Contest!

So my girlfriend Jacqui needs your help....

She entered a contest called "Believe in the Run" which is sponsored by Nike. She used a story about how she ran her first marathon (Chicago 2007) with both of her parents. It was a really neat story because she comes from a running family and before the marathon, all of her training went down the drain as she came up with an injury. Being the determined person that she is, she still decided to do the marathon with barely any training. Her dad ran most of the race with her before the heat really kicked in and he was forced to stop. Jacqui said she would keep going and this was where her mom jumped in and ended up finishing the race with her. From that moment, Jacqui's mom started running again and now competes in races (5ks-10ks). It was really neat to see how a family bonded together and did what they love to do together. Please take a second of yours to vote for her!!


http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=837724_37864679&=PPIMEMAIL_PPIMEMAIL&isep=1&pbapi=2234345&pbvi=71025833

Some Pics from the Race!

Just wanted to share a few pictures from this past weekends race. Overall, it was a great race, and I would definitely go back next year!

To start the photos off...I wanted to put a few sequenced slides in. The story behind it is that my dad decided that he was going to sprint all out into the finish of the 5k. Apparently everyone in the stands was laughing at him because he was making crazy head movements and running as fast as he could just to beat the kid in front of him. Check it out..

The sprint to the finish:

Good form of leaning forward to get across first:

Annnnnd...success. Well, actually I am not sure who's chip registered first:

The start of the half marathon, I ran alone most of the way.

I was freeeeeezing. Next time I'd go with long sleeves and gloves. You could tell by my red nose and face that I was a little chilled...

Pretty cool shot of me coming into the stadium for the finish with the JumboTron in the background. What a perfect day!

Annnnd finished. Too bad I made a wrong turn during the race or maybe I would've been able to get a new half marathon PR. I'll save it for the Palos Half coming up in a few weeks:

The start of Jacqui's Half marathon journey:

Lookin' smooth and strong!

Still flyin'!

My crazy brother Jerry running the half. He made it through just fine and wasn't even that sore the next day! This pic is from the News Gazette!

Alex comin' into the finish of the 5k..he's so little

And Jason finished just ahead of him. They are both running a youth mile next weekend so that will be fun to watch!

And that is about it. I will try to update a lil more frequently. The season is starting to kick into full grind so there will be many more race updates! Hope everyone's training has been going well!

Back to the ole Runnin' Grounds

It's always fun headin' back to the alma mater..most people head back in order to join up with old friends, see the old sites and sounds, and reminisce on the great times had. I was fortunate enough to do all of the above....AND run in the first annual Illinois Half Marathon!

Over this past Easter weekends, I went on down to Champaign-Urbana to race in the first ever Illinois Marathon/Half Marathon. The day before the race, my plan was to run with Jacqui and help her run a new PR for the half marathon. We were both given free race entries for meeting the elite time requirements, and I was also given a free hotel room to stay in the night before. I really felt like an elite athlete with all of the special attention! The week before the race, my work schedule was a little mixed up and it ended up that I was on schedule to work Friday all day (until 9 pm). I told Jacqui to go ahead and drive down to the race with her mom while I worked and I would just head down there as soon as I was off work. Being on my feet running around helping customers really wore me out, but mid-way through that Friday Jacqui had let me know that I was seeded 2nd out of 10 of the 'elite' runners. My competitive side got me thinking that maybe I should actually do the race considering the first three overall finishers won a decent amount of money. Well after thinking about my race plan during work, I decided that I would go out with my normal race pace and see what place I would be sitting in.

Once off of work (9:30 pm) I went home, packed my bags, and hit the road for a 2.5 hour drive down south. Luckily, my dad, brothers, and brother's fiance all waited for me so I had a group to drive down with. My dad did the driving so it allowed me to rest and sleep a little bit during the drive. We ended up checking into the hotel around 1am, and I was welcomed to an AMAZING surprise in my room. Jacqui and her mom had checked into my hotel room during the day and put streamers, candy, pre race snacks/drinks, and our race packets in the room. It really was amazing, and feel so grateful to have such an amazing girlfriend in my life!! I ended up hoppin' in bed and trying to sleep a little bit before the 6:45 am wake up call.

