I signed up for the White Rock half marathon about two months ago at that point in my prep for Austin 70.3 when all of the hard training was behind me, taper was underway and I was starting to think about what was next.
I'd had success running a half marathon about 5-6 weeks after Austin in 2008, so I figured that model was worth repeating. So I put my money down, along with several of my friends both locally and those from farther away who would travel to Dallas for the race.
My recovery from Austin hasn't gone quite as well as I'd hoped, and I'm carrying a very sore/strained hamstring into this race that despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to get under control.
Training has been spotty at best. I've logged just 2 swims, and 3 rides since the race on Oct 17. I began running after 5 days off, and ramped up to 5 runs (nothing longer than 6 miles) the following week. I did 4 runs the week after that (11/1-7) and was able to get in a semi long run of 9.5 miles, but it, along with the track session that week left my hamstring in shatters.
I scheduled a Dr. appointment to have the hamstring looked at where I was diagnosed with a strained hamstring tendon at the point where the tendon joins the pelvic bone. Essentially right at the bottom of your butt cheek. Doc didn't have much for me other than a steroid prescription and orders to skip my long run and tempo session the following week. I still haven't started the steroid prescription opting to save it for after the race.
I took about 10 days off where I only logged a couple of light runs but it doesn't seem to have helped things much. I have an appointment with a chiropractor next week to get some thoughts from him on ART, any adjustments that might help, and recommended stretches and exercises. I've noticed that I've developed some pretty serious muscular imbalances that I think he might be able to help me fix in the off season.
So I got back to running on Wed this week in hopes of being able to make the best of my race in a few days. I had a decent run today in the cooler temps, but know I'm about 2-3 12 milers short of being prepared. The hammy was pretty barky about 3 miles in.
As I was running today, I was trying to decide what the right pacing strategy should be for next week given I'm not sure what I'm capable and think the opportunity to go for too much too early is very real. I'm still unsure, but think I'm going to treat it like I would any real hard swim set. Break it down in to manageable mental pieces, play it conservative until I know what kind of hand I'll be playing with, then make the best with what I've got.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Ironman AZ
Last weekend I made the trip out to Phoenix to spend some time with my brother Todd, and to take in IMAZ. Our friend Ian who we caught up with in Austin last month was racing his last event of his rookie pro season, and it seemed like as good a reason as any to take in the race.
I landed around 8:45a on Saturday and Todd and I went straight to the race expo (about 5 mins from the airport) to attend the volunteer meeting. Todd was a race day volunteer for this race last year, so the plan was for us to volunteer again, get an early shift, and to be done by the time the race kicked off. After the meeting, we checked out the lay of the land, watched the athletes get into the frigid lake (63 degrees) for their practice swims, and hit the WTC tent to waste a bit of money on gear. We ran in to Ian and caught up for a few minutes, and were on our way back to Todd's house to spend the rest of the day with my sis-in-law Shawna and my niece and nephew.
Come race morning, we ended up working the bike special needs bag drop off from 5a-7a (we might have skipped out a little early, but we still worked our tails off). The highlight of the morning was that Todd got to collect Chrissie Wellington's bag from her, and that we caught up with Ian and his parents. We checked in on Ian's night of sleep which was better than the prior night (something about getting stirred out of bed at 4a by a chick dressed in a cheer leader outfit), and coordinated logistics with Mr. and Mrs Mikelson.
You can't tell, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with people looking down onto the swim
Looking down course to the east just prior to the pro start
The reason this race was so extraordinary to watch was because some changes to how pro athletes qualify for the World Champs in Kona make IMAZ situated 11 months in advance of Kona a great way for the ringer pros to show up and secure a lot of points towards next years qualification, which means they can focus on 70.3s for the remainder of the year keeping them fresh for Kona. The men's field was very deep, and the women's wasn't shabby either. There were a number of subplots going on as well. Jordan Rapp's return to IM 8 months after a near fatal car-on-cyclist accident, Chrissie Wellington's return to action after her surprise withdrawal the morning of Kona, and Matty Reed's first full IM to name a few.
The swim start did give you chills. The played Black Sabath's Ironman just prior to the start, and all of the athletes just went nuts screaming and cheering. I must admit it was pretty cool.
After the start, Todd and I hopped in the car to make our way out to the bike course. With a three loop out and back course, this bike course was very spectator friendly, especially if you go somewhere in the middle as opposed to the turnarounds.
We found a nice 90 degree corner on Alma School Rd and McDowell Rd at about mile 7 out of town, and mile 30 back in to town and pitched our lawn chairs. We brought binoculars to look down the road and spot, were using the iPhone to follow the race updates on www.ironman.com, as well as to take bike splits. We asked Ian the day before what type of splits info he'd like to get out on the course from us, so we had our instructions and were busy getting organized when the athletes began coming through.
Looking south down Alma School Rd
Iron Spectating, this is looking north up Alma School Rd.
I landed around 8:45a on Saturday and Todd and I went straight to the race expo (about 5 mins from the airport) to attend the volunteer meeting. Todd was a race day volunteer for this race last year, so the plan was for us to volunteer again, get an early shift, and to be done by the time the race kicked off. After the meeting, we checked out the lay of the land, watched the athletes get into the frigid lake (63 degrees) for their practice swims, and hit the WTC tent to waste a bit of money on gear. We ran in to Ian and caught up for a few minutes, and were on our way back to Todd's house to spend the rest of the day with my sis-in-law Shawna and my niece and nephew.
Come race morning, we ended up working the bike special needs bag drop off from 5a-7a (we might have skipped out a little early, but we still worked our tails off). The highlight of the morning was that Todd got to collect Chrissie Wellington's bag from her, and that we caught up with Ian and his parents. We checked in on Ian's night of sleep which was better than the prior night (something about getting stirred out of bed at 4a by a chick dressed in a cheer leader outfit), and coordinated logistics with Mr. and Mrs Mikelson.
You can't tell, but the entire length of the bridge was lined with people looking down onto the swim
Looking down course to the east just prior to the pro start
The reason this race was so extraordinary to watch was because some changes to how pro athletes qualify for the World Champs in Kona make IMAZ situated 11 months in advance of Kona a great way for the ringer pros to show up and secure a lot of points towards next years qualification, which means they can focus on 70.3s for the remainder of the year keeping them fresh for Kona. The men's field was very deep, and the women's wasn't shabby either. There were a number of subplots going on as well. Jordan Rapp's return to IM 8 months after a near fatal car-on-cyclist accident, Chrissie Wellington's return to action after her surprise withdrawal the morning of Kona, and Matty Reed's first full IM to name a few.
The swim start did give you chills. The played Black Sabath's Ironman just prior to the start, and all of the athletes just went nuts screaming and cheering. I must admit it was pretty cool.
After the start, Todd and I hopped in the car to make our way out to the bike course. With a three loop out and back course, this bike course was very spectator friendly, especially if you go somewhere in the middle as opposed to the turnarounds.
We found a nice 90 degree corner on Alma School Rd and McDowell Rd at about mile 7 out of town, and mile 30 back in to town and pitched our lawn chairs. We brought binoculars to look down the road and spot, were using the iPhone to follow the race updates on www.ironman.com, as well as to take bike splits. We asked Ian the day before what type of splits info he'd like to get out on the course from us, so we had our instructions and were busy getting organized when the athletes began coming through.
Looking south down Alma School Rd
Iron Spectating, this is looking north up Alma School Rd.It was freezing out there on the bike course. In the high 50s but windy as could be. Easily 25 mph winds.
The first time we saw Ian, he went by in 17th place. We could tell he had a great swim from the text updates, and came out of the water real close to the top guys and in a large group, so things were off to a good start. We saw Ian at mile 7, 30, 44, 67, and 81 and by the second time we saw him, he was into 16th where he would stay each of the remaining times he went by. At mile 81, he went by and we told him he was still 16, but that he was only 4 mins down from 10th place. He was actually also 4 mins down on 9th as those guys were riding together. He was in good shape, and Hillary Biscay who was back doing commentary for the IM coverage texted me a time or two to confirm that Ian was good.
There was action in the front of the race as we could see Lieto, Rapp, and Bracht make their move on the second loop and bring in the 3 guys out front. We also saw Chrissie lay low for the first lap, then drop the hammer and begin distancing herself from Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce.
After we saw him at the beginning of his final bike loop, we hit the car and headed to a spot I had scouted out on the North side of the Mill Ave bridge on the run course where I thought we could see the athletes twice per loop. The two spots were only about a 2 min walk apart, but as best I could tell, the first spot was around mile 3, and the second spot was around mile 7 on the 3 loop run course.
From the bridge, I could actually see them off to the west as they came off of the lake side trail and up a hill. Then they'd disappear for about 75 seconds before turning into our line of view under the freeway where they'd make their way onto the bridge to cross the lake.
The first time we saw Ian on the run, he had moved up to 10th, and we were pumped. After the race, Mrs. M said he came off the bike in 13th, so since we'd seen him last, he'd caught 3 on he bike, and another 3 in T2 and the first 3 miles of the run. We gave him his place, splits down to the next guy, and some words of encouragement. He was in good spirits and gave us a hang loose.
A few of the guys up the road (namely James Bonney and Kevin Everett) didn't look that good, and Ian looked real strong when he went by, so Todd and I knew it was going to get interesting if Ian hung in there.
There were two people running fast behind Ian, but one of them was Chrissie, so other than risk of getting Chicked, Max Longree was the only guy who Todd and I could tell was running very fast and might be a problem.
At mile 8, Ian was still in 10th and in good spirits. The race ahead of him was coming back to him a bit. Lieto looked much different (like he did on the Kona coverage) by mile 7, James Bonney and Kevin Everett still looked vulnerable, and Ian looked strong.
Back on the bridge at mile 12, Ian ws still 10th but had taken about 4 mins out of James Bonney who was only 2 mins up the road. Lieto was more like 4 mins up the road, but went by and continued to show further decline. Ian had been running about the same pace as Matty Reed who never looked comfortable or all that interested each time he went by, so we wondered if Matty could be had as well. We could tell Ian was heading into some pain, but his pace and cadence still looked good.
