Triathlon Troy

Cross Country Skiing

2011-02-05T21:56:00.008-06:00

Today my wife and I went cross country skiing at Quarry Park in Waite Park. This was the first time either of us has cross country skied in many years. In addition to being a great winter day for some outdoor exercise, our outdoor adventure was taken to a new level when we came within ten feet of three deer! As an avid deer hunter I have seen a number of deer from my tree stand over the years, but I have never came this close to a deer while on the ground. Fortunately, I was able to use my phone's camera to capture a few pictures. Maybe it was beginner's luck, but I found cross country skiing to be one of the most exciting forms of exercise to date.

Update: I have posted a video of this close encounter here.

I'm Back!

2009-03-29T15:22:00.003-05:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but that does not mean that I quit training. I'm registered for the Buffalo Triathlon again this year! Part of my goal in completing the Buffalo Triathlon is to once again raise funds to help end world hunger. If you are able to contribute, not matter the size of your contribution, please contact me at troythetechguy@gmail.com for details.

With much more going on this year than last, I'm finding it difficult to train as much as I did last year. However, I'm still able to find a few days per week to train, even if the training is only 15 minutes. I recently upgraded my bike with clipless pedals and shoes, and I hope I can shave off a few minutes with my new investment.

In addition to competing in a few triathlons this summer, I am also competing in a couple 5K runs, and I hope to complete a couple bike tours this summer. If you any any suggestions for bike tour I should consider, please email me.

Tour de' Prairie Lakes Results

2008-08-19T10:56:00.002-05:00

I ended up riding 81 miles, and was I tried when done. The total ride took 6 hours, but a lot of time was spent visiting with others at the rest stops. The last 30 miles was the most difficult, very hilly and plus I was running out of energy. I averaged just over 16 MPH.

All in all, I enjoyed the ride and look forward to doing another ride soon.

Lake Wobegon Trail

2008-08-15T08:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, a friend and I biked on the Lake Wobegon Trail, from St. Joseph to Albany, and back. This was my first time on the trail, and what a beautiful ride. We averaged 15.1 MP, and the distanced totaled 29.27 miles - my first ride of a significant distance.

Overall the ride was smooth, much different than riding on poorly maintained country roads. My rear end did get a little sore sitting on the saddle for 1 hour and 57 minutes, but I think that's expected. With the exception of a minor tightening in the back of my left knee, my knees felt fine. I think investing in a pair of biking gloves is a smart decision because my hands started tingling about half way into the ride.

Tomorrow I am riding in the Tour de' Prairie Lakes, a charity ride in Glenwood for Habitat for Humanity. The ride consists of three levels, 20 miles, 40 miles, and 70 miles. Guess what distance I'm going to attempt to ride? Yep, I'm registering for the 70 mile ride!

Another ride

2008-08-12T22:42:00.003-05:00

I think I'm getting addicted to cycling! I adjusted my saddle up and forward a little, and the results appears to less discomfort in my knees.

Speed: 17.5 avg, 25.9 max
Miles: 16.6
Time: 56 min

2nd Ride

2008-08-12T11:45:00.002-05:00

Well, technically it's my first ride because I exchanged the 55cm for the 57cm; I think the 57cm is a better fit for me. I did the same route and marked the following statistics:

Trip: 14.14 miles
Time: 47:52 minutes
Speed Avg: 17.7

The bottom line is the ride felt great, but my knees were still a little sore. After reading many online articles about biking and sore knees, I decided to adjust my saddle up a very small amount. I hope to find time today for another ride, and to see if the small adjustment helps.

New Bike

2008-08-11T06:38:00.003-05:00

After spending the past few days researching road bikes, I pulled the trigger on a new road bike yesterday. I purchased the Lemond Zurich. I test drove a variety of different bikes from manufactures such as Felt, Cannondale, Specialized, Jamis, and Lemond. Initially, I was shopping in the $750 price range, but quickly realized I would need to spend more to find a bike with some of the features I desired.

