Great Training Day!

Today I pushed it good! Did a brick of bike to run. I haven't taken the bike to the road yet, but have been hitting it hard in spin class. I kept the heart rate high and cranked with the cadence for one hour. I then had a fast clip run for 7 miles and then finished it off with 10 minutes of stairs. Yesterday was a good day in the pool too. Mile swim took 28 minutes, 36 seconds and I felt like I could have easily done another half at that same place. We'll go for the 1.5 mile next week. Wooohooo!!!

Remember the Blazeman...Ironman's Braveheart

I placed this at the start of training last year and I think it's perfect to place again at start of training this year.

Jon,you helped make me appreciate all of the little things in life. Thank you for the wisdom and inspiration you've left for all of us. The world is a better place because you were a part of it. You will be terribly missed.

RIP Jon "Blazeman" Blais August 30, 1971 - May 27, 2007

50 Minutes in the Lake

Whoohooooo . . . . . still can't believe it, but I was able to swim in the lake for 50 minutes this morning and after about 15 minutes of getting used to the cold and fungus amungus floating about, I was actually able to enjoy it. I kept waiting for my body to go in shock w/ the cold, but this is the first time it didn't do it. And to make it even better, as I was getting out of the water I was chatt'n w/ a diver going into the water and I asked him if he knew the temp and he said he checked less than a week ago and it was 49 degrees. That's at leat five degrees cooler than Alcatraz, so hearing that was a huge boost for me. No wonder why I froze my cahones off last week when I did a plunge w/o my wet suit.

Post swim I did a nice 6 mile loop from Madison Beach to Capital Hill and there is a huge hill I was constantly climbing for the first three miles.

So, in a nutshell, great training day and feeling like I truly might be able to do this Alcatraz swim. Whoohooooo!!!

Ice Cream Headache

Well...this weekend I finally took the plunge into Lake Washington. It is supposed to be around 54-55 degrees right now, so it's right in synch w/ San Fran Bay. I went down the lake on Saturday and was not too excited about jumping in. I put my foot in the water and decided I'd procrastinate one more day and do it on Sunday.

Sunday rolls around and I had a great bike ride along the lake. I made it a point to climb any street that had a nice incline and hit one that was a bit too steep, so I had to do a quick jump off the bike mid way up the climb before I lost all fuel.

So post bike, it was time for the lake plunge. I was motivated and had a totally different attitude than the day prior. The guy fishing off the dock thought I was nuts. I tried to persuade him to join me but he just laughed. I'd say my swim lasted about two minutes. It honestly felt about 10 degrees colder than the Bay during my swim clinic, but I have a feeling it was right in sync. And I got a nice sharp ice cream headache too… so...this means...I better start doing these lake swims/plunges a couple times a week to acclimate or else I might be in for a rude awakening on June 8th.

Three more weeks to train and then the big day is here! Whoohooo!!

Teeth Whitening and Alcatraz Training Go Hand In Hand

Alright....this is a total cheese ball posting but I think it's true.

In mid February I started the first of a few random compliments from friends on how my teeth seem so much whiter. They were asking what program I used to get them so white. I kind of scratched my head as I haven't been doing any kind of teeth whitening. I kind of brushed it off..then next thing I knew, someone else was complimenting.

So what does this have to do w/ Alcatraz Training. Well . . . I read an article last week that if you keep your teeth open when you're swimming in the pool that your teeth can actually get whiter depending on the chlorine level and length of exposure during each swim. The lights went off when I heard that because I'm an odd duck in that I typically swim with my mouth open. Probably terrible for you to have that chlorine in your mouth (aside from the teeth whitening perk). Not sure why in the world I do it....I don't even realize it until post swim and my mouth is feeling kind of 'chemical'. If I were to come up with two reasons, I would say I do it because it's kind of like sticking your head out of a car window and feeling the breeze and it also helps create more resistence (kind of like wearing a bathing suit rather than a speedo).

