Hello Dear Readers!
Happy Holidays! I cannot believe this year has flew by so quickly! I wanted to drop everyone a little update and of course to wish all of you a safe a joyous holiday season!
Race Updates
Well I have officially entered the Bandera 100 KM Ultra-marathon. Race information can be found here.
Some of you may recall from one of my earlier blog entries that I tried to do this race last time around and fell around mile 20 and had to pull out. So it's been bothering me all year that this one race is the only race I have never completed.
My strategy for this race is simple: FINISH! I have 24 hours to complete this race. So if I keep an average of 3 MPH, I should have plenty of time. This is like walking speed. So I will lightly jog the flats and gentle rolling hills where the ground is easily navigable. But when it comes to the steep inclines and declines, or any part of the ground where there is the slightest possibility I could fall, we are going to walk it!
Working with Kevin has been a great blessing. We have changed my routine to be very running oriented. Of course this time of year is the worst time to train long distances. Family visits, holiday shopping, etc. make it really hard to put the time in. I must admit I have had to skip some workouts here and there but the long runs are still getting put in. I have to run 25 miles this weekend and have a 30 mile run in a few weeks.
I've been getting used to wearing a Camelback hydration system on my long runs. Remember there are not water stops every mile but every 7 to 10 miles.
Another issue I am dealing with is my knee pain. I have been forced to run on treadmills here and there and I am finding that it kills my joints. I also need to get more cold weather running gear.
Anyway, I'll post some more as new developments occur. Until then....
Tri your Best!
Bill
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Iron Star 70.3 Race Pictures available!
Hello Dear Readers!
I received my race pictures for the Iron Star 70.3 Triathlon yesterday. Check them out in my Gallery section of my web site.
Training
Starting to gear back into training now. Did a 20 mile bike ride on Wednesday and have a 1.5 mile swim to do today. You will start seeing more of my training being oriented towards running. I will have some race entry announcements over the weekend to let you know what I am going to be doing in early 2010.
That's all for now.
Tri your best,
Bill
I received my race pictures for the Iron Star 70.3 Triathlon yesterday. Check them out in my Gallery section of my web site.
Training
Starting to gear back into training now. Did a 20 mile bike ride on Wednesday and have a 1.5 mile swim to do today. You will start seeing more of my training being oriented towards running. I will have some race entry announcements over the weekend to let you know what I am going to be doing in early 2010.
That's all for now.
Tri your best,
Bill
Monday, November 9, 2009
Iron Star 70.3 Triathlon Race Report
Hello Dear Readers!
Wow what a race! As I sit at my computer, my legs are still sore from my swimming, biking and running yesterday. I feel pretty good about my progress this year and my resulting performance in this race. Let's get on to the race report!
Pre-Race
I decided last minute to get a hotel room near the race site on Saturday. Booked a cheapo hotel room and drove out to Conroe area that afternoon. I justified to my wife that I needed the extra hour and a half of sleep in order to perform at the race. Lovely woman agreed with me (Thanks honey).
Checked into the hotel and got all my gear secured. I saw on the horizon the glowing mantle of heaven called "IHOP"! Mentally I said "YES!!!" and got in my car for my pre-race ritual dinner.
As some of you may know, I like to eat a HUUUUGGGGEEEE breakfast as my pre-race meal. So I had eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast, coffee, orange juice and wheat toast. Here are some before and after pics for you:
And we are done!
After my meal, I rolled myself out the door and back to the hotel where I organized my race gear and settled in for the night. Drank Gatorade and water to make sure I am fully hydrated for race morning. I think I finally got to sleep around 11 PM.
Race Morning
I had my three alarms (yes I am paranoid about those kinds of things) wake me up at 4:30 AM. Had some coffee, a muscle milk and a banana from the hotel. I continued to drink lots of Gatorade and water to keep hydrated. I got out the door around 5:30 AM and arrived at the race site 15 minutes later or so. The weather this morning was kinda nice. Overcast and in the high sixties. I could tell it was going to be a windy day so that could figure into the race some. This race was hosted at the Del Lago resort over on Lake Conroe. The parking area was about a mile from transition so it was a but of a hoof to get to the race site and settled in before they closed the transition area off at 6:45 AM. I was a little rushed but did get a chance to visit the porta potty at least once before I got my wetsuit on. As I walked to the start I chatted up some Bay Area Multisport members I recognized and that always eases the nervousness at the start of a race. My new Garmin 310X was charged and set in multisport mode. My heart rate was pretty elevated (85 BPM) but that was pretty normal since I get gitty at the start of a race.
The Swim (1.2 Miles)
The swim is a beach start with swimmers going off in waves. The first wave started at 7 AM sharp. This was the women's division (white swim caps). We were next at 7:05 (the mens 35-39 + Clydesdale). Funny that the last thing I thought about before the gun went off was that this was the last triathlon I would be doing in that age group. Starting next year I race in the 40-44 age group. Maybe I will be more competitive?
This is a pretty small venue with about 400 racers (Triathlon and Aquabike). Not a huge number of people in my age group, so the start of the swim was not as frantic as at Lake Placid Ironman I did back in July.
The swim course is a little cooky in that you have to keep the buoys to your right instead of your left like normal. This is due to the clockwise course you have to take. Below is a picture of my swim as shown by my GPS. Note that I did not do as much side to side swimming (this is a good thing), but my GPS did not work all the great when it came to the distance it said I swam. But you get the idea (Click to make bigger):
The swim went pretty well for me. I passed quite a few people and I knew I was doing well when I caught up to some of the white swim capped ladies. Of course, ton's of people swam past me I'm sure since I am not the fasted guy out there. It was windy and the seas were choppy, but it didn't bother me that much. Had a few collisions like normal, but nothing too bad. I finished the 1.2 mile swim in 39 Minutes and 47 seconds. Still a little slower than I would like, but I felt good throughout.