One of my last stops yesterday was St. Cloud Scheels. I noticed the Lemond Zurich was deeply discounted, $800 of the original sticker price! The sales person explained the reason for the deep discount was to make room for fall and winter products. Although I was liking the price, would I like bike itself?

As soon as I hopped on the bike for a test drive I knew this was the bike for me. The Lemod Zurich rides like no other bike I test drove, and with an all carbon frame and Ultegra components, this bike rides extremely smooth and shifts with ease. The only question I now had to answer is if I purchase the 55cm or 57cm size. I opted for the 55cm version because after riding the 57cm size, I felt like my back need to be cracked. According to the sales person, the feeling in my back was caused by extending myself too far, therefore, the 55cm size would be the better fit for me.

Last night, I took my new bike on my 15 mile practice route. While I was a little disappointed in my time of 42 minutes (I expected to shave off 5+ minutes converting from a mountain bike to a road bike), I only shaved off 2 minutes from my previous best time of 44 minutes with my mountain bike, I enjoyed the ride.

One issue I discovered was my knees were sore, somewhat of an aching feeling about 3/4 of the way through the ride, and continued to ache after finishing. A quick Google search revealed the most common cause of sore knees when biking is due to improper saddle height. However, I believe my saddle height is set correctly, my legs are almost completely straight when completing the full down stroke (think 6 o'clock). Another possible cause listed was using too high of a gear (think peddling hard). The recommended solution is to use a lower gear (peddling easy) with a faster cadence. If anyone has any other recommendations, please let me know.

I think I may bring the bike back to Scheels and make sure I'm properly fitted before my next ride. If all goes well, I'm planning on riding in my first tour this weekend, Tour de' Prairie Lakes!

Minnewaska Triathlon

2008-08-05T22:21:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I completed my 3rd triathlon, the Minnewaska Triathlon. I was a late entrant, due to our son being born just a week earlier. I was pleasantly surprised when my wife asked if I wanted to compete in the Minnewaska Triathlon, but I accepted her invitation before she had a chance to change her mind.

The distances for the Minnewaska Triathlon were as follows:

Swim: 500 yards
Bike: 10.2 miles
Run: 2.5 miles.

I had my best finish thus far, placing 33/85 male competitors, and finishing 9/23 for my age group! I still need to work on improving my swim times - a good winter time project at the gym. My bike and run times coming along nicely, and I may have to invest in a new bike - riding a mountain bike on a road course is somewhat a hindrance.

Here are the official times.

Swim - 9:13
Bike: - 31:42
Run: - 18:48

Total: - 1:01:39

I think this was my last triathlon for this season, but I look forward to next season with great anticipation.

Graniteman Results

2008-07-14T06:55:00.004-05:00

It's official, my second triathlon is now under my belt. The weather for yesterday's competition was great, about 70-75 degrees during the race, and low humidity. However, a strong wind made the biking portion of the race a little challenging. Alright, enough suspense, I finished with a time of 1:32:23, only 2:23 over my goal of 1:30:00. The St. Cloud Times graciously published all the results here - I finished 156 overall.

The Swim

My biggest challenge for this race was the swim portion. I did not practice swimming as much for this race compared to the Buffalo triathlon, and the lack of preparation showed in the result. The pre-race goal for my swim time was 12 minutes, but the my official swim time was 16:13. I'm not exactly sure why, but I lost my concentration and steady pace early on during the swim. I remember looking up for the turn around point a 1/4 of the way into the swim, and thinking, "Oh boy, this is going to be difficult". Maybe it was allowing the aforementioned thought enter my head, but from that point forward I used a combination of side stroke, front stroke, and a few moments of rest to complete the swim. Upon exiting the water I remember looking behind me and thinking, "there is hardly anyone behind me, I have some serious work to do".

