31 August 2012

bike commute

Just the shortest way in to work and then home today. No bells or whistles.

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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
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30 August 2012

core | bike commute

Rode home through downtown today, just because it's fun.

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Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type fun ride/active recovery
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Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
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29 August 2012

walk commute

Since yesterday's run was such a disaster, I opted to walk home today instead. It was great!

Of course I also opted to head up the Howe Street stairs... damn these are long if you start from all the way at the bottom.

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Time of Day 5:00 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather Nice!
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Equipment Brooks Launch
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Technorati Tags:

walk commute

Since I was almost literally not running yesterday I opted to walk today.

This is fun! Plug in the music, walk sorta fast and watch the people go by. Of course I went up the Howe Street stairs... damn these are long if you start all the way at the bottom.

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Time of Day 5:00 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather Nice!
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Equipment Brooks Launch
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28 August 2012

core | run commute

Got to the gym in the AM and then tried to run from work to my father's house where I was going to meet him.

I forgot my GPS so wasn't able to track the run and I was wrecked so it barely was a run... I was shuffling/walking more like. Man were my legs blown.

Fortunately there are free services like MapMyRun that let me record this commute. What is unfortunate is that even though I was able to export the GPX file, neither Garmin Connect nor Strava would accept the file.


Find more Run in Seattle, WA
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Workout Food water
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Time of Day  
Workout Type worthless
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 16 (obviously hating it!)
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Launch
Clothing  

27 August 2012

bike commute

Just rode to work and then to a team social and then home.

Nothing like beers and bikes...

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Workout Type active recovery
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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

25 August 2012

Capitol Forest 100

BANG. It's Martin's last mountain bike race of the year, the Capitol Forest 100. Here is the pessimistic perspective of how it went.

100

And here is the optimistic perspective. That's me there on the left.

CIMG9157

Once again 4th Dimension Racing and the NW Epic Series put on a fantastic event and I'm glad I showed up. For all the rants and Martin-centric play-by-play read on.

This is the second year that I have competed in and completed this series and I love it. The races are longer (hence the word 'Epic' in the name?) and the three venues are all uniquely different; all great, just in a different way. Last year I got 3rd overall in the series and so was hoping to climb one step up on the podium. But... mentally I had checked out some time ago at least as far as hard/specific training was concerned and the organizers changed the way you can accrue points this year making it much easier for people to do well. The upshot is I think I got 3rd again.

Because of the new way you can earn points, one of the strongest racers was opting for the 50 mile event instead of the 100. And that was just fine with me. :) Still, there was this other guy that had been prepping for this event like a madman. He would be tough to beat.

This year was much more relaxed than last year. For one I felt less pressure and I had also been here before so I knew the routine. There is tons of free camping right at the start and they have showers and restrooms, you are not roughing it by any stretch of the imagination. I showed up early, hung out in the sun, tinkered with my bike, ate some food, read a book and then finally hit the sack. Stress free for sure.

Last year they had advertised the start time as 5:45. When we gathered it was pretty obvious that this was much too early as it was still totally dark! They eventually delayed the start to 6:10. This year the organizer learned from that mistake and advertised the start as 6:15. Perfect. Knowing it was going to be warm (and luckily it was not too cold in the night) I started in the same clothing that I expected to finish in. It's really, really nice to not have to worry about clothing drops, etc., one less thing to hassle with. I rolled to the start, chatted with Gary Ballas (the other guy) and my teammate Lane Seeley. This was his first 100 mile MTB race but he's a horse.

GO.

We rolled out of the parking lot, onto some pavement, up a gravel road and then hit the singletrack. On the pavement (maybe 500 m?) the geared bikes did not push the pace so we hit the gravel grupo compacto. On the first rise while we were still on the gravel road I had a hard time going fast and so when Gary moved up to pass a couple of riders before we got onto the trail I was not quite able to do likewise and entered the singletrack with one rider between us. Still, I could see him up ahead and he was not pulling away so no biggie.

