Überwinden

I learned a new word this week. It means (among several other things, this is typical German) to overcome.

Why did I learn this word is the focus of this post. As my two, or maybe three readers already know, I’ve had this crazy idea to start doing triathlons. Ok, that’s not so far out… But, for me this is almost unfeasible because I AM ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED OF WATER and whatever evil demons might there be.

Ok, most of the people I told about this started laughing and that made it naturally more like a mission of a lifetime than just another crazy sports goal.

I talked, and talked, and did a couple of workouts in swimming pools until someone told me about this Regattastrecke very close to where I am working out of Munich. I ran there one early morning to check it out and a couple of days later my boss, and company owner, invited me to go there for a swim. I had been doing interval sprints early in the morning but I would never say no to such kind of invitation (I can’t say no to some things, like running, biking and now, swimming).

Later that day we headed there and I was pretty nervous, like a kid before the first day of school or an adult with a very abnormal phobia for the submerged unknown… Anyway, there I was in my sexy shorts with a 2km long running track full of water (and who knows what else, and how evil) in front of me. I looked and looked and looked and saw nobody cared about all those potentially dangerous stuff that could be down there, and jumped in. With water till my chest I remembered what my friend told me about being better along the buoys and I didn’t even wait, there I went…

Focused on putting some swimming in my triathlon training I headed to the buoys without thinking much about the stuff beneath me, I took a couple of longer looks down but I had mainly to worry about breathing and hopefully not drown on my first swimming workout. I swam and swam, rested while swimming and at some point around 200m (who knows exactly? maybe the underwater monsters trying to eat me or just staring at my sexy shorts) I was invaded by fear, I had reached a point where I did not focus on the swimming and started to panic about what I was doing.

Am I crazy? I am not a fish, I fear all this darkness and whatever might else there be. That’s when I turned back (feet well up, close to the surface) and it started to get complicated. As I went close to the buoys I had no feet and was away from any underwater plants so I touched nothing, but when coming back I was scared and came near the margin, VERY WRONG! As the water was shallower there was some touching and that wasn’t very helpful…

Panic! I had a couple of panic moments, real panic and even lost my focus on the breathing and confused the water for air… But after “hitting the bottom” (regarding my fears) I was able to relax and let the fear fade while I swam towards the starting platform, I looked at the plants under the water, I went under the starting buoys ropes and finally up the wooden platform for some introspection.

I was there about 30 minutes waiting and it gave me enough time to digest all these feelings and rationalize my emotions. I am a triathlete, I will be doing Ironman races and I am afraid of (almost) nothing… but water. Damn.

I left there thinking I was a step closer to my goals and even though my collarbone hurts like hell I am really happy I did my 400m in the Regattastrecke and to celebrate (the pain) I ate like an animal in the Greek restaurant.

The GOOD and the BAD

After the GOOD drive home I spent some awkward times with my family, not that it was not GOOD but it remembered me that all families have issues and their BAD moments.

With the vacations over and after some very GOOD moments of training on the hills alone or swimming with my “little” sister in the pool, we had to head back to Germany. It was a very BAD drive, 39 hours and a 3 hour nap (with complications…).

I was sad to leave my family, again, to return to being alone in a place we have no friends, no acquaintances, nobody. But to a place where we’ve had our GOOD moments already and where we see us being very happy in the future.

We got here and I resumed my trainings, now getting serious again, yesterday I did my longest run ever, a 20K and it felt real GOOD. Then at night after being unable to buy something online I discovered I had my credit card cloned and some f*$§&%$ motherf$&/&%( spent all my credit on the same day somewhere in the U.S., and that was BAD. I don’t know how to feel about loosing that kind of money, I still can’t believe I lost most of my savings in a single day due to a single f/(=/(/% on a shopping spree. BAD, BAD, BAD. Shit, I even lost my line of thought…

Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon

This takes some time with only one (left) hand, so here are first of all some pictures of the adventure in the Black Forest, and how not-boring it was…

Biking Log – 20090621

Ready To Go

Dream Landscape

Black Forest UBM 2

Black Forest UBM 1

Black Florest Ultra Bike Marathon – 75km

Hum…

Broken and Scratched

Nice Bra, Man Boobs?

