Back In The Pool!

So today started off just like any other training day. I woke up a little before 5:00 A.M. and got in a brisk four mile run around Hoboken (7:05 pace) before work. After I got home something extremely rare and noteworthy happened -- I actually did a swim workout! Yes, Virginia, my long swimming drought is finally over. The pathetic thing is there is a nice college pool three blocks from my house, so there is no good reason for my not swimming more (aside from sheer laziness). I ended up swimming ~1,600 yards, consisting of a 100 yard warm-up (probably too short I know), five 25/50/75/100 yard ladders (cut me some slack -- first time in the pool in like two years), and a 400 yard or so warm down. I was surprised that I did not feel too winded in the pool, although I am sure that my form was awful. I figure if I can consistently make it to the pool once a week between now and the end of the season, I should be in pretty decent shape for my race swims. Anyway, three workouts (and two blog posts) in two days -- not a bad way to start the week!

Good Training Week

So I had a really solid week of training last week, which was partially thanks to my sprained left wrist. I decided my weekly weight training workout probably was not the best idea given the circumstances, so I added another cardio workout instead. Thus, I ended up getting in about 60 miles on the bike (albeit, 14 of which were on a spin bike) over the course of three rides and ran three times as well (two four mile runs, and two miles on the treadmill after the spin bike workout). I definitely feel like I am getting my cycling legs underneath me, and given the fact I ran through last off-season, I am very happy with my running right now as well. I guess the true test of my fitness will come in my first race of the season next month, the Queens Biathlon. This week is off to a solid start as well -- I met up with an old colleague who is starting to really get into triathlons and did three loops in Central Park, which combined with getting there and back from the ferry was a good solid 22 mile ride. I am definitely kind of heavy right now after a weekend of eating poorly and boozing with an old friend in town -- I guess this post cannot be COMPLETELY positive...

Riding

Well the weather has finally started to be consistently nice here, so I have started to ride outside again. Last weekend I did an 18 mile bike/2 mile run brick workout, and today I did an early morning ~22 mile bike ride. I have continued riding my usual out and back along River Road towards the George Washington Bridge, and the descent just south of the bridge (the one I nearly lost my life and virtually destroyed my old bike on last year) continues to scare me. Aside from that, I am feeling really strong on my new bike and my fit feels pretty dialed in. I am definitely faster on the new bike as well--on flat roads I can pretty easily hold 21-22 MPH without really pushing it, and I am blowing other cyclists/triathletes off the road on a regular basis (not bragging, just fact). So all in all, I am pretty happy with where my training is right now. I am still carrying a few more pounds than I would like--for some reason I am having a very difficult time staying away from sweets, especially when I am at work. One other minor detail--I sprained my wrist pretty bad late last week playing soccer, which caused me to miss a workout. Not the end of the world, but I guess it just goes to show you why many serious triathletes generally avoid playing other sports...

Not Much Blogging, Plenty Of Training

O.K., I realize that the blog posts have been anemic recently -- between being crazy busy with my new job and the fact I cannot access this website from work, I simply have not had many opportunities to pen updates. The good news is that my training has been much more consistent. I have continued to get a couple of runs and spin bike rides in each week, as well as hitting the weights once a week. Most of my training has remained indoors as Spring has not quite arrived yet, although I have been running outside more often (including a four mile run this morning in which I ran the last two in less than 7:00 per mile pace). The temperature is supposed to steadily increase this week into the high 60s/low 70s, so I am really hoping that by next weekend I can start riding outside at least once a week. My swim training is still non-existent, but we are not going to talk about that.

I also signed up for two additional races -- the Queens Biathlon on May 26th (which I also did last year) and the Metroman Triathlon at Asbury Park on July 16th. Unfortunately it looks like I will not be doing the Stamford KIC IT Triathlon on June 27th -- I have a couple of other more important obligations that weekend (including my wedding anniversary). It's not the end of the world -- I will just try and find another race that fits into my schedule. That's about all that I have to report -- I will try and update the blog more regularly going forward, but I cannot promise anything...

Great Training Week!

Last week I was able to get in six training days in a row -- one weightlifting session, two bike rides (one spin, one trainer), and three runs. It felt really good to be able to get in that much training so early in the season -- I literally feel like I am ready to race right now, and I still have months to go before my first event. This morning I banged out five miles on the treadmill, starting at 7:24/mile pace and adding another 0.1 MPH every mile. I felt completely under control the entire time -- smooth and fluid, and barely breathing heavily (even in the last half mile, which I cranked up to 6:58 pace). I still need to figure out which races I want to do this summer -- two of the ones I was interested in have already sold out...

