Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Double your pleasure, Double your fun!
Snoop Dog said it best, "Pimpin' ain't easy". Well, training to be a competitive triathlete ain't easy either. One of the difficult parts of training is getting all 3 aspects of the sport covered. Some training programs, like the one I'm using, even have a fourth element of weight training. So to maximize time you can often double up your shorter, lower paced workouts. As I type this I'm recovering from my best workout of the season. I rode Rollanda (that's my single speed beeatch) to the weight room and hit the treadmill for 30min to take care of my early week run.
Then I did my weight lifting routine and it went great, the 30min run was the perfect warm up.
Then the ride home, total time door to door 1hour 35 minutes.
Train hard.......Sleep well.
Ed out!
Then I did my weight lifting routine and it went great, the 30min run was the perfect warm up.
Then the ride home, total time door to door 1hour 35 minutes.
Train hard.......Sleep well.
Ed out!
Mid-Week laugh
I read this on the Single Speed page of MTBR.com and had to share.
Funny stuff
"I enjoy the adult world, especially the films."
Funny stuff
"I enjoy the adult world, especially the films."
Monday, January 24, 2005
Still Crankin'
Just sitting here surfing the net and recovering from an 1-1/2 hour ride on the trainer. Fun, fun!!
Ride was good, trainer is super smooth and I'm lovin' it. (yes that was the catch phrase from the McDonald's comercials, gross) Tomorrow morning is an early run session. The weather was really nice today(read as above freezing) so I may run outside tomorrow. I received my new HRM in the mail on Saturday. As most of you people that read this know I'm a quality, but not fancy, on a budget kind of shopper. Last year I ran a Polar A1. I went with Polar for my first HRM cause it is the standard in HRM's. The A1 was really simple. It has a stop watch and your heart rate. That's it, no 12/24 watch, alarms, or data recording. Going into this year I was looking for a little more. A 12/24 watch, Calorie counter, and some audio/visual feedback was a must. To get the calorie counter from Polar I needed to jump to the A5. Good product but a little spendy at $90 on most internet dealers. I read several reviews and found the Sports Instruments ECG 5 had some really nice reviews. For some some reason you can pick this HRM up for around $50 at several on-line dealers yet the retail is $150. I've used it twice and so far and I'm very impressed. Your heart rate is picked up quickly, large display numbers, easy to use buttons, and the best thing.......In the dark the numbers light up and not the background. They stand out amazingly well. Right now this product gets 2 big thumbs up, I hope I'm saying the same thing mid-summer.
That's all for today..... Has anyone heard from the Jackal??? I fear he has fallen into a deep training trance and lost contact with the outside world. That's cool, I need to draft someone during Trans-Iowa. : - )
Snowblowers good.....Shovels bad!!
Ed out.
Ride was good, trainer is super smooth and I'm lovin' it. (yes that was the catch phrase from the McDonald's comercials, gross) Tomorrow morning is an early run session. The weather was really nice today(read as above freezing) so I may run outside tomorrow. I received my new HRM in the mail on Saturday. As most of you people that read this know I'm a quality, but not fancy, on a budget kind of shopper. Last year I ran a Polar A1. I went with Polar for my first HRM cause it is the standard in HRM's. The A1 was really simple. It has a stop watch and your heart rate. That's it, no 12/24 watch, alarms, or data recording. Going into this year I was looking for a little more. A 12/24 watch, Calorie counter, and some audio/visual feedback was a must. To get the calorie counter from Polar I needed to jump to the A5. Good product but a little spendy at $90 on most internet dealers. I read several reviews and found the Sports Instruments ECG 5 had some really nice reviews. For some some reason you can pick this HRM up for around $50 at several on-line dealers yet the retail is $150. I've used it twice and so far and I'm very impressed. Your heart rate is picked up quickly, large display numbers, easy to use buttons, and the best thing.......In the dark the numbers light up and not the background. They stand out amazingly well. Right now this product gets 2 big thumbs up, I hope I'm saying the same thing mid-summer.