While we waited for Ian at mile 16, Lieto came through. We were situated right before an aid station and as Lieto approached, I gave him splits and he stopped running and asked me if I had a jacket or blanket. At this point, it was raining, was still windy and was cold. He spent about 60 seconds walking through the aid station looking for something and finally found a thermal blanket. Ian was through in 9th place just a couple of minutes down on Lieto having passed James Bonney between 12 and 16, but Max Longree had run Ian down and was just seconds behind him. Chrissie had also caught Ian and was on his heels. I gave Ian the Lieto news that he was walking and tried to keep him going.
Todd and I decided we needed to start making our way back to the start line, so we left after seeing Ian for the 2nd time on loop two. Parking at this thing is bad, so we knew we needed the time.
As we waited at the finish line, the leaders came in. Timo Bracht posted an impressive time. When Jordan Rapp came by, he had tears coming down his face. Chrissie came through with a mind boggling time of 8:36. Max Longree came by with a lolli-pop in his mouth.
We hoped that Ian had held it together. Lieto wasn't through, Kevin Everett had lost places and things were looking good.
When Ian came around the corner in 8th, Todd and I went nuts. He saw us immediately, gave us the double point and ran to us for a big awkward high five attempt, ran down the shoot and found Mrs. M who got a kiss, then he took it across the line. 25 minute PR, first Pro paycheck in an IM, big gusty race on a huge stage. It was awesome.
Todd and I were so busy with splits and places, that we never got any photos of Ian. However we did run in to old Jr high and HS swimming bud Hillary at the finish line in between her interviewing duties.
What a thoroughly exhausting, yet exhilarating race to watch. It was a ton of fun, and was very inspirational. These pros are such amazing athletes. They make it look so easy. funny thing was that as much fun as I had, the thought of signing up next year never crossed my mind. I think the hurt from Austin is still fresh, so it was easy to see the forest for the trees.
I look forward to going back next year to volunteer and spectate again.
The first time we saw Ian, he went by in 17th place. We could tell he had a great swim from the text updates, and came out of the water real close to the top guys and in a large group, so things were off to a good start. We saw Ian at mile 7, 30, 44, 67, and 81 and by the second time we saw him, he was into 16th where he would stay each of the remaining times he went by. At mile 81, he went by and we told him he was still 16, but that he was only 4 mins down from 10th place. He was actually also 4 mins down on 9th as those guys were riding together. He was in good shape, and Hillary Biscay who was back doing commentary for the IM coverage texted me a time or two to confirm that Ian was good.
There was action in the front of the race as we could see Lieto, Rapp, and Bracht make their move on the second loop and bring in the 3 guys out front. We also saw Chrissie lay low for the first lap, then drop the hammer and begin distancing herself from Leanda Cave and Rachel Joyce.
After we saw him at the beginning of his final bike loop, we hit the car and headed to a spot I had scouted out on the North side of the Mill Ave bridge on the run course where I thought we could see the athletes twice per loop. The two spots were only about a 2 min walk apart, but as best I could tell, the first spot was around mile 3, and the second spot was around mile 7 on the 3 loop run course.
From the bridge, I could actually see them off to the west as they came off of the lake side trail and up a hill. Then they'd disappear for about 75 seconds before turning into our line of view under the freeway where they'd make their way onto the bridge to cross the lake.
The first time we saw Ian on the run, he had moved up to 10th, and we were pumped. After the race, Mrs. M said he came off the bike in 13th, so since we'd seen him last, he'd caught 3 on he bike, and another 3 in T2 and the first 3 miles of the run. We gave him his place, splits down to the next guy, and some words of encouragement. He was in good spirits and gave us a hang loose.
A few of the guys up the road (namely James Bonney and Kevin Everett) didn't look that good, and Ian looked real strong when he went by, so Todd and I knew it was going to get interesting if Ian hung in there.
There were two people running fast behind Ian, but one of them was Chrissie, so other than risk of getting Chicked, Max Longree was the only guy who Todd and I could tell was running very fast and might be a problem.
At mile 8, Ian was still in 10th and in good spirits. The race ahead of him was coming back to him a bit. Lieto looked much different (like he did on the Kona coverage) by mile 7, James Bonney and Kevin Everett still looked vulnerable, and Ian looked strong.
Back on the bridge at mile 12, Ian ws still 10th but had taken about 4 mins out of James Bonney who was only 2 mins up the road. Lieto was more like 4 mins up the road, but went by and continued to show further decline. Ian had been running about the same pace as Matty Reed who never looked comfortable or all that interested each time he went by, so we wondered if Matty could be had as well. We could tell Ian was heading into some pain, but his pace and cadence still looked good.
While we waited for Ian at mile 16, Lieto came through. We were situated right before an aid station and as Lieto approached, I gave him splits and he stopped running and asked me if I had a jacket or blanket. At this point, it was raining, was still windy and was cold. He spent about 60 seconds walking through the aid station looking for something and finally found a thermal blanket. Ian was through in 9th place just a couple of minutes down on Lieto having passed James Bonney between 12 and 16, but Max Longree had run Ian down and was just seconds behind him. Chrissie had also caught Ian and was on his heels. I gave Ian the Lieto news that he was walking and tried to keep him going.
Todd and I decided we needed to start making our way back to the start line, so we left after seeing Ian for the 2nd time on loop two. Parking at this thing is bad, so we knew we needed the time.
As we waited at the finish line, the leaders came in. Timo Bracht posted an impressive time. When Jordan Rapp came by, he had tears coming down his face. Chrissie came through with a mind boggling time of 8:36. Max Longree came by with a lolli-pop in his mouth.
We hoped that Ian had held it together. Lieto wasn't through, Kevin Everett had lost places and things were looking good.
When Ian came around the corner in 8th, Todd and I went nuts. He saw us immediately, gave us the double point and ran to us for a big awkward high five attempt, ran down the shoot and found Mrs. M who got a kiss, then he took it across the line. 25 minute PR, first Pro paycheck in an IM, big gusty race on a huge stage. It was awesome.
Todd and I were so busy with splits and places, that we never got any photos of Ian. However we did run in to old Jr high and HS swimming bud Hillary at the finish line in between her interviewing duties.
What a thoroughly exhausting, yet exhilarating race to watch. It was a ton of fun, and was very inspirational. These pros are such amazing athletes. They make it look so easy. funny thing was that as much fun as I had, the thought of signing up next year never crossed my mind. I think the hurt from Austin is still fresh, so it was easy to see the forest for the trees.
I look forward to going back next year to volunteer and spectate again.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Austin 70.3 Race Report
Austin 70.3 overall was a fun event for me on a number of fronts. The highlights began on Friday when I was able to reconnect with a family friend who I hadn't seen in 15 years.
I first learned that Ian Mikelson was a triathlete when he made a cameo on Hillary Biscay's blog. Ian's older brother and I swam together (same team as Hillary) in middle school and high school, played water polo together and spent a lot of time together as kids in our formative years. Ian was my brothers age, and while he didn't swim, we saw him all of the time at meets and pretty much every kid I knew did Jr. Lifeguards in the summers, including Ian. Ian was always a short stocky middle linebacker looking guy, so to see him completing what I think he'd describe as a successful first season as a pro is real fun for me and generally amazing. He's got one more big race in IMAZ next month, so we're pulling for him.
I hope some day he gets interviewed by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle on Competitor Radio so Huddle can ask him his standard "how much you bench" question. He usually gets these endurance beans who aren't sure, but think they could put up 100. They'd be impressed with Ian's numbers!!!
So we caught up with Ian and his mom Gaye, who as swim team moms go, doubled as many of our moms over the years keeping us out of trouble when left to our own devices for hours on end at swim meets. We had a great meal, caught up on the past, talked tri shop for a while. It was a really good time!
I also took the bike out for a short 45 min spin on Fri. I'd had the bike in for a tune up the weekend before and was able to get on it once mid week out on the road, so this ride was to keep the legs loose but to also make sure the bike was dialed in.
Everything seemed fine but I was getting a new sound like popcorn coming from the rear derailleur. I made some subtle adjustments after the ride, took it up and down the street to test it out but while I fixed the rear derailleur, something strange happened to the front and I was no longer able to shift to the big chain ring from the little. Some more tinkering with the front derailleur, another test ride, and I was pleased as it appeared dialed in. More later...
Sat was pretty low key. My dad and I went out to the venue to rack my bike and drop off my T2 bag, got home quick to watch the UT game, and kicked me feet up a bit, packed up my gear, etc. My buddy Tim from Houston was coming up to the house to stay with us for the night and join me in the morning out at the race site to spectate. We had a nice dinner on Sat and hit the sack pretty early.
Sunday morning was the normal pre race routine. Get up early, eat, stretch, hit the road. Tim was able to drop me off at T1 (this race had split transitions about 1.5 miles apart) so I didn't have to mess with the shuttle bus from the parking lot/T2 to T1. I had plenty of time to get my bike situated, chill, stretch, use the pots, etc. It was nice have a friendly face with me all morning, and it was so easy not to have to mess with a morning dry clothes bag, etc.
My wave started 50 minutes after the pros went off, so I was able to catch Ian and the other guys make there way in to T2.
Swim (27:49, 8th out of ~334 in AG)
The swim was alright. I was looking for feet and as we set out, was surprised by the number of guys who seemed to be pushing a solid pace. I settled in with a descent size group. We were about 2-3 wide and there must have been about 12 of us, so I was pretty content. I settled in and was glad to be in the draft. At about the 300 yd mark, I could tell the two guys in front of me were losing the guys at the pointy edge of the group, but their pace was still fine, so I stayed put. At about the 500 yd mark, both of the guys in front of me slowed considerably. I had no choice but to come around, and that was the end of my draft for the rest of the swim. We began catching waves about 7-8 minutes in. I definitely saw 6-7 different colors of swim caps out there, so with 5 min staggers between waves, I had a lot of traffic to deal with. I realized about 2/3 through the swim that I was likely leading a pack as I was getting slight taps on the feet every now and then and it wasn't from people I'd passed. Turns out there were at least 2-3 guys back there who got a great ride. I think I probably would have been better served swimming a little more conservatively as I didn't feel fresh by the end of the swim. But all in all, a good swim. 4 mins off my PR from '08, but that swim was easily 4-5 mins short so this could have been my best swim.
