Well, I completed my first triathlon since Vineman in August 2007. Lots of changes and so I'm back to the beginning. This was a sprint tri (400m/22k/5k). The run was more of a walk (partly my knee, mostly undertrained, and 93F and 90% humidity), but I finished. And today my knee feels pretty good, so I may try a little more easy walk/jog.

And you'll notice the Xantusia tri top!

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I did a metric century ride (my first) and I was even smiling at the end! Also, it looks like the ankle I turned playing tennis is better so I can start running again. Hooray.

I rode outside for 70 minutes. I got passed by everyone, but it was so great to feel the wind in my face and I was so happy to be there.

On Sat, I did a kick ass 160k ride from home to Conway WA and visited with Francois and his wife. During the ride, I managed to (1) join the Ferndale WA Parade (Pioneer Days) and (2) ride through the finish of the Tour de Whatcom in DT Bellingham ("what's your number?" "um - nope! zoinks!" ride away haha). Good ride, I felt well and steady and strong. Enjoyed the beers afterwards! I also got in a SWIM and 5 other rides and 3 runs. The FODMAPping is going well, I am finding that wheat is kind of a bathtub effect with me - if I eat too much at once or smaller amounts accumulated over two-three meals, I feel like garbage the next day. I have also pretty much killed the post-nasal drip + morning phelghm burger cough-up session, I am blaming dairy for that one. Sunday was 4+ hrs of scraping old paint off the side of the house - ugh.

This week: ride x5-6, run x4, swim x1, scrape x1, prime x1. It's a long weekend too (Fri + Mon off) so I'm pretty stoked about that.

Oh, and I found out about this: http://www.mastersgamesquebec2015.com/?language=en so I am already planning on the long track events, the short track events AND (squeal!) the MARATHON skating events (7.5k, 20k and 50k!)... and it's during Carnival d'Hiver as well :-)

Work is slowing down drastically - so I will likely be moving to 9 days of 10 (1 day off every 2nd week) for the remainder of the year. I refuse to lay anyone in my dept off. Gives me a day for killer skate training haha!

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I did a three hour bike climb in the Smokey Mountains in TN and had an amazing time!

A huge pat on the back to you!!!! I am so happy to hear that your ankle is healing and you are back OUTSIDE!!! Wohoo to you! And remember - baby steps - soon you will be passing everyone!

Me - have not posted in awhile. Been lurking and following everyones ups and downs.

My season - biking and running are going really well. Indeed, with focused, consistent running over the past 10months, I cut over 3min from my 5k time at the NJ state tri last weekend. But swimming is just frustrating the hell out of me. Am not a fish - learned how to swim a couple of years ago and have spent the last year swimming 3-5x week and not much faster, and I still freak in open water.

Have my first 70.3 in just 8 weeks and am currently rethinking things b/c I get so nervous in OW. What I really don't understand is that I was fine last year - but I think I may have major performance anxiety this year. Not sure how to get these demons out of my head and get comfortable in open water again.

Anyhow, thanks for listening and I hope everyone has a great week!
And I love the random kitty pictures from Jen!!!! Keep posting them!

Not bad.
I raced Sunday after not tapering. I was nervous for the race... I've been doing tris since 1998 but this was my first that had T1 and T2 in different locations... The bike being a point to point ride. Oly distance.
The swim went pretty well, I only had to whack one dude who was trying to collide with me from the side near the end. The bike started out smoothly and felt fast, but near the end was dragging. I think it got windy. It was overcast and humid.
The run went fine - I was glad it was overcast because otherwise there would have been little shade. The run was advertised as 6.55mi, one loop of the course - the half IM folks were doing two loops.
I was a touch bummed at my time... I thought I had been running faster... I was passing folks pretty decently... I especially enjoyed passing this fellow near the end who had an M-Dot tattoo and a fuel belt with 4 still quite full bottles on it (dang, do you really need 28+oz of fluid for an Olympic tri???)... when I passed him he tried to pick it up, and briefly passed me back but couldn't sustain it, plus I knew once I kicked he was toast.
The timing chip cut up my ankle pretty good.
The email I got Monday said the run was actually 6.75mi, so that made me feel a touch better. They sent out a highlight video and I'm in there for about 3 seconds crossing the finish. How fun!

So all in all, a decently fun race and not too bad a performance considering pretty much no taper.

My right arm is pretty sore now... like the front of the deltoid.

Congrats to everyone for their weekend activities/races. I didn't do anything. :( I was supposed to go for a big ride while at my mom's house, but a sick velcro kid canceled those plans. I'm hoping to get out tonight - but it's holy hot here (at least by "here" standards, and I don't have much heat tolerance).

I signed up for a Bike/Stair challenge in August. 25km of paved/single track riding in the river valley, plus 15 sets of stairs. And you have to carry your bike up the stairs... Should be entertaining - the captain of the Oilers is the big draw. His garmin file on the ride/run made it look easy, but as an NHL player I'd expect that. We shall see.

M: 8 mi run + 3600 yd swim
T: 8 mi run* + 1000 yd swim
W: 5 mi run + 1600 yd swim
T: 9.3 mi run* + 2200 yd swim
F: 8 mi run + 2200 yd swim
S: 8 mi run + 45 min stair master
S: off

*4.5 mi (total, but done fartlek) @ 10k pace
*10 x 800 @ 8.0, 8.2, ..., 10.0 mph


total 46.3 mi run + 10,800 yd swim


food went pretty well, not awesome on the rest day but better than usual.


This week:
submitted my written comprehensive exams on Tuesday afternoon :-) will find out results by Aug. 15
swim M,T,W,Th for at least 10k total
fly home Friday :-)
do well w/ food, particularly while traveling. Fri and Sat might be challenging days.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD