Easing into the holidays

As previously mentioned the next two weeks will be lower hours as I take a breather for some vacation. I will still get in some running and swimming, but it will be minimal. One of the key things I have learned over the years is that if you are going to rest, rest hard! For any endurance athlete rest is a key component of any plan and often overlooked. We are always focused on getting that extra workout in and add a couple extra miles to the run or bike. In reality though, most of these added miles and workouts really add little or no value. Training effectively is paramount in preparing for an IM. There is no room for wasted effort and every workout has to be done with purpose and the understanding of how it gets you through the 140.6 miles on race day. You have to know when to go hard and when to go easy, devoting the proper time to each discipline, and within each discipline, focusing appropriately on technique, distance, speed, and recovery. A veritable balancing act for sure, and one learned more through trial and error than from reading books. The books and articles give you some understanding of ways of achieving the end, but training is a personal thing, and what works for one person may not necessarily work for you. Learn what works for you and tinker with it to find the optimum.
Once I get back from holidays I will be into the final push for IM AZ. Right now I am right where I should be training wise. Everything has come together nicely and the adjustments I made to my schedule from last year's experience seem to be working. I have allocated considerably more time to the bike and despite having to do all my rides indoors, I have put in a lot of saddle time. The running and swimming are solid and no concerns at the moment. I will put in a few more long runs in the coming weeks, but for right now I am good. My one test long run of 17 miles in 2 hours has given me a good indication of my current level.
Over the last couple of days the workouts have been as follows:
Monday - 2,200 metre swim in 48:30
Tuesday - 1:10 minute ride (21 miles), and a 4.0 run in the evening
The plan for the week is for just over 9 hours and I am at 5 so far. I have a couple of travel days in there so that is why the hours are lower.
Have a great day!

Sunday Spin

Today was an "all bike" day. I got up early knowing that I had a fairly long ride to do, but also knowing that it was time to do a little bike maintenance as well. Not necessarily my favourite thing to do, but an important part of being a cyclist. It is especially important when you are riding lots of miles on a trainer. Even with wiping the bike down and keeping it clean there is still a lot of sweat that gets onto the bike and is very corrosive.
So this morning I cleaned and oiled everything and now it is looking nice and shiny!
Then for the workout....54 miles in just over 3 hours. Including warm up and cool down this was a great workout. I rode to a 2 hour Spinveral DVD and then I just picked some of the sets I liked and did them over again. Nice smooth riding form and managed an average cadence of 90 RPM.
Yesterday was an 8.5 mile run in just under an hour. So I met my target for last week and I am well on the way for this week.
Hope you had a great weekend!

This blog brought to you by Alexander Keith's

A plug for my new favourite beer! This Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale is delightful to say the least. And it was well deserved after another solid week of training.
As of tonight's workout, I have logged 11 hours with one day to go. This was on a plan of 11:45, so I could technically have an easy day tomorrow.
Thursday I got tied up at work at lunch so I missed my planned 45 minute run. However, I did slip out early at the end of the day and managed to do 40 miles on the bike at an average speed of just under 18 mph and a cadence of about 92 rpm. The ride went by quick as I was listening to some good tunes. A little "biker" mix I put together with a little bit of everything. My music tastes are eclectic to put it mildly, everything from classical, to country, to old rock, to punk and alternative, you name it, I have it on my iPod. Anyway the music made for a pleasurable ride and I managed to put in over 2 hours on the trainer. After the ride I changed into a dry shirt, laced up the old Saucony's and hit the treadmill for a brisk 4.3 mile run on the treadmill. Legs were just fine, and my adjustment from the bike to the run was smooth.
Today was a 2,900 metre swim at lunch time. Warm up was 1,000 metres easy swim, then the main set consisted of 5 x 150 metres with 30 seconds rest, followed by another 5 x 150 metres using the pull buoy. The cool down was 400 metres of easy swimming. Main focus of the swim today was body rotation and making sure I was swimming "belly to the wall". That is making sure my rotation was complete with my belly button facing the wall after each stroke. I like swimming with the pull buoy because it does simulate the way you feel when you wear your wet suit. The wet suit really increases your buoyancy and helps to keep your butt riding a little higher in the water.
Tonight I finished up with a recovery ride on the bike of 40 minutes. High cadence (96 rpm average), small chain ring work. Again, my legs felt strong and no ill effects from yesterday's workout.
Also this week I made the decision to drive to the race in Phoenix rather than fly. I have the time and I just don't feel comfortable shipping my bike and all the other associated paraphernalia. So driving it is! Surprisingly I feel a whole lot better now that I have made the decision and mapped my route. It should be an interesting ride and I love to drive so that won't be an issue. Plus I get to take all my stuff! When I first started doing triathlons I wondered what the heck everyone had in the various rubber maid containers and bags they would lug into transition. I had my bike, a wet suit, shoes and a few article of clothing in my back pack and that seemed to be all I needed. Well I soon found out that triathletes are the "gadget meisters" extraordinaire! Tire pumps, tools, tire guages, 14 tire tubes and a spare of everything else (including lungs and kidneys!). Soon I had my rubber maid with everything I needed times 2! It is like Linus' blanket, I just couldn't imagine having to take anything less than everything. So now I can stop fretting about that and make the final few arrangements for race day.
Have a great weekend!
(and go get some Amber Red Ale.....now!)