Transition 1
I exited the water and a few nice ladies stripped it off me and I ran into transition 1 (T1) to get my bike. I was sort of surprised at all the bikes that were still in T1 but then again I was in the 2nd wave so there would be plenty of people behind me. I took a little extra time to wipe my feet off so that I don't get any chafing or blisters for the bike and run. I exited T1 in 3 minutes and 18 seconds.
The Bike (56 Miles)
The bike course was pretty challenging. Not Lake Placid challenging mind you, but by no means was this a flat course. Had lots of rolling hills. Add the head wind and you legs are hurting! Here is the course as seen by my GPS watch (click to make bigger):
I passed a few people here and there and was passed in turn. It's funny how they put your age on the rear left calf of your leg. I think this is to taunt you into pedaling faster when someone in your age group passes you. Of course, I got mad when some 20 year old would pass me and I would utter under my breath (hey buddy, let's see how fast you are 20 years from now with a job and family!).
I know I hydrated correctly because about 20 miles in I had to go make a call to nature. Of course, if I was really a pro, I would just go as I rode (liquid of course) and not lose much time. But I just could not do it. So at the next water stop I got off the bike and went to the porta potty. I lost a few minutes there, but the relief was great!
The ride was very beautiful. There were sections where overhanging trees would turn the road into a green tunnel. There were some very fast downhills where I hit about 35 MPH. I finished the bike in 2 Hours and 49 minutes. I averaged 20 MPH. Not as fast as the last 70.3 race I did, but that course was very flat.
Transition 2
I got to T2 feeling really good and raring to go for the run. I still had a lot of pep and I was not dehydrated. Got my bike stowed and threw on my running shoes and race belt. Grabbed my running hat and off I went! Pretty fast time through T2 at 1 Minute 53 seconds.
The Run (13.1 Miles)
I started out the run going at a great pace. As usual I started faster than usual, but that is just who I am. First mile was done in 9 minutes and 17 seconds (GPS said so). I still felt good so my second mile was in 8 minutes and 58 seconds. After that it was all gravy. No walking, not even at the water! The run course was pretty gentle with some slight gradual hills (Click to make bigger):
I never hit a wall and I was pretty consistent with my speed. Had a few miles where I did slow down a but and reached the 10 minute per mile mark, but made up for it during other miles. At mile 13 I picked up the pace because some dude was trying to catch me (that was soooooo not going to happen) and did it in 9 minutes and 8 seconds. I ran through the tape with a run time of 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Summary and Race Place
My total race time was officially 5 Hours 40 Minutes and 54 Seconds. I placed 10th in the 35-39 age group (out of 42) and I placed 67 overall! That put my in the top 23% of my age group and the top 28% of the racers. I was really happy with that. Now if I had done the Lone Star 70.3 (which is totally flat) at this fitness level, I am thinking I would have been 20 minutes faster.
Anyway, it has been a great year and this was a great race to finish it off with. Keep tuning into my website for further blog updates as I will be switching to some running races till April of next year. Until then....
Tri your best!
Bill
Wow what a race! As I sit at my computer, my legs are still sore from my swimming, biking and running yesterday. I feel pretty good about my progress this year and my resulting performance in this race. Let's get on to the race report!
Pre-Race
I decided last minute to get a hotel room near the race site on Saturday. Booked a cheapo hotel room and drove out to Conroe area that afternoon. I justified to my wife that I needed the extra hour and a half of sleep in order to perform at the race. Lovely woman agreed with me (Thanks honey).
Checked into the hotel and got all my gear secured. I saw on the horizon the glowing mantle of heaven called "IHOP"! Mentally I said "YES!!!" and got in my car for my pre-race ritual dinner.
As some of you may know, I like to eat a HUUUUGGGGEEEE breakfast as my pre-race meal. So I had eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast, coffee, orange juice and wheat toast. Here are some before and after pics for you:
And we are done!
After my meal, I rolled myself out the door and back to the hotel where I organized my race gear and settled in for the night. Drank Gatorade and water to make sure I am fully hydrated for race morning. I think I finally got to sleep around 11 PM.
Race Morning
I had my three alarms (yes I am paranoid about those kinds of things) wake me up at 4:30 AM. Had some coffee, a muscle milk and a banana from the hotel. I continued to drink lots of Gatorade and water to keep hydrated. I got out the door around 5:30 AM and arrived at the race site 15 minutes later or so. The weather this morning was kinda nice. Overcast and in the high sixties. I could tell it was going to be a windy day so that could figure into the race some. This race was hosted at the Del Lago resort over on Lake Conroe. The parking area was about a mile from transition so it was a but of a hoof to get to the race site and settled in before they closed the transition area off at 6:45 AM. I was a little rushed but did get a chance to visit the porta potty at least once before I got my wetsuit on. As I walked to the start I chatted up some Bay Area Multisport members I recognized and that always eases the nervousness at the start of a race. My new Garmin 310X was charged and set in multisport mode. My heart rate was pretty elevated (85 BPM) but that was pretty normal since I get gitty at the start of a race.
The Swim (1.2 Miles)
The swim is a beach start with swimmers going off in waves. The first wave started at 7 AM sharp. This was the women's division (white swim caps). We were next at 7:05 (the mens 35-39 + Clydesdale). Funny that the last thing I thought about before the gun went off was that this was the last triathlon I would be doing in that age group. Starting next year I race in the 40-44 age group. Maybe I will be more competitive?
This is a pretty small venue with about 400 racers (Triathlon and Aquabike). Not a huge number of people in my age group, so the start of the swim was not as frantic as at Lake Placid Ironman I did back in July.
The swim course is a little cooky in that you have to keep the buoys to your right instead of your left like normal. This is due to the clockwise course you have to take. Below is a picture of my swim as shown by my GPS. Note that I did not do as much side to side swimming (this is a good thing), but my GPS did not work all the great when it came to the distance it said I swam. But you get the idea (Click to make bigger):
The swim went pretty well for me. I passed quite a few people and I knew I was doing well when I caught up to some of the white swim capped ladies. Of course, ton's of people swam past me I'm sure since I am not the fasted guy out there. It was windy and the seas were choppy, but it didn't bother me that much. Had a few collisions like normal, but nothing too bad. I finished the 1.2 mile swim in 39 Minutes and 47 seconds. Still a little slower than I would like, but I felt good throughout.
