2012 Lavaman Keauhou Olympic Triathlon

Fear kept me from attacking any hills during training, after my nasty bike crash nearly 3 months ago.  Didn't run much hills either during training. No excuse there. It was scheduled once a week alongside the speed work and long training runs for Honolulu Marathon. Just felt like I needed to rest my legs more for the long runs. All that and the pressure of training for two different types of races a few weeks apart. More focus was on the Honolulu Marathon, but I still wanted to do well at Keauhou.

Joe Wedemman lent me his wetsuit for the swim, which made me feel like I was floating. The Outrigger closed down, so our new host was the Sheraton. The transition was a bit long, but it gave my legs a good warmup and bonus time to take off the wetsuit on the way. Had a little trouble with the legs, so I sat down to take them off. 1500m swim in 0:30:44 for 88th/320 and a 1:42 transition

This was the 2nd time I rode my TT since the crash. Had 28s on the back, but only 39 up front. Could've used a 34 for this climb. That first hill out of transition was killer. HR spiked at 180, then I eased off back down to 160s. Kam3 was a nightmare. I didn't have the gears or legs to get my cadence above the low 60s. My HR was steady 160, and my speed was a sad 7mph avg up the hill. On the way down, my cadence dropped to practically 0, because I was still afraid of going fast downhill, which was proof in my still elevated HR lol, I topped out at 35mph on this first section. I had no choice now but to go. It was a race! By the 2nd downhill section, I felt more comfortable. I think it was then when I hit 44.2mph, my fastest to date. I thought coming down Kaiwi St was going to be sketchy, but it actually wasn't as steep as Kaleiopapa St. I wasn't prepared for that one, and the transition turnoff felt like it was still on that slope! 26.7mile bike in 1:26:13 (18.72mph) for 107th/320 and a 1:45 transition. Avg HR 158bpm, 1,095' of climbing about 81 cadence.

The run was brutal. Started with a hill and the rest was through the golf course. Tried to chase down Kawika Singson and Adam Busek, but they kept getting away. The last mile flattened out and I finally gained some ground. Kawika is the best sport! He kept cheering me to catch him, which also kept pushing him to run harder. Finally caught him with less than a quarter mile to go. Missed Adam by a few seconds. The 100m home stretch was too narrow and windy to catch him.  6.2mile run in 0:47:39 (7:41 pace) for 42nd/320.

Overall 02:48:03 for 69th/320 overall and 5th/22 (30-34M)

Official results http://www.jtltiming.com/results/lavak.html
Garmin tracker http://connect.garmin.com/activity/244795922

HFD 14B's WOTD

Yesterday was Back, with a light 2 mile jog.

Got our Aquatics Competency Certification today, allowing us to take a dip in the beautiful Pacific. Swimming with bunker gear is surprisingly buoyant, especially if you manage to capture a pocket of air in your jacket. Got more of a tan than a workout there.

Today's Circuit was 3 rounds of:
10 Ring Dips
10 Inverted/Reverse Push-Ups on the Rings
10 Push-Press 115lb
25 Pyramid Push-Ups (1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 with 2 sec rest)
20 Toes/Knees to Bar

First time doing ring dips. Those were sick. Got better on the 3rd round, probably cause I just wanted it over with.

The 115# is a lot for me to press, so I needed the help from the hips.

Toes to bar were pretty killer if I canceled the swing action. Amp it up a little by doing straight-leg toes to bar, then raise up to your knees then pause.

Today was National Running Day. I have to take a raincheck on that.

wotd

MON PM: 8 minutes. As many rounds as possible. Each round: 8 pull-ups, 8 dead-lifts 225#, 16 box-jumps 18", plus 75-100' run between each set. Completed 4 rounds.

TUE AM: Hapuna beach ocean swim: easy half lap

TUE PM: 1 mile warmup jog, shoulders

HFD Swim Week + CrossFit

Swim Week was pretty nuts. I learned to conquer a few fears.

Heights - Never jumped from anything higher than the 1st tower at the Kawamoto Olympic Pool (15'). At the end of swim week, I jumped from the first tower 5 times, the 2nd platform (22') twice, and the top platform (33') twice. Each jump was followed by one of 3 types of rescues.

Static Dive - I can't hold my breath for much anything. Nor have I attempted to dive very deep. My deepest was 14' to recover a brick while training for the HFD agility test. It was very difficult for me to stay at the bottom of the pool for 30 seconds. I freaked out while waiting for the guys to tell me to come back up. I need to work on relaxing down there.

Brick Running - Like rock running, but we're in a group and have to go down there everytime a buddy needs to be relieved.

