Swim

[1] 600m straight in 10:06 (1:41/100m) followed by 6x100m on 10 sec. rest all faster than 1:41 (from 1:35 for th first 100m to 1:40 for the last three 100m)

[2] 400m straight in 6:44 (1:41/100m, again) followed by 4x100m on 10 sec. rest all faster than 1:41 (again, from 1:35 to 1:40)

[3] 200m in 3:13 (1:37/100m) followed by 2x100m on 10 sec. rest in 1:35 and 1:36.

I felt pretty good, though my shoulders were a bit tight or sore (and likely both) from riding in the aero position a lot.

As a former tennis player, I always played well after watching tennis on TV. Applying that idea to swimming, I've decided to watch videos like this before each swim to get a picture of good technique in my head:

Stair stepper

My latest workout was 1:30 on the stair stepper with 4 sets of 15 minutes at 155 bpm. For the first set, I had the machine at levels 14 and 15. For the second set, level was almost sufficient to keep my HR up, though I occasionally had to pop it up to level 15 at the beginning of the set and drop it to level 13 near the end of the set. For the third and fourth sets, respectively, I kept the level around 14 and then around 13. Despite the varying levels, I hit the target 155 bpm on every set (averaging 156 bpm on the first three sets and 155 bpm for the fourth). Though my calves were pretty tired, it wasn't as difficult a workout as I had anticipated.

Bike position redux, redux

Ack, bad lighting...still, my arms are noticeably narrower than before as seen in the front end shot. Also, as can be seen in the side shot, my shoulders no longer jut above my back. I don't plan to make any changes to this position, except for the extensions, which I might swap for more adjustable pair so I can play around to get the perfect hand position.

It has been a few days...

...so I'm going to work backwards. I just finished a trainer ride that was scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday). It's been nearly a month since I've done something stupid like lose my wallet or keys, or flush my cellphone down the toilet, so I due for some act of stupidity. All things considered, leaves one's lights on while parked a mile from one's home ain't too bad, so I shouldn't complain. Still, I was unable to make the four mile drive to the gym to do the stair stepper (and there are no good ways to bike there), so I was stuck on the trainer.

I did an hour and a half, with 20 min. at each of 146 bpm, 151 bpm, and 155 bpm. The 155 bpm was pretty tough (I think that pace may be a bit too high for an HIM this year), but I was able to hold it. My legs felt good, meaning they were only mildly tired.

This morning I did a 1:00 run at a very easy pace, with the exception of two 20 sec. all out sprints. I celebrated after each sprint, knowing I had likely set an unofficial world record.

At the beginning of the run my HR went right up to 150 bpm even though I was running slow. By the end of the run, my HR was in the high 120's even when I was running 7:50/mile. I'm not sure what the HR change was about, but perhaps it was because I ran shortly after waking up.

One other note about this morning's run is that it shattered my faith in humanity. To add a few minutes to my run, I turned off a first dirt road onto a second dirt road that is U-shaped, meaning the only available route on the second dirt road was two turns that would take me back to the first dirt road. So, I turn onto the second dirt road and see a Canyonero-esque SUV driving slowly toward me, and a large dog (black lab?) is right in front of the SUV. I figure the car is going so slowly so as to avoid running over Rover. I veer to the shoulder of the road to give the Canyonero some room to pass, then continue on my way. After rounding the second road's two turns, I see the Canyonero approaching me again, and the dog is still in front it. I also notice that the driver's window is rolled down, and the driver yells at the dog when the dog strays from the road. Apparently the driver is too lazy to actually walk her dog around one small block. Gas prices, please go back up, way up, and never come down.



Back to the important stuff. Monday was 3500m of swimming including three sets of broken 1000m's. I was glad none of the sets called for extremely high efforts, as 80% and 85% were about as hard as I could muster. I tried to keep my elbows high on pulling sets, but it's difficult to critique myself. I decided to cash in my Amazon gift certificates (free in exchange for using an Amazon credit card) to purhcase a water-proof video camera, which should arrive next week. I'll be interested to see my own catch and pull.

Finally, following Sunday's hike (and a nap!), I hopped on the trainer for an hour and a half at about 130 bpm. It wasn't too difficult to get my HR up, and I felt better as the ride progressed. I guess that's the point of a recovery ride.

Warning!

Warning! Do not under any circumstances go to The Old Country Buffet! There is a deadly virus going around, and you don't want to catch it.

