The January swim challenge is done, 54,000 plus yards in the books. That is by far the most I have ever swam in a month and it was mostly enjoyable. After a bit of a rough start I am starting to dig this new masters class, we mix it up quite a bit and it really seems to keep things fresh but challenging as well. Sundays class was shorter than typical in yardage with a lot of sprinting, definitely felt the short work when doing the longer recovery swims though, throw in a bunch of dolphin kicking and it makes for a solid class.
Right now the plan is looking like I will be over 50,000 next month as well! All I know is I better be faster come November.
For February I have outlined a more rigid schedule, this will allow me to set some decent goals for the month and to build towards what I want to accomplish come spring. Only a couple more months of winter in Chicago than the real fun begins.
This week should be tough, we have threshold testing this week at CT class. I better go up but not sure what to expect. I have some thoughts on what I want to do in my head so we will see how they play out. Saturday should be interesting, doing CT class at 6:00 am (Saturdays classes have been kicking my ass lately) followed up with the local swim clubs monster swim. The monster swim is doing 100 50's, 75's or 100's yards on the 1:40 interval. I did the 100's when did a practice run of 50 a couple of weeks ago but with riding first I chose to go with the 75's for this time around. It is still 7500 yards in a day, with a 9.5 mile run on tap Sunday before the Super Bowl.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Minor Lapse of Judgement
Ok, so I am not sure what motivated me to do this or why this seems like such a good idea but I have decided to sign up for the new Madison Centurium 100 mile race. Maybe I have been watching to much of the Tour Down Under lately or maybe I just had a minor lapse of judgement but to late now as I am registered and for some reason pretty pumped. This is not your average charity century ride this a full on 100 mile race, mass start with timing chips and all. Let's just hope I don't kill myself.
Interested, go check it out Madison Centurium
Next weekend is also the local masters club's monster swim event, I am planning on signing up but just undecided on what distance I want to do 75 or 100. The event is 100 x 100 on the 1:40 but you can also sign up to do 50 or 75 on the 1:40. I am leaning towards the 75's as after doing the 50 x 100 last week I was a bit sore in the shoulders and not sure if doing 10000 yards in a day is such a good idea for a mediocre swimmer such as myself. On the other hand there is something cool about doing something totally outside your comfort zone.
On a side note, Rick and I hit our goal rather easily of swimming over 50K yards during the month with still one class left in January so will actually end the month over 55K! We have also come to embrace the non free style strokes as well, which I am sure makes the coaches very happy. I am still the worst breast stroker in the world and terrible at fly but kind of like it now lets just hope I am faster come race day!
Interested, go check it out Madison Centurium
Next weekend is also the local masters club's monster swim event, I am planning on signing up but just undecided on what distance I want to do 75 or 100. The event is 100 x 100 on the 1:40 but you can also sign up to do 50 or 75 on the 1:40. I am leaning towards the 75's as after doing the 50 x 100 last week I was a bit sore in the shoulders and not sure if doing 10000 yards in a day is such a good idea for a mediocre swimmer such as myself. On the other hand there is something cool about doing something totally outside your comfort zone.
On a side note, Rick and I hit our goal rather easily of swimming over 50K yards during the month with still one class left in January so will actually end the month over 55K! We have also come to embrace the non free style strokes as well, which I am sure makes the coaches very happy. I am still the worst breast stroker in the world and terrible at fly but kind of like it now lets just hope I am faster come race day!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tired
I think swimming over 9000 yards in the last two days has caught up with me as I am dead ass tired this morning but there is a cure, Coffee! I think I am on cup number three this morning and things are starting to get moving.
This weekend was a great training weekend. It all started early Saturday morning with one of our hardest CT classes of the year so far.
CT Class main set was 2 minutes as hard as you can maintain, 1 minute recovery 5 times through. 10 minute recovery spin and do the set again.
Trust me it hurt a lot as you are way over your threshold numbers during those two minutes and by the the time the minute recovery is up your heart rate is just coming back down to normal before you hit the gas again.
Once class was over we headed out for a 5.5 mile brick run and man was I feeling my legs. I wasn't really feeling all that great running but was glad I went and very happy at the pace we held.
Sunday at masters was 50 x 100 on the 1:40. This seemed like a challenge but it actually wasn't that bad. I was coming in between 1:23 and 1:26 so getting a decent rest. I ended up swimming, 1-20, pulled 21-30, swam 31-40, pulled 41-45 and picked up the pace and swam 46-50.
This was a good mental test more than anything but I could definitely feel it when it came to doing the workout last night at class.
Overall the weekend was a success, hard but not over doing it. Trying to keep things in perspective and just start easing the training up as we start to reach spring. Official IM training plan starts mid March, that is when things really start to pick up a bit.
