Well, it is official, I have finished my first triathlon. Although a very short super sprint it was a triathlon.
It took place last sunday and Ásgeir (Ironman and fellow swimmer) was in charge of organizing the event. The days before I had more or less not trained at all due to the knees and increased workload (hopefully temporary).
It was very interesting swimming with 6 people on each lane. Lots of pushing and kicking in the beginning and to my surprise I ended up being second on my lane. Even having to slow down on several occasions as I touched the front swimmer. I decided not to overtake her as to use her drag and to control my tempo. The time for the 400m was 7:47 which is under 8 but still not a great time. Transition took way too long and was partly due to the fact that I had to put on knee protectors that no one else had to put on. And believe me, putting on tight knee protectors on wet legs while trying to hurry up is not an easy task.
Finally I was ready and I ran the 100m or so to my bike (Pusi was very calm and acted like a pro). The bike leg was ok... 10.6km in 23 minutes... I would like to go under 20 minutes, but there were 6 hills, 3 of them big (the same hill three times). Also the front tire got really soft so all in all this is acceptable but still needs a lot of improvement.
The run was the part I was really anxious about. Would my knees handle the pressure. I went out slowly, partly due to the fact I was testing the knees and partly due to the fact my legs felt like led. After the first km my legs felt better and my knees were not complaining at all (maybe due to the ibufen I took before the race). So I managed to step up the pace and overtake Siggi from my swim team. Tried to sprint the last 200m to catch the next guy but I was to far behind.
12th place the result in 45:36 minutes. only 2:40 minutes from the 6th place. Next triathlon will be on the 1st of June, 1/2 olympic distance. I will not rain much as the specialist told me to cut down intensity for 3-6 moths!!! But I will definetly race and see how my knees handle the 5km run.
The organization was really good. The course was well marked (although I took one wrong turn on the bike), volunteers stopping traffic and cheering you on. Big thumbs up for this initiative and I look forward going longer and longer untill the Ironman in 2009
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Good week!
Last week was fine...
2 swim trainings, doing a 1500m at 32:03 minutes which is on track for a sub-30 minutes this summer.
3 spinning classes, really putting the resistance up and giving those calfs something to work for... 3 strength trainings, admittedly easy this week.
2 runs, this was supposed to be a lot more... have to start picking up more time for this... the knee is healing and I did my first painless 3.5km run this week.
In 13 days I have a super sprint triathlon and then I will see if my knee can take the 1/2 Ironman in 41 days...
2 swim trainings, doing a 1500m at 32:03 minutes which is on track for a sub-30 minutes this summer.
3 spinning classes, really putting the resistance up and giving those calfs something to work for... 3 strength trainings, admittedly easy this week.
2 runs, this was supposed to be a lot more... have to start picking up more time for this... the knee is healing and I did my first painless 3.5km run this week.
In 13 days I have a super sprint triathlon and then I will see if my knee can take the 1/2 Ironman in 41 days...
Friday, April 25, 2008
And a run it was!
The Boston Marathon is finished... Bunch of Icelanders ran the race, some were fast, others were not so fast but they can all claim participation in the oldest and the most respected marathon in the world... Also Frank, mentioned in a previous post ran, although still recovering from an ultramarathon. Jen improved her Boston time by 11 minutes and Scott Dunlap (see blog links) ran the distance although obviously not pushing for a time. But he runs over 20 races over 42km each season so they can't all be the fastest.
Inspired by this I started my short run recovery... Taking the advice of my friend Ásgeir I decided to run 1.5 km... if the knees would handle that go a bit longer and work my self up... I must work my self up to 21km by the 15th of June when I plan to race the 1/2 Ironman.
So I set out. I felt silly dressing up in my running clothes knowing I would only be going 1.5km. The preperation it self took as long as the run. I tried to run with knee support and that really worked well. I ran downhill for around 750m and then steep uphill for 750m. My knees held up fine. No pain, only a little tingling sensation that worried me for a little bit.
That night I was working a night shift and my knee felt a bit weak, but not in pain. So something is going right. I am using massage (credit to my aunt), omega-3 fish oil, voltaren, knee support... anything that will work, traditional or not.
I didn't time my run or check the pulse (as it was such a short run) but the speed was fine although I can feel that 3 weeks of not running really brings down the stamina... but stamina is easy to build up. 51 days to go!!!
Inspired by this I started my short run recovery... Taking the advice of my friend Ásgeir I decided to run 1.5 km... if the knees would handle that go a bit longer and work my self up... I must work my self up to 21km by the 15th of June when I plan to race the 1/2 Ironman.
So I set out. I felt silly dressing up in my running clothes knowing I would only be going 1.5km. The preperation it self took as long as the run. I tried to run with knee support and that really worked well. I ran downhill for around 750m and then steep uphill for 750m. My knees held up fine. No pain, only a little tingling sensation that worried me for a little bit.
That night I was working a night shift and my knee felt a bit weak, but not in pain. So something is going right. I am using massage (credit to my aunt), omega-3 fish oil, voltaren, knee support... anything that will work, traditional or not.
I didn't time my run or check the pulse (as it was such a short run) but the speed was fine although I can feel that 3 weeks of not running really brings down the stamina... but stamina is easy to build up. 51 days to go!!!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Back from the start
Yep... now it is back to the start...
Run 1.5km if there is no pain for two runs go to 2.0km, no pain... 2.5km etc... until it hurts... I am pretty sure this will work it self out... although I will go to the scan in may and see what the doctor says. But most triathletes injure them selfs at some point or another... and this is just minor...
Last week was good... 4 bike trainings, 3 swim training... (2 in the club, one by my self) and 3 strength trainings... all in all, well balanced.
The Boston marathon is today... How I wish I was there... one day, one day. I posted some of the races I plan to race (in my lifetime) but for some reason the post went down on the page. So it looks like the third or fourth newest post. But you can scroll down and check it out.
Good luck to you Boston runners, and the rest of you... I might be brought back to 1.5km but not for long :)
Run 1.5km if there is no pain for two runs go to 2.0km, no pain... 2.5km etc... until it hurts... I am pretty sure this will work it self out... although I will go to the scan in may and see what the doctor says. But most triathletes injure them selfs at some point or another... and this is just minor...
Last week was good... 4 bike trainings, 3 swim training... (2 in the club, one by my self) and 3 strength trainings... all in all, well balanced.
The Boston marathon is today... How I wish I was there... one day, one day. I posted some of the races I plan to race (in my lifetime) but for some reason the post went down on the page. So it looks like the third or fourth newest post. But you can scroll down and check it out.
Good luck to you Boston runners, and the rest of you... I might be brought back to 1.5km but not for long :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
F**K!!!!!
That kind of says it all...
yesterday and today have been the best and my worst days in training... yesterday was the best... I went through my 4 trainings without feeling any discomfort in my knee at all... even soccer went without any pain... and without loosing a game...
Then there is today... I felt a little weird in the knee but no pain... I decided to go out for a short late night run... running just 3.5km and see how it would feel.
I went out steadily feeling each knee bend every step, listening to any sing of pain. But I didn't feel any... so I kept going I was getting into my rythm and just feeling so good running again... then suddenly without warning after 2.5km I felt like a knive was being stabbed into my knee... and for the remaining 1.5km every step felt like having a knive turned inside of my knee... the weird thing is that this was the left knee... the knee that had recovered better and had been painless for longer...
I ended up finishing in 22:47 minutes way too slow... way too painfull... now I sit here with ice on my knee... cursing this incredibly bad design... how can one bodypart be so problematic... and conteplating about the duathlon this weekend... I really want to go...
yesterday and today have been the best and my worst days in training... yesterday was the best... I went through my 4 trainings without feeling any discomfort in my knee at all... even soccer went without any pain... and without loosing a game...
Then there is today... I felt a little weird in the knee but no pain... I decided to go out for a short late night run... running just 3.5km and see how it would feel.
I went out steadily feeling each knee bend every step, listening to any sing of pain. But I didn't feel any... so I kept going I was getting into my rythm and just feeling so good running again... then suddenly without warning after 2.5km I felt like a knive was being stabbed into my knee... and for the remaining 1.5km every step felt like having a knive turned inside of my knee... the weird thing is that this was the left knee... the knee that had recovered better and had been painless for longer...
I ended up finishing in 22:47 minutes way too slow... way too painfull... now I sit here with ice on my knee... cursing this incredibly bad design... how can one bodypart be so problematic... and conteplating about the duathlon this weekend... I really want to go...
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Doctor
Went to a knee specialist today...
Well, after a short explaination and the history of the mess in my knees he asked my to lie down and he poked couple of spots, asked if that or that hurt. All in all around 15 minutes... then he told my they needed x-ray photo and MRI of both knees.
Fair enough, I had expected that. He told me to go downstairs book a time for that and then book another time with him couple of days after they have the results.
I walked out of the doctors office after this short chat. In which he could not tell me anything what was wrong or if it would be save to run again.
Well, fair enough I thought. He will tell me more after I get the pictures. But as I am walking through the reception the receptionist handed me a bill of 150 US dollars!!! 150$ for less than 20 minutes, where he did more or less nothing and didn't tell me anything!!! wow!!!
I walked downstairs to the MRI/x-ray part. They didn't have anything available untill the middle of May so a months wait and... they told me the bill would be around 300$ fantastic!!!!
They better have some answers after I give them 500$!!
Anyways... enough of me irritating my self over a stupid system... my knee actually feels much better so I am going for 4 trainings tonight. Starting with spinning class, going into weights, where I will again take light weights, on to swim trainnig where I plan to take 1500m on time. Then football where I will test my knee.
On a more positive note I got the bike today!! It is a Peugeot racer bike. Almost new, just abot 20 years old. :)
Fell of the first two times trying to get my feet into the pedals... I am so happy about the bike, can't wait taking it out for a rida... the plan is to do that tomorrow.
Also it has a name (has had it for years), it's Pusi derivative of Peugeot :)
Welcome Pusi!
Well, after a short explaination and the history of the mess in my knees he asked my to lie down and he poked couple of spots, asked if that or that hurt. All in all around 15 minutes... then he told my they needed x-ray photo and MRI of both knees.
Fair enough, I had expected that. He told me to go downstairs book a time for that and then book another time with him couple of days after they have the results.
I walked out of the doctors office after this short chat. In which he could not tell me anything what was wrong or if it would be save to run again.
Well, fair enough I thought. He will tell me more after I get the pictures. But as I am walking through the reception the receptionist handed me a bill of 150 US dollars!!! 150$ for less than 20 minutes, where he did more or less nothing and didn't tell me anything!!! wow!!!
I walked downstairs to the MRI/x-ray part. They didn't have anything available untill the middle of May so a months wait and... they told me the bill would be around 300$ fantastic!!!!
They better have some answers after I give them 500$!!
Anyways... enough of me irritating my self over a stupid system... my knee actually feels much better so I am going for 4 trainings tonight. Starting with spinning class, going into weights, where I will again take light weights, on to swim trainnig where I plan to take 1500m on time. Then football where I will test my knee.
On a more positive note I got the bike today!! It is a Peugeot racer bike. Almost new, just abot 20 years old. :)
Fell of the first two times trying to get my feet into the pedals... I am so happy about the bike, can't wait taking it out for a rida... the plan is to do that tomorrow.
Also it has a name (has had it for years), it's Pusi derivative of Peugeot :)
Welcome Pusi!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Races I plan to do
Kiehl’s Badwater Ultramarathon
a 135-mile foot race from the bottom of Death Valley to the Mt. Whitney trailhead 8,360 feet above sea level
If not the toughest footrace in the world, the Badwater Ultra is certainly the hottest. The 135-mile haul goes from 280-feet below sea level in the middle of Death Valley to 8,360 feet at Whitney Portals at the base of Mt. Whitney--in the middle of July. Along the way, runners must deal with rugged highway, passing motorists and stifling temperatures, which climb as high as 130 degrees. The invitation-only race is limited to 75 runners, a field regularly filled with marathoners, triathletes, adventure racers and mountaineers who have proved their mettle elsewhere. Last year saw a 79% finishing rate, which included runner Dean Karnazes, the author of Ultramarathon Man, who not only captured first place with a blistering time of 27:22:48, but then shuffled an extra 11 miles to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental U.S.
For more information, visit www.badwaterultra.com
Marathon des Sables
The Marathon Des Sables
Location: Sahara Desert, Morocco
When: April
Started: 1985
Factoid: mid-day temperatures of up to 120°F
Web site: http://xxlplan.ovh.net/~visiolog/uk/indexuk_ovh.shtml
The Dead Sea Ultra Marathon
Dead Sea Ultra Marathon
Location: Amman, Jordan
When: April 15, 2005
Started: 1993
Factoid: Finish line is 400 meters below sea level
Web site: http://www.deadseamarathon.com/
The Everest Marathon
Everest Marathon
Location: Everest Base Camp, Nepal
When: November
Started: 1987
Factoid: Race starts at 17,000 feet
Web site: http://www.everestmarathon.org.uk/
Great Tibetan Marathon
Location: Ladakh, India
When: August
Started: NA
Factoid: The start is at 3,800 meters above sea level and the finish is just 400 meters lower. In contrast, the Everest marathon starts at 5,340 meters and runs downhill.
Web site: www.great-tibetan-marathon.com/
Le Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc
Location: Medoc, France
When: September
Started: 2005
Factoid: The course passes many of the greatest chateaux in Bordeaux, where "runners" are expected to drink wine instead of water and foie gras instead of bananas.
Web site: www.marathondumedoc.com
Boston Marathon
Location: Boston
When: April
Started: 1897
Factoid: Since 1969 the Boston Marathon has always been run on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April.
Web site: http://www.bostonmarathon.org/
a 135-mile foot race from the bottom of Death Valley to the Mt. Whitney trailhead 8,360 feet above sea level
If not the toughest footrace in the world, the Badwater Ultra is certainly the hottest. The 135-mile haul goes from 280-feet below sea level in the middle of Death Valley to 8,360 feet at Whitney Portals at the base of Mt. Whitney--in the middle of July. Along the way, runners must deal with rugged highway, passing motorists and stifling temperatures, which climb as high as 130 degrees. The invitation-only race is limited to 75 runners, a field regularly filled with marathoners, triathletes, adventure racers and mountaineers who have proved their mettle elsewhere. Last year saw a 79% finishing rate, which included runner Dean Karnazes, the author of Ultramarathon Man, who not only captured first place with a blistering time of 27:22:48, but then shuffled an extra 11 miles to the top of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental U.S.
For more information, visit www.badwaterultra.com
Marathon des Sables
The Marathon Des Sables
Location: Sahara Desert, Morocco
When: April
Started: 1985
Factoid: mid-day temperatures of up to 120°F
Web site: http://xxlplan.ovh.net/~visiolog/uk/indexuk_ovh.shtml
The Dead Sea Ultra Marathon
Dead Sea Ultra Marathon
Location: Amman, Jordan
When: April 15, 2005
Started: 1993
Factoid: Finish line is 400 meters below sea level
Web site: http://www.deadseamarathon.com/
The Everest Marathon
Everest Marathon
Location: Everest Base Camp, Nepal
When: November
Started: 1987
Factoid: Race starts at 17,000 feet
Web site: http://www.everestmarathon.org.uk/
Great Tibetan Marathon
Location: Ladakh, India
When: August
Started: NA
Factoid: The start is at 3,800 meters above sea level and the finish is just 400 meters lower. In contrast, the Everest marathon starts at 5,340 meters and runs downhill.
Web site: www.great-tibetan-marathon.com/
Le Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc
Location: Medoc, France
When: September
Started: 2005
Factoid: The course passes many of the greatest chateaux in Bordeaux, where "runners" are expected to drink wine instead of water and foie gras instead of bananas.
Web site: www.marathondumedoc.com
Boston Marathon
Location: Boston
When: April
Started: 1897
Factoid: Since 1969 the Boston Marathon has always been run on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April.
Web site: http://www.bostonmarathon.org/
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