Taking a hike

Today's first workout called for 3 hours of alternating between walking for 30 minutes and running for 30 minutes. Stacey and I made the 35 minute drive to Maybury State Park, as it's the nearest place to feel close to nature. Today was the first time in weeks that I was someplace outdoors where I couldn't hear the obnoxious din of traffic.

We set out at a good clip, though the snow made for some precarious footing.

My HR was around 100-110 bpm for the walking portions, which is a brisk pace for me and a near-jog for Stacey (her heart was pumping away 130 or so times per minute). In addition to the tough footing, the terrain was hilly - we did the first two running portions on some mountain biking trails that were constantly going up or down. The green line in the graph below represents elevation, while red is my HR.

Due to the combination of unstable footing and hills, I was using muscles in my legs and core that I don't typically use (or at least don't use much) while running. My legs were especially fatigued by the second running portion. While I was able to average 140 bpm for the first run portion, I think a lack of leg strength prevented me from keeping my HR as high during the second portion, where I only averaged 136 bpm. Stacey and I would regroup following each run portion, and for the third half-hour of running, we headed out to a dirt road adjacent the park where the relatively even ground did not require as much leg strength. Still, the level of leg fatigue brought back memories of the marathon during an IM.

Stacey celebrated with a snow angle:

Two day update, plus refined bike position video

Yesterday's workout included an hour of swimming with a one minute break in the middle. Following Wednesday's and Thurdsay's swims, my back was pretty spent. I didn't go fast, but I made it through the swim. I threw in a few lengths of back stroke (probably totally 75m) to mix it up, but otherwise straight freestyle.

Yesterday also included a 1:15 run with 1:00 at 150bpm. The temperature was a relatively balmy 25 degrees, which was actually warm compared to the preceding week of single-digit temps. There were even patches of the run when I could run on pavement instead of snow, and it felt nice to go a little faster. I average 7:12/mile @ 150 bpm. I actually felt like I had to push the pace a bit to keep my HR up, and had to really run when on even a slight downhill.

Today was a 4:00 ride on the trainer - my longest continuous trainer ride ever. I changed my position Friday and was very comfortable for the ride. I spent a majority of the time in the aero position. I average 136 bpm and was pushing a decent gear (for me, anyhow). Nothing much else to report about the ride, though I sure started to get sick of Clif Bars and Gatorade by the end. So, without further ado, the updated position:



During the side video, I intentionally shuffled between a two positions: (1) a somewhat upright position for use while moving slower or as a short adjustment if I become uncomfortable and (2) a lower position for use when moving fast (on flats or downhills, for example). I changed to bars with a bit more height, so I may lower them a bit (half a cm or so) and see how that feels. I also narrowed the bars a bit. Overall, I was very comfortable and felt plenty powerful. I'll post another video when I next lower the bar position, and I'll also include a frontal shot.

Now its off to the gym for a "flop" swim. After that, I'll probably have Stacey jump on my back while I do the stair stepper in preparation for the Wife Carrying World Championship.

Easy bike...not easy swim

45 minutes on the bike with 30 of those minutes at >95rpm and a HR around 145. I had to count my cadence since I'm still awaiting a bike computer (i.e., the Powertap), but I was usually around 95rpm to 100rpm. My ride made my legs surprisingly tired despite pushing a pretty easy gear. I think my hip flexors got a bit more work than normal. I think I normally ride my tri bike at a cadence of around 90, (though I've only used a cadence monitor on my road bike), so I don't think 95 is too far from my norm.

The swim was tough, even though my butterfly form is virtually flawless (probably better than Phelps'). On those 50s of butterfly kicking, I just zoom effortlessly down the pool - I mean, I'm not totally sure, but I think I even passed a ninety year old lady walking laps in the pool. Yeah, I'm that fast.

All that pulling made my back pretty sore (though not my shoulders), as I have conveniently indicated in blue in the above figure. My lats were very tired during the pulling, while my traps are feeling it as I type this.

I don't think my lats have ever become so tired from a swim.

Swim + Easy Run

Following a warm-up, I did 5 x 200m on 15 sec. rest at 90% effort. My 200 times were: 3:17, 3:25, 3:27, 3:27, and 3:31. Next, I did 500m all-out, though I'd say my effort level was similar to my effort during the 200's because I thought I might blow-up if I went much harder. Time for the 500m: 8:32. After some additional meters, I did 200m all-out in 3:21...I think that 200's and 500 tired my arms out a bit. After some kicking, I did 100m all-out in 1:32, which is also slower than normal.

