Summer of Mark Week V

Monday: 6:00 am swim workout at KSC. Monday is drills and skills day. We worked a lot on balance and stroke frequency. I think this was my most important swim work yet. I really felt like by the end of the workout that I was swimming on a different level. ( 1 hr.) 12:00 25 mile TT ride on The Vulture. Rode out to Surry and back with a loop added on the west side of Keene. Averaged 23 mph for the first 23 miles then dead pedaled through Keene for a short cool down. I rode pretty easily today and it was nice not to be loosing massive amounts of fluid every pedal stroke. ( 1 hr. 9 min.) 4:00 pm headed out in the rain for an interesting nine miler. The weather was astoundingly wonderful. I love running in the summer rain! I called this a Bruce Bickford run because I ran on feel. Started out at 6:40 pace and picked it up every mile the rest of the way. By the time I turned around I was running sub six minute pace but really ramped it up on the way back. Once I hit the bike path I started hammering. I did not want to rely on the watch so I only let myself check the last mile. Hammered extra hard and closed out the run with a 4:42. 52:43 for the nine miles. (3 hr.)

Tuesday: 12:00 headed out for a slow recovery 13 miler. Yesterday took a bit of life out of my legs so I ran pretty easy today to gear up for tomorrows workout. I worked on fueling while running the final eight miles today. Ran with a watered down GU in a gel flask and took a small sip every mile. I need to get significantly better at consuming and assimilating fuel while running. Even with the GU watered down it left me feeling thirsty. It may be time to invest in a Fuel Belt. (1.5 hr.)

Wednesday: Around 11:00 I headed out on The Vulture for a extra easy 21.5 miler. I either soft or dead pedaled every downhill and really took it easy when working into the wind. Still averaged 22 mph which was a little surprising. (1 hr.) Shortly before 2:00 I did a 4 mile run as a sort of shakeout for the workout later on. I guess at the same time I seem to be chasing mileage and hours! Fyffe would be proud! (.5 hr.) 5:00 track workout at Monadnock with Justin, Andy, James, and Ockel. Five mile warm-up 3 x mile w./ 400 meter jog rest. Before we started I almost bailed because I felt so terrible. As we walked to the line I started to walk away but then I told myself that I was going to be tired every step of the Pumpkinman. Every long course triathlon race is a war of attrition and nobody cares if your tired or if you bonked, it just needs to be done. Workout went surprisingly well until the last repeat. 4:55, 4:52, 4:59. I was toast after repeat number two and then Fyffe and I took the last one out in 72. I struggled the rest of the way but managed to finish things off in style. Two mile cool-down barefoot on the grass with Justin and Andy trying to keep up in a heady conversation. Fifteen mile running day! (2 hr 40 min.)

Thursday: 12:00 Swim at KSC with Andy. Katie had us do a lot of drills followed by some 50s at threshold pace. I really struggled for some reason today is the pool. I was really jacked to carry Monday into today but it just didn't happen. Obviously I must be a little tired from yesterday. (1 hr.) My running shoes were in the car so I had to wear a pair of Mizuno flats that I had kicking around new in box. With how tired my legs were I was not thrilled to be out running in flats but I made due. Super slow, 7:05 pace, nine miler out on the rail bed to Swanzey and back. (1 hr.) Debated shortening the run but I am really craving hours this week! (2 hr.)

Friday: 8:30 am headed out on The Vulture for what I hoped would be a fast thirty mile effort through Gilsum and Surry. Eight miles into the ride cars started meeting me on Route 10 that were absolutely soaked with rain. I'm not afraid to ride in the rain but cleaning at TT bike after a rainy ride is a huge pain in the rear so I turned and headed for town. I figured that if I could get to the east side of town in the hills that I would be high and dry. So rather than a fast thirty mile ride I have a super hilly and technical 22 miles in the book. I felt great climbing on the B14 and was making great power up on Beach Hill. ( 1 hr.) Planned on running in Ashland in the afternoon but I felt like I had mono and slept from 3:00 until 4:30. Decided to listen to the body and gear up for a big weekend. (1 hr.)

Saturday: Made six quarts of dill relish with Mary this morning to kick off canning season. Around 10:30 headed out for a hilly 14 miler around Ashland. I was in a wicked fog early on in the run but seemingly felt better with every stride. My left hip and glute appears to be a little out of whack leaving me devoid of any sort of running power. (1 hr. 35 min.) 2:00 Headed out on The Soloist for a wicked hilly and super windy 32.5 miler. The wind made this one of the hardest rides of the year but I still managed a good pace and really hammered the hills. (1 hr. 40 min.) (3 hr. 15 min.)

Sunday: I got up at a reasonable hour fueled up and headed out for fifteen all alone in the hills of Ashland. I felt a lot better today and was in much less of a fog than yesterday. I felt good on the hills again and was just sort of in the groove of putting in time. Fifteen miles gave me 75 running miles for the week which is my highest since the VCM debacle. If I would have run Friday I would have gotten 80 for the week which is very encouraging. Planned on riding again in the afternoon but Mary's brother ended up showing up for the day so plans changed and we ended up heading out on Squam Lake for the day. I fit in a ten minute open water swim which was a bit of a joke. I did not eat after my run and I was starting to feel spacey and bonkish as I started to swim. Given that I was in the relatively deep water of Rattle Snake Cove I did not want to play an games with how I was feeling. (1 hr. 50 min.)

Total: 15 hours 40 minutes for the week which is an all time high. I really would have loved to gotten in another bike ride Sunday afternoon but it was nice to relax out on the boat for the day. I think this week was a great step in the right direction training wise. My running seems to be going really well and Wednesdays workout proved that I can still run race pace while tired. I was climbing really well this week on both bikes which is another positive sign. I think once things get a little bit better in the water that I will be in the right place heading into The Pumpkinman. I am going to ratchet things back a couple of notches this week to try and really light things up at Give Peace a Tri.

Mark

Pumpkinman Half Ironman...

As many of you know I have been thinking of making my half Ironman debut this year and have been searching for the right race. I was a little leery of the Timberman as a debut you race so I looked around and sought the advice of some of my more trusted new peers. Speaking with Sean Snow of S2 Triathlon last weekend was real eye opener and he agreed that Timberman may not be the right stepping stone yet. I was put into contact with Kat Donatello who directs the Pumpkinman in South Berwick, Maine. To make a long story short Kat had been following my recent results and was more than willing to add me to the elite field for the September 11 race. Now it's just a matter of elevating my training to the next level with higher hours and longer workouts. I'm pretty excited already and can't wait.

Mark

Summer of Mark Week IV

Monday: Got out shortly after 10:00 for a gentle five miler in thirty-two minutes and change. Felt more like a swim with the humidity but I managed. Foot still a tiny bit sore! Afternoon Monday hill workout. Five mile warm-up easy 4 x Death Hill in 3:12, 3:09, 3:12, 3:08 & 4 x minute w./ 30 sec. rest. Hard workout, wicked hot and humid. I was terrified of the last hill repeat. I was dead after number three and considering I wanted to run 3:20s I had a million reasons to quit. I searched the depths for the courage to finish the last hill and managed a great repeat. I was very proud that I did not quit on the workout. Left groin muscle tightened up on the first minute repeat again, maybe its a Death Hill thing. I added on to make the afternoon run into thirteen miles. Eighteen to start to week which is a number I don't put up that often anymore. ( 2 hr.)

Tuesday: A bit of a crazy disjointed day and my training took a bit of a hit. I went to my parents house this morning to pick up some new furniture and moved it back to Keene. My Dad and I made a pretty dam good moving team if I do say so myself! Finally after I got everything in order and where I wanted it I got down to business. I headed out for a gentle 20 mile TT on The Vulture. I really had to work hard at going easy despite my hard effort yesterday. I managed to keep the average down to 23.3 which is crazy to think about. I really think that if I hammered today that I could have rode 25 plus. Got home and headed out the door right away for a super easy six miler. For those of you in and around the Keene area checking out the new bike path is a must. Mile after mile of fresh packed plush cinder dust. Perfect training surface! I kept things gentle today because I am planning a big day tomorrow. ( 1.5 hr.)

