Back on the Road (and only lost half a step)

November (Ironman Arizona) was the last time I rode my bicycle.  This past weekend, Iron Sherpa and I took out or bicycles again to start up the 2013 training.  We headed out to the Palos Verde loop, a scenic and hilly route we thoroughly enjoy.  It has challenging hills, but nothing too steep or too long, and spectacular ocean views.

The big news out of our ride was our speed.  I expected to lose significant pace compared to pre-Ironman rides, when I was training hard.  Although slower (in part due to taking it easy going downhill as well), there was not a significant drop in speed.

Although the speed differential was not great, one item to note is my max heart rate.  On this last ride, my heart rate went as high as 181 bpm - meaning I was working pretty hard.  On my September ride, my max heart rate was a more manageable 154 bpm.  The difference in average heart rate between the two rides was 12 bpm.  So while I wasn't significantly faster, I worked a bit harder to be a bit slower.

Lots of work ahead for 2013.
 

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

For those long runs, I bought the Amphipod RunLite 4 Hydration Belt.  Unfortunately, I ordered it right before Ironman Arizona and so was not able to use it for training.  The thought of using it during Ironman crossed my mind, but my coach cautioned against trying anything new (plus, there are aid stations at nearly every mile).  These belts might chafe for someone new to them, and the water swishing around may not be the most comfortable either.  Thus, no usage yet.

With Iron Sherpa training for a full marathon now, the hydration belt is going to become handy.  I tried it on a 5 mile run the other day with good results.  No chafing or other major issues with the belt.  With four full water bottles and a little sleeve filled with a power bar and Clif Bloks, the belt felt a bit heavy, as if I were carrying some light weights on my waist.  While this slowed my pace, it is to be expected.

The location of the water bottles can be shifted on the belt - you can also remove or add more bottles if needed.  I found it most useful to have one bottle in front and three lined up along my back.  This kept them out of the way of my legs and as I drank the water, I shifted the bottle around to keep the one I'm using in the front for easy access.

While I thought the sloshing of the water in the bottle would be a major issue, it was not.  I've carried bottles in my hand, and the water sloshing is an annoyance - you can feel the shift of the weight of the water.  However, with the hydration belt, I can hear the rhythmic sloshing, but did not feel its weight being shifted around.  Again, it was not an issue.

Towards the end of my run, I can felt lighter on my feet, no doubt due to the fact that I drank most of the water by then.  I highly recommend this item for folks starting to get into distance running and don't want to carry a water bottle in their hands.

Race Report: New Years Race

It was a dark and chilly night.  And so began Iron Sherpa's conquest of the first of her 2013 resolutions. 

The New Years Race is the beginning of training for 2013.  After a winter hibernation, Iron Sherpa and I found ourselves out in the middle of downtown Los Angeles at 9 p.m. to run a half-marathon.  We expected to run for 2 to 2.5 hours and hoped that we would warm up during the run.  The temperature was in the 40's that night, which wasn't so bad once you were running.  But before the race and after the race, it felt a bit too cold.

The race course started in downtown, snaked its way up a few hills to Dodger Stadium, where we ran nearly 4 miles in the parking lot.  We enjoyed most of the course, and paused to soak in some of the spetactular skyline views from the parking lot - but at the same time, it felt like we were running laps around the stadium.  However, we were rewarded with a run around the Dodger's outfield, which in my estimation made up for spending too many miles in the parking lot.

To my surprise, there was only one water station with any nutrition - and they only had Gu.  Admittedly, we ran unprepared - I assumed they would have multiple aid stations with nutrition, like Ironman.  However, it appears that for half-marathons, this is the norm.  Iron Sherpa and I both bonked close to the end, but we ran together and pushed each other to finish and did not let the other quit or stop.  During training last year, I learned just how important nutrition and proper calorie consumption is during training and racing.  I also learned how to "read" my body and know in advance when nutrition is required to prevent bonking, so I knew bonk was imminent.  Plus, running by fragrant pizza spots along the route didn't help!

After the run, we were able to finally get some nutrition (chips, bagels and bananas) and then waited for a short bit for a few other friends.  We were sweaty and wind chill just made an otherwise somewhat chilly night into miserably freezing night.

In the end, it was a good educational experience - don't assume what will be at the aid stations, and realize that running at night is very different from running in the mornings.  Not sure I'd do it again, but at least I got some very pretty bling.

2013: What's in Store for the New Year

It's been nearly two months since Ironman Arizona.  A quick rundown of the goings-ons:

The rest of November was all about rest.  Some physical therapy through December and then came the holiday craziness.  Not only the usual holiday parties, family gatherings and gift shopping, but also an excessively busy work schedule and demands.  Now that the new year is upon us, it is once again time to re-assess plans.

After Ironman Arizona, a frequent question folks had for me was what I am planning on doing next.  Another Ironman?  Something completely different?  The answer was always the same - I have no idea.

Now that I had some time to reflect and go through a number of options, it's still not crystal clear, but I have a better plan for this year.

Iron Sherpa's goals for 2013 includes running a half-marathon and a full marathon.  She's already done the half-marathon (so did I, race report coming soon) and is signed up for the Los Angeles Marathon coming up in March.  My role in all of this is to help train her up for these races, to be part coach and part sherpa.  Doing this for Iron Sherpa will undoubtedly help me maintain my fitness level as well, which has become harder during the winter time in part due to the weather, but also due to not having an Ironman scare me into training regularly.

Beyond that, I am hoping to find a sprint triathlon and an olympic triathlon to do locally, just for fun but also to keep up the training and fitness.  On top of that, my dragon boat team will be trying to qualify for Club Crew Championships this year, in order to compete in Italy next year.  So I will be focusing much of my fitness on accomplishing that.

The injury is still affecting my shoulder, I can't paddle with the team or do much strength training.  Still a bummer, but I can feel that it is slowly getting better.  A month without physical therapy has made it a bit stiff again, though this morning's session really helped.  I have "homework" exercises to do too.

But I think that summarizes my plan for the year.  Help train Iron Sherpa for her marathon.  Focus on dragon boating. A sprint and olympic triathlon.