Monday, August 6, 2012

Random Thoughts ...


  • After yesterday's swim workout I officially entered taper for Ironman Mont-Tremblant which will be happening in 13 days. This means that my mind is pretty much mush so anything written below should be taken with a grain of salt.
  • I cannot wait to get to Mont-Tremblant for the vacation. We are going to be there from Wednesday, August 15th to Wednesday, August 22nd. The weather has been ridiculously uncomfortable over the last two months and I am drained. The 72* temps of Quebec are going to be the best thing ever.
  • This weekend Jason from CookTrainEatRace.com made the 4 hour drive to Houston from Dallas for what we deemed a mini-training camp. He has a nice write-up about our weekend on his blog (here) and if you want to hear all the details head on over and check it out. We had a most excellent weekend of training and hysterically timed sarcastic one liners (my wife may not agree). 
  • So how has Ironman training been going? Overall it has been okay. Aside from last week when I crashed and burned from Heat Exhaustion I have been able to get in every single one of my long runs and long rides over the 24-week training plan. I have missed or modified a few of the weekday rides and runs and have missed quite a few swims. The heat has been the reason for most of my missed workouts as I have found recovery to be very difficult in these extreme temps. The reason it has only been "Okay" is that I am tired. Really tired. And my swim fitness is pretty average BUT my bike and run fitness is much improved over last year going into Ironman Texas.
  • Based on this experience it has been determined that as long as we live in South East Texas this will be the last time I train for a late summer Ironman. The Fall and Spring races are going to have to be the focus as training in the winter time is more ideal than sloshing through the summer again.
  • Jon and Kevin both finished up the heart of IMMT training this weekend as well and based on their blog posts the three of us are all feeling exactly the same - like we were hit by trucks!
  • The Pittsburgh Pirates are 15-games over .500 (61-46) with an 11-game homestand starting tonight. They are 2nd in the Central behind Cincy and first in the Wild Card Race. It has been 19-years since this team has had a winning record and that many years of being irrelevant finds me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the inevitable collapse. A successful homestand would do a lot to alleviate this sinking feeling - Let Go Bucs!
PNC - Best Ballpark in MLB
  • A few weeks ago I made the trip out to Lakeway, Texas to visit blogger Legend Bob Shuler (aka: Mr. OneHourIronman). This is a suburb of Austin butted up against Lake Travis and Bob has recently just moved to the area from Tampa. Bob is training for IMNYC (JerseyMan) which is this weekend. We got in a great ride along the beautiful and hilly Lake Travis Dam area. This place is the Triathlon Mecca - maybe only Boulder is a better place to train! And it is absolutely beautiful - if Annie and I ever move out of Houston this will be where we go. I've known Bob for a few years now and it was a blast catching up with him and getting to see his new home and community. Thanks for being such a gracious host Bob and kick some ass at JerseyMan!
The man, the myth, the legend - IronBob!
Some of the scenic rolling terrain around Lake Travis
  • This area is so awesome that Jason and me are talking about putting together a Tri Training/Beer Drinking Camp weekend in February. Jason has found a big 'ole rental house along the shores of Lake Travis that would be the perfect place for a bunch of dudes to s/b/r until our legs fall off.  More details to follow ...
  • NEW RACE WHEELS ALERT! Last week I received the much anticipate Flo Cycling Carbon Clincher Wheelset. Pictured below is the Flo 60 Front with the Flo 90 Rear Wheelset. They are the Black Stealth logos. I rode them hard this weekend and they are glorious. Smooth ride and they handle like a dream. If you are in the market for a high quality wheelset but do not want to bust up the bank account check out Flo Cycling.
Flo 60/90 Combo on Kestrel 4000 SL
  • For all you cycling purist (and followers of The Rules) this picture is an unfinished view as the bike was going through some cosmetic changes. The bar end tape is now black and the white cable has since been replaced with black and tucked into the tube. The saddle is still white as it matches the paint scheme and seat stay but I am leaning towards getting a black one. I also never wear sleeveless jerseys unless I am racing a Triathlon. 
  • Yes, I race Ironman with that amount of drop. The Kestrel 4000 is an extremely comfortable long course frame and because of this I am able to easily "get low" on the bars with great ease.
  • I have yet to make up my mind if the saddle bag will make the trip to Quebec? In the past I have been able to tuck a spare tube, 2-CO2s, and a tire lever up under the Adamo saddle with the aid of a some duct tape. BUT ... I have been able to modify the above pictured saddle bag to nicely fit behind the saddle and it is at such an angle that I'd assume that drag would be pretty much negligible. What says you aero-wienies, is it okay or should the spare be taped under the saddle?
  • Next post is going to be about my Ironman nutrition plan. This will be a short post (-:

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

21 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Only 7 days until we leave! Bike ships out on Saturday morning - need to start getting everything packed up.

