Love2Tri Alberta

Sylvan it is!

2011-07-19T20:24:00.002-06:00

Well I finally made a commitment and put my money down for the Sylvan Lake Half Iron Man. I haven't left myself a lot of time to fret about preparations as it is this Sunday, July 24th. I'm not feeling terribly excited about it right now as I have not quite felt myself in recent weeks, but I'm sure I will pull it together by the weekend. Sylvan Lake is about 4 hours from Hinton and is a resort town of sorts. The lake is about a good a lake as you will find in Alberta as there just aren't that many lakes. The swim should be alright as I have been doing okay there. I am not that worried about the bike. However, lately I have not felt the running endurance I normally have. I'm not sure if it is a function of the weather or what, but I just find myself tiring easily on the run. Well we will see what the weekend holds and I will report back next week!

What next?

2011-07-09T07:37:00.002-06:00

This summer thus far, has been one of indecision as I can't seem to get my act together and make any commitments to an event. I keep threatening to sign up for various races and then they come and go without me at the starting line.
Time to get committed and get myself entered in some races. Which brings me to my next point, the Sylvan Lake 1/2 Iron Man on July 24th. This is a race I really like so I hope this gets me going again and back into the swing of things. I am just waiting until Monday to make sure that weekend is clear for me and then I will get signed up. Last time I was 5:08 with a really slow run as I had a banged up calf.
I have been training very consistently and feel I am within weeks of being in full IM condition. A bit more time on the bike and a few long runs and I will be there. My cycling has shown some improvements again this summer. I'm not sure I am any faster but I have definitely gotten stronger. I credit that to the SUFFERFEST DVD's I have been training with lately. Their motto is "I will beat my ass today so I can kick your's tomorrow." Brilliant! And they are inexpensive, around $11 / each and you can download them directly from their site. So far they have 5 different ones in the collection and I have all of them.
So far this week I have logged 10 hours of training with one day to go. Today will be a longish run, 20km or so. Weather is not looking great but that's okay as I don't run well in the heat anyway!
Hope you have had a great week and happy training!

The Banff Jasper Relay

2011-06-12T17:22:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I did the Banff Jasper Relay with 13 of my coleagues from work. We entered a team "The West Fraser Warriors" in the mixed Corporate event.
The relay consists of 15 legs starting in Banff by Lake Louise and making it's way up the Icefields Parkway ending in the Town of Jasper. The race is divided into a south phase and a north phase and each team starts a runner on each of the phases at 0700h sharp. Thereafter there are forced starts on each remaining leg to ensure the event finishes in the daylight hours.
Our team performed incredibly and we ended up fourth in our division. I drew two legs because of a last minute injury and did leg 9 - 15.7 kms and leg 15 - 19.7. A bit of a challenge, but I was able to finish 3rd overall on both legs. The first one was all uphill to the Columbia Icefields. The scenery was breath taking and although it was a grind I was able to manage a 7:44 / mile pace.
The finish was also a beautiful run, and it was nice having the whole team there to support and cheer me on. On this part of the course I was able to cruise comfortably at sub-7 minute miles.
After a couple days recovery I am back to full on training but still no definite plans. I'm feeling great and will have to find something to use up this training on.
Happy training!

A Prolonged Case of Writer's Block

2011-06-01T07:16:00.001-06:00

I have really struggled over the last few months to blog with any consistency. Trying to find something interesting to talk about is the single largest reason for lack of production. Perhaps I just have to face the fact that my life is terribly boring! But I don’t believe that to be the case so I am going to try some different techniques to keep some ideas on hand to be able to cobble something together.
Despite my best efforts I have only one event on my schedule and that is the Banff to Jasper Relay next weekend. This team event is segmented into two phases, a north and south grouping. Between the two sections there is a total of 15 legs, which covers 259 kilometres. I am doing it with a group of co-workers and it should be a lot of fun. I have drawn the “Big Bend” leg which climbs 1,300 plus feet over 15.7 kilometres to the Columbia Ice Fields. It will be a challenge but one I am looking forward to.
As far as training goes, I continue to build with no particular event in mind. I am considering the Vineman as that is about the perfect time for where I currently am in my cycle. Right now my weekly hours are at just over 11 which is getting to that mid-cycle point. I was having some struggles with the running but as of late I seem to have overcome whatever was affecting my speed and endurance.
So here is to hopefully having overcome this latest case of writer's block.
Happy training!

Time to get serious (again)

2011-04-30T07:32:00.002-06:00

Back from another week's vacation in Florida for which my body and mind thank me.
It has been a long, miserable winter that just doesn't seem to want to end. But now I am back, feeling refreshed and ready to start getting serious about some events for 2011.
The training has gone well, other than a little bit of a set back with some Achilles issues again. Seems I like to tempt fate every once in awhile and stray from my tried and true brand of shoes. Saucony shoes just work for me, plain and simple. I pick them up at the local Bata store usually when they have a buy one, get one half price sale on and everything is good. The thing with Saucony is they aren't very sexy. Generally a pretty plain design and the colours are limited to grey and, well grey. However, sometimes I see the flashy Nikes and get sucked into the glitz and I just want to do it. So I buy them and by the time they are broken in, I will have suffered a myriad of issues. The Achilles is usually the first to let me know that these are not right and then the knees. I will swear off the Nikes again and go and get some Saucony's but I know it will happen again. Put something in a nice package and I will get sucked in, it's a guarantee!
So back to the training and the plan. After an easy week of running and swimming in Florida, I'm ready to start ramping things up again. Week one, post vacation and I have logged 9 hrs which is a reasonably good starting point. I haven't done much cycling as of late but it looks like I might actually get to ride outside this weekend so I should start to get some miles racked up.
The only event I am committed to as of now is the Banff to Jasper Relay of which I am doing a 10 mile uphill section. I am currently looking at the Vineman in California for a long distance event and then probably Victoria for my marathon this year.
All in all I'm feeling great and looking forward to another great season of adventure and personal discovery.
Happy training!

Back from a break

2011-02-27T06:37:00.002-07:00

After a glorious week of vacation in sunny Mexico, it's back to reality and some focused training.
Mexico was a blast! Nicholas, Nicole, Francesca and her fried Jacqui came with us and made for a very special holiday. I hope we can make this an annual event.
Didn't do too much running, which has left me feeling very refreshed and eager to get back at it.
The first week back I have logged just over 8 hours which is a fairly decent total post vacation. However, I need to get some plan together so that I can start developing a better training schedule. Right now I am just making sure I get at least 3 swims, 5 runs and 2 bike rides in during the week.
The swimming has been fine, although I felt a little awkward in the water this week. For whatever reason, I just felt unbalanced and sloppy. However, by the time Friday's swim rolled around, I had most of it worked out.
I don't know if I have gotten soft or what, but I sure don't like running in the cold anymore. Having said that, I did get out yesterday for a 10 miler and although the conditions weren't great, I still enjoyed it.
So today calls for a longer bike ride so I will have to get my sorry butt downstairs and onto the trainer. I think I need some new spinerval DVDs since I am getting bored with the ones I have. They sure do help pass the time and more importantly really do help your cycling strength and technique. So one more cup of coffee and off I go!
Have a great week and happy training!

January

2011-02-05T05:53:00.003-07:00

Up bright and early on a Saturday morning, so rather than workout, I'll write about it.
The first month of the year has come and gone and was relatively uneventful. I still haven't got any events firmed up other than running in the Banff / Jasper relay in June. I did this last year with a group from work and it was so much fun. There are some girls in the HR group who have taken to running and their enthusiasm is so refreshing. They organized the team last year and are doing it again this year. The race is not easy to get into and you have register early so they are all over it.
It really is fun to be around them and to see them developing into runners. They have already both run half marathons and are entering races all the time.
As for January I have pretty much stayed in the 8 to 9 hour range as far as the training has gone. A good mix of runs, bikes and swims with the focus just on fitness. February will be more of the same as I try and decide what events to do. I have a weeks holidays in there as well and the break will be nice. Heading off to Mexico with the entire family and looking forward to it.
So after that I will start to kick up the running portion as I will seriously think about a spring marathon. Red Deer and the new one in St. Albert are both possibilities. Then I will have to get some triathlon races sorted out. Today I will put my entry in for the lottery spots at Kona. It is always a long shot, but it is one more possible way of getting into the race.
Enjoy your weekend and happy training.

The Numbers from 2010

2011-01-15T07:37:00.002-07:00

Part of the attraction for most of us to the fitness world is the numbers. We love the statistics and go to great lengths to measure them. Interestingly enough when you do background checks on the serious runners, triathletes, etc., you will find that they are accountants (present company), engineers, scientists, bankers, and professions and jobs where there is a connection to numbers and statistics. On numerous occassions I have thought it would be great to free myself from the Garmin and just workout with no watchful eye, but I can't. Quite frankly, I don't enjoy it! Since I do all my workouts by myself, it is the watchful eye I need to ensure that I complete the time and distance I had planned. So with that prologue I present the results for 2010 with 2009 for comparative purposes!

Swimming - 2010 148.2 Miles, 83:58, average pace 34:00/mile
Swimming - 2009 117.8 Miles, 69:54, average pace 35:36 / mile (pool was closed for an extended period in 2009)
Bike - 2010 2,300 miles, 123:00 hrs, 18.7 MPH
Bike - 2009 2,206 miles, 116:14 hrs, 19 MPH
Run - 2010 1,607 miles, 190:34 hrs, 7:05 / mile
Run - 2009 1,510 miles, 180:44 hrs, 7:12 / mile

Probably one of the most striking things is the consistency. Over a year the numbers are relatively close. Also interesting to note is that at the ripe old age of 50, I am still improving, albeit slightly!
So the plan for this year is to be at least as consistent and to try and make some more small improvements. At the end of the day though, it's all about staying in good health an getting the most out of this wonderful gift we call life!
Have a great week!

A New Year!

2011-01-08T07:45:00.002-07:00

Well it is another new year and I am excited about the upcoming year. Last year I had a lot of personal successes with regard to triathlon and running. I would say the biggest was that I can still improve in all three areas of the tri.
This year has already started off well as I have hit the ground running, so to speak, and bursting with enthusiasm. I had a bit of a rest after Silverman which was well deserved. Now rest for me is not inactivity, it just meant enjoying workouts with no structure and just for maintaining fitness.
My goals for this year are not lofty. I just want to do a lot of events, similar to last year. In 2010 I did a 10 mile race, a 21 km leg of the Banff Jasper Relay, on Olympic Distance race, half marathon, full marathon and a full Ironman. I would say that covers all the basic food groups! This year I would like to do at least that many again. Of course I still want to do a sub three hour marathon and with missing it by 2 minutes last year I know it is still possible.
Today I turn 51 and I must admit I feel no different than when I was 25. There has to be something said for all this working out! Good luck to everyone in 2011 and may you achieve all your personal and fitness goals. Remember a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step!
Have a great week!

After Thoughts

2010-11-22T20:33:00.002-07:00

After another week to let the events of November 7th soak in, I'm feeling more pleased with my results. The race was a bear I kid you not, but what really has given me the most satisfaction is the feeling that I really am learning how to do these events. My race plan was executed as well as I could have hoped for with the exception of the poor choice of race nutrition.
So what do I think the keys were. Number one is I really have learned to stay in the moment. Of all the advice I could give to anyone wanting to do triathlon, that would be the single most important piece I could pass on. When you think of what you are planning to put your body through, be it a sprint, olympic, half or full ironman, the distances seem daunting. And I think that is where most people get themselves overwhelmed is in thinking of the total distance. Triathlon is three separate events, and quite possibly 5 if you think of the transitions as another event. Learning to break the race into it's components and focus on one piece at a time is critical to having a satisfying event. If you start thinking about the run as you enter the water, there is probably a high probability you're going to have a long day. However if you are thinking about that first stroke of the swim and how you are going to try and make it as effortless and smooth as possible, chances are you have your head in the right space. Each stroke of the swim, revolution of the pedal on the bike, and stride on the run needs to be done with purpose and in it's own moment. Experience of doing these events is the best way to learn it and I really feel that I finally pulled it all together at Silverman. I never got ahead of myself once, and despite the discomfort at some junctures, was able to enjoy each piece of the day. Now I'm just wondering if I enjoyed it enough to take another run at the Silverman!
Have a great day!

The Race Report

2010-11-16T19:50:00.002-07:00

The first thing I said to Angela when I finished the race last Sunday was, "If I tell you in a couple of weeks that this wasn't so bad and I want to do it again, remind me that it was bad!"
Oddly enough, a week later and already I am thinking more about the good things then the bad things. It was a great day all the way around. As tough as anything I have ever done, but with few exceptions, I think I performed the best I have in any race. My time of 13:15:36 doesn't accurately reflect how well I did executed my plan, but for the course and the conditions I couldn't have been happier.
The Swim:
On race day I woke up after a good night's rest feeling more relaxed than I ever have for an event. After a shower and some primping I had a breakfast of a bagel and some gatorade and packed my remaining gear to head to the start. The swim start was only a 5 minute walk from our hotel, so Angela and I headed over at about 6:00 AM.
Once at the venue I went in to get body marked and then took my pump and went down to T1 to inflate my tires and do a few last minute checks. I also dropped off my special needs bags for the bike and run. After getting the last of the T1 preps done I went back to give Angela the pump and say good bye.
Back to the T1 tent and into my wetsuit for the 7:00 am deep water start. I waited until about 6:50 am before I entered the water and was pleased to see the temperature was nice and comfortable (around 20 degrees C) and the water was nice and clean. Air temperature was around 15 C and sunny so it looked like it was going to be a good day.
With only about 300 people in the water it was nice to be able to spread out and not worry about getting kicked and punched. Once the gun went off, I got settled in right away and thoroughly enjoyed the entire swim. I found a good rythm and swam relaxed for the full 2.4 mile distance.
The Bike:
After exiting the water I did a fairly decent transition. It was quite a distance from the exit of the water to the change tent and then again from the tent to the mount line for the bike. By the time I got on the bike the sun was starting to gain some strength so I never felt chilled from being wet. Right from the start of the ride you were on a hill and I should have known from there that it was going to be a long day and quite a challenge. Without going into all the gory details of the bike section, I can just tell you it was ever bit as grueling as they promised. Lots of hills of every description, long, short, steep, sloping and to add to it a head wind for the entire return. The desert scenery was awesome and I really enjoyed it. The toughest climb was just at the turn around as we had a long climb back up and then across three hills, called the three sisters. From there we went across a long section of rolling hills, a fairly good descent and then one long climb onto the Mead Valley Parkway. Once on the parkway I was certain we were through the worst of it, but I was wrong! We turned off the parkway onto a bike path that would bring us back to Henderson. It was here that I encountered some of the most insane climbs of the whole course. It appeared that they saved the best for last and I saw more than one person end up pushing their bike up the hill. Fortunately for me I was in a group of 3 that seemed to be pushing one another through this section of the course.
By the time I was coming up to T2 my legs were really starting to feel trashed, and with a 26.2 mile run yet to go that is never good.
The Run:
Once I dismounted I really was starting to wonder how I would get through the run. However by the time I got into transition and got ready to go, my legs came right back to me. I felt strong and ready to go, unfortunately it was right as I started into the run, that my poor choice of nutrition reared it's ugly head and I had some stomach cramps. After a stop at mile one and again at mile four, the cramping subsided and I was able to get into a decent pace. As with all my Iron Man races I always walk the aid stations to make sure that I am getting fluids and some food into me. When I was leaving T2 I remember some guy saying, "Just remember guys, five five mile runs." That stuck with me and by the time I finished the first loop of the two loop course I was thinking about that I only had two more miles and I would have three of the five done. On the second lap I had to stop one more time for the cramps but otherwise I was feeling strong. With the sun having gone down I was starting to get a little cold and the hills that didn't seem so bad on lap one, seemed to grow on lap two. But in the end I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other and completed the run feeling fine.
So will I do Silverman again, it's hard to say. I certainly liked everything about the race and the venue was perfect. However it still is without a doubt the toughest thing I have ever done, so I would have to think about it.
Now to figure out what to do next?
Have a great day!

The World's Toughest Triathlon

2010-11-08T19:48:00.003-07:00

Well this year's version of the Silverman did not disappoint! Without a doubt this was the most difficult endurance event I have done to date. The course was an absolute bear! The climbs on this course were incredible. But it was extremely scenic.
I would have to say I executed my race plan almost flawlessly with the exception of one small change at the end. Normally for nutrition I mix my carbo pro with crystal lite, but this time I bought pre-mixed stuff. It was thick and tasted like cough syrup. I believe that is what gave me the tummy troubles on the run.
Once I return home I will give a little more detailed race report.
My time was 13:15 which was great given the course and conditions and I managed to finish second in my age group.

One More Week!

2010-10-31T08:31:00.002-06:00

Well next week at this time I will be in the early stages of my race. I have no doubt this is going to be the toughest challenge I have taken on to date. Judging from the past times they look to be at least one hour or better slower than most IM races.
The key to success (finishing!) will be more cerebral than physical. The focus can't be on the clock. I have resigned myself that the time will be slower. I really have to be extremely mindful of taking it easy when I can and reserving as much energy as possible. The swim should be good as there are just over 300 competitors in the full distance. Therefore the lake shouldn't be crowded and the risk of getting punched, kicked or mugged is decreased significantly. While swimming in the wetsuit does wonders for the buoyancy the added restriction does tend to increase fatigue in the arms. I am looking to just settle into a nice rhythm and concentrate on good form.
The bike part will be the biggest challenge. With all the climbing I am going to have to get my routine settled into quickly. I like to break each hour into 10 - 15 minute cycles, where I make sure I drink, get some calories in, change position and stand at least once. Keeping everything functioning is going to take a lot of discipline.
When it comes to the run I really will have to watch my pace. Much like the bike, it will be a matter of getting settled into a pace and a routine. The hills on the run give me far less heartburn then on the bike. I actually don't mind running hills. If you look down it looks like it is flat anyway!
Basically that is my strategy in a nutshell. Finishing is the goal and whatever time it takes will be fine with me. I will keep you posted from the road as we will be heading out on Wednesday.
Have a great weekend!

The Countdown Begins!

2010-10-26T20:14:00.002-06:00

It is less than 2 weeks until Silverman and I am starting to get excited. I am looking forward to the event obviously but the break away will also be enjoyable. We will be heading out next Wednesday and doing the 24 hour drive to Henderson, Nevada. I am just too nervous about shipping my bike and everything else, plus I don't mind driving. So it should be a fun trip.
As far as the training goes I am feeling confident but I know it is not going to be a fast time. I will be 12 plus hours I am sure, but my goal is to complete the race comfortably. Outside of that I have no other major goals set for this race. The next little while will be some relatively light training and mostly a lot of rest.
Have a great day!

Fear and Loathing of Las Vegas

2010-10-20T20:55:00.001-06:00

Well that isn’t entirely true, although the fear part of my upcoming race in November is real! Obviously I am adequately prepared for the Silverman but I do feel a tad bit exposed on the cycling side of things. I would certainly have liked to have done more long rides, but the weather has just not co-operated. So I opted for the trainer for shorter, higher intensity type work. Hopefully that gives me what I need to deal with the 180 km bike ride on a course that has 9,800 feet of climbing on it! I’ll get my answer on November 7.
After my marathon on October 10, the recovery has gone quite well and the legs are feeling better already. This week I have racked up 24 miles of running so far with no ill effects. Given the quick turn around time, I will probably not do any runs beyond 10 miles or so.
The marathon in Victoria was wonderful as usual. I ran a fairly good race, clocking 3:02:33 and should easily have broken 3 hours had I managed my days prior to the race better. The prime reason for our trip to the coast was to deliver a load of “stuff” to my daughter who has recently relocated to Vancouver and of course to visit her. So the days prior to the race were spent loading and unloading material, a trip to IKEA for more stuff, and then the assembly of our wares from IKEA. Hydrating and carbo loading were put on the back shelf and the race pretty much forgotten until Sunday morning. Having said that I still ran a great run, 1:02 at 10 miles, 1:24 at the half and I was still cruising at 35 kilometres and then I just seized up. The last 5 or 6 kilometres were a struggle, but I managed to keep a smile on my face and shuffle along to the finish. I have no doubts that I would have easily met my target of sub 3 had I been a little better prepared from the nutrition and hydration point of view. Since I am driving to Las Vegas I will have to be more mindful of those elements on route.

Okay I'm going to try this again

2010-10-16T16:18:00.002-06:00

Last post was March 10 of this year and I have finally decided to try and start blogging again. It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about, just couldn't seem to find the time or motivation.
So here is a quick re-cap of the events of 2010

St. Albert 10 Miler - 1:05 - 3rd in 50 - 59
Banff to Jasper Relay - Leg #3 (all uphill) 20.6 kms in 1:31 - 4th overall for the leg
Heart of the Rockies Olympic Tri - 2:33 - 3rd again in age group
Stony Plain 1/2 Marathon - 1:24:24 - 5th overall and 1st in age group
Victoria Marathon - 3:02:33 - 6th in age group and 88th overall

As you can see I have had a relatively busy last couple of months. Lots of training as well in preparation for the Silverman in Henderson, NV on November 7. Still not sure that running a marathon hard last weekend, four weeks out from an IM was a great idea, but we will see. Overall my training has gone well but I have definitely not put in enough time on the bike. The weather here this summer was not conducive to cycling so I deferred to the trainer for shorter rides. Hopefully it has all added up and will count for something.
Now to just try and get in the habit of posting more often.
Have a great day!

Improvements in the Pool

2010-03-28T08:04:00.002-06:00

Over the last few months there have been some definite improvements in my swim. However I was not really aware of the fact that they have been notable and sustained. Since getting back in the pool in November after an extended absence, I have been able to consistently break 30:00 over 1,500 metres. For the longest while I was stuck in the 32:00 range and could not seem to make any improvements. The only thing I can think of that has really changed is that I have concentrated less on stroke count and more on getting a good pull. When I took the TI course they really emphasized stroke count which is no doubt important. Flailing away at 26 strokes per length is not very efficient to say the least. However, trying to get to 16 or so is not realistic for me. Since settling in at about 18 or so, I have noted the time improvements. I also bought some paddles to help me work on improving my pull, because quite frankly it wasn't very strong. The mechanics were okay, I just wasn't catching and displacing enough water. That I think has been key. So I have knocked a few minutes off which definitely will help in the shorter races.
Speaking of races it looks like I am going to sign up for the St. Albert 10 Miler on April 11th. I feel good right now and that is a perfect distance to get back into racing. For some reason I feel a bit nervous about it, but that is good I guess.
Hope you have a great week!

What can I say?

2010-03-21T08:03:00.003-06:00

The lack of blogging has been for no particular reason other than I really don't have much to say. I can hardly imagine that anyone is particularly interested in reading about my mundane training regime. Anyone who reads this knows that I generally fly by the seat of my pants, inventing my training program as I go, but the pattern is pretty predictable. Monday, Wednesday, Friday - swim at lunch, Tuesday, Thursday - run at lunch. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday - run in the evenings. Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday - bike in the evenings. That's the formula with very little deviation.
So what have I been up to the last month or so? Well on the training front, just see above. Progression is going well and I can gear up at anytime to do a marathon or at least a half iron man with a month's notice. Iron man will take at least two months but overall my fitness level is quite solid.
On the personal front, I have been busy at work preparing for a number of labour arbitrations and also getting our applications in for government granting for some major projects. Both very interesting and time consuming.
Last week we took a quick 5 day trip to Palm Springs. It was wonderful! The weather was perfect and it was a very relaxing couple of days. Now I am invigorated to get hard at the training and pick some races!
Have a great week!

A Little More Than Planned….

2010-02-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Despite my best efforts last week I surpassed my target of 8 hours by a little more than planned. A combination of good weather, fresh legs and a good attitude resulted in getting into double digits and finishing the week over 10 hours.
Now in the big scheme of things that in itself is not a huge deal, but what it does show is my body is almost pre-programmed for an early season race.
The totals for the week were

Swimming 6,250 metres
Biking 60 miles
Ran 40 miles

There were a couple of hard efforts in there, but by and large it was just some good solid workouts. One of the runs was a good tempo run – 10 kms with an average pace of 6:37 / mile. I still believe that for me to work my Ironman times down I am going to have to capitalize on my running strength. Over the three races I have done, I have not felt that I have been able to really push on the run. In 2008 at Arizona there was no opportunity as the conditions put me in survival mode, but last year at IM CDA I should have been able to do better.
This week will be a cut back week to try and compensate for last week. I will still want to keep the running up around 40 miles since it looks like Red Deer is going to be my spring race in May.
Have a great week!

Optimistic

2010-02-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I have a cautious sense of optimism about the upcoming race season. Even though I haven’t really mapped out what I am going to do specifically, I have a good feeling about 2010.
I seem to have got off to a good start in my training and feel like I am starting at a new level. While I have taken no discernible break in working out, I have tried to not get too far ahead of myself and plunge into 10 – 12 hour weeks right off the get go. Right now I want to stick around the 8 to 10 hour range and not get myself burned out. At this level I will have great fitness and work on skill development a bit more.
On the swimming front I have been concentrating less on stroke count and more on propulsion. It’s great to have 15 stroke count but if you’re covering the 100 metres in 2:10 there is probably an opportunity there. So with less focus on the stroke count and greater emphasis on the pull and rotation I have seen an improvement in my overall times.
With the bike I have been working on finding that sweet spot between gearing and cadence. Last season I had a break through experimenting with all the gears on my bike. Cyclists tend to get caught up in what people around them are doing rather than paying attention to what they are doing. There are some people that can really hammer in the big gears but if I am beside them in a smaller gear, that works doesn’t it?
While running is certainly my strongest of the three events I have never felt that I have been able to capitalize on it in the longer events. Largely I think it is mental rather than physical. In the longer events, you are constantly afraid of finding yourself curled up in the fetal position on the side of the road because you were too aggressive. While that is a risk, you still can’t hold back too much. Finding that middle ground is something I still haven’t found and as much as anything it will take a leap of faith that my conditioning will get me through.
So this week of training will keep at a touch over 8 hours again. Still feeling good and I have no reason to add any more on right now.
Have a great day!

A Couple of Good Weeks

2010-01-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

The last couple of weeks of training have been a lot of fun and I am really feeling like I have a good solid base to work from. I have imposed a limit of 8 hours for right now until I pick a race. At this limit I am not getting too far ahead of myself with the likely outcome of being burned out once race time comes around. Also within the 8 hour weeks I am trying to mix up the proportions of each of the three disciplines. So far it has been reasonably successful, although that darn running always seems to win out!
February is the month that I will pick my races and then I can develop a more formal plan. From past history, you will know that I don’t really develop a rigid plan, but something more along the lines of a guideline. Some people need the more prescriptive type plan, but I have had success following this line of thinking.
Last week I ended the week with 8 hours and 5 minutes, on 3 swims (5,150 metres), 3 rides (46 miles) and 5 runs (33 miles). One of the workouts was a brick which worked out quite nicely and my legs transitioned quite well from bike to run.
I also do a fair bit of core work which consists of sit ups, push ups and chin ups. Last weeks totals were 1,500 sit ups, 420 push ups and 85 chin ups.
Otherwise life continues to be good. We have had a relatively mild winter and there are some subtle signs that spring may even happen. I haven’t planned a winter vacation this year because I’m just not feeling like I need one yet. That may change, but if it doesn’t the money saved will be used to build a fence.
Have a great day!

Ready to Rock 'n Roll

2010-01-21T19:01:00.003-07:00

The last two weeks of training have been what are known as "orientation" weeks. It really is designed to get you back in the swing of "two a day workouts" and a little more structure. Over the last few months I have continued training but it was heavily weighted to running, a smattering of swimming and the cycling was really hit and miss. During this orientation cycle I have really felt good. My swimming has shown a marked improvement and I'm not quite sure why. During the months when the pool was closed I did start doing 40 - 60 chin ups every second day and I'm wondering if that might have helped. Whatever it is, it sure has been nice to see my times dropping in the pool.
Yesterday I went for my annual physical and apparently there is nothing stopping me from training at a high level again this year.
So far this week I have logged just over 6 hours of training, 2 swims, 2 bikes and 4 runs.
Have a great day!

A New Year!

2010-01-16T06:31:00.002-07:00

Well I finally feel like doing some posting again after a relatively long hiatus. Nothing really sinister about the break other than I was busy and I just didn't feel much like posting. To be honest I have been reading any blogs either which I will also start doing again.
Over the last few months I have been training albeit at a reduced rate as I really have not made any plans for this year. I still have not signed up for an Ironman race, but I have realized I am going to have to pay for a Community Foundation spot this year so I can really pick the race I want to go to. The Community Foundation fees are for spots that basically cost double the normal fee ($US 550) with the excess going to community groups who volunteer for the race. It's a great idea and I don't mind paying the additional amount knowing that it supports the Boy Scouts, minor sports, or whatever of the hosting community.
This year I am excited about entering a new age category. On January 8th I turned 50 so I am the young guy in this new group. Unfortunately the age group is full of many talented athletes. Age doesn't seem to affect some of these guys! One of the nice things about triathlon is you can continue to improve even as you age. With the three disciplines there is always an opportunity to get better at one of them. With me, as I have long lamented, it's the bike. Although I have seen a steady and significant improvement in my cycling, I still know there is a lot more there.
So this week was the kick off of my new training cycle and it was a very good week as I have logged just about 8 hours already. With no specific event on the calendar I am not going to get too far ahead of myself. I am going to stay around the 8 to 10 hours for awhile and just work on keeping things interesting.
I am keen on running a spring marathon as my running has been quite good. Despite putting a lot of miles on the treadmill I have found the conversion back to the roads smooth and with little or no discrepancy in my time. Thursday I ran 7.5 miles over some decent hills and maintained a 6:49 pace. The big question for me this year is there another sub-3 in the tank to make it 4 decades of running at least one sub-3. Only time will tell!
Have a great day!

Still Kickin'!

2009-11-09T18:02:00.002-07:00

No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet! Just haven't been into the blogging lately and I really haven't had anything worthwhile blogging about.
With no races on the horizon and lots of work to do, my workouts have been limited to running and some sporadic cycling. Any chance of a fall marathon disappeared as I suffered through some back pain over the last little while. A couple of trips to the chiropractor have helped but I am still having some impact from it. Mostly I have noticed that my hips and hamstrings are sore. Probably from having shifted my gait to compensate for the lower back pain. But enough about that!
Over the last while my son completed his final session of school and passed his provincial and federal exams and is a full qualified journeyman heavy duty mechanic (off road). We are very proud of him and happy that he has found something that he really loves to do.
This new house has taken up a fair bit of time as well and we are still getting ourselves organized. It seems like the work never ends.
Word on the street is that the pool is about a week away from re-opening. I can hardly wait! The swimming part of my training regime is one that I enjoy immensely. It is relaxing and easy on the body. Even though it can be a struggle I must admit it is the discipline that I am most happy with my progress. From a clumsy, splashing, half-drowning creature I have developed into something resembling a swimmer.
So there is a quick up date. I'm hoping that in the next couple of weeks I will have picked my Ironman race for 2010 and then the training will start in earnest.
Have a great day!

Undecided?

2009-10-25T08:36:00.002-06:00

I still haven't decided on a race for either this fall (which is just about over) or for next year. I was thinking of doing the Seattle marathon but now my calendar has been booked with an arbitration hearing so that is out. There is an interesting trail run in Castro Valley, California that might be fun. It would definitely be a no pressure race as my training is strictly maintenance right now. I am managing about 50 miles a week plus a couple of bike rides so I have moderate fitness. The pool is still closed and is now not scheduled to open until the middle of November. I am going to have to start with water wings again by the time it re-opens!
Have a great day!

Plugging Away

2009-10-06T16:49:00.002-06:00

This relaxed training mode sure has been nice. I have not been following any plan and my runs and rides have been fun again. You kind of forget sometimes how enjoyable it can be to just run without any purpose. It kind of gets you back in touch with the sensations of enjoying the warmth of the sun on your skin, or the wind in your face as opposed to focusing on technique and cadence and everything else. All the while you are still getting the fitness and mental health benefits. That being said, this time of year my running always picks up and I am noticing that I want to run fast all the time. Obviously not a good plan as I know I will inevitably end up hurt so I have to temper that somewhat.
I have been cruising the Runner's World site lately trying to decide on a marathon. It has to be in November at the earliest as I am ready, but with a couple of long runs I could put myself in 3:30 shape. As I have 2 1/2 weeks of vacation yet to use I can expand my range as to where I might want to go.
Today was another nice fall day with temperatures in the mid-teens and sunshine. The leaves have started to change and with a strong Chinook last night there was a covering of them on the trails. I managed to get out at lunch and cruised through a nice 8 1/2 mile run over varied terrain. However, just as I returned the skies opened up and we had just a wicked storm! I still had to walk back to work and I got soaked. Always nice to spend the afternoon in wet jeans!
Things have worked out well at the new house and we are getting used to town living again. As we are the only people in this new sub division we haven't had to get used to neighbours yet. I guess as people start to build and move in we can gradually "re-socialize".
Have a great day!

What a September!

2009-09-24T17:44:00.002-06:00

The weather as of late has been nothing short of spectacular. Lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high twenties and even a few thirty degree days has given us a nice extension to summer. It has also made my runs a whole lot more enjoyable. I am also enjoying re-discovering some of the trails I used to run when I lived in Town. Nothing like a change in scenery to give you a boost and reinvigorate your workouts.
Today I started out slow and meandered through the trails and along hydro lines and picked up 9 miles in 1:01:03. Don't know why I feel I have to be so precise, but there are the numbers. Despite the warmer than normal temperatures the leaves have started to turn and in some cases fall. It makes for some beautiful scenery and as I have mentioned before, really brings me back to the roots of my running. My love of running was developed in high school running cross country in the fall. I can still recall running the trail to Penn Lake from the high school and back through the fallen leaves and breathing the crisp air of fall. For most people in my class having to do that run was a chore and most usually just hid in the woods. But me and a couple of others really enjoyed it and would cover the three or so miles with ease. And that is really where I started with running.
The forecast for next week shows that things will be coming to an abrupt halt as the temperatures will return to more seasonal and perhaps worse. But I am going to enjoy this good stuff for as long as I can!
Have a great day!

Quick Post

2009-09-19T08:09:00.002-06:00

My workouts as of late are still relatively short and uninspired. I think not having any race plans has left me in a maintenance mode. Plus I am very busy as well.
However I have been running and cycling and while it hasn't been major miles I am definitely maintaining fitness at this point.
Went into the Oiler's pre-season game last night and the team looks promising. Certainly not a Stanley Cup winner but it looks like we are going to play a more offensive and entertaining brand of hockey. It was great to be back at Rexall Place as it has been a few years since I had my tickets.
This weekend I hope to get out for a double digit run and of course, continue to unpack and organize. I also have the headlight hanging out of my truck as I need to change the bulb. Nicholas said it was easy to do but so far I have spent 2 hours on it and still haven't got to the light!
Have a great weekend!

Getting Organized

2009-09-13T08:07:00.002-06:00

It's been a little while since I have posted as my time has been totally occupied with making the move to our new house. And now we are finally in and starting to get somewhat organized.
The move was a protracted affair as there was myself, Angela, Nicholas and Nicole participating. Nicholas was a huge help in moving all the big stuff and Angela and Nicole packed things up. It was nice having 9 days between the closing dates so that we had adequate time to get everything done. It was none the less a major challenge trying to fit 3,000 square feet of possessions into 2,000 square feet of house. It did result in a major purge which was great.
My working out over the last week has consisted mostly of lugging, lifting and dragging with no time for anything else. Friday I did manage to run and it was tough. Yesterday I was able to get a quick six miles in as well and it was also tough. We are having a beautiful September and the temperatures on both days were 28 and 29 respectively. I have never been a good hot weather runner so I suffer in the heat. This week things will get back to normal and I can start trying to cobble together a plan for a fall marathon. My sights will be set significantly lower as I just haven't put in the time or miles, but I would still like to go and run a race somewhere.
The swimming pool is closed for another couple weeks and I am really missing the swimming. The plan is that it should be up and running mid-October. Cycling wise I hope to get out for a ride today. It will be much easier from our new location as I can ride right from the house and don't have to pack everything up and head down the highway. I'm going to enjoy that.
Have a great weekend!

49.62

2009-08-26T20:09:00.002-06:00

According to my optometrists chart I am 49.62 years old today. I don't know why that registered with me but for some reason it did. Firstly I thought it odd that his computerized system had a need to calculate ages to two decimal points and secondly why it would update it everyday. Is there a huge difference in the eyesight of a 49.62 year old male and a 49.38 year old? Maybe, I don't know.
So with only .38 of a year left before I turn 50 I need to get my fall race plan nailed down. Hopefully this week I will decide what race and distance I am going to tackle. More than likely it will be of the 26.2 mile variety, but I may consider some other distance if it was something unique.
Speaking of running I am slowly starting to get some miles under my belt. On Sunday I finally managed a double digit run, the first in quite some time. And it was just that, exactly 10 miles! The pace was okay as I managed to average just over 7:01 / mile. Since then I have managed a 5 miler, 7.5 miles and 7.0 miles tonight. The air is definitely starting to get some fall "freshness" to it which makes the running so much more enjoyable. I also managed a couple of rides, one on the mountain bike and a quick 40 minutes on the trainer. Overall I would say my legs are still feeling tired and I am a tad sluggish. I am hoping after everyone is moved and things settle down I will start to get some energy back for my workouts.
Have a great day!

