Scott Adcox

Doing More With Less Since 1972

Category: Doing (Page 15 of 28)

I Made A Team!

April 8, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Well…sorta.

I was the number 2 draft pick to swim for the Miles of Love relay team at the Cocoa Beach Triathlon this Sunday. Unfortunately, the top draft pick is having some health issues with her son. 🙁

I’m excited for the chance to get in the open water and give the wetsuit a test drive in race conditions. I’m also excited to see how fast I can do that distance without having to do any other events afterwards. It’s only 400 meters. Not that I can swim that very fast…it’s just that it isn’t a long course compared to the May half-iron distance swim.

Here’s where I’m a little nervous/intimidated though…

I’ve never met the other two members of my team. We’ve been coordinating packet pick up on Facebook, and I took note that our cyclists has a photo of him cycling for his profile pic. And our runner has a photo of her running for her profile pic.

Ummm….yeah. My profile pic most definitely does NOT imply that I’m any kind of swimmer. I’m happy to have people who are strong in their events on my team, but I hate being the weak link.

By the way, Miles of Love is a charity started by a friend of mine here locally. Its focus is helping local families who have children with life threatening illnesses. That could be anything from assisting these families get access to services offered by other organizations to paying for gas to and from the hospital to spend time with their child. We’d love your support in helping families in Brevard County out during their stressful and vulnerable times.

Let’s Get Run Drunk!

April 4, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I love getting run-drunk. Also known as run-dumb.

Run-drunk is what happens when you’ve been running for so long and/or are so tired that you can’t do simple math. It’s that point where you run 3 or 4 miles without realizing it because you are trying to figure out simple pace calculations in your head.

Good times.

Here’s an example from just the other night. I left the house carrying a bicycle bottle full of water and dropped it off about a half mile from the house at a spot I’d planned to loop through a couple of times. When I threw it over into the grass I actually took note of how heavy it had been to carry and felt instant relief letting it go.

During the course of my run I decided to go a different route with a bigger loop that has water spots built in. No problem–I’d just pick up the bottle on the way back to the house. I was already pretty tired from my bike ride the night before; so tired that I got a little run-buzzed and missed a couple of turns in my newly planned route. Basically I was wandering around the neighborhood like an idiot. People probably would have been alarmed if it weren’t for the fact that I’m so slow. If I was up to no good, they’d have no trouble running me down.

Nine miles later,  I found my bearings and headed back home. I stopped to pick up my water bottle and thought I’d have one last little pit stop before the final .5 home. I probably drank 1/3 of the water from the bottle and was on my way.

Now, how far do you think I went before I realized I was carrying around a bottle full of water (weight) that I was going to take into the house and empty into the sink? I’m actually proud of myself for figuring it out before I got home, but embarrassed that I didn’t think of pouring it all out immediately.

I recommend getting run-drunk to everyone. Also, know that unlike drunk-drunk, it’s ok to get run-drunk alone.

But know going into it that run-drunk isn’t as fun as drunk-drunk. It just doesn’t hurt as badly the next day.

Daily Reading List — March 29th

March 29, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Bike Trainer Workouts for Every Distance – Been kinda going on my own so far this season. Race in a few weeks, then going to focus on Sprint for a while before ramping up to another 70.3 in the Fall.

Unfit for Work: The startling rise of disability in America | Planet Money – A person on welfare costs a state money. That same resident on disability doesn't cost the state a cent, because the federal government covers the entire bill for people on disability. So states can save money by shifting people from welfare to disability. And the Public Consulting Group is glad to help.

Higher Ed bubble in two charts – Lots of graveyard whistling going on around this topic.

HBO Mulls Making HBO Go Available to Non-Cable Subscribers – Sign us up.

Cadence Change – KAPOW!!!!

March 28, 2013 / / 0 Comments

For me, the big takeaway from the New Balance running form clinic I attended earlier this week was that my cadence needed to be increased. Nothing else was too bad…slight heel strike on the right foot, but the instructor said an increased cadence would probably take care of that.

So yesterday I set out for an interval workout with a metronome beeping at 180 bpm. My pace was definitely faster for that course than what I usually put out there, even with walk breaks, but my heart rate was a lot higher too. And I felt like I was having a really hard time keeping up that cadence unless I was in the middle of an interval.

During my 1.5 mile cooldown I lowered the metronome to 170 bpm, and that was pretty comfortable to maintain. Also, my heart rate stayed in the low 140s. I need to gather more data, but I’m thinking 170 may be right for me. I was running at about 150 before, so 170 is definitely an improvement. What I’m looking for is the cadence that lets me stay in zone 2 and still get a good clip in.

I’m wondering if the 180 recommendation is just the one-size-fits-all starting point. Does weight and power output have any effect on this? I’ve noticed on the bike that 80-85 rpm in a higher gear means lower HR and higher velocity for me than 90 rpm in a lower gear.

