Yeah, the Dane is back.........for now.

Well, the Dane is back from lengthy Euro trip and I'm happy about that. I also get to assert my well-honed go-forever-at-a-good-pace fitness on him! It's not funny but it is nice to know all this consistent training has elevated my fitness level quite a bit which I can compare when he returns from each trip. Poor guy, he tries to jump right in to my training when he returns and it really proves difficult. He is a trooper and will toe the line in Panama City on Nov 3rd and give it a go as they say. Things are going fine overall. Really into the meat of it. Still with a lot of volume but added speedwork and weights. I'm pretty tired and looking forward to tapering in about 4 weeks but I know I have a lot of solid training efforts to put in between now and then. Not much else to report. I could blab about all the killer workouts but don't feel the need and too much to type out! Cheers.

big weeks - I love 'em

Didn't get a chance to post during the weekend, too tired, I guess. Fully back in the swing this week. Work was insanely stressful and training back on full bore from week's "vacation" (from work, not from training). Got the first seven hour ride in on Sat. I had some issues in the middle but finished strong, I think. Had a great brick, too fast on the run but, hey, if that's my problem, I'll take it! So, about 7 1/2 hours of training on Sat then long run on Sun morning. Got in a little over 15 miles, most of it felt pretty good. Pleased about that as this Ironman training period starts to get serious. The Dane is gone to Europe so most training, other than swimming and long ride, have been solo (great job out there Val). I work well solo which is great for Ironman. I have had a bit of time this weekend to refocus and motivate myself for my goals for IM Florida. I think I'm on track. Swam PR's for 100 and 200 yards last week (I won't say what they are because they are pretty slow)! I'm getting pumped and watching the race in Kona in less than 4 weeks online will really solidify my goals! I am looking forward to my Dane coming back home end of the week - gone too long! I'm gonna post some fun pics from our trip to God's country just for kicks! Go Broncos and Gators! Cheers..

mini altitude running camp

We had a blast in Colorado for Labor Day weekend. We did a really cool long run (3 hours) in Rocky Mountain National Park that was just amazing! I would say it ranked right up there with climbing Haleakala on the tri bikes two years ago prepping for IM Florida '05. I'll post some pictures which don't do it justice. I could have run for five hours out there it was so challenging and serene. I we did another run out there on Sunday on the trails just to check them out and did the long run on Monday. We spent Monday night in Denver at Hotel Monaco which was really cool. It was an amazing trip, wish we would have planned more time there because the training is incredible. The altitude at Grand Lake is about 8600 feet. The turn around on the trail we ran on was nearly 10,000 feet (the Garmin download is great). I actually was able to keep my average heart rate aerobic too. Can't wait to return there with bikes and wetsuits to do tri training, maybe next summer. Have to get back into the routine next week (have medical conference this weekend) which will be easier after having such a nice change of scenery and temperature. The temps in the morning were high 40's and low 70's during the day - such a nice break from Florida! Back to the heat and humidity now. I mind it less with the wonderful memories from God's country. Cheers!