Close Encounters of the Ursus Americanus Kind

2009-08-21T20:30:00.001-06:00

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, between, work, house deals, preparing to move, and moving our daughter back for school. Despite how hectic things have been I have managed to keep some running and a little bit of biking on the schedule. Right now I think I have enough of a base to pull off a marathon sometime in October or November. My right calf is okay, but I still have some doubt about how it is going to act with some added stress on it. I have been keeping my runs to about one hour and a moderate pace and it has been holding up. But you know when you have that feeling that it is still there, ready to come to the forefront at any moment. That is how it feels right now.
This week I had a close encounter with a bear on my lunch time run. I was running the back trails and had decided to take a little more rugged route along a game trail. The trail is off of the main town trails which are well travelled and within the town limits. From where this game trail cuts off of the main trail I could hear kids playing in their back yard so we are not talking about bush whacking into the wilderness. So back to my encounter. I headed up the trail just as a way of making up some time, plus it is actually a nice run. I went for about 5 minutes and then I turned to head back onto the town trail. On the way back, I could hear some loud snuffling noises in front of me and off to the left. At that point I couldn’t see anything as this trail has lots of curves and bends, so I kept going. When I got to the bottom of the hill and about 50 metres from the main trail, I could see a large black bear in the bush to the left of me and about 5 metres away. He was making the noises as he was trying to get a good smell of me. Immediately I stopped as I could see that he had already saw me, however he was not moving. So it became a bit of a stare down. Because he was so close I was not thinking of making any more noise than I already had, plus it was clear he had a number of options for avoiding me if he chose. Usually they are more aggressive if you are blocking their only egress. I was not inclined to go back up the trail, so I just kept my eyes on him and continued to walk toward the exit onto the town trail. The bear was still not moving but he was continuing to sniff the air and raise his head. With every step I am just hoping that he either turns or goes the other way or stays put. While I am keeping my eyes on him I am also looking around for anything that I could use to defend myself, a stick, big rock, anything. Unfortunately there is nothing that looks like it would help me at all. Now I have put about 25 metres between us and I am that much closer to the main trail. Bears can run fast there is no doubt about that, so I am still not thinking about trying to out run him. I just want to get out of his sight without him moving and that is what I did. However, once I was on the main trail I lit it up! Usain Bolt wouldn’t have caught me as I put some major distance between us. So I guess that this workout provided adequate stresses on my body and also introduced a bit of speed into the mix as well.
Hopefully that is my last encounter for awhile. The bears here (Alberta) act a lot differently than those I have run into back in Ontario. These bears never seem to take off once they see you and are either more curious or bold, I’m not sure which.
This weekend will be busy helping my son Nicholas with some repairs on his house. I am fortunate that my brother Blair is available to help us out as who knows what damage the two of us could do left to our own devices.Have a great weekend!

Still trying to get motivated

2009-08-13T18:16:00.002-06:00

I have still been trying to get myself motivated with little luck. The body is obviously telling me the months of pushing it have taken it's toll and it's time to take it easy. The longest run I have been able to muster is a little over 8 miles and the pace was no roaring hell. Even my attempt at a tempo run was not what I would expect. There just doesn't seem to be any response when I push the pedal. Probably just need to re-evaluate things and start back to some base training.
On a personal note things are busy as hell! Our house sold last week and we have bought a new one so we are in the process of getting geared up to move. The time is short as we have a September 11th closing date (no I’m not superstitious!) on our current house and hopefully a possession date of August 31st for the new one. That is providing the contractor can complete the last bits of finish up work. I’m optimistic! As well it is that time of year to move my darling daughter, Francesca back to school. This year’s move is a bit easier as we already have a good portion of her stuff in Edmonton and it just has to be moved from her old place to her new place. Hopefully we will get that done of Friday and also take a load down of her other stuff.
Once all the moving stuff is done I should be able to get better focused and decide on a race and a strategy. I also need to decide on an Ironman race for next year. Originally my thought was to go to Penticton this year to watch the race and sign up for next year, but I’m not sure that is in the cards. The other option would be Arizona again in November 2010.
I would have liked to have done more racing this season, but I just wasn’t able to. All of the races up here are in a tight time frame as the season is short. Once you pick something it is at the exclusion of a number of other great races. I just wish I could get started earlier in the year, but that is not going to happen as long as I am in Northern Alberta!
Although I only raced twice this year, they were both PB’s, so I have to be happy with that. I am also left feeling optimistic that there is more upside given my performance.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Have a great day!

Gettin' My Butt Back in Gear

2009-08-05T17:16:00.002-06:00

After a good race in Sylvan and a couple of fantastic rest days at my sister’s house on Trout Lake in Ontario, I’m ready to get back at it. I would like to do at least one more triathlon this summer, and it has to be relatively soon. The pool just closed for the annual maintenance and this year it is anticipated to be a bit longer than usual with the re-opening not until the middle of October. That means the swimming is going to be minimal until then. The upside is I will be forced to cycle more which is not a bad thing.
I also have designs on running a fall marathon. Victoria is always a great race, but I may be in the market to try something new. Seattle is also around the October / November time which is when I would be targeting. The seed is planted and now I need to get some training in. My running this spring was as good as it has been in a long time, but since that time things have headed south on me. The calf injury was somewhat unexpected as I thought I had remedied that, but like all chronic maladies, they have a way of sneaking back up on you.
So this week I start the long process of getting in some quality running. Yesterday was the kick off with an easy 8 miler in 56 minutes. The whole run I was just concentrating on my foot plant and watching to see if I felt any pain. Results were good as I felt fine after the run and did a couple of quick minutes with the trigger point.
Today I was able to sneak a run in at lunch time. Although it was short it was effective as I managed a shade under 5 ½ miles in 38 minutes. Again, everything seemed to be holding together although there was that slight feeling of tightening in the calf when I was walking back to the office. This evening I will work it over with the massager and hopefully it will be alright.
The summer seems to be flying past and the month of August looks like it will be busy as well. Lots going on at work with a number of labour arbitration's coming up, development of the 2010 Operating Plan and 5 year strategy as well as some work reorganizations. It should be interesting!
Have a great day!

PB in Sylvan Lake

2009-07-28T19:16:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update on my weekend race in Sylvan Lake.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my last post, but I was having a calf problem that looked like it may be a show stopper. However I did the Trigger Point Massager, lots of ibuprofen and adjusted my race goals and decided to go on with the race.
Sylvan is a half iron man so my adjusted goals were to really put some effort into the swim, bike hard, and hang on for the run. Not expecting too much as I really just wanted to get through. If I toe the starting line I am going to finish, plain and simple. While DNF's are a reality when you really hurt yourself, I have seen a number of cases where people just drop out because it wasn't going to be their day, or they weren't going to run a PB. Lame excuses at best! I think it is a very selfish when you think of all the time you put into the training, taking time away from your loved ones, to just quit cause it's not your day. It would be a different story if you are running for your pay cheque and had to save it for another day, but most of us aren't. So, without even asking, you got my opinion on DNF's!
The moral of this story is sometimes you can adjust your goals and still achieve significant achievements.
Things didn't look so great on the morning of the race as the sky was black and thunder and lightening was all around. However, after a 45 minute delay and a change to the swim course we were in the water. The course was changed to a two loop from a single loop as they wanted to concentrate the volunteers on a smaller area because of the choppy conditions. My swim was tough but I PB'ed by almost six minutes completing the 1.9 KM in 34 minutes. The course was supposed to be 2.0 KM, but it was short by about 70 metres. Even at that I still would have had a major time improvement.
Next up was the bike and after a screwed up transition I was out on the roads and riding very comfortably. The wind was a bit of a challenge but the nature of the course makes it that you are never riding into it for too long. After the 90 KM route I was showing 2:47 and an average speed of just over 20 MPH, another PB.
Last up was the run. Generally my strongest suit, but I knew that I was going to have to watch my leg. I was already feeling it a bit on the bike, but I was still confident that I could get through the 21 KM route without too much walking. In transition I gulped down some water and a couple of Advil and headed out. I quickly found a comfortable pace that I knew was a little slow but sustainable and settled in. After about 1 KM I hooked up with Ross from Lloydminster and he was my saviour. The calf was fine on the flat roads, but when we went off road or on any uneven surface it flared up immediately. When we got to 4 KM I was starting to suffer and wonder if I was going to get through without some major walking. Ross just kept chatting away with me and before you know it I am coming up to the 9 KM mark. Just about through the first half and I am still running. The next half was tough, but still the talking with my new found friend seemed to help keep my mind off the discomfort I was feeling. As it turned out he was 50 so in the next age category so we didn't even have to sprint it out to settle our placing. We ended up strolling through the finish and he had to go back to see what our time was!
Final time 5:08:49 a new personal best and renewed hope of posting a sub 5 hour half. I was 8th in my age while Ross was 2nd in his with a PB of 21 minutes better than his best.
A very successful day over all and now I will give my tired old leg some time to heal.
Have a great day!

Tired Legs or Old Legs?

2009-07-15T18:45:00.003-06:00

Ever since IM CDA the legs just don't seem to have any jump in them. They don't feel particularly tired but they just don't want to respond when I try and push the pace. So is it just some residual fatigue from the race or is it just time catching up to me. Over the last few years I have noticed a slight decrease in my overall average pace which is to be expected. Oh well, nothing to get too excited about, I'm still enjoying my runs and that is the main thing.
The last week or so has been devoted to working on some skills in the pool and on the bike.
I was somewhat disappointed with my swim in Coeur d'Alene as I felt that I had improved my swimming. On reflection I would say I just didn't push hard enough. I am content to settle into a spot and just get through this portion of the race. This last while I have been really concentrating on just trying to swim faster and my strategy on race day will be the same.
On the cycling side I have been really focusing some more on using the mechanical components of the bike to make things easier. I have my bike computer back so I can get some feedback again which is nice. A good cyclist is really working his gearing constantly to maintain optimum speed and cadence. In Ironman last month I really felt that I did a better job of this as I was riding exclusively by feel and was using my gearing to keep things steady.
The Sylvan Lake race is less than 2 weeks away and while my running legs seem a little tired, everything else is in good shape. I am really looking forward to this event and hope to achieve some personal goals which won't totally be reflected in my finishing time.
Have a great week!

Sylvan Lake Training

2009-07-06T20:19:00.002-06:00

Over the last week or so I have been building back up in preparation for the Sylvan Lake 1/2 Ironman on July 26th. This is got to be one of my favourite events as it is just a nice size, usually no more than 400 participants. The lake is quite nice and usually the weather has co-operated.
I haven't really thought about any race specific goals, but I do think I would really like to put in a good performance on the bike. Coeur d'Alene really inspired me as far as I felt like it was a real breakthrough cycling wise. Sylvan Lake will be an opportunity to explore that a little further and see how much an impact pushing the bike harder will have on my run. Obviously there is going to be a break point there between riding harder and still having something left in the legs for the run. However, I haven't even gotten close as I am certain I can ride harder and run harder. It is all a matter of training!
This weekend we took a trip to Radium Hot Springs. It was beautiful and extremely relaxing. And while I was there I found out that they have both a triathlon and a marathon coming up in the next few weeks. Might be worth checking out!
It looks like this week I will be doing some workouts indoors as the weather is going to be lousy. That's okay though as I honestly don't mind it. Always a good opportunity to push a bit harder and know that if it gets too hard you just get off the bike and your home!
Have a great week!

Happy 142 Birthday Canada!

2009-07-01T07:24:00.002-06:00

It's Canada Day today and I am enjoying a nice day at home.
The last few months have been action packed with the wedding, the training and then the actual race. But it has all been good. Isn't that what life is all about? Living.
Today we get to count our blessings for living in this wonderful country. And to be sure, it is not perfect, but given the alternatives I am perfectly fine here. Last year at this time I did my little "10 Reasons why I am proud to be a Canadian" and all those reasons still stand.
Happy 142nd Birthday Canada!
I have been reading some of the other race reports from CDA and it is interesting reading other people's perspectives on the race. Shawn and Carrie's report on Tri to Be Funny is really great as you get perspectives from a first timer and a veteran. I saw Carrie just coming out of transition on the run and she looked great and ended up with an unbelievable time of 11:46 or so and Shawn also had a great day coming in just over 14 hours. Great job!
My thoughts now are on doing some shorter races over the summer and then look towards a fall marathon. Victoria is always a good choice but I may try something new as I have done that one three times. Seattle may be a good one to try.
I am definitely up to do another Ironman and since I turn 50 next year I think I want to do one I haven't done before. Maybe something a little more exotic! I'll keep my eyes open and see what the options look like. If I haven't decided by August I will go to Penticton to sign up for Ironman Canada. That is a very challenging race and actually not that far to go.
This weekend Angela and I are going to spend the weekend in Radium Hot Springs. Through all the training she is always my biggest supporter and puts up with the inevitable crankiness as I get close to race day. I can't thank her and the kids enough for their support. You certainly don't make the commitment and succeed without that kind of help.
Enjoy Canada Day and have a great week!

Recovery?!?

2009-06-28T16:56:00.002-06:00

The Sylvan Lake 1/2 Ironman is only 4 weeks away so any type of recovery will be abbreviated at best. But to be honest, I felt just wonderful since finishing IM Coeur d'Alene a week ago. I had my legs back in no time at all, and while I have not pushed it, I have went for 3 runs, 2 rides and a swim. Admittedly, by the later part of yesterday's 10K run, my legs were starting to feel tired. However, no pain, which is great.
Sylvan is always a great event so I am looking forward to it. As far as the race itself, I'm not quite sure how I will perform. I recall last year that only 5 weeks after Ironman Arizona I knocked off a 2:58 marathon at Red Deer, so that is definitely in the back of my mind. My PB at the 1/2 is on this course (5:11) so bettering that is certainly something I would like to do. But I'll just have to see how the training goes over the next couple of weeks.
The pictures from IM Coeur d'Alene are up if you are interested.

http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=45836&BIB=1692

Have a great weekend!

A Couple of days later...

2009-06-25T17:46:00.000-06:00

After a few days to reflect and an amazing recovery, I must admit I am really pumped to do another IM. There is just nothing quite like the experience of crossing that finish line and hearing Mike Reilly introduce you as an Ironman! The rush and sense of accomplishment is incredible and I’m sure it is the same for the person who finishes in 8 hours and the person who finishes in 17 hours.
I was so happy with so many different elements of my race. The swim was a real battle as conditions were once again very choppy. However I still felt that I performed well despite a much slower time than I was expecting. The bike was phenomenal given that I just about wiped out in the first two miles when I blew my front tire. But I recovered well and did the change in record time. It certainly helped having the tech support show up, as he buttoned things up while I packed up and re-organized my stuff. From that point on I rode strong and my legs felt remarkable. The other amazing thing is my bike computer did not work right from the start so I was strictly riding by feel. I had no idea of my speed, cadence or distance (other than the major course markers). So I think the countless miles I have endured on the trainer etched an indelible pattern into my muscles which allowed me to crank off the distance in precisely the goal time I had set for myself.
On the run, I purposely chose to go low-tech and left the Garmin in my gear bag. I just wore my $19 Timex Triathlon watch and just added 8:30 every time I passed a mile marker. While that was not my final pace I certainly stuck close enough to it bring me in below 4 hours.
There are still ample opportunities for me to further better my time. All three disciplines present some elements for improvements and with continued training and racing I will get there. But it is important to continue to enjoy the journey and savour these significant milestones along the way.
On the recovery front I have been absolutely pain free despite driving the 11 hours back on Monday after the race. Tuesday I did a short swim just to flush things out and then last night I went out on the mountain bike for 45 minutes and 10 miles. Today I am going to do a nice little run / walk and then next week it is time to set my sights on the half iron man event in Sylvan Lake next month.
Have a great day!

The Race Report - Ironman Coeur d'Alene

2009-06-23T19:26:00.001-06:00

The Race Report

My race report is not going to be your standard blow by blow account of my day in Coeur d’Alene. I will give you the Reader’s Digest of the event, but the most of this blog will be reserved for the observations surrounding the race.

The Reader’s Digest Version

The swim was slower than expected. Rather choppy conditions and my first swim in my new wet suit didn’t help. Still I don’t think I would have done much better either way.
Swim time 1:29:26 T1 7:48
The bike was great! Despite having a front flat two miles in I rode very well. Strong legs and felt extremely comfortable.
Bike time 6:13:44 T2 3:32
They had been calling for afternoon thunderstorms but nothing developed until 22 miles into the run. Even then it wasn’t too bad. I started out too fast but managed to get myself wound down and managed a strong pace. I still had lots at the end which gives me confidence that I can do better yet!
Run time 3:55:48
Final time 11:50:15 – over 1 hour and 13 minutes off my previous best!

The Observations

Triathletes never cease to amaze me with what they will buy. The last time I was there I bought the Trigger Point massager, which while I swear it helps me, still looks like a cloth covered rolling pin and a hacky sack. And all for a mere $100 US! The recent push was for compression socks. I am sure they work and someone is getting paid good money to push them, but has anyone looked in a mirror? I would have gotten beat up in gym class if I showed up like that. Now I think there is an opportunity here to complete the outfit with some Bavarian shorts with suspenders. I’m sure I can fabricate a reason why they would make you faster.
As I mentioned in the swim portion I bought a new wet suit. Cardinal rule of any endurance event, “race with the equipment you use all the time.” If I had a nickel for every new piece of equipment on the course on Sunday, well I would have a lot of nickels. Of course I swam miles 1, 2, and .4 in my new suit. I don’t think it hurt me as my other suit was just not going on!
Ladies, what happens to you guys in the swim!?! Does every guy out there look like your husband or ex-husband and you finally get your revenge. If I had a nickel for every time I got kicked in the nuts by a lady in the swim, I know I would have twenty cents. Yup, got “Jewelled” 4 times and every time there was a white cap on the perpetrator. If that is truly your aim, get me on the beach as it is much easier to recover there.
Despite the issue, mentioned above, I am always impressed by what a kind and caring community the Triathletes are. People are always quick to say something encouraging when they are passing you or when you pass someone. I like that and it makes me proud to be counted amongst those folks.
Energy gels should only come in two flavours, chocolate and vanilla. It never fails when I have to take one that is supplied by the race it is some new bizarre flavour. I’m not quite sure what flavour I picked up, pineapple and orange or something but it was disgusting. Trust me, vanilla and chocolate are just fine. If Power Gel is working on a jalapeno cheddar flavour, please stop all development now.
Coeur d’Alene has to have some of the best fan support I have ever seen at any event. All along the course there are people cheering, playing music, banging on drums, you name it. And believe, when you are feeling a little low it certainly helps to buoy your spirits and keep you going. Thanks to all those folks!
After all the months of training, I always owe a big thanks to my family for the support and encouragement they provide to me. They are very understanding of my routine and never complain when I pass up on one thing or another to get another run, ride or swim in. I know I could never do any of this without them!

So there you have it, another Ironman in the books and I am certain I want to do more. Next on the agenda is a half in Sylvan Lake next month. I’ll take a couple days to recover and then back at it again.

Have a great day!

I'll Get the Race I Deserve

2009-06-13T07:23:00.002-06:00

First off thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement after my less than positive post last week. I had my brief visit to "Pity City" and now I am pumped and ready to go!
The title of my post is actually a twist on a quote I read a while ago which said "You live the life you deserve." So I modified it to fit my situation but I think an interpretation of the original quote is in order.
I can't remember the author of the quote, but I recall initially after reading it that it was pretty harsh. How can people who have unfortunate things happen to them deserve it? But after thinking a little more about, that is not really the proper context to view the quote it. It more or less understands that some people have bad hands dealt to them in life and it is how you handle them that determines the life you deserve. Yesterday would have been my Dad's eighty second birthday. He was a classic example of a guy who lived the life he deserved. Right to the very end of his life he was kind, polite and a gentlemen even though he was suffering with a terminal disease. And in return he was surrounded by people who would do anything to help him in any situation.
Now to apply this to my race. I will get the race I deserve based on the training I have done and the preparations I have made. If the conditions are bad (windy, rainy, etc.) I will get the best race I can out of those circumstances. So at the end of the day, wherever I took a short cut or didn't put the effort in, I will get the result I deserve. And now that I have reconciled myself to that I am feeling great about the race next weekend! It also didn't hurt that I had an amazing week of workouts leading up to this final rest week. Nothing like some positive training sessions to boost the confidence.
All that is left to do now is pack and get my bike in for one last tune up and I am good to go.
Have a great weekend!

The Final Struggle

2009-06-06T07:00:00.002-06:00

Trying to get geared up for the race now is becoming a daily struggle. My workouts are a real chore to complete which is rarely the case for me. Obviously the stresses of the last few months have caught up with me, but it is really an inopportune time. Between the wedding preparations, the wedding itself and some of the family events that went on around it, I am toast.
This morning I tried to ride before I head into the city to take my in-laws back and it was a waste of time. My legs felt like stone and I just couldn't get any flow to happen at all. As with every training cycle I always come up short on the biking component. Without beating the subject to death, I am a runner first and still struggle with the bike. Between the less then optimum weather and the inconvenience of having to load my bike up in the truck to ride anywhere, I just don't enjoy it. I have managed to get through the races on sheer will power, but that will only get you so far. If I am ever to really improve I need to get some real cycling done.
Okay, so that is my rant for today. Time to suck it up, put all the crap I have been dealing with behind me, and get ready for IM Coeur d'Alene! No excuses, no complaints, just get my ass in the water on June 21 and take it from there. Hopefully after the weekend I will feel refreshed and get that final ride in that will boost my confidence. All I can do is hope!
Have a great weekend!

What a Week!

2009-06-02T20:58:00.004-06:00

The newly weds!

After months of planning the big day has come and gone! And what a day it was; perfect weather, a beautiful venue, a great family and unbelievable food and service. The day went off without a hitch and I think that was largely due to us not having everything planned down to the minute. There was some built in flexibility and casualness which helped to keep things moving but not at the expense of stressing everyone out.
Thanks again to everyone for coming and sharing the special day.

Our family with the latest addition.

And now back to our regular scheduled programming……..
Obviously last week was a write off as far as any training. I ran home from work on Monday which is about 10 miles and then got in two other 10 k runs the rest of the week. At this point in the schedule I should be tapering anyway so it really won’t hurt me. However after the big build up to the wedding, I must admit my excitement for the race has waned. The next three weeks will be to work on getting my head in the right spot as well as to keep working the kinks out. Lately I have been getting a lot of strange cramping, in my feet, hamstrings and calves. It has been weird for sure, and with any luck, nothing that will have any impact on my race.
Enjoy the wedding pics and have a great day!

My brothers and sister with Nicholas and Nicole

Nicholas, Angela, Francesca, and me.

Full Speed Ahead

2009-05-27T07:17:00.002-06:00

I started holidays yesterday and it is great! The weather is beautiful and all my family is starting to arrive for the wedding tomorrow. I am sooooo excited to see everyone!
Tonight is the rehearsal party and then tomorrow, bright and early, Nicholas and I will head out to the lodge in Jasper to do some last minute preparations. Generally I think everything is in order and if it isn't it is probably too late to do anything about it anyway.
With all the activity, the workouts will take backseat for this week. If I can get out for something I will but I am not going to stress about it. This is a very special time and people have made great efforts to come here so I am not going to be taking off to go for long runs or bike rides. By Sunday everything will have settled back down and I can prepare for the final push to IM CDA.
Have a great day!

One Month to Go

2009-05-21T20:47:00.002-06:00

Coeur d'Alene is exactly one month away. Hard to believe but it is true. For some reason it has just seemed to sneak up as I busied myself with other things. But now it is staring me in the face and the inevitable doubting begins. Have I done enough? Did I do the right things? What about the bike? All good questions but if I don't have the right answer it really doesn't matter. Bottom line is right now I feel excellent. My training as far as consistency has been good and right now I am as strong as I have ever been. As with my last two IM's the biggest issue I will have is with the bike. I have done a lot of cycling, just not as many long rides and essentially none outside. But last year it was the same story for IM Arizona, and I rode quite well given the conditions.
So with less than a month to go, I will try and get a few good rides in and just try and stay healthy. All else being equal I think I can have a decent race in Coeur d'Alene and I am looking forward to it. It will be a bit anti-climatic after the wedding which happens in a week.
Have a great day!

More Winter!

2009-05-19T19:39:00.002-06:00

"Got a little chilly comin' through the pass, huh Harry?"

The weather here over the last few days has just sucked. Between gale force winds and snow it feels like we have been drawn back into the depths of winter. I don't often let these things get to me, but this is really been a royal pain in the ass!
Sunday I tried to ride outside but after 3 miles into a head wind that was pushing my bike all over the place I ended up coming home and riding on the trainer. Average pace out 13 MPH, average pace on the way home 35 MPH! Crazy!
Yesterday was even more bizarre as the snow started and just kept coming. So it was on the trainer for 3 hours. I am pretty disciplined but this is getting tough.
All things considered, though I am feeling confident with my training. I could always have done more, but why? June 21 I will know if I did enough.
Have a great day!

Quick Run Down

2009-05-13T19:55:00.003-06:00

Here is a quick run down of my recent workouts:

May 6 - Up tempo run 8.16 miles @ 6:52 Pace
Biked 22.6 miles 95 RPM

May 7 - Swam 2,500 metres 54:41

May 8 - Day Off - went to the city for the day

May 9 - Biked 31 miles

May 10 - 15 miles 1:49:03

May 11 - Swam 57:03 2,650 metres
Biked 22 miles

May 13 - Swam 2,800 metres 1:00:42
Ran 10 miles - 65 minutes

So it has been a busy week. Body feels great, although I am starting to get a little tired. Also we are only two weeks away from the wedding and there is still lots to do.

Have a great day!

Eating the Elephant

2009-05-05T19:48:00.000-06:00

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time and that is as close as you can come to summing up how you race an Iron Man. It is a daunting looking experience from the outside, but once the gun goes off, it seems to shrink in size. Suddenly you are in the moment and focusing on directly what is in front of you and not the last mile of the 140.6 that needs to be completed. And that is partly how you learn to enjoy and appreciate the race is by experiencing it one mile at a time.
Coeur d’Alene is a beautiful course and I am looking forward to going there again. The swim is two loops of a 1.9 kilometre rectangle in Lake Coeur d’Alene. Last time they actually made the swim optional due to very windy conditions. There were some rather large waves which made for a challenging swim.
The bike course is scenic and a bit technical. Driving the course the day before was one of the best decisions I made as I got a sense of some of the hills and tight turns. You really have to watch your gearing. There are some steep declines with sharp turns and all of a sudden you are heading back up a hill. If you haven’t made the proper adjustments you can find yourself in the wrong gear trying to slug it up a hill with no momentum.
To be honest I can’t remember much about the run as I was pretty knackered by the time I got to it. I do recall it being fairly flat with only one hill of any consequence. I do remember that there were a lot of people on the course and they were awesome. Coeur d’Alene really makes a big deal of this event and the support is fantastic.
Last week I finished up with 12 ½ hours of good quality training, broken down as follows:
7,100 metres of swimming (3 swims)
47 miles of running (4 runs)
101 miles of biking (4 rides)
Although I am light on the biking I am still feeling like I am putting in quality sessions and getting the most out of my limited time.
The race is now 7 weeks away so the plan is to keep the volume in this range, stay healthy and start trialing my race day nutrition plans. I am going to the city on Friday to get some supplies so I will pick up some of the supplements I will need.
Have a great day!

Dangerous Bears and Problem Cougars

2009-04-29T20:17:00.002-06:00

Yes it is spring finally. And with spring comes the awakening of all the critters from their winter slumber. I know cougars don't hibernate, but the bears certainly do and now the signs are starting to pop up on my favourite running trails.
Yesterday I went for a leisurely 9 miles on the trails that meander along the perimeter of Hinton. About a mile and a bit into the run I noticed an area ribbonned off and a sign which indicated the presence of a "dangerous bear". Off to the side of the trail was a baited bear trap. Fortunately I wasn't hungry as the trap was loaded with stale donuts from Tim Horton's. It would have been embarrassing making a 911 call from inside a bear trap! But I resisted and continued on. Obviously this bear has been causing some major problems to be labelled a dangerous bear.
After about another 6 miles I came upon another sign behind a lake that advertised a problem cougar in the area. Now if I have my choice I would prefer to come upon a bear. Generally the will take off as soon as they see you. Cougars on the other hand are sneaky buggers and by the time you notice him it will be too late. They are stalkers and opportunists. This trail runs along the backyards of a lot of houses so I suspect that this particular cougar is finding that cats and small dogs are a lot easier to take down then deer and other larger prey. It is also the time of year when the two year old cougars are starting to get chased away by their mothers so they start looking for their own territory. After seeing that sign I did pick up the pace and ran with heightened awareness.
It is eight weeks away from Coeur d'Alene and I feel pretty good. Supposedly the weather is going to change on the weekend and I should be able to start riding outside.
Thus far this week I have run twice for a total of 20 miles, one 10.75 run at 6:54 pace and a 9 miler a more pedestrian 7:30 rate. I also have two swims in, a 2,900 metre swim on Monday and a quick 1,200 metre dip today. Too many boneheads in the pool today to do a longer workout so I will have to try again tomorrow after work. On the bike side I have two rides in a 29 mile ride and a 33 mile ride. So with three days done in the week I am off to a good start.
Hope you are having a great week!

I'm Still at it!

2009-04-24T20:23:00.002-06:00

Despite the lack of posting I am right on target with training. I am still shy on the cycling miles but as of yet the weather has not co-operated to allow for the longer outdoor rides. That being said everything else proceeds at or beyond expectations.
A whole host of things has prevented me from regular blogging or even reading the ones I usually follow. Congratulations to Mike, Thomas and Jerry on fantastic efforts at the Boston Marathon on Monday. I think at the end of the day you have to go to Boston for the experience. It is really not one to expect to race, but more to relish. It is unlike any other marathon and is what all others are measured against. My hats are off to the above mentioned gentlemen and all others who raced on Monday. Great job!
Back to my training. The swimming has been a bit of a surprise as of late. Because I do a lot of drills and intervals it is really difficult to note the improvement where it counts which is over the longer distances. But lately, due to crowded pools, I have been forced to swim longer distances with out any breaks. And that is where I am noticing that I am starting to shave some time off. We're not talking tens of minutes, but it is minutes and they all count.
Despite the fact I am still not getting any really long rides in, I am getting lots of saddle time in and have also noticed improved cadence and higher wattage. Again signs of strengthening and improvement. My workouts really have focused on technique and finding that perfect gearing, cadence and power balance. I did try and ride on the roads last Sunday but after a mile and a half it was just too darned cold and I retreated to the trainer.
The running, well, just seems to be steady and solid. I have been using my brick workouts to focus on getting myself up to a reasonable pace and then settling in. Arizona was by no means a race to measure myself by. It was just too hot and I chose survival. In CDA 2007 I struggled to settle into a pace on the run. I really want to get the run done in less than 4 hours.
The next 9 weeks leading up to the race are busy with birthdays, a wedding, anniversaries, and general life happening. The key will be to keep the race in perspective, but to enjoy all the other life events happening. I am blessed that so many of our family is making the effort to come out to the wedding and if it means backing off on the training for a week or so, I'm fine with that.
Have a great day!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T07:57:00.002-06:00

It was another good week with some decent workouts completed. I continue to march towards Ironman Coeur d'Alene with growing confidence. Not that I think I am going to knock off any great time, but I do feel I will perform well and complete the race strong.
I should probably finish this week with between 14 and 15 hours providing all goes well with my weekend workouts. I have had a little flare up of the Achilles after last weekend's longer run. But I know how to treat it and if nothing else it will force me on the bike!
It finally appears that spring has arrived as the snow has gone and we are experiencing temperatures in the low teens right now. The layers have been shed and it is nice to be out in shorts and t-shirts. Hopefully I can get on the road with the bike this weekend. I still don't like the fact that there is a lot of sand on the road as it really takes a toll on your chain.
Happy Easter everyone and have a great weekend!

Process Check

2009-04-05T07:43:00.002-06:00

The last few weeks of training have been quite encouraging. Although I don't track my progress with a lot of science I can just tell that my strength and mental focus are right on track.
I am feeling distinct improvements in my swimming and while I have not done any time trials, I am sure that I am faster. Maybe not a lot faster, but faster all the same. Last week I had a total of 8,700 metres in the pool, with two 3,000 metre swims.
Cycling has also been on the upswing and I have been able to endure a couple of 3 hour plus rides on the trainer. The long range forecast says that the weather should be improving so I am really hopeful that I can get outside soon. Having said that I also feel the cycling power is coming along. Again I don't have a lot of evidence to that effect, but it is just a feeling.
Lastly the run. The legs have been great and seem to be able to recover very quickly. I did 18.5 miles holding 7:03 pace and I am good to go today. Which is a good thing because I have a long bike ride on the agenda.
I am 11 weeks out from CDA and there is still a lot of work to be done. But at this point in the process I feel pretty good. There will be some interruptions in the plan as we prepare for the wedding and all of the family visits, but life happens. The training is important, but certainly not the most important thing. We are very excited about the fact that almost everyone in the family is going to make it for the big day. I am lucky that I have a very close family and we always make every effort to be there for one another in any circumstance.
Speaking of CDA, I best book myself some rooms or I will be staying in a van down by the river!
Have a great weekend!

Trying Something New

2009-03-30T19:21:00.002-06:00

Lately I have had a real tough time setting my butt down in front of the computer and chronicling my latest training episodes. It’s not from a lack of anything to write about. I have definitely gotten back to firing on all cylinders on the workouts. Last week I was above the 14 hour mark with significant workouts in all three disciplines. It just seems that my days have been drifting away so quickly that there seems to be little or no time to jot down a few notes. Which then leads me to my solution, perhaps that it what I need to do. When I think of something just put it down and then all I would have to do is cut and paste it into a blog later on. This is the first attempt at doing that.
As mentioned last week I was back on track logging just over 14 hours with a definite increase in the cycling. I managed to do a mind-numbing 3 hour plus session on the trainer this Sunday. Although it is not the most interesting way to do your cycling it is necessary and also yields great benefits. Fortunately for me the weather co-operated on Saturday and I was able to do my 2 hour run outside. Other than getting chased by a stupid dog, the run was uneventful. I was a little slow; partly because of some of the trails I chose and partly because I was just slow and probably the largest contributor, not a drop of water. I have never been very good at carrying anything with me but I really need to carry at least a little drink of water. At the end of the day I managed to run 16.27 miles in 2:02.
The start of a new week and I am off to a good start with a 3,000 metre swim under my belt already. I was expecting a pool full of people today since it is Spring Break, but it was actually not too bad. Hopefully everyone has gone away on holidays!
Have a great week!

A Write Off!

2009-03-24T20:38:00.000-06:00

I think the cold is behind me now, and while last week was a bit of a write off, I am stoked to fly at it again this week.
Monday I was off to the pool for a good 2,900 metre swim. I felt really good in the water and my work out was 800 metres of warm ups and drills. Then it was 20 x 100 with 10 seconds rest and a brief 100 metre cool down.
The evening run was 7 miles in 48:00. I would really like to do a race sometime soon, but there hasn’t been anything available. There was a ½ marathon a couple of weeks ago in Edmonton but it was sold out. The next events are in May which is going to be a busy month so I am hesitant to sign up for anything right now. For all the good things about living out in a smaller community that is the one complaint I would have. Most of the events are in either Edmonton or Calgary which are 2 ½ hours and 5 hours away. I have driven in before to race but it means leaving here at 5:00 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. race if it is in Edmonton. It doesn’t necessarily leave you poised to run your best!
At lunchtime today I was able to squeeze in a little over 8 miles in just under an hour. The trails are still a tad icy so the footing was tricky. I was over dressed as well so together they conspired against me running any pace.
With 13 weeks to go to Coeur d’Alene, my focus needs to shift to more cycling and a few longer runs. The running doesn’t concern me as I know with a few more mid-distance runs I will be okay for that section of the ordeal. It is the damn bike again! Further complicating things is that it is still going to be awhile before I can get the bike on the road. So I will just have to do the best I can and hope my discipline can get me through a few long rides on the trainer.
Have a great day!

Relapse

2009-03-19T18:29:00.002-06:00

After a brief stint of feeling better, my cold came back resulted in some half-hearted and missed workouts this week. Not to worry though, I am sure I will be back up to speed sooner rather than later.
This cold has dragged on though, and it probably doesn't help that I continue to push through it. Hopefully it is not a sign of anything more sinister.
Today I finally felt some strength in my legs and I was able to knock off an even eight miles in just over 55 minutes. We'll see if the legs agree with me tomorrow.
There are also some promising signs that spring may be on it's way. Temperatures were in the double digits today and on the plus side to boot! The sun is also beginning to feel like it has a little more strength in it and did a good job polishing off the last of the snow. I am really hopeful that I can get on the roads pretty soon with the bike. The trainer rides, while highly efficient and effective, do start to wear a little thin right about now. As much as I despise fighting the wind outside, I am actually looking forward to it now.
So while this week won't be the banner week I was looking for to kick off the final phase of training, it will have to do. I am feeling optimistic about the next few weeks and I should be able to start making up some ground.
I just got a bunch of new books from Chapters this week so I will fill you in once I start reading them. I just started reading "The Logic of Life - The rational economics of an irrational world", by Tim Harford. It looks interesting and appears to be an easy read.
Have a great week!

It was inevitable!

2009-03-15T19:01:00.002-06:00

With all the coughing, sneezing, and runny noses around our office it was only a matter of time before I would catch a cold. And sure enough I did! By Wednesday of this week I was a sniffling mess with a red nose and bleary eyes. Usually I am pretty lucky and manage to avoid catching colds, but this time it was not to be. But after a few days rest I seem to be back to normal today. I managed to run 8.5 miles today in 62 minutes so I think I am on the mend.
Prior to catching the cold I was doing quite well with couple of runs a bike ride and a swim under my belt by Tuesday, but that was it until Saturday when I managed to run an easy 5 miler.
But I am feeling good now so I should be able to pick up pretty close to where I left off. With 14 weeks to go until Ironman Coeur d'Alene I am starting to get to the real meat of the training. The weather should be improving as well so I can start getting some riding done on the roads. That will be a welcome change from the trainer which can often be a challenge to get through the longer rides on.
Have a great week!

Boring!

2009-03-07T15:52:00.002-07:00

I have kind of felt that way about the blog lately. Nothing really exciting to report on and I feel like blabbing about the same old workouts wears thin after awhile. It's not that I am bored, not by any stretch of the imagination! Life is great! The workouts are progressing along just dandy and I have never felt better about wear I am at this point in the cycle.
Work is great with lots of interesting things happening. Having my younger brother here now has also been nice. It is good to talk with someone who can give you a frank assessment of the operations and people. By and large I think he has generally been impressed but he also sees a lot of opportunity for us to improve.
Wedding plans are also moving along at an appropriate pace. Everything is booked, invitations are out, cake ordered, all that is left is for Mom and Dad to pick up some new duds! It is going to be a family affair with about 60 people at Pyramid Lake Lodge in Jasper, Alberta. Unfortunately with the untimely recession and resulting uncertainty some of my family will now be unable to come. The recession is the first one that has gotten personal as two operations where I have family working have permanently closed. That sucks big time! However, as previously mentioned I have one brother already here and another one interviewing next week, so who knows they may all end up out here.
Anyway back to the blog and lack of inspiration. I read a lot of really good bloggers out there. People who seem to be able to turn the mundane reporting of workouts in spell-binding reading. Unfortunately I have not been similarly blessed. Mine reads more like an article out of the Accountants Today Journal! However I will keep trying and maybe I will get struck with some new and creative ideas!
Okay, now back to the numbers, the week went down something like this:
Swam 4.7 miles
Biked 91.6 miles
Ran 35.3 miles

Total of 11 hours and 42 minutes.

I am starting to get some decent cycling sessions in now and my swims have been really good. It is interesting to see that people who were cruising past me in the pool are now sucking my wake! I seemed to have really improved my pull and my average stroke count is between 16 and 19 per length. All good stuff.

Have a great weekend!

Making Progress

2009-03-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days my training has started to feel like I am making progress again. I was especially pleased with my Saturday ride and then a hard Sunday run. They were good tests of my fitness and I would say I passed.
On Saturday I did a 2 hour ride on the trainer with relatively high resistance and was able to average 21 MPH and 91 RPM for the workout. My legs felt good and I was good about taking on lots of fluids and one gel. Generally I am guilty of not looking after myself in that regard, but I am making an effort to correct it. Also I have been using a different sports drink, NUUN which is a tablet that mixes up nicely and has a mild flavour. The tablets look like Alka Seltzer and fizz up like them as well.
Sunday I came back with a hard run, doing 13.2 miles at an average pace of 6:51 / mile. Again the legs didn’t complain too much and everything seemed to be working fine on Monday.
So with those two workouts under my belt I feel quite encouraged at this point as to where I am fitness wise. Now it is about increasing the volume without getting injured. Always a tricky balance, but it is somewhat easier with 3 sports as opposed to just 1.
Wedding plans are starting to become front and centre over the last few weeks. Thank goodness Nicholas and Nicole are so laid back and not into a royal wedding. They just want a good family party, lots to eat and drink! That makes planning a whole lot easier and the lodge in Jasper has been very helpful in setting up menus and all the other stuff that has to happen. The wedding falls right about the time I should start tapering, May 28th so it won’t hurt if I take a little bit of time off during then. So far it looks like we are going to have almost all of my family here including nieces and nephews. We are very thrilled about that!
Music wise there has not been a lot of new stuff out that has interested me. I did pick up the new Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Lonely Road and it is kind of interesting. I also got an old Crossfade album.
Have a great day!

The Green Binder

2009-02-26T19:47:00.001-07:00

The Green Binder is where I store all the tid-bits of training information and plans that I come across over the years. And it is invariably where I turn to when I struggle with getting myself on track. As mentioned in my last post I was at that point a week or so ago and so I dug the old binder out and started looking through it again.
What I was looking for was just to introduce a little more variety into some of my workouts, especially around the swim. As is always the case, we tend to start doing the same thing over and over again because it is either easy or because we can’t think of anything else to do. More than likely I was in the latter camp, as I just wanted to get the metres logged.
Now, armed with some new options, the first couple swims this week have been much more challenging and enjoyable. The funny thing is sometimes it is just some small little changes that make a world of difference. Giving yourself some options as far as distance or choice of stroke or using a swim aide, all can contribute to making the session different and more enjoyable. One of the key concepts to any work out success is based on the 4 “S’s”. Basically this rule of thumb is that you need to cover off four elements in a coaching plan:
Self directed – you have to feel you are somewhat in control of the planned workout
Sensory – there should be things in the work out to stimulate the senses, be it visual, auditory or feel
Social – try and make it involve other people
Success – structure the workout so that you will achieve a measure of success when you are done. This can be done in a variety of ways but generally if you give yourself a range of outcomes you can ensure a measure of satisfaction when you are done.
So this week I have been thinking about making sure my workouts have some or all of the elements.
Monday – Swam 2,400 metres – 51:33 – Ran 6.25 miles – 41:36
Tuesday – Swam 2,600 metres – 1 hour
Wednesday – Ran 6.2 miles – 45:15 – Biked 21.1 miles – 1:05
Thursday – Swam 2,200 metres 46:43 – Ran 7.5 miles – 50:57
The week has gone good with a good mix of workouts so far and a variety of intensities. The weekend I will focus on bike work and at least one long run.
Have a great day!

Last Week

2009-02-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

It’s been well over a week since I have had time to jot down some thoughts on my training. Things have been quite hectic with the arrival of our latest addition to the family. He is a bouncing 180 pound, thin haired, 47 year old boy! Actually my younger brother, Blair is living with us and working in our plant. It is great having him here and he is no trouble at all. Actually because he is quite handy I am expecting I will get a lot of nagging little jobs completed around the house. Also last week was Reading Week for the University of Alberta so Francesca was home for the week as well. When she comes home, the house just bustles with activity as she is on the go all the time and always after us to do things with her.
Workout wise I short changed myself a little bit as I had to defer a couple workouts. The pool has been crazy busy lately so I only got 2 and a bit of a swim done. On Friday I got too frustrated and cut short my swim after 14 minutes. First off someone was in my lane and then we ended up with six in the lane that I had to go in. Just too much bother dodging people and I couldn’t get into my workout at all. I did manage two other decent swims of 2,500 metres and 2,250 metres respectively.
Monday I did a good brick workout, completing 18 miles on the bike and then pounding out 4.6 miles in 30 minutes flat. Tuesday was a one of the swims and a 10 k run. There was nothing really special about the run other than I have been feeling really strong. Wednesday and Thursday I biked and also did a good long hill run. The hill run was just a course I chose which covered a lot of elevation. Friday I had the abbreviated swim and then did nothing in the evening. We ended up going out for sushi with Blair and Francesca. It was fun and the food was great as usual.
Saturday I went for a run on the trails. I thought the footing would be better because of the long stretch of warm weather but they were still icy. It took me 1 hour and 25 minutes to cover 10.5 miles as I spent a lot of time dancing around puddles and ice slicks. It was still a nice run, just really slow.
Sunday was the end of Francesca’s break and we drove her back to the city. The weather was nice which made for an easy ride.
I have re-jigged my loose plan this week as I found I was getting a bit too caught up in the running and not getting enough cycling in. The plan I have has better defined cycling workouts so that may help me get better focused.
Have a great week!

Slow Mo' and Fast Forward

2009-02-14T06:11:00.002-07:00

My week was a mix of good and not so good workouts. Looking in the rear view mirror at the week I am generally satisfied with how I fared. This week was a planned (kind of) cut back week as I have done 3 weeks of 11 hours plus. My goal for this week was to get around 8 1/2 which is exactly where I am sitting this morning.
The title of today's post is in reference to my Thursday and Friday runs. On Thursday I went out at lunch time for a quick tour of the trails. Over the last two weeks we have had plus temperatures so I was anticipating good footing, but I was quite wrong. The trails are still relatively sheltered from the sun and were dangerously icy. I was running rather gingerly along the pathways and there were few opportunities to open up my stride and really run. As a result I completed a 6.3 mile run in 50:30.
On Friday I had an up tempo session in mind when I got home from work. Unfortunately I had limited time so in those circumstances, the treadmill it is. I don't really do a lot of speed work, or should I say I don't do any speed work. As recently mentioned I just run, however on the treadmill a progression type run works quite well. Everything is controlled and using the proper mix of speed and incline you can give yourself a solid work out. That is what I did yesterday. I only went 5 miles, but it was at 6:24 pace with the incline set at 2%.
Overall the week went well with 4 swims, 3 rides and 4 runs with a longish ride or run planned for today.
Four weeks into the training and things are going well thus far. As usual, the cycling still needs the most attention, but I was happy to get in 3 rides this week. Hopefully the good weather continues and I can soon get outside for an occasional ride. I am also looking at seeing what running events there are in Edmonton in the next little while as I am anxious to see how I would perform in a race situation. I know there is a 10 mile race in April but I am hoping to find something a bit sooner.
On the reading front I am just about finished reading "Young Stalin". It is a very interesting book, but he was one nasty dude right from the get go!
Musically I have not found much lately that I want to add to the iPod. I did pick up a greatest hits compilation by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but that has been it.
Have a great weekend!

The Older I Get The Better I Used to Be!

2009-02-07T06:21:00.003-07:00

Have you ever heard that? A friend of mine once mentioned it in a hockey dressing room as someone was going on about their past triumphs. It is amazing what time and a faulty memory can do for your athletic prowess.
I run into this on a regular basis, usually at the pool for some reason. Someone will start asking me how many lengths I am doing or how far I am going to run. My usual answer is "I don't know, I'll see what happens." That's usually when the story starts. "Yeah, well I used to run a lot but you know, the knees gave out." If I had a dime for every time I heard that one. So now your exercise consists of bringing a bottle of water to the pool and sitting in the hot tub? And it seems to be working for you since you can no longer see your feet.!
Or the other one is "I used to work out a lot, but the doctor told me to stop." Who is this doctor and why did he tell you to stop. Were you getting in too good of shape, or was it the wrong shape. Perhaps the shape you are in now is more what he was looking for, 240 lbs and 5'7".
Unfortunately the pool was full of more than a few of these yesterday. For some reason the "resolutioners" have started later this year. Not quite sure of the reason, but I think the nicer weather has suddenly got people out and about. There had to have been 16 people in the pool and another bunch waiting on deck or in the hot tub. Now as I have mentioned before I am happy when a person decides to make a positive change in there life. That is absolutely the right thing to do. But you know what, keep the goals modest and to yourself. The old "Don't write a cheque with your mouth that your ass can't cash." would be the proper approach. I had to listen to one guy go on and on about the program he had set up and was going to follow. Six days a week, running, weights and swimming. And this all from a prone start, with a bag of Cheetos in one hand and a Coors Light in the other. C'mon man! Get real! How about I am going to limit myself to one bag of Cheetos a week and I am going to walk 15 minutes a day, and build from there. I can guarantee that I will see this guy until it either gets cold again (which it will) or until you can get 2 Teens for $6 at A&W. Point about all this is just be realistic, set achievable goals and build on them. Nothing too scientific or profound, just some common sense.
Anyway I have to go as I have a billion mile run and a 23 hour workout planned on the bike!
Have a great weekend!

A Quick Recap

2009-02-05T18:23:00.002-07:00

The first "official week" of training for IM CDA is just about in the books and it has gone relatively well. Actually it has gone quite well.
Sunday - Cross Country Ski - 1 hour and then a 10 mile run @ 7:05 Pace
Monday - Biked 1 hour - big gears - 17.5 miles - Swam 2000 metres easy
Tuesday - Swam 2,700 metres
Wednesday - Ran 9.2 miles @ 7:20 Pace - Biked 1:10 20.5 miles - high cadence 94 RPM average
Thursday - Swam 2,800 metres - Ran 6 miles @ 6:57 Pace
So the total for the week thus far is just over 8 1/2 hours. This will be my third week at 11 plus hours so next week will be a bit lighter.
Swimming continues to be fun because of the distinct improvement in my times. I am almost afraid to miss a day because I know how fleeting the improvements can be. It seems you can lose them as fast as they came.
The cycling is gradually coming together, but it is a chore with every workout on the trainer either staring at "Coach Troy" or trying to read from a sweat-stained page. But that it what it will take to get to where I need to be.
And running has been great as our weather has been perfect. Sunny skies and temperatures ranging from +8 C to +12 C. There has also been a fair bit of wind, but at least it is not cold.
Have a great day!

The Lottery

2009-02-01T17:08:00.002-07:00

Normally I am of the mind that lottery's are taxes on fools. The odds of winning are generally ridiculous and I am better off keeping the money in my pocket. But what if that lottery was for a chance to go to Kona and compete in Ironman Hawaii? The odds are just about as ridiculous, there are only 50 spots, and the ticket price is $35.
After shelling out the $35 and filling in the page long application I have now entered the lottery! I am officially a fool for those of you who don't know me, and for those of you that do, have confirmed it!
My odds of qualifying for Kona are long at best. If the perfect day came together I might be on the fringes, but the damn guys my age are still doing ridiculous times. So it has come to this. apply to a lottery. The other option is to outlive everyone in my category.
The other thing I have been thinking is maybe with the economic downturn fewer people will enter the races. Maybe all the fast guys will lose their jobs and won't be able to go. It's an evil thought, but it could happen!
So my name is in the hat and the $35 is out of my bank account. Now I just need to wait until April to find out.
On another note today I went cross country skiing. It has been awhile and as a result it took a while to get ready. I skate ski so I needed to do a hot wax ( of my skis) prior to going. I was a little out of practice, but it did turn out fine and my wax was ideal for the conditions. Cross country skiing is quite a workout and I forgot how tiring it is. However it felt good and I was still able to do a 10 mile run afterwards.
Today is the first official day of training for IM Coeur d'Alene. A little less than 5 months to the race.
Have a great day!

A Breakthrough!

2009-01-31T05:28:00.002-07:00

The swimming part of my trio of sports has always been a challenge. While there are limited gains to be made in the swim part of the race for me, you still have to work hard to maintain what you have. And the options of not being a decent swimmer are not good, as my brother once told me, if you can't run, you can walk, if you can't ride, you can coast, if you can't swim, you drown!
Lately I have mixed my swimming up a bit, adding a little more interval and drill work and when possible, another swim per week. And yesterday I definitely noted a breakthrough! Under race conditions my 1,500 metre time is 32 minutes plus. Yesterday I did a rather relaxed swim, which included 50 metres of breastroke in 30:20! So I am quite confident that I could have went under 30 minutes easily. Unfortunately I know holding on to my gains is the difficult part. Because swimming is so technical, it doesn't take much to revert to your old habits. But that was one good thing about yesterday's swim is that I really wasn't thinking too much about what I was doing.
Now if I can get a breakthrough on the bike!
Have a great weekend!

Workouts this week

2009-01-29T19:54:00.002-07:00

So far the week is proceeding along quite nicely from a workout perspective:

Sunday was a brick with a break - I rode 1:35 or just over 30.5 miles and then after a little break I ran 6.5 miles at a 7:05 pace
Monday was a 2,000 metre pool workout.
Tuesday - 2,650 metres in the pool and then a 9.5 mile run holding 6:56 / mile pace
Wednesday was a short run 5 miles on the trails at lunch.
Thursday - 2,900 metre swim, 1:00 bike ride for 17.1 miles using big gears and 6 miles in 41:08. The bike / run workout was done as follows 30 minutes on the bike, 20 minutes running, 30 minutes on the bike and 20 odd minutes on the run.
Thus far this week I am at 8.5 hours so I am well positioned to have another 10+ hour week.
Everything is rolling along quite nicely right now. I just need to keep reminding myself it is still early and not to get too far ahead of myself. I think I need to seriously consider some events prior to Ironman Coeur d'Alene. I also need to consider booking accommodations in CDA or I "will be living in a van, down by the river", to quote Chris Farley.
Have a great day!

Running Man

2009-01-27T19:25:00.002-07:00

As much as I love triathlon, I am first and foremost a runner.
I have always loved to run, and have been a distance runner since high school. Back then, our phys ed teacher would start us running in the fall for cross country. There was a route that ran from the high school to a little lake and it was probably 2.5 or 3 miles at best round trip. On the way to the lake was a gas station and most of the guys in my class would take off from the school running at a great clip, once the teacher was out of site, they would duck into the gas station and buy a pop and some chips. Then they would head off into the bush and hide. I usually had no money so I ran to the lake and back. The rest of the class knew it was time to come out of the bush when I went by!
So through high school I ran cross country and played soccer which was really just running for me as I can't recall touching the ball that often. After college and when I started working in an office is when I really got serious and decided I would like to run a marathon. After a couple of ten milers I finally did my first marathon in 1985 in Duluth, Minnesota. My older brother and I trained religiously for the race and had modest expectations of finishing in under 4 hours. Both of us did considerably better and we were hooked! Since that time I have run quite a few marathons, halfs, ten milers, you name it. Unfortunately I am not much of a record keeper so I can't give you a litany of PB's, other than I know my best marathon was a 2:49:49. I only remember that one so well because I had a goal to go to Boston but I would only go if I qualified with the original qualifying time of 2:50. I can still remember watching the clock ticking down as I was running down the last straight stretch at Grandma's Marathon, wondering if I was going to make it!
Which leads me to the point of today's post. It has been almost 30 years of running for me and I still look forward everyday to my workout, some days more than others. My goals have always been modest, and I think I have always been pretty balanced in my approach to training. And I have tried all the different methods of training and found what I believe to be the sweet spot for me. Any more than 60 miles a week and I can guarantee that I will get injured. Also I like to run when I go out! My miles are mainly done at higher intensity because that is what I like to do. I don't hill train, and I don't necessarily speed train. I just run! And for anyone thinking of starting to run that is all you need to do......just run.
Have a great day!

January has gone missing

2009-01-24T06:43:00.003-07:00

Where has the month of January gone? For me this month has passed by quicker than any January in recent memory. I know they say this happens to you as you get older, but this month really slipped away. Usually it is the one month that seems to drag on forever. With cold weather, post Christmas blues and the like, it seems like a 45 day month some years. However, not this year as we have it licked!
But that poses a bit of another issue, as I am now approaching the start of my official training for IM CDA. I believe the start date for my 20 week program is February 1. I am already in good position for that as I have started conditioning the body for two a days and longer weekly hours. This week will end up just over 11 hours, which is probably a little more than I should have. One of the obvious issues we face is that we charge out of the gate and plunge into big weeks right off the bat, only to be dragging our sorry asses in late May. Then I will be complaining about how burned out I am, sick of training, blah, blah, blah, whine, whine, whine. So that is the one caution.
As mentioned in my last post I am going to try and mix things up a bit more than I usually do. I might even try swimming in a different lane at the pool! Wait a minute, that's just crazy talk! But I may start at the opposite end of the pool one day.
This week, thus far, I have managed 4 swims for a total of 8,600 metres, 4 runs with one more today, and 3 rides. I tweaked my right calf on my Wednesday run, so I skipped Thursday. With the help of the Trigger Point massager I was able to get the knots out and I blasted through a 10K run on the treadmill last night in 41:27 running at between 2 and 3% grade.
I also got some great news on Friday as my younger brother has chosen to join our company and move to Hinton. It is really exciting to have some family right here again. I am also excited because he is a very talented guy and will help our facility out in numerous ways.
On the reading front I am still struggling through "The Spiritual Brain", it is some tough slugging and I kept hoping it would get better, but with 30 pages to go it hasn't happened yet! I am also reading a biography on Joseph Stalin. Hopefully I can learn some tips on how to manage my people more effectively. Torture, murder, and banishment to Siberia seemed to work effectively for Uncle Joe!
Musically, I have picked up a few good albums lately, Susan Tedeschi, Back to the River, and The Derek Trucks Band, Almost Free. Both are blues albums and Derek Trucks actually plays a bit on the Susan Tedeschi Album. He is an awesome slide player and has also played with the Allman Brothers Band.
Have a great weekend!