I also threw in an uneventful 30 min. run at a HR around 140-145. My legs felt pretty good despite yesterday's tough run and strength bike.

Tough treadmill run + strength bike

I woke up at 5:30 am, downed a cup of pre-brewed coffee courtesy of my coffee maker's timer function, and headed out to the gym. When I go to the gym in the morning I always forget at least one item among my work clothes, my breakfast and morning snacks, and my workout accessories even if I pack all my stuff up the evening before each morning workout. Fortunately, Stacey accompanied me and, in addition to providing company, was kind enough to loan me her HR monitor after I realized I brought my Polar strap sans the essential HR transmitter. Unfortunately, I also forgot non-running underwear, and Stacey refused to bail me out by lending me hers.

Still, the run went well. After a 10 min. warm-up, I did some quick mental math necessitated by the irritating fact that the treadmill displays speed in miles per hour instead of minutes per mile, and then raised the speed to 8.6 mph (or, as anyone that has run more than a hand-full of times would say, 7:00 per mile). I increased the gradient by 1% every 10 minutes for 40 minutes before completing a 10 minute cool down, and here are the stats:

Incline (%) --- HR (bpm)
0 --- 150
1 --- 158
2 --- 170
3 --- 178

Next up was an evening strength bike (1 hour). Not too much to write home about (or blog about, for that matter). My legs were tired, but I'm not sure if that was due to the morning run or this past weekend's rides. Still, the quad-burning sensation during the low RPM sets was nice, and afterwards my legs were as ripped as Sean Kelly's Herculean stumps:


Well maybe not. But my legs are probably more ripped than these Little Herculean legs:

Easy day

Just a 2400m swim today. My shoulders felt tired during the warm up, which may be a result of having spent a good chunk of time on the tri bike this weekend for the first time in many months. The main set consisted of 2 x (400m with paddles and pull buoy, 200m hard, 100m easy with some backstroke). I felt great on my first 200m hard, and was sure I had set a new PR...at least until I saw the clock. 3:17. I was a bit disappointed with that. Oh well, just gotta keep working. The second 200m was no better. In fact, it was worse: 3:21.

Anyhow, it felt good to stretch out a bit. I will take Chuckie's advice and do some core work today. I'm going to try to do the core workout every Monday since Monday might be the lowest volume day.

Ouch

The plan called for a long ride + short run. After yesterday's workout, I was both stiff and sore starting out the ride. After the warm-up, I settled in for 1:00 at 136 bpm. Since I was tired, my PE was higher than normal for that HR. Next, I did 0:45 at 141 bpm, then 0:30 at 146 bpm, and finally 0:15 at 152 bpm. It was not an easy ride, and I was happy for it to be over. Still, I did not work this hard last year, and I'm sure rides like this will continue my progress.

After a short snack, I headed out for a 0:30 run. I kept my HR very low (my watch is in the other room, so I don't have the average here in front of me, but it's probably around 140). This is the most sore my legs have been during a transition run following a 100 mile ride last summer.

Stacey did the workout, too. Her summary: "My ass hurts."

Overall, a fun workout.

Long run + 2.5 hour trainer ride

Despite the approximate 10 degree F temperature, wind and snow, I knew today's 1:35 run would be more fun outside. After a 15 minute warm-up, I settled in to a HR around the high 140s for the next 1:15. I ended up doing with an average HR of 150 bpm at an average speed of 7:54 per mile. I think my speed slowed slightly over the course of the run, and my perceived exertion required to hold the same HR went up. Check out the graph below. The dashed line is pretty close to my average pace, and my pace is more frequently above the average as the run progresses:

Next, it was time for a trainer ride. After watching the last half-hour of Paranoid Park (Stacey's one word review when the credit's began rolling: "Boo!" - apparently, she thought the end was a bit abrupt) and the first half of Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World (saving the second half for tomorrow's ride), Stacey put IM Hawaii '93 in the DVD player. Now, who do we see but a "camera friendly 24-year old" named Chuckie V! Nice race, man! I've gotta get my bike painted neon green - it's the new black.

Anyhow, given that Chuckie included a motivational message ("QUIT WHINING and suck it up!") with this workout, I figured this was going to be a tough one. I decided to print the message and tape it up in case I needed motivation.

Turns out, the workout wasn't so bad. Not to say it was easy, but it wasn't particularly torturous.