T1
I took a bur in the foot as I made my way to the racks. stopped to pull it out, but other than that, it was pretty much biz as usual in there.
Bike (2:41.14, 20.8 mph, 102 out of ~334 in AG):
I set off on the bike and tried to settle in. The course is a little more hilly at the beginning and the end, but all in all, it is a course with little distinguishing it. I got off really well, was averaging about 21.5 mph through the first 15 miles when I came up to the top of one of the bigger hills that forced me down to the small chain ring. As I crested, I went back to the big ring and threw my chain right over the top of the big chain ring and on to my foot. It was 1-2 revolutions before I realized what had happened, and in those 1-2 cranks I twisted the chain up around the crank. I was able to reach down and pull the chain back on the chain ring without slowing (I was impressed I could pull off - I've seen guys in TT stages of the TdF do this before when they came out of the start house) but the first revolution I made with it back on revealed to me that I'd damaged the chain. This happened earlier in the summer so I knew immediately what happened. One of the links actually gets slightly twisted and as that link passes through the rear derailleur, you get a reaction. For me, it ranged from a small dead spot in the pedal stroke where you weren't putting pressure on the rear cassette, to full on half shifts out of the gear on the rear cassette. Every revolution for 41 miles, I had this irritation. I could move in and out of gear and felt like I could control the severity of the shifting, but the longer I stayed in any one gear, the worse the problem got. I was afraid of any further problems so I stayed in the big ring for the rest of the ride. My pace slowed after the problem developed and it was mentally taxing. Not having the small ring also was annoying as I could have used it 3-4 times.
The only other highlight of the ride was seeing Gordo Byrn three times on the ride. Once when he flew by at mile 30 (I had a 20 min start on his AG), again at mile 32 when he was in the ditch changing a flat front, and again at mile 40 when he blew by again. He was rocking it old school in the Australia speedo. God bless him!
T2
Vaguely remember dropping my bike off, but we found it after the race so I must have put it in the right place
Run (2:21.32 10:49 pace, 172nd out of ~334 AG)
I had high hopes of laying down a good run. My conservative goal was to run a 2:15, but my runs in training had been going so well I had dreams of running under 2:10. As I made my way out on the run course, I felt okay, was running some good low 9 min miles and felt fine. I wasn't hot, HR felt low, all was good. Then the rollers came. I had forgot how this run course is a beat down. Either always up or always down. You need to be strong to run well here and I am not. Put me on a flat, point me in a direction and I can go. Force me up and down and my muscles turn to jelly. As I topped each roller, I could feel some mojo leaving my legs. by the time we hit the off road section, I was starting to slow a bit. I walk/ran up Quadzilla and felt like crap after the hill as I made the round about exit out of the trails. I came good back on the roads and thought I might be okay, but by the end of the first loop, I could tell running up the hills was not going to last much longer. by the second loop, I was walking the hills, running the flats and down, and was shuffling a bit and had slowed considerably. It only got worse, and the walking increased. So the run continues to be my achilles heal.
I was hopeful that the increased run volume in this build up would manifest in a better time and this was a 2 min run PR for me, so I guess you could say it did, but come on man! Get it together. I need to take a blank slate approach to running. So something a little more aggressive. It might result in injury, but I need to challenge myself more in my run training.
So my time was 5:37.17. Though I didn't PR, if you adjust the short swim from my PR in '08, I think this is probably my best race. I am content with how it went. I felt very prepared going in to the race, and I owe that to my coach David. He put together a great plan that got me to the start line healthy, as fit as I've ever been since my college swimming days, and motivated. To think about where I was back in June when we first started putting the program together to where I am now is truly amazing. Thanks bud!
So I'm still jazzed about training. In fact, I had visions of doing a Sprint Tri a week later (tomorrow) but thought better of it this morning when the weather rolled in today, plus I still have a slight hot spot in my hamstring that I didn't fully notice until I went out for a run this morning.
I'm doing the White Rock half marry in 6 weeks, so we'll see if I can pop a half PR there. Beyond that, I'm trying to rope Patrick into doing a June 70.3 with me. We're looking at Kansas and Boise. Onward and upward!
I first learned that Ian Mikelson was a triathlete when he made a cameo on Hillary Biscay's blog. Ian's older brother and I swam together (same team as Hillary) in middle school and high school, played water polo together and spent a lot of time together as kids in our formative years. Ian was my brothers age, and while he didn't swim, we saw him all of the time at meets and pretty much every kid I knew did Jr. Lifeguards in the summers, including Ian. Ian was always a short stocky middle linebacker looking guy, so to see him completing what I think he'd describe as a successful first season as a pro is real fun for me and generally amazing. He's got one more big race in IMAZ next month, so we're pulling for him.
I hope some day he gets interviewed by Bob Babbit and Paul Huddle on Competitor Radio so Huddle can ask him his standard "how much you bench" question. He usually gets these endurance beans who aren't sure, but think they could put up 100. They'd be impressed with Ian's numbers!!!
So we caught up with Ian and his mom Gaye, who as swim team moms go, doubled as many of our moms over the years keeping us out of trouble when left to our own devices for hours on end at swim meets. We had a great meal, caught up on the past, talked tri shop for a while. It was a really good time!
I also took the bike out for a short 45 min spin on Fri. I'd had the bike in for a tune up the weekend before and was able to get on it once mid week out on the road, so this ride was to keep the legs loose but to also make sure the bike was dialed in.
Everything seemed fine but I was getting a new sound like popcorn coming from the rear derailleur. I made some subtle adjustments after the ride, took it up and down the street to test it out but while I fixed the rear derailleur, something strange happened to the front and I was no longer able to shift to the big chain ring from the little. Some more tinkering with the front derailleur, another test ride, and I was pleased as it appeared dialed in. More later...
Sat was pretty low key. My dad and I went out to the venue to rack my bike and drop off my T2 bag, got home quick to watch the UT game, and kicked me feet up a bit, packed up my gear, etc. My buddy Tim from Houston was coming up to the house to stay with us for the night and join me in the morning out at the race site to spectate. We had a nice dinner on Sat and hit the sack pretty early.
Sunday morning was the normal pre race routine. Get up early, eat, stretch, hit the road. Tim was able to drop me off at T1 (this race had split transitions about 1.5 miles apart) so I didn't have to mess with the shuttle bus from the parking lot/T2 to T1. I had plenty of time to get my bike situated, chill, stretch, use the pots, etc. It was nice have a friendly face with me all morning, and it was so easy not to have to mess with a morning dry clothes bag, etc.
My wave started 50 minutes after the pros went off, so I was able to catch Ian and the other guys make there way in to T2.
Swim (27:49, 8th out of ~334 in AG)
The swim was alright. I was looking for feet and as we set out, was surprised by the number of guys who seemed to be pushing a solid pace. I settled in with a descent size group. We were about 2-3 wide and there must have been about 12 of us, so I was pretty content. I settled in and was glad to be in the draft. At about the 300 yd mark, I could tell the two guys in front of me were losing the guys at the pointy edge of the group, but their pace was still fine, so I stayed put. At about the 500 yd mark, both of the guys in front of me slowed considerably. I had no choice but to come around, and that was the end of my draft for the rest of the swim. We began catching waves about 7-8 minutes in. I definitely saw 6-7 different colors of swim caps out there, so with 5 min staggers between waves, I had a lot of traffic to deal with. I realized about 2/3 through the swim that I was likely leading a pack as I was getting slight taps on the feet every now and then and it wasn't from people I'd passed. Turns out there were at least 2-3 guys back there who got a great ride. I think I probably would have been better served swimming a little more conservatively as I didn't feel fresh by the end of the swim. But all in all, a good swim. 4 mins off my PR from '08, but that swim was easily 4-5 mins short so this could have been my best swim.
T1I took a bur in the foot as I made my way to the racks. stopped to pull it out, but other than that, it was pretty much biz as usual in there.
Bike (2:41.14, 20.8 mph, 102 out of ~334 in AG):
I set off on the bike and tried to settle in. The course is a little more hilly at the beginning and the end, but all in all, it is a course with little distinguishing it. I got off really well, was averaging about 21.5 mph through the first 15 miles when I came up to the top of one of the bigger hills that forced me down to the small chain ring. As I crested, I went back to the big ring and threw my chain right over the top of the big chain ring and on to my foot. It was 1-2 revolutions before I realized what had happened, and in those 1-2 cranks I twisted the chain up around the crank. I was able to reach down and pull the chain back on the chain ring without slowing (I was impressed I could pull off - I've seen guys in TT stages of the TdF do this before when they came out of the start house) but the first revolution I made with it back on revealed to me that I'd damaged the chain. This happened earlier in the summer so I knew immediately what happened. One of the links actually gets slightly twisted and as that link passes through the rear derailleur, you get a reaction. For me, it ranged from a small dead spot in the pedal stroke where you weren't putting pressure on the rear cassette, to full on half shifts out of the gear on the rear cassette. Every revolution for 41 miles, I had this irritation. I could move in and out of gear and felt like I could control the severity of the shifting, but the longer I stayed in any one gear, the worse the problem got. I was afraid of any further problems so I stayed in the big ring for the rest of the ride. My pace slowed after the problem developed and it was mentally taxing. Not having the small ring also was annoying as I could have used it 3-4 times.
The only other highlight of the ride was seeing Gordo Byrn three times on the ride. Once when he flew by at mile 30 (I had a 20 min start on his AG), again at mile 32 when he was in the ditch changing a flat front, and again at mile 40 when he blew by again. He was rocking it old school in the Australia speedo. God bless him!
T2
Vaguely remember dropping my bike off, but we found it after the race so I must have put it in the right place
Run (2:21.32 10:49 pace, 172nd out of ~334 AG)
I had high hopes of laying down a good run. My conservative goal was to run a 2:15, but my runs in training had been going so well I had dreams of running under 2:10. As I made my way out on the run course, I felt okay, was running some good low 9 min miles and felt fine. I wasn't hot, HR felt low, all was good. Then the rollers came. I had forgot how this run course is a beat down. Either always up or always down. You need to be strong to run well here and I am not. Put me on a flat, point me in a direction and I can go. Force me up and down and my muscles turn to jelly. As I topped each roller, I could feel some mojo leaving my legs. by the time we hit the off road section, I was starting to slow a bit. I walk/ran up Quadzilla and felt like crap after the hill as I made the round about exit out of the trails. I came good back on the roads and thought I might be okay, but by the end of the first loop, I could tell running up the hills was not going to last much longer. by the second loop, I was walking the hills, running the flats and down, and was shuffling a bit and had slowed considerably. It only got worse, and the walking increased. So the run continues to be my achilles heal.
I was hopeful that the increased run volume in this build up would manifest in a better time and this was a 2 min run PR for me, so I guess you could say it did, but come on man! Get it together. I need to take a blank slate approach to running. So something a little more aggressive. It might result in injury, but I need to challenge myself more in my run training.
So my time was 5:37.17. Though I didn't PR, if you adjust the short swim from my PR in '08, I think this is probably my best race. I am content with how it went. I felt very prepared going in to the race, and I owe that to my coach David. He put together a great plan that got me to the start line healthy, as fit as I've ever been since my college swimming days, and motivated. To think about where I was back in June when we first started putting the program together to where I am now is truly amazing. Thanks bud!
So I'm still jazzed about training. In fact, I had visions of doing a Sprint Tri a week later (tomorrow) but thought better of it this morning when the weather rolled in today, plus I still have a slight hot spot in my hamstring that I didn't fully notice until I went out for a run this morning.
I'm doing the White Rock half marry in 6 weeks, so we'll see if I can pop a half PR there. Beyond that, I'm trying to rope Patrick into doing a June 70.3 with me. We're looking at Kansas and Boise. Onward and upward!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Austin 70.3 Quick Summary
I hope to have time to do a full racereport this weekend. I should have some good pics to add to the report at that point, but for now I'll just check in with a quick summary.
So I missed a PR by about 3 minutes, and really wanted to crack the 5:30 mark in this race, and I think I was prepared to do so. However the 5:30 mark came and went and I was still about a half mile from the finish line. I think I realized my goal wasn't going to come to fruition about 45 minutes before the race came to an end for me. It is quite odd to know that you have in this case 40 minutes to achieve your goal, and knowing that under normal circumstances (ie a training run) that covering the ground needed to finish in 40 minutes would be a piece of cake, but not being able to will yourself to achieve it. I tried and based on how torn up my legs felt then and now 2 days later, I know I did all I could at that moment. Unfortunately the damage was already done.
The long and short of it is that I had a good swim, though probably burnt one or two matches trying to fight through a group that went out fast but then slowed and around earlier waves of swimmers. I probably went out a little too hot on the bike, had a mechanical issue at mile 15 that twisted my chain and caused ghost shifting in my rear derailluer on every chain revolution for the remaining 41 miles on the bike. Still managed a good bike split (within 1 min of my PR at Florida) though I burnt too many matches on the bike, and I hit the run more fatigued than I had hoped. The speed and rythm were good on the flats and the downhills, but the uphills that I was running in the first loop of the run were taking a lot out of me and I wasn't recovering in between them. so for the 4th out of 4 70.3s, I did some walking, which is something I really wanted to avoid. I still had a run PR of about 2 mins, but I know I can run better, and hoped it would show.
Still, I think this was one of my better races, and is certainly something to build off of. Look for more next weekend.
So I missed a PR by about 3 minutes, and really wanted to crack the 5:30 mark in this race, and I think I was prepared to do so. However the 5:30 mark came and went and I was still about a half mile from the finish line. I think I realized my goal wasn't going to come to fruition about 45 minutes before the race came to an end for me. It is quite odd to know that you have in this case 40 minutes to achieve your goal, and knowing that under normal circumstances (ie a training run) that covering the ground needed to finish in 40 minutes would be a piece of cake, but not being able to will yourself to achieve it. I tried and based on how torn up my legs felt then and now 2 days later, I know I did all I could at that moment. Unfortunately the damage was already done.
The long and short of it is that I had a good swim, though probably burnt one or two matches trying to fight through a group that went out fast but then slowed and around earlier waves of swimmers. I probably went out a little too hot on the bike, had a mechanical issue at mile 15 that twisted my chain and caused ghost shifting in my rear derailluer on every chain revolution for the remaining 41 miles on the bike. Still managed a good bike split (within 1 min of my PR at Florida) though I burnt too many matches on the bike, and I hit the run more fatigued than I had hoped. The speed and rythm were good on the flats and the downhills, but the uphills that I was running in the first loop of the run were taking a lot out of me and I wasn't recovering in between them. so for the 4th out of 4 70.3s, I did some walking, which is something I really wanted to avoid. I still had a run PR of about 2 mins, but I know I can run better, and hoped it would show.
Still, I think this was one of my better races, and is certainly something to build off of. Look for more next weekend.
Friday, October 8, 2010
2010 Kona Prediction Time
Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get my 2010 predictions in. Here we are on the eve of the big race, and I've finally sat down to one of my favorite annual traditions, getting my thoughts for the how the race will play out down in my blog.
Lots of things to be excited about in this years race. Real chances for course records, a new comer on the women's side who is sure to factor deep into the race and potentially change the game, and a wide open men's field that will prove to be hard to handicap.
So without further ado, here we go, starting with the women.
I think we all have come to appreciate the brilliance that is Chrissie Wellington. We even have come to recognize her genius while in the midst of her era. No one in their right mind will predict a changing of the guard, so we look to other unknowns in the women's race. Frankly, even though the winner is a foregone conclusion (on par with Tyson over Buster Douglas!) there are a couple of things to be excited about. One is what time Chrissie will post. Her time in Germany earlier this year was and still is mind boggling. The question of if she will go sub 8:40 on the big island is one I'm excited to see unfold. Where she'll place overall is also something to watch. Can she crack the top 15 overall? Another thing to watch out for is what Mirinda Carfrae does on the bike. Will she go sub 5 hrs and narrow her gap to Chrissie coming off the bike this year. Finally, I look forward to seeing Julie Dibbens make the jump to IM. She can swim and bike like no other and could have a gap on Chrissie coming off the bike. She is a ~3:20 marathoner so she'll need one to be a factor for the win by the half way point of the marathon.
(Updated 11:07 CT on race morning) In light of the news that Chrissie has withdrawn due to illness, I wanted to quickly give my thoughts. I think this is a good thing for the big swim/bikers who should come off the bike with big leads and no solid runners with them. Dibbens, Van Vlerken, Griesbauer and Macel along with others should come off with a good lead, and it will be up for the Corbins and Carfae's to bring them back.
In light of the news, I like the podium to be 1. Carfrae, 2. Dibbens, 3. Van Vlerken
Podium: 1. Chrissie, 2. Carfrae, 3. Dibbens
Sleeper: Catriona Morrison - She toed the line last year with a hefty case of swine flu and gutted it out, but didn't make it on to the run. She has loads of talent and is a name you always hear or read the big guns talking about as someone to look out for. Another sleeper for me will be Sam McGlone. She finished 2nd to Chrissie in her first win back in '07 and has had a string of bad luck ever since with injuries and the like. She had a great end to '09 with a strong performance at IMAZ but her '10 hasn't quite been what you'd hope, still she could push to crack the top 3.
Sentimental Favorite: It has to be a tie between Hillary Biscay for the personal connection, and Lindsey Corbin for her outstanding blog and approach on life. She is in good form this year with a win a IMCDA and some strong showings on the 70.3 circuit.
And on to the men. What a field! I see 7 guys who I believe have legit shots at wining the thing. You might as well put Alexander, Lieto, Realert, Potts, Hennings, Van Hoenacker, and Llanos in a hat and draw names. It is hard to pick against Alexander as he is so talented, so steady, and is a machine.
What I think does him in this year is the way the race breaks down. Without the speed suits this year, the swim should be more wide open which means the bike will start out more fragmented, and will likely stay that way with groups getting big gaps. If the guys are smart, they don't do any work in the main group and make Crowie put out in an effort to tax him prior to the run. We'll see, it certainly hasn't worked out that way in the past. There have always been an ample number of guys shooting for a top 10 spot in hopes of getting the spot in next years race, and as a result, guys might be playing it conservative from a competitive perspective. With the change to WTC rules and the top 10 no longer qualifying for next year, the dynamic on the bike should change.
One thing is certain however, the men's race is going to be great.
Podium: 1. Raelert 2. Henning 3. Alexander. I think Raelert gets away on the bike just behind the stud group, and runs them down by mile 15. He probably gets pushed by Henning most of the way, but the gap never closes to less the 2 mins, and he only gives up a couple of minutes to Alexander on the run, but has more than enough of a gap coming off the bike to keep Crowie at bay
Sleeper: Pete Jacobs - Pete will be out of the water quick, will bridge up with Potts early, and has the legs to ride with Lieto, the Germans (Twelsiek, Stadler, and Faris) and the other stud bikers if he chooses to. He may let that group go and fall in with the next group that will include Raelert and maybe Macca, but can't muster enough in the marathon to compete for the win. I think he'll be top 10 for sure.
Sentimental Favorite: Got to be Potts (like this blog post, picking Potts is also an annual event). How about if we also throw in Luke Bell to keep it interesting. After a great '03 placing top 5 while in his early 20s, he'd vanished into obscurity a bit. He seems to be back on form this year and could be a factor.