Changing it Up

2009-01-20T19:02:00.002-07:00

Since I started training for triathlons some years ago I have always followed roughly the same pattern for my workouts. Swims on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at lunch. On those days I run in the evening. On Tuesday and Thursday, I run at lunch and bike in the evening, and on the weekend it is long run on Saturday, short bike, and long bike, short run on Sunday or I take Sunday off. Going into this training cycle I am going to try and mix it up a little and try and do a few single, concentrated workouts throughout the week.
Yesterday I had to go for blood work which required 12 hours of fasting. For me going 12 hours without food is a challenge and I need some distractions. My problem is I wake up starved and can't wait for my breakfast so I needed something to keep me occupied from 4:30 AM when I get up until the lab opened at 8:00 AM, so I went for a morning swim. Surprisingly I was quite pleased with my workout as I was able to really work on some drills and not worry about taking up a lane. After an hour I had done a little over 2,000 metres and it was 7:30 AM and I was ready to get the blood withdrawn. In the evening I ran a nice 6.25 miles in 44 minutes. The legs were pretty fresh considering I had done eleven miles on Saturday and 9.5 on Sunday, both a around a 7:05 pace.
Today I swam again, logging 2,600 metres. Tuesday is a less busy day at the pool as apparently most people follow the same schedule I do for their swims. Again it was nice to have not too many people in the pool. Swimming back to back left me feeling pleasantly tired, but not totally bagged. The added bonus was I hit the bike for a challenging workout tonight with fresh legs and it really was evident. I whipped off a 40 km ride in 1:11 with lots of intervals and some big gear work.
So I think I may have something here. My big issue with the big may be related to the fact that I am attempting too many ambitious workouts on tired legs. With that in mind I will try and mix things up a bit and keep it a little more varied. There are some limitations with swimming pool hours but there are still some opportunities to work within those limitations.
Have a great week!

The Annual Physical

2009-01-17T07:27:00.002-07:00

Every year at this time, I schedule my annual physical. Timing wise it works out well as I have my birthday on January 8th as reminder and it is the start of the hard training for any event I am going to do.
I have always looked at the checkup from the perspective that I take my vehicles in for a service appointment after every 5,000 kilometres, wouldn't it make sense to do the same for my body? Especially given the fact that I ask a lot of it in a year.
The only thing about going for my physical is that as I age I am forced to suffer more indignities each year. Also given my family history (my father died from colon cancer, and several uncles from prostate cancer), well you get the picture! Having said all that, this is my plug to make sure that you go for a check up and get all the diagnostics done. In my case it has turned up things that, despite the candy coated outside, lurk inside and need to be managed. I believe my Dad would still be alive with proper screening and treatment. So if you haven't done it in awhile go out and make that appointment!
I am lucky that my doctor is a triathlete and marathon runner so he is great about understanding that side of me and treats me accordingly. He understands the obsessive nature of endurance athletes and helps to find courses of treatment that allow me to continue training without doing more harm.
So that is the public service announcement portion of today's blog!
On to the training or lack thereof.
Yesterday I laid an egg as I just was too tired to get out to do anything. A couple of late nights and a bit of lingering tiredness from the travel on Monday and Tuesday left me just wanting to kick back and relax. And that is what I did! It was a bit unfortunate as the weather has really taken a turn and temperatures have soared. Today we are looking at +10 C and sunshine so it will be time to run outside and enjoy.
Have a great weekend!

Reality Bites!

2009-01-15T17:52:00.007-07:00

After another glorious week of vacation in the beautiful Mayan Riviera, it is back to reality, and as we all know, REALITY BITES! My biggest decision for the last seven days has been whether or not to go up for another helping at the all inclusive buffet.

However, a return to normal is not all bad either. I am actually happy to be home and get back to my training regime. Although I did manage to run 5 out of 7 days and get in a couple of swims, and that doesn't include the laps at the swim up bar!

The wedding was a blast and it was great to see my brother and his family. My niece and her husband made it a very memorable event treating us to an afternoon of sailing, snorkeling, snacking and snarfing beers in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as another morning of deep sea fishing. Along with a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception it was just a fantastic time and we really appreciated the incredible hospitality.

Times like these really make you appreciate your family. We have been blessed with a close family and we have a great bunch of nieces and nephews. They are all interesting, funny and really caring people and we are proud of all of them.

My brother and his family on the sailing trip.

So now it is time to starting eating this elephant better know as Ironman Coeur d'Alene. My training base is quite strong right now and I feel like I am in a good position both mentally and physically to kick things up a notch. They key, as usual is balance and moderation. Since I got back on Tuesday I have managed two swims of 2,000 metres each, a 5 mile run last night and a quick 40 minute ride tonight. I am still feeling the effects of an lack of sleep due to our travel arrangements on Monday. We left Cancun at 10:00 PM Monday night and arrived back in Edmonton at 3:00 AM Tuesday morning. Sleep was not an option on the plane as we had some crying babies and a pregnant women vomiting in the seat behind us. When we arrived in Edmonton we hopped into our truck and made the 300 Km journey home, stopping at the dog kennel along the way to pick up our pups. Then it was a quick shower and off to work. I finally hit the sack at 8:00 PM on Tuesday night! No worse for the wear but a little on the punch drunk side. Anyway after a few more days to catch up on some sleep I will be ready to get back to the ten hour level next week.

Captain Ang as we head out for a three hour cruise!

Now it is time to catch up on all the blogs I have missed reading.

The little guy in the front is my youngest blog reader, Emilio!

Have a great day!

Heading Back on Vacation

2009-01-04T07:37:00.002-07:00

Well I am back off on vacation for a week and this should be the last one until Nicholas and Nicole get married in May. I don't really need the rest, but the escape from the cold will be welcome. Winter has really settled in over the last few days and I have been stuck inside as the temperatures have been -30C and lower. Coupled with the wind it makes for less than optimal running conditions!
So I will be off to sunny Mexico for 7 days of pampering and also some light training. I am usually good about getting in a run everyday and I will also go to the gym and swim. Once I get back though it will be time to start kicking things up a bit. Last week was a good jump off point as I managed to log just over 9 hours with some good runs and a few decent bike rides. Yesterday I rode 32 miles averaging 20 MPH with cadence in the 90+ range. That is where I need to be on the bike if I am going to make any noise at the races. The bike legs do feel like they are coming back as I have really not rode the bike that much over the last few months.
Music wise I am not finding much new these days. I have put the new Hinder and Nickelback albums on, but there hasn't been anything else that has captured my attention. My 30 GB iPod is full now, so when I add something new, something has to come off. There have been some tough decisions as of late! I think it may be time to graduate to the 120 GB model.
Have a great week!

Musings of My 49 Trips Around the Sun

2009-01-02T20:34:00.002-07:00

On January 8th I will have completed my 49th trip around the sun.
Now while some people on their birthday spend time thinking about all the things they haven't done, I will spend my being thankful for all the things I have done. I have had 49 great years and have gotten to do some amazing things! No mid-life crisis for this dude.
There are still lots of things I would like to do, but I really don't have a "bucket list" so to speak. I have really learned to embrace the things I have been able to accomplish and be thankful for them.
This year I would like to do a few more races. I had planned on doing more last year but it never really worked out for me. Coeur d'Alene is the feature race of the season and that will happen June 21. I felt I made considerable improvement in my IM racing last year despite the fact my time was almost the exact same as my first IM. Conditions in Arizona were beyond what I could have reasonably prepared for, so the fact that I gutted it out and finished was a feat in itself. So this year, hopefully with some co-operation from Mother Nature, I can pull together a better race.
On the running front I did have a good race in Red Deer, clocking a 2:58 on a rather challenging course. I haven't really set my sights on any particular marathon yet, but I will definitely do at least one.
Next week it is off to Mexico again for my niece's wedding. With bone chilling temperatures having settled in again (-37 C today!) I am looking forward to the sun in the Mayan Riviera. Temperatures there have been in the 28 C range so that will be a relief.
Today I managed to swim 2,000 metres at lunch and do a 7 mile run (7:08 pace) this evening.
I should finish the week with just over 9 hours so the slow climb has started.
Have a great day!

Sorry no charts or graphs!

2009-01-01T14:16:00.002-07:00

Unlike someone else, I am unable to provide you with any charts, graphs, or statistical analysis of my training in 2008. I'm not even sure I can accurately provide you with any information of what I did last year. My training logs are half-assed at best with large holes where I have either forgot or didn't bother to log anything. Years ago I was quite diligent about the whole thing, but in recent years I really haven't been too interested in keeping up with the details. I know I should, and right about now I should be saying that is my resolution for 2009. But I don't do resolutions either so it probably isn't going to happen.
The last couple of days have been sort of test workouts as I begin my training for my next assault on the Ironman distance. I have done a couple of short brick workouts and those have went well. My legs are really feeling quite strong and the transition from bike to run has been really smooth.
On the running front I continue to feel good and log moderate miles. The cold weather has kept me mostly inside but last Saturday I was able to run in the sun and did a brisk 8.6 miles in 1:00.
Then there were a couple of swims which were kind of lame. The pool has been full of kids lately which has made it difficult to do any sort of workout. With the Christmas break, parents feel that they should bring their kids to the lunch time lap swim. So you end up with a hodge podge of people swimming with no purpose or direction. I usually end up getting frustrated and rather than drowning someone's child, I have opted to bail on the swim after about 1,200 metres. Drowning other people's children carries heavy penalties in Canada.
To finish off 2008 I ran a nice 13.25 miles in 1:32 yesterday. I really had no intention of going that far or fast, but I had a great playlist that really motivated me.
So with that, on we charge into 2009! Today was a 26 mile bike ride followed by 3.5 miles of running. Everything feels good and now I am getting prepared to have a 'nog and rum and start cooking supper!
All the best to everyone in 2009. I hope you achieve all your personal goals and that your lives are filled with peace, happiness and prosperity!
Have a great New Year!

2 BZ 2 BLG

2008-12-27T08:06:00.002-07:00

If I was a text messenger that is how I would tell you I have been just too busy as of late to blog. Preparations for the holiday season as well as trying to get things finished up for year end kept me away from spending some leisure time at the computer. On top of that, with the extreme cold we had for about two weeks, I was running inside on the treadmill. That does not make for interesting blogging. It would be something like, "stared at the wall for 50 minutes, ran 7 miles."
Having said that though, I have been keeping up with the running, swimming and cycling. I am really feeling quite good about my conditioning and mind set as I am about to embark on a little heavier training regime. After holidays I will be ready to start getting into the double digits in terms of weekly training hours. Coeur d'Alene is now less than six months away. Lots of time, but if I want to see any improvement I will need to start working on the cursed bike!
I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did. It was great having the kids home and just relaxing, eating, playing games and just being together.
Today the weather has broken and the wind has died down so I am hoping to venture outside. The temperature right now is 0 degrees Celsius but the wind is still a little strong. But I think I can dress for it and I don't think I can do another day on the treadmill!
Have a great day!

Deep Freeze

2008-12-14T06:46:00.003-07:00

It is friggin' cold out!! When I put the dogs out this morning they turned into pupsicles! Right now the mercury is sitting at -30 C. I had to go out and start the truck because I need to go into Town to get someone special a birthday card.

Don't worry I already got the present! Just forgot the card.

Anyway with a great deal of reluctance the old girl (the truck) came to life and is presently warming up as I write this post. I don't like to waste fuel or add unnecessary pollutants to the air, but there is no way this truck will move without a good 20 minutes to warm up. Otherwise it will feel like I am travelling on square wheels!

So what's happening in the workout world you ask? I'm sure I heard you ask!

Actually it was another respectable week as I logged eight hours of training, in 3 rides, 5 runs and 2 swims. The running has been great, no problems with the calf after the little tweak a week ago, swimming is good, although the volume was a little low, and the biking, well....

As previously mentioned the biking is my least favourite of all the disciplines, and hence my weakest. I managed an 18 mile ride and a 20 mile ride last week, but I really need to step it up. Any advice on how to grow my love of the bike would be greatly appreciated! I have half a dozen spinerval DVDs which help somewhat, but still I just struggle on the bike.

The eight hours is a great jump off point to start picking things up after the holidays. I have been quite good about maintaining between 8 and 10 hours during the last while so my fitness has stayed relatively high.

Today I will try for a bit longer of a ride on the trainer as I am not going outside for any reason, other than the birthday card!

Have a great week!

Success!

2008-12-07T07:35:00.002-07:00

After a few days rest I attempted a run yesterday and it was successful. Mind you, I took it easy and ran on the treadmill, never going below 7:30 pace. Prior to the run I worked the crap out of my right calf with the trigger point massager and that seemed to do the trick. It seems whenever I get this calf problem it is almost like a really deep cramp in the muscle. So with the manipulation it really seemed to ease off and the run went without a hitch. I was able to to 6 miles in 45 minutes, and while I was feeling no ill effects I decided not to push it. Again today the leg feels fine, but I will exercise moderation again.
It looks like we are getting some of the white stuff today and over the next couple days it appears that winter is preparing to set in. We have been quite fortunate so far with no snow to speak of and really moderate temperatures. I guess the snow will help it to feel more like Christmas. We have started to put up some decorations and it will soon be time to go and find the "perfect" tree. Last year's will be hard to top, but there is always a chance that the ultimate tree is waiting out there in the woods!
Have a great day!

Plan? What Plan?

2008-12-06T08:17:00.003-07:00

From some of the comments I have had posted, my lack of "a plan" would drive some of you crazy. It's not that I don't have a plan, I just don't see the point of starting on something so far out from the race. Anything more that 16 to 18 weeks for an IM is going to be way too long for me, because I have the attention span of a gnat. Plus there are some inherent things in these long plans, that although scientifically prove, don't sit well with me. The other interesting thing I would like to note about plans, especially in the triathlon world, is the total absence of plans with names. You won't hear of the Dave Scott 12 week plan, or Simon Whitfield plan, because they don't exist. I think this is largely due to the recognition that no one-size-fits-all plan makes sense. It has to be adapted to your schedule, goals, resources and weaknesses. All too often people embark on these ambitious plans they have read about by some Olympic racer or what not and fail to recognize that outside of the recommended workouts there is a whole other support mechanism that allows the athlete to perform. Nutritionists, physiotherapists, massagers, and a gamut of other resources are in place to allow the athlete to do 6 or 8 hours sessions. Where the rest of us poor schmucks have to work, raise kids, and work some more, all the while trying to fit in our workouts. That is why I generally take a look at a basic generic plan and make it work for me. I try and key in on the important workouts for the week and find a way to make those ones happen. I'm also not a big fan of spending a lot of time on the base training phase of any program. While I know this will make some of you gasp and say, "The audacity!!", that is my humble opinion. For God's sake it is not like I am just getting off the couch and jumping into a program to do an IM! After 30 years as an endurance athlete I am sure I have a pretty well developed aerobic system that needs minimal work to bring it up to snuff. The real work needs to be done in continued skill development and replicating race conditions as often as possible. But again that is my humble opinion and I leave it at that.
Having said all this after the holidays it will be time to cobble together a plan of sorts. As previously mentioned I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, but it will need a few shuffles since near the end of the program and close to the race, Nicholas and Nicole will be getting married and I can assure you there will be minimal opportunities for training. But that's what it is all about, finding ways to fit things in and doing the best with what you are faced with.
On vacation I only managed to finish one book, which was a biography of Neil Young, "Shakey", by Jimmy McDonough. It was a long book (over 700 pages), but was very good with lots of insight into life in the rock world. Currently I am reading the "Spiritual Brain", which is a book about whether or not there is neurological evidence of "the mind". Interesting but you know it will be slightly biased as the research is sponsored by the Templeton Institute.
Music wise, it's CHRISTMAS TIME, so I have been hauling all the old Christmas tunes over into my iTunes library!
Yesterday I swam 2,200 metres focusing on 5o metre repeats with good form. Then last night I did a brisk spin session for 40 minutes with an average RPM of 95. I am still not running due to the tight calf but after some massaging today I will decide whether or not to try.
Have a great weekend!

Just call me Mr.Mellow

2008-12-04T18:23:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure whether it is last week off, or the anticipation of the Christmas Holidays, or knowing that I am going back to Mexico in a month, but man am I mellooooow! Nothing rattles me these days, absolutely nothing. The hectic rush of month end, serious personnel issues, and more labour negotiations have all just found their rightful place in my new peace and love world. And before you're wondering if I scored some Cancun Gold or mind numbing tequila I can assure you that is not the case. I just feel really good this week.
With a few more weeks before I start to buckle down for Coeur d'Alene, I would have to say I am happy with the maintenance training I have been doing. The only issue is I am running just a tad too fast and this week it finally came home to roost as I suffered a little tweak of my right calf. I knew it was coming as it surfaced while I was running on the beach (just thought I would throw that in!) It's nothing that I am really concerned with and with some rest and trigger point massaging I will be fine. Speaking of massaging I will have to share my "spa experience" I had while in Mexico in a future blog. I did manage to run Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and was able to rack up 18 miles. On Tuesday the calf started to tighten while I was running the track and after 5 miles I pulled the plug. It is starting to feel better already but another couple of days rest won't hurt it.
Monday I was also back in the pool and did a 1,700 metre ladder in 37:04. Today's swim was a 2,500 metre effort with 800 metres of warm up and drill, 3 x 500 metre main set and a 200 metre cool down. Generally speaking I am happy with the stroke and I think I have found my "happy place" in the pool. Remind me I said this in a couple of months when I am complaining of my cat like swimming.
I have also managed two workouts on the bike. Yesterday was a 50 minute, 16.5 mile effort, which was followed up today with just over an hour of high tempo spinning.
So with that I feel that things are holding together quite well and I am poised to start ramping things up in mid-January.
Have a great day!

Back from Paradise

2008-11-30T08:38:00.006-07:00

After one glorious week of rest and sunshine, I'm back and ready to fly at it again.

We had a fantastic week in Mexico at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda which is located in the Mayan Riviera. No phones, computers, meetings, or negotiations, just me and Angela and the beach. There is nothing to match the relaxation of an all inclusive resort. You put your money down and and never have to dig in your pocket again except for a tip now and again.

While we were there we managed to workout almost everyday. Between the great gym and spa facilities and the beach, there were lots of opportunities to run and swim. The workouts were short but very enjoyable. After six trips to Mexico I would definitely rank this as one of the best resorts we have been to and would highly recommend it.

The other bonus was coming back home and finding no snow and temperatures still on the plus side. Normally when we get back, the first challenge is to determine which lump of snow in the airport parking lot might contain our vehicle. Not this time! And then this morning when I woke up to take the dogs out at 6:30 a.m. it was already plus 3 degrees Celsius. Bonus!!

After the great rest, everything seems to have found it's proper perspective and I am ready to get back on the horse and take on the challenges at work and with my training. The other nice thing is I know that we are going back in a little over a month! My niece is getting married just 40 minutes south of where we just were, at the Bahia Principe Tulum.

Today the plan is to get out and enjoy a nice run in this beautiful fall weather. Then time to start digging out the Christmas decorations!

Have a great weekend!

