My toughest Workout Ever!!! Piuma

Last Saturday, I rode from Calabasas up and over the Santa Monica Mountains via Piuma and Schueren then Stunt and Mulholland.  This is known as the Piuma Hill Climb: over 2200 feet of climbing over 8 miles.  This is tough enough dealing with the climb, but we had very strong winds.  Headwinds made for a real slow climb, then the crosswinds and tailwinds made for extremely hazardous conditions.  I thought that I might get blown over several times.  Then throw in the recreational race car drivers in their BMWs, Infiniti Gs, Mercedes, Land Rovers, Ferraris, etc...  You get the picture.  Zoom Zoom Zoom right next to us cyclists trying to avoid the wind blowing us into traffic.  Throw in the dust / dirt in the eyes and its a miracle I survived. 
One loop was not enough; our coaches made us do 2 loops to make a 60 mile ride.  All this over a little under 5 hours.  Cruel, very cruel.  Thanks Coach Paul and Coach Rad.  My friend Louis was not present to take pictures, otherwise I would have some to post here.  He was smart, he did the easy Ironman California 70.3 in Oceanside.  A day at the beach, compared to the harrowing climb I had in the Santa Monica Mountains and Canyons. 
The psychological battle was tougher than the physical, but the physical was mighty tough.  I have an aching back and butt to prove it.  The thought of "quitting" or cutting the course short, or only doing 1 loop crept in my mind.  I knew I had to throw out these negative thoughts, and just concentrate on one small section at a time.  I know that this experience will help me on race day especially in the Ironman.  Heck, Wildflower Long Course is easy compared to Piuma.
Oh yeah, 15 minute run off the bike.  Thanks again Coaches.  Actually it was a pleasure to get off the bike and be on solid ground again.
Afterwards I was very proud of surviving my toughest workout ever.  I consider myself lucky to live in So Cal and be able to enjoy the wonderful weather and recreational opportunities that we have.  Viva la Vida

Mulholland Highway

This is a picture of me and a couple of my Ironteammates from Kaiser Permanente.  The three of us all work for Kaiser Permanente and are proud to represent Kaiser's Thrive campaign.  We believe that healthy eating and physical activity are an integral part of combating obesity and the many chronic medical conditions that result from it.  We also believe in promoting this healthy lifestyle at home, at work, and in our communities. 
The three of us also believe in focusing our energy towards a noble cause and a common goal.  In this case we are all raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to promote research towards a cure for these cancers.  We have devoted ourselves since last November towards training for an Ironman triathlon.  Yes 140.6 miles.
Last Saturday we rode almost 56 miles from Pepperdine University in Malibu, over the Santa Monica Mountains and back.  It took me a little under 4 hours, but it was a very hilly ride.  Off the bike, we had a quick 15 minute run around the Pepperdine U. campus.  It was a beautiful day.  Cool in the morning, but heating up quickly during our climb up the mountains.  I felt a sense of satisfaction after the workout, especially since I had worked a 24 hour shift at the hospital and came directly from the hospital to the workout.  I was seeing my last patient at 6am, and by 8am  I was riding my Cervelo with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Santa Monica Mountains on the other.  Can't beat that! ( Well actually, sleeping in my own bed prior to the 4 hour+ workout would have been better.)
This Saturday we will tackle the Santa Monica Mountains again.  This time we will start from Calabasas and I will not be working a 24 hour shift before my workout.

8 months Post ACL Reconstruction: Desert Triathlon

Well 8 months later, I'm back to Triathlons!!! Yeah!  I competed in the Desert Tri in La Quinta, CA last Sunday.  This was an International Distance Tri consisting of a 0.75 mile swim, 24 mile bike, and 6 mile run.  The swim was awesome.  I felt so comfortable; unlike last year when I thought I might drown and felt like I couldn't breathe in my wetsuit.  This time after a bunch of open water swims under my belt, the long hours in the pool this past year, and a new sleeveless wetsuit, I managed to improve my swim time by about 15 minutes.
My bike time was about the same as last year.  However this year it was raining and windy.  Last year was sunny with clear skies.  Also my legs were more tired going into the bike, mainly because we had a 3.5 hour bike ride under windy conditions the day before. 
Now for the run...  Last year I ran 8 min-miles, this year 10 min-miles.  Yikes!  That meant that I gave up almost all the time that I had gained earlier in the swim.  The net result was that I beat last year's time by less than 2 minutes.  Well a PR is still a PR.

My run was hampered by "dead" legs that just did not want to go any faster.  On fresh legs in the gym ( treadmill)  I can run 8 min-miles, but due to some lingering Right hamstring weakness from my hamstring graft, my Right leg gets fatigued more easily and I cannot sustain a faster pace for a longer period.

As you can tell by reading my earlier posts, I have already completed a half marathon, 2 full marathons, and an Ultra marathon of 50K since my surgery last July.  I can handle these "slow" long runs.  I just need more time to get the speed back for the shorter distance races.

My next objective is the Wildflower Triathlon on May 1st.  That will be a Half Ironman Distance Tri.  I have 2 months of training with the Ironteam to get ready.