Anyway, we swam anywhere from 2 to 3, maybe even 4 miles per day, including rescue tows... for a total of 6 days.

CrossFit
Pretty cool place. I was impressed with the workout. I completed 13 rounds of "Cindy" in 20 minutes. 1 round of Cindy consists of 5 pullups, 10 pushups and 15 squats. Total of 65 pullups, 130 pushups, and 195 squats. Qualified pullups are chin above bar to completely extended arms. Pushups are locked out arms to chest and thighs touching ground. Squats are legs locked, down to... a full squat you would see on National Geographic.  Jordan was a beast at 19.5 rounds. The gym record was 30. Not sure what the CrossFit record was.. but I know it was insane. Cause Jordan is a freak. Jon did about 17 or so.

If I hadn't lost my circuit strength from missing out on P90x for the past few months, I could've done a lot better (but so could the rest of the class).

Can't wait to get started on TRI again! Committed myself to competing in Lavaman Keauhou this year :)

See you soon ;)

HFD Physical Assessment - Day 1 & 2

Not much time for words cause I've got some reading/studying to do.

Didn't have time to get in enough liquids (or piss) before yesterday's dry physical assessment. Did a 1/2 mile or so run warmup then got right at it.

Did a slightly hilly 2 mile, timed group run. Kept pace with the instructors until I asked their pace after the first mile. They were doing 6:17. Oh boy. I haven't kept that pace in a while. The second mile (7:13) found me drifting away. Finished strong at 2/18, about half a minute behind Mr Bump and the fitness instructors.

Pounded 13 pullups, but didn't go all the way up and down on the last two. So the instructor could only count 11 of them. Not outstanding either. Somewhere in the middle of the group.

Plank was incredible. I made it to the top 4 with 3:04. Next was Gary at 3:26. Adam and John made 6 minutes. LOLWTF.

Yeah so then we did pushups. I was up there with 25. We had to do them to a beat, so that was a fun new twist. Jordan lost count at 45 something. Animal.

Today was swim. I was in the 1st of 3 groups to show their 500m skills. I went out at a crazy pace, and died after 200m. Ended up 8/18. Adam got 7:45 or something for third. Keo finished at 6:50. Justin at 5:15 or some crazy shit. That dude is incredible. I heard he was a great diver, but DAMN.

We each have strengths and weaknesses. But we all share a passion for what we do. We quickly have become a team. If there's anything that I can do besides being the best damned fire recruit they've ever seen, it's to ensure that every single one of us will not only pass, but excel.

I work with a few fish, some gorillas, cheetahs, and a couple two-by-fours. I get to talk to them and learn from them. I love my job.

Okay, now onto the books, shoe polish and ironing. Good night :)

TeamMangoRaces - Sprint Triathlon - Feb 28, 2010

Left warm, dry Hilo at 5am. Kona was warm, dry and sunny by 7am. The water was flat and clear.


swim - 1/3 mile (to last bouy) - 0:09.46.90

bike - 14 mile (to the pit) - 0:50.31

run - 2 mile (to kahakai rd) - 0:13.46

Had a great swim, but didn't have anything on the bike. Felt really good on the run.

Jeremy and I were anxious on eating at Sushi Enfuego since Thursday's run. Tim Robinson broke the bad news that they had moved to Waimea. We got shut down by 3 other sushi bars on the way to Bike Works, Sports Authority, and Big Island Running Co. I guess th

ey don't get much biz on Sundays. We gave up on sushi and decided to get some burgers. Got shut d by Outback also, so went to Oceans for sashimi, hot wings, Lavaman, buffalo ranch chicken sandwich (pictured) for me and a Philly cheese steak for Jeremy (pictured)

Overstuffed his Landcruiser with food from Costco, tripped out on some Waimea rainbows, then eagerly

returned home... to cold, windy rain.

2010 Triathlon Training: Month 1

Completed my first full month of triathlon training.

View the original post if you can't see the table
http://mike-brown.blogspot.com/2010/02/2010-triathlon-training-month-1.html

	Swim	Bike	Run	Swim	Bike	Run
	Hours			Miles
Week 1	0:45	1:20	2:20	1.31	17.30	15.70
Week 2	2:09	2:30	3:29	4.00	43.50	21.16
Week 3	2:46	0:00	2:52	4.83	0.00	18.70
Week 4	1:14	0.00	0:31	2.31	0.00	3.10
Week 5	3:19	0:00	1:38	6.04	0.00	10.20
Month 1	10:46	3:50	11:25	19.48	60.80	72.86

Need to find more time for the bike. Always think about setting up the trainer and a movie on the laptop but never actually do it. It should at least match the swim and run times.