Transition #1

My first transition went much smoother when compared to the Buffalo triathlon. I quickly unzipped and removed my wet suit without any issues, put on my socks, shoes, helmet, and sun glasses and was off on my bike. The one issue I did confront was trying to get my shirt to pull all the way down. So I did not use anymore time than necessary in the transition area, I left with my shirt half way down, and fixed the shirt while on the bike route. My transition time for the first transition was 2:03, a significant improvement from the Buffalo triathlon.

Biking

The biking portion of the race went well, and I was able to make up some of the time I lost on the swim. I was in heat number 9, and I was trying to find others with a 9 on their calf (each athlete is marked with their heat number on their calf before the race), but only saw a few with the number 10.

One individual with a number 10 on his calf gave me a great race on the bike. While this person was on a road bike, and I was on my mountain bike, we continued to pass each other throughout the bike route. After the race, this individual said to me, "Thanks for the competition out there, you motivated me to push myself harder".

The time for my bike portion was 47:50, not too shabby for riding a mountain bike!

Transition #2

My second transition was once again a significant improvement from my previous race, the Buffalo triathlon. I came speeding into the transition area full speed, slammed on my breaks which made an awful squeaking sound, and unmounted my bike. As I ran down the isle guiding my bike, I unlatched my chin strap. When I arrived at my area, I quickly set my bike on the bike rack, removed my helmet and glasses, grabbed a hammer gel, and was on my way for the last leg of the race. As I was exiting the transition area, I remember seeing my beautiful wife cheering, "Go Troy". I'm not sure if she completely knows how much inspiration seeing her, and hearing those words help to propel me forward.

The Run

I started out the run with my legs feeling a little sore from the bike ride, but a minute into the run was all I could take. The cramping became so bad in my calves, I had to stop for a moment and stretch out both calves. After stretching I still felt the calf muscles tighten with each step forward, but I mentally told myself, "run through it and it will get better". About seven minutes into the run the cramping was gone and I was pushing a decent pace, but uncertain with how much fuel I had left in my energy tank, I reminded myself to keep a good steady pace until the turn around point. Upon reaching the turn around, I slammed a cup of water, and realizing I had enough fuel to carry me through the finish line, kicked my pace into the next level. As I did on the bike route, I would seek out anyone with a number 9 on their calf and make passing them my goal. This time I did find a couple of people with a number 9, and I did pass them. I finished the run portion at a solid pace, and with a time of 25:43.

Conclusion

While I fell just shy of my goal, I felt I made great improvements in both transition, as well as with the bike and run portion. However, I do need to work on my swimming, and I'm considering researching if adult swimming lessons exist.

As for my next triathlon, I'm going to take a little time off because our 2nd child should arrive shortly! After the birth of our second child, I'll have to evaluate my available time and see if one more triathlon can fit into the schedule. Ideally, I would like to compete in the Lake Country triathlon on August 24th.

3 days until race day

2008-07-10T07:52:00.003-05:00

The Graniteman Triathlon is now 3 days away, and I'm pumped! I feel I'm more prepared for this triathlon than I was the Buffalo triathlon I competed in just over a month ago, plus I now know what to expect. While I have not practiced any combos (bike then run) this time, I feel in much better shape than when I competed in the Buffalo triathlon.

Last night I completed my final bike training. I was able to complete a 14 mile bike route in just over 44 minutes, that's pretty good. Today I will complete my final practice run, and tomorrow I will finish my training with a swim at the pool.

I put some thought into a goal for the Graniteman, and while the goal will challenge me, I believe it is attainable. My goal is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The distances again are as follows:

Swim 1/3 mile
Bike 15 miles
Run 3.2 miles

Back from mini-vacation

2008-06-28T17:21:00.002-05:00

My family and I took a mini-vacation this week to my parents cabin in northern MN. I was somewhat limited with what I could do for training, but I did manage 2 runs with Scudder & Jersey (my lab retrievers) down the gravel road. I estimated the distance at 3 miles and the run took approximately 27 minutes - I had to wait for the dogs to catch up! After training hard for the past 3 weeks, I think a week of mild training is just what my body needed.

