Pretty good intro:
http://videos.visitmix.com/MIX09/T14F
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon results & impressions
So I participated in the Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon on Sunday. The event went as following:
Scoring was based on relative distance for each event. The first in each event scores the total number of participants in points and the last scores 1. Since there were 86 participants, a perfect score would have been 258 (86 swim, 86 bike, 86 run) if the participant came in first in each event. The lowest score possible is 3 (1 swim, 1 bike, 1 run) if the participant came in last in all events.
I didn't really train for this event, but I had been swimming pretty well the past couple of weeks. I was only worried about the bike portion, since I had never been on a spin bike before. My entire training for the bike portion was 15min on an upright stationary bike on Wednesday. I knew I could handle the run without a problem.
The strategy was: relax on the swim, make it through the bike, and finish strong on the run.
However, Sunday morning I woke up with a stuffy nose. I knew I was in trouble--I have never been able to swim with a stuffy nose before.
And so it was. Normally I breathe every 2-3 strokes while swimming. With a stuffy nose, I had to breathe on every stroke. I was flopping around like a beached whale in the pool, completely unable to get any sort of form. I panicked--so much for trying to relax. The swim turned into 10min of hell.
I was so exhausted from the swim that it took me a while to transition: quick shower to rinse off the chlorine, get dressed, and run up two flights of stairs to the cycle studio on the 3rd floor. At this point I had about 20sec before the start so I didn't get a chance to adjust the spin bike properly. I realized almost right away that I wasn't getting the right power into the pedals since my seat was too far back. I trudged through the bike--5.8mi in the first 15min and another 6.4mi in the second 15min. Dimple had her Cardio music playing in the studio and they were showing scenes from the Tour de France on the big screens, which was pretty motivational.
The run is my forte, so I was excited about finally getting to treadmill. I was pretty tired from the other events and my legs were rubbery from the bike. However, I felt comfortable for the first time and knew I could hold a decent speed, in spite of the fatigue. I started out at 9 min/mi for the first few minutes, moved it up to an 8 min/mi until the 10 minute mark then moved it up to a 7:30 min/mi and finally a 7:05, finishing with 2.66 miles over 20min.
Exhausted, I was pretty glad for the event to be over.
Final score: 127 (20 swim, 33 bike, 74 run) which put me 12th out of 17 in the male under 40 division. Pretty pathetic, but it was a nice learning experience. I think I could do much better next year if I took a few spin classes and worked on my swim form (and figure out how relax in the pool even with a stuffy nose).
Final impressions: the event was very well organized (thanks to Dimple!) and was pretty fun. However, the lack of spectators cheering and inability to see who is ahead and who is behind you during the race made it less exciting than a normal outdoor race.
It does make me want to do an outdoor triathlon; although I definitely would need to work on my swim and bike.
Post script: I woke up this morning with major saddle soreness and a sore neck; demonstrating how my bike seat was poorly adjusted and my breathing was completely incorrect in the pool.
Update: The official results have been posted.
- 10 min swim in the lap pool, 2 participants per lane
- 10 min transition
- 30 min bike in the cycling studio, on a spin bike
- 5 min transition
- 20 min run on a treadmill
Scoring was based on relative distance for each event. The first in each event scores the total number of participants in points and the last scores 1. Since there were 86 participants, a perfect score would have been 258 (86 swim, 86 bike, 86 run) if the participant came in first in each event. The lowest score possible is 3 (1 swim, 1 bike, 1 run) if the participant came in last in all events.
I didn't really train for this event, but I had been swimming pretty well the past couple of weeks. I was only worried about the bike portion, since I had never been on a spin bike before. My entire training for the bike portion was 15min on an upright stationary bike on Wednesday. I knew I could handle the run without a problem.
The strategy was: relax on the swim, make it through the bike, and finish strong on the run.
However, Sunday morning I woke up with a stuffy nose. I knew I was in trouble--I have never been able to swim with a stuffy nose before.
