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Mar 7, 2012: Run 30 min. Easy run. Cold wind and I wasn't dressed for it. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Mar 6, 2012: Swim 1500m. WU, main set 4 x 50m fist swimming, 8 x 25 hard, WD. Felt pretty good. I need to do some more reading on what to do for workouts. Bike 60 min in pm. Fairly hard tempo. Weights (Q, H, B) 3 x 12 of each.
Mar 5, 2012: Run 36 min. WU for 10 min, 10 min tempo @ 7:15 pace, 2 min rest, 5 min tempo @ 7:20 pace, 11 min cool down. Felt okay but not great. The wind was stronger and colder than I thought. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Mar 4, 2012: Brick 1:45 min. Bike 1:30 and 15 min run. Felt great. Can't wait to get out on the roads and out of the basement.
Mar 3, 2012: Snowshoe 40 min. Yoga 35 min.
Mar 2, 2012: Daddy-daughter movie night due to storm. Some things are more important than training!
Mar 1, 2012: Sick. But did manageto pull my son around on his toboggan through knee deep snow for about 30 min. That's gotta count for something!
Feb 29, 2012: Sick.
Feb 28, 2012: Sometimes I wonder why I decided to post all my workouts...tough to get away with cheating. Well, it wasn't like I didn't do anything...I was 50% for the last 4 days. Nothing Sat or Sun but got back to it on Monday with a 45 min bike - moderate tempo and 15 minutes of weights. Then today I did 42 min of running. Warm up for 10 min then 20 minutes at 7:30 pace with 12 min cool down. Felt really good the longer I ran. I am interpreting that as a good sign. Can't gaurantee anyting but I will see if I can at least make an appearance if that is allowed. If not have a great slow time! Oh, I just remembered I did a 40 minute family snowshoe on Sunday - I think that gets me up to 75% - not bad!
(Scott's note: Hmmm, it's been 4 days and no posts. Maybe you should do Sloth Cross this weekend to kick things back into gear, if you happen to have 24 hours of free time).
Feb 24, 2012: Swim 1200m in am. 400m IM warm up (sorry no butterfly just a second freestyle leg), 4 x 50 m fist swimming, 8 x 25 fast, 100m skulling, 300m warm down. Run 32 min at lunch. Easy un in Niverville to stay out of wind.
Feb 23, 2012: Run 38 min. If I could have just kept running north I could have run forever but unfortunately I had to turn around and run back into the wind on my way back to work. A slow run but I consider it a victory based on the conditions (footing and falling/blowing snow). 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Feb 22, 2012: Not feeling well and thought it would be best to get more sleep then put in a half hearted run on the treadmill.
Feb 21, 2012: Nothing today....too busy getting stuck...getting towed 3 miles to my house.....snow blowing....running out of gas in my snowblower....shoveling...watching my neighbour plow my driveway...well, you get the idea. Oh well, life happens!
Feb 20, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt very good.
Feb 19, 2012: Run 75 min. Felt pretty good but the run was kind of slow. I was able to go sub 8 min/mile for the last 2 miles. They felt good. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Feb 18, 2012: nothing today
Feb 17, 2012: rest
Feb 16, 2012: Swim 30 min (early am). Didn't swim as much as I wanted because I think I strained my shoulder a little and did not want to push it. Still managed to swim about 1000m. Run 35 min at lunch. Felt pretty good. 5 x 12 walking lunges after run.
Feb 15, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt good.
Feb 14, 2012: Run 40 min. Have a bit of a cold so just did a real easy run. DId 20 minutes of core strength after run.
Feb 13, 2012: Bike 45 min. 6 x 1 minute single leg (each leg). Weights - quads, hams, military press, curls. Total of 60 min
Feb 12, 2012: Well let's just call the last week or so a down week. With a trip to Toronto thrown in the mix and preparing for a fundraiser for my daughters dancing group, there was not much time left for training. I didn't mind too much because it doesn't hurt to have a down week once in a while. I got back on the training wagon again today with a 62 minute run about 8 miles. Felt realy good. It would have been a little nicer if I didn't have to run right into the south wind for 5 miles but it could have been a lot worse for a mid Feb run. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
February 5, 2012: Bike 45 minutes. Moderate tempo. Felt good.
February 4, 2012: Bike 15 min - test riding a new bike at a shop....I will let you know when it's official. :) And no, I am not actually counting it as training.
February 3, 2012: Run 35 minutes. A little sluggish but not bad. Very foggy. Didn't get run over so all in all a good run. 5 x 12 walking lunges
February 2, 2012: Brick. Bike 30 min, run 15 min. Relaxation workout after presentation today. The workout was good and quick. Wieghts - quads, hamstrings, military press and bicep curls.
February 1, 2012: No time. I was at the Manitoba Swine Seminar all day and then to a speakers dinner in the evening. I was presenting on Thursday morning and did not get the video for my presentation until 10pm on Wednesday night. No need to exercise I burned enough calories due to nerves.
January 31, 2012: Run 30 min. A run just to get a run in. Very busy but needed the stress reliever of a run to get settled.
January 30, 2012: Rest
January 29, 2012: Bike 70 min. easy tempo ride. Felt good. Weights - quads, hamstrings, military press and bicep curls.
January 28, 2012: Run 45 min. Kara and I ran to the neighbours to get our daughter from a B-Day party. So not only was it a 45 minute run we swapped pushing a double stroller with 1 kid in it going one way and 2 kids in it coming back. Oh, and did I mention cming back it was directly into the wind. Needless to say the next day we were a little sore. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
January 27, 2012: Swim 30 minutes. First swim back. Decided to start real easy. Did about 1000m. The thing I am going to try this year is some more backstroke just to change things up some. It was a little tougher getting up at 5:30 to get to the pool by 6:30 though. But it's Friday so I only have to make it through today to get to the weekend.
January 26, 2012: Run 35 minutes. Felt okay but not great. Pretty windy but I don't think that was the problem. 5 x 12 walking lunges
January 25, 2012: Bike 45 minutes. 6 x 1 minute each leg. Good ride. Had to stop before I drove Kara crazy with my squeeky bike right beside where she works. Thanks for your patience Kara! Scott - I tell ya that whole change in geometry is really something. I actually look forward to running after I ride and am a little dissapointed if I don't have time. Plus....I am getting older and just need more time to warm up on a run until I feel good. This way I am going into a run already warmed up.
Pardon me for invading your postings Dean (this is Scott typing) - just want to say we're still following you - looks like things are progressing well, though I'm trying to wrap my head around the whole "you feel better on the run if you've biked 1st" thing. I guess it's a good thing you're a triathlete.
January 24, 2012: Run 50 min - workout on treadmill. Warm up 15 min. Main set - 8 x 2 min @ 8 minute mile pace on 6% grade with 1 minute rest in between each rep. Felt really good. Actually felt better as the workout progressed. Weights 20 min - Quads, Hamstrings, military press, and bicep curls.
January 23, 2012: Rest
January 22, 2012: Brick. Bike 60 min, run 20 min. Weights 20 min. Quads, hamstrings, military press, curls. All felt really good. I feel so much better running after biking than just running alone. I had a good week last week. Not big volumes but 6 out of 7 dyas is pretty good.
January 21, 2012: Bike 20 min. Why only 20 min? Too long of a story to get into.
January 20, 2012: Run 43 minutes. Good run. Still over dressing a bit. 5 x 12 walking lunges
January 19, 2012: Rest day.
January 18, 2012: Bike 40 min. Did some single leg work 6 x 1 minute on each leg. Then moderate tempo the rest of the ride. Felt good but I have been having trouble with my lower back. Will hopefully get an adjustment on Thursday.
January 17, 2012: Run 35 min. Way overdressed for my run outside. You know you have overdressed when you are overheating at -35 degrees celcius with the windchill. I have a new winter running jacket that I am not quite used to. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
January 16, 2012: Run 40 min, moderate. Good run, felt strong and could have gone longer but was more interested in going to bed!
January 15, 2012: Bike 60 min. I lowered my handle bars seom by taking out some spacers to attempt to achieve a more aero position (it's pretty windy in my basement). It is amazing the different aches and pains you can get by making one simple change. Hamstring curls, quad ext, dumbell military press, bicep curls.
January 14, 2012: Ice fishing! Enough said.
January 13, 2012: Run 30 min at lunch. Felt pretty good. I think I almost frostbit my left love-handle (I'm not too proud to admit that) until I realized I had my pocket open and the south wind was going right in and freezing my side. 4 x 12 walking lunges. May want to increase to 5 x, 4 x is getting pretty easy.
January 12, 2012: Let's pretend Jan 12 did not happen.
January 11, 2012: Run 30 min at lunch. Even though it was cold outside I really wanted to go because I hadn't done anything for a couple of days. The run was okay but I was hungry going into the run and felt a little low on energy but all in all not a bad run.
January 10, 2012: Nothing today. Meeting in the city all day then I had to work from 6pm to midnight. Not much time to train.
January 9, 2012: Rest day. I think need it just because of my lack of good sleeps.
January 8, 2012: Run 30 min. Well....that sucked! I guess two nights of bad sleeps can really hamper your workouts. Whatever happened to the days where I could stay up till all hours with friends and still have a good workout the next morning? Oh, I guess 20 years, and 6 and a 4 year old is what happened....never mind.
January 7, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt good. 3 x 12 single leg quads extns. and hamstring curls. 4 hrs 12 min this week not including lunges or weights. Good week. Need to keep adding time. Will help when I start swimming in the next week or two.