So next time you're swimming laps....40 minutes + mouth open = white teeth! :)

I know....I'm a cheese ball.

45 Days!

Man, seemed like it was 100 days out just a few days ago. Now it's only 45....the countdown is on. Bringing the bike in for a tune-up today and hoping to have a great workout weekend (aside from a little paintball action on Saturday).

Yesterday's Training

I haven't provided a summary of a day's training in a while, so here's a quick snap on yesterday.

I had a great weight workout in the a.m. People tell me I really don't need to be lifting weights right now, but that's something I'm a bit stubborn with and manage to keep going. Strength wise, I think it has really helped out my swim out quite a bit.

I then swam at lunch and did about 2,000 yards (about a mile and a quarter) and everything felt great. Everyone must be learning to swim right now, because I had another flounder in my lane and had to dodge him most of the swim. I've been learning to breathe on both sides (every third stroke) and this was the first swim where it kind of clicked in and I didn't have to constantly focus on when to breathe. Before I was breathing every fourth stroke and for longer swims like Alcatraz, it's suggested to breathe every two to three strokes for more oxygen supply. Being able to breathe on my right will also help me out if there happens to be quite a few waves on race day and the suggested side is the right. At the training clinic, we had to breathe on the left due to waves and thank goodness that was my breathing side, either wise it would have been an extra stress having to do it on the right. Now I'm all balanced. :)

Post work Walter and I headed down to the lake for an easy 5 miles. That too felt great. The knee tendonitis and planters fasciitis are doing much, much better. I think taking most of last week off provided the body with some healing action. I also think this magic acai juice might be helping things out too. I'm still amazed at my constant energy level after I take 2 oz of the juice. Also want to report that Walter's picking up his pace too and has shed a few of those winter pounds, so he's a happy pooch.

Running Vegas Style

I was in Las Vegas over the weekend for a friend's wedding and was determined to keep up the training (since I kind of took all of last week off post the training clinic). Rather than swim in the pool and having to dodge hotel guests floating around with cocktails in hand, I decided to hit the Vegas Strip both mornings for a nice run.

At first I was hesitant to run the Strip, but it turned out to be the perfect choice for a running path, with non-stop entertainment for the whole hour. As you can just imagine . . . . I came across people who had been up all night and were staggering back to their hotels or maybe they were just heading to their next adventure. And then there were people who looked like they had a really late night but were determined to start the day early and all I got from them were scowls. And I even ran by an Elvis impersonator....where in the world would an Evlis impersonator be boing at 8am on a Sunday . . . . maybe church.

I had always wanted to check out the Bellagio and Venetian hotels, so I did a quick jog into both of those to get a feel of the place.

So I must say, out of all of my training runs to date, these two over the weekend top the chart for most entertainment. I highly recommend a morning run on the Strip next time you're in Vegas.

3 More Crew Members!!

Whooohoooooo......I have 3 more crew members for the race! I'm on a little Vegas Vacae right now and this is too hard to type from the phone so I'll introduce the crew members when I get back and maybe even place their mugs if they'll let me. :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

I hope you're wearing your green. Yesterday I ran the annual St. Patty's race in Seattle and below are a few snaps from it. Lots of fun.....over 17K people, and the sun even peaked out for the race.

Belly Dancing Spin Class

Over the weekend I was chatt'n w/ my buddy Jame's about my training and he asked how the bike part was going and if I had taken my bike out yet for a ride. Well.....the answer is no and I keep thinking I have plenty of time but in less than three weeks I'll be riding the bike course at the training camp so I best be getting my butt in gear. Biking in the cold and rain isn't my favorite thing to do but it's time to buckle up. So with that said, I avoided the bike (outside) this weekend and decided to do two spinning classes back to back.

In the first class, it was about 10 minutes into the class and no instructor. The guy next to me says 'Carol (the spin instructor) is a friend of mine and she's at Whistler right now and she couldn't fine a substitute teacher'. Great....I finally get motivated to work on the bike portion and no instructor. The dude on the other side of me said 'I have my wife's belly dancing cd in the car that we could spin to'. The gal next to him says 'hell no' and I say "it's definitely better than no music at all', so he runs out, comes back w/ the cd and the next hour we were spinning to ching, ching, ching...belly dancing ching. About mid way through a gal hops off her bike and starts doing a ching, ching, ching next to her bike for a couple of minutes and says she knows how to belly dance. It definitely wasn't your typical spin class.

I then stayed on the bike through the next class (where the instructor did show up), so it was a great workout for me, even though I wasn't on the actual bike outside. Maybe next weekend. :)

A Few More Swim Camps

I'm here in bed at 6am and trying to get the energy to make it to the pool for at least a 45 minute swim. It's just too freak'n comfy to think about stepping outside of this little slice of heaven. Alright....a few blurbs about the swim camps and I'm on my way.

Adam from the San Francisco Triathlon Club emailed me a couple more camps ideal for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and even more ideal if you live in in San Francisco. Check it on out if you're interested.

Leslie Thomas of http://www.swim-art.com/ offers a weekly Monday night open water group swim with experienced leaders at Aquatic Park. These are a great way to get use to swimming in the bay water if you're completely new to it. She also often offers longer piloted swims from point-to-point in the bay and may well offer a pre-triathlon Alcatraz swim. Her Monday night group starts on March 17th and they have a kick-off party to which all SF Tri Club members are invited on March 12th at Sports Basement Presidio.

Another local coach is Coach Pedro and he's one of the most experienced Alcatraz swimmers ever. He offers clinics and regular Alcatraz swims throughout the year. You can find more info on his programs at http://www.waterworldswim.com/workouts/default.asp Click on the "alcatraz" link to see details on his upcoming clinics.

Finally, this year SF Tri club will offer a few piloted swims from point to point in the bay. The first one is on June 1. You can find details here: http://www.sftriclub.org/cgi-bin/event.cgi?e=3241

Yeahhh....I Have Race Support!

My dad called over the weekend and said he'll be able to take a break from farming and fly out from Minnesota to watch the race. That's great news.....thanks Ed!

I kind of have a feeling that he's thinking he'll be perched at Fisherman's Wharf with one of those yummy clam chowder bread bowls in one hand and a Starbuck's honey latte in the other, watching the race go by and then doing touristy things during the interim.

Now I'm thinking...man.....maybe I can leverage him a bit and have him:
1) get up with me at 4am for moral support
2) assist at the start before the boat departs (not sure what he can assist w/...guess more moral support)
3) assist at the shore once I make it in from the swim (to give me a GU)
4) assist at all of the transitions to give me a quick shoulder massage
5) and then at the finish line w/ my bike case.

Just kidding dad, I'll make sure I don't work you too hard.

Monday's Training:
I went to the gym at lunch and worked on chest and triceps and then in the evening I went to what I call 'sweaty, smelly yoga'. There were way too many people in the 7 o'clock class, so after 106 degrees for an hour and a half and being packed like sardines, the room was quite fragrant afterwards. I'll be writing more about this yoga class in the next few weeks to share some of my 'class experiences' since I started doing this in early February.

Picture is of pops and my niece Annie having fun at Christmas.

Walter....My Loyal, Dedicated Running Partner

Yesterday I had a great run. My running buddy joined me as he always does, so I thought it would be appropriate to formally introduce him since he never misses a run and is the most incredible, loyal, non-complaining running partner a person could ask for. He always adjusts to my pace and will only leave my side when a squirrel catches his attention. His name is Walter and that's him on the right posing on his 3rd birthday. I've even added him to the right strip of this blog since he's definitely a part of my training.

I'm ran 9 miles yesterday and everything felt great. The left knee was bit tender, so hoping that doesn't start to cause issues. It's given me problems in the past.

Now Walt.......he did about 6. He took the winter off from running and also gained a few extra pounds, so he's gradually amp'n up the miles again.

