UPDATE

Took a little vacation. Now I'm back in the gym.

Today:

30 min ERG --> cadence 21-24
split 1:58-2:04

Weights --> chest, shoulders

20 min Swim --> 3 x 250

Great Raleigh Road Race

Just thought I would post the results from the GRRR so we could all be in awe of how fast some of these guys are. The winning time was 25:07, a 5:03 minute-mile pace for 5 miles!! And 4 of the top 5 guys were in our (20-24) age group. The only guy that was not in that age group was the 3rd place finisher and just so happened the same guy that WON the triathlon last weekend! (26:05, 5:14 min-mile pace).

I finished 45th overall, out of almost 400 people, and a lot of them were really serious runners. I finished 6th in the age group (did I mention that 4 of the top 5 were from my age group?!), with a total time of 34:21, a 6:53 min-mile pace. I was happy, as I was shooting for sub-35 minutes, and did that by 40 seconds.

Needless to say, my body has been fighting me back after all of this punishment, but i've got a knee brace, some advil, and determination, so hopefully i can get it back in line, haha.

We're also still thinking about doing one more triathlon before the end of the summer if anyone is interested. I'll send out info to the listserv once we make a decision.

Full race results are online at http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?rsID=66085

Triathlon Results

Dane, Logan, and I finished our first triathlon yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and we all did extremely well. Out of over 320 participants, the three of us were all in the top 69 finishers!

My final lap of the swim

So, as promised, here are the results. I could not get a chart to fit on this page, but all the results are listed at http://fsseries.com/results/smileTrainResults.htm. BUT, I will list out the times for Logan, Dane, and myself. I listed our rank for overall men, as well as for our 20-24 year old age group. T1 and T2 are transition times, s=swim, b=bike, r=run.

Chris: 20th men, 2nd age, 4:07 s, 1:22 T1, 37:08 b, 1:08 T2, 22:18 r, 1:06:00.9 total
Dane: 44th men, 4th age, 5:13 s, 1:55 T1, 39:59 b, 1:44 T2, 21:39 r, 1:10:28.1 total
Logan : 60th men, 6th age, 5:53 s, 1:37 T1, 40:58 b, 0:34 T2, 24:45 r, 1:13:44.7 total

Waiting to start the race

Highlights included Dane having the fastest run in our age group and one of the top 10 runs overall while mine was #16 overall and 2nd to Dane in the age group. I was also able to crack into the top 20 times overall (19th in men). I also thought it was pretty impressive that all 3 of us were easily in the top half of our age group, despite having never run a triathlon before.

If I had quicker transitions, I would have won the 20-24 age group, as I beat the winner by 2-3 minutes total if you only count the run, bike, and swim (without transitions). So that was disappointing, as I only lost by 15 seconds and it wasn't because he was more athletic...but because he knew how to transition extremely quickly because he has run these before. But now I will no better next time!

Dane finishing on the bike

We are hoping to take what we learned from this race and enter another tri later in the summer or in the beginning of the fall. If anyone is interested in joining us this time, let me know. I can honestly say that it was a great time that we all enjoyed, and it gave us something to train for in between the end of last season and the start of the next.

My medal for the 2nd place finish

Complete results can be viewed at http://fsseries.com/results/smileTrainResults.htm

Helloooooo.....

Is anyone out there?

This place was hoppin' for the first couple of weeks, but apparently now either no one is working out anymore, or we've just ditched the blog. I personally hope that for most of you it is the 2nd option.

Anyways, figured I would let everyone know what I've been up to. I was on vacation last week so we'll say i did some "cross-training" consisting of wakeboarding, surfing (or at least attempting to...so a lot of paddling/swimming), and kayaking the Cape Fear, Haw, and Nantahala Rivers.

I did, however, do some regular training as well, since the triathlon is coming up fast, TWO MORE DAYS! White Lake is relatively flat, and has a nice 7 mile loop that circles the lake, so I spent some time biking laps around the lake, and one day I ran it....but it was entirely too hot for that, so I just about killed myself.

As I mentioned, the triathlon is this Sunday. The seeding was based on the 100m swim time you entered, and apparently I was a little more confidant in my swim than Dane and Logan, as I am starting 27th and they are starting 214 and 217 respectively. I sure hope they don't catch me! that would be trouble. If you are interested in tracking our progress Sunday morning or seeing the results, they will be posted during and after the race at www.fsseries.com. The race name is the BASF Smile Train Triathlon. I'll try to post the results on here shortly after as well, or at least give you an exact link.

I hope everyone is having a good summer. I also hope you haven't ditched the workouts already. I know it's hard with the lake, the beach, the pool, the girls, etc., but you'll be glad you put in the time over the summer when you get back in August.