That's all for today..... Has anyone heard from the Jackal??? I fear he has fallen into a deep training trance and lost contact with the outside world. That's cool, I need to draft someone during Trans-Iowa. : - )
Snowblowers good.....Shovels bad!!
Ed out.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Yea I rode tonight.....
a 1/4 of a block. Does that count???? Yes, it's 10:30pm and I just came inside from taking my newly finished single speed out for 1/4 of a block spin. Oh yea, it's snowing too. I just couldn't help myself, I think this is a serious illness I'm developing. I'm going to ride to the fire station in the morning to bang on the treadmill. And I'm excited about it, spookie. I'll post some pics of the rig soon. It's fat, black, slow, and cheap. Maybe I'll name her Sha-na-na, or Yolondia. I know, that was wrong.
I had a really good workout today on the weights. Like I said earlier tomorrow is long, slow, booooring run on the treadmill day.
TTFN
ED
I had a really good workout today on the weights. Like I said earlier tomorrow is long, slow, booooring run on the treadmill day.
TTFN
ED
Damn the Cold Weather
It's only January and I'm sooooo sick of the snow and cold weather. Now we are in for even more snow in the next 24 hours. I've so got the itch to ride outside but I've got a "feel's like" min of about 30 or 32 degrees. Early next week it may get above 30 so maybe I'll go.
In the meantime a huge thanks to Dirtram for letting borrow a lonely fluid trainer he had sitting around. I felt a little guilty borrowing it until I saw the dirt and cobwebs on it, then I knew it truely was sitting around. Ride those rollers you crazy fool. I promptly rode the trainer for 1:15 min on Wednesday night, so nice to ride a smooth and quite trainer. Caution!!!! DO NOT WATCH AMERICAN IDOL WHILE RIDING A TRAINER. The show is so funny I spent too much time laughing.
Not too much else to talk about, hitting the weight room tonight, I'm thinking about wearing an old high school t-shirt, maxing out on every machine, and trying to see how many shades of red my face will turn!
ED
In the meantime a huge thanks to Dirtram for letting borrow a lonely fluid trainer he had sitting around. I felt a little guilty borrowing it until I saw the dirt and cobwebs on it, then I knew it truely was sitting around. Ride those rollers you crazy fool. I promptly rode the trainer for 1:15 min on Wednesday night, so nice to ride a smooth and quite trainer. Caution!!!! DO NOT WATCH AMERICAN IDOL WHILE RIDING A TRAINER. The show is so funny I spent too much time laughing.
Not too much else to talk about, hitting the weight room tonight, I'm thinking about wearing an old high school t-shirt, maxing out on every machine, and trying to see how many shades of red my face will turn!
ED
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Feeling fine
Hit the weights again yesterday after work and man do I feel good today. The weight lifting didn't feel all that great last night but I pushed through it and I feel fantastic today. I hope that is a good early training sign. Rumor has it that Carlos is alive and he has been working on my bike. It's ready to rock and roll and I'm pretty excited, even though its got all those gears and stuff hanging off it. THANKS CARLOS! Gears will make Trans-Iowa much easier than the single speed.
The weather in starting to get a little warmer, high of around 28 today. If it can get up to about 35 or 36 with no wind this weekend I'm going to get a ride in. I would like to take the trails and see how long my commute to work would be, the sooner I can start that the better!
That's all for now....
Up with strawberries and whipcream, Down with strawberries on your bum!
The weather in starting to get a little warmer, high of around 28 today. If it can get up to about 35 or 36 with no wind this weekend I'm going to get a ride in. I would like to take the trails and see how long my commute to work would be, the sooner I can start that the better!
That's all for now....
Up with strawberries and whipcream, Down with strawberries on your bum!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Hydration Puzzle??
Some good reminders and suggestions from triathletemag.com on the issue of hydration. As endurance athletes we know full well how this can alter your race and training performance.
Ask the Tri Doc: optimal hydrationBy Dr. Jeff SankoffDear Tri Doc,
I just finished a marathon and all went well, expect I had to make two pit stops in the first half. I drank 16 ounces when I got up three hours before the marathon and 12 ounces more the hour before.
