SS'en 103 the hard way.......

Today I had a great ride on the old singlespeed. I have been riding it and building up and today was the moment of truth. I went out with some of the team and went head to head with their geared bikes. I rode up to the ferry dock at southworth and caught a ride over to Vashon were I met up with RVG, JVG, and Aaron. We then proceeded to cover 50 miles on the island alone. I honestly didn't believe that this was possible. It was great to see Aaron again and to be out with the team where we could spend a few hours talking about and planning for our upcoming races.

Ryan wanted to know if the SS was so that I had an excuse if I couldn't walk the talk. I don't think that any excuses were necessary today. I logged 25 extra miles before and 25 more after the island ride. And I feel great. My knees are a little knackered and my upper body is sore from the climbs but I am ready for our long paddle tomorrow.

I used the following to keep it strong.

Perpetum 2 flasks, 4 scoops(520 cals) by 2 oz water
Hammer gel 1 flask
every hour: 1 race cap, mito cap, antifatigue cap
And sweet nuun in the bladder to keep my electrolyte profile topped off.

Have a look at the gps tracks at http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=950
pics will be added soon. Now it is time for a mexican gut bomb.

Later Lord Cromwell

Secret Weapon......

Jen, RYG and I went snowshoeing last night up at Snoqualmie. When it comes to adventure racing, we don't like to leave anything to chance. I have never showshoed before so we thought it was a good idea to get some practice in before the Winter AR next weekend. It was really no problem. Ryan loaned be a great pair of Atlas snowshoes.

In addition to snowshoing, the race will have a special test. Roger always likes to throw these in the mix. His first one was an anagram. That was kinda funny. At the start he gave everyone the same anagram. You could solve it and go straight to your bike or run a couple of miles up the road to get the answer. The answer was the name of the ridge we were going to be climbing. I was the only one to try and figure it out and since i looked at the map the answer just popped out at me. I had a great headstart. but I digress....

We were trying to sort out what the special test might be this time around. We figure it has to do with snow and maybe some feat of strength and phyiscal agility. With that in mind we then narrowed it down and practised our skills.

I can now walk on my hands with snowshoes attached
Jen can cartwheel forever with snowshoes attacted to both her hands and feet.
and Ryan??? Well his trick is the best of all

I have friend who is a food additive specialist. He loaned me a new non-caloric silicon based kitchen lubricant that his company has been working on. It creates a surface 500 time more slippery than than ordinary cooking oil. We applied it to the bottem of Ryan's sled. It has never been used on a sled before but any edge is well worth the try.

Ryan didn't stop until he got to North Bend. When we finally caught up with him, the state patrol was issuing him a ticket for speeding and operating an unregistered vehicle on I-90.

this is going to be the bomb!!!

Lord Cromwell

My teammate Cyril once told me that with where I live, I had no excuse not to paddle every day. And further, I should be the best paddler on the team. He was right. I live in a beautiful place. That is why I moved here. I needed to get away from the dirtiness and grime of the east coast. I needed to detoxify. Now I try to get out as much as possible.

Winter is always the best. There are hardly any other boaters out. Mostly just commercial craft like tugs and fishing boats and none of the crazy fair weather yahoos that tend to disregard my life. Also, because of lowered daylight, alge growth is lower and the water is a real beautiful greenish color. Finally, the weather is more variable which make the conditions more interesting.

On Sunday's paddle, I had to make two large open water crossings. These are a bit unnerving. When you are with a partner in another boat, they can help you in a jam. When you are by yourself, 2 miles from shore, there is no help and the water is real cold (54 degrees). I had performed self recoveries before so I am confident I could recover but I have never found myself alone in open water outside of the boat.

At the start of the paddle, the largest sea lion I have even seen breached 20 ft off my bow. I mean this guy actually came out of the water and splashed down. He was a big one with one of those big flabby noses. I also saw lots of Eagles on McNeil Isl. McNeil Isl has a large state penintentery located on it. You can see it on the SE side of the island. For some reason they thought I was too close to shore and the guard came out of the tower and yelled at me to move away from the island.

I want to get out to some new locations. Maybe next weekend I will drive the boat up toward Port Orchard and explore up there. The King needs to change a diaper now.

Lord Cromwell

Without music, I had alot of time to think during Saturday's Capital forest mega fat ass.