Summer School Sucks

So I'm at UNC for summer school and there have been two things that I do daily: workout and do chemistry. I live on an all male hallway which I have to say shattered my expectations of meeting some fine looking ladies this summer. Complaining aside, I have been keeping up with my cardio and have begun to erg again, which brings back some painful memories. I go to the gym everyday whether it's for lifting or for doing cardio. Contrary to popular belief (tucker) I have been doing a lot of lower body work, I hope to one day have the massive thighs of the great Jake Soberal.

Last week I rowed on Lake Wylie with David Bierer along with some members of the women's team; an interesting experience to say the least. I also took out a pair with Ivan yesterday morning which was really fun because the weather was nice.

I hope you guys are having a good summer and I look forward to catching up with you when we see each other in August.

Trainer, diet, etc.

Well, I've gotten myself a few workouts a week with a trainer down the street and he's helping me build strength in addition to my cardio workouts. I'm still doing about an hour of erging on a regular basis, and now that my friend from the Naval Academy is home, we're probably going to be running together. The trainer also has me on a bit of a diet of 6 really healthy meals a day, so I'm starting to feel pretty good. I hope ya'll are all keeping with your workouts too.

And Taylor - be careful in that spinning class. You know how good you are at setting off gaydars, haha.

HELLO? IS ANYBODY THERE?

Hey guys,

So for the past week or so I've been doing a lot of swimming, for me it's been the easiest way for me to get my heart rate up (and keep it up).

I'll generally do 3 or 4 x 250m, followed by a lift (squats, shoulders, back) then I'll hop on the bike or the elliptical for 20 or 20 min.

Today I experienced a spinning class for the first time...it was 75% girls, 20% gays, and 5% straight guys (me, only). Spinning is really good for interval training, you'll go all out for a few minutes, then rest, and you'll switch off from strenght settings to cardio settings.

Anyways, I'm out, Rachel is sitting next to me making irritated impatient noises...

T

UPDATE

Glad to hear you're still with us Tucker.

I've been generally keeping up with my workouts, I don't think I have the self-discipline to hit the gym every day, but I've been going every other day or going in small bursts of back-to-back days.

Wed. I hit the erg again, 40 min around 2:00 split with a couple of stretching breaks included (you guys know how much it hurts my ass haha). Then I got on the bike and did a solid 20min trying to keep my heart rate up. I find that my muscles get tired and achey before I get winded, in fact, I usually never struggle for air, and I find it hard to keep my heart rate up, does anybody have any suggestions?

Does anybody have an opinion on running vs. say, erging/biking? I just feel like sometimes I'm cheating myself by working out in a gym (I have been a soccer player all my life). Plus, it's been so damn hot these past couple of weeks running outside during the day would probably kill me, and I'm too tired to do it in the morning since I'm always up late hanging out with Rachel....what do you guys think, is running essential, or can it be substituted with other cardio-intensive activities?

Miss you guys, can't wait to get back to CH. (just two more months of boredom)

Tay

Still Here

Even though I've kind of been neglecting posting, I'm still here. Things have been crazy for the past two weeks. Work and Kiffy have been keeping me busy, so I haven't been as consistent as I'd like with my workouts, but I've made all of them count, usually doing a 60-75 minute run or erg, along with core work. I think I've finally organized my schedule enough so that I can do these workouts on a more regular basis, and hopefully supplement them with some lifting in the near future.

Big thanks to Dane and Cottrell for weighing in on what we should be doing to build the foundation for the season. Hopefully everyone is taking your wise words to heart.

Hope everyone else is doing well. I miss y'all a lot. Keep posting!

A Week in the Life

My triathlon is officially 3 weeks from today. With 2 jobs and an internship, it has been hard to train as much as i would like. I have not lifted any weights at all, but i figure that is not near as important as the cardio endurance and leg strength. Here is what I have done over the past week:
Sunday: Swam 500m (20 laps) directly followed by a 4+ mile run
Monday: 15 mile bike
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Swim 500m, 250m, 500m
Thursday: 45 min run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7 mile run (in 102 degree heat...bad idea)
Sunday: 250m Swim directly followed by a 12.15 mile bike (both are the exact distances that i will have to complete in the triathlon).

It sounds like everyone is trying to stay on top of their workouts, which is awesome, and hopefully it will translate into some fast boats next year. It gets harder as the summer wears on and the heat index rises. I've noticed that it helps if you set goals for yourself. This triathlon has helped to keep me on track. And after this triathlon, I am going to find some other races to compete in over the summer to keep me focused. It really does help you make it through because having a goal as far off as the fall can be difficult at times (at least for myself). So stay on top of it, and enjoy your summers!

Sunday-Rowed with the Asheville rowing club (a collection of weird pieces and thangs)
Monday-Biked 28 miles at 145-155 HR, Shoulder Lift
Tuesday-Biked 30 miles at 140-155 HR, 8 x sleep
Wednesday-60 minute run? Try and make it up to 7 miles?

