Weekly Training Log: Week of June 23rd, 2014: Countdown to IM Boulder and final training build.

In Training:  I started the week out on Monday with a really sore and non-functioning right groin area.  I tried to go out on Monday to run a few miles after my Sunday crash and was completely unsuccessful.  I got 2 miles of a walk jog in, stopped, then walked over to my car and thought it might be worse than I thought.  I am still sore, but it seems to be getting better.  As long as it gets a bit better week to week, I will be fine.  Running milage was way down, but this was planned.

In place of some runs, I threw in some extra work on the bike and had a rather high milage week with that.  This was the second time that I have hit a training stress score @ or above 700 ever.



I have five weeks (as of the 29th of June) until IM Boulder, then eight till IM Louisville.

My plan is to:
- Have a pretty high volume build over the next three weeks - Try not to get hurt
- Have a two week gradual taper for Boulder
- Race Ironman Boulder
- recover for a week and add just carry over as much fitness as I can to Louisville.

I did the 3 week turnaround two years ago (Kona/Florida) and Florida ended up being the fastest and best race of my life.  I hope that it can work again - I have some high hopes for IM Louisville.  Kona is just going to be what it will be this year - we will see what happens with the next two races and go from there.


In Life:  Pretty low key/uneventful (but good) week.  Beth is finally on her summer break.  Over the past few years, she has been working on a contract that gives her about a month off every summer - I can't wait for her to have the whole summer off next year with her new job.

Aiden continued his baseball/teeball practices with the YMCA mini sliders on Thursday, then I was going to race Loveland Lake to Lake on Saturday.  That didn't happen.



Swim: 2.7k yards
Bike: 251 miles/700 TSS
Run: 26.4 miles 

They got their shirts/jerseys - Dude man is #12

Mom with Aiden

Short on pictures from the past week.  Yeah sure, here is my car and bike.

Naked slip and slide with cousin Lyla

Weekly Training Log: Week of June 16th, 2014: Healed achilles to a crash on the bike

In Training:  Training ended up being a mirror image of last weeks efforts and work with the exception of some solid increase in the intensity that I was able to sustain on two feet.  I really felt my lower left leg (Achilles) turn the corner and get much, much better.  On Friday, I finally did a build 10k with 3 miles after that, and did it under 40 minutes (not that fast, but a start). Then the next day I pumped out a 16 mile run @ 6:50 pace and felt great.  Ps - in the HOKA ONE ONEs
My bike continues to stay steady as I have made no real effort to push up my FTP or upper limits.  I think I'll incorporate a few tough trainer sessions to recruit some past awesomeness, but overall, the bike feels good.


Big thing that happened on Sunday was a nice wreck on the bike.  I pulled my groin, cracked a rib,and scraped my arm.... BUT - the bike is fine.  Gonna take a few days off running and see where I am.



In Life:  The week was good.  Beth is still in work at her school in Longmont and Aiden has been going to day camp from 8:30 - 12:30 every M/W/F.  I am able to fit in workouts and naps when i can here, but I look so forward to seeing what Aiden has done during his morning.

We all went to a Rockies game on Saturday and had some crap seats way up.  That didn't matter at all, and we had a wonderful time as a family watching the damn (cmön Rox). Then had a great time getting the bus home.

Life is great, bring on summer training week #2


Swim: 1.5k yards
Bike: 154 miles/454 TSS
Run: 45 miles 

First long run since IMTX - Felt great and achilles @ 95%

Roads are still not back to 100% open since the floods last September

Picking Aiden up from his morning "camp"

Aides first ever baseball practice - The YMCA "mini sliders" program

Friday

Saturday, post long run baseball game.  Bad seats, but baseball none the less.  Game #7 of the season for me

Some of the blood from the wreck.  I was lucky with the amount of road rash - nothing too serious.

Cracked helmet = new helmet

Weekly Training Log: Week of June 9th, 2014: Good running, more baseball, new patio set = summer

In Training:  My achilles continues to feel better and I am able to push the volume and intensity a bit more now.  I was able to get a good nine miles of running on Monday in a bit under an hour.  My running volume is above where I though it could be, and for that I am super happy.  I really need to build the bike volume up over the next few weeks though.  Aiming at 500 - 700TSS Leading up to my next race. I am aiming at being back at full training mode for IM Boulder/IM Louisville/Kona next week.


In Life:  This week was my first week spending a little more time with Aiden throughout the day.  His  montessori school ended their spring session last Friday, so it was nice to spend time with the man.  My Mother/Father, and in-laws helped out a few days to hang out with him while I spent some time on the bike.  I can't be thankful enough that I have the family support to do what I do.

