Set "Back"

Well with all the working out I have done lately, I think my back revolted against me. On Saturday after the morning workout I was putting away a dumbbell and my back just seized up on me. It actually made me lay down immediately and I was stuck on the ground for about 15 min. I was able to make it home (thank god Adrienne was at the workout with me) and after several hours I could at least move from the Kitchen to the Couch. Sunday was more of the same, and Monday I just couldn't sit at my work desk for very long without being in pain. So I did my least favorite thing and made a doctor's appointment for Tuesday.

The doctor told me that I had an inflamed sacroiliac joint which is causing me to have muscle spasms (very painful). He prescribed some muscle relaxers and lots of ibuprofen. He also prescribed physical therapy twice a week for four weeks. Hopefully I feel better in two weeks, and I can get in a pool, but I think I am probably out of the gym for about a month. I guess it is better to happen now and not in the middle of summer, but it is pretty discouraging to be injured. One interesting tidbit from the doctors visit was I think he took one look at me and made the opinion I was really fat and out of shape. I wish people especially medical professionals could understand that you can be in shape without being skinny. I am not saying I should drop 15 pounds, because I definetly need to. However I don't like that he formed that opinion of me without ever discussing my lifestyle. I guess next time I will just have to explain to him that I really love my burgers.

Today I feel much improved, I am now walking around like a 70 year old man instead of a 90 year old man. If this progress continues, I might be able to walk normally by next week.

Another Run

The sun was shining today so I went for another run today at lunch with Jason. Well I guess you could say we ran 1/2 together and then 1/2 with me falling behind. It felt similar to last time I got a run in, so I know I have my work cut out for me. I definitely need to run with Jason at least once a week from now until the race season is over.

So along with my race planning, I developed a workout schedule for me to follow as well.

Mon: Jits and Swim
Tues: Recreate Class and Swim
Wed: Run at Lunch or Day Off
Thurs: Recreate Class and Burger Club
Fri: Swim or Jits
Sat: Recreate and Jits occasional Day Off
Sun: Recreate and Jits

I think three days of week swimming for 30 min will allow me to develop a stronger freestyle stroke which is what I am going to need for the Olympic distance. I am sure I will sprinkle days off on Wed or Friday, but I am going to try to follow this workout schedule the best I can. This will not only keep me busy, but it will keep me from boredom eating which is a bad habit of mine.

Race Planning

Over the last week, I went through and picked out the triathlons I wanted to run this summer. To push my self a little further this year, I have decided to run several Olympic distance races. It is going to be very challenging, as the Olympic distance is composed of 1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, and 6 mile run. Since I am a planner in my heart, I thought it a good idea to pick out the races so I have something to train for. The races I intend to run in chronological order are:

June 5th Sprint Triathlon at Blue Lake
June 26th Olympic Triathlon at Pacific Crest
July 10th Sprint Triathlon at Hagg Lake
August 1st Olympic Triathlon at Blue Lake (Mid Summers)
August 22nd Sprint Triathlon in Downtown Portland
Sept 11th Olympic Triathlon Dalles Oregon

I might add more as the race season starts, but these are the minimum one I plan to run.

With this list composed, training with a purpose can begin!!

Wake Up Call

Last week at lunch I went for my first run of 2010. It was quite a wake up call. I didn't realize how quickly I would lose my running stamina. Since November I have been training jiu-jitsu four days a week (unless I am out of town), so I haven't become lazy. That being said, I quickly realized that running and rolling are much different animals. It was a good realization to have in January as it leaves me five months to get back into triathlon condition. So I guess it is time to modify my training routine to get ready for the upcoming race season. Part of that will include getting back to attending the Recreate classes more often. The hard part about that change is I have really been enjoying the jiu-jitsu and going back to a more regular schedule at the gym will require some coordination and lots of exercise which is not necessarily a bad thing. It is time to get dedicated and work my but off so I can run the races I want this sumer.

Portland Marathon

Yesterday I got the opportunity to run with my friend Sean during his marathon for moral support. I met him at around mile 18 and ran two miles to where his wife and daughter were waiting to cheer him on. We then quickly got into a car and raced to the finish line six miles away, so we could cheer him on at the finish. It was really a fun day, and I am glad I “participated” in Sean’s 2nd Portland Marathon.

A few things stood out to me during the festivities.

1. There was way more people than I expected participating. There were over 8,000 runners. That is 8,000 people deciding it would be fun to run 26.2 miles.

2. The atmosphere was great. Within the two miles of the course I ran with Sean there was a high school cheerleading team, a group of belly dancers, and hundreds of people cheering these runners on. I was astounded at the support for strangers from the community.

3. Running 26.2 miles really affects people in different ways. There were numerous people that were smiling at the finish and looked like they could run more, people that could barely walk away from the finish line, and people that had to be helped across the finish line. I don’t think I could ever run that distance, but it was really touching to see the runners at the finish line. One person in particular fell down within 100 yds of the finish line and couldn’t force his body to stand up. Two runners provided assistance to him, and he was able to cross the finish line being supported by what appeared to be complete strangers.

If I read the webpage correct, they are going to have a half marathon next year. If this is the case, I will definitely participate in this.

In case you are curious, Sean finished in 4:02:05 a pace of 9:14/mile finishing 2430 out of 8103. Now I really know that I slowed him down during our training runs.

Aluminmum Results

Today I ran the Aluminum Man Triathlon. Being sick, I wasn't real sure what to expect. My goal time was 1:45 and I completed it in 1:44:18. For the most part I am satisfied with my performance, but I still see room for improvement. My swim was much faster, finishing in just over 14 min (4 min faster than my previous best). The bike was just under 53 min. I am not unhappy with this time, but I feel I really can improve this time with better equipment and more ride training. The run is where this race fell apart. Getting off my bike, my lower back really stiffened up, and I really just struggled. My time was just under 33 min, a full two min slower than my previous worst. I found my self having to walk sections, to try and control the pain. This was the most uncomfortable I have been in all three of my triathlons. Another issue I had on the bike and run was medicine. Prior to the race, so I could breath during the swim, I took some sudaphed. It worked wonders for the swim, but really was not good for the bike or run. It just really dried my mouth out. I felt like I was at the dentist with gauze in my mouth I was so dry. I guess next time I will suffer with the swim, so I can not be so dried out for the rest. A better option would be to not get sick two days before a race.

Not only did I meet my goal with the Triathlon today, but Michigan beat Notre Dame. This makes me happy! It is funny, because friend Brad was talking a lot of trash last weekend, and Now he won't field my phone calls. He can only avoid me for so long.

I get to fly my Bengals flag tomorrow. Adrienne told me I could fly it on game day. That will be fun.

Triathlon Goals

Tomorrow is my third sprint triathlon for the season. I ran my self down traveling and now I have a head cold. I am not sure how tomorrow will go, but I thought I would post my goals. Hopefully I get in the zone and perform really well. My goals for this race are to continue to improve over my pace from the Portland Tri. I would like to see the following times: Swim 18 min, Bike 48 min, Run 29 min. This would give me a total time of approx 1:45. If I can hit this I will be satisfied. I will post the results tomorrow after they are posted online.