Todde's Tri Blog

Good workout this morning. Today was a 3hr bike/run. I bike about 49miles in about 2:30hrs. The main ride consisted of 5x 8mile loops (avg time per lap was between 22 to 24min and HR avg around 122 - 125). I tried to increase the intensity each lap but the headwinds sure made that difficult. I also worked on my nutrition while biking. I only took in a powerbar and gel b/c i had eated an hr prior to riding. I tried to eat about 100 calories every 30min. I was also drinking to gatorade for calories but i am not too big on that. After the bike a ran 30min/4 miles and avg a pace of 7:25. My avg HR for the run was 148. I think I am ok if I can stay around 145HR on the run. Once I get near 150 is when I think the lactate acid begins to really build. I need to focus on not hitting to run so hard right after transition. I tend to hit a 7min pace which catches up to me within 2 miles. I need to hold around 7:30 in order to get faster on the second half of the run.

Next weekend I have a race simulation brick planned where I will focus on my extact nutrition that I plan to use race day in Conroe. I think i will go back to water only (with the aid of nuun) and eat gels and a powerbar for my calories. I need to keep it simple and sports drinks tend to muddy the waters for me. The brick will be a 3hr bike followed by a 90min run. I am already pumped about it!!!

Today was a day of rest. I little stretching in the morning and then the 7 donut meltdown at work today. I have to say that was an all-time low for me today. My stomach made me pay for the dounts all night.

This morning was a 47min/2500m swim at the pool with a ME focus. The main set was 6x50m w/ :15 RI (times range from :36 to :38), 100m neg split (1:25), 4x75m w/ :15 RI (:59 to 1:01), 200m neg split (3:04), 6x50m w/ :15 RI (:39 steady). The pace was focused at race pace.

Went and sa Dr Z for some active release treatment tonight. It appears I need to extra work on my right hip to strengthen to glute for a more balanced run).

Well I got my run in tonight. Hammy was a little tender but I didnt let that stop me. I went to the track for some intervals. I did a 1.5 mile warmup followed by 4x 1200m w/ 400m easy in between. my mile pace times are as follows for the 1200s (7:03, 7:01, 6:56, 6:51). i closed with .5 mile jog home. total workout was 45min/6miles.

Yesterday was a active recovery day. I worked in a 1200m 20 min swim at lunch. I started with a 500m free (7:15) and then did an easy 100m back followed by another 500m free (7:25) and then another 50m back/50m free.

Lastnight I did a 40min recovery trainer ride. The main set had some one-legged drills and 8x 1min easy gear/high candence intervals w/ :30 RI.

Still feeling sluggish. My left hammy is a bit tender so I past on my run workout this morning. I will try to complete it tonight after work.

I feel like I am still not completely recovered from traveling. I was struggling all day for energy and now I am dying to go to bed.

This morning was my 1st swim in nearly 10 days. I had a 40min 2300m swim with a ME focus. After a warmup, the main workout was as follows: 4x100m @ TT pace w/ :15 RI (1:15, 1:20, 1:21, 1:22), 300m w/ pull buoy, 3x100m @ TT pace w/ :10 RI (1:19, 1:21, 1:22), 300m pull buoy, 2x 100m at TT pace w/ :15 RI (1:20, 1:23). I was beat after this swim!

At lunch today a got in a 25min of leg weights and core work at the gym.

Today was mainly rest. We got to bed about midnight and Carson was up by 6:30am wanting to play with her toys. That kid has got some nerve!

This morning I had to make a trip to the store for food. We cleaned out the house before the vacation and it was tough to find something to eat when I woke up. I also had to make a trip to San Marcos to pickup Scooter. By the time I got back, all I could think about was a nap.

This evening I managed to climb on the bike and ride the trainer after a week off. I did a 60min workout with some one-legged drills and 2x10min (5min RI) sets of high candence work in the big ring. I would start the set in the next to the largest cog in the rear and shift to a harder gear every 2 min. By the last 2min my legs are hurting. Avg HR for the workout was 116 and my avg HR during the 2 10min sets was 124 and 126.

Back in Austin!!!! After 13hrs of travel today we are finally back home. We flew over the storms in the midwest and the east tonight and we had a front row seat for the lightening storms. I cant wait to sleep tonight.

