Jim-N-I 2014

It wouldn't be hard to guess my confidence has been shaken over the last two weeks. That's normal, and for the most part I've tried to shove those thoughts back and be positive. Thursday's workout got me really worried about today's event, enough so I didn't know what to expect.

Thursday I bonked. It could have been the 5-mile run, or the swim, or the ride the night before, but after about 30 miles or so riding on Thursday I was quickly fading. The bad part of that was I was supposed to meet Allen for a ride - another 20 miles, plus the 12 I'd need to get home after that. I've bonked/crashed several times, and I know the symptoms. I might be able to finish Allen's 20, but I'd never get home afterward. I had no choice but to ditch him and look out for #1.

I did run yesterday, though not hard. Other than lifting, that was the end of the exercise day. I laid around the rest of the day doing as little as I possibly could. Could I recover enough to complete the Jim-N-I?

We had some things going in its favor. It was cooler than normal, much cooler. Though a bit windy, this factor alone would go a long way to maintaining hydration. I brought plenty of Enduralytes, planned to take them at regular intervals, and for the first time this year, packed Gatorade in my drink system. If I didn't get too crazy, the ride should be okay.

The run? That would have to be whatever it was. The previous attempt at bricking this week was disastrous; hopefully a few more days to recover from the wreck would improve my chances.

That left the swim. I've recently picked up the swimming substantially, and you might say I'm in a slump. Again, that's normal - the muscles are re-acclimating to the activity. I was simply a victim of bad timing, though it was my own fault. I knew I couldn't press it too hard, or the rest of the day would be in jeopardy. Best to cruise the early part of the day.

Greg was there, and clearly the better swimmer. Nothing I could say would urge him to take the lead - so much for drafting! I pulled lead for the swim for nearly the entire distance, and I will brag about my sighting, which was absolutely flawless. (No applause, please, wait until the presentation is over) Of course Greg could have left me anytime, but was content to swim by my side to the end. It had been a little rough through halfway, though really more mental than physical. After I changed up my breathing pattern, things settled down to a very sustainable pace. I could have gone down and back three more times with little effort.

Biking was next. We didn't have that long of a layover this year, no more than 15 minutes, which was nice. We did our parade loop out to 41, and after we crossed, it was game on. I knew we were in for a quick start. Steve had his P5 mounted with a rear disc, and the wind was to our backs. If we weren't alert, he would have dropped all of us on the spot. Sure enough, we lifted over 30 mph in nothing flat. This was the typical initial burst - Steve is strong, but tends to burst higher for the first minute or so of a pull, then settles down to a more reasonable pace. You just have to be tough on the front part.

One after another we took turns. Most of the pulls were around 5 minutes, which was plenty once we got into the headwinds. I wanted to test myself, so I doubled that to 10 minutes. I wasn't the fastest guy on the day by a wide margin - that would belong to Steve, Greg, Miller, or John T. - but I held my own on strength. That's kind of been the story of this whole year. I'm not unhappy with my effort at all, but to be frank I'm just not very fast.

We stopped after 30 miles for a SAG, then finished the ride with another 15 miles or so pace line followed by the return parade lap. There were minor detours along the way because of trains and blocked roads, but on the whole it was a great time. The only bad thing that happened was when Bob's new Torpedo drink system fired without warning and hit the road, puncturing the tank. On the very first ride. Sorry, Bob!

Now it was down to run. Of all the legs, this one terrified me most. (Kinda sound like Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Future, don't I?) I had no illusions I would run this quickly at all, because it wasn't possible. What I wanted most of all was to simply cover the distance. There was going to be pain, but could I manage it?

Our group quickly split up, and in the front there was Greg, Jimmy, Miller, Rand, and myself. I was happy to find the first few steps didn't bring agony. And, moving toward the first SAG at 3 miles, nothing felt like it was building. So far, so good. Greg peeled off a little over 2 miles in and headed back. Now it was just four.

