Early December 2014

Dec 6, 2014 Ankle flared back early to mid Oct so I just stopped run and bike. Bummer. Been swimming a good bit instead. Still not up to full power but catching glimpses of it. Want to breakthrough old levels and find PRs. No swim over 1.5 miles. Got an upper respiratory infection 2-3 weeks ago that also has held me back. On or just before Thanksgiving, I wrenched my lower back.  Two weeks now of agony. Christmas came early for me. Bike Street going out of business and big markdowns mid November- bought a MTB kind of on impulse.  Full suspension, disc brakes. So I have been riding it a good bit. Took it to the mountain at PM state park. Fun. Risky. Road bike getting neglected. The MTB climbing really gets me winded. My legs have gotten comparatively weak.   Did a 2 mile run a few days ago but zero miles for a month or more. Will get back to it slowly.

Mid October.

Blog. Mid October.  I volunteered for the event Revolution 3 triathlon in Anderson, SC on October 12. Both long course (70.3) and Olympic distance races. I signed up for run aid station number 2 near downtown ( 9 am to 1 pm) but when I got to check in, I said if they wanted me somewhere more in need I would be open. So they put me near the start of the run to direct them at a turn. Seemed unnecessary. I was alone and would rather have been with one or two others.  My ankle is better, but still taking it easy. Other ankle has been hurting too ( which it used to do).  My cold. Maybe 98% over it. Hope it is not just dormant and will come back.  Training level is only 1 to 3 hours per week. This is largely in part to my ankle, but also a lack of a next event.  Have gotten back to swimming at the Y. This is my "weak" sport.   So while my ankle is bad maybe I can regain swim fitness. Would like to get back to previous high level of fitness there. A breakthrough would be nice.   New shoes. New type. Altra brand running shoes with zero lift or drop. I got the Instinct 1.5 model. Got them 40% off. Big toe box. Should be interesting to see how it affects my feet, ankles and so on. Was strongly considering a pair of Hokas, but never got around to it. 

End of September.

End of September  So after Langley Pond Triathlon  was the last post back at the end of August. Since then I have gone west and done Cycle Oregon 2014. The highlight of my year. The biggest bike adventure in decades. About 600 miles and 40,000 feet while in Oregon. Rides around Portland too. So many great stories and photos on their website and others. Need to blog about C.O. some more.  Took notes and some pictures, but just surviving and experiencing it was a lot of work.  During my ride I started to get sick and also my right achilles tendon got injured. I managed to do all the riding, but in more pain and suffering than "normal".  The scenery was amazing. The magnificent seven ride it was called for the 7 mountains we would ride around/near.  Since the end of that on about the 14th just been managing to go to work. Did not exercise at all until just the other night, 9/25/14 Ran a few slow and painful miles;  Still coughing up a lot and congested sinuses. A shame I could have used all that fitness to do some great riding back near home. An event or just a big ride on my own.  So glad no events planned because i probably would have been DNS. It will be a long slow recovery. I have faith in myself and this too shall pass.  Had been debating weather to rejoin the Y as I have done for 3 or more years. Just lost the motivation for everything right now. I joined anyway and swam just 10 minutes on the 28th.  Got out on the bike the 27th and 28th and the ankle pain is still there.  Starting to "wonder" about 2015 events. Others I know are signing up for big Ironman events and such. Boston marathon. Lots of choices. It's overwhelming actually. Oh how I fail to commit that far ahead. Like the last minute Assault on Mt Mitchell this year. So many exhortations on "anything is possible" yet time and money limit me.  Maybe I should try the Badwater ultra-marathon next year? Nah. Maybe 2016?? Ha. 

Oregon 2014

Oregon 2014 September: 4th: 20 mile bike 5th: 9.5 mile RUN 5th: 32 mile ride 6th : 28 mile ride 7th:  63 mile ride 8th: 85 mi ride 9th:  75 mi ride 10th: 85 mi ride 11th:  70 mi ride 12th:  91 mi ride 13th:  46 mi ride 7th thru 13th was Cycle Oregon with over 35,000 feet of climbing. Total 595 miles cycled (CO = 595 - 80 = 515).  9.5 miles run.