I'm planning to bike the race route on Wednesday with another guy who's competing in the triathlon. The countdown is now on, 15 days to race day!

Not slacking

2008-06-22T22:56:00.002-05:00

I've been slacking on updating my blog, but I have not slacked with my training. Last week I lifted 2 days, played racquetball one day, and did a bike, run, and swim the other days. I completed the run yesterday, and did so in 25:30, just under an 8 minute mile. The bike ride I completed a few days ago was a 13.9 mile ride in 46:35, my fastest time yet. I noticed the bike ride is a bit more challenging when riding in open country; the wind blowing across the fields reduces my momentum and increases my workload.

It's Official

2008-06-13T20:26:00.003-05:00

I sent in my registration for the Graniteman Triathlon on Wednesday, and I officially have 30 days until race day! I am excited to see how much I can improve on my times from the Buffalo Triathlon. I'm still working on a goal for individual and total time, and will post it here soon.

This past week was a great week of training, with yesterday consisting of a 13.7 mile bike ride that I completed in just over 47 minutes (max speed of 25 mph, avg. speed of 17.1 mph). Today, was an abbreviated, fast-paced work out due to having to take the mid-term test for my Linux class. However, I completed weight lifting an 10 laps in the pool in 45 minutes, and encase you're wondering, I aced my mid-term 100/100!

Graniteman

2008-06-11T07:06:00.003-05:00

I enjoyed the Buffalo Triathlon so much, I decided I'm going to compete in the Graniteman Triathlon on July 13, 2008! The Graniteman will challenge me a tad longer distances: 1/3 mile swim, 15 mile bike ride, and a 3.1 mile run.

Since completing the Buffalo Triathlon, I continued with my training schedule, and even add some weight lifting to the schedule this time. Yesterday, I completed the 1/3 mile swim at the indoor pool in 20 minutes. While I occasionally had to take a quick break from the front crawl by flipping to my back, I believe I'll decrease my time by race day. My training goal for the swim is 18 minutes. I discovered I swim faster if I keep my head down longer, therefore, I'm working on taking less breaths, and holding my breath longer. Right now I'm doing what I call a 6-4-6, meaning I complete 6 strokes, breath, complete 4 strokes, breath, and then complete another 6 strokes.

Today, I'm meeting another member of the gym, who is also competing in the Graniteman Triathlon, for a run over lunch. I'm not sure if we are going for distance or time today.

Mission Accomplished!

2008-06-02T19:11:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I competed in, and completed my first triathlon. I could not have asked for better weather, it was 80 and sunny! I set a personal goal of completing the triathlon in 1 hour and 20 minutes, my official time was 1 hour 19 minutes and 47 seconds; I achieved my goal! Here is the time break down:

Swim: 8:59

Transition 1: 4:12

Bike: 40:32

Transition 2: 1:40

Run: 24:27

Total: 1:19:47

Upon completion, I felt such an overwhelming joy of accomplishment, I had to use the little amount of energy I had to fight back tears. I am happy my wife and daughter were able to be there with me to share my excitement. You can view some pictures from the Buffalo Triathlon at http://picasaweb.google.com/troythetechguy My experience was great, I am strongly considering registering for the Graniteman Triathlon in St. Cloud on July 13th!

Last, and certainly not least, I want to thank all of you who contributed to the cause that started it all, ending world hunger. You'll be happy to know that as a group we raised $5,000 to help end world hunger! Please know that as I dug deep for motivation to push forward towards the end of the triathlon, your pledge help me find the extra boost of energy to finish strong.

Thank you,

Triathlon Troy

Less than 24 hours

2008-05-31T13:56:00.002-05:00

I'm ready, and I'm nervous with excitement for race day tomorrow! After 5 month of training, I'm less than 24 hours away from reaching my goal of completing my 1st triathlon. You better believe I will post my result with some pictures soon, so check back often.

