Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bullet Points within Bullet Points

Bye Bye August, you Bitch!
  • This has been my seventh summer living in the Houston area and it has been by far the most miserable summer yet.  Look at the normal temperatures in the image above and you'll notice we average about 10 degrees more than normal each and every day. The worst part isn't even the 100 degree temps, it is the humidity, which has been even more brutal than the heat.  The term "Dog Days of Summer" held some real meaning to us Texans this summer.
  • Annie and I are a mere 8 days away until we board a plane and head North to Rev3 Cedar Point. We are going to make a short stop in Pittsburgh and see my family and then drive out to Sandusky on Friday morning. My family is going to come out to Sandusky for the race too! And we are both excited to meet up with all of our blogger buddies and Trakkers Teammates, but we are ecstatic about spending time in temperatures that are supposed to be about 30 degrees cooler. It is going to be so awesome to be able to breathe normally while running and biking!
  • My training for the Half Rev is quite different right now.  For the month of August I only biked 90mi and only pushed about 10K meters in the pool.  This are lame numbers for racing a sprint!  But the reason for the lack of swim and bike time is that I was able to drop 150mi running. My run fitness right now is superb! Swim and Bike fitness, not so much!
  • Based on my training it is pretty apparent that Cedar Point is not going to be a PR type of race. The race mantra is: Float the swim, Coast the bike, and Hammer the run.  Got that?  FLOAT, COAST, HAMMER!!!  
  • Why have I backed off on the swim and bike?   Three reasons: 
    • (1) After the heavy volume from the end of last year and then the heavy workload from Ironman training in the first half of this year I am burned out. Looking back over my training logs I had gone about 2 straight years without any significant rest. Much like Government spending, this was unsustainable and a decrease in volume was needed or I was going to break down. 
    • (2) I am doing a 50k Trail Run on November 5th and my first stand alone marathon on March 3rd. I really want to race both of these and in order to do that I needed to become a runner. 
    • (3) Training for Ironman Mont-Tremblant is scheduled to begin the second week of March. One of the things learned about myself is that swim and bike fitness seem to come back much faster than run fitness. So the plan is to have an extremely solid running base going into IM training. 60+ miles per week for four months should accomplish this goal!
I hope everyone has an awesome long weekend!

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

28 comments:

  1. I didn't know you signed up for IMMT. How fun, a new course!

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  2. Cool, I'm from Pittsburgh too - USC! Hope you don't mind if I borrow your mantra for my first IM same weekend as your Rev3. Good luck!

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  3. that weather!
    wow

    just seriously awesome on the running - 60+ mi per wk for 4mo's you will be unreal

    love your plan
    also love the analogy government spending - hahahaha

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI


    D

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  4. A freaking temp in the 90's?!
    Jealous.

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  5. I love how you were still able to sneak in a jab at the Feds. Well done!

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  6. Ugh...even though we've only been in the mid-upper 90s, it's still way above normal for us and IT SUCKS!! Hopefully everyone will be cooling off soon!

    Float, coast, hammer...sounds like a great plan to me!!

    I'm so jealous you're doing a 50k trail run! I think that's what I'm going to focus on next after IMAZ!

    Good luck at Cedar Point. I have a feeling you're still going to do awesome, even without the bike and swim training!

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  7. I am looking forward to your race report. Will you be on Trakkers and will I be able to track you?

    Hey, it looks like Sept 3rd is going to be cold. Be sure to bundle up.

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  8. BAM! GET SOME! With that run volume. Nice job Jeff! You get triple points for doing it all in that ridiculous heat, even if you were inside on the dreadmill.

    I saw 93 degrees one day? Did you have to break out a sweater?

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  9. Tomorrow will be a heat wave for this time of year. 88.

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  10. I liked your crack about government spending. I checked with my local congress critter and they said a debt problem er over training can only be solved by doubling down with more debt... mistake, training. I wouldn't take advice from a politician though best to stay the course you have taken.

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  11. That weather = NOT WINNING

    Sounds like a solid plan. I still don't know how you are surviving on running alone. The mere thought of it gives me the shakes.

    Have fun at CP!

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  12. Holy heat stroke! That's a hot month, and precisely why I won't ever consider IMTX! I think I like this game plan for REV3 CP. Float, coast, HAMMER! I'll be interested to see how it goes. Either way, I'm sure you're going to do great! Good luck.

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  13. We are a little hotter here in southern Utah but NO humidity. That humidity is a killer. If I lived there I think I'd switch my hobby to coin collecting.

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  14. Does Rev3 have an athlete tracker? I'd really like to follow you, especially the float, coast part!

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  15. FLOAT, COAST, HAMMER!!! Love it! I think this running strategy will do exactly what you plan/hope come next year. My 50k mountain challenge is on 10 Sept and I can't wait!

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  16. Yeah, nothing to prove at Cedar Point man, finish and party, that is my mantra.

    As for the running volume, good stuff buddy. 60+ mileage weeks makes you feel like a freaking superstar! Trust me :)

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  17. Have a great time in the cooler weather!

    I am headed to Texas this weekend so I will be enjoying your record heat!

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  18. It gets pretty hot and humid up here in Toronto, Canada during the summer but usually doesn't last that long.

    Look on the bright side, you don't have to run in -30 degree weather in January and February

    See you at IMMT

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  19. You may surprise yourself at how well you do. Your training sounds like PURE OneHourIronman stuff...
    Training is way over rated.

    But I am a bit concerned at your apparent splurging on Ben and Jerrys....

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  20. Oh, you are in for a treat coming to see us Ohioans this time of the year! Can't wait to meet ya!

    Float, coast, hammer sounds like a fun motto!

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  21. Now that I have a visual of how miserable it's been I am more miserable.

    It is nuts to think the other day when it was 101* I thought it was OK because it wasn't 107*......WTF!

    Please don't gloat on Twitter or Facebook or Slowtwitch or anywhere else when you are in the 60-70* temps!!!! Just please don't rub it in.

    FCH-Rev3CP diggin' it!

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  22. I am doing my first marathon in Dec! I wish I could log 150 mile a month running, well maybe after my HIM in less than 3 weeks!!!!

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  23. Bring jeans and sweatshirts! :) it'll be chilly in the morning and evening. Then again, you'll probably be freezing all day. Welcome to Ohio!

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  24. You guys have gotten hammered with heAt this summer. I have a friend who lives in Austin, she's been miserable. That said, it should feel like the dead of winter when you get up north, good times!

    I'm on the same run plan it seems, however my old body, or feet, aren't holding up. Good luck to you!

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  25. Dude, you are living in Hell.

    Move.

    As in, change where you live.

    I can see living there if you are a couch potato-y, a/c-languishing sloth, but you two are none of that.

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  26. OMG. that heat, I would just sit down and cry. whew.

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  27. AZ is hotter then Texas, it sucks, being here for why i am here sucks.

    You will do great at CP

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  28. I hate treadmills...but they would be my best friend in TX...yikes those temps are crazy! HAve fun with CP you have already done so much this year!

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