Weekly Training Log: Week of October 5th, 2015 - Week #38: Putting IM Chattanooga behind and switching focus to 2016

In Life:  I was able to take Aiden to a Nuggets pre-season Basketball game on Thursday evening.  They were playing the Chicago Bulls in Boulder, and I saw that as a good opportunity to see them.  It was fun.
The weekend was good as usual.  We had a little fall festival for Aiden's school on Saturday afternoon, then we did some family portraits and a dinner on Pearl St after.  Sunday was football and a bike trainer.


In Training:  It was a full week since Ironman Chattanooga (race recap up soon) and I was feeling good. I took three full days off after Chattanooga - that run course tore up my legs - and then I was good to go.  I felt 90% recovered by Tuesday (9 days after), then 100% recovered by this past weekend.  I made the decision to go ahead and race Ironman Arizona in a few weeks to gain a little more pro experience at the distance and have one more race/goal this season.  I am ramping up the training pretty hard over the next few weeks.  My recovery from the Ironman distance has been getting really quick over the last few that I have done.  I would like to try racing them two weeks apart over the next few years.



Weekly Totals
Swim: 3,050 yds 
Bike: 223 miles - Trainer work, lots of TSS
Run: 20.2 miles

Two different slippers, wrong foot for the right one.

Fall fest pumpkin painting

Pearl St.

I pet this guy.  I still want to get chickens - no rooster though

Weekly Training Log: Week of September 7th, 2015 - Week #34: A Half Ironman, NFL Kickoff, Two Weeks to IM Chattanooga

In Life:  The week went, then the weekend came.  I am struggling more with constant exhaustion during the work day from getting up for early workouts.  It's not as bad as the last few years, but it's definitely there.  I have found that making sure that I do get in a second session/workout every day has been helping me feel better.
I was lucky to see my sister for a very short while on Saturday before she and my wife (along with four kids) went to hang out and do stuff while I took some time and prepped for a 70.3 distance race I was doing on Sunday.  I got done with the race on Sunday then headed home to watch the Broncos regular NFL kickoff against Baltimore and was happy to have my sister and three kids over to hang out for most of the game.  It's really awesome having her around Colorado again.  I have said that on here, and I am sure I will say it again.


In Training:  I did not let up much this past week even though I was planning on racing the Harvest Moon Half Ironman Tri on Sunday.  I used this week to kind of launch into that last "hard workout/race" on Sunday.  I did take Saturday before the race totally off.
The race went pretty well.  I ended up 2nd overall out of 500 plus athletes.

The swim was mediocre at best - Every time I put on a wetsuit, I am slower.  I will look to change into a looser fitting wetsuit soon and hope that this can help.
The bike was extremely technical - Four loops with a total of 12 U turns.  This made for lots of slowing/speeding up.  It was also very hilly.  ZERO flat sections.  It was a good bike workout.  The weird thing is that I started to feel tired by the end of the 56 mile ride.  This is rare.  I am thinking and hoping it was because I tried to take in minimal calories.  Average and Normalized power was also lower than I would have liked.  I think this is from leftover training fatigue.
The run was awesome.  Even though the turn-around was messed up and I ran close to 14 miles, I held VERY consistent and ran sub 6:30's fairly easily.  I was sub 40 minutes for the first 10k, then at the 13.1 mile mark on my watch, I had 1:24:25.  This would be a half IM run split PR for a race at altitude.

Last thing - When I got home to watch the game, my right forearm started hurting pretty bad.  I have no idea when I injured it, but I think it was during the race.  As I write last weeks re-cap almost a week later, it's still pretty banged up.  It is limiting swimming, but nothing else.  It does get a bit sore on runs, so I think I'll pack an arm brace for T2 in Chattanooga.




Weekly Totals
Swim: 7,450 yds 
Bike: 171.5ish miles (mostly on Trainer)
Run: 34.6 miles

My niece Meadow started walking pretty well.  This is my sister with her when I saw them on Saturday.

One of my favorite hobbies and things I'm in to officially returned.  The regular NFL season.

Most of the mile splits from the race this past Sunday

Watermarked.  Sorry.  I may purchase and replace.

Weekly Training Log: Week of August 31st, 2015 - Week #33: Visit from my Grandfather and the Last Baseball Game of 2015

In Life:  It was a nice week at work, then my Grandfather  and uncle came for a visit on Friday.  We had planned on having them out to go to another four generation baseball game on Sunday.  My Dad's father is almost 80 and baseball has always been a big part of our lives.  We met up and went to a great dinner on Friday in Boulder, then went down to Coors Field on Sunday for the game, then ended up with a dinner up at my parents that evening.  It was a great end of the summer thing to do.


In Training: I had a fairly hard week of training.  It was less swimming than I really would have liked, but the work I was able to put in on the bike was pretty good.  Most of it was on the trainer and was intense/short threshold sessions.  I have Ironman Chattanooga coming up on the schedule, so I am hoping that the bike work will pay off in a few weeks.




Weekly Totals
Swim: 8,200 yds 
Bike: 223.5ish miles (mostly on Trainer)
Run: 33.3 miles

My Dad, Son, Grandfather, and me

When one spoon isn't enough

Four generations.  That's a peanut in Aidens mouth.

My uncle Tim, Dad, and me

This is the week that Aiden really got into Legos.  I was a huge fan of Legos growing up.

Weekly Training Log: Week of August 24th, 2015 - Week #32: Football and the Good Life

In Life: I had a damn fine week with my wife and son.  I'm at work full time, and I continue to really love having my wife in the same building.  I'm managing the early morning workouts much easier this time around.
Beth and I had a great weekend.  We spent Saturday night down in Denver and were able to go to game three of the Broncos pre-season.  We stayed at the Sheraton to make it extra awesome.


In Training:  I was back in the pool for some good 5,500 yard + sessions this past week.  If only I could do these swims every day.  If only.  The swim is a long-term thing for me.  I really would like to be out with the lead/chase pack by next season in some WTC 70.3 races.  History as a swimmer shows that I have what it takes to be there, but I have some work to do.  The last time I raced a mile in the pool was over 10 years ago.  I think I went 16:50 or something like that.  Swimming fast is a priority.  Volume and speed are going to be a big focus after IM Chattanooga.  That race is a "down stream" and should be a quick one, thus making the swim a smaller factor of the race.
All around fitness really seems to be building steadily and I am noticing a nice progression since my unstructured weeks a few weeks back.
My threshold is back up and my pain tolerance on the treadmill and trainer is back were it was earlier this year.  Less than four weeks till IM Chattanooga.



Weekly Totals
Swim: 12,150 yds 
Bike: 173ish miles (mostly on Trainer)
Run: 38.8 miles

I've tried to get Aiden to wear a Burger King crown for years.  This was the first time he was ever in to it.

Three years ago this past week.  I won the AG at IM Louisville.  It was my second full distance race, and the day I realized I might have a talent at long distance.

Starting the night off right with Beth.

NFL - It's my biggest hobby and interest outside of Triathlon.

Thought this was fitting.  Native kid who loves Colorado.