This just in..."I'm not worthy"

Snap on the skis or click on your snowboard and snowkite across...

North Dakota?

There is currently a team of 3 athletes and a photographer useing wind energy to snowkite 390 miles from the north border of North Dakota to the south border by the end of this month.

Check out 2XtM (2 cross the moon).

Did I mention it was minus 11 degrees today with a windchill of minus something unimaginable?

Wind, good

Chill, bad.

*sigh* Recent workouts

Morning temperature was -11 with -40 windchill. My first breath out the door was nearly my last. My throat constricted and my chest refused to expand to draw in any more bitter cold air.
This is 30 degrees BELOW normal temps for this time of year.
I will survive this.

Tuesday (IMC day 19)
Bike 45 min on trainer.
Isolated Leg Training on trainer. After warm-up, alternate 20-60 seconds with 1 leg--other on a chair. Get a total of 7-10 minutes of ILT on each leg in workout. Alternate legs as you feel like it. Comfortably high cadence. Focus on eliminating dead spot at top of stroke by pushing toes forward in shoes at top of stroke.

60 minutes Fitness Yoga class

Wednesday (IMC day 20)
Swim.
WU 500
4x50 dr @ 1:05 (odd= free, even = non free)
6x100 @ 1:55
5x100 @ 1:50
4x100 @ 1:45
3x100 @ 1:40
50 ez non free
100 pull with paddles and bouy.
250 kick as:
1x100 @ 2:25
1x50 @ 1:10
1x100 @ 2:25
100 ez
3, 000 total. 60 minutes.

Run 45 minutes.
Indoor track:
HR in zone 1 only. Pretty form and quick cadence.

Getting an Education

On Sunday, I went to a full day of continued education for triathletes. Oh, you didn't know there was such a thing? It was put on by my local Tri Shop. It's not recognized by any university so no extra credit is earned by attending but the knowlege I gained is priceless.
It's both refreshing and humbling to know I still have much to learn about triathlon training and becoming a better competitor.
I don't want to cover too much in detail about what I learned but rather touch a something that Carrie Tollefson (2004 Olympian) shared about her track running career and a huge obsticle she had to overcome to get back where she is today.
A year ago, Carrie was on a training run on a winter day and slipped on the ice, did the splits (in a bad way) and tore both her adductors and strained her left side abdominus muscle. After several weeks of rest and healing, Carrie could run again but always had pain and could not touch her knees together without even more pain. She still competed in a few races but eventually she got fed up with the constant pain and had an MRI done of her pelvis.
The MRI revealed that the abdominus muscle had ripped off the pubic bone and never healed so she had to have surgery.
Post surgery was 6 weeks of only walking and only real easy runs for a few months after that. Carrie just ran her first race in over a year last Friday. She went out fast and blew up during the second half of the race. She placed fourth. Carrie will be running at the Olympic trials this June.
While Carrie was telling her story of the last 12 months, her eyes teared up when she mentioned her 2004 Olympic experience and her recent comeback to the track. Her passion for her sport is contagous and it grips you when you hear her talk about it. Carrie's favorate word is "believe." She believes her place is on the podium and she believes everything she's doing and experiencing now will get her there.
I hate admitting that sometimes I simply don't believe I'll end up where I want to be. If I'm doing everything right to the best of my ability, why shouldn't I end up there?
Indeed.
Some lessons are priceless.

Training update:
Saturday (IMC day 16)
Bike on trainer.
Warm up 5 minutes easy
3x30 sec 53x15 @ 30 sr (Seconds Rest = easy spin) 2 min easy spin
8 x 20 sec superspin 42x15 (rpm > 110+) @ 10 sr 2 min easy spin
Repeat 6 times (6 killer minutes):
1 min 53x15, then 1 min easy 1 min 53x12, then 1 min easy 1 min 53x18, then 1 min easy 1 min 53x15, then 1 min easy 1 min 53x12, then 1 min easy 1 min 53x18 2 min easy spin
Repeat this for 4 minutes:
10 sec 53x15 tempo effort, then 10 sec easy, soft pedal 2 min easy spin
Repeat 4 times:
20 sec seated 53x12 build effort increasing, then 10 sec out of saddle sprint in same gear, then 30 sec easy, recovery spin cooldown 5-10 minutes