Thursday was a non-workout day but I was still out getting some exercise. My dad and I played 5hrs of golf at the local country club. I think I shot a 110 but I dont remember once the score exceeds 100. The course was really nice and it was loaded with bunkers and water.

Friday was a long run day. I dropped 13.1 miles (half-marathon distance) on the beach. I mantained a pace around 8:15 to 8:30 for the 1st 10miles and then dropped under 8min miles for the next 2. The last 1.1miles was right at 7min. I was really pushing it at the end. The total run time was 1hr 49min. The best part about the run was starting slow and holding back on the pace until the end. Once I started picking up the pace I still felt strong and at the end I felt I could still keep pushing it. I plan to use the same approach at the half in Conroe to run a 1:35 to 1:40 half.

No workouts today - just travel. I will try to get a swim or bike in tomorrow depending on how I feel and what I have to do outside training. I ate like crap this past week on vacation so I need to tighten up the diet for the next month until the race.

The relaxing days of fun in the sun continue. I cant tell you how low-stress this week has been. I hate the fact that we only have another 2 days before our big travel day back to Texas.

Yesterday day was a nice tempo run on the beach. The first 2 miles were at 8:00 pace. The next mile was 7:45, followed by 2 miles at 7:30, and a final mile at 7:20. The total run was a 10k with a total time of 46:10. Not too shabby after eating 3lbs of crab legs, 2 beers, 5 margaritas and ice cream the night before. Half of that I could taste during the run. I followed that with some swimming in the surf and some boogie boarding for 1hr. I also managed to squeeze in 15min of stationary swimming back in the pool with the use of a stretch cord.

Today was an easy day on the body. I caught to rays by the pool and relaxed in the hot tub. Later I hit some golf balls at the local country club. And I finished the day with 45min of core strengthening. I think I have a little energy left for some more hot tubbing tonight!!!!

I am enjoying my time off from work in North Carolina. The weather has been great and there is no stress to bog me down. It looks like plenty more sweet days on the beach.

Saturday was a travel day so there was no workinng out. We left out house at 8am and did nnot get to the beach until 8pm. It took us 2 flights and a 2hr drive in a rental car to get here.

Sunday was a 10mile beach run. Running of the beach has its ups and downs. You have a soft terrain that helps to knees. The breeze of the ocean is great. And the scenery make the run fly by. On the downside, you have to watch your step to avoid loose ground. There are people on the beach to dodge. And there is always a head wind on the beach. The run went well but my legs were sore afterwards. The first 5 miles with a tailwind was at a 7:30 mile pace. On the way back was a different story. The headwind made my pace range from 8:30 to 9:00. I did however push the last mile into a headwind at 7:30.

Today was a relax day. I did swim in the ocean for 45min which included several laps up and down the beach with some body-surfing mixed in between. Its alot tougher to get a rhythm going when waves are crashing down on you. Tonight I did about 45min of core strengthening.

I hope to get in 3 more runs while I am here. I am planning a tempo run, a fartlek run, and another long run.

This was a tough ride on the trainer for me. I blew the dust on the "no mercy" spinervals dvd and gave it a run. The dvd is 2hr but due to time constraints i cut a few parts out and did 1hr 45min. The dvd is a real ball buster. Its a compilation dvd that covers all his tough sets in 1 workout. My avg HR for the entire workout was 120. After 30min of shorts sets the first big set was a 10min steady candence with the gearing getting tougher every 2 min (HR 128). Next was a 30min tempo ride with lots of gear changes (HR 122). Next was a 15min TT in your big ring and smallest rear cog (HR130). Next was another 10min steady candence (HR 125). Last was some big gear 20sec sprints. The workout really leaves your legs spent. I feel I get more out of this than some of my 3hr rides.

As of tomrrow I am on vacation in North Carolina for a week. I plan to do alot of running and hopefully some swimming. The bike will have to wait until next Sunday.

Carson was up late last night so I took the extra time this morning to sleep in. I ended up getting about 8hrs of sleep which felt great.

Today at lunch I got in a 33min swim. The total swim was 1800m. I started with a medley warmup and then did 250m with the pull buoy. My main set was 10x100m with 15sec RI. The 100s were 25easy, 50build, and 25easy. I did the middle 4 100s w/ paddles to help build strength on the pull. The avg 100m was 1:25.

