Hurricane!!!

Hurricane Irene as of 9:10AM, Saturday night.

Tuesday there was an earthquake...not a terribly traumatic event, but enough to wake everyone up on the East Coast.  Five days later we are now all hunkered down in our homes far away from the coast (if you're not, you should be) waiting out Hurricane Irene.  It is absolutely pouring our right now and I am a solid 40 miles in land.  My parents are here with us, they live two blocks from the beach in Lavallette.  We are glued to the Weather Channel hoping that the storm surge isn't too bad and that the winds don't get too strong so that their house remains safe.

More to come tomorrow or Monday. Stay safe everyone!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy....but No Training

Wow, it has been eleven days since I wrote here.  That is a long time for me.  Unfortunately I don't have a whole lot of good stuff to write about here.  I have been pretty busy with work and family stuff, but not much in the way of training.  I have pretty much accepted that this was my year off following my BIG race last year.  I don't think I am going to do anymore triathlons this season, I just don't have the time or the money to do it.  Add to that the lack of training I have done over the past eight months and I just wouldn't be happy with the performance of any race I would do.  I am going to start focusing back on my running over the next couple months and try to get back to a sub-20 minute 5K and try to run a solid half marathon in the winter/spring.  Hopefully I will be able to join a pool this winter so that I can get my swim back to where it was this time last year..

Here is a little taste of what has been going on over the past week and a half:

Saturday August 13th - I rode from my house in Pennsylvania down to my 'rents in Lavallette, a nice 75 mile ride through the nicest parts of NJ.  I averaged around 19.3 MPH for the ride which I am very happy with considering my time on my bike has been few and far between (last year I did the same ride at 20.3 MPH).

Sunday, August 14th - My daughter did her first multisport race ever!!!  It was supposed to be a triathlon but there was heavy rain and decided to eliminate the bike portion.  It ended up being a 50yd swim and 1.5 mile run.  My daughter did AWESOME!!!  She will be faster than me one day.

 Here she is finishing up the run.

Proud Mom with little sister holding the trophy and big sis eating a well deserved Italian ice.

August 16th - 19th - I was down in Lavallette with my girls for a few days.  It was my most time off from work in a while.  We had a great time together.  Wednesday we spent the whole day on the beach and finished the night off with some miniature golf (my little one had three Hole-in-Ones).  Thursday was a bit overcast so we did some crabbing, which the girls absolutely love, and managed to get about an hour up at the beach later in the day.  Friday was a full on beach day, a lot of playing in the sand and swimming in the ocean.  We headed home that night through a torrential thunderstorm.  Below are some pictures from Lavallette.

Saturday - My wife celebrated her birthday, the second time she has celebrated a B-day while majorly pregnant.  We went out to a Hibachi restaurant for dinner...it was a blast and the girls were mesmerized.

That about sums up what has been going on.  I have gotten out for a few run here and there, but nothing of consequence.  I definitely need to start running again, if nothing else but to keep my weight in check.  God knows that once the summer is over I am going to balloon up if I am not active.  Cheer!

4th of July - Good Stuff

Well, it is Tuesday and the long 4th of July weekend has come and gone.  It was a fun weekend if not an exhausting weekend.  It all started on Friday for me as I had off from work; however, that didn't mean that I wasn't busy.  It was actually an action packed day as I tried to cram as much into the day as possible before heading to the beach for the long weekend.  Here is what I had:

• 8:15AM Doctors appointment with my wife (didn't get in until 8:45AM)
• Grab breakfast and then drop her off at her office (10:15AM)
• Swing by Brooks Brother to try and buy some dress pants (unsuccessful)
• Put my daughters rooms back together (painted them last week)
• One hour bike - solid ride, around 19 miles
• One hour swim - ended up being 25 minutes
• Pack for the shore
• Pick up my wife by 4:00PM (arrived at 4:02PM)

We finally got to my parents house around 6:00PM, thanks to a ton of traffic on the way down (just getting over the Mantaloking Bridge).  Once there we ate dinner and then had to head out to see my old college roommate from my Freshman year at Rutgers.  I hadn't seen him since we graduated way back in 1993, but he still looked the same.  We had a great time catching up and also meeting each others respective families.  I do hope that we manage to keep in touch a bit more.