January 6, 2012: Run 42 minutes. Felt really good. It was slippery on the gravel and good footing on the pavement....I must have run through some sort of alternate universe black hole or something during my run. Lunge walks 4 x 12.
January 5, 2012: Rest day.
January 4, 2012: Run 35 min. 9 min warm up. 5 x 3 minutes @ 6:40-6:50 min/mile pace with 1 min rest in between intervals. 6 min cool down. Felt great. 4 x 12 walking lunges.
January 3, 2012: Rest day.
January 2, 2012: Bike 1 hr 10 min. 6 x 1 minute single leg (each leg), 2 x 7 minute standing. Moderate tempo the rest of the time. 3 x 12 single leg quad and hamstring. Plus 30 minutes of hauling wood.
January 1, 2012: Run 45 min easy. Some hill work.
December 31, 2011: Brick - 45 min bike moderate tempo, then 15 minute run (7:30 for first half and thn 8:30 for last half) one minute transition. Quad extensions and hamstring curls - 3 x 12 on each leg. Happy Ney Year!
December 30, 2011: 1 hr 30 minutes cutting and hauling wood. Not really sport specific but boy did I sweat!
December 29, 2011: Run 30 min. Quad extensions and hamstring curls. 3 x 12 on each leg. I will do these weights when training insie and the walking lunges outside.
December 28, 2011: Run 35 min. Walking lunges 4 x 12. Let's just forget about the three days I didn't do anything except gain weight. I'm back on track now.
December 24, 2011: Bike 40 min. 1 x 10 min standing, 1 x 5 min standing. 1 x Emerson tripping over the treadmill that Kara was running on and getting shot off the end.....no worries after a few tears he was okay. More scared than anything....probably not as scared as Daddy was watching it happen. Live and learn! Merry Ho Ho!
December 23, 2011: Rest day.
December 22, 2011: 25 min run - easy. Walking lunges (4 x 12)
December 21, 2011: Rest day
December 20, 2011: 30 min run @7:30 pace. Walking lunges (4 x 12) - done at lunch. 45 min bike in the evening. 6 x 1 minute single leg drills.
December 19, 2011: 25 min run. Pretty tired from run last night. Lunges.
December 18, 2011: 60 min run with lunges after. The first 15-20 min does not feel good but once i get past that I feel great. When I near 60 minutes I feel like I could go for antoher 60. I guess getting older means it takes longer to warm up. Oh well if that's the worst of it.....
December 17, 2011: 30 min bike with lunges after. Moderate tempo. Not a great last half of the week. Lots of Christmas obligations so not much time to train.
December 14, 2011: Nothing today. Bad weather at lunch for running outside, headache after work and school Christmas concert in the evening (that was a work-out on it's own!).
December 13, 2011: Run 30 min. 1 mile warm up, 2 miles fartlek, 1 mile cool down. Felt pretty good. It was slippery on the pavement so I tried to stay to the gravel. Lunges
December 12, 2011: Run 30 min easy. Not a great run. Two reasons - 1) neck felt okay except when I had to shoulder check for cars quickly a few times and forgot my neck was sore. 2) I don't know if it is just my age now but I have been doing a bit of an experiment recently and have noticed that my workouts on days after I have had more than 1 soft drink (usually Coke) is usually sub-par. I guess this is not a "eureka!" moment but it will make me think more about my "nutrition" and training in the future. Lunges
December 11, 2011: Nothing today. Woke up and realized that I slept wrong and could not turn my head (i.e. very sore neck). It has settled down a bit but I will have to visit the Chiro. Plus it was Kara's B-Day so it may have been rude to spend an hour of "our" time in the basement on a treadmill.
December 10, 2011: Bike 60 min easy tempo. Not used to early morning rides....a little sleepy. Stage 12 of the TDF was keeping me awake.
December 9, 2011: Run 30min easy, with 4 x 12 walking lunges at the end. Legs felt good. Foot good so far.
December 8, 2011: Rest day. Foot is starting to feel better. Will try a run on Friday.
December 7, 2011 (evening): Bike trainer 60 min total. 10 min warm up spin. Then 3 x 5 min (1 min left leg, 1 min right leg, 1 min left leg, 1 min right leg, 1 min fast spin), then 10 min moderate tempo, then 3 x 5 min standing with 2 minute rest in between, then 6 minute easy tempo. (All while watching Stage 11 of the 2011 TDF). Felt good.
December 7, 2011: Okay, I think I am ready to start updating my page again. Training has been going very well.....oh, I guess I should say that i am back in training for Calgary 70.3 again. I am committed to the race because I have even made it a personal goal on my evaluation at work. Seems kind of odd but it allows the superviosr and employee to have a connection other than work related and all goes towards promoting a good home life and work life balance. Anyways, July and August I was running about 2 or 3 days per week. Nothing long but just starting to build a base. September I began to put in some longer runs on the weekend and moved up to 3 to 4 days per week. October I started to incorporate some bike workouts with the running. Now in November I have increased my weekly workout time to about 3-3.5 hours per week. Nothing has been very long keeping long runs 45 min to 1 hr and rides about the same. I have done a few brick workouts that feel really good. I will start swimming early in the New Year. Currently I have a bit of a sore foot so I am taking the time I need to make sure it does not turn into a plantar fasciitis. So I will stay on the bike for this week and see how it goes. I had a good 60 min run on Sunday that may have irritated it a bit. December 4 - 60 min run, December 5 - 45 min bike (single leg stuff), December 6 - rest day.
September 12, 2011: Long story short...I had my appendix out. Sliding back into the lifestyle of "I can do it tomorrow" was very easy to do...and it turns out I am very good at it. Oh well....but, I am back again and ready to start getting ready for next year. I am still deciding what the goal race/races will be but I will let you know when I figure it out.
March 6, 2011: Run 30 minutes easy/slow (I wouldn't say easy because it wasn't really but it was slow.) I do feel so much better running after biking than running alone.
March 5, 2011: Brick. Bike 1hr:20min with 4 x 5 minutes with 3 minutes rest between reps mixed in. Run 30 minutes. I felt really good running after coming off the bike. I could have gone for quite a bit longer but I do not want to risk hurting my knee again. I have to take it slow.
March 4, 2011: Off. Should have done something today but it was Friday and refreshing beverage sounded like a better idea. Will get back at it tomorrow.
March 3, 2011: Rest
March 2, 2011: Run 25 minutes at lunch. It was tough to get motiviated but I made myself go. Just have to keep your eye on the prize!
March 1, 2011: Bike 45 minutes in pm. I almost didn't do anything today but then at 10:15 at night I decided to do a quick 45 minute ride. Good for me!
Feb 28, 2011: Run 35 minutes at lunch. Felt okay but not stellar.
Feb 27, 2011: Run 45 minutes (8:30 @ 2.5 grade). In pm did core strength and strength routine #1
Feb 26, 2011: Rest
Feb 25, 2011: Brick - 60 min bike 2 x 10 minute standing, run 30 minutes. Felt very good. I think I feel better running after biking now than just running. That's a good sign.
Feb 24, 2011: Rest
Feb 23, 2011: Run 45 minutes at lunch - easy. Bike 60 minutes in pm. 5 minutes standing
Feb 22, 2011: Rest
Feb 21, 2011: Bike - 60min. Pretty sore today from fast run yesterday. Did another 30 mintute snowshoe.
Feb 20, 2011: Well....it's time to get back at it! I have been somewhat active over the winter but now it is time to get back into "training" mode. Today was a short but quick run. 15 in warm up at 8:00 pace then 5 minutes at 7:30 and 5 minutes at 6:58, then a 5 minute cool down at 8:30. Felt really good. Aslo, did a 1 hr snowshoe with the family.
Oct 29: Boy......That was a long race! Just kidding, I have just taken some time off....completely off. Off of swimming, biking, running, and blogging. I have been spending some more time with the familyand getting back into the school season. A wife that teaches and a daughter going to kindergarten keeps everyone in the family tired, sick and grumpy for the first couple of months. Enough of that...let's talk about the race!