Back On The Trainer

So I have been keeping some really odd hours lately -- for example, this morning I woke up at 4:30 A.M. The better half and I had a really busy day planned, so I knew that getting to the gym was out of the picture. Thus, I did something I have not in a long while -- I retrieved The Black Knight out of my bike room and rode for 50 minutes on my trainer. I kept my heart rate fairly low and just focused on staying in the aerobars and riding at a nice, steady pace. It was definitely very different from the hard core, super-high heart rate spin bike workouts I have been doing lately. It also felt nice to ride on my actual bike, particularly given the fact I am still getting used to the new frame.

Training has been going pretty well the last few weeks. I have been getting in 2-3 runs (one of which is a really short one off of the bike) and 2 bike rides in pretty consistently, as well as a full body weightlifting session (chest, triceps, back, biceps, legs, and abs -- but fewer exercises of each than I would normally do). Oh, and I am currently 178 lbs, which is awesome for me this early in they year, and just 3 lbs over my goal racing weight.

Training Off To A Great Start

Well I am now nearly a month into my 2010 training, and I honestly could not be any happier -- all of the running that I did during last year's offseason has definitely paid off in terms of my overall fitness level. Yesterday morning I did a 40-minute spin bike, 10-minute treadmill run brick workout, and it could not have felt much easier (particularly for January). Today I did an easy 30-minute run on the treadmill. All I have to do now is get back in the pool soon (always a challenge for me), and I will be completely back in the swing of things. On a related note, I have signed up for a race -- the Stamford KIC IT Triathlon on June 27th. A buddy of mine who lives in Stamford did it last year and will do it with me this year, which will make it all the more fun. This race is Olympic distance, which will be my longest one of the year. I will eventually add a couple of TBD sprint races to the schedule, but it feels good to have one on the calendar to focus my training on.

I'm Back...

Well we are 12 days into the new decade and my triathlon training has started up in full swing! Last week I was able to get in two treadmill runs, a spin bike ride, and two weightlifting sessions, and so far this week I ran on the treadmill yesterday and did a quick brick workout (35 minutes spin bike, 5 minute treadmill run) this afternoon. They have these really cool new spin bikes at my gym -- they have computer displays that allow you to specify the type of workout you want to do and then track your heart rate and cadence, as well as directing you on what to do (e.g., seated climb, seated flat, sprints, jumps) and for how long (kind of hard to describe in words, but trust me, VERY COOL). As always this time of the year I am carrying a few extra pounds, but the nice thing is thanks to running through the fall and winter, my overall fitness level is much higher than usual. One other thing -- the "New Year's Resolutionaries" are at the gym in full force, but given the fact I was fully expecting them, they are not annoying me as much as they normally do...

Just Checking In

Well 2009 has nearly come to a close and I am long overdue for a blog posting. My offseason training has gone really well over the last several weeks -- I have been able to consistently squeeze in 2-3 runs and a couple of weighlifting sessions every week and have been able to keep my weight around 180 lbs. My running is going really well -- I have been cranking out 4-5 mile runs at a fairly decent pace like clockwork, which should bode really well for next year. Over the next week or so I will start hitting the bike and working in some swimming as well. I am still trying to figure out which races I will do next year, including whether or not to do another marathon. I am definitely going to stick with the smaller races next year -- they are cheaper, more laid back, and you do not have to register several months in advance (for example, the New York City Triathlon in July 2010 is already sold out). Well, that is it for now -- next week the New Year's Resolutionaries will strike again, so I have that to look forward to, which is nice...

More Offseason Workouts

This week I ran on the treadmill twice and lifted weights twice. I would have liked to have gotten one more run in, but a busy work schedule and some personal commitments made that impossible. That said, I am simply not going to allow myself to get upset about an occasional missed OFFSEASON workout. The highlight of the week was putting up 205 lbs. six times on the flat bench for the first time in forever. That certainly felt good, although I was only able to lift 225 lbs. once afterwards. The lowlight was kind of bonking on one of my treadmills runs. I actually think the treadmill is defective -- I think the speed indicator is messed up, and displays that you are running at a much slower pace than you really are (I am 92% sure I had the same problem with this treadmill once before). The only other thing of note is that I received my third place in my age group medal from the Hoboken University Medical Center 5K -- it is pretty cheesy looking, but it is not every day that I make the podium, so I am not complaining!