Echoing Words of Wisdom

Like to see the chatter, looks like SOME of you guys are going to be f'n serious this fall.

Think about this.  A 2k race is still about 75% of an aerobic endeavor.  You sprint at the end, and in the beginning, but the bulk of it depends on how well your body operates in the aerobic zone.

Allow me to use some authority of person here to echo what Dane posted.  Cardio is the big-time work for the off-season.  I would also say pound out the weights this summer, but definitely cardio is the most important.  The extra stength from weights won't hurt you and it's fun.  You might want to ask Coach Richard for some ideas, as I don't think you'll be doing the same weight workout during the year as the varsity did this year.  Either way, let yourself relax this summer-- your workouts should aim to build weaknesses that you can't address during the year, and let your body recover from the rigors of sprint race training.

Also, as Dane said, the heart rate should match the type and length of workout.  If you try to do 90' at 30' pace, you will feel tired.  Long, slow distance (LSD) only breeds slow rowers if the training never changes, but it will during winter, so don't worry.  Think of your fitness as a pyramid, with sprinting being at the top.  You want your base (cardio) to increase so your peak gets higher.

LSD workouts train different body systems than does, say interval work.  Long, easy aerobic workouts train your body to utilize oxygen, and to transport the fuel in and the trash out.  They're good.

Like Dane said as well, once you pass AT, you got about 90".  Not really worth working on right now.  But, one key of training is getting your body to delay how long it takes to pass the anaerobic threshold.  As such, you might want to consider what I would call "AT" work.  This is basically 40-80' a week of working at the highest level of repeatable aerobic capacity as possible, usually heart rate around 180, going 75-85% of max.   Whoever did the 10k @ 1:59 split, you were probably close to this level depending on your fitness.  So this might explain why you didn't feel so hot on the bike afterwards (Nat'l teamers go in the low/mid 1:40s, good varsity can do 1:50-sub range).  These workouts are tough stuff, so you might want to keep it on the low side for the off season, doing 40-60' a week max.  The famed HOP is a good example of this type of work, but I'll let one of the rising seniors explain that bad boy.

Most importantly, keep it varied, have fun, take some breaks.  Don't jump into huge volume right away if you've been couch surfing all summer so far.  If you stay active and do more than the occasional structured workout, you'll be okay.  If you want a plan, mix LSD and mid-length aerobic workouts for about 75% of your work.  Weights, AT, fun "sprinting" (hills, BBall, track work, stairs, tennis, whatever), can make up the rest.  And, of course, ABS ABS ABS.  Build your core stability muscles to avoid nagging injuries in the fall.

ME CHINESE, ME PLAY JOKE.........

Guys check this out, shits gunna go down in Beijing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/olympics/01gold.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

There's a cool video at the bottom, and a slideshow towards the top....

Tay

walk the walk

We can talk the talk all day long about what types of workouts we SHOULD be doing, but I choose to lead by example. Here is what I did this week (now keep in mind that I am training for a sprint triathlon, so there is slightly less longer steady state that what was previously recommended).

Monday: Return from OKC, passed out
Tuesday: Ran for 45 minutes, swam 3x250m
Wednesday: Bad weather, did nothing
Thursday: Biked 12 miles, later biked 8 miles, then swam 2x250m before my body shut down and my legs were cramped up so bad I couldn't do a 3rd set. Apparently after not running, biking, and swimming for a few months, my body wasn't quite used to it.
Friday: Ran 45mins
Saturday: Biked 12miles
Sunday (tomorrow): Swim 20 laps, directly followed by running 4 miles. Timed, triathlon testing.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, and I look forward to seeing the results of all of this training from you guys in the fall. It should be a fun ride.

Long and Slow

As I read through everybody's posts its cool to see that yall are working so hard. Some words of wisdom/caution: According to Richard Laurence, Cameron Fraser, and every other coach we have had(which has been a lot), if you want to maximize your potential for next year, build your base now. The summer is the best time to do this because hey, what else is there to do. You can do high intensity workouts all you want, but when you move up to the varsity next year, I guarantee that you will be behind. Anaerobic work is work that should be done in the weeks leading up to racing, and ideally you should hit your peak performance right at the end of the season. In the fall and for a majority of winter training next year, I promise you one thing... the shortest workout you will do will be 60 min long. On the other hand, the longest we do will be around 90 min. Whether you run, bike, erg, or swim, coach Laurence likes us to use specific heart rates for any given workout. If you are working out for 60 min, your target heart rate should be about 150 bpm(if you don't have a heart rate monitor, get out a watch, and time yourself for 10 seconds... you should get about 25 beats). If you are working out for 90 min, you should hit about 130 bpm. Ideally, as you get in better shape, you are able to go more miles, faster, etc and hold the same heart rate. Long slow workouts do not make for slow rowers. These workouts build up your aerobic base, which is what rowers need for the middle 1500 meters of the race. The bigger your base, the faster you can go during these middle 1500 without reaching that anaerobic threshold! Anaerobic threshold can only be maintained for about 40 seconds or so, which is your start and your sprint. Next year, in order to make the V8, you will probably have to pull something below a 6:30 2k. Build your base now, reap the benefits next year. Its boring, but try to stay motivated. Get some good music. Mix up the workouts. Plus, for those of you trying to lose weight, these are the best workouts for that!

