A Bike/Run, A Bike & Run And The Pool

Gear

Over the weekend, I finished up week 1 and started week 2 of a 16 week 70.3 training plan.  And though it's only been a week (or perhaps BECAUSE it's only been a week), so far so good.

The plan definitely changes the way I spend my training time.  For example, I usually join OC Velo and set off to points unknown for a long ride every Saturday morning.  But the training plan calls for a bike/run workout every Saturday.  And since I have committed to following the plan's schedule more or less to the letter, it's not until Week 5 that the rides get long enough for the OC Velo ride to make sense.

Instead I opted to join the Out-spoke-n Cycles ride.  I should/need to be doing this anyway, as the shop is the main sponsor of a team that TRI714 are putting together.  So it all worked out perfectly.  And as a bonus, I got to sleep an extra hour.

Out-Spoke-n

Because it was a holiday weekend, only 5 other people turned up.  Everyone turned out to be a decent rider, but I could tell right away that most of these guys lacked any real group riding experience.  The planned ride was a 25 mile out and back route.  On the outbound leg, at any given time at least one of the five guys in the group was attacking off the front of what little group we had, only to blow up and fall behind, and then recover to do it again.  I must admit it was driving me a little crazy, because I like proper group rides.  So at the halfway point, I suggested we do a pace line back and explained the mechanics of same to those who didn't know what it was.  Everyone caught on pretty quick and for the return trip we where making good time taking :30-:45 second pulls each.  There WAS one guy who on his first few pulls could not resist the urge to really put the hammer down the millisecond he got on the front, but I gave him a little guidance on the matter and he did great after that.

Once back at the shop, I changed into my running shoes quick (not quite a proper T1 time but not bad) and set out for the run.  Out-spoke-n is right on PCH in Sunset Beach, so all I had to do is cross over to the beach side, get on the beach path and start running.  I did just over 5 miles out and back south towards the Bolsa Chica lifeguard station.  The run felt good.  Actually, it felt really good.  So good in fact that I was not the least bit annoyed that the day marked the first day for the next 3-4 months that I'm going to have to share the beach path with tons of out-of-towners.  When I got back, the Saturday farmers market that happens in the Out-spoke-n parking lot was in full swing.  There is a stand there making what look to be amazingly tasty tamales.  I was able to resist this time, though I doubt my will-power will last much longer.

Post wind & Velominati rule violation

Sunday called for another bike and run, but not as a brick.  Since I was riding alone, I took the TT bike out for this one.  It was windy Sunday - really windy.  When I hit PCH and turned south, I had a tail wind and hit 32-33 MPH pretty easy.  But even though I was having a great time, it didn't take much presence of mind to realize that I somehow had to get back.  So I couldn't help but start feeling a little bit of dread as the outbound miles flew by.  Eventually, all good things come to an end - after a few repeats on this little kicker of a hill near Hoag Hospital, it was time to go back.  And let's just say the ride back totally sucked.

But I did make it back intact and a few hours later, I went out for the run.  Again I did another 5 miles and again it felt great.

Heck yes, Stanford!

Today I hit the pool.  The swim is where I am really breaking it down to basics again.  After a 400 yard warm-up, I did a few 200's of various drills and then swam a 50-100-150-200-150-100-50 pyramid with each interval on :20 seconds rest, before doing some sprints and a cool down.  I tried, as best I could, to really think about one specific component of my stroke on each interval - reach, head position, body roll, pull and so on and so forth.  I was sharing a lane with a collegiate swimmer.  She was from Stanford if you can go by swim caps, and we got to talking a little.  After a bit of swim training small talk (to which I could add very little), she pointed out that I was crossing my stroke across the center line.  I'm always more than happy to get swimming advice, so I took note and made an adjustment.  And something changed, because I could definitely feel my shoulder and back muscles engaging in a slightly different way.

Looking forward to the rest of the week, I've got a short Z2 run and the El Dorado Criterium tomorrow, a core workout Wednesday, another swim and some run speed-work on Thursday, a day off Friday and then I'll basically repeat what I did this weekend next weekend, adding a bit of time to each session.

I'm into it.

Favorite T-Shirts

I rarely wear anything other than a t-shirt.  They are usually cheap and always easy to deal with.  I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I seldom go anywhere that requires much more.

I'm pretty specific when it comes to prints, though.  I tend to go for simple, verbage-centric designs, with the less colors the better.  I also avoid anything that is over the top or remotely tough guy looking (i.e. Affliction) like the plague.  Which is funny, because I design and manufacture these sorts of tee's for clients all the time.

The truth is I probably have not worn a t-shirt that I've made since the mid nineties, and it was probably either a Radiohead or Oasis t-shirt (Note to EMZ:  This is when I liked music).

Anyway, here are 4 of my current favorites.

Bianchi

I just got this tee recently and I love it.  I ride a Bianchi, but even if I didn't I would like this tee regardless.  It's a pretty cool looking retro print.  And I've also always been a sucker for maroon.  It must be because I lived right next to Boston College for so many years.

By the way, it's good that I ride a Bianchi, because if I didn't I might not be able to wear this shirt.  I have rules.  It's complicated.

Outspoke-n

This is the shop tee for Outspoke-n bike shop here in Huntington Beach.  It's a fairly new shop, and though they are still working hard to get their product assortment right, they've built a great retail experience in terms of shop decor and staff.  Everyone who works there is super cool, and the mechanic is great.  I've been taking my bikes there a few months now.

They don't actually know it yet, but they will be sponsoring me next year when I do Ironman Hawaii 70.3.

 

Runner's High

This is a tech tee from a local running shop called Runner's High and is pretty much my go-to tee for running.  I have the same design in red as well.  It's simple.  I probably would have capitalized that "H" in "high", but that's just me.  And since endurance sports is the only way I'll ever get "high" again, the tee has a nice personal motivational message built right in.

The downside is that Runner's High is not a Newton dealer, which complicates things somewhat.  But I give them my business when I can.

Obey

Though I'm not a huge fan of most "California Couture" lines like RVCA, Paul Frank and Howe, I've always been a Shepard Fairey fan.  So I think think the Obey stuff is cool, as long as it's simple.

I met Shepard when he was an art student in Providence.  He would come up to Boston to skate and go to shows.  Somewhere I have a hand made silk screen of Andre The Giant on a piece of really hideous looking wallpaper.  I wonder if it's worth anything?