Should I skip the 12 ounces the hour before and just make sure I drink during the marathon?
Thanks,Jim
Jim,
The short answer: Your body will not store excess fluids for later use. What goes in over and above what you need will most definitely come out.
The long answer: One of the fundamental errors that many athletes make irrespective of their level of experience is poor fluid management. More often than not, the problem involves inadequate fluid replacement. Fluid and electrolytes are lost via increased sweat production and excess respiratory losses during strenuous exercise. Athletes who fear losing time will frequently choose to skip aid stations, which can lead to dehydartion.
Unfortunately, with dehydration comes a dramatic reduction in exercise efficiency, and so any time saved by skipping that water stop is ultimately lost.
In order to avoid dehydration, the best strategy while racing is to hydrate adequately such that fluid intake closely matches fluid losses. The amount ingested can be slightly less or slightly more than the actual losses, but if the amount is starkly different one way or the other, problems will ensue. Too little fluid replacement results in the aforementioned dehydration, while too much can cause electrolyte imbalances and gastrointestinal distress.
A complementary strategy espoused by many coaches and athletes is to maximize hydration status in the days before an event. This theory has athletes drinking copious amounts of fluid and ingesting larger-than-normal amounts of salt for several days leading up to an event. While in essence this strategy is a good one, it is misunderstood by many. The goal of this exercise is to arrive at the start completely hydrated. But many have mistakenly come to believe that the goal is actually to arrive over-hydrated, with an excess store of fluid that will carry them through the race with less fluid intake required. As a result, it is not uncommon to see athletes gulping down large quantities of fluid in the hours before a race start, only to see them soon after jumping in and out of porta-potties as you pass them by.
The fact of the matter is our bodies prefer to be in a normal state. Any deviations from this state will bring about various mechanisms to restore the norm: a process called normostasis. If we become too hot, we have systems to cool us down. Too cold and there are systems to warm us up. When we eat, the chemistry of our blood is altered: glucose, protein and fat levels all rise so several systems kick into action to restore the natural order.
When any of these systems fails to work properly, disease ensues. For example, if our pancreas fails to secrete insulin, glucose levels remain higher than normal, and the complications of diabetes will arise over time.
The same can be said for both water and sodium balance. Our kidneys are finely tuned machines, which in conjunction with various other organs, constantly work to maintain sodium and water normostasis. Unlike with fats, sugars and proteins, our bodies cannot store excess amounts of either water or sodium, and so the kidneys must maintain balance. Thus, when we drink too much our kidneys rapidly eliminate the excess. If we ingest too much salt they do the same (note: higher-than-normal levels of water or salt are toxic and can cause organ dysfunction, specifically of the heart and brain). On the flip side, since we cannot store water or salt, if we lose too much of either the kidneys cannot produce more nor can they liberate any from some stockpiled quantity restore normostasis. In this case the kidneys act to conserve both water and salt in an attempt to limit further losses. However, losses through the skin and lungs will continue unabated. The only solution is to ingest more.
What does this mean for Jim and other athletes who try to maximize their hydration status prior to a race? There is no question that it is ideal to toe the start line in a state of maximal hydration and sodium balance. For this reason, the conventional wisdom of taking on fluids and salt in the days before a race is valid. Furthermore, drinking several hours before the race start is also advisable. The mild dehydrated state that occurs overnight during sleep will be remedied, and any excess fluid will be simply eliminated prior to the race start. However, taking in excess fluid in the hour before the race start will confer no advantage whatsoever. It will simply be eliminated before it is actually needed. Thus, Jim should continue to drink the 16 ounces of fluid several hours before the race (more than this is unnecessary), but he should reconsider the 12 ounces in the hour just before. Instead, regular fluid intake during the race should begin early and should be continued right until the end.
Train hard, train healthy,Dr. Jeff Sankoff
Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff, MD, FRCP(C), is a triathlete, a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society's Team in Training and ER physician based in Denver, Colorado. To learn more, or to make a donation to the Team in Training, visit Sankoff’s Web site.
