Hard and harder....

To determine my latec threshold (LT) for cycling, there were only two modes. Hard and harder. Ok. There is actually a third mode, warm up. I figure I take that mode out because the title, 'Warm up, hard and harder' does not sound exciting..not at all..

Setup. 15 min warm up than 20 min of riding till I blow up.
A list of songs to help me focus. Linkin Park, Fort Minor, Kutless....all the good stuff.

After the warmup, I slowly amp up the intensity. Every five minutes or so I will gauge if I can go harder. If I can't. Just maintain the intensity.

I focus on each song. Each lyric. Each cord. Each word. All these songs are fast pace..but during the test, they are slow. Maybe time does slow down when you are having fun :)

As much as it hurts, it is satisfying to see sweat beads falling off my forehead, onto a towel over my bike and bounce off to the ground.

There were doubts whether I could hold the pace. Left quad almost cramp up and I contemplate about quitting. A few minutes won't make a difference. Just let it go Cliff....then I remember what Gordo said..Finish strong. And I did.

Average Heart Rate = 173 (A bit less than my running LT [176])
Peak HR = 184

Since I scheduled a 40 min run, I decided to do a brick (bike then run right after). Well, not really a brick. More like bike-then-spent-five-minutes-struggling-to-put-on-winter-gears-then-head-out-for-a-run.

It's funny how my brain works. At first, I planned on the treadmill. But I had a conversation with my dad and it went something like this:

Me - I am going to bike and go for a run.
Dad - You better not go out for a run. It's cold outside.
Me - Yeah..I am planning to run on the treadmill.

Thought for a while....

Me - There are many reasons to not run outside. COLD is not one of the reason.

Ironic. If my dad said nothing, I would have dreadmilled it for 40 min.
-12 *C (10*F) including wind chill. The moon was out. Nice.
.....
Tri-Dummy tagged me. He would not stop spamming until I response :)..enjoy...

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever.
Two years ago, I stood calmly on the beach with 200 other triathletes. It was the first time I swim in open water. I was calm. Maybe because I was too dumb to be scared.

For the first five min in the water, I was freaking out. I asked myself 'Cliff, u spent all the time training..are you going to quit now? No? Good...keep swimming.

2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.

Peterborough Half Ironman '06. Half way on the bike course. Someone recognized me from my blog. We rode for rest fo the way and ran together for the first half of the run.

On the bike, a car with a granny eating ice cream passed me. As the car passed me, the granny said 'do you want some?' The car slowed down because of the cyclists. I sped up next to them and asked if I could have a bite....expression on granny's face...priceless.

3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?

Niagara-On-The-Lake Duatlon. Blew my leg in the first segment of the run. I ran sub 6:30 min/mile!

As I got off my bike, I had major cramp on both calves. So much pain I couldn't even unclip my feet. Despite the pain, I was grinning the whole time because it must have look so funny to not being able to get off my bike.

A video of me crossing the finish line. Notice the fancy head gear => Click here

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?

Realizing that the months of practice are put on the line in one day. Sometimes you have to risk it all to find out who you really are.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?

I was born to do this. God is an amazing craftsman. No matter how hard I pound my body, it keeps on giving.

When the body, mind and soul are all in sync...life is goood.....

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

Ironman USA (Lake Placid). July 22, 2007. Six months and a bit to go.
To be healthy in all aspect of my life. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.