Annie's First Triathlon and Taper Time

Yesterday my wife, Annie, and I participated in the LifeTime Fitness Indoor Triathlon.   This was Annie's very first Tri!  Not only did she do awesome but she had a great time!  I am very proud of her because she kicked some ass with a respectable swim, solid bike, and an excellent run.  When we were driving home she said she would like to do that Tri thing again -- we have hooked another one folks!

The way the LTF Tri works is like this:  10 minutes swim, 10 minute transition, 30 minute bike, 5 minute transition, and then 20 minute run.  You basically go as hard as you can in the given time and the distance you go is your score for that leg.  For example:  If 30 people participate in the swim and you swim the most lengths you receive 30 pts.  If you swim the slowest you receive 1 pt.  Then all the points are added together for your total - highest point total is the winner.

We do not have the results yet but we think we both did pretty good.  The results should be posted by Wednesday and I will post them up.  A big thank you to Coach Kt White for organizing the event, it went off without a hitch!

• We just got a new camera.  Annie has been talking about getting an SLR camera so we can get better pictures at our races.  According to her the point and shoot new camera that she needed last month is only good for posed type of pictures.  We got the new carbon race wheels Nikon D3000 with a Tripod and some 200x Lens.

Taking a picture of Annie taking a picture

Annie's New Toy

• I did a long rather slow ride of the IronStar course on Saturday - it was 42 degrees when we started and it was freezing!!! Might have to bring arm warmers and gloves for the race on Sunday.  This dude does not do well in the cold ...buurrrr!!! 

• Taper Time has Officially begun!

• Sunday was the LTF Tri.  I took it easy on the swim - 23 lengths in 10min (1:44/100 avg).  Didn't kill myself on the bike but held a steady pace  - 15mi in 30mins (30mph avg -- yeah for spin bikes!).  Then ran a little harder than I should have on the run - 3.14mi in 20mins (6:20/ mi pace).

• The 5K time was 19:43.  This is the first time I have gone sub-20 for a 5K.  Well, I have only really raced one 5K hard and did a 20:48 and that was in February and I am in much better shape now. The next goal will be sub-19 because I think that is possible. My first mile was at a 7:00/mi pace yesterday which is why I am pretty confident I could go harder.  I held a 5:56 for the last mile.  This little test will probably have to wait until after IMTX!

• Here is my little girl pug, Bailey.  I just stood up and she took me seat:

Move your feet, lose your seat!

• They just filmed the CompuTrainer video on Sunday for the Ironman Texas bike course.  Here is a really cool write up by the dude who did the filming:   Click Here - he gives a warning to all non-Texans about the possibility of melting?  Pretty sure we are going to melt too buddy - we live in Air Conditioning like 11 months out of the year.  My A/C just kicked on like 30 seconds ago (-:

• My Dad, Mom, Sister and Niece (3yr old Ava) are all flying in from Pittsburgh to visit this weekend to cheer me on for the IronStar 70.3 on Sunday.  Annie and I haven't seen them since Ava's birthday in May and we are really looking forward to the visit.  I really miss my family and wish we didn't live 1800 miles apart sometimes!

• I will be back on Wed or Thurs to post my game plan and goals for the IronStar.  I am a little beat up right now: sore right knee, sore right hamstring, and sore left ankle - but hopefully the next few days of short, intense workouts will be just the cure to heal me right up.

• The New Bike officially has a name!  A big Thanks goes out to Kevin @ IronmanByThirty for saying, "your bike looks like a Zebra!" in my last post.  Ever since I have read that, "The Zebra" has stuck.  So when you hear me reference "The Zebra" it is my Felt B14 TT Bike and not an NFL Referee!

"THE ZEBRA"

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff