New Kit and 100k Ride

What a fantastic fall day here. Sunshine, clear skies light winds and 52 degrees when I started.

I had just got my new tri kit in the mail on Friday so this was a good first test on the bike. Can a tri kit and my butt hold out for 3 hours on the bike. The answer is YES!

The tri kit was great, no real issues on the bike with it other than my butt got sore just from being on the bike for 3 hours. But honestly, no different than how I feel wearing my bike bibs. So that's great. I have something to wear in November now.

So I rode a new to me route today. I rode the Munger trail. This is a paved multi-use trail that is 70 miles long. I rode not quite halfway and turned around. It is mostly flat, except for the first 10 miles which is ALL UP HILL.

There was hardly anyone on it on the way out, but the last 15-20 miles were pretty busy on the way back. So lots of slowing down to dodge walkers, bikers, rollerbladers etc.

My training plan called for a 3 hour bike, and I wanted to go at least 62 miles so that I got my first 100km ride in. Success!

I have determined that I can't eat solid food on the bike. Its just too much work to try and chew and breathe at the same time and I am afraid I am going to choke. So gels and liquid nutrition it is I guess, which is disappointing because solid food is much more satisfying.

So solid ride, beautiful day, a new tri kit that is comfortable for long bike rides, what more could I want?

Darkness

So I went out for a one hour recovery ride tonight after dinner. Just a pretty standard loop that normally do for an hour ride. Not trying to push the power at all on this ride, after all it is a recovery ride.

Shadows were getting long as I turned eastward for a couple of miles. Then finishing my big loop and heading back to my car, the last few miles were straight into the setting sun so I could hardly see.

Then the sun went down and I couldn't see because it was dark and I am wearing sunglasses. So the last 10 minutes of the ride I was pushing not for a fitness or strava segment reason but because I wanted to get done while I could still see.

I am trying to enjoy riding outside as much as I can because it will be too cold and snowing soon, but apparently I need to ride before dinner now rather than after.

Green Bay Running

So we are in Green Bay this weekend visiting my parents, celebrating my birthday early, and going to a Packer game tomorrow. Since we have a big steak dinner planned, and plenty of junk food to be eaten, I needed to go get some exercise. So the family and I headed to a local trail. I have run here before. It is a nice long paved trail that follows Baird's Creek. My wife and daughter walked with my parent's dog, while I ran.

Up at a decent hour on Saturday and what a fantastic morning. Sunshine and mid 50s. Goal was to run 2 miles then walk for a bit after each mile. Knowing it is generally downhill on the way out. I was successful in that goal, again keeping a nice pace.

They have received a ton of rain in the past few days so the creek was high and had to run through some mud areas where it had flooded. A bit slick, wasn’t expecting that. But it kept the run interesting, and set the stage for a great day.

Cross Training

My training plan called for cross training today. I am never sure exactly what I am supposed to do with this. Oftentimes it is weather dependent. In the summer I often go golfing and get a nice 6 mile walk in. Today I also chose to walk, but this time I took a 45 minute walk in the woods.

Duluth is blessed with many nice hiking trails. I chose one that followed Chester Creek. It was a great day for hiking, and it was nice to just be moving and active without any goal paces to maintain. I missed having my dog Abby for this hike. When she was a puppy we used to take her on this trail. It was a great day today.

Sunrise or Sunset

Well I guess it is time for the season reflection post. Looking back 12 months, my swim has slowly improved. I also did a a lot of base running over the winter and that made a difference. I definitely have more run fitness but it remains a significant weak spot. My knee issues that started last year never went away and I regressed some on the bike. But I think I have finally solved that issue with my new bike fit.

My 2019 racing season was a mixed bag. I had some good success in some areas and not so much in others. I was super happy with my Trinona race. The run sucked when my hamstrings cramped up, but it was a pretty solid effort overall for me. I had a good swim/bike at Brewhouse, but the breathing thing got to me on the run. I am of course super happy with my effort and perseverance at Superiorman.

But I think I have discovered a big part of my problem with this exercise/extrinsic induced asthma. That for sure affected me in two, maybe three races this season and at least one last season. I think my main trigger is swimming? I have never had it during a practice open water swim though, so it isn’t about just being in the open water, or the cold water. But either way, perhaps treating it with an inhaler as suggested by the doctor I can prevent it from happening during a race, and I can see what I can really do.

So looking ahead, running continues to be an area of frustration and I considered giving it up completely and focusing on swim/bike races perhaps. I tossed around several ideas for next season. In then end, I had a good discussion with my coach and my wife and we decided not to give up on the running quite yet. I am however going to do a half aquabike race in Miami in November, just to see how I do with that kind of event. After that, offseason training will focus on continued base training in all 3 sports, with plans for sprint, oly and 70.3 distance triathlons again next year.

The picture at the top of this post could be a sunrise or a sunset. I guess that’s how I view this reflection. The sun is setting on another season, but just beginning to rise on the 2020 season and year 3 of my new triathlon addiction.