With Fire Fighter Recruit training coming up, I'll be spending a ton of time running and swimming (I hope so), so it works out that I've been concentrating on those 2. Was thinking about packing on a weighted vest for my runs to help simulate FF gear. Maybe I'll borrow Eric's for a run or two.

View my Google Spreadsheet Training log http://tr.im/sbr247

2010 Triathlon Training: Week 2

2010's first full triathlon training week has ended.

I got in 4.5 hours last week, and the week prior was all rest. The gym has been getting a lot of my attention in the past 3 months. While strength training has given me added power for those nasty hills and pulling the last few hundred feet to shore, I don't feel AWESOME like I do after a swim, bike, and/or run. After strength training, I feel miserable and sore.

So I've scratched my itch and now I can't stop scratching. I love multisport.

Week 2 miles/hours:
Swim 4.23 miles, 2:16 hours
Bike 43.50 miles, 2:30 hours
Run 21.16 miles, 3:29 hours
Gym/Yoga 3:45 (including rest)
12 hours total

http://tr.im/sbr247

I won't attempt to qualify for Ironman this year, but I'll do as much sprint and Oly triathlons as I can squeeze in between Fire Fighter Recruit training class

Without a DREAM there is no DRIVE

9/16 Wednesday Morning

Insa90x 1.11 - P90x CST

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
In/Out Shoulder Flys	10#16
Chair Dips	25
Plange Push-Ups	15
Pike Press	6
Side Tri Rise	12
Floor Flys	20
Scarecrows	10#15
Overhead Tricep Extensions	15#15
2-Twitch Speed Push-Ups (Wide)	All
Y-Press	25#12
Lying Down Tricep Extensions	15#8
Side-to-Side Push-Ups	10
Pour Flys	10#15
Side Leaning Tricep Extensions	15#7
One-Arm Push-Ups (80/20)	6
Weighted Circles	10#20	10#14
Throw the Bomb	15#12
Plyo Push-Ups (Clapping)	10
Slow-Mo Throw	15#10
Front-to-Back Tricep Extensions	10#18
One-Arm Balance Push-Ups	12
Fly-Row Press	15#15
Dumbbell Cross-Body Blows	15#80

9/16 Wednesday Noon

Pool Swim

400m medium (1:42, 1:54, 1:52, 1:51)

8x25y stretch

10x25y on 30 (20-22s with 8-10s rest)

4x25y breathing (3-2-1-0)

2x25y stretch

9/17 Thursday Noon

Pool Swim (times may include 5-10s rest)

6x100m medium (2:06, 2:15, 2:14, 2:20, 2:11, 2:17)

4x100m buoy (2:18, 2:14, 2:24, 2:20)

2x100m stretch

9/17 Thursday Afternoon

Yoga Class - Core

On our backs, holding legs up. Chair pose. Downward dog with kicks.

This morning I had a brief chat with a good friend. I listened to him talk about his passions and dreams. They involved large sums of money, and his plans with said money. I got excited for him. I pictured him enjoying the money and enjoying sharing it with family and friends.

Dreams are a subset of goals. It's my belief that there are 3 levels of goals:

• Level 1 Goals you HAVE to accomplish
• Level 2 Goals you know you CAN accomplish, but require tremendous time and/or effort
• Level 3 Goals are Dreams

My dreams are the polar opposite of his. I prefer to live in a world without money. Does that mean I don't strive for success? HELL F'n NO! My definition of success depends LESS on money. Sadly, money is a necessity in this era. I'll get mine to support family, and get a few material necessities (and some not so necessary). My point is that you need to work to get your money to do the things you want to do or to get things you want. My dream is to live in a world where you can do/get what you want NOW. I'm partially living that dream by enjoying outdoor activities. Sustainable living with a healthy family. Now that's a dream I can live for; I can drive towards.

Dreams are sometimes almost unattainable. Something like winning an Ironman triathlon. Qualifying for and competing in the Ironman World Championship is a goal I KNOW I CAN do, and WILL do.

Another dream is to become a Paramedic for the County of Hawaii. Scratch that. Level 1 goal.

Traveling the world is another Level 2 goal.

I've accomplished a buncha Level 1 goals (that were probably Level 3 goals when I was laying on a couch 2 years ago). I've dropped more than 50# of fat, and have put on some meat. I've done several endurance races. I've completed 2 rounds of P90x and am currently working on a mix of both P90x and Insanity to supplement my triathlon endurance training.

Oh yeah, coach Hope wanted me to put up before and after pics on my BeachBody profile. This is me all pumped up and shit after P90x CB (Round 3, Day 11). I have NEVER been athletic. Getting this far was once a dream. But you gotta keep setting new goals and crushing them.