Transition 1
I exited the water and a few nice ladies stripped it off me and I ran into transition 1 (T1) to get my bike. I was sort of surprised at all the bikes that were still in T1 but then again I was in the 2nd wave so there would be plenty of people behind me. I took a little extra time to wipe my feet off so that I don't get any chafing or blisters for the bike and run. I exited T1 in 3 minutes and 18 seconds.
The Bike (56 Miles)
The bike course was pretty challenging. Not Lake Placid challenging mind you, but by no means was this a flat course. Had lots of rolling hills. Add the head wind and you legs are hurting! Here is the course as seen by my GPS watch (click to make bigger):
I passed a few people here and there and was passed in turn. It's funny how they put your age on the rear left calf of your leg. I think this is to taunt you into pedaling faster when someone in your age group passes you. Of course, I got mad when some 20 year old would pass me and I would utter under my breath (hey buddy, let's see how fast you are 20 years from now with a job and family!).
I know I hydrated correctly because about 20 miles in I had to go make a call to nature. Of course, if I was really a pro, I would just go as I rode (liquid of course) and not lose much time. But I just could not do it. So at the next water stop I got off the bike and went to the porta potty. I lost a few minutes there, but the relief was great!
The ride was very beautiful. There were sections where overhanging trees would turn the road into a green tunnel. There were some very fast downhills where I hit about 35 MPH. I finished the bike in 2 Hours and 49 minutes. I averaged 20 MPH. Not as fast as the last 70.3 race I did, but that course was very flat.
Transition 2
I got to T2 feeling really good and raring to go for the run. I still had a lot of pep and I was not dehydrated. Got my bike stowed and threw on my running shoes and race belt. Grabbed my running hat and off I went! Pretty fast time through T2 at 1 Minute 53 seconds.
The Run (13.1 Miles)
I started out the run going at a great pace. As usual I started faster than usual, but that is just who I am. First mile was done in 9 minutes and 17 seconds (GPS said so). I still felt good so my second mile was in 8 minutes and 58 seconds. After that it was all gravy. No walking, not even at the water! The run course was pretty gentle with some slight gradual hills (Click to make bigger):
I never hit a wall and I was pretty consistent with my speed. Had a few miles where I did slow down a but and reached the 10 minute per mile mark, but made up for it during other miles. At mile 13 I picked up the pace because some dude was trying to catch me (that was soooooo not going to happen) and did it in 9 minutes and 8 seconds. I ran through the tape with a run time of 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Summary and Race Place
My total race time was officially 5 Hours 40 Minutes and 54 Seconds. I placed 10th in the 35-39 age group (out of 42) and I placed 67 overall! That put my in the top 23% of my age group and the top 28% of the racers. I was really happy with that. Now if I had done the Lone Star 70.3 (which is totally flat) at this fitness level, I am thinking I would have been 20 minutes faster.
Anyway, it has been a great year and this was a great race to finish it off with. Keep tuning into my website for further blog updates as I will be switching to some running races till April of next year. Until then....
Tri your best!
Bill
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Iron Star is Almost Here! Also new web features at WilliamChoppa.com!
Hello Dear Readers!
2009 In Review
Well the Triathlon season is winding down. In just a few days I will be doing my last race of the year. It's amazing how my journey has unfolded. My fitness has gotten better and better. Of course, there is still MUCH more improvement that I can do. Thanks again to Kevin and the folks at Tri on the Run for coaching me and being a sponsor for my efforts.
Once this race is over, we go into off season training mode. This means a bit more cross training and a more focus on running. I am pondering doing the Bandera 100K race in January. As you might recall, that was the only race I ever DNF'd (Did Not Finish). If I do the race, I will be very very focused on the training and taking this race seriously.
Training
I still love my new Garmin 310X GPS watch. Since it is waterproof, I plan on using it during all portions of this weekend's race. I am now uploading this data to the Garmin Connect page and sharing the details with all of you.
I have been in taper mode the last few weeks so my training log is a little easy and I am enjoying the few days I get off per my training plan.
Website Updates
Big news! I have added a "Training" tab to www.williamchoppa.com
This makes it much easier for you all to see my GPS training data and it also makes it easier for me to share the info without having to update the blog all the time.
Keep coming back to the site often to look at the GPS data. That's all for now.
Tri your best,
Bill
2009 In Review
Well the Triathlon season is winding down. In just a few days I will be doing my last race of the year. It's amazing how my journey has unfolded. My fitness has gotten better and better. Of course, there is still MUCH more improvement that I can do. Thanks again to Kevin and the folks at Tri on the Run for coaching me and being a sponsor for my efforts.
Once this race is over, we go into off season training mode. This means a bit more cross training and a more focus on running. I am pondering doing the Bandera 100K race in January. As you might recall, that was the only race I ever DNF'd (Did Not Finish). If I do the race, I will be very very focused on the training and taking this race seriously.
Training
I still love my new Garmin 310X GPS watch. Since it is waterproof, I plan on using it during all portions of this weekend's race. I am now uploading this data to the Garmin Connect page and sharing the details with all of you.
I have been in taper mode the last few weeks so my training log is a little easy and I am enjoying the few days I get off per my training plan.
Website Updates
Big news! I have added a "Training" tab to www.williamchoppa.com
This makes it much easier for you all to see my GPS training data and it also makes it easier for me to share the info without having to update the blog all the time.
Keep coming back to the site often to look at the GPS data. That's all for now.
Tri your best,
Bill
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
New Garmin Watch!
Hello Dear Readers!
Well I got my birthday present this week. I cannot believe I am going to be in the 40 age group next racing season. Anyway, I bought the Garmin 310X watch. It is totally awesome! Now I can use it during the swim, bike and run portions of my races.
