Active Recovery

Last week it was Active Recovery week which consisted of:

Mon: Off
Tue: 60 min easy swim
Wed: 60 min easy run
Thu: Weight training (shoulders and back)
Fri: Off
Sat: 60 min easy ride
Sun: Off

And this week I am supposed to start my Competitive Stage. 3 weeks of it and my last week will be taper... so yeah, 4 more weeks until my first 70.3 race.

It's only Monday and I'd have to say this is a crazy week already! I should have done a long swim today but unfortunately I couldn't make it, dammit! According to my training plan tomorrow should be 'day off' but I am going to run at lunch a 6.6 loop near work.

This Wed my two co-workers Ana, Kim and I are flying out from STL to Atlanta and then to Belgium. Our plane lands in Brussels at 8:05AM (local time) on Thu. There is 7 hrs time difference between STL (central time) and Brussels... hopefully it won't be too hard to adjust to it. We are taking a couple of days off to travel a bit and we'll be working from Mon 26 until Fri 29. Returning to the States on Sat the 31st.

The plan is, a friend from work in Brussels is picking us up at the airport, we'll go to the hotel and drop our luggage, get ready and head to Cologne, Germany for the day. Fri morning my friends are actually going to London. I decided to pass that trip and make different plans; I have been there several times since I lived in the UK (Bristol) a while back. I mean, the thought of going back to London was tempting but at the end I decided to go see other places I've never been to. So I am taking a train to Amsterdam... I'll stay there over night and Sat I'll go to Enschede which is still in the Netherlands, east of Amsterdam, right on the border with Germany. I have an old friend from Ecuador who lives there. She just had a baby so it'll be nice to see her, meet her husband and baby. Later, on Sat I'll be going back to Brussels and get ready for the work week... fun.... NOT!.... no, it should be cool. I am actually looking forward to it.

Going back to the 4 more week until my first 70.3 race... hmmm... when am I gonna be able to train?!?!?! I have no idea.... I am hoping I'll be able to somehow manage it. One thing's for sure... it's going to be hard as hell to follow my training plan the way I have all this time.
I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, like my speaking Russian friend Bob says: PAKA! (I guess I should say something in French or Dutch since I'll be going there... oh well.. next time maybe)

PC

Ironman Cancun 70.3

Ok, it's official. Today I registered: Ironman Cancun 70.3 - September 21st '08.

http://www.ironmancancun.com/

Should be nice... arriving to Cancun on Fri the 19th, racing on Sun the 21st and taking the following week to hang out at the beach, enjoy the sun, drink a Negra Modelo or two... and simply have a great time there.

Haven't even done my first HIM (Kansas 70.3 on June 15... crap, almost a month away) and I already go and register for another HIM... I know... crazy!

It's just so addictive!!! Gotta love it.

El Adicto :)

Belgium

So I was told at work I am going to Brussels at the end of this month.... awesome! Never been to that part of Europe. Even though it's work it should be good times. I am going with 2 of my co-workers. We leave on May 21st, taking a couple of days to travel a bit and work from Mon the 26th until Fri the 30th, flying back on Sat the 31st.

Of course I ask myself.... how is this going to affect my 5+ months of training for Ironman 70.3 Kansas? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am really excited about going to Europe but at the same time I really hope this won't mess the whole thing up.... I am coming back on the 31st, exactly 2 weeks before the event. Man... I have put a ton of time and money on this...

This is my last Endurance Stage week:

Mon: Day Off
Tue: Swim 2,350 meters
Wed: 6.6 mile run
Thu: Bike - 28 miles - hill repeats... lots of hills!
Fri: 13 mile run

Sat: My wife is doing her 2nd 5K and I'll be running with her. Later I'm scheduled to go to the pool and swim 3,000 meters.
Sun: Brick - 20 mile bike ride immediately followed by a 3 mile run, repeat 3 x.

Next week is Active Recovery week and then I have weeks 15 - 17 of Competitive Stage and I finish the training plan with week 18: Taper.

So I'll be in Europe for a week and a half of my Competitive Stage. Of course I am planning on doing as much as I can there... been looking on the internet for running routes and the hotel I am staying at has a nice pool where I can swim. The gym looks pretty decent as well. What I'm worried about is the bike, and yes... the bike is my weakest leg.... great! Hopefully I can find a gym where they have spinning plus whatever I can do at the hotel gym. It'll work out. It always does, right?

Happy Mother's Day to all the madres! :)

PC

Race for Sight Sprint Tri

Had a pretty good week...

Mon: Off
Tue: Swam 2,000 meters
Wed: Weight training - Triceps and Chest
Thu: Rode outside almost 20 miles then came home and rode for an hour on the trainer.
Fri: Did a 5 mile tempo run
Sat: Was supposed to do 3,500 meters but had to skip it
Sun: Race a sprint tri

Not too bad...

Ultramax Race for Sight Sprint Tri: 440 yard swim – 14 mile bike – 3 mile run

Saturday we drove to Columbia, MO at around noon. In the morning we finished packing and were getting ready to go. I had to take my dog Inti to a friend's house who kindly offered to -last minute - dog-sit. Left to Columbia, got there at around 2, checked in at the Stoney Creek Inn and went to get my packet at a local running store. After that we went back to the hotel, laid around for a bit and left at 6 to the Olive Garden restaurant to meet some guys from the St. Louis Triathlon Club. Ate there and in about an hour we left since we promised the girls we'll go to the pool. Swam for a bit , returned to our room and got ready for bed. Checked the weather for the next day and they said it is going to be between 40 - 45 degrees....brrr!

Woke up at 5am... got ready and left to the Missouri University Campus (Stankowski Field). Got there, head to the transition area and got on line for body marking... got my number 306 and went to a number designated area... got all set up and waited with a couple of people I knew. It was pretty chilly... wasn't really looking forward to the bike part all wet....

At 6:45 waked to the pool, a brand new competition olympic sized pool at MU, very nice. The elite group started at bit later than scheduled and then we all went in. We did the typical pool "snake-style". The run from the pool to the TA was pretty long.. stairs....a path.... and finally the turf, which was nice and soft. Got all my stuff and and went out.... nice and hilly 2 loop bike course. Thank God the sun was out and it felt pretty nice actually. Came back to the TA, changed shoes, took helmet off, grabbed a visor and ran the last 3 miles in the MU Campus.

Just got an email from Ultramax with the official results as I was typing this. Here's what I got:

- 440 yards swim: 8min 21sec
- T1: 1min 48sec
- 14 mile bike: 43min 46sec
- T2: 1min 49sec
- 3 mile run: 21min 07sec
- TOTAL TIME: 1:16:52

I REALLY need to work on my transitions... I was comparing my T times with other people and man, mine s.u.c.k. I take way too much time. Still... happy with my time!

41 days and counting for my first HIM....

PC