Saturday was a beautiful day that started out with my going for an hour run on the various Jersey Shore boardwalks (Lavallette, Ortley Beach, & Seaside Heights).  It was a my standard seven mile run from my 'rents house down to Midway Cheese Steak and back.  I forgot to look for Snookie and The Situation while I was down there, but I doubt they would have been up at 8:00AM.  As usual, my pace was slow, but I didn't manage to run a solid last mile at 8:00 pace.  After the run it was all about going up to the beach and hanging out with my daughters who I hadn't seen all week.  I was kept very busy by my oldest daughter who wanted to go into the ocean constantly.  I really had a great time with her....and also my youngest daughter (see picture to the right) who helped decorate a pyramid that I build for the girls.  I don't think we left to head back to the house until around 4:00PM.

Sunday started early for me as I had to get in a 2.5 hour bike ride.  I was out of bed by 5:10AM and on the road by 5:35AM.  I was around 20 miles out (around Belmar) when the rain hit and stayed with me for the remainder of the ride.  It really sucks riding in the rain, but then again you never know when you will have to race in weather like that.  I headed north all the way up to Deal before turning around and heading for home.  All in all it was a good ride, aside from the headwind I had to deal with on the way home, and I logged around 46 miles.  I was happy to get in such a good workout.  What about the rest of my day?  It consisted of eating four glazed donuts, two naps on the couch and then a walk up to the beach with my wife, mother and daughters (we just had to get out of the house).  It was a lazy rain day at the shore.

We made sure we were up at the beach early on Monday since we were going to be heading home by 1:30PM.  I think we were at the beach by 9:00AM and it included a lot of going in the water with my oldest.  We were definitely busy for the three hours or so that we were there, knowing that we were going to be leaving soon.

So there you have it, my busy weekend down the shore....although having read it again, it doesn't seem all that busy.  I guess when I was living it it seemed to be awfully chaotic.  Anyway, I am looking forward to a good week of training coming up.  I have an short run on tap for tonight that I am going to try and run hard as well as a swim session that I have to fit in.  The rest of the week is pretty much the same...SWIM, BIKE, RUN.  Cheers!

Am I Back?

I am going to be an optimist today and say that I am back, and by that I mean I am back on the training wagon.  Next stop:  Fast-ville!

I haven't written here in a while (over a week), but that is because I have been so busy with work and family (things are a changing...for the good!).  I have managed to fit in training a bit more frequently over the past week.  A few nights pedalling away on the trainer in the basement and two or three runs out on the roads of Doylestown, PA.

This past Saturday and Sunday were very solid from a training perspective; let me begin with Friday though.  I took the day off because my Kindergartner had her "Spring Sing" concert at school.  She was standing front and center and did absolutely amazing.  We couldn't have been prouder of the job that she did.  Following the concert, we picked up a couple hoagies for the ride to Lavallette, NJ.  We did have a quick stop on the way down....details will be forthcoming in the near future.....before finally arriving at my parents house around 3:00PM.  The rest of the day was spent chilling out and letting my daughters just have fun playing.

Saturday morning I was up and out of bed at 5:10AM and on my bike heading north at 5:30AM.  I rode up to the Manasquan Inlet (on the Point Pleasant side), took a picture of the sunrise and then turned around to face the increasing south wind.  I trekked south past my 'rents house and made my way into Island Beach State Park.  I rode around four miles into it and then turned around and headed back north with a steady wind at my back.  The ride ended up being around 39 miles and I finished it in just under two hours (~19.3 MPH average).  I was pretty happy with it, especially considering it was only my second outdoor ride so far this year.

The rest of Saturday was spent at the beach, freezing for a good portion of it, trying to keep up with my daughters who were having a blast running around in the very low tide.  We also caught up with our "summer" friends who we really missed a lot. 

I was able to sleep in a bit on Sunday, but I did manage to get in a nice seven mile run.  I ran from our house down to Seaside Heights, turning around right at Midway Cheese Steaks (they are so greasy and good/bad).  It was a slow slog as I still don't feel like I have a slightest of fitness.  I trudged and trudged.  Once I got back to the Lavallette boardwalk I kicked it into a higher gear and managed to run the final mile in 7:58.  WOW, finally a sub-8 minute mile. DANG!!!