Today, I will finish with an inspirational quotation I discovered on the http://www.tribuff.com web site, "To some extent, we are all labeled by what we're able to achieve. But more importantly, we are defined by what we attempt." --Scott Tinley

1st Open Water Swim

2008-05-28T10:40:00.003-05:00

Well, I did it. I completed my first open water swim on any length. The water was extremely cold, only 62 degrees, and I struggled for the first part of the 1/4 mile swim. However, about half way, my body adjusted to the water temperature and I completed the second half more in stride.

Reflecting on my experience, I made the mistake of starting out fast, thinking the faster I go the quicker my body will warm. While my body may have warmed quicker because of the amount of energy I was exerting, I ran out of energy quickly. I need to remind myself on race day to remember my training, and swim at a consistent medium pace.

Amazingly, by the time I completed my swim, I did not want to get out of the water, it actually felt comfortable. I'm not sure I could have completed the swim without using a wet suit. If I can find the courage, I should enter the water 5-10 minutes before the race starts to allow my body to warm the water that is trapped in the wet suit.

4 day 22 hours to race day!

2008-05-27T10:25:00.002-05:00

Over Memorial weekend, I made sure to continue my training, but did so at a more relaxed pace, I was on vacation after all! Saturday I went for a 30 minute run with my dogs Scudder & Jersey. The dogs lead the way for the first half of the run, but then fell behind on the second half, I guess we know who's in better shape!

I took Sunday off as a day of rest. Monday I went for a bike ride around the Briggs Chain of Lakes, about 7 miles in distance from what I've been told. The ride was easy, until I hit the open farm fields where what felt like 40 mph gusts of wind were resisting my progress, not to mention the unpleasant aroma of freshly fertilized fields.

Tonight I am going for a pre-race swim in Buffalo Lake. This will be a great test of the swimming training I've done to this point, and my first experience in competitive open water swimming.

Dry Run

2008-05-22T21:59:00.003-05:00

I've fallen a little behind in my updates. On Tuesday, I ran for 3 miles and did so in a respectable time of just over 26 minutes.

Today was the BIG TEST, the dry run as I call it. A friend who's competing in the triathlon with me tested with me today. We completed the swim in just over 15 minutes, then finished the bike portion in 31 minutes, and finished with a 32 minute run. The total time for everything was just under 1 hour and 20 minutes! We both feel confident that we can be competitive in the triathlon next Sunday. Only 9 days to go!

Biking away

2008-05-20T06:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I completed the 12 mile bike ride in 31 minutes and 42 seconds. My goal for the bike portion is 30 minutes, so I have a little work to do yet.

Today I will complete the 3 mile run, followed by a 1/4 mile swim tomorrow. Thursday is test day.... A friend and I will complete the entire triathlon. Stay tuned.

The run

2008-05-19T09:15:00.003-05:00

Things got pretty crazy on Friday so I did not have a chance to provide an update. I completed a 3 mile run on Friday in 26 minutes and 38 seconds. Although the time was a little longer than my goal of 25 minutes, I ran at a steady pace and did not feel overly exhausted upon completion.

I allowed my body a couple of days rest over the weekend, and today I'm back at it with a 12 mile bike ride. The weather looks like rain, so I'll most likely ride the stationary bike at the gym.

I did it!

2008-05-16T07:05:00.002-05:00

The swimming portion of the triathlon is my biggest challenge. When I started my swimming training a few months ago I thought, "I'll never be able to make it". After a couple of months of consistent training in the pool, I completed the 1/4 mile swim without stopping, and did so in only 15 minutes. After completing the 1/4 mile, I took a minute break and proceeded to complete another 1/4 mile! What an awesome feeling to see the investment of consistent training come to fruition!

30:37

2008-05-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

30 minutes, 37 seconds is the amount of time it took me to complete my 12 mile bike ride this evening. My last bike time was 34 minutes, and my goal for this ride was to break the 34 minute mark. I did push myself toward the end to make the 30 minute mark, but isn't that what training is all about - pushing yourself!

Tomorrow I have a 1/4 mile swim scheduled with a friend who's competing in the triathlon with me.