Ask the Tri Doc: optimal hydrationBy Dr. Jeff SankoffDear Tri Doc,
I just finished a marathon and all went well, expect I had to make two pit stops in the first half. I drank 16 ounces when I got up three hours before the marathon and 12 ounces more the hour before.
Should I skip the 12 ounces the hour before and just make sure I drink during the marathon?
Thanks,Jim
Jim,
The short answer: Your body will not store excess fluids for later use. What goes in over and above what you need will most definitely come out.
The long answer: One of the fundamental errors that many athletes make irrespective of their level of experience is poor fluid management. More often than not, the problem involves inadequate fluid replacement. Fluid and electrolytes are lost via increased sweat production and excess respiratory losses during strenuous exercise. Athletes who fear losing time will frequently choose to skip aid stations, which can lead to dehydartion.
Unfortunately, with dehydration comes a dramatic reduction in exercise efficiency, and so any time saved by skipping that water stop is ultimately lost.
In order to avoid dehydration, the best strategy while racing is to hydrate adequately such that fluid intake closely matches fluid losses. The amount ingested can be slightly less or slightly more than the actual losses, but if the amount is starkly different one way or the other, problems will ensue. Too little fluid replacement results in the aforementioned dehydration, while too much can cause electrolyte imbalances and gastrointestinal distress.
A complementary strategy espoused by many coaches and athletes is to maximize hydration status in the days before an event. This theory has athletes drinking copious amounts of fluid and ingesting larger-than-normal amounts of salt for several days leading up to an event. While in essence this strategy is a good one, it is misunderstood by many. The goal of this exercise is to arrive at the start completely hydrated. But many have mistakenly come to believe that the goal is actually to arrive over-hydrated, with an excess store of fluid that will carry them through the race with less fluid intake required. As a result, it is not uncommon to see athletes gulping down large quantities of fluid in the hours before a race start, only to see them soon after jumping in and out of porta-potties as you pass them by.
The fact of the matter is our bodies prefer to be in a normal state. Any deviations from this state will bring about various mechanisms to restore the norm: a process called normostasis. If we become too hot, we have systems to cool us down. Too cold and there are systems to warm us up. When we eat, the chemistry of our blood is altered: glucose, protein and fat levels all rise so several systems kick into action to restore the natural order.
When any of these systems fails to work properly, disease ensues. For example, if our pancreas fails to secrete insulin, glucose levels remain higher than normal, and the complications of diabetes will arise over time.
The same can be said for both water and sodium balance. Our kidneys are finely tuned machines, which in conjunction with various other organs, constantly work to maintain sodium and water normostasis. Unlike with fats, sugars and proteins, our bodies cannot store excess amounts of either water or sodium, and so the kidneys must maintain balance. Thus, when we drink too much our kidneys rapidly eliminate the excess. If we ingest too much salt they do the same (note: higher-than-normal levels of water or salt are toxic and can cause organ dysfunction, specifically of the heart and brain). On the flip side, since we cannot store water or salt, if we lose too much of either the kidneys cannot produce more nor can they liberate any from some stockpiled quantity restore normostasis. In this case the kidneys act to conserve both water and salt in an attempt to limit further losses. However, losses through the skin and lungs will continue unabated. The only solution is to ingest more.
What does this mean for Jim and other athletes who try to maximize their hydration status prior to a race? There is no question that it is ideal to toe the start line in a state of maximal hydration and sodium balance. For this reason, the conventional wisdom of taking on fluids and salt in the days before a race is valid. Furthermore, drinking several hours before the race start is also advisable. The mild dehydrated state that occurs overnight during sleep will be remedied, and any excess fluid will be simply eliminated prior to the race start. However, taking in excess fluid in the hour before the race start will confer no advantage whatsoever. It will simply be eliminated before it is actually needed. Thus, Jim should continue to drink the 16 ounces of fluid several hours before the race (more than this is unnecessary), but he should reconsider the 12 ounces in the hour just before. Instead, regular fluid intake during the race should begin early and should be continued right until the end.