This situation stayed the same until around mile 10. From mile 10-15 we were on some of the bumpiest trail I have ever ridden. It was as if the following set of sequential events had taken place.

  • Some tiny bulldozer had plowed through the forest widening the trail and in the process had softened the surface by tearing it up.
  • It had rained turning the trail to soup.
  • A million horses had walked along the trail post holing it to bits.
  • The sun had come out drying it into this bumpy, potholed moonscape.

Obviously I'm exaggerating a tiny bit but it was really bumpy!

On this section of trail Gary's skills were superior to mine and he began to open a gap that I could not close. At the next aid station I saw him pulling out as I was pulling in. Rats.

And this is when the mechanical problems with my bike started...

ASIDE - I recently purchased my 'dream' bike. I found this wicked Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon 29 Singlespeed on eBay and I thought it was too good to be true. It sucks that I was right.

The frame and fork are crazy light, no complaints there. The ride is also incredible, I love it. And the carbon frame is fantastically efficient and responsive. So what are the problems? There were three.

  1. It turns out I am a tubeless tire n00b. I have been running them on our MTB tandem for years but those tires are BEEFY and don't leak air like these lightweight things I am using on my single. Plus on the tandem I'm using Mavic rims which don't need any rim tape. Turns out applying Stan's rim tape is something you need to do carefully and deliberately. For the first several rides (and one race unfortunately) I was leaking air for various reasons and it was not until this day that I finally figured that shit out.
  2. The seatpost slips. The post is carbon and the frame is carbon and the binder bolt is titanium. All light as hell but not so good at keeping everything in place. Especially when the rider weighs 180 lb. Also, not being used to carbon-on-carbon, I had applied a little grease to the post which probably made things worse. I should have dried everything off and used something like Tacx Dynamic Assembly Paste or similar. When I got off at this aid station my saddle was almost 3 cm lower than it should be.
  3. My cranks keep coming loose. I got these on a leap of faith; I had this ultra light frame, fork and wheels and figured I would put some icing on the cake. Turns out I put a turd on instead. And no matter how much you polish a turd, it's still just a turd. An extremely light, carbon fiber turd in this case.

So in addition to eating and drinking at this aid station I also got some chain oil, raised my seatpost (the mechanics were nice enough to smear on some carbon paste for me) and tightened my cranks.

I was still thinking that if I had a stellar day and Gary had a rotten one I might catch him so there wasn't any slowing down. But as the miles wore on and my seatpost kept slipping and my cranks kept coming loose it became pretty obvious that I was just going for a ride and not able to race. At least I was okay with this. :) These trails are a blast and I was enjoying myself and my legs were holding up better than I thought they would which was a nice surprise.

Most of the remainder of lap 1 (this race is two 50-mile laps) was ridden solo. The field was mostly behind me and the 50 mile riders were not yet on the course.

There is this hilarious little fork in the trail on the main descent, one direction is signed HARD and one is signed EASY. Of course I took the HARD way and promptly spun out and dabbed. Darn.

As the day wore on the number of times I had to raise my seatpost and tighten my cranks became ridiculous. I was literally stopping every two or three miles to adjust something. Or two things. If it had not been a nice day and had I not been on fun trails I would have packed it in without a doubt. But it was nice out and the trails were a blast so I carried on.

Roughly 15 or 20 miles into the second lap I came across a guy that had a flat. Since my race was over long ago I stopped to help. He was running tubeless tires and having a miserable time with his CO2 so I gave him one of my inner tubes and let him use my pump. The guy must have wrenched the valve while pumping or something because this tube started to leak too. After about 10 minutes of fussing around I told him I was sorry but needed to carry on and that I had to keep my one remaining tube for myself. I felt bad for him. :(

During the second lap the frequency with which I had to stop to tighten my cranks became laughable. The ONLY thing that let me finish this race was the fact that the Second Ascent mechanics at the second aid station let me borrow a long 6 mm Alan wrench to take with me. So every couple of miles I'm pulling over, fishing this long tool out of my jersey pocket and tightening up my REALLY LIGHT (I had to keep telling myself there was some redeeming quality) cranks. On the upside I got really good at doing this quickly.