I have broken both my wife's and my mp3 players. It seems that they don't enjoy paddling as much as I do. They have never gone swimming but the moisture and spashing must just be too much for them. Usually, only one breaks and in a couple of months it works again after it dries out but now they both don't work.

At the beginning of the race, I started in the back to keep me from pushing out too hard. Also, I wanted to spend time talking to my friends. Ultrarunning has a great community and i only get to see alot of these guys during the winter runs. after that, i don't do many long running races. Unfortunately, alot of friends that said they would be there didn't show. I did get a surprise by Michelle M showing up for the run. I haven't seen her for a long time. I follow her blog with interest but actually seeing her was great. You think that you are up with someone by following their blog but actually seeing them without saying anything is much better.

When I started AR Michelle was with WAR and these guys were it in the PNW. Eventually we ended up doing some races together. I think that she just tolerated me back then. The first race we did was up in Canada. She didn't talk much and all I wanted to do was keep up. I can remember her asking me how I stayed on my bike with my stupid stomper pedals. I think that she actually called them tricycle pedals. It is possible that we had more in common than we both realized.

This race for me was mostly about training for baja. I realized that I will never be the best running, biking, or paddling because individually I consider them as a "b" races or training and never taper or train exclusively for these races. I didn't modify my training at all in the week before this race. I had 23 hrs in the seven days prior to this race so i didn't expect to break any records. I just wanted to remain healthy (injury free) and run consistently. My IT band has been hurting and I am on the brink of overtraining. However, it is a fine line between injury and pushing my performance and endurance to new levels. I have less than two months before I start tapering. At that point there are no more gains possible. the goals of my training are basically to improve my endurance and speed. For endurance races, it is all about my ability to move fast and over long distances when I am extremely tired. so to match the race conditions, i gradually increase my long days until i am eventually spending 6 hrs on foot or in boat and up to 10 hrs on bike. In addition, I like doing long back to back days in different sports. For example, I paddled for 4.5 hrs the day after the run. http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=912 In any event, I want to win baja and I will put in all I can now to give the team the best chance at success. You can veiw my training log by clicking the link to the right.
I am trying to figure out how to post my training plan as well.

For this race, I felt great, finished fourth eight minutes slower the last time I raced it. But I was very consistent in my pace which I was very happy about. It was also a beautiful run. Snow all around. I love Capital forest and would recommend it to anybody.

Here is what I ran with:

Montrail Odessey (great trail running shoe light with excellent toe box protection) with
Yanz and
Sole foot beds
Gregory Reactor Pack
Arc' Teryx Tau pullover (for first lap)
Fueled and Supplemented by Hammer
Perpetum (two flasks each with 3 scoops and three oz water)
Hammer gel
Each hour: Race cap, Mito cap, Anti Fatigue cap
ATP on the big hill

What put it all together was the nuun. I drank 100oz water. I used one tab of tri berry for each 20oz. I would recommend nuun to any serious athelte in any sport.

Later for now

Lord Cromwell

What's the point?

With this blog. It is currently a beta version as I learn to post good content. Eventually you will know about me and my family and what is going on in my life. I will also use this forum to tell you about the things I do and the stuff that helps me succeed. I need to learn how to add links and pics.

I feel like my training is finally getting focused. My goal A race is the Baja Traversia at the end of March so I have two months of 20 hour/week full on multispot training ahead of me. After taking December for a build period, I feel my body is ready for some long duration together with some intensity.

I started the endurance phase on Saturday night with Bridal Trails 50k. It was a great crisp night with snow and ice all over. My goal was a constant pace, no IT pain, and a respectable finish. My laps were 40,42,44,45,45,46. so I think i got the pace down. My IT hurt a bit during the first and second lap but after that it was fine with no pain. I finished in 4:22 which was 1 minute back from 2005(last year with comparable conditions), third overall and two minutes behind second. In 2005 my pace was all over the place so while my time was the same, i feel my performance was much better.

Along lap 4 I came across my teammate Jen S. Now at the beginning of the race she told me that it was an easy base training for her so I was suprised to find her in front of me. Her light had gone out so we shared on the way in and i gave her my backup at the transition. From then on we ran together pushing each other. It was the best Bridal yet. I had a great time talking and trading off the pacesetting. Here are the details:

During the race every hour I took 1 Race Cap, 1 Mito Cap and 2 endurolytes. I took 2 ibuprophin at the start and two more halfway through. With one hour to go I took an ATP. I fueled on flasks of perpetum. 3 scoops with 3 oz water in each flask. I drank 16oz water per lap (45 minute laps). I would have added nuun to the water but I don't have any. I can't wait to get more to add to my bottle. This is truly great stuff. Add it to your water. It tastes great without being overpowering but replenishes electrolytes in proportion to your fluid consumption.


