Start of the tri season

Galena is coming up, and around this area it generally signals the start of the tri season. This is when you find out how out of shape you fell in the off-season or how much your fitness has improved through training.

Galena has a triathlon and a duathlon option, and this year (just like last year), I'm doing the du. I did the tri two years ago and that one ended disastrously. Let's just say that early season cold open water swims and I don't mix very well.

The goal was to crush the Galena du course this year, but my bike and running are nowhere near where I want them to be. My wattage on the bike hasn't really improved and my run times are slightly behind my times from last year. So I’m scaling back my goals for the race. Last year I cramped up pretty hard on the second run so this year I would like to try to finish strong and not cramp. I’ll have to take it easier on the first run, be conservative on the bike, and then try to bring it home strong.

The race on Saturday is only one fun part of the whole weekend. Through the Chicago Tri Club we rent cabins in the Galena area for our whole group (50-60 people) the entire weekend. We head down there on Friday night, race on Saturday morning, have a party on Saturday night and then ride the hills of Galena on Sunday morning before heading back to the city. Overall a very fun and enjoyable weekend. I've had a blast in years past and I'm really looking forward to it this year. Finally after a long long winter the tri season is here!

Back!

And we’re back! The big work product launch went live this Friday night and now I should have a bit more free time on my hands to train.

Dang, I am nowhere near the fitness level where I wanted to be, but at the same time I’m grateful that my fitness hasn't completely dropped off a cliff like it did last year. Sometimes it’s the little things that keep you going.

I have a couple races coming up soon that I am feeling pretty unprepared for, but I’ll just have to adjust my expectations for my times. I won’t be tearing up the tri scene like I planned on this summer, but I’ll still be out there having fun.

Crowdsourced cycling trips

This is pretty cool, a Toronto-based company offers cycling trips that are designed and planned by the crowd. The name of the company is Tour D'Afrique and the tours are called Dream Tours.

Via Springwise:

Currently in beta, DreamTours allows cycling enthusiasts to design a tour and post it on the website for others to comment on, make suggestions to improve upon it, and register their interest in joining the tour. Creators name the tour, upload destination photographs, outline trip highlights, plot the route on a map, and set the cost parameters of the tour by choosing variables such as accommodation, number of riders, food, crew and vehicle support.

If the tour is logistically viable, DreamTours approves it and the creator can begin recruiting more riders via social networking. When enough people have signed on, DreamTours takes over the planning process to make the trip a reality. If a tour sells out, the creator can ride for free or apply a discount to the entire group. Tours currently in the works include a North American Epic, an Indian Adventure, and the Mediterranean Circuit.

Another FTP test fail

And yet another failure at my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test this week. This one was less disappointing than the last one because I knew I wasn't going to do well going into it so I set my expectations lower. I only came in slightly under my best numbers so that’s an improvement over my last test. What did sting just as much as last time was seeing everyone around me set new threshold levels while my power levels remained stagnant. Oh well, better luck next time…

Spring is here, summer is around the corner

A new school quarter started this week and work continues plodding along, but I can clearly see the end of this hellish project in the near future. April 23rd is the launch date, and I plan on celebrating that day like a national holiday. I'm already dreaming about the extra time I’ll have to kick back and relax, not to mention the extra time I’ll have to dedicate to my training. Spring is here, summer’s around the corner, and I’m getting excited for the start of the tri season!