Shhh, it's a secret

Ok, first, I've been a bit lacking the past couple of weeks on posting. I apoligize. My counterpart at work has been gone on vacation so my workload has increased. So between work being nuts, being in a fairly critical time in my HIM training and seemingly travelling with the family every weekend on short trips something had to give. And, unfortunately my friends, the blog lost that battle.

So not only have I been teasing you with a secret but I have also been ignoring you all. How rude am I? lol Let's see if I can make it up to you.

Here are the quick workout facts to date. I have continued my build phase towards Steelhead. I am currently 4 weeks away and feeling pretty ok with my fitness. This coming weekend is Interlochen. This was the first tri I ever attempted and this may be the last year I race it. I think next year I am going to be trying some different venues and race management companies. This is another 3 Disciplines race and I have just grown tired of the constant issues and excuses. I felt like they were better at Motor City and I have hope for Interlochen but it's just time to try some new events next year. My race expectation for Interlochen is another PR. I really feel ready to break the 2:55 mark. This is a fast fairly flat (1 small hill on the outbound leg of the bike and one HUGE hill at the half way point of the run) fast (the bike is typically into the wind on the way out and with the wind on the way in) race. My ultimate goal would be 2:45 but that will require some serious buckling down on my part. I fully expect a sub 2:55 effort on this one. Anything less will be a definite disappointment.

Ok enough of that drudgery. I have been holding out on you all for the past few months and especially the past 3 weeks. This past spring I came across an oppourtunity to participate in a research study through Michigan State University. What prompted my desire to participate was the chance to have a real VO2max test! I initially thought it was at no cost to me. Boy was I wrong! it may have been no monetary cost but the physical effort to participate in the study cost a ton, haha. I used to think lab rats had a pretty good life. 3 square meals a day, lodging, a little exercise..... how bad could it be? Let me tell you, I have grown mentally and physically participating in this study. I found out about 3 weeks ago that I had been accepted into the study. The study is being conducted by Clemens Drenowatz, a Ph.D. candidate in their kinesiology dept. This is a pre-study for his doctoral dissertation. He is studying the validity of the Sensewear Armband® at high intensity exercise. (I should have paid more attention that statement when I signed up, haha, high intensity should have set off some alarms somewhere) For the study I will be doing 3 separate test procedures. I have completed the first two as now. I am scheduled to complete the 3rd and final test procedure Wednesday evening, this week.

So, on to my Craig the lab rat report. For my first visit I met Clemens at the IM Circle facility (my second test was there as well). We chatted a bit and I got to listen to all the disclaimers and legal crud. Then I got to sign all their waivers saying I wouldn't sue if I died, etc... Hey I'm a triathlete afterall, I'm used to signing my life away so what the heck, lol... Then the fun began.

Body composition testing and VO2Max test. The results here would establish a baseline for the next 2 visits and establish effort level percentages for future use. The first picture is the "bod pod" used for determining body composition (read that as how much fat does Craig have) What an eye opener that was. The device uses air pressure to determine exactly how much bone, muscle, fat, etc.. you have in your body.
I found out I'm a nice healthy 24% body fat, not a surprise but now I also was shown that number translated to 40 pounds of fat!! That number was an eye opener. Wow! It sounds really bad when you put it that way, lol. Anyways that was only the begining of the fun. We got to get standing heart rate, height, weight and blood pressue as well. The second picture is of Clemens, standing next to the open bod pod. You really feel a bit odd sitting in there while they run the test.

Enough of the easy stuff, lets go torture Craig now. The next picture shows me all suited up in a portable VO2max mask. It communicates wirelessly with a laptop to give them all my data realtime. The last visit of the study is a 30 minute outdoor run wearing this sexy Fighter Pilot getup, so to keep the study consistent I get to wear the portable unit for all 3 phases. Yippeeeee! In the week before the VO2max test I read somewhere that it takes a motivated individual to do the test. I would like to add slightly demented, masochistic individual to that statement.

The test went like this. Gear Craig up, put him on treadmill walking at 3.5 mph for 3 minutes lulling him into a false sense of comfort and ease. Increase speed to 6mph for 1 minute, then 7mph for 1 minute then when he's just about comfy, start torturing him by setting the incline at 1% and increase that incline .1% every 10 seconds until Craig falls off the treadmill, jumps off the treadmill or dies, which ever comes first lol. I managed to hang on (figuratively, because as soon as you grab the hand rails the test is over) until 10.5% incline for a total test time of around 10 minutes. The last picture is of my relieved face once the test was over.

I managed a VO2max of 52 and a max heart rate of 194 (holy cow! really 194) So much for the 220 minus your age rule, haha

Now that I have written a book for today's post, I think I'll wait to tell about my second visit until later. This has been a very cool experience and I have gotten to meet some very cool people at Michigan State. I must have something wrong with me though because I have volunteered to be tortured again in the future for other studies if they want me. I am now officially a college lab rat. But, I get so much cool data to help me tailor my training by out of it.

Well, I hope everyone in the U.S.A. had a great 4th of July weekend and thanked a serviceman or woman somewhere for their sacrifices for our country.

Keep on tri-ing....

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