It started by being a rather interesting experience in a beautiful hotel in Freiburg. I knew it was expensive but I didn’t anticipate my family priorities and I ended up having the most expensive dinner of my life… but I’ll survive.

On Saturday morning after a luxurious (and again really expensive) breakfast (champagne included) we headed to Kirchzarten for the registration and for a light ride. All went smooth and the feeling was really good about the whole event. I put in an hour of spinning and we went to check the sponsor tents and the Saturday races. It was nice and quiet without much fuss, but it smelled like mountain bike racing through the whole city.

We sticked around for the Pasta-Party and immediately headed back to the hotel in Freiburg for a swim and bed. Yes, I went swimming, I’m sure it doesn’t count as training for triathlon but I could prove to myself I am (probably) able to swim more than 5 seconds…

Race Day! Woke up the whole team at 5h30 and we were on our way to a great day. We had breakfast at the event site and I was ready to start just before 7h30.

I was pretty relaxed and had it all planned in my head. I knew I had done my homework even though not pushing enough on the bike I had complemented it with a lot of runs, so there I was and there I went, off to a great adventure!

Is far as I had remembered from the last 56km race, I had pushed too much on the first climbs and this time I had a new approach. I started really easy, warming up, and at the first climb I was steady and strong and kept it on to the top.

A good pace on the lower ring and always keeping it at an aerobic level made my way up all the climbs and this time I was able to pass a lot of people not only on the insanely fast downhills but also on the climbs, which were the most of the racing time. Great strategy based on a lot of training, I was really happy and confident on a good result.

After 35kms I thought it was going really well and pushed it over the highest mountain putting a good sustained pace on climb an over the top to the downhills up until the 55km marker.

Now, the first difficulty. I suppose due to the cold, I started having this pain in my left groin/testicle at every pedal push, this went on for 10kms and I started lowering my pace and having a really hard time keeping it up on the climbs. Since I was trying to maintain a high cadence it was that much unpleasant and by the 73km control/refuel zone I had to stop and was starting to see a big challenge to make it to the end.

I had done pretty much all the climbing, just this last one in front of me and then glory… I had stopped briefly at the two first checkpoints but at the third I took my time and at this last one I was in major pain and took a good 5 minutes until deciding to go on. I was looking so hurt that my wife told me It would maybe be better to quit, but I just didn’t understand what that word meant, so, I took a deep breath, kissed them both and said: “I’m finishing this, even if I have to run to the line…”.

Off to the last big climb the weather open up and the sun was shining, this brought some heat to my legs and warmed up my “trouble zone” and made the pain go away, good, I focused on the cadence and was back at the original pace when I reached the top of this first climb.

Biking Log - 20090621

This last massive climb had a small downhill section after the tarmac uphill and I saw the fireman truck at my left with all the guys sitting on the floor sun-bathing. I remember clearly thinking: “So, nothing to do hey. That’s really good news!!”, if I only knew…

It happened really fast.

I replayed it over and over again in my head for the past week and I still can’t be sure about what happened.

After having reached an incredible 65km/h speed on some previous downhill sections I managed to fall at 30km/h, completely alone on a two-track gravel road. I’m pretty sure I was feeling ok after the climb and I think I went to get a bottle off my back pocket with my left hand when the front tyre slid to the right from under my weight, I reacted fast and tried to compensate turning to the left but I was off-balance and as the bike fell to the left unable to get over the middle of the road I flew over the handlebars and landed very hard on my head and rolled to hit the ground with all the momentum crushing my right shoulder and loosing my breath.

I am training hard to be a mountain biker...

As I was flying over the bars I was already thinking: “No! No!”, and after landing and while gasping for air I though it could not be, I was feeling so good and heading to the final hill climb and I would have had made it “easily”.

