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.

Malibu: Joie de Vivre

After a rainy Friday night, Saturday was a perfectly clear So Cal February morning.  Ironteam met at Zuma Beach in Malibu for a 2 hour bike: 1 hour run, brick workout.  I enjoyed the beautiful coastline during the ride.  It was so pleasant that it didn't even seem like a workout.  I pushed hard during the second hour of the ride and started to feel like I was finally getting back to pre-ACL injury cycling shape. 

Off the bike we ran on the path along the beach.  The first 15 minutes my legs felt heavy and sluggish.  I probably pushed too hard during the bike ride.  I ended up jogging this portion of the run.  Finally the legs recovered and I started to run at a good clip.  I took a slight detour to run up a trail and then on the return I ran on the beach.  Running on sand provides a more strenous workout for the calves.  I managed to dodge all but one wave; that wave got my shoes and socks wet.  But it was worth it.  Nothing adds joie de vivre like running on a beach, dodging the waves, under a clear sunny sky.  Try it.  I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face.

Farewell Renee

Yesterday, I heard the news that our Ironteammate Jame's friend Renee Benson passed away on Monday.  She fought the long fight against Cancer.  Eventually Cancer won the earthly battle.  However I do believe that Renee is in a better place now.  A place filled with LOVE. 

King James Bible


O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)
 
Check out the link below for more on Renee's long battle.
http://reneebensonbelieve.blogspot.com/

7 months Post ACL Reconstruction

Greetings.  Seven months post ACL reconstruction and I'm doing fine.  I've been running, biking, and swimming as I get ready for Desert Tri next month, Wildflower in May, and Ironman Louisville in August.
I had my follow up visit with my Ortho Doc last week and got great news that my knee is completely stable.  So the ACL reconstruction was a success.  I informed him that I'm frustrated that my R hamstring is still weaker than the Left and I have difficulty with pylometrics.  But he reassured me that I'm way ahead of the curve in terms of my recovery: 1 half marathon, 2 full marathons, and 1 Ultra marathon post ACL reconstruction.
My swimming is coming along.  I have the aerobic fitness so I can swim "all day".  The encouraging part is that I'm swimming faster as well.  I guess I'm starting to adapt to the water and swimming more efficiently.

The Ironteam Saturday bike rides are great.  2 weekends ago we rode the Palos Verdes loop.  Since this is my home course, I really enjoyed it.  I love the hills.  Yes hills!!!  Beautiful sights around every bend.  Above is a picture overlooking the Trump golf course.  Last weekend we did the Amalfi loop in Brentwood/ Santa Monica. After each cycling loop, we transitioned into a 1 to 2 mile run, then repeated this 3 times.

I'm still working my way into cycling shape, but I'm pleased with my progress.  I managed to drop 4 of the 5 pounds I gained over the holidays.  I'm still about 5 pounds heavier than last season, but I feel that I probably picked up some muscle weight from the increased emphasis I've placed on strength training during my rehab.  On Sunday, in addition to swimming 1.2 miles, I ran 2 miles on the treadmill in my Vibram FiveFingers barefoot running shoes.  I reached a max speed of 9mph on 2% grade.  Stay tuned for a future post about barefoot running and the Vibram FiveFingers.

My first Ultra-Marathon

Well I've had a few days to reflect upon my first Ultra Marathon.  Last Sunday, I ran the Dean Karnazes Rock N Roll Ultra 50K in Phoenix, Arizona.  That's 31 miles.  I ran the first 4.8 miles on a looped course an hour before the marathon start.  My time was 44 min and 10 sec for this portion.  Then we joined the RnR AZ marathon course and completed the remaining 26.2 miles.  My total time was 5 hrs 49 min and 33 sec.  I was #123 out of 148 finishers.  Not a fast time by any means, but it was a mental and physical challenge that I had to overcome.  I succeeded and this will serve me well come Ironman Race Day. 
The challenge was to stay positive when the remaining miles to cover seem so large.  For example at the mile 10 Marathon marker, I had already run almost 15 miles and I still had another 16 to go!!!  Eventually, instead of focusing on "Wow this is mile 22..."; I focused on the fact that "I only have 9 more miles to go".  So I started the countdown 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and then I was running across the finish line with arms held up high. 
The crowd support was great.  Especially the Team in Training supporters.  I had a couple Team in Training coaches check on me and even run a short while with me.  That's because my right leg started to ache and I was favoring that leg and had a slight gimp to my gait.  They wanted to make sure that I was OK and they gave me encouragement and inspiration.  The Team is great... coaches, mentors, your fellow teammates.  I'm sure my Ironman Race will be a similar experience.
When I was finished, I had access to the VIP tent, but I was so tired that I just wanted to get out of there ASAP, go back to the hotel, take a bath, eat, and sleep.  I told myself that this would be my first and last Ultra.  26.2 miles is enough for me.
Yesterday I worked out on the elliptical and stationary bike at the gym.  Its been raining cats, dogs, pigs, and cows here in So Cal.  I'll try to get my swim session in later.  We have a bike workout Saturday.  I hope the roads are dry by then. 
After a few days to reflect back on the Ultra, I'm thinking who knows, perhaps there is a trail Ultra in my future...  Stay tuned.