It was a long drive with the wife, the kids and Grandma from Roseau River to Calgary but we made it with no major issues. I got registered on Saturday and got out to the race site for a quick swim bike and run. thank goodness I got in the water because boy was it cold! At least I knew what I was getting into the next morning. Speaking of the next morning it started at 3:30am. We had to be up and to the shuttle pick up area by 4:30am. We decided Kara would not come with the kids for the start of the race and just try to meet me out on the bike course. So Grandma (Mom) came with me to the start. I was a dark, cold and wet bus ride to Ghost Lake. Preparations once we got there went fairly smooth and all I had to worry about was staying warm and getting ready for the race. If I remember correctly the pro's started at about 6am and I was in the first wave after them about 10 minutes later. The start was off a boat ramp so you could walk in as far as you wanted so I placed myself about mid pack with water to my waist. It was a pretty uneventfull start but not long into the swim it got interesting. Because the water was so cold (I am guessig about 16 celcius) my goggles fogged up pretty quick (i need those new goggles with auto-defrost) and I am guessing by the amount of people crashing about everyone elses goggles were in the same state. So I just relied that the guy in front of me was going the right direction and kept fighting my way through. Once in a while i could check for the marker buoys but I couldn't really see them, or anything until I was very close. A little further on I had to adjust my goggles a few times and let some water in. It wasn't that great but at least it did help defog them somewhat. As I was getting close to the end I was hoping to still se the last wave standing there because then i would know that i would have been fir sure under 40 minutes. So I was happy to see them but I was concentrating more on how cold i was and trying to figure out how i was going to 1. get my wetsuit off with no feeling in my finger and 2. swing a frozen leg over my bike. As I was comig out of the water i checked my watch and i was at about 37 minutes. Not a bad swim for me in those conditions. i'm sure i could cut 2 or 3 minutes off in the future knowing now what have to deal with. But on to the bike! I had a decent transition for being extremely cold and trying to get dressed in the rain. I did see Mom on the run out of the water and on the run out of transition but all i could muster was a faint smirk or that's probably what it look like but it was actually my lips frozen in that position. I debated what to wear on the bike because it was cold and rainy but I did not want to overheat and i wasn't going to throw away my new Coop gear. So I braved the bike with just my tri jersey. Others were doing it so I thought I could too. Well.....shoulda wore the longsleeve! I was cold on the ride. My hands and fingers warmed up at about 80km and my toes... well i will get to that later when i talk about the run. The bike course was beautiful. Nice rolling hills with minimal wind. I knew I was having a pretty good ride because I was averaging a little above 33kph. Some of the hills were pretty big and all I could do was just keep turning the pedals and eventually I would get to the top. The climb just outside of Cochrane was pretty long but I seemed to enjoy it. i was still very cold but i was enjoying the ride. I had time to look around and take in the scenery. You know like the nice Cervelo, Quintana Roo etc....oh yeah and the mountains! I was starting to get a little tired and sore when I came to about 80km mark when recognized two vehicles and realized it was our van and my friends SUV. it took me a minute to realize that it wasn't just my vehicle that was there and that my family must be close by as well. And sure enough there they were cheering, ringing cow bells, and taking pictures. It gave me the lift i needed to get back to work and hammer home to the finish of the bike leg. When i got to transition i was still trying to figure out how I was going to run on two feet that were numb but i figured that it would just have to happen so to stop worrying about it. the transition went well and I was really glad i put an extra pair of sock in my T2 bag because my bike socks were soaked. It felt good to take those wet socks off and get dry socks on. It did scare me a little when i took my socks off and my toes were white but i put my new socks on and tried to forget about it. When started to run my legs felt pretty good. Scott, Deanna and Mom were right there at transition and cheering me out onto the run course. having my friends and family there for the race meant a lot to me. Plus Scott and Deanna (and Mokka) drove a long way to see me race so I better have a good one. As I got settled into the run I started to feel better and better. I started runnig with a guy from Red Deer and we started to chat about the race. he told me that he did the race last year and that we were coming up to some hills. I asked him to define what he calls a hill because I informed him that i was from southern Manitoba and the heave in the pavement we just ran over was a hill to me. And as we turned the corner i could see they were larger than the pavement heave but not too drastic. After we got through that section i started to feel even better and began to pick it up. I had to hold back somewhat because I was scared i was going to blow up later. As I was running by myself down this nicely treed bike path in a Calgary in a park i had never been in I run by this spectator walking donw the same path in the direction i was running. I found it odd that spectators were allowed on the course but then thought why not it was not as long as they get out of the way if needed. Then I hear "Let's go Dean". I ran another 5 or 6 strides wondering who this person was talking to and how did they know my name. I looked down at my bib number and it did have my name on it but this guy could not have seen that. So I look back and there is Scott walking down the path. I don't even think i said anything but i gave him a quick smile and continued on. I was feeling really good up till about 11km then I could feel my IT band issue starting to flare up. I knew this would happen because i had been struggling with it for a couple months prior to the race. It usually flared up at about 12-14km on my runs so it wasn't a matter of if but when. So from 11km to 17km it got worse and worse. From 17km to the end (21km for those of you not familliar with the stupidity of the half ironman :), it was really painfull. But I kept telling myself that I was almost done and this injury was not life threatening, or even leg threatening, it was just going to hurt! So I ran on the best i could. I was on pace to run a sub 1:40 half marathon but ended up about 1:46. The final straightaway was pretty much a blur. I was on the verge of tears because my knee hurt so bad all i wanted to do was get to the fininsh line so i could stop running. Again my family and friends were there as they were all day cheering me on. Unfortunately, I was in such a state that I didn't even see them standing right at the side of the road coming into the finish. Finish time 5:24. My previous personal best was 5:40. Not bad especially when the bike was actually about 95km instead of the traditional 90km. So I figure I was closer to 5:15 or so if you take off the extra km's. It was great to see my wife and kids right after the race. Because they were the ones supporting me fo the previous months of training. When I would be gone for hours at a time training Kara and the kids always encouraged me. Thank you family! And my friends and Mom that came to watch....thank you! I went to the roll down for the World Championships in Clearwater Florida but missed making it by 14 minutes. 14 minutes eh? I thik I can take 14 minutes off.....here we go again! Maybe not this year but soon I want to give it another go and see if i can make it!
That's it for now. I will try to post some pics to go along with this. Now it's time to get back to training!
Tom's Says: Giddy Up Dean! Make it fun, perform according to your plan and giver when it feels right ...
Tom's Comment: Hey Dean ... whaas up with your training? Looks like you've been building steadily and are ready to peak ... here's to a perfect peak for your Ironman!
Tom K's Comment: Getting all the Tri workouts in must be tough at times... good stuff Dean.
P.S. I'm sure our recent injury bad luck is not contagious, so don't avoid us entirely! ;-)
June 3: Swim 700m timed swim - about 13:30. Working on pulling more with right arm. Boy am I going to be sore tomorrow. But I guess I can't complain can I, Tom and Graham? Bike at lunch - 30km nice to have a wind at my back for the ride back to the office for once. Legs are a little tired.
June 2: Run 5 miles at lunch. Felt tired from yesterday. Still managed to average about 7:40min/mile. Run in pm with family, 3 miles easy.
June 1: Make up for the day before day. Swim 1500m in the am - worked on technique when tired. I am getting better at pulling more with both arms. Brick at lunch - 30km bike then 12minute run. There is only so much you can sneak into a lunch hour (maybe an hour and a bit). My legs felt a whole lot better on my short run this time. I want to keep doing short runs after most rides to get my legs used to the feeling of running after biking.
May 31: I did nothing and felt guilty every second of the day!
May 30: Do I get any training credit for manning sump pump? 3 inches of water in the basement kept me busy all day.
May 29: Brick - 45km bike and short 1.5 mile run. Boy, I have got some work to do. I think most of my rides will end with a short run from now on. I have to work on that transition from biking to running.
May 28: Off
May 27: Swim 1200m in am. Bike 30km at lunch. Both felt good.
May 26: Run 5 miles at lunch. First run after 1/2 marathon. Felt good.
May 25: Well....the Fargo Half Marathon is in the books. I had an okay race. I ran 1:33 and change. Averaged about 7:09/mile. It was a little slower that I was hoping for but I will take it. I do think my shoes are dead because my hips got sore and tired close to the end of the race which is not really a normal feeling for me. And I also added up my mileage in those shoes and I was probably around 800 miles. But saving $70 by buying my shoes in the states was more important to me than a new pair for the race. Anyways...back to training. I took Sunday and Monday off but am back at it today. I did a 1hr 15min ride this morning from Winnipeg to Niverville. Nice ride aside from the huge headwind the entire ride! Oh well that's training.
May 20: Tom - Thanks for the good wishes and boosting my spirits that it may be the weather and not me. I will try a run this evening. Maybe a short run with some strides misxed in to get my legs moving quick. I am realy looking forward to getting on the bike and in the pool more after this race. I think I have built a pretty good running base for my race in August. But first things first - race in Fargo! I won't be updating my blog until probably Tuesday. Aren't long weekends great!
Tom K's Comment (it's good to be a webmaster): Hey Dean ... kudos on your consistent workouts and training progress. Felt terrible yesterday? ... hmmm ... Lori and I went for a 4 mile run yesterday as well after work and both also felt sluggish in the heat. Replacing worn out shoes makes a big difference and rest is always key. Good luck this weekend!
Mar 7, 2012: Run 30 min. Easy run. Cold wind and I wasn't dressed for it. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Mar 6, 2012: Swim 1500m. WU, main set 4 x 50m fist swimming, 8 x 25 hard, WD. Felt pretty good. I need to do some more reading on what to do for workouts. Bike 60 min in pm. Fairly hard tempo. Weights (Q, H, B) 3 x 12 of each.
Mar 5, 2012: Run 36 min. WU for 10 min, 10 min tempo @ 7:15 pace, 2 min rest, 5 min tempo @ 7:20 pace, 11 min cool down. Felt okay but not great. The wind was stronger and colder than I thought. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Mar 4, 2012: Brick 1:45 min. Bike 1:30 and 15 min run. Felt great. Can't wait to get out on the roads and out of the basement.
Mar 3, 2012: Snowshoe 40 min. Yoga 35 min.
Mar 2, 2012: Daddy-daughter movie night due to storm. Some things are more important than training!
Mar 1, 2012: Sick. But did manageto pull my son around on his toboggan through knee deep snow for about 30 min. That's gotta count for something!
Feb 29, 2012: Sick.
Feb 28, 2012: Sometimes I wonder why I decided to post all my workouts...tough to get away with cheating. Well, it wasn't like I didn't do anything...I was 50% for the last 4 days. Nothing Sat or Sun but got back to it on Monday with a 45 min bike - moderate tempo and 15 minutes of weights. Then today I did 42 min of running. Warm up for 10 min then 20 minutes at 7:30 pace with 12 min cool down. Felt really good the longer I ran. I am interpreting that as a good sign. Can't gaurantee anyting but I will see if I can at least make an appearance if that is allowed. If not have a great slow time! Oh, I just remembered I did a 40 minute family snowshoe on Sunday - I think that gets me up to 75% - not bad!