My Dad and I took Aiden to a Rockies game again on Thursday, then my family moved a new patio set on Friday.  Sunday was fathers day, and the Boulder 70.3 race.  I spent the day spectating out at the Boulder Res, then we BBQ'd out back with the family.  Pics below.




Swim: 3k yards
Bike: 154 miles/454 TSS
Run: 46 miles 

Fathers day - My bro in law, Nathan, My Dad, and Tom (father in law) in our back yard

Aiden and his endless amount of toys.  We are not going to spoil the next one with this many cars/airplanes/crap

Another attempt at a "smile for a picture" - He's getting a little better

This was Rox game #6 of the season for me.  This kid loves baseball and will sit and watch - easier to take him to a game than keep him occupied at home.

This game was Dad, me, and the dude.

On Friday, my parents helped get a new patio furniture set.  Got it off craigslist and rented a Home Depot truck to move.

First glass of wine out back.

Some awesome friends/fellow triathletes had the lead bikes for the Boulder 70.3

Beth and my Sister in Law (Erin) on Fathers day

Update on life: Back to full time training and a new found love for summer vacation

It's been a bit over four weeks since I crossed the line in Texas and life has been pretty good.

I took the first full week off after IMTX with the exception of a four mile run and a 40ish mile ride.  I also had only one week left of work at Longs Peak Middle School, thus I am experiencing what summer break is all about (again)!  Being unemployed in the summer has been good.

After Texas, I have also been dealing with a busted up left achilles tendon that had me scared to say the least.  I have eased back up to a 45+ mile run week and things keep getting better, so for this I am very hopeful that it will keep healing.  I was initially worried about getting myself healed enough to race IM Boulder, then IM Louisville (Kentucky) 3 weeks after Boulder - but I am very confident that I will be good to go in seven (then 10) weeks time.

The weekly training log for last week will be back starting tomorrow through the rest of the summer.  I'm feeling pretty good about things to say the least.

Here are some pics from the last month or so.

After Texas, I switched to the new Cervelo P3 model.  New bike, same rider = a little faster?  It's all in the head - but hey.

This is my son and my niece a few days before my favorite day of the year in Boulder.  Memorial day weekend is the definition of awesome in my city.

BolderBoulder was a different experience this year.  With a bad achilles strain, I wasn't even going to run it.  I decided that I would last minute - and take it VERY easy.  It's the first time I have not raced it all out in years.

My sister and wife put together an amazingly great surprise birthday party for Mom's 60th.  Even though she turned 60 last September, this was perfect.  One way for someone to never suspect a surprise party is to throw it months after the fact.

Many, many good beers at the Left Hand Brewing Co - The location of this great party.  Oh - This is my sister Erin and me.

More party.  My nephew, River, looking at more cake.

Some very important women.  Mom, Holly, and Susan.  All were mothers of kids I grew up with and are extended family to say the least.

Beth, me, Kyle, and Erin

We had to find a way to make sure that this kid finished the Bolder Boulder.  I fully expect him to walk/run the whole thing next year @ 4.5 years of age.  3 and a half might have been pushing it this year.

So I did the race in the "A" wave then made it back to the start to meet up with my family who was planning on walking it.  Yes, I did the race in a Speedo this year.

I will forever be doing this race in this speedo from now on.  You are welcome Boulder.

My intentions were to walk a little ways with everyone.  Nope - I did the Bolder Boulder not once in a speedo, but twice in one day.

Beer can chicken for our annual post BolderBoulder BBQ/Beer drinking event thanks to my awesome father in law, Tom.

Beth (my lovely wife) turned 37 (ahem) I mean 25 a few days after that.  We had an awesome dinner at the Cork to celebrate.

Aiden.  The kid likes to swim.

Aiden.  The kid likes to be a badass.

Aiden had his last day of school a week and a half back - We went and did a picnic lunch and played around for a bit.  He drove his nice bike up to us breaking some rules of the playground.

My awesome little wiener dog named Sky turned 8 years old on the 6th.  Yes, he was born on 6/6/06.  Though he sometimes acts like a little devil, I will credit him for making me realize what was really important in life while I struggled with addiction and other issues eight years ago.  He is the reason my life turned around.  No joke and Im not exaggerating one bit.  

Thanks Sky!  Oh, and this was his weight watchers birthday cake.

Finally - Beth and I went up to Blackhawk for a day/night of drinking, eating, and gambling two weekends back.  The woman won 450 bucks playing blackjack.  Way to go Beth - that's like a really big chunk of my paycheck.