Grinding Away

Via email to Neil Cook my coach. www.slb-coaching.com

Hey Neil -

Another strong workout today. I felt good on the bike, even though I still had some residual fatigue in my legs. It was not really possible to do the workout as your prescribed. Instead I separated the park into three sections. Grand Army Plaza to Bartel Pritchard, PPSW/Parkside to Ocean/Parkside and from the parking lot entrance to the hill. I just concentrated on hold my speed above 20mph during these sections and didn't worry about the time.

I posted my fastest loop on my last time around. I passed the cyclist with whom I have a long standing feud and he decided to get on my tail. This inspired me to have a 9:13 lap and allowed my average speed for the day to reach 20mph.

I only ran 2.5 miles since this is an "easy" week. I am not sure what is easy about it other than some reduced distance. My legs felt sluggish, but with my new found mental facilities, I was able to push past the physical crud and post a sub 8 minute mile for the distance.

As a side note, I took off yesterday from running. I wanted to spend the time with my family and I figured walking through the Bronx Zoo would be Active Recovery enough.

Note - Prescribed workout: 10 minutes warm-up, 18 mph, 19 mph, 20 mph, 21 mph, 22 mph, 23 mph for 60 seconds at each speed, recovery for 4 minutes and repeat 4 times, 10 minutes cool-down.

Grinding out another day.

Memorial Day

To kick my Memorial Day off on the right note, I went swimming with ST and another Triathlon fanatic Robert. We went to the McBurney YMCA on 14th Street as guests of ST. We would have gone to Asphalt Green, but it didn’t open until 8am and I needed to be home early to take the family to The Bronx Zoo.

The water in this facility is much warmer than I am accustomed. It averaged around 85 degrees, which is much warmer than the 72 degrees I am used to swimming in. The mystery as to why ST refuses to swim open water without a wetsuit has been revealed, as he clearly is only used to swimming in bath water.

Despite the warm temperatures, we proceeded together with a hardy workout. We started out with a 500 yard warm up and then did 20 x 50’s, 10 x 100’s and 4 x 500’s. Robert led each interval, followed by Todd and then myself. Being the weakest swimmer of our group, I just tried not to get lapped. I was successful in that endeavor except for 1.5 times (Robert lapped me twice, Todd once).

Robert on several occasions rolled is eyes as ST and I gave each other shit. He for the most part handled our bantering with mild amusement, until the locker room, where I tried to convince Todd that shaving his balls was the thing to do. Both were disinclined to experiment with the idea.

Unfortunately, time did not permit me to hang with the boys after our workout. It would have been nice to get some chow and relax for an hour or so. Instead I drove everyone home so I could get an early start out to the zoo. It was a perfect day and we say most of the exhibits. The only disappointment of the day was the lacking of a Toucan in the bird exhibit – something my daughter wanted very much to see.

At an early point of our visit we happened upon some amorous bears. Fortunately, my children didn’t notice anything amiss. It must have been the springtime air.

Robert, ST and Beast after a crisp 4500 yards.


Spring Fever

Mental Barriers

Today I definitely broke through some mental barriers. I was filled with doubt as to whether I would be able to complete today's run. It was very difficult at times, but I somehow managed to push through it and stabilize myself at a decent pace.

I attribute today's exceptional run to two items. 1- Reading Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. It is truely inspiration reading as he talks about breaking through his pain, both mental and physical on his way to completing the Western States 100 miler. 2 - Having company. I ran with Todd for most of the run and we kept challenging each other. I would have to say I got the best of him, although I was lagging him at several points.

I think part of my problem on the run at last year's IMLP and IMAZ, is that I just wasn't pushing myself through the pain I felt. I didn't give myself a chance to adapt to the discomfit I was feeling and to try to push through it. I am hoping that I will take today's lesson and remember it when the going gets tough this year.

I ran slightly over distance, just over 15 miles. I could have gone 20, but I refrained. Here are the detailed lap splits:

Overall HR: 141/165
TIZ (155/137): A - 5:32, I - 1:19:25, B - 31:52
Calories: 1463

Lap Splits

Harriman State Park Revisited

Today I had some company for my 100 mile jaunt through the Harriman Hills. I was joined by Walter and Lowell, both fellow members of the Asphalt Green Triathlon Club. I picked up Lowell on the way and we met Walter at the Park.

Our plans changed a bit, as the parking lot I wanted to base out of, Lake Welch, was still closed. We went instead to Lake Tiorati, which turned out to be a better location. Water and bathrooms were located right next to the parking lot and it also offered a convenient 5 mile out and back run for our latter running pleasure.

