Memorial Day (Training) Weekend
It took a little longer than I’d hoped, but by Friday morning I finally felt fully recovered from Harriman. With three days off since the race (Sunday, Monday and Wednesday), I felt like I really should have been recovered. I don’t remember the post-Timberman recovery; I do know that I ran the New York City Half Marathon the Sunday after Timberman (and I actually ran three or so extra miles that day as part of my marathon training). On the other hand, even though I am in much better shape than I was at Timberman, Harriman was a harder race and I went at it with more intensity, and it took me 22 minutes longer at that increased intensity level. When I put it like that, I shouldn’t be surprised that I needed a week to recover…
On Friday afternoon, Elizabeth, Charlie and I drove out to Wainscott for the long weekend. Saturday I did a two-and-a-half hour ride and really challenged myself. My plan was to warm up for 20-30 minutes and then ride hard for two hours. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and I warmed up for 23 minutes and then started pushing. I rode hard comfortably for the next 90 minutes, then worked to keep it up for another 15, then struggled a little to keep it up for the last 15. With a short cool-down I cruised home. I was pleased with a good, strong, two hour effort on a somewhat hilly course with a nice headwind at times. Today, I am enjoying my day off.
We’ve had a wonderful weekend out here – Elizabeth and I both love coming to the house, but I don’t think anyone enjoys it out here more than Charlie! You can see it in his eyes and tail when we pulled up to the house on Friday evening. He can’t wait to jump out of the car and run in the grass. He spent all day Saturday exploring the backyard, and we took him to the beach for a long walk yesterday. Today, he’s so tired he can barely even walk! Oh, and of course he also loves the fact that he gets constant attention out here.
I had originally planned to go up to Lake Placid next weekend for a training weekend and to check out the bike and swim courses, but for a variety of reasons, I’ve pushed that trip back a week and instead we’re going to come back out here again next weekend. Then, the following weekend (June 8-10), I’ll go up to Lake Placid for an intense weekend of riding immediately before we leave for Italy. I am a little nervous about the effect the Italy trip is going to have on my training, but it will definitely be fun and relaxing, and I know that I’ll be able to get in as much running as I want, and hopefully some good swims and maybe even a bike ride or two on a rented bike.
The back page of the Sports Section of yesterday’s New York Times has a photo essay from the 2007 Paralympic Military Sports Camp in Colorado. Retired and active duty U.S. troops were at the camp earlier this month to try different sports and potentially begin working towards a spot on the U.S. team at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. You can see the a short video featuring a few of the athletes here.
On a somewhat related note, I just finished reading “Luckiest Man”, Jonathan Eig’s biography of Lou Gehrig. I’m a baseball fan (but definitely not a Yankee fan!) and love biographies, but this book is about much more than sports stats and world series heroics. The book is about the strength, pride and courage of the man who first brought ALS to the public’s eye. After finishing the book, I was playing around on Slowtwitch and read Jon “Blazeman” Blais died yesterday. In May 2005, at age 33, Blais was diagnosed with ALS. Instead of giving up, he challenged himself and conquered the 2005 Hawaii Ironman. His story was one of the featured human interest stories that year (you can watch the video here) and I know I wasn’t the only one touched by his strength and courage. Just two years after being diagnosed, Blaise finally succumbed yesterday, at age 35. “Luckiest Man” gave me a much greater understanding of how quickly and devastatingly the disease can take an Iron Horse (Gehrig) or an Ironman (Blais) from their athletic prime. Finishing the book shed a whole new light on my understanding and amazement at Jon Blais’ accomplishment. Blais’ website is www.alswarriorpoet.com.
Swim – May 24
Distance: 2,400 yards
Time: 45 minutes
Run – May 25
Distance: 5.25 miles
Time: 42 minutes
Average heart rate: 150
Course: West Side Highway
Conditions: Hot and sunny
Bike – May 26
Distance: 52 miles
Time: 2:31:30
Average heart rate: 133
Course: Wainscott to Montauk
Conditions: Sunny, hot (80’s), some wind
Bike – May 27
Distance: 27.3 miles
Time: 1:30
Average heart rate: 118
Course: East Hampton
Conditions: Comfortably warm, sun and clouds, tons of pollen in the air
Run – May 27
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 31:25 minutes
Average heart rate: 136
Course: House to Wainscott Beach
Conditions: Beautiful evening, clear and warm