People started to pass me on the second lap. Even though I was not descending slowly, this many stops just don't make for a fast time and many of the guys I blew by while climbing started to catch me on the descent.

I think I was able to ride the entire first lap. On the second lap there were some short pitches toward the end where I had to get off and walk. I was on the edge of cramping pretty much since mile 30 but managed it really well with fluids and Endurolytes. My legs never locked up even though they twinged a lot.

With maybe five miles to go I did not pay enough attention going over a tiny drop-off, stuffed the front wheel and tumbled scraping my right elbow. It seems I am not capable of doing anything in the dirt, riding or running, without biting it at least once these days. :( At least it was not too bad and I picked myself up and slowly got back up to speed.

Just as I hit the gravel road descent another rider caught me. I led him down the hill but then as soon as we hit the pavement he gave me this sheepish look, shifted into his big chainring and rode away. Such is the curse of the single speed rider! :)

I rolled across the line and although I was a full 40 minutes slower than Gary I still got 3rd! Who would have thought this possible with all my mechanicals? Not me. Judging from the results, there were really only three single speed riders gunning for the win here today. One of them needs to learn that light does not equal durable, one needs to learn how to gear his bike on long, hilly rides so he does not explode and one did everything right and got a very deserved win. Kudos to Gary for being that last guy.

Of course I started doing the math to see what might have happened but let me just say that it does not matter. Shit happens in races and the result is the result. That said, I figure I spent at least 10 minutes helping that one guy trying to fix his flat and a conservative estimate is I wasted about 20 minutes with all my mechanicals. That puts me just 10 minutes behind Gary and had my bike not been malfunctioning it might have been enough keep me motivated and make it a race. Of course, if I had been right there with Gary he might have gone faster too. :)

In an awesome gesture, the guy that I donated a tube to looked me up at the finish and gave me a brand new tube! That was totally unexpected and very nice.

The post-ride event was great! Tons of food, beer and I hung out with Gary and his brother for quite a while as we waited for the awards ceremony. Did I mention they had showers at the finish? VERY nice. Especially since I was not only covered in sweat and dust but blood as well. Getting cleaned up for the podium shot is not to be underrated. Then I drove home and slept in my own bed.

I recommend this series to anyone looking for a well-run event or a longer race.

Here are all the pictures.

Sleep 6 hours
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:00 AM - banana, apple sauce, 1 scoop protein powder, 2 scoops Perpetuem, walnuts, water
5:30 AM - gel
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 3 large bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem, lots of fruit, 4 bottles w/Nuun, 2 cups of Coke, half a peanut butter & jam sandwich, about 15 gels (perhaps half of them had caffeine), some Shot Bloks, water, about 20 Endurolytes and I forget the rest but there was more.
Injuries My back got somewhat sore but it was manageable. I fell down with at most five miles to go and scraped my right elbow.
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:15 AM
Workout Type race
Weather low 50s at the start, 80 by the finish, sunny, dry, calm
Course all singletrack except for 8 miles of gravel road in the middle
Results 3rd - Open Singlespeed
official results
Time 9:58:18
Distance 100 miles
Pace  
Equipment Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Carbon 29 Singlespeed
gear: 32 x 20
tires: Schwalbe Racing Ralph, 29 x 2.25
pressure: around 30 psi?
Clothing bib shorts, sleeveless undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap, minimalist full finger gloves

24 August 2012

core

No aerobic activity for me today! I was actually debating with myself about taking the day totally off but decided that since I was not taking my race tomorrow super serious my back would be fine (read: plenty rested) even if I did core today.

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Workout Food water
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Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 22
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
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Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

23 August 2012

cardio | bike commute

The elliptical trainer has become my go-to when I want to loosen up (especially if I have been running) as It's zero impact. It also incorporates the upper body some which is nice.