It was a bit cool when we first started out and I kind of regretted leaving my long sleeve shirt back at the car. All I was wearing was a Hammer Gel Tri top and Pearl Izumi Tri shorts. Every time we picked up some speed, I could feel my entire upper body getting very cold. I knew the cold morning air would feel intense when we hit the downhill from Lake Welch to the Lake Tiorati turn around. My biceps were aching from the cold.

Other than the morning chill, it was a perfect day in the park. The day presented clear skies, mild breezes and plenty of wild life sightings. We saw deer, chipmunks, groundhogs and geese walking their offspring. At one point I had a too close for comfort encounter with a deer darting across the road while I was moving at about 30 mph. The sound of the deer’s paws scratching against the asphalt as it sprinted across the rode is indelibly etched into my mind.

Each time I approached the above referenced downhill section, I set out to set a speed record. I peaked at 48.2 mph. It was not possible to go any faster as I pretty much reached terminal velocity or had to start slowing down to avoid wiping out on the 180 degree turn at the bottom. In fact, on my first trip down, I did slightly overshoot the turn which caused me to go onto the grass on the side of the road.

On my first loop, during the climb to Lake Tiorati, I was momentarily overcome with feelings of fatigue, doubt and self loathing. I was having trouble dealing with my decision to commit to a seven hour training day and sacrificing time with my family, foregoing an invitation by a friend to see the previous night’s Yankee/Red Sox game, and generally feeling miserable over my current predicament – climbing a 4 mile hill with a nights worth of the eye crud was still fresh upon my eyelids. Fortunately, I knew recognized what was happening so I forced myself to eat something. The rush of carbohydrates soon made me feel better.

I never rode with Walter or Lowell before. I think it is fair to say that we all kept at each other so that we never let our pace slack. It was by unspoken word that when someone felt fresh, they would dart ahead, leaving the two behind in a game of pursuit. It made for some very interesting riding.

We all started to feel the fatigue of the 7 loops through the park and I think we were all ready to get off the bike and start running when we hit the 100 mile mark. Lowell set out at a crisp pace with Walter staying with him for a while. I hung behind, waiting for my running legs to wake up and for my HR to pick up. Soon Lowell and Walter had a quarter mile and eighth of a mile on me.

Just over the 1 mile mark, I managed to catch Walter and closed the gap on Lowell. By the turn around he was only about 40 yards in front of me. At about 1 mile to go, I closed the gap and we ran it back to the start together. Walter joined us a couple of minutes later. Overall, it was a fantastic day of training.

Workout Stats:
Ride Time: 5:46:53
Elapsed Time: 5:58:00
Distance: 100.2
HR: 139/159
Speed: 17.1/48.2
Ascent: 8370
Calories: 4228
Calories Consumed: 1500

Run Time: 39:18
HR: 152/162
Distance 5.1
Ascent: 240
Calories: 554

Lowell, Beast and Walter looking fresh before the start of the day.


Harriman State Park Loop Elevations

Hell or High Water

I was out for 4 hard loops of the Central Park Reservoir today. It was cold, wet, windy and positively glorious. The water on the reservoir was very choppy and a brown froth was pushed to the south side of it. I am hoping that this froth was decaying plant matter and not raw sewage. I only passed a handful of other runners. It was nice to have the loop almost to myself. I expect that the early hour and not the weather was the primary reason for that. When I did see runners ahead of me, I used them spur me on. I would run extra hard until I caught them.

For each loop I did an 1800 yard sprint followed by a .5 mile cool down back to the start. The sprints were a tad difficult. My legs are starting to feel the accumulated stress from several days of hard workouts. However, I was very happy to see that I could hold the fast efforts for the entire distance. The cool downs were pathetically slow.

Counting the distance from round trip from where I parked (91st St. and 1st Ave.), I ran a total distance of 7.78 miles. It was then off to the pool for a 4000 yard swim. My swim consisted of 400 yards warm-up, 20 x 50 yards with 10 seconds recovery @ fast effort, 20 x 100 yards with 15 seconds recovery @ fast effort, 10 x 50 yards @ fast effort with 10 seconds recovery, 100 yards cool-down. I was supposed to have a 300 yard cool-down, but after 100 yards, I was cold.

When I first jumped in the pool water, I felt warmed up and cold at the same time. My arms, hands and feet were cold from the rain and wind, but my core was still warm. It was a very odd sensation. My split times were pretty good despite my fatigue. I chalk that up to a video analysis of swimming technique, helping me to eliminate some flaws in my stroke.