Life without workouts....??

Just a question to ponder,"What would your life be without the activities you do?"
I thought about that tonight as I pounded out a 1 hour and 5 minute run on the treadmill.
Would I be a drinker? Maybe I would actually do some of the odd jobs around the house? Or perhaps I would come home, eat supper, paste my butt to the couch and watch television until I was so numb that I would go to bed, each and every night. Yikes! Perish the thought.
Personally I don't think I would be as effective a person as I am if I didn't do what I do. Today was a perfect example. My day starts at 6:30 a.m. with reviewing our less than stellar financial results for the month of January. No doubt this will result in more than one conversation with our folks in head office, so I get prepared for that. As soon as people start to roll into the office, I get wind of a potential union issue with an employee we have hired who is slated to start next week. A quick meeting with the supervisor and the union rep temporarily diffuses the issue...for now. Once I get back to my office the calls start from H.O., so I give them the low down on the month's results. It is what it is, and we will get the boat righted for February. I live by my father's words, "Never explain and never complain!"
The rest of the morning is spent getting things righted in my area for February! By 11:30 a.m., I am ready to hit the pool! The water is nice and warm and I love being the first one in, while it is perfectly still. For some reason those first few laps by yourself seem so effortless and relaxing. By the time the other swimmers have arrived, I already have the best part of my warm up completed and I am in a groove. The core part of the workout goes well and before I know it I am cooling down. Workout for today was 600 metre warm up, 2 x 750 metre tempo swims, one with the pull buoy, and a 500 metre cool down. Quickly into the shower, change, and head back across the street to work.
When I get back to my office it is like I am starting the day fresh. The morning activities are all in perspective and I am ready to go again. It's times like these that I feel I have an advantage over everyone else because of the break. After a quick lunch at my desk, I am back at it. Meetings with the sawmill manager to discuss some of the issues facing them and their dismal results, and then it is off to one of my supervisor's offices to review an incident investigation. After that it is a conference call to hammer out the details of a consulting arrangement we are negotiating and then, lo and behold it is quitting time. The day has flown by and I see other people dragging their butts out of the office, probably to go home, have a few beers, and complain about the tough day they had. Not me! I'm munching on a Power Bar and drinking some water as I head home to hop on the treadmill and run a little over 9 miles.
I think I like the path I have chosen better than the options. While I am never going to win the Boston Marathon, or Iron Man Hawaii, the benefits of this lifestyle have made for a very great life. And I believe most people who participate in these activities would say the same. I just feel sorry for all the rest!
Other items of interest: Yesterday's workout - 2 hour bike ride - 35.5 miles, 89 rpm, felt very strong.
New music on the iPod - One Republic (not bad), Sheryl Crow, an old Derek and the Dominos album, and Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers)
Books: Still reading East of the Sun (this is going to take awhile), and I am also reading a Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett.
Have a great day!

The Self-Coached Athlete

Many of us are in the situation of being our own coach. For some, there are no other options as there is no coaching available where we live. This, however, is a weak excuse as there are a plethora of coaches on the internet, willing to take our money and help us to the desired goal. On-line coaching is an option, but it can be expensive and you have to wonder how much personal attention you actually receive. Others of us are too cheap to spring for the cost of the coach, while there are the other group of us know-it-alls that believe we can do it ourselves. I fall somewhere in amongst the last two groups. Being an accountant, I am inherently frugal, and with my many years of running experience, I am probably also a bit of a know-it-all! Pitiful, but true!
If you are taking the self-coaching road, there are generally more than a few pitfalls. Without someone watching over our workouts and intensities, the easy ones are done too hard and the hard ones too easy. And I believe the largest aspect of the program overlooked, is the mental training required for an endurance event. We spend a lot of time doing and not as much time planning and visualizing. This is especially true for an IM where so much of what is required to be successful hinges on a solid plan and a good mental attitude. Much of the plan goes out the window in the first 10 minutes, but it is still important to have one and be comfortable with making adjustments on the fly. The ability to adapt throughout the race is part of the mental training that allows you to stay calm and capable of making good decisions throughout the long day that is IM. Generally, that is the big difference between those who have a successful day and those that don't. The whole day is one decision after another and the key is to make more right decisions than wrong decisions.
In the end though, being your own coach does have some advantages. You're not likely to get fired, and the price is right! The odd beer once in awhile and you can keep the old coach happy.
There is a lot of information available on line if you chose this route, almost too much! Care must be taken to develop a plan that suits you and the realities of your life. No use latching on to a plan that calls for 20 hours a week when you only have 10 to spare. Also you have to understand what your goals are for the race and tailor a plan that suits your abilities. Self-coaching is a viable option and can be rewarding and successful.
On the workout front, Sunday was a very easy day and I did a quick 3o minutes of light spinning on the bike. Saturday's long run had no ill effects on the legs, but there was no point pushing it.
Today I did just over an hour in the pool and racked up 2,700 metres. The workout was a 500 metre warm up, followed by three sets of 250 metres @ 70%, 150 metres @ 60%, and 100 metres @ 80%. The remainder was a cool down of mixed strokes.
Tonight was another easy run, logging just over 7 miles in 51:20.
This week's total hours will be down from the 13 I did last week, and I should come in around 11 hours with more emphasis on cycling and less on running.
Have a great day!

