Just Keep Moving... (Dory from "Finding Nemo")

Finishing at Marquee

Marquee Bike

So I am somewhere in between races...all healed up from Marquee and feeling good again--and have Rio Salado Olympic Triathlon coming up on May 7---we'll see what kind of speed I'll have.  This past weekend I ended up racing at "Pat's Run" which benefitted the Pat Tillman Foundation...a simple enough 4.2 mile sprint through Tempe.  Some of the girls at work decided to do the race, so we were there to do this event together, but I couldn't  break the competitive spirit and toe the line for time.  Because of my last minute entry, I was in corral 11, but used my "veteran" abilities to sneak into corral 1 (the trick:  jog out on the race course and jog back to the starting line to enter the corral---works every time!).  I had no plans, no prep...I was in it for the fun of it!  The horn goes (via Jake Plummer), and the sprint was on.  I literally ran as fast as my legs permitted--sprinting!  It's runs like these that make me think I have a lot of work to do on my form---how the heck does Lewis run so fast?!!  I ended up running 5:44/mi pace average, finishing 37th out of 22,000+, so I guess I should be happy, and I am ;-)

Otherwise, training is going great...I'm off to Tucson with Dan Cadriel on Friday for testing at the Carmichael Training Center for Blood Lactate Testing.  Testing always is a scary thing for me for some reason---it's where we find out the results of the training, OR, if I have been following the plan correctly.  It's been so long since my last test (Sept 2010), and that test result basically showed that I was well overtrained to the point that Craig Upton wanted me to take a week off...completely off, so my heart rate would become reactive and I would be fully recovered.  Well, I ended up riding 400 miles over the 3 days after that test...so I think you can see my concern!  And therefore, we ended up throwing out those results.  The only tests that have been encouraging have been road tests, so lets hope this friday we see some good numbers, which means tight heart rates/power zones that are scientifically correct, improved from previous tests, and are setting me up for the big build to come for Kona.  To be honest, so far this year all of my workouts on the bike and run have been more or less guesses on which HR I should be at, and I am not educated enough to know how to interpret any of my training numbers.  It will be so nice to look at my log and see:  5 hours, zone 2, and know that  I will be riding at 125 BPM...I like to just plug in the number and go!

Plans for Kona are moving along---by the end of the week my Dad, Jeanette, Vito, Beth, and Christopher should all have their flights booked, joining my Mom, Inta, John and Cyndi Dean.  Every so often the thought of racing Kona pops into my mind, and I am sure these occurrences will be coming more and more often.  This is going to be a long year of training for sure...but having dreamed of this race for 15 years, it's easy to re-set the motivation and keep firing away...lets hope it stays that way when it's 110 out, there's 8 weeks to race day, and I can barely pull myself out of bed sunday morning, staring a 20 mile run square in the face, having ridden 200+ miles and running 15+ between friday and saturday. That's when the insanity is in full swing!

Equipment Tidbit:  I recently switched back to Nike's as they tend to fit my narrow foot better than most (KSwiss are still in circulation though...).  Here are my racing shoes...5.5 ounces!!  The typical running shoe weighs twice as much!!!  The support and cushion is not lacking either...you would think the shoe would have no sole, but the Lunaron foam is amazing stuff, giving this ultra light shoe comfort---two things that used to not go together!  (The KSwiss Blades are very similar, I think these Nike's have a bit more support AND cushion).