A Neither Here Nor There Week ...

So I really didn't start to well this week.  I am having trouble with Mondays.  Looking back through the calendar, I haven't exercised on a Monday since last month.  4 weeks.  So that is the goal for next week.  But back to this week.  Monday, I didn't do anything.

Tuesday
Out with Colleen around Alpine (reverse) she is quick again.  Our moving average is 17.5 mph on my watch.  Her best speed ever.  I am beginning to believe she has been sand bagging all this time.  Nothing particular exciting happen other than Colleen newfound speed.

When I get back, I go out to the pool for a swim.  Just go through the motions doing my usual swim, 4 laps warm up, 100 timed and 2 to cool down.

Thursday
Out to EA for lunchtime soccer, maintaining my adherence to Colleen's "rule" (which dictates I have to do at least 3.5 miles) I run 3.8 miles in just over an hour.

At the pool in the evening to try to change it up a little, I try to do my laps in a much more structured manner.  For the first 70 laps, doing 10 laps in the time, trying to keep the set of 10 under 4 minutes.  10 laps (250 yards, ~230m).

#1: 01-10 - 3:57
#2: 11-20 - 3:55
#3: 21-30 - 3:49
#4: 31-40 - 3:47
#5: 41-50 - missed hitting the button on my watch
#6: 51-60 - 3:58
#7: 61-70 - 3:59

For the last 30 laps i try to keep it under 12 minutes (the same scenario as above 4 minutes/10 laps, just not stopping every 10).

#8: 71-100 - 11:25


So with all of it added up - when I generally do the 100 in about 43:30, these add to 38:49.  I probably waited 6 minutes (1 minute between each group).  So all in all so a bit slower overall but faster in the water.

Friday

Up to EA for lunchtime soccer again.  Another fairly good run, it was about 4 miles, but i forgot to turn the watch off, so it counted the walk taking back the goal and driving off for a bit.

Saturday

Out for a big ride.  Colleen, Todd and Kris all along for the ride.  We start at our place, and do a looong reverse Alpine loop.  All in all the ride is about 40 miles.  It was fairly social (for me) although Colleen worked a lot harder.  We average 16.8 mph (moving average) over the 40 miles.

On the Canada stretch, Colleen is keen to "go fast" so we start to wind up the speed.  We kind of catch Todd and Kris off guard and with Colleen drafting me we do a 5 mile stretch quite quickly.  Colleen down on the aerobars and me still sitting up trying to give her as much wind shadow as possible.  When we get to the end quite to Colleen satisfaction Kris and Todd both admiringly tell her they they could catch us.  Sure she was using me, but she was also riding at over 25 mph and up to 32 mph.

On the way back, the last 10 miles are a nice downhill run home.  Colleen a self confessed "downhill sprinter" leads us all for a fair amount of the way home and at different stages averaging over 27 mph for  nearly 3 miles.

Colleen (with Jerky) and Todd

Todd, Kris and me

Everyone does well on the ride, but especially Kris, who hasn't been on the bike for quite some time and his bike isn't exactly in the best condition, I was calling it "Mr. Shakey" and "Mr. Rattlely" which should give a fairly accurate indication of the condition of the bike.

After the ride I head off to soccer.  I try to convince Kris to come but he declines - preferring the company of his couch and cable TV.  Soccer is fun and I surprise myself in an just under an hour and a half I run 5.4 miles.  It hurts and it wasn't all pretty but it was a good workout.

Sunday I am to busy hiding Easter Eggs for Colleen to hunt, we don't get out for any exercise.

Tri Schedule is starting to get fleshed out.  Colleen is away the first week of May and I am not allowed to do my first Triathlon without her.

Option #1:  Morgan Hill Sprint Triathlon (link), May 15th,

Option #2:  The Metro Triathlon (link), May 22nd,

Registering soon hopefully ...

Then hopefully Colleen's first Tri will be ...

Mermaid Triathlon (link), June 11th

This Last Week ...

So this week wasn't anything special either.  I am having some issues with exercising every day and I like taking Monday's off.

Tuesday:
I went for a ride with Colleen, we did it pretty solid.  Out on the normal loop, Colleen does a real good job, average speed of 16 mph and a moving average of 16.8 mph.  It is a pretty normal ride.  Colleen rides down a couple of guys, who I smile at as she leaves them in her wake.

Thursday:
Up to EA for soccer.  I played for an hour and run 3.14 miles.  It was a pretty slow game so I didn't run as far or as much as I should have.  Afterwards Colleen told me I have to run at least 3.5 miles (preferably 4) or I am not allowed to play.  That will male sure (1) I get back more and defense, and (2) look at my watch more to see how much I am running.