Here is the link to the product itself:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=142&pID=27335
Now I can post my activities more easily to Garmin connect. For example, I did a indoor session yesterday and followed that up with a 3 mile transition run. Here are the links to my data:
This is the data from the indoor trainer. Note that there really isn't any distance since I stayed in one place. But I tracked my heart rate.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16786510
Here is the data I did immediately afterword for my run. Felt really good and did some awesome paces.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16786511
The race is quickly approaching and I feel pretty good. Had my last long ride and run on Sunday. Here are the links to that workout:
56 Mile Bike:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16633786
4 Mile Transition Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16633782
That's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
Well I got my birthday present this week. I cannot believe I am going to be in the 40 age group next racing season. Anyway, I bought the Garmin 310X watch. It is totally awesome! Now I can use it during the swim, bike and run portions of my races.
Here is the link to the product itself:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=142&pID=27335
Now I can post my activities more easily to Garmin connect. For example, I did a indoor session yesterday and followed that up with a 3 mile transition run. Here are the links to my data:
This is the data from the indoor trainer. Note that there really isn't any distance since I stayed in one place. But I tracked my heart rate.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16786510
Here is the data I did immediately afterword for my run. Felt really good and did some awesome paces.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16786511
The race is quickly approaching and I feel pretty good. Had my last long ride and run on Sunday. Here are the links to that workout:
56 Mile Bike:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16633786
4 Mile Transition Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16633782
That's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Where's Bill?
Hello Dear Readers!
It's been a while hasn't it. The fourth quarter is such a busy time for me. Long hours at work, not much time to train (unlike the summer when I can train almost as much as I want). So suffice it to say, I HAVE been training, but it's been a little spotty the last three weeks or so. On top of that, my right knee has been bothering me AGAIN. I went to my coach to see what he can do to help and when he inspected my knee, he saw that I must have injured my right quadricep. He said it was so tight, that it was pulling on the ligaments of the knee on that leg and that is why I had pain when I ran. So we started doing the foam roller every other day. Oh man, does that hurt! But it is doing the trick.
Yesterday I ran 8 miles at a pretty good clip and I had very little pain and was really excited about it! Of course today I am supposed to ride 70 miles. Guess what, I got called into a work situation and it looks like it may be all day. So I guess I will do some kind of ride this evening on the trainer indoors.
I think I am still basically ready for the race in November. I have not trained as consistently as I would normally like, but I am confident I will get through the race fine, barring any mechanical issues on the bike.
Other things that are going on with me these days:
My Teeth
I am really bad about taking good care of my teeth. My job doesn't offer dental insurance so I rarely got them cleaned. I noticed a few weeks ago that somehow I broke a tooth and decided to bite the bullet and pay for personal dental insurance. I went to the dentist expecting to hear that I had lots of cavities etc. Oh yeah, the cavities were there, along with multiple root canals and crowns. Had the major work done last week and am going to have more done tomorrow. So on top of all this, my mouth and jaw are very tender.
Lone Star is now officially a Ironman 70.3 race!
This is from Iornman.com's press release:
"World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) continues its expansion of the Ironman 70.3 Series, with the announcement of two additions to its 2010 event series. The former Lone Star Half and Mooseman Half Triathlons boast new names as official Ironman 70.3 events. The races, now known as Ironman 70.3 Lone Star and Ironman 70.3 Mooseman, will continue to be produced by Race Director, Keith Jordan and Endorfun Sports and become part of a series that includes nearly 40 races worldwide. Each Ironman 70.3 qualifies athletes for the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place each November in Clearwater, Fla."
That's all for now.
Tri your best!
Bill
It's been a while hasn't it. The fourth quarter is such a busy time for me. Long hours at work, not much time to train (unlike the summer when I can train almost as much as I want). So suffice it to say, I HAVE been training, but it's been a little spotty the last three weeks or so. On top of that, my right knee has been bothering me AGAIN. I went to my coach to see what he can do to help and when he inspected my knee, he saw that I must have injured my right quadricep. He said it was so tight, that it was pulling on the ligaments of the knee on that leg and that is why I had pain when I ran. So we started doing the foam roller every other day. Oh man, does that hurt! But it is doing the trick.
Yesterday I ran 8 miles at a pretty good clip and I had very little pain and was really excited about it! Of course today I am supposed to ride 70 miles. Guess what, I got called into a work situation and it looks like it may be all day. So I guess I will do some kind of ride this evening on the trainer indoors.
I think I am still basically ready for the race in November. I have not trained as consistently as I would normally like, but I am confident I will get through the race fine, barring any mechanical issues on the bike.
Other things that are going on with me these days:
My Teeth
I am really bad about taking good care of my teeth. My job doesn't offer dental insurance so I rarely got them cleaned. I noticed a few weeks ago that somehow I broke a tooth and decided to bite the bullet and pay for personal dental insurance. I went to the dentist expecting to hear that I had lots of cavities etc. Oh yeah, the cavities were there, along with multiple root canals and crowns. Had the major work done last week and am going to have more done tomorrow. So on top of all this, my mouth and jaw are very tender.
Lone Star is now officially a Ironman 70.3 race!
This is from Iornman.com's press release:
"World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) continues its expansion of the Ironman 70.3 Series, with the announcement of two additions to its 2010 event series. The former Lone Star Half and Mooseman Half Triathlons boast new names as official Ironman 70.3 events. The races, now known as Ironman 70.3 Lone Star and Ironman 70.3 Mooseman, will continue to be produced by Race Director, Keith Jordan and Endorfun Sports and become part of a series that includes nearly 40 races worldwide. Each Ironman 70.3 qualifies athletes for the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place each November in Clearwater, Fla."
That's all for now.
Tri your best!
Bill
Monday, September 14, 2009
Iron Star Training 9/1/2009 -9/14/2009 Plus Ultramarathon Thoughts
Hello dear readers!