Vacation on my mind

This cold weather is slowly coming to an end, but I still can't wait to run in some warm sunshine.

Twelve more days and we will be bathed in the warmth of sunny Florida.

It has been awhile since we have been to Florida, as we have gone to Mexico for the last few years. But this year we are going back there and taking my son Nicholas and his fiance, Nicole. The recent cold snap has only made us wish we were going longer than a week!

While on holidays, training will be put on the back shelf. I am well on target and the rest will do me good. When I get back there will only be 7 weeks left until IM AZ! Those last few weeks will be working on staying healthy and strong and starting to think about the "other" elements of the race. Specifically thinking about my transitions and nutrition for race day.Last year, I did not put too much pressure on myself to get out of transition with any urgency. Everything was geared towards completing the 140.6 miles as comfortably and as sensibly as possible. So I made plans to transition into dry clothes for each leg of the race. This cost me a considerable amount of time, but I think in the end it was worth it. I obviously enjoyed it enough to sign up for another one!

This year though, I will be prepared to do things differently in an effort to knock some time off. These are easy minutes to gain if you develop a plan and think about what you really need for the event at hand. I will use the same plan I do for half IM races. Wearing my cycling clothes under my wetsuit, and running in my biking gear, as well as just acting with more urgency.

On the nutrition front, I am going to experiment with some food that is more satisfying. Possibly a bagel and peanut butter during the bike ride and reduce the amount of calories that I take in via liquid. That added a bit of time with additional pit stops, but it was effective from the standpoint that I did not bonk at any time. This will require some thought, as I will not change last year's plan unless I am absolutely certain that I have a better one.

On the training over the last few days, it has been on plan and I finished the week with 13 hours and 1 minute versus a schedule which called for 13 hours.

Friday I did over an hour in the pool and covered 2,600 metres. The workout was a combination of drills and some interval swimming. I continue to work on maintaining good mechanics as I start to fatigue.

The evening was a quick 10 km run in 45 minutes. Nothing too fancy here, just got out and made it happen.

Saturday was a 2 hour effort (on the treadmill!), which resulted in 17 miles. Had some new tunes so I was zoned out and only checked in to mix up the incline every once in awhile.

Today I will look at the plan for next week and make the adjustments I need to accomodate getting the hours in. I am anticipating a lighter week as far as hours with potentially some longer cycling workouts.

Have a great weekend!

The Numbers for January

Looking back on the month I have to be satisfied with my training both from a volume and a quality perspective.

Swim Time 11:14 Distance 18.38 miles Average pace 36:42 / mile
Bike Time 20:40 Distance 380.79 miles Average speed 18.4 mph
Run Time 18:31 Distance 155.96 miles Average pace 7:05 / mile

Rule of thumb would say that I should allocate my mileage / time commensurate with the race distances. So that would say that roughly 80% of my mileage should be on the bike, 18% on the run, and 2% in the pool. My January numbers show a distribution of 69% bike, 28% run, and 3 % swim. Because of my love of running I think this is about as good as I am going to be able to do. Still the amount of cycling I have done already far surpasses any that I have done in previous training cycles. In addition, the quality of my workouts has been top shelf. Lots of intense efforts and a suitable number of recovery workouts have all helped me develop my skills. I really believe in the “super compensation” theory, where you need to add new stimuli to your workouts, followed by rest and recovery to make progress.
On the physical side, I am showing no ill effects thus far. The Achilles is always there, but can be managed with regular use of my roller. I have noticed a slight tweak in my left shoulder, nothing of note, but I will have to watch my stroke to ensure I am not doing something different.
Yesterday I ran at lunch in the -22 C weather. I finally had enough of the treadmill and the sun was shining so I thought what the heck. There was a slight breeze from the west, but the route I chose would avoid it until the last 2 kilometres. The run was basically a hill workout as it starts out in the valley and has a steady climb to the top of Robb Road. I had a good strong pace, despite the added layers, and covered 7.26 miles in 53:43.
My ride in the evening was just over a 1:20 and was strictly recovery. Mostly done in the small chain ring and my cadence averaged 94 RPM. The legs felt good and it was a relatively easy workout.
It is a new month, with some new challenges. I don’t expect to rack up similar numbers as I will be taking a week’s vacation to get some sun in the middle of February. During that time I will get some running in, but not much else. And the runs will be easy, because I’m on holidays!
Have a great day!