Saturday:
Out for soccer again.  Taking heed of Colleen advice, I do a bit more running.  I play for just over an hour (1:05) but this time I ran 4.5 miles.  it is nearly 1.4 miles more than last time.  I keep looking down at my watch and then think about having to do more running.  I end up getting up and down the field more often, which will obviously both help my fitness my leg strength and eventually my soccer.

Sunday:
Out for a ride with Lloyd and Dennis.  They are a third of the way through their 60+ mile ride when we (Colleen, Todd and I) hook up with them, they take us out, and up Kings Mountain Road (it is 6.8% over 4.3 miles/~7km, climbing 1540ft/469m).  Colleen doesn't really enjoy going up too much, and about 900 yards (800 meters) from the top she decides enough is enough.  I bust up to the top and get everyone else and we come back down, then out around Alpine, then back up to Woodside and back down Whiskey Hill and back home.  Todd wraps at the bottom of Sand Hill having done about 30 miles, Colleen and I get home having done 45 miles.

The ride, with elevation

Click for a bigger picture, back button to return here

I felt pretty good afterwards, my quads are a bit weary, but I am OK.  I make a late call to go for a swim and hit the pool.  Once again I am up against the clock and closing time.  I jump in the pool with about 35 minutes before it closes.  I get in 88 laps (1.2 miles/2km), I have to be real careful on the tumble turns as it seem like every time I push off my calfs are going to cramp.  The pool is busy and at one point there are two other people sharing my lane, which is messing with my chi and my times.  I do the 88 laps in 37 mins 30 seconds.

Things I need to do better:

• Swim more regularly, I need to be getting into the pool at least twice a week, but I want to get in at least three times.
• Run properly, not just play soccer.  The soccer playing (although much more fun) isn't as helpful for the fitness.  Although when I did play a lot of soccer I could run really well.
• Ride more.  I need to go up more hills and ride a little longer faster.  Actually ride out to 25 miles (the length of a Olympic course ride leg).

So basically I need to do more exercise.

A Not So Solid Weeks Work

So, last week I was bragging, this week ... not so much.  Colleen came back from her Sales Conference sick and so used the following litany of excuses to avoid exercise.

Monday:  Tickets to the San Jose Sharks, couldn't exercise, fun to be had.
Tuesday: Just bone idle lazy.
Wednesday: Dentist in the morning had to work late.
Thursday: Optometrist in the afternoon, pupils dilated, exercise could be dangerous.
Friday: Driving to LA to see MS*, however within 5 minutes of arriving I had fallen off his skateboard and scratched my elbow, not exercise, but activity.
Saturday: In LA hanging with MS.

Not only hanging with MS, but eating fantastic naughty food as well

Click for an even bigger, tastier picture, back button to return

Sunday: Driving back to San Francisco.

Late Sunday afternoon I tried to redeem myself with a last minute flurry of activity.  Getting back from LA just after 4pm:

• I went to the pool and swam until they kicked me out, which only turned out to be 33 minutes and 30 seconds, however I swum just over a mile in that time. 
• Then home and onto the bike, bust around the normal loop as quick as I can, average moving speed of 20.8 mph.
• Then quick turn around and out for a run.  Colleen rides along side, talking to her Mum, while i puff and pant trying to maintain some kind of pace.  It doesn't work 3.4 miles in 29 minutes  fairly slow.

I wore myself out good and proper though, and now at least can say I exercised 3 times this week, sure they were all on one day, so for the first 160 of the 168 hours of the week I was doing nothing.  But you can't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

* Go buy his album on iTunes

A Solid Weeks Work

After two relatively poor weeks, this week was better.  It was way to heavy on the running (for which I am suffering now), but it was much better than the last two weeks.  If you count "exercise events" I did more exercise last week than i did in the two weeks prior to it, also if you count miles and time it pretty much even.

Monday

Start the week with cycling, out on the normal loop.  I bought some aero bars on the way home from work, and I put them on before the ride.  I think it makes me faster.  It is one of the faster rides to date and I seem to be a little faster on the downhills.  But over a long period of time, they feel quite uncomfortable, squeezing my elbows in and it seems I change gears a lot more than I realized.  The are fun to play with though.  Several other cyclists look at me strangely ... I think they are just jealous.  I complete the loop in 58 minutes 30 seconds with an average moving speed of 20.8 mph.

New Aerobars.

Elbows on the pads.

Hands grasp the ends way out there.

Makes you all "aero"dynamic.

click for a bigger picture

hit the back button to return here

Tuesday


In the pool Tuesday afternoon and swim a mile and a half.  A girl/woman gets into the lane beside me and she is pretty quick.  I have a bit of trouble keeping her behind me.  I had done about 30 laps before she got in and by 60 she has caught me (gained about 25 yards on me), I hold her even until 70 and then she gets ahead of me but stops.  I finish out the 100 and complete them in just under 44 minutes.  With the un-timed 2 laps warm-up and 4 lap cool down it is a mile and a half.