Following a 30 min. warm-up, I did 4x4 min. big-gear pushin' in the aero position, followed by 10 minutes of normally riding, then another 4x4 min. standing pushin' a big gear. These were pretty easy, though I need to adjust my rear derailleur limit screw because it didn't want to go onto the 12 cog as I would have liked for the standing set (can't quit do 53x12...yet).

After the big-gear efforts, I settled into riding with a slightly higher than average cadence at 140 bpm, with a short break for 8x1min. one-leg peddling. However, by the end of the ride, I was getting pretty exhausted despite constant caloric intake (mmm...Cinnamon Pop-Tarts).

Now for the much await video of my position:

(The lighting needs some work. Sorry, it was Stacey'd directorial debut. Plus, at 43 seconds, it's practically the Lord of the Rings of bike position videos.)

The sole change made since I posted the position picture below is I have swapped in some Profile Design armrests that are extend further rearward and are positioned a little wider. I am just shy of being perfectly comfortable, with the main problem being that the rear ends of the armrests aren't sufficiently rigid to support me. As a result, the armrests bend a bit. I am almost positive I'm going to pull the trigger on a new basebar to get this exact position, but with my Vision extensions which have a very stiff armrest.

And, here's the front:

Hardest swim yet!

Quick swim summary: 900 warm up, including 500 of drills. Then, the going got tough with 8 broken 250s, each consisting of 100m hard, 10 sec. rest, 75m "quick", 5 sec. rest, 50m all out, 10 sec. rest, and 25m easy.

For the first five 250s, I held my initial 100m between 1:28 and 1:30. I also did the 50m all out in about 0:45. The entire broken 250m took 4:25 to 4:27 for the first five reps. I'd take 45 seconds between each rep. By the last three, my times began to slow. My 100m's became 1:31-1:33, and my 45m's became 0:47 (my total time for these sets became 4:35 or so). I also took a minute and fifteen seconds rests between sets 6 and 7 and between sets 7 and 8 in hopes of keeping my time low.

Overall, a very tough swim, maybe the hardest I've ever done. Still, swimming is more enjoyable than ever since I feel like I'm making progress.

Comments on my bike position

My current bike position:
The ride line is where I think my arms would be most comfortable, with rectangle intended to indicate a wider and further rearward armrest position. Since my current Easton bars are not adjustable, I think I may sell them and use my prior Vision set up. My Vision clip-ons have a ski bend and have the armrests positioned further rearward.

Also, maybe I could lower my seat 1cm or so (and lower the front end by the same amount).

Any input?

I will post a video one of these days...

A non-training related post!

(What's this? A non-training related post?)

This piece over at McSweeney's is well worth the read.

Easy ride + easy run

My goal for the ride was 1:30, with most of the ride @ 130 bpm, plus 10 x 1 min cadence pickups, slowly building the cadence throughout the minute. I also concentrated on having still hips while pedaling. My position needs a tweak or two for optimal comfort, and I will post a good picture of my position tomorrow. Oh, and while the plan called for an AM bike, I ended up doing it in the PM because (1) riding the trainer in my apartment at 5:30 AM would probably annoy my neighbors and (2) scheduling wise, it's much easier for me to get that ride in after work.

After the bike, I took 15 minutes or so before heading out on the run. The forecast called for lows around 0 degrees, so I got all bundled up. Long johns, ski gloves, vest underneath my jacket, balaclava under my hat - I had it all on.

Stacey did the workout as well, and here are her eight layers of clothes for the run:


The run was easy - 135 average HR, though I felt like I didn't have to slow too much to keep it low.

Me post run:



Stacey post run:

Morning run, evening swim

First off, I've got to wake up earlier to get in a morning workout if I go to the gym. It was between 0 and 5 degrees here this morning, so (for almost the first time ever) the treadmill sounded more appealing than running outside. I might have made the wrong decision, as I sustained two treadmill related injuries. The first injuries was a result of inadvertently and repeatedly swinging my right hand into the stupid hand-held heart rate monitor that spans the two lateral support rails of the treadmill. As a result, I got a minor bloody knuckle. On a positive note, stitches are not likely required. The second injury - and this is the first time I have sustained such an injury despite hundreds of hours running in the past few years, all but about 5 of them outside - involved a serious case of nipple chaffing. What is unique about running on the treadmill causes nipple chaffing? The lack of airflow to remove perspiration from my shirt? The cold temperature in the gym? I honestly have no idea, but I'm throwing some BodyGlide in my gym bag for the next workout.

