The overall planxx Hey you, this log goes in reverse chronological order!
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Wednesday, August 31st: Masters swim. Man, am I feeling good in the water for a guy who has hardly done any swimming for the past several months. I know the stamina wouldn't be there if we were doing anything overly aerobic in nature, but the feel is certainly there. Lots of drill/swim based stuff. Good morning. Good opening month. Now we move on to September.
| Bike miles for the week=20.1 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=1:52 | Total training time for August=13:37 |
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Monday, August 29th: AM--Masters swim! We're back in business! Did 55 minutes of drilling and swimming. I actually felt fairly decent. Even hit a 100 at 1:30 on the end of a 5 x 100 (on 2:00) set.
PM--Rode with Beth and Ken. Great night. Almost crashed into a chunk of the road that had been removed (I should obey barricades that say 'Right Lane Closed.'
| Bike miles for the week=20.1 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=0:55 | Total training time for August=12:40 |
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Sunday, August 28th: Rode twenty with Beth (finished up at Alterra for a large strong).
| Bike miles for the week=96.5 | Run miles for the week=0.8 | Swim time for the week=1:22 | Total training time for August=10:24 |
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Friday, August 26th and Saturday, August 27th: No training on Friday. I'm way ahead on the hours needed for August so I figured that having to actually work as a function of a contractual obligation was enough for one day. Went to Mike Mulligan's wake after work. He finally found a way to make me mad at him. Very sad.
Got up on Saturday with the intent of doing a 15 minute run. Got 7 minutes into it before the calf became a problem---not a full blowout as in the past, just a problem. Had I kept running it certainly would have blown up. So this is truly and genuinely an issue again. I did some reading on the web and have decided to give it ten days from today. So I'll run again on Tuesday, September 6th. The plan will be to start at 15 minutes, alone (company doesn't work on the comeback trail), on flat/even surfaces. In the meantime, I'll ice and drink sea-salt laced fluids daily. How d'ya like them apples? OK, that's the plan.
New WR in the 10K yesterday. I ranted on the message board. American distance running is out of its tailspin and now resting comfortably on the ground, a pile of wreckage
| Bike miles for the week=76.4 | Run miles for the week=0.8 | Swim time for the week=1:22 | Total training time for August=9:04 |
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Thursday, August 25th: Rode 19.6 miles with Beth. It was fun. Found out that a former student died a few days ago. Very sad.
| Bike miles for the week=76.4 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=1:22 | Total training time for August=8:57 |
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Wednesday, August 24th: Back in the water for another round of you are in the most suckable shape possible for a guy who did an IM less than a year ago. This chest thing has me hacking up green and yellow shit like a chainsmoker. Only after a given amount of the green and yellow shit is cleared can I actually breath---as if being in terrible physical condition isn't bad enough.
Oh, and Gordo rules. Listen and know the truth (using Windows Media)---If you're still stuck in the 20th century, click here for Real Player.
| Bike miles for the week=56.8 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=1:22 | Total training time for August=7:39 |
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Tuesday, August 23rd: Rode with K2 up to Virmond Pk. and back. My feet are cramped in my biking shoes which, according to K2, is connected to my fatness since fatness splays out the feet more as the arch can't support all the fatness bearing down upon the feet. Makes sense. This chest aggravation I've been dealing with since Cincy is a real pain in the ass. I swear it compromises my breathing somewhat, especially early in the morning.
But anyway, it was a good ride. Beautiful day--mid 60's, sunny.
| Bike miles for the week=56.8 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=0.42 | Total training time for August=6.59 |
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Monday, August 22nd: Swam! Damn, I swam! Saw Zak. He's ready to go. We're supposed to be up and running with masters next week. I warmed up with 400 yards with every 4th 25=choice. Then I went through a full sequence of drills (50 drill/50 swim) with lots of rest. Anaerobic doesn't do much for me today. Then I did 50's on the 1:30, just working on technique. It actually felt good to be wet again.
| Bike miles for the week=28.2 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=0.42 | Total training time for August=5.12 |
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Sunday, August 21st: Rode out to Virmond Pk. and back by myself. Great day! Sunny, low 70's, beautiful. I felt excellent---for a fat guy.
Mary C is a triathlete! We had a great time up in Waupaca. That really is a special race.
| Bike miles for the week=28.2 | Run miles for the week=0 | Swim time for the week=0 | Total training time for August=4:30 |
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Friday, August 19th and Saturday, August 20th: I'm off the rez for a bit. Heading up to Waupaca to see Marcy C's debut tri. This initial stage of training is uber-introductory, only 10 total hours needed and 17 days to get it done. I'm at 2:48 for the month of August thus far. Lots and lots to do. I'm back on the clock at school a week from today. I need to get in there and continue to get things ready Monday through Thursday of next week, so I've just decided to call this the last weekday of summer. Work starts Monday. The family responsibilities have been taking a bit of a personal toll---so I've decided to go to a more modified version of my diet regimen=Discipline around the house, let the hair down when out to eat and also one (party) day a week. Couple that with ever increasing volume and the weight will eventually begin to drop. Beth and I walked around last night discussing personal management skills like this. Truth be told, I can't remember the last time I felt as if I was under this much stress. It's weird. The responsibilities I've taken on this summer are a privilege---yet daunting.