Race morning, Jacqui and her mom stopped at the hotel and we walked over to the race start. My dad, brothers Jason and Alex, and Jacqui's mom did the 5k while Jacqui, my brother Jerry (who only ran 2! yes 2! miles between the Chicago marathon and this half), and myself all did the half marathon. We did a little warm-up, some strides,and then stood on the line to wait for the race to start. I wasn't very nervous and had mixed emotions on what to do for the race. I told Jacqui to race her pace and then off we went.

The first mile...I had a feeling top 3 would be manageable. I had completely forgotten my watch, so I did not know any mile splits/times. There were mile markers, but no clocks or timers! After about the first mile, I was sitting in third place with the top two (one being super Chicago area runner Jeff Jonaitis, aka JJ) a little bit in front of me. I listened to my body and went through the first few miles at a comfortable clip. It was really great going through all of the areas that I had run in for my college years. An extra bonus was hearing the cheering of my name by family/friends/students! At around mile 6, somehow I caught the two leaders and tried to stay tight with them. One of the runners seemed to be struggling a little bit and eventually fell off pace to leave just me and JJ up front. There was a clock a little past the six mile mark (which leads me to believe it was the 10k marker) and when I went past it read 31:40. Wow, that is movin'! I was still feeling great and pushed the new few mile until I couldn't hang on to Jonaitis anymore around mile 9.5. I was getting ready to just finish up the race and claim my 2nd place until the unexpected came along. Just past 10.5 miles I saw the lead bike coming towards me. He yelled, "turn around, you were supposed to turn back there!" I freaked out a little bit and was very confused. I saw JJ coming towards me, so I turned around and followed the biker. By the time I got back to the turn, the third place runner had made the correct turn and was now in the lead. I was pretty upset which made me start running hard in order to reclaim my position. Once I passed the leader, I was in first place! I knew JJ would be coming up fast and as expected, he flew by at mile 12. I was able to jog the last mile in and take up the sounds and sights. It really was awesome coming into the stadium to finish up the race right on the 50 yard line. My time was 1:11:50 or so..but with the extra half mile due to the mixed up course, I think my time would have been closer to 1:09 or under. So overall...a good race for me. Ran right around 5:15 each mile and felt strong.

Along with the 2nd place finish I was awarded a $400 dollar check! Pretty excited about that considering the hotel and race entry were paid for! As for Jacqui..her race went perfectly! She ended up at 1:25 (6:30 per mile!) and a new PR by 3 minutes. What makes it even more impressive is that she had PR'ed by 3 minutes in the first half marathon this year a few weeks before. So overall...that is 6 minutes off her best half marathon since last year! I can honestly say that it has been more exciting seeing the improvements that she has been making than my racing. I think that she is going to start turning some heads and making people worried about racing her in the next year!

My brother Jerry also had a good race and finished just under 2 hours. How can anybody do that!?! No running and jump in last second to run 13 miles...not normal. My dad, Jason, Alex, and Jacqui's mom all did well in the 5k and really enjoyed the day. The weather and course were perfect...no complaints at all!

After the race, I was able to get a massage at the Mettler Center (where Jacqui and I worked while at school). Then we all went out to Alexander's Steakhouse to eat some of the best steaks around. That is honestly one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

Overall, it was an exciting and fun weekend. Jacqui's mom, Jacqui, and I all drove together over to Henry, IL (very small town) for Jacqui's side of the family to celebrate Easter the following day.

Now it is back to the training grind for me. Next race will be: "The Race That's Good for Life" 5k on Sunday. Just gonna treat it was a hard effort and hopefully test my speed out..pretty exciting! I'll try to keep everyone updated on what's going on...and also I'll post some pics from the race as soon as I get them!

Lots of News!

I know, I'm sorry..it has been entirely too long since I updated my blog. I was in a spell of very busy times and have not been able to hop on here too much to say what has been going on!