(Scott's note: Hmmm, it's been 4 days and no posts. Maybe you should do Sloth Cross this weekend to kick things back into gear, if you happen to have 24 hours of free time).
Feb 24, 2012: Swim 1200m in am. 400m IM warm up (sorry no butterfly just a second freestyle leg), 4 x 50 m fist swimming, 8 x 25 fast, 100m skulling, 300m warm down. Run 32 min at lunch. Easy un in Niverville to stay out of wind.
Feb 23, 2012: Run 38 min. If I could have just kept running north I could have run forever but unfortunately I had to turn around and run back into the wind on my way back to work. A slow run but I consider it a victory based on the conditions (footing and falling/blowing snow). 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Feb 22, 2012: Not feeling well and thought it would be best to get more sleep then put in a half hearted run on the treadmill.
Feb 21, 2012: Nothing today....too busy getting stuck...getting towed 3 miles to my house.....snow blowing....running out of gas in my snowblower....shoveling...watching my neighbour plow my driveway...well, you get the idea. Oh well, life happens!
Feb 20, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt very good.
Feb 19, 2012: Run 75 min. Felt pretty good but the run was kind of slow. I was able to go sub 8 min/mile for the last 2 miles. They felt good. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
Feb 18, 2012: nothing today
Feb 17, 2012: rest
Feb 16, 2012: Swim 30 min (early am). Didn't swim as much as I wanted because I think I strained my shoulder a little and did not want to push it. Still managed to swim about 1000m. Run 35 min at lunch. Felt pretty good. 5 x 12 walking lunges after run.
Feb 15, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt good.
Feb 14, 2012: Run 40 min. Have a bit of a cold so just did a real easy run. DId 20 minutes of core strength after run.
Feb 13, 2012: Bike 45 min. 6 x 1 minute single leg (each leg). Weights - quads, hams, military press, curls. Total of 60 min
Feb 12, 2012: Well let's just call the last week or so a down week. With a trip to Toronto thrown in the mix and preparing for a fundraiser for my daughters dancing group, there was not much time left for training. I didn't mind too much because it doesn't hurt to have a down week once in a while. I got back on the training wagon again today with a 62 minute run about 8 miles. Felt realy good. It would have been a little nicer if I didn't have to run right into the south wind for 5 miles but it could have been a lot worse for a mid Feb run. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
February 5, 2012: Bike 45 minutes. Moderate tempo. Felt good.
February 4, 2012: Bike 15 min - test riding a new bike at a shop....I will let you know when it's official. :) And no, I am not actually counting it as training.
February 3, 2012: Run 35 minutes. A little sluggish but not bad. Very foggy. Didn't get run over so all in all a good run. 5 x 12 walking lunges
February 2, 2012: Brick. Bike 30 min, run 15 min. Relaxation workout after presentation today. The workout was good and quick. Wieghts - quads, hamstrings, military press and bicep curls.
February 1, 2012: No time. I was at the Manitoba Swine Seminar all day and then to a speakers dinner in the evening. I was presenting on Thursday morning and did not get the video for my presentation until 10pm on Wednesday night. No need to exercise I burned enough calories due to nerves.
January 31, 2012: Run 30 min. A run just to get a run in. Very busy but needed the stress reliever of a run to get settled.
January 30, 2012: Rest
January 29, 2012: Bike 70 min. easy tempo ride. Felt good. Weights - quads, hamstrings, military press and bicep curls.
January 28, 2012: Run 45 min. Kara and I ran to the neighbours to get our daughter from a B-Day party. So not only was it a 45 minute run we swapped pushing a double stroller with 1 kid in it going one way and 2 kids in it coming back. Oh, and did I mention cming back it was directly into the wind. Needless to say the next day we were a little sore. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
January 27, 2012: Swim 30 minutes. First swim back. Decided to start real easy. Did about 1000m. The thing I am going to try this year is some more backstroke just to change things up some. It was a little tougher getting up at 5:30 to get to the pool by 6:30 though. But it's Friday so I only have to make it through today to get to the weekend.
January 26, 2012: Run 35 minutes. Felt okay but not great. Pretty windy but I don't think that was the problem. 5 x 12 walking lunges
January 25, 2012: Bike 45 minutes. 6 x 1 minute each leg. Good ride. Had to stop before I drove Kara crazy with my squeeky bike right beside where she works. Thanks for your patience Kara! Scott - I tell ya that whole change in geometry is really something. I actually look forward to running after I ride and am a little dissapointed if I don't have time. Plus....I am getting older and just need more time to warm up on a run until I feel good. This way I am going into a run already warmed up.
Pardon me for invading your postings Dean (this is Scott typing) - just want to say we're still following you - looks like things are progressing well, though I'm trying to wrap my head around the whole "you feel better on the run if you've biked 1st" thing. I guess it's a good thing you're a triathlete.
January 24, 2012: Run 50 min - workout on treadmill. Warm up 15 min. Main set - 8 x 2 min @ 8 minute mile pace on 6% grade with 1 minute rest in between each rep. Felt really good. Actually felt better as the workout progressed. Weights 20 min - Quads, Hamstrings, military press, and bicep curls.
January 23, 2012: Rest
January 22, 2012: Brick. Bike 60 min, run 20 min. Weights 20 min. Quads, hamstrings, military press, curls. All felt really good. I feel so much better running after biking than just running alone. I had a good week last week. Not big volumes but 6 out of 7 dyas is pretty good.
January 21, 2012: Bike 20 min. Why only 20 min? Too long of a story to get into.
January 20, 2012: Run 43 minutes. Good run. Still over dressing a bit. 5 x 12 walking lunges
January 19, 2012: Rest day.
January 18, 2012: Bike 40 min. Did some single leg work 6 x 1 minute on each leg. Then moderate tempo the rest of the ride. Felt good but I have been having trouble with my lower back. Will hopefully get an adjustment on Thursday.
January 17, 2012: Run 35 min. Way overdressed for my run outside. You know you have overdressed when you are overheating at -35 degrees celcius with the windchill. I have a new winter running jacket that I am not quite used to. 5 x 12 walking lunges.
January 16, 2012: Run 40 min, moderate. Good run, felt strong and could have gone longer but was more interested in going to bed!
January 15, 2012: Bike 60 min. I lowered my handle bars seom by taking out some spacers to attempt to achieve a more aero position (it's pretty windy in my basement). It is amazing the different aches and pains you can get by making one simple change. Hamstring curls, quad ext, dumbell military press, bicep curls.
January 14, 2012: Ice fishing! Enough said.
January 13, 2012: Run 30 min at lunch. Felt pretty good. I think I almost frostbit my left love-handle (I'm not too proud to admit that) until I realized I had my pocket open and the south wind was going right in and freezing my side. 4 x 12 walking lunges. May want to increase to 5 x, 4 x is getting pretty easy.
January 12, 2012: Let's pretend Jan 12 did not happen.
January 11, 2012: Run 30 min at lunch. Even though it was cold outside I really wanted to go because I hadn't done anything for a couple of days. The run was okay but I was hungry going into the run and felt a little low on energy but all in all not a bad run.
January 10, 2012: Nothing today. Meeting in the city all day then I had to work from 6pm to midnight. Not much time to train.
January 9, 2012: Rest day. I think need it just because of my lack of good sleeps.
January 8, 2012: Run 30 min. Well....that sucked! I guess two nights of bad sleeps can really hamper your workouts. Whatever happened to the days where I could stay up till all hours with friends and still have a good workout the next morning? Oh, I guess 20 years, and 6 and a 4 year old is what happened....never mind.
January 7, 2012: Bike 60 min. Moderate to hard tempo. Felt good. 3 x 12 single leg quads extns. and hamstring curls. 4 hrs 12 min this week not including lunges or weights. Good week. Need to keep adding time. Will help when I start swimming in the next week or two.
January 6, 2012: Run 42 minutes. Felt really good. It was slippery on the gravel and good footing on the pavement....I must have run through some sort of alternate universe black hole or something during my run. Lunge walks 4 x 12.
January 5, 2012: Rest day.
January 4, 2012: Run 35 min. 9 min warm up. 5 x 3 minutes @ 6:40-6:50 min/mile pace with 1 min rest in between intervals. 6 min cool down. Felt great. 4 x 12 walking lunges.
January 3, 2012: Rest day.
January 2, 2012: Bike 1 hr 10 min. 6 x 1 minute single leg (each leg), 2 x 7 minute standing. Moderate tempo the rest of the time. 3 x 12 single leg quad and hamstring. Plus 30 minutes of hauling wood.
January 1, 2012: Run 45 min easy. Some hill work.
December 31, 2011: Brick - 45 min bike moderate tempo, then 15 minute run (7:30 for first half and thn 8:30 for last half) one minute transition. Quad extensions and hamstring curls - 3 x 12 on each leg. Happy Ney Year!
December 30, 2011: 1 hr 30 minutes cutting and hauling wood. Not really sport specific but boy did I sweat!
December 29, 2011: Run 30 min. Quad extensions and hamstring curls. 3 x 12 on each leg. I will do these weights when training insie and the walking lunges outside.
December 28, 2011: Run 35 min. Walking lunges 4 x 12. Let's just forget about the three days I didn't do anything except gain weight. I'm back on track now.
