SalsMiles2

Friday night was a 90 minute pool swim. Saturday Jan biked 20 miles solo, then 28 miles with me, before continuing to Hamlin Beach and looping around the park until hitting 101 miles. Sunday she biked from Spencerport to Holley, through Kendall and on to Hamlin Beach with Lou and Eileen, about 30 miles. They then all watched the Shoreline Triathlon . Jan stayed around after the race to volunteer with me and others in breaking down the transition and finish line areas. It was a beautiful day at the beach, though a long, hot work day. We both count that as a weight workout day.

MapMyRun is officially my favorite new workout and mapping web site. Once you register you can create routes for biking, swimming or running. There is an online calendar for tracking your workouts and they put little icons on the day for what you did. The site keeps track of your BMI, calories burned, shoe mileage, heart rate and more. The site seems pretty easy to work with. I just did a search for routes in Rochester and more than a hundred popped up. You can choose to make your routes public, private or share with just friends. They do suggest if you make the route public not to have it start near your house on the shared map, which makes sense. Wouldn't want someone like Mike W. figuring out where you live and running up ringing the doorbell at 6a.m. and hiding in the bushes laughing. I have just begun to use the site, but highly recommend trying it. Registering takes about one minute.

Another great night at the Spencerport track with the Sal's group. Over the past 15 years or so Mike W. has usually been the driving force behind organized interval workouts for our unofficial club. When an important race is on the horizon it's nice to have one or more fellow runners (or support people) along to give encouragement and share the pain - pleasure(?) during these workouts. In the past we have met on dump road, where quarters and a half mile were measured and marked, or Bernabi hill, or the old dirt/cinder track and often, now, at the all weather track. Doesn't really matter where we meet, just having friends suffering alongside is enough to help with motivation. A group of six ran 5x1000 at 10k pace - prepping for a fall marathon and Boston qualifying time, I ran 12x200 to try and find my lost speed, Eileen (who already did her own RBR earlier) and super support crew leader Joanne walked with an animal I think was a dog, and Ironwoman in training Jan did her 6...

See her nerves jingle jangle jingle. Friday night was a 2.8 mile swim in Canandaigua Lake. Jan was impressive. Lou and Eileen swam 1.8 or so with her. Richard W., Mike W. and I swam together, with RW doing about 3/4 of a mile and Mike and I made it a mile, maybe more, since our line of sight was a bit zigzaggy. Mike left with an Angelina Jolie lip after a collision with a wayward swimmer. Saturday Jan ran 20 miles and biked indoors 15 miles. Sunday Jan and I drove to Mendon Ponds park and biked a rolling 28 mile course that included the park and Honeoye Falls. It was a beautiful morning and a great ride. We ran 27 minutes after the ride. I think Jan is getting into shape, since she thought Sunday's workout was pretty easy and not long enough.

Tuesday a.m. 1 hour bike indoors, p.m. run at track - 400/800/1200/1200/800/400 @10k pace. Wednesday p.m. swim at Bport pool, 2500 yards. Boy was that place crowded. Lessons, a swim club, Jan and I shared a lane in the deep end with someone who swam worse than me and I was sure he was going to sink (no, it wasn't Mike W). Jan may have done some workout in the morning, I can't remember now, the days are melding together. Thursday a.m. 50 minute run. Friday afternoon run? or bike? (I'm writing this Friday morning). Definitely swimming at Kershaw Park in Canandaigua tonight. Late Friday night - finish reading Harry Potter before everyone in the world tells me how it ends.

All I want for Christmas is a bike that cost as much as our first house. Sure. An article in Monday's USA Today discussed the custom bikes you can have built with prices going up to $22k! I wouldn't want the pressure of riding a bike like that. You would have to be able to ride fast or take the chance of looking foolish. Lou, don't read the article. I don't want you spending your retirement fund on a bike. Joanne, don't hold me responsible if he comes home with a $20k bike.

Jan ran on Sunday to complete a solid three days of training. Two mile open swim Friday, 100 mile bike Saturday, 11 mile run Sunday. She's becoming the incredible shrinking woman and will soon need a new wardrobe. Damn triathlons never stop costing money, even when not racing.

A friend, hereafter named Richard W., biked with Jan and I for 35 miles on Saturday. What a difference to have someone lead the way and hide behind for awhile. We rode from Spencerport to Churchville, Bergen, Churchville and Adams Basin. Nice morning, little traffic, good weather. Jan and I continued to Brockport, Holley, Kendall and the Hamlin Beach entrance. We then rode a loop of the Shoreline Triathlon bike course, before continuing on to the Hilton area, then back home to Spencerport. I completed 90 miles, Jan kept riding around the village until hitting 100 miles. Our pace was pretty good, especially the first 70 miles or so. The wind in our face most of the way back was discouraging and slowed us down a bit. We still averaged a better pace than the 80 mile ride Jan did before Tupper Lake, so that's a good sign that her conditioning is improving.

Finally I swam in a real lake! I know this blog is about Jan's training, but the heck with her. Of course she is the one who dragged me to the lake, made me waddle in, without a wet suit (thankfully the weather gods smiled and made the lake 74 degrees), and swim buoy to buoy. We began after I made Jan promise to stay right next to me. It was comforting to be able to see the bottom ( no line, where is the line to follow!)I was slow, whined at each buoy that I could go no further, couldn't see the end, soooo farrr awayy, but gradually made progress. Jan guaranteed the little waves would push me back fast, with little effort. I didn't believe that crap. But we turned the corner and it was a bit easier. I actually swam a whole mile in a lake. The time was, well it was long. But I didn't drown! Oh, yeah, Jan swam another mile while I changed my clothes. She cut 19 minutes off my time. Showoff.