Langley Pond - take 3

Langley Pond This was my third year at this event. The most times I have done the same triathlon. So I was familiar with the course. Last year I got 3rd place in my age group.  I was doing the longer International distance ( .92 mile swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run). There were about 111 people in this with about 80 men.  The swim was crowded and i got batted at a lot. It is hard for me to keep going when this happens. I try to stop and look for an open area.  Also my sighting is bad. I didn't wear my contacts which would have helped. My swim workouts were weak leading up.  I placed my Zoot shoes soon after the swim exit which allowed me to run in the gravel past a lot of others. Into T1 I skipped the socks. Took me a few seconds to rip off the shoes. Pretty good T1.  On the bike I was slow to get going. Found it hard to get into my shoes while I biked. Also I tried to strap on my Polar watch which I can't wear in the lake anymore because it leaks. But I got going and passed riders as we went up the "big" hill of 2-3 miles. I passed many riders but many if them were Sprint distance racers.  near the last 3 miles of the ride I came up on one then another rider in my age group. Their age was written on the right calf. I tried to pass them but we took turns. I decided to dig deep and try to put them behind me and raise my heart rate at the risk of blowing up. Was up to 160 bpm I think. And I did put them out of sight. Hope my run would be good enough.  Decided to not wear socks ( to save time ) even though my Zoots rub my ankle raw.  I hoped for only minor blisters. Had a good T2 time and was on the run.  First mile in 7:25 or so was fast for me. Guy ahead was my carrot and I hung onto him. About 7:50 for mile 2. Great.   Oh yea I was real worried my right hip would be in pain like at Lake Logan but it was never a problem on the run.  So I passed my carrot guy at mile 3 or so. I grabbed water at each station and poured it on my head. Maybe a tiny sip.  My stomach was sloshing from too much prerace liquid.  At mile 5 there was an uphill grade and I let my heart start to go from the 155 area up to 160. Ran into transition and start area but had to run thru another half mile or so. Let the heart go to 165 or 170.   With a time of 2:33:38 I  came in 24th overall and 3rd in my age group. I might have gotten 2nd if not for a bad swim time. But Joe Hammond I could not have beaten. 2:22:40 was his time. He is such a fast runner and a better swimmer.  I have become an acquainted with Joe, a FaceBook friend with him and will keep racing him and striving to come closer. I enjoy racing someone I know and like.  Guy in second place lists himself from Hong Kong! 2:31:43 was his time. So if I could have been 2 minutes faster I would have beat him.  The 4th place was only 59 seconds behind me. Good thing that I didn't put on socks. 

More LL info

More L L info Overall time. 5:12:06.  13th of 45: age group males 50-54.  29th percentile.  Fastest in AG 4:40 Slowest in AG 6:45 I like to be in the top 25%.  Swim 20th of 45 wow!  Improvement over past. 35:05.  44th percentile. I'm usually 75th percentile or so. Don't know how I did it. In 2010 I did a half and took 45 minutes for same distance.  T1 30th of 45. 5:52. Took too long but glad I put on socks. If my watch was water proof I could have saved maybe 15 seconds.  Bike 8th of 45. I expected to do well here.   2:36:17. 18th percentile. 20.1 mph average.  T2. 20th of 45. 2:50 Run. 16th of 45.   1:52:04. Without the hip problem should have been 5 minutes faster. 36th percentile. Really happy with that given the circumstance.  Youngest guy: 20 years Oldest guy: 73 years