So this morning I hopped on for 30 minutes and then rode to work. Done.

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Time of Day cardio - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather
Course cardio - elliptical trainer, 13 incline, 13 resistance
Results
Time cardio - 30 min
Distance
Pace cardio - I kept the rpms around 150, moderate in other words
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

22 August 2012

core

Only time (motivation?) for the gym this morning.

On the upside I'm down to just a couple of bandages.

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Time of Day  
Workout Type rest
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Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
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Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

21 August 2012

bike commute

I wanted to see how I was feeling after the weekend so I took the long way home. And the survey said...?! Kind of not fresh. Poop. Oh well, resting more is easy.

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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

20 August 2012

core

It was a conscious decision not to ride or run today.

One thing I have learned is that if you are undertrained for a race, you should at least show up well rested and NOT try to cram in a bunch of hard efforts right before the event. Besides, I'm good at resting.

I am finally down to just a handful of bandages. But I still can't do the plank because of my scrapes and soreness.

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Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

19 August 2012

around Lake WA on a single speed

What's that you say? I have a race coming up in a week? On a bicycle? Yikes... I suppose I better remind myself what it's like to ride one then.

Since I'll be racing a single speed it seemed appropriate that I ride the same thing.

I took along some music but was not able to push very hard... I suppose yesterday took more out of me then I wanted to admit.

It's just now that I'm realizing why I took the long way home pretty much every day last week. It's because of this upcoming race and because I could not find the motivation to actually get out and 'train'. It's pretty obvious that my bicycle racing season ended with the High Cascades 100 which was three weeks ago. And you could argue that it was even earlier.

This ride was fun! It has actually been quite a while since I was on these roads so n spite of the fact that I have covered them countless times, this time was not boring or tedious. I enjoyed the scenery and even passed a couple of geared bikes. :) I did forget just how heavy this machine is though, my road race bike and my mountain bike are so light in comparison. Still, it's a super fun ride. These days that matters more to me.

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Workout Food 2 random food bars, 2 bottles each w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
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Therapy  
Time of Day 9:00 AM
Workout Type endurance?
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Results  
Time  
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Pace  
Equipment Kona Paddy Wagon, 42x16
Clothing  
Technorati Tags: ,,

18 August 2012

Malakwa Lake + trail run

So many epic/phenomenally scenic trails in the NW and so few days to check them all out! :( I just want to DO MORE. All I need is that proverbial eighth day in the week, right?

ASIDE - I think the mental shift has taken place. These days when the weekend rolls around I want to go for long runs and hikes and not long rides.

Today I got out with Bill Huggins and Bryan Estes for yet another classic route. There are about a million different variations of this and today we just did one. This run had it all.

  • Massive views
  • We swam in a mountain lake!
  • Awesome trails.

Did I mention that I fell down again...?! Sonofabitch. At least this one was not as bad as the three falls last week. Still, what is my problem? At this point I'm just adding scar tissue on top of scar tissue. It's getting old. OLD I say. But I did finish running and overall it was a fantastic experience. My elbows would argue otherwise.

I need to invest in a waterproof camera big time. All these memories only last so long. Plus I like to share.

We started nice and early which I like. Nothing worse than a crowded trail when you are trying to 'get away from it all' on the weekend. I also started with no shirt and just my two bottles! I'm liking this trail running gig. :) The first bit was on a road and we got things started by missing an intersection to the trailhead. No big deal, we got to see Franklin Falls this way which was kind of nice.

Once on the trail the pace was comfortable but there are some steep pitches out here! I had to hike several times. Today I was the slowest and occasionally a gap would open up between myself and Bill and Bryan; I would usually be able to close it on the descents or they would just wait for me.

Views, views, views...! The sky was clear and you could see as far as your eyes were able.

At Pratt Lake we got a bit disoriented. Bill was looking for a way to cross the water but then after some walking back and forth we asked a group of campers where to go and they told us we did not need to cross the water so we were back on track.