Anyhow, it took a bit longer to warm up, but then again it was early in the morning. I ended up averaging about 7.5 mph with an average HR of 142 at a 1% incline, and other than the long warm-up I felt great. One thing about running on a treadmill and practicing form is I have a hard time keeping my cadence at a higher than normal rate while on the treadmill - I find it much easier to do outdoors.

Next, I did a swim after work. The workout included a 1000m freestyle warm-up (5x100 + 2x250 pulling), then four broken five hundreds (200 pull, 2x50 drill, 4x50 free with about 10 sec. between each repetition or whatever you want to call 'em, except for 20 sec. between the middle 50s), and finally 300 cool down (3,300m total). Despite feeling tired in the afternoon, the swim was invigorating and I felt great in the water. My times for the 4x50s were decent - by the last set I figured out what effort I could hold and did 44sec, 43sec, 43sec, and 43sec, which was my best of the lot. Melissa said next week she'll have me do broken 200s (100, 5 sec rest, 100) because my times are consistent for 50s with a short rest.

StairMaster + Treadmill

Not too bad, not too bad at all. One hour on the treadmill with the main effort being 45 minutes with a goal HR of 140-145. Despite the machine showing a HR north of 140 for almost the entire main effort, my Polar gave me an average of 138. My level varies between 11 and 12, so I'll say 11.5 average. I passed the time with a Competitor Radio interview of Steve Larsen and a few tracks from the newest album by The Walkmen. Overall, not as tough as I'd anticipated.

I followed it up with 40 minutes on the treadmill with an avg. HR of 141. With a 1.2% incline, I was still able to set the speed at 8 mph for a good portion of the run.

Swim and a short trainer ride

Not too much to report today. The swim workout (main sets: 1000 @ 90% effort with every forth length backstroke + 500 as repeats of 50 @ 90 % effort, 25 easy, 25 back + 8 x 50 of pulling trying for a low stroke count) went well, though my shoulders started to get tired by the pulling set.

I also added a short ride of around 35 minutes, with a quick warm-up then 30 minutes @ 137 bpm, then a quick cool-down, just to get a bit more reacquainted with my tri-bike.

Bike, Swim, Run

My blog entry titles are going to get repetitive. Anyhow, the bike plan called for a main set of 10 min @ 130 bpm, followed by 10 min @ 135 bpm, then 10 min @ 140 bpm, then 10 min @ 145 bpm, then 10 min @ 150 bpm, and 10 min @ 155 bpm. I was a little worried that this was going to be a tough effort, especially since I was using my tri-bike for the first time since September. My worries were confirmed pretty much from the start of the ride, as it felt like work from the beginning. I mentioned this to Stacey, and she said, "Just wait 20 or 30 minutes and you'll be fine." Fortunately, she was correct, and even the 150 bpm and 155 bpm portions weren't too tough.

I also took note of my cadence, estimated RPMs by counting my cadence for 20 or 30 second once per set after stabilizing my HR at the desired level. Here's the stats:
131 - 90 rpm
136 - 90 rpm
142 - 90 rpm
145 - 87 rpm
152 - 83 rpm
157 - 80 rpm

After a snack and work break, it was off to the pool. The workout included three main sets between a warm-up and cool-down. First, I did ten 100's at 95% effort on 15 seconds rest. I started at 1:32 for the first hundred and slipped to 1:39 by the last. Second, I did ten 75's at 80% effort on 10 second rest. My times ranged from 1:11 to 1:15, as I slowed slightly during the set once again. Finally, five 50's all out on 1:15. My times were 38.5 sec., 41 sec., 42.5 sec, 43 sec., and 42.5 sec. Overall, I felt good the whole time and, dare I say it, ever like I had a powerful stroke at times. My back stroke, however, needs some serious work. Oh, and I threw in some bi-lateral breathing when possible (mainly during the pulling set), and otherwise did the occasional right side breathing every two strokes even though I'd normally breath to my left.

My swim training these past two months has been much, much harder than what I did in the lead-up to the past two IMs I've done. I used to just do a few sets at moderate pace and a few drills until I reached 2000 or so yards.

Finally, I did a 45 minute run at a slow pace. I don't know my HR, as my strap slipping to down around my waist 5 minutes into the run, but I'd wager 140 bpm average. My legs felt very good, and the run was pleasantly easy.