It seems that I am getting into the habit of posting my workouts in every two weeks. I apologize. Work has really started to get crazy and by the time I'm done with work, then my training and family time, it's well past midnight and I have no desire to post. Of course, if I just posted daily, then it would be a lot easier. We'll see what we can do about that! Anyway, after the Iron Star triathlon in November, I am thinking about entering some 50 mile and 100 KM running races. I'll see how I feel and if my coach is up to keeping my training focused on these races, I just might do them. Next year, I would really like to do a 100 mile running only race. Now THAT would be something. With that said, on with the training logs:
Bike Trainer/Run Session Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
This workout was a 25 mile bike session on the trainer followed immediately by a 4 mile run. The bike session was done as:
10 MIN WARM UP
6 min. at middle Zone4 / 3 min easy
8 min. at mid to high Zone 4 / 3 min easy
6 min. at hi Zone 4-5a / 3 min easy
8 min. at Zone 5a / 3 min easy
10 min. cool down
The run was done at a 9:35 minute per mile pace.
Swim and Bike Session for Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Today I had two separate workouts. The first was 20 miles on the road with the aero bike in heart rate zone 2 (140 beats per minute). Then later that day I swam 2000 meters in the pool with the pull buoy.
Run and Weight Training for Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Today I had a 6 mile run. This was done as:
1 mile warm up
3 x 1 mile in 8:30
w/ .5m rec. jog between each
1 mile cool down
Then that evening I did weight training for my lower body.
Swim Session for Friday, September 4th, 2009
I swam 2500 meters today in the pool. This was done as:
Warm Up: 500 easy
Main Set: 5 x 300 all on 30 sec. rest, moderate to hard
Cool Down: 50 kick/400 choice easy pull/50 kick
Run Session for Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Today was a long run. I ran 12 miles at a 10:10 minute per mile pace. It was really hot by the time I got going, but felt pretty decent.
Bike Session for Sunday, September 6th, 2009
This day was a long bike ride of 60 miles, followed by a 4 mile transition run. This was done as:
Zone 2-low3
@88-95 cadence
w/ 20 miles in low Zone 4
Run Transition
4 mile at 9:40, 9:45, 10:10, 10:10 minute per mile paces.
Swim Session for Monday, September 7th, 2009
Today's workout was a 2500 meter swim session done as:
Warm Up: 5 x 200 as: 2 free/ 1drill/ 1 kick on 25 sec. rest
Main Set: 8 x 100 free on 15 sec. rest, 4 x 100 drills on 20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 300 choice easy
Then I did a upper body weight training session.
Bike/Run Session for Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Today I had a combo bike/run combination workout. The bike was done for 20 miles inside on a trainer and the run was mixed with it. This was done as:
15 MIN WARM UP
12 min at Hr#4 low
Run 1-2 miles at Moderate pace (30-40 sec. under easy run pace)
10 min at Hr#4-5a middle
Run 1 miles at Moderate pace
8 min at Hr#4-5a high
Run 1 miles at Moderate pace
15 min. cool down
Bike and Swim Session for Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
This was another day of 20 miles on the road biking in heart rate zone two. In the evening I swam 2000 meters straight with the pull buoy.
Run session for Thursday, September 10th, 2009
This was a tough workout. This was SUPPOSED to be done as:
Run
6 miles as:
1 mile warm up
3 x 1 mile in 7:40
w/ .5m rec. jog between each
1m cool down
w/ drills at end
I had to run 6 miles but at a very much faster set of paces. It killed me and I couldn't keep up the pace after the first few miles. Still ran faster than usual though.
Swim Session for Friday, September 11th, 2009
This day was scheduled as a Swim. This was done as:
Warm Up: 600 easy to moderate free
Main Set: 30 x 25 (5 drill, 15 free, 10 free fast w/ 10 sec. rest),
20 x 50 (alternate 5 drill, 5 free fast w/ 15 sec. rest)
Cool Down: 200 cool down
Long Run Session for Saturday, September 12th, 2009
Today was another really long run. It was for 14 miles at a 9:25 pace. It was pouring rain so I went to the gym and did it on the treadmill. Felt OK, not great, but OK.
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
I felt like garbage today. I was supposed to ride 70 miles and do a run afterwords. I got up late, it was raining, the plant in the field needed to be harvested, then my cows milk went sour, there was a fire, an explosion...it wasn't my fault!!!!!!
Well you get the idea. I slept in, relaxed. Did some weights at the gym with an hour of the elliptical trainer. Sometimes, when your body says to rest, you have to listen to it.
Swim Session for Monday, September 14th, 2009
Felt much better today and I went to the pool and did 2500 meters of swimming as:
Warm Up: 600 easy to moderate free
Main Set: 30 x 25 (5 drill, 15 free, 10 free fast w/ 10 sec. rest),
20 x 50 (alternate 5 drill, 5 free fast w/ 15 sec. rest)
Cool Down: 200 cool down
Felt really good today and in hindsight, it was a good decision to basically skip Sunday. Well that's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
It seems that I am getting into the habit of posting my workouts in every two weeks. I apologize. Work has really started to get crazy and by the time I'm done with work, then my training and family time, it's well past midnight and I have no desire to post. Of course, if I just posted daily, then it would be a lot easier. We'll see what we can do about that! Anyway, after the Iron Star triathlon in November, I am thinking about entering some 50 mile and 100 KM running races. I'll see how I feel and if my coach is up to keeping my training focused on these races, I just might do them. Next year, I would really like to do a 100 mile running only race. Now THAT would be something. With that said, on with the training logs:
Bike Trainer/Run Session Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
This workout was a 25 mile bike session on the trainer followed immediately by a 4 mile run. The bike session was done as:
10 MIN WARM UP
6 min. at middle Zone4 / 3 min easy
8 min. at mid to high Zone 4 / 3 min easy
6 min. at hi Zone 4-5a / 3 min easy
8 min. at Zone 5a / 3 min easy
10 min. cool down
The run was done at a 9:35 minute per mile pace.