Lying on the floor, overlooked by some guys that had stopped to help, I was having trouble breathing, I couldn’t pump air into my right lung and I had a very sharp pain in my right shoulder. I tried moving my arm but it didn’t feel right and the movement was very limited and painful. At this time I had to make a choice, a tough one, and decided to head back up to the (previously mentioned) fireman truck, I told the guys (half in German, half in English) they should go on and I would take my bike and go to the firemen truck. I did try sitting on the bike and putting my hands on the handlebars was just impossible, I had this unbearable pain in my shoulder and it was looking very “not normal” with a huge bump and all bloody (I could see it through the shredded shirt). I felt it up after the firemen helped me take my shirt off and I knew something was really wrong, broken or out of place, I started realizing my race was done.

It hit me like a slap on the face and I quickly saw all the training from before going down the drain and all the time I would have to loose while recovering from this. I felt like crying. I almost did.

I was later seen by a doctor at the spot and I was sent to the hospital in Freiburg for x-rays.

As I was at the hospital, lying on the stretcher waiting for my turn for the x-rays I almost cried. It was too much to process, the fall, the ambulance, watching the ceiling lights while helplessly being pushed on the stretcher and now the silence, the wait and the pain… I pictured all the training hours I had lost and all that I would still have too loose, I thought how I had failed not reaching the line and hugging my girls as promised and very much awaited… I almost lost it. But I didn’t!

I slowly accepted the pain and the fact that I could now do nothing but recover as quickly as possible and we drove back home.

A full week as now gone by, I feel somewhat better but still in passive recovery. It took me one week to write this but then again I still can’t put on a T-Shirt or pull my trousers up, or…, or…

It takes time, I know. It is hard, I (now!) know. But broken bones are nothing when one endures endless hours of pain, running, biking (and eventually swimming), and loves every second of it!

Stronger, Faster, Further

This week I took off was supposed to be loaded with heavy training before tapering the week before the Ultra Bike Marathon in the Black Forest. And so it was!

I just took a break on Friday and I think it was deserved due the successful bike rides and runs the days before.

Monday, was a another trail and climbs hunt day. I found some new climbs and the main Stuttgart trails around the famous TV antenna. The weather was very unstable so I cut it short but still reached the planned goals: Short distance with lot’s of climbs.

Tuesday, I did a slow paced 45min run, nothing special about it, maybe just the learning process of the new Polar computer. The runs are getting easier and faster.

Biking Log - 20090610

Wednesday, was in reality the sequel of Monday’s ride, this time with better weather I took the same routes and put in all the major climbs I could find and managed to sum up a 57km ride with 1100m of climbing. I revisited the trails and I can now say that I more or less know my way around Stuttgart on the MTB, finally! Although it is interesting riding new routes everyday, it is not so much fun being always lost…

Thursday, was running day. I had a 7km at race pace to make and did it at a (not so bad) 5min/km pace. I struggled for the first 2kms with the new computer but I finally got it worked out, next run will be perfect and I can start posting the running logs from the Polar. The complete run was 11k in exactly 1h. That is the goal to reach at half the training plan for the marathon (10k goal at week 5 of 10 is 50mins), therefore I am feeling happy and finally seeing some clear progress on the runs.

Friday, was a resting and replenishing day. I spent it with the girls wandering and seeing Stuttgart’s points of interest.

Biking Log - 20090613

Saturday, today, I had planned a 80km flat ride at an average 130bpm. I made it with a smile. This time I focused on eating/drinking properly and I finished with some long and tough climbs. Summed up 86kms at an average 132bpm climbing 985m and felt much better than on the previous 4h ride.

Since it was much flatter than the Ultra Bike Marathon will be I have to extrapolate the nutrition, maybe multiplying by 2. Here’s todays food intake listing:

• 1/2 liter water
• 1/2 liter Isostar
• 1 Champ Energy Power Snack bar (35g) (Carbohydrates + Milk protein)
• 2 PowerBar Gel (Strawberry/Banana, hummm… “lecker!!”)
• 2 SaltStick caps (Salt + Minerals)

Sunday, tomorrow, I have planned my first brick session with a short 20km ride followed by a 10km run. It will be the last heavy load day before tapering the week before the marathon.

Uff, long post. Time for bed and some triathlon dreams :).

The Good Pain

I don’t mind the pain, as long as it does not mean an injury. I think I can only say that I like the pain. Me as all other sport fans that like to take it to the next level, we simply love the pain, otherwise I can not explain why I put myself through all of this hurting.