Wednesday: 6:00 am swim workout at KSC. Warm-up 3oo, 200, 100 with assorted drills and such. The workout on tap for today was a "Test Set" of 10 x 200 with 20 seconds rest. Apparently to total time of this workout creates an individualized pace chart of sorts for each athlete. I needed a bathroom break after the first repeat but things were smooth other than that. Pretty tired again. ( 1 hr.) After watching The Tour and taking a nice long nap I headed out the door for 30 miles on The Vulture. The original plan for the day was to ride 40 miles but the heat was so stifling that I was forced to modify the length of the ride. In hindsight I also wish I would have adjusted the course because I rode out to Alstead up the big three mile climb on 12a. I was suffering and paying the price for swimming out of my league this morning. On the decent I was sketched out for the first time ever on The Vulture. I did not like the cracks and frost heaves one bit and did not feel comfortable going over 40 mph. I will avoid heading out past the Gilsum crossover again. ( 1.5 hr.) Headed out twenty minutes after the ride for an easy (6:45 pace) out and back nine miler. It was really hot the whole way but I really focused on racing and how long course triathlon is as much a war of attrition as anything else. Long days like this in the heat will serve me well come September. We are off to Maine for the weekend so I will only be running after tomorrow. (3.5 hrs.)

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Total:

Summer of Mark Week III

Monday: Pretty tired today and I promised Mary that I would go easy so I kept if pretty light. Went to noon swim at KSC and got in some form work and had some good breakthroughs with my stroke. According to my new coach I have been wasting energy pulling to far past my hip. I have watched some video of Mr. Phelps to try and help me understand what I am supposed to be doing. (40 min.) Later in the afternoon I headed out for a slow three mile shakeout. I was tired still but it was slow and I at least wanted to salvage an hour out of the day. ( 1 hr)

Tuesday: Back to business today with two runs and a road bike ride in the hot weather. Got out just after 11:00 for an easy five mile to get my legs back under me following the weekend. (33 min.) Chilled out for a hour and a half and then went out for a 25 mile hilly road bike ride. I was hot and I really suffered at times but I got in the work. ( 1 hr 18 min) After trying unsuccessfully to fix my washing machine I headed out for a moderate out and back seven miler. It was still hot outside but I managed. (46 min. ) ( 2 hr. 37 min.)

Wednesday: 6:00 swim workout at KSC. W-up drills 4 x 75, 6 x 50 kick board. Dropout set workout starting at 3:00 working to 1:45. 5 x 150, 2 x 125, 9 x 100, 1 x 25. 2,525 total yds. for the morning. Felt good but now my shoulders are hamburger! (1 hr) 10:00 am headed out for a 20 mile TT ride to Surry and back. I was dead from the swim work so I was forced to ride slow. 21.8 avg. which is near a death march on The Vulture. Opted out of a running workout erring on the side of intelligence. Ran a moderate 11 miles out through Yale and back with a mile add on on the heritage trail in downtown. Very solid day of over distance training. (3 hr. 15 min.)

Thursday: When I was stepping off the podium last Sunday I compressed my right ankle in a peculiar way. Somehow I feel like it is manifesting itself as a slight case of tendonitis. I decided to chill a bit today and just focus on a bit of a light running workout. Forty-four minute moderate warm-up through Yale Forest followed by 10 x 1 minute with 1 minute rest. Felt excellent on the pickups and did not push my cool-down. 12 (1 hr. 16 min.)

Friday: Did massive amounts of brush cutting to prepare Highland Street for the Yoga retreat that Mary was hosting. I revitalized one trail by hand after I could not find the blade for the brush cutter. In the late afternoon I headed out for a slow nine miler around Ashland. Not really a whole lot to talk about. (1 hr.)

