8 hour day

Yeah, I know most people put in a lot of 8 hour days, but this was an 8 hour training day. Wow...1 hour swim workout, 5 hour bike workout with intervals at race intensity, plus steady state, and then a 2 hour run.

Ouch....that's all I can say.

Vance

Not a possum

Ok, I swear I was not playing possum.

10th - XTERRA West

More on the race to come, including splits, etc. I had no intention of racing as of yesterday morning. Then I went for an hour run, and though it didn't go great, it definitely wasn't as horrible as I expected to feel. Then I went for a 90 minute to 2 hour ride, only to feel really good! The great thing about a power meter is "WATTS DON'T LIE!" I saw good numbers and decided to test myself on a longer hill. 6 mins and 380 watts average later, I was wondering why I'm not racing. I wasn't racing because I needed to finish the antibiotics, and I wasn't going to feel good enough to race if I finished them, and certainly I needed to finish them so I didn't sacrifice IMCDA.

Well, I had taken the last antibiotic dose that morning, and to feel that good on the bike, I thought I might have a chance with about 18 hours until race time. So I called up Joe, and we talked. We agreed I could give it a go if I didn't let it bother me mentally if I had a bad race. (He did not suspect it would go well!)

In short race report...

Swim - Bad
Bike - Strong! Had a flat though, had to stop and refill it.
Run - Strong! Ran out of T2 feeling great. Ran well, until cramp in my right hammy had me stopping and walking a little, stretching too.

More to come...

Vance

Ciproflaxin

The antibiotic I'm on is called ciproflaxin. Here are some interesting things I've found out about Ciproflaxin when researching about it.

Ciprofloxacin is bacteriocidal. It can enhance and magnify the affects of caffeine, (that's why I felt so light and fluid on my run yesterday). Can cause fatigue, and GI irritation.

It's frustrating, because I had no control over it. To not take the antibiotics would have possibly caused more issues, and prolonged my recovery period. Now I am just training enough to keep active and hopefully be back at it soon. Took the last pill this morning.

Vance

Mother Nature is a B&%$H!

I think the title says it all. In XTERRA, they say Mother Nature is your biggest challenger. This week, she has reared her ugly head in the form of bacteria.

This morning I awoke and tried to see how I would feel on a run without taking my antibiotics yet. I thought if this run went really well, I could actually recover in time for the race on Sunday, since Saturday morning will be my last dosage of the antibiotics.

The run started great! I felt really light, legs fluid, and I was getting excited. A little while later I am looking down and can't believe the pace, 7 mins. Terrible. I try to push it a little, 6:30's. Damn it. I get onto the boardwalk and think I'll get going, especially with a tailwind as I headed south along the ocean. 6:20's. Not much else. A few surges, and I can must 5:30's. Terrible.

Later in the day, and I am toasted. Sluggish and tired, from just a 45 min run, which was nothing stellar. Mother Nature has claimed its first casualty for Sunday. I am out. Back on the antibiotics, and just going to try to do what I can to keep fitness until I am able to get back to normal, which will hopefully be Monday or Tuesday.

My investments physically, emotionally and financially, are in IMCDA. I must remember that.

Vance

Trying to come back...

Tried to come back to training today, and wow, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My weight is great, and I feel fine at rest, or going easy, but as soon as I went above easy, it was a struggle. We will see how things go. At this point, it's possible I may not even race.

Vance

100.9, 161

Yesterday morning I woke up with clearly something wrong. Tried to go to the pool and swim, only to feel weak in the water and shivering even after swimming 2K. I got out, went home and ate, then to bed for 3 hours. Woke up feeling weak and tired. In the afternoon, went back to bed. Woke up and went to urgent care down the street. 100.9 degree fever when I arrived. Now on antibiotics, but will be off them in time for Sunday's race.

Woke up this morning feeling much better, still have an elevated HR though, but definitely not as bad. Temperature back to 98. The interesting thing, no matter how much I hydrated, it didn't seem to matter. 161 lbs this AM. A new best. Maybe this could be exactly what I needed? The body burns a lot of calories fighting off this type of stuff!

Vance

PS - I know I promised some videos, but I've been having a damn hard time with them. Will get them up when I can.

PossAbilities Tri

About 10 days ago I finished 2nd at the PossAbilities Triathlon in Redlands, CA. Bummed not to win, (and the bigger paycheck that comes with it!), but happy to place. Chris Stehula won, using his short course focus to beat me over the very short, very fast race of 5k run, 10.5 mile bike, and finish of 175 yard pool swim. (Yes, the race was backward.) Ran 15:50, held right near my FTP of 340 watts on the bike, which was 3 laps with 2 u-turns per lap and 1 large hill going down and u-turn back up.

Not a bad performance, as I certainly don't train for races of this intensity or duration, (just over 40 mins). I also rode LONG on Friday, and Saturday was still a double, before heading up to Loma Linda University, where the race was held.

After the race, it was back to San Diego for a long run that evening, and packing to head to Austin for the week. More to come on the Austin trip.

Vance