Weather Has Changed

This week the weather has really changed. Friday we had a brief shower, during my ride of course, and a cool front go through. The humidity has dropped, I've turned off the air conditioner and opened the doors. It's so pleasent to have the breeze go thru the house. The day time highs are about 82 and lows about 62.

This week Tony had a home show and was not suppose to ride on Sunday so I had planned a long slow ride around my community about 6 loops for 60 miles. But Tony did make a brief appearence which help me get thru my ride. After my ride I planned tennis for an hour which was a good change for my muscles.

Saturday was the Florida Ironman, which meant the registration for next years race, which I wanted to do, opened on Sunday. It filled in 9 hours! Yup, I was to late to register. Back to the drawing board.

Weakly Totals:

Bike: 150 miles
Run: 17 miles
Swim: 6,200 yrds
Weights 2 xs
Pilates 2xs
Hours total 21

I'm concerned about my running totals give the approaching half marathon in January. But I don't want to back off on my bike since I have the century race in January. I'm thinking about doubling up on my run days to have two run workouts. While this adds miles, I'm not sure about the long milage and on one run to develop the slowtwitch muscles. I guess I have to increase my long run as well.

Swimming with Dolphins

I went to St. Pete Beach Thursday thru Saturday. I was able to run before I left on Thrusday but I missed my ride on Friday, instead I swam 1/2 mile in the open gulf off St. Pete Beach. While swimming I stopped to adjust my goggles and there was 3 dolphins about 10 ft away! How kewl is that? I guess they were wondering about this old guy swimming or maybe there were keeping the sharks away.

In the afternoon I went to register for the Suncoast Triathlon to be held Saturday at Ft. DeSoto. It was a limited sprint triathlon for 300 athletes. With USTA registration and race registration it was $90. Since I would probably finish dead last I decided to save the $90.

Saturday which was suppose to be my race, I took a long ride along the beach at St. Pete Beach down to Pass-A-Grille and then over the bridge toward Ft. DeSoto. At about 20 miles from the hotel, I picked up a screw in my rear tire. Yup another flat tire one of three in four weeks! UGH. I tired to patch it but ended up putting in a new tube. After changing the tire, I headed back. On the way I saw a pack of roadies (about 20) and not one waved to me on my tri-bike. Snobs?

Tony and I did our usual Sunday ride to Coconut point and back. I got my 50 miles but I was tired.

Weakly Totals:

Bike: 130 miles
Run: 12 miles
Swim: 3,200 yrds ??? not sure since I swam about 1/2 mile in the gulf
Weights 1 x
Pilates none

Goals for this weak:

1. Eat more healthy foods and staying on my nutrition plan... 4,100 calories
2. Drink more fluids..I feel a little dehydrated....1 gal of water per day!
3. Stay with my training plan... Increase Saturdays run to 12 to 15 miles.

Trick or Treat!!!!!

I had 8 kids visit this year for Halloween! There were scarey Orks and beautiful Princesses..... and some funny looking parents too!

Marlene Pumpkin 

Wagon Load of Kids!

The Masters Circle Trick or Treaters Parade 

Hey... I voted Saturday!!!!!

I forgot, I voted Saturday at the Supervisor of Elections Office in Bonita Springs. It was a pleasure using the new Touchscreen. Other than a 20 page ballot it was not hard at all. With all the hoopla going on here about long line at the polls on election day and students being recruited at FGCU by the Dems to disrupt the old folks in line, I was concerned about having time to vote on Tuesday. So I drove over and did the early vote. Hey it was easy and there were no UN Inspectors nor Jimmy Carter or Jessie Jackson. So like they say in Chicago vote early and often.

Another week down

Sunday's ride was frustrating again. I met Tony at 6:50 am, while it was still dark, for our Sunday long ride. Our goal was to go to Florida Gulf Coast University then up to Ft. Myers and home. However at 30 miles it happened again, Tony was on my wheel when he noticed the back tire was going flat. I stopped and added some air hoping that would hold it but luck was not with me. I had to stop a short while later at FGCU campus to change the tire. What is it with Sunday rides that I get a flat? We finished up around the campus and headed home since I was out of air and had no more spare tubes. We did 45 miles... which doesn't help my weakly totals.

Here's this weaks totals:

Bike: 130 miles
Run: 24 miles
Swim 6,200 yds
Weights 2xs
Pilates 1x

I have to go up to St. Pete's Beach which is 2 hours north for three days. I'm thinking about taking my bike and stuff to do the Suscoast Tri on Saturday at Ft. DeSoto. Might be fun, but it will disrupt my schedule.