The Shark and Helicopter Incident

I guess I should be talking about my training, but I’m too amused and entertained with all the Alcatraz photos and video clips out there on the www and would rather post those. Sooo with that said, I found this snap over the weekend which gave me a nice little adrenaline burst (even if it’s not real…..or maybe it is……kind of recall hearing about a shark and a helicopter last year). Swimming in the same pool as sharks FREAKS ME OUT…. even if they rarely swim in SFO Bay. And up until recently (guess I’ve heard it so many times) I cringe every time someone says ‘you’re going to be swimming with the Sharks’. And now it’s the whole “don’t be surprised if a 2 ton sea lion comes from under and gives you a big bump, they just think your wet suit is a female sea lion that they’d like to mate.’ Now that wouldn’t freak me out in the least bit…..not at all. POOP! :)

Training today is a run in a bit and hoping to do around 9 miles.

I’m starting to hear from peeps that I need to be thinking of jumping in the Puget Sound or Lake Washington to get a feel for the cold and open water. Not to be a Negative Nancy, but that doesn’t sound too enjoyable.

Stay tuned for that first jump in the water. Maybe I can borrow a buddies video camera so can witness the LOUD 'shreak' at first plunge.

Original Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon - Via Wiki

I found this great overview on Wikipedia about the Original Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Check it on out:

Original Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

The first Escape from Alcatraz was proposed by Joe Oakes after the 1979 Ironman. The race was held in June 1981, with members of the Dolphin Club testing the course, starting with a swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco, a bike ride to Mill Valley, and a Double Dipsea over Mount Tamalpais to Stinson Beach and back.

A close course compared to the original was the course used from 1990 Until 1993, which saw Only two different winners on each of the professional sides of the competition.
That course was a swim from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park, a mile run to warm up to Fort Mason. Fort Mason bike ride along the great highway with a sloat avenue turn around point and a ride back down the great highway to the Golden Gate Bridge, riders would ride along side on the sidewalk and then get off the bridge and ride down to Fort Baker. The run would take people though a total of sixteen different trails in the presidio and finally make their way across Rodeo Beach. The Runners on the run course would run up a 850 foot accent up Wolf Ridge and head back down to the finish. Next to the Fort Baker Transition.

The winners on both sides were Mike Pigg 1990-1991 and 1993, and Greg Welch 1992, Welch held the record on that course with a time just over 2 hours and 54 minutes.

Terry Schneider-Egger won in 1990 with Paula Newby Frasier winning 1991-1993, she held that course record with a time around the 3 hour and 24 minute mark.

Tri-California Events Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

The annual public Escape from Alcatraz takes place in early June. It consists of a one-and-a-half mile swim starting from Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, a half-mile run from the bay to the transition zone at Marina Green, an eighteen mile bike ride, and an eight-mile run. The run portion includes a notorious section called the "sand ladder" at mile five, a climb from Baker Beach back up to the road that is a combination of sand and 400 uneven log steps.The Escape from Alcatraz triathlon was ranked as the number-one triathlon by Inside Triathlon Magazine for 2006

See the entire blurb by clicking the link below:

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_from_Alcatraz_(triathlon)

Great Snap

I ran across this picture on the Internet and thought it was great. Man and his dog w/ Alcatraz in the background. Did a bit more reading and this dog actually did swim from Alcatraz to San Fran. What a stud dog!

February is here....time to join a Master's swim class.

I'm not too much of a group training type of person, but I bit the bullet and signed up for a masters group called 'the Orcas' and they swim at Seattle University in the eves. First class was pretty intimidating.....thinking I'd be the slowest person in the class but happy to learn that wasn't the case. They didn't give me the boot after the first swim....imagine that....so I must have somehow fit in with the group. Now I'll learn a thing or two about swimming. Whoohoo!!!

Training Begins......

.....first swim in the pool. 26 laps!! Felt like 87 laps. Oh my....the training begins.

Alacatraz Swim Camp

Signed up today.....April 5-6th......this should help me sleep a bit better at night and hopefully stop dreaming about sharks. :)