December 24, 2011: Bike 40 min. 1 x 10 min standing, 1 x 5 min standing. 1 x Emerson tripping over the treadmill that Kara was running on and getting shot off the end.....no worries after a few tears he was okay. More scared than anything....probably not as scared as Daddy was watching it happen. Live and learn! Merry Ho Ho!
December 23, 2011: Rest day.
December 22, 2011: 25 min run - easy. Walking lunges (4 x 12)
December 21, 2011: Rest day
December 20, 2011: 30 min run @7:30 pace. Walking lunges (4 x 12) - done at lunch. 45 min bike in the evening. 6 x 1 minute single leg drills.
December 19, 2011: 25 min run. Pretty tired from run last night. Lunges.
December 18, 2011: 60 min run with lunges after. The first 15-20 min does not feel good but once i get past that I feel great. When I near 60 minutes I feel like I could go for antoher 60. I guess getting older means it takes longer to warm up. Oh well if that's the worst of it.....
December 17, 2011: 30 min bike with lunges after. Moderate tempo. Not a great last half of the week. Lots of Christmas obligations so not much time to train.
December 14, 2011: Nothing today. Bad weather at lunch for running outside, headache after work and school Christmas concert in the evening (that was a work-out on it's own!).
December 13, 2011: Run 30 min. 1 mile warm up, 2 miles fartlek, 1 mile cool down. Felt pretty good. It was slippery on the pavement so I tried to stay to the gravel. Lunges
December 12, 2011: Run 30 min easy. Not a great run. Two reasons - 1) neck felt okay except when I had to shoulder check for cars quickly a few times and forgot my neck was sore. 2) I don't know if it is just my age now but I have been doing a bit of an experiment recently and have noticed that my workouts on days after I have had more than 1 soft drink (usually Coke) is usually sub-par. I guess this is not a "eureka!" moment but it will make me think more about my "nutrition" and training in the future. Lunges
December 11, 2011: Nothing today. Woke up and realized that I slept wrong and could not turn my head (i.e. very sore neck). It has settled down a bit but I will have to visit the Chiro. Plus it was Kara's B-Day so it may have been rude to spend an hour of "our" time in the basement on a treadmill.
December 10, 2011: Bike 60 min easy tempo. Not used to early morning rides....a little sleepy. Stage 12 of the TDF was keeping me awake.
December 9, 2011: Run 30min easy, with 4 x 12 walking lunges at the end. Legs felt good. Foot good so far.
December 8, 2011: Rest day. Foot is starting to feel better. Will try a run on Friday.
December 7, 2011 (evening): Bike trainer 60 min total. 10 min warm up spin. Then 3 x 5 min (1 min left leg, 1 min right leg, 1 min left leg, 1 min right leg, 1 min fast spin), then 10 min moderate tempo, then 3 x 5 min standing with 2 minute rest in between, then 6 minute easy tempo. (All while watching Stage 11 of the 2011 TDF). Felt good.
December 7, 2011: Okay, I think I am ready to start updating my page again. Training has been going very well.....oh, I guess I should say that i am back in training for Calgary 70.3 again. I am committed to the race because I have even made it a personal goal on my evaluation at work. Seems kind of odd but it allows the superviosr and employee to have a connection other than work related and all goes towards promoting a good home life and work life balance. Anyways, July and August I was running about 2 or 3 days per week. Nothing long but just starting to build a base. September I began to put in some longer runs on the weekend and moved up to 3 to 4 days per week. October I started to incorporate some bike workouts with the running. Now in November I have increased my weekly workout time to about 3-3.5 hours per week. Nothing has been very long keeping long runs 45 min to 1 hr and rides about the same. I have done a few brick workouts that feel really good. I will start swimming early in the New Year. Currently I have a bit of a sore foot so I am taking the time I need to make sure it does not turn into a plantar fasciitis. So I will stay on the bike for this week and see how it goes. I had a good 60 min run on Sunday that may have irritated it a bit. December 4 - 60 min run, December 5 - 45 min bike (single leg stuff), December 6 - rest day.
September 12, 2011: Long story short...I had my appendix out. Sliding back into the lifestyle of "I can do it tomorrow" was very easy to do...and it turns out I am very good at it. Oh well....but, I am back again and ready to start getting ready for next year. I am still deciding what the goal race/races will be but I will let you know when I figure it out.
March 6, 2011: Run 30 minutes easy/slow (I wouldn't say easy because it wasn't really but it was slow.) I do feel so much better running after biking than running alone.
March 5, 2011: Brick. Bike 1hr:20min with 4 x 5 minutes with 3 minutes rest between reps mixed in. Run 30 minutes. I felt really good running after coming off the bike. I could have gone for quite a bit longer but I do not want to risk hurting my knee again. I have to take it slow.
March 4, 2011: Off. Should have done something today but it was Friday and refreshing beverage sounded like a better idea. Will get back at it tomorrow.
March 3, 2011: Rest
March 2, 2011: Run 25 minutes at lunch. It was tough to get motiviated but I made myself go. Just have to keep your eye on the prize!
March 1, 2011: Bike 45 minutes in pm. I almost didn't do anything today but then at 10:15 at night I decided to do a quick 45 minute ride. Good for me!
Feb 28, 2011: Run 35 minutes at lunch. Felt okay but not stellar.
Feb 27, 2011: Run 45 minutes (8:30 @ 2.5 grade). In pm did core strength and strength routine #1
Feb 26, 2011: Rest
Feb 25, 2011: Brick - 60 min bike 2 x 10 minute standing, run 30 minutes. Felt very good. I think I feel better running after biking now than just running. That's a good sign.
Feb 24, 2011: Rest
Feb 23, 2011: Run 45 minutes at lunch - easy. Bike 60 minutes in pm. 5 minutes standing
Feb 22, 2011: Rest
Feb 21, 2011: Bike - 60min. Pretty sore today from fast run yesterday. Did another 30 mintute snowshoe.
Feb 20, 2011: Well....it's time to get back at it! I have been somewhat active over the winter but now it is time to get back into "training" mode. Today was a short but quick run. 15 in warm up at 8:00 pace then 5 minutes at 7:30 and 5 minutes at 6:58, then a 5 minute cool down at 8:30. Felt really good. Aslo, did a 1 hr snowshoe with the family.
Oct 29: Boy......That was a long race! Just kidding, I have just taken some time off....completely off. Off of swimming, biking, running, and blogging. I have been spending some more time with the familyand getting back into the school season. A wife that teaches and a daughter going to kindergarten keeps everyone in the family tired, sick and grumpy for the first couple of months. Enough of that...let's talk about the race!
It was a long drive with the wife, the kids and Grandma from Roseau River to Calgary but we made it with no major issues. I got registered on Saturday and got out to the race site for a quick swim bike and run. thank goodness I got in the water because boy was it cold! At least I knew what I was getting into the next morning. Speaking of the next morning it started at 3:30am. We had to be up and to the shuttle pick up area by 4:30am. We decided Kara would not come with the kids for the start of the race and just try to meet me out on the bike course. So Grandma (Mom) came with me to the start. I was a dark, cold and wet bus ride to Ghost Lake. Preparations once we got there went fairly smooth and all I had to worry about was staying warm and getting ready for the race. If I remember correctly the pro's started at about 6am and I was in the first wave after them about 10 minutes later. The start was off a boat ramp so you could walk in as far as you wanted so I placed myself about mid pack with water to my waist. It was a pretty uneventfull start but not long into the swim it got interesting. Because the water was so cold (I am guessig about 16 celcius) my goggles fogged up pretty quick (i need those new goggles with auto-defrost) and I am guessing by the amount of people crashing about everyone elses goggles were in the same state. So I just relied that the guy in front of me was going the right direction and kept fighting my way through. Once in a while i could check for the marker buoys but I couldn't really see them, or anything until I was very close. A little further on I had to adjust my goggles a few times and let some water in. It wasn't that great but at least it did help defog them somewhat. As I was getting close to the end I was hoping to still se the last wave standing there because then i would know that i would have been fir sure under 40 minutes. So I was happy to see them but I was concentrating more on how cold i was and trying to figure out how i was going to 1. get my wetsuit off with no feeling in my finger and 2. swing a frozen leg over my bike. As I was comig out of the water i checked my watch and i was at about 37 minutes. Not a bad swim for me in those conditions. i'm sure i could cut 2 or 3 minutes off in the future knowing now what have to deal with. But on to the bike! I had a decent transition for being extremely cold and trying to get dressed in the rain. I did see Mom on the run out of the water and on the run out of transition but all i could muster was a faint smirk or that's probably what it look like but it was actually my lips frozen in that position. I debated what to wear on the bike because it was cold and rainy but I did not want to overheat and i wasn't going to throw away my new Coop gear. So I braved the bike with just my tri jersey. Others were doing it so I thought I could too. Well.....shoulda wore the longsleeve! I was cold on the ride. My hands and fingers warmed up at about 80km and my toes... well i will get to that later when i talk about the run. The bike course was beautiful. Nice rolling hills with minimal wind. I knew I was having a pretty good ride because I was averaging a little above 33kph. Some of the hills were pretty big and all I could do was just keep turning the pedals and eventually I would get to the top. The climb just outside of Cochrane was pretty long but I seemed to enjoy it. i was still very cold but i was enjoying the ride. I had time to look around and take in the scenery. You know like the nice Cervelo, Quintana Roo etc....oh yeah and the mountains! I was starting to get a little tired and sore when I came to about 80km mark when recognized two vehicles and realized it was our van and my friends SUV. it took me a minute to realize that it wasn't just my vehicle that was there and that my family must be close by as well. And sure enough there they were cheering, ringing cow bells, and taking pictures. It gave me the lift i needed to get back to work and hammer home to the finish of the bike leg. When i got to transition i was still trying to figure out how I was going to run on two feet that were numb but i figured that it