Friday's Sunset

On Friday I had a nice bottle of wine, stopped for some fried chicken and took Joanne to Barefoot Beach for sunset. The beach closes at dusk but there were only two other people for as far as you could see. We sat in our beach chairs watching the dophins and the sunset. What a sight. We stayed so long I had trouble finding my way back to the path, it was dark on the beach!

The True Ironman 

Ironman Triathlon World Championship

The picture above is Christian Sadowski who won a free Cannondale bike at the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Chris, a construction worker from Florida, showed the real spirit of the Ironman while competing in Saturday's World Championship. Chris was struck by a press corp motorcycle destroying his bike at the 104 mile mark of the 112 mile bike course. Chris at the time of the accident was averaging approximately 19 mph over the grueling course. The two riders on the motorcycle where taken to the hospital, Chris was OK but his bike was destroyed. Since the Ironman rules state the competitor must cross Transition 2 (T2) with a bike, Chris did the only thing he could do, he removed his bike shoes, picked up his bike and ran the 8 miles to T2 carrying his bike! Once at the transition area Chris was able to put on his running shoes and complete the marathon (26 miles, 385 yards). Chris finished the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in 1534th place. To honor his show of the true Ironman spirit and courage, Cannondale presented Chris with a new bike at the awards dinner. Way to go Chris!

This Weeks Update

Hello..No I don't want to take another poll about the election!

Here in Florida we have been getting all kinds of phone calls from the DEC (Democratic Election Committee?) asking how are we going to vote... Not for John Kerry! So stop calling. Everybody I talk to is fed up with there phone calls why do they do this? To annoy voters?

This is three weeks in a row that I've felt I had pretty good training times. Yesterday, Tony and I did 62 miles. While I was a little sore, I felt I had a few more miles left in my legs. Of course the first 20 miles I did in the small cog and just spun at 80-90 bpm to keep my legs fresh. Te 2nd 20 miles I did on the big cog but large ring to keep the same 80-90 bpm. The last 20 it was as what ever we could given how tired we were. Next Sunday we are thinking of doing around Estero Island, approx 60 miles.

Here the Totals for the weak:

Bike 142 miles
Run 27 miles
Swim 6,200 yards

The weather has changed some what here, it has gone from very humid to a lot less humidity to down right cool on Sunday 58*F. I had to start my ride with a long sleeve t-shirt.

The Famous Underpants Race at Kona, Hi...today as a part of Ironman Week

Sunset from the liani last night. It looked like fire in the sky. 

Great Ride

Today was a ride day. Although I didn't feel like getting out of bed, I had a great ride. I kept it in the small ring and was able to spin at 90 to 95 bpm. On the flat straight-away Tony and I did 25 mph! I felt particularly strong today and the only thing I can attribute it to is using PowerBar Endurance Drink and Recovery drink after training. Even Tony noticed today and commented on me pushing it today. If I had slept better maybe I would have been even better on the ride.

Another Good Training Week

The humidity has been dropping and the nicer weather is coming. While we can't open our doors and turn off the AC, I feel that the cooler weather is just around the corner. Today I was much strong and I think it had to due with the lower humidity.

This weaks totals:

Swim - 6300 yds
Bike 130 miles
Run 22 miles
weights 2 times
pilates 2 times

It's been a hard week I haven't wanted to get out of bed plus I did dinner for my office staff on Friday (12 people) and the a dinner club Saturday (8 people). After 2 days of cooking and on my feet I was really tired Sunday.

I've started using PowerBar Endurance during my training over an hour, which is pretty much every day. the PowerBar Recovery after. I have noticed that I feel a little better than with gaterade and I am not as dehydrated after training. I am continuing on Chris Carmichael nutrition plan and I'm not as hungry as I was especially eating 4,100 calories a day, plus I dropped another pound this week.

Good Week Training

It was a good week training. I feel I met all of my weakly goals except my long run on Sat. I did 8 miles rather than the 13 I had scheduled. But I did have a hard day of yard work after my long run, plus some pool time.

Yesterday , Sunday, was my long ride. Tony and I did two loops inside Pelican Sound then we went out on the road to Coconut Point. On the second PS loop I fell. It was at the turn around and I was just coming out of aero position at 22 mphs and didn't slow down enough. The shoulder was wet from the irrigation so down I went at 20 mph. I bruised my left side and my handle bars are bent slighly. We continued on and finished the 50 miles but I'm sore and have had a little trouble sleeping.