Train hard, train healthy,Dr. Jeff Sankoff
Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff, MD, FRCP(C), is a triathlete, a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma society's Team in Training and ER physician based in Denver, Colorado. To learn more, or to make a donation to the Team in Training, visit Sankoff’s Web site.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
It's getting colder
I received my Triathlete Mag earlier this week. If you don't subscribe you should, and this month is a good one to start with. Lots of good work outs and race prep tips. They are even starting to touch on Xterra at least once a month, Good for them! Even though I have not done an Xterra race yet, I really want to. I do as much training in the woods as a I can so I enjoy the workouts focused on playing in the dirt. Also lots of new gear and components out there for you guys that have tons of extra cash, you know who you are!!! As for me, I've almost got my free single speed ready to roll, just need a BMX freewheel. Anyone got a junker 17 or 18 tooth collecting dust?
I'm super sore from weight training last night. I bumped it up from 3 sets to 5. OUCH! Good thing I have till Monday to recover. Rest of the week is run, ride and swim. All the activites will have to be indoors, the high temps for the rest of the week are going to be about 0 (yes, that's zero). Rumor has it that Dirtram will be making a visit to the Cedar Valley on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...... That's fair warning to everyone. He tends to ride in super stealth mode, all black, on a curb jumping seven five-o. Insider information has him on a mission partnered with the sniper kitty.
ED out!
I'm super sore from weight training last night. I bumped it up from 3 sets to 5. OUCH! Good thing I have till Monday to recover. Rest of the week is run, ride and swim. All the activites will have to be indoors, the high temps for the rest of the week are going to be about 0 (yes, that's zero). Rumor has it that Dirtram will be making a visit to the Cedar Valley on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...... That's fair warning to everyone. He tends to ride in super stealth mode, all black, on a curb jumping seven five-o. Insider information has him on a mission partnered with the sniper kitty.
ED out!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
What bike makes you do a double take?
Today's blog is meant to be interactive. I've been visiting mtbr.com and checking out some of the bike photos, and it made me wonder what type of bike you are drawn to. Is it the lightest road bike, that crazy dual suspension downhill rig, or that super aero tri bike?
Even though I'm more a triathlete than anything else I am drawn to the simplest bike there is. The 26" rigid steel single speed mtb. Why? It's clean, you only have the things you need, they are easy to build, low maintance and quiet. Why steel, it feels good and it's cheap, I'm not a fan of Al, just a little to rough for me. I also like the smaller diam tubing used with steel.
A matching components bike also looks really nice. When you can get the colors of the components to compliment the frame. If you can get the wheels and tires to do that, it looks sweet. I love colored sidewalls that match that frame color, sweet.
After that, I like the unusual stuff. Just like my Slingshot (www.slingshotbikes.com)
So let's hear it, what do you like in a bike??
Even though I'm more a triathlete than anything else I am drawn to the simplest bike there is. The 26" rigid steel single speed mtb. Why? It's clean, you only have the things you need, they are easy to build, low maintance and quiet. Why steel, it feels good and it's cheap, I'm not a fan of Al, just a little to rough for me. I also like the smaller diam tubing used with steel.
A matching components bike also looks really nice. When you can get the colors of the components to compliment the frame. If you can get the wheels and tires to do that, it looks sweet. I love colored sidewalls that match that frame color, sweet.
After that, I like the unusual stuff. Just like my Slingshot (www.slingshotbikes.com)
So let's hear it, what do you like in a bike??
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Snow and Work Rant!
Ok, not that much of a rant and it's nothing new but it really gets under my skin. Why is it that people that do not have 4wd and live 20 to 30 miles from work can make it to work on time during a snow storm and people that have 4wd and live 10 minutes from work can't make it to work at all!!!!! If you wanted snow days off you should work for a school system!
Now, as for training I felt like crap yesterday so I took the day off, which is cool cause I have rest days built in the system. Best to use them when you don't feel well instead of pushing yourself and creating an injury that sets you back.
No wonder we have not heard from Dirtram........ He probably got lost on his cross country ski adventure!!
Ed out!