Bree and Me at Orange Tree!

Monday was all rest. Besides work. I tried to stay off my feet though. Bill took me out for a victory 2 Kona Brew Longboarders and an Aloha Burger with Onion Rings while watching Raiders vs Chargers.

Up and at em for a beach run! 5.8 miles downhill in 45. 10 minute break before 2 laps through breathtaking Kahalu'u Beach Park (my favorite beach, bar-none). 10 minute break before taking on Kam3 in an easy 22 minutes. Legs felt great. Total run back up to the house was 2.5 miles in 33 mins.

Cruised the day with my compression tights under my khakis :) A good portion of this work day was on my feet, but I felt good.

On the way back to www.KonaAutoCenter.com from our lunch meeting at Big Island Grill, I spotted a runner coming down Kuakini. Nice pace. Cute. Hey that's Bree! Honk Honk! Whoah, I almost swerved into her. Still waving and smiling back at me. She calls and I meetup with her and lil Kainoa at Orange Tree. We need this in Hilo! Bree's got a huge heart, is soo down-to-earth and I'm a nervous wreck. She's got me motivated to qualify at Honu. I'm gonna do it.

Check her out and support her at www.hibreewee.com. IM2009Kona: Bring it, Bree!

Blah

Wednesday 9/9/9 7am

Insa90x 1.11 (Core & Balance Cardio)

I moved up my recovery week from Week 4 to Week 2 to ease into Lavaman Keauhou (Olympic Distance Triathlon happening this Sunday). This video is still an intense workout. It's easy, relative to the other Insanity workouts I'm familiar with.

Body Part	Duration	Severity
Glutes	30 min	4-5
Hams	20 min	3-4
Calves	35 min	3-5
Abs	35 min	2-3
Chest	5 min	2-3
Quads	3 min	1-2
Shoulders	5 min	5
Tris	3 min	1-2

I was planning on going swimming out in Kona, but spent too long trying out shoes after work.

Thursday 9/10 7am

Insa90x 1.12 (Core & Balance Cardio)

Same as yesterday. Then I shaved my Mountain Man beard. I have a haircut after work. Then I'll shave the limbs on Saturday. I'll make a hair puppet for cousin Mark.

Thursday 9/10/9 12pm

Swim at the pool. Lack of motivation, focus, energy. I read Bree Wee's blog to help motivate me, and it worked for about 15 minutes. I kept track of laps until they switched to long course.

Too many thoughts raced through my head. Are my legs dragging? Are my hips up? Am I rotating enough? How's my kick?

I need a swim buddy. Jeremy goes to the pool at 4:30pm. I can't make that. The Master's meets are too crowded and I felt like the slow kid. I want more individual attention for quick results. I'm too needy! Is that wrong?

Why do I feel soo negative? I hope I'm just tired.

I just realized I have Yoga today! I feel better now. I'll save that for another post. Let's keep this one strictly negative.

Insani-P90x 1.8, Swim, Yoga, Run

Wednesday 9/3, 7:00

Insani-P90x 1.8 - Power Cardio

I need to start rating the amount of abuse each body part gets per workout so I can schedule Insanity, P90x and Endurance training together. Scoring is 5 extreme, 0 untouched

Body Part	Duration	Severity
Glutes	4	4
Hams	3	4
Calves	4	3
Abs	4	2
Tri's	2	3
Shoulders	2	2
Chest	1	2

Had enough time to recover from P90x Chest and Back on Monday to do well on the push-ups. The tri rises at the end were a bit tough after Wednesday's P90x Shoulders and Arms. The V-Ups didn't seem to be a problem though. Do the smaller muscles heal quicker?

Wednesday 9/3, 12:30

Got soaked while pulling my bike from the car in the rain! Pedaled to the pool for a quick 1km swim. I watched another swimmer during my interval rest. He's quick. I mimicked how he kept his feet near the surface. Seemed to be more efficient. It's also much easier to swim after Insanity days than P90x days.

Wednesday 9/3, 16:30

Yoga. I did a headstand!

Wednesday 9/3, 17:45

Run. 8 miles with Jeremy. Easy 38min run from Coconut Island to Richardson's and 40min back.

Nervous, Insani-P90x 1.7

Tuesday 9/1, 12pm

Was surprisedly worried/nervous about swimming today. Did I sleep enough? Did I eat enough? Do I have enough energy? Will I have enough energy for this afternoon's run?

Took it real easy until about 400-500m. My pace was about 2:05 - 2:10 per 100m.