The rest of the day...you guessed it, up at the beach with the family.  The weather was a bit better, slightly warmer, but still not the advertised 80F.  I still had fun with the girls, playing in the sandbar with them, playing catch and digging a giant hole for them. 

Monday was an early departure from the shore as we had a ton of stuff to take care of, specifically lots of food shopping.  We did manage to head over to our pool for about and hour and a half, thanks to the desperate pleas from my oldest daughter.  I couldn't get over how warm the water was, especially this early in the season.  It will make for easier swim training now that I will be doing it all there at the pool as opposed to my old gym.

Now for why I think I am back in business with regard to my training.  Two things:

1. I stayed up until 10:00PM last night putting together a training program.  I have printed it out and I will have it next to my bed at home for me to follow!
2. I dragged my butt out of bed this morning at 5:05AM and went for a run.  It was a slow and short run, but I did manage to get it done.  I got out of bed, got dressed and actually ran.  This was a huge step for me.  So, I am going to say here and now that I am back and ready to start training for the NJ State Triathlon on July 24th. 

Happy training to everyone!  Cheers!

Surfing in Lavallette

First let me state that I am not a surfer.  I do go surfing on occasion, but for the most part I am an 38 year old guy that never had the opportunity to learn to surf as a young kid (opting for the much easier body/boogie boarding).  However, around 10 -- 15 years ago I decided to try to learn how to surf.  I have gotten OK at it, being able to stand up and ride waves of very small height with relative confidence.  I ride an 8'-6" "Farrelly by Gordon & Smith" long board that was left at my grandmothers house around 20 years ago by a friend of my cousin.  I make due with what I have.

So with all of that said, here are some pictures of me from this past Saturday night, surfing down in Lavallette on 2' - 3' waves.  It was some much fun getting out there and splashing around in the surf.  The fact that I was able to catch more than a few waves and go "back-side" was a revelation for me and got me totally stoked.  I vow to try and get out at least a few more times before the summer is over....I just hope there are waves when we go down.

Here I am going back-side on a "massive" two foot wave...I am concentrating so hard at this point.

Doing my best to go left and get into the "gaping" barrel of another 2' wave.

This is how most of rides end up, with me flailing helplessly as I go one way and my board goes the other.  Still fun none-the-less....plus my daughters like when I fall more than when I am actually surfing, they laugh hysterically at me.

Just a Tremendous Weekend

What a fantastic weekend!  I was down in Lavallette at my 'rents house, with my wife and daughters.  Training aside, we just had such a good time at the beach, in the ocean, and just hanging out.  I was able to get out and go surfing for bit on Saturday night and Sunday morning (more on that later) and I perked a bit of interest in my oldest daughter who now wants to surf.  Anyway, here's how the weekend went down....

Friday
After my horrific run in the scorching heat, I did some more work (gotta pay the bills) and then decided to head to Fanny Chapman Pool to get my 3,000 yd straight swim in.  I felt pretty good for the first 1,000 yds (18:00) and then everything started to slow down considerably after that.  I think my second 1,000 was around 19:00 and my last 1,000 was close to 20:00....yeah, very slow.  I think the hour run at noon might have contributed to my lack of speed and energy at the end of my swim.

Following the swim I had to do some driving, e.g. pick-up nutrition for my weekend training, pick up my girls from camp, etc.  Then it was home to pack up the car and head to the shore (it took around two hours for us to get down, so frustrating).  Me and the little ones were really happy to be there.

Saturday

I was up at 4:30AM and out the door riding by 5:15AM, despite the looming thunder and lightning to the south.  So which way did I head?  South of course, down to Island Beach State Park.  I rode from my 'rents house to the end of the park (~14.2 miles) and back, encountering a little rain, but nothing that would stop a ride.  With a little over 28 miles done, I headed north to Point Pleasant (~10 miles).  Once in Point Pleasant, riding along the boardwalk, the weather started to improve and the sun popped out from behind the early morning clouds (pic to the right).  It was here that I really started to enjoy the ride, the sun was visible, sky was clearing to a beautiful light blue, and I was relaxed and cruising at around 20 MPH towards home.  It was such a good feeling...not necessarily a smile on my face below, but definitely not a frown. 

