I won! I won!

Yes I won a running event but in contrast to the size of the trophy the race is exclusive to parents and students of my daughter's tiny school. The distance is also a short 3.5K. But still I enjoyed the company of a police motor escort all the way to the finish line.  I'm not fast but when the field is thin... even I can win.

3.5K in 14 minutes

What I Learned: Part 5 Cycling

I've never been to a cycling event but from the bike leg of a triathlon race I've learned quite a few things.

Isdaan, Calauan, Laguna

1.  I'm a slow biker dude and I'm trying to change that.

2.  Training can be a family treat.  I tried going to a dining place about 70 kilometers away and let my family meet me there.

3.  Triathletes spend close to half the time on the bike during races.

4.  I'm not comfortable with clipless pedals so I'm back with a pair of platforms.

5.  Bike trainer bores me to sleep.

6.  Bike rides make me appreciate the beauty of different places. More so when doing trails.

7.  I think I gained 7 pounds for having more bike muscles.  Yey! Maybe I'll improve now and I won't be chasing a hundred guys on the run.

8.  Unlike swimming and running, cycling needs a lot of my time to see some progress.  This is where raw training beats technique so if you like to enhance your bike fitness you really have to spend quite some time on the saddle.

9.  My bike weighs 22 pounds.

10. I wear easy to spot colors for safety reason.

11. Bento box is my friend during races. . of course when filled with foodies.

12. I'm hooked on using heavily padded gel insert on my saddle and don't see myself taking it away soon. 

13. I hate upgraditis, I obsess on some bike stuff but I can't have it. 
14. I'm missing my mtb days. It gets fewer when races are near.
15. Having a good bike mechanic is a must.
16. Don't attack a hill right from the start, wait to get close to about 12 to 18 meters from the peak before standing on your bike to get some momentum for the down ride.
17. When trying to sprint to make some progress or to overtake someone, finish it in 18 seconds or less and if you can't, return to your maintaining speed.
18. If you don't have a bike just buy one that fits you, you'll enjoy it... promise. :p

Eco Tourism Road

By The Numbers: Age Group 40-44 Standard Distance

Subic International Triathlon 2012
Male 40-44 Category - Olympic Distance

Hmmm... I guess I have to spend some time on the saddle...

By The Numbers: SuBIT 2012

SuBIT 2012 Age Group Finishing Times
1.5K swim - calm water
40K bike - approximately 40 percent hilly 60 percent flat
10K run - flat

Where do you stand in this graph?

Did you join last year's Subic International Triathlon?  Well here is a very late post about the average finishing time of each age category and the average time of top 5 finishers.  You can use this to assess your current speed or goal time for your next standard distance tri.  If you are aiming for the podium I'm sure you'll be looking at the red numbers.

Shoes!

These pairs are my current line up (January 2013)

Training:  old model NB480 - comfortable

Bike and Trail:  NB310 - light and trail ready

Race:  NB 1400 - super light

Cycling Shoes: Specialized - wore on 2 races then never tried using it again... but coupled with my Look Keo Max pedals I noticed a big improvement in speed when going uphill... I'm just 'not comfy' (afraid) going clipless at this point 

These shoes are great for their specific purpose but my feet's soles are way too thin and running fast is always a problem (blisters). I'm still happily looking forward to my first long run hopefully when I get a pair of NB1090v2.

Watching DVDs

This is how I watch DVDs lately (on my daughter's bike)... preferably TV series

With so much rainy days hitting my place I find it hard (lazy) to run or swim.  So what else can a man do to expect some improvement?  Turbo!  I pedal for 35 to 45 minutes per session.  This is boring stuff but I think I save a lot of time compared to riding 20K outdoors.  I use iPad to keep boredom at bay and this DVD watching really helps.  Dexter, The Walking Dead, Fringe, Game of Thrones, Criminal Minds... just some of the shows I enjoy watching but still 60 minutes is just too much. We'll know in February if this thing works for me (goal time is 2:38 for the standard distance).  See you at the races!

Train Easy... Race Hard

Let there be more races to come!  HELLO 2013!

Most Satisfied Race in terms of result and organization:  ADIDAS KING OF THE ROAD - it made me realize that I can carry the speed to some extent. 16.7K run in 1:17

Most Sufferfest Race:  NAGT Leg 1 Subic - My first open water swim was horribly slow and my ITBS was at its max, both legs were hurting for 9K.  1.5k-40k-10k in 3:08 at the back of the pack

Most Fun Race:  ANIMO Sprint Tri - Without much training I didn't try too hard but got a very pleasant surprise time of 1:58 good enough for 5th place in my age group. 900m-30.2k-7.1k

Most Ridiculous Race: An aquathlon organized by college kids for their project requirement - with a distance of 300m swim followed by 800m run they might as well just excluded the run portion.

Longest Race:  White Rock Triathlon - 2k-91k-20k

Most Humbling Experience Race:  a local 12k run - with less than a hundred participants I was sure I'll land in the top 10 if I can survive the first 6k of uphill run but with a run time of 60m I came in at 44th meaning most guys and gals were running at speeds more than 12 kilometers per hour!

What I Learned: Part 4 Training

1.   There are a lot of training plans which you can follow.  Some may not work but there’s always more than one plan or program that will work for you.

2.   Don’t hurry on your base training.  It takes more than a year to reap its benefit to the fullest.

3.   Do what you think your body can absorb.

4.   Gradual progression in both intensity and duration of workout is the best way to not get injured.

5.   Progression can wait.  You are not required to go long you are just having fun.

6.   Remember that in triathlon half the time is spent on the saddle.  Get those bike legs burning.

7.   When it is too cold to swim, do not swim.

8.   Know when to stop and rest.

9.   Periodization can help.

10. Know your nutrition plan.

11. Warm up by doing your workout slow and easy for the first 5 to 10 minutes.

12. Sign up for a race that can motivate you.

13. Have a workout diary.  Monitor your progress through the record that you logged in your worksheet.

14. Do not be overconfident with your work schedule, something may come up and you may not find a time to train.  Be prepared for this kind of thing.

15. Getting a coach should always be considered.

Training for 2013 Season Starts... NOW!

Off season rest is over guys.  With 7 weeks before the 1st National Age Group in Subic it's time to swim, bike, run, recover towards a new PR.  And the best time to start is today not tomorrow.  And for a slow rider like me it's got to start with a ride of course.  Happy Holidays and happy training!

After a 50K plus ride ending at a small seaport