Now, as for training I felt like crap yesterday so I took the day off, which is cool cause I have rest days built in the system. Best to use them when you don't feel well instead of pushing yourself and creating an injury that sets you back.
No wonder we have not heard from Dirtram........ He probably got lost on his cross country ski adventure!!
Ed out!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Lot's o snow
Well, it took until January to some good snow but now it's here. Time to get that single speed snow bike up and rollin'.
Side note - USC is rolling on OU.
Ok, back to bikes.. Hopefully I'll get a chance to work on the snow rig tomorrow afternoon. I'll need to come up with a catchy name for it. I've got a pair of 2.25 tires scoped out too. Fat and low pressure = good traction and lots of hard pushing.
On the training side I have not been able to swim yet cause the pools are at schools and the schools have not been open due to the weather, no big deal, hopefully I can get it in at the end of the week. I've got a little program set up in Excel to track all my progress. Tracking my time and miles is something I've never done in the past. I hope this will help with my overall performance. I'm also recording heart rate and how I feel during and after workouts.
I hope to be able to upload the chart every week on to the site.
Tomorrow is a swim day... Not gonna happen with the weather. My back up is weights but I'm a little sore from Monday, so I think I'll move up a bike work out. Remember kids, If you are following a workout plan you don't have to follow it to the letter, be flexable and adjust it to your schedule and how you feel.
Ed
Side note - USC is rolling on OU.
Ok, back to bikes.. Hopefully I'll get a chance to work on the snow rig tomorrow afternoon. I'll need to come up with a catchy name for it. I've got a pair of 2.25 tires scoped out too. Fat and low pressure = good traction and lots of hard pushing.
On the training side I have not been able to swim yet cause the pools are at schools and the schools have not been open due to the weather, no big deal, hopefully I can get it in at the end of the week. I've got a little program set up in Excel to track all my progress. Tracking my time and miles is something I've never done in the past. I hope this will help with my overall performance. I'm also recording heart rate and how I feel during and after workouts.
I hope to be able to upload the chart every week on to the site.
Tomorrow is a swim day... Not gonna happen with the weather. My back up is weights but I'm a little sore from Monday, so I think I'll move up a bike work out. Remember kids, If you are following a workout plan you don't have to follow it to the letter, be flexable and adjust it to your schedule and how you feel.
Ed
Saturday, January 01, 2005
I'm Baaaack!
I'm alive, I'm alive. As a few of you already know last week was a little rough on our family. After all the running around from Christmas I thought we would have a little break but that was not to be. On Monday night Katie was admitted to the hospital with an unbearable pain in her lower back. Turns out she was also having contractions so we were pretty worried. After lots of pain killing drugs and tests it was finally determined on Wednesday afternoon that Katie had a kidney stone. So after sugery that night and lots of rest she is now doing much better. Baby is still cooking in the oven and everything is pretty much back to normal. I was able to get some trans Iowa training in going over 36 hours without sleep. That was wonderful!
So, on the training side of things, Jan 1 starts the serious side of things and swim training starts Monday, yea!!!! I dreaded swiming before I knew what I was doing. Now with help from Dirtram and my cousin my form is better and I really like to swim.
Mr. 24 fueled my desire to have another snow bike single speed yesterday by donating a bike to me for build up. What a guy!!! Of course I have several other things I should be working on but I started into the build anyway. All that is left now is truing the wheels, replacing the freewheel and changing the stem. We have some ice to ride on today but that's more dangerous than it is fun, so I'll wait for the snow to come.
That's all for now, time to watch the Hawks!!
So, on the training side of things, Jan 1 starts the serious side of things and swim training starts Monday, yea!!!! I dreaded swiming before I knew what I was doing. Now with help from Dirtram and my cousin my form is better and I really like to swim.
Mr. 24 fueled my desire to have another snow bike single speed yesterday by donating a bike to me for build up. What a guy!!! Of course I have several other things I should be working on but I started into the build anyway. All that is left now is truing the wheels, replacing the freewheel and changing the stem. We have some ice to ride on today but that's more dangerous than it is fun, so I'll wait for the snow to come.
That's all for now, time to watch the Hawks!!