The out-and-back to Island Lakes was awesome. Not only was the trail fun but the lakes were beautiful. There were tiny camp sites all around and each one was nicer than the previous one. We walked around the lake just a bit on some huge rocks, dumped our gear, took off our shoes/socks and went for a swim. Ah... it felt SO good to 1) rinse all the sweat and dirt (and blood) off of my body and 2) the cooling effect of the water on my muscles was very welcome. Don't get me wrong, the lake was not icy by any means. I'm a huge wimp when it comes to jumping in chilly water but it felt really, really good. And since I only had to dry my feet after getting out, it did not take us long to get moving again.

The descent back to the car was long! My legs were already somewhat hammered and so I couldn't open it up, luckily it was not super step but it kept going and going. Tiring but it's still nice to finish with a descent. :)

On this last bit of trail the hikers were streaming past us going in the other direction and when we arrived at the parking lot it was packed. As in I could not see any room at all. Wow.

I highly recommend these trails.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
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Breakfast  
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Dinner  
Workout Food 2 large bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem, lots of gels, water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
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Results  
Time  
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Equipment Brooks Cascadia 6
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III

17 August 2012

core

Just got to the gym today. Then again, I got to the gym.

My recollection is hazy but I think I was able to eliminate two bandages by now. I still can't do the plank though, no way.

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Body Weight  
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Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

16 August 2012

bike commute

Obviously I am enamored by this route home... and in truth it is an amazing route. You go through no less than five (Fremont, Ballard, Magnolia, Belltown, Capitol Hill) unique neighborhoods, you get to see the Ballard Locks, Discovery Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, the Seattle Waterfront and then climb up through the Pike Pine Corridor. I love it.

One word: culture!

Another: diversity!

Speaking of diversity, Hempfest is coming and they have been setting up for this 'alternative' festival in Myrtle Edwards Park the last few days. Picture any stereotype you want that is associated with hemp (read: marijuana) and they all come true here this time of year. The last couple of days I have seen everything from the truly homeless person cloaked in what looked to be a rug with a hole cut in it for this guy's head to poke through to what were obviously some richie rich kids trying to rebel against their (most likely east side, white, sheltered) parents.

That's right Jeff Reed, I said 'east side'! :) Obviously I also likes me a good stereotyping. Feel free to fire back in the comments section as I'm sure I fit into at least a half dozen myself. No one is immune!
Did I mention the smell...? Oh yes, that's not hemp people are smoking, no sir. I rode through cloud after cloud of it in the park.

When I got home the other day I was talking to Shelley and expressed my disbelief that some of these people at Hempfest could hold down a job. She assured me they don't. It all makes perfect sense now.

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Results
Time
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Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing
Technorati Tags:

15 August 2012

core | bike commute

More core and more riding to and from work and more detours along the way to enjoy this splendid weather we are having.

I'm still at 12 bandages!

Sleep
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type
Weather
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 22
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results
Time
Distance
Pace
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

14 August 2012

treadmill run | bike commute

Hit the gym this AM to try and loosen my legs up and did all right. And since the weather is still fabulous I took the long way home again. Love it.

I'm still at 12 bandages.

Sleep
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day run - 5:30 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather
Course run - treadmill, 1% incline
Results
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.3 miles
Pace
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
ride - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

13 August 2012

core | bike commute

Oh man... in spite of hitting the deck no less than three times two days ago I managed to get to the gym this morning and then took the long way home after work.

The plank (a usual part of my core routine) was not possible as my elbows and forearms were trashed. Instead I opted for some leg lifts while in the plank position with my hands on the floor and my feet on a ball. It worked. And it was hard! :)

It is taking 12 bandages (count them!) to cover all of my scrapes. :( Surprisingly I don't feel that crappy though, just the expected tiredness after running 20+ miles. Nice.

It was a beautiful day.