I ended up putting in 48 miles in exactly 2:30:00, good for 19.2 MPH, with my average cadence right at 95 RPM.

Immediately following my ride I did a quick change into my running shorts and I headed out for my 15 minute run (transition was around three minutes....a mellow change).  I actually felt really good, and my pace was a solid 7:40/mile.  I wasn't trying to run "fast", but rather I was just going with how I felt and how my legs would carry me.  I finished around 1.9+ miles in 15 minutes.

After a cold shower and breakfast, it was time to head up to the beach with the family.  It was kind of an odd day in that my youngest daughter really didn't want to be at the beach.  In fact, around 11:00AM she told my wife she wanted to head home and take a nap (and the went home and she took a two hour nap).  I stayed up at the beach with my 'rents and my oldest.  We had a good time playing in the ocean (moderate sized surf), ducking under and floating over the waves.  I can't get over how confident my daughter is in the ocean, which is a good thing.  The one thing that I can say is that she is also learning to respect the ocean, as the current was a bit strong (very strong for a seven year old), and she would get whisked away pretty quickly when I wasn't holding on to her.  That got her attention quickly.

After heading home and chilling for a bit (including eating dinner), it was time for me to head back up to the beach for some sunset surfing (almost sunset).  I haven't been out riding waves in about two year, but I was excited to get out there.  The surf was only about 2 - 3 foot, but that was perfect for me and my 8' Gordon & Smith (Farrelly by Gordon & Smith).  I had a blast!  I forgot how much fun surfing is, even when wiping out, it is still fun (I hope to have pictures in the next day or two).  The highlight of the night though wasn't my surfing experience, but rather my friend Dan's son (Shane, 5 years old with bright blue eyes).  It was his first time trying to surf on a real surf board.  Dan would start him off and I would stay ahead of him should he wipe out or get caught under.  Shane stood up on his first wave and immediately fell in love with surfing.  He must have ridden six more waved before calling it a night (actually Dan called it a night).  The look on both of there faces were priceless, one beaming with pride (Dan), the other with pure joy and excitement (Shane).  Such a great way to end the night.  Oh, also, my oldest daughter was convinced that she would be learning to surf now as well (I was starting to beam with excitement).

Sunday

I was up and out of the house by 6:15AM for a 30 minute ride, down to Seaside Park and back, keeping my cadence up near 100 RPMs (10.2 miles in 33 minutes, 18,5 MPH).  My legs were a touch sore, but the ride loosened them up.  I rested for about five minutes following my ride, then headed out on my hour run.  I felt surprisingly good, my feet moved quickly, my legs didn't feel heavy.  I chose to just run the Lavallette boardwalk because there are water fountains every quarter mile or so, and I didn't want to carry water with me.  Not much to report, just ran the boardwalk, up and back, up and back.  Total run was 1:00:30, 7.25 miles, 8:20/mile pace....just a solid run (much better than my Friday afternoon run, whew that was bad). 

I took a quick shower, ate and then headed to the beach with my oldest to try to teach her to surf.  In short, the surf was a bit rougher than the night before, Dan and Shane didn't make it up, and the confidence that had been there disappeared.  There was not going to be an in-water surf lesson (just "popping" on the beach).  Regardless, we had fun up there until the rest of the clan showed up around 9:45AM.  I did manage to get out and ride a few waves before the lifeguards yelled at me to get out.

The rest of the day was spent at the beach, body surfing,  going in and out of the water with my 7-year old, "jumping the waves" with my 5-year old, and doing my best to rest in between.  Even though it was really friggin' hot out, we all had a great day.

Today

I woke up at 6AM and was sore all over.  The beach did me in.  My neck is still sore, although it is not debilitating.  I am considering heading over to my sports doc to have him fix it, something I should have done last week.  Time to get some work done....and try not to fall asleep.  NJ State Triathlon on Saturday, I am hoping to finish in the top 30.  Adios!

