Period one complete!!

What an absolutely awesome weekend!! So many great things have happened.

Where to begin with this weeks update?............................With the understanding that this blog began with the thought of documenting my journey, I think I'll start with an update in my training.

First of all, the weather has finally cooperated, it's warming up and the snow is melting. For my friends and family in the Pacific Northwest, we know it's been raining hard out where you are and we hear threats of flooding. But here in the Midwest, we have broken free of sub zero temps, high winds and blizzard conditions and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

After today's long run of 1 hour and 20 minutes (9+ miles) at an avg pace of 8:23, followed by a quick bike ride of 40 minutes, my pre season phase is officially over! No more easy weeks. It feels like I just started this training program (because in fact, I have) and I've completed period 1. Next phase is the Base period where single work out days are over and weekends will get long. Weekly work out totals will get as high as 16 hours and most days will border on 2 hours in total. Here is this weeks workout....... as an example:

WEEK #11 Swim 2:30 - Bike 6:25 - Run 4:15 -- Total: 13:10

Monday
SWIM 0:45
BIKE 0:40
DAILY TOTAL: 1:25

Tuesday
BIKE 1:15
RUN 0:45
DAILY TOTAL: 2:00 WEEK-TO-DATE: 3:25

Wednesday
SWIM 0:45
BIKE 1:00
DAILY TOTAL: 1:45 WEEK-TO-DATE: 5:10

Thursday
SWIM 1:00
RUN 1:05
DAILY TOTAL: 2:05 WEEK-TO-DATE: 7:15

Friday - Rest Day

Saturday
BIKE 2:30
RUN 0:45
DAILY TOTAL: 3:15 WEEK-TO-DATE: 10:30

Sunday
RUN 1:40
DAILY TOTAL: 2:40 WEEK-TO-DATE: 13:10

In addition to a new training phase, I also picked up my new road bike!! I ordered it last November after I sold a few things, including the bike I had, and have been waiting ever since. Now, for those of you who know me best, waiting for something as cool as a new road bike for 4 months is not something I'm particularly good at. Forget that there was no way in creation I would be able to ride outside, but I wanted my bike anyway but had to wait. I chalked it up to learning patience. Mostly I couldn't do anything about it, so it was what it was. She's beautiful.......Here it is:Had it out both Saturday and Sunday and it road awesome!
Some of you may think I have too many bikes (Julie Francis) but I go by the age old cyclists adage which is, "how many bikes is too many for one man?.......one less than divorce!"

So far, I'm still married so I figure there's room to grow!

While at my bike shop picking up the bike, I went ahead and purchased my dream race wheels. That's right, wheels SPECIFICALLY for racing. Most of you are thinking that I'm crazy, however, the triathlon enthusiasts in the audience truly appreciate how important it is to save weight (measured in milligrams by the way) as well as improving aerodynamics. This becomes even more critical in long distance races, such as an Ironman. After much research and after weighing the cost/value ratio, I landed on wheels by HED.

HED cycling was started in Minneapolis, MN by a guy named Steve Hed and if you watch any of Lance Armstrongs time trial stages during the Tour de France, you'll see HED wheels on Team Discovery bikes. My wheels will be a HED3 in the rear (left picture) and HED Jet 60 (right picture) in the front. They are made from Carbon Fiber, are extremely light and aerodynamic. Check it out:

Think that's extreme?........think again! I also left my time trial bike at the bike shop to have ceramic bearings installed in the bottom bracket and derailleur pulleys, which will provide for significantly less resistance when pedaling, saving about 4 to 5% effort over a long distance. That may not seem like much, but when you ride 112 miles and then run a marathon, saving every ounce of energy you can, makes all the difference in the world!

The link below will take you to the bike shop that takes great care of all my cycling needs. Just ask for John, he owns the place.

http://www.shamrockcycle.com/

Ok, now for the last significant event of the weekend. Many of you will not understand what you're about to read, some will........but there's an annual tradition among many cyclists and triathletes that signals our race season has begun and it's time to get serious about our goals, training and personal record races. Most of the time, it begins with the first real outdoor ride of the spring, but that may vary by racer.

It is said that there are cyclists that have crashed and those that will. It's an absolute inevitability if you ride long and hard enough. When you do, it hurts like hell and a good portion of epidermal tissue (your skin) is removed. When you eventually go down, the surface you hit, the clothing you're wearing and the speed you're traveling determine just how much you lose and over how much surface area. Imagine what it feels like when you take a nice sized bandage off a hairy arm or leg, the tape ripping off hair, skin and dried....you get it. Now expand the size of the bandage several fold and you have your typical road rash.

It's because of the potential for this road rash, as well as getting your wet suit off faster and easier after the swim, that many of us shave our legs....yes.........shave our legs.

So my season has officially begun, my spindle's are as clean as a whistle and I'm ready to race!!

Have a great week everybody!!