Opened up a bit until I gassed at 750m. My form was absent. I was pulling with my neck to breath. My legs began to sink.

Rested for a min, remembering Adam's advice about a particular type of interval. After recharging, I decided to really open it up. I only had 150m to go anyway. Didn't time them, but it felt great to really pull and kick.

Finished up with an easy FS/BS/FS. IDK why, but I felt like it.

So I did 1100m, with a little rest. Been awhile since I've done so. Confidence is up a notch.

Jeremy asked my time for the Honu swim. I couldn't really remember so I looked it up after today's swim. 41:10 for a 2:04 pace. A little faster than my training pace back then. I was undertrained for the swim then, and I'm undertrained for it again now.

WTF am I thinking? I don't train enough for events. I just sign up and do them. I thought this would be the race in which I got serious for and do well instead of just finishing.

Maybe I'm subconsciously doing this just to keep things interesting.

I need to get more than 7 hours of sleep tonight so I can make my training day count tomorrow. Headed to Kona for the day.

Tuesday 9/1, 5:30pm

Had the same nervous thoughts about the afternoon run. Exhausted, fatigued, tired. Met Jeremy at Coconut Island just before 5:30pm. He had just done about 1km of swim intervals and then some. And now we're gonna do an 8 miler. 37 mins to Richardson's. 33 mins back. We cruised and talked most of the way there about training, fitness, nutrition, races, and future events. Halfway back, we decided to pick up the pace a little. We picked up the pace quite a bit for about 2 miles, then went easy again. We both agreed that it hardly seemed worth the 4 mins for all the extra effort we put in.

He's a stronger, faster swimmer. He should finish the swim at least 3 mins ahead of me.

On longer rides, he's got me again. He'll gain another minute or less on the bike.

I have to kick butt on the transitions and the run.

12 days till the inaugural Lavaman Keauhou and counting...

Wednesday 9/2, 7am

Insani-P90x 1.7 Shoulders and Arms - Decided to rename this hybrid workout. I'll increment for each "working" day, including 1 recovery day a week. Not including Sunday's brick yet, need to decide if I'm gonna include a short cardio or strength workout on those days (cause there's yardwork too).

Got 7 hours sleep. Almost got more. NO-Xplode almost brought me up to normal. Really had to push myself.

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
Alternating Shoulder Press	20#15++	30#12=
In/Out Bicep Curls	20#16+	25#16=
2-Arm Tricep Kickbacks	15#15+	20#12=
Deep Swimmer's Press	20#12=	25#12=
Full Supination Concentration Curls	20#8=	25#8=
Chair Dips	25	35!
Upright Rows	25#12=	30#10=
Static Arm Curls	20#12=	20#12==
Flip-Grip Twist Kickbacks	15#8+	20#5-
Seated Shoulder Flys	15#16=	15#16+=
Crouching Cohen Curls	20#15+	25#12+=
Lying Down Tricep Extensions	15#15+	20#10=
In/Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Flys	10#16+=	15#16
Congdon Curls	20#10=	25#8
Side-Tri-Rise	17	30!

This time, I took it easier on the first round to see what I could do on the 2nd.

Insanity 1.6, Double-Brick, P90x 3.1, Yoga, Insanity 1.7

Insanity 1.6 was... skipped. Saturday is my rest/recovery day. I'm not sure if I should push everything back or just lose a day. Sunday was double-brick day and I didn't have enough in me to do Power Cardio also.

---

Met some cool endurance athletes at the Sunday HPP double-brick. Adam Busek (veteran Triathlete, kickboxing instructor, Human Anatomy Biologist Bicycle Salesperson who I regularly seek for nutrition and training advice) kindly hosted John (Adam's young nephew from SF), Brandon (young fresh Triathlete from Hilo, HS wrestler), Bill Hubbard (older, fresh Clydesdale Triathlete from Kapoho area), Joe Wedemman (Clydesdale veteran of many things. I look up to him in more ways than one), Jeremy Buttz (young fresh Triathlete from Hilo, fast fast fast), and another young guy but can't remember the name.

First 20k bicycle loop was done as a pack in just under 40 mins. Adam has an excellent judgement of pace and maintained that throughout. I slowly crawled my way from the back of the pack to the middle. When a large gap appeared behind Adam (leader), I rode up to 2nd and encouraged the other 2 to follow and close it. The last 3 miles are downhill with a strong headwind. Jeremy and Brandon sped up to take the lead. Adam kept his pace and eventually caught up. I focused on pulling up with my core to save my legs for an efficient stride on the run.

Transition was lightning quick for each of us (15-30 seconds).