Feeling very demotivated the week after the MTB race (not sure exactly why, maybe not the race but the problems at work) I didn’t put in any bike rides and used my runs as the only pain source. I did more than alright with the runs but I ran out of excuses not to go out with the bike, so, there I went yesterday determined to put in a lot of climbs (which I would have to find in the first place).

It was almost raining when I went out. It was pouring down as I reached the TV antennas (famous Stuttgart landmarks!). It was dry when I got back home.

I managed to accomplish my two goals in the time I had available. First, I discovered some nice climbs and some trails up in the hills. Second I put in some 600m of climbing in a 40km ride, not too bad since I had to cut it short due to the rain (and the family schedule).

Here is the training log, check out the massive first climb at 10k, first gear and hurting! And the good paced middle ring 4k uphill at 27,5k.

Biking Log - 20090608

Felt good, but still leaves me worried about the 116km on the 21st of June. Will I make it at the Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon?

At least it made me (my legs) completely recover from yesterday’s +20km run :).

Personal Distance Record: HM!

An Half-Marathon, I could not believe it. In fact it is not official because the Nike+ sensor has been failing on me for the last 5 runs. At least this is when I noticed I was loosing meters. (That’s how I “messed up” the 5km record try!!”).

After the HIIT training run I felt I should go for the distance as in my marathon training plan (to be followed when I register for my first marathon later this year).

I was aiming for a 1h30 run but I decided to run to the Hartwald, put in a lap an come back. Well it was in fact a goal I had set in the past, doing this route I measured with the bike. I even took a longer route while warming up, so let’s call it a +20km run!

I felt pretty good until the first hour went by, at this time I was excited to reach the trail circuit, I slurped a power gel and took the 4k circuit with a smile on a steady a strong pace.

After heading back I got “hammered”, there was a long soft climb and I had taken just two bottles of water on my belt. This was decisive. In fact from that moment on (the last 40 minutes) it was a painful experience, literaly. I saved the last sip and took it, and wished to get home and put my feet up and off the shoes. It took me all I had just to not stop and quit. I didn’t but that’s just who I am, I can’t explain it because I would not loose anything if I had stopped for a moment…

So, officially a 16,2km run in 2h11m, in reality a +20km (very painful) run to be “proven” when my new Polar arrives… soon :).

Running Log - 20090607

The log is sh*t, the Nike+ sensor has been spiking and loosing distance… Let’s just say I was so pissed that I got home and order it’s successor…

First Race in Germany

After training for several weeks and months I made my debut in the German MTB races, I tought I was prepared, I was half wrong!

I got there early and made a friend right as I arrived at the parking lot, went to get the registration stuff and in the trunk of the car I found the perfect spot to sit and have a “Pasta Breakfast” (plain, cold spaghetti).

Went on to the start line after warming up and stopping twice to pee. Cool as ever I took the warm-up loop with some worry because my heartbeat went over the top on the first tarmac climb… Nevertheless there I was at the starting line pushing steadily and trying to remember that it should last for 56kms… my stamina.

What I didn’t pay attention was that it would be a two lap race. And I should have noticed that before pushing a bit too hard on the first climb! The problem was that it was simply brutal. Exactly a 5km climb, the higher, the steeper.

The first thing I thought was: “I was trembling with cold on the start line, at least now I am pretty warm :)”.
The second thing I should have thought was: “+150bpm is a bit high if I want to put in another lap through this climb and keep the smile…”

Well I climbed it, and didn’t rest either on the rest of the lap. So, I was out for a surprise when I crossed the finish line and saw the same climb with an even harder start…

It was… painful, but I did just put my foot down once for a quick moment and climbed it steadily the whole way through. I can now see I did alright because after the second lap initial climb I felt tired but capable of getting it done.

I showed the Germans some action and felt the rush flying down the physically demanding downhill parts. I can be very happy for not having blown a tire… Wait!