Sleep
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type
Weather
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 40
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 21
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results
Time
Distance
Pace
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

11 August 2012

Pacific Crest Trail run

God do I love new trails…! The Pacific Crest Trail certainly falls into that category for me since prior to today I have never set foot on any part of it. I know... and I call myself a NW native. :(

I hooked up with Bill Huggins (much faster than me) and Jon Robinson (also much faster than me) to explore some new terrain. Here are some highlights.

  • It was epically beautiful. There was hardly a cloud in the sky so you could see for miles and we were right in the middle of the mountains for crying out loud. So freaking amazing.
  • Lucky for me both Bill and Jon were not trying to go hard so we stuck together all the way. On the way back I was actually pulling ahead a tiny bit on the climbs. Who woulda thunk? Of course it might have been the case that Jon was just coming off of a 100 mile race (his second this summer) and it might not.
  • I fell more often (THREE TIMES) and harder than I ever have on a trail run. It would have been laughable if it had not hurt so much. Actually, I did laugh. What else could I do? When I got home there were no less than 12 bandages involved.

We started early because 1) it was going to be a hot day and 2) we wanted to go relatively long. I felt I could muster 20 or so miles (3.5 hours?) so when Bill announced we would go about five hours I'll admit to being just a tad apprehensive. But hey, you don't often get the chance to have people show you around new trails so I was all in.

As we sorted out our gear in the parking lot Bill was pulling on a vest, arm warmers and a backpack. I had two hand-held bottles and opted to leave my shirt in the car. Contrast! In the interest of full disclosure, I could not have travelled this light if Bill had left his pump behind, it was crucial as we ran out of water.

The views were incredible! With sections of trail called 'catwalk' you can imagine how far we could see. All the alpine lakes were still surrounded by snow and there were even a few patches of white on the trail but they were few and far between. In general the going was perfect. Dry, warm, super traction, perfect.

We stopped at least twice to enjoy the views and when we ran it was slow enough to chat the entire time. We ran across alpine meadows full of flowers, through scree rock slides, up and down switchbacks, over saddles, you name it. Every mile we covered blew my mind more than the previous one.

We picked one particularly beautiful vista/high point to pause, eat, drink and turn around. I don't normally like out-and-back routes but this was an exception as the trail was just as incredible on the way back. Nice. In retrospect I did not drink enough but at the time I didn't figure it out until the cramps started. Rats. I'm lucky they were manageable all the way to the car. On the way back we stopped at a lake to pump water and fill our bottles.

With maybe six miles to go it's essentially all downhill and as we came up to a group of hikers heading up the trail I suddenly stubbed my toe on something and dove off the trail. I scraped my leg good, my elbow as well and the shock of the impact caused my hamstring to seize up. I must have looked like hell. I was covered in sweat and dust and now blood as well. We let the hikers go past and Bill and Jon waited until I collected myself and was able to run again.

The next bit of excitement was provided by an angry, old man. As we ran down the trail hikers were starting to stream up. We would usually slow down and always move way to the right and say things like "thanks" and "excuse me", you get the idea. As we approached this man Jon was in front, Bill was next and I was in the back. Jon scooted around but when Bill tried to jog past this guy literally put out his shoulder and rammed Bill! As Bill came to a stop and turned around in amazement this guy says something like, "Uphill has the right of way fucker!"

We were all blown away.

Bill - usually kind of hot - was very restrained on this day and asked what was up. To this the man replied by calling us "dicks".

By this time I had edged past Mr. Chip On My Shoulder and was being thoroughly entertained. To his credit Bill let it drop as this guy just wanted a confrontation. As we started back down the trail we all marveled at what some 60+ year old guys need to do in order to enjoy their hike.

And then I fell. Again. Once again it was a hard fall forward and down the trail. When you fall going uphill at least you don't fall as far but falling down is a drag. Not only do you have farther to travel before you impact the ground but you're going faster too. Ouch. And again my leg cramped up.

Bill was like, "Dude... we can walk it in if you want." but I was having none of that. It did take me longer to pull my shit together but after walking some I was able to jog and then eventually we were back up to speed.

