Triathlon at Retirement

It has been a while, but I have not been idle. Despite infections and injuries, I have continued to train and race as best as I can. I did have a course of antibiotics in January when another cold continued to a chest infection. Due to problems with running, I have started to work on the elliptical in the gym, and I can get a fairly effective workout with the right resistance. It saves my running legs, and it also imitates cross country skiing, so a double benefit! The big goal was the winter triathlon in early February. It was actually two events in one, as it combined with the Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) which is like a mini winter Olympics at Lake Placid, where the real winter Olympics have been held 1934 and 1970! There is lot of infrastructure, ice rinks, skating oval, ski jumping, bob sled and luge tracks. And of course, tons of snow and skiing opportunities, both downhill and cross country. Games took place February 6-9 and winter triathlon Friday the 6th at 9 am, followed ...

I have continued to nurse my knee and been able to do some shorter runs. Times have been decent, around 9 minutes-mile, which is not amazing but good enough after a long break. In February, I went to Breckenridge for cross country ski training and the USA National Championships in Winter Triathlon and Duathlon. As it was my second year in Breckenridge, I quickly came into the swing of things. I know the courses, and I wasted no time hitting the trails. As an extra bonus, my daughter joined me for a few days! I really enjoy cross-country skiing. It is tough, a very good workout for arms, legs and aerobic system. The first day, I burned over 1400 calories according to my smart watch. The altitude, over 9000 feet, also took its toll, but I never felt any altitude sickness, it only showed in my elevated heart rate. Over the 10 days I was there, I added over 20 points to my Strava fitness scores.  I won my age group in both the duathlon and the triathlon again. The duathlon run was very...

Without previous experience in winter triathlon, I signed up for US National Championship in duathlon (run + ski) and triathlon (run + bike + ski). With all my participation in regular triathlon and cross-country skiing, how hard can it be? Answer: very hard. Maybe it was the altitude (>9000 feet), maybe all the fresh snow, but it was exhausting. I was worried about the altitude, and I also needed to get back into skiing, so I arrived in Breckenridge a week before the competitions.  I got an extra workout right away the first morning when I had to clear my car of snow and shovel my way out to the road. I did not want to push my limits the first day and skiing felt fine, but really, that slow? Mile splits of 12-14 minutes! I checked the Strava segments, and I was quite high on them, for my age group number 1 or 2. I realized high altitude has a big impact. After a few days, I rented a fat bike and tried the biking. It had snowed in the night and even though the track had been pre...