368 Days & Still Training

I just looked back to when I first started writing this blog and I realized that it has been a year and a three days (368 days) since  I first began documenting my training and life in general.  I can't believe that it has been that long.  I don't have anything deep or insightful, in fact I really don't have anything else to say about the past year.

So....what the heck has been going on with me over the past week or so?  Actually a lot...time for a recap.

Thursday
I was in the pool and I was in a lot of pain.  My legs were killing me and I felt achy all over.  I had to do a straight 2,550M (53:00) swim and because my legs (hips specifically) were in so much pain, I actually did the entire swim with a pull buoy.  I know that this is probably a no-no, but it was the only way I was going to get it done.  When I finished up, I hopped out of the pool and my whole body was killing me, from my shoulders down to my feet.  It was not a good feeling to say the least.  I wondered if this was all connected to the fever and sickness I had the previous week (suspected Fifth's Disease).

Later on in the day, lunchtime actually, I was out on my bike for an hour ride.  I rode from my office out to Peapack, NJ, a beautiful ride along nice smooth roads.  I was supposed to concentrate on keeping my cadence up over 100+ RPMs, not sure if I managed that or not, although I think I was close.  The ride totalled a little over 19 miles, for about a 19.2 MPH average.  FYI, the soreness was still very much there .

Friday
I was off on Friday and me and the family were down in Lavallette visiting with my 'rents.  I was so happy to be down the shore and the weather outlook for the weekend was awesome.  I started out the day by doing getting in my hour run early so I could spend the majority of the day on the beach with my girls.  I don't recall the details but it was about 7.3 miles all run on the Lavallette boardwalk....about 2.75 laps total.  It got a bit monotonous but at least I had a view of the ocean for the entire run.

After the run it was up to the beach to play with my girls and hang out with my parents.  It was a great day up at the beach, ~85F, sunny and the water was around 67F and clear as can be. 

Saturday

I was up bright and early on Saturday so that I could get my three hour ride in before it got to late.  I had hoped to be out the door and riding by 5:00AM, but it ended up being a little closer to 5:30AM by the time I actually left.  The winds were favorable so I opted to head north and ride for about an hour and a half before turning around.  I was able to catch the tail end of the sunrise as I went over the Point Pleasant bridge (see pics below)

From there it was north through Brielle, Spring Lake, Belmar, Avon-by-the-Sea, Bradley Beach, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park (see picture of the Stone Pony below),

Deal, and finally turning around in Long Branch (just past Seven Presidents Park...see picture of beach).

I stopped briefly to eat a Powerbar and then it was time to make my way back to Lavallette.  Honestly, it was a perfect morning for a ride, a slight wind blowing from the west, not too warm out (yet), and I felt good for the most part.  I pulled onto my parents street right around 8:30AM, finishing my 55.55 mile ride almost exactly in three hours.  I averaged 18.5 MPH, but that is skewed by traffic lights, stop signs and a general laziness on my part.  I tried to keep my cadence right around 95 RPMs for the entire ride which meant I was riding right around 19-20 MPH for the entire duration.  I was conscious of keeping my heart rate below 150 BPMs as well.  It ended up being a great ride and my only regret is that I could have gone a bit faster and a bit farther.

The rest of the day was spent up at the beach with my wife, my girls and my 'rents.  It was a phenomenal day, an absolutely perfect beach day!  The highlight of the day was my oldest daughter boogie boarding and absolutely loving it. She was just so excited to get in the water and float around, swim, dive, etc.  I get so excited seeing her loving the things that I love as well, e.g. playing soccer, body boarding/surfing, swimming, etc. 

Sunday -  4th of July!!!

Ugh, I was so tired and so sore.  I initially wanted to get out and run at 6:00AM, but it just wasn't happening.  The sad part is that my wife and I were in bed by 9:30AM and I just couldn't drag myself out of bed.  I think I finally got up and on the road around 7:30AM, so much later than I wanted to.  The run was rough, slow and slogging...that is until around mile 4 when a total stranger ran up behind me and told me that "out target was Van Halen".  I was very confused.  I ended up running with him for the next mile or so (we caught Van Halen).  He (later finding out his name was Jim) was a God-send, he helped to pick me up from what had been a very bad run.  In total I ran 10.3 miles in 1:30 (8:44/mile pace), but the last six miles were all sub-8:30, which gives you an idea as to how the first 4 miles were.
 
