Off to the races

Sorry I've not updated in over TWO WEEKS!! My wife and I have done a race each weekend. This is so cool having her do these as well. Its great bonding time having this as an interest. Im so proud of her she's doing awesome. Especially since triathlon as I've said many times is not so much a hobby as it is a lifestyle. Gone are the days of lectures for spending money on race fees whilst were on a strict budget. We just budget for the races.

Last week was Publix Family Fitness Weekend in Sarasota. Sunday was at Baldwin Park in Orlando where I had my best bike average ever of 21.8 mph. I attribute this to the group rides with the bike shop and a 22min 5k off the bike. The 22 min 5k is a bit disappointing as my goal for this season before the knee injury was to run a sub 20min 5k off the bike. 22 minutes though is as good as I've ever been before or after the injury. Thank you Patt-Strap!

For the time being we have a wedding to attend in early July so we don't plan to race again until late July or early August. Im hoping I can hold my knee together just enough to compete in the Disney International Distance Triathlon in September. Sorry for the rambling but I've come across some stomach bug and Im not feeling well enough to write complete thoughts.

Now that Im getting better on the bike I badly need to work on anaerobic endurance in the swim. I have an on again off again relationship with swimming that will completely prevent me from ever breaking an hour in these sprint races. I need about 2 minutes on the swim and 3-4 on the run and I should be able to break an hour. Baldwin Park Result (1/4 Mile Swim, 12 Mile Bike, 5k Run) 1:06:15.Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew

My wife is drinking Kool-Aid

Check it out my wife did her first super-sprint triathlon today. We were supposed to start the swim together and she took off on me but I caught up to her on the bike and we did the rest together. She did awesome even with a few set backs including some little rollie pollie hills that we don't have at home and even more amazing having problems with blisters she did the run BARE FOOT!

Now that I've got her drinking the triathlon kool-aid it's cool to see her go through all the things like 'When do I get a road bike?' that I went through and bugged her about for months. I get some sort of crazy thrill watching people on road bikes blow by whilst she's suffering on the same fat tire that I used my first 5 tri's. The journeyman's 105 Pound Knobby beast. I love it.

Although Id been to Lake Louisa State Park for the Florida Escape race it poured rain and I really didn't get to enjoy much of the scenery. Lake Louisa and that general area in Clermont, FL is an awesome place to go out tooling around on a bicycle. Its a little too far away to make a habit of it but Id like to go back out there early this weekend and do a long ride. Good trees better hills. Now I just need to find someone to go with me...

Off to shave her head.Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew

45 minutes is the limit

Trying to slowly increase my run time I had worked myself up to about 58 minutes. This turned out to be a mistake as I have had pain in the knee since last Thursday. I was afraid I was getting a little overconfident with it and I was. I had 4 runs at 45 minutes pain free. Increased to 50 with a little more aches but no pain and then the next run, with intervals, at 58 was too much. Probably the intervals and not the LSD (Long slow distance) that did it. So, I'm going to take another week off of running and get back at it then. I have an appointment for next Tuesday to have gait analysis done to be sure my form and shoes are proper. $120. Is a little on the high side but Id rather go through the NTC then go to a shoe store and be sold shoes when that's not what I need.

I have also been going for group rides on Monday's with our local bike shop PC Bike. I go Monday's because its listed as the recovery/spinning day however it usually turns out to be more than that and I get my butt kicked. I am however getting a little farther each time before I'm dropped or my legs just give out. One of these days I'll make it to the top of the bridge with the group at the end. A lot of coaches etc would be against the group rides as frequent hard sessions are rarely appropriate during periodized training but I gotta say I love them. I never work my legs as hard on my own as when I do in the group and while I often feel the lame duck or dork because I can't pull as hard as the 125 pound 15-16-17 year old kid in front of me I still have great satisfaction that I've put in a good workout when its over. Still few knee problems to report when riding but I do wear the Patt Strap.

I have done very little swimming as of late seems every time I swim it irritates my knee so I'm only swimming about 13-1600 twice a week. Enough to keep me at the sprint distance and keeps me in shooting range of an Olympic if there are any breakthroughs with my running. I figure if I can work back up to 45 minutes running and hold there doing no intervals just LSD I may be able to do a couple of mid-late season Olympic distances. This way the season is not a total wash.Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew

Patt Strap - So far so good.

I began using the Patt Strap this week for running and cycling. I haven't read about anyone using it for cycling but I figured since my ITB is irritated nearly as much cycling as it is when running why not give it a try.

Using my current stretching regimen I have been able to work up to about an hour and a half cycling with some pain afterwards that Im typically able to control with ice. Today, my first day using the strap, I went two hours (40 miles) and have none of the usual trailing pain although I still feel a little achey in the knee if that makes sense. Achey is better than pain. So for cycling two thumbs up.

Running with the strap has been somewhat weird. Oddly I've found relief using it below the knee, which they suggest for patellar tendonitis, as much as above the knee. I believe this is related to the fact that much of my ITB pain, where its the sharpest, is where the band attaches to the tibia. The pulling comes and goes throughout the day. If I've had a particularly bad day with the knee... it feels achey all day for instance..the strap works better below the knee. If I've had a good day the strap works better above the knee (although this could mean I need no strap at all on good days). For running I say too early to tell.

Please don't take this opinion into account when debating purchase as many people have had great results with the strap. At only $14 (including shipping) if you're having problems with ITBS I would definitely recommend you give it a try. http://www.pattstrap.com/Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew
Sean Mayhew