Swim and Bike Session for Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Today I had two separate workouts. The first was 20 miles on the road with the aero bike in heart rate zone 2 (140 beats per minute). Then later that day I swam 2000 meters in the pool with the pull buoy.
Run and Weight Training for Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Today I had a 6 mile run. This was done as:
1 mile warm up
3 x 1 mile in 8:30
w/ .5m rec. jog between each
1 mile cool down
Then that evening I did weight training for my lower body.
Swim Session for Friday, September 4th, 2009
I swam 2500 meters today in the pool. This was done as:
Warm Up: 500 easy
Main Set: 5 x 300 all on 30 sec. rest, moderate to hard
Cool Down: 50 kick/400 choice easy pull/50 kick
Run Session for Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Today was a long run. I ran 12 miles at a 10:10 minute per mile pace. It was really hot by the time I got going, but felt pretty decent.
Bike Session for Sunday, September 6th, 2009
This day was a long bike ride of 60 miles, followed by a 4 mile transition run. This was done as:
Zone 2-low3
@88-95 cadence
w/ 20 miles in low Zone 4
Run Transition
4 mile at 9:40, 9:45, 10:10, 10:10 minute per mile paces.
Swim Session for Monday, September 7th, 2009
Today's workout was a 2500 meter swim session done as:
Warm Up: 5 x 200 as: 2 free/ 1drill/ 1 kick on 25 sec. rest
Main Set: 8 x 100 free on 15 sec. rest, 4 x 100 drills on 20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 300 choice easy
Then I did a upper body weight training session.
Bike/Run Session for Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Today I had a combo bike/run combination workout. The bike was done for 20 miles inside on a trainer and the run was mixed with it. This was done as:
15 MIN WARM UP
12 min at Hr#4 low
Run 1-2 miles at Moderate pace (30-40 sec. under easy run pace)
10 min at Hr#4-5a middle
Run 1 miles at Moderate pace
8 min at Hr#4-5a high
Run 1 miles at Moderate pace
15 min. cool down
Bike and Swim Session for Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
This was another day of 20 miles on the road biking in heart rate zone two. In the evening I swam 2000 meters straight with the pull buoy.
Run session for Thursday, September 10th, 2009
This was a tough workout. This was SUPPOSED to be done as:
Run
6 miles as:
1 mile warm up
3 x 1 mile in 7:40
w/ .5m rec. jog between each
1m cool down
w/ drills at end
I had to run 6 miles but at a very much faster set of paces. It killed me and I couldn't keep up the pace after the first few miles. Still ran faster than usual though.
Swim Session for Friday, September 11th, 2009
This day was scheduled as a Swim. This was done as:
Warm Up: 600 easy to moderate free
Main Set: 30 x 25 (5 drill, 15 free, 10 free fast w/ 10 sec. rest),
20 x 50 (alternate 5 drill, 5 free fast w/ 15 sec. rest)
Cool Down: 200 cool down
Long Run Session for Saturday, September 12th, 2009
Today was another really long run. It was for 14 miles at a 9:25 pace. It was pouring rain so I went to the gym and did it on the treadmill. Felt OK, not great, but OK.
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
I felt like garbage today. I was supposed to ride 70 miles and do a run afterwords. I got up late, it was raining, the plant in the field needed to be harvested, then my cows milk went sour, there was a fire, an explosion...it wasn't my fault!!!!!!
Well you get the idea. I slept in, relaxed. Did some weights at the gym with an hour of the elliptical trainer. Sometimes, when your body says to rest, you have to listen to it.
Swim Session for Monday, September 14th, 2009
Felt much better today and I went to the pool and did 2500 meters of swimming as:
Warm Up: 600 easy to moderate free
Main Set: 30 x 25 (5 drill, 15 free, 10 free fast w/ 10 sec. rest),
20 x 50 (alternate 5 drill, 5 free fast w/ 15 sec. rest)
Cool Down: 200 cool down
Felt really good today and in hindsight, it was a good decision to basically skip Sunday. Well that's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
Monday, August 31, 2009
Time Trial (with graphics!) and Iron Star Training 8/18/2009- 8/31/2009
Hello dear readers!
Wow! Where has the time gone? I was getting ready to blog today and I realized that I missed an entire week of workout blogs! Yikes! Training is going well for the Iron Star triathlon in November. I'm fully recovered and back into the full swing of things. Since this race is only a 1/2 (as if a 70.3 mile race is easy!), the distances are much more manageable and I actually have gained some weight with the reduced amount of super long distance training. Here is a recap of my workouts:
Tuesday's Bike and Run Transition Session 8/18/2009
This was a combination of a bike workout on the indoor trainer and a run immediately following after:
Bike Session
10 MIN WARM UP
2 x 1 min fast spin/ 30 sec. easy
4x (2min. Zone #3 to high 4 w/ cadence 80-100 / 2min. easy
4 x Hills = 1min big gear (80rpm)w/hr#3/1min. standing (70-75rpm) w/ hr#4 / 1min fast spin (100+) w/hr#4-5) w/ 2min easy between sets.
4 x 30 sec. SLD
10 min. cool down
Run Session
4 miles at a 9:35 minute per mile pace
Wednesday's Bike Session 8/19/2009
Twenty mile road bike training in Heart Rate Zone 2
Thursday's Run and Weights Session 8/20/2009
Ran 4 miles in the morning at 10 minute per mile pace.
In the evening I did a lower body weight training session at the gym.
Friday's Swim Session 8/21/2009
I swam 200 yards at the pool. This was done as:
Warm Up: 8 x 75 w/ 15 sec. rest as: 4 free / 4 stroke / 4 kick
Main Set: 4 x 200 free, 8 x 25(1stroke/1free), 8 x 25(1kick/1free), 5x 50free all w/10-20 set rest
Cool Down: 300 pull buoy swim
Saturday's Run Session 8/22/2009
I ran 10 miles on this day at an easy pace. This was done in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was a really hot day that day.