To start things off with my poor excuses for not updating, I'd like to say that I'm a working man now. I picked up a job at Dick Pond Athletics over in Schaumburg and have been putting in a good amount of hours these past few weeks. Being thrown in there, I was not sure what to expect. From all of my experiences so far, I can say this job is amazing. On a daily basis, I am able to interact with others that are looking mainly for a shoe that they can be active in (walk, run, do gardening..you name it). It has just been nice helping others find a shoe that works for them and see their face when they step into the right shoe. The staff over at Dick Pond is also great and everyone works well together. I highly encourage everyone out there to stop by sometime and see firsthand what top quality service Dick Pond has to offer. And don't forget, the prices are unbeatable!

So other than picking up a few hours here and there, I'm back to the grind of training. It has been great not having to worry about my IT band in a while. All winter I was weary of going out for a run of 2 mile in fear that the pain would come back. But nope..I am able to run long, do workouts, and just be on my feet doing what I love the most. I do have to admit, I need to get back to my strengthening excercises a little bit more. Those are what helped me get healthy..and now I need to keep doing them to stay that way.

In terms of the running, I was able to do a few road races these past few weekends. The first one was the March Madness 1/2 Marathon. I went into the race scared about the distance (and hills) because I didn't run more than 11 miles in the past 3 months going into it. I was mainly doing 4 milers just to get my legs moving and not aggrevate the IT. At the same time, I wanted to win the race since I did in the previous year. I went out pretty easy and held 5:30's most of the way until around mile 7 when I took off. There was a group of three guys running with my and I decided it was time to put on the burners to get rid of them. I ran a 4:58 mile around mile 8 and lost all of them. I then pulled back and coasted the last few miles in 5:30's for the overall win in 1:12. Not a bad time considering I was able to take it easy. I wore my new Polar Heart Rate monitor watch and it was great. i was able to keep my HR in check and make sure I didn't push too hard. Jacqui also did great at the race as she got a new 1/2 marathon PB of 1:28! Her training has come a long way since last year and it is unbelievable how fast she is getting. I feel that this is going to be an amazing year for her.

After the 1/2 was Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Wow..what a disaster. The snow came pouring down all night/morning which made for a miserable race. We got going from my house a little bit too late and were rushed to get over to the starting line. After running through slush, ice, snow, water...Jacqui and I were at the start line freezing cold with no warmup or stretching. I knew it wasn't gonna be a good one. We both wanted to perform though because Dick Pond Athletics has a team put together. I went out hard and tried to hold my pace but ended up finished in high 25s. Not the best time, but not too bad either. I think with some speed work starting up (and nicer weather!) my time for the 8k will be mid 24's. So we will see how that goes.

Other than those races, the training in the pool and on the bike have gone well. I am continuing to swim with Well-Fit and Sharone each Tuesday/Thursday morning of the week. Its rough getting out of bed at 4:50 those days, but I know that it is only going to help me. This year will hopefully show some time dropped in the water..I am excited to see how that goes. On the bike, the power is increasing at a good rate. I keep monitoring my PowerMeter and can see that the power has gone up a good amount. Attaining sub 1 hour bike rides on any course should be doable this year!

Lastly, I want to thank the great sponsors that have stepped up this year for me. It really helps having the support to make it through this sport!

-Well Fit Triathlon and Training
Providing me with the coaching by Sharone Aharon

-Dick Pond Athletics
Saucony shoes, apparel, team support

-TriSports.com
The support they give to athletes is amazing! Use RGIUL-S at your checkout to save 10% on your order!!

-ZYM
A great drink that tastes good and provides the essential electrolytes

-PowerBar
Best nutrition..hands down it is the greatest (I LOVE triple threat bars!)

-Leopard Cycles
For their continued help of setting me up on the best frames out there

Post from iPhone!

Soooo it's crazy what you can do from a phone these days! Trainig is good..indoor tri tomorrow I'll keep ya posted

Back on the Road.