I also had a nice break today with regards to parking. I found a place on Wednesday’s where I can park without hassles until 9am. This afforded me the luxury of showering and shaving before I left Asphalt Green. What a pleasure!

Central Park Reservoir 5/25/05 6:00am



Central Park Reservoir Loops (Sprints in Red)

Alpine Road

Today I met fellow blogger and Pulitzer Prize winner to be Derek Rose – www.derekrose.com. We arranged to run the Alpine Road trail in New Jersey, which begins just south of the GW Bridge and ends up a steep hill 10 miles later. You run over the bridge, make a left on River Road and head south to the Alpine Road Entrance which is located where a snack truck appears to be permanently installed. The road then winds around to the left and proceeds back under the GW Bridge.

We agreed to meet at 178th Street and Fort Washington Avenue at 7am this morning. We easily recognized each other, as we were the only two people heading out for a run over the bridge at 7am in the morning. The day was wonderfully overcast and cool, making it the perfect conditions for running along the tranquil settings of Alpine Road.

Fortunately, we appeared to have compatible running paces and neither of us seemed to feel we were running too fast or too slow. We simply held a comfortable pace and talked about various things, just as all runners do when they run. Along the way we passed water flowing through the rocks from the cliff sides above, pine forests and the ever present Hudson River.

In my mind I was a little worried about this run. I had a relatively hard workout yesterday and I was afraid of bonking out and getting stuck 10 miles from home, with no way other than walking to return. Even worse, I was afraid of bonking and having Derek feel compelled to deal with my feebleness, especially on a “first date” so to speak.

The first 10 miles went smoothly enough and I felt great while climbing the final 400 foot ascent to the end of the road. We both touched the sign marking the entrance onto 9W and then took a quick break in Ranger Station to get some water and then snap a photo.

Derek is definitely a great downhill runner. I had trouble keeping up with him and I was letting my legs carry me down the hills about as fast as I ever have. I am not timid about flying downhill, but his longer stride length carried him at a pace I could not match. To balance things out though, I was able to take him on the climbs.

At around 2 hours into the run, I started to feel the first real signs of fatigue in my body. My HR started to drop a bit and I had to concentrate to keep my form good and pace up. I settled in behind Derek to let him set the pace and to catch his draft. He pulled me along at a strong steady pace and I was glad not to be doing this run alone. The word “Tenacity” stuck in my mind, because this is what it took to continue at our pace in the face of the discomfit I was starting to feel. These are the moments I’ve come to relish however, knowing that I can dig deeper to keep myself moving. I am also sure that several points from the 2+ hour mark we were challenging ourselves and each other to keep moving and to move faster.

Finally during the return we gained sight of the GW Bridge and we knew the end was approaching. I pointed out to Derek the cliff side to our right and that we needed to climb it in order to get back home. His response was perfect. It was something to the effect that the climb was nothing and that we were tougher than the climb.

After we ran back under the bridge, we challenged ourselves to run a negative split. We distinctly picked up the pace and started to head up the final hills to the bridge. Once we made it to the bridge, the grade leveled out and we started to sprint for home. I am sure it was not 100 meter Olympian effort, but it sure felt fast. We made it off the bridge and back to our start in 1:24:21, almost two minutes faster than the way out.

We caught our breaths and Derek asked if I wanted to go someplace to get a Gatorade or something else to drink. I wish I could have stayed a while, but I had to get back home to take my son to a birthday party. I also don’t drink Gatorade and instead use Recoverite and HEED for my recovery and fueling drinks which I had back in my car.

I drove home and made it back with just enough time to take my son to the Peddle Boat party in Prospect Park. I then got to spend the next two hours peddling (that is moving the boat, not selling them) five rambunctious 6 year old boys around the lake playing Pirate. Needless to say, our peddle boat was the fastest around and inflicted the most damage upon the other boaters; some of which weren't even in our birthday party group.

Run Stats –
Time: 2:50:33
Distance: 21 Miles
HR: 139/155
Calories Expended: 2089
Calories Consumed: 500
Total Ascent: 1360

Beast and Derek after a hard climb up Alpine Road


Alpine Road Elevations

New Routines

I think I’ve finally figured out my new workout routine and accommodating my new work schedule. M, W, & F remain my run and swim days, but I now run before the swim. This necessitates that I start training about 30 minutes earlier than normal. The day proceeds something like this:

Wake up at 4:30 am, grab gear and drive from Brooklyn to the vicinity of Asphalt Green on 91st and York Avenue and find a parking spot.

Run to Central Park and commence the scheduled run, finishing back at my car.