Saturday: Paul and I headed down to Concord for the Luti 5 miler this morning. I warmed up three miles alone and felt a little flat but thought I could get things started during the race. Went out hard with the leaders thinking that I would be able to move on the hill after the first mile. Quick first mile, sub 5 min, and then tried to move up the hill. Immediately, I got a call from the engine room that there was not any additional power available. Fought hard up the hill thinking I could get it going but when I heard my two mile split (10:24) I went into workout mode. A bit of hubris on my part thinking that I could cram another race into a very busy week. Finished up in 26:30 and fit in a four mile cool down before heading home. Around 3:00 I headed out on The Soloist for an hour and forty minutes. I feel like a three hour day is my benchmark now for what I can hang my hat on. Back in the day when I would run 20 I would feel the same way. I felt surprisingly great out on the bike despite my obvious fatigue. I averaged over 2o mph for the majority of the ride but really worked to get it under 20. ( 3hr.)

Sunday: My right foot was still sore so given that I had been over a month without a day off I decided to rest and ice all day. I took a bunch of ibuprofen and iced in a cooler full of ice six different times for up to 30 minutes. Picked and ate a ton of berries, hydrated, read, and washed the car. Productive day of nothing!

Total: Wrapping up the week with twelve hours and eight minutes of training. Really wanted to get fifteen hours but it would have been stupid to ignore the foot issue. I'll have a bit of a disjointed week coming up with some travel so I am going to try and really front load the week.

Cheers,

Mark

I threw together a few of the clips Mary shot last weekend. Perfect timing with Lukin!

Black Fly Triathlon / Lord of the Flies ...

The Black Fly Triathlon and Lord of the Flies overall competition has been on my radar since the aftermath of last years marathon injury debacle. Actually I planned on the International distance race being my debut last year but my achilles was still so inflamed that I had run nary a step since VCM. This year with my sights firmly set on triathlon I wanted to make a statement that I had arrived. Months ago before I had even registered Black Fly started advertising their race on Slowtwitch.com which is the LetsRun of triathlon. I knew that there would be some incredibly fit athletes coming out of the woodwork for this exciting weekend of racing.

In the spirit of The Tour De France and stage racing in general the Black Fly Triathlon offers a unique three day stage race called the Lord of the Flies competition. The race kicks off Friday night with a four mile prologue on the streets of Waterville Valley. Saturday morning competition continues with an "International" distance triathlon. (1/4 swim, 21 bike, 5 run) Things wrap up Sunday with a sprint triathlon (1/4 swim, 15 bike, 3 run) Waterville Valley is held hostage by their lack of a lake so we swim in the man made ski pond on the town common. All three races are combined to crown The Lord of the Flies at the end of the weekend. Being such a neophyte to the sport I did not think that there would be many participants in the stage race. Much to my surprise it seemed that the majority of the participants were making the LOF into a sort of athletic vacation.