With just two miles to go we met a huge crew performing trail maintenance and it was amazing to see how much they do and how hard the work is! I have newfound appreciation for these volunteers.

And then I fell AGAIN. Oh man was this getting old... This fall was just the same as all the others, I fell straight forward. This time I also scraped my forehead a little and had it not been for my hand-held bottles I would have torn up one palm. As it was I still scrapped one hand a little.

Bill couldn't help laughing - in sympathy of course - and it probably helped. It was either that or cry. Jon just shook his head. By the time I finally got back up to speed from this tumble we were back at the car. Whew. On the way home we stopped at the Issaquah PCC for food and I must have looked like a nightmare in the store; shock and awe and all that. Taking a shower when I got home sucked, it brought back all my bad crashes while racing bicycles.

Still, this trail is phenomenal. I want to go back. Just as soon as I learn how to pick my feet up when I run.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:30 AM - 2 bananas, apple sauce, 1 scoop protein powder, walnuts, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 large bottles each w/3 scoops Perpetuem and 2 Endurolytes, 5 gels, half a bottle of water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather Upper 50s at the start but it quickly warmed up to 80, sunny and calm and dry.
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Hoka Combo XT, 2 hand-held bottles
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III

09 August 2012

core | treadmill run

Core. I am too random in my efforts to help my back and of course I pay the price. It used to be the case (when I was super regular) that only long rides hurt but now longer runs hurt some too. Sucks.

Am I whining? Sorry. Blue moment obviously.

In brighter news, Martin got to the gym and not only did his core routine but was there early enough and had enough motivation to go for a run as well! Let the champagne flow.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
run - 6:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/2 x 30 sec leg lifts each leg
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 21
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
treadmill run - 1% incline
Results  
Time run - 30 min
Distance run - 4.2 miles
Pace run - 5 min at 7:30, 25 min at 7:00
Equipment run - Brooks Launch
Clothing  

08 August 2012

bike commute

My saddle sore is STILL NOT HEALED UP ALL THE WAY. Oh man is this getting old. Oh sure, it's getting better but it is not yet 'comfy' sitting on a bike. Super demoralizing to tell you the truth.

Thus no long way home today. Bummer.

On the upside our house is coming along. Here are some new pictures. Luckily that is super exciting.

Sleep
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day
Workout Type
Weather
Course
Results
Time
Distance
Pace
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

So you are a great Mountain Bike racer

Funny how memories can be triggered by the most random thing.

I was recently looking at some old email and came across this one from the organizer of the TransPortugal mountain bike race that was sent to me in April of 2005.

So you are a great Mountain Bike racer, you've won podium places in the races you've gone to, or you have been a finisher in the most demanding and outrageous races in the world. You´ve been everywhere and you've done all that with the caring help of your support team and the "provide it all" Race Organizations.

Now, suppose that you have to do it all on your own, in a race where support is not allowed, there are no aid stations along the race track, you race in complete isolation through the most remote country side, alone and following an unmarked trail, no arrows or ribbons.

Just how good a racer are you then?

You will find this challenge in Portugal next June. A different endurance race where your toughness is put to the test in 11 racing days along 1200 kms. But the Transportugal is mostly the race where you challenge your limits. The terrain adversities are numerous but the main adversity is heat.

How good a racer are you when the variables you have to deal with appeal to your best planning ability and adaptability is your wining edge?

How good a racer are you in a race where your younger age and gender is levelled out with the rest of the field, and you can be beaten by an old man or a woman?
Put yourself to the test, come and race in Portugal next summer. See it all in www.supertravessia.com

Best regards
 
ANTONIO MALVAR
CICLONATUR DESPORTOS LDA. Rua Manuel Teixeira Gomes, 15 H
2795 - 540 CARNAXIDE, PORTUGAL Tel: +351214170907

In retrospect I'm not even sure why I got this email. But boy did it plant the seed. And in 2007 I ended up participating in the race. Ah memories…

Oh yeah, everything Antonio claimed about the race was true. The night before each stage they would upload the following days' route to your GPS and then the next morning they simply said, "Go…!" See you at the finish. You had to follow the route or get lost. Competitors were handicapped by age meaning the older you were the bigger your head start was.