Call me Coach

2008-11-17T18:23:00.002-07:00

This weekend I took the NCCP - Community Coaching course in Edmonton. The course is now actually considered level one of the competition stream which seems to make sense. All that aside, it was a great course and I learned a lot. The facilitators were excellent and had a great amount of relevant experience. We also had a great class which only helped to enhance the learning. There were pro's, elite level runners, swimmers and cyclists as well as people like myself just hungry for more knowledge about the sport. Some really good discussion and sharing of training methods, drills, and workouts. In the end I came away with some great ideas to incorporate into my own training as well as a sound foundation of coaching principles and skills. Well worth giving up a weekend and shelling out a couple hundred bucks.
The workouts last week were all pretty intense for some reason. Short but very intense, with the exception of a couple of slower runs. Tuesday I did another brick and that was a killer. Now with the treadmill and the bike trainer in the same room I am able to really do some interesting workouts. For this workout I did 10 minutes easy spinning, followed by 10 minutes at 8 mph on the mill, and repeated it four times increasing the intensity on each rep. It was a gooder!
Wednesday I was in the city to bring Francesca back after an extended long weekend. I also had some personal business to take care of so that worked out even though I didn't get any workouts in. Thursday I ran 8.5 miles in a little over an hour and followed it up with a quick 40 minutes on the bike, covering just over 12.5 miles. Friday was a swim and a hilly run after work. Saturday and Sunday were both down days due to the course in Edmonton.
Today I was back in the pool, but it was a disaster! After a weekend of listening to all kinds of great technique suggestions I promptly tried to weave them into one workout. After 1,200 metres I had myself completely confused and struggling to complete each length of the pool. That's when you know it is time to call it. So call it I did, and I will write myself up a more structured workout for Wednesday that blends in a few of the learnings from the weekend.
I ran tonight and did a nice, even paced run of 5.5 miles in just under 39 minutes. Felt really good and loose, with strong legs.
This week I will continue just mixing things up and having fun, because on Friday I am really going to have some fun. As a bit of a surprise I booked a week in the Mayan Riviera at the Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda. Yes this is in addition to our already booked trip to Cancun in January, but I really need a break from work and the price was right. So it will be one less week of winter to concern myself with which suits me just fine!
Have a great week!

Homework

2008-11-10T20:21:00.003-07:00

This weekend I am taking my NCCP Community Coaching Clinic in Edmonton. As part of the course, the facilitator sent out a pre-work assignment to get a sense of the participants coaching background and what you expect to get out of the course. There was one other question that I found interesting which was, "Tell me why you think people participate in sports?" Simple enough question, or so it seemed, until I really thought about the phases of why we participate in sport.
If you think of the first organized sport you engaged in as a kid, you probably did it because someone else in the family participated. For most Canadian boys, hockey is the first organized sport you join and it is generally because you have an older brother, father or uncle who played and you wanted to be just like them. Once you joined you found out that you either liked it our didn't and if you liked it you wanted to get better. And as you got better you wanted to learn more about the skills and improve upon them. All the while you were having fun!
Fast forward to an adult and things change. We usually participate in sports as a means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Some of us end up not really liking what we do, but we do it to keep off weight and keep our blood pressure. However, somewhere in amongst those masses of adult athletes are the ones who find a way to have fun with it again. That is where I think I have landed again. I went through a competitive phase in my late twenties and early thirties, but that didn't last that long. After a short while I found my way back to the fun and I have been there ever since. My successes are measured much differently then when I was younger and they are usually in terms of how much fun I had. I won't lie and say every work out is the funnest thing I have ever done, but by and large I have fun. Part of it is the fact that I am pretty unstructured when it comes to my work out plans. There is a vague framework with a lot of opportunity for mixing and matching and working with how I feel on a given day.
Somehow I think I digressed from the question but I think the reason I still participate in sport is because it is fun. Others do it for the social aspects which is a great reason as well. I envy reading about people who have groups that will go out with them for runs and rides. Unfortunately I am a bit of a solitary creature, and I also live in an area where I would be able to find a group to go ATVing with a lot faster than someone to go cycling with.
My homework is complete and as long the dog doesn't eat it I should be good to go this weekend.
Monday's workout was a quick swim, 1,750 metres in 37:14 and then a brisk evening run covering 6.5 miles in 45 minutes even.
Have a great week!

Busy, busy, busy,....

2008-11-09T16:50:00.002-07:00

Too busy to do much of anything besides work and work out!
Today I finally managed to settle down for a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee and catch up on all the blogs I follow. I had more than a week of posts to read as I just haven't had time to sit down and read.
My week was a blur as we finally delivered our 2009 Operating Plan to the corporate folks on Thursday. The frustrating thing about the whole process is that it isn't worth the paper it is printed on once it is done. Trying to predict the value of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar, and guessing the prices of pulp, natural gas and electricity is darn near impossible. But we go through the process and the innumerable revisions for the dog and pony show that is called the plan presentation. Along with the presentations go the inevitable rah rah speeches on just how we are going to achieve this plan. We are going to be the safest, most productive, lowest cost mill in the entire world, no wait, the galaxy! With our below average compensation packages we are going to recruit and retain the brightest minds and motivate them to things never before imagined. Yes, this will be the year it all comes together. At this point, the crowd roars, and everyone is whipped into a frenzy, speaking in tongues, and vibrating like the congregation at a good old bible revival.
Do I sound a little cynical? Perhaps, but this is probably one of the things I detest the most of all the things I have to do. And I am the mastermind behind it all, as I work the magic of PowerPoint to put the most mesmerizing shade of lipstick on the pig! Shame on me!
Okay...I think you get the point.
In amongst all this I managed to run 42 miles, swim 5,000 metres and go for two bike rides. I continue to maintain a holding pattern of sorts and just enjoy all of my activities. My swims were really good last week, effortless, balanced and really enjoyable. I'm not developing any speed and in all likelihood, I'm not going to, but I sure have been swimming well. So I am not going to complain if things stay this way!
The cycling was all indoors on the trainer and really nothing special to mention. I put my head down and my butt up and got the workouts done, enough said.
Now running on the other hand has been pure joy! There is no way we should be having the weather we have been having but I'll take it. Bright sunshine and moderate temperatures have made for pleasant running. A few days when I have been running at lunch I just don't want it to end! That's a good thing when you are training "free style" as usually I have a tough time when there is no real point to the workouts. But this has been a lot of fun!
Next week will be more of the same. However, plan is behind me now and all that is left is to get our contract done with the union. Next set of negotiations is in one week.
Have a great week!

Religion and Politics

2008-11-02T05:24:00.002-07:00

I was going to write a post about the U.S. election today, but I think I had made a vow to myself to avoid religion and politics. All I will say about it then is it should be interesting!
I had a nice run yesterday, eleven miles in 1:22 over a rather hilly course. My plan had been to run ten miles, but somewhere along the line I screwed up with my mental mathematics and found myself more than a mile from home. The extra mile didn't kill me and it was faster than walking.
The weather here in Northern Alberta has been nothing short of outstanding. Normally by Halloween we have a skiff of snow and the temperatures are in the -3 to -8 Celsius range. Yesterday it was + 15 C and very sunny. The outlook is for more of the same.
I was also going to rant a little about work in today's post, but I'm not going to do that either. Needless to say it has been extremely busy as labour negotiations are hitting a critical point and our annual operating plan is in draft #863.
Last week I was supposed to go on my annual elk hunt with my buddy Dale from Spruce Grove, but I was unable to get away from work. That choked me! We go to a great little trapper's cabin in a remote area up north and it is a very relaxing time. In the time we have went we have never got anything and to be honest, that is fine with me. We both enjoying just spending time in the woods. The bonus is that we always see a ton of wildlife, deer, moose, elk, grizzly and lots of birds of prey. The camp is comfortable and we have some great meals and a few drinks and it is all good. It was just too bad that I had to miss this year as I could really do with the break.
However, today I am going to book my tickets to go to my niece's wedding in Cancun in January. My older brother, Jim will be there so I will have a training partner for a week. That should be fun as he is now hooked on triathlon and marathon running and is doing quite well at it.
I have read a couple of good books lately. Paradise Lost was a great read about the destruction of the city of Smyrna in Turkey in 1922. This city was seemingly a virtual paradise which was isolated from all the turmoil in the area at the time between the Greeks and the Turks. However after a push by the Greeks to take over all of Turkey and a subsequent push back by the Turks, this city was the site of a horrendous scene. Very interesting book to see how the various governments of the U.S., Britain, France and Italy positioned themselves and stood by while the slaughter happened.
The other book I have read recently was called Black Mass which is about politics and religion, so I can't tell you how it was.
Have a great weekend!

Miscellaneous Ramblings

2008-10-30T19:49:00.002-06:00

It's hockey season again and our beloved Edmonton Oilers were out of the gate with a perfect 4 - 0 record. We started planning the parade route, asking the Detroit Red Wings to send the cup to the engravers, and the champagne was on ice. I know it is early, but when something is as sure as this you might as well get ready. Well in the last week our record has slipped to 4 - 4 with a good chance it will be 5 - 4 after tonight. Damn it! The only cup we have a chance of winning this year is the athletic cup.
I was living vicariously through all of you who completed a fall marathon. Congratulations to all of you on great efforts. I love reading all the great reports of the triumphs and the tragedies. Running a marathon is still probably one of the most difficult things to do. While an Ironman is extremely difficult it is very different from a marathon. It's like you have three chances for success and if you get everything right, it's the trifecta! With a marathon you have one chance and one chance only to get it right on that day. So if you don't achieve your target it is sometimes very disappointing. With the triathlon there is usually one part of the race that turns out well. For example in Arizona this year, while my time over all was virtually the same as in Coeur d'Alene the previous year I swam and rode very well. My marathon was a disaster but that was due to conditions.
In a marathon when your target starts to slip away it is like a slow leak in a tire. The pace just slowly drops off and you gradually see your goal time dissipate into the air. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS and it's gone! So again three cheers for all the fall marathoners and enjoy your recovery.
Training has been very enjoyable and there are obvious signs of progress. While my runs have been shortish (6 to 9 miles), I have been running like a dog off a leash. Everyday when I get out my legs are feeling fresh and strong. Today was a perfect example as I started off on a run not sure I even wanted to go. So I thought I would do a couple of laps of the track and if I still was not feeling motivated I would call it. Well after 5 miles I was at 32:26 and finished with 7.4 miles in 48 minutes! That has pretty much been the story all week. I have also had 2 swims of 1,700 and 2,250 metres and 2 bike rides of 17 and 12 miles. Pretty low mileage overall but I have felt just great. The trick will be to keep things on an even keel until I start training in earnest which will not be until January sometime.
Have a great day!

The Training Plan

2008-10-27T18:32:00.003-06:00

It is still way too early for beginning any training in earnest for IM CDA, but I am still thinking about it. And realistically despite lots of reading and contemplating about other plans, the reality is I think I have a successful formula. That may sound a little arrogant, and I don't mean it to at all. It's just that I have developed a plan that gets me to the start line in decent shape and then what happens is largely a result of execution and conditions. There are certainly things I could do better and I could talk about how I am going to, but in truth I won't. I should cycle a whole lot more, but I won't, a few more longer runs wouldn't hurt, but I'm not going to do them and I more than likely should really do more interval work in the pool but it ain't going to happen. Nope, I am going to continue working off of the plan I have used for the last two races knowing that it works. I will be 49 years old next year and shaving a few minutes off my time at the risk of either injuring myself or not enjoying what I am doing just wouldn't be worth it. As I have mentioned on more than one occasion I am inherently lazy. For some strange reason I have been blessed with a little bit of athletic talent and a whole lot of pig headedness which has allowed me to complete pretty much anything I start.
So after looking through all my new training books, I am going to go back to my 20 week plan that I got for free off the Internet and change the dates. Why mess with success?
Have a great day!

You're so lucky!

2008-10-23T16:49:00.000-06:00

I don’t know how many times I have heard that line said to me. It is usually in the context of when people will see me eating at all hours of the day. The comment revolves around how lucky I am that I can eat so much and not gain any weight. Newsflash!! It has nothing to do with luck and a lot to do with hard work with a sprinkling of good genetics.
It happened again the other day when I was taking my lunch out of the microwave and a co-worker noticed the generous portions of lasagna (vegetarian I might add), that I was having.
“Boy, I wish I could eat like that, you’re so lucky”, was the comment from this lady.
Well you probably could if you had just come back from a 55:30 run in which you covered over 8 miles. You see food for most of us (athletes) is fuel, pure and simple. That’s not to say that we don’t get pleasure out of eating, it’s just that most of us know how the equation works and that inputs have to equal outputs. Better fuel, better performance!
I am lucky, but as the old quote goes, the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get, aptly applies in this case.
I am still in a bit of a holding pattern as far as committing to a race of any sort, although I am in good condition for a half or something like that.
Tuesday was the above mentioned run, 8.07 miles in 55:30 on the trails. It was a beautiful day and I was running effortlessly. The trails are in great shape right now and I was running in my Newton’s which are not necessarily a good off road shoe. However the footing was great and they didn’t prove to be a factor.
Wednesday I had to jam a quick run in as I was busy with work, and then a house showing. So I jumped on the treadmill and did a quasi-progression type run and logged 6.5 miles in 44:36. Nothing fancy, just had to get something done to keep my string of good luck going!
Have a great day!

What was I thinking?!?

2008-10-20T17:59:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I am starting to get a little antsy to get into a new training plan. So yesterday I thought I would do a Brick workout which I haven’t done in quite some time. Digging through my DVD Spinervals collection, I came across a Ride and Stride DVD which looked interesting. It appeared to be a reasonable one hour workout so that is what I chose.
There must have been some small print or a warning somewhere on the package that I couldn’t find because this was not for the faint of heart. After a warm up on the bike of 3 x 30 second high tempo spins it was time for the actual session.
Each set was a 10 minute variable gearing, high cadence time trial on the bike, followed by a quick transition to the run and then 5 minutes on the treadmill. The set on the treadmill started out with 1 minute at base pace (comfortable jogging), the next minute was base pace + 2 miles per hour and an incline of 3%. With each minute you increased both pace and incline by one. Starting with a base pace of 6 MPH left me finishing off at 11 MPH. By the end of the third set of this workout I was wobbling and seeing double! My legs felt like jelly but it is definitely a workout that I will do at least once every couple of weeks.
Saturday I had a nice cruise type run in perfect autumn conditions. It was cool enough that you needed some light gloves but otherwise it was sunny and no wind. I ran one of my favourite routes which is out toward the old airport and is along good gravel covered roads. Right from the start the legs were strong and I found myself really powering up the first few inclines. Once on the trails I settled down a bit and just enjoyed the great views of the river valley.
The way back was more of the same and I found myself back at the house in no time at all. As I was not paying much attention to my watch I was surprised to see I had covered 9 miles in just under 1 hour and 1 minute. I still think I need to find a race!
Today was a swimming day and I managed to get in 2,300 metres at lunch in 51 minutes. It was a good workout and I find lately I have become a little more disciplined in doing some drill work and I believe it is helping.
This evening was a quick 5 mile run in 33:54 as I had some things to do. I have noticed a distinct increase in my speed over the last little while. It is not planned, but just seems to be happening. Maybe it is just the fresh, cool fall air that has put the jump in my step.
Congratulations to all the marathoners who competed this weekend. There were some great times posted and I hope everyone enjoys a nice recovery.
Have a great day!

Bloggers and Pornographers

2008-10-18T07:33:00.002-06:00

While you would think there is a distinct difference between the two, our company has decided they rank equally. Up until recently, I used to check my blogging friends reports when I got into work at 5:00 a.m. I'd grab a cup of coffee and do a quick read through to see what everyone was up to. However, last week when I clicked on my link to one of the 6 or 7 blogs I follow, this warning comes up that it has been blocked by "WEBSENSE". So I tried another one and the same thing. Man was I pissed! Out of a work day I might spend 15 minutes of the 11 or 12 hours I put in, following the running adventures of people in different corners of the world.
So I just have to catch up in the evenings and the weekends. As for my own blogging, I just haven't had the time. Between labour negotiations, operating plans, and planning for audits it has been just too much! That being said, I have remarkedly been able to keep up a pretty good training regime, to the point where I would love to compete!
The weather has continued to remain relatively good for this time of year so I have been able to get out for some great autumn runs. The legs have been strong and while I haven't pushed the distance, I have been running some solid times. A half marathon would be just about right for me now if I could find one close by. That seems to be the problem though. There are not too many running events this time of the year in Northern Alberta.
After this prolonged period of operating without a training plan, I find myself starting to want to have something to follow. It is still way too early to start training in earnest for Coeur d'Alene, so I am going to have to find something that gives me a little more structure and purpose, but is not too intense.
Last weekend was Thanksgiving and we had a house full which was fantastic. My brother Blair and his wife Frances and son Justin, along with my brother Keith and his daughter Kate-Lynne were here for the weekend and it was great. Of course Nicholas, Francesca and Nicole were here as well. We enjoyed a couple of great meals, a few tasty beverages and lots of laughs during the time they were here.
Good luck to all the racers this weekend! Remember to be careful and above all else, have some fun!
Have a great weekend!

2008-10-07T20:03:00.002-06:00

This week has started out good again as I continue to follow the "make it up as I go" training plan.
Sunday I got on the bike and blasted off 20 miles in 1 hour which surprised me given that I have not cycled all that much. I will try and get a few more miles in over the next little while and with cooler weather coming it will be easier to jump on the trainer.
Monday I hit the pool for a 1,800 metre workout. Nothing too spectacular other than I was feeling pretty good in the water and I am actually making sure I get at least 400 metres of drill work in.
In the evening I deferred to the treadmill and blasted off 5.1 miles in 33 minutes. I'm not really sure where that came from or why I felt a need to run that fast, but it happened. I think I got carried away playing with all the features on the treadmill and before I knew it I had the thing cranked up to 10.1 MPH! It was fun though and I suffered no ill effects and today I followed up with a nice 8 mile trail run in just over an hour. It was a blustery fall day, but I managed to duck out of the wind by sticking to the trails.
Tonight I did a real easy spin on the bike and did about 12.5 miles in 35 minutes. The legs were a little tired but I kept the gearing light and just kept spinning.
So thus far the week has went well!
Tomorrow we start the ominous task of hunting for a new house. With an offer pending on our place it is time to actually start looking at where we want to live in Town. We have narrowed down the price range so we will start there. It looks like housing prices are softening a bit so it should be a bit of a buyer's market. We have 5 to look at tomorrow night and probably at least that many again on Thursday, so we will be busy!
Have a great day!

Running for Myself

2008-10-04T06:58:00.004-06:00

Over the past few weeks, it has been a truly liberating experience to train without a plan. It really has re-instilled in me my true love for the sports I participate in. Each work out is no longer a race against the clock or a defined length that has to be completed. At the best of times I am not that good about following a plan, but knowing I don’t even have to acknowledge that a plan exists has been great.
Plans are great, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I wonder if we lose sight of what it is all about. We all started our participation in this sport for some reason, be it to lose weight, stress relief, or some other valid reason. And over time, we have developed a love of the training that extends beyond the reason we originally started. With very few exceptions, despite our whining, we truly love the blood, sweat and tears that come with being an endurance athlete. We head out every day with the hopes of the perfect run or swim or ride. Today is going to be the day when it is totally effortless and the thousands of miles I have put in will finally pay off is what we hope. But rarely does it happen. And yet we still head out religiously to try again.

The great weather has probably also helped to buoy my spirits as it has been just a fabulous fall. The temperatures have been +20 Celsius almost every day. Another thing that helped me to appreciate the whole training thing was the attitude of my brother Jim after his marathon in Toronto. While it wasn't the race he hoped for there was not even a brief mention of being disappointed with the result. It was all about the highlights of the run, being around like-minded people and sharing the experience with his family. That to me, is what the competition is all about. For me it was refreshing and a great reminder of why I enjoy the sport.

