Last week was a lot of fun. I was out in San Diego for Thanksgiving and had an opportunity to get a close up look at the cold hard facts that face me at the SuperFrog Triathlon. The SuperFrog is a 1/2 Ironman distance race (1.2 mi swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) that takes place on April 11, 2010. The race is sponsored by the NAVY SEAL’s and is notorious for being very difficult. It will also be my first race of this distance.
On Thanksgiving I rode about 20 miles of the course and then went running on the beach for about 3.8 miles. The bike is going to be very fast and the biggest danger is going out too hard and not leaving anything left for the run. I did the 20 miles in just over 45 mins, so that gives you an idea of how fast it is. The run on the beach is brutal. Running on the hardpacked sand is kind of nice. It would be a great surface to run on if it was flat. Unfortunately, the waves create an angled surface. Mile after mile of uneven surface is going to be hard to train for and will probably make for a tough day.
On Friday I decided to hit the ocean and got pounded. The surf was huge and the tide was out. I could not make it out far enough to get beyond the breakers. I had sections of the swim when the waves calmed down that were fine, but I spent a lot of time fighting the surf. As I came out of the water, a Navy guy informed me that there would be a big wave competition tomorrow and that he thought I was pretty brave (interpretation – stupid) for going out in the water. After that I went on another 20 miler on the bike course. It was a pretty exhausting workout and again pointed out to me that the SuperFrog is going to be a tough race.
I took Saturday off and went for a 5 mile jog on Sunday before I helped my little brother install a pull-up bar. He’s starting P90X to get ready for the upcoming Lacrosse season. His team won the California CIF Championship last year and they are looking to repeat.
One of the biggest challenges for me is going to be the cold. The ocean will be very cold in April. I have a new wetsuit that will cover that. I’m really concerned about the bike. Over the next few months I’m going to have to work on some different ideas on how to keep warm on the bike. If you have any thoughts, let me know.
I’m taking it a bit easy this week. I’m fighting a mild cold and next week the official schedule kicks off for the SuperFrog training plan. I’m also doing the Phoenix Rock n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon in January, but I’m not specifically training for that race (aside from the running done as a part of my triathlon training). I’m just going to do my best there and forget the rest.
Next week shapes up something like this:
Monday – P90X Chest & Back or One on One 30/15 and ARX
Tuesday – 50 minute run
Wednesday – Low intensity 1,400 yard swim mixing in various drills and reps
Thursday – Bike to work (between 40 and 55 miles)
Friday – P90X Core Synergistics or One on One Core Ball Sandwich
Saturday – Run drills 10 x 100m sprints followed by a 4 mile run
Sunday – High intensity 1,400 yard swim with drills
Yep, no rest day next week. I will also be working on my nutrition and trying to really nail that down. Nutrition is going to be increasingly important over the next few months. If I’m going to survive between 5 and 6 hours on the beach doing this race, I’m going to need to have that 100% in line.
And so it begins…
About Dave
Dave,
I can’t speak directly about the SuperFrog course or the cold aspect, but I’ll just reiterate what you seem to already know – the success of your race rides 100% on your ability to properly pace and fuel on the bike!!!! Figure out your appropriate zones on the bike and stick to it. I can’t remember the exact quote – but when I was preparing for my HIM (Patriot, June ’09) I read some advice along the lines of: Go out too hard on the bike, and you’ll have 13.1 long and painful miles to think about your mistake. Pace and fuel properly on the bike, let the speedsters go, and you’ll have a great run.
The sand aspect of the run sounds absolutely brutal. It is ALL on sand? Yikes.
Enjoy!!!!! The HIM distance is really fun! Good luck – I look forward to reading more about your training.
Well lookie here! A blast from the past. How’s it going?
About 3/4ths of the run happen on the sand. When you get to the hard packed stuff it is actually a very nice surface. The biggest problem with it is that it is not level. That slant really wears on you. They also route the course through some deep stuff in spots just for giggles.
I’ve been working a lot on the bike trainer lately. It is pretty hilly where I live and that’s my strength for sure. The trainer helps me to settle into a specific heart rate and cadence and just camp there for extended periods of time. This course is nearly flat. The wind makes it seem uphill/downhill if it is blowing, but it is really flat positioned right at sea level. I did 20 miles of it in about 45 mins last time I was out there, so it is going to be fast. All that’s nice, but it really is going to be a pacing and fueling game on the bike.
It is all a work in progress. I have a pretty good plan, althought it is starting out a lot easier than I’d like so I’m adding to it when I think it is not hard enough. Looking ahead, there is plenty of hard stuff coming up.
Thanks for stopping by. Nice to hear from you!