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  2. Don't forget your sparkly skirt ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Glad to have you. Sorry I couldn't stay with you on the ride but next year, watch out...
      Canada is going to be a piece of cake after training in the sauna.. hammer it!!
      And why do I always buy something (clincher aeros) only to wish I had waited?

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    2. So I need to return the sparkly skirt? (-:

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  3. No mention of the 'sound' that those wheels make because you can hear those fuckers from a mile away.

    I cannot say anything bad about Annie missing the one liners or really not liking them because that waffle was glorious......just glorious.

    Tape is all under the saddle and put the single rear water bottle back there.

    You are ready.

    BTW my flip turns today were much better than yesterday. Practice makes perfect.

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    Replies
    1. Forgot about how evil the wheels sound. Remember with every rotation of those bad boys a baby seal dies.

      Give the flip turns a week and you'll be a pro at them!

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  4. Enjoy the taper! Looking forward to the race reports from you guys.

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  5. 1) Electrical tape > Duct Tape

    2) LOL @ your disclaimer for bicycle purists. Especially the sleeveless jersey part.

    3) Go with the saddle bag. I am. The goal is to finish the race. Not be stranded on the side of the road with a flat you can't repair because you were worried about 3 grams.

    4) I hope and pray that the Pirates don't break your heart.

    5) Annie made waffles again? WTF? I thought we were special and she only made those for us.

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    Replies
    1. 1)Maybe. electrical tape will come off if it gets wet and with a chance of rain at IMMT I do not want to take a chance.
      2)The Rules must be followed by all cyclists.
      3)I am worried about pictures Kevin, not speed or bike split, I just need to look good and the saddle bag is ugly!
      4)They lost 10-4 last night )-:
      5)No comment (-:

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  6. Your better not be wearing a sleeve jersey while riding, you can always pick out the triathletes at a bike rally/tour, ditch the compression socks too on training rides, wear a bib while you are at it

    Go with a saddle bag, that distance, take the extra gear

    Annie didnt make me any waffles when I was down there, what the heck!!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Not a big fan of compression sleeves, I have tried them but really cannot tell a difference? Even with out heat I always wear a jersey with sleeves - unless I have a new tri top and am doing a race prep - and then the ride s done alone!

      Annie will make you some this Spring.

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  7. I love the sound of great wheels... they let you know when you are working and when you are pussing. :)

    I'm awfully jealous of you seeing all my favorite people in MT. :( Drink one for me, okay?

    I'd go with the saddle bag. I have a wing behind my seat and put an empty bottle there with my go to tubies and whatnot. Better to have them than to be stranded. It's probably no more or less aero than stuff just taped under your saddle (although I've done that too)

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  8. No advice or opinions to offer on what I know so little about, but wanted to wish you luck on your race! How awesome all of the blogger buddies you've been able to train with this year.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!

      It has been a fun year and I have got to hang out with some incredibly cool people.

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  9. Wow, I like those wheels. As a wise man once said, "I gotta get me one of those"!

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    Replies
    1. They are great Boomer. Flo Cycling just did a 2nd round of pre-orders. Demand is far exceeding supply at this point and they have no inventory. I order my wheels at the end of Feb and just received them in the middle of July - they were well worth the wait.

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  10. Tri training/Beer drinking sounds great. I enjoy your blog and just wrote about completing my 2nd ever tri (a spring in Ithaca, NY). ~ Katelyn

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  11. Increasing your chances of winning in a biking competition doesn’t only rely on your capabilities but also with the bike you are using, especially the wheels that your bike has. If you will identify which part of your bike receives a lot of wear and tear when performing this activity, you will absolutely say that it is your wheels. It only means that if you will buy the most efficient set of Reynolds 72 aero wheelset available in the market, then, it is not impossible for you to claim victory and gain popularity as well. You can see various kinds of wheels that you can go for yet, before you pay for a particular product, make sure that it is the one you’ve been searching for.

    ReplyDelete