This weekend was a great training weekend. It all started early Saturday morning with one of our hardest CT classes of the year so far.
CT Class main set was 2 minutes as hard as you can maintain, 1 minute recovery 5 times through. 10 minute recovery spin and do the set again.
Trust me it hurt a lot as you are way over your threshold numbers during those two minutes and by the the time the minute recovery is up your heart rate is just coming back down to normal before you hit the gas again.
Once class was over we headed out for a 5.5 mile brick run and man was I feeling my legs. I wasn't really feeling all that great running but was glad I went and very happy at the pace we held.
Sunday at masters was 50 x 100 on the 1:40. This seemed like a challenge but it actually wasn't that bad. I was coming in between 1:23 and 1:26 so getting a decent rest. I ended up swimming, 1-20, pulled 21-30, swam 31-40, pulled 41-45 and picked up the pace and swam 46-50.
This was a good mental test more than anything but I could definitely feel it when it came to doing the workout last night at class.
Overall the weekend was a success, hard but not over doing it. Trying to keep things in perspective and just start easing the training up as we start to reach spring. Official IM training plan starts mid March, that is when things really start to pick up a bit.
Monday, January 18, 2010
For Lucas not Stacey
So I reposted some of Stacey's pictures from their visit on Saturday as I forgot to mention that their adorable son Lucas came over to play. As you can see below we educated him in all the cool things about the Beert household....
Amy showing him all the cool rap and hip hop collection for our nightly dance parties. None of that crappy country and Neil Diamond junk his mother forces him to listen to.
Amy showing him all the cool rap and hip hop collection for our nightly dance parties. None of that crappy country and Neil Diamond junk his mother forces him to listen to.
Educating Lucas on all the stories that this table holds, mostly the many of nights that his father and I drank way to much but still manged to beat his mother and Amy at Euchre. Even a couple of times this ended up with his dad falling out of the chair from way to much to drink, "Juicy Juice" of course.
Landon telling Lucas that he heard his Dad could of have been on the Jersey Shore if they would have had that show when he was in college. As you can tell by Lucas' reaction he has seen the show a couple of times.
Lucas showing his mom and dad which way the door is. He heard once they leave the party really starts. He has heard his parents have become way to boring and wrapped up in politics and Star Wars as of late.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Good Day
Another Saturday, another early morning of riding followed up with a decent 5.5 mile run. That is two weeks in a row I have rounded out my CT class with an outdoor run and today the weather was actually not that bad for January in Chicago.
The CT Class was alright, a bit longer on the time but decreased the number per set. For the main set we ended up doing 3 sets of 5 of 45 seconds as hard as you can hold bumping it up the last 10 seconds with 90 seconds of recovery in between and 10 minutes recovery between sets. This was also done on the 2% incline which always adds some fun to it.
After class and after a little bit of procrastinating I headed out the door for a run. I went the usual 5.5 mile loop and just went by feel. I was keeping a decent pace and with about 1.5 mile to go a couple of guys popped out in front of me a bit down the road so I picked up the pace and reeled them in, this was great as it let me push it even more with out really thinking about it.
Overall was a good day of training. I am beat an ready for bed as tomorrow I am going to get in a longer run and hit the pool as need to keep the yardage up. I am just hoping there is no 500 kick set as I suck at kicking and that just wipes me for the rest of session.
The CT Class was alright, a bit longer on the time but decreased the number per set. For the main set we ended up doing 3 sets of 5 of 45 seconds as hard as you can hold bumping it up the last 10 seconds with 90 seconds of recovery in between and 10 minutes recovery between sets. This was also done on the 2% incline which always adds some fun to it.
After class and after a little bit of procrastinating I headed out the door for a run. I went the usual 5.5 mile loop and just went by feel. I was keeping a decent pace and with about 1.5 mile to go a couple of guys popped out in front of me a bit down the road so I picked up the pace and reeled them in, this was great as it let me push it even more with out really thinking about it.
Overall was a good day of training. I am beat an ready for bed as tomorrow I am going to get in a longer run and hit the pool as need to keep the yardage up. I am just hoping there is no 500 kick set as I suck at kicking and that just wipes me for the rest of session.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Fun Stuff
The January swim challenge is going well, I am over 21K for the month already. As with the run challenge last month it really motivates me to go to the pool when I probably would have taken a pass on certain days, like Sunday afternoons when playoff football is on.
Last night was one of the more entertaining masters classes we have had. It started out with 3 x 300 snake swims, where everyone goes in one at a time, time trial like, at one end of the pool and you swim up and down each lane until you get to the other side of the pool. Well I decided to start up towards the front and man it was like a race, you get in and just try to stay on the persons feet in front of you for the full 300. Once you were done you get out walk to the other end and do it again. This was tough but enjoyable. Part of the main set was 4 x 400 while rotating leaders every 100. This was easy swimming as sitting in a draft on the swim is way to easy but I liked the idea, I think ideally people should hammer their 100 pull more as you can recover very easy when you are in the draft of 2 other people.