Tonight I saw Dr Z for some ART work on my legs. I followed that up with some core and upper body strengthening at home.

Today was long run day. The run was 12.2 miles, avg pace of 7:42, avg HR of 139 and total run time of 1:34. Again this week I tried to focus on form while steadily increasin my pace thru out the run. The first 20min was at a pace of 8:08 (HR 129). The next 20min was 7:38 (HR 138)followed by a 5min hill at 7:55 (HR 148). The next 13min was at 8:03 (another long hill - HR 139). The next 15min was 7:38 (HR 142) followed by the last 20min at 7:13 (HR 145). I give the run a B+!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a recovery day. No workouts this morning - sweet! I did a recovery swim at lunch for 30min. I swam 1500m was a mixed stroke warmup followed by for kick work. I then did some drill laps followed by some short speed laps. I closed with some more kick and mixed stroke work. No workout tonight!!! Tomorrow morning is a long run (my favorite) so I need to get to bed early tonight.

The only workout this morning was me and the pillow. I slept in until 7am to catch up on some sleep. I really need to do this more in order to keep my body and mind fresh. All the early morning workouts tend to wear me out physically and my mental focus seems to suffer as well.

Today at lunch I got in a core strength workout. I focused on the lower back, abs, and obliques. I also did some pull ups for the 1st time in years. I did 10 reps in the 1st set and 8 in the 2nd. I had forgot how hard those babies are.

Tonight has a bike workout on the trainer. I did a 55min hill workout. The main set consisted of 2x8min tempo climbs with 4min RI and then 4x4min rolling hill climbs w/ 2min RI. Avg HR for the workout was 114.

This morning was a good swim workout. The swim was 3700m in 67min. The swim was long sets to help increase my ME (muscular endurance) and work on my stroke. The main set started with 4x300m with a 50m build midway and :30 RI (4:26, 4:30, 4:28, 4:29). Next was 2x500 with the 2nd 250m 10sec faster than the 1st with 1min RI. (3:45/3:38 and 3:44/3:39). Harder than I thought the shave off 10sec. Overall the swim felt good but I was beginning to get some muscle fatigue by the end.

As for the Cowboys, the went down just like the horns.

Today was a long workout. I started with a bike workout on the road. I biked for about 2hrs 20min and then when I got home a biked on the trainer for another 70min. The total biking was 3.5 hrs ( i guess i biked about 70miles) with an avg HR in the mid 110s. After the bike a did a 30min transition run at about a 7:30 to 8min mile pace. My HR avg on the run was 142. The total workout was 4hr with an avg HR 117. My legs are officially dead after the long run wed, the leg weights on fri, and the biking today.

On a sour note, the longhorns were whipped by the buckeyes tonight. I guess you can't win them all. Hopefully the Dallas Cowboys can!!!!!!!!!

No workout this morning. I had planned to swim but I was losing the battle of sleep all week so I decided to catch up this morning. I think it helped as I felt pretty good after 8hrs of shut eye.

I squeezed in a leg weights workout at the gym today during lunch. The usual medium weight with high reps.

Tonight I had a really nice swim. Total swim was 3500m in 63min. The focus again was long sets with good form. The main workout was 3x500m w/ :45 RI (7:47, 7:42, 7:37) 3x200m w/ :30 RI (3:01, 3:05, 3:00) 6x50 w/ :10 RI (total time 5:19). I felt strong thru out the swim and could have definitely kept going.

This morning was a bike workout on the trainer. I did the sufferrama spinervals dvd which focuses on high intensity sets. The sets consist of power intervals and tempo work where you alternative sitting then standing. The workout was 55min and my HR avg was 120. Went for a Dr Z visit tonight and I my legs are feeling good. Nothing too exciting today.

This morning I decided to mix it up with the transition run. I started with a 15min spin on the bike which included several 30sec pickups. After the bike warmup, I transitioned to a long run. This morning a ran a little under 11 miles with a time of 86min. My goal was to start out with a easy pace and thru out the run pick it up. During the run I periodically hit the lap on my watch so I could see if my paced increased. Over the first 65min I went from a pace of 8:15 to 8:10 to 7:50. The whole time my HR remained in the 130s. The last 20min my pace was 7:14 with an avg HR of 142. The last mile I was running 6:30 to 6:45 (HR 150) and feeling strong. This was the longest run I have done since the spring and it felt great!

