Getting warmed up

It is December in Cleveland, and I haven't missed any out door workouts this month. Today the temperature was in the 60s. I wore shorts and a t shirt during a 15.3 mile push in the racing chair. I finished in 2:18. I followed a common route I use for the hand-cycle. It is a long climb, followed by a quick return. It is amazing to me to have this kind of opportunity to keep working out in the chair at this time of year. I figured without an indoor trainer, I would be hanging it up for a while. That hasn't been the case though.
 I do look forward to getting at least one more long hand-cycle ride in this year. I am currently waiting for the new tires before I can ride outdoors. The tires should arrive soon. Tomorrow is a rain day, so I will be at the pool and lifting. maybe Tuesday tires arrive. If not, I have another chance to push the chair. I honestly like that the most. It is running as far as I am concerned.

Fall Classic half marathon report. Today I was a runner.

 

This morning I participated in the Fall Classic Half Marathon in Strongsville Ohio with my racing wheelchair.The goal was to have fun and try to gauge my training to this point. I have had the chair since June, and with the exception of a 5k, I have only ever used it to train in. I felt that with as hard as I had worked these past few months, it would be a bummer to not celebrate it by going out and putting forth my best effort.

     

















The day was cold. about 30 F. I bundled up as best I could. The course was flat, so it was almost a continuous push from start to finish. No climbs, but no then no recovery. I worked hard and finished with  1:40.41. My pace was 7:41 per mile. This is what I was hoping for. A strong sustained effort. sub 8 min per mile.

My only issues came with the start. I was started with all the runners. I lined up near the front and back a little. My goal was to allow the fast runners out quickly while I built speed, but not be held up behind the slowest runners. Once I got moving, I had to navigate around a dense collection of runners. Most responded to my alerts "wheelchair back. On your left". But many were plugged in and had tuned the sounds of the world out. I had to use a lot of care when passing the ipod army.
My plastic "glove" began to cause me irritation to my palm. I will make modifications in the future.
The spider tack worked well, but was difficult because of the cold.
All in all it was a blast. I was the only wheeler, so I just raced myself. I really like racing the chair. It is more like running than anything so far.
I felt like a runner today.

Flat tire and adhesives

Today I went out for a short ride in the racing chair. My overall time nothing special, but I stopped to adjust my foot rest, and to repair a flat. The flat probably also slowed me for about half a mile. I also ran into a friend just as I began climbing my big hill, so I decided to not worry much about time. I also used the spider tack for the first time and was adjusting to a new position in the chair.
Today was a taper day anyhow. My main priority was to get a feel for the new position and to try out the tacky stuff. It seemed to work well, but I could have used a little more. I also plan to put some electrical tape on the front bar and add some of the adhesive to that, so I will be able to apply more to my gloves as needed.
As for the new position, I felt good in that position and feel confident that it will allow me to get maximum propulsion during the half marathon Sunday. There was only one point, when I felt the front lift unexpectedly.
Tomorrow is an off day. No workouts at all, and Saturday will be very short.

Back at it with new energy and goals.

It has been some time since I last posted(2013).  During that time I have been busy with music. I have released a few records and been on tour from time to time as it is allowed. My fitness goals got a little off track. Not that the goals had swayed, but they were not the priority I hope them to be.
Cleveland is a tough place to live and train with disability. The summer months are great, but the winters are brutal. Using a handcycle or racing chair in the snow is not practical in anyway. The past two winters made leaving the house near impossible, let alone any kind of outdoor training. This year we have memberships at the Cleveland State University Rec center. They have all kinds of machines and an amazing pool  to help me get through the tough months while maintaining my fitness.

This year I received my 2nd grant from CAF in the form of the racing chair. With it I have all the tools needed to compete as a para triathlete. The chair has rejuvenated my spirit and helped me to keep up consistent workouts.
More than anything this year, a health issue in the spring caused me alarm as I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and High cholesterol. I also climbed on a scale and weighed in at 247 back in March. My reaction was to get my diet back under control and to start training with goals once again.
I also had to finally understand that despite my positive outlook, I was probably dealing with depression due to the injury. While I was not moping about, I was over indulging in many ways. It was time to reign it in and take more control of my body. My injury was not an excuse to live the way I had been living.
So here I am in early fall of 2015. My weight is down to 219. A loss of almost 30 pounds since March. I am training daily on the hancycle, racing chair and in the pool. In some ways I feel that my swim is as strong as ever.
I did a 5k on the chair last month and am signed up for the Cleveland Marathon this coming spring. My big race goal is Ironman Maryland in 2017. The race is flat and is only a 7 hour drive from Cleveland.  I am currently looking at a few races to help keep the training focused until then. The Twinsburg DU and The Greater Cleveland Triathlon will be on next years schedule. There is also a new Ironman 70.3 here in Ohio that may be promising. The course has not been finalized though and I am not sure if it is a handcycle friendly race yet. Time will tell.
So anyway, I will try to keep this blog updated. I know that it was a big help to me in training for IMUK and IMKY. It kept me honest and accountable. If it inspires you, cool. if no one reads it, that is fine also. This is my journey.