Overall I have really enjoyed masters lately as we have done a variety of different workouts and really been working pretty hard so hopefully it will pay off.
Coming up in March I will be heading to California for the Endure It Triathlon Camp held in Solvang, CA. This is 7 days of primarily riding but I will make sure we get our swim and runs in. I want to take full advantage of being out of Chicago and away from work for a full week. Should be a good time.
On the running side, I have started to up the mileage as well now building on the base we built up through December. It has felt pretty good besides the numbing arctic air in Chicago lately but happy with the pace I have been at.
Nothing on tap tonight which seems to be a change of pace as it seems I have been running around a lot lately. Looking forward to hanging out with Landon practicing our dance moves and perfecting our summersault technique.
Last night was one of the more entertaining masters classes we have had. It started out with 3 x 300 snake swims, where everyone goes in one at a time, time trial like, at one end of the pool and you swim up and down each lane until you get to the other side of the pool. Well I decided to start up towards the front and man it was like a race, you get in and just try to stay on the persons feet in front of you for the full 300. Once you were done you get out walk to the other end and do it again. This was tough but enjoyable. Part of the main set was 4 x 400 while rotating leaders every 100. This was easy swimming as sitting in a draft on the swim is way to easy but I liked the idea, I think ideally people should hammer their 100 pull more as you can recover very easy when you are in the draft of 2 other people.
Overall I have really enjoyed masters lately as we have done a variety of different workouts and really been working pretty hard so hopefully it will pay off.
Coming up in March I will be heading to California for the Endure It Triathlon Camp held in Solvang, CA. This is 7 days of primarily riding but I will make sure we get our swim and runs in. I want to take full advantage of being out of Chicago and away from work for a full week. Should be a good time.
On the running side, I have started to up the mileage as well now building on the base we built up through December. It has felt pretty good besides the numbing arctic air in Chicago lately but happy with the pace I have been at.
Nothing on tap tonight which seems to be a change of pace as it seems I have been running around a lot lately. Looking forward to hanging out with Landon practicing our dance moves and perfecting our summersault technique.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Race Schedule 2010
I think I have finally got together my race schedule for 2010.
I will probably mix in some 5K's as well and maybe the Naperville Sprint (even though I think watching may be more fun and I swore it off a couple of years ago as it is way over sold but we will see)
So here is what I got:
05/08 – Indy Half Marathon
05/22 – Galena Triathlon
05/29 – Soldier Field 10 Miler
06/12 - TOMRV
06/27 – Buffalo Springs 70.3
07/18 – Racine 70.3
07/31 - Bix 7
08/22 – Pigman Half Ironman
09/05 - Half Madness 13.1
11/21 – Ironman Arizona
2011 - Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Should be a fun year and really looking forward to it!
I will probably mix in some 5K's as well and maybe the Naperville Sprint (even though I think watching may be more fun and I swore it off a couple of years ago as it is way over sold but we will see)
So here is what I got:
05/08 – Indy Half Marathon
05/22 – Galena Triathlon
05/29 – Soldier Field 10 Miler
06/12 - TOMRV
06/27 – Buffalo Springs 70.3
07/18 – Racine 70.3
07/31 - Bix 7
08/22 – Pigman Half Ironman
09/05 - Half Madness 13.1
11/21 – Ironman Arizona
2011 - Ironman Coeur d'Alene
Should be a fun year and really looking forward to it!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Goals for 2010, and swimming..
After looking back on what I have accomplished not only last year but in the previous 3 years I am extremely proud and looking forward to 2010. I have set forth some goals I want to accomplish and tweaking my plan on how I am going to accomplish them.
- Race IM Arizona and finish under 11 hours.
- Have an IM swim under 1:03
- Race a Half IM under 5 hours
- Run a 5K under 20 minutes
- Run a Half Marathon under 1:34
That is it for now and I like where my training is at going in to the new year. I had a blast in 2009 training and accomplishing things that I never could have imagined 5 years ago along as getting other involved along the way in some sort of aspect, either it be just running, riding or for some even doing their first tri this year. It is just as much fun watching others accomplish things they never imagined as much as it is for yourself.
Rick and I kicked off the January 50,000 yard challenge with a 4200 set last night at masters. A great start and I managed to do almost all of it with bilateral breathing and flip turns. I am giving bilateral breathing a fair shot this month, right now it slows me down but I think it will make me faster in the long run. Let's hope! I heard tonight's workout is a lot of longer distance stuff so should be another high yardage night.
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