On the outside of my right foot just below the ankle there is some kind of bruise that hurt this morning. Inner hip flexors felt a bit sore but with no hill my quads/hamstrings are in great shape. Next week I will push a bit harder with the hills and cap peak 50k where the goal will be the same, solid race with no IT issues and no injures. I will not push too hard just a consistent pace.

Post race I had Recoverite with vitamins E, 2Grams C, fish oil, mito cap, race cap, 2 TR, phytomax, and half packet of hammer vitamins. One hour later I repeated with with some solid food in between. I think that this really helped with recovery.

Now on to the next two months. My lengths will get longer and harder. Every week my long training will increase on foot, bike, and boat. I will continue with an interval session each week in each of the disiplines, and I will add hills. Also, I will be doing back to back longs on succeeding days. It is going to be great. Right now the winter woods and waters are beautiful. I only wish I could bike more but the ice is a menace. I don't have my training plan posted but you can follow my progress on:

http://www.attackpoint.org/weeklyactivity.jsp/user_2463

Of course this can only happen with Cheryl's help. she is home with the baby and is also watching Kevin. So this allows my hours to increase.

Lord Cromwell

The baby was was born this morning. If you don't beleive in miracles, you need be at the birth of a human and then watch them grow. Human life is not just a random meeting of molecules. Life itself is not random. We all know it. If it were, chaos would rein. Tere would be no difference between right and wrong, good and evil.

The labor party began last night. I write this as i saw it. Obviously my description is not reality because I can never experience the pain or joy of birth. (I beleive that empathy is a oxymoron). Cheryl was having contractions for the last few days but as she described them, they were not painful nor consistent. However, last night they became both. During dinner at 7 she started telling us when they started and stopped. They seemed to be about 5-8 minutes apart.

Now guys, there really isn't must you can do for a woman that is in labor. I think that is why historically women have taken care of women during child birth. They have all been there and know the proceedure. So all i can do is constantly ask what she needs. (answer to be done with this which I can't do much about). so we settled in for a long labor party. She wanted ice cream and a movie so I obliged with moose tracks and the Da Vinci code.

we stayed up until 11 and went to bed. Once again there is much I can do so I tell her to let me know if she needs anything and when it is time to got. I tried to get some sleep but it really doesn't work that way. At 2:30 she tells me its time to go so we got Laura out to the car and told Sarah we were leaving.

Now Sarah was at Kevin's birth and opted out of this one but Laura wanted to be there to help. I think that the best gift you can give your kids is the experience of child birth (If theyare mature enough for it.) It should be great birth control later out (The results of ones actions should always be made clear to them and this is an eye opener.), and once again historically one generation taught the next. I think that for must of us born after 1940 we lost this instruction. By Laura help her mother, she will be better prepared when she is older. She should be so afraid of childbirth. Of course older children and larger families can learn this way. By being part of this miracle, she is bonded to her brothers. this is a gift that many children don't get simply by virture of their parents choice for a small family.

Where was I? that right off to the hospital. We arrived at 3:10 and Cheryl started laboring hard. She began to hold my hand aand crushed it so I gave her a plastic handrail to hold. it seemed to me that we were in for a long labor so I sent Laura out for coffee. BAM the water breaks all over then place and the room went from quiet to 6 people in there. Now they look at the water because sometimes when the baby is under stress he craps on the way out. This is a problem because it gets in his stomach and worse yet coats his lungs. So they got extra help for this reason.

Now I won't go into the physical details but let me say that it is painful and physically tough on one's body. I think that this kid was the toughest yet on Cheryl. Because of the poop mentioned above. They have extra procedures to clean his mouth and lungs asap, so unfortunately, he was my only child that I didn't get to cut the cord. He was born at 4:38AM

He was quite and at peace like Kevin. I told the baby nurse not to worry about him not crying. He was just happy to be here. They cleanned up mom and baby and let them sleep in a room. Laura and I went home. It was the nicest day in a month. no rain or wind

Laura went to bed and I was pumped up so i went for a ride and a kayak. the whole family return tonight for the naming party. We haven't settled yet but we should get his name by tomorrow as we get to know him better.