Sunday's Bike Session 8/23/2009
I rode 50 miles this day. Felt really good and rode with the Tri On The Run team as usual. Average speed was 19 miles per hour and was a little tired but otherwise pretty happy with this.
Monday's Swim and Weight Training Session 8/24/2009
Swam 2500 meters today as:
Warm Up: 12 x 50 as: alternating drill/kick on 15 sec. rest
Main Set: 2 x (300 free easy, 4 x 50 back on 20 sec. rest) 200 pull easy
Cool Down: 16 x 25 choice easy on 5 sec rest
In the evening I did a upper body weight training session.
Tuesday's Bike and Run Combination Session 8/24/2009
I did a combo session of biking and running today. The bike session was performed on an indoor trainer as:
10 MIN WARM UP
6 x 30 sec. SLD / 1 min easy
8 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR#4 / 3 min easy
6 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR#4 / 3 min easy
4 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR# high 4-low5 / 3 min easy
6 x 30 sec. SLD / 1 min easy
10 min. cool down
This totally kicked my butt!!! Getting into a high 4 and low 5 heart rate is very challenging for me that is a heart rate of 158 beats per minute sustained!
Of course I immediately ran 4 miles afterword at a 9:15 minute per mile pace.
Wednesday's Off Day 8/26/2009
This was an off day in preparation for my Thursday time trial.
Thursday's Running Time Trial 8/27/2009
I had a tough day today. I had a time trial that was supposed to be done on the track. Unfortunately, no track was available due to school now being in session and two football games occurring after school. So after driving around to 4 different schools I gave up and went home to do the time trial in the neighborhood. This is bad because now I have an inconsistent surface AND I have to watch out for cars. All well, I did the time trial as:
2 Mile Warm Up
2 Miles at 100% effort
1 Mile Warm Down
How did I do? Well I did improve on my last time trial by over a minute. I was happy with that. Took a total time of 14 minutes and 17 seconds. Here are the graphics for my heart rate and speed as seen by my GPS watch (click image to make it bigger!):
This graphic shows the speed (blue) and my heart rate (red) over the entire 5 miles. Need to work on keeping my speed consistent.
Friday's Swim Session 8/28/2009
I swam 2500 meters as:
Warm Up: 5 x 200 as: 2 free/ 1drill/ 1 kick on 25 sec. rest
Main Set: 8 x 100 free on 15 sec. rest, 4 x 100 drills on 20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 300 choice easy
Saturday's Run Session 8/29/2009
This was a easy 8 mile run. I ran it at a pace of 10:07 on average. Not bad for a slow run day.
Sunday's Bike Session 8/30/2009
I was supposed to ride 40 miles this day. I wasn't feeling all that well in the morning and decided to do a full body weight training session at the gym instead. As my cool down I did 30 minutes of the stair climber at a very difficult level. Felt really good to change things up a bit.
Monday's Swim Session 8/31/2009
Today I swam 2500 meters as:
Warm Up: 12 x 75 w/ 15 sec. rest as: 4 free / 4 stroke / 4 kick
Main Set: 4 x 200 free, 8 x 25(1stroke/1free), 8 x 25(1kick/1free), 5x 50free all w/10-20 set rest
Cool Down: 500 pull buoy swim
And now you all are up to speed as to what I've been doing lately! Until next time...
Tri your best!
Bill
Wow! Where has the time gone? I was getting ready to blog today and I realized that I missed an entire week of workout blogs! Yikes! Training is going well for the Iron Star triathlon in November. I'm fully recovered and back into the full swing of things. Since this race is only a 1/2 (as if a 70.3 mile race is easy!), the distances are much more manageable and I actually have gained some weight with the reduced amount of super long distance training. Here is a recap of my workouts:
Tuesday's Bike and Run Transition Session 8/18/2009
This was a combination of a bike workout on the indoor trainer and a run immediately following after:
Bike Session
10 MIN WARM UP
2 x 1 min fast spin/ 30 sec. easy
4x (2min. Zone #3 to high 4 w/ cadence 80-100 / 2min. easy
4 x Hills = 1min big gear (80rpm)w/hr#3/1min. standing (70-75rpm) w/ hr#4 / 1min fast spin (100+) w/hr#4-5) w/ 2min easy between sets.
4 x 30 sec. SLD
10 min. cool down
Run Session
4 miles at a 9:35 minute per mile pace
Wednesday's Bike Session 8/19/2009
Twenty mile road bike training in Heart Rate Zone 2
Thursday's Run and Weights Session 8/20/2009
Ran 4 miles in the morning at 10 minute per mile pace.
In the evening I did a lower body weight training session at the gym.
Friday's Swim Session 8/21/2009
I swam 200 yards at the pool. This was done as:
Warm Up: 8 x 75 w/ 15 sec. rest as: 4 free / 4 stroke / 4 kick
Main Set: 4 x 200 free, 8 x 25(1stroke/1free), 8 x 25(1kick/1free), 5x 50free all w/10-20 set rest
Cool Down: 300 pull buoy swim
Saturday's Run Session 8/22/2009
I ran 10 miles on this day at an easy pace. This was done in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was a really hot day that day.
Sunday's Bike Session 8/23/2009
I rode 50 miles this day. Felt really good and rode with the Tri On The Run team as usual. Average speed was 19 miles per hour and was a little tired but otherwise pretty happy with this.
Monday's Swim and Weight Training Session 8/24/2009
Swam 2500 meters today as:
Warm Up: 12 x 50 as: alternating drill/kick on 15 sec. rest
Main Set: 2 x (300 free easy, 4 x 50 back on 20 sec. rest) 200 pull easy
Cool Down: 16 x 25 choice easy on 5 sec rest
In the evening I did a upper body weight training session.