My Garmin said we were going right at 8 flat, which was faster than I felt I should under the circumstances. I felt comfortable about getting to 5, but 9 would be much harder, as it was roughly double the distance I've run in any single run for quite some time. On top of that, the Sullivan run is just ugly. There is really nothing to look at to take your mind off what is going on. Every time I'm on the course, I'm just thinking about how badly I want to be off of it.

I decided to skip the stops and only grab a water bottle. The guys followed my lead, and we kept pushing along. My fear was if we took even a 2-minute break I could seize up. It was far better to keep going and get it over with. This also lead to a bit of self-inflicted trouble - I was the guy pulling the pace. I was positioned on the front, so I was responsible for how fast we were going. I complained, but there was only one person to blame for it.

Just before the 6-mile stop, Rand began complaining loudly. I could also hear his breathing increase. I rotated to the back and told him to set whatever pace he liked. This would be as helpful to me as it was to him. I was after the finish, not the time. This plan was immediately foiled because he had to stop at SAG #2 to let his heart rate drop. I couldn't stop and wait, nothing had changed. Miller had opened about 40 yards, and now I had to either run alone (Jimmy had also stopped), or catch him.

Rats.

I ran back to him, and realized I'd just chosen to suffer much. Miller is a machine, and even though he raced 100 miles just a week ago, what we were doing was a joke to him. The only good thing about all this was I would be done sooner. Just when it looked as though it would just be us, I heard Jimmy's characteristic foot slap on the pavement. Turning, I saw him trying to get to us. I asked Miller to ease up to let him back on, and then we were back to three.

The unfunnest part of the course was upon us - the small hill at a little over 7. It isn't huge, it's simply poorly placed. By this time of the day, and after hours of working out, that little hill feels like a mountain. I cruised over, though my heart spiked on it. Shortly after we hooked left, then right, and there was only a mile left. This is where I really began to work on the other two. They were trying to be kind to me by waiting, but the truth is I didn't want that. I kept telling them to go, I had this, my day was made. When we made the final turn onto Steve's road, they went. It didn't much matter - my Garmin told me we were already at 7:40. It only went down from there. They put about 40 yards on me in the end, but I didn't care. I finished every step of the run, and indeed, finished the entire day. Victory.

Now technically Jimmy finishes as the winner - again - though I'm not sure how that works out when you consider place in the other two legs. But let's not dwell on that, take your stinking victory, Jimmy. In my mind there were two unheralded studs of the day that substantially raised their games. Rand and Allen, take a bow!

Both guys had outstanding swims. Rand finished very early, and probably had one of the best swims I've ever seen him do. Allen went the whole way, never flinched or hesitated, and best of all, did it without a wetsuit. That's a huge deal, and really no matter what the rest of the day brought, it was a major victory.

Both rode well. Rand stayed with the front group all day, something he's NEVER done before. Once again, that's a big deal. Allen was broken off early, as was inevitable, but what is noteworthy is being isolated made for a much harder ride, which he completed.

Finally, the run proved a struggle for both at some point, yet they both finished the whole thing. Rand was there for 6 miles, and I think if he'd taken care of hydration a bit better early on, he might have gotten farther. Allen is coming off a bad hamstring pull, so anything he did was a win.

There were individual great efforts all day long. Greg in the water and on the road, Steve on the road and the grill, Jimmy taking the victory, Dennis riding 30 miles and running 9... it was a great day. I was sorry to have to leave early (unavoidable), and I can't believe such a wonderful part of the summer has already come and gone. 

The Hornet Takes Flight!

It's been a long wait... okay, maybe not. Less than two weeks after the accident that took my lovely Airfoil, I finally took possession of her successor. Airfoils cannot be bought new anymore - they have long since been discontinued - but the next iteration of high-end Kestrel racing bikes offers more than a glimmer of hope for continued comfort and speed.

I kept Steve and Eric (Bicycle Doctor) over normal store hours today, and for me the wait was worth it. The bike was nearly completely finished, only missing the pedals and one small modification that will be added later. That aside, I would be taking my Precious home to do as I would.