Total w/e Oct. 3:

Bike: 125 miles
Run 18 miles
Swim 6300 yds

Tony and are are going to start getting ready for the Tour de Cape, a 100 mile race Jan 8, 2005 in Cape Coral. Along with that I'm getting ready for the Naples Half Marathon Jan 24, 2005.

Here are this weaks goals.

Bike: 130 miles
Run: 22 miles
Swim 6300 yds
Weights 2xs
Pilates 2xs

Jeanne the windy hurricane!

It started Saturday night at about midnight, the howling wind! More wind than rain and I was hoping to fill up the pool! I had a sleepless night with all the wind. Finally when morning came it was still blowing and raining so I couldn't do my long ride. It's times like this I think of a trainer for the garage but rainy mornings don't happen that often. I slept in and got up at 10 since I didn't sleep. Low and behold there was a newspaper in the driveway. So I had a relaxfull morning. But I did feel guilty for missing my training. By Sunday afternoon it was nice enough to take a ride (in the car) to survey the damage that Jeanne caused. All-in-all it looks like we survived another major hurricane!

Today (Monday) I rode with Tony. When I started to leave the heavens opened to a downpour, so I had to wait a few minutes. It must have upset my routine because I found that none of my data was recorded because I didn't start the computers. Ugh! I do know I went 21 miles and had a top speed of 25 mph. But other than that, nada!

Totals for the weak:

Bike 70 miles
Run 15 miles
Swim 4,200 yds

Goals for the weak ending 10/3:

Bike 135 miles
Run 30 miles
Swim 6,300 yds
Pilates 2x's
Weights 2x's

Now that I don't have to go to Orlando this week and hopefully no hurricanes I think I can get back on track.

Catching Up

Since last Thursday a lot has happened. Joanne has had the flu and I've been trying not to catch it. Friday I did my normal 20 mile ride with Tony and I felt pretty good. We were suppose to go to Orlando for 4 days leaving on Sat but with Joanne ill, I thought it best that she rest on Sat and then take a leisurely ride up Sunday afternoon for her conference Monday and Tuesday. I was able to get a short 5 mile run in on Saturday and a 11 mile bike on Sunday.

So the weeks totals look like this:

Bike 86 miles
Run 15 miles
Swim 3300 yards

Not what my goal for the week was.

So knowing that I was going to be away Monday and Tuesday here are my weaks goals:

Bike 125 miles
Run 35 miles
Swim 6300 yards

I was able to ride a stationary bike at the Hotel on Monday and Tuesday as well as run on a dreadmill so I did 10 miles on the bike and 5 miles on the dreadmill each day. Today was a ride day. It was dark when I left the house and had to use my red blinky light. It fell off the saddle bag twice during my ride. That kinda messes up the ave speed. It was a pretty nice morning the humidity was less and there was a nice little breeze.

Weather
Sky Clear
Temp 74
Humidity 70%
Winds East 5 knts

Course: Pelican Sound Loop
Ave Speed 16.5
Max Speed 22.7
Distance 20 miles
Ave HR 130
Time in zone 3 56:40
Ave in HR in Zone 3 133

I've been riding in the big ring but still trying to keep a 90 BPM candence. So far it seems to work. I've also tried to each more as Chris Carmichael suggested in his book. I seem to have more energy.

Thursday Ride

I didn't feel like running this morning, I plan to run tonight. So I rode my bike. Stephen who lives across the street from me, rode with me today. He has a nice Specialized road bike with aerobars. Once again I had the Old Steel Monster. Since I'm twice Stephens age, I was a little concerned about keeping up and also having the Old Steel Monster! But I guess he isn't riding very far in his training program since he coaches a local high school cross country team. During the first sprint he dropped me but the other three sprints I dropped him. I thought not bad for an oldman on an old bike.

I had a comment from Coach Dan (see comment below) telling me it's not the bike but the fitness of the rider that makes it happen. Well having ridden the Old Steel Monster now two days and feeling like I could still "hang with the boys" I guess Coach Dan is right. Thanks Coach!

Weather
Sky - Partly cloudy
Temp 76
Humidity 89%
Winds Light SSE

Training
Pelican Sound Loop
Distance 21miles
Ave Speed 16.9
Max Speed 24.5
Ave HR 142
Ave HR in zone 3 139
Time in zone 23:54