I'm not sure when/where but I broke loose on the run and maintained the lead for the majority of the 2 miles. I loosened up near the turnaround only to find Adam a few steps behind. Aww shit, "pick it up... pick it up!" (Tony-ism #27). And the 2nd half is uphill. Yay...! All I can say is... thank you P90x/Insanity. Adam finished right behind me in about 15 minutes. Big Bill commended me on my posture and stride. I was more impressed that he was right behind, at his age and size.

We rested for 10-15 mins. Reloaded our fuel. Reapplied sunblock (don't forget it!). This time around, I loaded up on NO-Xplode.

2nd bicycle loop, Jeremy took OFF! Brandon and Joe held steadily behind until halfway though. Joe caught up to Jeremy, and Brandon faded to just within my sight. Big Bill laughed when I later told them my highway mantra "I'm gonna get you f'rs... I'm gonna get you f'rs..." It helped me focus on breathing and pulling up with my core again. I barely saved anything for the run. As I pulled into the driveway, Joe and Jeremy were already running out. As I parked my bike, Brandon was heading out. I finished in 39:46 including transition.

I took off like a maniac this time. I passed Brandon by the time I got to the road. There's no way they're beating me here. Jeremy/Joe were a few roads ahead (1/3 mile or so). I was landing harder on my heels and pushing long strides off my toes. I overemphasized my arm-swing to "pull" myself closer.

1/3 way through, some random guy on a mountain bike whispered "they're about a quarter-mile ahead" as he passed. I laughed back "Thanks! I got em... I got em"

I joked with Joe a bit at the turnaround "Pleasant day for a run, isn't it? How do you do?"

We all encouraged each other as we passed (it really does help... even a sun-burnt, sweat-ridden smile helps keep you going).

I slowly closed the gap to 1 road. But they were too fast. My watch read 14:39 as I entered the driveway. I didn't have enough energy to stop it.

Then when I tried to stop it, it wouldn't. No matter how much I cursed at it.

We all shared advice and laughs as time flew by while we recovered. What a fun training group.

We planned to meet at Richardson's to float and stretch. I couldn't find anyone when I got there so I jumped in and took an easy swim and left.

---

Back to P90x with Chest and Back.

Exercise	Set 1	Set 2
Std Push-Ups	30	25
Wide-Front Pull-Ups	15	9+3
Military Push-Ups	25	20
Reverse-Grip Chin-Ups	15	10+5
Wide-Fly Push-Ups	25	20
Close-Grip Overhand Pull-Ups	10	10
Decline Push-Ups	15	17
Heavy Pants	30#x20	30#x25
Diamond Push-Ups	20	17
Lawnmowers	30#x15	30#x20
Dive-bomber Push-Ups	8	9
Back Flys	30#x20	30#x25

I went heavy/hard on the first set. I forgot what I was(n't) capable of. Now I have a new list for next time. I'll start with the 2nd set #'s. But this won't happen for 2 weeks because of Lavaman Keauhou.

---

Yoga Class. We did a bunch of core work. I don't remember much of the class because I felt soo relaxed afterwards. I kinda zoned out on the way to Richardson's. Did a quick 300m. Joe, Shaun and Harry were hanging out and called me over.

---

Insanity 1.7 Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. LOL at Shaun-T-ism "Damn! That SH*T was baNAAnas, YO!" I substituted the push-ups (from the suicide push-up drills) with extended plank run (healing from yesterday's P90x chest workout). I also subbed the much missed (seriously) push-up jacks with jumping jacks and running in place. It's not the same without either workout. But I didn't do too bad in scheduling (only missing out on 2 parts of the drills).

I FORGOT MY FINS! I hope my legs aren't too burnt out for a 1km swim. The stretching should help my chest and back though. LET'S DO IT!

Wait, I need to rest my legs for this afternoon's 8 mile run with speedy Jeremy. Oh boy. Balance. I'll use my core. Wait, I just did a 15 minute ab workout this morning. I'll just drown...

Toe Be-Gone, Yoga, Insanity 1.5

Warm-up ride to the pool and an easy 600m swim. My left side baby toe kicked the wall at the end of the 200m warmup. 75% chance it's broken, but on the bright-side: my right side big toe has healed since I finally kept off it by not running for a while (P90x and Insanity don't count :P ). That little bugger's almost a useless toe anyway. But I can hardly run correctly without the big toe. I need to incorporate fins in my next swim so I can re-learn to force my feet flat. Breathing's getting easier again. I think I can handle 1000m non-stop. 1 week to bring it back up to 1600m. Just a little concerned. I think I could do it under pressure, but my form would get all whack.