would just have to happen so to stop worrying about it. the transition went well and I was really glad i put an extra pair of sock in my T2 bag because my bike socks were soaked. It felt good to take those wet socks off and get dry socks on. It did scare me a little when i took my socks off and my toes were white but i put my new socks on and tried to forget about it. When started to run my legs felt pretty good. Scott, Deanna and Mom were right there at transition and cheering me out onto the run course. having my friends and family there for the race meant a lot to me. Plus Scott and Deanna (and Mokka) drove a long way to see me race so I better have a good one. As I got settled into the run I started to feel better and better. I started runnig with a guy from Red Deer and we started to chat about the race. he told me that he did the race last year and that we were coming up to some hills. I asked him to define what he calls a hill because I informed him that i was from southern Manitoba and the heave in the pavement we just ran over was a hill to me. And as we turned the corner i could see they were larger than the pavement heave but not too drastic. After we got through that section i started to feel even better and began to pick it up. I had to hold back somewhat because I was scared i was going to blow up later. As I was running by myself down this nicely treed bike path in a Calgary in a park i had never been in I run by this spectator walking donw the same path in the direction i was running. I found it odd that spectators were allowed on the course but then thought why not it was not as long as they get out of the way if needed. Then I hear "Let's go Dean". I ran another 5 or 6 strides wondering who this person was talking to and how did they know my name. I looked down at my bib number and it did have my name on it but this guy could not have seen that. So I look back and there is Scott walking down the path. I don't even think i said anything but i gave him a quick smile and continued on. I was feeling really good up till about 11km then I could feel my IT band issue starting to flare up. I knew this would happen because i had been struggling with it for a couple months prior to the race. It usually flared up at about 12-14km on my runs so it wasn't a matter of if but when. So from 11km to 17km it got worse and worse. From 17km to the end (21km for those of you not familliar with the stupidity of the half ironman :), it was really painfull. But I kept telling myself that I was almost done and this injury was not life threatening, or even leg threatening, it was just going to hurt! So I ran on the best i could. I was on pace to run a sub 1:40 half marathon but ended up about 1:46. The final straightaway was pretty much a blur. I was on the verge of tears because my knee hurt so bad all i wanted to do was get to the fininsh line so i could stop running. Again my family and friends were there as they were all day cheering me on. Unfortunately, I was in such a state that I didn't even see them standing right at the side of the road coming into the finish. Finish time 5:24. My previous personal best was 5:40. Not bad especially when the bike was actually about 95km instead of the traditional 90km. So I figure I was closer to 5:15 or so if you take off the extra km's. It was great to see my wife and kids right after the race. Because they were the ones supporting me fo the previous months of training. When I would be gone for hours at a time training Kara and the kids always encouraged me. Thank you family! And my friends and Mom that came to watch....thank you! I went to the roll down for the World Championships in Clearwater Florida but missed making it by 14 minutes. 14 minutes eh? I thik I can take 14 minutes off.....here we go again! Maybe not this year but soon I want to give it another go and see if i can make it!
That's it for now. I will try to post some pics to go along with this. Now it's time to get back to training!
Tom's Says: Giddy Up Dean! Make it fun, perform according to your plan and giver when it feels right ...
July 28: Well, we are packed up and on the road. Well....we have gone from Roseau River to Winnipeg for the first leg of the trip. Tomorrow we will head for Regina, then off to Calgary on Friday. The water temp at Ghost Lake is 17.5 degrees. A little cooler than the 22.5 at St.Malo. I need to get in the water on Saturday just so I know what to expect when I dive in at 6:20 on Sunday morning. I will try to update my page when I get access to a computer.
July 26: I have been enjoying my taper and just getting in what I can when I can. I swam about 1200m on Friday (July 23) morning, ran 8km on Saturday (July 24) evening, and did a brick on Sunday (40km ride and short 3km run). This morning I swam about 1000m. Nerves are starting to creep in a bit. Wondering if I have done enough training. I just have to keep telling myself that I have and just start packing all my stuff for the trip.
July 22: It's been a while since I updated my progress but life has been getting in the way of my training. I was in Pinawa last Thursday and Friday for a company strategic planning session. I still managed to do a good brick on Thursday (40km bike and 8km run - felt great, one of those workouts where you say "hey! I'm really fit!". Friday I managed to do a 10-12km run before heading home (I even gave up a round of golf to run - I must be committed). I then headed with the family up to Nutimik Lake to do some camping Sunday - Tuesday. I got a bit of a swim on Sunday and then a brick of swimming and running on Monday. Tuesday was busy driving home and unpacking but because I am beginning my taper I am not too worried about missing a day. I am now just trying to gets lots of sleep and bolster my nutrition. I am getting excited but can't believe the race is only 10 days away!
Tom's Comment: Hey Dean ... whaas up with your training? Looks like you've been building steadily and are ready to peak ... here's to a perfect peak for your Ironman!
July 14: Swim in am. Did an interval workout. Felt good and relatively fast. Did about 1800m. Bike at lunch. Did the normal 30km out and back from work in Niverville. Felt good. Pushed pretty hard coming home.
July 13: I did nothing and felt guilty the whole time. That's when you know you are committed!
July 12: rest day
July 11: Bike in am. 90km bike ride today. Had Scott as company for the last 30km. It was nice to have the company but I wouldn't let him take the point on the mountain passes north of St. Malo (I would say there was at least a 20 meter increase in elevation over 600m). He also took it easy on me when it came to the "bunch" sprint at the end. Thanks Scott! (Scott wrote: Dean, you pretty much hauled my butt around the hwy for an hour so I figured trying to beat you to the line would be a little lame. Also there was the risk of defeat).
July 10: Run in am. Had a good 15km run. It was slow but that is okay for a long run.
July 9: Swim in am. Swam 2000m in one continuous swim. Felt great. I went through 1900m in about 36 minutes. I hope I can replicate that swim in Calgary.
July 8: Brick at lunch. Bike 30km. Run 4km. I have to learn to pace myself better on the run. My first mile off the bike was at about 7:20pace. It's great that I can run that fast off the bike but I need to go out a little more conservatively if I want to run a good 1/2 marathon time in my race.
July 7: Swim in am. About 1600m. Good workout. Got in some faster stuff and worked on technique.
July 6: Bike at lunch. 30km 24km/hr out....48km/hr back. Run in pm. 10min WU, 4x5min @6:20-6:30 min/mile pace with 1 min rest. 10 min WD. Felt pretty good. My knee started bothering me at the end of the run.
July 5: rest day
July 4: Brick 65km ride and 8km run. Good workout. Averaged 33km/hr on bike. Run was good but it was getting pretty hot again. I ran out of water so slowed things down.
July 3: Run 11km. During heat of day. Not so smart. Oh well, got some miles in.
July 2: Swim in am 2000m. 1500m continuous then some drills. That's all for today.
July 1: Bike - 52km. Kara dropped me off in St.Agathe and I road in to St.James. Finally no head wind. Was able to average over 36km/hr for the ride. It was really hot, but felt really good.
June 30: Swim in am. About 1500m. Main set of breathing drills. Working on keeping my head lower and my chest pushed down. My instructor told me I look like a speed boat. I had to ask her if that was a good thing or a bad thing but I guess my chest and head are pushing a lot of water so I will try to swim a little lower. Run at lunch about 4.5 miles. Lots of small aches and pains. Made appointment with chiro for this afternoon. Hopefully that will take care of things.
June 29: Went to swim this morning and found out that Summer hours have kicked in at the Steinbach pool so I will have to change my swim days to Mon/Wed/Fri. So no swim today. Bike at lunch. Managed to put in 40km at lunch today. I have lived in this province most of my life and I still don't understand how the wind can blow from every direction during one ride. Starting to train with Power Gels because that is the nutrition they have on course in Calgary. So far no problems.
June 28: rest day
June 27: St.Malo Olympic triathlon. It was a good to get geared up for Calgary in a months time. My swim was quite slow but it may have had something to do with all the weeds and not being allowed to wear wet suits. The bike and run were both good efforts. My run time was the fastest I have done in a tri and my bike time was very close to my fastest. I finished 3rd in my age group and 16th out of 65 total participants. I feel like I am on target for Calgary and just need to a few more weeks of solids training to get me ready.
June 24: Morning swim @ St.Malo (about 25 minutes). Nice to get in open water. Lots of weeds in the lake right now. May be interesting for the races this weekend. Bike at noon - 30km. Bike is riding nice - Thanks Scott!
June 22: I know it's been a while but it has been a busy week. I ran on Sunday in the Manitoba Marathon. I was just running the last leg of the relay but I had a good race. I probably averaged just under 7 minute mile pace for my leg. I got on the bike again this evening after my mechanic tuned it all up (Thanks Scott!). Unfortunately I had a small crash and hurt my hip, forearm and ear. I think I will be okay but I am pretty sore today (June 23). The real embarassing part of the crash was that I was in my basement. Yes...I fell off my trainer. I got the bike on the trainer, sat down and my first pedal stroke twisted the bike out of the trainer and I crashed onto the concrete floor and hit the wall with my head on the way down. I think the worst is my hip which took the force of my fall. Sleeping was pretty uncomfortable last night so I will have to see how things feel later today and tomorrow to see if I think I will still be able to race this weekend at the St. Malo Triathlon. I just want to make sure I am healthy for the Calgary race Aug 1. I will let you know how things go.