Some Random Training Notes

March 26, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I went to a running form clinic last night put on by Running Zone and New Balance, and I was both encouraged and surprised. Encouraged because I came away with one thing I can do to help my running immediately–increase cadence. Surprised because I found out my foot strike is actually pretty good. I’m guessing my supination is the culprit for my heel wear?  I mean, my strike definitely is not perfectly mid-foot (working on it), but it’s not too bad.

Cadence is the big thing I can change.

Purchased this month: Loving the Ninja BL660 Blender we bought this month. The best feature is the single serving cup…you can blend right into the cup you’re going to drink out of. Smoothie consumption is at an all-time high in our house, and I’m getting a much bigger daily dose of green veggies because of it. Oh yeah…much cheaper than the Vitamix too!

Planned purchase for next month: Roku 3. We already own a first generation Roku that’s still going strong. So why upgrade now? One really cool feature–the remote has a headphone jack. I’ve been using the tablet to watch movies while I’m on the spin bike because I ride at night a lot while everyone else is asleep. I can’t really use the TV because I’d have to turn it up so loud to overcome the noise of the bike. Roku 3 will let me watch the TV while I train, keep things quiet for everyone else, and not have to worry about keeping the tablet charged or plugged in.

Racing in the heat suggestions. Thanks to Coach Brett and the ZenTri podcast for these tips:

  1. Try to train in the hottest weather you can. Avoid cold conditions. CHECK
  2. Lose as much weight as you can to minimize your insulation. CHECK
  3. Baseball-style cap instead of visor for the run. You can put ice in the hat–can’t do that with a visor. Learned this one last year.
  4. Arm Coolers–put ice sponges from the aid stations into the tops. Need to get arm coolers Picked up some of these…wow, they work GREAT!
  5. If you’re coming from a cooler climate, assume you are going to need a lot more water than you’re used to. Not a problem for me.

 

Some Good Race Day Practice

March 22, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I was about 12 miles into my bike ride last night and sat up to eat a little bit and drink some water. I’d just turned off from a 1.5 mile stretch with a little tailwind. While I was drinking, a guy rides by me in his aero bars. He didn’t blow by me either, definitely catchable. But I didn’t chase.

I won’t lie. When he went straight at the point I usually make a left turn, I was very tempted to follow. But when he looked back to check and see if I followed, it made the decision to turn and ride my own ride much easier. I was committed to controlling heart rate and not worrying about speed, and that’s what I did.

Good to remember on race day when someone tries to goad me into a race at mile 30. Hopefully I’ll see them again on the run. If not, it’s a good thing I didn’t race them on the bike.

March 20, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Ever notice how cyclists (pure cyclists) will sometimes acknowledge you if you’re on a bike, even if it’s a tri/timetrial bike, but will never acknowledge you if you’re running?

Runners always give a nod or slight wave to one another at a minimum. Unless you’re in California.

Thanks to @PacePerMile for the reminder.

 

Full Taper Mode

March 18, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Received this email from a friend who’s coming to do Rocketman 70.3.

He isn’t training…he’s just going to show up and do the race.

I am in full taper and playing with a very cutting edge technique….I imagine my full workouts and “trick” my body into feeling as though it has properly trained. This takes a very strong mind to be effective and an even stronger imagination.  Real JEDI shit, not for beginners!  I fully expect to be in top form come race day….my results will talk for me.
Good luck, Suckuz!

As I explained to him, when he can only beat me by 30-45 minutes, he’s going to wish he’d taken this more seriously.

A Reason To Race – Annabelle’s Dad – Eleonore Rocks

March 8, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I have some friends coming in to race Rocketman 70.3 with me–one from California, one from Tennessee, and two from North Carolina. Actually, I’ve never met one of the guys from NC, Adam.

Adam is coming down with Dirty Matt. And a friend of Dirty Matt’s is a friend of mine.

Just to stir the pot, I sent out an email asking how everyone’s training was going and where everyone logged/shared their workouts. Obviously, my only intention here was to get some trash talk and good-natured insults started.

Adam was the first to respond. Like just about every other triathlete, he has a blog.

But his blog is different. A lot different.

On October 31st, 2010 my beautiful wife and I became parents for the first time. That’s the day I became Annabelle’s dad. Annabelle was a beautiful, delicate, incredibly tough little girl. She was born with a neural tube defect called anencephaly, cutting her short life to a beautiful 41 minutes.

I had to stop right there the first time I read it. I’ve re-read it several times since, and it gets me every time.

Annabelle

That’s simply unfathomable.

Now Adam races to honor the memory of Annabelle. The charity he supports, Eleonore Rocks, provides rocking chairs to parents of terminally ill children. They aren’t engaged in a multi-year effort to cure anything. They just want to bring a little bit of comfort to families who have limited time with their kids.

Adam isn’t raising money for a free race entry or to win a new bike. His goal is to raise $4,100–$1 for each of Annabelle’s heartbeats he and his wife got to share with her.

Please consider sponsoring “One Minute” to honor Annabelle’s memory–more if you can. Adam is committing hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears.