Again, we spent the entire day up at the beach, from 10:00AM until 4:15PM.  I could rave about the weather and the water, but I couldn't do it justice.  We all had a great time playing in the sand, swimming in the ocean, etc.  I will point out that my oldest daughter had three solid wipe outs on the boogie board.  She was not a happy camper, with the third one ending her day in the water.
 
One thing to note which frustrates me about the Jersey shore....I decided to go for a swim in the ocean, I wanted to swim between the jetties (groins), which are about .15 mile apart.  I threw on my goggles and swam one length, then was going to hop out and run back and do it again.  On exiting the water a lifeguard told me that I had to swim between the flags (the "swimming area").  I should have known that I would get scolded for my "extreme" swim stunt, but seriously, swim between the flags?  So ridiculous!
 
We capped off the day/night by watching Lavallette's 4th of July firework celebration.  The girls were in awe of them, at least I think they were. 
 
Monday
REST DAY!!!!  We drove home from the shore the night before and we all slept in until around 7:15AM.  We did nothing all day.  Actually, I did do a bagel run with my youngest while my wife and oldest headed to the food store (we had no food in the house).  After that, we did nothing!  It was such a nice and relaxing day.
 
That is it for now.  Time to get some work done.  I have a busy day.  Adios!

Two Girls and a Lavallette Weekend

I am sitting on my parents deck down in Lavallette, NJ.  "This is Me" by Demi Lovato (Camp Rock soundtrack) is playing loudly as my two daughters sing and dance...actually I have to admit that I do sing the Joe Jonas part of the song despite the protests from the girls.  The only thing missing is my lovely wife who has run off to Naples, FL for a girls weekend, sunning it up and staying out later partying (actually heard that their latest night has been 10:00PM). 

I got up and out of the house this morning around 7:00AM to get in my 1:30 ride, from my 'rents down to the end of Island Beach State Park (around 29 miles).  The first half of the ride was a little slow since there was a south wind, not really strong, but enough to keep my average speed around 17 MPH.  The ride is a nice one, very little traffic, surrounded by sand, grass, some trees and the occassion bit of wild life.  Yeah, it is straight as an hour for six miles, but it could be a lot worse.

I couldn't wait for the turnaround after riding into the wind for 18 miles or so.  Once I got the end, I ate a Pop-Tart, drank some Gatorade, and headed back. 

The difference going north was signicant as my average speed was an easy 24 MPH and I was flying.  I was so happy that I went south first into the wind and could then reap the benefits of the wind on the way back.  All in all the ride was a success and when I got back to my 'rents, my little one was there with a big smile on her face (my girls are great!!!).

As for the past few days, it has been a great week of training for me.  By Wednesday I was feeling better following the tough day on Broad Street.  I got up early, put in 30 minutes on the trainer in the basement (watching last weeks Modern Family) then ran four miles or so at work at lunch.

Thursday was a funky day in that my wife left that house around 4:00AM for the airport, and I had morning duty with the girls.  Everything went as smoothly as I could have hoped, I got them dressed, hair done, fed them breakfast and to their respective schools all in record time.  From there it was to the pool to swim 2,500M (51 minutes or so) and then home to get some work done before the girls got home from school.  After dinner I was able to get on the trainer for 30 minutes while the girls played on the computer, they were so great to give me the time to get my training in.  They really are great kids, my wife and I are so lucky.

Friday was a work from home day before heading to the shore.  A pretty uneventful day aside from a 5+ mile run along the beach and bay.  It is such a nice change of pace to run down here, flat, cooler, change of scenery, just nice.  My run was good in that I started out around 7:57/mile and I did negative splits, finishing my last mile at 7:33 pace. 

That's about it for now.  I am off to the beach with the girls.  No, it isn't going to be a sit on the beach with beach chairs and get tan, more like bring fleeces and just run around and have some fun before heading back for lunch.  I will be bring the camera with me to take some pictures of the girls and our dog Willie.  Peace out!