Rode up to Yoga class. Forgot my loose clothes and mat so I had boardshorts, an undershirt, and had to bike to Pono's for my workout mat. Trout made a make-shift carrying strap and off I went. Still made it just about on time. Sat down and was already dripping profusely with sweat. This class focused on back extension and it's natural curve. Years of slouching especially disagreed with the wide-legged sit.

Rachelle really got my butt off the ground doing bridge. I could barely get the top of my head off the ground until she pulled my hips up. I forced my pose to lessen the resistance on her hands. I think that's what she wanted me to do. Don't think I got anywhere near the stance in the pic, but it sure as hell felt like it! It's really difficult to push the elbows toward each other while keeping your hands below your shoulders.

Had trouble sleeping with the throbbing toe pain, but I was too exhausted to not sleep.

Insanity 1.5 - Pure Cardio. When Shaun-T says he's nervous about today's workout, embrace it. 15 minutes of non-stop Pure Cardio, after that brutal 3-stage warmup. You know you're doing a badass workout when these fitness freak demonstrators take breaks in between. At one moment it appeared that only a third of them were on-stage. If they were only acting winded, I was sold on it. It helped me feel powerful. Being able to keep pace while they were taking breaks. 5 days in and I'm already feeling massive improvements in the depth and explosiveness of my squats (frog jumps, power squats, power jacks, etc). I just wonder how the hell am I supposed to do Cardio Abs after this mofo.

But I'm grinning. You know why? Next week is HELL WEEK. Check out my Google Calendar if you're curious. I haven't added the noon workouts yet, but they're gonna be 1 hour of either swim, bike and/or run.

Swimming for Recovery?

My back was beginning to bug me again by late morning. I was also running on E. Checked on Eric, and his energy was low also. Good.

Had a choice at noon between a nap or the pool.

Something about the water that heals. Jessica was right about being able to swim everyday.

Felt I had to refine my stroke because I was exhausted before even starting. Stretched out, glided though my fingertips and tried a slow rhythm. Took me 60 strokes across the 50 (quite a bit there buddy). But I felt relaxed. My back didn't bother me.

It's been 5 hours since the swim and it's only beginning to bother me a little now.

Ironman 70.3 Hawaii

Half Ironman - Done.

Overall
Pos 626/1101
Time 06:26:21
Plc/Total 67/88
Cat M30-34
# 1047
Swim
Cat 66
Ovr 689
Time 41:10
/100m 2:04
Tr1 6:21
Bike
Cat 61
Ovr 560
Time 3:02:38
Mile/hr 18.4
Tr2 5:36
Run
Cat 65
Ovr 691
Time 2:30:38
/Mile 11:30

As you can see from my Cat & Ovr Places, I was fairly average.

The open water swim was more congested than I had expected. The first turn was only about 30 degrees, but there were 1300 of us squeezing through in about 5-10 minutes. I got elbowed a few dozen times. My feet were touched about 60% of the time. Someone actually pulled down on my ankle at one point. The water was warm, calm and glassy. The deepest spots were about 75 ft. I opened up on the second half where I steared away from the pack and was able to stretch out and keep my own pace. Not much time goes into the swim. I feel if my cardio enhances, so will my swim. My technique could always use help but I'm fairly satisfied so far.

I felt best on the bike. Which is funny cause it's the sport which has received the least amount of my attention. I passed people uphill and downhill. I mashed near and through the peaks and attained max speed through to the flats where I coasted/rested a few seconds, then repeated. There were soooo many rule-breakers out there. There was a guy who drafted basically the entire ride. Another rode inside of the white line the entire ride. Only one rider out of everyone that I passed eased up as I called 'your left!'. Joe said he's never seen it like this before. As I passed mile marker 11 on the way to Hawi, Craig Alexander blew past. He was fkn flying it! I realized why after the turnaround. That 900ft climb paid off. There isn't much I hope to improve upon, besides cardio (aerobic work). But I'm always expecting/inviting new methods. Jess' training advice has helped a TON for the bike. I have changed my mind about getting a tri bike so soon.

I had originally thought I had failed big time on the Run, but it wasn't that bad. I walked about half of it. Felt I had ate/drank too much on the bike/run. Plus I had my racing flats in the repair shop so I had my training shoes, which got super heavy when filled with water after dousing myself every few miles. Jess had me focus on running off the bike, but I haven't put enough effort on the runs.

I am glad I was able to finish. Now that I know I can finish, I'll need to get faster. I need to put a LOT more effort into my training. I hope to knock off 1hr by next year.