Swimming

2008-05-13T21:15:00.002-05:00

Despite lacking energy today, I forced myself to go to the gym for a 1/4 mile swim. I completed the 1/4 mile (15 laps) in 15 minutes, however, it was extremely challenging. I started with the intention of swimming at a medium steady pace, with my goal being to complete 10 laps. After 5 laps, I was in desperate need of a break, and took a minute to recover. Even with a minute break every 5 laps, I completed (3) 5 lap intervals in a personal record of 15 minutes. Tomorrow is a 12 mile bike ride, followed with another 1/4 swim on Thursday.

Another run

2008-05-12T20:10:00.002-05:00

I went for a 3 mile run today, although, this time I ran late in the day. The run was a bit of a struggle today. It was windy, and my side started aching about 1/2 way into the run. While I did complete the 3 miles in just under 25 minutes, I had to really push myself the last couple of minutes to beat the 25 minute mark.

Running

2008-05-09T13:09:00.002-05:00

Endorphins are a wonderful thing! I just finished my 3 mile run, and did so in 25 minutes and 38 seconds. I was moving at a good pace today, and the run felt great. A song by Boston comes to mind, More Than a Feeling. Despite having a cold for most of this week, I was able to get in the swim, bike, and run. The cold is coming to an end, and I am pumped with the progress I'm making. Watch out Buffalo, here I come.......

Bike Ride

2008-05-08T14:36:00.000-05:00

I completed my 12 mile bike ride today, and did so in 34 minutes. It's difficult to describe the feeling in my legs as soon as I get off the bike, it almost feels like my legs are still peddling. I feel today was a great ride, and what a feeling of accomplishment I have when I'm done!

Tomorrow I will complete the 3 mile run.

The Challenge

2008-05-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

The Challenge - Ending World Hunger - Your Help Needed!

I decided to take on a challenge this year, a challenge that is bigger than me. The challenge is to stop world hunger! I am competing in my first triathlon this summer to help raise money for ending world hunger.

Throughout the past several months, I have been training for the Buffalo Triathlon, which is scheduled for June 1, 2008. Recently, I began keeping a journal of my training and progress, and decided to turn my journal into a blog. As of this writing, I have 24 days remaining to raise money for world hunger, and fine tune my training. While the training rests entirely on me, I alone cannot end world hunger, and I need your help. If you can financially help, not matter the size of your contribution, please e-mail me at troythetechguy@gmail.com

The Course

2008-05-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

The sprint triathlon, the event I am competing in, consists of the following events listed below in their respective order.

1/4 mile swim

12 mile bike

3 mile run

View a map of the course.

Training updates

2008-05-08T07:27:00.000-05:00

5-7-08-
After being under the weather with a cold for the past week, I finally had enough energy to train again today. I swam for a 1/4 mile today, and the swim is getting easier every time. Tomorrow is suppose to be a nice day, and I plan to hope on the bike for a 15 mile bike ride.

5-1-08 -
I completed 20 laps in the pool and 3 miles on the stationary bike immediately following. I used my wet suit for the first time. I like how the wet suit makes me more buoyant, and swimming seems easier. However, the wet suit did little to keep me dry, and I'm concerned with the cold water temperatures on June 1st, it's going to make swimming more difficult.

The transition from swimming to biking is much easier than the transition from biking to running. With only 30 days to go until race day, I've come down with a minor cold. :( I did not train today, but will complete a 3 mile run tomorrow. Due to rainy and cold weather (43 degrees), I most likely will run on the treadmill at the gym tomorrow.

4-28-08 -
Just finished 50 minutes of training. I completed a 8.5 mile bike ride for 35 minutes, and a 1.5 mile run for 15 minutes. I feel great! It was a bit of a shock that my legs were pretty tired after completing the bike ride. My ending heart rate was 25 * 6. Tomorrow I plan to swim for 1/4 mile in the pool. Thursday, I will work on the swim to bike transition. I think I'm going to do great in the race! I need to work on eating more healthy foods.