June 17: Swim in am. Approx 1600m. Did a workout with Masters in Steinbach. Lots of back stroke, I think I am going to be sore later.
June 16: still recovering plus my bike was in at the shop. Did core strength routine in the evening when I started feeling better.
June 15: sick, either a cold or allergies. It really knocked me down.
June 14: Rest day
June 13: Brick - 60km ride and 6km run. Ride was good (aside from the sun burn I got). Run was better than before. It seems to be gettgin easier and easier to run coming off the bike. My second mile was timed at 7 minutes. I wore my heart rate monitor for the enitre workout. During the bike it was mostly at 130-140bpm, during the run it went up to 150-160. I think I need to try to keep it around 150-155 if I can.
June 12: Run 5 miles in am. Felt good, foot may have started hurting if I kept going for a mile or two more.
June 11: Off - attended wedding - danced for 45minutes not very sport specific but got a sweat going ;-)
June 10: Swim 1800m in the am. 1500m in about 29 minutes. Still felt tired but was able to gut it out. At least I know I can do the distance. Lunch time ride of 30km. Had to wear two shirts to stay warm but I forgot about my feet. It would be kind of embarassing to say that I frost bit my feet in June but I am still waiting for my toes to pink up after my ride. Ohh well, bike and learn.
June 9: Off
June 8: Swim 1000m in the am. Not a great swim. Close to the end of my swim all I could think about was the quote from a swimming book I read that says, "don't practice struggling". So, I didn't. I stopped. Oh well just one of those days I guess. It will be better on Thursday. Bike, late in the evening 1 hr on trainer. 2 x 10 minutes climbing mixed in while watching Four Weddings and a Funeral. It ain't the Tour de France but it passes the time.
July 13: I did nothing and felt guilty the whole time. That's when you know you are committed!
July 12: rest day
July 11: Bike in am. 90km bike ride today. Had Scott as company for the last 30km. It was nice to have the company but I wouldn't let him take the point on the mountain passes north of St. Malo (I would say there was at least a 20 meter increase in elevation over 600m). He also took it easy on me when it came to the "bunch" sprint at the end. Thanks Scott! (Scott wrote: Dean, you pretty much hauled my butt around the hwy for an hour so I figured trying to beat you to the line would be a little lame. Also there was the risk of defeat).
July 10: Run in am. Had a good 15km run. It was slow but that is okay for a long run.
July 9: Swim in am. Swam 2000m in one continuous swim. Felt great. I went through 1900m in about 36 minutes. I hope I can replicate that swim in Calgary.
July 8: Brick at lunch. Bike 30km. Run 4km. I have to learn to pace myself better on the run. My first mile off the bike was at about 7:20pace. It's great that I can run that fast off the bike but I need to go out a little more conservatively if I want to run a good 1/2 marathon time in my race.
July 7: Swim in am. About 1600m. Good workout. Got in some faster stuff and worked on technique.
July 6: Bike at lunch. 30km 24km/hr out....48km/hr back. Run in pm. 10min WU, 4x5min @6:20-6:30 min/mile pace with 1 min rest. 10 min WD. Felt pretty good. My knee started bothering me at the end of the run.
July 5: rest day
July 4: Brick 65km ride and 8km run. Good workout. Averaged 33km/hr on bike. Run was good but it was getting pretty hot again. I ran out of water so slowed things down.
July 3: Run 11km. During heat of day. Not so smart. Oh well, got some miles in.
July 2: Swim in am 2000m. 1500m continuous then some drills. That's all for today.
July 1: Bike - 52km. Kara dropped me off in St.Agathe and I road in to St.James. Finally no head wind. Was able to average over 36km/hr for the ride. It was really hot, but felt really good.
June 30: Swim in am. About 1500m. Main set of breathing drills. Working on keeping my head lower and my chest pushed down. My instructor told me I look like a speed boat. I had to ask her if that was a good thing or a bad thing but I guess my chest and head are pushing a lot of water so I will try to swim a little lower. Run at lunch about 4.5 miles. Lots of small aches and pains. Made appointment with chiro for this afternoon. Hopefully that will take care of things.
June 29: Went to swim this morning and found out that Summer hours have kicked in at the Steinbach pool so I will have to change my swim days to Mon/Wed/Fri. So no swim today. Bike at lunch. Managed to put in 40km at lunch today. I have lived in this province most of my life and I still don't understand how the wind can blow from every direction during one ride. Starting to train with Power Gels because that is the nutrition they have on course in Calgary. So far no problems.
June 28: rest day
June 27: St.Malo Olympic triathlon. It was a good to get geared up for Calgary in a months time. My swim was quite slow but it may have had something to do with all the weeds and not being allowed to wear wet suits. The bike and run were both good efforts. My run time was the fastest I have done in a tri and my bike time was very close to my fastest. I finished 3rd in my age group and 16th out of 65 total participants. I feel like I am on target for Calgary and just need to a few more weeks of solids training to get me ready.
June 24: Morning swim @ St.Malo (about 25 minutes). Nice to get in open water. Lots of weeds in the lake right now. May be interesting for the races this weekend. Bike at noon - 30km. Bike is riding nice - Thanks Scott!
June 22: I know it's been a while but it has been a busy week. I ran on Sunday in the Manitoba Marathon. I was just running the last leg of the relay but I had a good race. I probably averaged just under 7 minute mile pace for my leg. I got on the bike again this evening after my mechanic tuned it all up (Thanks Scott!). Unfortunately I had a small crash and hurt my hip, forearm and ear. I think I will be okay but I am pretty sore today (June 23). The real embarassing part of the crash was that I was in my basement. Yes...I fell off my trainer. I got the bike on the trainer, sat down and my first pedal stroke twisted the bike out of the trainer and I crashed onto the concrete floor and hit the wall with my head on the way down. I think the worst is my hip which took the force of my fall. Sleeping was pretty uncomfortable last night so I will have to see how things feel later today and tomorrow to see if I think I will still be able to race this weekend at the St. Malo Triathlon. I just want to make sure I am healthy for the Calgary race Aug 1. I will let you know how things go.
June 17: Swim in am. Approx 1600m. Did a workout with Masters in Steinbach. Lots of back stroke, I think I am going to be sore later.
June 16: still recovering plus my bike was in at the shop. Did core strength routine in the evening when I started feeling better.
June 15: sick, either a cold or allergies. It really knocked me down.
June 14: Rest day
June 13: Brick - 60km ride and 6km run. Ride was good (aside from the sun burn I got). Run was better than before. It seems to be gettgin easier and easier to run coming off the bike. My second mile was timed at 7 minutes. I wore my heart rate monitor for the enitre workout. During the bike it was mostly at 130-140bpm, during the run it went up to 150-160. I think I need to try to keep it around 150-155 if I can.
June 12: Run 5 miles in am. Felt good, foot may have started hurting if I kept going for a mile or two more.
June 11: Off - attended wedding - danced for 45minutes not very sport specific but got a sweat going ;-)
June 10: Swim 1800m in the am. 1500m in about 29 minutes. Still felt tired but was able to gut it out. At least I know I can do the distance. Lunch time ride of 30km. Had to wear two shirts to stay warm but I forgot about my feet. It would be kind of embarassing to say that I frost bit my feet in June but I am still waiting for my toes to pink up after my ride. Ohh well, bike and learn.
June 9: Off
June 8: Swim 1000m in the am. Not a great swim. Close to the end of my swim all I could think about was the quote from a swimming book I read that says, "don't practice struggling". So, I didn't. I stopped. Oh well just one of those days I guess. It will be better on Thursday. Bike, late in the evening 1 hr on trainer. 2 x 10 minutes climbing mixed in while watching Four Weddings and a Funeral. It ain't the Tour de France but it passes the time.
June 7: Rest day
June 6: Run 8 miles. Not very good. Sore knee and aslo developed a sore arch on my right foot. All I can think right now is that I am wearing sandals with no supprt more than I should. So I will try to wear good footwear and my orthotics for a while and see if that helps.
June 5: Bike 60km. Felt really good.
June 4: Run 4 miles pushing double stoller.
Tom K's Comment: Getting all the Tri workouts in must be tough at times... good stuff Dean.
P.S. I'm sure our recent injury bad luck is not contagious, so don't avoid us entirely! ;-)
June 3: Swim 700m timed swim - about 13:30. Working on pulling more with right arm. Boy am I going to be sore tomorrow. But I guess I can't complain can I, Tom and Graham? Bike at lunch - 30km nice to have a wind at my back for the ride back to the office for once. Legs are a little tired.
June 2: Run 5 miles at lunch. Felt tired from yesterday. Still managed to average about 7:40min/mile. Run in pm with family, 3 miles easy.
June 1: Make up for the day before day. Swim 1500m in the am - worked on technique when tired. I am getting better at pulling more with both arms. Brick at lunch - 30km bike then 12minute run. There is only so much you can sneak into a lunch hour (maybe an hour and a bit). My legs felt a whole lot better on my short run this time. I want to keep doing short runs after most rides to get my legs used to the feeling of running after biking.
May 31: I did nothing and felt guilty every second of the day!
May 30: Do I get any training credit for manning sump pump? 3 inches of water in the basement kept me busy all day.
May 29: Brick - 45km bike and short 1.5 mile run. Boy, I have got some work to do. I think most of my rides will end with a short run from now on. I have to work on that transition from biking to running.
May 28: Off
May 27: Swim 1200m in am. Bike 30km at lunch. Both felt good.
