More Bricks

I had another good brick workout early Saturday morning, with a 20 mile ride along River Road (including up and down what I am now referring to as "The Hill Of Death" right by the George Washington Bridge) and a 3 mile run. For the second weekend in a row I felt really strong on the run -- I averaged 7:02 per mile pace, and barely felt like I was pushing. I really think my recent weight loss (178 pounds per the scale at the gym today) is making a big difference. I planned to workout again yesterday morning, but ended up sleeping in which felt quite nice.

Today I planned to do another brick at the gym, but all the spin and exercise bikes were already taken (which serves me right for going there at noon, but I really wanted to catch the last few holes of the U.S. Open on TV). Thus, I ended up running five miles on the treadmill instead. I started at 7:30 per mile pace, and gradually increased the speed every 5 minutes for the first 30 minutes and every minute for the final 6. I ended up averaging 7:13 per mile for the entire run. I guess that brick will have to wait until tomorrow...

Too Much Of A Good Thing

So today I hit the gym at lunch to run on the treadmill. I originally planned to run five miles at 7:18 per mile pace, but right from the start I could tell something just was not feeling right. I was really struggling to keep up with the treadmill, and after ten minutes or so brought the speed way down and decided to just run three miles instead. I think given the brick on Saturday and ride yesterday, my legs were just a bit fatigued and were not feeling a fairly hard five mile run. This was definitely my body's way of telling me to back off a bit, and I have no problem with that. On a much brighter note, I weighed myself afterwards, and I am down to 177 pounds...

Great Workout Weekend

This weekend was one of my best training weekends in a long, long time. Yesterday morning I got up early and rode 20 miles and then ran three miles right afterward. I headed north along JFK Boulevard for 10 miles before turning around and heading home. Aside from the usual hills, traffic, and stoplights, there was a two mile or so section of the road that is under repair and really slowed me down. On the run my legs felt AWESOME right from the start. I tried to maintain a consistent pace without pushing too hard, and was shocked when I saw I averaged a 7:02 per mile pace, with both of the first two miles slightly below 7:00. I attribute this to my recent weight loss -- I am now under 180 pounds for the first time in a while.

This morning I hit the gym to do some weights (chest and triceps). I had a good workout, although the chest exercises felt a tad bit tougher than usual (which I think is due to the fact I also did chest on Thursday). I then took the ferry over to NYC and headed to Central Park for three loops on the bike. I had a strong 22 mile ride, especially considering yesterday's brick. I definitely feel like I am finally starting to build some momentum in my training, which is a good feeling.

Rising To The Challenge

Last night I completed the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Central Park. Going into the race I was not sure what to expect. I felt pretty good about my fitness level (including a few recent short training runs in the low 7:00 per mile pace), but having done this event two years ago, I knew the course was fairly challenging, with a number of rolling hills. I ended up seeded in the middle of the 7:00 per mile pace group, which I knew was a bad omen, as I would have hundreds (if not thousands) of slower runners to dodge and weave through in the first part of the race. In addition, the actual starting line was a few hundred yards in front of me.

I literally ended up walking up to the starting line after the gun went off, and then spent the first mile ducking, swerving, and at times sprinting to avoid competitors that had seeded themselves in front of me (why people who are planning to run 10:00 miles feel the need to line up with the 6:00 pace group is a complete mystery to me, but the same exact thing happened two years ago). After a mile or so the crowds started to thin out, and I was able to run a much more steady pace (having said that, I was basically passing runners the entire way). I worked on attacking the uphills and opening up my stride to coast the downhills, as well as pushing myself the entire way -- this was definitely not going to be a training run!

After I hit the second mile marker I was definitely starting to hurt a bit, and shortened my stride while continuing to push myself as much as possible. Passing the three mile marker definitely gave me a shot of addrenaline -- it was time to bring this race home! As I made the sharp turn to head towards the finish, I took my pace up to another level. As I crossed the finish line and looked down at my watch, I saw that I had taken 1:01 off of my time from two years ago, which was definitely a good feeling. I was also the top finisher from my company's small team for the second time in a row, which I was happy about given the fact I was the consensus favorite in the office betting pool (which actually became quite serious). Most importantly, after my mediocre showing at the Queens Biathlon, this was exactly the confidence booster I needed.