Unexpected Off-Season

Well, it seems that the off-season has snuck up on me. Little did I know that the training that I have been doing over the past month was going to be all for nothing. It is a shame too because I feel like my cycling has really improved and my swimming definitely has.

I did my last race on Sunday August 9th, the Steelman Olympic Distance Triathlon and was hoping to do maybe two more races before beginning my off-season training. I had planned to do the Skylands Triathlon this coming Sunday, but an unexpected business trip popped up and I can't race it. There is maybe one or two more options if I really want to race, both down the shore and in October. I am probably going to pass on both of them since I am trying to save some money up to get an indoor bike trainer so I can do some solid winter training.

The past week has been a bit of a mess, with no real consistency or structure. I did have all the best intentions but nothing ever really materialized. Here is a quick recap of the past week:


Thursday
Did a 4.3 mile run with Bill at work. Apparently I was a bit tired and my pace was slow, around 8:30/mile (36:29). I recall that the weather was a bit warmer than the days prior.

Friday
I was fortunate to be able to work from home which meant that I was able to go for a lunch time ride. I geared up and was about to leave when I noticed that the battery on my Garmin was down to one line. Damn! I decided to use it anyway, for as long as it would last. I decided to do the Federal Twist hill and then come down the road just north of it. About halfway up the hill the watch died. I felt really good for the most part. I powered up the hill and was damn proud of myself. I then made my way along the ridge and back down to the river. It was just a great ride. I think I did the 21+ mile route in around 1:13, for an average of about 17.7 MPH.

Saturday
I hit the road around 8:15am for a quick 5 mile run. It was beautiful out and I was really excited to get out and run. I did a loop south of where I live that starts on a somewhat busy road but then heads into the woods a bit and has some rolling hills. It was just such a great morning to be outside. I did the 5.1 mile route in 41:13 (8:06/mile) and could have gone a bit faster if I wanted to, but I didn't. I did have to get home and let my wife head out for her daily exercise.

After my run and a much needed shower, me and my daughters made it over to the pool for what would be their last day of spashing around. The water was cold but we had a really good time.

I ended the day/night with a quick 800 yard swim (my last time in the agua). My first lap 100 yards was in 1:33, the FASTEST I HAVE EVER SWAM 100 YARDS!!! I was psyched. the next 700 yards was pretty mellow, but I went at a good pace (1:43, 1:36, 1:48, 1:42, 1:45, 1:56, 1:43). It was then time to get home and spend some time with the family.

Sunday
I went to the shore to see my sister, brother-in-law and my nieces and nephew. I planned on going for a run but it never happened. I brought my wetsuit with me thinking I might get a swim in....cloudy skies and 30 MPH winds negated any chance of that. So what did I do? NOTHING!

Monday - Labor Day
I was home with the family and after some pancakes, my wife and I decided to take the girls for a hike. We had a lot of fun walking the trails of the park; it was really the first time that the girls have been in the "forest". Aside from a little trailblazing with ended up in some pricker bushes, it was a great experience. Heck, we even brought our dog Willie with us and he was passed out for the whole ride home.

Tuesday
Ah, back to training after two full days of from any running, biking or swimming. I hit the road with Bill and we did our standard 4.3 miles in 36:12 (8:27/mile). Yeah, it was slow and neither one of us was looking to push the pace. Looking at my HR and the obscenely low number of 145 BPM means that I really took it easy.

Well that does if for my week recap. I hope to get out and run tonight after "Back to School Night", although I don't know if it is going to happen. I have my fingers crossed.

Beach Ride and Takin' it Easy

It has been a bit of while since I last wrote here. I usually do most of my daily recaps during lunchtime at work and I just so happen to be off of work this week so I don't have a whole lot of time to do updating. Why you may ask? Well, I am spending my days at the Fanny Chapman Pool with my two daughers. We are basically there from 11:30am until 4:30pm, just playing in the water having a good ole time.