And so it was. Normally I breathe every 2-3 strokes while swimming. With a stuffy nose, I had to breathe on every stroke. I was flopping around like a beached whale in the pool, completely unable to get any sort of form. I panicked--so much for trying to relax. The swim turned into 10min of hell.
I was so exhausted from the swim that it took me a while to transition: quick shower to rinse off the chlorine, get dressed, and run up two flights of stairs to the cycle studio on the 3rd floor. At this point I had about 20sec before the start so I didn't get a chance to adjust the spin bike properly. I realized almost right away that I wasn't getting the right power into the pedals since my seat was too far back. I trudged through the bike--5.8mi in the first 15min and another 6.4mi in the second 15min. Dimple had her Cardio music playing in the studio and they were showing scenes from the Tour de France on the big screens, which was pretty motivational.
The run is my forte, so I was excited about finally getting to treadmill. I was pretty tired from the other events and my legs were rubbery from the bike. However, I felt comfortable for the first time and knew I could hold a decent speed, in spite of the fatigue. I started out at 9 min/mi for the first few minutes, moved it up to an 8 min/mi until the 10 minute mark then moved it up to a 7:30 min/mi and finally a 7:05, finishing with 2.66 miles over 20min.
Exhausted, I was pretty glad for the event to be over.
Final score: 127 (20 swim, 33 bike, 74 run) which put me 12th out of 17 in the male under 40 division. Pretty pathetic, but it was a nice learning experience. I think I could do much better next year if I took a few spin classes and worked on my swim form (and figure out how relax in the pool even with a stuffy nose).
Final impressions: the event was very well organized (thanks to Dimple!) and was pretty fun. However, the lack of spectators cheering and inability to see who is ahead and who is behind you during the race made it less exciting than a normal outdoor race.
It does make me want to do an outdoor triathlon; although I definitely would need to work on my swim and bike.
Post script: I woke up this morning with major saddle soreness and a sore neck; demonstrating how my bike seat was poorly adjusted and my breathing was completely incorrect in the pool.
Update: The official results have been posted.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Best Running Ad ever
This ad really chocked me up:
- NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN HUMBLED BY JOGGING.
If all we want to do is feel good about ourselves, jogging is the ticket. It doesn't challenge us. It doesn't test us. It doesn't exact a physical or psychological toll. Worst case scenario is, jogging may cause mild perspiration on color-coordinated sweat suits. But if we're willing to push ourselves into uncharted territory, a place littered with broken bodies and remnants of the human psyche, running may be what we're looking for. Without question, it dishes out more heaping helpings of humble pie than any sport we know of. Little wonder that so few people have the testicular fortitude to lace up and run like an animal.
- taken from a Pearl Izumi add in the March issue of Runner's World, part of their "Run Like an Animal/We Are Not Joggers" campaign.
Friday, March 06, 2009
What's better? Speed Racer, Lightning McQueen, or Spiderman?
This was the question posed to me this morning by my son as I was trying to wake up. Of course, it was a rhetorical question. He told me that he likes Speed Racer better than Lightning McQueen and Spiderman the best. Which is funny, because for his birthday he wants... (and I quote...)
- ... a Lightning McQueen toy that lights up and drives by itself, and if you can't find it just get me another Lightning McQueen toy.
Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon
How lame is participating in an indoor triathlon? Does finishing one make you a triathlete?
I'll soon be able to answer these questions.
My wife is running the local Lifetime Fitness indoor tri/ this Sunday and guilted me into registering. Luckily I got the very last available slot in the 9:40 wave (i.e., the 8:40 pre-daylight savings wave) so I don't have to wake up at 5am.
I've never been on a spin bike before, so wish me luck.
I'll soon be able to answer these questions.
My wife is running the local Lifetime Fitness indoor tri/ this Sunday and guilted me into registering. Luckily I got the very last available slot in the 9:40 wave (i.e., the 8:40 pre-daylight savings wave) so I don't have to wake up at 5am.
I've never been on a spin bike before, so wish me luck.
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