May 26: Run 5 miles at lunch. First run after 1/2 marathon. Felt good.
May 25: Well....the Fargo Half Marathon is in the books. I had an okay race. I ran 1:33 and change. Averaged about 7:09/mile. It was a little slower that I was hoping for but I will take it. I do think my shoes are dead because my hips got sore and tired close to the end of the race which is not really a normal feeling for me. And I also added up my mileage in those shoes and I was probably around 800 miles. But saving $70 by buying my shoes in the states was more important to me than a new pair for the race. Anyways...back to training. I took Sunday and Monday off but am back at it today. I did a 1hr 15min ride this morning from Winnipeg to Niverville. Nice ride aside from the huge headwind the entire ride! Oh well that's training.
May 20: Tom - Thanks for the good wishes and boosting my spirits that it may be the weather and not me. I will try a run this evening. Maybe a short run with some strides misxed in to get my legs moving quick. I am realy looking forward to getting on the bike and in the pool more after this race. I think I have built a pretty good running base for my race in August. But first things first - race in Fargo! I won't be updating my blog until probably Tuesday. Aren't long weekends great!
Tom K's Comment (it's good to be a webmaster): Hey Dean ... kudos on your consistent workouts and training progress. Felt terrible yesterday? ... hmmm ... Lori and I went for a 4 mile run yesterday as well after work and both also felt sluggish in the heat. Replacing worn out shoes makes a big difference and rest is always key. Good luck this weekend!
May 18: Run 4 miles. Felt terrible. I don't know what is going on. I am guessing either I am still tired from a "bigger" week last week or my shoes are dead. I do think my shoes are dead but I didn't think they would make me feel as tired as I do. I am going to try to rest before the race on Saturday and hope that will get me ready. Cross your fingers for me.
May 17: Rest day
May 16: Run 6 miles. Still tired but I started the run at 7am so I may have still been sleeping. I picked it up the last 2 miles and ended with a 7:20mile and a 6:38mile. Didn't feel great but it is encouraging that even though I didn't feel great I still managed to run a 6:38 at the end of a run without too much trouble.
May 15: Rest
May 14: Run 5 miles at lunch. Legs were tired. Will take Saturday off.
May 13: Swim at lunch 1000m continuous effort. Felt good except for a sore shoulder (impingment syndrome). I think I have cought it early enough to make sure it doen't get worse. Bike in evening- spin for 45 minutes. Bought new pedals, making adjustments to the cleats.
May 12: Run 5 miles - medium effort (about 7:30 min/mile pace)
May 11: Swim in the morning. Approx 1000-1200m. Worked on kick and arm pull. The new stroke work is tough but I am hoping that it will pay off in the end. Run at lunch 6.5 miles. Warm up and then 6 x 2:40 (approx 600m) with 1:45 recovery between intervals. I was doing these at about 6 minute mile pace. Felt good and strong.
May 10: Much needed rest day.
May 9: Back on the horse. Ran 14 miles averaging between 7:43 and 8:07 minutes per mile. Felt good but a little sore from the race.
May 8: Run 8 miles. 10km race. Ran about 42 minutes. Was not really happy with the race. I went out too fast and suffered in the middle until I felt better around mile 4. I was hoping to go under 40 minutes and think I could have with a more evenly paced run. Chalk it up to a learing experience. I realized that that was my first 10km road race since 1998! No wonder I forgot how to race!
May 7: Rest before race tomorrow.
May 6: Run 3 miles. Easy run with some strides to get ready for the 10km race on Saturday.
May 5: Only had chance to do core strength routine today.
May 4: Swim in the morning. Got some coaching. Good thing looks like I have been swimming these last few years with one arm. Looking forward to the increased efficiency:) Run at lunch - 5 miles. 4 x 800m (only had time for 4) @ 2:56-3:07 with 2 minutes rest in between. Felt okay. Tough into 40 km head wind for two of the reps.
May 3: Rest day
May 2: Run 11 miles. Ran around watching the Cops for Cancer Half Marathon. Watching the race got me excited to run my half in Fargo in a few weeks. I need a couple more good weeks of training with some solid workouts to make sure I am ready. I am now running the 10km in the Physio Fit run May 8. This will give me a good idea of my fitness for my half.
May 1: Bike 60 minutes. Had a nightmare last night that I missed the start of my race in Calgary. What great motivation to get up at 5:45am to workout!
April 30: Run 5 miles at lunch (7:30 - 7:10/mile pace). Felt really good to run again. I was happy that my foot wasn't sore from my last run on the 24th. I am going to start fitting in some swims in the mornings next week.
April 29: (evening) Bike trainer for 40 minutes. Just enough to feel good again!
April 29: Sorry I haven't been updating. Going through my company ISO enviromental audit this week and have had no time to train let alone update the blog. I am very eager to get going again tonight.
April 25: Bike about 30km on the road. Nice day for the first ride of the season. Found a great loop up to St. Malo and back.
April 24: Run 4 miles. Got new Birkenstocks recently and wore them all day Friday. Saturday when I ran the arch of my right foot was sore so I only went 4 miles. Iced foot and decided to make sure I don't get injured so I would take it easy for a little bit. Also did core strength.
April 23: Off
April 22: Run 5 miles. I tried doing a workout but legs were tired from bike the night before. I probably shouldn't do a hard bike workout the night before I want to do a running workout. Oh well, live and learn.
April 21: Bike workout - New workout I call 50/50/50. Ten minute warm up, then 50 seconds spin then 50 seconds hard alternating for 50 minutes. Felt good. Was going to run after on the treadmill but realized the the surface under the belt is cracking. So no run Wednesday. Finished up with core strength.
April 20: Not Enough Hours in the Day, Day
April 19: Rest Day
April 18: 13.5 mile run @ 7:30 pace (1hr 42 min). Ran with brother, we both felt really good. A little tired at the end but what do you expect we just ran 13.5 miles! Scott (Wiebe, not Dean's brother Scott) wrote: Good heaven's man...the last time I ran 13.5 miles was...well, never actually.
April 17: 5 miles easy run
April 16: Rest day
April 15: Workout. Warm up. 25 minutes @ 6:30 pace, 5 minutes @ 6:10 pace. Felt really good.
April 14: Did a 5 mile run at lunch. Started out at 7:38 pace and increased to 7:10 pace for the last mile. I felt really good. I think right now I could run the half marathon @ 7:00 pace. So, between now and the May long weekend I need to find another 20-30 seconds of speed endurance. Also did an hour on the bike. At this time I am just spinning. Feels good but definately need a new saddle. Also did core strength routine.
April 13: Spent my potential worout time helping Kara get her resume and cover letter ready. Sometimes there are more important things than training.
April 12: Did my first ride and brick workout. Rode for 45 minutes then ran for 30 minutes. Felt great. I think I actually felt better running after a ride than just a run alone. Also did my core strength routine.
April 12: Got back home on Saturday morning at about 1:30am. Grandma was over to help Kara with the kids which allowed Kara and I to get our for a run first thing Saturday morning. We did an easy 8 miler and realized that it was the closest thing we had to a date for quite some time so we really enjoyed it. Sunday we dusted off the canoe and made our way to the Roseau River. We paddled from Stuartburn to Roseau River. It took about an hour and a half and the kids just loved it. It was a nice family day together so didn't get much else done.
April 7: Monday April 5 was a day off and Tuesday was a travel day to Carlyle, Illinois. I got in late and did not have a chance to work out. Got out for an easy 8 miler today after work. It was a nice run along side of the largest man made lake in Illinois, Carlyle Lake. It sure was nice to run in shorts and a t-shirt, comfortably. I will be in St.Louis tomorrow night and don't really know where I will be so I may have to rely on the hotel exercise room.
April 4: Long run day. Did a 12 miler. Last mile was a cool down so it was really more like an 11 miler. Started at about 8 minute mile pace then picked it up to 7:45 for a few miles then to 7:30 for a few more then finished off with a 7:10. Felt really good during the run. Pretty sore after but I have recovered.
April 3: Family day in the "big" city. Picked up my bike from Scott's and can't wait to get riding. Thanks for the tune up Scott!
April 2: No run today but did my core and strength routine.
April 1: Easy 4.5 miles today. Didn't feel great so didn't do the planned workout.
March 31: Easy 6 miler today. As Mr.Van would say, it was a "smell the roses run". Also did 30 minute core and strength routine. This routine is done every Mon, Wed and Fri. I will be mainly concentrating on running for the next month or so to get ready for the Fargo 1/2 marathon. I will pick up my bike from my bike shop - Wiebe's Pedal and Paddle, this weekend so I can start doing the odd ride a couple of days a week. I will try to start putting in a day or two a week of swimming starting mid April.
March 30: Good run at lunch today. Six and a half miles averaging about 7:30 pace. The 50km wind didn't really make things any easier. Still really tired from the weekend. I need more sleep. The body doesn't recover as fast as it once did.
March 29: It was a bad weekend for training but a great weekend for curling! I was on a team in the Vita battle of the sexes bonspiel. We won the 3rd event and came out getting our entry fee back. Not bad for weekend of fun. Ran an easy 4 miles on Friday and nothing else this weekend. Only had about 25 miles running last week, but two really good workouts. I need a big week this week. No swimming though - too sore from sweeping :)
March 25: Test
March 25: Today was my tempo run day. 25 minute tempo, first 20 minutes @ 6:38 minute mile pace, last 5 minutes @ 6:18 pace. Felt really good. Would have liked to go longer but ran out of time at lunch.