Even with all the drug issues that may never be resolved, I still am fascinated by the Tour . With Jan and I looking forward to our first century ride this Saturday, it is amazing to think of those men racing 100+ miles, averaging 22+ mph, almost every day, for three weeks. The tv coverage on Versus , especially the commentary by Bob Roll, is great. Once the mountain stages begin, the effort put forth by those riders is incredible and inspiring. I want a car with mechanics and spare bikes, tires, parts, riding along side us. That would be a neat way to train and race.

Dave Scott: "If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come in first, to improve your performance, or just finish the race. It's up to you."

Today was a 31 mile bike ride on what has become our favorite local route . We meant to ride another 10-20 miles, but an unexpected thunderstorm cut the ride short. Our pace was pretty good, especially when the wind was at our backs instead of in our faces and we were racing the storm home. The rain started .5 miles from home, and the thunder and lightning just as we pulled into the driveway. Good timing. Now it's back to working for a living and training on the side after a week on vacation. Time for Jan to get fully recovered from Tupper Lake 1/2 Ironman and get in some key workouts to be able to finish her full Ironman in Louisville on August 26.

Jan swam at Braddock's Bay on Friday and ran a few miles later in the morning. Saturday morning she ran 4-5 miles alone, then I ran 8+ miles with her, then she continued running for six more miles. In the early afternoon she swam in the Bport pool for just under two miles.

After Jan and Lou finished, changed to some dry clothes, and recovered a bit, they headed for the barbecue. Mike, Joanne and I salivated while watching the three eat. After they recovered from a long day of competing we agreed to meet in Mike's motel room for pizza and wine. A couple of sheet pizzas and a few gallons of wine later, Mike, Joanne and I seemed much better after our 10 hour spectating day. Three lessons were learned. One, wear sunscreen, no matter what the temperature. If you are out all day you will get burned. Two, bring coffee and bagels to sell next year and pay for the trip. Three, bring a pillow and blankets so we can sleep during the bike stage. Really, it was neat to watch and the three of us will undoubtedly be doing this more often. I know at the Louisville Ironman I will bring a liter of coffee strapped to my back, a nice foldout chair, a good book, suntan lotion and food.

Thoughts of relaxing a bit while our loved ones were on the bike didn't last long. McDonald's was packed, couldn't even get in the door, so, NO coffee! Incredibly no food or drinks were for sale at the race site. We each had snacks in our vans and that was it. Again, the worry, with all three of our competitors facing various health issues in addition to challenges in the race. We really had no idea how long they would be biking, if they would even finish, and thus, felt really uncomfortable about driving off for refreshments or a break. Eileen, biking 20 miles, came in first, smiling and evidently having a fun time in addition to trying hard. Finally Jan arrived, after 56 miles of rolling "hills". Lou came in about 20 minutes later. They both looked fatigued, but continued on with the run of 13.1 miles. Eileen completed her race and joined us as spectators. Still no food. Desperate, Mike and I tried to buy our way into the race participant only barbeque. $12.00 j...

I don't think spectators of long endurance events get enough credit. Joanne, Mike and I arrived with our spouseathletes at 6:30am last Saturday for the Tinman. We worried not just if they would swim fast, but be able to complete the distance. Would they end up in a kayak being carried back to shore? Would they get kicked in the head? My binoculars worked pretty well for picking out hundreds of swimmers bunched together, but I couldn't tell who was who, only who was in which age group because of colored caps. Eileen, competing in the Olympic distance, came out first, in 22 minutes. Then the wait. Joanne and I bit our nails and kept pacing the shore. Lou came out after a great swim. But where was Jan? Stupid binoculars didn't really help after all! I finally checked the bike rack and discovered she had finished and taken off on the bike. Fortunately Mike saw her and confirmed she made the bike before Lou (a 5 minute head start, younger age group, helped).

Jan is still suffering from aches and pains of the 1/2 Ironman at Tupper Lake. She managed to run 4 miles Sunday, mt. bike 20 miles and swim 1 mile Tuesday, swim at Braddock's Bay 1.2 miles Wednesday and bike indoors (rain/thunder threat) 30 miles today (Thursday). Friday Jan will return to swim at Braddock's Bay and then ?

Jan completed the Tupper Lake Tinman on Saturday. Her total time, 6:56:46, was a bit slower than we expected, but still a great accomplishment. Suffering from vertigo that necessitated a quick trip to the doctor before leaving for the race on Friday didn't help. The swim went well, around 44 minutes, bike averaged 15.8mph on the hilly course and she survived the 13.1 mile run. Lou, friend and training partner, had an extremely tough bike stage, after falling and damaging his gears in the first couple of miles. Lou still managed to finish the bike, riding 50 miles with only about half his gear range. Lou completed the course in 7:20:37, his first 1/2 Ironman. Eileen (Fileen? in the results), completed the sprint, Olympic distance triathlon in 2:49:17. Another great feat considering how her training has been curtailed due to an injury. The three athletes should be proud of their races.

I mapped the route along Lake Rd., beginning at Webster Park (Holt rd. parking lot) to Sodus Point. Round trip is about 50 miles. The map, with elevation profile is at this link . Hopefully we will be able to ride this on Sunday, July 8.