Race Splits
Mile 1: 6:50
Mile 2: 6:33
Mile 3: 6:53
Final Half Mile: 3:28 (6:56 pace, but for whatever it is worth, my Garmin Forerunner 205 said it was 0.55 miles, which brings the pace down to 6:15)
Final Time: 23:44 (6:47/mile pace)

I Have Signed Up For Another Race!

This afternoon I signed up for my second multisport race of the season, the New York Triathlon Series - Race #2 at Harriman State Park, 30 miles north of New York City. It is a sprint, with a half mile swim, 16 mile bike ride (which I get the sense is really hilly -- super!) and a 3 mile run. I kind of ended up picking this race by default -- I was having a really difficult time finding another one that fit into my schedule this year (it does not help that I am pretty picky about distances and do not like traveling far for races). One nice thing is the race is run by the same guys who put on the Queens Biathlon, and I felt like they did a great job, while keeping the race pretty laid back. I figure this means I finally have to start swimming soon -- I could probably knock out a half mile swim with no training at all if I had to, but if I want the time to be somewhat respectable (i.e., less than 15 minutes -- well, respectable for me), I need to get some pool time in.

Sunday Morning Ride

I had a great training week last week, with three short runs (all at low 7:00 per mile pace), two spin bike rides, and two weightlifting sessions (the first time I have hit the weights twice in a week in a while). This morning I woke up at 6:00 A.M. and decided to take my bike (complete with new rear derailleur and chain) out for a spin. I rode north until I hit River Road, past the George Washington Bridge, and onto Route 9 (which is kind of legendary in this area for cyclists -- many come from NYC to do long rides on it). After 12.5 miles or so I turned around and headed home. On the way back I had to descend the same hill that I crashed on a month or so ago, and needless to say, I had my hands firmly on the brakes the entire way down. That hill is just insane -- looking back now, I am surprised that I did not crash on it earlier. All in all, it was a good 25+ mile ride, and a nice way to start off the week.

Early Morning Run

This morning I woke up early and did a four mile run around my town before heading into the office. I completed the run in 7:15 per mile pace without pushing too hard (aside from the last mile which was sub-7:00). I am also happy to report I am finally starting to lose some weight -- I think I may have broken my sugar habit (at least the buying candy at work part). I figure one easy way to gain speed is having less weight to lug around, particularly when running. I am still trying to figure out what other races I am going to do this summer. I definitely want to stick to smaller, more laid back ones like the duathlon last month -- there is something to be said for not having to deal with the prices/crowds/logistical nightmares/etc. of larger races.

Derailleur Failure

As much as I want to put my scary crash from a few weeks ago behind me, it keeps creeping up its ugly head. The latest reminder ocurred this past Saturday, when I took my bike out with the intention of doing a brick workout. I rode ten miles north along JFK Boulevard before turning around to head home. A few minutes after the turnaround, my chain started skipping as if I was between gears. Suddenly I heard this violent metal-on-metal sound, and my bike came to a complete stop. Basically, my chain had snapped. Great -- another ride aborted. After hailing a cab and heading home, I decided to head out for the run anyway. I ended up having a really strong three mile run at 7:00 per mile pace, including a 6:50 final mile.

When I took my bike back to the shop (I am now literally on a first name basis with the owner at this point), it turns out my rear derailleur had been badly damaged in the accident a few weeks ago, which caused my chain to snap. My frame also got bent a bit, but it looks like my bike shop was able to bend it back in place. So at this point, the casualties of my crash has been a helmet, two wheels, a tire, a rear derailleur, and a chain. I almost feel like I should have saved myself the trouble and gotten a completely new bike!

Anyway, I have gotten off to a decent start training-wise this week -- weights yesterday and the spin bike today. The true test of how motivated I am will be tomorrow when I attempt to wake up early and run before work. One final thing -- got the new wheels in the mail last week and they are sweet! Above is a picture of my front wheel.