Tuesday's Bike and Run Combination Session 8/24/2009
I did a combo session of biking and running today. The bike session was performed on an indoor trainer as:
10 MIN WARM UP
6 x 30 sec. SLD / 1 min easy
8 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR#4 / 3 min easy
6 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR#4 / 3 min easy
4 min. steady at 100+rpm and HR# high 4-low5 / 3 min easy
6 x 30 sec. SLD / 1 min easy
10 min. cool down
This totally kicked my butt!!! Getting into a high 4 and low 5 heart rate is very challenging for me that is a heart rate of 158 beats per minute sustained!
Of course I immediately ran 4 miles afterword at a 9:15 minute per mile pace.
Wednesday's Off Day 8/26/2009
This was an off day in preparation for my Thursday time trial.
Thursday's Running Time Trial 8/27/2009
I had a tough day today. I had a time trial that was supposed to be done on the track. Unfortunately, no track was available due to school now being in session and two football games occurring after school. So after driving around to 4 different schools I gave up and went home to do the time trial in the neighborhood. This is bad because now I have an inconsistent surface AND I have to watch out for cars. All well, I did the time trial as:
2 Mile Warm Up
2 Miles at 100% effort
1 Mile Warm Down
How did I do? Well I did improve on my last time trial by over a minute. I was happy with that. Took a total time of 14 minutes and 17 seconds. Here are the graphics for my heart rate and speed as seen by my GPS watch (click image to make it bigger!):
This graphic shows the speed (blue) and my heart rate (red) over the entire 5 miles. Need to work on keeping my speed consistent.
Friday's Swim Session 8/28/2009
I swam 2500 meters as:
Warm Up: 5 x 200 as: 2 free/ 1drill/ 1 kick on 25 sec. rest
Main Set: 8 x 100 free on 15 sec. rest, 4 x 100 drills on 20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 300 choice easy
Saturday's Run Session 8/29/2009
This was a easy 8 mile run. I ran it at a pace of 10:07 on average. Not bad for a slow run day.
Sunday's Bike Session 8/30/2009
I was supposed to ride 40 miles this day. I wasn't feeling all that well in the morning and decided to do a full body weight training session at the gym instead. As my cool down I did 30 minutes of the stair climber at a very difficult level. Felt really good to change things up a bit.
Monday's Swim Session 8/31/2009
Today I swam 2500 meters as:
Warm Up: 12 x 75 w/ 15 sec. rest as: 4 free / 4 stroke / 4 kick
Main Set: 4 x 200 free, 8 x 25(1stroke/1free), 8 x 25(1kick/1free), 5x 50free all w/10-20 set rest
Cool Down: 500 pull buoy swim
And now you all are up to speed as to what I've been doing lately! Until next time...
Tri your best!
Bill
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ironman Training and Lake Placid Photos!
Hello dear readers!
As I said in my previous entry, I am back in the swing of things. Here was my swim workout information:
Swim Training 8/17/2009
Had a pretty good workout this day. My shoulder was bothering me a little from sleeping weird I guess, but got through it fine at the prescribed effort levels as shown below:
Warm Up: 2 x 300 free w/ 10 sec. rest;
Main Set: easy, aerobic – 2 x 100 / 2 x 200 / 1x400 / 2 x 100 all easy free on 10-20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 8 x 50 (3free/3drill/2kick)
Ironman Photos and Gallery
I have finally received my photos from ASI () and they look pretty good. With this being a non-profit site and with my efforts to raise funds for the CCFA, they are kind enough to work with me as long as I give them credit on the photos themselves. You can find the Ironman Lake Placid 2009 photos in the Gallery page at .
That's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
As I said in my previous entry, I am back in the swing of things. Here was my swim workout information:
Swim Training 8/17/2009
Had a pretty good workout this day. My shoulder was bothering me a little from sleeping weird I guess, but got through it fine at the prescribed effort levels as shown below:
Warm Up: 2 x 300 free w/ 10 sec. rest;
Main Set: easy, aerobic – 2 x 100 / 2 x 200 / 1x400 / 2 x 100 all easy free on 10-20 sec. rest
Cool Down: 8 x 50 (3free/3drill/2kick)
Ironman Photos and Gallery
I have finally received my photos from ASI () and they look pretty good. With this being a non-profit site and with my efforts to raise funds for the CCFA, they are kind enough to work with me as long as I give them credit on the photos themselves. You can find the Ironman Lake Placid 2009 photos in the Gallery page at .
That's all for now!
Tri your best,
Bill
Sunday, August 16, 2009
William Choppa, Back Online!
Hello Dear Readers,
Wow, what a time! Since the Ironman Lake Placid race, I have been laying low, recovering, recuperating, rejuvenating and renovating! As most of you may already know, recovery is very important, especially after a extreme race such as Ironman. So my workouts have been short, light and infrequent for the first week back from New York. Don't worry I DID take a few days off here and there, but as you all know it is impossible for me to completely turn off my addiction to exercise and triathlon.
Sunday 8/16/2009
Today is the start of my third week back since the race and now we I am full on back into training. I will start posting more regularly again, now that I am back on my normal schedule.
As stated in the news section, my next race is the Iron Star 70.3. It's a half Ironman near Lake Conroe in Texas. Unfortunately that distance is as long as they for for Triathlon in this state. Hopefully some day, there will be one, but until then halves is where its at!
In any case, thanks for reading!
Tri your best!
Bill
Wow, what a time! Since the Ironman Lake Placid race, I have been laying low, recovering, recuperating, rejuvenating and renovating! As most of you may already know, recovery is very important, especially after a extreme race such as Ironman. So my workouts have been short, light and infrequent for the first week back from New York. Don't worry I DID take a few days off here and there, but as you all know it is impossible for me to completely turn off my addiction to exercise and triathlon.
Sunday 8/16/2009
Today is the start of my third week back since the race and now we I am full on back into training. I will start posting more regularly again, now that I am back on my normal schedule.
As stated in the news section, my next race is the Iron Star 70.3. It's a half Ironman near Lake Conroe in Texas. Unfortunately that distance is as long as they for for Triathlon in this state. Hopefully some day, there will be one, but until then halves is where its at!
In any case, thanks for reading!
Tri your best!
Bill
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