So there you go. Enjoy the fire works tomorrow. Here is hoping for good bandwidth and plenty of servers to bring us good coverage.
Lots of things to be excited about in this years race. Real chances for course records, a new comer on the women's side who is sure to factor deep into the race and potentially change the game, and a wide open men's field that will prove to be hard to handicap.
So without further ado, here we go, starting with the women.
I think we all have come to appreciate the brilliance that is Chrissie Wellington. We even have come to recognize her genius while in the midst of her era. No one in their right mind will predict a changing of the guard, so we look to other unknowns in the women's race. Frankly, even though the winner is a foregone conclusion (on par with Tyson over Buster Douglas!) there are a couple of things to be excited about. One is what time Chrissie will post. Her time in Germany earlier this year was and still is mind boggling. The question of if she will go sub 8:40 on the big island is one I'm excited to see unfold. Where she'll place overall is also something to watch. Can she crack the top 15 overall? Another thing to watch out for is what Mirinda Carfrae does on the bike. Will she go sub 5 hrs and narrow her gap to Chrissie coming off the bike this year. Finally, I look forward to seeing Julie Dibbens make the jump to IM. She can swim and bike like no other and could have a gap on Chrissie coming off the bike. She is a ~3:20 marathoner so she'll need one to be a factor for the win by the half way point of the marathon.
(Updated 11:07 CT on race morning) In light of the news that Chrissie has withdrawn due to illness, I wanted to quickly give my thoughts. I think this is a good thing for the big swim/bikers who should come off the bike with big leads and no solid runners with them. Dibbens, Van Vlerken, Griesbauer and Macel along with others should come off with a good lead, and it will be up for the Corbins and Carfae's to bring them back.
In light of the news, I like the podium to be 1. Carfrae, 2. Dibbens, 3. Van Vlerken
Podium: 1. Chrissie, 2. Carfrae, 3. Dibbens
Sleeper: Catriona Morrison - She toed the line last year with a hefty case of swine flu and gutted it out, but didn't make it on to the run. She has loads of talent and is a name you always hear or read the big guns talking about as someone to look out for. Another sleeper for me will be Sam McGlone. She finished 2nd to Chrissie in her first win back in '07 and has had a string of bad luck ever since with injuries and the like. She had a great end to '09 with a strong performance at IMAZ but her '10 hasn't quite been what you'd hope, still she could push to crack the top 3.
Sentimental Favorite: It has to be a tie between Hillary Biscay for the personal connection, and Lindsey Corbin for her outstanding blog and approach on life. She is in good form this year with a win a IMCDA and some strong showings on the 70.3 circuit.
And on to the men. What a field! I see 7 guys who I believe have legit shots at wining the thing. You might as well put Alexander, Lieto, Realert, Potts, Hennings, Van Hoenacker, and Llanos in a hat and draw names. It is hard to pick against Alexander as he is so talented, so steady, and is a machine.
What I think does him in this year is the way the race breaks down. Without the speed suits this year, the swim should be more wide open which means the bike will start out more fragmented, and will likely stay that way with groups getting big gaps. If the guys are smart, they don't do any work in the main group and make Crowie put out in an effort to tax him prior to the run. We'll see, it certainly hasn't worked out that way in the past. There have always been an ample number of guys shooting for a top 10 spot in hopes of getting the spot in next years race, and as a result, guys might be playing it conservative from a competitive perspective. With the change to WTC rules and the top 10 no longer qualifying for next year, the dynamic on the bike should change.
One thing is certain however, the men's race is going to be great.
Podium: 1. Raelert 2. Henning 3. Alexander. I think Raelert gets away on the bike just behind the stud group, and runs them down by mile 15. He probably gets pushed by Henning most of the way, but the gap never closes to less the 2 mins, and he only gives up a couple of minutes to Alexander on the run, but has more than enough of a gap coming off the bike to keep Crowie at bay
Sleeper: Pete Jacobs - Pete will be out of the water quick, will bridge up with Potts early, and has the legs to ride with Lieto, the Germans (Twelsiek, Stadler, and Faris) and the other stud bikers if he chooses to. He may let that group go and fall in with the next group that will include Raelert and maybe Macca, but can't muster enough in the marathon to compete for the win. I think he'll be top 10 for sure.
Sentimental Favorite: Got to be Potts (like this blog post, picking Potts is also an annual event). How about if we also throw in Luke Bell to keep it interesting. After a great '03 placing top 5 while in his early 20s, he'd vanished into obscurity a bit. He seems to be back on form this year and could be a factor.
So there you go. Enjoy the fire works tomorrow. Here is hoping for good bandwidth and plenty of servers to bring us good coverage.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Long Time No Post
I was gearing up for my annual Kona prediction post, and realized I hadn't posted to the blog in months and that I'd better do that.
Training has been going great in preparation for Austin 70.3 in a little over 2 weeks time. I've managed to hit almost all of my planned sessions, keep the skinny side of the bike down this year and avoid injury, have lost a ton of weight (now weighing in less than I did the day I graduated from college), and feel fit. I'm excited to race!
Check back here in the coming days for my Kona predictions, thoughts before Austin 70.3, and my race report after the race.
Training has been going great in preparation for Austin 70.3 in a little over 2 weeks time. I've managed to hit almost all of my planned sessions, keep the skinny side of the bike down this year and avoid injury, have lost a ton of weight (now weighing in less than I did the day I graduated from college), and feel fit. I'm excited to race!
Check back here in the coming days for my Kona predictions, thoughts before Austin 70.3, and my race report after the race.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Good Week in the Bag
I just completed a good week of training. My first structured week of training in some time. I've hired a coach (David) which should help take some of the stress out of game planning, get me focused on the little things that you often overlook when time is an issue, and help with motivation.
I'm a long way off where I've been, so we're building this thing up from the ground floor. It is nice not to feel like I'm rushed.
I've also signed up for Longhorn 70.3 in Austin, TX this Oct 17. I've got an Olympic on the calendar in July between now and then, and may add something else if it works with the calendar.
This week, I trained just shy of 8 hours. Here are the stats:
Swim: 6,400 Meters (7,000 yds)
Bike: 60 miles
Run: 11 miles
TSS: 483
Kj: 2,653
weight: 174.2
BMI: 18.2
The summer is upon us in North TX. Temps well into the 90s by mid day. It is a shame our Spring only last about 6 weeks, and are windy as hell. I'll never get used to it.
Happy Memorial Day.
I'm a long way off where I've been, so we're building this thing up from the ground floor. It is nice not to feel like I'm rushed.
I've also signed up for Longhorn 70.3 in Austin, TX this Oct 17. I've got an Olympic on the calendar in July between now and then, and may add something else if it works with the calendar.
This week, I trained just shy of 8 hours. Here are the stats:
Swim: 6,400 Meters (7,000 yds)
Bike: 60 miles
Run: 11 miles
TSS: 483
Kj: 2,653
weight: 174.2
BMI: 18.2
The summer is upon us in North TX. Temps well into the 90s by mid day. It is a shame our Spring only last about 6 weeks, and are windy as hell. I'll never get used to it.
Happy Memorial Day.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Life
Work has been too stressful, I am too "connected" too often, and I am not taking care of myself. That all changes tomorrow. Baby steps. I will think more about what I eat, I will get out the door at the end of the work day with energy to spare to devote to my training and family. I'll sleep better. With yoga I will improve my flexibility and core strength making me feel better. I'll get back to regular training, and with all of this, quality of life will improve.
Monitor this space for updates...
Monitor this space for updates...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Train to Train
Today brought to a conclusion my 6th consecutive week of adding hourly volume, and TSS accumulation on top of the prior week. By no means am I rocking the house - week one was less than an hour of training, and week six had me just crack the 7 hr and 400 TSS barrier. The other milestone I eclipsed was that I trained 6 of the 7 days this week.
I think the plan is that I'll build up to 8 hours and perhaps 450 TSS next week, then start writing down workouts for each week, as opposed to doing what I want when I feel like it.
I've got some weight to drop, but it is coming around. I started logging my diet into the Daily Burn iPhone app, and am learning a lot about my food consumption habits. I naturally eat too many carbs, and not enough protein. I'm going to make a conscious effort to shift my diet in a more balanced direction, and hope I'll fell good in doing so.
I think I'll try to do a little build up for the Lonestar Oly in Galveston at the end of April. Perhaps slip in a local sprint in March weather permitting.
For now, the focus is base training, getting my running legs back, and being consistent.
I think the plan is that I'll build up to 8 hours and perhaps 450 TSS next week, then start writing down workouts for each week, as opposed to doing what I want when I feel like it.
I've got some weight to drop, but it is coming around. I started logging my diet into the Daily Burn iPhone app, and am learning a lot about my food consumption habits. I naturally eat too many carbs, and not enough protein. I'm going to make a conscious effort to shift my diet in a more balanced direction, and hope I'll fell good in doing so.
I think I'll try to do a little build up for the Lonestar Oly in Galveston at the end of April. Perhaps slip in a local sprint in March weather permitting.
For now, the focus is base training, getting my running legs back, and being consistent.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Trip to London
I just returned from a short trip to London to hang out with my friend and co-worker Guillermo. The highlight of the trip was a visit to Craven Cottage to take in my favorite EPL side Fulham take on the Black Cats of Sunderland.
The trip was a ton of fun, mostly because I was there with a friend, and felt a slice of what it was like to live in London as opposed to doing the touristy visit I've always done in the past.
Here is some video from the game, and a hand full of photos I selected to post to the blog.
Enjoy, and more later!
This was as the Whites took the pitch for the second half.