Black Fly Time Trial Friday night: I tried to chill out most of Friday and prepare for what was unquestionably going to be a difficult weekend of work. I fit in a four mile run in the late morning to avoid stale legs when the seven o'clock race time rolled around. Mary and I headed up to Waterville shortly after 4:30 on the advice of her Dad. On the way into the mountains I munched on some oatmeal and sipped a cup of Cafe Monte Alto Peruvian Dark Roast black as night. I was a tad jittery unloading and picking up my packet. Obviously everyone looked extremely fit the majority of people were packing some serious heat in the bike and carbon wheel department. Mary noticed Olympic cross-country skier Kris Freeman picking up a packet so I immediately knew that I was in for a battle. I have an absurd amount of respect for xc ski races and figured that Kris would not be there unless he thought he was in shape to win. After grabbing my packet I made some small talk with Kris about race logistics and his recent performance at Mt. Washington. Around 6:45 I headed out on a warm-up on the race course and surrounding area. The course was incredibly simple and just headed out Route 49 and back into Town Square. The first two miles was mostly downhill followed by a 180 degree turn and back. I knew the long downhill would favor a bigger athlete that could generate more power. I was hoping for something a little more technical that would display fitness and bike handling ability. I rode the course and felt confident that I would be able to minimize time gaps with anyone because of the long climb back into town. We had to line up in numerical order so given my number of 119 and fifteen seconds between every rider I had a long wait in the corral. My wireless computer went completely haywire in line with the hundreds of different wireless signals and frequencies. My only hope was that once I was out of Town Square that I would be able to have accurate mph numbers. As I rode up to the line to get clipped in and held, I thanked the volunteers for their awesome effort. Much to my surprise they told me that I was the first person to thank them all night. They were so grateful that they said that I was going to get the hardest push of the night! Out of the gate I went right to work. Making the 90 degree turn out of town square I sprinted as hard as I could on the horns before settling into my aero position. I knew in the first minute of the ride that I was on and locked in. On the slight uphill out of town I was cruising at 26 mph and had already passed three races. The downhill was a blur and I flew into the turnaround with absolutely no regard for the warning to slow down. I am very confident in my ability to judge turns at speed so I waited to the last nano second to get on the brakes. One of the race directors was working the turn and went nuts during my turn. He was so stoked that I was able to carry as much speed as I did through a 180. I went to work right away on the uphill. I know that I had given away a lot of time on the way down and knew that every second would count heading into the weekend. I made great power up the hill and never broke aero form. The last 600-meters is downhill with two separate 90 degree turns. I came into the first turn wicked hot and an was in the process of passing another races. I only had about an inch of pavement left on my right side before disaster would have struck. I hit the 90 heading into the finish even harder, even feeling the fabric of the safety banner brush against my right arm. I got on the breaks hard after the line and was awash in a sea of lactic acid. I rode right through the chute and out onto a cool down. I knew that recovery was going to be as important as the races. I had no clue how I had stacked up but was very pleased with my effort. I knew that I left it all out there and that whatever the result that I had to be happy. I have never done anything remotely explosive on the TT bike so this was a very new feeling. My race landed my 10th in 10:51. I was less than a minute behind the winner Tyler Wren who is a sponsored pro on the UCI continental circuit. I was fifty-one seconds behind the first person in the LOF and headed into the weekend fifth overall. We jetted home asap so I could catch a late dinner of brown rice before heading off to bed to be back at it for 4:30 the next morning.

Black Fly Tri International Saturday: Out of bed I felt great with apparently no residual traces of the previous night. I fueled up and was out the door before six with Mary in tow. Setting up my transition I already felt in the zone. My training has been going so well that I knew that I was in store for a big day. I significantly shortened my warm-up from the Mooseman from three miles to a single mile. I felt great and was really jittery with excitement. Training is training but when the payoff comes I always want to jump out of my skin! At the start I bolted down the hill and into the water. Obviously the swim is still my weakness and I again found myself not being as aggressive as I know I could have been. I was passing people and being passed at the same time. In the final straight I got excited and knew that my time was just around the corner. Out of the water and up the bank I ran toward the wetsuit strippers and got my suit off faster than even. I sprinted to The Vulture and went to work. I got my helmet, shoes, and glasses on super fast and took the time to take a big hit of watered down Hammer Gel. Running out of T1 I knew that I had drastically improved on my previous race. Again heading out of town I knew that I was having a good day on the bike. I killed it all the way to the valley floor and attacked the first serious hill of the course. I was passing riders the whole way but as I approached half way I noticed one rider that I was not catching so I worked even harder. On this riders backside he had USA and his last name Piper so I figured he must be a someone in the sport. Through the technical lower part of the course I managed to destroy the gap and by them time we headed back onto Route 49 for the climb back into town I was ahead. I think I charged a little to hard again early in the bike leg and payed later on in the ride. I went back and forth with the Piper kid. (He's 20 but that seems young) He got a slight gap up the last hill but I was purposely gearing up for the run. On the fly I decided to take my feet out of my shoes for the first time ever heading into T2. It worked like a dream and I had an excellent dismount into the transition. Bike racked, flats on more Hammer Gel and I was gone. By the time I was out of the chute I knew that everyone was in trouble. I was flying and could barley feel the ride in my legs. Given that I averaged 23.5 mph I was only further emboldened with the knowledge that my training has been spot on. Onto the road I saw Mary, Paul and Kathy going nuts which got me even more excited. Every step I took I kept telling myself that I was putting more time into my GC rivals. The run course of the International race is not a walk in the park. Following a flat first mile we had to climb all the way to the turnaround. Thanks to my recent hill work I demolished the climb. As I approached the turnaround I started seeing races coming back down and only counted six out front. Given that I had started 119th I had a major flash back to The Circle Triathlon last fall. After the turn I stayed in hot pursuit and got even more stoked! In that moment I decided that I was as happy as I had ever been in an athletic competition. At the same time Pearl Jam Alive started blasting in my head which made everything even better. Back into town I saw Mary and the gang one last time so I started kicking like the end of a road race. Apparently people don't usually have a whole lot left after these races so the crowd went nuts. Across the line my mind was such a flutter with so many incredible emotions. I was so high on endorphins that I could have lifted a car off a trapped child. The other racers already in the chute looked at me with a detached sort of curiosity and wonderment. Who the hell was that guy and how was he running so fast. I had to take a few minutes to myself down on the dock to get calmed down before interacting with anyone. Even as I write this I'm sweating thinking about the emotion! Seeing Mary and Paul was the highlight of my day. They know how hard I've been working and where I came from after the accident so it was perfect getting to share my joy with them! (Thanks guys!) To make a long story short heading into the next race recap I finished second overall to a guy just racing the International. The guy put up a huge number on the bike that cancelled out my run so he essentially beat me with a better swim. In the GC I managed a two minute swing over Andrew Clemence that landed me with a fifty-five second lead heading into the sprint. I spent the rest of Saturday trying to maximize my recovery know that it would be the difference maker.