I know not everyone has the means to make a contribution. But you can still help:

  • Share Adam’s story with your friends and family using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email, fax machine, whatever
  • If you have healthy children of your own, never forget how fortunate you are.
  • If you are physically active, take a minute during your next swim/bike/run to appreciate your own health.
  • If you aren’t physically active but have been thinking about getting started, do it. Today.

 

Things I Think About When I Swim – Part I

March 6, 2013 / / 1 Comment

Today when I was swimming I was thinking about how jealous I am of dolphins. They are so freaking fast.

But then I realized that I’m pretty even with them on the bike and have a slight advantage on the run.

Also, I can DEMOLISH dolphins in transition because of the issues they have with shoes and helmets.

So I think I’d rather be me than a dolphin, all things considered.

Facts

March 4, 2013 / / 0 Comments
  1. The number of showers I take a week is directly proportional to the number of non-swim training sessions I complete.
  2. The Missus has at least one reason to encourage me to train. Obviously.
  3. The number of disgusting items abandoned in the laundry room and various showers to be worn again before washing is directly proportional to the number of non-swim training sessions I complete.
  4. I don’t care how bad it stinks–I’m just going to stink it up again. So unless it runs away when I try to pick it up and wear it, I’ll wear it again.
  5. The Missus has at least one reason to discourage me from training. Obviously.
  6. When The Missus informs me that I have fresh, clean gear, it is more beneficial politically to simply say, “Thank You!” instead of “Well, I’ll enjoy that for a half mile or so until it’s just as disgusting as it was.”

Update On “No Plan” 70.3 Training – Becoming Polarized

February 28, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I’m about 9.5 weeks out from Rocketman Florida, and I’m really digging training on feel in lieu of having a strict plan. It’s especially helpful during times like last week when we had family visiting and I missed 3 days of training completely. Not having a schedule meant I could see that coming and load up on some bigger workouts on the days leading up and just consider those off days as rest. Well, walking around Disney parks with 3 kids for a couple of days isn’t exactly like watching a Scrubs marathon, but it still counts as rest for me. But then I got to do some big training right after too.

I’m getting a little better at letting the speed and distance obsessions go as well. For my last few runs and rides, I’ve had absolutely no idea how far I’d be going. All I’ve been focusing on is time spent in Zone 2 and making sure I get the hours in. Speed (at least training speeds) have definitely suffered, but I really am just letting that go. It’s easier when I listen to things like Coach Brett’s podcast on Polarized Training and learn that even pros spend the majority of their time at ridiculously easy paces.

The weird thing is that my volume is actually up compared to last year. I think that’s because I’m actually more enthused about training. I mean…it’s up to me. I train when I feel like it, and I rest when I feel like I need it. It sort of like unschooling for triathletes. Well…except that I have to make sure I stay away from that Zone 3 “fun hard” pace. That sucks, because Zone 3 feels soooooo good.  But hopefully I’ll get to race the last 5k of the run there?

But now the intervals have started. I hate intervals. They supposedly make you faster, which makes me like them at little. But I only like them after I’m finished.

Wait…I take that back. I like the first 25 percent of an interval. I like it when I look down at my computer and see I’m moving at a relatively high velocity, then glance at my HRM and notice that I’m barely into Zone 3. Of course, that doesn’t last very long…then the agony of holding high Zone 4 rears its head.

I’ve almost neglected to talk about the swim. I’ve come to realize that I really need to be swimming about 10k a week to get faster. That means it will have to go down in the off-season, which means my hopes of making any really big swim gains probably aren’t going to happen this calendar year. Still, I’m so slow that even small gains are going to be substantial.

Training Ups and Downs

February 13, 2013 / / 0 Comments

These are happening right in the heart of the time in a program when I get a little bored and take my foot off the gas. Luckily, I’m not using a training plan this time around.

I was travelling last week and have a cold this week, but in between I was able to squeeze in a brick over the weekend–two hours on the bike followed by an hour run. Got in a recovery rid the next day too.

Motivation shouldn’t be a problem though. I have a bunch of friends doing Rocketman. Three of them are guys I’ve known for 20 years, all better athletes than me, and are coming into town just to do the 70.3 and hang out for the weekend. Pissing contest in 3,2,1…

Of course, they say they aren’t training, planning to “just finish”.

Right. That’s exactly the kind of guys they are.

Daily Reading List — January 29th

January 29, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Marc Andreessen On The Future Of Enterprise – Long, but bookmarked to finish reading later! Good stuff here!

The Surprisingly Comfortable Mio Alpha Heart Rate Watch Does Away With Those Pesky Chest Straps – HRM straps don't really bother me much. Until I lose them and have to replace them.

Not a Real Runner? – A bunch of crap! Why would you discourage anyone, especially someone using a valid and very successful method.

How Real Runners Train on Treadmills – Some really good stuff here, especially for people who live in areas with only one geographic feature.

The Demographics of Ingress – Very cool. Interesting stats here…especially the drive to Google +.

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