She's a thing of beauty. Carbon fiber frame, Ultegra shifting, slotted saddle (for comfort), and perhaps my most difficult decision, HED Jet 5 23 cm aero wheels. The wheels take advantage of recent wind tunnel testing that (supposedly) prove a wider tire can be more aero. The idea is the wider front section reduces drag by forming a more airfoil type section, reducing turbulence. It sounds good, and actually resonates with my personal experience as a pilot and model aircraft builder. So, taking a leap of faith, I went for it.

The weather was spotty, but you know I had to ride. I found my window of opportunity and headed south in the early afternoon hours. The radar showed rain around the area, but the immediate area was clear - for a while. If I didn't dilly-dally, I could probably get through unscathed.

I'll try to break down the first ride by components.

Frame: carbon fiber absorbs road vibration, and after a week or so of riding aluminum, I instantly remembered why I love carbon so much. It's just so much more comfortable. I didn't notice any flex, and power delivered from my pedals instantly transformed into usable speed.

Flight deck: though made from cheaper aluminum, the base bars and aero bars were placed in a similar orientation to my previous ride, so there was no real discernible difference between the two. It was easy and comfortable to lay across the bars and ride for distance. Moreover, when I did need to apply power, a firm grip on the bars helped stabilize me so I could really push on the legs.

Brakes: this is perhaps my least favorite part of the bike. Cheaper quality Oval brakes are used, employing scissors (rather than calipers). It will likely be okay, but on something this expensive it looks cheap, kind of like putting a bucking sow pig hood ornament on a Cadillac. You could do it, but... Anyway, the braking action was solid, so I suppose I shouldn't worry about it too much.

Wheels: the first thing I noticed was the hum. This is not a pure carbon wheel, rather a box set with a carbon shroud. It wasn't distracting, just different from what I normally hear. The second thing I noticed was acceleration seemed better than on my Airfoil. Is it the wheels? Possibly, as they are lighter than the Mavics. They aren't as deep as the Mavics, a fact that was brought home by their complete indifference to cross winds. They seemed to hold speed well. Overall I'm quite pleased.

Shifters: Shimano has a distinctly crisp shifting pattern, and the Ultegra group here performed well. It's 11-speed, and I wondered how the geometry might work out. I did notice clicking on the outer 3 cogs on my cassette. I'll chalk that up to being a new bike and needing to be adjusted. It will probably just be a couple of twists on the barrel adjustment to get it right. That minor aspect aside, I never felt like it wanted to throw a chain, nor did I think I couldn't get any gear I wanted. Just a little tweak necessary, I think.

Helmet: I went with the John T. recommended Giro Air Attack Shield. I'm absolutely glad I did. I was able to use the magnetic shield over a pair of prescription glasses, meaning I don't have to take my sunglasses if I don't want to. This works better in warmer weather because I like to be able to go without the glasses if I sweat too much. With the shield, it's a non-issue. The helmet is considered a compromise between a regular helmet and an aero - that seems fair. I lucked out another way too... I've never tried one on, but I ordered a large. I pulled it out of the box and put it on. Perfect fit. and it was set almost as if it had been made for my head. Can't beat that.

I took the combination out on the regular route, though I added a side trip to a particular segment - Mill Creek Hill. It's a pretty good test of a combination of factors. It is a big hill both going down and up, so with speeds reaching nearly 50 mph I'd know if the frame felt twitchy at speed. The following uphill is steep, so there would be the ability to measure sustainable speed and climb. The Hornet came through with flying colors. I dropped 2 seconds from my best time, and the bike really isn't tuned in yet. The top speed is nearly a mile an hour faster than my best attempt. The frame felt stable throughout the speed range.

The rest of the ride was pretty much a joy, though I did notice a bit of hip pain around 20 miles in. Interesting thing happened about then... I sat up to relieve the pain and the saddle moved nose up a bit. I stopped and reset, this time going a bit more aggressively nose down, and rode home. No more hip pain!

For sure there will be more adjustments, but I believe things will be just that - adjustments. The bike itself is a solid offering and at the very least a good lateral movement from my Airfoil. Potentially it could be a leap forward, though it will take some time to tell for sure. 

Maybe it wasn't smart, but...

More than anything at the moment, I'm desperate to get my running back to where it was. It's not like I was doing high-level stuff, but it was improving, and with the possibility of Ironman looming, I can't realistically hope to enter if I can't run. I've heard there's this marathon thingy at the end of the Ironman race, so I guess I should be able to run at least a bit. I can't delay that decision forever, either.

I was able to run some the last couple of days, so this morning I set a goal of 2 miles running with the girls. I had a three new girls planning to show, so that would fit well into the plan. I would run 2 with the newbies and get a chance to see the whole team for at least a mile. It's always so much easier to get a feel for what kind of runners I have when I can actually see them run, assess their running forms, competitive levels, etc. You just don't get that from a car.

The run wasn't difficult at all, in fact I had to wait on one of the girls. I could feel some pain in the left groin, but it didn't intensify. At the end of the run I felt great. Sure, it ached a bit, though much less than in the last couple of days. There is hope after all, it seems.

Galloway and I were scheduled to swim today, and I had some time to kill. The best use of that time was to go ahead to the gym and get my lift done. Between upper body and core the time worked out perfectly, and as I finished it was time to go to the pool.

It would be great if I could tell you the swim was all easy and smooth. It wasn't. Swimming is like that. Some days everything clicks and it's easy, others it's not. I struggled in the middle of this workout to find my rhythm. I can't say why exactly, I only know it felt sluggish in the middle. In the final third or so things began to gel again, and I was back in the groove. The overall time reflected my difficulty, and though it wasn't a terrible time, it was slower than normal. This may be a reflection of my sudden increase in swimming, so for now there's no panic.

The next step was to try for another run in the afternoon. I set my sights on Jimmy's at 5:15, and three miles. If I could get those three miles, I would have five for the day, the most I've run since the wreck. That would be a victory, however slow the miles might be. With trepidation I walked (I usually run) to Jimmy's. I just couldn't bring myself to run there for fear I might hurt from the start, or if I started and stopped I would hurt. Better to go "all-or-nothing".

The early part took a little concentration to keep controlled, but before long I was holding my own. It was lucky for me the guys didn't get in a hurry, or they would certainly have left me behind. As it was I was able to hang in there for the first three, comfortably enough so that I pushed ahead for the final two miles. I don't think I could have run faster, but I did the whole thing. And, as of this writing, I feel just fine. Maybe, just maybe, the worst is over.

I will run with the girls again tomorrow. I don't know what will happen after that. We are scheduled to ride, but the weather forecast is ominous. I'm hoping to get a little something done. I'm also hoping my new bike comes in. I think only one of those things has a realistic chance of happening...

Maybe things will finally come around

I hate that I had to miss Cicero, but it's not the first time. This race always seems to be a problem for me ever since it moved to June. In fact, I don't know that I've ever gone to the June version, now that I think about it. This year it was because of being hurt. What really hurts is it was a perfect race day!

Scott and I made the most of it. We rode, starting at 7:20 from Parkview. We were both on backup bikes, and so the ride was largely a sit up, side-by-side affair. Sure, it was only a bit over 17 mph, but we didn't stop, not once. We clipped in and didn't clip out until we were done.

That's lucky for me. One of the things I'm still really struggling with is my flexibility. Getting my leg over the saddle to mount is still quite painful. I can do it, it's just an ordeal. I'm thankful we didn't stop because I would have had a lot of people staring at me as I got off/on.

We wound up with 60+ miles, a nice medium length day. That was 3:30 in the saddle, which for me wasn't a problem at all until I tried to bunny hop the railroad tracks on the way home. Bad idea! I felt the tug inside my leg right away, and little spasms the rest of the way home chided me ever so sternly.

I laid around for a while after the ride. I wanted the leg to rest because I still needed to lift. There was also the possibility of doing elliptical while I was there. After a couple of hours it was time to go lift. As I got dressed, the urge to run came over me. Pulling on the shoes and heading out the door, dread filled me. If I started and the leg hurt just as bad as the last time, well, it would be crushing. If only there could be some improvement...

The first few steps were the best news I've had in a week. I could manage an almost normal gait, at a somewhat ridiculously slow speed. It mattered not at all. It was running, however slow, it was running. It took a lot of focus for me to relax muscles that shouldn't be tensed, to lay the foot down the correct way, to move the balance where it should go. I felt as if I were balancing on a beach ball, afraid to make a wrong move. But I was running! My goal was to get to a mile then stop. This I did.

As I was turned to come back, I walked maybe two blocks and started running again. I ran for a quarter, then stopped. Walk a block, run a couple, each time focusing on the form. Sure, there was some strain in places, but it was manageable. Things were and are definitely better.

I don't know where it leads from here. I'd like to try to run again tomorrow. I'll have to think about that one. Mornings find me very sore; by afternoon I usually feel ready to try to run. That's likely what I'll do for a few days. I sure would love to run in the morning Monday with the team, as dumb as that may be...

First full day in a while

There has been discussion as to what to call the new bike. It's black with accents of orange, a scheme I'm not overly fond of, but in the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons, I'll at least spin it into something positive, if a little sinister. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you "The Hornet". 

I like it. They're fast and agile, and if you mess with them, they pack a mean punch. Oh yeah, there are a lot of angles to work on this one. "Don't poke the Hornet's nest!" and "Got stung by the Hornet!"... it could be fun...

No running again today. The hip is still in bad shape, though riding is easier. Allen, Galloway and I went out for a 32-mile roundabout today, leisurely pace, and the weather was nearly perfect. Only the strongish northeast wind marred the morning, and even that's putting it too harshly. I thoroughly enjoyed it all. 

After the ride, Allen and I went to Wendy's, which is only fair since we both missed Tuesday night. That put me in the mood for a nap, which I took for a brief time. Man, I have to love summers off! 

Jimmy planned for a Kenray swim tonight, but I'm not ready to go into lake water just yet. I have cuts that are not healed and Kenray isn't the cleanest lake out there. With that in mind, I headed to BNL a bit earlier. Galloway joined me. I swam 2 miles, and two parts of the day were done. 

I decided to go out to Kenray anyway in case Jimmy needed me to watch KJ. Besides, I needed to ask him about his Zipp 404s and HED 3 wheels. He's one of the few people I know that own both, and I'm trying to decide which of the two I'm going to get. I'm not sure he convinced me one way or another, but I value the input. 

One final step... the elliptical. I did 30 minutes again, totaling 3 miles. I'm not sure if this is helping or hurting the hip, but it is cardio, and that I need. If I feel sore again in the morning I may skip it tomorrow. I'll wait until then to see. 

Wish I was going to Cicero. Good luck to those that are! 

...and in the end, the sun shines all the brighter...

This morning's cross practice had to be canceled; since Jimmy wasn't there, the luck was also absent, resulting in an ill-timed thunderstorm. It wasn't much, but it doesn't matter - rules are rules. I sent the girls home. The good news is it's only the first week of conditioning, so they won't lose much. Better safe than sorry I suppose.

I tried to run - no dice. I got about a quarter mile, which on the brighter side is 10 times farther than I got yesterday, but it was still nonetheless hopeless. It isn't joint pain at all, it's a building spasm. The first few steps are fine; beyond that, the tension in the leg builds until I feel something is about to pop. I waited until later in the day, hoping being on the legs more during the day may help the stretching, ergo help the running. Again, about a quarter mile in the tension built and I had to stop.

That's when I had an epiphany - I have a gym membership, and they have elliptical machines. Why not give that a shot? It's no impact, and while impact per se isn't really the problem, the constant pressure would prevent the tension issue. I haven't had any problems biking as there is no pressure/release pattern as severe as when I run, it's more constant pressure. That seems enough to keep anything from triggering.

Well, I'm happy to say it worked. I did a cautious half hour on the elliptical, working up a decent sweat. I'm not going to kid myself into believing it's an absolute substitute for running, because it isn't. It might be enough to sustain me until I can run, and that's what I need.