Grab swim gear and head into the pool, hopefully no later than 6:15 am. Swim for approximately 75 minutes and then dash out of the pool to arrive at my car before 8am; the time it must be moved or risk a parking ticket.

Drive still wet and smelling like chlorine to the New York Sports Club in Huntington, Long Island, which is only 3 miles from my office. Shower, Shave and dress and make it to my office by 10am.

This for the most part has gone out without a hitch, except for this past Wednesday, when an over enthusiastic Parking Enforcement Officer, decided to start writing a ticket at 7:59am. I know this is what time she started since it was my car to which she was applying the ticket. Of course she had no compassion with me arriving at my car after she started writing her ticket, but at least I had the satisfaction of seeing her shame when I exclaimed in a very loud voice “Holy shit, it’s not even 8 o’clock!”

I had a few more choice words for her, including a parting “Go to fucking hell”. I only which I had the intuitiveness to call “311” and issue a complaint while my cell phone still read 8am on the time. I didn’t even wait for her to finish writing the ticket as I had to get to work. She may be slow, but I am definitely not.

Tuesday’s and Thursday’s are my cycling days. Actually, they are my brick (bike/run) days lately. These are easier for me to handle, as I can wake up later (5am) and still get the ride and run in at home at still get to work on time.

The only thing I am really missing with my new commute is the decompression time in the subway where I can sleep, read or ogle pretty girls.

When I was at my previous company, The Corcoran Group, we used to call my current company, Douglas Elliman, The Dark Side. Well, things are pretty good over at the Dark Side. It is actually not dark at all. It is definitely much greener and fertile grass. So far I am glad I wasn't chicken and crossed the road, despite my crazy new routines.

Bear Mountain

Today I rode with Super Todd to the top of Bear Mountain. It was an epic day with close to 8 hours in the saddle. Our pace wasn’t anything to write home about, but the hills and the company made this a quality ride.

I wanted to start out at 5am, but in deference to ST’s desire to proceed at a more sensible hour, we compromised for a 5:30am start. By the time he dragged his bike down from his 6th floor walkup, it was 5:45am before we finally headed out of Brooklyn.

ST took me up the West Side bike path, which continues right through Riverside Park. It was the first time I have ever been on the path and I must admit is a very pleasant and expedient way to get to the George Washington Bridge. We passed many interesting sites along the way. These included rusted out hulks of metal semi-submerged in the Hudson, riding under the Henry Hudson Parkway and riding along a path only feet from the waters edge.

While in sights of the bridge, I remembered the time last year when I missed the right turn on 165th Street off Riverside Drive and wound up near the entrance to the Henry Hudson. At this location, a staircase exists that appears to take you up to the GW Bridge. In actuality, all this staircase did was to deliver you to the depths of hell on earth. After ascending a few steps I knew I made a mistake and encountered Heroin addicts, homeless people and a cesspool of discarded trash and human excrement. I immediately feared for my life while wearing a fancy cycling outfit and carrying a bicycle worth several thousand dollars. Fortunately, I was able to walk back the way I came unharmed. But I digress…

Finally after 1.5 hours we arrived at the GW. Riding over this bridge would be very pleasant if it weren’t for the blustery wind and the incredible noise from all the traffic passing across. The views are incredible, but I’ve never had the desire to stand around to admire them. The noise, wind and traffic make the GW bike path a fairly hostile environment. We did stop though to snap a quick photo.

After crossing the bridge we headed towards 9W and headed north. Not much happened during this time other than miles passing and hills climbed. After another 40 miles of riding we entered into Bear Mountain Park. The most remarkable thing to happen along the way, was the crossing of 9W by a large Gobbler Turkey. Seeing this large bird cross the road, did beg the question why?

Soon after entering the park, a couple of riders passed us riding down. I couldn’t help but think that this should be me passing other riders as normally I would be well on my way home. I punished ST for making me be the late bird by dropping him on the climb to the top like a bad habit.

Just as I was reaching the top, I saw someone running the climb. I thought to myself that is the way to do hill training and admired the person’s tenacity. It turns out that I knew the runner. It was a fellow member of my tri club – Asphalt Green Triathlon Club, http://www.agtri.com/, who fittingly enough, coaches the Thursday night hill workouts. I guess his weekly sessions have paid off. He hung out with me while I waited for ST to arrive and we all snapped pictures of each other once ST graced us with his presence.

The ride down from the summit was thrilling as ever - quick, steep and slightly chilly. Descent complete, we ground out the 40 miles back to the GW Bridge. We saw lot’s of riders heading in the opposite direction. It must be nice to have the leisure to get a later (and warmer) start on the day.