60 min Body Flow

Sunday (IMC day 17)
swim 30 min steady pace

Run 60 minutes.
Cruise intervals. Warm up for 10 minutes. Then 4 x 3 minutes building heart rate to zone 3-4. 2 minute recovery interval. Relaxed form! Listen to breathing

Monday (IMC day 18)
Swim
200 wu
4x50 dr @ 1:10 1= fly/fr, 2= bk/fr 3= br/fr, 4= fr/fr
10x100 @ 2:00 (in @ 1:50). This was slow for me and very hard to focus on slow, perfect technique.
5x100 @ 1:50 (in @ 1:40)
50 ez followed by 1 min rest
3x100 @ 1:45 (in @ 1:35)
50 ez followed by 1 min rest
100 F.A.P.
100 ez
300 pull (ride the glide) @ 5:30
4x25 sprints @ :30
100 ez
3,000 total. 60 minutes.

60 minutes strength training

60 minutes Body Flow

More training

Thursday (IMC day 14)
50 minutes strength training with weights.
20 minutes stretching and foam roller.

Friday (IMC day 15)
Swim
250 warm up
6x75 stroke drills @ 1:25
1-3= 25 triple switch/25 dps/25 hypoxic (0-2 breaths/25) OUCH!
4-6= 25 fingertip/25 dps/25 hypoxic (0-2 breaths/25) Double OUCH!
Main set 3 times:
200 fr @ 3:40
6x50 free @ 1:05 (odd= FAST, even= mod)
4x25 choice F.A.P. (Fast As Possible) on 10-15 sec. rest.
50 ez, then repeat
That main set was very challenging. I felt it deep. YES!
2x100 pull with paddles and bouy @ 1:45
4x50 kick @ 1:15
100 ez
3,000 total. 70 Minutes.

On tap for the weekend:
Swim.
Bike on the trainer.
Run with my dog.
Continued education at GWU.
Eat really well (vo2maxxed).
Sleep soundly.

It is a Happy Valentines Day

Hello, my name is Benson and I'm a hopeless romantic.

It's been 7 years since I've had a Valentine date and I broke that streak today.
I met her for lunch and 4 hours later, I got back to the office.
Yeah, I guess we talked and talked a bit much eh?
She just now called me back to say thanks for a nice afternoon and a well needed distraction from the current events in her life. That put a big smile on my face.
She's a corporate professional with an addiction...to performing in musicals.
She's a theatre actress and tonight is opening night for her as Sister Maria in The Sound of Music.
The show runs through mid-March. 20 performances. Yikes.
Break a leg.

Yeah, I gave her a card, flowers, and shoveled the snow off her sidewalk and driveway after our lunch date. Sounds romantic huh? I'm such a sucker for a pretty face. Oh well, I can't help what I am...weak in the knees and strong in the back.

Hearts to you all.

Just training

Tuesday (IMC day 12)
40 min aerobic run (indoor track)
with 4x20 sec. fast w/40 sec. ez between.
I did this focusing on the Pose Method and all's well.
less knee aches and hips are feeling better. Slow but sure.

Wednesday (IMC day 13)
Swim. Weighed in first.
WU 400 s (did as 200 free, 100 back, 100 free)
6x75 drills @ 1:30
1-3= 25 catch-up/25 dps/25 hypoxic (0-2 breaths/25)
4-6= 25 fingertip/25 dps/25 hypoxic (0-2 breaths/25) OUCH!
4x400 fr @ 6:40 desc. (want at least 15 sec rest)
I bonked on the 3rd 400 and barely held on 6:40 for the last one.
6x25 sprint kick @ :35
4x50 pull @ 1:10 (25 mod/25 fast)
4x25 sprint ch @ :30
100 ez
3,000 total. 70 minutes.
Weighed out at 2 pounds (2 pints) lighter. Sweat rate is consistant.

60 minute aerobic bike on trainer
with 6x3min in big ring w/ 2 min ez between.

Y'all be well.