In ultra training, whenever I get to a point where I feel I can do a long run any day of the week, even on consecutive days, my body is ready for the next step.
On Sunday morning, I did a 21+ miles of running. By Sunday evening, my legs did not even feel sore. I was ready to go again. Great!
Last year, I was able to achieve this point at around May. This year? March 1. This earlier milestone is key; believe me, I'll be ready for the rigors of Massanutten (race report) in May if I stay on board with my training.
This is going to be a very, very good year. :-)
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I'll be looking at some local triathlons to fill up my calendar. One is the Flat as a Pancake Triathlon that takes place in my neighborhood. I know several people doing this race.
That means I'm going to have to get my bike in road-ready condition. This is going to be a huge project this year. I'll be building up a new bicycle from scratch.
Yes, I do happen to have some pretty good bike mechanic skills. Why do you think I was able to do triathlons on the cheap when I was at my peak?
I didn't really have to rely on bike shops to keep my bike in peak condition. For me, that was the equivalent of throwing $50 away each time I visited a bike shop.
Better to learn the skills myself and save a lot of dough.
This project will definitely put my bike mechanic skills to the test. Building a bicycle from scratch. Bring it on!
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Bag Balm still puts Body Glide to shame!
Yes, this is the lanolin based ointment that was originally made for milking cows. It's an industrial strength balm that works like a charm in preventing chafing in endurance sports as well.
I still have the same 10 ounce tin container of Bag Balm that I bought in Vermont last year. It only costs $8 t0 $10. I'm still not quite half-way through the container.
I would have already bought about 3-4 Body Glides at the same price during the same time period.
That's about a $50-$60 savings over the overrated and overpriced Body Glide by the time I finally finish off the Bag Balm container.
Sorry Body Glide. Your secret that you're NOT #1 is about to be unleashed to the triathlon world. With each triathlete that I talk to, I make this secret known.
Your time is up Body Glide.
Bag Balm can be purchased at the Vermont Country Store or at Amazon if you don't live in a farming community. The stuff worked wonders at the Vermont 100 (race report). It's worked wonders on all my long training runs, and in the other ultras I participated in since last year.
I'll bet it works in half-Ironman and Ironman triathlons as well. The stuff will absolutely not come off in water (during the swim portion).
And it's very cheap. I know most of you triathletes will start feeling the economic pinch soon, so I'm just helping you in this regard.
And you'll save money in the long run. Just don't buy those ridiculously priced $450 pair of cycling shoes with the saved money. That would be defeating the purpose.
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One last shoutout...ZC...congratulations on getting in off the wait list into Massanutten. I'll be seeing you there!!!
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