My original plan was to bail out of riding once I reached the Manhattan side of the GW, since at that point I would have over 100 miles and hate riding through the midday city traffic. ST didn’t like that plan and wanted to ride home. My legs were still fresh once we hit Manhattan, so I decided to ride home with him.

Unfortunately, I returned home too late to go to my son’s soccer practice. So I had my son call ST and complain that he rode so slow that his daddy couldn’t see him play. I made it up to my son though later on. After fueling and hosing myself off, we went to Prospect Park and played some baseball and wrestled in the grass. Just the perfect ending to the day.

Here are the ride stats:

Elapsed Time: 7:54:19
HR: 128/161
Dist: 118.5
Ascent: 6340
Calories burned: 5123
Calories Consumed: 1500 (29 percent)

Click this link for elevation profile

Beast and ST crossing the George Washington Bridge


ST and Beast at the top of Bear Mountain

Out of Gas

I ran out of gas today during my 20 mile run. I was cruising between 78 – 80 percent of my HR when suddenly the needle dropped and I couldn’t push it past 70 percent. I knew I had run out of gas from a hard week’s worth of training. This is noteworthy, especially since many know me as one of the gasiest people around.

This has happened to me before. My inner fire is suddenly extinguished as all the combustible fuel is spent. All that remained inside me were some dying embers. It was time for me to go home, eat and recover for another week of training. I am just glad I had only about a mile to get home, instead of having several miles of distance between me and my nice comfortable couch.

To make matters worse, I am beginning to think I have a hernia. I’ve had a chronic lower abdominal pain that just appears to be getting worse. I spoke with someone today that just had hernia repair surgery. The symptoms he experienced are very similar to what I am feeling. I will have to see a doctor right away to have this diagnosed.

If it is a hernia, I have no idea how it will impact my training for Ironman Lake Placid. I am resolved to do what is necessary to heal properly and not to take any chances to make the injury worse. If I have to miss LP this year, then so be it. I will be disappointed, but that is part of life. I am sure however, I won’t be stoic about it, once race day arrives.

Run Stats:
Time: 1:29:55
HR: 136/148
Dist: 10.5
Calories: 1049

Harriman State Park

It was cold, it was windy and it had hills. My coach told me to do this ride regardless of the weather and not to cut down my distance so I could take it easy on my 40th birthday. He has no compercy – compassion or mercy. These are just the types of traits I fancy in a coach.

It took me about an hour to drive up to the park and find an appropriate place to park. When I began my ride, it was very windy and only 49 degrees. From where I parked, the ride began with a quick 2 mile decent. Over the course of the day when descending this hill my speed would clock between 38 – 44 miles per hour.

I probably could have gone faster, but the wind was ferociously pushing against me. I was afraid to stay in an aero position as the wind gusts easily blew me from side to side on the road. I could hear the wind whistle through my spokes when strong cross wind blew. The roar of the wind was literally deafening and you could feel the air pressure build in your ears because of the sudden and steep descent.

As soon as I reached the bottom, I had to do a 180 degree turn. Within a span of a few seconds, I went from bombing down the hill at 40+ miles per hour, with my eyes tearing, my face wind burned and my ears aching, to absolutely silence and a crawling pace as the wind move behind me and I started to climb a steep section of road. It was a bit dizzying.

Overall, the park was very empty. Minimal traffic and only a handful of other cyclists. Later in the day, I did see a bunch of adventure racers on mountain bikes.

The cool temperature in the park and overcast sky made it feel more like fall than spring. This suited me just fine as I prefer the fall to spring. I passed several streams and lakes along the loop and got used to the sound of a woodpecker at one spot and the smell of a dead skunk at another. The 14.1 mile loop was a continuous series of slow climbs moderate descents and occasional flats.

All totaled I was out in the elements for 6 hours flat, covering a distance of 100 miles. The ride got difficult towards the end and I could see my average speed decreasing. I couldn’t tell if the wind had picked up or if I was just getting tired.