Well.. last time I attempted my Tabata intervals, my PowerTap decided to bonk out on me and give a 'zero' reading so I was unable to save the results from that session. So today I decided it has been a while and I would test my power again. The PowerTap was up and running, but the question was...were my legs. I've been back on the road again running a decent amount after being injured near the end of last season. I broke through this weekend with a good 10.5 mile run on the hilly roads of the Cary March Madness 1/2 Marathon course. (I'll be doing that race on March 15th!). Other than that 'longer' run, I've been consistantly running 4-5 miles and doing a lil bit of speed work here and there. From my indoor tris, I've been able to hold 5min/mile fairly easily for 3 miles..so my speed is doing ok, I just need to work on my endurance. So with the increased milage from running, my legs have been a little bit heavier than usual.

Back to my workout..I warmed up for a good 30 mins with a few short burts to 'wake' the legs up and then hit it hard. While warming up, I was easily able to hit over 1000 watts for each of the short burts...ok, maybe not easily..but in comparision to other days when I was not able to. My first interval I hit a new all time high wattage: 1,064 watts! That is 17.16 watts/kg for me. According to Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen's Power Chart...this type of power would classify me into the range of a Cat 1 rider. Here is a chart for comparison or to use to measure yourself up:



On the rest of the intervals..I did fairly well and was higher than all previous sessions. The only downfall was my last interval. I was hoping to hit over 800 watts, but my legs were just trashed. I don't know if it is because I went so hard on the first ones or my legs were just not feelin it, but I felt as if I could barely crank anything out.

All in all, the workout was yet again a success. It has been 2 months since I first starting doing these workouts..sorta just for fun and another way to analyze my data on the PowerTap..but also to see if I can make some increases in my VO2 max and max power. So as sort of an anniversary..I only compared my lastest data compared to my first time ever doing the workout. You can definitely see the improvements that have been made. You should give it a try if you want a little more suffering in your training..but make sure not to jump right into them..get into shape first and make sure your body can hold up. I don't want anyone getting injured on my account. So here is the chart:

Ups and Downs

Well...I'm am at the grind..training hard and getting in some quality workouts. The swimming is coming along, and I'm definitely seeing some improvements. I also feel MUCH stronger than previous years on the bike and my running is still my strongest. I tried doing my Tabata intervals again this past week...I got through three of them, which numbers looking really good, but then it happened. The PowerTap decided to go out. I secretly think that it was because I was pushing so many watts...but in reality it was something else. I tried to get it going again, but then found it to be that the trainer was too tight on the rear triangle of my bike. By then it had been 10 minutes since my last interval, so I scratched the tabatas for the week. For the first three here were my numbers : 1054 watts (yes! a new all time high), 863 watts, 855 watts. So the numbers were good and I was feeling strong, but as with all technology, you can't always trust it. I will try the workout again soon so I'll let everyone know how that goes.

In other terms, I did my longest run of 6.5 miles just the other day. I have been sticking to shorter run as of late and will slowly increase the milage as time progresses. I think last season I focused on too much long running and eventually my running hit a plateau. I would like to keep increasing speed and improve as the season progresses.

For swimming...I hit a new point in my life. I swam this morning...........and I actually LIKED it! Sure I am not swimming ridiculous amounts of 8000 yds per day like other pros, but I am purely working on my stroke and getting the fundamentals in. I think that this was a problem with past seasons too. I would only just go to the pool to get in lots of yards and not work on drills/what my stroke should be like. I think that this is a problem with many first time swimmers. We figure that the best way to improve is to just keep swimming until we get a little faster. In reality, with swimming you should work out the flaws and develop a smooth and powerful/efficient stroke. I am slowly getting that and have been getting some help weekly from Well-Fit's head coach Sharone. Each time, I get helpful advice on what to work on and that is what I do for the remainder of the week. I am very excited to test out my swimming once the season begins and see some improvements. If I can drop 2.5 minutes from my 1500 meter swim (which is very realistic), I will be placing consistantly in the top 5, if not 3, overall in each olympic triathlon that I do. And that is not including my biking or running. I think that this will be a breakthrough season which will show my potential as a top triathlete.

Other than training...I am playing the waiting game to see if any schoools let me in for their physical therapy program. I also signed up to become a certified USA Triathlon Coach which I will be doing in May of this year. So things are heading in the right direction!