What would be the only positive time to have a flat during a race? At the finish line!
Well as far as I know I got a “snake bite” when jumping a curb some 100m before the line and with a couple of “downtown-shoulders-on-the-walls” turns. As a lucky bastard as I was, the tire was just out on the LAST turn the the finish line!! What an ride!

I finished 73rd of 121 (in my age group). Did the 56kms in 3h10m at a 18km/h average. Official Result Page

I finished smiling and recovered immediately after stopping (and having the tastiest watermelon ever).

Biking Log - 20090531 (Race)

Too Much Exercise…Not!

I have been busy. That’s not completely bad.

I have been busy because I spend all my free time, either commuting to/from work or training.

Ready To Run

I have also been busy preparing a change in my life so I will not waste all that time traveling to/from work, the plan is in motion and it is going forward, by the end of June life things will change.

Last weekend I was sick with a cold, a light fever and the feeling I had been run over by a herd of dancing penguins. Not because I went running in the rain the Friday before but because I sweat like a racing horse when I walk between work and the train station and then the changes of temperature make the bugs happy. Therefore I skipped training the whole weekend and made it go away.

Monday, managed to put in a record 10K under 1 hour (pushing the baby trolley).

Tuesday, did one hour on the bike in the gym and felt very weak… I think the 1K sprints killed the bug (and also a part of me :)).

Wednesday, going for the 5K record I totally messed it up and still don’t understand how it went so wrong… 5K in 35 mins.

Thursday, is today, it is raining cats and dogs (no surprise there) as I am still not over the cold I will spend some time in the gym and on the static bike.

Tomorrow some shopping, and checking out the Triathlon club.

I am also preparing a page with my personal records, distance and time along with the upcoming event results and crazy goals, soon…

And now 4 days at home with the girls (and training hard). Yeah!!

No days off, ever!

Back to Training

After a long (two-day) break I could finally make time to put in some K’s and sweat my worries away.

I skipped training on Thursday for family reasons and Friday for professional reasons. It was too much time for me, I usually start feeling “sick” after one day without training and even with my knee complaining I could feel the energy building inside me.

Biking Log - 20090509

I found a nice video on YouTube about commitment and working our way to our dreams, I am not alone!!!:

So, it is possible, I only need to keep proving it everyday, and to everyone (starting with myself).

This morning I went out to the Specialized bike shop here in Stuttgart and I started building up my small workshop to keep my bike in good shape as she deserves, because last week I rode half the way with the gear cable coming out of the housing and it shows I haven’t been treating her right… I noticed today the left “egg-beater” has a big slack and that adds up to the lack of confidence I have right now on my tires (almost lost the front twice today).

I ordered some new parts, they should come during the next week. Two Schwalbe tires and a set of neoprene grips. Next (if not the pedals) I think will be the cranks, I will probably buy me the RaceFace Deus because I am still not good enough for the FSA SL-K Compact with only two rings.

Tomorrow I want to check out the Waiblingen Triathlon, it’s a few kilometers away from here, I was there today checking it out, and I am getting really curious about the disciplin… I already chose the bike (1999€), you got to love this beauty!!

CUBE Aerium Race

No days off, ever.

80Ks And Still Smiling

Great training this Saturday, I made it through the distance, and felt strong all the way to the end. I think I could have ate better and avoid a minor performance degradation around the 3rd hour. Good hydration but three energy/protein bars are clearly not enough…

I have put in some mountains in “Mountain Biking” this time, to make it harder and almost summed up 1000 meters of climbing.

I headed straight to the Hartwald circuit and did 3 laps to warm up, stead pace, just spiking above 140bpm on the hardest climb but never much higher than 150bpm. Don’t understand why the log is now showing the pace in min/km instead of km/h but I made an average of 18.8km/h at an average of 128bpm, not a fast pace, but not so bad pulse. Will be better as I build up more strength on the upper legs and lower my heart rate on longer runs during the week.

I felt really good, no (abnormal) pains and felt really strong on the legs and upper body. My hands felt a bit numb on the flat around half the way through, and my butt was complaining for some time, but I guess it won’t be a problem while climbing over the Alps, my thoughts will be elsewhere :).

Here is the log. Got to rest now and prepare to improve this even further this next week.

Biking Log - 20090502