Black Fly Triathlon Sprint Sunday: I woke up at 4:30 and was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of fatigue. I told myself that on the third day everyone was tired. My breakfast was terrible and my awesome dark roast left me feeling jittery and unsettled. For the first time ever I felt a tiny amount of weight racing triathlon. I was the leader, was I going to fold under a cloud of fatigue and my own doubt or was I going to endure and finish what I had started? I did everything the exact same as Saturday morning and as I waited to start the swim I managed to get in the zone. I locked it in my head that I was going to swim harder and leave it all on the bike course. I knew that no matter what happened that I would be able to crank a three mile run at the end like so many endless mind numbing miles before. Into the swim I executed my plan to perfection. I was swimming much harder and not letting myself get lulled into the toxic rhythm of Saturday. Out of the water and into T1 again everything was perfect. Onto the bike I noticed Mary in the field and as I cranked away at full wattage I blew her a kiss. Out on the bike everything was in slow motion from Saturday. I was riding as hard as I possible could but I just was not going as fast. For some stupid reason this made me think about a multitude of things that were beyond my control. How were the guys behind me in the GC riding? Was I falling behind? Finally I got pissed at myself and told my stupid brain to shut the hell up and I got to work. Up the hill with the knowledge that my power was down I used my brain for a more positive activity, thinking. I knew up the hill that my fatigue was causing my diaphragm to tighten so my muscles were not getting as much oxygen as the day before. I adjusted by getting off the aero bars and onto the horns. At the same time I slid way back on the saddle and let my femurs act as longer lever to give me a better mechanical advantage up the climb. I fought every foot of the climb back into town and turned myself inside out. Sweat, snot, and tears were running down my face all at the same time making some sort of alchemists dream potion for hard work. Into the last turn I again removed my shoes and had an incredible dismount. Mary caught it on video and I'll try to post if because it looked pretty sweet. Into T2 my back wheel hit the curb funny and as I was running my bike the back end launched into the air. I managed to get things under control and carried along with the task as hand. I had some trouble with my left shoe but still managed a fast transition. Onto the road I was tired but running with the sort of desperation that consumes every athlete in pursuit of of victory. Again I knew that I was blowing up the race but it was coming at a tremendous cost. I had to have faith in my training and know that I was going to make it to the end. I tried calling up Alive again in my brain but it was not the same. Some notes in the solo were wrong and Eddie's voice did not have the same feeling as the previous day. The last mile I ran as hard as I could and left every single calorie of energy in that valley. Into the chute and across the line and it was over. I again retreated to the dock but today it was to hide my bodies shattered energy level. I had no idea what had happened with the GC and came to the conclusion that I did not really care. There was no possible way that I could have tried any harder for a single second of all three races. I was demolished and living in a unencumbered state of athletic bliss. I had been to the very edge and sat there for three days wondering what would happen if I crept even a centimeter further into the abyss of my own exertion. The four dimensions were swirling around one and other trying to make sense of what seemed senseless; Nirvana.