Well, now its off for an outdoor (yes OUTDOOR) run since the temps are cooperating today..gotta take advantage of that. Check back soon for some more updates!

TABATA INTERVALS #5

I know you all are dying to know how my next set of tabata intervals went....well here it is: (click on the chart to see a full size)

Noticable points to make: My first interval was lower than last time (940 watts vs. 1020). For this set, I was riding my trainer on soft thick carpet. I noticed that as I did the first interval, my bike and trainer were rocking A LOT. I think this was because the carpet was so soft and the trainer was sinking in and moving around a lot. This probably made a slight difference compared to a harder ground with less movement going on. Although the first interval was a little low, my 2nd-6th intervals were great. I was able to almost hit over 800 for all of them! I felt that I was able to put out a good amount of power without the same fatigue that I had in the previous sessions. I unfortunetely did not wear my heart rate monitor and therefore did not know what my max was for the workout. I could tell though that it took a lot less out of me compared to previous sessions. I think its a great indication that my power and overall fitness is improving. Hopefully I will be able to start to hit over 1000 watts for the first 1-3 intervals and get the last three into the 800-900 range. This should be attainable if the trend keeps going the way it has been! For the whole workout today I warmed up for 30 minutes with a few short hard efforts, did the tabata intervals, and finished off the ride with 1.5 hours of smooth riding at 210 watts. I felt great during the workout and got in a total of 2 hours on the trainer.

Another plus was that for the last 1.5 hours I was able to play 'ToeJam and Earl' with my bro Jason on the wii. Anyone remember that game? It was originally for Sega Genesis. But anyways, it took my mind off of the riding and made the time go quickly. Only bad part was that we both died and the game ended prematurely. Maybe next time.

Well, now I'm off to get in a solid run and try to start boosting my run milage now. Keep trainin'!

-Bread

New Layout

So as you all can see, I changed things up a little bit on the blog. I was just going for a new change and look. You can also see that on the right hand side there is a list of my 2009 sponsors:


Leopard Cycles

TriSports.com (save 10% on your next order with the code: RGIUL-S)

TrainingBible Coaching

Dick Pond Athletics (Saucony)

ZYM Electrolyte Drink

Well-Fit Elite Triathlon Team

PowerBar


I am waiting on a few more pending sponsorships, but I believe that with the lineup that I currently have, I will be ready to rock and roll this season. From the new Saucony racing flats/training shoes, Saucony running gear, Leopard racing bike, Nurtrition from PowerBar and ZYM, training from Well-Fit and TrainingBible, and gear from TriSports.com...I will be set to go. I will have a picture of all my gear lined up once I have it all in.


In other news, I began my training with Well-Fit Triathlon and Training. I swim every Monday night with Sharone and several members of the Elite team working on form and drills. I have already noticed an improvement in my swimming and have continued to swim 5-6 days of the week (which is a big improvement for me). I will continue to add distance and swim sessions and time progresses. I do not want to jump right in and start swimming 9 sessions a week (it'd be stupid and I'd just get hurt). So I have been doing around 2800-3500 meters each session and is a good start. I'll keep everyone posted on the swim improvements.


For biking, I have been riding a lot more than in past years. I love my Powermeter and it has definitely improved my knowledge on the bike. I know exactly how hard to go on recovery rides along with the intense rides. Speaking of hard rides..here is my 4th Tabata interval session:




Looking at the newest entry into the Tabata Intervals...I broke into the 1000's for wattage! It was nice to see the improvement once again on this set. The rest of the intervals also increased..and one thing very notable is that last (6th) interval was higher than my 1st one on my initial test day! So there are definite improvements being made. I have taken 1.5 weeks off of Tabatas but will be performing the test again sometime this week. I have a feeling I will see some more improvements.