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Thursday, August 18th: No training today.
breakfast=4 slices of bread with honey (and milk)
lunch=fruit, yogurt, granola
Had some pretzels and Gatorade for an afternoon snack.
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Wednesday, August 17th: Rode (sufferred) for 20 with K2. I've been hacking and coughing up green shit from my lungs all day. I thought a ride might help clear me out a little. Being in terrible shape and sick on an 80 degree day = You feel like shit.
My computer died, so I had no data--which might have been a good thing. Anyways, I know we were safe for at least 20 (we went to the U and back) and at least 1:15---so that's what I'll credit
| Bike miles for the week=40.3 | Run miles for the week=1.7 | Swim time for the week=0 | Total training time for August=2:48 |
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Tuesday, August 16th: Ran a little over 15 minutes with Beth along Lincoln Memorial. Left calf went a little crazy. I think I just need to treat my sub-knee legs with tender loving care--lots of pre-stretching, some Teamstik time, etc. The running is not really on the radar right now.
Alberty came over today. We had lunch, headed out to Transition to get my and Beth's bikes. It was good to see him. The NFL season is just around the corner!
| Bike miles for the week=20.3 | Run miles for the week=1.7 | Swim time for the week=0 | Total training time for August=1.33 |
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Monday, August 15th: 60 years ago today, the Japanese surrendered. Little did they know that I'd be chooosing this as "IMoo '06 Launch Day.' Rode with K2 for 20+.
| bike miles=20.3 | training time for August=1:18 |
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Thursday, August 11th: Rode in the rain with K2. Did the same as yesterday--to the U and back. Kind of gritty out there, but the temps were pleasant enough. I go off the grid again for a few days. Flight to Cincy leaves at 7:20 AM tomorrow. Will return late Sunday night. Not even packing running shoes. May do some power walking in the sandals. You never know. Regardless, it's game on when I get back. Monday begins the quest.
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Tuesday, August 10th: I miss vacation already . . . . sigh . . . 
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Monday, August 9th: I'm set to ride with K2 tomorrow morning. I may even get in and swim a little . . . just for kicks. It all begins on Monday the 15th.
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Tuesday, July 26th to August 8th: I'm on vacation. In fact, I'm making this update from an internet cafe in Vancouver. Later--JDJ
Vacation comments (Published on the evening of August 8th): All went well. Actually exercised a few times . . . . a swim in the outdoor olympic pool in Vancouver (preceded by a run with Beth), some running and swimming on the IM Canada course in Penticton . . . that was it. Hiked a lot in Boulder, where Engel got married in one of the coolest ceremonies I've ever been a part of (up in the open stone ampitheater at the top of Flagstaff Mountain). Actually, we did this killer hike on Grouse Mountain north of Vancouver when we were there. Penticton is quite a place. I see what all the IM Canada fuss is about. Every morning there's usually 15-20 people doing open water swims along the half-mile plus buoy line that flanks the swim start. So anyways, I'm back for a bit. Will fly down to Cincy for a few days at the end of the week to check on the grandparents one more time before school starts.
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Monday, July 25th: It was raining when I got up (I was going to ride, I swear!). Needed to get some pre-vacation things done. Needed to get my ass up to school to get some pre-craze stuff done.
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Sunday, July 24th: Hot as shit. Got up, watched Lance Armstrong wrap up his 7th Tour, went down and watched some of the XTerra race on the lakefront, zipped up to Bay and saw Francine get 7th in the final Superweek crit, came home and helped Brian and Fran pack up, went to Cempuzachi on Brady for a great dinner, came home again and cleaned up the place . . . . went to bed. No training.
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Saturday, July 23rd: Slept in, did the baseball pool stuff, and then headed out to watch Francine race. Never trained.
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Well, on Friday (July 22nd) I decided to just chill. I mean, even on my plan, I'm not going an hour a day for the second half of August. Actually, I worked up at school all afternoon after running errands all morning. Brian and Francine showed up for Superweek in the evening. Brian's back is hurt, so he probably won't race Downer. Francine will do the last two women's races.
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Thursday, July 21st: Man! I didn't even hear Beth get up this morning? She was out and gone to swim practice before I even knew it was 7:30 AM! Wasn't going to ride in morning rush traffic on Lake---so I sat around and read the paper, worked on the computer, etc. Eventually got my fat ass out the door around 2 o'clock. Rode 17.1 miles in 1:02. Felt much better than yesterday. This is the time, right now, when you can see leaps and bounds of improvement in fitness from one day to the next. Of course, you have to be in shitty-ass shape to do it. When at the bottom, there's only one way to go.
Bike miles for week=33.6---Training hours for week=2:02
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Wednesday, July 21st: Rode 16.5 miles in the early morning. That makes five total days of training since late May . . . on top of a general state of sloth . . . sometimes interrupted by spots of training (here and there) . . . ever since I finished an Ironman on September 12, 2005
It shows
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Monday (July 18th) and Tuesday (July 19th) of this week involved no training. I rode home from Cornell on the train on Tuesday. Missed my connection due to a stalled freight on the tracks just north of St. Louis. Shuttled up through Joliet and into Union Station where some dude abandoned his bag and caused a mild panic while we were all waiting at gate B. There are a lot of people in the world. **********