Wednesday

Get home from work and map out a 6 mile run, the run length of an Olympic distance triathlon.  I try to get through it with moderate pace but don't push myself too hard.  I increase speed pretty consistently through the run, with the minutes per mile as follows:

#1: 9:15, #2: 9:04, #3: 8:39, #4: 8:51, #5: 8:40, #6: 8:21, #7: 7:21

The 7th split is only for the last third of a mile that I lamely tried to sprint to the finish.  In the end the 6.3 miles ~10km) took 55 minutes and 8 seconds, with an average pace of 8 minute 45 second miles.  Not too bad and the furthest I have run thus far.

Thursday

Work in the morning and then up to EA for lunchtime soccer.  Good to see a lot of familiar face there.  Played for an hour and wore myself out.  Was a little upset I forgot the GPS watch.  I am sure it would have looked pretty interesting.

Friday: Part 1 - Soccer

Working from home on Fridays is pretty much the norm at the moment, so take the opportunity to get another soccer game in.  Remember the GPS watch this time and the results were pretty fun.  I was back a lot more than I thought I would be, but obviously only when I has to as it narrows towards the defensive end (lower left).  Th long line out and back is me retrieving the ball after a missed shot on our goal. Forward I am all over the place.  The attacking goal were a little bit further upper right than the stop and start markers.  Th defensive goals were basically in line with where the field narrows towards the bottom left.  Play for an hour cover 3.59 miles (5.7km).  Fastest speed 15.3 mph (24.6km/h) pretty happy with that!

Map of Soccer Run

Friday: Part 2 - Cycling

After soccer back to work.  Once I am finished up out on the bike for the second ride with the aerobars.  This time I do the short alpine loop, reverse as it is the first time I am riding it solo and want to set a best time.  It is sad I know - this continual desire to always be faster.  Thankfully I am faster, and not just faster on this ride but faster than ever.  Perhaps these aerobars a worth something after all.  I go round the 20.29 miles with a time of 57 minutes 14 seconds.  With a moving average of 21.3 mph.  It is tough to know how and why I am getting faster.  There are a couple of thing, obviously I am (hopefully) getting fitter and better at this.  Secondly I have a new bike - so all my times are tainted a little by the bike now being faster than the old, but faster times on the new bike have to be because I am getting better, or thirdly, the aerobars throw another complication into the mix, making me faster without getting better.  Also I have no real way to measure how much effort I am actually putting in.  But as long as I keep getting faster as I have been it isn't so important.  When I stop then I'll need to look at all these things to try to figure out why!

Friday: Part 3 - Swimming

I get home after the ride and realize I have time to get to the pool.  So I get myself together and get to the pool.  As I start out I debate the wisdom of this move and throughout the swim I am definitely feeling the  rest of the days exercise.  It has basically been a triathlon in reverse, with generous rest in between.  I do the normal now the 100 laps with the 2 lap warm up and 4 lap warm down, swimming a mile and a half, timing the 100 which is about 1.42 miles.  I do it in 43:30, which is about the same as Tuesday's swim without any other exercise on the same day slowing me down.  This confuses me a little because I didn't feel very quick in the water.  Makes me wonder about my lap counting abilities.

Saturday

Out for another game of soccer on Saturday, play for an hour and twenty minutes and cover 4.55 miles (7.32km).  Fastest speed of 15.4 mph (24.78 km/h).  I am pretty sure that is a fairly short burst.  Hmmm, just did some playing with the calculator and discovered 24.78 km/h is 6.883 m/s which means at that pace it would take me over 14 seconds to complete 100 meters ... 3 seconds slower than my best times as a kid.  Not as impressed as I was, but I know my quads are still not fully back yet since the surgery, so there might still be some left in me.

The knee feels a little dodgy after and I know why, the 6.3 mile run, an hour of soccer thursday, 3.59 miles over an hour of soccer on Friday plus the 4.55 miles over 1 hour 20 minutes of soccer on Saturday.  That is 14.4 miles then the unknown amount on Thursday which is probably about 3.5 miles again (like Friday, same field same amount of time), so about 18 miles of running ... way to much.  Got too excited playing soccer again.  It does help me to realize why I was so fit and good to run before the ACL tear.  I was playing soccer 6 times a week, probably doing around 22 miles.

Sunday

Out for a ride with Lloyd and Jeff, we do a loop that consists of what is the reverse alpine loop with an extra 14 miles up and back on Canada Road.  We ride for about 2 hours  20 minutes covering 39 miles.  It is fairly relaxed but still well paced.  The moving average is 18.1 mph.  Nice day with a nice ride.  Not much else to report.  I am pretty sure we could have all gone a bit quicker - but we keep it nice and social.