07 August 2012

cardio | bike commute

Hit the gym for some moderate cardio to loosen the legs after my big trail run last weekend and interestingly I felt worse today than yesterday. I guess I should know that is pretty much going to happen by now. Still, I did not feel broken or anything, just some tightness and soreness. Pretty darn good considering the amount of time I have spent running actually.

Ultra low impact cardio was a good decision.

Sleep
Waking HR
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Workout Food water
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day cardio - 5:45 AM
Workout Type active recovery/endurance
Weather
Course cardio - elliptical trainer, 13 incline, 13 resistance
Results
Time cardio - 30 min
Distance
Pace
Equipment commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0
Clothing

06 August 2012

core

Big run yesterday so no guilt about taking today off. :) And by 'off' I of course mean no aerobic activity.

I did however experience regret for not getting to the gym on a regular basis and doing my core routine as it kicked my ass today.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/2 x 30 sec leg lifts each leg
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
leg scissors 100
push-ups 20
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb.
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

05 August 2012

Tiger Mt Cottage Cheese Ass loop

Yesterday's road run went well and was not hard so today - since I seem to be on this non-cycling binge of activity - I went for a trail run. Not just any trail run, longer loop on Tiger Mountain. Man, you could run for DAYS out here.

I think I have said this before but there is an annual event on Tiger called the Fat Ass and this loop is slightly longer so some friends of mine gave it a similar name. Gotta like that.

It was my first time running this loop solo and I did not get lost! I did have a few double-take moments and went the wrong way once but figured it out within about 20 feet so no biggie. Whew. A wrong turn up here and you might cover significantly more miles…

It was a beautiful day. Hot actually. The views from the summit(s) was astounding! I could see Mt Rainier, Bellevue, you name it pretty much. Oh yeah, there were Salmon Berries and Huckleberries galore on the trail. I almost didn't need my food… almost. :)

I wore my Hoka Combo XT shoes because longer and rocky runs feel better with more cushion but they are falling apart. :( Also, my foot is moving around too much in these things and on the descents I was jamming my toes in the front in spite of them being plenty big. I changed the lacing up once while running and it did not really help. Besides, I hate having to lace shoes super tight.

I took two bottles and could have blown through them. I really metered my liquid consumption which resulted in them lasting but in me getting a bit dehydrated. Oh well, no cramps or anything and there is a creek on this route that I could start using. On my way down I passed about one million hikers many of whom were not carrying any water at all! Totally nuts. Then again, some of these people were wearing jeans in the intense heat so that explains a lot.

I have not ever done this loop with the intention of going fast but today was a PR for me. Probably because I practically never stopped…! That's what happens when you run alone I guess. I was being very calm on the descents and the climbs felt like they were super moderate. In the last mile I tried to pick up the pace and succeeded. Some. Obviously I have room to improve which is exciting. Good times!

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 6:00 AM - 2 bananas, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 bottles each w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun, 4 gels
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:45 AM
Workout Type  
Weather 80 by the finish, sunny, clear, calm, dry
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Hoka Combo XT, 2 hand-held bottles
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III

04 August 2012

Lake Union run

Went for a real road run today. My first one in quite some time. It seemed like the thing to do; give me under carriage yet more time to heal and Shelley and I had plans for the day so doing something that did not require getting kitted up seemed prudent.

It was fun! I left my music at home and just enjoyed the scenery.

I did NOT go fast… (I couldn't) but I also did not slow down. Nice.

As I was about to take my first step my Garmin Forerunner 405 told me the battery was about to die so I went back in side and grabbed my cycling GPS. This meant I did not get any mile splits but whatever.  it worked great.

Thanks goodness I have a plethora of gadgets.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:30 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather Warm enough to leave my shirt at home!
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Launch, hand-held bottle
Clothing Brooks Infinity Short III
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