Lake Logan part 3

Lake Logan Triathlon part 3 So onto land again. It was a long run into TA and I had to pass other guys. As I ran I got my arms out of the wetsuit. At my bike I sat down and peeled my wetsuit off my legs. Not easy. Then I toweled off all the big grass clippings off my feet and put on my socks. Put my watch, sunglasses and helmet on. I decided to wear my bike jersey overtopping my Tri suit. The pockets were loaded with arm warmers leg warmers and rain jacket. A choice I would later regret ( was not needed due to no rain and not very cold). I drank a 11 oz weight loss shake ( think Chocolate milk ). All of this and finally I was running with the bike towards a distant bike mount line.  The bike went well and I was averaging 19 plus mph after about  half an hour. I had no idea where we were headed, but just kept following the riders ahead, the arrows and the police directing traffic.  Rolling hills until about mile 30 then there were some good climbs. Not real clear on that actually. But one set of climbs around mile 40 was the big one. In my 39 x 27 gear I had to stand and really work hard to do the climbing. After that a fast downhill on fresh chip and seal with loose chip stones. This was Stamey Cove Road. After that it was onto 215 back to the lake.  About 5 miles from the end, I could see in the distance a rider continue to draft. It took me several minutes to catch them and I let the drafter know it was not ok what he was doing.  Later I would report him (his number) to a USAT official but she said they have to see it firsthand.  A mile or so from the bike end was a tough little climb and I could feel some cramps coming on so I eased up and hoped they would pass.  So back at the lake and the dismount line. Run into TA and get on my shoes, racebelt, and hat pretty quick and run out. I found an unopened gel on the ground right as I ran over the timing mat and I picked it up.  I felt ok as I ran onto the road. I opened the gel (GU Roctane) and consumed it.  Near the middle or end of the first mile my luck began to change.  My right hip began to hurt and rapidly became worse. I was in shock.  I did the first mile in about 9-1/2 minutes. Kind of slow, but not terrible as a start. In mile two I tried using very short strides to limit the pain. I had to stop and walk. Tried to run very slow and the pain was excruciating. I stopped and squatted to stretch. The pain was specific to the trochanter and rearward. It hurt to even touch this area. I took many minutes stretching in various ways. I began to think of turning around and heading back to the TA. People asked if I was ok and I said yes (I didn't need medical help).  So anyway somehow I began to walk then jog slowly. An aid station at about 1.5 miles and I grabbed a gel and had some cola. Made it to the 2 mile marker and my split was 14 minutes. A terrible mile. I was running again as the pain diminished. Mile 3 was like 9 minutes. And so on it went. Back on track with the heart rate in the 150 to 160 range. The hip pain stayed manageable. Miles 3 to 6 were slightly downhill. Back into the TA area and run a loop in a big grassy field. Back onto the road and up the hill. Just under 9 minute miles going up.  Not bad considering my earlier thoughts of quiting. The sky got dark and a few drops of rain fell. Barely any rain really. Coming down the hill I was still feeling ok and even started to push harder after mile 10. Got an 8 minute mile then a 7:45.  The lap time on my watch for the last mile (1.1 mile) did not make sense at like 5 minutes but I was still charging to the finish. The clock showed 5:33 or so as I crossed the timing mats. So 5:33 minus 20 minute delay for my wave gives 5:13 or so overall time.  I got a medal put around my neck and my timing chip taken off. I went to the medical tent and sat on a cot and drank a bottle of water. After 5 minutes maybe more I got up and went into the TA. I got my bike and everything and headed to the truck. I was feeling a chill now.  Earlier on the run I imagined going into the lake to cool off. That was now a very bad idea. I got everything loaded into the vehicle ahead of any big rain that seemed imminent. Put my arm warmers and jersey back on and walked back to the site for some food.  Got a sub sandwich, 3bean salad, hummus and pita bread, chips. Also there were protein drinks. I had a feast. Sat at a picnic table and talked other finishers. Met some Greenville area acquaintances.  Then went to check the results being scrolled on a tv screen. I was 143rd.  Many 50 plus guys finished before me. I had no aspiration for this race other than to finish it. I was pleased with my time and very very happy to have finished at all due to the strange hip pain that crippled me for a bit.  The sun came out and it was suddenly very hot. Stayed for the ceremony and clapped for those getting awards. Near the end it got cloudy again and started to rain.  I was off to the truck and headed for home (as long as I could stay awake).