One may think that having a week off from work would lend itself to training opportunities galore, but that just isn't the case when one has to keep there eyes on an ever curious and energetic 6 year old and a 4 year old shy, Daddy's girl. My role for the past few days has been the following: human diving board, virtual sling shot, mushy rock climbing wall and manual elevator....all while in waist to shoulder deep water. I have either had to get up at 6:00am to go running or ran over to the pool right before dinner to squeeze in a few laps.

Friday
I woke up around 6:45am and after a bit of putzing around I left for my bike ride to Lavallette. It was supposed to be around a 72 mile ride but I forgot to print out directions and missed a very crutial turn which added about 4 miles to the journey. It wasn't a terrible thing, but it did cause me to show up to see my daughters about twenty minutes later than I had planned. Final stats for the ride were as follows: 76.17 miles, 4:03:15, average of 18.8 MPH. My speed would have been faster had I not hit just about every red light during the last ten miles or so of the ride. I was very happy with my effort.

Saturday
I didn't really do a darn thing. I was a bit sore from my ride on Friday, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't have gone out and ran or swam. I did have a great time with my family on the beach.

Sunday
Back in Doylestown and a fun family day at the pool. I did manage to get in a 1,500 yard swim right before the pool closed. It was one of the best swims I have every had. I have been reading the books, "Be Iron Fit" and "Going Long" and the swimming information I have taken from them has had an immediate impact on my swimming.

Monday
I planned on running after dinner but it just didn't happen. It was a long day of playing at the the pool with my girls, then doing some work around the house, then dinner, then just not wanting to go out and do anything. I was beat.

Today
I got up around 6:20am and went out for a four mile run. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was significant in that I was able to get up and do an early morning run. I think my pace was around 8:30/mile (very slow)....but again, at least I got up and got it done. Then spend the day at the pool with the girls and squeezed in a swim right before dinner. It was only 1,000 yards, but I did get into the water.

That is about it for now. I am exhausted and really need to get some sleep. I never thought I would ever hear myself say this, but I can't wait until I am done with vacation so that I can get back to my normal training routine. Have a great night and get your rest!!!

Uncertain Future

It is four days after my Olympic Distance triathlon and I haven't been doing all that much. Actually I don't really feel like I have a direction right now. I am about 50/50 on doing the Skylands Triathlon on September 13th, I might do another one in October, but besides that I don't have any other races planned. This is very odd for me in that I always seem to have something off on the horizon, a triathlon, road race, etc., that dictates my training. I guess I really need to decide what I am going to be doing over the next two or three months.

As for this week thus far, I have just been doing what I feel like doing. I opted for a rest day on Monday since my quads were still killing me. Tuesday I went for a relatively easy 4.3 mile run with a my friend Bill. It was nice to just get out and stretch my legs a bit, oh and to have a few laughs along the way. Wednesday I decided to run a bit faster and hoped that I wouldn't feel like crap. I was surprised that I felt pretty good and was actually able to mainain an 8:18/mile pace over 5+ miles and my heartrate averaged 153 BPM, which is great considering how I had felt leading up to my past couple races. I had hoped to squeeze in a swim either on Tuesday or Wednesday night but meetings and weather put the kibosh on thos plans.

My plans for the rest of the week are somewhat up in the air at the present. I was hoping to get to the pool tonight but the weather is absolute crap. The fact that I haven't really swam all that much over the past two weeks isn't a good thing. Being that my swimming is pretty average (and that is probably over estimating my ability), it is very important that I continue swimming as much as possible. Friday is the big question mark right now. I was planning to ride from my house in Doylestown, PA down to my parents house at the Jersey Shore. It is a 72 mile ride that I was going to try and make closer to 80 miles. My daughters have been spending the week with my parents, enjoying the beach and all things that are the beach. My wife is supposed to drive down after work and we are planning on spending the night and Saturday down there. Some possible complications have arisen and we might be making a new plan.

I really do want to do the ride, something about getting on a bike and riding 70 - 80 miles that is just so cool. I still haven't done a century ride yet and I did ponder turning this ride into one, just that I don't think I have enough mileage to really do it successfully. Anyway, I hope my plans work out and I get my ride in and then get to spend the rest of the day at the beach with my little girls. Ciao!