Once the results were in I was hit with the news that I had picked up the win in the sprint and locked up the overall. Somewhere in the thirty minutes after the race the chains that had been holding me for so long had dissolved into oblivion. I have been daydreaming for months about winning my first triathlon and the feeling of accomplishment that would wash over me like a wave. For some reason I did not feel any of the feelings that I was sure would be present. Somehow in my mind the pursuit has become the quest and winning races seems secondary to exposing everything in this strange new endeavor. I love what I am doing right now more than I have loved any athletic quest in some time. My abusive long term relationship with running seems to have finally led me up a path and left me somewhere where I am ok with myself. Carpe diem.

Back in reality the awards were super cool and I got a ton of maple syrup and an awesome new touchscreen Timex watch for my weekend of work. Everybody was incredible at this race from the directors to the crews on the road. I am so thankful to everyone that was able to make this race into everything I hoped it would be. I will try to post some of Mary's videos later in the week.

Cheers,

Mark

Summer of Mark Week II

Monday: Disjointed day because of 4th of July fun but I still managed to shape two hours of training around parades, BBQ, and sun. Out the door at 7:45 for a slow 4 miler without any coffee in the system. The WORST run ever! At 2:00 pm I went out for a smoking hot twenty mile road bike ride over the hills. Pretty close to 90 degrees on the roads while I was frying, I mean riding. At 4:30 I headed out for another 4 miler on my own. Legs are tired from the heat! (2+ hr)

Tuesday: 4:45 pm 25 mile (69 + total) TT ride out through Surry. Left wanting an easy ride but a mile in I knew I was feeling it so I decided to hammer for 20 miles. 23.9 avg. for the interval (49:35 for 20) followed by a five mile cool down. Stopped at Norm's and got my bars re-raised the 1/8 in. they were lowered last week. Those guys are the best! Instantly felt better. Got wrapped up sending emails and talking on the phone post ride and did not refuel well. Headed out to run 10 easy but ran into problems around three miles. All of the sudden I "flash" bonked! It was like a flash flood but with a bonk. I contemplated going door to door in Swanzey looking for a snack. After about fifteen minutes my body started metabolizing fat and I felt ok for the rest of the run home to grab a Gu. Ended up settling for 9 miles in sixty-two minutes. (2 hr. 11 min.)

Wednesday: 6:00 am swim workout at KSC. 600 yds. worth of drills for w-up. Drop out set of 100s alternating hard 25s and streamline back kicking. Lost count but I know that I worked wicked hard and was all but exhausted by the time I finished. Crazy day of work and travel so I only squeezed in a 4 miler in Keene after the swim. By the time I got back to Ashland they were on the cusp of a huge storm. (1.5 hr)

Thursday: Nine mile easy run in Ashland. 10 miles gentle on TT bike. (1.5 hr)

Friday: Black Fly Tri TT. 4 mile morning shakeout PM TT 10:51 10th place. Fast! (1 hr)

Saturday: Black Fly Tri International 1:28.15 Second overall, First in LOF. Killed the run! (1.5 hr)

Sunday: Black Fly Tri Sprint 1:06.11 First overall, first LOF. Tired (1.5 hr)

Total: Wrapped up the week with around eleven and a quarter hours worth of work. 44 miles of running and some very hard swimming and cycling. Rest day on Monday then back to work with another week of big hours. Race recaps coming later today.

Cheers,

Mark