On one of the more difficult climbs, I yelled at my self to get up the hill. I could hear my voice echo off of the surrounding mountains. If any hikers were in the woods, they had to be wondering about the weirdo shouting to himself. During a particularly frustrating section of hill climbing, I yelled and pushed so hard, that I Iifted my front wheel off the ground. At another particular windy section, I was letting my head hang towards the floor and managed to get blown off the side of the road onto some gravel. Fortunately, I recovered and continued on with several more laps

Here are the detailed stats:

Time: 6:00:00
HR: 150/166
TiZ1(155/137): A – 1:40:11, I – 4:01:15, B – 20:00
Calories: 5005
Speed: 16.7 Avg / 44.3 Max
LAP info:

Harriman State Park Bike Route

Last Days

Thursday was my last day off before starting my new job. I took two weeks off between jobs. The time off was great while it lasted. I could really get into living the life of a fulltime Triathlete. Wake up late, do a workout, eat, nap, do another workout, eat, play with my children, write, read, eat, watch TV, sleep. It is an existence for which I was born. I just have to figure out a way to make it pay well.

For the day, I did my first Brick workout post IMAZ. I felt pretty good and had a good session. Here are the stats: Bike: 25M in 1:17:00 Run Distance 3.1M in 26:00

Friday was the last day before my 40th birthday. Starting with my next race, I will be one of the youngest people in the 40 - 44 Age Group. It will be nice to have an advantage.

I am not sure where Friday’s workout came from, as I thought I was tired. A 1 mile warm-up and then increased the pace until I reached between 85-90 percent HR. It took a while to get above 85%, but once I did I was able to hold it. I wasn't sure for a while that I could get above 85%, so I was pleasantly surprised when I did. I didn't think I had that type of effort in me today.

After about 5.5 miles at 85%+ effort, I kind of had enough. I took the last 1.5 miles relatively easy at 78%.

I definitely got something going on in my lower abdominals. I can now pinpoint the muscle. Possibly a groin muscle? I will have to get a doctor to check it out. It doesn't affect my running, but I definitely feel it.

Here are the run stats:
Time: 1:02:20
Hr: 153/168
Lap Splits: 2.8M - 22:40, 2.5M - 17:52, 2.5M - 19:51, .3M - 1:59


Today is my 40th birthday. I am going to celebrate it by driving up to Harriman State Park and ride 100 miles worth of hills in the rain and wind. I couldn’t get anyone to join me in this endeavor. I will have to train very hard so I inflict so much pain upon myself that I don’t think about getting lonely. I am sure I won’t see many other people with the foul weather.

Better to Finish Dead Last than to Give Up

Today was a pretty standard training day for me. 4000 yards worth of Masters Swim followed by a 12 mile run in Central Park. It was a gloriously clear and sunny morning and the run was uneventful. My body is starting to feel the effects of training hard again, but the feeling is more satisfying than anything.

Later in the day, I did some supplemental bike riding with my 5 year old son. Those 3 miles of riding were more thrilling for me than any race I’ve done. Here is a training summary before I get to some remaining items on my mind:

Masters Swim: 4000 yards in approximately 1:13:00

Run -
Distance: 12M
Time: 1:36:00
HR: 147/164
Central Park Upper 5M Loop 1 time: 40:29
Central Park Upper 5M Loop 2 time: 38:41

On to other items –

It appears that I am stirring things up on my Tri Club’s discussion board. I responded to a couple of postings and certain people took my messages the wrong way. For my response to the posting about a group ride being cancelled (see Abuse Ride), I received the following response:

I just want to say Charles I think your email was a little harsh!!! We have a lot of people just getting back into their training and they don't need to feel bad about not wanting to train in the rain or for canceling rides do to bad weather conditions, whether its good for race day or not. Thank you


Oh please… There was nothing so bad about what I posted. Fortunately, someone came to my defense:

In mild defense of Charles: it's probably a good idea to be prepared for all conditions...and riding in the rain is one of them. I just hate to get my bike all crudded up and have to take it apart and clean it...and leading a pack of beginner riders on wet roads, during the 5 borough bicycle tour, seemed like a perfect storm (so to speak) of hazardous conditions.


I also couldn’t let that response go unanswered. Here was my retort:

I am sorry if my email was harsh. It was meant more to inspire than to criticize. I do understand people's desires not to ride in foul weather, especially if they are beginners.

However, the ride was for Intermediate riders, not beginners and it was completely cancelled. If people didn't want to show up because of bad weather, then that is their prerogative. What if others wanted to go? I just don’t think the ride should have been cancelled. Adjustments to the planned ride could have been made to accommodate the bad weather conditions.


Later this week another message was posted that I felt compelled to reply to. The posting went like this:

Subject: Alley Park Duathlon - Queens, NY
Posted: May 3 2005 8:43PM
Message:
is anyone doing this race? it's a 3mile Run/ 18mile Bike/ 3mile Run duathlon. Since i'm new to multi-sports this seems achievable to me. if you are not embarrassed by someone who may come in second to last (notice not DEAD LAST) i am planning on doing it and we can go together.