Also in the cycling news, I participated in a 'Galena Time Trial' effort at the Well-Fit training center last weekend. I went into the time trial with the mindset that I would just push hard, but not all out. I knew from my training that I could manage an effort of 270 watts for an hour. The Galena Triathlon course is one brutal test of strength and endurance. There isn't really a flat section on the course, but it definitely is a power boosting course. I made sure to start the time trial nice and easy (around 230 watts) so that I could get stronger as I went through it. I had a fun time on the computrainer and ended up with the fastest time of the day and an average of over 270 watts. My total ride was only 42 minutes, so I can definitely go harder. It was a good effort, but not a maximal one. I am aiming for a 300 watt average in my 40k races this year...so we shall see how that plays out. I think that with the continued riding and tough workouts, I will be there before I know it.


As for running..I haven't been on top of it too much. My running has always been my strength and therefore I have concentrated on my 'weak' disciplines this winter. I am only averaging about 20 miles a week, but I still feel that I have some speed and endurace. I race a 15 min effort last weekend and got 3 miles in (so 5min/mile). It was a nice effort and was on a small 150 meter track at the end of an indoor triathlon. So my legs were trashed from the bike..but I still managed to pull that time out. Once the season starts to roll around, I will start running more and focus on some speed.


Well, I will update again soon. Check back and I should have some more info on the upcoming season. Make sure to check out my main page: http://www.rybread.com/ for more info. I should continue to update it with my schedule, about me section, and pictures!

Special Thanks

To start this posting...I want to send a special thanks out to my sponsors!

Leopard Cycles

http://www.leopardcycles.com/

Leopard has been very generous to me and really helped jumpstart my triathlon and duathlon success with the bikes that they produce. My road bike, a Leopard CL1, was provided to me by the great guys over in California. I'm in the process up swapping out components to upgrade my Leopard right now. After taking the components off, I can't believe how light this frame is! Take a look at this thing, only 1 finger needed!!



Roy Grant over at Leopard was extremely generous and really stepped ahead of many other bike companies and put me on board as one of the few Leopard Cycles sponsored riders. This bike is like no other. The folks over at Leopard create an amazingly light, fast, responsive, and overall top notch bike at an incredible price. I will be posting a complete bike review on this ride so check back to see what this bike is all about. In the meantime..check out the bikes at www.leopardcycles.com . I guarantee you will find your dream bike and best yet...you can get custom colors for whatever suits you best. Top quality service along with top quality bikes makes Leopard a can't miss bike supplier.


And to make your mouth drool a little bit...take a look at Leopard's new TT bike. I guarantee you will think this thing is sharp!

TrainingBible Coaching

http://www.trainingbible.com/

For the past few seasons Adam Zucco has been training me to reach my full potential. Everyone over at TrainingBible is well knowledged, smart, and very easy to communicate with. Adam's been a great coach and supplied me with a lot of knowledge in regards to the sport. Having a coach has helped me keep on track with training and stay motivated. There are days when I wake up and don't want to do a thing, but knowing that there is someone out there looking over my training and is able to see what I'm doing makes me get out there. A lot of my success over these past few years is from the work of Adam. I really can't thank him enough for all that he has done for me. If you're ever in need of a top notch coach who has a main goal of helping you improve..check out the website and get a hold of one of the coaches. They will definitely do everything and anything for you. Thanks for everthing Zucco.

PowerBar

http://www.powerbar.com/

Everything from recovery shakes, drinks, gels, clothing..you name it. I teamed up with PowerBar at the beginning of the 2008 season and loved every second of it. They have really been a huge help with my nutrition and their products are simply the best. I love getting my shipments of gels and bars every once in a while along with the clothing to train in. I'm looking forward to another season on board with them. If anyone ever needs a few samples..let me know!!

Dick Pond Athletics

www.dickpondathletics.com

I hopped onto the Dick Pond Racing team early in 2008. Their shoes and clothing are unbeatable. From the knowledgeable staff, group training runs, unbeatable prices, and endless racks of shoes to suit your foot, Dick Pond is easily the best around. After joining the team, they have supplied me with a lot of great products. I love just going over to the store to walk around and check out the new gear. I will be representing Dick Pond once again this season for my road races and possibly the addition of some tri related gear. Thanks again DP!

And last but not least...I'd like to welcome the addition of a few sponsors for the 2009 season!

I will update on them in the next post!!!