5 mins off the swim
4 mins off Tr1
15 mins of Bike
4 mins off Tr2
35 mins off Run

My weight got cut down to 160lbs this week. It's an ideal race weight, but I'd still need to replace some fat with muscle. P90X with Eric M-T-Th-F. Master's Swimming on Wednesday. Bike/Run M-F. Tri on Saturday. Rest/Stretch Sunday.

Next up is Joe Wedemann's bike-around-the-island (about 230 miles) on June 20th (I'll do the second half with him), Kona Marathon on June 29th, P-Mango Sprint Triathlon July 12th. I'm looking forward to more races, especially triathlons.

New Aero Bars | Flat Tire | Swim Class

Got my new aero bars installed during lunch yesterday, so I took it for a spin after work. Love the way the bars make my body feel in the wind. Also feel that I can put more force down and back in the spin.

Went for a beach cruise at 6pm and almost made it to 4miles Beach when I got a flat in the rear tube. First tire change! Argh! Was a pain figuring out how to remove the tire. Took a good 20-30 mins. Stopped keeping track around 15 mins. Tried patching the tube. I don't know if this is even possible. Inflated and still heard a leak, so swapped with the spare tube. Was fun getting the tire back on. Began pumping away when the valve stem snapped in my pump. FML. Luckily I had my phone. Right after calling Mai, Sharon stopped by and offered help. I thanked her and began walking back until Mai stopped. Haven't really talked to her in a while so we had dinner at Miyo's.

This morning:
Swam 1300 of the instructed 1500m in about 27mins, while everyone else waited. 2 of the kids did it in 20mins. Unreal. 4x50m kicking with flat kickboard, then 2x50m with some kind of triangle device. 6x50m every minute. Sadly, my rest got shorter and short each lap.

I remembered to keep my hands shoulder width apart, stroke down the center, rotate hips, elbows high and above my hands, keep my fingers close to the top of the water, and keep a steady flutter kick.

800m in, Jon advised me to stretch out more with my hands, front and back. This kinda wore me out though.

1100m in, Jon stopped me and said I was dragging my legs. It didn't feel like it. He also said to keep my fingers close together. He said I was putting my hands flat onto the water and pushing down just to keep my upper body afloat.

Keeping momentum on the kick was tough. I'm getting stronger and more economical at it though.

First Class - Master's Swimming, Hot Feet

View Larger Map

Joining the Hilo Aquatic Club for practice MWF 5:30-6:45am, coached by Jon Hayashida. Today was my first visit with the club and Jon had me jump in to observe my technique... or lack thereof.

Here's a link if you wanna join http://www.hawaiimastersswim.org/clubs.html#HAQ

He was commanding some numbers for everyone to do laps that I didn't understand at all. Something about this many laps at this time or something. I think we did about 8x100m, 400m kick, 400m buoy. I had to rest quite a bit. Haven't done this type of aggressive intervals since Jessica was training me last summer/fall.

Things I learned today and need to practice on:

• high elbows
• drag fingers
• stroke down center
• hands enter at shoulder width
• flutter kick (no more dragging legs or kicking on each stroke)
• rotate hips for legs to rotate

Water was surprisingly warm this morning.

Temp was about 78F during my run from 1-2pm. 6.9mi in 1 hour. iMapMyFitness failed after 3.9 or so miles, then I resumed tracking and it kept reading 5.1miles over and over. I love that iMMF has audial feedback, but hate it's instability.

Love the heat training. Slowly getting acclimated.

2km Swim!

Swam 2km today. It's been almost a year since I've done so.

Long course 100m splits:

1. 2:03.35
2. 2:08.87, 4:12.22
3. 2:20.27, 6:32.49
4. 2:10.11, 8:42.60
5. 2:11.61, 10:54.21
6. 2:13.62, 13:07.83
7. 2:08.88, 15:16.71
8. 2:10.15, 17:26.86
9. 2:10.24, 19:37.10
10. 2:18.10, 21:55.97
11. 2:11.05, 24:07.02
12. 2:06.93, 26:13.95
13. 2:11.91, 28:25.86
14. 2:13.21, 30:39.07
15. 2:13.40, 32:52.47
16. 2:15.60, 35:08.07
17. 2:13.83, 37:21.90
18. 2:18.62, 39:40.52
19. 2:24.27, 42:04.79
20. 2:08.21, 44:13.44

My confidence has peaked from completing the Capt Cook Challenge. The Honu swim portion is 1.2mi. This 2km swim is roughly 1.24mi. I'm gonna be training this 2km and bring the time down. Looks like I started off too quick on the first lap. I need to work on more consistent times. Next goal should be 2:10 splits.

I'll stop by the Master's Team training tomorrow at 5am and take things from there.