This is a favorite topic of mine. I have no fear of finishing last. In fact I stand a much greater capacity and chance to finish last in a race, than I will ever have of finishing first. Here was my reply:


I would rather be dead last and finish, than to quit and post a DNF because I gave up. Good luck at Alley Park! You will do great.


Of course, someone took this message the wrong way. The person proceeded to disagree with me and write a lecturing message about DNF’ing if you are injured, sick, etc. and the stigma associated with posting a DNF. I would post the whole ridiculous message here, but the more I read it, the more I didn’t want to have such blather posted on my blog.

This person missed the whole point of what the original message was about. The original poster was concerned about being embarrassed with a poor performance. The only thing in my opinion you should be embarrassed about is quitting just because you think you are doing poorly. One of the people I will admire for all time is Luvsanlkhundeg Otgonbayar, the 22 year old female marathoner who finished dead last, over 30 minutes after the previous finisher at the 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon. Now that in my opinion takes a tremendous amount of guts to do, especially being on a world stage. I only hope that I have so much courage if I am doing that badly in such a public forum. I replied as such in another retort.

I am feeling very feisty lately. However, the person who started the discussion later sent me an email thanking me for my second reply.

Gingerbread Man

Today I worked out some inners demons while on my bike. I’ve been feeling very sluggish and mentally blah the past couple of days. I was getting annoyed at myself for these feelings so I decided to gut out a tough workout to beat them out of my system.

Today’s workout called for me to “stand on all hills using big chain ring and hard cog. Spin on downhills. Sprint long down hill. Aero position when not standing.” I for the most part held true to this workout, except towards the end when I decided to sprint the last 10 miles.

At around the 15 mile mark of my ride (10 miles remaining), I spotted a peloton about a half mile in front of me. I decided to chase them down just to see if I could. Within a loop of the park I caught them on the downhill section. I could tell from some of the riders looks that they were wondering “who is this guy”. I was feeling good at this point and decided to be the Gingerbread Man, thinking to myself that they can’t catch me. The riders started to form on my wheel, but in the end only one person was able to hang with me. The rest of the peloton was long gone.

Like the Gingerbread Man, I was probably foolish in the end. My workout didn’t call for me to go so hard for so long, but mentally it made me feel much better. I will just have to sacrifice some short term physical recovery for some mental rejuvenation. Hopefully I didn’t eat up my strength for the weekend ahead.

Ride Stats:
Time: 1:15:00
HR: 141/166
Distance: 25
TiZ2(148/130): A – 26:49, I – 33:53, B – 14:22
Calories Burned: 940
Calories Consumed: 350
3.4M loop splits:
10:52
10:24
10:09
10:14
9:38
9:18
9:16

Abuse Ride

Today was an abusive workout. Steady rain, wind and an air temperature of 51 degrees. I already started the workout tired from my past two training days. I really didn’t feel like being outside in the muck, but I forced myself to do it. My inner sadist drove me to continue, while my mind tried to rationalize what I was doing. I told myself to give the sadist at least 50 miles and then maybe he would be happy.

I was the only rider in the park for the first hour or so. Eventually, I saw another two riders. They made a comment about seeing another rider in the park as I passed them. That was the only time I saw them. I suspect that the elements were too much and they bailed out of the ride.

At one point during the climb up Prospect Park’s lone hill, I saw a bunch of young children tying ribbons around a May Pole. I thought it was odd to see them so early in the morning and in the rain. They didn’t stay for long after completing the pole and neither did the pole itself. After another hour or so, some people in a truck came to remove the pole. I didn’t understand the point of making a May Pole so early in the morning and removing it before anyone could come out in the park to see it.

I continued riding and the laps, miles and hours started to pass. One hour bled into two and then two into three. By now I knew I could finish my 75 mile ride as I figured I could keep lasting one more hour. I was very wet at this point and I started to feel a blister forming on the palm of my hand from my wet glove rubbing against it. My hands were very cold and when I stopped to take a piss break, the thought of running my hands under my urine stream to warm them up crossed my mind.

I was just over the 50 mile mark at this point and then my cellphone rang. ST called to let me know he was just rolling out of bed and would be in the park shortly. With some company soon arriving I knew it would be easier to pass the remaining miles.