A view down the street from Guillermo's front gate
Guillermo and his family as we headed for the park in Chiswick
A cool view atop the bridge over the Chiswick Rail Station near Guillermo's house
At the football grounds, looking at the Johnny Haynes stand from Stevenage Rd
Me on Stevenage Rd with Craven Cottage in the background
Guillermo and I from the Johnny Haynes Stand before the match
Fulham take the pitch, with Clint Dempsey ready to do battle
The Whites ready to go 90 mins
The Cottage from the inside
Just minutes to go as the Whites hang on to their 1-0 lead
It all over, 3 pts for the good guys as security rushes the field
A gritty Clint Dempsey leaves the pitch, no doubt thinking about how he'll dismantle England in So. Africa on June 12th
The trip was a ton of fun, mostly because I was there with a friend, and felt a slice of what it was like to live in London as opposed to doing the touristy visit I've always done in the past.
Here is some video from the game, and a hand full of photos I selected to post to the blog.
Enjoy, and more later!
This was as the Whites took the pitch for the second half.
A view down the street from Guillermo's front gate
Guillermo and his family as we headed for the park in Chiswick
A cool view atop the bridge over the Chiswick Rail Station near Guillermo's house
At the football grounds, looking at the Johnny Haynes stand from Stevenage Rd
Me on Stevenage Rd with Craven Cottage in the background
Guillermo and I from the Johnny Haynes Stand before the match
Fulham take the pitch, with Clint Dempsey ready to do battle
The Whites ready to go 90 mins
The Cottage from the inside
Just minutes to go as the Whites hang on to their 1-0 lead
It all over, 3 pts for the good guys as security rushes the field
A gritty Clint Dempsey leaves the pitch, no doubt thinking about how he'll dismantle England in So. Africa on June 12thThursday, November 19, 2009
IMFL or TDF?
I thought this footage was great for two reasons. One, it exposes the amount of drafting that goes on in IM races. I don't recall seeing packs this size at FL 70.3, but with it rather flat, there were some groups. Two, it is just some sweet footage. I wish I new what the guy was doing. He seemed to be up on the hoods until reaching the aid station, and was getting passed like crazy, then went down on his bars an ate some people up, then as a peleton went by him, was back up on the hoods.
Monday, November 2, 2009
How HR Works
I just read this from Alan Couzen's blog. There is no mystery here - the harder you work, the more O2 your muscles need, the more your HR beats to deliver the O2 to your muscles.
Here is how you calculate required HR given a certain work rate:
Say you are riding your bike at a certain wattage that requires 3.5 Liters of O2 per minute. What will your HR be?
You need to know a few things about your physiology that most of us don't unless you've had blood work or anaerobic testing done, but if you did know, here is how you'd calculate it.
If you have 12g of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood, this deciliter would carry 160ml of O2 per liter of blood (assumes avg hemoglobin per deciliter and 100% blood saturation).
If your muscles require 3.5 liters of O2, you would need to pump 22 liters of blood per minute (3,500/160).
If you assume a cardiac stroke volume of 150ml, it will take 150 beats per minute to deliver 22 liters of blood to the muscle.
HR to push the certain wattage? 150 bpm.
Here is how you calculate required HR given a certain work rate:
Say you are riding your bike at a certain wattage that requires 3.5 Liters of O2 per minute. What will your HR be?
You need to know a few things about your physiology that most of us don't unless you've had blood work or anaerobic testing done, but if you did know, here is how you'd calculate it.
If you have 12g of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood, this deciliter would carry 160ml of O2 per liter of blood (assumes avg hemoglobin per deciliter and 100% blood saturation).
If your muscles require 3.5 liters of O2, you would need to pump 22 liters of blood per minute (3,500/160).
If you assume a cardiac stroke volume of 150ml, it will take 150 beats per minute to deliver 22 liters of blood to the muscle.
HR to push the certain wattage? 150 bpm.
October Recap
Well, October is in the books. All in all, a good month.
It started with work life balance getting back in order after working long hours during the month of September as my company was involved in a flurry of transactions revolving around entering into aircraft and engine contracts, as well as securing liquidity to bolster our balance sheet. All in, we bought 22 aircraft, did a multi billion dollar engine deal securing engines for our 787 Dreamliner aircraft we have on order with Boeing (a deal I was on the negotiating team for), sold over $1B worth of forward year air miles to Citi, our affinity program credit card partner, did a EETC debt offering and over $1.6B in sale lease back transactions (a deal I was also involved with), then did two equity offerings and one convertible debt offering.
I put on about 10 lbs between eating all of the catered food at our outside counsel's offices, and not being active while still recovering from the collarbone reconstruction. October would be the month I tried to get things back in order.
I did a fair bit of traveling in the month of Oct which made building into a routine a challenge. I was in Atlanta and Minneapolis recruiting MBAs early in the month, in Ann Arbor in the middle of the month, and had a week of meetings in DC at the end of the month.
I set off to get my running legs back under neath me, and after a few weeks of pain and suffering, dealing with all of the new runner aches and pains (shin splints for me) I feel like I'm getting closer. A run doesn't feel good yet, but we are moving away from the painful realm which is encouraging.
I was able to spend the weekend of Oct 24-25 in Austin visiting my parents and serving as a race day volunteer at Longhorn 70.3. I worked my tail off moving around transition backs for the two transition area race from about 5:30am until my back could take no more around 10am, then enjoyed watching the pros race with the special access my volunteer shirt provided me.
A few reactions after watching the end of the bike, most of the pros run, and their post race social scene:
It started with work life balance getting back in order after working long hours during the month of September as my company was involved in a flurry of transactions revolving around entering into aircraft and engine contracts, as well as securing liquidity to bolster our balance sheet. All in, we bought 22 aircraft, did a multi billion dollar engine deal securing engines for our 787 Dreamliner aircraft we have on order with Boeing (a deal I was on the negotiating team for), sold over $1B worth of forward year air miles to Citi, our affinity program credit card partner, did a EETC debt offering and over $1.6B in sale lease back transactions (a deal I was also involved with), then did two equity offerings and one convertible debt offering.
I put on about 10 lbs between eating all of the catered food at our outside counsel's offices, and not being active while still recovering from the collarbone reconstruction. October would be the month I tried to get things back in order.
I did a fair bit of traveling in the month of Oct which made building into a routine a challenge. I was in Atlanta and Minneapolis recruiting MBAs early in the month, in Ann Arbor in the middle of the month, and had a week of meetings in DC at the end of the month.
I set off to get my running legs back under neath me, and after a few weeks of pain and suffering, dealing with all of the new runner aches and pains (shin splints for me) I feel like I'm getting closer. A run doesn't feel good yet, but we are moving away from the painful realm which is encouraging.
I was able to spend the weekend of Oct 24-25 in Austin visiting my parents and serving as a race day volunteer at Longhorn 70.3. I worked my tail off moving around transition backs for the two transition area race from about 5:30am until my back could take no more around 10am, then enjoyed watching the pros race with the special access my volunteer shirt provided me.
A few reactions after watching the end of the bike, most of the pros run, and their post race social scene:
- If you think you want to be a pro male triathlete, then you ought to have about a 28 inch waist, plan on being no taller than about 6 feet tall, and no heavier than about 145-150lbs.
- A 1:12 half marathon is a completely different race than a 1:50 minute half marathon.
- Not all, but some of the top pros came in and couldn't walk well when they were done. Good to know it isn't just me. (2nd place Brian Fleischman and 3rd place Nicole Hofer were pretty gimpy)
- After years of thinking Joanna Zieger was a "big girl" because she was so much bigger than most pro female triathletes, I now realize she is small, and the others are tiny.
- Nicole Hofer could give Desiree Ficker (who road the lead bike for the 1st female out on the run course) a run for her money for the hottest pro female triathlete
Long horn was fun to watch, and I look forward to participating next year. Here is hoping for the same ideal conditions next year. October 17th, put it down!
After Austin, I headed to DC for work, but I was able to catch up with my friend and Pro Triathlete Lindsey Jerdonek. I met Lindsey at an industry conference in DC back in April and we've stayed in touch since. Lindsey had just wrapped up her first pro season of racing, so it was interesting to hear about her plans for next year. You can follow Lindsey and her teammate Lauren (9th place at Longhorn 70.3) at their soon to be renamed blog.
The last week of October was my best week of training since my crash. I'll actually be frank and say it was the only week that I could say felt like training and not just random acts of exercise.
I logged 6.5 hours (3hrs of running, 3hrs of biking, and 0.5 hrs of weights) this week, and even did an FTP test on the bike last Tuesday. While the results of the FTP test proved how far I have to go to get back to the level of fitness I had before the crash, it was good to get a marker so I can begin to measure my progress.
Looking ahead to Nov, here is hoping for health, productivity, and drive. I've already logged an hour in the pool this week, and am laying the ground work to give this yoga thing a try. More on that later.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Kona Prediction Time
Do to work commitments, I missed out on doing my Kona predictions last year, but I enjoy doing it and thought I should to take a few minutes and try again this year. You can see my predictions from two years ago here
The weather is shaping up to be decent. Doesn't look too hot (real feel of 92) and the winds should be okay. These athletes will cover a lot of ground however, and if you know Hawaii at all, you know it doesn't take much to go from one climate to another, so you never know what to expect.
What I'm going to do this year is predict my podium for both the men and women, one sleeper athlete, and my most intriguing athlete also from the men's and women's race. So without further ado, lets get started.
Women
At first glance, you could be fooled into thinking the women's race will be dominated by Chrissie again. She's killed the competition the last two years despite rookie jitters two years ago and the well publicized mechanical out on the Queen K last year, however like Lee Corso says, "not so fast." Chrissie left the confines of Team TBB, set out under the tutelage of tri legend Simon Lessing as her new coach, but has since left Lessing and is self coaching herself at the moment. She crushed it at Roth with a World Record of 8:31, but has had some less dominant performances in some Oly's and 70.3s since.
She'll be pushed by Rebeka Keat, Yvonne Van Vlerken, Sandra Wallenhorst, Lindsay Corbin, and Gina Ferguson, with Keat likely to give her the biggest push.
Still, we'd be out of our mind to go against the Queen. I thought hard about picking Keat or my surprise athlete in the women's field Mirinda Carfrae, but I decided that would be me trying to sensationalize this process by going against the grain. If it was my money on the line, Chrissie would be my girl.
