercising again. I think I was getting burned out on tri stuff in general (training, podcasts, books, etc.) so I took a few days break. Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to get back on my schedule tomorrow. I plan on running on Thursday (maybe) and Friday, and riding on Saturday. Wish me luck. I still want to make my running goal for the month so I can't loaf for too long.

Speaking of podcasts, I've basically decided I'd rather listen to good podcasts about news and Nintendo than mediocre podcasts about triathlon, so I mostly just listen to the JBST SmartCas, TriTalk, The Fredcast, and then I listen to Infendo (all things nintendo) and some other things like espn and newsweek and what not. Oh, and if you want a good laugh, check out the best of youtube podcast. Good stuff.

My Goal For This Month (With Video!!!)

So, my goal was to get 6 hours this week, and I got up to 3 tonight, so I'm feeling pretty good about things. So far this week, I have 3:00:29 active time. I really don't know how I time it so well, because I have about 3:45 total time. I took a break about every 45 minutes and actually got off the bike to shake my legs a bit and what not, and it really helped. I felt really fresh when I got back on. My legs have felt really good, and my lungs have felt even better. I'm going to start running next week, so that will probably all change. 

Speaking of running, my goal for this month is to be able to run 3 miles without walking. I really liked having a small goal last month. It helped motivate me since I was working towards a more immediate goal. And, it might sound like another small goal, but it would be huge for me to be able to run 3 miles non-stop. I haven't been able to do that since I was 9 years old. Anyways, that's my goal. If I don't post about it by the end of the month, it means I'm a slacker and you should all hassle me about it.

Also, as promised, here's a little video for your viewing pleasure. For a little context, that is the doorway to my kitchen. I ride right between the pantry and the fridge (kind of ironic). You can see how I'm right next to that wall in case I get out of hand. Also, if you look under the saddle, you can see my fan blowing wonderful air on me while I ride. You can't see it, but I'm watching "The Ataris at Hard Rock Live" on my computer, which is on the counter. Also, that's free advertising for Hammer Nutrition you see on my butt. I hope to get some compensation for that. If anyone notices any glaring problems in my technique, other than my cadence is too slow, I bob up and down a lot,  and I'm too fat,  then let me know. Otherwise: enjoy!

Edit: I don't know why it's showing up so dark. Freaking blogger. Anyways, I think you get the idea. We'll get a better video before too long.