On my next trip up the hill, I finally noticed that my front tire was looking a little soft. I checked it out when I reached the top and realized that it was probably just about flat for a while now. It has been well over a year since I got a flat so I really couldn’t complain. I sat down on the wet ground and took my time to change the tube. I used a CO2 cartridge to inflate the tire. The sudden decompression of the cartridge caused it to freeze. This is ordinarily not a problem, but since my hands were wet, the cartridge froze onto the palm of my hand causing immediate frostbite. Having a CO2 cartridge freeze onto my blistered palm is an experience I will not soon forget.

When I restarted riding, the ground had started to dry. The sun was starting to break through the clouds offering a glimpsed of the beautiful afternoon the day would soon become. ST finally arrived to the park at this point. He blamed his late start on some late night dinner companions, but I suspect he just wanted to avoid the rain. He is such a fair weather athlete.

By the time I arrived home, my bike was as messy as I have ever seen it. The chain was completely washed clean of lubrication and the drive chain sounded like an old car being started in the dead of winter. I took the bike to my backyard to hose it off, degrease and clean it. It took the better part of an hour to get it back into a somewhat presentable state. At least the sun was brightly shining at this point and the sun’s rays felt good against my still chilled body.

I spent the remainder of the day with my children in Prospect Park where we practiced hitting, catching and throwing a baseball (plastic). I am glad the weather cleared up to allow me this time in the park with them. It would have been terrible if I hung around the house until the weather cleared to begin my ride.

I read an email posted to my tri club (http://www.agtri.com/) message board about the group ride being cancelled because of the weather. What a bunch of slackers. Here is the message I posted in response to the cancellation:

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Hmmm. Come on people, you need to toughen yourselves up!!! What are you going to do if it is raining come race day? Bail out? You must train through all conditions to be prepared. You never know what race day will bring.

I back these statements up by reporting that I started riding at 7:30am this morning in the pouring rain and finished 73 miles in 4 hours. Full details of my ride will be posted on my blog later.

Of course, if conditions were dangerous; i.e. lightening, hail, hurricane force winds or tornados, I would have bailed out. In bad conditions, just stay local in Central or Prospect parks. Persevering through tough conditions will give you the mental fortitude to excel on race day.
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I probably insulted or pissed some of them off with this posting, but I don’t care. You need to be tough to do your best. This includes training in bad weather.

Here are my ride stats:
Time: 4:00:41
Distance: 73
HR: 139/163
TIZ2: A – 0:44:25, I - 2:38:08, B – 0:38:08
Calories Burned: 2933
Calories Consumed: 1000
Water Consumed: 48 ounces

Lots of gunk today!

Contrasting Vistas

I am a bit sore today. Yesterday I ran 13.5 miles through the hills around Lake George. The climbs were long and steep and wound along country roads. It was raining slightly, which made the several streams I passed flow with a touch more urgency. I was thirsty and tempted to sip the clean cool water. I covered a 4.5 mile loop three times. I could tell by the look of the locals that they were not used to seeing runners pass through these road, especially more than one time.

While I didn’t have difficulty climbing the hills, I could tell my body is just not used to climbing anything more than a half mile long. My legs were kind of surprised at the extra exertion needed to reach the top of a hill and my calves and gluteus are letting me know that they are less than pleased today. It just goes to prove the old training adage that your body adapts to the stresses you place on it. Doing the same type of training over and over again, will only you extremely efficient at that type of training and won’t prepare you for new or different challenges.

The toughest part of this run was the downhill section. While the main uphill segment was over a mile long, the trip down was covered in what felt like a quarter mile. Running down such a steep incline kind of freaks me out. There is such an out of control element to it and I feared slipping or tripping. I had to be very careful with my footfalls or else I braked too hard, causing a severe amount of stress on my knees. The first time down was difficult. The next two times, I just relaxed and flew down the hill. I bet I was running 5 minute miles. I just sort of leaned into the downhill and let my legs fly; kicking back high and spending a lot of time off the ground like I practiced previously.

So now I am back in Brooklyn and going for a 75 mile ride around Prospect Park. It will be nothing like riding country roads through the Adirondacks with trees and stream crossings every couple of miles. I always marvel at the contrast of the roads from just a few hours driving. At around 5pm last evening, I was on one lane country roads with the forest on both sides of me. Three hours later, I was driving on worn out asphalt roads around the housing projects along Third Avenue Brooklyn, near the Gowanus Canal. I was thirsty and not even slightly tempted to sip the water.

Here are the stats:
Time: 1:52:25
HR: 140/164
Dist: 13.5
TiZ1(155/137): A - 0:12:02, I - 1:03:45, B - 0:36:39
Calories: 1429
Loop1 - 43:20
Loop2 - 34:22
Loop3 - 34:43

My Lake George run route. Points 1 and 5 are connected by a road.