Trainer ride and (almost) transition run

The plan was 2:30 on the trainer with 2:10 @ 135-140 HR, followed by an easy run. I ended up doing 2:10 portion of the ride at an average HR of 139 bpm, which was moderately easy. I still have to keep an eye on my HR, or else it will either drop to 130 if I'm in too easy a gear or pop up to 145 if I'm in too hard of a gear. The difference in perceived exertion is pretty subtle between 130-145 bpm, as my breathing doesn't begin to get heavy until around 145 bpm. If I don't look at my watch consistently, I could ride for a few minutes before realizing my effort level isn't where it's supposed to be. Still, at 1:45 into the main set my legs could feel the effort. The toughest part about assessing the difficulty of a trainer ride is that just sitting on the trainer for two hours takes a toll.

After the ride, I ate a snack and relaxed for 20-30 minutes before going for a run. There was about 6" of snow on the ground, and the snow was still falling steadily, when I began the run. The snow essentially made the run very cushioned. My legs felt fresh despite having just ridden 2:30. My avg. HR ended up being 143 bpm, and I covered 4.6 miles at a blistering 9:41 per mile (keeping the HR low in 6" of snow does not result in PR pacing).

My legs are a bit tired 30 minutes post workout, but I they'll be ready to go tomorrow.

Swim, plus a short extra run

3,000m down. The main set included 800 pulling with paddles + a pull buoy, 600 freestyle with every 4th length backstroke, 400 pulling with paddles + a pull buoy, and 200 pretty hard freestyle. First a note about my equipment (my swimming equipment, that is). My swim coach, Melissa, said that I'm too much of a weak girly man for these paddles:
Instead, she recommended I pick these up:
The new paddles don't extend more than an inch or so beyond my hand in any direction, yet the paddles still add a substantial amount of resistance during the pull. I think Melissa made a good call.

Next, I do not have a pull buoy, nor does my pool have any available. As such, I did the pull sets with just the paddles, but I will try to pick up a pull buoy tomorrow.

Moving on to the actual workout, I felt good during the first 800 pull. By about 600m I could feel some muscle fatigue across my pecs, back, and triceps.

The 600 also went well. I tried to keep my effort level high, but have a hard time doing so during the backstroke portions. After each backstroke length, freestyle felt great - I felt like I was moving fluidly through the water.

I don't have much to say about the next 400 and 200 - they felt pretty much like I'd expect. For the cool down, I did a mostly breast stroke (if you can call my flailing "breast stroke") and backstroke, and even through in what I hope is double-armed backstroke. A youtube.com search may be in order for me to see proper technique.

Oh, and I did the vast majority of the swim with bilateral breathing, though every once in a while, most frequently after a poorly executed flip turn, I required a breath every other stroke.

I also added a 30 minute treadmill run following the swim. I kept my HR low, around 135-140. After a bad day at work (after restarting my computer, a document I spend about 6 hours working on disappeared for no apparent reason!), I felt a little more physical activity to get the stress out of my system was in order.

One down, a lot to go

Chuckie prescribed a 1:20 run @ 140 bpm, but gave me the okay to go a bit longer. I ended up doing 1:31 at any average HR of 138, totaling 10.9 miles at 8:24 a mile. I had to intentionally slow down a few times to keep the HR down, as I would typically have done a run of that duration with a HR of the high 140s. I was reminded of how running felt when I initially began training for IMCdA in 2007, though my HR was 155 or so at the same effort level back then.

Anyhow, I felt good the whole run and did not notice any HR drift toward the end. One thing I did notice is that I became extremely hungry toward the end of the run. I'm not sure if that was due to eating too few calories at lunch, or a result of the change in running pace. I'd be surprised if it was the former, as my diet wasn't out of the ordinary today. Maybe I'll take some calories for the next long run in addition to the bottle of water I normally carry.

Me Swimming

Alright, here I am in all my glory. I haven't seen my self swim on video since Stacey bought me some swim lessons with David Fix at Endure It for XMas back in 2007.

I think maybe my right arm drifts extends outward away from my center-line a bit too much, and my hands move around a surprisingly large amount. On the plus side, I think my forward arm extension has improved significantly over the past few weeks. Effort wise, I'm working pretty hard in the video, and by the third 50 I could feel some fatigue. I don't have a trained eye, but it's hard for me to see my elbow during the catch due to the low video quality.

My favorite part is at the very end when the lifeguard asks Stacey to put the camera away.