Podium: 1. Wellington, 3. Rebeka Keat, 4. Gina Ferguson
Sleeper Athlete: Mirinda Carfrae
Sentimental Favorite: Lindsay Corbin (because she writes an awesome blog)
You might have noticed I have Keat and Ferguson finishing 3rd and 4th up above. It is because I think Carfrae will take second. This will be her first full IM, but I think she can match the effort of Sam McGlone when she finished second to Chrissie two years ago in her first move up to IM. She's got amazing top end speed, and can run with any of them. She'll sit in with the top men age groupers on the bike, and out split the rest of the field to grab her podium spot.
Mirinda Carfrae
Men:
The men's race will be much more wide open than the women's. I've got 10 guys that I like in this thing so picking my podium I'm sure was flawed with all sorts of strange rationalizations on my part, of which many won't likely come true.
As I was thinking about this post earlier this year, I was all prepared to write a long story about Andy Potts and Rasmus Henning, both who I thought had a great shot at winning this thing this year. However Potts had a terrible bike crash with an age grouper at the Chicago Tri just two months ago, and Henning apparently broke his hand a week and a half ago, and hasn't been able to swim, and won't until the day of the race. Hennings fitness is likely to be fine, and I suspect he'll still be a factor in the race, but the disruption is probably enough to crack his armor, and with this field, you've got to be bullet proof to pull through.
So we are left with the usual suspects - Craig Alexander, Macca, Norman, Eneko Llano, Marino Vanhoenacker, Cam Brown, Chris Lieto as well as some interesting upstarts such as Terenzo Bozzone, Ronnie Schildknect, and Andreas Raelert, which will make for a great race.
I'd like nothing more than to see the Alexander v Macca show down we all anticipated last year, but I just don't think we'll see it for a number of reasons. First, the rest of the field is too good to give away the stage to these guys. Second, I just don't think Macca has it in him suffer like he'll have to to make up the time necessary on the run to run through the field. Not after he's tasted the victory in Kona. He was SO driven to win this thing, that I just think the edge is gone and he hasn't put in the work, nor is willing to take himself to that dark place to do it again. Alexander, on the other hand strikes me as the type who can be a repeat performer. Much more level headed in his approach with a killer instinct, and a world of talent. Just one guys ill-advised opinion, but that is all this post is.
So I think Potts and Henning will be at the front of the swim, will ride well early but fade when the likes of Lieto, Norman, and some of the other big cycling Europeans like Twelseik ride through them. Alexander, Macca, Brown, Lovato and others will stay back in the pack, limit their losses, and it will be the guy who can lay down the 2:42 marathon who will win it.
That is why I like Timo Bracht, Andreas Raelert, Schildknect, and Cam Brown to be there in the end.
So here is how I have it:
Podium: 1. Timo Bracht, 2. Craig Alexander, 3. Eneko Llanos
Sleeper Athlete: Andreas Raelert (I still am holding back on putting Henning in here)
Sentimental Favorite: Andy Potts
Timo's performance at IM Germany just can't be ignored. Had he not skipped a stop in the penalty tent last year after a drafting call, he would have been 5th, and I think he is motivated to finish the deal this time. Llanos is very consistent, and will be there in the end with a solid all around race.
Timo Bracht
I like Raelert because the guy can fly. He's got great speed that we saw as he reeled in Bozzone in Clearwater last year at the 70.3 worlds, but just ran out of real estate. I think he ran a 1:12. He got an Olympic pedigree making the German team in 2000 and 2004 and just seems to be very aggressive in the two races I've seen him in on TV. He's shown he can go long with great races at IMAZ that I can recall off hand where he ran a 2:46 for the win against a good field.
I'll always be a big fan of Andy Potts and was heart broken when I heard of his accident. Apparently he had some heart issues after the crash, so unlike Henning, he probably had to go inactive for a while. Not good in August with this thing in Oct. But any swimmer turned triathlete gets my vote, and after hearing the guy speak at Timberman last year, he is all class.
So there we go. It should be an awesome race. I'll be in the air flying home from Minneapolis for the start, but hope to catch the bike and swim when I return home.
The weather is shaping up to be decent. Doesn't look too hot (real feel of 92) and the winds should be okay. These athletes will cover a lot of ground however, and if you know Hawaii at all, you know it doesn't take much to go from one climate to another, so you never know what to expect.
What I'm going to do this year is predict my podium for both the men and women, one sleeper athlete, and my most intriguing athlete also from the men's and women's race. So without further ado, lets get started.
Women
At first glance, you could be fooled into thinking the women's race will be dominated by Chrissie again. She's killed the competition the last two years despite rookie jitters two years ago and the well publicized mechanical out on the Queen K last year, however like Lee Corso says, "not so fast." Chrissie left the confines of Team TBB, set out under the tutelage of tri legend Simon Lessing as her new coach, but has since left Lessing and is self coaching herself at the moment. She crushed it at Roth with a World Record of 8:31, but has had some less dominant performances in some Oly's and 70.3s since.
She'll be pushed by Rebeka Keat, Yvonne Van Vlerken, Sandra Wallenhorst, Lindsay Corbin, and Gina Ferguson, with Keat likely to give her the biggest push.
Still, we'd be out of our mind to go against the Queen. I thought hard about picking Keat or my surprise athlete in the women's field Mirinda Carfrae, but I decided that would be me trying to sensationalize this process by going against the grain. If it was my money on the line, Chrissie would be my girl.
Podium: 1. Wellington, 3. Rebeka Keat, 4. Gina Ferguson
Sleeper Athlete: Mirinda Carfrae
Sentimental Favorite: Lindsay Corbin (because she writes an awesome blog)
You might have noticed I have Keat and Ferguson finishing 3rd and 4th up above. It is because I think Carfrae will take second. This will be her first full IM, but I think she can match the effort of Sam McGlone when she finished second to Chrissie two years ago in her first move up to IM. She's got amazing top end speed, and can run with any of them. She'll sit in with the top men age groupers on the bike, and out split the rest of the field to grab her podium spot.
Mirinda CarfraeMen:
The men's race will be much more wide open than the women's. I've got 10 guys that I like in this thing so picking my podium I'm sure was flawed with all sorts of strange rationalizations on my part, of which many won't likely come true.
As I was thinking about this post earlier this year, I was all prepared to write a long story about Andy Potts and Rasmus Henning, both who I thought had a great shot at winning this thing this year. However Potts had a terrible bike crash with an age grouper at the Chicago Tri just two months ago, and Henning apparently broke his hand a week and a half ago, and hasn't been able to swim, and won't until the day of the race. Hennings fitness is likely to be fine, and I suspect he'll still be a factor in the race, but the disruption is probably enough to crack his armor, and with this field, you've got to be bullet proof to pull through.
So we are left with the usual suspects - Craig Alexander, Macca, Norman, Eneko Llano, Marino Vanhoenacker, Cam Brown, Chris Lieto as well as some interesting upstarts such as Terenzo Bozzone, Ronnie Schildknect, and Andreas Raelert, which will make for a great race.
I'd like nothing more than to see the Alexander v Macca show down we all anticipated last year, but I just don't think we'll see it for a number of reasons. First, the rest of the field is too good to give away the stage to these guys. Second, I just don't think Macca has it in him suffer like he'll have to to make up the time necessary on the run to run through the field. Not after he's tasted the victory in Kona. He was SO driven to win this thing, that I just think the edge is gone and he hasn't put in the work, nor is willing to take himself to that dark place to do it again. Alexander, on the other hand strikes me as the type who can be a repeat performer. Much more level headed in his approach with a killer instinct, and a world of talent. Just one guys ill-advised opinion, but that is all this post is.
So I think Potts and Henning will be at the front of the swim, will ride well early but fade when the likes of Lieto, Norman, and some of the other big cycling Europeans like Twelseik ride through them. Alexander, Macca, Brown, Lovato and others will stay back in the pack, limit their losses, and it will be the guy who can lay down the 2:42 marathon who will win it.
That is why I like Timo Bracht, Andreas Raelert, Schildknect, and Cam Brown to be there in the end.
So here is how I have it:
Podium: 1. Timo Bracht, 2. Craig Alexander, 3. Eneko Llanos
Sleeper Athlete: Andreas Raelert (I still am holding back on putting Henning in here)
Sentimental Favorite: Andy Potts
Timo's performance at IM Germany just can't be ignored. Had he not skipped a stop in the penalty tent last year after a drafting call, he would have been 5th, and I think he is motivated to finish the deal this time. Llanos is very consistent, and will be there in the end with a solid all around race.
Timo BrachtI like Raelert because the guy can fly. He's got great speed that we saw as he reeled in Bozzone in Clearwater last year at the 70.3 worlds, but just ran out of real estate. I think he ran a 1:12. He got an Olympic pedigree making the German team in 2000 and 2004 and just seems to be very aggressive in the two races I've seen him in on TV. He's shown he can go long with great races at IMAZ that I can recall off hand where he ran a 2:46 for the win against a good field.
I'll always be a big fan of Andy Potts and was heart broken when I heard of his accident. Apparently he had some heart issues after the crash, so unlike Henning, he probably had to go inactive for a while. Not good in August with this thing in Oct. But any swimmer turned triathlete gets my vote, and after hearing the guy speak at Timberman last year, he is all class.
So there we go. It should be an awesome race. I'll be in the air flying home from Minneapolis for the start, but hope to catch the bike and swim when I return home.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Trying to Get Back into the Swing of Things
I'm slowly trying to get my athletic life back in order after my biking accident. I took a major step today by getting back out on the bike, but realize I have a long way to go. I think putting something down in this blog may help, so here it goes.
My accident was just over 8 weeks ago, and as far as the collar bone and shoulder go, things are getting back to normal. I have no pain, am able to sleep pretty much however I want to now that I've been able to add sleeping on my right (bad) side into the rotation. I have limited flexibility in the shoulder, but am not far off, and probably need to get back in the pool to get it all back.