Stay classy,
Dane

My old XC coach used to say that long, slow running makes for long slow runners. We also started off with 3-4 miles at the beginning of the summer and moved up to 10-12 miles near the end of the summer (20 miles/week up to 50+ miles/week). It's important to start at low mileage so you can build up to run those 6,7+ mile runs at a decent pace. At least, that's what he always said.

Anyone gonna be in CH Sunday?

Difficulties

Hey guys, are any of you doing more than 60 min of cardio when you workout? I find it very hard to do like 90.

For example, yesterday I did a 10k at 1:59-2:00, and then after I got on the bike, but felt tired after 15 or 20 minutes...

Am I just being a wuss, or should I really be doing 90 min?

Any thoughts?

Ok, so just an update....

On Sunday I did a 45 minute bike, I think I did around 15 miles. Then I swam for 20 min, just laps, mainly freestyle. I also lifted some, but not a lot.

Yesterday I went hiking around some gorge with my dad and his girlfriend, and I climbed like a million steps...

Today I think I'm gunna do another erg, maybe something on the elliptical.

Hope you guys are enjoying your summer, maybe I'll see you this weekend?

Tay

Catch-up on my workouts

Saturday 5/17 - Erg Rm - 1 on, 1 off x 10 at < 1:40 avg., Ab workout, Push-ups.

Sunday 5/18 - Watched a lot of "Deadliest Catch" on T.V. and imagined how awesome it would be to do that, watched Indiana Jones "Temple of Doom" in prep for the new movie release, watched the news and found out there are forest fires in CA already and I'm not there to fight them so now helpless people and small kittens may die all because they didn't offer me a job.

Monday 5/19 - worked, ran around Reservoir Park (2.5 miles) twice.

Tuesday 5/20 - worked, then it was really stormy and marble-sized hail attacked me.

Wednesday 5/21 - worked, was lazy.

Thursday 5/22 - woke up with huge headache, then went to Indiana Jones with some friends only to be completely disappointed, worked, ran around Reservoir Park (2.5 miles) twice.

Friday 5/23 - worked, played several hours of Ultimate Frisbee.

Saturday 5/24 - lazed around for most of day, was on my way to work when an old man in a cadillac decided I should fly, and subsequently wrecked my motorcycle (so I guess the flying part was my workout, and it sure was exhilarating).

Sunday 5/25 - mowed lawn, borrowed a friend's truck to go get some groceries (and a strap so my motorcycle would not slide out the back of the truck), but hey, I ate healthy thanks to the $5 footlong deal at Subway in Wally World.

Monday 5/26 - Memorial Day makes no stores open, No repair shops open keeps motorcycle broken, no motorcycle makes Adam a lazy boy, perhaps I'll go for a run.

So, hopefully this coming weekend people will be getting together in CH and I'll have a way to get there, until then, DOMINATE!

Jeep Adventure Race Series

I found another thing that could be a fun, competitive, cross-training event over the summer, particularly for those of you in Charlotte.

It is an "adventure race" which is approximately a 4-hour race including mountain biking, trek/running, orienteering, climbing and paddling and it takes place on July 19th at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

Here are some details:
"Grab a friend and explore all 307 acres of the US National Whitewater Center and the rugged corners of the Charlotte metro. Teams of 1-4 will mountain bike, trek/run, orienteer, climb and paddle. Each event is designed for you to succeed and all you need are sneakers, a bike and a smile. Come meet people and have fun!

Jeep ARS #3 activities include whitewater rafting, flatwater canoeing, mountain biking, orienteering and special challenges.

4hr: $60 per person
7hr: $70 per person

Entry cap: 300. Pre-registration required. For more information on adventure racing or to sign up for the race, visit http://www.action-learning.com/adventure"

All of the info can be found on the US National Whitewater Center website at http://www.usnwc.org/component/option,com_jcalpro/Itemid,125/extmode,view/extid,117/

Let me know if you are interested and we can possibly add you to our team, or you can create your own.

Also, you have less than a month to register for the Miles Into Smiles Triathlon, the really short sprint tri that I mentioned before. details are at www.milesintosmiles.com.

And more from OKC: