"T" is for Tuesday and "Tuesday" is for Track! I have to be honest, at first I hated the track workout... Even though it is HOT and TOUGH, I am beginning to really enjoy the track. For the past 20 years Coach Phelan has been running the Tuesday night track workouts at Hillcrest Highschool. The athletes that show up are the whose who of Dallas runners. I love the comraderie and community of this workout. This night I was a little worried about jumping back onto the track after being sick for a while and just getting my legs back, so Coach took it easy on me. The last time I attended a track workout, I think his goal was to make me puke! Anyway, Becca and I had a great time and everyone is just so friendly! The weather was very hot and humid but all in all it was great!
Here is my workout:
Warmup: 1 Mile easy
Mile: 7:38.09
1000 Meter: 4:50.25
800 Meter: 3:52.33
800 Meter: Sat this one out
400 Meter: 1:42.35
400 Meter: 1:46.79
200 Meters (optional)
200 Meters (optional)
30 minutes on the bike easy spin
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Monday, July 09, 2007
Sunday's Long Run
With the Chicago Half Marathon looming on the calendar, I am really focussing on the run. I would like to get out and ride some longer rides to get back into bike shape, but for now with the way things have gone, the only non-negotiables will be the runs.
Sunday morning my beautiful triathlete wife and I got up to go run around White Rock Lake. I am not sure why, but that run is really special. We arrived a little behind schedule and I knew it would be hot, but I was fired up to be out and running long again. The run began just before 7:00 AM with a quick stretch, I was off. I really felt great. Usually, the first half mile or so is a rough one but today, I felt awesome. As I mentioned in my updates, my training has not been great and I had not had a long run in a while, so 9 miles was looking like the plan. I had ridden the lake a million times and knew the course well. The thought of running it made it seem like much longer. The first half was great. My form was good and I felt strong. At about half way, my iPod died and I hit a section that is uphill for a couple of miles. At that point, my core was losing strength and my form was going out the window. I was also sweating like a mule. The air was very humid and there was nowhere for my sweat to go so it soaked my shorts and legs and ran into my eyes. With about two and a half miles to go I began the internal debate of walking or not or stopping for bit or not. I remembered the time when this distance would have been no problem and was pissed at myself for letting my training go. It was really hard. But I searched my motivation tank and remembered Dean Karnazes talking about one step at a time so I plodded on. Along the way back on the back side of the lake, you can see the parking lot but there are several false horizons and each time I thought I was there, another cove would open up and a long stretch of road filled with cyclists, runners and walkers would appear. I questioned my knowledge of the course over and over. I just fixed my eyes ahead and kept running. At one point I found myself passing several other runners who were drenched in sweat and shuffling. One of them was wearing an Ironman Dryfit shirt so I wanted to make sure I looked good when I passed. This ended up giving me a little lift and a second wind. Before I knew it, I was back at the car. 1 hour 20 minutes and 33 seconds. I felt really good about the run and know this will be a shot in the arm for my training. For the rest of the day, I would be in the best mood and feeling like I am back... just a little back!
Sunday morning my beautiful triathlete wife and I got up to go run around White Rock Lake. I am not sure why, but that run is really special. We arrived a little behind schedule and I knew it would be hot, but I was fired up to be out and running long again. The run began just before 7:00 AM with a quick stretch, I was off. I really felt great. Usually, the first half mile or so is a rough one but today, I felt awesome. As I mentioned in my updates, my training has not been great and I had not had a long run in a while, so 9 miles was looking like the plan. I had ridden the lake a million times and knew the course well. The thought of running it made it seem like much longer. The first half was great. My form was good and I felt strong. At about half way, my iPod died and I hit a section that is uphill for a couple of miles. At that point, my core was losing strength and my form was going out the window. I was also sweating like a mule. The air was very humid and there was nowhere for my sweat to go so it soaked my shorts and legs and ran into my eyes. With about two and a half miles to go I began the internal debate of walking or not or stopping for bit or not. I remembered the time when this distance would have been no problem and was pissed at myself for letting my training go. It was really hard. But I searched my motivation tank and remembered Dean Karnazes talking about one step at a time so I plodded on. Along the way back on the back side of the lake, you can see the parking lot but there are several false horizons and each time I thought I was there, another cove would open up and a long stretch of road filled with cyclists, runners and walkers would appear. I questioned my knowledge of the course over and over. I just fixed my eyes ahead and kept running. At one point I found myself passing several other runners who were drenched in sweat and shuffling. One of them was wearing an Ironman Dryfit shirt so I wanted to make sure I looked good when I passed. This ended up giving me a little lift and a second wind. Before I knew it, I was back at the car. 1 hour 20 minutes and 33 seconds. I felt really good about the run and know this will be a shot in the arm for my training. For the rest of the day, I would be in the best mood and feeling like I am back... just a little back!
Sunday, July 08, 2007
TWU Sprint
After taking three weeks off, I decided there would be no better way to break back into training than to do a little race. Rebecca and I headed up to Denton for the TWU Power Pioneer Triathlon... another Ironhead Race Production Sprint Distance Triathlon (click here for results). The last tri I did was the Saturday before leaving for camp... the Paddle, Pedal, Pound the Pavement Tri in Grapevine, which took place on June 2. That was literally the last time I rode, ran... and I only swam once since then. Coming back from Camp brought chaos to the training schedule and I was just getting ready to get back into the grove then I got sick... and that lasted two weeks! The bad news was that I gave my sore throat, chest congestion, headache, violent cough (Becca says it is loud enough to break glass) and runny nose. She was about a week behind me, but sick still on race day. I feel pretty good and have for the past several days. The only thing that remains is the cough and a voice that sounds like some weird Muppet or Fraggle or something. To add to the chaos and illness, it has also been raining, Noah's Ark -style here for the past, uh, MONTH! Some say that all of the rain is elevating the fungus, mold and mildew in the air, which is causing everyone to get sick... anyway June was not an ideal month for training to say the least!
So we decided to race anyway... just for fun (right!).
Major Bigtime Update
Sorry folks... I know there are a bunch of you that have been sort of tracking and rooting for me on my journey to Ironman. So I wanted to issue a public apology for going in and out of hiding! I have been on again off again and really struggling for motivation. This will be a HUGE entry, so stick with me... In the back of my mind I know and have known for a while that IMKY is out for me. I have just missed too much training. I feel like I have gone back to square one on the bike. I have been training and racing local sprints but I don't have a big tri on the calendar just yet. The Morganator and I have been discussing the options for what Ironman to do and when. We got really close to signing up for Germany but the real motivator for me is that I do not want to wait that long to to this thing! My wrist is still not 100% so I am not sure what to do there. If anyone knows a good hand doctor in Dallas, I could use a 7th opinion. At this point, I am not sure what to think, you would think that it if was trauma and not Kienbock's Disease, it would have healed by now. Anyway, its not that bad, just nagging so I will let it ride for now.
For a while in late May, I had worked my run back up and was really cranking out the miles. I had a really big race on the calendar and was trained up, peaking and ready to roll! Memorial Day weekend, we (and 4,000 others) stood in the rain and ankle deep water waiting for the race officials to call off the race... they did and it hurt me. I was really pumped up and the cancellation was a huge let down. The next week, my motivation waned. Becca and I were getting ready to leave for a week in Colorado to take a group of highschoolers to Young Life Camp in Fraser, CO. I knew that I would not have any time or energy to run while there. In a last minute effort to keep the train rolling, I booked myself for the Paddle, Pedal, Pount the Pavement Tri in Grapevine the Saturday Morning before we were to board the bus for the 14 hour trip. There are alot of ways to ensure sleep on the bus and this is probably not the best... the muscle spasms were horrible in the cramped bus seats. Anyway, I showed up to the race and had low expectations. My Coach, Chris Phelan, was there vying for the cash prize to be given... These local money races pull the fast guys out of the woodwork. I was glad Chris was there, I really wanted to do well for him. To make a long story shorter, I had a fabulous race! I PR'd my run and finshed 11th overall. Click Here for the splits I felt really good about the run but knew that the bike needed some work... if I had only been keeping with it, I could have flown! My legs felt dead and I knew it was from the brutal fact that I have not been riding at all. Cycling has always been my stregth and I think I have taken it for granted. My cycling partner Norm is addicted to MTB and Stephen moved away, and the Morganator is away for the summer so my only hope for cycling looks lonely. I have to get over this and get back out there! Anyway, we went to camp and had an amazing time (read all about it at www.darrendurrett.com) When we got back I took a day off to catch up on rest lost on the bus ride home. This extended into a bonus day then one more just to make sure... all of a sudden the entire week went by and I was working till late and trying to keep up with the three days a week of camp follow up. The next weekend came and Becca and I both buckled down and vowed to get back into the grove. Then the rain came. Then came the cold (sick). The cold moved to a sore throat, then to my head, down to my chest and then I was coughing -- violently. This mystery illness would hang on for two weeks, zapping my energy and ablility to train. It was aweful. To make matters worse, it rained for something like 22 straight days. It seemed that all would be lost.
For a while in late May, I had worked my run back up and was really cranking out the miles. I had a really big race on the calendar and was trained up, peaking and ready to roll! Memorial Day weekend, we (and 4,000 others) stood in the rain and ankle deep water waiting for the race officials to call off the race... they did and it hurt me. I was really pumped up and the cancellation was a huge let down. The next week, my motivation waned. Becca and I were getting ready to leave for a week in Colorado to take a group of highschoolers to Young Life Camp in Fraser, CO. I knew that I would not have any time or energy to run while there. In a last minute effort to keep the train rolling, I booked myself for the Paddle, Pedal, Pount the Pavement Tri in Grapevine the Saturday Morning before we were to board the bus for the 14 hour trip. There are alot of ways to ensure sleep on the bus and this is probably not the best... the muscle spasms were horrible in the cramped bus seats. Anyway, I showed up to the race and had low expectations. My Coach, Chris Phelan, was there vying for the cash prize to be given... These local money races pull the fast guys out of the woodwork. I was glad Chris was there, I really wanted to do well for him. To make a long story shorter, I had a fabulous race! I PR'd my run and finshed 11th overall. Click Here for the splits I felt really good about the run but knew that the bike needed some work... if I had only been keeping with it, I could have flown! My legs felt dead and I knew it was from the brutal fact that I have not been riding at all. Cycling has always been my stregth and I think I have taken it for granted. My cycling partner Norm is addicted to MTB and Stephen moved away, and the Morganator is away for the summer so my only hope for cycling looks lonely. I have to get over this and get back out there! Anyway, we went to camp and had an amazing time (read all about it at www.darrendurrett.com) When we got back I took a day off to catch up on rest lost on the bus ride home. This extended into a bonus day then one more just to make sure... all of a sudden the entire week went by and I was working till late and trying to keep up with the three days a week of camp follow up. The next weekend came and Becca and I both buckled down and vowed to get back into the grove. Then the rain came. Then came the cold (sick). The cold moved to a sore throat, then to my head, down to my chest and then I was coughing -- violently. This mystery illness would hang on for two weeks, zapping my energy and ablility to train. It was aweful. To make matters worse, it rained for something like 22 straight days. It seemed that all would be lost.
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