I really let myself go while I was out. I aloud myself to eat/drink whatever I wanted to, and was very inactive. As a result, I've dropped a lot of strength and muscle mass, replaced it with fat and then some with my weight up around 4 pounds, and feel generally sluggish.
I started running 2 weeks ago, and felt like I'd never run before in my life. Slow pace, HR off the charts, and all of the running pains I'd cured myself of are now back. Shin splints are debilitating right now.
I had my sights set on getting back into the pool at the beginning of Oct, but the pool my masters team swims in is having the winter roof (bubble) installed this week, so we are at a different pool, at 5:00am (I don't do workouts pre 6:00am), and it costs an extra $15 for the week = I'll wait for the bubble to be installed.
Today, I got out on the bike outside for the first time since my crash. It was a chilly misty afternoon and was quite pleasant out there. I figured if I wanted the roads mostly to myself, I should wait until the Cowboys game started. So I did, and it seemed to work. I rode the same route I was on when I had my accident, which was therapeutic, and the ride actually felt good. I believe after logging 75 mins out there that cycling and swimming will be my road back to greater fitness, not running. Running will just be a byproduct of the improvements.
I must admit, I was nervous as hell when cars came up on me from behind. I did a lot of shoulder checking and wasn't comfortable at all. I'm sure that will pass with time. I kind of appreciate the heightened vigilance. It will keep me safer in the long run.
So my goals in no particular order (both long term and short) are as follows:
So here we are. Baby steps is the key, and so is appreciating the process. If I add an extra hour of training each week, I'll be back to where I want to be in about a month.
Happy trails.
My accident was just over 8 weeks ago, and as far as the collar bone and shoulder go, things are getting back to normal. I have no pain, am able to sleep pretty much however I want to now that I've been able to add sleeping on my right (bad) side into the rotation. I have limited flexibility in the shoulder, but am not far off, and probably need to get back in the pool to get it all back.
I really let myself go while I was out. I aloud myself to eat/drink whatever I wanted to, and was very inactive. As a result, I've dropped a lot of strength and muscle mass, replaced it with fat and then some with my weight up around 4 pounds, and feel generally sluggish.
I started running 2 weeks ago, and felt like I'd never run before in my life. Slow pace, HR off the charts, and all of the running pains I'd cured myself of are now back. Shin splints are debilitating right now.
I had my sights set on getting back into the pool at the beginning of Oct, but the pool my masters team swims in is having the winter roof (bubble) installed this week, so we are at a different pool, at 5:00am (I don't do workouts pre 6:00am), and it costs an extra $15 for the week = I'll wait for the bubble to be installed.
Today, I got out on the bike outside for the first time since my crash. It was a chilly misty afternoon and was quite pleasant out there. I figured if I wanted the roads mostly to myself, I should wait until the Cowboys game started. So I did, and it seemed to work. I rode the same route I was on when I had my accident, which was therapeutic, and the ride actually felt good. I believe after logging 75 mins out there that cycling and swimming will be my road back to greater fitness, not running. Running will just be a byproduct of the improvements.
I must admit, I was nervous as hell when cars came up on me from behind. I did a lot of shoulder checking and wasn't comfortable at all. I'm sure that will pass with time. I kind of appreciate the heightened vigilance. It will keep me safer in the long run.
So my goals in no particular order (both long term and short) are as follows:
- swim comfortably
- ride without fear
- swim hard
- train 5 hrs in a week
- train 10 hrs in a week
- get my body back to a fit 170
- feel comfortable running again
- race again
- PR in a run or tri
So here we are. Baby steps is the key, and so is appreciating the process. If I add an extra hour of training each week, I'll be back to where I want to be in about a month.
Happy trails.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Checking In
Not much to report these days. Surgery was two weeks ago so I'm still more or less useless. Work has been busy so it has stepped up to fill the void, and I've taken to watching a bit more TV, playing with my kids a bit more, and eating food and drinking good beer more regularly too. I'm developing a gut to prove it.
This coming week is fantasy football draft week. I'm in two leagues this year, one with neighbors and one with work buddies. Looking forward to draft nights, getting my roster set up, and football getting started.
This coming week is fantasy football draft week. I'm in two leagues this year, one with neighbors and one with work buddies. Looking forward to draft nights, getting my roster set up, and football getting started.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
X-Rays of my New Hardware
These X-Rays were taken of me while I was still under, so I only know by the time stamp on them when they were taken.
This first one was taken at 3:04pm, about 2 hours after I went under. I only count 5-6 screws at this point in the procedure.
This one was taken at 3:27pm, and it looks like the remaining screws are in place 14-15 in total.
And here was the last one stamped 4:36pm, about an hour before I woke up.
This first one was taken at 3:04pm, about 2 hours after I went under. I only count 5-6 screws at this point in the procedure.
This one was taken at 3:27pm, and it looks like the remaining screws are in place 14-15 in total.
And here was the last one stamped 4:36pm, about an hour before I woke up.
Monday, August 17, 2009
X-Rays of the Fracture
This is an X-ray that was taken about 30 minutes after my bike crash on Aug 6th.
I'll try to pick up one from radiology over at the hospital when I'm back over there for a Dr. apt on Wed. That one will show off the bionic shoulder I'm now sporting.
To orient you a bit, this is my right shoulder. The bone is broken into 4 pieces, although only 3 are visible here. I've marked the pieces with arrows. The top pointy piece nearly came through the skin as a compound fracture. Then there is a small fragment that runs up and down, and the last piece which has a fracture in it is lowered by the weight of my arm, but runs left to right.
It is a bit confusing to view this 3D image in 2D. Your ribs on your back come up higher than the front, so all of the ribs that appear above the clavicle are in the back. This bone had as much forward protrusion is it did, upward protrusion, but that isn't really evident as you can't see that without the 3rd axis.
I'll try to pick up one from radiology over at the hospital when I'm back over there for a Dr. apt on Wed. That one will show off the bionic shoulder I'm now sporting.
To orient you a bit, this is my right shoulder. The bone is broken into 4 pieces, although only 3 are visible here. I've marked the pieces with arrows. The top pointy piece nearly came through the skin as a compound fracture. Then there is a small fragment that runs up and down, and the last piece which has a fracture in it is lowered by the weight of my arm, but runs left to right.
It is a bit confusing to view this 3D image in 2D. Your ribs on your back come up higher than the front, so all of the ribs that appear above the clavicle are in the back. This bone had as much forward protrusion is it did, upward protrusion, but that isn't really evident as you can't see that without the 3rd axis.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Changes
A lot has happened since I last posted. To get everyone up to date, I was on a training ride last Thursday night, and as I was approaching a sharp right hand bend, a truck was approaching from the opposite direction. The truck cut the corner of that bend, came all the way over into my lane of travel, and to avoid getting hit, I dove into the ditch. Within a few feet of coming off the shoulder or the road, I lost control of my bike and was launched over my bars.
My power meter said I was travelling 17.5 mph when the accident happened. I landed on my right elbow and shoulder, and immediately felt my collar bone snap.
I've had 3 major injuries in my life now. A dislocated knee cap, a fractured femur, and now this. I have to say this was very close to as intense at the moment right after the break as the femur fracture was, however the collar bone pain has lingered much longer, and pretty much any time you move, it is terribly painful.
The weird thing about this injury is that the outboard piece of the bone is sagging from the weight of my arm, and it is causing that piece of the bone to put pressure on several nerves that run down my arm. A lot of my pain is from these nerves and is felt in my arm versus the bone itself. I get sensations of ice, then sensations of rubbing alcohol being poured on an open wound. Very strange.
Immediately after the crash, I was able to get my phone out of my pocket and began to call my wife, and my friend David. David came and picked me up and took me to the ER where I met my wife.
Its is a long story and an investigation is pending, but someone did get a license plate and leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging information is a felony. The driver, took one look at me after it happened, then sped off.
So my collar bone is fractured in 4 places, and later this morning, I am going in to have surgery to have a plate installed over the pieces of bone.
The prognosis is that I'll be in the hospital over night, then will be in a sling for 7-10 days. No weight bearing activities for 4-6 weeks, then some therapy to regain range of motion and strength loss.
Thank you very much for all of the emails and text messages that many of you have sent me. It really helps to cheer me up. I'm very lucky to have such great friends.
Thanks also to my wife. She has been nothing short of amazing. She is the most caring, patient, sympathetic, giving, practical, loving, and strong person I've ever known.
I'll check in again when I'm typing with two hands again.
My power meter said I was travelling 17.5 mph when the accident happened. I landed on my right elbow and shoulder, and immediately felt my collar bone snap.
I've had 3 major injuries in my life now. A dislocated knee cap, a fractured femur, and now this. I have to say this was very close to as intense at the moment right after the break as the femur fracture was, however the collar bone pain has lingered much longer, and pretty much any time you move, it is terribly painful.
The weird thing about this injury is that the outboard piece of the bone is sagging from the weight of my arm, and it is causing that piece of the bone to put pressure on several nerves that run down my arm. A lot of my pain is from these nerves and is felt in my arm versus the bone itself. I get sensations of ice, then sensations of rubbing alcohol being poured on an open wound. Very strange.
Immediately after the crash, I was able to get my phone out of my pocket and began to call my wife, and my friend David. David came and picked me up and took me to the ER where I met my wife.
Its is a long story and an investigation is pending, but someone did get a license plate and leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging information is a felony. The driver, took one look at me after it happened, then sped off.
So my collar bone is fractured in 4 places, and later this morning, I am going in to have surgery to have a plate installed over the pieces of bone.
The prognosis is that I'll be in the hospital over night, then will be in a sling for 7-10 days. No weight bearing activities for 4-6 weeks, then some therapy to regain range of motion and strength loss.
Thank you very much for all of the emails and text messages that many of you have sent me. It really helps to cheer me up. I'm very lucky to have such great friends.
Thanks also to my wife. She has been nothing short of amazing. She is the most caring, patient, sympathetic, giving, practical, loving, and strong person I've ever known.
I'll check in again when I'm typing with two hands again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)