Peace be with you
Lord Cromwell

I faced the one legged man again today.

I have gone up against him three times now. The first time he beat me, the second i beat him with tyler's help, and today I beat him but just barely. I am talking about the annual New year's Day Paddle around fox Isl. Today I thought that I would use the surfski in order to make a record time for me. I arrived at the put in for an 8:00AM start. The wind was calm and the water was glass. Problem is, the race didn't start until 10. I went home and came back at 9:30. now it was cold and windy with the wind from the SW. This was an unusual wind direction. I didn't know how big the chop would be on the S side of the island but I thought that i would go for it.

Now I don't like to have my world messed with and this late start really screwed with my head. I was late to the water, the GPS was buggered up and I was not ready to go. So I backed up to shore to straighten this up when they said go. No problem, I'm a good paddler and can easily catch up. so i was last to start having spotted the group two minutes.

When I got going I noticed that the rudder was working right. It was sticking. No problem in the bay where we started and I easily started passing other paddlers. At the first turn i stopped to free up the rudder.

Back in the boat and on my way but it was no better. now in a normal sea kayak it is no big deal without a rudder but in a surfski it is imperative to keep you upright. Now this section was exposed to CASE inlet and i was now taking waves at the beam with rudder. in fact the rudder was more of a hinderance because i would put increasing pressure on it to turn and it would finally/randomly break loose causing the boat to swerve out from under me.

I went swimming at least 10 times. I was now last and the one legged man was way ahead of me. This was a major frustration moment. I couldn't get going without swimming. I would get going and ahead of him and then bam, I'm swimming again and he would take the lead. This went on for an hour. I finally made it the 6 miles along the S side and made the turn N where the water was calm and I didn't need the rudder. No more falling in and I put some time on him.

It was a great workout. But even just the paddling time was longer than in my sea kayak. My surfski is usually 10% faster. You can see the GPS track at

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=763


Lord Cromwell

Great day today. My shoulder is feeling better and i increased my swim. followed that with yoga. I could use a bunch more of that. great stretching, balancing and strength workout. followed that by conferences at the elementary and middle school. Kids are doing great. It is amazing what just a little bit of attention and help will do. I wonder what would of happened to me if my old man put more time in when i was growing up.

Anyways, after the conferences, we continued work on the fort. The timbers are very heavy and hard to place. Made a great dinner for the family and headed out for my paddle. It was very calm and quite and dark.

Lord Cromwell

The weather here is miserable. The winter winds and rain have started. The extended forecast calls for rain through April '07. Undetered, I stopped to get more plants at Stroh's (local feed store). The weather is perfect for planting. After Stroh's a took the bike step. The only road bike I have is a nice tri bike. It is a pain to ride in the winter. Last year I fried the bottom bracket. Also, I spend as much time cleaning the bike and gears as I did riding it. So... I bot a single speed. My thoughts are that it is the cheapsest bike I could get, It has less moving parts that can break or need cleaning, and I am using it in the winter for base training so my speed isn't as important as hours on bike and the easier it is to get out the better. I will put full fenders on it. this will be like back in the day when I was a kid and rode my old stingray everywhere. I would just take off for the day and ride.

Today I will start with a swim and go to yoga. Sarah and Mathew have early dismissal for conferences. I will go there mid-day and later in the afternoon Mathew and I will work on the fort some more. Tonight I will either run or use the paddle machine. I feel like I am finally getting back on track. My training hours are going up and my calories are going down. I need to get back down to 165 by Jan 1. Which is the start of the ultra running season.

Later
Lord Cromwell

The fort is finally under construction
After mass, Mathew and I began construction of his fort. We are placing it in the front yard by the tree. We are making it out of an old big toy that was given to us a few years ago. It will be a large structure about 6-8 feet off the ground. We are making it well defensible against girls. The big toy will be the base and later when I redo the deck, we will use that lumber for the actual fort. It is pretty cool. While my new next door neighbor is busy cutting down every living thing on his property for a better view, we are creating a monster fort for him to look at. Ya baby.I hoped to get out paddling this morning but it was raining way too hard. Lord Cromwell

I live in a shoe. I have four kids and nothing to do.


But not really.

Lord Cromwell

I am the king of Cromwell