With the no plan schedule the workouts have been going great. I still have a long ways to go before I start a plan for Coeur d'Alene so I have been doing a lot of middle distance efforts, 2,000 metre swims, 8 - 10 mile runs, and 15 -20 mile bike rides. Because of the great weather I have been doing a little bit of mountain biking as it is so much more fun to ride off road. This week I will finish up with about 8 hours of training which is about where I want to be.

Musically I have added a few new albums to the iPod which is now over 5,300 songs. This weeks additions include Darius Rucker, "Learn to Live". Not quite what I expected but it is quite good. He is the former lead singer of "Hootie and the Blowfish" and this is a country album. I also added "Saving Abel", which is much in the vain of Nickleback or Breaking Benjamin.

I haven't posted pictures for awhile but here are some of the fall colours we enjoyed on our last MTB ride.

Have a great weekend!

I Need a Holiday!

2008-09-27T06:07:00.002-06:00

That is just how I am feeling these days!
It has been too long since I have had more than a scattered day off and I am beginning to feel it. It's not like I am worn out from training, I just feel like it has been too busy as of late. Lots of changes at work, plus we are entering labour negotiations which are never fun. This whole week was spent dealing with labour issues which are always a precursor to the actual negotiations. Everyone is looking for a rallying point so even the smallest of issues seems to end up with the Union President in my office. Tiring work to say the least. Things are only going to get worse as we will exchange agendas with the Union on Monday and commence bargaining. The bargaining process is not that bad, it is all the stuff that will happen back at the plant while the negotiations happen.
And then there is the matter of putting together our 2009 Operating Plan and Strategy. That also has to be ready for the middle of the month. Thank goodness I work with some great people who really pitch in when you need them to. I am pretty much going to have to let them run with this one and try and find some time to review things as they progress.
And finally there is the whole house sale process which is probably going to get to the offer stage next week. While we are happy to be finally selling the acreage, there is the small matter of finding another place to live. We have kind of discussed what we would like, but so far it has amounted to, it has to be smaller and it has to be in town. Now I think we actually need to start looking but Angela is afraid to because she thinks it will jinx the whole process. Jinx or not I think we need to consider looking as living in a tent in Northern Alberta during the winter is not a great option!
My haphazard training continues to go well and I am staying in fine shape. This week I actually rode the bike twice which has not been normal. The running has also been good with only minor heel and Achilles complaints. Nothing that has really slowed me but it's always there. I will probably end the week with about 40 miles which, for no real plan, is respectable. Lots of high tempo running which I guess you could say is my "m.o.". I run a lot of my miles at fairly high pace, always have, always will. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but I just like doing that.
Finally I managed three swims this week, with Friday's having to be cut short due to timing. Good thing is that I still went even though I knew I was only going to be able to squeeze in 1,000 metres. Under normal circumstances I would have blown it off, but it actually turned out to be very refreshing.
This weekend my brother, Jim will be running the ScotiaBank Marathon in Toronto. He has had a great training season and if conditions are right I believe he will surprise himself. I have got him (and his wife and daughter) converted to triathletes so he has done a lot of cross training and has seen a marked improvement in his over all fitness and an equal improvement in injury prevention. Other than his propensity to fall off his bike at the start, he has stayed quite healthy over the season. So good luck this weekend! Also good luck to cousin Mike in the half marathon he is doing this weekend.
Have a great weekend!

A Rant

2008-09-24T19:47:00.002-06:00

My week was going pretty good, until I opened my mail the other day and there it was.....a photo radar ticket. The ticket was for $85, for doing 83 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. The evidence is there, it is my truck, and I am doing the above noted speed. However, there is no context to the whole thing. Here I am a mere 100 metres from entering a 100 km/h zone in an isolated area on the outskirts of town. The whole area from the last set of lights heading out of Town should be 100 km/h but failing that you would think that common sense would prevail. Stop selling me this whole photo radar as a public safety thing and call it what it is.....an out and out tax grab! Just where these people set up (they are not police officers) is wholly designed to fleece John Q. Public. The set up on the edge of speed zones where people are either speeding up or slowing down and hope to nab you. It is despicable! If I had gotten stopped by a police officer and received the same ticket I don't think I would have felt nearly as annoyed. At least I would have had a chance to explain myself and he would have had the opportunity to lecture me on the evils of travelling over the speed limit. I'm good with that! It's this faceless, gutless way of reaching into my wallet that sends me over the edge. When I see the photo radar vehicles set up I almost become irrational. I want to flip them the bird, moon them, anything just to show my disgust.
Okay, I have taken my Valium and I am starting to calm back down. On to training matters!
The week thus far has been quite productive again with 4 runs in for a total of about 25 miles all at a reasonable pace and one that I would consider a bit of a hill workout. I have also had 2 good swims, 2250 metres and 2,000 metres today. I have found my stroke again so time in the pool is rather enjoyable again. Monday I swam a 400 metre warm up followed by 28 x 50 metre repeats with 16 on 1:10 and 12 on 1:05 followed by a relaxing cool down. I wouldn't say my intervals were particularly fast, but they felt smooth and I really don't think my pace varied much throughout the entire set. Today's workout had more core work and some longer intervals but again I was swimming well.
Yesterday I had to do a ride on the trainer which was okay, but I only managed 45 minutes of variable gearing work. Time to get a little busier on the bike as I have really not rode much this summer at all.
Not much else happening. Looks like we are going to get an offer on the house which will be exciting. Then we can start figuring out where we are going to go.
Have a great week!

Coming back to earth

2008-09-20T07:41:00.002-06:00

After my super sonic run on Thursday, everything was back to normal yesterday. And apparently the Garmin recovered as well since it seemed to produce believable statistics.
The weather was just wonderful again with nice warm temperatures, but a distinct crispness to the air. There is nothing like running in the autumn and it brings me back to my high school days and running cross country. The smells and colours seem to trigger something in my brain to make me want to run faster. Yesterday was no exception as I covered the 6.5 miles in an average of 6:49 / mile with a nice even effort. I never once felt I was pushing the pace, just enjoyed the run. I would have went longer but I was also dreaming about a nice cold beer on the deck and the lure of that was like a tractor beam pulling me home. And it was worth coming home for to!
This week has been a hodge-podge of workouts really aimed at just having some fun. Sometimes we get so caught up in the plans and the numbers that we forget to experience the joy that comes from the activities we partake in. Right now that is where my head is at, just getting back to having some good old fashioned fun. My swims were great examples of that as I ignored my plan from swimplan.com, and roughed out something I felt like doing. It was great and my two swims this week were 2,300 and 2,400 metres in distance and really enjoyable. In addition I felt really good in the water and not over thinking every movement.
My runs were all in the 6 - 8 mile range with Wednesday being a day off. Again I have just been focusing on running relaxed and taking in the beauty of the season. Normally September is a rainy month for us, but not so this year. How much longer the weather will hold out, I don't know but I am sure going to enjoy it while I can.
I only rode the bike once this week, but what a ride. Angela and I took the mountain bikes out on Tuesday and headed into the back country. The colours were spectacular and more than once we wished we had the camera. The highlight of the ride was as we were about to ride through this huge horse pasture, Angela noticed a huge bull elk about 70 yards up the road. He had a magnificent set of antlers and just stood there for us to watch him. Then he gave a little whistle and started sauntering up the road. At that point we started to head up to the point where he was standing and another large bull came out of the woods! Oddly enough they had no interest in us and showed no signs of aggressiveness. They are entering the rut now and are going to be very territorial.
So that was the week that was!
On the reading front I am working through a great book on Hunter S. Thompson called, Gonzo. It is actually a series of quotes and memories from his many friends. While this may seem like it might end up being disconnected it actually is very well done and reads quite well.
I am also reading a book about the history of the area I live in called the Coal Branch. A little tougher read in that the author is not really that good a writer, but the information about the area is embedded in the poor writing which is really what I am after.
Musically the last two additions have been the new Metallica album "Death Magnetic" which, if you like Metallica is good, and the definitive collection of Stevie Wonder.
Have a great weekend!

Shattering Records

2008-09-18T18:12:00.003-06:00

It was a sunny day and not a whisper of wind. After a long debate with myself, I decided that I would head out for an easy run to shake off the frustrations of the work day. The beautiful day was also too nice to waste as they will be few and far between as the leaves begin to fall and autumn turns to winter. Although I was determined to go, I still was extremely slow as I went through my pre-run preparations. A drink of water, some half-hearted stretches, a cookie, a few more stretches and out the door I go.

I'm certainly not expecting too much out of this run, and have low expectations, five or maybe six miles. Little did I know what was going to happen!

Off I go and head south onto the rural road towards town. Surprisingly I feel quite good with no aches or pains and within a couple of minutes I have settled in to a comfortable pace. Following the road along I cross highway 40 and hit a dirt road going into the old airport. First mile in about 7:25 which is about right for the way I feel. Staying on the dirt road I run mindlessly along covering another 2.10 miles in just over 14:40. I am still feeling really good but I'm not going to push it and decide to turn around to make the return trip which would make an even 10K.

The way back starts routinely enough until I check my Garmin and notice that after running about 3 minutes I have now lost miles. I am at 2.4 miles which I know is wrong from the countless times I have run this route. Oh well, perhaps it will correct itself. I carry on feeling that I am maintaining a decent pace and try and forget about the distance and pace. Shortly after it beeps again indicating a mile and I am thinking, "Great it is probably adjusting itself." And sure enough it had and everything is good again.

Next mile 1:53.....what the heck......beep, beep, ..........next two miles in 0:57. Everything is a blur, my skin is stretched tight on my face, my legs must be moving so fast that I can't even tell they are moving. The beeping is coming every ten seconds now and sometimes they are consecutive indicating that I am covering miles in NO TIME. Time and space have stood still, I have defied laws of physics, Usain Bolt runs like a little girl. By the time the beeping stops I have "covered" 33.89 miles in 41 minutes. This is amazing, I have broken every running record know to man, I have experienced the speed of light, I have probably worn out my shoes, I have........A BROKEN GARMIN!

Have a great day!

We have lift off!

2008-09-14T15:55:00.004-06:00

This is the view from the "cockpit" of my new treadmill. I do sort of feel like Mr. Sulu at the controls of the Starship Enterprise when I get on it. Lots of cool dials and one touch gizmo's. The incline or speed can be adjusted by an arrow key to give you 1/2% increments of incline and .10 MPH increments of speed. There are also one touch buttons which allow you to increase by full miles per hour and degrees. Strangely though both of them are 12 step programs? Seems to me they may have picked up on the addictive nature of running.

Anyway the beast is now in the house and set up. I took it for a test run yesterday and it was very nice with the fans blowing on me, my iPod hooked up to the control panel and the variable degree cushioning adjusted for a nice comfortable run. I ripped off a quick 6 in 41 minutes as I was feeling pretty good and also had limited time to do my run. It is nice to have the machine again as it is going to start getting dark after work soon and it is nice to have it as an option. Also this weekend we had two days where there was frost when I got up.

Today I managed to get out for another easy 8 miler. Nothing special other than it was a beautiful day with temperatures around 21 degrees celcius and brilliant sunshine. The frost has kissed the leaves and they are starting to turn yellow and orange so all in all it was a spectacular day to be out running. The back roads were very quiet and I just cruised along enjoying the scenery.

I have started a bit of a marathon plan now but I have no idea which marathon I will actually run. More than anything I just need a plan to follow so I just picked a date and entered it into the ONTRI website so it will generate a training plan for me. So I will loosely follow that and if everything works out I will try and get into something later in the fall once my dance card is cleared.

Have a great week!

Preparing for winter

2008-09-09T19:54:00.002-06:00

This week I am preparing for winter, and that means getting the workout room ready. Now I am certain that after I shuffle everything around into this reclaimed space, our house will sell, but I am still going forward with it.
I have my bike set up on the trainer in the den, so I have decided that is where the new treadmill will go. Now this new treadmill is something else. If you will recall my old one gave up the ghost not too long ago so we had to get a new one. This will be the fourth one I have owned and virtually everyone of them was plum wore out when it packed it in. You see living in Canada a treadmill is not a luxury item for the serious endurance athlete, it is a necessity. Between the eight months of winter and the four months of poor sledding there are a lot of opportunities to benefit from using the equipment. Anyway, back to the new 'mill. This mother is huge! It is a Nordic Track E3000 and the control panel on it looks like it came from the USS Enterprise. It has a couple of fans, the iPod plugs in to it, along with just about every other electronic device I own. However the problem now becomes getting the beast into the house. It will take three strong men and a hairy ass midget to get this sucker where I want it. I have a plan but I will need some help to execute it along with two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.
I have also purchased some nice cushioned flooring for everything to sit on and to spare the hardwood floor from sweat and spilled sports drinks. All in all I think it is going to be a great set up, just short lived as I am sure once I plug the treadmill in, the house will sell!
When I left you on Saturday I was planning on heading out for my first double digit run in awhile. Well it happened, except there was a decimal point between the two digits! I thought I had prepared myself well with a good breakfast, and a then a bottle of Gatorade and a Power Bar before heading out. But after only 1.5 miles I started to get a little light headed and had to stop. At that point I was heading onto the trails and thought I better at least stick to the highway. But even after the rest I still was unable to get going again so the run ended with a miserable 3.3 miles.
Sunday I was off to the city so that was a scratch day.
Monday I had a great swim at lunch and logged 1,900 metres. The workout consisted of a 400 metre warm up, 400 metres of drills, 10 x 100 metre intervals with 5 on 2:10 and 5 on 2:00 and 100 metre cool down. It was a struggle to stay on the 2:00 clock as I was getting tired but I gave it a good try.
In the evening I was back on the bike for a high cadence technique workout and managed an hour and covered 17.5 miles with an average cadence of 98 RPM.
Tuesday I ran at lunch on the Town trails. The weather was perfect, about 15 degrees Celsius and a little bit of sun. The trails were nice and soft and I covered the 9 mile route in 1:04. I felt great the whole time and really enjoyed myself out there.
I also signed up for a Community Coaching Clinic in Calgary this November. It is sort of an introductory coaching clinic for triathlon so I am going to test the waters. It's a two day course and then you are certified. It is also an introductory to the National Coaching Program so if I like it I will start down that path.
Have a great day!

Cranking it up a notch

2008-09-06T06:59:00.002-06:00

After a few weeks of light workouts and just kind of keeping in the game, this week I felt the energy return. There are still a few aches and pains, but heck that is probably just an age thing so I can suck that up. But this week I felt a renewed sense of energy and the desire to actually start working a little harder in some of my workouts.
The swim has been particularly good this week. Not so much from a speed perspective, and I'm not sure that is something I will ever have to worry about, but from a comfort and enjoyment standpoint. I looked forward to my swim and with the help of some books and websites I have freshened up my workouts and made them a bit more challenging. I managed to get in three swims in the holiday shortened week and after each one I felt I had actually accomplished something in the pool. The main thing will be to not rush things as it will be a long time before any competition so I can really take my time at this. That being said, I also have to watch that my inclination to procrastinate doesn't take over and I get to the week before the event and have not swam more than 2,000 metres in a workout. I'm going to figure out how I prevent that from happening next week.
I also managed to get on the bike twice so far this week. It has been awhile since I rode and I just wasn't feeling it, but I managed to get in two decent technique spin sessions and I felt pretty good about it. Funny thing about the bike is I sometimes think that I get a better workout from a run so I will substitute run for bike. But fact is when I am on the bike my legs are generally burning, I am sweating like a whore in church, and I have one lung hanging out my nose. I think that qualifies for a substantial workout!
Finally on the run front I have slowly been easing back up the ladder of mileage and will hopefully do my first double digit run in awhile this weekend. The Achilles are still an issue but nothing massage and stretching won't heal. So far this week I have done about 30 miles in total in four sessions. One more run today will finish up the week. Tomorrow will be a day off since I am going into the city to bring Francesca all the things she forgot as well as the things she has since conned me to buy her (Elliptical machine, new desk and chair,...)
Work wise I am settling in with the new boss, but things are extremely busy as I deal with the on going items and help to get him up to speed.
Have a great weekend!

Moving Day

2008-09-02T19:49:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was moving day as we brought Francesca back for year 3 at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. It is hard to believe that this is her third year already, but it is indeed. This year's move was a little more complicated as she was not going back into residence. Instead she is in a house with four other girls. So we had to bring beds and dressers and all the other requirements for setting up housekeeping. We certainly looked like the Beverly Hillbillies when we headed out yesterday morning as we were loaded for bear! That being said it went really well and we had her all set up by 4:00 PM and then we were off for a quick dinner and on the road home by 7:00 PM. We got home at 10:00 PM and then had to "break in" to the house as our house sitter locked all the doors and we only had keys for the deadbolts. By 10:15 I had managed to get in and I was probably asleep by 10:30 as we were exhausted by then.
I have been keeping fairly busy with working out and getting lots of low key sessions in. Right now I am collecting information for devising my new plan and bought 4 more books on the weekend. Once I get through them I will pass along a little review on each of them.
Today I swam a leisurely 2,000 metres at lunch and followed it up with a 4.5 mile run this evening. That would sort of be the way I have been lately with lots of medium distance efforts just to maintain conditioning.
Have a great day!

The Bachelor

2008-08-29T06:05:00.002-06:00

This week I have been "baching" it, with Angela and Francesca spending the week in Florida. As these things often do, it started off great. No rush to get my workouts done after work, play my guitar at full volume, play my old blues stuff without being chastised, and all the other things that come with having the house to yourself. However, by the end of the evening on day one, after jumping on the bed and eating ice cream, it had already started to wear thin. By day two I was rattling around the house and holding long conversations with both dogs and the cat. After day three I pretty much had the house spotless and packed up a lot of Francesca's stuff in preparation for her move back to school on Monday. The rest of the week has been more of the same. I can't wait for them to come back today!! I am off to the city later this morning to pick them up at 2:00 p.m. From all accounts they have had a great time in Orlando, despite their fears the Hurricane Fay was going to disrupt their plans. Weather has been fine, with only high humidity to deal with an occasional thunder shower.
On the workout front I continue to take it easy and let whatever happens happen. No structure to what I am doing at all and it is great! The only issue has been my swimming which continues to puzzle me. On Monday when I got in the pool it went as poorly as I can ever recall. My head was all over the place like a Barry Bonds bobble head doll, and I just couldn't get balanced in the water. I was churning up the water like a Mississippi River Boat and my time for 100 metres was just below 2:00 minutes. A couple of weeks ago I was flirting with 1:45 and now this! It was a sad, sad day. Children looked away, old men cried, and the lifeguards just stared and shook their heads forlornly. Well it wasn't that bad, but it sure felt that way.
Wednesday things were better as I spent a good 15 minutes doing some of the basic TI drills and after that I had a good workout.
On the running front I have be staying in around the 7 - 8 mile range and not pushing the pace too much. With nothing in my immediate future there is no sense beating up my body.
The air has definitely changed this week and there is no doubt that autumn is here. The temperatures are still quite comfortable, but the air feels different. The running this time of year is just the best and for those of you who suffer high humidity, you would absolutely love it. It is also a great time of year for riding the mountain bike, which I am going to start doing a little more often.
Have a great long weekend!