Today at lunch I mixed in a 30min gym workout. I focused on the upper body and added some core exercises.

I had a strong workout this morning. I started w/ a 54min swim at the pool. This was a endurance builder in which I focused on my stroke. The main set was 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m, 2x300 (n/s) with :20 rest between each. Times are as follows: 7:35, 6:12, 4:40, 3:05, 4:39 and 4:43. Total swim was 2900m. After swimming I rode the bike on the trainer for 30min. The ride was a mini technique workout with single leg drills and high cadence work.

Today a different Withycombe took center stage. Amber completed her 1st triathlon today and she lived to tell the tale. The race was Jacks Generic Tri (500m swim, 14mile bike, 3mile run) in New Braunfels. You can see the nerves working this morning. Not only did she have to worry about her pre race routine, she also had to worry about feeding Carson. We made it to the race in time for Amber to swim he transition area and get to nutrition in her. We waited a few minutes until the swim start and then she was off. She did well in her first open water swim with a 13min 500m lap. She came out of the water looking good and we never saw her again until she ran down the finish chute. the bike course took her a little over an hour (this was no spin class today!) and then the run took her about 40+ mins (12+ min average mile). Amber's total time was 2:03. I must say I am very proud of her. Alot of people say they want to do a Tri but they backout for different reasons. Amber decided to do Jacks 5 weeks ago. We signed her up immediately and the rest is history. As for me being a first time spectator at the tri, I enjoyed being on the otherside watching the racing. I really wanted to race myself once I was there but it was Amber's day so I sat this one out.

No training for me today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a long bike ride. I logged about 55miles in 3hrs. I could feel the effects of my training this past week in my legs. My leg were heavy but I was able to increase my pace thru after each 8mile loop. I tried to increase my fluid intake during the bike (I think I drank 70 - 80 ozs during the ride - I mixed in to endurance gatorade w/ a sodium tablet and boy was is stout). I will continue to try and get more fluids down to determine my max I can hold. My HR avg was 115 (proof positive I didnt push myself). Afterwards I did a 15min transition run. My pace was around 8min with an HR of 139.

This afternoon I went to J&As to pickup a tp massage ball kit. It comes with a big and small roller for your legs and a massage ball for the hard to reach area. I used it tonight and I am sore now. Its a tool I have used a few times at my P/T visits. The tools really work the muscles and they help get the blood flowing. I think Amber will be wanting to use them tomorrow after her race. She has her first triathlon tomorrow and we are fired up (at least I am, she is more nervous than anything). I will post a race report for her tomorrow!!!!!

I had a good swim this morning. I did an edurance swim of 3100m with a focus on with stroke. I watched a video the other day which focused on the stroke under water. The goal was to maintain a high elbow under water and use the forearm to push the water past you. I realized today this is a difficult b/c that type of stroke feels so foreign and it requires a good amount of upper body strength. I feel like I started to get the hang of it midway thru my swim. The main set of my workout was 3x300m with :30 RI, 200 kick, 3x200m with :20 RI, 200 kick, 3x100m with :10 RI. The average pace of the 300s and the 200s was 1:30 and the 100s were 1:26. No too shabby when trying to integrate a new stroke technique. The total swim was 60min.

After the swim I did a 30min run with 3 400m pickups mixed in (I ran at the local track by house). Afterwards I did a 45min core workout. I focused a few exercises on my glutes. I am hoping that a stronger as will help with my run form. The rest of the day was devoted to the start of college football. My friend T came over and will grilled for the Notre Dame game. I managed to suck down 3 beers and a heaping bowl of strawberry shortcake. Lets see how that effects my long ride tomorrow morning.

Another strong day of workouts. This morning I road 50min on the trainer. I did a spinervals hill workout which the main set consisted on 4 x 5min intervals that simulated climbing. This was a great workout for me to focused on my force on the bike.

Today at lunch a put 30min in the pool. I did a straight 2000m swim to check my progress. I set a PR for myself with a time of 28:09. I focused on relaxed breathing, a steady roll from side to side, and a smooth stroke. I really felt efficient in the swim.