More good news came in the form of insurance. My company is going to cover the bike! My 2014 11-speed Kestrel 4000 Pro SL Ultegra is on its way, and with any luck I will be riding that early next week. That's great news, because the Cannondale is really rough on my hips over long distance. Up to 30 miles or so it's okay, but after that point it gets awfully hard on me.

There is a ride scheduled for tomorrow morning, Mitchell Church of Christ, 9:30 AM. All welcome!

"You aren't going to talk me out of it, Allen."

Tried to run this morning. Got a whole 40 yards before I called it quits. The hip tightened immediately and I felt the spasms coming on. I hope in a couple days I'll be able to manage some running, but for now it's starting to bum me out. I need to be running, if only to run with my team.

Galloway, Allen, and I met at BNL a little later and swam. At least this went well! I swam a mile, and thought it was one of my slower efforts, I could do it. That's a blessing. Between riding and swimming I should at least be able to maintain some fitness.

Allen and I planned to start riding a little earlier tonight. He had a conflict with the later ride, and I wanted extra/insurance against the impending rain. I felt there was a good chance the ride tonight would get canceled, so my plan was to get at least 30 miles in before that time.

I was close to right. When I arrived, Allen was in his street clothes. This meant he had no intention to ride, so I turned my attention to unloading my bike. The clouds were gathering in the northwest, and I had little time to discuss the issue with Allen. He came over, hemmed and hawed over what I already knew he would say. "Don't worry about it, Allen. Don't go. I'm going." I said. I didn't care he felt it was a bad idea and didn't want to go - in fact, that was a bit of a relief. I couldn't have Kedra mad at me again! Now the whole thing would be on me and me alone, and if this was to be my end, so be it.

Allen tried to talk me out of it. He kept asking if I'd seen radar (I had), if I knew where the storms were (I did), and if I knew how bad they were becoming (I did). I'd already made up my mind I was going and that I'd probably get wet, and nothing was going to change my mind. However, if I was to have any chance of staying dry, I had to stop talking about it and take off.

"You aren't going to talk me out of it, Allen." And with that I left.

Now don't let the preceding paragraphs be taken to mean I felt Allen was wrong - I knew he was right. I just didn't care. This whole bike thing has me pretty depressed at the moment and I'm sick of inaction. I worked all winter long for tremendous fitness and all that time appears to be wasted on a summer in which I'm not going to manage any more racing. Frankly, I'm about as bummed right now as I've ever been about this whole thing. Even if the Cannodale hurts my right hip the whole time I ride it, even if it's slower than the Kestrel, at least I can train. The bike's been wet before, it will be wet again. The cost of going out might be high, but the cost of not going out just might be higher.

I headed deep south. For a while I considered going to French Lick, but the storm was growing, spreading south faster than I could go. That option was out. I went as far south as Wesley Chapel Church, then turned east. This allowed me to outrun the rain for a bit. I crossed 37, went a bit east, then dipped south again. Briefly it sprinkled, but soon stopped, and I was dropping down toward Highway 57. About a mile north of that point I turned east, then north, and it was back to 337.

Now it was decision time. I had an hour and fifteen minutes until the main ride. Storm clouds were gathering west and south, and the thunder and lightning was starting. I briefly went east on 337, considering a run to the county line, but I knew as I moved along that was foolishness. The storm was getting stronger too quickly to make that a viable option. I turned north at the next road, headed past Liberty Church, and back to the car.

Back at the car I wiped the bike down and stowed it in the car. I felt tired, really tired. It was probably the swim, as I've done little else. I had time to kill, so I went to the gas station and got a snack. By the time I got back the guys were showing up. The clouds still hung in the south, but they all seemed willing to go. I considered going again, but I'm pushing my leg already, and thought the better of it. Thirty-four miles of biking is not a bad day.

Tomorrow I need to both swim and bike again, assuming I can't run. I will give it a shot with the girls, but I'm not holding out any hope...